June 2007: BBC Resources Ltd is delighted to announce the completion of a second high definition studio at Television Centre in West London. Studio Eight, comprising 8,000 square feet, has been upgraded to HD to sit alongside Studio One, the UK’s first major high definition studio. BBC Studios can now give the fullest range of high definition for Comedy and Entertainment programme makers and ensure continuity of service, with both studios offering the latest vision technology to support full HD production.

BBC Studios has supported over 100 series in the last 12 months for a wide range of customers from the independent, corporate and broadcast sectors. It has delivered a raft of HD programmes from its new Studio One facilities over the last nine months, including Strictly Come Dancing, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria and Any Dream Will Do.

Andy King, Head of Technology, BBC Resources says: “The investment is part of BBC Resources’ ongoing replacement and future proofing strategy. We are at the point now where it would be unwise to buy standard definition only equipment.“

Studio Eight services a broad variety of productions, including 8 Out of 10 Cats for Channel 4 and Mock the Week for BBC Two. The first series to be made high definition in Studio Eight, will be the second series of After You’ve Gone for BBC One which will form part of the BBC’s ongoing HD trial. Studio Eight will also be the ‘World Hub’ for the HD Live Earth concerts in July, which will involve receiving up to six simultaneous HD concerts, editing these on locally installed LSM’s and providing a complete transmission for 16 hours in both 1080/50i, 1080/60i and 625/50i.

HD investment in BBC Studios began in 2005 and has also included upgrades to the studio infrastructure, audio, talkback and comms. Accommodating the time needed for the conversion has proved challenging but is necessary to maintain customers’ expectations for both standard definition and the migration to high definition.

The high definition investment in Studios complements the HD replacement strategy in BBC Resources’ Post Production and Outside Broadcast businesses. BBC Resources is proud to be able to offer the industry the broadest range of high definition picture acquisition, either on location or in studio and to then partner the entire post production process and mastering for both the UK and international markets.

Tech Specification

The studio is designed to work in any of the current HD and SD formats, and can produce HD and SD simultaneously.

Sony MVS-8000 4ME switcher, with 3ME panel and 1ME 2nd operator panel.
256 square Harris Platinum router
HD up /down conversion by Axion
Evertz embedders and glue
Pro-bel fibre transmitters and receivers
Multi purpose slots for up to 10 VTR’s or LSM’s
6 HD fibre optic feeds
2 HD uncompressed line out feeds
8 Sony HDC1500 cameras with colour CRT viewfinders
4 Fujinon HA25 x 6.8 lenses
1 Fujinon HA27x 6.6 PF lens
3 Fujinon HA13 x 4.5 lenses
Fully assignable monitor stacks with HD monitoring
Colledia Control touch screen system

For further information, please contact:

Georgie Hollett, Head of Communications, BBC Studios and Post Production
Tel: +44 (0)20 8624 9495
Mobile : +44 (0) 783484 5612
Email : georgie.hollett@bbc.co.uk

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