Mediatec UK Adds Close-Ups, Replays to Cricket Grounds

The founding fathers of cricket might spin in their graves, but video screens showing close-ups and replays of the action at the grounds are now as much a part of the game as blazers and tea. Mediatec UK specialises in supplying these systems and recently took delivery of two HD-compliant OB trucks to work with its modular and mobile LED screens.

Mediatec UK has a three-year contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and, during the 2010 season, will work on more than 100 matches, including the internationals against Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The OB units are based on long-wheelbase Mercedes vans and were kitted out by UK systems integrator Megahertz (MHz). Both vehicles are HD-capable and feature equipment from Apple, Blackmagic Design, Bryant Broadcast, Grass Valley, Harris, Miranda, Sennheiser, and Telex.

“LED screens are now an integral part of the cricketing experience,” says Mediatec UK GM Mike Bone. “Being awarded the contract by the ECB for the next three years made it imperative to appoint a company that had vital knowledge in the outside-broadcast field. MHz’s understanding of our requirements and their ability to design and build the vehicles in a very short space of time — five weeks from placing the order to the first cricket match — is a remarkable achievement by any standard.”