Leaders in the field of fiber network signal distribution, Optocore, and its partner company BroaMan, have appointed Parma-based Audiolink as its sole distributor for the Italian market.
Stated Audiolink general manager, Stefano Cantadori, “With Optocore and BroaMan as part of our already well-stocked portfolio we are able to offer customers flexible solutions at the highest level, in both the live and fixed installation sectors, particularly theatres.
“The reason we chose Optocore was simple. Today’s integrations require a massive chunk of fibre optic data, and Optocore, together with BroaMan, allows all the different signals to be managed on a single fiber ring with 100% redundancy,” he continued.
This has now been undertaken, largely at the request of Optocore customers. “We have received several similar requirements, and suggestions for implementation, and we have responded accordingly,” said Optocore’s Technical Sales Manager, Maciek Janiszewski.
“Total redundancy means avoiding any type of problem—unforeseen circumstances that can lead to a lot of expense for the installer and the customer.”
In fact the Munich-based fiber specialists provide transport, routing, format conversion and digital data distribution together with complete management and diagnostic functions. Formats represented include Dante, MADI, AVB, Ethernet as well as protocols from the world of lighting (DMX512), video and others — all simply channelled down a single optical fiber.
They are particularly strong in installation and have equipped major theatres, opera houses and shopping malls.
Such flexibility and proven reliability has also seen Optocore/BroaMan solutions successfully implemented in a host of events, ranging from large scale festivals to opening/closing ceremonies of global sporting events.
Stated Tine Helmle, Optocore Director of Sales & Marketing (and MD of BroaMan), “We are very happy to have found a strong partner in Italy that will best represent our two brands. Stefano and his team are very competent people, with whom we can’t wait to start this collaboration.”
She also highlighted the synergy Optocore has with DiGiCo—a brand that has been successfully distributed by Audiolink for many years—as an obvious advantage.
“We particularly appreciate the ability of Audiolink to cover our main markets—both in the installation sector as well as in live audio,” she concludes.
When broadcast specialist, Elvia-Pro, was formed in 1993, it was as the first system integrator in the country. “Everyone knew us as Sony because Elvia-Pro brought Sony Professional to the Czech Republic,” reflects sales product specialist, Tomáš Kocáb. Shortly afterwards, private commercial station TV NOVA was born and Elvia-Pro has been working with the broadcaster since its inception; today they are their top key customer.
But when TV NOVA placed an order for some BroaMan devices they little realised it would trigger a process that would culminate in the integration company taking on distributorship of the brand for the Czech Republic.
“The equipment was for a studio upgrade,” reports Tomáš. “They produce their live morning show from the roof of the news building, and now use a Mux22 as an easy 4SDI connection and Intercom connection between the roof and the main studio.” In addition, the studio is used for short commercial news and sports news.
“TV Nova’s engineers have the best technical knowledge I’ve ever seen,” the Elvia-Pro man continued. “They chose BroaMan themselves and simply asked me to sell the device. Although they were familiar with [associate company] Optocore, it was their first-time encounter with BroaMan.”
Prague-based Elvia-Pro has taken on the distribution of German fibre network specialists BroaMan in the Czech Republic, following a request from private commercial station, TV Nova.
Formed in 1993, Elvia-Pro specialises in management, engineering and project work within the broadcast sector, and manufactures and installs equipment for OB and DSNG trucks, specialising in main broadcast organisations such as Czech TV, TV Nova, TV Prima, TV Barrandov and production houses.
In fact it was TV Nova who were largely responsible for the new distribution arrangement. “They came to us with a request for BroaMan devices,” recalls Tomáš Kocáb, Elvia-Pro’s Sales Product Specialist. BroaMan Technical Sales Manager Maciek Janiszewski made a professional presentation at TV Nova, leading to the new distribution deal, which was formalised on the BroaMan stand at the IBC Show in Amsterdam.
“Aside from TV Nova, we had also received further BroaMan inquiries from TV Prima, while a film school requested a Repeat48,” Tomáš continued.
The company will now embark on an aggressive marketing campaign, as Tomáš Kocáb explained. “We have shown our Mux22 demo units to all the main broadcasters, and we also have Repeat48 in our professional ProfiCam Centrum showroom in Prague. We also present all BroaMan products on our professional web page (e-shop).”
Tomáš is clear why Elvia-Pro’s customers are turning increasingly to BroaMan. “The opportunity to develop an elegant and efficient solution for multi-signal transportation is exactly the reason for taking this band on,” he says.
Dawid Somló, BroaMan’s Sales Distribution Manager, responded, “There is no better reference than the customer’s recommendation, and it was the engineers from TV Nova themselves who said that they would be most willing to cooperate with Elvia-Pro in the Czech Republic. After the first projects developed together with Elvia-Pro I had the same impression. I can definitely vouch for their professionalism and knowledge of the market.
“However, a lot of hard work awaits us. I expect a strong and aggressive commercial policy from their team so that the BroaMan brand becomes a natural choice in the field of video and related signal fiber transmission in the Czech broadcasting market.”
Bespoke 1RU point-to-point bi-transmission for advanced large-format IP OB truck
London-based Spiritland Productions recently commissioned its new state-of-the-art large-format ‘Spiritland One’ sound and video OB truck, featuring a BroaMan point-to-point fibre transport system running between the truck and the stagebox.
The one-of-a-kind luxury mobile production vehicle, built by Megahertz Ltd, contains an end-to-end IP infrastructure, and audio runs entirely on a Dante network, which the BroaMan environment supports. Their system is based on two new Repeat48WDM-24 with 2Fiber boards, the layout allowing BNC SDI ports to be combined with SFPs, with all signals able to be multiplexed into common fibre.
Spiritland Productions co-directors, Gareth Iles and Antony Shaw, adopted this solution following a meeting at IBC 2018, and the order was duly placed with BroaMan UK dealers, HHB.
Built around a single 1RU device, the BroaMan architecture allows bi-directional multi-format, multi-signal transport via a quad fibre cable. Explained BroaMan Technical Sales Manager, Maciek Janiszewski, “This is a bespoke truck and the specific configuration of each device was equipped with 12 3G-SDI coax ports—which can be used for video or MADI—and six bi-directional SFP slots which can be populated with any SFP transceiver to transport different signals.”
Both the Repeat48WDM on the truck and the similar device on the stagebox connect via two DUO singlemode fibres, and also tied into the system are the SSL System T production desk (via singlemode fibre SFP), and 1G Ethernet for AES67 used in the Riedel Bolero comms network (via multimode fibre SFP). Spiritland One also has Dolby Atmos capability.
Spiritland has the ability to deliver all sizes of live or recorded audio projects. Over the last ten years, they have worked on a variety of complex projects, including many major UK festivals, and are also the main provider for Chris Evans Breakfast Show’s ambitious on-location projects for Virgin Radio.
Antony Shaw recalls that the moment they had decided on adopting the SSL System T, based on its outstanding sonic performance, they knew the infrastructure needed to be end-to-end IP. “This would allow us to be very flexible with our I/O design and adapt the truck to the job or client’s needs; we can easily add additional inputs or have multiple locations or stages.
“Having witnessed how well the BroaMan / Optocore system fitted on the BBC Scotland DSV OB truck we investigated how it could help us cut down on the amount of fibre needed between our truck and stage boxes.” And so, tipped off from their friends at BBC Scotland, they approached Maciek Janiszewski at IBC 2018. “We came up with a rough plan based on 8x MADI, 2 x HDSDI and 3 IP networks—all based around their Repeat48 Custom.”
Clearly in an OB truck rack space is the most important factor, “especially when trying to squeeze in a full-size fridge and a coffee machine,” quips Shaw. “Therefore, in that respect the BroaMan solution has absolutely been a success. It just worked straight out of the box, and a 1U box in the truck and at the stage has really streamlined our stage delivery system.
“We had all our connectivity on two opticalCON DUO SM Fibres and it hasn’t dropped a beat. I would thoroughly recommend these products!”
Spiritland say they cannot conceive of any job that this system isn’t capable of delivering. “And if we do find that job, expanding the system is also easy!” Antony Shaw concludes.
Specialising in the delivery of some of the most challenging integrated technology projects across the world, French-based GB4D-Gilles Bouvard, have also been voted Best BroaMan Distributor for 2018.
Stated BroaMan MD Tine Helmle, “GB4D sold the most BroaMan equipment during the year, and among their many projects the two that stand out are the major exhibition and congress centres in Bordeaux and Toulouse.”
Via participation at leading French trade shows SATIS and JTSE GB4D have also introduced BroaMan’s application engineered solutions, which integrate video, audio, IP, intercom and other data on a redundant low latency fiber infrastructure, to their many customers.
“We have been working with Gilles and Diane Hivert, who handles the distribution, for many years, and have enjoyed great cooperation and an enduring friendship,” continued the BroaMan MD. “They are extremely professional and accomplished in everything they do and we are looking forward to many more years of creating great projects together.”
Gilles Bouvard responded, “We knew of BroaMan thanks to our long association with Optocore. It was when we won the Kuwait shipyard project in 2012 that we started working with BroaMan product for the first time. We were beta testing the first Route 33 with two ring videos on a 5km loop. A LAN was needed to control the video projectors that were installed on the various video projection points, and so we had the start of the Mux22.”
GB4D subsequently developed two video routers for the World Rowing Championships in France in 2014. “This was our start with Route66, Mux22 and Repeat48 CWDM. Thanks to BroaMan technology, the video and audio distribution of the World Championships was a total success.”
With optical networks at the centre of their activity, and a large stock of devices at their warehouse, GB4D is able to support its customers with around 80 Optocore and BroaMan appliances.
“We have an extremely close relationship with BroaMan and Optocore, and can discuss complex projects, as well as the future development of equipment adapted to the needs of our customers. They always support and respond to our requests,” continued Bouvard.
“We are very proud of this award and have some excellent projects lined up for the future, that will extend Broaman and Optocore’s reputation further into the audio-visual world.”
