“Working with live TV broadcasts is high-pressure,” says TV4’s Chief Broadcast Engineer David Avellone. “It is a make or break scenario when you are shooting at a remote location.”
When the deadlines are tight and the demands are high, Volvo IT is there. Providing the IT infrastructure for the media centers at the Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo IT is making it possible for journalists to transmit large volumes of data at high speed.
“Reliability of the connection to the Internet is the most critical,” says TV4’s Chief Broadcast Engineer, David Avellone. “The speed of the network is also very important. When you have a situation where more and more journalists are using the network, there is a threat that it will hit the upload and download limits. But, regardless of the load, the network has to work – no matter what.”
Sweden’s TV4 has committed to providing the most extensive TV coverage by any broadcaster in the history of the Volvo Ocean Race. TV4 is shooting live broadcasts from stop-overs in Alicante, Cape Town, and Rio de Janeiro. And, this type of live broadcast requires flexibility and an out-of-the-box approach.
“You have to go on live with whatever you have and sometimes you are fixing things up to 10 seconds before you go on the air. If a guest cancels at the last minute, you can’t cancel the show; you just have to make the best of what you have.”
TV4 is one of the many media outlets, who are working under intense deadlines to transmit broadcasts, video files, photos, and articles, with no margin for error. When the boats are in port, the media centers are like a giant hive of activity. To ensure things run smoothly, Volvo IT is also providing hands-on support, ranging from PC assistance to supplying cabling, phone lines, and printer assistance.
“Every time we have asked Volvo IT for help, they have come through and the support has been great,” says TV4’s David Avellone. “Your crew has been delivering what we request, when we need it, and they are also thinking ahead to anticipate what we might need in the future,” I am very pleased with the support they have delivered to us. I would definitely work with Volvo IT again,” concludes Avellone.