GEARHOUSE BROADCAST Serves UP Barclays atp world tour tennis finals WITH HITACHI CAMERAS

“In the short time since we took delivery, the Hitachi broadcast cameras have proved themselves to be reliable, versatile and sophisticated, so we are looking forward to what our team can achieve with them at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals,” said Kevin Moorhouse, Gearhouse Broadcast’s Chief Operating Officer at the start of the ATP World Tour showpiece finale in London’s 02 Arena where the company will exclusively use Hitachi high definition cameras to televise the tennis tournament. 

At the tournament, Gearhouse Broadcast provides all technical, crewing and production facilities for its client, Tennis Properties Limited (TPL), which operates the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tennis tournaments. It will use 12 HD-SK1200 high-end multi-format 1080p/3G production cameras as well as two channels of Hitachi’s new SK-HD1500 HD Supermotion system camera to equip its production team.

Within its production system, which is provided as a Fly-away facility, the role played by the production cameras is massive. Hence Gearhouse Broadcast’s decision earlier this year to make a major capital investment in the new Hitachi cameras marked a strategic milestone for the company.

“Out of the box, we have found the Hitachi cameras to be versatile and reliable – in the first month we took 22 of our HD-SK 1200 cameras and two Supermotion SK-HD 1500 slo-mo cameras to equip the team that televised the ATP World Tour tennis event in Cincinnati,” remarked Kevin Moorhouse. “Once there, we confirmed what we already knew – the Hitachi cameras performed outstandingly in this demanding production environment. In a wide range of different lighting conditions in Cincinnati we enjoyed excellent picture quality and where impressed by the cameras signal to noise performance.” 

During the Barclay’s ATP World Tour Finals, Gearhouse Broadcast’s team of audio, video, and communications specialists will be constantly on hand to support the production team and ensure all facilities and broadcast equipment run smoothly. This year, they will be joined by a Hitachi support engineering team that will help support the event as well as gaining valuable user feedback, which the company will use in its on-going camera development programme.

“Through major sporting events such as this, we can build our reputation as a leading supplier of 3G and future broadcast camera technology,” commented Paddy Roache, Director and General Manager of Hitachi Kokusai Electric Europe. “We are developing a close strategic partnership with Gearhouse Broadcast and we are very pleased to support their international broadcast operations.”

Australian Open tennis tournament

Following hot on the heels of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Gearhouse Broadcast has announced its intention to use Hitachi cameras to televise the Australian Open Tennis Tournament in Melbourne next January. The company will provide broadcast services for host broadcaster Channel 7, as well as bespoke support to international broadcasters, ESPN, the Tennis Channel and Tennis Australia.

In Melbourne, Gearhouse Broadcast will install 55 SK-HD1200 high-end multi-format 1080p/3G production cameras as well as seven channels of Hitachi’s new SK-HD 1500 HD Supermotion system camera.The cameras will provide coverage of the event’s seven main show courts at Melbourne Park, split between the iconic Rod Laver Arena and the newer Hisense Arena.

In addition to the Hitachi SK-HD1200 3G production cameras and SK-HD1500 6G super motion cameras, Gearhouse Broadcast will construct a Fly-away TV broadcast facility complete with all technical, crewing and production resources to create a sophisticated and multi-faceted broadcast workflow at the tournament.

Resources:

www.gearhousebroadcast.com

GEARHOUSE BROADCAST Serves UP Barclays atp world tour tennis finals WITH HITACHI CAMERAS