Sony Australia’s Professional Solutions Group today gave details of the full studio upgrade it is carrying out for ANZ broadcaster SKY NEWS.
SKY NEWS’ requirements fell into two categories. Firstly the broadcaster needed to perform a technical refresh of some of the key equipment in the main SKY NEWS production control room. The control room also needed an upgrade that would provide the increased levels of flexibility and functionality essential for modern day news production. Secondly, the broadcaster concluded that studio automation was going to be the critical technology which would enable it to broadcast new channels and services at its existing site whilst simultaneously streamlining its overall live production process. In order to achieve these key goals the broadcaster needed to build and integrate four new automation suites to control the on-air services for SKY NEWS National, SKY NEWS Business Channel, SKY NEWS Weather and SKY NEWS New Zealand.
With the new system design and plan agreed Sony began the project by installing and commissioning a Sony MVS-7000X production switcher in the main SKY NEWS production gallery and replacing the existing CRT monitor wall with 55" Sony LCD panels and an AXON Multi-view system. The new systems were initially installed in parallel to the existing studio control room to allow for equipment familiarisation, off-line operational training and a smooth transition to full on-air operations.
For the new control suites, SKY NEWS chose Mosart to provide automation of live production equipment including switchers, audio mixers, video servers, graphics and camera robotics. One of the more complex parts of the system, the Mosart installation and integration involved Sony and SKY NEWS working in close collaboration to design, install and integrate four custom automation suites all under Mosart control.
The equipment list for the new SKY NEWS studio and automation control suites includes a Sony MVS-7000X 3ME production switcher, an MVS-6500 2ME production switcher, a Yamaha DME64N audio mixer, AXON Multi-view processors, and Harris VTM-2400 Rasterizers. Sony upgraded the Vinten Radamec robotics with a new IP-based control solution to allow for direct Mosart control of the camera robotics.
