Euro Media employed five new Grass Valley LDX cameras to cover the 101st running of the Tour de France.
The LDX WorldCam cameras were used to provide up-close footage from five camera motorcyles tracking the action throughout each stage of the race. To optimise connectivity of the new cameras, Grass Valley also developed a custom-made adapter kit which enabled Euro Media’s RF affiliate, Livetools, to integrate its wireless transmitter solution for motorcycle use. Grass Valley developed the LDX RF docking interface and LDX adapter housing to allow RF vendors to integrate their own solutions. The camera’s core technology is based on the Grass Valley Xensium-FT CMOS imager, which enables it to deliver quality images, even in low-light conditions.
Bruno Gallais, Euro Media Group international business development head for wireless production facilities, said using five cameras to follow the race action was one of the primary changes to its RF configuration.
“Each year, the pressure to provide higher quality, ‘heat-of-the-action’ coverage increases,” said Gallais, “The LDX Series cameras are very powerful, very high quality; we are very happy with their performance. Technology drives our ability to cover these kinds of events. As the cameras and the ways we transfer our signals improve, our coverage gets better and better. We are able to help viewing audiences around the world feel as if they are right there on the course with the riders.”
“This solution for Euro Media Group is ideal for covering such a high-profile event,” said Marcel Koutstaal, VP and general manager of camera systems, Grass Valley. “We design our solutions to be scalable and adaptable, giving users the ability to integrate the technology in a way that best meets their needs. It’s important for them to be able to leverage the latest technology in a competitive way.”
