2019 was a busy 25th anniversary year for Mobile TV Group, which remained true to its progressive and tech-savvy approach by launching two new mobile units into its 41-strong fleet. This initiative broke into new territory, creating the world's first entirely SMPTE 2110 uncompressed IP-based mobile TV broadcast unit - 45 FLEX' - with mobile unit 46 FLEX' launching shortly after, and mobile unit 47 FLEX set to launch in Q1 of 2020.
The new dual-trailer units' infrastructures are both based around the Grass Valley Kayenne K-Frame X IP switcher, an Evertz 384-port EXE 2.0 IP router and an Evertz Magnum control system, to offer 1080p capacity that would require at least a 3000 3000 baseband router. For audio, the new mobile units use Calrec's Artemis digital broadcast consoles with audio-over-IP capabilities.
Fleet Services
Mobile TV Group predominantly services the U.S. sports markets, with units spread across the country, each run by around 50 engineers. The current count of 41 mobile units, including 15 dual-trailer rigs (Unit A and VMU-Unit B) that can run the group's dual-feed' production concept - operations for both home and visiting teams from two spaces but with shared technical resources. Both the new 45 FLEX and 46 FLEX units are dual-trailer outfits, with 53-foot expanding trailers (to 16'6 wide) for unit A, and 53-foot long (8'6 wide) for Unit B VMU trailers.
Impressively, the group designs and integrates its own mobile units, using a strong permanent integration team at its Denver HQ. At any time, visitors can find at least one mobile unit is built.
As Director of Engineering for Mobile TV for the past seven years (following nine years based in Michigan as an engineer for the company), Peter Wehner has long-been drawn to the tech side of the industry: We always get the latest tech, and it's always changing. Of course, I also get to work with a lot of different people from different backgrounds, and I get to travel to some amazing sporting events. The mobile unit is where it all happens, and I'm never bored.
Technology Pioneers
Wehner feels that a willingness and ability to adopt the right technologies at the right time is one of the things that sets Mobile TV Group apart from the crowd. It has a healthy, pioneering track-record, with some of the first HD mobile units in North America, the first ground-up 4K UHD mobile unit and the first HDR broadcast in America. We pride ourselves on being the first, he says. We have a talent for getting in there at just the right time, with improvements and facilities that always make things better for our clients.
All Mobile TV Group units are numbered sequentially as they are finished and brought on-line. With only one exception, all new mobile units since number 29 have been equipped with Calrec Artemis audio consoles, complete with Bluefin2 processing and integrated Hydra2 routing. The fader count varies between 48 and 64 across the fleet, but all have the Artemis Beam' package, which offers 340 channel processing paths per console.
Wehner makes the point that it's important for the mobile unit environment to be comfortable and familiar to all mixers. One way to ensure that is to go with industry standard tools, such as Calrec consoles. Our clients will hire freelance operators who may or may not have seen our mobile units before. Being able to come in and get working straightaway is incredibly important.
He also sees the flexibility of Calrec as a prime attribute, particularly given the variety of events many of the group's mobile units are used on. We primarily produce sports, but we also do entertainment and corporate shows. The Calrec consoles can handle anything, for whatever market we're dealing with.
One thing that all Mobile TV Group engineers look for is great service and support, and that's something Calrec is well known for, he adds. Most of our engineers do not have audio backgrounds - they're not operators. The willingness of Calrec to take the time to make sure they really understand how the console works, what the signal flow is and so on, is really appreciated. We don't see that with a lot of other manufacturers.
In order to integrate Calrec into the new IP mobile units, Mobile TV Group relies on the Calrec audio-over-IP I/O unit, which provides a Hydra2 AoIP interface for up to 512 512 channels using AES67 or Ravenna. That IP connection goes directly to the unit's Evertz router. Now, we can connect all of our audio with a couple of pieces of fiber, says Wehner. Taking the units' infrastructures into consideration, that's amazing for ease of connectivity and use. Of course, it also helps on weight, which is a big issue on these trailers.
FLEX-ability
Wehner sees the new units, and their components, as vital parts of an everything everywhere' future: Every feed can be available everywhere, he says. That, in turn, has now become an expectation for clients who understandably don't want any restrictions. In the past, there's always been a limit on how many audio channels we can send between units. Now, those restrictions are going away thanks to the latest audio technologies, like those provided by Calrec.
As a world first, the natively IP Mobile TV Group 45 FLEX mobile unit represents a big step forward in many ways. Wehner acknowledges that it's not the first time IP has been core to a mobile unit, but says it is the first time that IP has completely taken over. He notes that Mobile TV Group's plan was always to build an IP-based mobile unit, but only once it was feasible to natively connect all core devices, including the switcher, the cameras, replay devices, multi-viewers and, of course, the audio console.
There are other mobile units out there that say they are IP, he explai
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
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...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
2019 was a busy 25th anniversary year for Mobile TV Group, which remained true to its progressive and tech-savvy approach by launching two new mobile units into its 41-strong fleet. This initiative broke into new territory, creating the world's first entirely SMPTE 2110 uncompressed IP-based mobile TV broadcast unit - 45 FLEX' - with mobile unit 46 FLEX' launching shortly after, and mobile unit 47 FLEX set to launch in Q1 of 2020.
