UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post

G6Tanuki · 13th Jun 2019, 3:02 pm

I don't think "phone lines" are used for any news-y OB stuff these days - if you're setting up a 5-minute interview with someone in their office (which may be half way round the world) and "we're on-air in five minutes" you clearly won't have the time or resources to set up a "proper broadcast-quality line".

Can you even still get that stalwart of last-century ad-hoc studio-connenctivity the 2B+D ISDN circuit? I know that when ClassicFM started up they were using 2B+D to connect their presenters' home-studios to their main production facility.

These days for ad-hoc interviews it'll invariably be a Skype/QuickTime session, a cellphone-call or - maybe - a SIP session. I recall setting up videoconferences over Inmarsat using portable BGAN terminals which were remarkably good quality.

At least these days we're generally spared the bursts of rasping noise that comes from using OB equipment with inadequate immunity to nearby cellular-phone/data signals.

13th Jun 2019, 3:02 pm	#7
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 14,007	Re: BBC "Sound" I don't think "phone lines" are used for any news-y OB stuff these days - if you're setting up a 5-minute interview with someone in their office (which may be half way round the world) and "we're on-air in five minutes" you clearly won't have the time or resources to set up a "proper broadcast-quality line". Can you even still get that stalwart of last-century ad-hoc studio-connenctivity the 2B+D ISDN circuit? I know that when ClassicFM started up they were using 2B+D to connect their presenters' home-studios to their main production facility. These days for ad-hoc interviews it'll invariably be a Skype/QuickTime session, a cellphone-call or - maybe - a SIP session. I recall setting up videoconferences over Inmarsat using portable BGAN terminals which were remarkably good quality. At least these days we're generally spared the bursts of rasping noise that comes from using OB equipment with inadequate immunity to nearby cellular-phone/data signals.