Riedel Marks Six Years With F1

Formula One broadcaster RTL has, for the past six years, utilised the Riedel RiLink Global Fiber Service to provide bidirectional links between race circuits and the broadcast station in Cologne, Germany.

RiLink's bidirectional links allow not only the transport of 3G/HD/SD-SDI broadcast signals, but also return video feeds, full-duplex communications, VoIP telephony, and IP data.
RiLink's latency is shorter and its transmission is independent of weather conditions. It leverages Riedel's hardware and manufacturing capabilities along with expertise in software to provide custom solutions over the globally available MPLS network, which RTL also uses for enterprise services such as exchange server connections, intranet, and intercom.
"When it comes to broadcasting a first-class event such as Formula One, a strong and reliable partnership is an absolute must," said Fritz Behringer, technical operations manager at Cologne Broadcasting Center GmbH, a part of RTL Media Group. "We have been working with Riedel's RiLink for many years. As soon as the fiber cable is connected to our production unit, all systems wake up, connect to their hosts instantaneously, and start sending files or messages. Riedel is connecting the two worlds for us: broadcast and IT."
RTL transfers the international program video signal and additional signals from its newsgathering teams on location at each of the race venues to playout in Cologne. During off-peak hours, RTL uses the additional capacity for other purposes such as file transfers to its archive in Cologne, which can be carried out automatically in managed workflows. While real-time transport of HD video uses compression in order to reduce bandwidth, these off-peak transfers happen uncompressed in their original quality.
Riedel's Artist intercom systems allow RTL's on-site crew to collaborate seamlessly with the home team using remote resources.
"Especially in surroundings like F1, RF-based communication is a challenge on its own. The combination of network connectivity, networked intercom and RF systems, and a strong support team gives us the headroom to react fast enough on all contingencies and makes our productions so smooth," Behringer said. "The systems also connect the drivers on the track with their pit crews and off-site engineers, providing drivers with up-to-date tactical advice and on-track support."

www.riedel.net

(IT/JP)