Timeline TV launches virtual studio broadcast centre in Ealing By Adrian Pennington
Monday, September 6, 2021 - 13:46
Print This Story
Timeline TV's new Ealing studios were first used by Channel 4 and Whisper to bring this year's Paralympics to British audiences
Timeline's new broadcast facility in Ealing has been hosting Channel 4 and Whisper's live coverage of the Paralympics, but the build is part of a wider expansion by the west London facility group.
Timeline already has five large galleries and small studios in Ealing for live sport but had been missing a sizeable studio. Planning for the Ealing Broadcast Centre (EBC) began last year and was kicked off in earnest last November.
After scouting for a location nearby, Timeline found a new build with a high ceiling and space for a lighting grid and green screen set plus edit suites. Building and integration commenced in April 2021 with the contract for the Paralympics accelerating time to completion.
The Paralympics is a full remote operation where we bring all signals in, explains Daniel McDonnell, Timeline CEO. We've outfitted a studio in Leeds [from where Paralympics Gold Rush is presented by Clare Balding] with eight cameras controlled from Ealing. On the ground in Tokyo we've a remote camera operation [with host Rosie Jones] plus six roving cameras plus a presenter for additional coverage.
Another remote controlled-from-UK camera is installed in the Team GB athlete's village. The new studio in Ealing is used for guests in the London area and daily live show The Last Leg with Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe. All feeds, plus 20 signals from OBS, are switched at the EBC gallery.
The centrepiece of Timeline TV's new Ealing studio is a 185sqm virtual reality studio with a 4.5 metre high lighting grid, green cyc and a fully configured multi-camera VR system using Unreal Engine and Brainstorm InfinitySet delivered in partnership with Moov
VR studio
The 900 square metre space is set over three floors, the centrepiece of which is a 185sqm virtual reality studio with a 4.5 metre high lighting grid, green cyc and a fully configured multi-camera VR system using Unreal Engine and Brainstorm InfinitySet delivered in partnership with Moov. A Mo-Sys StarTracker system enables full 3D VR tracking on all types of cameras for virtual studios.
We wanted to kit out the studio for high-end virtual reality using Brainstorm processing and six cameras, says McDonnell. In concert with Moov TV we will design some VR set building blocks so a production can come here and get a real headstart. Normally a VR design might take two months of development. We're also offering, with Moov, experienced creatives and technicians. The aim is to bring down the time and expense of working in a VR studio so productions can turn up and go the next day.
Physical sets are also an option via black cyc, but McConnell feels that virtual sets are a great way for productions to reduce their carbon footprint. There's no need to build sets using precious resource or transport it.
The aim is to bring down the time and expense of working in a VR studio so productions can turn up and go the next day
Also part of the EBC are dressing/make-up rooms, production offices, green rooms, full online edit suites and VO booths. There's a triple-row production control room and large VT replay room plus tier-three data centre. Connectivity to all major hubs includes BT Tower, NEP Connect and Tata. Satellite downlink capability is also available.
A large car park is equipped to be able to park an OB truck - which is what Timeline is currently doing for the Paralympics. Its UHD2 vehicle is connected to the facility to give us an extra gallery to work on the programming , McDonnell says. It's a useful feature, especially in London, and means we can upscale to provide more facilities if needed.
After the Paralympics there are more bookings though it's too soon to publicise these. The proposition does seem to be taking off. We think there's a shortage of studios in the UK with good connectivity and live galleries that can do EVS, graphics and Piero and that this fills the vacancy.
Currently the facility is SDI-based, a decision McDonnell puts down to timing. IP is in our long-term plan. We will have two more galleries open at the EBC by the end of this year and plan to expand to another two. At some point on that journey we will migrate to IP.
Cloud broadcast
Timeline has also implemented a large NDI network mainly for monitoring around the facility.
It's an IP-based bridge between an IPTV system and broadcast monitoring for green rooms and voice over rooms. It enables us to have a very expandable monitoring system using IP. It also enables us to do software-based multiviewing and timecode inserts.
We've experimented and dipped our toes in the NDI world and the latest version is a game changer
Medialooks software convertors are used to ingest NDI and Sienna's broadcast toolkit is used to make multiviews and timecode inserts running on virtual machines.
We've experimented and dipped our toes in the NDI world and the latest version is a game changer, McDonnell says.
The whole set up is also capable of hosting live broadcast workflows on-prem or in the cloud.
We have a large data centre in our new facility. It's a key attribute. More and more clients are remotely producing programmes from their location using virtual machines and systems in our data centre. For me that counts as cloud broadcast.
Of course, the facility can also connect to third-party data centres depending on show and region to expand its scope globally.
If you're doing a show in the Middle East and need a local hop to Amazon you can still bring the feeds back here. We have direct connection
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Death Star
Andy Marken July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...
03/07/2026
Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...
03/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...
03/07/2026
Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...
02/07/2026
Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD
In the live-sports...
02/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
02/07/2026
BLAST, a competitive entertainment company focused on esports, has announced more than $133 million in revenue for 2025, representing more than 40% year-over-ye...
02/07/2026
Riedel Communications has announced official SKAARHOJ panel support for SimplyLive production workflows, enabled through the SimplyLive 2.1 release. The integra...
02/07/2026
The Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic has deployed LiveU video-over-bond...
02/07/2026
Gravity Media USA has announced the appointment of Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development, effective July 1, 2026. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Bosto...
02/07/2026
TwelveLabs, a video intelligence company, has announced $100 million in Series B funding co-led by NEA and NAVER Ventures, with participation from Amazon, Radic...
02/07/2026
The Pro Padel League (PPL) has announced a broadcast partnership with USA Sports that will air five PPL championship matches on CNBC during the 2026 season, the...
02/07/2026
LiveLike, a digital fan engagement platform, has announced eight confirmed FIFA ...
02/07/2026
Cobalt Digital has received Future's Best of Show Award, presented by AV Technology at InfoComm 2026, for its blueCORE family of standalone signal processor...
02/07/2026
Synamedia has announced the appointment of Dr. Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transition...
02/07/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) and Sony Group Corporation have announced an expanded collaboration for the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), taking place in Paris, Fra...
02/07/2026
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. ( Z') has announced exclusive broadcast and digital rights for the Bundesliga in India for five years, beginning with the...
02/07/2026
An effort uniting News, Sports, Local, and Telemundo, the 50+-camera live produc...
02/07/2026
Zoey Deutch, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Ben Wang appe...
02/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
02/07/2026
A new era in unmixing and spectral editing
The latest version of Steinberg's spectral audio-editing software has just arrived, building on the strength...
02/07/2026
Aims to simplify additive synthesis
Sine Machine is the debut launch from Melatonin, a Vienna-based developer who have spent the past six years creating wha...
02/07/2026
Products to remain fully active & supported
Following the news of Native Instruments joining the inMusic brand line-up, Academy and Emmy Award-winning visua...
02/07/2026
What you missed!
Last weekend, Saturday 27 June 2026, saw the debut of Sound On Sounds new GearExpo UK event, the largest dedicated pro-audio event to take ...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Following the successful launch of its inaugural APAC Mentoring Programme last month, the Rise AV APAC Regional Council will bring the conversation around mento...
02/07/2026
Blackmagic PYXIS 6K Used to Shoot Director Takahisa Zeze's Cry Out
Brie Clayton July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Highly mobile camera supports tense and de...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions acquires BFE, expanding its lead in European broadcast, medi...
02/07/2026
Berklee Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's 250th Anniversar...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions GmbH, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, is acquiring BFE Studio und Medien...
02/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has extended the ingest facility at leading Brazilian sports company LiveMode, work...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
Timeline TV launches virtual studio broadcast centre in Ealing By Adrian Pennington 
