Sony Europe has announced its solutions were deployed in a 5G network trail at the Winter Universiade in Italy.
Operating on a frequency granted by the country’s Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, the proof of concept 5G NPN network comprised of two cells with equipment connected wirelessly enabling interconnection between operators.
The latest generation of HEVC codecs were implemented by Sony, along with fellow participants including Italian broadcaster RAI, EMG Italy, One TV and the World University Games Organising Committee.
Sony’s CBK-RPU7 remote production unit was connected to the PDT-FP1 Portable Data Transmitter, which linked to the private 5G network in the 4 GHz band. Signals were received and managed by the NXL-ME80 (Media Edge Processor) and transmitted across the infrastructure.
Evaluating the effectiveness of 5G transport of contribution signals in complex live production environments, the initial test took place at Turin’s Inalpi Arena during rehearsals for the Winter Universiade’s opening ceremony. Evaluation continued in an ‘outdoor’ scenario during the Alpine Ski, Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski competitions, said Sony.
Results demonstrated the technology can “significantly improve” the efficiency of production by speeding up and simplifying the infrastructure’s installation, while also providing greater freedom in camera positioning over a traditional wired system.
Benito Mari, senior sales manager, Sony Europe, said, “The outcome of the test was extremely positive, not only for the quality, stability and latency aspects of the captured images, but also for the remote management aspect, which allowed the control of the camera setting parameters in real time directly to the camera control station via the 5G network. A heartfelt thank you to all the colleagues from the leading companies involved and to RAI for their constant commitment to exploring innovative solutions, always aimed at improving the efficiency of production processes.”
