Cambridge-based systems integrator dB Broadcast has signed off on its contract to relocate the TV facilities of BBC London – and made it 1080p-ready.
When dB Broadcast won the relocation contract, it required the design, prefabrication, installation and commissioning of a four-camera TV studio with control gallery, as well as a two-camera in-vision presenter position for short news bulletins within the newsroom. In addition, dB oversaw the delivery of a hub transfer area for receiving material for ingest to the video server, as well as ten editing workstations, two nonlinear editing systems and a weather graphics system.
The new facility includes the Mac-based Sienna network news automation system from Gallery software, combining a video server with editing and viewing workstations, playout control, ingest and archiving. Other kit included in the installation are the QMDX vision mixer from Ross Video, the Zeta digital audio console from Calrec, Evertz vision router and Miranda multiviewers.
Tom Swan, dB Broadcast’s director of sales and marketing, said that while “the initial vision is for a 625/50 SD system, an important requirement was that it could operate at 1080p in the future. To support this migration, dB had to select products with an upgrade path to 1080p, as well design and build an HD infrastructure.”
BBC London will now be located in the Egton Wing adjacent to Broadcasting House. The station produces TV and radio news programming for London, as well as web publishing, regional Ceefax and contributions to the Corporation’s network news.
