TV2 Denmark tests 5G in live studio production
November 8, 2023
Danish public broadcaster TV 2, Sony Corporation, Sony subsidiary Nevion, Radio Access Network (RAN) software specialist Node-H, and Cumucore, a non-public network (NPN) provider have conducted a successful proof of concept (PoC) using the wireless technology in a live studio environment. The test demonstrated that 5G connectivity could potentially be used in any live production, simplifying the logistics and the cabling of the infrastructure.
Wireless technology has always been of interest to broadcasters, because of the flexibility it provides in production. Now 5G is generating a lot of excitement in the industry because the technology is IP-based and widely used outside of broadcasting. However, challenges remain regarding the implementation of the technology to handle the high bandwidth and very low latency required in high-end live production.
On November 1st, TV 2 evaluated the capabilities of the 5G technology during the production of the daily “Go’ aften Live” evening show, from its studio located in the Tivoli Gardens in central Copenhagen (Denmark). For that purpose, TV 2 installed two Sony 5G-enabled system cameras in addition to their usual wired studio cameras.
In the studio, an NPN was created, using Cucumore’s 5G Litecore technology, working in tandem with Node-H’s RAN.
Each camera was connected to the 5G network via a prototype of Sony’s recently announced CBK-RPU7 (an ultra-low latency HEVC 4K/HD remote production unit), and an Xperia 5G smartphone acting as a modem. The CBK-RPU7 ensures that video signals are compressed efficiently to make optimum use of the available 5G bandwidth, while matching the picture quality of the wired cameras. The orchestration was provided by Nevion VideoIPath, which ensured the broadcast signal was given a priority on the 5G network.
During the TV 2 broadcast, the production team included pictures acquired over the 5G-enabled cameras, proving that the quality matched the high standard required for this prime-time live production.
Morten Brandstrup, Head of News Technology at TV 2 Denmark said: “Along with our production services provider, Boffins Technology, we were interested to see how the 5G technology could integrate into a live studio environment. We were very confident in the outcome of the test, but even we were surprised with the quality of the signals from the 5G-enabled cameras. For us this proof of concept opens the possibility of using 5G cameras in a wider context, including studio-based productions. This will add greatly to the flexibility of our production workflows.”
Mike Cronin, CEO at Node-H, explained: “Private 5G encompasses a range of market verticals, each with very specific requirements. Broadcasting is one of the most challenging, so it was ideal to work together with the industry leaders, Sony and TV2, to ensure that we met the requirements.”
“This is a major milestone in the development of 5G solutions for real-world broadcast applications,” added Mika Skarp, Senior Product Manager at Cumucore.
Peter Sykes, Strategic Technology Development Manager at Sony, commented: “This successful test is a further proof that our Networked Live offering is well positioned to help broadcasters leverage 5G in their productions. Our vision of creating a unified hybrid on-prem and Cloud-distributed environment requires a network orchestration able to control the flow of signals end-to-end, across various fixed and mobile networks. With our efficient video compression technology, and our versatile orchestration, we have proved that we can overcome some of the inherent challenges of the wireless technology”.