Article: No compromise - KitPlus April 2017

15/06/2017

It would seem on the face of it that many broadcasters and production companies are trimming spending to the bone, or at least postponing it in anticipation of more lucrative days to come.

While that may seem prudent, and is in some cases a necessity, there's an equally valid argument that periods of economic downturn, real or perceived, are the perfect time to invest.

It would seem on the face of it that many broadcasters and production companies are trimming spending to the bone, or at least postponing it in anticipation of more lucrative days to come.

While that may seem prudent, and is in some cases a necessity, there's an equally valid argument that periods of economic downturn, real or perceived, are the perfect time to invest.

At Presteigne Broadcast Hire, we take the latter view, which is in part why we have just added to the �40 million in inventory we already carry with a further investment of more than �2 million in new broadcast technology to service customer demand when the funds available for permanent in-house stock are perhaps being increasingly squeezed or diverted.

And therein lies the rub. Broadcasters and production companies are expected to maintain, in fact, improve traditional standards of quality and production, a pressure further exacerbated by the heightened consumer expectations of HD, 4K and, soon, perhaps beyond. We aim to not only facilitate the maintenance and improvement of existing and future standards, but act as the enabler by providing ready and affordable access to proven technology that spans the range from, well, almost from spanners to the latest 4K, ENG and telephoto lenses, plus everything in between.

This is not a decision that was taken lightly, but was born of careful study of the marketplace, both now and for the near-term future. It can be difficult given the rapid changes in technology - and expectations - over the last decade or so, but that's where our experience of having been in the hire business for more than 25 years emerges as a considerable value-add for our customers. We have a very good idea of what they need, and equally, where and when they are going to need it. Our job is to make sure they can get what they want, anytime, anywhere, and know that it will be precisely what is required, precisely when and where it is needed. Sometimes, we have to steer their ship down a slightly different channel, but that's because we've been down that particular river many times before and know where the sandbanks are. Not a lot of others have that ability to be so responsive with the right kit at the right time.

What gave us the notion to make such a sizable investment in somewhat uncertain economic times is related to a major change in our business in recent months, in that we have taken back control of our finances and expenditure in the form of an MBO. It's something I've long wanted to do to free up the capital required to provide the kind of flexibility, service and, ultimately, technology that at times in the past we were occasionally hard-pressed to keep up with overall. Those days have now changed forever. If we don't have it, we can get it, and quickly.

In addition to our existing inventory, we now have an incredible range of broadcast technology from Sony, Canon, Blackmagic, Vinten and many others that alone demonstrates our commitment to our customers worldwide.

One of the most important tasks for a dry hire company is to plan and budget for new technologies, and we have studied the available choices very carefully to ensure we can meet demand with the right technology. For example, we normally expect professional lenses to have a working life of at least ten years. The demand for 4K cameras and lenses is already on the rise and shows no signs of abating, so we expect our new 4K kit to be serviceable for at least a decade and probably much longer. 4K isn't going anywhere, and of course neither are we. As 4K production becomes commonplace as a standard for motion pictures, television dramas, and live events we'll probably make additional investments, which we now have the financial freedom to do.

Of course, high resolution images are wonderful, but their impact would be decidedly diminished without audio, so we've made an equally, shall we say, sound investment in new digital audio technology to cover everything from critical intercoms, mixers and presenter mics to ENG sound and monitoring.

It's no longer enough to just farm out kit on demand. Our engineers, hire desk and support staff work tirelessly to ensure that what goes out our door is not only serviced and ready, but is in the best possible condition it can be, as well as being carefully packaged for safe transport - often to extremely far-flung corners of the world. It doesn't matter to us if we're shipping to Tanzania or Trafalgar, all of our kit gets the same care.

Of course, that's the way it should be. It's what our customers expect. However, budget cuts in many corners of the industry often come at the cost of compromise.

But not to us.

First published in KitPlus Issue 124 April 2017

For all media enquiries please contact Manor Marketing [email protected] --

LINK:	http://presteigne.tv/news/item/no-compromise...
	See more stories from presteigne

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 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...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

18/03/2026

Net Insight Names Larissa GrnerMeeus CPO

Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4. Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...

18/03/2026

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026: Select Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...

18/03/2026

SVG's SportsTech@NABShow Blog Goes Live as Countdown to Vegas Heats Up

The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...

18/03/2026

The Premiere of Dead Lover Showcases Grave Robbing and Sex With a Giant Finger

(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...

18/03/2026

Music Row Piano from Wiltone Productions

Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...

18/03/2026

Techivation introduce T-Warmer Mk2

Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...

18/03/2026

Tonal Balance Control 3 from iZotope

Mix-reference plug-in overhauled iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...

18/03/2026

Toontrack Transistor Organ EKX

Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...

18/03/2026

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture 18 March, 2026 Media releases New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...

18/03/2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz at NAB 2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...

18/03/2026

LCTWS 2026

London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...

18/03/2026

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...

18/03/2026