The first HD outside broadcast truck in Saudi Arabia has been launched by Al Nijoom Media Production, and uses Hamlet’s MonitorScope MS9000 for critical quality measurements, writes David Fox.
The MonitorScope was installed by Indian system integrator Deuro Broadcast India, which built the vehicle for Al Nijoom.
The MS9000 is a compact waveform monitor and vectorscope, in the traditional half-width 3U form factor, but with a very shallow profile thanks to its use of a high resolution TFT display. This is an advantage with space always at a premium in outside broadcast units.
It is capable of making a broad range of measurements in standard and high definition, an important consideration as the OB truck is designed to be dual standard, allowing Al Nijoom to migrate production capabilities to HD or 3G as clients require it.
Another critical consideration was power consumption. As well as minimising the impact on location power supplies this means it generates very little heat. As temperatures in Saudi Arabia are frequently well in excess of 45º, savings in heat emission and reducing the load on the vehicle’s air conditioning are vitally important.
“We looked at the equipment available on the market, and the Hamlet MonitorScope was the most suitable for our needs,” said Joseph Kurian of Al Nijoom. “It has a small form factor and low power consumption, but it also gives us access to all the right parameters and the ability to switch between standards. It is performing as we wished, and we are now looking to invest in other Hamlet equipment.”
