Exploring a Modern SMTPE 2110 Broadcast Truck With My Dad
In October, my Dad and I got to go behind the scenes at two St. Louis Blues (NHL hockey) games, and observe the massive team effort involved in putting together a modern digital sports broadcast.
I wanted to explore the timing and digital side of a modern SMPTE 2110 mobile unit, and my Dad has been involved in studio and live broadcast for decades, so he enjoyed the experience as the engineer not on duty!
We were able to interact with everyone on the broadcast team, from the announcers and camera operators in the bowl, to the team in the truck, and even the engineer and production crew behind the in-house production.
I learned a lot—like why they use bundles of analog copper wire for audio instead of digital fiber—but the part where I learned the most was when I put on the headset in the truck. (My Dad is pictured below, in the tape room:)
There was constant chatter about upcoming shots, promos to hit, plays that would be referenced at the next break, replays that were ready to go... it was honestly overwhelming, listening in.
But as I mention in our latest Geerling Engineering video on the experience, the overall mood in the truck felt solemn.
Solemn is strange way to describe it, but it's the only word I can think of. Through the constant chatter, there's a quiet professionalism. Talk is structured, and purposeful.
If you want to see that in effect, watch the video above. I included a few minutes of raw footage from the truck, which conveys the atmosphere a thousand times better than I can put to words.
For the rest of this post, I'll focus on some of the tech and equipment I spotted, since that's easier to describe on the blog.
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