Broadcast Solutions, one of Europe’s largest media systems integration groups, has built a second all-IP outside broadcast truck for South African broadcaster SuperSport. The new unit, IP2, is a slightly smaller sister unit for the giant IP1, delivered in mid-2023.

The new truck is largely identical in specification to the first. That includes comprehensive production facilities including a Sony XVS 9000 4 M/E switcher, a 64 fader Calrec Artemis audio mixer, and onboard EVS replay servers. Sony cameras include the 3500 Ultra HD, 5500 super-motion and 4800 ultra-motion cameras. The SMPTE ST2110 family of standards provides connectivity, with Imagine Communications SNPs for SDI/IP conversion as well as video processing and multiviewing.

“IP1 – we call it ‘The Queen’ – is designed for the blue ribbon events on our sports calendar,” said Prishen Govender, Senior Manager Technical Broadcasting – Outside Broadcast Services at SuperSport. “We quickly realised we needed a slightly downscaled version. IP2 – “The Princess” – works the same way, but is just slightly smaller.”

IP1, also built by Broadcast Solutions, was at the absolute size limit for South African roads, with a trailer 16m long, 4.3m high and 2.6m wide when travelling. IP2 is 4.5m shorter, so is able to be used at venues where IP1 would not physically fit. The Sunshine Golf Tour is an ideal application, where the larger truck would be too big to get into the golf estates.

SuperSport is standardising on the hi human interface system developed by Broadcast Solutions. This is an extremely powerful control layer, providing auto discovery and easy configuration of all the system, and a very intuitive user environment. It also allows for seamless interconnection between IP1 and IP2, so for massive productions the two could act as one.

“We did a lot of research, and talked to many industry professionals around the world, before inviting Broadcast Solutions to build IP1,” SuperSport’s Govender said. “It made an immediate impact on our operations, so we took the bold business decision to build a second truck immediately, and once again Broadcast Solutions have delivered against our very specific requirements. We cannot wait to get IP2 down to South Africa and into service.”

Sascha Franke, Director of Project Delivery at Broadcast Solutions added “The follow-up order coming so soon is a huge vote of confidence in our system design skills as well as our ability to build to a high quality. Having an all-IP infrastructure means we can minimise the rack space and give as much room as possible over to the comfort of the operators. Even in this smaller unit SuperSport will be able to readily host a large crew.”