LONDON—Sports marketing agency Pitch International has gone live with cloud-based distribution of Emirates Football Association Challenge Cup matches with the help of broadcast services provider Globecast and Synamedia’s Quortex Link cloud distribution platform.

Using Synamedia’s Quortex Link, integrated with Globecast’s managed services platform, broadcasters can receive matches via IP or satellite.

The FA Cup, a knockout competition for English teams, is said to be the world’s oldest football tournament. It attracted nearly 100 million viewers during the 2023-24 season. Pitch owns the broadcast rights across western Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Through its partnership with Globecast and Synamedia it now is offering broadcasters in these markets IP-based or satellite reception of matches, all managed seamlessly on the Globecast platform. 

Pitch selected Globecast’s Connect Live SRT platform, powered by Synamedia’s SaaS-based Quortex Link, for high-quality, low-latency IP delivery to affiliates across multiple territories. Quortex Link provides Globecast with the scalability, robustness and operational confidence required to support a dense schedule of matches while maintaining broadcast-grade performance. Quortex Link also allows Globecast to tailor each broadcaster’s feed to the correct video format and frame rate. 

By combining Quortex Link’s pay-as-you-go cloud distribution with traditional satellite services, Globecast delivers a best-of-both-worlds approach, providing right holders and broadcasters flexibility. The workflow ensures security, redundancy, reach and predictable performance, even during the most logistically complex rounds of the competition.

More information is available on the Globecast and Synamedia websites.

SYDNEY—Sony is launching the HDC-P50A, a compact and lightweight multi-purpose camera with a 2/3-inch 3-chip 4K image sensor that features global shutter function and offers high flexibility in terms of installation.

In addition to the camera, Sony also announced two 16.5-inch 4K TRIMASTER HX monitors for live production.

The HDC-P50A and a prototype of the new BVM-HX1710N monitor will be on display Sept. 13-16 in Sony’s booth at International Broadcasting Convention’s IBC2024, in Amsterdam.

The new HDC-P50A camera inherits the features and performance of the existing multi-purpose camera Sony HDC-P50, Sony reported. In addition to SDI outputs from the camera body, it also supports IP transmission using SMPTE ST 2110, which is increasingly adopted in the broadcasting and live production industry. Furthermore, it can be connected to a camera control unit, enabling flexible operation even in shooting environments where the camera is distant from the control room. It also comes with the variable ND filter unit HKC-VND50 (optional). With its compact and lightweight design, it can be utilized in various scenarios such as shooting in hard-to-reach locations, aerial shots from helicopters, and capturing content with cranes or wire cams, Sony explained. 

With its built-in IP transmission features, the HDC-P50A joins Sony’s ever widening Networked Live ecosystem. It can be connected to the camera control network adapter CNA-2 to enable centralised monitoring and remote operations, the company reported. 

The HDC-P50A is equipped with the same 2/3-inch 3-chip 4K image sensor and prism as the HDC-3500 and HDC-5500 cameras, delivering the same colour reproduction performance. This makes it easy to integrate into existing systems.

“We’re seeing an increasing demand for high-quality video production in events such as sports and live performances, as well as a growing need for automation and IP compatibility in live production. With the release of this camera, Sony aims to meet the ever-diversifying needs of the video production industry”, says Anthony Kable, CCS group manager, Sony Australia.

With the optional license HZC-SFP5A, the HDC-P50A can directly output in IP using SMPTE ST 2110. This enables standalone camera compatibility with AMWA NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications). It allows for direct IP output without the need for additional hardware and supports IP Tally, making it suitable as a compact camera in IP based studios. Additionally, by connecting to the IP camera extension adapter HDCE-TX50 or the camera control units HDCU-5000 and HDCU-5500, the camera delivers IP input/output and high frame rate output, Sony reported. 

This camera is compatible with the camera control units HDCU-5000 and HDCU-5500, as well as the IP camera extension adapter HDCE-TX50. The camera control units and IP extension adapter allow for long-distance connections of up to 10km using single-mode fiber, making it possible to utilize them in shooting locations that are far away from the relay vehicle system, for example in golf broadcasts. When connected to the camera control unit, it enables slow-motion shooting at up to 4 times the speed in 4K and up to 8 times the speed in HD.

The compact and lightweight design offers high flexibility in installation, making it suitable for shooting in hard-to-reach or elevated locations. It can be used for simple shooting with a remote pan-tilt unit, as well as capturing various angles in sports and live events, among other scenes.

The HDC-P50A is equipped with the same 2/3-inch 3-chip 4K image sensor and prism as the multi-format HDC-5500 and HDC-3500 system cameras, covering a wide colour gamut including BT.2020 and S-Gamut3".  It allows for easy color matching when adding to existing camera systems, Sony reported. 

In addition, Sony launched a new pair of professional shading monitors, BVM-HX1710 and BVM-HX1710N. They combine True Black Reproduction, High Dynamic Range, and a Peak Luminance of 3,000 Nits, for live production and critical image viewing and evaluation applications.

Unique to the BVM-HX1710N is SMPTE 2110 IP support, which adds Networked Live compatibility to complement Sony’s ecosystem. Both models provide SDI and HDMI interfaces. The new offerings employ Sony’s latest dual-cell technology, adopted from the company’s flagship BVM-HX3110 critical grading monitor. They also feature accurate color reproduction, deep blacks ideal for shading, high dynamic range, a wide viewing angle, and a peak luminance of 3,000 nits. The monitors are planned to be available in mid-2025, Sony reported. 

“Building on the breakthroughs established with Sony’s recent color grading monitor, the BVM-HX3110, our latest monitors work effortlessly alongside our larger lineup providing a similar user experience, panel and menu structure, while easily color matching and integrating with Sony’s professional monitor ecosystem to ensure consistency,” said Anthony Kable, CCS Group Manager, Sony Australia. “Designed with live productions in mind, the BVM-HX1710 and BVM-HX1710N offer comprehensive monitoring solutions in a standard 6U height perfect for rack mounting. The monitors offer a standard tool kit of powerful on-board features, as well as a range of options for increased versatility and future planning.”

Standard features of the new models include real-time onboard scopes, multi-screen modes, interlace, and tetrahedral LUT (Look Up Table) processing.

Available optional enhancement tools for these models include the following licenses, among others:

• BVML-F10: Fast response license
• BVML-H10: HDR-SDR conversion output license
• BVML-S10: Signal conversion output license
• BVML-T10: 3D LUT output license
• BVML-JD10: JPEG XS decoder license (for the BVM-HX1710N)
• BVML-SN10: SNMP license (for the BVM-HX1710N)
• A black electronic device with knobs

An optional new monitor control unit for multi-monitor control, the BVMK-R10, is also expected to be released in late 2024. It features illuminated buttons and a small menu screen to accommodate use in trucks and studios. In addition, a new stand kit, protection panel, mounting brackets, and an extension cable, planned for mid- 2025, will enable seamless integration with the latest monitors.

For further Sony professional and broadcast and production product information, visit pro.sony.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – July 23, 2019 – TVU Networks, the global technology and innovation leader in live IP solutions, will showcase 4K, HDR, 5G and AI advances for live video acquisition, cloud and remote production at its stand at the IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) this fall. TVU Networks will exhibit in Hall 2, Stand B28 during the show.

“We are excited to introduce at IBC our latest solutions and product updates designed to help our customers cover live events faster, easier and more reliably regardless of location,” said David Jorba, Executive Vice President, Managing Director Europe, TVU Networks. “As an industry leader, we are constantly talking with our customers and developing technology for the next breakthrough in a live IP video workflow, such as the latest advances in the application of AI. Our media supply chain from acquisition through distribution guarantees our customers have the highest resolution at the fastest speeds with easily implemented search and viewer engagement tools.”

Live Transmission

Featuring a newly developed H.265 hardware encoding chip, TVU One 4K delivers full broadcast quality 4K, 10-bit true 60 fps HDR video at as low as 3mbps with proven patented Inverse StatMux Plus technology, IS+. TVU One 4K is able to transmit 4K P60 HDR video reliably over mobile infrastructure at merely 0.5 second latency. Designed for broadcasters requiring mobility, TVU One 4K delivers speed, reliability and picture quality in a compact unit using technology that’s been proven in the most demanding cellular environments. As an example, TVU One 4K will be critically important for upcoming high-profile sporting events like next year’s European football championships, the Summer and Winter Games as well as this year’s Rugby World Cup.

TVU will also display its newest IP based rack-mount point-to-point contribution encoder, the TVU G-Link 4K. Combining one of the most advanced HEVC contribution encoders with the proven technology of IS+, TVU G-Link is able to transmit a 4K P60 4:2:2 HDR video signal over a normal Internet connection at as high as 50mbps. TVU G-Link is designed to meet the most demanding requirements for the highest picture quality available.

TVU MediaMind is central to a story-centric workflow and ensuring an efficient and integrated media supply chain. MediaMind helps to make video content visible throughout the supply chain process, allowing all media to become enabled.

CNN Newsource has successfully used TVU Grid to distribute live HD feeds to affiliate stations globally. CNN Newsource is also taking advantage of a part of the MediaMind workflow with the use of metadata descriptions tagged to each of the feeds. As a result, Newsource affiliates will be able to use TVU’s AI based speech and facial recognition to quickly search and find practically any live or archived media content.

The increasing need for more variety and volume of content requires new cost-effective ways to produce from the field. TVU Remote Production System (RPS) enables synchronized multi-camera remote production using a broadcaster’s existing studio control room and a public Internet connection from the field. Camera feeds are transmitted from a remote location back to the studio over IP, reducing the need for extensive on-site production trucks or large crews.

Al Kamel Systems, a leading motor sports live stats broadcast production specialist, uses TVU RPS to add racing graphics from remote sites, and the TVU Nano for video transmitter for real-time transmission of video from the cockpit of cars participating in the Credit Andorrà G-Series electric car Snow Rally Championships.

Transmissions can be sent straight to the cloud. Events can be produced using cloud-based TVU Producer, a solution whose user-friendly web interface allows producers to make quick cuts, insert graphic overlays from Singular.live’s library, switch between multiple sources, manage audio, compile highlights and instant replays, capture slow-motion clips, and push finalized content to TV and the Internet - all over IP.

To maximize quality and reliability of live video transmission despite less-than-ideal environmental circumstances, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE deployed TVU Networks’ TVU Nano Router and TVU Anywhere to send live video from the Paris-Dakar Rally, held in the Peruvian desert, to the RTVE studio in Barcelona. The live IP streaming videos were shot on smartphones and the content aired live over on RTVE flagship channels La 1 and Teledeporte in broadcast quality.