Why integration is priced as a system, not a shopping list
When a broadcaster asks what integration costs, the first thing I explain is that the equipment is only one part of the figure. A vision mixer, a router, a set of monitors and an intercom panel can each be bought separately, but the work that makes them behave as one studio is where most of the hours go. Specifying, wiring, configuring, labelling and testing are all time spent by an engineer.
Our written quotations therefore split the work into stages: specification, installation, configuration and testing, and handover. You can see which part of the price is labour and which is hardware, and you can ask us to quote the labour alone if your supplier is already chosen.
Because we are in Reading, much of the cost of a smaller job is the engineer's time on site rather than travel or accommodation, and we say so plainly in the quotation.
- Specification and drawings
- Installation and cabling
- Configuration and labelling
- Testing and handover
What the main price drivers actually are
Three things move an integration price more than anything else: the number of signal sources and destinations, the size of the room, and how much of the existing installation we must work around. A two-camera interview studio with a compact mixer is a different job from a five-camera gallery with a router, multiviewers and a full intercom system.
Cable runs matter more than people expect. A gallery that sits next to the studio floor needs far less cable, containment and termination time than one on another floor. Each additional route also has to be tested end to end, which adds hours.
Finally, the format matters. Moving from standard to higher resolution signal paths changes the equipment that has to be specified, and the testing needed to prove every path carries the picture cleanly.
We describe these drivers in the quotation so you can see which of them applies to your studio.
- Number of sources and destinations
- Distance between gallery and studio floor
- Existing equipment to be kept
- Signal format and resolution
Working with kit you already own
Many studios arrive with equipment they want to keep, and that is often sensible. A reliable mixer or a good set of monitors does not need replacing because a project is under way. What it does need is an honest check: is it compatible with the new routing, does it have enough inputs, and does its firmware support what you now ask of it?
Reusing equipment usually lowers the hardware cost, but it can raise the labour. Older units may need adapters, additional conversion or a longer configuration session, and we include that time in the quote rather than discover it half way through a week on site.
Where something is better replaced, we say so and give the reason, so the decision stays yours.
Intercom and monitoring: small items, real consequences
Intercom and monitoring are often treated as extras to be trimmed when a budget tightens. In a live gallery they are the opposite. A director who cannot reach the camera operators clearly, or a vision engineer who cannot see every source at a glance, will lose seconds that matter on air.
These systems also scale in cost with the number of people using them. Each additional beltpack, panel or monitor position adds hardware and configuration time, so it is worth deciding early who really needs to be on which channel.
We would rather help you plan a modest, dependable intercom than sell a large one that nobody has time to learn.
- Number of talkback positions
- Monitor wall size and layout
- Separate channels for camera and sound
Testing is a line in the price, and it should be
Testing is the part of an integration that clients most often hope can be shortened. It is also the part that protects the first live programme. We run every signal path from source to destination, check tallies, confirm the intercom reaches every position and rehearse the routine changes a crew will make on a normal day.
This takes time that scales with the size of the system. A small studio may need a day; a larger gallery can need several. We write the testing time into the quotation as its own item so it is visible and cannot quietly be squeezed.
At handover you receive written notes covering the signal paths and settings, so your own team can maintain what we built.
What a quotation from us contains
Prices for this service are set out on the Prices page, and every project is confirmed by a written quotation after an enquiry through the contact page. The quotation lists what is included, what is assumed about your studio and what would change the figure, such as a different room layout or extra sources found during the survey.
Payment is by invoice and bank transfer, and cancellations and refunds follow the payment and refund policy. Nothing is ordered or paid for through the website itself.
If you can tell us how many cameras, sources and positions you expect, and what you already own, we can give a far firmer figure at the first conversation.
- Camera and source count
- Existing equipment list
- Room plan or photographs
- Target date for first broadcast
The cost of studio equipment integration follows the size of the system, the distances involved, the kit you already own and the testing needed to prove it works. None of these is hidden, and each can be discussed before anything is agreed. Send us a short description of your studio through the contact page and we will reply with questions and, once we understand the job, a written quotation you can compare line by line.
