Netherlands-based BP Satellite Solutions provided RF camera services to broadcasters televising the FIA Formula One World Championship using several Blackmagic Design 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 company has built its 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 produced 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 worldwide video distribution, for transmission in Brazil.