Zhejiang TV Moves Towards Integrated Broadcast Production With Lawo

posted:

28/06/2015

Serving Hangzhou City/Zhejiang Province in Eastern China, Zhejiang TV ranks high among China’s leading broadcasters and innovators. Established in 1960, it has pioneered the adoption of new technologies – including refurbishing its Concert Hall into a multi-function theatre and HDTV television studio using a Lawo mc²66 digital audio console.

Along with carrying the extremely popular ‘Voice of China’ talent show (broadcast under license from ‘Voice of America’), a film adaptation of its ‘Hurry Up, Brother’ reality comedy TV series was released as ‘Running Man’ that grossed US$70 million at the box office in China.

Voice of China

The broadcaster’s most recent developments have centered on a facility renovation that will give it new 2,500-sqm and 1,200-sqm studios, with extensive use of audio and video technology from German innovator, Lawo. The new studios will serve the annual production and broadcast of ‘Voice of China’, as well as all other popular shows, including ‘Hurry Up, Brother’.

Zhejiang Television (ZJTV) is operated by the Zhejiang Radio & Television Group (China’s fourth biggest television network) and currently broadcasts in Mandarin. ZJTV has been using Lawo equipment for six years, having previously invested in a number of digital mixing systems. Now, the broadcaster has committed to adding Lawo video units to its technical infrastructure.

“We have been using Lawo audio products since 2009, including mc²66 and mc²56 mixing consoles in our most major studios,’ a ZJTV spokesperson confirmed. ‘We are very satisfied with their performance and reliability, and we believe that the IP-based Lawo video products will give us the same quality of technology as well as Lawo’s after-sales service.”

The existing Lawo mixing consoles are installed in ZJTV’s main Concert Hall, and two studios in Hangzhou City. Experience with these consoles has given Zhejiang TV confidence in Lawo’s SDI embedding and de-embedding products because of their use of RAVENNA technology, developed for audio and video transport based on IP Layer 3, and which will help simplify the integration of broadcasters’ audio and video systems in the future.

When complete, the new studios will incorporate a total of six Lawo V__pro8 digital video processors. These 8-channel 1U rack-mount units provide all of the ‘glue’ needed in broadcast production workflow, combining both video and audio management. Pulling these duties together in a single processor guarantees efficiency and operating security, along with significantly reduced space, wiring and costs.

The Lawo V__pro8 offers more extensive functionality and SDI embedding and de-embedding than conventional modular processors, including color correction, up/down conversion and MADI interfacing. At ZJTV, this functionality will be matched by its ability to integrate the broadcaster’s video and audio, and sharing of I/Os.

Lawo AGLawo designs and manufactures pioneering audio and video technology for TV and radio broadcast production, post-production, as well as live performance and theatrical applications. Products include digital audio mixing consoles, routers, video processing tools as well as IP-based video and audio transport solutions. All products are developed and manufactured according to highest quality standards at the company’s headquarters in the Rhine valley town of Rastatt, Germany.