Grandprix premio de España by Multi-Link
The EBU F1 MCR from Multi-Link Holland in Barcelona, Spain
The Dutch satellite uplink company Multi-Link Holland is responsible for all Formula 1 EBU (European Broadcasting Union) transmissions. This company travels the world since 2004 for the Formula 1. You can regonice them easily by their green uplink dishes. Since 2004 they produce satellite uplinks at the Formula 1 for many broadcasters, RTL Netherlands, RTL+ Germany, ORF Austria, Sky Italia, Ferrari TV, ViaSat Sweden and more. They will give us an inside look through the whole season in what they must achieve on every location they land with their equipment, starting this weekend in Melbourne Australia and ending 25 november in Brazil. At this last race in Brazil we will do a special report about this company on the Interlagos circuit.
Formula 1 Grandprix premio de España Santander:
Spain, Barcelona.
Special place and the first European held race of the season.
"It is nice to be working in Europe again" Gerben of Multi-Link Holland explains. "Here we can go with our uplink trucks and they give us some more freedom and also more technical flexibility. At the location we have our already famous 'triple dish trailer'. One 1,8M vertex dish used for SKY england and 2 times a 2,4m Vertex dish for the EBU F1 world feeds."
The 'Triple Dish uplink trailer' from Multi-Link Holland in Barcelona, Spain
Uplink technician Gerben : "In this truck we have 7 build-in HPA's. All internal power needs (except our catering) goes by a UPS system. We have 5 of them, that makes us capable to have a solution for every external power failure. This is very important, because history shows that power failures on the Formula 1 TV compound can happen. When it happen you can have besides an angry client also damaged equipment. That is something you must solve in front, our 5 UPS systems will do the job for sure.
The Encoder & Modulator rack for the EBUY transmission in Barcelona, Spain
Our Encoders and Modulators are still in the same racks as with the overseas 'fly-away' races. No changes at all in this, we just install and connect them in our truck. This saves a lot of time, and gives us the same secure setup at every single race..... worldwide.
The EBU F1 MCR from Multi-Link Holland in Barcelona, Spain
Working with our truck in Europe gives us also some more personal 'luxury' for our clients and our selfs. We bring our own catering. With a refrigerator , a microwave and ' very important' a coffee machine we are capable to arrange drinks lunch and snacks our selfs on the TV compound. We do not have to leave our location, in which on overseas location is different. There we have to leave the TV compound mostly to have some foods and drinks. Sometimes we do not have the possibility because of all the transmission we have to perform.
The 'Triple Dish uplink trailer' from Multi-Link Holland in Barcelona, Spain
Besides our 'triple dish trailer' we bring another uplink truck , the BEL002 , for the German broadcaster ZDF. In this truck we have a video edit-set installed with a Telestream Pipeline for a 4 channel live ingest. When the qualifying or race is running, the editor already is capable to edit in Final Cut Pro. Shortly after qualifying and race a final edit is transmitted to Germany for their live TV sports program.
German ZDF edit & uplink inside the BEL002 of Multi-Link Holland in Barcelona, Spain
For the ZDF we added a second dish, especial for their internet connection... a 4 Mbit connection by satellite " Gerben explained.
On the left the internet Dish, on the right the ZDF dish on the BEL002 in Barcelona, Spain
More photo's available on our Broadcast Brazil Facebook page, you can find them here. Like us if you want ;)
Next race Monaco... very special weekend, again a very special place on the 27th of may, Also here Multi-Link Holland will transmit with their triple dish trailer and uplink truck for ZDF.
mentioned:
Multi-Link Holland
EBU
Sky Sports
ZDF
Telestream Pipeline
Apple
Final Cut pro