International. Blackmagic Design announced that german satellite TV channel pearl.tv has incorporated a process based on Blackmagic Design's products, which employs several cameras with 12G SDI connectivity, in order to become the first broadcaster in Europe to transmit 4K content through Astra. To achieve this task, various Blackmagic equipment is used, including the ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K mixer, the Studio Camera 4K and the Ultra Studio 4K Extreme device.
From the EnStyle Studios in Buggingen, Germany, this shopping channel, which reaches the entire German-speaking population and potential customers in 27 million homes, has always been at the forefront of broadcasting audiovisual content. A fundamental factor for the TV channel to make the leap to UHD transmission was the possibility of working with a 4K resolution with a higher frequency of images.
The decision to unify the production of 4K content with Blackmagic Design's UHD products involved the installation of more than 800 meters of SDI 12G coaxial cable with simple links to connect the two studios of the facilities with a main production room. "All SDI cables larger than two meters had to be replaced by better quality 12G SDI coaxial cables," explains Dr. Michael Sichler, general manager of pearl.tv. "This allowed us to ensure integrity across our entire 4K production chain," he added.
The central element of this multi-camera process is the ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K mixer, which has 12G SDI connectivity and the ability to process signals in UHD definition with a maximum frame rate of 60 f/s. It also incorporates a dynamic lower third, detailing prices, product specifications and contact information for making purchases, while a transmission system created by ToolsOnAir, connected to the UltraStudio 4K Extreme device, generates a file in H.265 format.
In order to ensure that the network's viewers pearl.tv can access its programming from any TV, the mixer also broadcasts a signal in high definition. In turn, an encoder reduces the resolution of the images to SD to enable simultaneous transmission in different formats.
On the other hand, six Studio Camera 4K units offer the possibility of generating up to eight hours a day of live material from the main studios of the station. Three additional URSA 4K cameras are used for outdoor shooting.
