CCMA And Sony Collaborate With Unitecnic

The Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (CCMA) group and Sony are collaborating with system integrator Unitecnic to provide the news channel 3/24 with the technology and infrastructure necessary for the transition to IP.

CCMA, always at the technological forefront and a pioneer in the adoption of the latest media technologies, decided a few years ago that its future involved a transformation to IP. To undertake this major project of upgrading its production infrastructure, CCMA decided to start with its 3/24 news channel that broadcasts 24 hours a day. With the objectives of maximizing the performance of its productions, responding to the different changes and needs in live broadcasts, and obtaining maximum flexibility in all broadcasting processes, it began a transformation project that led to the first broadcast of the first programmes on IP this past September.

"A news channel that broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, has no room for error. Sony, with its previous experience in similar projects, gave us the necessary confidence to commit to this change," commented Anna Ochoa, specialist engineer from Channel 3/24. "The VideoIPath software gives us reliability and simplifies operations in an environment in which workflows are very dynamic and therefore allows us to be more flexible and efficient."

For this project, Nevion, a Sony group company, provided a solution from key building blocks of our Networked Live ecosystem, using the VideoIPath tool as a connection manager and the Sony HDCE-TX30 IP CCU to connect the existing cameras to the IP network.

VideoIPath software media orchestration platform that facilitates day-to-day operations for broadcast operators, improving production workflows and boosting interconnectivity.

"The integration of Sony and Nevion allows the use of the HDCE-TX30, an IP extension adapter for remote live production cameras, which facilitates the coexistence of the two formats (SDI and IP) as well as the integration with previously existing equipment, without the need to change and with significant cost savings," said Oscar Garcia, Senior Solutions Architect at Nevion.

The company Unitecnic was the awarded integrator for the project. This Mediapro Group company designed and executed the project, providing the equipment, integrating the parts from the different manufacturers, and developing a training program at a technical and operational level. Challenges that have been solved with a lot of communication and the trust and complicity of all parties.

To facilitate the start-up and implementation of the project, a new studio has been built, identical to the previous one, and a control room from where channel 3/24 has been broadcasting at full capacity with IP technology since October.