Case Study: TVG Network Captures Sports History With Vinten

For more than 17 years, TVG Network has transported heartpounding, edge-of-your-seat horse racing from over 150 tracks into the homes of millions around the globe, bringing together a diverse and passionate community both off and online. As America’s largest legal horse racing wagering company and #1 horse racing network, TVG updated their studio from standard definition to high definition, knowing that their fans would receive a better, dynamic experience as they tuned in.

But soon after that leap to high definition, the network found the broadcast was missing something.

“To create the best experience for our fans, we decided we needed to include more movement in our studio. For us, that meant more automation to create a more dynamic broadcast for the viewer. But to make the studio complete, we needed to replace our old remote controlled pedestals,” explained Mark Depping, Director of Broadcast Operations.

To finalize their transition and improve their workflow, the network chose to add a Vinten FHR-35 and three Vinten Fusion FE-165 Elevation Units. The Vinten FHR- 35 is a robotic pan and tilt head that is compact and unobtrusive while FE-165 is tailor-made for smaller studios. Versatile enough for any studio environment, these high-quality camera supports were the perfect solution for TVG.

“The biggest difference is the ability to pre-build camera movements within the Vinten Robotics System,” said Depping. “All of the movement is controlled by the director. Using the Vinten Robotics System means we can improve the aesthetic quality of the production without adding any costs. We didn’t have to hire any extra people because the director could manage the movement from the control room.”

By employing the extensive height range and effective start/stop motion control of the units, TVG could capture unique, creative shots and achieve rapid and smooth high to low transitions without hassle. Not to mention, TVG didn’t need to worry about it taking up too much room in the studio with their small footprint, mounting adapters, and effective cable management system.

After using both the FHR-35 and FE-165, Frank Geraty – TVG’s former Vice President of Broadcast Operations and Engineering– commented on their performance, “We made significant improvements everywhere and acquiring the Vinten FE-165s has been among the most noticeable for our viewers. Now they get to see smooth, polished camera moves on the air – something that wasn’t possible with our legacy equipment.”

With the help of Vinten elevation units, TVG continues to offer horse racing fans visually stimulating live coverage all season long.