Milan University uses Sony for Next Generation of AV

In partnership with the systems integrator Mezzi Comunicazione Audiovisiva, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University has overhauled the audiovisual infrastructure in its classrooms.

The Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan is a leading institution and a benchmark for excellent university education. Affiliated with Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital, a focal point shared by academia and healthcare, the university was founded in 1996 with the inauguration of the Faculty of Psychology, followed by the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and the Faculty of Philosophy in 2002. The continuing integration of academics, research and practice that characterises the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University requires audiovisual infrastructure capable of meeting these high standards, which led Mezzi Comunicazione Audiovisiva to develop a bespoke integrated solution using Sony products.

Challenges

An innovative institution, like Milan’s Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, required a high-tech, state-of-the-art audiovisual infrastructure. The university wanted to ensure students and other audiences enjoyed an engaging studying and learning experience. Effectively delivering content and ideas, and thereby encouraging both sharing and participation, is now a crucial advantage for academic institutions of excellence. Equipping classrooms with multimedia and interactive technology, whilst carefully considering the mix of the best-performing products, is strategically important.                        

Solution

The modernisation of the university’s audiovisual systems formed part of a wider initiative, which began in 2015, to upgrade the technology in its classrooms. Sony’s VPL-FHZ57 laser projectors have been installed in the majority of its classrooms, helping to create an engaging and educational learning environment with presentations featuring sharp and high-impact details. The projector’s highly reliable Z-Phosphor laser light source system guarantees WUXGA-resolution images packed with detail and brightness as high as 4100 lumens. An expected lifetime of 20,000 hours with virtually no maintenance required, reduces the need for costly replacements of the lamp and the risk of unexpected interruptions during a lesson or an event.

The university’s video capture system has been upgraded to include a PTZ camera that is capable of capturinghigh-quality colour video. The Full HD SRG-300H dome camera, controlled remotely over standard IP networks, is ideal for use as a main or secondary camera in a wide range of streaming or video footage applications. With its high-sensitivity Exmor™ CMOS sensor, this camera ensures detailed Full HD pictures with high horizontal resolution. The frame rate of 60 fps delivers more natural, blur-free playback of moving subjects.

Students can easily consult and view the lesson schedule on the FWL-65W855C Sony Bravia display positioned in the university foyer. The professional, 65″ display can be used to create eye-catching signage in Full HD resolution, with superior-quality colours and contrast. The use of Android TV allows for quick customisation with extra features thanks to a growing range of B2B applications, including content sharing, video conferencing and more. Built-in support for HTML5 also offers a complete basic networked digital signage solution, with no need for additional decoders or hardware players.

In addition to the classrooms at the university itself, two classrooms at the San Raffaele hospital (Nina and Pinta), that are also used for medical conferences run by the university, have each been equipped with VPL-FHZ57 laser projectors by Mezzi Comunicazione Audiovisiva and, when the rooms are in their “connected” configuration, there is a total of four Full HD, 55″ Sony BRAVIA colour screens.

Outcome

The integrated solution implemented at the university has helped to create a lively and engaging learning environment that is adapted to modern teaching methods, further simplifying university life for students. The high performance levels, superior image quality and compatibility of Sony’s products with the university’s existing technology have all received positive feedback from university staff, who have praised the solution’s simplicity.

Why Sony was chosen

Mezzi Comunicazione Audiovisiva enjoys a long-standing relationship with the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan. So, when it came to choosing a potential partner to implement the technological overhaul of the university’s classrooms with a view to increasing its performance levels, referring to and involving MCAV was the natural choice. Thanks to in-depth knowledge of the areas concerned and the client’s needs, the partnership proved to be fruitful from as early on as the consulting and planning stage. Sony was chosen as a result. MCAV’s integrated solutions make use of the years of advantages provided by Sony’s line-up of products in its video projection and broadcast & pro AV ranges. Sony’s laser video projection systems are suited to the high educational standards at Vita-Salute due to their reliability and high performance in terms of accurate and stable colours and picture sharpness. Last but not least, the solution’s user-friendly configuration and maintenance and its elegant, low-profile design integrates aesthetically into a carefully planned environment. The HD dome cameras ensure clear, sharp HD images for the presenter and conference attendees,, whilst Sony’s exclusive View-DR technology also delivers sharp images in environments with strong LED backlighting and brightly lit or dark areas.