Broadcast Service Provider NEP Sweden has established three Remote Operation Centers (ROCs), based around DirectOut hardware and software solutions, including an extensive deployment of Prodigy.MP and Prodigy.MC units. The new ROCs expand NEP Sweden’s production capabilities and address the logistical challenges posed by the country’s vast geography.
The centres are all equipped to handle a wide range of production formats, from HD to UHD/HDR. Central to this operation is the SMPTE 2110 standard, which facilitates dynamic, format-specific scaling and ensures seamless interconnectivity with other NEP facilities worldwide. By enabling on-site and remote production, these centres promise substantial reductions in travel costs, allowing teams to operate locally or remotely while accessing the full infrastructure. This aligns with NEP Sweden’s commitment to reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
The development and deployment of this audio workflow in the ROCs are triggered by NEP Germany’s extensive experience in remote infrastructure, particularly from its work with the new streaming provider DYN. There, multiple Prodigy.MP units are employed across two decentralised locations to manage the distribution, production, and dissemination of all audio signals for the DYN network. This workflow model has been successfully adapted to NEP Sweden’s ROC infrastructure.
DirectOut’s multifunctional tools play a key role in NEP Sweden’s audio signal production and distribution. The primary hub of the new ROCs is in Stockholm, forming the nexus of a network that includes three additional facilities: ROCsett, ROCwest and ROCnorth. ROCsett, also in Stockholm, boasts five medium-sized Production Control Rooms (PCRs) and one large PCR. ROCwest in Gothenburg features one large and one medium PCR and ROCnorth in Umeå features one large PCR.
The entire infrastructure is built on SMPTE ST2110, with teams at each ROC having access to all networked resources using NEP’s proprietary TFC software, the powerful broadcast control and networking solution empowering production teams by making IP 2110 technology fast and intuitive. The primary hardware resides in a central equipment room within the ROC, where local productions can be managed, or remote operations across other ROCs can be executed. Small OB vans, positioned at local venues, function similarly to flypack studios.
DirectOut’s Prodigy.MP units form the backbone of the audio infrastructure. These are complemented by the globcon control tool and specially designed HControl.16 hardware controllers, effectively rendering conventional audio hardware redundant.
‘DirectOut provides a cost-effective solution, but that’s just an obvious benefit,’ says NEP Sweden Director of Technology, Anders Wikström. ‘The Prodigy.MP units are true multi-taskers, capable of meeting any requirement you can think of. The system operates seamlessly and has fully validated the positive experiences of NEP Germany here in Sweden.’
Within the PCRs, seven Prodigy.MP units, each equipped with a Ravenna card, are operational. The eight OB van kits each house a Prodigy.MP, which handles local audio signal mixing, interfacing with the OB systems via Madi. In the smaller vans, NEP Sweden employs a combination of one Prodigy.MP, one Prodigy.MC, and one ExBox.MD, delivering a mix of microphone and line-in signals via Ravenna and Dante. For larger OB productions, the Prodigy.MP acts as the local mixer, with the OB’s audio/mixer system serving as a stagebox.
All audio mixing tasks within the ROC infrastructure are managed through globcon and HControl.16 multifunction consoles, eliminating the need for traditional audio consoles. A single computer in the PCRs handles all audio-related tasks, including music playback and globcon operations, and is directly connected to the HControl.16 units. The Ravenna format supports communication between systems within and across the ROCs, with audio signals embedded for connections between venues and ROCs.
More: www.directout.eu
