OB van Régie – Outside Broadcast OB-Vans

The Car régie is a compact routing and control platform designed for OB applications. It functions as a integrated routing, monitoring, and switching nucleus rather than a dedicated audio mixer. Your actual production mixing (audio/video) connects through its I/O infrastructure. Verify the installed routing matrix size and I/O card complement with your supplier, as this determines how many camera feeds, outputs, and monitoring circuits you can support simultaneously. This is foundational to system design.

Verified specifications for this unit are not currently available from the manufacturer. Before purchase, request a detailed technical datasheet confirming: supported video formats (SD/HD/4K resolution ranges), frame rates (59.94, 50, 25 Hz variants), colour spaces, and whether the platform enforces unified or mixed-standard routing. Frame rate conversion or standards conversion requirements are common in mobile production—clarify whether these are built-in or require external processors.

Full interface specifications require confirmation from the supplier. For an OB van context, establish: SDI I/O versions (3G, 6G, 12G), presence of fibre connections and SFP module support, any IP-based routing or monitoring capability, and camera control protocol support (RCP interface type, triax compatibility, or Ethernet-based remote heads). These directly impact your camera chain, multicore cable requirements, and control architecture. Request block diagrams showing actual I/O provision.

Detailed mechanical and thermal specifications are not confirmed in available data. Obtain exact dimensions (U-height, depth, width), weight, and cooling requirements before finalizing van integration. Confirm whether the unit is fully rack-mountable, whether it requires dedicated ventilation or can operate in enclosed OB van racks, and operating temperature range. Compact OB vehicles have tight thermal budgets—undersized cooling or poor airflow planning causes field failures. Verify with your vehicle integrator.

Redundancy features depend on configuration and are not specified in current verified data. For mission-critical live broadcast, ask your supplier explicitly about: power supply redundancy (single vs. dual PSU with automatic switchover), built-in backup routing or monitoring circuits, storage/buffer protection, and any dual-system or hot-standby licensing available. Understand mean time to recovery (MTTR) in failure scenarios. High-value productions require documented redundancy strategy before vehicle deployment.

Establish maintenance support early: confirm firmware update mechanism (USB, network, or factory service), typical update frequency and how they're delivered, and documented spare parts list (power supplies, interface cards, cooling modules, connectors). Determine whether the unit requires factory return for major repairs or whether field-swappable modules exist. For mobile production, understand downtime risk. Request contact details for technical support and lead times for common wear items or failed modules.

Integration architecture depends on installed control and I/O cards. Clarify: whether the unit provides native camera control interfaces (RCP direct, Ethernet-based heads, triax), how CCU communications are managed, and whether your existing camera control ecosystem (Sony, Grass Valley, Panasonic, etc.) connects directly or requires gateway hardware. Confirm whether the platform supports multicore or hybrid (triax + Ethernet) control. Incompatibility with your camera fleet is an expensive discovery in the field.

Current verified specifications do not detail power draw. Request: typical and peak power consumption (kW), voltage/phase requirements (single/three-phase), and any specific generator or UPS recommendations. Mobile OB power planning is critical—undersized generators cause instability and dropouts. Confirm whether the unit includes internal power conditioning or isolation, and whether external UPS protection is required for storage or metadata-critical functions. Cross-reference with your vehicle's electrical architecture.

Scalability depends on modular card design, which requires confirmation from the supplier. Ask: whether I/O capacity is expandable via additional interface cards, if routing matrix size can be increased, and whether control protocol support can be upgraded via firmware or hardware. Understand whether the unit is designed as a standalone compact platform or fits within a broader family of routing systems. Growth path clarity prevents costly platform replacement in 2–3 years as your OB business expands.

Yes. Our used and ex-demo units undergo a full functional inspection — sensors, video outputs, control signals, optics and mechanics — including a colorimetry and sensitivity test. Each product is tested by our technicians and comes with a 90-day warranty. Contact us for the specific warranty terms of the unit you are interested in.