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Sony showcases enhanced networked production workflow capabilities with SONAPS to HDXchange (29/9/2008)

From SONAPS to HDXchange, Sony's file-based technology radically transforms live productions for broadcasters and corporations across Western Europe and the CIS. Sony today demonstrated its enhanced metadata workflow and advanced HDXchange capabilities at IBC 2008. It also revealed the scale of its networked production leadership as it announced the latest customers to adopt its SONAPS and HDXchange IT-based workflow across the region. These include national broadcasters, Telecinco and SKAI, migrating to SONAPS and an expanding range of dealers helping local operators, such as Romania's MBC TV, Macadonia's Alfa TV, Italy's Roma Channel and TV Vijesti Montenegro, to move to HDXchange.

You & Sony: technology innovation inspired by customers' needs Sony is the only end-to-end solutions provider that can deliver such a broad choice of tools in its networked production portfolio, from the larger scale and sophisticated functionality of SONAPS right through to the simple workflow of HDXchange. Building on decades of experience in networked production innovation and complex systems integration, Sony's stand at IBC 2008 not only showcases the optimum file-based workflow made possible from a combination of XDCAM, ENPS and SONAPS but also how a total, integrated solution can be achieved with third parties. For smaller broadcasters and professional producers, Sony is demonstrating its latest version of HDXchange, which has been designed to support 200,000 clips and easily integrate their workflow with XDCAM EX and will preview XPRI NS integration on this year's stand.

In addition to presenting specific technology advances for SONAPS and HDXchange, Sony's Live Production area will feature the latest developments in Sony's enhanced metadata workflow, which transform the efficiency of file-based transfer from the field to the station. Integrated with five Sony Ericsson X1 mobile phones, Sony's latest technology innovation is shown in the context of an entire station's complete workflow.

SONAPS scalability and efficiency revolutionises news and sports production With Spain's Telecinco and Greece's SKAI as the latest broadcasters to optimise their workflow with a bespoke SONAPS solution, Sony's Professional Services team is increasingly helping large-scale operators to future proof their live production facilities. Spanish television channel Telecinco has purchased a comprehensive new generation SONAPS solution and a wide range of XDCAM audiovisual equipment, which includes more than 150 PDW-1500 deck units, PDW-U1 drives and PDW-530 camcorders to replace all current Betacam SP equipment across its entire production facilities. In the news area, XDCAM is to be fully integrated into the SONAPS solution to deliver optimum networked production performance.

Requiring large-scale systems integration and longer-term training and support, Sony is currently installing its SONAPS in an ultra-modern news studio for Germany's N24. In the former Debis building on the Potsdamer Platz, the new single complex amalgamates the station's TV and online activities and uses SONAPS as a complete production and editorial workflow tool that links journalists' workstations and manages all content for TV, internet and mobile receivers.

Tailor-made by Sony's Professional Services team, SONAPS recently transformed news productions and coverage of live sports events this summer for State TV Company "TV Channel "Russia" (VGTRK). Following an initial SONAPS installation, which was intended as a trial to allow evaluation and training for VGTRK staff, the broadcaster decided to use the new system in Beijing. Involving Sony's systems architects, engineers and project managers from Russia, the UK and Japan, as well as Chinese experts from SOBEY, the advanced networked production solution quickly proved to be easy, convenient, efficient and quick to master- even for those who had little experience of the live production environment, including the many students, future RTR employees, working with the system at the event. Using the system, editors created content of diverse complexity that was used for a variety of tasks including archiving, further post-production, playout and transfer to third parties. In China, approximately 700 hours of HD material was recorded in total from 50-60 daily sporting events and transferred to SONAPS for subsequent editing. Reliable and rapid, the system proved to be integral across the broadcaster's entire operations. HDXchange HDXchange transforms local TV stations and professional productions

With a growing dealer base across the region, which has recently welcomed Fofic in the Netherlands, Pro-Video in Serbia, AVC-Video in Macedonia and GS Design in Greece, more than 70 HDXchange systems are now installed across EMEA and sales continue to gain momentum. An integral part of the XDCAM success story, HDXchange is easy to install, easy to use and easy to maintain.

A regional TV Station in Romania, MBC TV, has recently become Sony's largest HDXchange customer to date, with more than 40 streams on an HDX "Extreme architecture" with 30TB DDN storage. Seeking a total Sony solution, with just one single point of support, the TV station wanted to optimise its complete workflow with a proven solution.

Back in Western Europe, Italy's Roma Channel wanted the simplicity and efficiency of Sony's HDXchange networked production for its TV channel about the club's top Serie A football team. With a live studio, production and playout solution, they selected Sony's HDX "Extreme" storage with HP NAS, Playbox integration and FCP Editors to support delivery of their programmes to the web and traditional broadcast and provide an archive option for future expansion.

"From bespoke SONAPS designs to off-the-shelf HDXchange workflow, Sony has the industry's biggest choice of scalable and high performance networked production capabilities that can transform the workflow of an entire operation," explained Roger Stephens, Sony Europe. "We're seeing strong growth in IT-based migration strategies across the region, but especially in Eastern Europe and the CIS."

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