100 Sony cameras to capture Tokyo 2020 for NBC Olympics

NBC Olympics has chosen a wide variety of Сони cameras for its coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

NBC Olympics will use around 100 Sony cameras to capture all the sporting events, record interviews with athletes, cover press conferences and, in short, perform all tasks requiring portable and studio recording equipment. The HDC-3500 will be the main protagonist of the coverage, which will be used to transmit the event via IP-based networks.

Recording equipment will also include Sony’s HDC-5500 и HDC-3500 4K/HDR, two high frame rate studio cameras capable of slow motion playback; as well as XDCAM PXW-Z750, PXW-Z450, PXW-X400 и PXW-Z280 camcorders.

Production mixers

The NBC division will also use several production mixers, including the flagship 4K/3G/HD IP-compatible XVS-9000 model and the XVS-8000 и XVS-6000 4K/3G/HD video mixers, designed for IP- and SDI-based productions. Many of these mixers will be used in an IP-based environment and some will be responsible for producing content in 1080p HDR format.

The mixers will redirect content captured at each sports venue to NBC Olympics’ production facilities at its international broadcast center in Tokyo, in addition to providing HD cable coverage across NBCUniversal’s various networks and platforms. NBC Olympics will also use “hundreds” of Sony’s professional monitors, such as the 4K Trimaster EL OLED monitor series for both on-set and on-site monitoring.

In addition, Sony Professional Services will be responsible for providing an extensive network of resources to provide NBC Olympics with seamless support for equipment and production tasks.

Sony in IP and UHD streams

David Mazza, CTO and EVP of NBC Sports Group и NBC Olympics, sees Сони technology as key to its new workflows: “Leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, we at NBC Olympics have been working on implementing several key advancements as we move towards UHD content and next-generation infrastructure. This includes converting the IBC to an all-IP based system and combining 1080P, 4K and HDR workflows. All while protecting the 1080i SDR content of our main broadcasts. The work done by Sony has been essential in being able to provide us with a range of up to date equipment and advise us on how to ensure these processes run as efficiently as possible while maintaining exceptional picture quality and a high level of reliability.”

Meanwhile, John Studdert, vice president of Media Solutions at Sony, comments on its role in Tokyo 2020: “The NBC Olympics production team will leverage our innovative IP-based 4K and HDR-compatible technologies to capture and broadcast this sporting event, ensuring exceptional, dynamic and immersive coverage, and connecting with viewers across multiple platforms.”