Outside Broadcast Units (Outdoor Broadcasting Units)

Outside Broadcast (“OB”) refers to any television or radio program which is broadcast from a location away from the normal studio setting. The location doesn’t actually have to be “outdoors” — the “outside” simply means “outside the studio”.

Television outside broadcasts can be any size and complexity, from a single camera to dozens of cameras and staff. Generally, the term OB implies multi-camera coverage coordinated and directed from a mobile control room.
An “OB Unit” is a mobile production unit (with equipment and crew) which is able to travel to a location and provide broadcast coverage. Seven Production OB units can specialize in a particular area; for example, a motorsports OB unit would carry specialized camera equipment for in-car coverage and have staff which know this particular sport well.
Seven Production OB Units include any of the following:

• A number of cameras (beginning from 4 cameras and exceeding 44+ cameras per OB Unit)
• A mobile control room, staffed by a director, vision controller, sound operator and VT (videotape) operator
• Equipment and housing for a presentation area
• Transmission equipment

In The Middle East and North African Region, Events that Seven Production commonly covers with our fleet of OB units include TV Productions, Studio Productions, Government Events, Corporate Events, Sports Events, Concerts and Ceremonies.