Hitachi’s new OB-Box concept is claimed to offer increased operational flexibility for outside broadcasts, cost-efficiency and technical performance up to Ultra HD.
The fully featured modular OB facility is delivered to a customer and then mounted onto a vehicle’s chassis using a proprietary fixing kit. According to Hitachi, this reduces manufacturing and delivery time as it avoids having to source and ship an appropriate vehicle.
The OB-Box comes in three configurations, supporting four, eight or 12 cameras.
The option of a booth side extension adds further flexibility. Two OB-Box units can also be connected to cope with up to 20 cameras.
Each OB-Box is specified, designed and manufactured at Hitachi’s Istanbul facility to meet a customer’s exact needs, and provides all of the video, audio, transmission and infrastructure capabilities needed for a stand-alone OB.
Besides satellite and fibre connectivity, the units are fully Ethernet networked, providing internet facilities on site. OB-Box also features sophisticated Cloud capabilities, enabling users to send UHD content back to a broadcaster’s production centre quickly and easily.
Cemal Yilmaz, general manager, Hitachi Kokusai Turkey, said the OB-Box “is the result of a major development initiative at our Istanbul headquarters and the customer response we have seen so far indicates that this elegant 4K OB facility will provide a flexible option in many countries worldwide.”
