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 ...
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...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
12/05/2026
CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has appointed Randy Koeman as Sales Manager, Netherlands, marking anot...
12/05/2026
Taiwan Television has expanded its HD content ingest workflow capabilities by investing in the PlayBox Neo Suite - a leading multi-channel multi-server UHD/HD/S...
12/05/2026
Jigsaw24 is strengthening its media team with the appointment of Tom Laker as Client Director and Ashish Chauhan as Project Manager. These strategic hires bring...
12/05/2026
Broadcast playout leader showcases hybrid IP infrastructure and workflow automation with Videoland deployment as regional benchmark...
12/05/2026
dzjinius, the all-in-one production management platform for the media and entertainment industry, will showcase its centralised approach to production workflows...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
NUGEN Audio will debut Version 1.1 of DialogCheck, its intelligent dialog intelligibility and compliance tool, at the 2026 Media Production & Technology Show (S...
12/05/2026
The reactive visuals can adapt to any stage or screen setup and comprise 50 layers of Notch content
Today, Disguise announced that its high performance GX 3 m...
12/05/2026
Snapgrid , Snapbag & Airglow Expand Creative Control for the ARRI Modular LED BarFollowing the launch of the ARRI Omnibar, DoPchoice introduces a dedicated li...
12/05/2026
May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here
TRIBECA FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2026 GAMES PROGRAM
Tribeca Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary With World Premieres and Pl...
12/05/2026
May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here
MADONNA BRINGS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CONFESSIONS II TO 2026 TRIBECA FESTIVAL
The Global Icon Will Unveil a Cine...
12/05/2026
Customer demand for data continues to grow in the first quarter of 2026 at Magya...
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.
