7 January 2010: The winner of the 2009 ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award, Mr Law Man Hoi Wicky from Phoenix Satellite Television of Hong Kong,has returned from a study tour in Japan, jointly organised by Sony Electronics Asia Pacific (Sony) and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU).

Mr Law, is currently the Engineering Manager of Phoenix Satellite Television.

Previously he worked in the Engineering Department of the Star Group for 13years. Mr Law holds Master degrees in Communication Engineering and Engineering Management. He is a founding member of the SMPTE Hong Kong Section.

Wicky Law led a project team to design and implement fully file-based and HD ready production facilities at the new Phoenix headquarters in Hong Kong. The new facilities enhance productivity using “One production, multiple consumption”and “One content, multiple versions” concepts. Mr Law was responsible for the entire system design, workflow analysis and equipment selection. His project management and technical expertise contributed to the success of the project.

Based on this successful implementation of the HDTV production facility, Mr Law was awarded the 2009 ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award.

XDCAM Demonstration

He received the award trophy from Mr Phillip Nottle, Technology Manager, Sony Business and Professional Products Asia Pacific Company, at the ABU Awards Ceremony held during a glittering function in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This function was organized in conjunction with the 46th ABU General Assembly,hosted by the Mongolian public broadcaster, Mongolian National Public Radio and Television.

During the study tour, Wicky Law visited three Sony facilities in Japan. Among them was the Atsugi Technology Centre, a Sony research and development centre where most of the broadcast and professional products are designed. He was introduced to a number of current developments, including roadmaps for XDCAM and 3D displays.

The Square, located in the Sony Head Office, is where the VIP showroom is situated displaying all the new Sony products. Mr Law witnessed the 4K projection system and the 3D theatre. During his visit, he also met with many of Sony’s senior executives.

Mr Law also visited the Kosai Technology Centre, near Osaka, the main manufacturing plant for Sony’s broadcast and professional products. He visited the assembly cells that put circuit boards and parts together with the help of specialised custom made tools.

Demonstration of 3D live production at Sony

Describing his experiences on the visit, Mr Law said, "The study tour has given me a valuable chance to visit different facilities of Sony in Japan. With that, I have been able to understand the dedication Sony has been putting into research & development, as well as production in the broadcasting industry. I was impressed by this pursuit of advancement and excellence Sony has achieved." Mr Law expressed his thanks to Sony and ABU for organising this successful study tour.