Gearhouse Broadcast supplying flyaway for Sky Sports’ F1 coverage

For the third year running, broadcast solutions supplier Gearhouse Broadcast is providing Sky Sports with a complete flyaway production solution for its comprehensive Formula 1 coverage. The interconnecting pods designed, built and integrated by Gearhouse’s special projects team, will travel by road or air to all of the 19 races scheduled during the 2014 season, which commenced in Melbourne, Australia in late March.

The bespoke flyaway system comprises four matching pods which link into Sky Sports’ onsite production facilities. All of the distribution, routing and camera control equipment is installed in the MCR pod, while the EVS, Avid and SAN storage is housed in the server pod. A dedicated pod houses the 5.1 audio control room, while the fourth handles all the storage requirements.

In terms of the equipment that Gearhouse has implemented, the pods include: EVS XT3 servers; Harris Glue; Pro-Bel router; a Grass Valley Karrera HD vision mixer; a Lawo MC 56 audio console; Riedel communications system; Panasonic 3100 cameras and Fujinon lenses.

“Sky Sports is giving Formula 1 viewers a depth of coverage never offered before, so it’s vital that our production infrastructure meets the huge demands placed on it across an entire race calendar,” says Keith Lane, Sky director of operations. “This is the third year that we’ve used Gearhouse Broadcast’s Flyaway Pods, so our production team now know them well and can concentrate on the coverage that we’re delivering, rather than worrying about the facilities.”

“With all races being broadcast in HD and 5.1 audio, Sky Sports require a solid and dependable production facility at each circuit,” says Kevin Moorhouse, COO at Gearhouse Broadcast. “Our Flyaway Pods deliver the necessary high specification facility that ensures Formula 1 fans get the viewing experience that the sport warrants.”