Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Wimbledon 2007 on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Facts and figures

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• Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Outside Broadcasts, part of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Resources Ltd, is handling the host and domestic broadcast services for the Wimbledon Championships, covering nine courts, with high definition coverage from Centre Court and Court One. Up to 19 cameras will cover the action on Centre Court and up to 12 cameras on Court One.

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• Match footage will be supplemented with player interviews and studio presentation. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Resources is providing presentation facilities for both HD and SD including studio coverage as well as roving camera crews.

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• There will be 69 cameras onsite in total. These include: 20 HD cameras, Six HD cameras working in split head mode, five HD Super SloMo cameras, two HD radio cameras, 31 SD cameras, four SD Super SloMo cameras and one SD radio camera. Two Jimmy Jib cameras, one robot tracking camera and six remotely operated robotic cameras will provide unique angles on the action, pictures from the Umpires Chair and beauty shots from above.

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• The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ hoist is 72 metres tall (236 feet) and carries one HD robotic camera and one locked-off HD beauty shot.

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• Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Outside Broadcasts is installing 80,000 metres (50 miles) of signal cable to deliver coverage.

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• Three Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Outside Broadcast production units will be onsite, including Unit 2 and Unit 12, part of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Outside Broadcasts HD fleet, plus two recording units. There will be twelve SD and nine HD EVS systems for replays and video server operations, with 50 SD VTRs and eight HD VTRs for archive and editing.

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• Over a hundred staff will be involved in the two week championship, including cameras, sound, vision and VT operators.

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• So extensive is Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport's commitment to Wimbledon that coverage of the nine courts effectively amounts to nine separate outside broadcast operations, each with cameras, a slow-motion facility, a director with support staff, engineering and audio control and a graphics organisation.

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• Hawk Eye, which tracks the ball and enables the production team to pull out statistical data will be used for the fifth time and will be HD for the second year running. It has an accuracy of 3mm and is now also being used, for the first time at Wimbledon, as an official tool with virtual reality replays for disputed calls which are also shown on big screens within Centre and Court One.

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• There are eight outgoing circuits from the site to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Television Centre and subsequent delivery to the Broadcast Centre for Domestic and Interactive operations plus International circuits and the HD circuit for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's HD Trial.

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• The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is the host broadcaster and will provide HD (1080i) and SD pictures in 16:9 and 4:3. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Outside Broadcasts will provide stereo audio and will also be doing a digital surround sound mix on HD courts.

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• Whilst at Wimbledon, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Outside Broadcasts will also be covering a range of international music and sporting events, including Royal Ascot, the Grand Prix, Eastbourne Tennis, Glastonbury, Live Earth and T in the Park.

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• In 2006 3.1 million viewers pressed the red button to access the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s interactive service, which gave digital satellite and cable viewers the chance to watch action from up to four additional courts, whilst Freeview provided the choice of two extra courts.

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• Play was televised for the first time in 1937, when matches were transmitted by the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ from the Centre Court for up to half an hour each day of the meeting, but it was not until after the Second World War that they were televised each day.

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• The 2006 Championships coverage of 8,233 hours was broadcast to networks around the world in 178 territories reaching an estimated cumulative audience of over 562 million homes.

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• Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Outside Broadcasts first captured Wimbledon in colour in 1967, went to digital production in 2000 with widescreen the following year and High Definition in 2006.

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• Adrian Kingston, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Outside Broadcasts' lead Engineer Manager for Wimbledon has worked on every single Wimbledon since 1985, except for 1990 when he was at the World Cup.

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