Sky News Purchases Three LinkXP Systems From Link Research

Sky News is purchasing three wireless transmitters from Link Research for use on their Upod satellite newsgathering vehicles.
The systems are to be used primarily in the UK and will be supplied with one-watt clip-on amplifiers which allow the cameras to cover a much larger area. Sky will be conducting tests in Central London to assess exactly how far the cameras will be able to roam using this facility.
“We have chosen Link Research this time because the equipment is so small and light,” says Richard Westwood Head of Links at Sky News. “It is going into a small vehicle so the weight is a huge issue. The other important factor for us is delay and the Link equipment has no visible transmission delay.”
The transmitter weighs approximately 1 kilo and the clip-on amplifier weighs a further 650 grammes. The signal delay from a Link wireless transmitter is 40 milliseconds, equal to about one frame.
Link Research will also supply the new clip on control panels for LinkXP, which will make Sky the first broadcaster to use these.
“Our kit is designed to be very easy to use and deploy,” says John Mulcahy, General Manager of Link Research. “Sky is at the forefront of news and they are investing for the future. This equipment will give their cameras much more flexibility to move around as they work, especially in cities.”
LinkXP was Link’s first digital wireless camera transmitter. Link Research now manufactures six wireless transmitters and has become a favourite supplier to news broadcasters all over the World.
Since its launch in 1989, Sky News provides news to around 98 million people in 36 countries in Europe alone.
Link Research was started by David and Len Mann, to produce equipment for the field of professional TV. The company manufactures encoders, encoder/modulators and the LinkXP wireless camera system, which won the IABM’s Peter Wayne Award for Design and Innovation 2002.
Link Research was given the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, for Innovation in 2004 and won the Peter Wayne Award for the second time in 2005 for its Cellular Diversity newsgathering concept.
Link’s customers include many big names in broadcasting, such as the BBC, BT, ITN, Sky News, ABC, NBC, CBS and NTL.
The company has a network of over 30 distributors.
Link Research is now part of the Vislink PLC Group.
(SP)