Fox Sports' 2015 NFL coverage will have new bells and whistles on all productions, but the biggest news, literally, is that Game Creek Video's massive Encore production unit begins its first season as the home of the NFL on Fox A-game coverage, giving the production team more than enough fire power and space and allowing the truck supplier's FX unit to be used for B-level productions.
Encore gives us a lot of room to grow for an NFL regular-season game, as it can do the U.S. Open golf championships on its own, says Mike Davies, SVP, field operations, Fox Sports.
Encore comprises three 53-ft. trailers providing nearly 2,400 sq. ft. of production space when the sides are expanded: 720 sq. ft. in the A unit, 905 sq. ft. in B, and 675 sq. ft. in C. At its core is an Evertz IP-based router, which gives a significant amount of signal flexibility.
One of the key technical capabilities that Encore provides for NFL games is access to Sony HDC-4300 cameras, four of which will be licensed to operate at up to 8X speed. They complement two Inertia Unlimited super-slo-mo cameras, which provide several advantages, most notably the ability to economize: they require fewer EVS channels to operate than the Sony cameras do.
We will tailor the cameras to what the director and producer ask for, says Davies.
The A-level shows will max out at 15 cameras, including the new Skycam Wildcat system. Used in New Orleans for Fox's first preseason game, the system can move at speeds up to 25 mph. The system will be in use for A games and for other games later in the season, depending on the importance of the game and the matchup.
It was fast, agile, and could fly low, says Davies of the Wildcat's performance. We also liked that the new Sony HDCP1R, which we used on Wildcat, matches our other cameras.
Inside Game Creek Video's Encore A unit
Also making a debut for regular-season coverage will be what Fox calls the 4K Flex system, which captures images at a high frame rate and, thanks to Aja TruZoom, allows the production team to zoom in, crop, and extract an HD-quality replay. That system was previously used during last year's MLB playoffs.
The A game is only one of at least five games that Fox will broadcast every weekend, and, while it may get the most cameras, the B and C games will have plenty of enhancements to give the production team the tools they need to deliver top-quality broadcasts.
Each one of the shows has something to make it special. We don't have any vanilla shows, notes Davies. And, with Game Creek, NEP, and F&F [production units] in our stable for NFL coverage, we are able to get to midseason form quickly.
Along with camera enhancements come advances in replay devices. NFL coverage across the board has made the move to the EVS XT3 server. Additionally, the Fox production teams both in the field and at the studio are working on perfecting file-based workflows that will allow content (in particular, alternative camera angles) to more easily and quickly get to Fox Sports' Los Angeles facility on Pico Blvd. for use in highlights and game breaks. That work requires both the team in the field and the studio-show team at Pico to develop new workflows.
It's really less of a technical issue and more of an organizational one, says Davies.
And first-rate audio, a point of pride for the team at Fox Sports, will once again be front and center (as well as left, right, and behind) for viewers.
We still concentrate on audio, Davies says, and some of our games will have up to six parabolic mics and will also be using the Klover parab as well as a mic in the Skycam. Everything is also set to be 5.1 surround sound across the board.
He notes that viewers can expect additional enhancements during the year, the result not only of current plans but of weekly phone calls between the technical directors, audio mixers, and others discussing how to do things better.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
05/05/2026
SVG is proud to announce Warner Bros. Discovery's Techwood Studios in Atlant...
05/05/2026
With no operator required, AutoMic workflow automates talent identification on U...
05/05/2026
A crash in 2015 set the industry back, but this winter proved that drones are he...
05/05/2026
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world's most exciting new sounds. This year's RADAR artists draw from deep local r...
05/05/2026
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spoti...
05/05/2026
New drum machine book campaign incoming
Bjooks have announced that during Superbooth 2026, they will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the product...
05/05/2026
Flagship all-in-one production bundle updated
The latest version of Native Instruments' flagship virtual instrument and plug-in bundle has just been ann...
05/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host RF Testing Innovations Forum 2026, helping design engine...
05/05/2026
L3Harris provides communications, electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems that enable Virginia-class submarine crews to operate with confidence in conte...
05/05/2026
The company grew by 7.6% in net revenue and 16.3% in EBITDA, achieving a 33% inc...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
Fox Sports' 2015 NFL coverage will have new bells and whistles on all productions, but the biggest news, literally, is that Game Creek Video's massive Encore production unit begins its first season as the home of the NFL on Fox A-game coverage, giving the production team more than enough fire power and space and allowing the truck supplier's FX unit to be used for B-level productions.
