Italy’s public broadcaster, RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana), recently upgraded its Broadcast Production Center in Rome with a new control and signal distribution network based on Lawo IP infrastructure solutions.

For its different production areas, RAI opted for a V__matrix solution for performance in a distributed production environment. The installation, in five production galleries and six studios, comprises V__matrix clusters and a VSM system for studio-related and overarching system control as well as signal distribution management.

Aret video and audio engineering – Lawo’s Milan-based partner and system integrator in Italy – was appointed to revamp the whole production complex, which involved Lawo IP infrastructure for the realisation of RAI’s vision of distributed routing and processing resources that can be pooled assigned to the desired studios. This installation not only makes TV production workflows more flexible and efficient, but also offers a high level of redundancy. Thanks to the all-IP infrastructure, V__matrix units can be located adjacent to the stages where production teams host shows with presenters and guests.

This technical upgrade of the Broadcast Production Center, dedicated to the late popular presenter Fabrizio Frizzi, is RAI’s first step on the way towards a full-IP environment and therefore also leverages IP transport for existing baseband equipment. Even at this early stage, the benefits for RAI in the Rome facility are considerable – distributed routing for facility-wide IP signal distribution, with conversions to and from SDI in the desired places, allows for a more flexible use of facilities and equipment. The broadcaster can easily add new production areas that interact with all sources and destinations through additional V__matrix devices whose ingratiation within the overall infrastructure will be fast.

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