Sky Sports is to broadcast the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final in stereoscopic 3D in conjunction with UK outside broadcast supplier Telegenic. Telegenic’s third 3D outside broadcast truck will make its debut for the production, writes Adrian Pennington.
The final at Wembley on May 28 follows the first 3D production of the Champions League Final from Madrid last year. On that occasion Belgium OB specialist Outside Broadcast produced the feed with Spanish broadcaster TV3.
BSkyB distributed that contest between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan to pubs in the UK and will air the 2011 final for Sky 3D subscribers.
Telegenic’s latest truck is being given the finishing touches at systems integrator Sony Professional. Like Telegenic’s T18 and T19 trucks (pictured) it will house space for 24 cameras, or 12 3D positions but greater flexibility on rig choice and cameras is being built in.
3Ality rigs and Stereo Image Processors will be accommodated, but there will also flexibility in the racks, computing and router so that rigs from other manufacturers, in tandem with Sony’s MPE-200 automated processor, can be deployed. Sony P1 cameras will also form part of the acquisition mix to enable greater flexibility in working with mirror and side-by-side positions in sports stadia where space is at a premium.
There will be a single fibre output from the rigs back to Sony HDFA-200 adapters. Other kit includes a Sony MVS 8000 switcher, a mix of JVC and Sony 3D monitors and a Calrec Audio console.
Telegenic’s first 3D OB truck was retrofitted from one of its existing vehicles and is owned by Sky, which commissioned the OB firm to build it.
