Challenge

RAI requested of Video Progetti an intercom solution able to cope with specific requirements. First of all the solution needs to be based on open standards (IP, AES67) and be able to sustain the complexity of the RAI production: on one hand capable to handle the various sizes of RAI productions, including major live events, and on the other hand, the selected solution needs to provide an integration mechanism between each sub-system so that the management of the Intercom solution could be centralized and seen as a single multi-studio environment.

The intercom terminals need to offer robust and reliable wireless operation.

Solution

Video Progetti has successfully proposed and deployed a full Clear-Com system based on Eclipse HX matrix and FreeSpeak II wireless system.

Each of 5 galleries (control rooms)has its own Eclipse matrix, but each Eclipse is then interconnected in a peer-to-peer fashion via IP using RAI’s standard IT network and forming a seamless integrated system together with a 6th matrix  called “POOL” in RAI terminology,  that manages all shared resources like wireless beltpacks and studio panels, indipendently from each gallery (Control Room). All these  functionalities are embedded into the Eclipse matrix, without the need for additional middleware or orchestration.

In this way wireless FreeSpeak system can be shared across all galleries and studios when required.

Moreover, the use of 1.9GHz frequency allows for a robust and interference-free radio system. Clear-Com-optimized DECT technology used for wireless communication between transceivers and belt-packs offers the required interference-free wireless operation.

The ease of use of the solution is further enhanced via three additional features:

• The HCI API allows for control from third party automations systems .. This makes system reconfiguration quick and easy.
• The Clear-Com solution comes with its own configuration software (EHX) which, using a client-server topology, allows for multi user access with level of permissions determined on a single user basis.
  EHX also reports to each user the full telemetry of the part of the system in use (such as RF signal statuses, battery levels and alerts) in order to achieve maximum reliability and confidence on the system.
• Dynam-EC software (a Windows application) further provides an additional operational management layer using a fully and easily customizable graphical interface with drag-and-drop functionality for maximum ease of use.

Challenge

To create from scratch the media content preparation and play-out infrastructure of the largest Italian independent television network operator is a challenge that every broadcast system integrator would like to successfully address.

Word class content owners demand reliable multi-platforms and cost-effective, localized media distribution from service providers.

So original contents must be adapted to the requirements of the specific region of distribution and resolution, size, codec, graphics and several other aspects of the delivered media must be adjusted according to each selected distribution platform (e.g. OTT or DTT)

A modern content preparation facility has to be able to satisfy all these requirements and to deliver the generated media over multiple platforms. Moreover, every aspect of the entire processing chain must be monitored and the different operational areas have to be interconnected by a solid and efficient IP network.

In order to satisfy its major customer requests, Persidera play out infrastructure needed to be designed and implemented in a short time using only cutting edge technologies.

Solution

Following all these challenging customer requests, we built a content preparation and play out infrastructure through which Persidera team can address all the most demanding content owners’ needs.

The facility is in Rome and receives media essences from all over the world. Once content is ingested the entire productivity chain is handled using the powerful Mantrics Workflow Manager. The orchestrator software was internally developed by Video Progetti and sold to several first-class customers. After contents are ingested, catalogued and processed, they are delivered over DTT and OTT platforms.

Installation and testing of the entire infrastructure was handled by Video Progetti system team. Moreover, our qualified technical support department and our product specialists trained and provided operational support to the Persidera operators during the first months of work.

Challenge

Since analogue switch-off the Italian local television market has been under strong pressure which has led to the bankruptcy of several broadcasters and over-stressed the rest of them. The transition to digital TV never brought the expected benefits and today the market is even affected by new viewer’s behaviours (e.g. TV everywhere, Catch-up TV) and by new distribution methods (OTT).

Investing in the creation of a completely new local television during these hard times is a revolutionary act that requires a perfect balance between costs and technologies.

The Ultima TV editor strongly believes in the economics behind high quality local news and decided to create a top-class broadcast infrastructure able to deliver high quality media contents through DTT and Internet.

Video Progetti, after analysing this customer’s needs, accepted the challenge with enthusiasm and provided an efficient and cost effective broadcast quality system able to satisfy all the high demanding customer requests.

Solution

In order to build a brand new top-class and cost-effective broadcast infrastructure, Video Progetti SI team created an optimized HD TV station able to function even in the most stressful situations. We successfully delivered the system by leveraging our specific knowledge of the overall workflows and activities implemented in every TV station, our proven experience in building broadcast systems and our long-term stable and profitable relationship with first class partners.

The TV station is composed of a master control room (MCR), a production control room (PCR), a studio theatre, a newscast studio, a newsroom which accommodates up to eleven journalists and four craft post production stations.

All the different areas are connected using a compact and flexible multiformat broadcast router and high quality products produced by top class manufacturers are integrated in each environment (e.g. Snell Advanced Media, Grass Valley, Clear-Com, Livestream, Sencore, TV Logic, etc).

In only two months of highly intensive work Video Progetti built, tested and delivered the entire TV facility. Subsequently we trained the entire production team and assisted in operations during the first days of production.