Blackmagic Design helps broadcast FIA Formula One World Championship

Manchester, UK - October 30, 2012 - Blackmagic Design today announced BP Satellite Solutions is providing RF camera services to broadcasters televising the FIA Formula One World Championship using Blackmagic broadcast infrastructure products, including the Compact Videohub and Videohub Smart Control. Commentary teams from TV Globo, RTL Germany, ZDF Sport, VIASAT (Sweden, Denmark and Norway) and MTV3 Finland are using the solution to present wirelessly from the F1 paddock, pitlane and starting grid.

The Netherlands based company has built their RF camera solution around the Blackmagic Design Compact Videohub router and Videohub Smart Control router control panel. Five wireless camera feeds from the F1 Indian Grand Prix were delivered via the Riedel Fibre Network and recorded on several HyperDeck Studio SSD recorders. Capturing in ProRes, the HyperDeck Studios are then used for playback, and subsequent quality control after production.

During the race BP Satellite Solutions provide broadcasters with camera transmitters, receivers and intercoms. They also supply IP based audio equipment and Blackmagic Design SmartView Duo monitors for the broadcasters’ commentary positions and engineering galleries.

For televising the Grand Prix, broadcasters such as TV Globo or RTL acquire the television feeds from rights holder Formula One Management (FOM) and subsequently package it up for transmission with the addition of race build up and commentary. The most basic output is a Mixed Master that includes footage from trackside, pitlane and helicopter cameras. That can be enhanced with the addition of further feeds including in car telemetry and extra on board cameras from FOM as well as race build up filmed by the broadcaster themselves.

Brazilian broadcaster TV Globo acquired the Indian F1 Grand Prix camera signals via eight ATEM Camera Converters from FOM and connected to two ATEM Studio Converters.The signals were then fed into a Blackmagic Design Compact VideoHub via four Blackmagic Design Mini Converters Fibre to SDI. An ATEM 2M/E Production Switcher with ATEM 1M/E Broadcast Panel was then used to mix the viewing package and add race commentary while audio was embedded and de embedded using Blackmagic Design Mini Converter SDI to Audio and Audio to SDI.

The final output from TV Globo was then sent via satellite, which is handled by Multilink Holland, the technical supplier for FOM and EBU for world wide video distribution, for transmission in Brazil.

According to Patrick Hendrik of BP Satellite Solutions: “Multilink Netherlands approached us earlier this year and asked us to recommend a solution for TV Globo. The brief was simple enough, it had to be compact and reliable. Our work on the Dakar Rally last year had shown just how reliable Blackmagic could be, even in the most extreme of environments. And so we had no hesitation in recommending Blackmagic for use by TV Globo.”

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About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and film restoration software for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including stereoscopic 3D and 4K workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. For more information, please check www.blackmagicdesign.com.

About New Magic Australia Pty Ltd (Australian and New Zealand Blackmagic Design master distributor)
New Magic Australia Pty Ltd is a recognised leader in the distribution and marketing of multimedia hardware and software, representing a carefully selected range of innovative, leading manufacturers and catering for both the professional and consumer markets. New Magic Australia established in 1993 is the Australian distributor of Blackmagic Design, Convergent Design, Hauppauge Computer Works Inc, Rotolight, Cubix, Matrox Video Products and Sony Creative Software products. www.newmagic.com.au