Sony continues to invest in interoperability with new IP Live SMPTE ST 2110 compliant products announced at IBC 2017

Sony has reinforced its commitment to IP Live interoperability by announcing it will support two key industry standards: one regarding SMPTE ST 2110 media transport over IP, and a second regarding AMWA NMOS Device Discovery and Registration. The first compliant products, which form part of the complete Sony IP Live Production System, will be on show at IBC 2017 and available to customers from April 2018. The SMPTE ST 2110 standard is currently in final draft.

“Broadcasters around the world are increasingly embracing IP for its proven flexibility. Sony is dedicated to contributing to and promoting standardisation to make sure our customers can be confident all the technology in their IP Live workflows will work seamlessly together,” said Norbert Paquet, Head of Product Management at Sony Professional Europe. “That’s why we’re announcing today that we already have SMPTE ST 2110 compliant products in the pipeline, and are working closely with AMWA to support the NMOS IS-04 Device Discovery and Registration API, and NMOS-IS-05 Connection Management API. This all means our customers can truly build systems that are ready today and open for tomorrow.”

A technological exhibition of Audio Intercom for a brand new Camera Control Unit (CCU) currently under development will be demonstrated for the first time at IBC 2017. This exhibition will support SMPTE ST 2110 in HD with IP video transmission and return. The new CCU will be compatible with HDC and HSC camera series. It will support a wide range of formats, including 1080P, and a versatile selection of legacy inputs and outputs including 3G-SDI and 1.5G –SDI. The CCU is highly compact, with a 1.5 rack mount size, making it ideal for space-limited production areas. This new CCU is being developed with a target of being available from April 2018.

The Sony XVS-8000, XVS-7000 and XVS-6000 4K/IP Ready video switchers that sit at the heart of IP Live production operations will support SMPTE ST 2110 in HD with a v2.6 firmware update. The XVS series switchers deliver flexibility with a mix of SDI and IP, and highly configurable control panels to suit different types of operation. Combined with the resource-sharing capabilities of the XVS series, this will enable customers to build more flexible production architectures. The firmware update will be available to customers from April 2018.

All SMPTE ST 2110 compliant products will be on show at stand 13.A10, where Sony will also be showcasing its end-to-end IP Live production offering with a number of:

• REMote Integration (REMI): Sony will showcase how IP Live enables more efficient use of resources and faster turnaround times between productions. The demonstration will connect a host production facility (camera set and production gallery) at the Sony booth in Amsterdam to the Level3 Data Centre in London, where the processing resources are located, including all switchers and servers

• Remote Production over a limited bandwidth connection: Sony will collaborate with Suitcase.tv to showcase a solution for remote production using its IP Live Production system over a 1GbE network link

Sony is also appearing at the IP Showcase, hosted jointly by AES, AIMS, AMWA, EBU, IABM, MNA, SMPTE and VSF. The showcase will see more than 40 vendors working together to demonstrate real-world IP interoperability based on SMPTE ST 2110 final draft standards and AMWA NMOS IS-O4 specifications. Sony’s cameras, switchers, converters and Registration Discovery Service (RDS) application will all be demonstrated as part of the exhibit. Visitors will be able to speak to Sony about the successful interoperability tests it has undertaken alongside other vendors present at the event.

Broadcasting companies across the world continue to embrace the Sony IP Live Production System for its robustness and interoperability. Recent deals include:

• NEP Australia: has equipped its new IP-based remote production facility with Sony HDC-4300 cameras, XVS-6000 and XVS-8000, all SMPTE ST 2110 ready, as well as a wide range of Sony OLED and LCD monitors

• Shizuoka Broadcasting System (Shizuoka Hoso) in Japan: has worked with Sony to deliver Japan’s first studio sub-system using an IP-based production workflow based on the Sony IP Live Production System

• ShanDongTV Station in China: has decided to work with Sony to achieve 4K/IP Remote Production (REMI) with SR Live for HDR workflow. Key products are including Sony’s HDC4300, XVS6000, PWS4500, HDRC4000, BVM-X300, NXL series converter and IP Live System Manager (LSM).