The WTS France OB van, Life-1, is a 6-camera HD sports production vehicle with a 1.5 m satellite uplink, built to help WTS win a long-term contract for national league football coverage. The challenge was to fit equipment of a quantity and specification usually found in far larger OB vehicles into a Sprinter-class van. As a result, it became one of the most advanced Sprinters that C2S has built.

WTS France – Life-1 6-Camera HD OB Van with 1.5m Satellite Uplink

THE BRIEF

Built to enable WTS French operation to win a long-term contract to provide national league football coverage, this sports production vehicle with satellite uplink challenged the systems team to integrate equipment of a quantity and spec usually associated with far larger OB vehicles into a Sprinter-class van. The result was one of the most advanced sprinters that C2S has built, both in terms of the vehicle’s technical performance and its operational capability per square metre. The van has provided WTS’ Paris-based team with an in-house tool capable of establishing the company as a serious contender in the European small production market.

SPECIFICATION

KEY EQUIPMENT

• Sony HSC-300 Triax cameras
• Canon HJ and DIGISUPER lenses
• Sony and Osee video monitoring
• Sony MVS-3000 2ME vision mixer
• EVS XT Nano six-channel sports replay server
• Sony HDCAM decks
• Snell Pyxis Series routing with WTS-customised Centra control
• Ross video and audio distribution and card-based processing
• Yamaha LS9-32 audio mixer
• Telex Zeus III 32-port comms matrix
• Sennheiser and Wisycom radio microphones and IEM systems
• Courtyard SPG systems
• Ross Xpression studio graphics
• Advent NewSwift 1.5m KU antenna
• Advent encoders and decoders for MPEG2/H.264 4:2:2 HD

COACH BUILD

• Acquisition and coach-build of Mercedes 519 CDI van with extra-long wheel base and high roof
• Complete electrical design and installation
• Mounting of 1.5m satellite antenna on vehicle roof
• 32A three-phase power distribution
• 6KVA UPS
• Driver’s cab black-out screens
• Retractable canopy for weather protection

Inside the WTS France OB van

Production relies on Sony HSC-300 triax cameras with Canon HJ and DIGISUPER lenses, a Sony MVS-3000 2 M/E vision mixer and an EVS XT Nano six-channel replay server. Meanwhile, Snell Pyxis routing with customised Centra control, a Yamaha LS9-32 mixer and a Telex Zeus III matrix handle signals, audio and comms. The Mercedes 519 CDI long-wheelbase, high-roof van also carries a 6 kVA UPS, 32 A three-phase distribution and a retractable canopy for weather protection.

C2S Media designs, coach-builds and integrates new OB vehicles for broadcasters across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Discover more of our new OB vehicles and systems integration services, or contact our team to discuss a project like the WTS France OB van. For more on the replay server, visit EVS.