SVG Sit-Down: Sony's Mikio Kita on Transformative Technologies and a Cloud-Based Future Acquisition of Nevion enhances remote-production solutions By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Monday, May 10, 2021 - 2:15 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Mikio Kita, VP, media solutions, Sony Imaging Products & Solutions, and the Sony team around the globe had an eventful 2020 and 2021. There was the acquisition of Nevion in September, which brought in transformative technologies, continued developments around cloud-based services, and, of course, the use of digital cinema cameras in live sports broadcasts. Kita recently sat down with SVG to discuss the changing production environment, Sony's evolution, and more.
Sony's Mikio Kita: Gradually, the HD type of [live sports] production is going to be on the cloud.
Looking back at 2020, what were some of the big changes that impacted the media industry the most?
First, there was the increased need for remote solutions. Due to the influence of the COVID-19, the need for remote and distributed production is increasing at production sites across the globe. Many large-scale events took place remotely, without or with a limited audience, to prevent the spread of the COVID-19, and this is where Sony's remote-production solution has shown its strength and effectiveness.
Sony's solutions offer a way to collaborate, share resources, minimize travel and contact, and have fewer personnel onsite for greater efficiency and effectiveness, while still offering a high-quality production. This transition and mentality will have a lasting impact on the way productions are achieved moving forward.
Additionally, we've seen a growing need for fast, efficient, and effective workflows that leverage cloud-based solutions. More than ever, having productive discussions with our customers and partners is helping us all to support one another and overcome these unprecedented circumstances. We firmly believe our solutions inspire professionals' creativity, and we always want to hear their voice and feedback, which encourages us to keep innovating.
What are some of the core strengths and key areas that you'll be focusing on in 2021?
The key area is, of course, the strength of our cameras, switchers, and hardware, but I would like to emphasize that the key focus is IP technology. And Sony's IP-based solution offers integrated optimal experience for the customers. We continue to bring to market new offerings for every type of broadcast production, allowing producers and companies to work effectively and safely in tighter space or remote. They can share resources - such as equipment, facilities, and even staff - across locations in real time, getting the best of the team's experience and creativity.
And then there is the cloud as well. So it's a combination of hardware, IP, software, the cloud. And we have also been working on integrating AI technologies for advanced remote solutions and more-efficient workflow.
It's all part of our corporate technology theme this year, which is 3R technology: reality, real time, and remote. We will continue development of the camera technology and switchers, but, on top of that, we acquired Nevion, and the entire wide-range network-architecture design is now ready from Sony Nevion.
What does Nevion mean for your workflows and technology?
Nevion is a Norwegian technology company that is providing media-network infrastructure solutions to broadcasters, telecommunication-service providers, government agencies, and, of course, other industries. Their solutions are [increasingly] based on ST-2110 IP and cloud technology, and they enable transport, processing, monitoring, and management of professional-quality video, audio, data in real time, reliably and securely.
Nevion's solutions are used to power major sporting and live events across the globe, and we have been working very closely with them for several years. Last September, we acquired 100% of the company. And now, as venues and facilities are connected via WAN or LAN, we can control them, share resources, and make remote-production concepts happen.
We fully understood that the last important technology piece is SDN, software-defined-network technologies. And Nevion's SDN technology fully controls the COTS IP suite, regardless of which manufacturer it is.
So, the acquisition ties directly to our 3R technology and further solidifies Sony's commitment to IP and leadership in the space.
How do you see your remote-production solutions creating new business opportunities for you?
As our solutions move to the cloud and data-center type of resource-sharing, our customers can move from capex model to opex and pay-as-you go type of model. In the case of the very high-end sports [coverage], like 4K or UHD, where very large bit streams are necessary, we will still need a hardware-based and on-premises type of solution. But, gradually, the HD type of production is going to be on the cloud.
Sony cinema cameras are being used in sports. Are you surprised to see those cameras deployed in those sorts of applications?
Yeah. Sony has been at the forefront of a new trend in live sports production, in which broadcast companies are keen to utilize cinema camera, like our VENICE, in handheld gimbals and capable of shallow depths of field shooting on the field during the game. It's also about after the big play: [the shot of] the player's expression in shallow-depth-of-field pictures is very impressive.
That trend will continue, and the larger sensor and the great auto-focus technology of our camera gives the content a great cinematic look, which viewers are appreciating now. We are really enjoying the new trend and offering our cinema cameras.
Do you think there's a new opportunity for a new type of digi
North America Stories
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Witbe brings its AI-native testing and monitoring infrastructure to Amsterdam: demonstrations on real devices, a peer-reviewed technical paper in the conference...
23/07/2026
Quickplay, Caretta Research, Evergent, and Yospace have announced that the renowned IBC Pride Happy Hour will once again bring the vibe and fun back to IBC on F...
23/07/2026
At IBC2026, Interra Systems will present this year's focus: operational AI at scale for QC, monitoring, and captioning workflows. The industry has moved pas...
23/07/2026
Illusionfx is finally coming!
Alex Perea July 23, 2026
0 Comments
The new website is now live to mark the occasion.
Since the last update, feedback h...
23/07/2026
Evergent (5.A86) will showcase its Agentic Revenue Orchestration Platform for streaming services, sports leagues, pay-TV operators at IBC2026 (RAI Amsterdam, 11...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
David Dvir, 2D founder (left), Sundeep Reddy (center), and Jean-Marc Bouchut (right), both of Zeiss...
23/07/2026
Lock in and load up the cloud. GFN Thursday brings fresh updates and new adventu...
22/07/2026
Among other tweaks to coverage, the broadcaster added announce positions in the ...
22/07/2026
The Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has reported a sharp acceleration in Australia's sportstech sector, with revenue growth rising from 10% in...
22/07/2026
From a retrofitted broadcast bus to packed Match Day Live! events, Bennett detai...
22/07/2026
TMRW Sports has named Brendan Donohue as President, Flag Football, where he will lead the company's professional flag football business in partnership with ...
22/07/2026
Stephen Arnold Music (SAM) designed and produced soundtracks for nine projection...
22/07/2026
Harmonic has announced a $25,000 donation to Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) fo...
22/07/2026
Telemundo has announced it has acquired from UC3 exclusive U.S. Spanish-language...
22/07/2026
The Rest Is Football, hosted by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards, ...
22/07/2026
Sports Studio has announced a partnership with TheSoul Group to distribute Free ...
22/07/2026
Daktronics has concluded its 2026 High School Video Summit, a two-day hybrid event combining virtual sessions with hands-on host school visits across the countr...
22/07/2026
FOR-A America will exhibit at the MMCA Show in Pensacola, Florida (July 21-24), marking the company's first appearance at the house of worship AV event. FOR...
22/07/2026
The New York Yankees have selected Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) to connect Ya...
22/07/2026
Calrec will exhibit at IBC 2026 (Stand 8.C47) with demonstrations of its IP-native audio ecosystem built around the Argo console range, and will announce two ne...
22/07/2026
Solid State Logic has announced the appointment of Algam EKO as its distributor for SSL large format consoles in Italy, covering the Live, Broadcast, and Studio...
22/07/2026
FloSports has announced the launch of the FloSports Channel, a free ad-supported streaming channel premiering on Prime Video in the U.S. on July 21. The channel...
22/07/2026
Banana Ball TV (BTV), the broadcast operation of the Savannah Bananas, has insta...
22/07/2026
SiriusXM and Audacy have announced an agreement bringing 42 Audacy sports, news, and talk stations from 29 U.S. markets to SiriusXM. Twenty-three Audacy sports ...
22/07/2026
The collaboration produced more than 500 short-form videos across four cities th...
22/07/2026
At 2,600 sq. ft., the new home of digital content houses a main studio, podcast space, and an auxiliary control room
NFL franchises are accelerating their prod...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Proven managed IP solution helps broadcasters confidently navigate the future of broadcast distribution
LTN announces it has completed successful satellite-to-...
22/07/2026
Today, Chaos announced V-Ray 7, update 4, eliminating the need for asset conversions and tool switching, which slow down media and entertainment pipelines. Arti...
22/07/2026
An AI playground for the Project Indigo camera app
Marc Levoy July 22, 2026
0 Comments
At left is the user interface of our Playground, running on an ...
22/07/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large technical furniture project for Radio T l vision Suisse (RTS) at the networks recently inaugurated productio...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Culver City, CA, July 21, 2026 3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced glTF intake, including the binary .glb form, to its spatial streamin...
22/07/2026
Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's versatile design allowed filmmakers to c...
22/07/2026
AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back
Jerome Gardier July 21, 2026
0 Comments
A two-way converter for macOS and Windows...
22/07/2026
From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Thr...
22/07/2026
LOS ANGELES / LONDON - July 21, 2026 - Sohonet, the global leader in collaborati...
22/07/2026
NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang today visited the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, to commission an NVIDIA DGX GB300 system - bringing one...
22/07/2026
Before a healthcare robot can be useful in the real world, it has to learn how the physical world pushes back. Anatomy varies. Instruments bend, press, slip and...
21/07/2026
With winners Spain having already paraded the World Cup trophy through Madrid in front of millions of fans and the dust now settling on an epic tournament of th...
SVG Sit-Down: Sony's Mikio Kita on Transformative Technologies and a Cloud-Based Future Acquisition of Nevion enhances remote-production solutions By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
