Sony updated the entire broadcast system of the Vatican with the HDCE-100 fibre adaptor to an expansive fibre network that includes 4K HDC-5500 and BRC-H800 PTZ cameras and an FX9.
Vatican Media is the official organisation within the Vatican responsible for broadcasting the activities of the Pope and the Holy See. For decades Vatican Media, previously called Centro Televisivo Vaticano, has aimed to bring the look and feel of the Vatican, the home of the Catholic Church, closer to people worldwide through its broadcasts, and to produce high-quality footage for the historical archive.
Sony has customised a package that delivers the best possible footage, with the least possible impact on the beautiful, historic surroundings. In a large project which began in 2020, the entire broadcast system of the Vatican has been updated to an expansive fibre network that efficiently connects its 4K cameras to the production control rooms using Sony’s HDCE-100 fibre adaptor.
New Fibre Network
Through the adaptor’s single mode fibre interconnection, a true baseband network has been set up to interconnect multiple sites within Vatican City, and convey camera signals to the control room dynamically.
The fibre optic infrastructure was designed by the engineering department of the Dicastery for Communication, which oversees the Vatican’s network of communications offices. The department aims to allow operators to transmit audio/video signals and controls over either baseband or IP networks for software defined video networking (SDVN) applications.
The new system is also less evident within the historical buildings than the earlier one. The HDCE-100 unit used is small, silent and easily hidden, and its thin optical fibre cables can be used over long distances.
Camera Upgrade - Sony 4K HDC-5500
Progressively over time, all cameras across The Vatican have been upgraded to produce high quality images that will accurately preserve and reflect the events happening around the most important sites in the complex. Sony HDC-5500 studio and broadcast cameras have now replaced the previous generation cameras, due to their image quality and flexibility in creative applications.
The HDC-5500 is a global shutter camera that can record 4K and HD video, and capture images with minimal noise and high dynamic range, making it suitable for the challenges of shooting in the low light atmosphere of the Vatican. With an on-board signal processor, the HDC-5500 outputs 4K signals directly, without needing a dedicated external baseband processor unit, and can also output 4K signals directly via 12G-SDI. Its 4K baseband transmission system and compact size means it is useful in wireless systems as well.
Vatican Media’s upgrade includes the use of an efficient new configuration, whereby two camera heads are connected to a single camera cable. Operations are monitored on the Sony PVM-X series monitors, which allow side by side comparison of the camera views in the production suite.
Small, Discreet and Robust
Sony BRC-H800 PTZ cameras have been installed inside St Peter’s Basilica for the first time. Owing to the cameras’ small size, they can be discreetly installed around the building without interfering with the historic surroundings. Since filming can take place from new angles not accessible by people, the PTZs have given the team opportunities for more creative production. They can also be controlled remotely, which helps reduce the size of the production team.
Sony is also responsible for the 24-hour webcam located in St Peters’ Square. From this feed, streamed via YouTube, viewers can watch crowds moving through the square and the light change as the sun passes over St. Peter's Basilica. In November 2022 this camera was upgraded to a Sony FX9 to give the stream a more cinematic feel, while remaining reliable all day, every day.
These updates continue a longstanding relationship between Sony and Vatican Media under which Sony supplies a camera for the Square, demonstrating its robustness and reliability. pro.sony
