Nine Network Equips Studio With Sony Kit
Sony cameras in use at the Nine Network’s new state-of-the-art HQ in North Sydney, Australia.
The Nine Network has put Sony gear including cameras at its new home in North Sydney, Australia.
Nine Network Studio/Live Technology and Automation Specialist, Stephen Willmott, explained, “We required a mixture of fibre-attached system cameras setup as a mix of robotic pedestals, traditional pedestals, jib and handhelds. We also required high quality all in one pan/tilt/zoom-capable cameras for smaller studios.
“Overall, we required SMPTE 2110 compatibility where possible, ease of use, a networked camera control system to enable multiple control rooms access and control of cameras, a potential path to 4K and excellent quality pictures. The cameras would also be used across five floors of a high-rise office block. When we considered our options, it was clear Sony cameras were the best way forward for us.”
Willmott added, “The Sony cameras fulfilled our requirements as they have native 2110 available when using the system cameras and the HDCU3100 CCU. The Sony multicamera system (MCS) allowed for a variety of control options including traditional MCU and RCPs as well as a software MCU. Then the BRCX1000 and BRCX400 cameras also integrated seamlessly into our Vinten robotics control servers.”
Nine are using the Sony equipment across all of their studio programs, from six hours of live morning television to sports hosting and panel shows and their news programmes at night.
A typical environment in Nine’s new state-of-the-art HQ consists of a studio with a mix of predominately Sony HDCU3100 or HDCU3500 cameras with a number of BRC cameras for additional angles. Their smaller studios use BRC cameras exclusively and there are a few ‘stand-up’ style positions where on-air talent can just walk up to a camera, put on a mic and start broadcasting which also use BRCX1000 cameras.
Willmott said, “These studios can be used in any of our control rooms. When in a manual production the cameras are controlled from a central technical position in our operations centre. When in an automated production, control of these cameras is passed to the co-pilot automation operator in that control room and they can also be assisted by a TD if required. Before each production we can assign cameras to different control rooms to ensure correct tally and returns using Sony’s integration with Lawo VSM.”
In addition to the cameras Nine also deployed over 90 Sony professional LMD series monitors throughout the facility. These are used for reference, editing and general review applications. The professional monitors were combined with numerous large display panels used for multiview applications.
You might also like...
Broadcast Standards: Part 27 - Standards Organizations Summary & New Themes
Here we begin to build on the foundations of the incredibly well received ‘Broadcast Standards – The Book’ with the next phase of our exploration of standards used in broadcast. As we proceed, we will focus on a number of key topic…
Authenticity And Trust In Media
Our resident digital philosopher Dave Shapton asks us all to consider whether we know what is real and how much we value authenticity.
Monitoring & Compliance In Broadcast: File Based Monitoring In Production Systems
File based monitoring tools sit at the heart of broadcast workflow. As production requirements evolve to embrace remote production and multi-site teams, such systems must also evolve to meet the new challenges.
Microphones: Part 10 - Mid-Side (M-S) Recording And Processing
M-S techniques provide useful sound-field positioning and a convenient way to check mono compatibility. We explain the hard science behind this often misunderstood technique.
Monitoring & Compliance In Broadcast: Monitoring Cloud Infrastructure
If we take cloud infrastructures to their extreme, that is, their physical locality is unknown to us, then monitoring them becomes a whole new ball game, especially as dispersed teams use them for production.