Plazamedia produces Euro 2020 for Deutsche Telekom using MediorNet by Riedel

Riedel’s MediorNet decentralized video routing infrastructure enabled Plazamedia to create the UHD content for Euro 2020 that could be seen on Magenta TV (Deutsche Telekom).

Beyond Riedel’s MediorNet, which served to manage and process signals from its entire production facility, Plazamedia deployed Riedel’s Artist intercom system (with 2300-series SmartPanels) and Boléro intercoms.

Plazamedia has been a partner of Telekom since August 2019. Since that time, it has produced 1,500 live broadcasts per season for MagentaSport’s linear TV and VOD platforms. For Euro 2020, the production company created a production environment spread over 2,600 square meters with three studios, four broadcast centers and a content center. The state-of-the-art 350-square-meter main studio, located at the ziegelei101 event venue, featured a large-format LED panel as well as augmented reality and virtual graphics elements.

MediorNet, the backbone of UHD production

Le Riedel MediorNet distributed routing and processing solution implemented by Plazamedia included four MetroN routers, 13 MicroN (dedicated to running Riedel’s MultiViewer application) and nearly 20 MicroN UHD. The latter solution formed a redundant ring with a bandwidth of 200G that served to distribute 33 UHD signals, four of which came from the IBC in Amsterdam. On the other hand, the system routed almost 70 3G video signals, while the audio layer handled 10 fully saturated MADI connections and all embedded tracks. The network link and sync distribution functions completed all the demands required by the production.

In addition, although the main feed and the Amsterdam backup had different content and audio mappings, the integrated MediorNet embedder/demembedder allowed the production team to ensure that all signals used shared the same mapping, and to implement certain audio changes without the need for additional external hardware.

Artist and Bolero

Riedel also supplied Plazamedia with an Artist intercom system with some three dozen RSP-2318 SmartPanel interfaces and 16 Boléro wireless intercom beltpacks. Beyond facilitating team communications, these systems allowed their users to monitor audio channels and communicate with reporters.

Hardy Steinweg, COO of Plazamedia, believes that Riedel has enabled them to “build out decentralized communications and signal routing infrastructure with the flexibility to accommodate even the most demanding productions.” From another perspective, Marco Kraft, head of sales Germany at Riedel Communications, acknowledges the production company’s good work: “Plazamedia delivered a remarkable production for Telekom and MagentaTV viewers, and we’re proud to have supported this successful high-profile event with our MediorNet product family.”