Rai has undertaken a major renewal of its mobile fleet, commissioning Aret and Ross Video through a public tender to design and implement a project combining technological innovation, reliability and strategic vision.
Rai Technology Directorate generated and managed the concept, design and project supervision, while Aret and Ross Video provided the technological solutions and expertise necessary to turn the vision into reality.
The Italian national broadcaster has thus introduced a new generation of OB vans, ready to meet the challenges of current and future live productions. The new units include five expandable 12-metre mobile units with double side extensions, configured for 10 cameras and two radio cameras, and three more compact vehicles designed for agile productions based on six cameras and one radio camera, complete with onboard satellite connection (SNG).
These are entirely new vehicles, not upgrades of existing units, capable of covering a wide range of television productions, from sports to concerts, from news to institutional events.
All vehicles are equipped to operate in UHD 12G-SDI format and are built around a Ross Video nodal infrastructure that includes Acuity and Carbonite Ultra video mixers, Ultrix matrices (FR5 for main vehicles, in redundant configuration), as well as high-level audio systems, such as Lawo mixers with PowerCore for the more compact mobile units.
The presence of Ross Gator up-down-cross converters in openGear format ensures workflow flexibility and consistency up to 4K UHD, with HDR support and low latency.
The core of the range is represented by the HD08 OB vans, the 12-metre, 12-camera vehicles designed to accommodate up to 12 operators.
They are designed to guarantee processing power, maximum redundancy and a fully UHD workflow.
In the past, the trend was to build ‘dual’ vehicles capable of handling two events or two different productions. With the new vehicles, Rai has instead focused on full-power configurations, maximising resources to ensure the absolute quality of a single high-level event.
The smaller vehicles, built on Eurocargo chassis, are designed for streamlined productions, from news to theatre shows and smaller sports. Also fully UHD 12G, they can move agilely even in historic city centres.
With a reduced crew (six people), they still offer operational independence thanks to satellite connection, making them ideal for contexts where speed and versatility are decisive.
Aret oversaw the entire design and implementation process: from the bodywork through the dedicated Aret Coachworx department, to video and audio systems, up to final integration. Close collaboration with Ross Video ensured technological continuity and consistency, avoiding delays and providing Rai with a long-lasting fleet.
The project started in 2020, with the first deliveries in 2021 and will continue until 2026, when the last vehicle will be completed. Thanks to compressed IP connections, this unit will be able to operate as a hub for remote productions or as an operational centre for setups built with flight cases.
Rai has already used the new OB vans in major productions, appreciating the robustness and versatility of the vehicles. According to Alessandro Asti, vice president sales, Aret, this collaboration with Rai Technology Directorate has enabled the development of a concrete example of how vehicle design and broadcast technology can merge synergistically to meet the needs of live productions, ensuring high standards and maximum reliability.
