German broadcast systems integrator and international rental company, Munich-based sono Studiotechnik, has put Harris Broadcast routing, core signal processing and media convergence technology at the centre of a new flyaway production facility it has created to provide broadcast services at major sporting and cultural events. Within weeks of its completion, the facility was used to provide Austrian public broadcaster ORF with the international broadcast centre (IBC) facility at the FIS 2013 Alpine Ski World Championships in Schladming. At Schladming, sono Studiotechnik facilitated all IBC operations for the Championships including a production gallery capable of controlling daily live transmissions from the tournament and also coverage of the daily press conference, which was broadcast by multiple international TV stations. The mobile production facility, which has been designed and constructed by a team of sono Studiotechnik engineers working closely with Harris Broadcast product and technology specialists, integrates numerous Harris production components. At the heart of the system is a Harris Broadcast Platinum router with 11 integrated HView SX Pro multiviewers, which are used extensively across displays within the facility. Harris Broadcast signal processing and interfacing equipment include the Selenio media convergence platform and 6800+ modular core processing devices. A critical consideration for sono Studiotechnik in the design stages was how to design the most sophisticated production facility within the most compact unit. In this regard, Harris Broadcast’s ability to provide an integrated workflow solution was important – for example the ability to combine advanced multiviewers within the Platinum router. This was important since it allows sono Studiotechnik to build compact containers and flyaway units for live production with routing and monitoring in one single frame instead of multiple frames requiring significant external wiring, more space and power. “Schladming is the first time we have used this new flyaway facility and we are delighted with its performance: our client, ORF, is very happy so we are very happy,” commented Franz Olbert, chief finance officer at sono Studiotechnik. www.harrisbroadcast.com
