Remote Production for Dancing on Ice

11th March 2019, Milton Keynes, UK ITV Studios Entertainment produces the popular Dancing on Ice television show in a purpose-built, semi-permanent studio space and production infrastructure at Bovingdon Airfield, a former airfield south of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The 10-week show culminated in an exciting finale last night.

An essential technical requirement for bringing Dancing on Ice to millions of viewers each week was to install permanent media fibre connectivity, for which ITV contacted NEP Connect (formerly SIS LIVE), the acknowledged leader in critical broadcast connectivity.

NEP Connect’s Anylive® fibre network connects more than 150 sport, music and event venues across the UK and has proven its value across a vast number of live productions.

NEP Connect installed a 1GB Anylive fibre to serve as the main connectivity hub with a satellite truck serving as a backup. The connectivity was established in close cooperation with the host OB company Telegenic, to ensure live connectivity for the show every Sunday.

A high-speed managed link was established from the Bovingdon facility allowing a tailored workflow to ITV Studios specific post-production requirements for efficient and secure remote ingest.

An additional Anylive hub also installed, managed and monitored by NEP Connect provides permanent internet broadband for onsite wi-fi for production and the OB crew via a 10GB Anylive pipe. Telephony, corporate internet, security CCTV, comms, 4-wire talkback and connectivity for the crucial public vote team are also provided.

NEP Connect’s Managing Director David Meynell added, “The economic benefits of remote production are readily apparent, but the exciting part – the creative production possibilities – are only beginning to be explored and appear to be almost endless. Anylive’s ring network topology ensures that services are always provided by the most efficient route, which eliminate a major step – and potential point of failure – in live production.”

NEP Connect is now part of the NEP Worldwide Network, offering robust broadcast services, media solutions and live events support to clients worldwide. To learn more about NEP Connect’s connectivity services, visit https://www.nepconnect.live

About NEP Connect

NEP Connect, an NEP Broadcast Services Company, has been delivering critical media content since 1989. The company’s rapidly growing international fibre network, Anylive®, connects over 150 locations including broadcasters, major switching centres, channel aggregators, sports and entertainment venues. NEP Connect operates two Network Operation Centres located in the UK, co-located with NEP Connect teleports, which supply extensive satellite facilities to complete the connectivity offering. The company provides a full range of broadcast services from UHD to low bit rate streaming with data and audio transmission services also available. This comprehensive fibre and satellite infrastructure forms a cohesive and robust portfolio, broadcasting over 200 hours of live transmissions worldwide every day supporting multiple contracted and occasional use events. Learn more at www.nepconnect.live

About NEP

For over 30 years, NEP has been a worldwide outsourced technical production partner supporting premier content producers of live sports, entertainment, music and corporate events. Our services include remote production, studio production, audio visual solutions, host broadcast support, premium playout, post production and innovative software-based media management solutions. NEP’s 3,500+ employees are driven by a passion for superior service and a focus on technical innovation. Together, we have supported productions in 87 countries on all seven continents.

NEP is headquartered in the United States and has operations in 24 countries. Learn more at nepgroup.com.