NRK Selects Nevion Virtuoso Software-Defined Media Node

Sony has announced that NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, has selected the Nevion Virtuoso software-defined media node for its advanced media transport and processing needs.

This follows NRK's selection of Nevion VideoIPath for broadcast control announced previously, and underscores NRK's determination to leverage cutting-edge technology to deliver on its vision of an agile and cost-effective distributed live production.

NRK operates from several main production hubs, including its headquarters in Oslo, with district offices across Norway. The broadcaster is now launching a modernisation project to focus operations on content creation. It plans to centralise production equipment in two datacentres while maintaining a strong regional presence.

As part of this modernisation project, and after a thorough evaluation process, NRK has picked Virtuoso – a key component of Sony’s Networked Live offering. Virtuoso offers a broad range of functionality, including video and audio processing, signal adaptation, transport with video compression, trust boundaries, and monitoring. Virtuoso is widely used by broadcasters and telecom providers globally in applications such as contribution, remote production, OB trucks, GCCG (ground-to-cloud/cloud-to-ground) and centralised media processing,

At NRK, Virtuoso will provide shared media processing capabilities in the datacentres, including video up/down/cross conversion. Virtuoso will also be used to handle video and audio adaptation and the transport between the broadcaster’s production locations.

To quote from the Norwegian broadcaster's evaluation report: "Nevion's Virtuoso stands out for its impressive density, which competes with the top products, and making it a versatile choice for a range of use cases. One of Virtuoso’s key strengths is the platform’s highly configurable parameters, which are further enhanced by its ability to run multiple firmwares on the same hardware. Sony demonstrate a commendable commitment to environmental sustainability by prioritising product longevity and responsible manufacturing."

Thomas Heinzer, CEO at Nevion, as Sony Group Company, added: "Having previously won the NRK tender for broadcast control with our other flagship media orchestration platform VideoIPath, we are delighted that NRK has chosen to extend our relationship further by selecting Virtuoso for signal transport and processing. We believe that NRK’s transformation project can be a blueprint for many others in the industry, and we are really excited about helping to make this happen."

nevion.com/virtuoso