HSN Converting to HD With Sony Gear

The Home Shopping Network has made plans to show off its wares in high definition with a production facility makeover based on Sony HD equipment. The switch to full high-definition operations is slated to begin sometime next year.

The St. Petersburg, Fla., operation will be installing 43 HDC-1400 studio cameras and three MVS-8000G production switchers in its seven studios. HSN has opted for a fiber-based infrastructure and will also be upgrading to a new main plant router and digital audio controls. The new cameras will be fitted to robotically-controlled pedestals.

“Our choice to go with Sony is consistent with HSN’s mission to offer the highest quality products, delivered in the highest quality presentation to our millions of consumers,” Noley Keener, vice president of broadcasting for HSN. “HSN has been a ‘Sony house’ for some time, and I can’t imagine a better company to guide us as we enter the world of high-definition television. Because HSN broadcasts live, 24/7, we turned to Sony not only for its best-in-class technology, but for its reliability and familiarity.”

HSN has been in operation for 30 years and is viewed in more than 90 million households. Another well-known shopping network, QVC, switched its operations over to HD in 2007.