How INFiLED Helped BBC Studioworks Host the UK’s National Lottery

Overview

When Allwyn UK, the UK’s National Lottery operator, needed a new broadcast home capable of livestreaming lottery draws six days a week, BBC Studioworks delivered a purpose-built facility at the heart of the iconic BBC Television Centre.

The INFiLED team worked with BBC Studioworks to supply a dynamic and reliable LED backdrop, engineered from two 5m x 3m screens from our DBmk2 Series, set at 90 degrees to each other.

This setup gave the studio 24/7 operational reliability as well as the ability to change the look and feel of each livestream at the touch of a button.

 About BBC Studioworks

BBC Studioworks is a commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the UK’s globally-renowned main public service broadcaster. 

BBC Studioworks provides a world-class range of studio facilities, post–production, technology and expertise to major UK broadcasters and production companies, including ITV, Sky and Channel 4. Many of the UK’s best-loved and most-watched shows, such as Strictly Come Dancing and EastEnders, are supported by BBC Studioworks.

 The Vision: A Different Look for Every Game

National Lottery draws hold a special place in the UK’s national psyche. Lottery operator Allwyn UK wanted to build on that national appeal by broadcasting several different lottery games live from the same studio space.

Each draw would have a different look to keep things fresh and the viewers tuning in to the online draws.  It needed a visually dynamic backdrop that would be operationally glitch-free and easily updatable.

 The Challenge: Reliable Performance for High-Stakes Broadcasting

The project included a number of noteworthy hurdles that we successfully navigated:

• The risk of moiré patterning:
  Because the studio was compact, the cameras, draw machines and LED backdrop were  close to each other. The closer the distance, the higher the risk of a misalignment between the camera’s sensor grid and the LED screen’s pixel grid. When two repetitive patterns overlap there’s more of a risk of distracting and unpleasant visual distortions for the viewer.
• Multi-game flexibility:
  With six livestreams a week, Allwyn UK had to keep things interesting and the visual hard work had to come from the LED screens.This meant engineering an LED wall that could continually transform between productions with a myriad of dynamic content, and all with fast, easy, and no-nonsense central control.

• Absolute reliability:
  Operating a live almost-daily broadcast meant zero tolerance for screen downtime. The screens had to be robust and superfast and easy to maintain.
• Tight deadline:
  BBC Studioworks needed to complete the job while transitioning Allwyn UK to its new studio without disrupting the six-night-a-week schedule. The LED screen installation, testing and sign-off had to be done and dusted within an agreed timeframe.

The Solution: INFiLED’s DBmk2 Plus Demo Time

The BBC Studioworks team designed an LED backdrop from two 5m x 3m screens, chosen from INFiLED’s DBmk2 Series and driven by Brompton processing.

The screens were configured at 90 degrees to each other, giving maximum set versatility in terms of camera angles and game identities. Source material came via a Hyperconverged Ross Ultrix mixer/router, and the show was shot on 10 Panasonic UE-150A cameras.

To address and minimize possible livestreaming challenges, it was important to the BBC Studioworks team to prepare thoroughly. Prior to anyone even thinking about installation,  INFiLED gave the BBC Studioworks team a demo DBmk2 screen to play with, plus technical support from INFiLED and colleagues at Brompton whenever it was needed.

This gave the team the opportunity to test out the screen and cameras in their own time, to find the right configurations that would minimize or eliminate potential challenges, and make sure they were going to be able to achieve the look they required.

The choice specifically addressed the sets challenges by:

• Reducing the risk of moiré pattening:
  INFiLED’s DBmk2 screens had a high resolution which, together with a fine pixel pitch of 1.95mm, reduced the risk of moiré patterning screenside. Combined with BBC Studioworks’ choice of large sensor, shallow depth of field cameras and low pass filters, the set up eliminated visual interference.
• Creating dynamic, updateable visuals:
  The two screens, angled at 90 degrees, allowed the entire visual environment of the studio to be transformed at any time, without physically moving hardware.Content, delivered via the Hyperconverged Ross Ultrix mixer/router into Brompton processing, gave BBC Studioworks complete flexibility to switch between game looks instantly.
• Being super-reliable:
  BBC Studiowork’s decision-making process placed a lot of weight on screen build quality, not just in terms of robustness of the screens and “stickiness” of the LEDs, but also electronic reliability – criteria that they felt the DBmk2 screens met. As a failsafe, BBC Studioworks can dip into on-site spares in case of the odd pixel misbehaving.
• Being fast to install:
  The opportunity to demo the screens made sure that the team from BBC Studioworks were ready to set up the studio fast, but what made installation even more straightforward and stable were the DBmk2’s quick-lock system and magnetic pre-connections at the top and bottom of the cabinets.

The Result:  Visual Flexibility With Built-In Pizzazz 

BBC Studioworks now produces dynamic, reliable content six times a week for Allwyn UK, keeping games fresh and viewers excited every time they watch.

“We’re now quite a few months into having the studio up and running, and Allwyn UK, our client couldn’t be happier. The INFiLED screens, and their content, form the majority of the visual appearance of the production and clarity and quality have been key. INFiLED’s great aftersales support means any issues are resolved quickly and efficiently.” says Tim Wood, Head of Television Centre at BBC Studioworks

We’re proud of what we delivered for BBC Studioworks, and it’s one of a growing number of high-stakes broadcasting and performance environments where INFiLED screens have shown they can handle whatever’s thrown at them, 24/7.