Legends in the Making: NBA D-League Team Builds Mobile Production Trailer
Frisco, Texas-based NBA Development team the Texas Legends have created a custom-built mobile streaming and broadcast production trailer boasting its own 10x10 studio and featuring NewTek TriCaster for switching and streaming, a ProSonus mixer for audio mixing, and NewTek 3Play for instant replay, with 3 benches for production crew.
When you want to show more, and reach more people, the costs of technology often presents a barrier to making that happen. However, NBA D-League team the Texas Legends, based in Frisco, Texas, recently built out a production trailer to enable them to not only provide games to broadcast partners, but also provide a separate streaming output for the web, including international advertisers.
Punching and Monitoring Feeds
The first section of the trailer is set up with three benches. The first overlooks a video split of the source cameras, graphics, and replay feeds, as well as additional information that can be added to the feed. The trailer is set up with two NewTek Tricasters so that the feeds for broadcast and for the web are actually punched separately.
This separation also enabled the internet feed to have additional content that isn't present in the broadcast feed. For instance, I was told they can even put a "tweet feed" onscreen as a lower third so fans can interact with the live internet feed and comment on the action they are watching. Fans like to see their tweets featured on the feed for everyone to see.
The second bench is currently set up for graphics using Chyron hardware, and 3Play, NewTek's instant replay system that can provide up to 8-channels of instant replay capability. Additionally, the design was made modular so a second 3Play can be can be added, or three Tricasters, etc. This lets producers adapt to the needs of a particular event.
A third bench is for producing, monitoring the internet feed, audience interaction or whatever is needed at the time.
The second room is for audio. It has a PreSonus 16-channel mixer and is isolated from the rest of the truck. RTS is wired throughout so the trailer can pull up at stadiums and interface with the existing communication systems.
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