Australia’s Nine Network has confirmed it will “test the market” among its key technology broadcast vendors in preparation for the relocation of its Sydney operations to North Sydney in mid-2020.
Nine has brought in German company Qvest Media to oversee the process and seek out the best vendors for key areas of its broadcast operations, which include on-air graphics, newsroom systems, post-production, network and infrastructure, and live studio elements.
According to Geoff Sparke, Nine’s Director of Broadcast Operations (pictured), “This is an incredible opportunity we have at Nine, where we are essentially building an entire television station from scratch. We are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring we have both the right vendors and the technology for the future of our business.
Nine says it is taking the opportunity presented by the move from its Willoughby broadcast centre to 1 Denison Street, North Sydney, to overhaul its technological broadcast stack, moving to SMPTE 2110 Standard for Professional Video Delivery Over IP Networks.
“This is a major change for us and the Nine business. We look forward to testing the market to understand the full capability of potential vendors across the key areas of the broadcast space,” Sparke said.
“SMPTE 2110 is the standard we have chosen for video transport over IP on a COTS platform. Traditional infrastructure no longer is a viable platform when considering a greenfield site.
“QVEST have considerable experience as SI and consulting advisors in the area of SMPTE 2110 and COTS hardware platforms.
“We are also seeking to learn the lessons from other media companies around the world who have made this broadcast technology leap, including German TV publisher Axel Springer and broadcasters Sky Germany and Bloomberg Middle East.”