CCTV installs Lawo in China’s first full IP video mobile system

China’s leading state broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV), has installed China’s first full IP video mobile system for video production. The mobile studio project uses the Lawo V__matrix software-defined IP-routing, processing and multi-viewing platform as its core technology infrastructure.

CCTV, Lawo China and video partner Acro-bright worked in cooperation with China’s large regional system integrator, Beijing Yutian, to achieve this project delivery.

The UHD 4k designed mobile studio installation, originally planned to play a central role during the Summer Games 2020 broadcasts from Tokyo, began construction in January 2019 under the supervision of the CCTV Production Department. The project’s multiviewer design is based on three Lawo V__matrix systems using 19 C-100 core processing modules and 19 Virtual-Module installations of the Lawo vm-dmv, the world’s first infinitely expandable true IP multiviewer.

The overall installation integrates twelve Sony UHD camera channels and one EVS. The IP network is of a spine-leaf topology employing Huawei switches for the infrastructure backbone, with two CE8850 switches for the redundantly-designed core and four CE6865 switches as leaves. The vision switchers and cameras were purchased from Sony.

For CCTV, the major benefits of the Lawo vm-dmv lie with its design as a true 4k UHD multi-viewer based on IP, with an advanced concept for a 40G network environment.

“Lawo turned to be not only strong in audio consoles but also in IP video processing,” said a CCTV video engineer. “The success of this project was only possible with Lawo, as the vm-dmv multi-viewer solution, with its 12G single link for both IP and base-band signals, offers true 4K performance with extremely low latency.”