Recent Projects
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2010
UK: West Thames College TV studio facility
dB Broadcast completes a new television studio and associated control room for West Thames College at their Isleworth Campus in West London.
The contract included the design, prefabrication, supply, installation and commissioning of a 3-camera TV studio equipped with HD cameras and a separate production gallery featuring a custom-designed control desk with 3 operators for lighting, vision and sound control. Work on the project started late in 2009 and was completed earlier this year.
The studio will be used initially to offer students a 2-year Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Media Production.
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2010
UK: HD DTT coding & mux services for Siemens & BBC
dB Broadcast completed a major contract from Siemens IT Solutions and Services to supply the BBC with HD coding and multiplexing services. This enables viewers to watch programmes in high definition on digital terrestrial TV (DTT).
The high definition service on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) became the first DVB-T2 HD service in the world with a technical launch at the end of 2009.
In a phased rollout, the BBC’s overall project will eventually lead to at least four high definition channels being available across the majority of UK households, including those from other public service broadcasters, such as ITV, S4C and Channel 4.
Using advanced statistical multiplexing, transmission, and compression technologies and dB’s Hawkeye products, Siemens IT Solutions and Services has engineered the system to avoid any single point of failure within the transmission chain.
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2010
UK: BBC W1 video production areas
dB Broadcast has won the contract for the installation of the video production areas within the BBC’s Broadcasting House redevelopment in central London, W1.
The contract covered the design, procurement, installation and commissioning of all equipment for video production located within the studios, galleries, edit suites, graphic areas, newsroom and local apparatus rooms.
There are more than 10 television studios of different types. The largest 334m2 double-height studio is fitted with eight cameras and is intended to be a flexible studio for a varied range of programmes.
The specification is for a 1.5G (1080i) HD-SDI video system with a clear upgrade path to 3G HD-SDI. Where technically feasible and cost effective, dB Broadcast will also install elements capable of supporting 3G HD-SDI from the outset.
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2010
UK: BSkyB production and broadcast facility
dB Broadcast was selected as one of the strategic SIs for Sky’s new production and broadcast facility on its Osterley Campus in West London.
dB Broadcast was appointed to install, test and commission the core technical facilities within the Broadcast Centre component. This included the playout, compression and lines processing systems, enabling Sky to distribute their programmes to many platforms - including the traditional satellite feeds, new media streaming, mobile phone services and many more. dB Broadcast was also responsible for the installation of the Broadcast control system, IPTV system and the talkback facilities.
The Central Technical Area consists of a number of apparatus rooms with a capacity to hold 400 bays of technical equipment and the Playout area boasts over 35 operational desks.
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2010
UK: dB completes DF trailers for OFCOM
Cambridge (UK) based systems integrator dB Broadcast completed a fleet of 9 road trailers for Rohde & Schwarz, which are used by the communications regulator OFCOM to check and monitor RF transmissions throughout the UK. Ofcom is responsible for the protection of the radio spectrum from abuse, both intentional and unintentional.
Each trailer features a large composite UHF/VHF Direction Finding (DF) antenna mounted on a 10M telescopic mast which pivots to the horizontal position for travelling in the manner of a yacht-mast.
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2009
UK: Regional TV studio & newsroom
This prestigious contract included the design, prefabrication, installation and commissioning of a 4 camera TV studio with control gallery, a 2 camera in-vision presenter position for short news bulletins within the newsroom, a media management/transfer area for receiving incoming material for ingest to the video server, ten editing workstations, two non-linear editing systems and a graphics system.
The new facility included the Gallery SIENNA networked newsroom automation system software. This Apple Mac Xserve-based system provided a video server with FCP editing and viewing workstations, playout control, ingest and archiving to Isilon storage, all integrated with ENPS. It was one of the first SIENNA systems to be installed within the UK.
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2009
UK: Arqiva PIE for digital switchover
dB Broadcast won a major contract from Arqiva to supply and install the Programme Input Equipment (PIE) at 90 transmitter sites as part of digital switchover (DSO). DSO is already well underway in the UK with Arqiva upgrading the entire terrestrial television infrastructure by 2012.
dB is supplying more than 550 bays across the 90 key sites. Prefabrication and testing is done at dB’s factory and installation carried out by dB’s in-house technicians. The project includes approximately 500 Hawkeye frames with 3,000 modules, which include B080 series and B049 ASI monitor/switch modules and B102 DVB-T COFDM receivers.
dB Broadcast is also responsible for the onsite cabling from the sites’ incoming programme feeds to the inputs of the transmitters and the installation of the IT network, remote alarm and RF monitoring infrastructure. This included RF, ASI and Ethernet cabling, some of which is fibre.
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2008
Middle East: Two TV OB vehicles
dB Broadcast built two 5 camera OB vehicles based upon the Mercedes-Benz Vario. dB was responsible for purchasing the vehicles, carrying out the coachwork and completing the technical fit out. The vehicles included Sony DXC-D55 triax cameras, Canon lenses, Sony MFS-2000 vision mixers, Calrec M3 audio consoles, Trilogy talkback systems and Pro-bel distribution equipment.
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2008
UK: Siemens/BBC CCM
dB Broadcast won a multi-million pound contract from Siemens IT Solutions and Services to supply the BBC with on-going coding and multiplexing services. As part of the project, dB built multiple facilities, known as the centralised coding and multiplexing (CCM) nodes, to compress and stream all of the BBC’s digital television and radio services.
The 300 bay system was prefabricated at dB, while building work was carried out on-site. All the equipment involved was fitted and tested at dB. Not many other companies have the facilities to do projects of this scale. Over 700 of dB’s Hawkeye switching and monitoring modules were used in the project.
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2007
UK: BBC TV studio widescreen conversion
dB upgraded the galleries and CTA at a BBC regional studio. This included Evertz MVP multiviewers, LCD displays, monitors, monitor stack and significant changes to the technical infrastructure.
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2007
UK: Vinappris TV channel
Operating from a purpose-built new TV studio and wine bar at Birmingham’s Fort Dunlop, specialist shopping channel Vinappris was set up to provide viewers with the opportunity both to learn about and purchase quality wines. Working to a very tight deadline, dB completed the assignment, from design through to commissioning, in two months.
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2007
UK: BBC Local Radio buses
dB Broadcast completed the design and technical fit out of two buses used as a radio outside broadcast studio and community training/access facility..jpg)
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2006
Asia: BBC World Service radio studio and two cubicles
To minimise on-site time, dB Broadcast prefabricated and tested the new studio and two radio cubicles at its premises in England before installing and commissioning them on-site.
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2006
Jamaica: IMC MCR
dB was responsible for the detailed design, prefabrication and installation of a new MCR for IMC in Jamaica. The system was based around the Miranda PresMaster 100 and branding using Miranda logo generators. -
2006
UK: Ealing Institute of Media TV studio
dB Broadcast designed and installed a 130 square metre TV studio, with adjacent control room suite and separate vision control, sound control and apparatus rooms. EIM is part of the Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College.
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2006
India: Radio and TV studios
This new facility was prefabricated at dB Broadcast’s premises before installation in New Delhi with the support of a local wiring company. It includes a TV studio, radio studio, four radio cubicles, video edit suite and CTA with 12 racks.
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2005
Jordan: New ATV broadcast station
dB Broadcast won a multi-million pound contract to build a totally new TV station in a purpose-built complex located in the heart of Amman, the capital of the Kingdom of Jordan.
dB Broadcast was responsible for the full technical infrastructure of the new station. David Bird, MD of dB Broadcast, managed the project on behalf of the company and also provided support to both the architects and builders. The facility is located in one custom building and includes three studios, edit suites, newsroom and playout areas, all taking advantage of the latest technology.
At the heart of the transmission system are Harris Nexio servers, Pebble Beach automation system, Sony PetaSite robotic tape library and Quartz master control and the newsroom was equipped with more than 70 ENPS workstations.
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2005
UK: Turner Entertainment playout centre
dB Broadcast was awarded the contract for the supply, installation, integration and commissioning of a new state-of-the-art transmission facility at Turner House in London. The new centre enabled Turner Entertainment Networks International to bring the transmission of its entire range of services in-house.
The new facility, which is designed around the latest file-based technology and is believed to be the most advanced playout system in Europe, includes the integration of a digital asset management system, playlist automation software and servers with a new central ingest system. It comprises six ingest stations, five playout desks, master operational desk, presentation suite and 80 equipment racks.
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2005
UK: BBC Local Radio cars
These 13 new ‘mobile studio’ radio cars facilitate the production of both live and recorded voice programmes, and two way interviews for contribution in to BBC local radio programmes via radio links using antennas mounted on telescopic masts.
Adaptation of the vehicles, which are based on the Peugeot 807 MPV, drew on dB’s experience of audio and RF systems.
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2005
UK: BBC Radio 13.5m OB vehicle
dB Broadcast won an order from BBC Resources, Radio & Music, to manage the technical fit out of a large radio OB vehicle. The 13.5 metre trailer includes a studio, control room, editing and production areas, as well as technical racks. It also has a extending walkway along one side. The new sound OB truck is extremely flexible, with the ability to cover events as varied as sports meetings, concerts and large public events.
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2004
UK: BBC TV Centre Studio TC10
dB Broadcast won the contract to upgrade the facilities at TC10 for the transmission of CBBC programming on the main networks. This was a major project that included stripping out and re-equipping the audio and control systems, providing a new vision desk and monitor stack, installing a new Thomson 3 M/E vision mixer, upgrading the router to 64x64, increasing the number of outside lines and adding a studio by-pass system.