INSIDE THE GEAR NUMBERS RESULTS OF SVG’S 13TH-ANNUAL STUDY OF MOBILE-PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
T
he 13th-annual SVG Mobile Sports Production Gearbase Survey provides an ongoing database of production-truck technology for the North American fleet of more than 250 mobile units. Of the 258 mobile units listed in the 2019 Gearbase, only one is an SD-only truck — making the official death of SD nearly complete. With SD firmly in the rear-view mirror, a parade of 4K- and HDR-capable trucks has hit the road, with many more on the way in 2019. In addition, with the arrival of the SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards, several companies are rolling out IP-based mobile units with an eye to the future. The 2019 Gearbase Survey covers 37 participating companies and lists nearly a dozen mobile units that debuted in 2018. On the following pages is a listing of the trucks and their specs (based on data collected from participating companies in October 2018). Here is a brief summary of the Gearbase Survey’s key findings on the North American truck market.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS • With 59 trucks, NEP still has by far the largest fleet in North America, followed by Game Creek Video with 26, Mobile TV Group with 25 (not including its Visitor Mobile Units), Dome Productions with 19, and Gearhouse Broadcast with 12 (after acquiring the Proshow Broadcast fleet in July). In sixth place is Lyon Video (11), followed by F&F Productions (nine), and All Mobile Video and TNDV Television (eight each).
• The video-router sector remains diverse, judging by the 215 trucks that identified router brand. Evertz is atop the market in a total of 73 trucks (34%) with Grass Valley close behind at 53 (25%). PESA is third with 39 (18%), followed by Utah Scientific with 16 (7.5%), Ross Video with 15 (7%), Imagine Communications with 14 (6.5%), and Blackmagic Design with five (2%).
• Of the 254 trucks whose camera complement was identified by brand, 137 use Sony (54%); 73 deploy Grass Valley (29%); 24, Ikegami (9%); 16, Hitachi (6%); four, Panasonic (2%); and one, JVC.
• In HD replay devices, EVS is once again the industry standard: 213 HD trucks were identified as relying on some form of EVS system as its primary replay device (although 23 of these trucks also carry some other form of replay device). Currently, 19 trucks carry Grass Valley K2 Dyno replay systems, nine have NewTek 3Play, and seven have Ross Video XPression, although the majority of these trucks also have EVS replay systems.
• The battle for lens-market share remains a two-horse race. Of the 225 trucks that identified lens brand, 115 trucks carry exclusively Canon lenses (51%), 82 have only Fujinon (36%), and 25 have a mix of Canon and Fujinon lenses (11%). Three trucks (1%) also carry Angenieux lenses. • Among switchers, Grass Valley continues to dominate, with its units found at the center of 192 mobile units (76%). Sony and Ross Video have switchers 22 trucks apiece (8.5% of the market each), and Blackmagic Design units are in 10 trucks (4%). • Calrec Audio remains the number-one audio console on trucks, with 161 consoles in 61% of the North American fleet. Yamaha is second, with consoles in 27 audio areas (10%), followed by Studer (26 trucks), Soundcraft by Harman (18), Avid/Euphonix (10), and DiGiCo (six).
• ChyronHego is still the market leader in graphics. Its systems are in 150 trucks that identified a platform (109 exclusively carry ChyronHego graphics). 50 trucks carry Vizrt systems (11 exclusively Viz), and 21 deploy Ross Video graphics (14 exclusively). • Of the 258 mobile units covered in the survey, six are listed as 4K-capable (up from 35 last year), 42 are HDR-capable (up from 43 last year), and 23 are 1080p-capable (up from 55 last year). To view the full 2018 SVG Mobile Production Gearbase, visit sportsvideo.org/gearbase2019
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