Archive notice: This article was originally published on March 3, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Turkey’s public broadcaster TRT has selected Sony’s tapeless XDCAM HD 422 format. By purchasing 30 PDW-700 HD camcorders, 12 PDW-HD1500 HD recorders and eight portable PDW-U1 XDCAM Professional Disc drives, the broadcaster is signalling a clear move to tapeless workflows. The equipment will be used for future news production.
TRT comprises seven television channels and numerous radio stations and has worked with Sony since 1980. Following extensive selection tests, the broadcaster again chose Sony’s format and technology. “We are pleased that TRT continues to rely on our cooperation,” said Murat Kucuksarac, Sony Professional Manager for Turkey. “The contract is further evidence that TRT has complete confidence in Sony.”
RTL Luxembourg also chooses XDCAM HD 422
Another European broadcaster selected XDCAM HD 422 at the beginning of the year. RTL Luxembourg announced at the end of January that it would migrate to entirely tapeless production over the next two to three years. The investment includes 13 Sony XDCAM HD 422 camcorders for producing news, magazine programmes and documentaries. The new file-based workflow reduces archiving and post-production effort and costs, as well as CO2 emissions from television production.
The decision followed Broadcasting Center Europe’s recommendation to use XDCAM HD 422 as the future standard format for the RTL Group. BCE had the format extensively tested by Cologne Broadcasting Center late last year. “We chose Sony because we have already had good experiences with Sony solutions,” explained Jean Lampach, BCE Technical Director and leader of the tests. “We are convinced that Sony offers the most advanced technologies and the most cost-effective prospects.”
The format continues to gain ground in Germany
RTL Luxembourg’s decision confirms a strong trend in Germany’s broadcast industry towards XDCAM HD 422. RTL Nord ordered ten Sony PDW-700 camcorders in December as a pioneer within the RTL Group to begin tapeless production. In November 2009, Bayerischer Rundfunk selected XDCAM HD 422 as the future format for its high-definition television production following an EU-wide tender. More than 400 XDCAM HD 422 units are scheduled for purchase over the coming years, including 98 PDW-700 camcorders, 40 PDW-HD1500 studio decks, 192 PDW-U1 Professional Disc drives and 77 field recorders. Numerous other broadcasters are interested in the technology. In spring 2008, for example, SWR and ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion ordered their first PDW-700 XDCAM HD 422 camcorders to test series production with the tapeless format.
Sony introduced XDCAM HD 422 in April last year. It provides 2/3-inch sensors, Full HD resolution and data rates up to 50 Mbit/s with 4:2:2 sampling. Interoperability is central to Sony’s file-based strategy, and numerous manufacturers of nonlinear editing systems already support the format for post-production. Optional SD-format compatibility and straightforward integration into existing infrastructure allow a gradual transition to tapeless HD workflows.
