The 2025 IndyCar season is underway, and with a new broadcast partner in place, IMS Productions has unveiled a significant upgrade to its flagship mobile unit, HD-5. This overhaul features a comprehensive IP-based infrastructure designed to support high-frame-rate (HFR) cameras, HDR production, and significantly expanded routing capabilities.
IMS Productions, a division of Penske Entertainment and the technical force behind IndyCar’s world feed, also produces domestic coverage for Fox Sports. This transition to IP positions the organization to effectively handle growing technical demands and bolster coverage across all its productions. “This came together quickly once rights were finalized,” said Paul Nijak, managing partner and general manager at BeckTV, the firm overseeing the upgrade. “We looked at the project as a whole and told them, ‘You’re going to save money long term by doing this all at once.’ It also gives Fox the flexibility they need to scale or adapt [coverage] quickly.”
The HD-5 rebuild marks IMS Productions’ first venture into IP for mobile production. BeckTV implemented a Cisco-based IP core, integrating an Imagine Communications orchestration system and SNP multiviewers. The routing infrastructure utilizes a spine-leaf design based on Cisco’s 9408 chassis with 400G capacity, a choice driven by the need to manage bandwidth demands across HD-5 and its B and C units while optimizing space and weight. “Space and weight are always at a premium in mobile units,” Nijak noted. “This approach helped us achieve the necessary throughput without exceeding the physical footprint.”
The entire workflow is HDR-compliant and 1080p-ready, with HDR set for its debut during the May broadcast of the Indianapolis 500. IMS Productions intends to conduct HDR testing during practice sessions before race day, allowing engineering teams to refine camera shading, monitor calibration, and tone mapping processes. The system employs HDR10 throughout the production chain, leveraging Sony’s HDC-5500L and P50A cameras, which offer native HDR output and dual SDR/HDR pathways. A new HDR-capable monitor wall and Telestream PRISM scopes enable real-time monitoring of signal integrity and consistent HDR and SDR feed management.
The updated camera system includes 22 Sony HDC-5500L units, supported by 24 HDCU-5500 base stations, and 13 Sony P50A cameras for robotic and POV shots. Multiple HFR configurations are supported, encompassing six HDC-5500s and two P50As dedicated to HFR acquisition. IMS Productions also expanded its lens collection, integrating Canon’s broadcast zooms.
The decision to adopt a completely new IP system was partly driven by the previous baseband router reaching its I/O limits. “They were maxed out in terms of what the old router could do, and with more 1080p and HFR workflows coming, it made sense to move to IP,” explained Nijak. BeckTV collaborated closely with the IMS Productions engineering team throughout the build and deployment, providing on-site training during events and system testing.
“With any IP project, we treat it like a baseband project at the start – talking in terms of signals, not flows – then help translate those requirements into the IP world,” Nijak stated. “From there, it’s about building confidence over time. Every show, we give them more control.” The original Calrec Apollo console remains, but the MADI-to-AES67 transition was a key component of the redesign. The project also accommodates an Artemis console and three additional audio consoles for larger-scale productions. “This wasn’t just a camera or router swap. The audio side had to evolve too, and flipping the router halfway, from MADI to AES67, was a big part of that,” Nijak added.
Despite the internal shift to IP, HD-5 continues to use satellite delivery (C- and Ku-band) for external transmission. While circuit-based delivery is under consideration for specific locations like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, consistent broadband availability at temporary race venues presents a challenge. “Getting enough bandwidth for contribution on the beach at Long Beach or on a tarmac in St. Pete just isn’t practical right now,” Nijak explained. “Until they’re forced to make a change, satellite is still the best option for their footprint.”
Nijak highlighted that HD-5’s new infrastructure design considers not just current production needs but also future format changes, HDR workflows, and enhanced replay capabilities. “Fox has talked about increasing their use of HFR from two to six cameras. That kind of growth just wouldn’t be possible with their old router,” Nijak noted. “Now, they have the flexibility to grow without hitting hard stops.”
The success of the HD-5 upgrade, according to Nijak, is a testament to the close collaboration between BeckTV and IMS Productions, a relationship spanning more than a decade. “This is the kind of project where planning, execution and education all had to move in parallel,” he concluded. “From day one, it was about helping them understand what IP could offer and then supporting that shift in real-time as shows went live.”