The Digital Radio camera project

Abstract

Cable-free television cameras have been used for years in sports, news and outside broadcasts. Unfortunately, with analogue transmission the pictures often break up. Now the team at BBC R&D has developed new digital technology to deliver a reliable, lightweight radio camera. Producers and directors are now making programmes that would not have been attempted with the previous generation of equipment.

Our key input to this work was to recognise that technology being engineered for digital television broadcasting was ideal for incorporation in the transmitters for the radio camera. This gave us the heart of the system, capable of miniaturisation and with low power demands. We then worked with programme makers and equipment manufacturers to ensure that the technology was engineered to provide a solution that met everyone's requirements.

The proof of the technology is the popularity with which the early prototypes have been received. The project is continuing to develop and refine the digital radio camera concept together with other organisations, such as spectrum standardisation bodies. The project vision is that one day radio cameras could become as widely used as radio microphones are today.

This paper was presented to the Royal Television Society as a submission for the RTS2001 Technical Innovation Awards.

This document was originally presented to the Royal Television Society as a submission for the RTS2001 Technical Innovations Awards.

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