In Broadcast - October 2016 - 46


46

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 6 - Issue 10 | October 2016

InStudio

Tata Tests UHD For
®
Sky F1 Coverage

T

ata Communications, Official
Connectivity Provider of Formula
1®, Formula One Management (FOM)
and Sky, recently tested live UHD
broadcasting at the 2016 Formula 1
Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand
Prix.
Following this first ever end-to-end
broadcast of an F1 race in UHD, Sky
will show all races of the 2017 season
in UHD.
The successful proof of concept
involved the installation of multiple
state-of-the-art UHD cameras at the
Singapore circuit. The footage from
these was mixed in the FOM Broadcast
Centre onsite, and the UHD output
distributed live to Sky's HQ in Osterley
in the UK using Tata Communications'
Video Connect service.
Video Connect enables broadcasters
to deliver live video feeds over the
world's largest wholly-owned subsea
fibre network, ensuring the highest

Sky's F1
coverage will
be in UHD
next season

quality experience for viewers.
"This proof of concept with Sky and
Tata Communications demonstrates
our ongoing commitment to make F1
the ultimate sports experience, by
harnessing the power of cutting-edge
broadcasting technologies," said John

Morrison, Chief Technical Officer of
Formula One Management.
"Delivering the race action
seamlessly in UHD from any Grand
Prix location to homes requires
superfast, reliable connectivity on a
global scale," said Mehul Kapadia,

Managing Director of F1 Business at
Tata Communications. "And, other
game-changing
technologies
like
virtual reality will rely on ubiquitous,
superfast connectivity too. As the
break-neck speed of technology
innovation continues, we'll work with
Formula One Management to enable
fans to experience the exhilarating
world of F1 in new ways."
"We pride ourselves on being
an extremely forward-thinking F1
broadcaster with a special focus on
innovation," says Keith Lane, Director
of Operations at Sky. "UHD offers
four times higher resolution than HD,
making F1 a more powerful, immersive
experience for fans than ever before.
The success of this proof of concept in
Singapore shows that we're on track
to show every race live in UHD next
season, using our next-generation Sky
Q home entertainment service, and
to continue to give our customers the
action-packed F1 experiences that they
crave."
The UHD test in Singapore follows
a series of other ambitious proof of
concepts by Tata Communications and
Formula One Management around
live OTT content delivery and 4K
broadcasting.

Brno Studio Set For Action

F

ully equipped and tested, Czech
TV's new broadcast studio on the
outskirts of Brno is ready to go into
service in the autumn of 2016.
In their own words Czech TV wanted
to build the TV complex for the 21st
century. To achieve this goal, the
broadcaster trusts in equipment and
workflow solutions by Lawo.
To this end, all audio in the studio are
produced, transmitted and controlled
using Lawo's network, audio, video
and workflow control technologies.
Overall control within the complex is
achieved using Lawo's VSM Broadcast
Control and Monitoring System, which
handles all audio and video signals
plus additional functionalities.
Within the Brno facility's three
studios and three control rooms, two
mc266 MKII and one mc256 MKII with
HD Cores have been installed. For
audio embedding/de-embedding, four
Lawo V__pro8 video processing units
have been installed and connected
to the Cores via redundant MADI
lines. The VSM system is using
software panels for configuration and
management of a number of Lawo

V_pro8 8-channel video processors.
All audio signals
are routed via
a Lawo Nova73
HD
audio
router, including
those
from
some
legacy
equipment.
Key to the success of the facility is
the flexibility of its workflows, which
can be instantly recalled for different
productions without time-consuming
reconfiguration and time-outs. To
ensure this, a sophisticated and
reliable control system is in place.
Since the VSM Control and
Monitoring System is hardware
independent and works on an IPbackbone, it seamlessly integrates
with all kinds of equipment, and has
access to many different parameters.
Within the new facility the VSM system
controls the switching of the audio and
video router, using both hardware and
software panels running on standard
PCs. In the Brno studio, an Imagine
Platinum router (VX 4RU) provides the
central video router. Three Sony (MVS

Lawo mc266 console in (Inset) Czech TV's new Brno Studio

Series) video switchers are employed
in the studios where VSM has access to
Crosspoint Connect, Key Assignment,
Output Assignment, Source Labels as
well as Tally signals.
VSM also defines and controls the
tally signalling system. The on-air
camera's output is highlighted into the
multiviewer. The Tally system includes
the above-described video routers and
three FOR.A MV-4200 multiviewers
with VSM handling the labels.

The control system defines the
"audio-follow-video"
function
-
switching a camera on the video
switcher output causes the respective
fader to open on the audio mixing
desk. Although the equipment
monitoring function is not yet required
in the Brno facility, Czech TV requires
the control system to be expandable
and ready for this functionality by
using SNMP, which is an integral part
of the VSM system.
http://www.inbroadcast.com http://www.tatacommunications.com/speedlead/home.php https://www.lawo.com/up-to-date/news/nbsp/with_control_and_audio_solutions_delivered_by_lawo_czech_tv_takes_quarter_in_new_studio_premises.html https://www.lawo.com/up-to-date/news/nbsp/with_control_and_audio_solutions_delivered_by_lawo_czech_tv_takes_quarter_in_new_studio_premises.html
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - October 2016
