135 Q-DOWNS USED TO DOWN CONVERT THE TENNIS AT WIMBLEDON (July 2009)

SIS LIVE has purchased another 36 of the Q-Down183-A down converters and distribution amplifiers for its coverage of the Queen's and Wimbledon tennis tournaments in June.

SIS LIVE provided the technical facilities to BBC Sport for its coverage of Wimbledon, with the entire event being covered in HD for the first time this year. SIS LIVE is Europe's largest OB and uplink supplier, with SIS acquiring the company formerly known as BBC Outside Broadcasts in 2008 and combining it with satellite link provider SISLink to create SIS LIVE.

SIS LIVE already owned 99 Q-Downs and needed another 36 due to the number of discrete feeds involved. The Q-Downs were located in the On Site Central Apparatus Room (OSCAR) at Wimbledon – SIS LIVE's primary distribution point – as well as in the OB 12 Outside Broadcast vehicle. The Q-Downs were fed a mixture of HD 1080i and SD 625 signals, with the down converted feeds used either for recording or direct broadcast. The Q-Downs were also used to provide equalisation and reclocking of the HD signals.

Well-known for its short processing delay of just 16 lines, the Q-Down183-A provides eight reclocked loop-throughs of an HD or SD input, along with three Standard Definition outputs individually selectable between analogue and digital. SIS LIVE selected the Q-Down-A version because of its embedded audio handling, while Q-Down-A's variable delay allowed SIS LIVE to delay the other feeds by 50 lines to match the down converter delay from the Sony camera.

Explained George Bowler, Vision Control and Maintenance Supervisor of OB 12, “The Q-Down is a super product that fills a very important gap in both fixed and mobile applications. Crystal Vision are pro-active in finding out what the customer wants from a product, and if they can customise their products for you they will, without fuss. They are approachable without being bureaucratic or overbearing.” The RM45 frame rear module was originally developed following a request from George Bowler last year, to allow him to configure the exact outputs he needed from his Q-Downs.

Other already-owned Crystal Vision products used by SIS LIVE for its Wimbledon coverage include the LKEY HD linear keyer to provide score keying.