First HD OB van in Middle East gets connected with Fischer

The first fully High Definition TV Outside Broadcast production unit in the Middle East uses the first fibre-optic HDTV broadcast camera connector developed by Fischer Connectors.

The OB vehicle has been purchased by Kuwait TV, which is operated by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information based in Kuwait City.

Equipped with seven (expandable to 12) Sony HD camera systems, the OB production unit features 4000 metres of optical cable which is all connected to the HD cameras with Fischer Connectors’ new 1053 HDTV broadcast camera connectors.

“Climatic conditions in Kuwait for outside broadcasting can be extreme, with sand storms and temperatures reaching 60 C posing major challenges to HDTV broadcasts that depend on fibre-optic technology,” explains Peter Orrell, managing director of Fischer Connectors UK. “The 1053 HDTV broadcast camera connectors are designed to offer a lower total installation cost and solve the problem facing many camera manufacturers, mobile truck providers, production centres and broadcast studios which have been waiting to make an effortless transition to fibre-based HDTV cameras. The connectors are ideal for outside broadcast applications where rugged, arduous conditions prevail, such as sporting events or local news coverage in desert regions.”

“A key factor is that the new 1053 connector enables field installation or field repairs to be made in around 30 minutes, significantly faster than currently available products.”

Kuwait TV was keen to fully understand the operational benefits of the 1053 HDTV broadcast camera connectors, and Fischer Connectors arranged for its engineers and operational staff to have on site instruction on how to use, maintain and repair the connectors. A fully equipped toolkit and a wide range of accessories are also available as part of Fischer Connectors’ comprehensive customer support service. Fischer Connectors was on hand at the commissioning stage to ensure the production unit had a smooth transition from SD into High Definition.

Co-developed in an exclusive partnership with Corning, the 1053 Series combines the field-tested reliability of Fischer Connectors’ established 1051 broadcast triax connectors with proven technology such as Corning?s UniCam ‘No epoxy – No polish’ fibre-optic contacts, which have been successfully employed in many broadcast industry venues, as well as in high volumes for years by the telecommunications industry.

The triax connector range has been a leading standard for the international camera broadcast market for decades. Testing on the 1053 connector shows that its fully sealed and strong connector body provides outstanding resistance to rough field shooting conditions such as extreme climate, crushing by forklift trucks, and other weight or tensions that cables could undergo.

SMPTE signal-compliant, the new 1053 HDTV camera connector features two single-mode fibre contacts, two high voltage contacts, and two low voltage signal contacts.