Maidenhead-based Bluebell Opticom has received a Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award for its work on the SMPTE Hybrid Cable Format Converter and Power Injector. The technology sits at the heart of the company’s ShaxX range, which lets broadcast camera systems run over standard single-mode fibre across distances of several kilometres.

The award, announced on 4 September 2026, recognises Bluebell’s contribution to making fibre-based camera connectivity more flexible and efficient for live broadcast production.

Solving a practical problem for live production

SMPTE camera chains are a core part of live broadcasting. They connect cameras to their base stations using standardised hybrid cabling that carries video, communications, control data and power in a single run. That cable is heavy, expensive and limited in how far it can reach.

ShaxX converts SMPTE hybrid camera connections for transmission over single-mode fibre and provides power injection at the remote end. This allows broadcasters to use fibre that is already installed at a venue, or lightweight tactical fibre, in place of long runs of traditional camera cable, while keeping the signal, data and power connections that production teams rely on.

“Receiving a Technical Emmy is an extraordinary honour and a proud moment for everyone at Bluebell,” said Paul Felix McCann, Managing Director at Bluebell. “ShaxX was developed to solve a very practical challenge: giving production teams the reach and flexibility of fibre without sacrificing the familiar operation and capabilities of a complete SMPTE camera chain. This recognition reflects the ingenuity of our team and the trust that broadcasters around the world have placed in our technology.”

Lighter cabling, faster set-up and lower costs

For broadcasters, outside-broadcast operators and venue owners, the benefits are both operational and financial. Replacing long SMPTE cable runs with fibre can substantially reduce cable weight, simplify deployment and make camera networks easier to design. It can also deliver significant cost savings, particularly at large venues and in mobile productions where long cable routes would otherwise be needed.

ShaxX is already used at major sporting events, including football and golf, where cameras must work reliably across large sites and over long distances. It also supports stadiums, arenas, live events, remote productions and outside broadcasts.

“Broadcast production continues to demand more cameras, longer transmission distances and faster deployment,” added McCann. “ShaxX helps organisations meet those demands while making better use of the fibre infrastructure they already have. We are delighted to see that contribution recognised at the industry’s highest level.”

Recognition for a UK broadcast specialist

The Emmy recognition underlines Bluebell’s long-standing contribution to broadcast fibre connectivity and its focus on dependable solutions for production environments that are becoming more distributed and more complex.

About Bluebell Opticom

Bluebell Opticom designs and manufactures advanced fibre-optic connectivity solutions for broadcast, media and professional audiovisual applications. Its technologies help organisations transport video, audio, data, communications and control signals reliably across venues, production facilities and remote workflows.

For more information about the ShaxX range, visit www.bluebell.tv.

Media contact: Anil Parmar, Sales & Marketing Director, Bluebell Opticom – sales@bluebell.tv – +44 (0)1628 51 00 55

Emmy® is a registered trademark of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.