HD Trucks (equipment)?

[Barney]

Gurus, how many HD Live Trucks (equipment) does each broadcaster have to do a live feed? Seems FOX can broadcast different NFL games in HD.

ABC/ESPN.......only one?
CBS?
NBC?
ABC?
FOX?

I did send an email to ABC "Why isn't the Texas vs Ohio State" being broadcast in HD two days before the game, no answer yet!.Also called my local ABC channel & was told...NY office decided to not broadcast in HD. What a game it was, 1st time they had played each other, over 105K fans (100K Ohio State loud fans).

Thanks........HOOKEM HORNS!

Barney

 

[NateDawg]

Barney,

No network owns their own HD production trucks. They have found it to be more efficient for them to simply rent them from companies who maintain the trucks.

Check out avsforum Thread #311694. Sorry I couldn't post it, haven't posted here enough yet, apparently.

 

[scgalena]

The networks sold their remote trucks years ago because of rising costs and decided instead to rent. The main players in the truck rental business are NEP, NMT, Game Creek, Cross Creek and others such as Lyon Video, Mira and F&F. More HD trucks are coming online every year with an average value of somewhere around 8 or 10 mil, sometimes more in the case of golf pickups where 2 or 3 trucks travel as one working unit. The size of the pick-up and the production requirements determine which of the renter's trucks would be most suitable - not all are. The rental costs include truck staff people such as the engineer-in-charge, maintenance people and drivers. A large percentage of sports pickups use freelancers flown in from around the country to man the camera and truck positions. All in all a very expensive proposition.

 

[Jimbo]

scgalena , I hope they are not using COST as the deciding factor... With all the money the colleges (for NCAA football) and NFL make, it should not be an issue...

 

[Digital Dude]

The networks renting them makes me even more sick since ESPN2HD had the OU-PITT game in HD on Friday night, a mere 75 moiles from Ohio State.

 

[mpar1]

The networks renting them makes me even more sick since ESPN2HD had the OU-PITT game in HD on Friday night, a mere 75 moiles from Ohio State.

I had the same thought. A truck so close yet no HD for arguably the most anticipated regulare season college football game this season.

 

[Barney]

Thanks guru's.
So I guess the rumor about ABC/ESPN just having one "trucK" means they only rent one "truck"? (or they can only afford 1 "truck" at this time).
Very interesting.

Barney

 

[scgalena]

Up until now at least, advertisers have refused to pay a dime more to buy a spot on an HD sports program. In turn, the networks have told the HD truck rental companies they will not pay a higher fee for an HD truck than they would an SD equivalent.

 

[Pete In Plano]

the usual lead time to set up at a venue is 2 days. they have moved in overnight before, but they do not like doing it.

 

[NateDawg]

Thanks guru's.
So I guess the rumor about ABC/ESPN just having one "trucK" means they only rent one "truck"? (or they can only afford 1 "truck" at this time).
Very interesting.

Barney

It should be obvious that ABC/ESPN rent more than 1 truck. They had 2 CFB games in HD on Saturday, 1 NFL game and 1 MLB game in HD on Sunday, and 1 NFL game in HD on Monday. Throw in an HD CFB game on Thursday and Friday.

I think once upon a time they had 1 truck dedicated to MNF, but I'm not positive on that.

 

[Jimbo]

Well guys,
You would have thought the OSU vs Texas would have been just a little bit more important than the Pitt vs OU game !protest

Jimbo