Categories: Recording Studio History

Philips INC Broadcast Remote Truck c. 1979

Meanwhile in LegoLand… download an eight-page article from the Philips Broadcast Tripodium 1979 (catalog? Trade Show Book? no idea…) on the subject of a three-camera A/V remote production vehicle as built in 1979:

DOWNLOAD: Phillips_Remote_Truck_79

Although this machine is perhaps more a part of video rather than audio history, I came across this arcane publication recently and I though that it might make a nice counterpoint to the Bob Fine Remote Truck article we published last week. The Fine truck, remember, began life as a Film Camera/mono audio truck before becoming a multitrack audio truck. Anyhow, this Philips vehicle (no idea how many of these exist…) manages to pack an entire live-tv-production operation into a 25-foot-long van. Pretty incredible. As depicted in the images above, there is workspace and kit for a video line editor, compositor/chyron artist, sound mixer, tape op, and producer. Pretty incredible…

Anyone out there operating a DIY remote truck today? Tell us about it!

Above: rear of truck/cable spool area

chris

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View Comments

bafflegab says:

11/18/2013 at 6:53 pm

Apparently, the bodies were made for LHD and RHD chassis, and markets as required. Since film trucks are one of the few commerical vehicles that routinely are sea or airlifted to very alien markets and road systems, it's usually no big deal to be driving in an "offsides" area, e.g, on the right in a RHD truck or on the left in an LHD one. This is unnerving until one gets used to it.

Years ago I drove an imported Foden London doubledecker bus around the streets of Cincinnati. THAT was scary.

But that the body was designed for both chassis types indicates they had dedicated trucks for sale to those markets or to be stationed permanently there, just as the British Army of the Rhine has lots of LHD military vehicles.

Personally, I always thought that center drive would be the better way to go, especially on modern rear engine rear drive chassis.
Bam says:

11/19/2013 at 1:06 pm

How hot must it have been to sit inside that truck with all the gear on?