CTV selects Sony HDC-4300 cameras for Sky Cricket

CTV’s Hamish Greig

Euro Media Group’s CTV has invested in 15 Sony HDC-4300 4K/HD system cameras to upgrade its OB trucks and help facilitate Sky’s cricket coverage. CTV broadcasts around 140 days of live cricket for Sky per year, covering all domestic County Cricket in England – including the Twenty20 and 50+ competitions – as well as all England’s international test matches and one-day internationals.

The HDC-4300 was chosen for its ability to provide excellent HD shooting and super slow motion – a prerequisite for cricket broadcasting, enabling fans to enjoy unmatched image quality replays whether it’s an LBW or that all-important Drop. The HDC-4300’s superb dynamic range and low light performance were vital as well, allowing CTV to cope with a broad range of conditions, from dazzling sunshine to rainy floodlit matches. Moreover, by investing in the HDC-4300, CTV is futureproofing itself to enable 4K programme coverage.

Hamish Greig, director of engineering, CTV, comments: “It is paramount that our OB trucks are equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology, so that we can provide the best service to our broadcast customers and in turn their viewers. We were so impressed with the cameras – the image quality is absolutely fantastic and really brings the cricket to life whatever the setting.

“From a functionality perspective, the cameras have been really easy for the team to just run with. The menu configuration is almost the same as the previous HDC-1500s, making the transition very simple for the operators. Any further restocking we do will be with the HDC-4300 – it’s undoubtedly our camera of choice.”

Norbert Paquet, strategic marketing manager at Sony Professional Solutions Europe, added: “The HDC-4300 cameras and accessories fit within existing HDC family workflows and enable easy and cost effective migration to 4k. We’re delighted to be able to provide CTV with this kind of flexibility of use and reliability, as well as our continued support.”