Archive notice: This article was originally published on February 10, 2010. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
BSkyB (Sky) and Telegenic have commissioned Sony Professional Europe to equip the world’s first 3D outside-broadcast vehicle. By April 2010, Sky, Telegenic and Sony intend jointly to develop a vehicle that opens up new perspectives for live 3D production. Sky and Telegenic’s decision followed extensive and successful testing with Sony over the previous 18 months.
Only recently, Sky announced that it would begin broadcasting the first 3D programming in the United Kingdom later this year. Films, entertainment programmes and sport are among the content to be broadcast. The broadcaster will transmit the 3D content via its existing high-definition (HD) infrastructure and make it available through the current generation of Sky+HD set-top boxes. To enjoy three-dimensional television, Sky subscribers will need special “3D Ready” screens, which Sony will bring to retailers across Europe in the coming months.
As early as May 2008, Sky gained valuable experience in 3D production during its broadcast of the boxing match between Ricky Hatton and Juan Lazcano and transmitted the contest over its existing infrastructure. In November 2009, Sony Professional supported the broadcaster in its most extensive 3D test to date during the broadcast of the ATP World Tour final at London’s O2 Arena. Sony primarily used established production technologies and combined them with the recently introduced MPE-200E “3D processor box” for stereo images optimised and aligned in real time.
Sky used the same scheme and an almost identical workflow for the 3D broadcast as for 2D productions. No modifications to the current Sky+HD set-top box were therefore required for the tests.
“On the journey from digital to HD and now from HD to 3D, we are working with strong partners such as Sony and Telegenic to keep offering our customers new and innovative products. This year, Sky will set another television milestone by broadcasting 3D content via the HD platform. We are opening an additional dimension to 1.6 million households,” says Darren Long, Director of Operations at Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.
A team of Telegenic engineers has already designed the first 3D outside-broadcast vehicle with Sony’s support. The design incorporated experience from both Sony Professional’s service team and research department. To ensure that the technology in the vehicle could meet the complexity and challenges of 3D in a live environment, the team made use of Sony’s existing product portfolio. One example is the HDC-1500R cameras with T-block option, which can be used on 3D camera rigs. Another component of the solution is the MVS-8000G switcher, which can process stereo signals as though they came from a single source. In this way, the switcher works in a manner similar to 2D productions, using a reliable production workflow.
“Our teams at Sony Professional are contributing a great deal of experience from the solutions business to this project. Sky and Telegenic’s decision strengthens our leading position in the outside-broadcast vehicle market,” says David Bush, Marketing Director at Sony Professional Europe. “The project is also a very good example of a strong customer relationship. From research and development through solution design to product delivery, we leave no customer requirement unmet.”
Telegenic has a long-standing partnership with Sky and Sony Professional. “Sony was our first choice from the very beginning of this project. We have confidence in Sony technology, the team and its ability to break new ground in broadcasting with us. Our team has worked hard to revolutionise the live-production process. Thanks to the extensive expertise Sony contributes to the project, we can be certain that every device in the workflow provides optimum support for 3D production,” explains Peter Bates, Managing Director at Telegenic.
