The Alliance, a collective of Italy’s leading OB providers, has chosen Sony to boost the live production capabilities of its flagship OB van, unitONE. The group has invested in 42 of Sony’s HDC-4300 4K/HD system cameras to provide greater flexibility and control, and offer superior image quality for the production of live sporting events.
unitONE, designed specifically with 4K HDR live productions in mind, is one of the most advanced and innovative mobile production units in the world. The addition of Sony’s state-of-the-art HDC-4300 4K/HD system cameras ensures the OB van can continue to capture and deliver stunning imagery of the highest quality to viewers across the world. The van is equipped with an IP conversion system to achieve 4K HDR live production workflows over IP, and provides optimal physical space for operations. Its operation area layout and equipment are all fully modifiable and can be tailored to any production requirements."unitONE was conceived after two years of extensive planning with a focus on three key areas: technology, operating security, and reliability and layout,\" explains The Alliance’s CTO & Head of Operations, Andrea Gianolli. "As for the latter, we wanted to have an OB van which would include all the characteristics of a traditional "gallery\" with typical Italian interior design and functionality, offering an operational open space of 72 square meters in size, including 8 separate sections."
"We manage productions which involve up to 33 directors, producers and technicians who all need to work in the OB van at the same time. We are particularly proud to have developed this innovative van which has made working side by side with each other a real pleasure,\" adds Gianolli. "Furthermore, our selection of broadcast technologies was equally important as they are central to our mobile production unit. Our R&D team have worked hard to select the best solutions that meet our needs. We conducted technical trials to evaluate different parameters such as quality, reliability and durability of the accessories, the results of which led us to invest in 42 of Sony’s HDC-4300 cameras."
Benito Mari, Sales Manager of Sony Professional Solutions Europe Italy, added: "Andrea Gianolli’s design commitment towards the new unitONE has been extremely important to combine technological innovations with practical operational requirements. The fact that The Alliance decided to invest in Sony’s solutions highlights our continued commitment to working closely with our customers and prospects to develop solutions that meet their real-world requirements, while at the same time remaining easy and simple to put to use. The HDC-4300 system cameras have allowed The Alliance to ensure unitONE is fully future-proof in the art of live production."
Sony’s 42 HDC-4300 system cameras sit at the heart of the OB van, giving The Alliance full control over content, while offering uncompromised image quality. Designed specifically for the sports broadcasting market, the HDC-4300 cameras offer new levels of flexibility and integrate seamlessly into existing HD infrastructure, accessories and even the world's most advanced 4K live production workflows. Its optional software updates have given The Alliance the ability to add 8x HD and 2x 4K slow-motion effects, and its advanced optical system supports the next-generation ITU-R BT.2020 colour gamut, enabling more precise colour reproduction during live broadcasts.
Andrea further explained The Alliance’s work with Sony, noting: "Last March, we started testing for future production in 4K HDR of a major international sporting event, completing our production workflow with a Sony BVM-X300 and three BVM-E171. We recently also successfully tested Sony’s HDRC-converter 4000. Overall, the 4K HDR tests have been very successful and both The Alliance and the customer are extremely satisfied with the solutions we have selected from Sony."
