Toronto, Ontario, Canada – January 21, 2009 … The first Lawo mc²66 console has arrived on the broadcast scene in Taiwan in style— integrated into Formosa TV’s first fully HD-ready Outside Broadcast Vehicle.
Formosa TV is Taiwan’s most profitable TV station, and it enjoys a pioneering reputation for being one of the first free-to-air channels in the country to switch over to digital. Based in Kaohsiung, FTV also became the first station in the country to use the Taiwanese language in the majority of its programs, especially prime-time news.
The new OB is the largest mobile broadcasting unit to be commissioned in Taiwan, and it is also the first to be fully outfitted for High Definition television formats. Equipped with 10 onboard HD cameras, this single-expander vehicle measuring just over 36 feet in length has been entirely specified and built in Taiwan. Lawo’s Taiwanese distributor, Audio Solutions Inc., was responsible for designing the audio elements for FTV, while Sony Taiwan took charge of the video project, which uses the most advanced Sony technology on the market.
Formosa TV invited several system integrators to tender, and turnkey proposals featuring consoles of various manufacturers were considered. Drawing on Lawo’s proven track record in OB vehicle applications around the world, Audio Solutions Inc. was able to demonstrate the quality and reliability of the mc²66, encouraging FTV to become the first Taiwanese customer for the console. And, in an internal vote, a clear preference was expressed by FTV’s audio engineers for Lawo’s mc²66, commending its innovative functionality and design, its networking capabilities and the console’s potential for future expansion.
The desk has been specified in a 16-8-8 OB version, with two stage boxes and a local rack. The desk’s HD core offers 96 full DSP channels, with 3 ATM ports, 3 MADI ports, and 32 AES in/out plus a plug-in server. The system includes an integrated routing matrix.
“The mc²66 is at the heart of the system, and is categorically the best solution for this HDTV project,� states Boon Siong Tan, one of Lawo’s specialist technical team in Southeast Asia. “Although the mc²66 was one of the more expensive consoles offered for tender, everybody at FTV understood its advantages. Thanks to a high level of cooperation between Sony and Audio Solutions Inc, the installation of the audio facilities was completed in just three weeks—ready for its successful test runs.�
The FTV OBV is expected to be used mainly for large sporting events, including games in the Chinese Professional Baseball League and the Super Basketball League, the top-tier professional leagues in Taiwan, and, later this summer, for the 2009 World Games, which will be held in Kaohsiung.
About Lawo
Lawo is a manufacturer of digital audio networking systems and consoles for a wide range of applications from small to large scale audio production in television and radio, post production, and live sound. Established in the 1970s, the company’s manufacturing center is located in the Rhine valley town of Rastatt, Germany. For additional information on Lawo’s mc²66 console and all Lawo products, visit the company online at www.lawo.ca.
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