Having arrived in South Africa just three weeks ago, the unit was driven down to Cape Town in preparation for its first digital broadcast to the world: the Opening Ceremony of the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2003. The unit's inaugural broadcast of this spectacular event on 08 February was beamed to an estimated 1,5 billion viewers worldwide. The SABC's unit will also be used for the Final match, which will be staged at The Wanderers, Johannesburg, on Sunday, 23 March, as well as for a number of other major matches being played around the country for the CWC.
When the OB unit arrived in Port Elizabeth from the UK, it was 98% equipped for broadcasting by Sony UK. However, it still required additional equipment for the enormous task of broadcasting the ICC CWC 2003, as one of the facility providers commissioned by Octagon CSI. This included additional recording machines and a second Super-Slomo system which were installed by the SABC's Air Time crew at the OB base in Cape Town. A line-camera system was also devised at Air Time in Johannesburg and sent down to Cape Town for installation.
Says Nic Bonthuys, general manager: SABC Air Time: "This all-digital unit which puts the SABC ahead of the pack, is the largest and most versatile digital mobile broadcasting unit in the country. Its size and the comprehensive facilities it offers, combined with the SABC's manpower, skills and technology, will ensure that the unit is a broadcasting force to be reckoned with.
"Together with our partners, Sony - who equipped the unit, and Wesbank Business Division, which was awarded a finance contract of R46-million to fund the purchase of the OB unit, we at the SABC are extremely proud and excited about entering the digital era of broadcasting in South Africa."
To ensure that the unit's potential is exploited to the full, training took place in the United Kingdom. Three technical crew members and one sound crew member of SABC's Air Time Television Outside Broadcast division received hands-on training on the Sony system. They also had the opportunity to work with members of Sony Europe.
Ms Sharoda Rapeti, the SABC's Managing Director: Technology, is currently researching the fields of digital broadcasting strategy and technology for the corporation. She was instrumental in commissioning the construction of the R46-million digital OB unit.
"This is the largest capital investment in the history of the SABC on a single project," says Ms Rapeti. "This fully digital unit will be used as a master control unit which other outside broadcast units in the country can link up to, for broadcasting feeds. This is in line with the corporation's strategic objectives to improve the coverage of live sporting events, in particular."
This digital OB unit will also be used to broadcast major live music concerts and beauty pageants. It is flexible and will allow for more crew to work within the unit. And, with an additional 10 cameras on board, viewers will be able to enjoy more visual clarity and improved picture quality. The digital broadcast will improve the quality of slow motion replays with more detail, which will see dramatic improvements in soccer coverage, in particular.
"The SABC, a leader in transformation, is committed to becoming a new age public broadcaster to ensure that it meets its public service mandate, so that its services will continue to be accessible to a wider range of audiences in the era of full digital broadcasting," concludes Ms Rapeti.
