Sony has won a major contract to construct and equip new High Definition Television (HDTV) studio facilities for British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), which plans to launch a premium package of HDTV services in 2006.
The deal will see Sony act as prime contractor for the creation of a new studio at the broadcasters Isleworth headquarters in west London and supply equipment for edit and dubbing suites at the same site. Also included in the agreement is a significant professional services component,
including training provided by Sony for BSkyB operations staff to
streamline transition to High Definition production. Sony HD equipment in the new studios will include latest HDC-1500 studio cameras and over 60 HDCAM and HDCAM SR format VTRs, complemented by MVS-8000A series multiformat production switchers and DVS-8000 digital effects plus Sony HD LCD monitors.
Under the terms of a supplementary 12-month contract won after competitive
tender, Sony will also support BSkyB operations staff with an innovative High Definition training package. Three tiered levels of training resources will offer BSkyB operations’ employees a product-independent grounding in High Definition, while a general introduction will provide staff across the business with an overview of HD. Further workshop
modules explore technical aspects of High Definition in more depth, while a
complementary series of specialised modules has been created to complement
specific craft skills from camera work and set design to make-up and quality control. A web-based interface developed by Sony will allow hundreds of BSkyB staff at Isleworth and other sites to log on and access HD training materials simultaneously.