Early this year For-A supplied an HVS-350HS 1.5M/E vision mixer to Mainz-based TV Skyline for a new small truck “with big performance”, which has been continually in demand since, writes David Fox.
“This is a real success story. Since we designed and built this very compact four-camera OB/SNG truck about half a year ago, it has been busy ever since,” said TV Skyline CEO. Wolfgang Reeh.
Situated close to ZDF, Germany’s largest TV station, TV Skyline specializes in outside broadcast, live studio production and rental of special camera equipment. Its main business is in premier league sports, but “this new five-ton van is an all rounder that has generated additional business for the company,” said Reeh.
The small size and high performance of the For-A HVS-350HS 1.5 M/E multi-format vision mixer rack unit has contributed to the truck’s success. A 3RU rack frame houses all the mixer’s functions including frame synchronisers, HD/SD-SDI inputs and DVI in/outs. It is designed to handle all signals that occur in the field while maintaining full broadcast picture quality.
The 7.5m long truck provides slow motion, servers, four Grass Valley LDK6000 HD cameras, a Soundcraft Vi1 digital audio console (with 32/24 analogue I/O and 64/64 digital I/O), a Crystal Vision up-/down-/cross-converter and a Riedel Artist 64 intercom system – a full size production facility with working space for seven. Unlike typical HD production trucks, TV Skyline’s Ü1/HD SNG is compact, able to navigate smaller, rougher roads and tight spaces to go anywhere it’s needed.
“Still, it is spacious and comfortable inside,” said Reeh. “That’s why this truck has become the first choice for many sports producers. It travels anywhere all over Europe to cover the Motorbike GP series, as well as many other types of production. The HVS-350HS mixer includes two built-in independent multiviewers, which we use for distributing video signals to the director’s position and to the technical control. The compact size and huge functionality within this mixer have paved the way for inventing our new small truck with the big performance.”
“TV Skyline is a long term For-A customer, and it was one of the first to adopt our new 1.5 M/E HVS-350HS switchers at last year’s IBC,” said Peter Jones, General Manager of For-A UK. “We are delighted that it has contributed to generating more business for them. In fact it’s proving to be a breakthrough for mobile production. With many such companies now seeing the benefits of this best selling mixer, it has become the benchmark of modern mobile production.”
