TVN hails new Ü8 truck the “most powerful OB van on the market”

TVN has unveiled the TVN-Ü8UHD, the newest addition to its fleet of trucks which the outside broadcast firm describes as “the most powerful OB van on the market”.

Featuring equipment from the likes of Canon, Evertz, EVS, Lawo, Riedel, Sennheiser and Sony, the Ü8 made its debut during Euro 2024 in Germany, where it was used to produce coverage of the closing ceremony in Berlin. It was also on display at IBC earlier this month, where TVN provided the industry with tours of the 18m x 7.5m unit.

Speaking with SVG Europe in Amsterdam, TVN Live Production chief executive Markus Osthaus said: “We have had a lot of customers, competitors and other companies saying how spectacular it is. They like the design, and they are really impressed with how much technology is in there and the kind of work we are capable of with 32 cameras, a big router and the Sony mixers.”

TVN Live Production chief executive Markus Osthaus at the RAI, Amsterdam

“We have a large 12G SDI baseband router that no other truck in the world has. Together with the multi-viewers, and the number of cameras, and the number of signals we can work with, it gives us even more flexibility and even more possibilities than we have with our OB6 unit, which itself is really a huge truck which has done Champions League finals and other large events.”

Designed by TVN, the Germany-based facilities firm worked with design and engineering company Project Builders, coach work firm Carrosserie Akkermans and systems integrator D&MS on the build of the Ü8 truck.

The Ü8 is designed and built for use on largescale productions and can accommodate 39 workstations with two galleries and 32 Sony UHD cameras, with optics from Canon.

Additional Sony kit include four Sony MLS-X1 switchers, for configurations such as 320x HD-in, 160x UHD in or 112x UHD & 96x HD in.

Each of the two control rooms in the truck can be used to work entirely independently from each other, on different productions, simultaneously. This setup enables TVN to handle two separate productions from one unit.

TVN chief technology officer Christoph Moll said: “We have the option of the independent use of each of the switchers, but for really large UHD productions requiring up to 200 UHD inputs, we can combine all four units on board the Ü8 to one large mixer. This gives us maximum flexibility.”

Server and slomo technology is provided by EVS, with XT-VIA and XS-VIA servers supporting UHD recording. The servers are controlled by LSM-VIA, combined with the MultiReview application, allowing production teams to view up to 16 camera angles and export selected footage for use in the production workflow. Generative AI-based XtraMotion provides super motion replays via LSM-VIA remotes.

The Ü8 also features two compact EVS Neuron frames, which handle real-time signal processing and up, down, and cross conversions.

Watch TVN CEO Markus Osthaus and managing system engineer Felix Rumpf speaking with EVS about their Ü8 truck

At the heart of claims that the UHD/HDR-capable Ü8 is the “most powerful OB van on the market” is an Evertz NEXX processing and routing platform with 704 x 704 12G-SDI I/O, 16 x 3G and 8 x UHD HDR conversion paths, and 48 standard and 14 advanced UHD multiviewer heads in 17 RU.

“This was a massive engineering challenge because nothing of this size had ever been done before,” said Sebastian Ruchti, sales engineer for Evertz in Germany.

“What we built was certainly a first for the broadcast industry – the largest 12G UHD single link router anyone had ever made.”

TVN’s Christoph Moll added: “The density of the router Evertz has built for us is phenomenal…it’s 960 x 960 UHD with frame syncs, embedders/de-embedders, multiviewers and up/down/cross conversion – and all in a non-blocking architecture, which makes it very reliable and easy to use.”

According to Evertz, TVN insisted that the router be SDI-based, as the OB van’s use is aimed at large events where it is necessary to exchange a high number of SDI signals from 1080i to UHD 12G directly at the OB van patch panel with other broadcasters. Plus, that SDI is more suited for playback of live content on large LED screens at festivals without any visual delay and switching between the live camera signals on an SDI basis is still the most efficient and convenient solution for the technician when shading on the reference monitor.

Evertz added that as the NEXX processing and routing platform provides SMPTE ST 2110 gateway capabilities, it will be straightforward for TVN to transition to IP in the future.

Audio technology includes Lawo MC² 56 MK3 with redundant UHD Core and Lawo MC² 36 MK2 DirectOut Prodigy.MP.

Intercom is provided by Riedel, with Riedel Artist with MADI, VOIP, AES67, and analogue connectivity plus Riedel commentator technology. In addition, the truck is equipped with 32 x Bolero Beltpacks as standard, expandable according to requirements.

Sennheiser has supplied microphones with microport receivers (Sennheiser Digital), clip-on microphones, in-ear systems and wired microphone technology for show, concert and sports productions.

Top tier productions

The addition of Ü8 takes TVN’s fleet to eight OB vans plus equipment trucks, 13 SNG units and camera drones of a range of sizes.

“We see a bright future for remote production, but we still believe, of course, in the production of events with large OB vans,” added Osthaus.

“I think for the big productions, like the Champions League, the top tier sports and the big music festivals, you still need the flexibility and the manpower at a venue because remote production doesn’t only mean that you have less technology in the venue, you also have less knowledge and less manpower in the venue.

“And I think emotionally, it makes a difference if a director is in the venue and goes one hour before the match in the stadium to get the atmosphere. Then, they might do something slightly differently when they are at the vision mixer. I really believe that for the big productions there will still be a market for the next 10 years in doing these productions with OB vans.”

Osthaus said Ü8 will be “fully” in the market in October for coverage of Bundesliga matches.