Mediaset Spain, owner of the Telecinco broadcast station, has chosen a Clear-Com Eclipse-Median digital matrix and FreeSpeak digital wireless system to support communications at the company’s headquarters in Fuencarral, near Madrid, Spain. The company’s executives selected Clear-Com’s powerful matrix intercom and sophisticated digital wireless system to streamline communications during production of regular news programmes, as well as reality and staged programming, in all six of Telecinco’s studios.
Installed by QinMedia, Clear-Com’s Spanish distributor, the setup includes FreeSpeak wireless intercoms, both as a standalone system and as one integrated within an Eclipse-Median digital intercom matrix. Clear-Com’s robust matrix, which serves as the heart of the communications platform, delivers unmatched features, functionality, audio quality and performance, ensuring that Telecinco has the ability to do more with its productions, in a quick and easy manner. The high capacity Eclipse intercom solution is also scalable to accommodate forthcoming developments, making it a valuable long-term investment.
“The modular topology of the Eclipse system enables future growth of the intercom network due to its ability to connect to other communications systems, such as intercom-over-IP, wireless technologies and those with fiber connectivity,” said Jose María Alvarez González, general manager, QinMedia. “With the unique integration of the FreeSpeak systems to the Eclipse, there is a significant increase in the capabilities available for us to achieve our production goals. The dual-solution provides many channels of both wired and wireless communications, which conveniently allows individuals and groups to communicate on separate paths, with whomever and whenever they need, without the interference found in other conventional systems.”
Telecinco can connect up to 20 full-duplex wireless beltpacks to one base station in standalone mode. Engineers can also access as many as 40 connections to the Eclipse-Median digital matrix when integrated with FreeSpeak, which functions within the license-free 1.8GHz-1.93GHz frequency band, away from the crowded spectrum where other wireless devices operate. The wireless system combines DECT and wireless auto-roaming technologies to ensure reliable signals from anywhere in the station. With these roaming capabilities, the system’s antennas combine to create a single network of widespread coverage so users can move freely throughout each of the stages, control rooms and dressing rooms, without loss of service.
“The production team at the station relies on FreeSpeak to move freely between studios without interference or loss of service, while the Eclipse provides a comprehensive set of features for every production challenge, with the added benefit of having several options for expansion in the future,” said Richard Palmer, Clear-Com regional sales manager, Southern Europe.
