Riedel Communications today announced its collaboration with Nova Broadcasting Group, part of the United Group, to design a new facility dedicated to broadcast television and radio production. Spread over nearly 17,000 square meters in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Nova facility features a Riedel MediorNet decentralized video router, as well as Riedel’s Artist, Bolero, and SmartPanel systems for flexible intercom communications. The ambitious project, completed in cooperation with systems integrator Rexfilm from Hungary, was recognized in 2022 with ТAL Engineering’s Building of the Year award in the Office and Corporate Buildings category.
“We consider this installation of Riedel technology a perfect solution for our signal routing, distribution, and processing requirements,” said Ivaylo Iliev, Chief Technology Officer at Nova. “Riedel’s MediorNet allowed us to implement a decentralized architecture that reduced costs during planning and implementation. And going forward, with the newly released MediorNet HorizoN, it provides us with a road map for migrating to IP-based architecture step by step, at our own pace. Should our format requirements or signal volume change over time, we will be able to scale the system and expand it as needed.”
The company’s new broadcast facility supports nine TV channels, six of which are live, as well as a state-of-the-art newsroom for online content that enables Nova to stay connected with its digital audience in real time. Programming ranges from news and sport to popular TV series, children’s shows, game shows, and reality shows from Bulgaria and from the international market.
Based on decentralized network devices and intelligent nodes, the MediorNet solution within the Nova facility supports the free placement of physical I/Os, a model that significantly reduced cabling and setup time during deployment and subsequently has increased signal-management flexibility for the broadcaster. Because MediorNet features decentralized integrated multiviewers as well as further processing features such as up-/down-/cross-conversion, SDR-HDR conversion, frame store/frame sync, embedders/de-embedders, test pattern generators, and sample rate converters, it also minimizes the need for external processing equipment and improves efficiency across the production environment.
With 52 MicroN UHD devices — 42 for production routing and 10 for playout — distributed across the network to support one master control room and three control rooms, Nova TV enjoys powerful decentralized processing capabilities that further streamline workflows and enhance broadcast capabilities. The new facility also uses Riedel’s Artist-1024 node, Bolero wireless intercom, and the 1200 Series SmartPanels, which together enable versatile and crystal-clear communications that are vital to Nova’s production of top-notch content.
“Nova’s new facility represents a significant milestone for the industry in terms of dedicated broadcast facilities, and we are proud to support this award-winning project with our MediorNet solution,” said Ismet Bozkurt, Senior Regional Sales Manager Eastern Europe, Riedel Communications. “We are committed to providing the technology and solutions that empower our customers to deliver outstanding content to their audiences. Nova’s success is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation, and we look forward to continuing this outstanding partnership.”
