Sydney - 17 May 2011: Sony Australia has announced the completion of an upgrade to the Australian Parliament House broadcast and display technologies. In a contract worth over $4 million, the new solution future-proofs Parliament House by enabling high definition (HD) footage to be captured, in addition to standard definition (SD), for distribution to broadcast networks.

"This is the third generation of Sony cameras that have been used to record the leaders and decision makers of the nation. Using Sony products will keep Australian Parliament House up to date with the latest technology to provide greater options in the form of digital files for both local and international media," said Garry Rhodin, General Manager - Business Solutions Division, Sony Australia and New Zealand.

The Sony broadcast cameras are used within Parliament House to produce televised coverage of Chamber proceedings, committee hearings and special events as well as studio and piece-to-camera work.

Installed in the two parliamentary chambers, five committee rooms and television studio, the cameras capture live feeds of Parliamentary proceedings to provide to media who are not able to bring in their own equipment. The feeds are currently provided in SD but will be able to be sent in HD in the future, depending on the requirements of the networks. In addition, chamber and committee coverage can be viewed via the live feed available on the Parliament of Australia website.

Parliament House captures between 2500 - 3000 hours of footage per year.

With installation now complete, the deal encompasses a total of 44 x HSC300 cameras, two x PDWF800 XDCAM camcorders, control systems and monitors.

Information: For further information on the products and solutions mentioned in this media release, readers can contact Sony Australia by visiting www.sony.com.au/business.

About Sony: Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Sony Australia Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sony Corporation of Japan. With a wide range of products across three main segments, consumer products, broadcast & professional and information technology products, Sony has become a leading electronics company in Australia.