Cutting-Edge, IP-Based Solutions Reduce Operational Costs Through Centralised Control of Remote Broadcasts

BURY ST EDMUNDS, U.K., and LONDON — Dec. 6, 2019 — Sky News Australia has made a major investment in state-of-the-art robotic camera support systems from Vinten and Intelligent Prompting solutions from Autoscript for its six remote studios located throughout Australia. With the latest build-out just completed in Sky News' Canberra Parliament House studio, the Vinten and Autoscript equipment is a vital link in the network's strategy to reduce operational costs through centralised, IP-based control of remote broadcasts.

Sky News is a 24/7 multi-channel network providing international news, local news, and current affairs programmes to viewers throughout Australia and New Zealand. With headquarters, master control, and main studio based in Sydney, the network operates remote studios in Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

In the newest project, Sky News has fitted out its Canberra Parliament House studio with three Vinten FH-145 robotic pan/tilt camera heads, driven by the Vinten HD-VRC control system, three Vinten Quattro pedestals, and three Autoscript EPIC-IP 19" prompting monitors with integrated talent feedback monitors, driven by Autoscript WinPlus-IP News prompting software. Amber Technology, a Vitec Production Solutions Premier Partner, supplied the Vinten and Autoscript solutions and is partner for the build-out.

"Cost is a significant factor in today's television production environment," said Rick Zecevic, chief technology officer, Sky News Australia. "By allowing us to control all of our remote studios from Sydney, IP-based networks and technologies like those from Vinten and Autoscript are playing a huge role in helping us operate as cost-effectively as possible. At the same time, we have the flexibility of local control at each location when the need arises."

Zecevic added, "The Vinten robotic heads and pedestals, coupled with Autoscript's prompting solutions, are a perfect choice because of their outstanding remote-control-over-IP capabilities, renowned reliability and performance, and advanced features. Plus, Amber Technology is providing us with outstanding local support throughout the process."

With the completion of Sky News Studio 1 in Sydney, all six of the network's studios will be fitted out with robotic heads from Vinten and pedestals working in concert with Autoscript Intelligent Prompting solutions.

"Sky News Australia is already reaping the benefits of lower overhead and operational costs since implementing our cutting-edge Vinten robotics and Autoscript prompting systems, which can be remotely controlled over an IP network with minimal local operator involvement," said Tom Pavicic, regional sales manager for Australia and New Zealand, Vitec Production Solutions. "The ability to reduce costs while increasing quality is an ongoing goal for so many of our broadcast customers, and leveraging state-of-the-art robotics and prompting technologies, particularly within IP-based workflows, is allowing our customers to achieve this goal, just as we've seen with Sky News."

More information on Vinten and its products is available at www.vinten.com. Information about Autoscript and Intelligent Prompting is available at www.autoscript.tv.

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Link to Word Doc: www.wallstcom.com/VPS/191206Autoscript.docx

Link to Photos:
www.wallstcom.com/VPS/VPS-Sky_News_Canberra_6.jpg
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Photo Caption: A look at the Autoscript prompting and Vinten robotic solutions within the Sky News Canberra Parliament studio.

Link to Photos:
www.wallstcom.com/VPS/VPS-Sky_News_Canberra_7.jpg
Photo Caption: Rick Zecevic, CTO at Sky News Australia, and Tom Pavicic, Regional Sales Manager, Australia and New Zealand, at Vitec Production Solutions.

About Sky News
Australian News Channel Pty Ltd (ANC) is Australia's unrivalled 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service provider, a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corp Australia. Sky News is a news service operated by ANC delivering news you can trust, opinions you can't ignore. It provides unrivalled LIVE news, sports news, weather news and national affairs coverage via dedicated channels including Sky News Live (Ch 103 & 600), Sky News Business (Ch 601), Sky News Weather (Ch 603), Sky News Extra (Ch 604), Sky News UK (Ch 605), Sky News New Zealand and FOX SPORTS News (Ch 500 & 602). Sky News is available across Australia via subscription television provider Foxtel and in New Zealand via Sky Television.

About Amber Technology
Formed in 1987 and ASX listed in 2004, Amber Technology delivers some of the world's most innovative and award-winning brands to Australia and New Zealand for professional audio, commercial AV and consumer electronics markets. Our customers enthusiastically embrace new technology, so Amber Technology provides the link between state-of-the-art manufacturers and customers who know what they want and demand the best available. As one of Australia's largest and most respected distributors of high technology equipment solutions to the professional broadcast, film, recording, live production, custom installation and home entertainment markets, we are recognised experts at reaching and supporting the entertainment, communications and technology markets throughout Australasia.

A Snapshot of Autoscript
Autoscript, a Vitec Group brand, is the leading global provider of professional teleprompting equipment to broadcasters. Established in 1984, Autoscript manufactures reliable, premium-quality hardware and software solutions for both networks and stand-alone operations. Autoscript's new Intelligent Prompting system is the world's only fully IP-enabled, end-to-end prompting workflow. Intelligent Prompting devices, including the innovative EVO-IP prompt monitor, connect to WinPlus-IP prompting software via an IP network, enabling extremely flexible integration and operation in any location with network access. For more information, visit www.autoscript.tv.

A Snapshot of Vinten
Vinten®, a Vitec Group brand, is a leading provider of manual and robotic camera support systems. Customers rely on Vinten's engineering excellence and globally supported solutions for a wide range of technologies and markets. Founded over 100 years ago by William Vinten, the Vinten brand is still based on its founder's guiding principles of highly innovative design and extreme precision in manufacturing. Offering a best-in-class range of products that includes manual supports, robotic heads, pedestals, and controllers, Vinten is the premium solution for studio and outside broadcast. With over 80 registered patents, Vinten frees the camera operator's creativity by making camera operation effortless. For more information on Vinten, visit www.vinten.com.

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