Sky New Zealand is updated using Lawo IP technology

System integrator and partner Lawo Professional Audio & Television (PAT) has delivered and commissioned a Lawo mc²56 audio production console with 48 faders to Sky New Zealand.

Sky also broadcasts a wide range of live sports, films, shows, documentaries and current news to premium live customers in New Zealand via 'Sky Box' and 'Sky Go'. The channel can also be accessed via the live streaming services “Sky Sport Now” for sports or “Neon” for movies and entertainment. Sky is also the owner of the free-to-air “Prime” channel.

When Sky decided to replace their existing Lawo mc²66 mixer and TDM-based Nova73 system, the Sky team turned to PAT and Lawo. The design was developed together, the upgrade was carried out and the new IP audio system was commissioned, the heart of which was a new mc²56MkIII console in conjunction with two fully redundant and highly compact 1U A-UHD-Core modules. Represents Lawo audio engine.

The RTW TM7 audio measurement module is integrated into the console, giving users a reliable overview of their audio signals. Lawo's cloud-native Home management platform is responsible for connecting, managing and securing all audio aspects of Sky's live production environment. Six PowerCore I/O gateway nodes with full support for ST2110, AES67, Ravenna and Dante are used for this purpose.

Media grid recording is done by a Meinberg M1000 with two HPS100 High Precision PTP units. Each card supports up to 2,048 PTP clients in unicast mode as well as over 250,000 delay requests per second in multicast or mixed mode, or over 400,000 NTP requests per second. In the second phase of the project, the existing Lawo mc²36 console and several Lawo V-Pro8 video processors will be integrated into Sky's new IP workflow.

“Sky has been a Lawo customer since the early 2000s, and we've had very good experiences with their technology so far,” explains Justin Loza of Sky New Zealand, owner of the underlying streaming platform. “When we started our first AoIP project, we wanted to work With a company that has a proven track record and deep knowledge of IP technology. They must also have experience implementing large projects and solutions and be willing to become an extension of the Sky team. This is exactly what PAT delivered. Lawo and PAT have gone above and beyond our requirements, building strong relationships “With our employees, collaborating on the design, and even accepting last-minute changes without complaint – with a smile. We look forward to continuing this recipe for future success.”

Mike Hurd, Senior Solutions Architect at PAT, comments: “When the Sky team asked us to support them in moving to IP and replacing their tried and tested Lawo mc²66 AP desk, we knew straight away what we needed to do. This project is a perfect example of how, through trust, communication and collaboration, a project can be completed successfully, on time, within budget and with the best possible outcome. It's great to see another Lawo mc² mixer with Lawo A-UHD IP audio processing cores in use in New Zealand! Many thanks to the entire Sky team for their confidence in PAT and for allowing us to be there.”