By Carolyn Braff

Just in time for NAB, NHK is rolling out its latest HD mobile broadcast production truck. The brand new K3 Ruby, which will be showcased in tours at NAB at the Gerling & Associates booth, will be used for Major League Baseball Coverage as early as May 2008, and features some of the industry’s most cutting-edge components. 

NHK utilized several elements from the Harris portfolio to equip the K3, including a Platinum MX 9RU audio router with embedded TDM MAX audio-switching infrastructure, the world's first embedded audio processing router. The truck also includes a Platinum MX 15RU video router integrated with the Centrio multiviewer, more than 20 frames for NEO advanced processing modules and 6800+ core processing modules, a NUCLEUS user-configurable control panel and the CCS Navigator application. 

"When outfitting a new mobile production unit, space savings and installation efficiency are at the top of the priority list," explains Takashi Tajima, chief engineer of NHK's mobile unit division. "The Harris equipment provides us with that latest technology in a minimum amount of rack space, along with the added convenience of remote operation." 

The truck is also equipped with a Sony MVS-8000G production switcher with 80 inputs, including 8 format converter inputs and 48 outputs with 4 format converter outputs. The K3 comes standard with six Sony HDC-1500 cameras (but is wired for 12), one Canon x100 lens, two Canon x86 lenses, two Fujinon x22 lenses and one Fujinon wide angle lens. The truck is wired for a graphics machine, but it is not currently on board. 

“We will prepare it upon the client’s request,” Tajima says. 

The truck can also be customized with a score bug machine, and Tajima usually rents one for the baseball season. 

The K3 has one 6-channel EVS replay server, one 4-channel EVS, an X File and 4 Sony HDCAM machines. However, it is wired for 12 VTR and 2 EVS, so it is configurable upon request. For audio, the truck has a Euphonix System 5B (96 mic in, 64 AES in, 96 line out, 6 AES out) and a Yamaha LS-9. 

“We equip a very powerful system, as you can tell by the truck specs,” Tajima says. “The K3 is capable of displaying more than 60 images in the production room alone and 36 images in the EVS station. This truck can handle both mid-sized sports and entertainment shows.” 

NHK will use the K3 truck to support its East Coast coverage of Major League Baseball games, which the company broadcasts in HD and transmits to Japan. Since 2001, when the Seattle Mariners signed former Japanese Pacific League Star Ichiro Suzuki, NHK has broadcast more than 280 games per season in Japan. 

Tajima says one of the most exciting aspects of the new truck is that he has found size does not matter – or at least, it can be deceiving.