MUTV chooses the EB-460 UST projector

As one of the world’s highest-profile sporting institutions, it is vital for Manchester United to keep in touch with its global fan base through multiple communication channels from print to website to continuous live TV, broadcast directly from the famous Old Trafford stadium.

MUTV is on air via web, satellite and cable channels seven days a week, 365 days a year, providing analysis, documentaries, player and manager profiles, interviews and background information in addition to live coverage of all reserves and academy games and delayed replays of first team games, to a worldwide audience of some six million.

Because of its high profile the production quality of the shows on MUTV is paramount.  And this is where projection technology from Epson, worldwide leader in the projector market for over 10 years¹, comes in.

Outside the pitch itself and the stands, space at the Old Trafford site is very much at a premium – an important point as MUTV is based out of the ground.

“Our studio is very small, it’s actually two executive boxes which we’ve joined together,” explains Tony Baldwin-Lewis, head of operations at MUTV.

This gives a total space of five by four metres with a two metre ceiling height, tiny by TV studio standards. Into this space MUTV has to fit furniture, presenters, pundits and guests, lights, cameras and operators, so there’s no room for the space-consuming equipment usually used to deliver the eye-catching backdrops shown on live TV.

“We can’t use back-projection, we had to come up with a solution more suited to our very small space,” explained Tony.  “We decided on the Epson EB-460 as being the most suitable for our use.”

To generate the illusion of a wrap-around set, MUTV installed a curved front projection screen onto which three of Epson’s ultra-short-throw EB-460 projectors  display panoramic images.  They can choose to show the interior of the stadium or any combination of live feeds, archive video or computer-generated graphics to complement the programme material.  This set-up is not only versatile but also unique in the world of live TV.

The Epson EB-460 is designed to deliver superior images in any size of room, using unique mirror imaging technology to allow projection at very short distances with no shadow on the screen or glare. The projector is able to display a bright and sharply-focused 70-inch wide image from as little as 16cm, so fitting into the confines of the MUTV studio was easy.

Blended background images from all three Epson projectors can be changed in seconds, giving the impression of a continuous backdrop when required, or providing split-screen effects as appropriate. Running in Eco mode, the EB-460s are quiet, which is essential for audio quality in a live broadcast environment, and consume minimal power, which brings both environmental and cost benefits.

Alongside all the above, the projectors also have outstanding image quality –an essential factor for MUTV – because of their equally high white and colour brightness.  Like all of Epson’s projectors they use its 3LCD technology which delivers a Colour Light Output (in red, blue and green) that is equally as high as the White Light Output.  This ensures bright, vivid colours and exceptional image quality².

Tony Baldwin-Lewis says: “When people walk into our studio they get a really good experience of actually being right in the heart of the stadium.”

The relationship with MUTV came from a well-established partnership with Manchester United and Epson is proud to have also equipped other parts of the club, both inside the ground and at its training facilities, with the manufacturer’s imaging technology.

Richard Arnold, commercial director at the club, states: “Manchester United is proud of its partnership with Epson and utilises its products in all areas of its business; from the AV equipment used at our training ground for presentations to the first team and the printers installed around Old Trafford that create team sheets on match days, to the projectors in the board room, used to enhance meetings at the very highest level.

“Like Manchester United, Epson continues to improve and develop, ensuring it remains at the forefront of its industry. Its exciting and innovative products offer real value to our global family of 659 million followers and help the Club to maintain and enhance its relationship with its fans.”