March 2012 - TVBEurope

Transcription

Inside: Vision mixer roundtable, NAB Preview, Graphics & Subtitling
TVBEUROPE
Europe’s television technology business magazine
www.tvbeurope.com
MARCH 2012
£5.00/€8.00/$10.00
Run to digital Olympics:
Sport plus lasting legacy
As the London 2012 Games approach,
Philip Stevens talks to the lead BBC practitioners
about its preparations — and the legacy from
the event the organisers wish to achieve
When the BBC televised the London Olympics
in 1948, those involved could hardly have imagined what broadcasting the next Games from
that city would entail. That said, it must have
been quite an achievement to provide around 60
hours of coverage from a service that had only
relatively recently been reactivated after the war.
The austerity Games? Things have moved on
a great deal since the last time the BBC
covered the Olympics in London in 1948
According to the BBC archive, one of the
significant developments for the 1948 events
was the introduction of an OB truck that
allowed the crew to sit down for the first time!
This time around, about 2,500 hours will
be transmitted on two of the BBC’s broadcast channels, supplemented with up to 24
live streams on broadband and other events
being shown via the ‘red button’ facility.
“These have become known as the Digital
Games,” Roger Mosey, BBC’s director of
London 2012, told TVBEurope. “That means
we are operating in entirely new territory — and
that brings its own set of exciting challenges.”
Mosey recalls there was a great sense of
excitement and anticipation when the announcement was made in July 2005 that London
would be the venue for this year’s Olympic
Games. “I was working in TV news at the time
and there was a sense of elation as the full
impact of the decision was realised. I believe it
was a fantastic moment for the country.”
Although some low level planning had
already taken place within the BBC as part
of the London bid, the real effort didn’t
begin until the Beijing Games of 2008 were
over. “Those Olympics were the biggest outside broadcast we had ever mounted and
there was enough to occupy our attentions.
But once that was completed we devoted
ourselves to 2012.”
He says that the Beijing Games had many
gargantuan features, but the BBC is aiming
for something quite different — surrounding
the actual sport with cultural and other events.
While the Olympics is a majority event with
75% of the population planning to watch the
sporting activities, there is a need to involve
the rest of the viewing audience.
“We are going to be looking at the surrounding stories, news, the torch relay and the
culture. We will be providing something for
everyone — you will not have to love sport to
enjoy the occasion.”
The BBC will provide coverage of activities
under the title of the Cultural Olympiad. These
include offering Shakespeare productions, a
music festival in east London and Promenade
concerts from the Royal Albert Hall.
“The opening ceremony for the games
will be special, but for those who are not too
interested in that event, there will be the
opportunity of seeing Daniel Barenboim
conducting Beethoven’s Ninth. That will
make the night special for those viewers.”
Full story page 12
McDonnell and Davis in Racing UK’s new gallery, with the pre-production Karrera switcher
Timeline for turnaround
Fast Turnaround TV
As tapeless workflows spread to every area of
broadcasting, one tapeless specialist has used
the opportunity to move from sport into
general programming as it builds new post and
playout facilities. David Fox reports
Timeline TV is “an OB company that’s
moved into facilities,” according to its
Commercial Director Stephen Davis. It
has recently built a new multi-channel
playout centre for Racing UK, which went
on air on 28 February at Ealing Studios in
west London, and will open its third post
facility (at MediaCity UK) in April.
Since its establishment in 2006,
Timeline has expanded from providing
tapeless server systems for outside broadcasts to flyaway production units, RF and
comms, as well as developing post houses
in central and west London.
It was originally set up to provide
EVS systems for sports and has “delivered the biggest EVS solutions outside
of EVS.” It is now taking the tapeless
workflow expertise it has developed in
Global Award Winner
To learn more, please visit www.broadcast.harris.com/Selenio.
sport and applying it to other forms of
programming, including news events
and documentaries.
“The tapeless workflow is at the core
of what we deliver, but we’ve grown the
business either side of it to offer full production facilities,” says Davis.
“We found that people didn’t know
what to do with the media” that accumulates in covering events, so it offered
services to synchronise media and edits.
This led into working on the BBC’s
Formula 1 coverage, for which Timeline
TV now holds 2,500 hours of archive. It
has a SAN in Ealing for the pre-show
edits, then takes any changes on a drive to
the OB, where the editors can immediately
pick up again and finish editing, adding
extra material from the track, and can
then finish any remaining pieces back in
Ealing afterwards. It has fibre lines to the
BBC for delivery.
It also worked on the Cricket World
Cup, for which it built the facilities to
suit the six-week event, with 37 live network programmes broadcast on BBC2
from Ealing.
Full story page 14
TVBEU R O PE N E W S & A N A LY S I S
’World’s smallest’ converters can add to Samurai or Ninja
Atomos makes the Connection
By David Fox
The recorder manufacturer,
Atomos, is getting ready to ship
its new HDMI to HD-SDI and
HD-SDI to HDMI Connect converters, and has revealed plans to
extend the range with other units,
such as one to add XLR audio
inputs to its recorders.
The converters, claimed to be
the world’s smallest, each cost
about £200, and can add HDMI
inputs to the Samurai recorder or
HD-SDI to the Ninja. Each will
be able to fit in a mainstream
Sony camcorder battery mount,
and has a one-hour battery built
in for standalone work. This also
gives it continuous power when
swapping the Sony NP battery
that can power it for many more
hours (12 on a small battery), and
it can pass that power through to
the recorder, light fitting, monitor
or camcorder it is fitted to (meaning all of them can also be
Only Connect: Young shows off a new Atomos Connect HDMI to HD-SDI converter
continuously powered). The 3Gready convertors include Pulldown removal where necessary
(60i to 24p and 30p; 50i to 25p),
and an inbuilt test pattern and
audio tone generation.
Meter gains interest: Aspen
Media, a UK distributor for
broadcast audio equipment,
hosted the UK launch of
RTW’s TouchMonitor audio
meter series, the TM3, at the
recent BVE show. The
compact TM3 has a sharp
4.3-inch touchscreen and
has been designed to provide
all the information required
for accurate sound level and
loudness management for
the small studio, OB van or
control room. It is available
in two or six channel
versions for stereo or 5.1
surround applications. It
provides PPM metering with
analogue and digital scaling,
Peak Hold and Zoom modes,
phase correlation, an AES3
status monitor plus the LRA
Loudness Range display.
The Loudness/SPL
measurements are compliant with EBU R128, ITU BS.1771, ATSCs A/85
and ARIB. Chris Collings, Aspen Media’s director, said: “Visitors loved the
mobile phone style screen and the clarity of the displays and now that
compliance with the latest loudness standards is a must, the TM3 has a
definite role to play.”
www.aspen-media.com
Atomos is now developing a
range of Connect products “that
add functionality to the recorders,
but that only 10% to 20% of users
need, such as XLR audio inputs,”
said its CEO Jeromy Young.
Since Atomos shipped the
Samurai in November, it has
“outperformed my forecasts by
about 8,000%,” and the company
is only now beginning to match
production to demand. By BVE it
had released 11 free updates to
the firmware for the Samurai,
with another almost ready to
ship. Future updates include offspeed recording (over- or undercranked), while focus peaking,
zebra stripes and false colour
should be added by NAB.
“We’re pumping our money
into development,” hiring extra
engineers, he added.
One of its longer-term goals
is an affordable 4:4:4 recorder.
“The difference between even
8-bit 4:4:4 and 10-bit 4:2:2 is
incredible. You can see the extra
colour. But, the infrastructure
isn’t there yet — as it isn’t for
50/60p,” said Young.
www.atomos.com
Fujinon takes comfort
in compact drama lens
By David Fox
Fujinon has started shipping a
compact drama lens, the 2/3-inch
HA19x7.4BERD, which had its
first UK showing at the recent BVE.
“It has reduced pumping
compared to a typical ENG lens,
and it has the new Fujinon servo
control with the comfort grip,”
said Stefan Czich, sales manager,
broadcast products, of Fujinon’s
UK distributor, Pyser-SGI. He
hadn’t thought the comfort grip
was important when he read
about it, but having tried it he
thinks it will be a lot more
comfortable to hold and offer
greater control when pointing
the camera down, as it has more
space to place your thumb and
for using the little finger to control the camera.
It costs about £12,500 with
servo focus, and there is also a
CONTENTS
1-11 News & Analysis
3 Atomos makes
the Connection
David Fox reports on the
‘world’s smallest’
converters, presented at
this year’s BVE
12-16 The Workflow
12 More than sport
Talking to the BBC, Philip
Stevens finds out what is
going on behind the scenes
in the run up to the London
2012 Olympics
14 Tapeless creates
multiple Timelines
David Fox talks to Timeline
TV, which specialises in fast
turnaround TV productions
18-25 News & Analysis
18 Production in
transition
As the only broadcast
industry journalist to attend
the EBU’s Production
Technology Seminar 2012 in
Geneva, George Jarrett got
an exclusive insight into an
industry in rapid transition
26-31 Graphics &
Subtitling
26 Hear from the likes of the
EBU, Chyron, Softel, Screen
and Wohler on how
broadcasters are adapting
graphics delivery to the new
reality of broadcast video
consumption and the
challenges in reviewing and
monitoring subtitling output
33 News & Analysis
33 Root for VoD
David Fox reports on the
BVE launch of Root6’s new
Active Logging module for
its Sienna digital production
workflow system
Dramatic potential: The new
Fujinon HA19x7.4 zoom lens
BERM, servo zoom manual
focus, version for about £12,000.
Also shipping now is the
XA20sx8.5BERM, a low-cost
HD lens with a 2x extender for
2/3-inch
cameras for under
£3,000. “It’s not a bad spec at a
very, very good price,” said Czich.
www.pyser-sgi.com
34-53 NAB New
34 Product Preview
A preview of the new
broadcast TV products that
can be found on the
showfloor at the LVCC in Las
Vegas next month, compiled
by Melanie Dayasena-Lowe
and Jake Young
54-55 Vision Mixers
Roundtable
54 The market for vision mixers
(production switchers) is
picking up and remains
competitive across all areas
of TV broadcast production.
Philip Stevens leads a unique
roundtable discussion with
Blackmagic, FOR-A, Grass
Valley, NewTek, Ross Video,
Snell and Sony
57-58 The Workflow
57 Changing the rules
of playout
Melanie Dayasena-Lowe
visits ABS Broadcast’s
newest playout centre and
talks to VSC Design and
Trilogy Communications on
the design and technology
supply that was involved
www.tvbeurope.com M A R C H 2 0 1 2
3
TVBEU R O PE N E W S & A N A LYS I S
Stefan Knebel, ANNOVA Systems
Fraser Jardine, OASYS
Markus Wallies, ANNOVA Systems
Anthony Wilkins, RTW
People on the move
By Melanie Dayasena-Lowe
ANNOVA Systems has welcomed four new employees. Timo
Raub and Stefan Knebel support
the project team; Markus Wallies
is involved in Sales and Business
Development; and representing
the North American market,
James Cooper, solutions architect
provides professional experience
and support. Knebel will reinforce the SWR and BR in
Munich, while Raub will be part
of the NDR and ARD aktuell
team in Hamburg.
Anna Mallett will take on the
position of CEO of BBC
Studios and Post Production in
September. She will report to
John Tate, chairman BBC
Studios and Post Production
and the BBC’s group director
of Policy and Strategy. Mallett
has been part of the BBC’s
senior leadership team since
Anna Mallett, BBC Studios
and Post Production
2006. Since September 2008
she has been controller of
Business Strategy.
London-based sports digital
media company deltatre Media
has appointed Jon Hanford in a
newly established role as director
of Technology. He is responsible
Indoors or outdoors
with new Canon XU-80
Canon’s new XU-80 remote
control high definition pan-tiltzoom camera head is a versatile
indoor/outdoor single-CMOS
camera system. Its quiet
operation and waterproof and
dustproof construction make it
ideal for a range of applications
from outdoor event broadcasting and traffic monitoring to
video conferencing.
4
The XU-80 has a single 1/3inch CMOS imaging sensor with
2.1 megapixels. Using a Canon
20x HD zoom, it captures high
quality images in full-HDTV format. Canon’s Dynamic Range
Compensation feature allows for
shooting in extremes of light by
automatically correcting the
video contrast.
It uses HD-SDI output (the
broadcast market standard) to
for the company’s technological
strategy and vision for growth
across all digital solutions.
Hanford recently moved on from
the BBC after 24 years, where he
spent three years as head of
Technology for Sport and most
recently as senior architect and
technical design authority for the
BBC’s 2012 Olympic digital and
online services.
Peter Passian has been named
as sales director, EMEA for Telos
Alliance and Daniel Wang has
returned to Linear Acoustic as
senior business development manager, Asia. In his new role, Passian
will oversee sales of Telos, Omnia,
Axia, and Linear Acoustic products throughout EMEA.
OASYS has recruited Fraser
Jardine as vice president, Global
Sales. Jardine brings 20 years’
experience in technical sales, presales and business development
roles. Most recently he held the
role of vice president, EMEA
Partnerships at Kit Digital.
Clive Mumby recently joined
Orad as UK sales manager to
increase Orad’s foothold in the UK
and raise its profile in the broadcast graphics and server-based
solutions market. Prior to Orad, he
was The Associated Press’ ENPS
European sales manager and
worked at Quantel as chief editor
of Broadcast Systems, specialising
in file-based workflows.
RTW has appointed Anthony
Wilkins as international sales
manager. Wilkins is an English
native speaker and has lived
and worked in Great Britain,
Switzerland, Germany and
Ireland. His main role will be to
control and coordinate RTW’s
international sales from the
corporate
headquarters
at
Cologne. He has previously
worked for Sony, Analog
Devices, DTS and most recently
for Linear Acoustic. He is also a
member of the EBU PLOUD
group, which is in charge of
developing the R128 loudness
standard; the AES and the IEEE.
Sencore’s current President
and CEO John Suranyi has been
named strategic advisor to the
company. In his new role, Suranyi
will transfer his day-to-day
responsibilities, but will remain
relay images from a distance of
up to 100m. With its single preset button option, the camera
can pan and tilt while simultaneously zooming to give on-air
movements comparable to manually operated cameras.
The Canon XU-80’s waterproof and dustproof design has
an IP55 enclosure rating. It
can be installed in challenging
locations and is not affected by
environmental conditions.
In Normal Mode, it has a noise
rating of NC≤30, suitable for quiet
indoor environments. Where a
higher speed is required, the pantilt mechanism can be accelerated
by 50% in High Speed Mode.
active on the Sencore board of
directors. In addition, Sencore’s
board
of
directors
has
announced the promotion of
Thomas Stingley from executive
vice president to president and
will be responsible for the day-today operations at Sencore.
At Signiant Tom Canavan has
been named senior vice president
of Strategic Development and
Lisa Clark has joined as vice
president of Marketing. “The
operational capacity, deep industry knowledge and enduring
relationships that Tom and Lisa
bring to our team will broaden
our engagements with media
industry customers and help to
ensure that our solutions meet
the current and future needs
of these organisations,” said
Margaret Craig, CEO of
Signiant. Canavan previously
worked for Ascent Media while
Clark has worked for Avid
Technology in the past.
Systems integrator Visual
Unity has expanded its management team with two key appointments — Tony Hasek and
Asheem Parikh. As Vice
President of Sales, Hasek will
drive Visual Unity’s international
business development and take
charge of internal sales management. Client Services Manager
Parikh, who joins from Kit
Digital, will assist customers with
effective project deliveries. Visual
Unity CEO Jakub Kabourek said:
“Tony and Asheem are valuable
additions to our team and their
experience extends our unique
expertise in linear and multiscreen solutions.
Thomas Stingley, Sencore
Tom Canavan, Signiant
Lisa Clark, Signiant
Asheem Parikh, Jakub Kabourek and Tony Hasek, Visual Unity
It weighs just 14.5lbs
(6.6kg). With its handle (included), setup is easy and can also
be mounted upright or inverted
(ceiling mount). In either position, the picture image will
automatically adjust when the
tilt angle reaches 90°. For locally
switchable output, users can
select either 1080i or 720p HD
to match their existing systems.
www.canon-europe.com
The XU-80W version of the
camera is for permanent outdoor
locations and comes with servo ND
filter and wiper unit
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TVBEUROPE
Europe’s television technology business magazine
EDITORIAL
Editorial Director Fergal Ringrose
[email protected]
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Leopardstown, Dublin 18, Ireland
+3531 294 7783 Fax: +3531 294 7799
Deputy Editor Melanie Dayasena-Lowe
[email protected]
Staff Writer Jake Young
[email protected]
Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House,
18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, England
+44 207 226 7246
Editorial Consultant Adrian Pennington
Associate Editor David Fox
USA Correspondent Carolyn Giardina
Contributors Mike Clark, Richard Dean,
Chris Forrester, Jonathan Higgins, Mark Hill,
Dick Hobbs, John Ive, George Jarrett,
Heather McLean, Bob Pank, Nick Radlo,
Neal Romanek, Philip Stevens, Reinhard E Wagner
Digital Content Manager Tim Frost
Managing Director Stuart Dinsey
ART & PRODUCTION
Head of Production Adam Butler
Editorial Production Manager Dawn Boultwood
Senior Production Executive Alistair Taylor
SALES
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ISSN 1461-4197
6
Providing industry leadership
Broadcast Production Analysis
By Fergal Ringrose
Can we draw your attention please to two quite unique features in
this issue of TVBEurope? One is our Roundtable on Vision
Mixers, led by regular contributor Philip Stevens, in conversation
with Blackmagic Design, FOR-A, Grass Valley, NewTek, Ross
Video, Snell and Sony.
What are the biggest challenges facing the manufacturers of
broadcast vision mixers right now? What are the greatest innovations
in the sector in the last 10 years? What role does 3D now play in the
broadcast production environment? How much delay is acceptable in
OB production — and what does the future hold for broadcast vision
mixers? Are the current range of vision mixers really self-op friendly
— given the pressures for directors to cut their own shows?
And what about the fact that for many productions, only a
fraction of the capacity of the production switcher is actually used
in anger? Is the massive capability of the equipment a request
from users? Stevens — and the top vision mixer makers in the
business — provide the answers, starting page 54.
Our other unique feature is an amazing piece of condensed
technology reporting from senior writer George Jarrett, starting
page 18. Jarrett travelled to Geneva recently to attend the 2012
EBU Production Technology Seminar — and I would like to
single out EBU Technical’s Eoghan O’Sullivan for pulling the
appropriate levers to enable this report to happen for TVBEurope.
“When the last engineer dies, we will use
only low frame rates. When the last producer
dies, we will use only high frame rates”
— Andy Quested, BBC
The theme of the event was ‘production in transition’ and among
the topics covered in our eight-page report are content production in
a multi-layer organisation; public broadcaster carbon footprints;
French 3D production experiences; those old favourites, formats
and interoperability; the long goodbye to the Grade 1 CRT; the EBU
R128 loudness directive; and the point at which FIMS meets MXF.
Research developments
Not a bad line-up. One presentation not mentioned in the report
(simply due to lack of space) was by Andy Quested, head of HD
technology at the BBC, who tackled camera assessment guidelines
as covered in EBU R118 and Tech 3335.
“What I am trying to do is take this esteemed work and turn it
into something we can practically apply to an environment of producers, programmes and budgets. (They) seem to have a way of
changing everything that we do in technology, and converting it to
the lowest possible common denominator.
EBU Production Technology Seminar, exclusively
reported for TVBEurope by George Jarrett
“The manufacturers produce cameras with such regularity. There
has to be a way that we can identify, codify and rate these, not based
on a comparison with each other but on the appropriateness of use.
The choice of camera has a disproportionate effect on the viewing
experience, and there is a reason that consumer products cost a lot
less than broadcast kit,” Quested told the seminar.
The use of codecs is “something else we need to plan. It is now on
the BBC’s live delivery guide that you must produce a codec map.”
On the question of quality, Quested said. “When the last engineer dies, we will use only low frame rates. When the last producer
dies, we will use only high frame rates.”
Jarrett also reports that Peter Brightwell, a lead engineer at BBC
R&D, introduced tablets as production tools. Against a backdrop
of the BBC iPlayer and the Apple apps culture, the BBC has started
to look at specialist production tools that take advantage of the
computing power, connectivity and functionality of tablets.
“We have created the Portable Production Tool,” said Brightwell.
“We asked could we provide something useful for productions — the
proper handling of time code, flexible access to content and browsing,
the viewing of rushes anywhere, selecting clips and putting together a
rough assembly of preferred shots and sending it to an edit.
“We transcode content shot in studios to short GOP H.264. We
provide live metadata synchronisation, and you can download
the video when you need it. We tried it out on the BBC comedy
productions Mongrels and Bleak Shop of Old Stuff. We loaned iPads
to the production teams to get feedback, and they asked to see rushes
quicker, live in the studio.”
Brightwell told the seminar that BBC R&D is working on comment sharing for presentation in its app, usability testing, and
some of the wider aspects of apps like this in a fuller environment.
He used a cheap AVC HD camera and a Mac mini as the server.
This produced the H.264 version, created the metadata and
enabled the wireless synchronisation with his iPad.
EBU adopts Roberts’ criteria for HD camera
By David Fox
The European Broadcasting Union has
adopted the full set of HD camera measurement criteria devised by colour scientist Alan
Roberts. The set of tests and measurements
was used to evaluate and create a list of
approved cameras for BBC HD production,
all of which has now moved to the EBU.
EBU Tech 3335, Measurements of TV
cameras for Characterising & Setting, which
was primarily written by Roberts and can be
downloaded from the Technical Publications
area on the EBU’s website, tells how to measure cameras. There is also a link to download
software to assist in any measurements.
To make it simpler for broadcasters to
assess what type of productions a camera
is suitable for, there is also a new document
that makes it easy to see what types of production fit each criteria.
EBU R118, Tiering of HD Cameras,
which was written by Andy Quested,
Measure by measure: Alan Roberts’
tests are now an EBU standard
head of Technology, BBC HD (with
input from Roberts), “allows you to
decide what genre the camera is suit able for, such as journalism, drama or
studio use. There is now a proper, formal
way of defining how cameras perform,”
said Roberts.
“R118 tells what a camera in a particular category ought to do, so broadcasters
can easily approve a camera based on the
two documents.”
As Roberts is retired, although still
doing consultancy and currently working
on a new standard for broadcast lighting,
he wanted to provide a specification that
others could use to carry out these tests.
The adoption of these documents by
the EBU means that there is no BBC
Approved for HD list anymore —
although anything that was on it is still
approved. But, all 70 documents that
Roberts wrote for the BBC are being put
up on the EBU website, and R118 can
be used to establish for what types of production they are suitable.
www.ebu.ch
http://tech.ebu.ch/camtest
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Glue products for
a sticky situation
By David Fox
The
new
Census
Digital
NanoCube range, introduced at
the recent BVE Show, can be used
as standalone glue products or
fitted four in a 1U rack mount.
Units include: a 3G/HD/SDSDI 1x2 reclocking distribution
amplifier; 3G/HD/SD-SDI 2x1
source selector; 3G/HD/SD-SDI
optical-to-electrical converter;
3G/HD/SD-SDI
electrical-tooptical converter; AES/EBU fourinput impedance matching transformers; AES/EBU digital-to-analogue audio converter; analogue
audio-to-AES/EBU digital converter; 3G/HD/SD-SDI two group
audio demultiplexer; 3G/HD/SDSDI two group audio multiplexer;
and an AES/EBU level matching
distribution amplifier.
There is also the smaller
NanoLinx series of low-cost
standalone miniature fibre optic
interfaces for transmitting and
receiving 3G/HD/SD-SDI over
single mode fibre optic cable at
distances of up to 10km. The
range includes a 3G/HD/SDSDI to HDMI converter, for
monitor feeds.
“They also do impedance
matching devices, from 75ohm
to 110ohm, for balanced to
unbalanced audio,” said James
Thomas, director of engineering
and technology at Preco, its UK
distributor. “These are available
as individual in-line baluns or as
a 1RU rack mount panel of 32
of them.”
Census taker: Thomas with two of
the new Census Digital product lines
www.censusdigital.com
www.preco.co.uk
Panasonic shows BBC
HD approved camcorder
By Jake Young
Panasonic Broadcast demonstrated some of its latest products
at BVE 2012 including the BBC
HD approved P2 format
AG-HPX250EJ, the first 10 bit
hand-held model to feature the
AVC-Intra 100 codec. With progressive-compatible ULT (Ultra
Luminance Technology), 1/3-type
2.2-megapixel 3MOS sensor and
22x zoom lens with wide coverage
from wide-angle to telephoto the
HPX250 was one of the stars of
the show.
Additionally
Panasonic
demonstrated its AG-AC130EJ
and AG-AC160EJ AVCCAM
camcorders. Both the AC130 and
160 cameras feature a 22x zoom,
dual SD cards for relay or
simultaneous recording and
exceptional low light recording
capabilities and deliver the quality and flexibility professional
video makers demand.
On the stand cameras fed new
professional plasma monitors
from Panasonic including the
highly specified BT-300 series.
Both the 42-inch and 50-inch
screens are graded for use in film
and TV in 2D and stereoscopic
production environments.
Also on show was the AGAF101EJ, the compact camera
The AG-HPX250EJ: 10-bit,
4:2:2 independent-frame, full
1920 x 1080 resolution and
AVC-Intra recording
which is designed to enable production industry professionals to
deliver cinema-like footage in HD
more simply than ever previously
thought possible. The AG-AF101
4/3 HD camcorder is an HD camera recorder equipped with a
four-thirds MOS image sensor
and is the first model in the
Panasonic AVCCAM series to
offer the possibility of exchangeable lenses.
8
www.cambo.com
www.holdan.co.uk
HHB packs Mogami cables
By Jake Young
Broadcast audio technology specialists HHB Communications
introduced a new range of
Mogami Packaged Cables during
the BVE London show.
The high-quality Mogami
cables will now be available from
HHB in a single-cable package
with terminated ends. The line
includes a total of 46 cables: four
Reference Microphones Cables,
12 Premium Studio Accessory
Cables; six Premium Guitar
Cables, three Premium AES/EBU
Interface Cables; 12 Analogue
8-channel multicore cables, and
nine Digital 8-channel AES/EBU
multicore cables.
Neglex oxygen free copper quad
cabling, high-density shielding and
conductive PVC layering are used as
components in several of the cables
HHB introduced Mogami Packaged
Cables at BVE London
to ensure transparency and reduced
electromagnetic induction. The
cables and connectors are hand soldiered rather than crimped, which
also means they are repairable.
Post production plugins for
Pro Tools and other DAWs from
Dolby, Nugen and TC were also
on show, as well as the RØDE
Stereo VideoMic Pro, holding its
world premiere.
www.hhb.co.uk
www.panasonic.net
Monitor evolution: Oxygen DCT
showcased a host of monitors for
broadcast and production at BVE 2012,
writes Jake Young. Included was a
5-inch DSLR monitor, an 18.5-inch
multipurpose monitor, 17-inch production
monitor, 24-inch and 47-inch 10-bit,
reference monitors as well as an
impressive monitor wall with 3D
monitoring. “We have introduced new 3D
monitoring, which allows production crews
to operate in 3D mode at a touch of a
button,” said Steve Hathaway, Oxygen
DCT’s managing director. The MultiStack
has been designed as a budget conscious
monitor wall with individual source
monitors arranged in rows according to
production requirements. The 9.7-inch
monitors use IPS LCD technology to give
a wider viewing angle, approaching a full 180°. “Monitoring is often a challenge to many broadcast engineers as
they try to balance monitor wall design with ergonomics and available budget,” Hathaway added. The Evolution P3
seven-inch and 17-inch monitors were on display, together with a new five-inch monitor range for DSLR cameras
such as the popular Canon 5D and 7D.
www.oxygendct.com
Focus control: Cambo’s new CS-MFC1 Universal Follow Focus Kit (shown
here on a Canon C300) attaches directly to 15mm lightweight support rods
with a quick-lock clamper to offer precise focus control. To make the £830
kit universal to work with almost any lens, it has a flexible gear ring which
can fit any focus barrel measuring from 40mm to 100mm in diameter.
It can also reverse its direction of rotation to accommodate the inverse
focus direction of DSLR lenses. — David Fox
Viewing angle: The CoolTouch RX-702HD turns
through 180º for viewing and maintenance
CoolTouch racks monitor options
By David Fox
For outside broadcast or machine
room use, CoolTouch has several
new rack-mountable monitor sets
that twist or slide away, to offer better viewing angles or to save space.
The new £2,595 RX-702HD
has dual 7-inch widescreen displays, with HDMI and HD-SDI
inputs. The rack mount allows
them to be turned through 180º for
ease of viewing or maintenance.
They have LED backlights for
use in high brightness areas and,
as the name suggests, run cool.
All CoolTouch monitors include
audio as standard, and will deembed it from the HDMI stream.
Also new are twin 7-inch and
triple 5.6-inch screens that fold
flat to slide into a 1RU drawer,
making them ideal for equipment
rooms or OBs where there is limited space. The DX-563AL (triple)
costs about £1,400, while the
dual-screen DX-702AL is £1,300.
www.cooltouchmonitors.com
www.preco.co.uk
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Cel-Soft variety for quality control
By David Fox
The new Reel-Check Solo-QC from
Cel-Soft is “a bit like a Swiss Army
knife. It’s a complete toolset for both
file and live production. It can
also QC a tape, and captures and
analyses on the fly,” said Cel-Soft
Managing Director, Robin Palmer.
“What sets it apart is the
variety of tests you can do, and its
flexibility. You can set up the
screen to show you just what you
want it to show.”
Launched at BVE, Solo-QC is a
desktop application aimed at doing
quality control on particular
projects and provides traditional
tools, like waveform, vectorscope,
parades, histograms and gamut. It
also has audio monitoring, for up
to 16 channels and surround
sound, with loudness metering to
both European and US standards,
as well as the Harding test for
photosensitive epilepsy, which is
mandatory in the UK, plus metadata decoding and logging.
All the tests (more than 32) can
be done simultaneously, file-based
material is analysed faster than
realtime (from 2x to 7x depending
on hardware and file type).
It can run multiple channels at Robin Palmer: Cel-Soft is “a bit like a Swiss Army knife.
once (“at least four”) depending on It’s a complete toolset for both file and live production”
what hardware you run it on. It can
also be used as a multiviewer, with
any alarms popping up if something is wrong, and produces a full
range of log reports with timecode
and thumbnails. It will do batched
operation of any number of
sources, and can be used in a variety of places in production or post
or as a networked facility.
It will be available this month
either as Windows software (for
£2,500) or as a turnkey system,
including hardware, built to the
customer’s requirements.
www.cel-soft.com
www.reel-check.com
TVLogic displays make the grade
Sonnet drive to speed backup
By David Fox
Sonnet has launched two new
professional media readers that
can be combined with its compact
new portable RAID arrays for
high-speed backups.
The Qio E3 card reader can take
up to three SxS cards at once, while
the Qio CF4 takes up to four
Compact Flash cards. Each reader
costs £420 and has two 6Gbps
eSATA ports for connection to
back-up drives. Sonnet currently
has four ruggedised, portable
drives, and has just added the
Thunderbolt-equipped
Fusion
F2TBR, which takes two solid-state
drives (totalling up to 1TB) capable
of high-speed transfers (up to
640Mbps read and 430Mbps write).
It joins the 1.5TB Fusion F2 (with
eSATA ports), 2TB F2QR (eSATA,
dual FireWire 800, plus USB 2.0)
and the similarly connected 6TB
F3, but all of them have maximum
speeds of no more than 200Mbps.
It also has two new Fusion
desktop RAID 5 storage arrays
with Thunderbolt connections.
The four-drive E400TBR5 has
read/write speeds of up to
400/340Mbps, while the eightdrive E800TBR5 offers speeds of
800/730Mbps.
The high-speed Thunderbolt
port is standard on current
MacBook and iMac computers, but
these don’t have the ability to fit PCIe
Several recent monitors from
TVLogic were on show at
BVE, including a new grade
one monitor, the 32-inch
XVM-325W, which uses a
true 10-bit panel that can display more than one billion
colours. It can run user-added
look up tables, and comes
with EBU and SMPTE LUTs
as standard.
There is also a new, lower-cost
24-bit grading monitor. The 24inch multi-format LVM-247W uses
a 10-bit dithering display that is
claimed to be very close to the profile of a grade one monitor, but less
than half the price, at about £5,000.
Features include: 3G/DualLink HD-SDI, HDMI and DVI
A display of Logic: The LVM-074W
was one of many monitors making
their BVE debuts from TVLogic
inputs (including 4:4:4 and
1080p 50/60 support); waveform
and vectorscope; 1:1 pixel
mapping modes; audio demuxing; on-screen audio level meter;
Polecam Struts its stuff
By David Fox
Polecam showed several new
accessories for its lightweight jib
arms at BVE. Although its carbon fibre poles are reasonably
stiff, when they reach their maximum length (up to 8m) some
users might need extra stability,
especially with the older poles
that don’t benefit from the latest
advances in carbon fibre.
In response, there is the new
Polecam Wire Strut System (about
£500) “to stabilise it further, for operators who want to throw it around,
especially at concerts,” said Polecam
Founder, Steffan Hewitt. It will
reduce vibration during any rapid
movement, such as when mounted
on a moving vehicle.
He also reported lots of
interest in Polecam’s recently
UMD support; timecode
display;
and
various
scan modes.
Its new passive 3D monitors include the TDM473W, a 47-inch model, and
the 24-inch TDM-243. Both
require just polarised glasses, and include dual HDMI
and SDI inputs
It also showed its
latest, lightweight 7-inch
model, the LVM-074W. It has a
1024x600 screen, with HDMI
I/O, HDMI to SDI conversion,
and a range of exposure tools
aimed at DSLR and camcorder
users. It has magnesium housing
and costs about £2,000.
www.pyser-sgi.com
www.tvlogic.tv
introduced wide DSLR head,
and has now developed a longbody head, so that the jib can
take a wider range of cameras.
“It has a slip ring for power and
composite video, and you can
put HDMI through it for monitoring,” he explained.
Polecam has also developed a
new stabilised cup holder, with a
gap in the side for a proper cup
handle — “Only £6,000 with a free
Polecam,” joked Hewitt.
www.polecam.com
By David Fox
Two Sonnet card readers, including
the new Qio F3, plus a Fusion F2
portable RAID and Thunderboltequipped Echo Express expansion unit
cards, so Sonnet has also announced
new Thunderbolt Echo Express
expansion units that will take either
a single half-length (about $450) or
dual full-length ($800) PCI Express
2.0 card, for video capture, fibre
channel, digital audio, RAID control or multi-screen video. Up to six
peripherals, including more expansion units, can be daisy chained on a
single Thunderbolt port.
Also new is the Xmac mini
Server, a 1U rack mount PCIe 2.0
expansion system with Thunderbolt
ports. It also has Gigabit Ethernet
and can take two PCIe cards (one
half-length and one full-length), so it
could take an AJA Kona card to create a compact capture station or a
fibre channel card to become a
metadata controller for SAN systems. It should ship in April for
about $1,400.
www.sonnettech.com
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TVBEU R O PE T H E W O R K F L O W
London 2012: More than sport
Being host nation means there are two sides to the BBC’s operation for the London 2012 Games. The first is to serve
the licence fee payers of the United Kingdom, but there is also the commitment to provide facilities at the events to
which the corporation has been assigned. Philip Stevens investigates the work going on behind the scenes
Overseeing both sides of the
BBC’s London 2012 obligation is
Dave Gordon, head of Major
Events. “I’ve been involved with
10 Olympic Games, but this is
surely the most exciting. We have
much experience at coverage of
important events, but that doesn’t
mean we just dust off the plans for
the previous games and reuse the
formula. However, we do have the
core knowledge, and so 2012
doesn’t daunt us.”
Like Mosey, Gordon sees the
biggest innovation for London
2012 as the opportunity to
exploit the red button and internet offerings.
“We used the red button at
Beijing, but we are now at a new
stage, where we can show every-
thing. If a viewer wants to watch,
say, six indoor volleyball matches
one after another, that will be possible. We appreciate the diversity
in the UK and our service will
cater for that factor.”
He states that programme editors will no longer face the difficult decision to cut away from one
sport to another at a crucial
moment — the coverage will be
available somewhere on the various platforms.
Although it is not the host
broadcaster (that is Olympic
Broadcasting Service — OBS,
based in Madrid), Gordon
knows that if anything goes
wrong, the UK audience will
blame the BBC. So planning has
to be meticulous.
Broadcast resources
Such an approach involves a great
deal of resources. As far as the
coverage on behalf of the host
broadcaster is concerned, the
BBC is using the outside broadcast resources offered by SIS
(Satellite Information Services).
To cater for its UK transmissions, a presentation area is being
built by the BBC within the
Olympic Park venue. In addition,
space within the International
Broadcasting Centre (IBC) has
been allocated for production
galleries and edit suites.
“These digital Olympics will enable us to
meet the 21st century need for consumer choice.
The various platforms provide that opportunity
and London 2012 will be a milestone”
— Dave Gordon, BBC
Roger Mosey: Consumer choice will be
a key feature of the digital Olympics
“We will be taking the coverage offered by OBS and then
packaging it to suit our viewers’
needs by adding our own
commentary, presentation, context and features. We’ll be taking
a look at the bigger picture and
providing the stories that will
resonate with British audiences.”
He adds that the BBC, unlike
some other international broadcasters, will not be myopic in its
Gordon confirms there will be
a limited amount of 3D recording
— but the priority remains providing coverage in the format used
by the majority audience.
approach. “We will not ignore
athletes from other countries. We
will be where the stories are —
no matter who is involved.”
“We have designed these production areas with the Games
in mind. The workflow has been
created to make the best use of
the space. And we will be
virtually tapeless — although
there may be an odd tape to
provide back up, if necessary.
We have also designed a special
communication system to enable
us to speak to any and all venues
as needed.”
Beyond technology
Dave Gordon: “We used the red button
at Beijing, but we’re now at a stage
where we can show everything”
Beyond the facilities surrounding the Olympic Park in
east London, the BBC is
using its new media centre at
Salford Quays, near Manchester.
“This will be fully utilised with
a great deal of the streaming
and web-based transmissions
being handled by the state-ofthe-art equipment we have at
that site.”
One other major innovation
will be in use at some event venues
— Super Hi-definition. “We have
a unique partnership with NHK
in Japan,” asserts Gordon. “And
that will enable some coverage
in this format — although, of
course, this will not involve
domestic live transmissions.”
Video gateway links OB vans
T-VIPS’ advanced JPEG2000
Video Gateway, the TVG450, has
been deployed by A1 Telekom
Austria in its new fleet of OB
vans. This contribution solution
is already deployed and is providing video contribution services on
behalf of ORF from venues
throughout Austria.
The primary use of these OB
vans is to enable ORF, the state
broadcaster, to transport high
quality JPEG2000 video from 150
points of presence across Austria,
over A1’s MPLS backbone, to
ORF’s centralised production
facilities. This video contribution
project is designed to neatly integrate with A1’s fixed IP video
transport network, which is also
powered by T-VIPS’ JPEG2000
12
solutions. This combination of
OB vans linked via IP to ORF’s
central editing studios means
greater flexibility, easy access to
editing and production skills and
reduced costs.
“We are delighted with the
flexibility, reliability and effectiveness of the IP-based OB van
solution operated by A1,” says DI
Alexander Hetfleisch, project
manager, Planning Department,
ORF. “In close cooperation with
A1, we designed a solution for
live event coverage that ensures
robust video transport, low latency, and efficient use of our video
equipment resources.”
The TVG450 is a member of
the T-VIPS’ Video Gateway
suite designed for realtime contribution and distribution of
The primary use of these OB vans is to enable ORF to transport high
quality, JPEG2000 video, from 150 points of presence across Austria
There is, of course, a huge amount
of planning to handle an event
like the Olympic Games. And they
will be over in a relatively short
period of time. But the experience
will leave a legacy for the future.
Both BBC Director of London
2012 Roger Mosey and colleague
Dave Gordon agree that the experience of London 2012 will mean
a better understanding of the
streaming technology. “These digital Olympics will enable us to
meet the 21st century need for
consumer choice. The various
platforms provide that opportunity and London 2012 will be a
milestone in that development,”
states Gordon.
But beyond technology, Mosey
also sees the personal development of work skills as a legacy.
“The Olympics will require a high
level of manpower and to help
handle that we have run two
rounds of our apprenticeship
schemes and several work experience periods. We now have a very
sound base of technical operators
and this training will provide an
ongoing benefit for the industry
as a whole.”
He concludes, “All in all, this
really is going to be a very positive
and exciting year for the BBC.”
www.bbc.co.uk/2012
broadcast quality video over IP
networks. It has increased density with up to 1 3G-SDI, 2 HDSDI or 4 SDI channels in the
same unit.
“The flexibility and ease of
set-up of the T-VIPS TVG450
enabled us to equip our new OB
vans to provide ORF with
JPEG2000 video transport
rather than having to purchase a
Video Gateway for every live
event facility in Austria,” says
Karl Heinz Klocker, head of
Multimedia and Broadcast
Solutions, A1 Telekom Austria.
“The roving video contribution
service for scheduled events, that
T-VIPS technology enables, provides all the functionality of a
fixed contribution solution at the
venue and additionally delivers
increased efficiency and costeffectiveness.” The system was
delivered in cooperation with
Austrian partner TV-Connect.
www.t-vips.com
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The story behind a multi-faceted broadcast services company specialising in fast turnaround TV
Tapeless creates multiple Timelines
By David Fox
Timeline TV’s biggest server system, using a 50-seat IPDirector set
up, was for the 2011 Wimbledon
Tennis Championships, providing
recording on 16 HD EVS XT2s for
every match for the BBC and IMG
(for the World Feed and archive),
with producers logging the action
on every court. The logs combined
the producer’s subjective classification with live statistical information
from the on-court scoring system.
The company essentially provided an International Broadcast
Centre at Wimbledon, selling IPD
seats on the system to other
broadcasters (it had 11 of these in
2011), all of whom also had
access to a fully logged archive
from 2007 (when it started working on Wimbledon) to 2010. All
media is backed up to removable
storage for redundancy and,
when the tournament is over,
forms Wimbledon’s permanent
digital archive.
Timeline provides a similar set
up for the Australian and French
Open Tennis Championships, and
also for news events, such as the
UK’s three big party political
conferences (held each Autumn),
where it supplies facilities for
Britain’s three main news broadcasters (BBC, ITN and Sky News).
All of the media goes into the
central system and is logged and
made available to all three news
organisations, who responded
positively to its question: ‘We
have this system, why not collaborate?’ Timeline looks after the
complete workflow, from before
the event through post to archive.
This system has been operating since 2007, and in 2011 it had
four HD XT2s recording all the
action in HD, with several low-res
servers recording proxy copies.
More than 30 IPDirector terminals were distributed among the
broadcasters for instant access to
any story. Each broadcaster also
had their own ingest terminals,
with security settings guaranteeing exclusive access to any content they didn’t want to share
while making it simple to share
any material they did.
The IPDirector system integrates with both Avid and Final Cut
Pro suites and Timeline provided 15
editing suites ranging from Avid
laptops to a full shared Xsan system. The main speeches are logged
by journalists to allow all producers
to search and quickly find clips and
send them to their edit suites.
End-to-end efficiency
“It’s been difficult for the producers to specify what they want as the
technology has changed. They are
familiar with tape, but not with
tapeless. Their problem isn’t just
14
The company essentially provided an International Broadcast Centre at Wimbledon 2011
“We’re applying the basic principles of sports
production to general programming that
needs to be high quality and fast turnaround”
— Stephen Davis
Racing certainty: A fully
programmable control system was
the key reason for choosing an
Evertz router
the technology, but the workflow,”
says Commercial Director Stephen
Davis. Timeline aims to look after
the complete end-to-end workflow,
becoming involved in the production, so that it can make it happen
as efficiently as possible.
It has applied that model to
more general programming, such
as Garden Productions’ Seven
Dwarves (a 7 x 60mins documentary series for Channel 4, which
was transmitted last Autumn and
involved lots of mini cameras
observing the dwarves’ lives).
“We’re applying the basic principles of sports production to general programming that needs to be
high quality and fast turnaround.”
It also worked on the
makeover show, House of Grazia,
for Sky Living last year. “Sports
has been years ahead in tapeless,”
and although there are some differences between sports and general programming, “the core technology is the same,” says Davis.
“We’re used to higher stress
levels in sports production, and
we’re able to bring the same level
of energy,” along with expertise in
server-based production.
Drama may not seem an obvious next step, but it is working with
ITV’s award-winning period
drama Downton Abbey (produced
by Carnival Films) as a joint venture with Ealing, which provides
the studios while Timeline does the
post production.
Davis praises the flexibility
offered by Ealing Studios, which
allows Timeline to rapidly
increase its space as needed. “Our
aim is to keep competitive, and
our relationship with Ealing
enables us to do that.”
Its own facilities are also built
to be flexible, so a room can
quickly convert from an editing
suite to a live commentary area.
“We’re very solution-focused. We
can adapt very quickly,” he adds.
“The reduction in price of
broadcast equipment allowed us
to step into this market, providing
the same level of engineering still,
but reducing the cost of the
equipment.” This is how it was
able to move into the flyaway
market, for example, where it has
worked on such events as the
Volvo Ocean Race.
It is also working on longform outside broadcasts for Sky,
where it provides the technology
and staff.
“Long-form OBs have more
media management issues. We are
using our server trailer for Sky’s
darts coverage. It contains near-
line RAID storage for archive
(70TB), Avid Unity Interplay,
and offers EVS integration with
whichever OB truck is in use that
day,” he explains.
“It allows Sky some consistency
over several OB companies and
means the OB companies don’t
have to worry about operating the
archive.” Timeline provides a
smaller server trailer for the party
conferences, and has used them
for Ryder Cup golf (linking
into temporary edit suites) and
concerts (where it is also used to
produce limited news feeds).
It also does consultancy for
broadcasters and other facilities
on tapeless, such as Sky News,
The London Studios, IMG
Mediahouse and Input Media.
“Technology gets more complicated by the year and it’s the technical knowledge that wins the
contracts,” he says.
Racing home
Timeline won a seven-year contract with Racing UK last year to
provide a new playout and production centre, which has just
opened. “Racing UK is on a
whole different level,” says Davis.
It is using a new building at
Ealing to produce the Racing UK
channel, on Sky, and Turf TV,
which goes to 95% of betting
shops in the UK. Each has its own
look. Racing UK has presenters,
while Turf TV is more informational, including virtual racing
and results from other sports. It
also produces GBI Racing, an
international channel for British
and Irish racing, which is a combination of Racing UK and At The
Races. There are three versions:
for Australia, Hong Kong, and the
rest of the world.
To connect to 30 racecourses
around the country, the Master
Control Room uses BT’s
JPEG2000 MPLS (Multi Protocol
Label Switching) network, which
was chosen to minimise picture
latency, an important consideration for betting. “For each racecourse we get back an international feed, a presentation feed and a
reserve feed,” explains Dan
McDonnell, Timeline’s managing
director. “We can get six simultaneous racecourses — 18 incoming
lines — at once.” There are also
back ups for each of the 18 lines,
with two diverse paths all the way
from the racecourses to Ealing.
BT provides all the ISDN
codecs in a rack, and Timeline
has written its own remote control software to dial out from the
MCR, so that everything can be
controlled from there.
The building has a threecamera studio (800sqft/75sqm)
for Racing UK that can have two
sets (for day and eventing shows),
and a single-camera talking heads
studio for Turf TV. Both have
Hitachi DK-H100 2/3-inch 3-CCD
HD box cameras, with Canon
lenses, on Shotoku robotic heads
(but not robotic pedestals as all
they require is to be repositioned
as production moves from one set
to the other).
With the Shotoku system “we
can have all pre-programmed
sequences and just hit the touchscreen. Lighting and cameras are
all controlled by one person,” in
the MCR, says McDonnell. The
MCR also has an engineer and an
ingest operator (which includes
taking in material from crews
shooting news stories, press conferences and features).
“The unique thing about this
flexibility is the tapeless system,”
which uses IPDirector. It takes a
data feed from the Press
Association, with details of runners, riders, race start times, timecode from the events, the results
and what happened to each horse.
This populates the IPDirector
database and producers can use the
information to select low-res clips
and send any shots they select to
the edit or put it on air, or send
graphics to be prepared.
All the media is backed up
overnight to LTO-5 tape for archive,
with 120 tapes kept in the LTO
robot. There is also a copy of every
tape off site for disaster recovery.
It has a 250TB central SAN for
long-term access to low-resolution
Continued on page 16
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Sigma to Provys
Sigma Television, the free-to-air
broadcaster in Cyprus, has implemented
a Provys broadcast management
system. The new technology covers
advertising sales, programme planning,
rights management and a programme
library. “When I saw Provys for the first
time I was amazed by the range of
features,” said Andreas Demetriades, IT
manager at Sigma. “I saw two major
issues that helped us decide. First, it
covers more possibilities that we can
foresee today and gives us peace of
mind for the future. Second, we needed
a strong tool to replace our former
airtime sales application.”
www.provys.com
Sky Deutschland deploys
Aspera frameworks
Sky Deutschland has selected Aspera
to streamline broadcast operations and
accelerate delivery of high-quality
digital TV programming. The Aspera
deployment integrates next-generation
file sharing, content distribution and
automation frameworks for high
performance automated ingest from
global content suppliers, high-speed
gathering of breaking news and sports
from field reporters and complete VoD
orchestration. “With this new deployment,
we are looking to achieve multiple
improvements in our content supply
chain and shorten lead times on
material procurement by automating
the production process,” explained
Francesco Donato, VP of Broadcast
Operations at Sky Deutschland.
www.asperasoft.com
TerraBlock for
Premiere Pro
Debuted at BVE 2012, Facilis
Technology’s Version 5.5 of its
TerraBlock Shared Storage System
delivers improved compatibility, value,
scalability and performance. It also
includes integrated server spanning
and mirroring, Adobe Premiere Pro
project sharing and a new capacity
expansion product called TX16.
“TerraBlock 5.5 packages all the
functionality of a custom, highperformance file system into an
affordable, collaborative and easy-touse SAN,” said Shane Rodbourn, senior
VP and general manager at Facilis.
www.facilis.com
Opening up new Timeline: McDonnell with robotic cameras in the Racing UK studio
Continued from page 14
media, while high resolution
media will either be on the SAN (if
it is recent) or LTO-5. “The key
thing is the producer can look at
all the media instantly, search the
archive, and get bits immediately
off the LTO robot, or loaded in
from older LTO tapes.”
The vision galleries are fitted
with Grass Valley Karrera switchers (a 3M/E version for RUK and
a 2M/E model for TTV) — the
first in the UK. These are preproduction models to get the
channels on air and will be
replaced with production models
once they start shipping.
One of the reasons McDonnell
likes the Karrera is that it has dualchannel K2 Solo clip storage,
which can be used to replay wipes,
picture-in-picture and run animated backgrounds, “like having
another VT source”.
The galleries also have EVS
LSM XT3 controllers, fully integrated with the servers. “This is at
the heart of the system,” he says.
“Everything goes through the server before going to the SAN.” It has
12 ingest channels, and three servers
(two for Racing UK, one for Turf
TV — but all can share clips).
Graphics are created on Chyron’s
HyperX systems, two each for the
two main channels, with live betting
odds and results taken from the PA
data feed, “so there is no data entry
required by the operators.” There are
two operators per main channel, who
also work for the edit suites.
The build began in October, and
the building went on air on 28
February. Megahertz Broadcast did
the systems integration and installation, as McDonnell had worked
with them before and knew they
could deliver on time, while Studio
Schemes did the build (floating studios, air conditioning, mains wiring
and everything building related).
“It’s an amazingly versatile box. You can almost
put any signal into it —
MADI, AES and analogue
audio, analogue video, HD
video. It’s also taking a feed
from the talkback matrix,
so you can have full communication between the
MCRs,” integrating them
both, he says.
If the Racing UK
building had to be evacuated, this would allow it to
continue on air. “We can
remotely switch the Evertz
and take on the talkback
system, so everything in
this building can be controlled from the other
building, and vice versa,”
explains McDonnell.
There are three identical gallery
suites for the three GBI channels,
each with a Ross Carbonite 1M/E
mixer, which also generates multiviewers, an EVS LSM for replays, and
a graphics console for automated
graphics. Timeline has also developed
“[MediorNet] is an amazingly versatile box.
You can almost put any signal into it — MADI,
AES and analogue audio, analogue video, HD
video” — Dan McDonnell
It uses an Evertz EQX router,
with two complete crosspoint paths
for redundancy. “If one path fails it
can seamlessly recover. It is also 3G
compliant for future use,” he says.
“We particularly like the control
system. It is fully programmable
and every button can do multiple
things. This is particularly important as everyone wants to find all
the sources very quickly.”
The choice of matrix meant it
made sense to envelop it with Evertz
infrastructure, such as multiviewers,
DAs, audio DAs, embedders/deembedders, and master clock.
The talkback system is a
Riedel Artist 128-port frame. For
redundancy, the machine room
also connects with Timeline’s
existing MCR in another building
at
Ealing
using
Riedel
MediorNet, which can carry multiple HD video signals, audio, reference and network signals, and
talkback matrix panels, between
the buildings using a single fibre
(there are main and backup fibres
linking the sites).
some custom hardware and software
so that when the director goes
between sources, the audio follows.
Racing UK has chosen Final
Cut Pro 7 for editing, but will
migrate to X eventually, for its three
edit suites. Timeline uses both FCP
and Avid equally, depending on
client choice. For Downton Abbey,
for example, it uses Avid.
In April, Timeline is also opening a new facility at the MediaCity
UK site in Salford (Manchester),
beside BBC North and the BBC
Sport department. It will have six
edit suites (switchable between
Avid and Final Cut), an Autodesk
Smoke finishing suite and a
ProTools audio suite.
“We do a lot of BBC work
currently, and BBC Sport has
moved to Manchester and encouraged independent facilities to
open up there,” says McDonnell.
It will also have an EVS operation
there, for live ingest and playout,
with IPDirector systems and two
XT3 servers.
www.timeline.tv
Budget automated
archive on LTO-5
By David Fox
With the increasing use of tapeless
acquisition, comes the need for automated backup and archiving strategies, one of the best of which is a
return to tape… The new ProxSys
MA-LTO asset management system,
from Focus Enhancements (part of
Vitec Multimedia), uses 1.5TB LTO5 digital tapes to offer less expensive
and more reliable long-term storage
than disk-based systems.
It will automatically compile the
tapes, adding metadata, using the
ProxSys media archive, which combines automated storage and an
online database, and store the content
on an IBM LTO-5 drive. It is available
as an all-in-one system for £8,450.
The unit can import content directly from solid state or other media,
generate proxy video, and add metadata from original files. Users can
browse content, or add further metadata, from a graphical user interface.
The system stores 2,500 hours of
video on a local 1TB RAID volume.
www.holdan.co.uk
www.vitecmm.com
Manfrotto’s Bridge
to tripod head
By David Fox
Manfrotto’s new MVH502 fluid
head replaces its popular 501
head, but has been completely
redesigned to use Manfrotto’s
bridging technology.
It will carry up to 4kg, be available either with a flat base or an
integral 75mm ball, and should
ship by April. Features include: a
larger camera base; larger sliding
plate; fixed counterbalance; and
two 3/8-inch threads for fixing
accessories. A complete kit, with
tripod legs, should cost about £450.
It is based on the same design
as the recently introduced 509HD,
which carries up to 13kg and has
three stages of counterbalance,
plus “a levelling/balancing memory to make it easier to rebalance
the tripod if going between handheld and tripod,” explained Peter
Novell, Manfrotto’s video channel
sales manager. The 509HD costs
about £660, or £1,160 with legs.
www.manfrotto.co.uk
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• HDMI input and output
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• Video Up, Down, and Cross conversion (hardware-based, 10-bit)
• 8-Channel embedded SDI audio I/O
• 8-Channel analog audio output (via standard DB-25-type cable)
• Front panel LED VU meters and Headphone output w/level control
• Reference In/LTC In (selectable)
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TVBEU R O PE N E W S & A N A LY S I S
Exclusive: Production @ transition
Thanks to a special collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union, TVBEurope’s George Jarrett was the
only broadcast industry journalist to attend the recent EBU Production Technology Seminar 2012 in Geneva.
Here, he reports on an industry in rapid transition due to a drastic change in content consumption behaviour
The EBU, vital technical life assurance for public service broadcasters,
has reached the biggest crunch
point of its long existence.
Voices from commercial TV,
politics and the press have all
voiced doubts about the sustainability of publicly funded broadcasting, but this enchanted beastie
was in bold problem-solving
form at the EBU’s annual production seminar.
The theme of the event was
‘production @ transition,’ something expanded by event chairman Hans Hoffmann. The EBU’s
head of media fundamentals
and production technology, and
SMPTE VP of Engineering said:
“The whole industry around
broadcasters is in transition.” The
drastic change has come in content consumption.
The conference was split into
two streams — media fundamentals and production, and media
delivery and services — and it kicked
off with impassioned keynotes
delivered by Roberto Pomari, head
of business development with the
Swiss broadcaster RSI, and Kevin
Price, COO at BAFTA.
Pomari’s subject was content
production in a multi-layer organisation, which translated into satiating “The behaviour and attitude
of consumers,” and the certainty
that their interaction with new
technologies is shaking the market
out of rigid complacencies.
Citing the explosive growth
of the BBC iPlayer, Pomari suggested: “People are no longer
prepared to accept just a stream
of linear content. It is important
that (broadcasters) have their
services ready to deliver content
right away — in the way, and with
the specifications, that consumers demand.
“There is no difference
between RSI and the BBC. We
are all in the same boat,” he
added. “Funding will be a problem because if people are ready to
pay for what you propose as content, it is not automatic that they
are prepared to pay for anything.”
Pomari touched on the
core question of whether it is
sustainable to keep funding
state television from the public
purse. The saving graces will
be to change business models,
and to release value and staff to
create content.
“We have to think of a community of consumers who want
to be unique,” he said. “Decouple
your platforms and deploy an
SOA-minded design for new
structures. And workflows have
18
Eyes down: Delegates at the recent EBU Production Technology Seminar in Geneva
Attracting two billion viewers
Roberto Pomari on the explosive growth of the BBC iPlayer:
“People are no longer prepared to accept just a stream of linear content”
to be part of our business. Get the
best out of your metadata; let it
drive your processes.”
Price offered something that
might transform the future of content production; by making us all
dutifully green. The carbon
calculator Albert, piloted by the
BBC as an online resource in 2009,
has made huge advances since
BAFTA took responsibility for
independent steerage and an 11strong consortium was assembled.
“We looked at the BBC version
and adapted it to suit the whole
production community,” said Price.
This required a new look portal,
and work on making Albert production manager friendly.
“Albert integrates seamlessly
with the budgeting process. You
put in the numbers, predict your
carbon footprint alongside your
budget and then, at certain points
you put in the actual stats and see
if your predications are correct,”
said Price.
Albert asks a series of key area
questions. Because he knows how
many days you spent in the studio
per episode/series, he calculates
your carbon footprint. “The back
end data comes primarily from
carbon conversion factors devised
by AMEE, one of the technical
partners,” said Price. “Other
factors, such as the amount of
carbon associated with using an
edit suite for an hour, are bespoke
and specific to Albert.”
The BBC published a first/
reference carbon figure for an
hour of programming; it came
out at 8.2 tonnes, equivalent to
the yearly omissions from two
households. “The significance of
8.2 tonnes is a bit like setting out
to lose weight. The first thing you
do is weigh yourself, and that is
what we’ve done,” said Price.
The keynotes were followed by
production stories involving vastly
different audiences — from Samu
Reijonen of YLE in Finland, and
the BBC’s Peter Taylor.
Producer Reijonen reported on
the success of the tri-media comedy
drama New Day, aimed at children.
This runs Monday to Wednesday,
and as re-runs. YLE will make 105
28-minute shows this year, at a cost
of €50,000 per episode.
“Department
heads
are
responsible for their own fields,”
said Reijonen. “We use 30 actors,
of which 10 are amateurs, and
follow three generations of one
family. The story team is dialogue
writers, script editor, director and
DOP, and it takes 13-14 weeks to
create a series.”
The shoots are done in
14,000sqm of space. After picture
and dialogue editing, scoring and
grading, the sound edit is done and
the content goes into a packaging
process. A web team works with the
story team, and they target 7-25
year olds with the advantage that
the Finnish acting union allows the
cast to produce web content.
YLE gets 65,000 viewers per
episode but the social media and
mobile app success and the clever
linkage of story lines to things
like the local YLEX radio station
and one of its reporters has
turned New Day into a useful reference for many broadcasters.
Production Engineering Manager Taylor’s story — The World’s
Most Expensive Wedding Video —
involved a television audience of
two billion. “I try to turn what
producers dream of into some
form of reality,” he said.
The BBC set out to produce
nine and a half hours of live
TV for the Royal Wedding.
Broadcasters in Canada, Australia and the US took the full
coverage, while others used clips
in news reports.
“We had a crew of 300 working
on location for two weeks to set up
the broadcast, and it took threeand-a-half months to plan it,” said
Taylor. “We had 12 HD OB production units, and 133 HD cameras
covering the route, the wedding and
peripheral events. This included 16
remotely controlled cameras used
in Westminster Abbey to provide
discrete coverage.
“We had helicopter aerials
and put four cameras on a
Lancaster Bomber which took
part in the fly past accompanying
the balcony appearance and that
kiss,” he added.
The BBC had one studio hub at
Westminster Abbey, but the main
one was in Green Park. Each OB
truck pulled together its coverage
and passed a mix to a master scanner. “Unlike news productions we
do this all on location. This is quite
an expensive business, but it gives
the flexibility to create an operation specifically designed for this
particular event,” said Taylor
The BBC was heavily reliant on
accruing sufficient connectivity. It
also had to create contingencies.
“We used various types of connectivity, from satellite and terrestrial links to a lot of fibre. This was
the first big event we’ve done using
IP-based fibre systems as well as
traditional video over fibre,” said
Taylor. “We certainly stretched the
capacity in London to its limits.”
Problems included IP and
talkback related delays, and risk
management required a second
studio and presentation scanner
based at the Abbey, just in case
Green Park crashed.
“It was not a dupe for the sake
of duping, because we also did
interviews in the studio and that
second presentation unit looked
after some of the route coverage,”
said Taylor. ”Our contingency plan
required that every route to air had
two possible transmission paths.
We were really nervous about that.”
French 3D experiences
Extending the production experiences, Wei David Chen of Orange
Labs and Charles De Cayeux of
FTV focused on improving the
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quality of 3DTV. It started in France
at Roland Garros (tennis) in 2008.
De Cayeux — head of R&D in
capture and post — was certain that
3D is specifically a sports medium.
He stated that camera height,
down at the level of play, is important. Side-by-side rigs were used
for long shots, and mirror rigs on
Steadicam systems for everything
else. FTV considers 14-15Mbps to
be the broadcast bit rate, but the
barrier is not technical.
“The pre-requisites are that
3DTV must be profitable, and we
want it for all. We cannot lose
money any more, however. You
could launch a satellite channel,
but only 1% can see 3DTV in
France. So what are the best
hopes,” asked De Cayeux. “A
compatible 2D/3D signal via
satellite is one, but it is not possible to go 3D as well as 2D at two
weeks’ notice.”
Wei Chen focussed on 2010
and mainly 2011, when FTV took
sole charge and Orange acquired
the distribution rights. First he set
the context.
“We did QC when we first
received the signal and tried to distribute to TV, PC and mobile
phones. In transmitting a signal to
“The pre-requisites are that 3DTV must be profitable,
and we want it for all. You could launch a satellite
channel, but only 1% can see 3DTV in France. So what
are the best hopes? A compatible 2D/3D signal via
satellite is one” — Charles De Cayeux, FTV
Question time: A Q&A session at the EBU Production Technology Seminar
mobile devices we discovered a video
encoding problem — the lack of an
SEI sign. It was not mature then.”
His discoveries have been
many. In the case of interlace, side
by side is better than top to bottom, higher bit rates are a must,
for demos passive screens are
preferred to active (flickering
and low contrast problems), the
horizontal movement problem
requires a 30% speed reduction,
and producers must avoid windows violations.
“In 2010 we also played a
broadcast signal in cinemas and
hit a big problem. You should
shoot in the way cinema plays it,
but then on TV you get limited
depth issues. I have not seen a
Kevin Price on carbon footprints: “The first thing you
do is weigh yourself — and that’s what we’ve done”
very efficient solution to this,” he
said. “3D needs no two- and
three-second cuts. The viewer
wants time to get information
from 3D images.
“Then in 2011 we distributed
The French Open to IPTV and
over the internet but again got no
live broadcasting over mobile
phones for that encoding reason,”
he added. “We analysed the image
asymmetry — the colorimetric
elements from left and right view,
focal length difference, and the
rotation. If you cannot guarantee
exactly only 0.5% of vertical
disparity, we are destroying the
whole 3D meaning.”
Wei Chen pointed to a new
attraction. “At Roland Garros we
used a 5K camera to capture
120Hz. This is very exciting for
sports because of the better frame
rate. We displayed it as 4K and it
was amazing,” he said.
More content, lower budgets
A session on formats and interoperability opened with moderator
Massimo Visca of RAI saying:
“The most important challenge
for broadcasting is more content
with less budget. The way forward
lays in interoperability.”
Adi Kouadio, project manager
with the EBU T&D department,
reported on a four-year study into
Eurovision contribution codecs.
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Yes, H.264 is the state-of-the-art
compression system, but look out
here comes HEVC (H.265) he
warned. Should broadcasters
wait, and forget H.264 if they have
not quite abandoned MPEG-2?
This group set out to identify
an average gain over the whole
range of products since 2008.
It wanted to leave quality
headroom, based on a secondgeneration comparison between
MPEG-2 and H.264. And it
discussed how to reduce latency
(300ms and worse).
First up Kouadio revealed an
overall performance gain of
1.4dB, and we can expect another
but the delay is often different.
With some, delay increases with
the bit rate.
“We are revising the contribution standard in the DVB (DVB
TS 102 154), and we will work on
the other side of the contribution
domain, which is MXF interoperability for JPEG 2000 contribution applications,” he concluded.
Steve Westlake, the BBC network architect responsible for
inter-site connectivity, talked about
aborting a hybrid network and
dark fibre to follow what the BBC
believes will be, “the all IP future”.
“Trade-offs happen when you
select any codec, somewhere in the
triangle of quality, latency and
bandwidth. You have a choice,” he
Peter Taylor: “I try to turn what producers dream of into some form of reality”
“Up until three months ago I was expecting to
retire before 4K arrived. Will it kill 1080p 50
in the cradle? There are 4K cameras in the
market, storage is ready, 4K consumer displays
have been shown…” – Massimo Visca, RAI
betterment of 1.5dB this year.
The EBU pushed MPEG-2
and H.264 through PSNR objective measurements, including
multiple bit rate comparisons, and
Kouadio summarised: “MPEG-2
when you cascade it produces
increased noise, and when you
cascade an H.264 codec you get
less detail and more blur.
“The PSNR values were higher
for H.264. If we want to deliver the
same quality or even better, we can
say that on average H.264 provides
a 30% gain. You are sure what you
send will be seamless,” he added.
“We need to enforce interoperability especially on the latency
level. Manufacturers use a P-only
GOP structure for low delay mode;
said. “The most critical thing is
what does it look like at the end of
a chain. Latency is quite concerning and typically we are looking at
100 milliseconds as being viable.”
Bandwidth generally drives
cost. “It is the biggest driver if we
are looking at any satellite ingest,
but increasingly we are being
offered services — whether that be
over an IP infrastructure or some
other structure,” said Westlake.
“We are at a point where the price
is determined by the service not by
the bandwidth.”
His concerns include the concatenation of contribution links
— not helped by the American
habit of double hops on satellite
feeds — but the BBC has set itself
Charles De Cayeux of FTV and Wei David Chen
of Orange Labs focused on improving 3DTV quality
three broad profiles: a linear or
near transparent codec for inter
studio use guaranteeing high
quality and low latency; median
quality for single pass events; and,
low quality codecs for single pass
news contribution.
“There is the assumption that
we are going to deploy JPEG
2000, and that is particularly
relevant because we have
deployed JPEG 2000 links for
our HD services,” said Westlake.
“We ended up with 150Mbps
being the maximum capacity we
could deploy, and that is slightly
less than ideal.
“We almost totally endorse
the EBU findings, but our estimate is much bigger because we
are considering an estate that is
currently made up of 2,000 video
circuits. This turns out in the IP
world to be about 2,000 codecs at
both ends,” he added.
It fell to Visca, head of post
production at RAI’s Torino
centre and chair of the Beyond
HD group, to make the case for
1080p 50, something the EBU
has done with mixed success
in the past.
It should not be ignored: “It is
clear we are in a bad situation in
terms of interoperability, because
we have (in 720p and 1080i) two
formats with a lot of problems in
the picture domain,” Visca said.
He quoted EBU findings from
PSNR-based shooting and compression tests that proved what
we all know: interlace should be
in the format graveyard; shoot
1080p 50 and you can extract the
other formats natively; the 3GB
interface enables stereoscopic
applications; and, larger displays
cry out for better image quality.
Can 1080p 50 become the world
feed production format?
“In general it can fulfil EBU
requirements. It is nearly transparent to the original even at seventh
generation,” said Visca. “But in reality, format penetration is limited.”
He moved to an issue sitting in
everyone’s mind. “Up until three
months ago I was expecting to retire
before 4K arrived,” Visca said.
“Will it kill 1080p 50 in the
cradle? There are 4K cameras in
the market, storage is ready, 4K
consumer displays have been
shown, D-Cinema is 4K already,
and we have 4K on YouTube. But
what TV application will we find
for 4K? Do we want to repeat the
bad situation of 1080i versus
720p? Bit depth and frame rate
are the real issues.”
Jumping the
interoperability bar
Brad Gilmer, the executive director
of AMWA, was the right man for
getting a handle on MXF interoperability. “Generic MXF equals
interoperability not,” he pronounced. “MXF has a lot of features because the problems it was
designed to solve were complex. It
was developed at a time when we
didn’t know what we were going to
do with file-based production.”
Broadcasters are still not
exactly sure what it means to be
service oriented and concentrated
on workflow, but the AMWA
application specifications (AS02,
ASO3, AS-10 and AS-11) can
rescue any situation.
“They tell you to use MXF in
a particular application. It is a
22
Massimo Visca of RAI: “The most important challenge for broadcasting is
more content with less budget. The way forward lays in interoperability”
way to increase interoperability
and reduce some of the variability in MXF,” said Gilmer.
This candy store of precise
opportunities from a first spec
running to about 700 pages offers
versioning, delivery, production,
contribution, commercial delivery and more, all available under
IPR licensing.
“The important concept is
that there is no new invention,”
said Gilmer. “The industry does
not need to invent a whole lot of
things at this point.”
His big news was that AMWA
has launched a certification
programme, and will start with
MXF for production. The aim of
establishing a set of criteria for
“MXF has a lot of features because the
problems it was designed to solve were complex.
It was developed at a time when we didn’t know
what we were going to do with file-based
production” — Brad Gilmer, AMWA
testing is, “to establish interoperability for real,” he said.
Gilmer conjured up a conceptual media factory. “The driver
behind this is that broadcasters
are trying to feed multiple devices
while they also feed content to
air, and we cannot keep building
silos,” he said.
The elements of this factory
start with the versioning power
of ASO2 and grow through the
new service accessing powers
offered by The Framework for
Interoperable Media Services
(FIMS). “This media factory is
part of the answer to breaking
up the silo,” said Gilmer. “You
could have FIMS with workflow
orchestration which assesses
services on the network, and
once you have published a
finished edit it would automatically do a transcode, or audio
normalisation, or run an automated QC.”
Kevin Burrows, CTO of broadcast and distribution at Channel
4, explained the evolution of
AS-11 as MXF for contribution
under the auspices of the Digital
Production Partnership.
“One major factor was the
increasing number of tapeless
cameras,” he said. “Producers
needed guidance on managing
file-based production workflows.
There is a reluctance to adopt
new technologies, and a fear of
losing material.”
The simple way to see AS-11 is
that it replaces HDCAM SR as
the delivery format into broadcasters. “We took a pragmatic
approach to the metadata,”
said Burrows. “It is adequate for
productions but can be built on
as required.”
The DPP tested compression
systems for its codec and chose
AVC-Intra, giving it the 100Mbps
for HDTV contributions. It offers
a metadata application that
enables the entry/insertion of its
metadata set into completed programme files. An integrity check
and QC, and the re-versioning for
playout will follow delivery.
The next steps, said Burrows,
are sets of reference and test files,
completion of the metadata set,
launch trials with production
houses, and a joint session
between AMWA and the DPP.
The EBU has taken AS-11 as
a framework, with plans to refine
it for international applications.
Seven UK broadcasters — BBC,
ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Channel 5,
S4C and UKTV — have all
adopted what history will recognise as the first common file
format, structure and wrapper
allowing complete project delivery as a digital file.
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The long goodbye
to the Grade 1 CRT
A session on display, lights and
camera technologies kicked off
with Friedrich Gierlinger of IRT
asking, ‘Will OLED supersede
CRT for reference monitoring?’
Gierlinger was franking what the
facility market decided three
years ago, when CRTs were reluctantly mothballed.
He went through much of
what EBU 3320 (black level/
contrast ratio) covers, looking at
the technical issues concerning
LCD and OLED; display size,
artefacts, viewing angle, and a
new test pattern for black level.
“With image size it is important to check if the signal to end
users can fill 50 inches, and you
also have to consider the viewing
angle,” he said.
The technical elements of
Grade 1 focus on 0.05cd, white
level 70-1000cd/m2, and contrast
ratio 1000:1. “Contrast ratio doesn’t improve the image anymore. It
is determined by black level primarily. The 00.5 is not reliable
because it is dependent on room
conditions,” said Gierlinger.
He talked about back light
maculation, and the reference test
black level allowing 0.4 as a minimum. IRT’s measurement room
featured a Konica 200A, Dolby
RM420, and Sony BVM-E250.
In terms of gamma, the Dolby
display (2.41) was inside the
limit (+/-0.1).
Gierlinger said the main issues
proved to be viewing angles and
acoustic noise. Its advantage was
an image size of 42 inches.
The BVM-E250 also came
inside his parameters (2.6% difference). He had issues with red being
too low and blue a bit high, and
added: “Can we really measure
primaries? The viewing angle
looks better than LCD, but not like
we expected. OLED technology
replaces CRT up to 25 inches.”
Sony is promising bigger
OLED reference monitors, and
Dolby is working on the EBU’s
dissatisfaction with viewing angle
and back light maculation.
Richard Salmon, a lead engineer with BBC R&D and chair of
the EBU display group, reported
on worldwide basement ransacking to capture the electro-optical
transfer function (OETF) of
Grade 1 monitors.
“The reference for the TV system has been the Grade 1 CRT, so
what we decided fairly urgently,
before the last ones disappear,
was that we needed to measure as
many as we could,” he said.
A loaned Photo Research
PR 730 enabled the tests, done
in several countries, and tests
were performed across a wide
variety of black levels, everything apart from .005; the EBU
fixed on 100 candelas.
“The point of doing this project is that the ITU has just published BT 1886. Our work is to
feed confidence into that, and to
check that this standard is going
to be good,” said Salmon. “They
have said the gamma level is
2.4, but the ITU method does
not specify the white level, the
black level, and the viewing conditions. It assumes everything is
black because it comes from a
cinema background.”
He discussed the setting
of black level and a hitch.
“The problem we had for the
viewing environment was that
the only known standard
(SMPTE RP 168) was archived
in 2004,” he said.
Having no reference is one of
the things the new SMPTE displays group will consider. Black
level is both vital and historic.
“Fifteen years ago we realised
that as you changed the black
level so you changed the effective
gamma, and they seemed to
adapt really well to the viewing
conditions,” said Salmon.
“You changed the black level
because you were in a brighter
or darker surrounding. That
changed the gamma, which the
CRT happened to do. It was a
very useful adaption that allowed
us to think the pictures looked the
same if the viewing conditions
had changed.
“Defining the intent of the
creative team in the production
process is what we are trying to
do,” he added.
misunderstanding of the standard. Countries are dropping into
line. First, and totally might be
France, with 14.12 as the cut off
date before -23 becomes the rule.
“France is already using maximum short-term loudness (MSL)
for content under two minutes in
length,” said Camerer.
Following France will be
Germany (ZDF and ARD) and
Austria (ORF), both starting on
1 September with -21 before
switching to -23. Switzerland
adopted R128 to coincide with
going HD. The Netherlands (SBS
and NPO) has started, and Dutch
commercials adopted -23 five
months ago. Camerer favoured
voluntary compliance rather than
EU law enforcement.
Camerer
and
Matthieu
Parmentier of FTV teamed up to
cover producing surround sound
when the audience is stereo.
Camerer took on the advantages
and disadvantages of deriving a
2.0 stereo signal, and Parmentier
looked at implementation.
“Why would you want to just
transmit 5.1, and no stereo signal
to your audience? One reason is it
takes an effort to make an additional stereo mix and it needs more
bandwidth,” said Camerer. “But a
separate stereo mix is always the
best thing. It can be done as a completely separate mix or as a down
mix within the console.
“Have a very clear strategy
for the use of the centre channel,
basically without divergence
(spill). That really stays clear
“The viewing angle looks better than LCD, but
not like we expected. OLED technology replaces
CRT up to 25-inch” — Friedrich Gierlinger, IRT
of all the possible artefacts,”
he added.
He covered the automatic
down mix possible with set-top
boxes (bit stream issues and the
need for the down mix coefficients) the issues around 90˚
surround phase shift and divergence, and 5.1 microphone skills
with stereo in mind.
His key points were a strong
and consistent centre signal; the use
of de-correlated surround atmospheres (they down mix best to
Single loudness sausage
A session dedicated to audio
kicked off with Florian Camerer
reviewing the impact and uptake
of the EBU R128 loudness directive, something he drove into
being as chairman of the EBU
PLOUD group.
“This is the biggest change
we face in audio for four
decades,” he said. “The three
main cornerstones of R128 are
programme loudness, maximum
true peak level, and loudness
range. The target level is -23
LUFS, and this is an average
level structure.”
He said this because he had
seen shows with, “one single
loudness sausage” due to wide
Audio panel: PLOUD is “the biggest change faced in
audio in four decades,” said Florian Camerer
Where FIMS meets MXF
By George Jarrett
Just prior to the EBU seminar,
a key meeting was held in
Geneva to produce a response
to calls for FIMS to be refactored. Talking prior to a
tutorial on FIMS, Jean-Pierre
Evain of the EBU said, “This
was to allow FIMS to be more
friendly for implementation.
It was agnostic, but we thought
some sort of re-factoring
was needed, and decided to go
for it.”
The demand for this subtle
change in ethos probably came
from the first big American
broadcaster to adopt FIMS
in its current state — acquire,
transfer,
and
transform
interfaces, plus the technical
and descriptive metadata.
“We have had 30 proposals
from 10 companies,” said Evain,
and he pointed to quality control,
reservation of resources, repository/
repository management, and
automatic metadata extraction as
the next list of features.
“The FIMS spec is to be
extended to cover the definition
of additional services, and there
will be a reduction in the inherent system complexity compared to traditional point-topoint integration architectures,”
he added. “You can now see the
workflow. Instead of transcoding content, send it to a person
and it is going to generate a lot
stereo); for two-channel sources up
mix to 3.0 at least so again you have
dialogue in the centre channel;
check the down mix of the up mix
for any phasing; check if the up mix
boxes are down mix compatible;
check the metadata for the bit
stream by checking that the down
mix is working; and, use pre-sets or
something else fully functional for
delivering content to broadcasters.
of metadata automatically that
you then use for news, archive,
search, etc.”
He was doing some work
with KLV, and realised that the
next step was to identify the
hooks for putting metadata in
an MXF file. “This took me to
looking at all the tools available,
including the Open Source tool.
Unfortunately, those tools for
most of the time can analyse
relatively simple MXF files but
not the metadata,” said Evain.
“It is hard to get sample files
with metadata inside, and certainly not yet with EBU Core
and KLV.”
So the plan is to finalise the
registration of the EBU Core
Parmentier raised a number of
complex issues, the first involving
LFE channels.
“When you create a 5.1 from
stereo, is it correct to create an
LFE channel? This is for effects
not base management, but too
many manufacturers provide all
the base frequencies into this
LFE,” he said.
This has implications for
home TV parameters. “And then
it is necessary to focus on the sort
of down mix that will affect this
— the 80-90% of people who
receive the 5.1 signal but listen in
stereo,” said Parmentier.
“Are their STB or TV supplier
driven by ITU rules, Dolby recommendations, or some nonDolby product using Dolby rules
during the down mix? After that
there is the worse thing, that you’re
5.1 up mix will be down mixed by
the audience and then re-up mixed
by a processor,” he added.
Next came the biggest issue.
“As broadcasters we create
scalable video for everyone and
every outlet, but we provide one
audio. We will have to focus on
all qualities of experience,”
said Parmentier.
“FTV decided to only admit
the stereo LTRT content that is
still delivered today without the
5.1 mix. We also decided to take
care of the phase aspect of that
before the up mix, because of the
correlation issues.”
in KLV. “In parallel with that
we will look at what’s available
in terms of resources to be
able to make an SDK for MXF
with a front end application,”
he added.
“From this app, we would
allow people to input some metadata that corresponded to the
EBU Core metadata. Associate
this with some essence, press the
button, generate an MXF that
implements the essence and the
EBU Core (in KLV or XML),
and when you use the SDK as an
analyser what we want is to be
able to generate one reference
XML,” he continued. “This logically measures the MXF file
including its metadata. It would
make more people adopt MXF
and the EBU Core. It highlights
the relationship FIMS has with
media factories and MXF.”
MediorNet
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Media Network
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ou at
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25
TVBEU R O PE G R A P H I C S & S U B T I T L I N G
Underwriting subtitle exchange
More than 20 years ago the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) published the now ubiquitous EBU STL subtitling
exchange format. And although arcane by current standards, it is still widely used today. That’s exactly the reason why
the EBU has ensured that its modern replacement is backwards compatible: welcome to EBU’s Timed Text (EBU-TT)
By Frans de Jong, project
manager, Department of
Technology & Development, EBU
When STL was specified, data
was still being exchanged on floppy
discs. Memory capacity in TV
sets was so scarce that subtitling
techniques had to make smart use
of literally every bit to provide
text in sync with pictures.
That made EBU Tech 3264
(the official reference for STL) a
rather simple, inflexible format.
This might be a negative in itself,
but it certainly proved a positive for the interoperability of
equipment used by subtitlers and
broadcasters. The lack of certain
character sets, positioning options,
and the like have not been
very large issues until relatively
recently, when HDTV really
started challenging the crude 40
columns and 24 rows grid model
of STL.
There are two other factors
influencing the development of
subtitling, the first being the
move to file-based production
facilities — a knock-on effect of
which is that the VBI/VANC data
space is not necessarily available
anymore, requiring an alternative
means of carrying the subtitle
files. Secondly the arrival of new,
web-technology driven platforms
means subtitles may contain richer
(side) data, such as images or
hyperlinks to related content.
For a new subtitling standard
the obvious choice now would
be to go for a human-readable
technology instead of a binary
approach and this is exactly what
has happened in the media industry. Several — sometimes not
even actually documented — new
formats have been introduced.
Often these formats focus on
the playback side of the subtitles,
and not on the production side. It
almost parallels the common
perception of the skill of subtitling itself; the fact that the text
seems simple must mean it’s easy
to create subtitles or to create a
file format for them. The reality
is different.
In 2003 the World Wide Web
Consortium (W3C), the organisation that standardised probably
most of the text we use in our
electronic world, started working
on the so-called ‘Timed Text’
format. And it is thanks to the
input of a small group of industry experts that the work included
broadcasters’ requirements for
an XML-based exchange format.
In November 2012 the Timed
Text Markup Language (TTML)
became an official W3C Recommendation, dedicated to David
Kirby (BBC).
Subset for subtitling
Although TTML covers most
subtitling, it is paradoxically
almost the inverse of the original
STL specification. Instead of
being small and providing a
reasonably constrained method
of doing things, TTML is a very
large specification often with
multiple ways of achieving the
same effect.
TTML is a very large specification often with multiple ways of achieving the same effect
GRAPHICS & SUBTITLING SPECIAL
In the white head of competition, how does one TV channel
differentiate itself from the next? In this section we look
across the issues in this space, including how broadcasters
are adapting graphics delivery (formats, wrappers, etc) to
the new reality of broadcast video consumption; technical
plus display challenges in reviewing and monitoring
subtitling output: and several broadcast graphics case
studies from around Europe — Fergal Ringrose
One could argue it is more a
web-oriented than a broadcastoriented solution, which is perfectly valid given that the scope
of TTML had never been limited
to the exchange of subtitles in
broadcast facilities.
The good news is that the net
result still offers compatibility, as
any EBU-TT file would be a valid
SMPTE-TT file and any valid
SMPTE-TT file is valid TTML.
The three approaches should not
be seen as competition between
The focus now is on testing the spec and handling
industry comments received before 31 March 2012.
After that the spec will be frozen and complemented
with a general guide on EBU-TT
It does mean however that for
practical use by broadcasters, a
profiled version of TTML is more
appropriate. This is the route the
EBU has taken with the creation
of EBU-TT, which is a subset of
TTML with some extensions —
mainly for STL compatibility.
In the US, SMPTE has taken
a similar, but slightly different
approach. Instead of creating a
subset, SMPTE-TT basically is a
superset of TTML. It inherits all
functionality of TTML and adds
a few extensions — mainly for
backwards compatibility for
American subtitling formats.
The SMPTE approach started
with a focus on (web) distribution rather than on production,
while the EBU approach was
the inverse.
organisations or even continents:
they merely reflect different focuses.
Even better news is that the
people active in all three organisations — the EBU, SMPTE and
W3C — overlap and are actively
sharing information. Working
from the same base, the goal is to
align the formats as much as possible and to benefit from the
wider support base.
More EBU-TT
Early in January the EBU published Tech 3350, which defines
the EBU-TT format. The focus
now is on testing the spec and
handling industry comments
received before 31 March 2012.
After that the spec will be frozen
and complemented with a general
guide on EBU-TT and a specific
document describing how to map
an STL file to an EBU-TT file.
The next topic on the EBU’s
agenda is to support live subtitling, which currently also
revolves around STL or a direct
derivative of it. The idea is to
define how live text updates can
be fed to a central (playout)
repository piece by piece in an
efficient manner, while at the
same time creating a single file for
later replay.
The EBU-TT work is chaired
by Andreas Tai (IRT) and the
Group is open to participation
from any professional working
with subtitles.
http://tech.ebu.ch/ebu-tt
26
Service companies can offer a unique perspective on graphics
Creating a visual edge
By Matt Hughes, regional
director, Sales, Chyron EMEA
Broadcasters and other organisations hosting high-profile broadcast events are increasingly outsourcing specialised graphics
design services to creative service
companies. Several key factors
are driving this shift. The first is
simply that broadcasters today
have fewer resources for rebranding and branding their channels;
they just don’t have the staff.
Internally, graphic artists are
dedicated to the daily design and
creation of graphics. Any time
spent working outside of this
area for re-brands and special
projects is time taken away from
the broadcaster’s regular programming. The strict timelines
associated with special broadcast
events can make this time away
add up quickly.
A second factor fuelling the
outsourcing of graphics design
services is the rising demand for
data-driven and cross-media
graphics. Accustomed to the
constant influx of information via
social media tools such as
Facebook and Twitter, many media
consumers have come to expect a
lot more information within television broadcasts. The information
ranges from in-depth sports statistics to realtime viewer input via live
feeds. Viewers want to know the
speed at which a ball was hit or how
fast a car is moving at any given
time. They want to know how other
viewers are responding to the event
being broadcast.
This desire for information is
not limited to one screen, and
so it is becoming more and
more important that broadcasters engage viewers on multiple
screens. Service companies can
help to design and deliver crossmedia graphics that are used
within the broadcast, as well as in
interactive sites and apps on
today’s popular mobile devices.
Creating these types of graphics
is much different than the daily
work of most graphic artists
within the broadcast facility, and
it can present a variety of timeconsuming technical challenges
for broadcast staff.
Data integration is one example; creation of a complementary scoring app is another
Data integration
Graphics services companies such
as Chyron Creative, MOOV,
Piranha Graphics and Deltatre
today provide a cost-effective
alternative that can yield high-end
results while reducing the overall
cost to the broadcaster. While
external graphic artists aren’t as
immediately available as those
working down the hall, the small
specialised staff dedicated to
each project by external service
providers can turn around projects
much faster and more efficiently.
In the world of graphic animation, where data integration is key,
outside companies also can provide data integration between the
supplier kit and the graphics they
have designed. In other words,
they can leverage earlier experience and existing partnerships —
and often previous and ongoing
collaborative development work
— with graphics system vendors
to ensure that the complete package functions as it should.
Creative services companies
and outside design companies
typically complete a project
according to a jointly developed
Viewers want to know the speed at which a ball
was hit or how fast a car is moving at any given
time. They want to know how other viewers are
responding to the event being broadcast
statement of work that identifies
a clear list of deliverables at the
end. As part of this project, the
service company can also offer a
unique perspective on graphics.
After first gathering input from
the broadcaster, the company can
offer insight into how to make
those ideas (or even better variants) work effectively.
With extensive knowledge
about how the broadcaster’s
Lemo camera back system
By Jake Young
Lemo demonstrated its full range
of broadcast converters at BVE
2012, including the new HD
Z-link camera back system, HD
Triax connectors and SMPTE
HD fibre connectors.
The new HD Z-Link fibre-optic
camera link system provides
multichannel system video and
audio connections and control for
studio cameras and camcorders
alike, using standard Lemo camera
cables, which comply with both the
SMPTE 304 connector standard,
and SMPTE 311 cable standard.
The use of high bandwidth fibre
optics and the multiplexing of the
graphics systems (hardware and
software) operate and their
strengths and capabilities, the outside company can help its client to
maximise use of those systems and
incorporate the latest and greatest
looks into the live broadcast. The
service company also can offer
valuable resources such as workflow analysis and equipment specification, which can prove difficult
with an in-house approach. With
their own arsenal of graphics
systems, external service companies
can help to reduce broadcasters’
costs by supplying the complementary graphics systems sometimes
needed for a large event.
Relationships between different creative services companies
also can help broadcasters to
bring new elements to their
broadcasts with relative ease.
Data integration is one example;
creation of a complementary
scoring app for iPhone or iPad
users is another. Possessing a
proven framework for these elements, the specialist company can
much more quickly deliver a
reliable customised product for a
given client. This specialised
knowledge and experience further ensures that the broadcaster
or other responsible organisation
will be able to meet their own
requirements and timeframe for
the delivery of the project.
Broadcasters gain sophisticated,
compelling graphics packages
and capabilities that engage viewers,
numerous forward and return video,
audio, talkback and data channels
provide full communication with
almost any camera position.
The HD Z-link will initially be
provided in two versions — a basic
version and a version with all
features included. The basic version can be upgraded through
and they do so at a lower cost —
in terms of resources and impact
on daily operations — than
would be demanded by internal
completion of the project.
Creative service companies thus
offer broadcasters an appealing
solution for specialised graphics,
delivering state-of-the-art graphics and animations that give
high-profile events the visual edge
they deserve.
firmware changes to add more
options as required up to the
full version whenever customer
budgets permit.
An optional hybrid power
supply system is available, which
takes the power from CCU end
through the SMPTE cable and
provides up to 100W of power.
Alternatively, battery power for
the HD Z-link and camera can be
supplied through industry standard connections.
RiLink
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www.lemo.co.uk
27
NEWS
IN BRIEF
DVICenter declutters
The KVM matrix DVICenter DP32
from Guntermann & Drunck is
designed to optimise the studio
workflow and declutter the
workspace in studios or OB vans.
It permits multiple users, each
equipped only with keyboard, mouse
and display, to simultaneously
access a series of computers that
can even use different platforms.
The new 16-port version is especially
designed for smaller applications
like in OB vans. The 64, 32 or 16
dynamic ports can be easily
configured for either connecting a
user console or a computer module.
www.gdsys.de
AC-ET brands ignite
AC Entertainment Technologies
(AC-ET) featured new broadcast
lighting innovations from ChromaQ, Mole Richardson, Manfrotto,
Avenger and Gekko Technology at
the BVE show. Also highlighted
were services like AC-ET’s Cable
Express, which is among the most
comprehensive custom cable
assembly facilities in the industry.
The company showcased the latest
Chroma-Q Studio Force daylight (D)
and variable (V) white light
sources. Mole Richardson’s
MoleLED 12 and Single were
featured together with the new
24kW Daylight Fresnel.
www.ac-et.com
Autoscript enhances
Tablet prompting
Autoscript has partnered with
Teleprompting Techniques to offer
a professional prompting app for
users of the iPod and iPad.
PicoPrompt is available via the App
Store, along with Picoscroll, a free
scroll App. Autoscript will offer a
scroll control and a connector for
the i-Series range. One of the most
beneficial elements lies within
Autoscript’s new upgrade to its
WinPlus software. It now offers
the capability for producers to
select and send single stories or
complete running orders from the
broadcast studio to a journalist or
presenter’s i-Series device
anywhere in the world.
www.autoscript.tv
28
Where new markets open up, legislators follow
Laying the foundations:
subtitling for new media
By Gordon Hunter,
chief sales officer, Softel
The development of the ‘TV
Anywhere’ market throws yet
another set of challenges into
the path of the broadcaster trying
to stay ahead in such a rapidly
evolving industry. Recent research
from Accenture into viewing
habits around the world points to
a switch from conventional television to watching on computers
and tablets.
In a typical week, this survey
reported, 33% of consumers now
watch shows, movies or videos
on computers, and 10% on
phones. Meanwhile a ComScore
study showed that 226 million
users across Europe consumed
an average 20 hours of online
video over six months — this
represents an increase of 33% for
the six months period ending
September 2011.
Forecasters predict a steady
growth of these trends supported
by further technology developments. A Magid report explains
that in 2011, more than 27% of
televisions shipped worldwide will
be able to connect to a network,
and this is expected to rise to 50%
by 2015. An Ofcom research
reveals that the next generation of
mobile technology will deliver
more than 200% of the capacity of
existing 3G technologies.
Where new markets open up,
legislators follow. Providers of
services for new platform consumers are subject to statutory
requirements just like conventional
broadcasters. With more than 81
million hard of hearing people in
Europe alone, there is a sizeable
audience for subtitled content,
and while countries like France,
Netherlands and the UK already
have substantial regulation in
place, most others are falling into
line rapidly.
The processing of subtitles for
the multiscreen market is a
much more diverse operation than
for conventional television
Adapting for multiscreen
This means that broadcasters and
content providers have to adapt
to provide subtitles for all the
devices consumers will be using.
There is an array of technologies
to be catered for, and many new
restrictions to be taken account
of. The size of the viewing screen
alone is a key factor: subtitle
text on a mobile phone must be
comparatively larger if it is to be
read comfortably.
Both open (burnt-in) and
closed (selectable by the viewer)
subtitling is supported in new
media services, but closed subtitling makes more sense when
viewing video on new devices,
where the personal nature of the
viewing experience calls for the
ability to customise the display
of subtitles.
‘Live-bound’
As in a conventional broadcast,
the video source is either
transcoded in realtime from existing digital TV services or created
live for the new media service, for
example for sports events and
news. The subtitling process for
this latter scenario is known as
‘live-bound’ — meaning that subtitle content is encoded to the
video live at the time of air for
each video event. When the content is played from a pre-prepared
media library for VoD viewing or
for ‘linear’ scheduling, the ‘early
binding’ process is used. Here,
the subtitle content is encoded to
the video media ahead of transmission time, and this allows a
simpler operational workflow and
the ability to quality-check subtitles ahead of time.
Subtitling systems for this
multiscreen market should offer
the broadcaster a workflow that
integrates the processing of conventional subtitle content with
the process that generates subtitle formats for new media
devices and platforms. The chosen
system also needs to offer import
and export of subtitle files in
almost all known formats,
together with WYSIWYG subtitle editing in both conventional
and new media display modes.
The system should also use
professional-quality, file-based
video transcoding tools to
encode and re-encode for the
Quick adaptation and process efficiency are the key
goals for broadcasters of new platform services
because the landscape is changing so rapidly
The processing of subtitles
for the multiscreen market is a
much more diverse operation
than for conventional television.
Individual subtitle streams may
have to be created to match the
individual needs of each target
viewer platform, and when target
platforms are likely to arise and
evolve much more quickly than
new TV standards, this places an
emphasis on careful planning for
flexibility. Broadcasters need a
subtitling capability that can
quickly be adapted to cater for
new services each time additional
subtitle streams are required.
whole range of target platforms.
Softel products use unique ‘plugin’ applications, which sit inside
video transcoder products and
enable subtitle encoding at the
same time that the video is converted from one media standard
to another.
This is an efficient and
streamlined approach. Close
working partnerships with other
technology vendors have enabled
Softel to design its Swift vTX
subtitle encoding technology to
deliver operational cost reductions and a simpler media publishing workflow.
Quick adaptation and process
efficiency are the key goals for
broadcasters of new platform
services because the landscape is
changing so rapidly. The specifications, features and performance of consumer devices like
tablets, computers and smartphones change every few
months, and consumers are used
to upgrading them regularly.
That’s a stark contrast to the relatively lengthy purchase and
ownership cycle for television
sets, so broadcasters need to
ensure that the subtitle processing systems they put in place for
this new market are capable of
evolving just as rapidly.
Pay-TV broadcaster tends to play from start to finish without breaks
How BeTV Belgium tackled subtitle
transmission and file repurposing
By Simon Hailes,
chief technology officer, Screen
Subtitling has always been inherently complex and has constantly needed to adapt to major
shifts in broadcast technology.
The current rate of change
however is accelerating and the
multitude of different platforms,
delivery mechanisms and the
continual flow of new formats
are presenting difficult challenges for subtitling.
BeTV Belgium faced such a
challenge towards the end of
last year and with a solution
incorporating Screen’s Polistream
(subtitle transmission) and
MediaMate (file repurposing)
systems was able to overcome the
issues they encountered.
The broadcaster obtains its
media from various sources, and
in a variety of formats. Some
media arrives with a separate
subtitle file, while other media
comes with subtitles embedded
as one or more Teletext subtitle
pages and can be delivered as
files or on tape.
As a Pay-TV broadcaster
BeTV is primarily involved in
broadcasting multiple film channels and channels containing
series-based material, and its programme material tends to be
played from start to finish without breaks. The form of the
output channels is well defined.
They do not perform any live subtitling, and for the channels
described the schedule is known
well in advance.
Material acquisition
up to 16 Teletext subtitle pages
simultaneously into one VBI/VANC
track. A VBI/VANC track can be
replaced, so adding a language to an
existing track consists of re-processing the file with additional subtitle
files available or by adding a blank
track, subtitles can be removed.
An original BeTV workflow
included ingest of SD tapes into
Pinnacle Mediastream servers,
where any teletext subtitle data
was represented in a proprietary
VBI format. The first subtitlerelated step of media ingest is to
ensure that a subtitle file is present for all media.
For media where the subtitles
are embedded, they are extracted
to a .PAC file (Screen’s proprietary
subtitle file format) by MediaMate, operating in a simple dropfolder integration mode. At BeTV,
extracts can be performed from
Pinnacle, Omneon VBI, ‘608 line’
tall video, or SMPTE-436 MXF
(HD or SD). The subtitle files
are submitted to the subtitle file
server for possible future direct
playout use, and for re-insertion.
Media processing
The video/audio material is
processed to a form playable by
the relevant video server using
Telestream Flip Factory. At this
point, any subtitle data should have
been removed from the media.
Once the media is in its final
form, subtitle data is re-inserted
into the media ready for playback. For SD this could be into
the VBI of ‘608 line’ tall I-Frame
media (e.g. IMX30/40/50), or as
a SMPTE-436 track (SD VBI
or HD VANC). BeTV uses
Omneon MXF for HD material
utilising SMPTE-436 VANC
tracks for embedded subtitle
essence where applicable.
Media playback
Simon Hailes: “The first subtitlerelated step of media ingest is to
ensure that a subtitle file is
present for all media”
Inserted subtitle data is coded
as ‘raw’ data, encapsulating more
style information than plain
Teletext, and not subject to
Teletext constraints. This data is
not directly suitable for transmission (it is a Teletext subtitle
page in OP47 format but is coded
‘black on black’ to prevent incorrect display on consumer devices).
The actual insertion is done via
hot folder integration with
MediaMate. BeTV generally uses a
single Teletext subtitle page, but
MediaMate is capable of inserting
Al Jadeed has a Brainstorm
By Borja Chirivella, international
business development manager,
Brainstorm Multimedia
Rich graphics are a subtle yet
frequently central factor in
determining how many viewers
latch onto a specific channel
and stay there. Beirut-based Al
Jadeed is a broadcaster that
wanted to further expand its
viewing figures worldwide, yet
believed it needed the addition
of some visually compelling
ways to achieve it.
Al Jadeed TV is a 24-hour
pan-Arab station that offers
general-interest programming,
news and political programmes,
and as such it ranks among the
top stations in Lebanon. The
station recently decided to refurbish its graphics package and
associated workflows to take
advantage of the economies of
scale that could be achieved as
well as greatly improve its on-air
graphics capabilities to increase
viewership. That’s when Al
Jadeed turned to Brainstorm
and asked us to examine their
existing graphics system and
The finished media on the server
may or may not contain subtitle
information, depending upon
timescales, etc. Each channel in
the Polistream subtitle transmission system has an SD-SDI input
(derived from HD via Axon
down-conversion where applicable), capable of reading VITC
and/or Teletext VBI information.
The ‘normal’ operation is that
the subtitles are present in the video
media, all in the same ‘raw coded’
form. The schedule in the playout
automation is prepared to include
scheduling of subtitles where the
media does not contain subtitle
information, and in the absence of
a scheduled subtitle file, data is read
from the video and transcoded into
the appropriate formats required on
transmission (DVB, Teletext…).
It is important to note that the
use of the raw coding allows for
subtitles that need not be constrained by Teletext constraints
(eg, 37 characters per line and
character cell based positioning).
Media is played from start to
completion, so any problems
associated with end effects and
‘clear downs’ for subtitles in
media are avoided.
good fit with its existing Avid
iNEWS NRCS to export predesigned graphics templates
directly from the likes of
Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya 3D.
Reporters and any other
users can easily see the predesigned graphic templates
stored on a central server. In
addition, the flexibility of
BrainNews enables Al Jadeed to
Connect
AVB
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NAlBC,
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% % " ( " ! !" The new system means that every journalist
at Al Jadeed can now use existing graphic
templates and share them with everyone
involved in the news environment
Borja Chirivella: “In addition to
the graphics package, we also
integrated workflow software”
workflow processes with a view
to proffering our ideas for an
upgrade path.
Perhaps what was most attractive to Al Jadeed was that our
eStudio engine drives ‘BrainNews’,
a template-based news graphics
system which Al Jadeed saw as a
create and implement far more
complex graphics than had ever
been possible before, as well as
the ability to call them up whenever needed for use across all Al
Jadeed locations.
www.riedel.net
29
Channel branding
Lawo AG | Rastatt / Germany
Al Jadeed saw eStudio as a good fit with its existing Avid iNEWS NRCS to
export templates directly from the likes of Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya 3D
The complete system that we
installed replaced a mid-range
Avid Deko 1000 system for studio
production and an Avid Dekocast
that had been used for final stage
channel branding. Implementation was achieved by Brainstorm
technicians in conjunction with
technical operations staff at Al
Jadeed and Brainstorm’s dealer in
Lebanon, Pharoan Broadcast. To
my mind, the real beauty of the
system is that the graphics package can be implemented by anyone, even those with no prior
knowledge of graphics systems.
In addition to the graphics
package, we also integrated
Brainstorm workflow software
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with Al Jadeed’s existing technology and performed training
and testing to validate the entire
process. The workflow installation was achieved in only two
visits, the first for hardware and
basic settings installation and
the second full technical and
design training.
The new system means that
every journalist at Al Jadeed can
now use existing graphic templates
and share them with everyone
involved in the news environment,
which provides for a far more agile
and cost-effective workflow.
The importance of compelling
graphics are one thing, but the
ability to provide them in a way
that is accessible to all who use
them, very often required on a
moment’s notice to cover fastbreaking news and analysis, is
paramount. Al Jadeed and
Brainstorm Multimedia found a
blend of technology, expertise
and mutual confidence that ultimately accrue to the benefit of
Al Jadeed viewers worldwide and
Al Jadeed’s presenters, technicians
and operational staff in Beirut.
Boxer Systems
sign on to Signiant
By Jake Young
Focus on functionality — the new mc² 66.
Inspired by your needs — the mc² 66 MKII. Not only does this much
developed mc² 66 MKII stand out with proven efficiency and outstanding functionality, but also with its new features, which once
again make high tech equipment from Rastatt a worldwide standard
for mixing consoles. Now you can benefit from the latest touch
screen displays, a revised layout and totally reliable control computer
redundancy. One of the best consoles available suddenly became even
better. Only one thing has not changed: The mc² 66’s outstanding
usability, which will continue to inspire audio engineers in OB trucks,
studios and theatres. For more information visit www.lawo.de
Visit Lawo at Prolight + Sound 2012
Frankfurt, March 21-24, Hall 8.0, Booth B50
Boxer Systems is to deliver Signiant solutions to broadcast, film,
post production and television
clients in the UK and Ireland.
Under the partner agreement,
Boxer Systems will add Signiant’s
secure media file transfer solutions
to its extensive portfolio of product and service offerings.
“We continue to see growing
demand for fully integrated solutions that streamline and support
complex and expanding dataintensive workflow processes,”
said Marc Risby, director of technology for Boxer Systems. “We
are pleased to add Signiant’s
powerful and flexible file-transfer
solutions to our offerings as it
delivers the level of automation,
security, acceleration and crossplatform support that these
organisations require.”
Used today by broadcasters,
studios, media service providers,
sports networks and game
developers, Signiant’s software
facilitates the movement of filebased media between systems,
applications and users.
“With more than 20 years of
experience serving the needs of the
broadcast and post production
arena, Boxer Systems truly understands the requirements of its
customers,” said Steve Biucchi,
EMEA channel sales director
at Signiant. “The partnership
between our companies will help
them address growing demand for
the level of management, speed,
efficiency and reliability that only
Signiant’s solutions can deliver
while
underscoring
Boxer’s
commitment to bringing the best
overall solutions to market.”
www.signiant.com
30
TVBEU R O PE G R A P H I C S A N D S U B T I T L I N G
The realtime translation of subtitle formats can streamline operations
Subtitling insertion is key
By Renaud Desportes,
director of Wohler’s Ancillary
Data Management Product Line
staff can use a simple switch to turn
off subtitling as long as is needed.
Sophisticated subtitling solutions capable of handling both
live and file-based subtitles
enable broadcasters to establish
versatile subtitling workflows
that aid in streamlining multiformat operations and in reducing
the cost of complying with regulators’ subtitling requirements.
If the content of live subtitles threatens to
exceed internal or regulatory standards for
vulgarity, monitoring staff can use a simple
switch to turn off subtitling
Renaud Desportes: The inserter’s
continuous output mirrors video
and subtitling seen by viewers’
Dual encoding
For the many broadcasters today
who deliver programming concurrently in HD and SD, a dual-channel
inserter can handle subtitle encoding
both in SD and HD at once. In this
model, the SD or HD video server or
playout server feeds content to an
up- or down-converter, yielding both
an SD and HD output.
These two signals are, in turn,
fed to the inserter’s two channels.
Pre-encoded subtitle data that
comes from within the ‘native’
video SDI stream — typically an
HD asset stored on an HD video
server architecture — is copied
the broadcaster’s target geographic
area. It also can provide two separate outputs — one per channel —
with subtitling decoded and
burned into the video, offering
immediate confidence monitoring
capabilities. Rather than depend
on a satellite return feed and a consumer-type set-top box decoder,
staff in master control can monitor
these inserter’s outputs to ensure
that subtitling is present and that
the correct data has been encoded
into the video stream.
The inserter’s continuous output mirrors the video and subtitling
seen by viewers, requiring only a
professional monitor or display. If
the content of live subtitles threatens to exceed internal or regulatory
standards for vulgarity, monitoring
A dual-channel auto-sensing
SD/HD-capable subtitle inserter
offers broadcasters a hassle-free
and future-proof solution that
supports efficient, cost-effective
operations regardless of how far
the facility has progressed in
migrating to a full HD workflow.
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Shure showcase
The UR5 portable wireless receiver, the
VP89 premium shotgun microphone
and the BRH441M headset were among
the many new/recent items on show
at BVE. The UR5 portable wireless
receiver for professional cameras has
two-antenna diversity to ensure solid
RF performance. It features Multi
Transmitter Mode (MTX), a wide tuning
range up to 80MHz, and ‘scan & sync’
for fast and efficient frequency set-up.
The UR3 plug-on transmitter for wired
microphones offers programmable
microphone preset lists to tailor
settings such as gain or low cut filter.
The VP68 omnidirectional condenser
capsule can be used with all Shure
wireless handheld microphones.
www.shure.com
MATRIX Cheese Plate:
cutting-edge mounting
Anton/Bauer demonstrated its latest
array of power solutions at BVE 2012.
On display was the MATRIX Cheese
Plate and Gold Mount System, DIONIC
HCX 120-watt-hour capacity battery,
DIONIC HC 91wh capacity battery and
CINE VCLX. The MATRIX Cheese Plate
is a new mounting plate that can
be used with the company’s Gold
Mount solutions. It mounts directly
on 15mm or 19mm rod systems,
allowing for easy mounting on
a variety of cameras. The DIONIC
HCX and the DIONIC HC, both part
of the company’s Logic Series
batteries, are suitable for powering
high-current applications in a
lightweight package.
www.antonbauer.com
Shaping the Future of Sports
Visit us at
NAB Stand
SL3815
Sports Production
Mandates from regulatory bodies
worldwide are requiring that distributors of programming provide
a minimum number of hours of
subtitled programming per day,
week or calendar quarter. As a
result, terrestrial and satellite
broadcasters, as well as cable
operators, have no choice but to
establish workflows for inserting
subtitle data into their broadcasts.
Larger broadcast networks
tend to keep subtitling services
in-house, building a department
in which dedicated workstations
and staff perform both offline
subtitling, as well as live subtitling for news, sports, and other
live events. Smaller broadcasters
tend to hire out, using the services
of an external provider, which in
turn delivers subtitle data into
the broadcaster’s workflow. In
either case, the broadcaster must
face the question of how to
manage, store, and process this
subtitle data most efficiently.
The subtitle inserter is key to
these processes.
When it comes to choosing the
right subtitle inserter for their
operations, broadcasters naturally
look to future-proof equipment
that can offer a continued return
on their investments. Because
subtitling can become a complex
undertaking, keeping their workflow as simple and coherent as
possible also is a high priority.
Hardware-based subtitle processing systems offer workflow solutions that not only improve
handling of subtitles in a wide
variety of formats, but also facilitate significantly more costeffective storage and playout of
broadcast content.
By implementing a subtitling
system that is capable of managing the realtime translation of
subtitle formats, broadcasters
can not only streamline their
subtitling operations, but also
employ more cost-effective storage architectures. Content can
be stored in a unified format
(either HD or SD) and the video
server output appropriately upor downconverted depending on
transmission chain requirements
for a particular market or delivery network.
As a result, broadcasters can
continue working with SD systems and easily provide subtitled
programming for SD content
and upconverted HD content.
Likewise, those facilities that
already have made the transition
to HD storage architectures
maintain the flexibility to
output subtitled high and standard definition programming.
and translated on-the-fly by the
inserter to the up- or downconverted SDI stream that goes
through its second channel.
Throughout this process, the
inserter will maintain the ability
to encode and insert live or external file-based subtitles in both SD
and HD streams simultaneously.
The inserter thus provides subtitled SD and HD content suited to
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Designed to Perform
www.evs.tv
31
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Active Logging Root of revenue capture for VoD
The system uses two Mac
mini computers (one for ingest
and one for playout), plus two
AJA IO XT units for SDI video.
“That technology has brought
this to a really affordable level,”
said Harris.
It is not an off-the-shelf package, as it will require a certain
level of customisation for a particular show or series. Once it has
the right look for that series, then
it is simple to upgrade for a particular episode.
Touch and go: Harris explains how
metadata can be added to the
Active Logging system
for whom it is an easy add-on, but
Harris believes that Active
Logging will be inexpensive
enough to make it worthwhile for
any production.
www.root6.com
www.sienna-tv.com
Thrilling
moments –
By David Fox
Root6’s new Active Logging
module for its Sienna digital production workflow system makes
it quicker and simpler to turn a
live programme round for use in a
video-on-demand service within
minutes of it finishing on air.
Launched at BVE, it enables
users to quickly edit the programme as it is transmitted,
which will feed a realtime
encoder. It will allow operators to
add metadata, replace or add
graphics and commercials, edit
out content not licensed for VoD
replay, and quickly link to other
online material – making it easier
to gain new revenue from services
such as product placement.
As on demand services become
an increasingly important part of
how many viewers watch content,
whether on their phone, tablet, or
web browser, the time it takes to
make that content available is
becoming more important, particularly if broadcasters want to take
advantage of how a show is trending on Twitter or social networks.
“The best way to grow revenue
is to put a programme out as
quickly after it has finished as
possible, but that is hard,” said
Root6 Director, John Harris.
The Active Logging system
“allows us to encode as the programme goes out, but we are able
to pause to put in new graphics –
for example, to overwrite a live
phone number that isn’t valid after
the show – and to replace or cut
out ads. It means that by the end
of the programme, we have the reedited, encoded, programme
ready, with new graphics or ads,
within minutes of it finishing.”
An operator can use an iPad
for active logging, which creates
a timecoded XML file that
includes all the necessary metadata, such as links related to a
product shown on air, content
information for search engines,
or to drive automated ad insertion systems. The metadata on
the iPad can be tailored to the
content ahead of the live transmission to enable quick entry
during the show, and can be
selected by touching a picture of
the talent show contestant, racing car or sports person involved
in the programme.
Root6 is currently running trials
with UK broadcasters. “The excitement in this is the revenue model,
because you can repackage a programme so quickly,” he said.
Sienna is widely used, by hundreds of broadcasters worldwide,
fascinating
perspectives.
DR6000 MK2
Wireless HD video solutions
Diversity Receiver
Experience more options and speed for live video
transmissions by using digital COFDM links without
compromises in reliability.
6-way high performance diversity
Ultra low delay (40 ms end-to-end)
H.264 ready (MPEG4)
TCP/ IP Video out & remote control
BMS products are used on a daily basis by hundreds of
customers involved in all kinds of live TV productions worldwide.
25 Years Experience in Wireless Video Transmission
Phone: +49 6124 723900 | [email protected] | www.bms-inc.com
33
TVBEUROPE N A B N EW P RO D U CT P R EV I EW
New workflow designs
Digital Rapids
By Jake Young
New media transformation and
workflow technology solutions
will be unveiled for the first time
at the 2012 NAB Show, along
with enhancements to Digital
Rapids’ established solutions.
The company’s Transcode
Manager 2.0, the next generation
of its automated, high-volume
media file transcoding software,
combines superior quality, intelligent automation, rich format support and outstanding performance for transcoding applications
from production and archive to
revenue-expanding multi-screen
distribution. New features in
version 2.0 include adaptive,
logic-driven process automation
with rich metadata support to
reduce effort, errors and processing time; intuitive, visual workflow design tools; and elastic
scalability with dynamic, ondemand deployment.
The
new,
carrier-grade
StreamZ Live Broadcast hybrid
live encoder combines Digital
Rapids’ renowned multi-screen
Telestream
Transcode Manager 2.0: Built on Digital Rapids’ Kayak platform
output versatility and quality with
robust features for the unique
demands of broadcast, cable,
Telco and satellite television operations. StreamZ Live Broadcast
features simultaneous H.264 or
MPEG-2 encoding for traditional
television applications and multiformat encoding — including
adaptive bit rate (ABR) streaming
— for any-screen delivery to
devices including mobile phones,
tablets, PCs, IPTV, over-the-top
(OTT) services and more — all in
a single encoder.
The StreamZ Live family of
encoders provides superior output
quality, outstanding reliability and
flexible, multi-screen output format
support for audience-expanding
live streaming applications. Available in single or multi-channel
models with HD, SD and IP input
choices, StreamZ Live features rich
adaptive streaming (ABR) support
and simultaneous multi-format
output for streaming to devices
from mobile phones and tablets to
PCs, game consoles and smart TVs.
SL5624
sideKick HD for fast turnaround TV
Fast Forward Video
By Jake Young
sideKick HD: a multiformat, straightto-edit camera-mountable DVR
SSD drives in native ProRes (for
Apple Final Cut Pro) or DNxHD
(Avid) NLE formats. Bringing
files into the NLE environment is
a simple matter of moving the
disk from the sideKick to the
computer; no time-consuming
Know your broadcast rights
Pilat Media
At NAB Pilat Media will highlight
its Integrated Broadcast Management System (IBMS), which offers
a flexible and scalable information
backbone that can adapt to changing broadcast business requirements. IBMS is being further
enhanced with new features and
functions that enable a richer,
34
If you're on your way to NAB Las Vegas next month then
you'll see the following selection of product innovations
out on the show floor at the LVCC. If not, then through
this month and next we'll do our best to preview the
leading new broadcast TV products to be unveiled at
the show. Part Two of our NAB Preview will follow in our
April issue. — Fergal Ringrose
Vantage Agile integration
World launch for 220Mbps straight-to-edit DVR
sideKick HD, making its international debut at the 2012 NAB
Show, is designed to ease production workflows and satisfy the
demands of both producers
and post production editors. It
enables customers to get the
most out of their camcorders
without having to compromise
on quality. While the onboard
recorders of most camcorders
typically deliver a data stream of
only 30Mbps, the sideKick HD is
able to record at 220Mbps. As a
true straight-to-edit DVR, the
sideKick HD records to offthe-shelf, removable 2.5-inch
NAB NEW PRODUCT PREVIEW
streamlined, and more automated
multiplatform experience.
Pilat Media is announcing a new
automated metadata workflow for
IBMS that accelerates the process
of acquiring and preparing content
and building subsequent offers.
This new capability enables IBMS
to import metadata automatically
for large volumes of content, check
and retrieve missing metadata
from information suppliers, drive
transcoders to prepare media for
ingest or transcoding operations
are required.
FFV’s sideKick HD Studio is a
new, rackmountable version of
FFV’s powerful sideKick cameramounted DVR for use in base
stations and studio locations.
Occupying only a half RU in width
and 2RU in height, sideKick
HD Studio is directly compatible
with the camera-mounted sideKick
HD, giving users the ability to
transfer field footage stored on
the unit’s 2.5-inch SSD directly
into the sideKick HD Studio for
easy integration with NLE systems
and other content sources for
fast and seamless editing and playback to air.
C6313
distribution, and create and place
offers in the service navigation
menu based on metadata values
such as genre, resolution, and cast.
With new expanded rights
management capabilities, IBMS
becomes even more future-proof.
IBMS users can define an unlimited number of rights dimensions,
ensuring that assets are fully
utilised and contractual obligations are always met. Rights
dimensions can include such
parameters as broadcast resolutions, regions, devices, delivery
platforms, and revenue models.
N4429
Among its full line-up of products
at NAB, Telestream will present its
Vantage video transcoding and
workflow automation products and
the new Pipeline Replay system.
Vantage video transcoding and
workflow automation products will
address specific workflow needs,
including adaptive bit-rate streaming for OTT, enhanced Avid support
for post production, and greater
support for broadcast systems, cable
IPTV set-top boxes, and improved
audio support. Vantage products
handle the complexities of automated
transcoding, metadata management, standards conversion, video
processing, media analysis, device
interoperability, and delivery. A
powerful workflow layer allows
users to bring these processes
together into unified, easy-tomanage workflows. For larger, highvolume workflows, Vantage enterprise system management products
provide a high level of visibility,
control and system optimisation.
For larger, high-volume
workflows, Vantage enterprise
system management products
provide a high level of visibility,
control and system optimisation
Telestream’s new Pipeline
Replay system will make its NAB
debut. Developed for the start of
NASCAR’s 2012 racing season,
Replay is a multichannel video
player that combines with Pipeline
HD systems to provide video
capture and instant, synchronous
playback of multiple high-definition camera feeds. The Replay
system allows race or game officials to easily locate any camera
and scrub forward or backward
through any portion of the video.
SL1405
Fast results with QuiC family
Harris
The new Harris QuiC software family minimises the workload for video
server operators in TV stations, network facilities and new media operations. Customers using QuiC software tools to analyse files ingested
into video servers can achieve results
faster through automated processes.
“The increasing emphasis on
file-based workflows in today’s
demanding broadcast, production
and media operations creates a
need for straightforward quality
control processes,” said Harris
Morris, president, Harris Broadcast
Communications. “These new tools
provide fast, effective and actionable
results without false positives —
allowing our customers to more
effectively share, distribute and
monetise media assets across many
workflows and delivery platforms.”
QuiC Pro and QuiC Express
integrate quickly into any operation
or facility, with ready-to-go test
templates and an intuitive webbased user interface. A web-service
Application Programming Interface
(API) enables communication with
QuiC Pro is ideal for use after
content editing, during automated
ingest, and for on-the-fly video
transcoding and archival transfers
digital asset management systems
and other workflow components.
Harris customers can easily integrate QuiC software products into
workflow solutions featuring Harris
NEXIO AMP servers and Invenio
digital asset management software.
QuiC Pro offers the most flexible
QC feature set for the creative
process. It is ideal for use after
content editing, during automated
ingest, and for on-the-fly video
transcoding and archival transfers.
QuiC View is a professional-grade
viewer that offers added value for
content owners seeking a fast and efficient way to inspect file-based assets.
N2502
TVBEU R O PE N A B N E W P R O D U C T P R E V I E W
‘World first’ DVB-T2 system for
network monitoring and analysis
Nativ has installed its MioEverywhere
media management solution in the Switch
SuperNAP datacentre in Las Vegas
Bridge Technologies
By Jake Young
The 2012 NAB show sees the launch of
what is claimed to be the world’s first complete monitoring and analysis solution for
DVB-T2. The DVB-T2 system has been The VB330 media monitoring probe can deliver a 60GB monitoring capability
popular with European operators for its
characteristics in single frequency net- monitoring capability. Designed for smaller than a laptop computer. It has a wide
works, and its 30% bandwidth efficiency extremely high-density applications at range of built-in interfaces for RF, ASI, and
gain over DVB-T.
points of maximum data throughput in IP, full TR 101 290 alarming and analysis, and
Bridge Technologies will display the today’s 10GB core networks, the VB330’s supports all media transportation codecs.
VideoBRIDGE VB330, the first product to capacity offers telco’s, network operators,
The VB252 is part of the industry’s first
be based on the company’s 10GB architec- and digital media organisations a monitor- complete monitoring solution for DVB-T2,
ture, offering what it says is the highest ing solution with the potential for scaling including the T2-MI protocol. The dualperformance-to-form-factor ratio available to match almost any level of throughput.
input VB252 provides external GPS lock
in the monitoring and analysis sector. With
Designed for real-world use by engineers for accurate drift monitoring for SFN netthree blades fitting in a single 1-RU chassis on the road, the VB12-RF packs every works, high-quality MER measurement,
and each VB330 probe having two 10GB required broadcast and IP interface into and level readings.
interfaces, the system can deliver a 60GB a ruggedised chassis with a form factor SU9819
The CMS becomes enriched
Netia
GlobeCast company Netia will launch a
new version of its Content Management
System (CMS) and showcase upgraded
radio automation among its latest products.
The CMS allows users to manage all
processes within the global production environment — from editing through post and
distribution — by simple, easy-to-manage
workflows and task automation, accessed via
one unique and easy-to-use interface. The The CMS GUI includes a greater number
Netia software suite also allows users to con- of fields that can be personalised
nect all of their partners and vendors within
a single production ecosystem, simplifying
the sharing and managing of media assets.
The CMS includes enriched features
within its metadata management module,
as well as in its indexing functionality. The
CMS GUI includes a greater number of
fields that can be personalised, and the system’s metadata template can be customised by users. A multilingual thesaurus
module available in this new CMS release
ensures there are endless possibilities
for very precisely describing content, in
turn making it easier for users to access
and retrieve specific content. Finally, the
CMS will include an enhanced administration application that further simplifies
system management.
SU812
Switch to cloud
Nativ/Strategic Blue
Teaming up to provide a new way for broadcasters and studios to buy technology is
Nativ and Strategic Blue. With coordination
and financial cloud services provided by
Strategic Blue, Nativ is giving content owners access to a media management solution
that combines world-class security and connectivity with the flexibility of the cloud, on
a transactional ‘on-demand’ basis.
Nativ has responded to growing interest
in the US with the installation of its
MioEverywhere media management solution
in the Switch SuperNAP datacentre in Las
Vegas. MioEverywhere, a fully-featured digital
asset management and workflow automation
platform, will enable US studios, broadcasters,
post houses and production companies, to
remotely ingest and validate their content;
centralise their assets; automate workflows
and distribute content to any platform or partner; while keeping complete visibility without
the huge costs of upfront capital expenditure.
This cloud-based solution within Switch’s
United States Inter-Cloud Exchange represents an entirely new way of accessing content
management solutions, and gives content
owners the opportunity to reap all of the benefits of Nativ’s MioEverywhere platform.
N3222i
TallyMan launches
TSL Professional Products
Launching at NAB is TSL’s touchscreen
TallyMan Virtual Panel. Designed to simplify
control of multiple router I/Os, the user
interface is designed to be more in-tune with
the needs of creative operators.
“We’re seeing a change in the way that
operators work across the broadcast chain,
particularly in director, producer, EVS and
graphics positions where crosspoint and
mnemonic information needs to be accessed
quickly and easily”, said Chris Exelby, managing director of TSL Professional Products.
“The TallyMan VP is designed with a
user interface that is a lot less intimidating
than traditional engineering hardware that
requires esoteric knowledge”.
Not only does the software-based control
platform remove the need to install individual
hardware panels when a router is added, expanded or upgraded, it can interface with any
third-party router, vision mixer or multi-viewer.
Ideal for news operations, sporting events
and remote head-ends, the panel also allows
users to switch equipment on and off remotely,
while offering heightened security.
N1119
36
Industry gurus speak live at NAB
Vitec Group
The Vitec Group will host well
known figures in the broadcast and
film making industry in its dedicated
Live Event Area at this year’s NAB.
The independent experts,
ranging from directors of photography, to directors and filmmakers, will share their knowledge
and expertise on the latest products, technology and techniques.
They will be joined in the Live
Event Area by representatives
from key Vitec Group brands to
hold a range of informative
sessions for visitors.
The Live Event Area will feature
six, daily one-hour sessions covering hot topics and tips on everything from emerging technologies
to discussions on innovative lighting techniques. Brand advocates for
Anton Bauer, Autoscript, Bexel,
Litepanels, Manfrotto, Microwave
Service Company, Nucomm,
OConnor, RF Central, Sachtler,
Vinten and Vinten Radamec will
lead the sessions and be on hand to
share their extensive knowledge.
Speakers confirmed so far
include director and Pulitzer Prize
winning photographer, Vincent
Laforet, who will discuss ‘Emerging Technology and Digital
Storytelling’ on Monday 16 April,
12.30pm-1.30pm. Laforet is known
for his forward thinking approach
to image-making. He is considered
a pioneer both for his innovative
tilt-shift and aerial photography
and in the field of HD-capable
DSLR cameras.
Another ‘Meet the Experts’
slot will be hosted by the BAFTA
nominated filmmaker, Philip
Bloom, who will address the
audience on Tuesday 17 April,
12.30pm-1.30pm about choosing
the right gear for professional film
making. He is one of the new breed
of cinematographers and has been
credited with helping to popularise
the DSLR video revolution.
C6929
Director Vincent Laforet will
discuss ‘Emerging Technology
and Digital Storytelling’
DTT monitor completes toolset
T-VIPS
The TNS547 DTT Monitor
extends T-VIPS’ portfolio of
DVB-T2 solutions and enables
‘end-to-end’ monitoring — from
the headend to the RF signals at
the transmitter — delivering a
complete toolset ensuring Quality
of Service in terrestrial networks
The monitor provides true
end-to-end monitoring for DVB-T
and DVB-T2 operators. It is the
newest member of the T-VIPS
nSure product line and is designed
to ensure the delivery of highquality video content by simplifying the monitoring and analysis of
DVB-T/T2 transport streams and
services throughout a terrestrial
network. This new solution has
been developed in close cooperation with customers and will ship
at the end of Q1 2012.
“With the switch off of analogue systems imminent, Quality
of Service and reliability in DTT
systems are of critical importance.
The
CONTINUITY
PLANNER
WHATS’On updates our
secondary events and verifies
compliance before generating
a ready-to-air playlist.
Even during the broadcast.
Discover our software at
Errors and service breaks need to
be detected the second they occur,
and that is what we enable with our
nSure monitoring and switching
solutions,” said Johnny Dolvik,
CEO, T-VIPS. “By providing the
capability to monitor off-air
signals at the transmitter site with
the T-VIPS TNS547, we can now
offer powerful end-to-end DTT
monitoring – from the head-end to
the transmitter site — for both DVBT and DVB-T2 infrastructures.”
SU7907
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Added value for
scan converter
Matrox Video Products Group has
announced important new features for
Matrox Convert DVI Plus HD-SDI scan
converters. Automatic input detection
is particularly important for A/V
integrators who might regularly deal
with a variety of input devices in the
course of their work. The graphic
overlay feature lets users add a custom
logo or graphic to Convert DVI’s output.
www.matrox.com/video
Sencore’s Media Choice
Sencore has appointed Netherlandsbased distributor Media Choice
Broadcast Solutions to resell the
company’s full line of signal quality,
transmission, and video delivery
solutions to customers in the Benelux
and DACH (Germany, Austria, and
Switzerland) regions. “Sencore
products are an ideal combination for
broadcasters throughout these
countries as they look to make a
seamless transition to all-digital
delivery while maximising bandwidth
and existing infrastructure,”said Tony
Oehlerking, general manager of
international business development
at Sencore.
www.sencore.com
The
The
LONG-TERM
SCHEDULER
WHATS’On allows me
to plan multimedia content
on all channels and platforms
from within one single system.
CTO
The
WHATS’On seamlessly
integrates with any MAM, sales,
finance and playout system of
our choice.
booth N6331
CEO
WHATS’On allows us to
launch new channels and
on-demand services
without a pro rata
increase in staff.
MediaGeniX
37
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Hyperdeck update
Blackmagic Design has released
HyperDeck 2.5 public beta for its
HyperDeck SSD recorders. The new
software update allows timecode
information embedded within the
ancillary data space of HD-SDI video
signals to be written to HyperDeck’s
uncompressed or Avid DNxHD
compressed video files. HyperDeck 2.5
software also adds the option to record
and playback DNxHD QuickTime as well
as DNxHD MXF format files, extending
the ability to use Avid’s industry
standard file encoding with a range of
software and to suit specific workflows.
www.blackmagic-design.com
Dimetis completes
VICO-Project for SRG
The VICO-Project, based on Dimetis Boss
File Transfer Manager, has been
integrated at SRG. The customised
VICO-Application benefits from an user
interface and intuitive usability that
hides the complexity of processes.
Dimetis met SRG’s specific requirements,
such as multi-lingualism (German, English,
French, Italian, Rhaeto-Romance) and
offered a preview-functionality for the
video-files to be transmitted. The SRG
solution can integrate as many interfaces
to third-party providers as necessary.
www.dimetis.com
Groovy streaming
Groovy Gecko has released version 2.0 of
its Live Presentation System (LPS). It’s a
modular system designed to enable the
delivery of complex, interactive
webcasts and offers a new range of
functionality. Version 2.0 enables a great
deal of interactivity, helping companies
to further engage their audience during a
webcast. Slides can be fully animated and
the LPS features sophisticated question
moderation, supporting multi-language
broadcasts, and harvesting of questions
from both Facebook and Twitter.
“The social media functionality is very
attractive, enabling our customers to
engage even more with its audience
before, during and after the webcast,”
commented Eddie Robins, technical
director, Groovy Gecko.
www.groovygecko.com
Artemis makes Light work
Calrec Audio
By Jake Young
The Artemis Light, the newest
member of Calrec’s Artemis family,
will be demonstrated at NAB. The
audio console introduces a new
compact processing rack, dedicated to delivering digital signal processing (DSP) and routing capabilities in a 4U enclosure.
Like all Artemis consoles,
Artemis Light incorporates Bluefin2
high-density signal processing and
Hydra2 networking technologies
in the same compact, powerful
and scalable control surface used
by Artemis Shine and Beam.
Employing the same hardware and
software architecture, the Artemis
Light can be fully integrated with any
existing Hydra2 network.
Calrec will also highlight its
Hydra2 Operator (H2O), a remotely
accessible management system that
enhances the flexibility of the
Hydra2 network router. H2O allows
the user to control the Hydra2
network independently from any
console control surface. Users will be
Tools to calm loudness
in the US, include the D*AP LM4
and the D*AP LM2.
The company will also be
showing a prototype of the V*AP
2-channel voice processor, a new
addition to the *AP family that
will be officially launched at
IBC2012. The V*AP will come
with either a microphone (optional
dual high end Mic preamps) or
AES I/Os so that it can be used
with a mixing desk as a high end
outboard dynamics processor.
SU3604
Jünger Audio
Dynamics specialist Jünger
Audio will present two new
additions to its *AP family of
loudness control processors.
These units are specifically
designed to help US broad casters stay within the parameters of the newly introduced
CALM legislation.
Peter Pörs, managing director
of Jünger Audio, said: “When it
comes to controlling audio loudness and ensuring that broadcast
audio stays within the law, our
*AP family provides broadcasters
with all the tools they need.
Major broadcasters around the
world are choosing these products because they allow loudness
consistency to be maintained in a
very easy and cost effective way
— and without any detrimental
effects on sound quality.”
The two new additions, which
will be on show for the first time
D*AP LM4 is a 4-channel Digital Audio Processor that can be used
to control audio loudness while creating and editing broadcast content
New EVS Media Toolset
EVS
Life for MBC
Dubai-based Middle East Broadcasting
Center (MBC Group) has selected BFE as
integrator for the deployment of Dalet
Media Life, which has been selected as
the programming MAM for the group’s
10 TV channels. The Dalet system
includes an open, robust and flexible
asset management platform that unifies
disparate systems into an integrated
workflow that streamlines programme
preparation and facilitates content
delivery to broadcast and other
distribution outlets. At MBC, Dalet will
integrate with several systems including
Harris Broadcast Master for scheduling
and SGL for archiving. “The openness of
the Dalet solution was a very important
aspect of this project,“ said Jürgen
Loos, director of aales for BFE.
www.dalet.com
Live slow-motion expert EVS will
unveil its latest toolset for media
exchange and file mastering at
NAB. The Media Toolset can be
used to streamline any broadcast
and media workflow operations
including the new version of the
OpenCube server. OpenCube server combines the best of MXF file
mastering technologies and
advanced media conforming systems. The new generation of MXF
file-based server is offering full
mastering of AS02, AS03, and
IMF formats, as required by
Hollywood studios. Used to digitise the French National Archive
(INA), the server’s a formatagnostic platform supporting all
standard codecs on a full serviceoriented architecture.
38
Artemis Light has Bluefin2 high density signal processing and Hydra2 networking
able to set up routes and configure
access rights to all desks on a
given network, as well as enter network wide I/O boxes and port labels
for ease of identification. H2O offers
users the ability to arrange ports into
folders so they can be located more
quickly and easily, and it also provides central management of network synchronisation.
Calrec’s Apollo is an additional
showcase. The audio console
provides a control surface with
displays, touchscreens, and lightemitting knobs that detail function and status. In the fast turnaround environment of live
broadcast television, users need to
have more control at their fingertips: Apollo’s ergonomic design
makes two layers of channels
available simultaneously.
C1746
Suited to any sports, CCast offers
unlimited possibilities
Also on display will be EVS’
Sports360° solutions — XT3 and
CCast. The XT3 is a future-proof
recording and media server
featuring eight channels in loop
recording mode. This unique
hybrid media-sharing network is
claimed to be the industry’s first
3Gbps (single link) video in/out
capable system with embedded
high/low res management.
The new version of CCast, part
of EVS’ Sports360°, represents the
industry’s first advanced multi-cam
solution allowing instant distribution of multiple camera angles on
web-connected screens during live
productions. Suited to any sports, it
offers unlimited possibilities for
multiple audiences including television viewers, spectators, coaches,
journalists and referees. With
fully-modular and service-oriented
architecture, CCast adapts to any
kind of business or workflow, and
offers advanced integration with
third-party web systems and data
import such as statistics, commercials and tweets.
In addition, EVS will showcase the new generation of Xedio
file-based news editors, EVS’
end-to-end news production
solution and REC2Post, which
increase productivity of TV production facilities by reducing cost
and complexity.
SL3815
Apps for iPhone and iPad: In
addition to the Signiant software
solutions on show, the company will
unveil new products that combine
enterprise-level security,
management and control, writes
Melanie Dayasena-Lowe. The
company will present its Signiant
Media Manager, a system-to-system
solution designed to handle the
administration, control,
management and execution of all
system activity — including
workflow modelling — from a single
platform. Ideal for batch transfers
of large numbers of media files,
users interact with the Manager
through a web-based interface for
system configuration, task
automation and reporting.
Intelligent agents on the sending
and receiving ends manage and
monitor successful content
movement. Signiant Media
Exchange (MX) is a private cloud
solution for fast, secure file
transfer designed for the business
needs of media content providers —
from major studios and global
broadcasters to regional post
production houses.
SL4228
Ficus Web simplifies workflows
Tedial
Mathematically lossless compression with some video content
More compression choice
Nevion
Nevion will enhance its compression
offerings with the introduction of
an advanced H.264 encoder and
decoder solution. The VS904 provides H.264 4:2:0/8-bit and MPEG-2
4:2:0/4:2:2/8-bit capability with
bitrates from 2Mbps to 80Mbps. A
myriad of audio codecs are also
supported including SMPTE302
pass through, MPEG-1 Layer II,
HE-AAC, AAC-LC, and AC-3. In
addition, the VS904 offers a low
latency option of 250ms (end-to-end)
while maintaining high visual quality.
At NAB Nevion will introduce
the next generation in audio and
data transport over IP/Ethernet
networks. The VS906 provides a
highly robust solution for contribution audio (analog, AES, and MADI)
and data (E1 and T1) transport for
IP/Ethernet networks which can be
deployed quickly, efficiently, and
in a scalable fashion. It features
state-of-the-art protection capability and provides less bandwidth
intensive,
standards-compliant
Forward Error Correction (FEC).
Also on show will be the widelydeployed Ventura VS901-IED-GEP
JPEG 2000 solution, which now
provides mathematically lossless
compression for HD-SDI transport
supporting bitrates up to 800Mbps.
Using JPEG 2000 lossless filters, it
can now achieve mathematically
lossless compression with some
video content, while with highly
complex content, gains in video
quality have been attained that previously weren’t possible. Even with
complex content, the use of lossless
filters results in up to 10dB of PSNR
increase over the use of lossy filters
at intermediate bitrates.
SU2019
Making several worldwide debuts
is Tedial, who will present its range
of software for broadcast ranging
from Media Asset Management
(MAM) and Hierarchical Storage
Management (HSM) to Business
Process Management (BPM).
Following in-depth feedback
from customers, Tedial has
redesigned the interface to
its Tarsys MAM solution;
further enhancing operator
experience and providing
additional features for
cataloguing, editing and
exporting media to thirdparty systems. The new
GUI has been specifically
designed to simplify collaborative working between
professionals in any media
enterprise and beyond.
To enable the implementation, monitoring and
execution of production
workflows in a full webbased environment, Tedial
will unveil its Ficus Web
Client. Delivering unique
features including proxy
editing followed by the
automatic creation of a high resolution version, the Ficus Web Client
makes tasks such as segmentation
of media as well as compliance editing possible. The new Ficus Web
Client will further simplify business
procedures and workflows.
With new support for closed
captioning, Tedial can now provide support for closed captioning throughout the entire lifecycle
of content and execution of
media workflows.
Tedial’s ingest management
tool provides full control of a
wide range of VTRs and other
devices. The latest version, which
will be demonstrated on the stand
at NAB, supports industry standard protocols for routers and
features a powerful source scheduler application. This enables
operators to schedule, access and
plan work around any current or
future ingest feed.
N6506
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39
Flexible networks
media network, including integrated signal processing, at the cost
of simple multiplexing point-toBy Melanie Dayasena-Lowe
point products. With a network
Manufacturer of realtime net- bandwidth of 50Gbps MediorNet
works for video, audio and com- Compact provides enough capacity
munications Riedel Communi- for bi-directional transport of 12
cations presents MediorNet HD-SDI signals, dozens of MADI
Compact and the Connect AVB streams or Gb-Ethernet signals and
solution at this year’s NAB.
hundreds of audio channels or interMediorNet Compact is the cost com ports — ideal for streamlining
effective and easy-to-use entry into the infrastructure of any mobile,
the Riedel MediorNet world of studio or live event application.
integrated media signal distribution
MediorNet Compact provides
and processing. It provides the flex- connectivity for up to 12 3G/HD/
ibility of a true realtime
SD-SDI signals, four
AES ports, two
MADI interfaces as
well as four analogue
audio I/Os with highquality microphone
preamps and a
dynamic range of
117dB.
Furthermore, MediorNet
Compact features
an interface for
Riedel RockNet
digital
audio
networks,
two
DisplayPort outThe Riedel suite of AVB products includes the AVB-108 G2
puts, three Gbit
Client, the Connect AVB and Connect AVBx8 panel interfaces Ethernet ports
Riedel Communications
40
and connections for serial data
and GPIs. One Sync input and
three Sync outputs complete the
device’s interfaces.
MediorNet Compact is fully
compatible with other MediorNet systems and supports all network topologies including ring,
daisy-chain, star or any combination of these.
MediorNet Compact comes in
a 3RU housing and features integrated broadcast-quality signal
processing tools such as frame
store synchroniser, embedder/
de-embedder, test pattern generator, on-screen dDisplay and timecode insertion at every port.
Connecting intercom panels
over an IP-based LAN environments has been the dream of many
system planners. But issues inherent to IP like latency, reliability
and missing synchronisation prevented them from doing so.
Riedel’s AVB product line overcomes these issues and provides a
realtime solution for professional
intercom users. This allows for new
approaches in system and facility
design providing significant savings in infrastructure investments.
C4337
There are two versions of the O-Focus DM,
the Photo Set and the Cine Set, each with its
own unique transmission ratio
Hand on the wheel
OConnor
OConnor, part of Vitec Videocom,
a Vitec Group company, has announced the O-Focus Dual Mini, a
compact, double-sided direct drive
follow focus unit optimised for both
still and cine-style camera lenses, to
meet the needs of professional camera operators and assistants.
The precision gear drive of the
main bridge is designed with a gear
ratio of 1:0.75 so that 360˚ of input
results in 270˚ of output (ie, rotation on the drive gear).
There are two versions of the OFocus DM, the Photo Set and the
Cine Set, each with its own unique
transmission ratio. The difference
is accomplished by the use of two
different types of handwheels that
interface with the main bridge to
generate optimised transmission
output. Changing the transmission
ratio is as easy as changing a lens.
Without requiring tools, the handwheel(s) can be easily swapped out
and the user is ready to shoot.
The Photo Set uses a new Hard
Stop Handwheel, which has a transmission ratio of 1:1 (input: output).
When coupled with the O-Focus
Bridge, it yields a follow focus
industry first; a 1:0.75 transmission
ratio. This translates to longer, more
exacting focus pulls when using
limited barrel rotation still lenses for
digital cinematography, and allows
more precise lens control than has
previously been available for these
camera configurations.
C6028
Monitors for the show
Wohler Technologies
The new DVM-2443 MPEG video
monitor is a cost-effective fourscreen monitoring system that offers
broadcasters advanced test and
measurement features in a standalone 2RU configuration.
The DVM-2443 MPEG video
monitor incorporates four 4.3-inch
16:9 ratio LED backlit displays for
flexible and at-a-glance monitoring
of programme content from MPEG2/4 ASI streams, as well as PID table
metadata, waveform, and vectorscope overlays, and audio-level meters.
Wohler will debut a new dual
input SDI audio monitor that
offers high-performance monitoring of embedded audio in
3G/HD or SD-SDI streams. The
1RU unit de-embeds and provides metering and monitoring
of any or all of the 16 audio
channels in the selected 3G/HD
or SD-SDI stream.
Also on display at NAB will be
the new RMQ-230 quad split
video monitor, which allows users
to watch video and monitoring
data in up to four display
windows on a single 23-inch
1920x1080 LED backlight screen.
RMQ-230 series monitors accept
3G/HD/SD-SDI, analogue composite, and HDMI inputs in varying configurations tailored for
different monitoring applications
and price points. In addition to
allowing broadcasters to mix and
match video input formats on a
single screen, RMQ-230 monitors
can display waveform and vectorscope while also providing audio
de-embedding, audio metering of
up to eight channels, UMD, timecode, and various markers. While
the new Wohler LCD monitor
can display video and monitoring
features in four uniform areas,
broadcasters also can configure
the system as a single full screen
or with one large and three smaller
windows, the latter being ideal for
simultaneous PC workstation
screen and audio/ video confidence monitoring usage.
N5211
RMQ-230 monitors can display waveform and vectorscope while also
providing audio de-embedding, audio metering of up to eight channels
Thunder strikes at NAB
Telecast Fiber Systems
The Power-Cache server can archive source masters for
production or entire projects for post production
Reporting your new status
Cache-A
By Jake Young
The Power-Cache Archive Server
combines Cache-A’s noted appliance functionality with ultrafast
disk array and networking for
more expandability and accelerated archive and retrieval transfers.
Power-Cache features a separate
SSD drive for its operating system
to ensure peak archiving and
restore performance and reliability at all times. It also offers greater
flexibility for staging content,
making duplicate tape copies and
working with Cache-A Library
and Expansion units.
The compact one-rack unit can
control up to four LTO-5 drives
with up to two concurrently at full
speed. Library24 or Library48
options and a one-rack unit
expansion chassis that can hold
one or two LTO-5 tape drives can
be connected in any combination
of up to four tape drives.
To simplify the archiving of
large projects, the Cache-A
Library24 and Library 48 work
with the Power-Cache or ProCache to automate archival workflows and provide the ultimate in
system flexibility. Cache-A’s
Library24 option can accommodate up to two internal tape drives
and up to four tape drives on the
Library48 option when driven
from the new Power-Cache model.
Power-Cache is launching with
Cache-A’s latest version 2.1 software release, which contains many
new capabilities for all models. The
top feature is the ability to queue
jobs from multiple users or events,
enabling any Cache-A device to be
more responsive in demanding
user environments. Cache-A systems now offer the ability to directly mount Apple file shares,
improving performance and convenience in Mac environments.
SL10508
The new Thunder system from
Telecast Fiber is a cost-effective,
compact, and versatile fibre-optic
solution for transporting audio,
intercom, and data in mobile production, broadcast infrastructure,
and live sound applications. Using
just one or two strands of fibre and
just 1RU of space, the scalable
Thunder system transports up to
80 bi-directional channels of
audio, data, and/or intercom signals, configurable in up to 10 eightchannel blocks. Alternatively, rows
of 16 XLR and DB9 connectors
New members join the Thor family
of fibre optic extenders
can be added to provide traditional audio, intercom, and data interfaces when those connectors are
preferred. In addition, the system
can be equipped with a portable,
throwdown ‘Stage Box’ offering
32 analogue inputs, eight analogue outputs, and two intercom
channels
in
a
hardened,
ruggedised enclosure.
Also new is the Terrapin TRD6, a compact, bidirectional
throwdown device that features
both a fibre optic (ST) input and
a copper (BNC) input, as well as
a fibre optic output (ST) and six
copper (BNC) outputs. A single
push-button operation makes it
easy to switch between four
modes, permitting the Terrapin
TR-D6 to act as an HD/SDI distribution amplifier with six BNC
outputs and a fibre optic output,
a fibre optic transceiver with six
BNC outputs of the received signal or the local copper signal, or
as an optical repeater with a sixoutput BNC tap.
C8925
41
the rt of video optics
With the longest zoom ranges in their respective
categories, our HD video lenses extend your
definition to take you exactly where you need to be.
Available in 14X, 19X, 26X and 40X.
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4HE#/2)/®
ADVANTAGE…
Shared resources: Unveiling new features and enhancements to its Mosart systems, Mosart Medialab will also
present the brand new Mosart Multi-Studio Solutions newscast automation system, writes Melanie Dayasena-Lowe.
Mosart Multi-Studio Solutions is a fully featured Mosart newscast automation system designed for the multi-studio
broadcaster, providing highly efficient, streamlined sharing of resources and coordination across several control
rooms. Scarce resources such as video server ports and graphics engines can be shared for optimal use of
infrastructure, and workflow for journalists and production staff is optimised through template sharing and an
automated template database, making it possible to create templates that can be re-used in multiple control rooms.
Mosart Newscast Automation 3.0 includes a range of new features and functions, including a redesigned graphical
interface with full user configurability. New for 2012, Mosart 3.0 now also includes interfaces with Harris Nexio and
Grass Valley K2 video servers, Calrec and Stagetec audio mixers, Casper, Xpression and Pixelpower graphics,
Brainstorm Virtual Studio and Camerobot systems. The Mosart open-systems compatibility is extended with new
support for Annova’s OpenMedia and Octopus in addition to ENPS, iNEWS, Dalet News, and NorCom.
N1820
THEmEXIBILITYOF
OUR-ATRIX2OUTERS
Yellobrik syncs for broadcast
LYNX Technik
Provider of modular interfaces
LYNX Technik will be exhibiting
its range of broadcast quality
HDMI conversion yellobriks.
The company’s CHD 1812 —
HDMI to SDI Converter +
Frame Sync (3G) unit supports
SD/HD/3G-SDI formats, provides 3D support and includes
an integrated Frame Synchroniser. A flexible reference input
allows the unit to be crosslocked between formats. With
this brick, facilities can convert
HDMI to high definition or SDSDI such as sources coming from
broadcast video cameras as well
as PC and MAC computers.
The CHD 1812 converter supports
SD/HD/3G-SDI formats
A key feature of this yellobrik
is the built-in frame synchroniser,
which eliminates the need to
Manage your own CDNs
Broadpeak
By Jake Young
The OperatorCDN solution offers
operators a way to control the quality of content and increase revenue
by managing their own content
delivery network (CDN) rather than
working with a third-party CDN
service provider. Broadpeak will
introduce this solution at NAB.
Based on the Broadpeak BkM100
Mediator CDN management platform, it provides an advanced statistics
display tool referencing all the
sessions per content, per region,
and per format. Operating a wholesale content delivery network
through the OperatorCDN allows
a network service provider (NSP) to
offer a CDN service to local content owners, who can negotiate the
price directly with NSPs. Broadpeak’s solution generates new
revenue streams for NSPs carrying
a growing share of local content.
It also increases Quality of Experience (QoE) and, as a result,
revenue, as well as offering a new
geo-content replacement option
that replaces content according to
purchase a separate and expensive
3Gb frame sync unit. It is an
ideal solution for any application
that requires a fully synchronised
SDI input from an external asynchronous HDMI source.
The integrated frame synchroniser solves a common problem
in broadcast and video HDMI
to SDI (PC and MAC) conversion
applications. In a production
environment in the US, a 59.94Hz
frame rate is typical for SDI
video applications and often, an
HDMI output runs at 60Hz. The
integrated frame synchroniser
adjusts for this minor difference,
providing users with a perfectly
frame synchronised 59.94Hz
SDI output from a 60Hz
HDMI source.
N4433
the current geographical location of
the subscriber.
The CDN’s servers address all
types of networks with both live and
on-demand applications; formats
include Microsoft Smooth Streaming, Apple HTTP Live Streaming,
Windows Media streaming, and
Adobe Flash RTMP.
Broadpeak will also unveil the
new +screensCDN (pronounced
‘morescreensCDN’) solution, a
streaming system that manages
bandwidth and storage usage, increases QoE, and eliminates churn.
The +screensCDN also features
content recovery mechanisms to
preserve QoE for live and VoD
content delivery (RTP retry).
SU8012
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ith
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43
UQC, iCR and Bruce’s Shorts training
AmberFin
By Jake Young
AmberFin is to unveil the latest
version of its Unified Quality
Control (UQC) solution and the
next phase of Bruce’s Shorts
training programme, as well as
new multi-transcode capabilities
for iCR at NAB 2012.
Built around user-feedback,
AmberFin’s latest version of UQC
(a solution for content, ingest and
transcoding operations) will feature an improved user experience
Bruce’s Shorts: The popular broadcast-IT-workflow training programme
including third-party plug-ins to
add new levels of quality control,
integrated ingest capabilities and
a streamlined workflow interface.
UQC combines an automated
process with a human touch,
enabling more efficient and effective decision-making and levels of
confidence in the file creation and
transformation processes.
The file-based workflow company will also unveil new softwarebased multi-transcode capabilities
for iCR that will enable users
to run up to eight different
transcode nodes simultaneously
Swift swing through file formats
Softel
The Softel team will showcase its
full range of feature-rich closed
captioning, and video description
software, which allows content
producers, broadcasters and network operators to quickly and
efficiently comply with the latest
FCC Twenty-First Century
44
Communications and Video
Accessibility Act (CVAA) mandates for content delivered over
the internet.
Softel offers Swift, a range of
closed captioning and video
description solutions that enables
the creation, repurposing, encoding,
transcoding, insertion and transmission of closed captions in a wide
array of file formats while increasing reliability and productivity.
Other highlights at the show
include Swift Create, a sub titling and captioning software
and workstation that allows
the preparation and repurposing of subtitles and captions.
Swift Create supports all
formats of Open, Closed and
DVD/Blu-ray subtitles and
closed captions.
Softel Swift vTX enables
broadcasters
to
repurpose
The Softel team will showcase its full
range of feature-rich closed captioning,
and video description software
content regardless of file format.
It allows users to switch easily
between standard and high
on a single PC, thereby dramatically reducing the cost per channel while obtaining even better
use of their PC hardware.
In addition AmberFin will
announce the next phase of Bruce’s
Shorts, a free technology-based
training programme hosted by
Bruce Devlin, AmberFin’s CTO
and co-author of the MXF format.
The next phase of Bruce’s Shorts
will include an enterprise version
as well a series of new hot topics
including XML basics, streaming
basics and workflow troubleshooting skills. The new enterprise version will allow organisations to sign
up their workforce for tailormade
broadcast IT workflow training
videos and webinars.
SU9005
definition formats to facilitate
multiplatform and worldwide distribution. Swift vTX supports a
large array of files, wrappers and
playout formats, allowing the
integration of subtitled or captioned content across a wide
range of media servers and editing solutions.
Swift TX from Softel is a
flexible subtitle/caption management and transmission platform
that reduces workflow com plexity and increases reliability
and productivity.
N1525
More channels, more media
Chyron
By Jake Young
Graphics provider Chyron will
showcase several products including its Channel Box2 branding
and promo system.
Version 4.6 of the channel
branding system features 2D/3D
design with a complete data acquisition toolset for all branding
applications. Built on Chyron’s
Lyric technology, Channel Box2
allows users to access and publish
data including RSS feeds, traffic,
financial, weather, elections, tickers, promos and snipes. Its software introduces an asset viewer
that allows an operator to validate,
package, and query assets, as well
as new data binding tools for
improved panel control.
Also demonstrated at the show
will be MediaMaker. The technology integrates Chyron graphics
with file-based workflows, giving
Channel Box allows publication of RSS feeds, traffic, financial,
weather, tickers and promos. It also features data binding tools
video editors and graphic designers access to the same graphics
and animations that are being
used live on the air. MediaMaker
also takes producer-created
graphics from a wide range of
newsroom systems for repackaging into the edit suite.
Desktop Multi-Viewer gives
any operator the ability to monitor
Leadership quality in view
Net Insight
At NAB 2012, Net Insight, a
provider of efficient and scalable
transport solutions for media, IP
and broadcast networks, will
demonstrate its MSR functionality that provides service-centric
network management, QoS
(Quality of Service) Enhanced
Links and lossless routing. This
functionality enables Net Insight
to deliver 100% QoS and
enhances the service integrity and
performance of IP networks.
At the show, Net Insight will
launch the Nimbra 310, a compact
one-box access media switch router
for true multi-service transport of
media and data services, targeting
the increasing demands for transport
of realtime sensitive media and data
applications with guaranteed QoS.
Applications range from highend video services such as studio
production and contribution, to
broadcast distribution in IPTV/
cable TV or DTT/mobile networks.
Due to its attractive pricing it is
well suited for use as a remote
access for video contribution or in
DVB-T/T2 distribution networks
and control multiple remote desktop systems simultaneously from
a single desktop within a single
application. The software-based
application displays each system in
a view only grid without affecting
any on-air devices.
Also on display will be Axis
World Graphics, claimed to be the
world’s only cloud-based graphics
creation system designed specifically for broadcasters. It allows
users to create templates in
Chyron’s Lyric PRO 8.1 software,
further streamlining integration
within the broadcaster’s existing
workflow or within Chyron’s
BlueNet workflow.
Chyron will also demonstrate
BlueNet, a solution that addresses
streamlined end-to-end graphics
workflows. In fast-paced news or
sports workflows that require many
complex graphics, BlueNet minimises the cycle time from creation to air.
SL1510
and fills a gap between simple
video IP media converters and
the higher end MSRs for aggregation/core use.
Preemption in the Nimbra
MSR network enables the operator to have complete control over
which services can be preempted,
and guarantees that the establishment of one video service does
not affect existing video services.
It will only affect services that the
operator has explicitly configured
as preemption candidates in the
case of network congestion.
SU3919
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Mistika reaps
the 3D awards
Four of SGO’s Mistika-related projects
have scooped awards from the
International 3D Society in Hollywood.
The winning projects include:
The Animated 3D Feature Award for
The Adventures of Tintin, Paramount
Pictures, which was post produced using
Mistika at Park Road Post in New Zealand;
A special ‘Jury Prize’ for Excellence went
to PINA, Neue Road Films, post produced
using Mistika by Christian Troeger and
Sven Heck, based in Germany; The Short
3D Motion Picture/Narrative award for
The Foundling, RSA Films, which was post
produced by David Cox using Mistika at
The Framestore in London; and The
Electronic Broadcast Media (Television)
Award – Live Sports for the Champions
League Final, BSkyB, post produced using
Mistika’s technology in the UK at BSkyB.
www.sgomistika.com
zeebox at SMPTE
The Society of Motion Picture &
Television Engineers (SMPTE) has
announced that Anthony Rose, the
co-founder and CTO of the connected TV
startup firm zeebox, will moderate a
panel on the content of the future at the
SMPTE Forum on Emerging Media
Technologies from 13-15 May in Geneva
and produced in collaboration with the
European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Rose will lead The Forum panel ‘Content
of the Future,’ which will focus on the
kinds of content people will want — and
be willing to pay for — amid the rapid
convergence of broadcast, internet,
wireless, and social media technologies.
www.smpteforum.org
Intercom system for
Broadcast Networks
Clear-Com
By Jake Young
Broadcast Networks has selected
the Clear-Com Encore partyline
intercom system for its new Land
Rover Live Production Vehicle.
Broadcast Networks opted for
the partyline system for its ability
to adapt to the changing uses of
the truck, which include SNG,
audio, film and live production. It
will be used primarily for communications between the OB van
staff members within the truck
and in the field.
“The Clear-Com partyline
system is able to interface
with and support the maximum
number of cameras that we can
use in the vehicle. It has everything we need in a convenientsized package,” said Paul Wallis,
sales director for Broadcast
Networks. “We’ve designed a cutting-edge 4x4 live production
vehicle, and we needed to have
intercoms that won’t let us down
during productions.”
C8008
45
Dolby battles it out for post-CRT monitor crown and presents new field calibration service
Top professional references
Dolby
The Dolby Professional Reference
Monitor has recently been used
on a number of high-profile projects, including David Fincher’s
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,
Superbowl commercials such as
Honda’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
sequel as well as commercials for
Lexus and Suzuki and the upcoming film Mirror Mirror.
Filling the gap left by the CRT,
the Dolby Professional Reference
Monitor delivers true blacks,
exceptional dark detail, high contrast, wide dynamic range, and
precise colour rendering. It is one
of the most consistent, accurate
reference monitors for creating
any type of colour critical content.
Dolby’s patented dual modulation technology is the core behind
the 42-inch Grade 1 monitor’s
The Dolby Professional Reference Monitor delivers true blacks, accurate
dark detail, high contrast, wide dynamic range, and precise colour rendering
ability to display unprecedented
black levels, along with precise
colour accuracy at all luminance
levels, and also a wide dynamic
range. It supports native viewing
of both 10-bit and 12-bit formats.
As advanced 12-bit high dynamic
range workflows replace existing
10-bit workflows, the Dolby monitor will be capable of displaying
the advanced high-dynamic range
output of cameras, colour grading systems and other production
and post production devices.
At NAB, Dolby is announcing
a new field calibration service.
Dolby is providing post houses
with an easy way to ensure they
can maintain the most precise
colour accuracy and true black
levels at an affordable price.
Software updates to the Dolby
Professional Reference Monitor
introduced at NAB include
Nucoda 3D LUT support, additional high frame rate support,
expanding support for the
MPAA’s ACES workflow, and
releasing several user LUTs.
Dolby will show the growing
support for Dolby Digital Plus
and its capacity to enable the
delivery of authentic, high quality
audio experience across any
device and any distribution workflow, including broadcast, overthe-top, online and on-demand.
The Dolby Digital Plus platform
includes scalable and bandwidth
efficient multi-channel coding
designed for bandwidth constrained delivery networks, in
addition to pre and post-processing technologies such as loudness
control and device playback
sound optimisation.
SU1212
New breakthrough for
MAM-driven workflows
Dalet
By Jake Young
Dalet Enterprise Edition and Dalet’s
production workflow solutions will
be showcased at NAB 2012. The
company’s MAM platform unifies
disparate systems, improving workflow productivity and facilitating
content distribution to broadcast,
web, VoD and mobile platforms.
Dalet Enterprise Edition will be
shown in combination with the
company’s tailored production
suites for news (Dalet News Suite),
sports (Dalet Sports Factory) and
radio (Dalet Radio Suite). The next
major version of the Enterprise
platform will be announced for
year-end release.
Dalet will be demonstrating several integrated modules for Dalet
46
Media Life, which is focused on
workflows for programme preparation, MAM for production and
archives. These modules are focused
on the many steps involving media
transformation and content enrichment in the production chain.
“Our MAM offering transforms multisystem linear workflows
into a fully integrated, federated
and centralised workflow,” said
Kevin Savina, director of product
management, Dalet. “We’ve
integrated tools in Dalet Media
Life that include ingest, QC, clip
creation, storyboarding, subtitling
and closed captions. Tailored
work-facilitating tools are also
available for our news and
sports solutions.”
Several features in the current
Dalet product line will also be shown.
SL4615
Q-Ball rolls into the US: The latest version of Camera Corps’ remote-controlled
camera, Q-Ball, will be launched into the US market at NAB, writes Jake Young.
Now in full production, Q-Ball Pre-Set allows 18 shot settings (each comprising
pan angle, tilt angle, zoom and focus) to be stored prior to a live or realtime
recorded shoot. “Many operators have requested the ability to capture and recall
Q-Ball head settings,” remarked Camera Corps Founder and Managing Director
Laurie Frost. “With over 200 systems now in operation around the world, we
recognised that this feature was well worth developing both for customers and
for our own direct involvement in televising reality shows and major outside
broadcast events.” Pre-Set enhances the efficiency of a production team by
allowing detailed settings to be rehearsed ahead of a live event. This is
particularly useful when covering major sports events or public concerts. All
settings are saved in non-volatile RAM, so remain safely stored even if the
Pre-Set system is powered down between rehearsal and actual performance.
C9046
The Starter Pack is aimed at DSLR
users who want to take their
footage to new levels by adding
sweeping crane shots to their mix
DSLRs taken to
new heights
Polecam
Showing for the first time in the
US in its final form, Polecam’s
Starter Pack is aimed at DSLR
users who want to take their
footage to new levels by adding
sweeping crane shots to their mix.
The PSP weighs in at just 33lbs,
comes in a specially designed foam
insert designed to drop straight
into a Pelicase (model 1770) and is
compatible with the latest DSLR
and lightweight video cameras.
Polecam cranes were used as
part of the kit the BBC took with
it to the Arctic to film the November BBC1 hit series Frozen Planet.
Polecam’s Managing Director
Steffan Hewitt said: “Whether
you’re shooting a high-end wedding or filming BBC’s Frozen
Planet, a corporate film about
fork-lift trucks or winter sports,
the Starter Pack will give you professional quality footage at an
affordable price.”
He added: “We’re excited to be
bringing the Starter Pack back to
NAB as a finished product. We’ve
done all the tweaking we needed
to over the last year — and now
it’s ready for action!”
The Polecam team will also be
demonstrating the newly developed
Wire Strut System (dubbed Horns
and Tails by Polecam USA’s Greg
Salman), which is designed to give
added stability to the pole while still
retaining the crane’s trademark
flexibility and versatility.
C5340
Observer: more than just logging
Volicon
A new logging and monitoring system and new loudness monitoring
module by Volicon will be shown
at NAB this year. The newly
enhanced version of the Observer
TS MPEG Transport Stream logging and monitoring system accommodates an even broader array of
inputs, including ASI, QAM,
8-VSB, and DVB-T MPEG TS
interfaces; improved system density
for HD and SD programmes; and
simpler ease-of-use interfaces.
The system allows users to
record (log) MPEG transport
streams continuously, and monitor the A/V content including
BS.1770-2 loudness, NAVE, and
other correlations of data and
video. Observer also allows users
to remotely stream and export
content to all stakeholders in
the media enterprise. Because
Observer TS logs the full transport
stream, the user is able to go back
an hour, a day, a week, or a month
to examine and/or export content
and effectively eliminate chronic
issues with service handoffs.
With commercial and programme loudness being legislated
worldwide, broadcasters, networks,
and video service providers need
to be able to monitor loudness
Express Box
and a hybrid
Glensound Electronics
Glensound will unveil two product
launches, the Express Box commentary system and a digital hybrid and
mobile unit.
The Express Box is a two position commentary box for those
requiring a cost effective system
without compromise. Two identical
full commentary positions each
have their own mic inputs with
selectable 48v phantom power and
compressor/limiter. There are two
common talkback circuits available
to each commentator along with
four common inputs and a sidetone
control for headphone monitoring.
Also new is the GS-MPITBU,
a 1U 19-inch rack featuring a digital
POTS hybrid alongside a GSMPI005 Broadcasters’ Mobile Phone.
There is a single input and output on
the rear panel that is switched via a
front panel toggle switch to be using
either the phone or the hybrid.
The GS-MPI005 part of the
system is a quad band 2G GSM
phone enabling broadcasting specification interfacing to the mobile
phone network. The audio is RF
shielded so is unaffected by the RF
of the antenna.
C1248
in realtime, as well as provide
an affidavit of compliance for
regulators and advertisers. Equipped to measure AC3 dialnorm
levels and compliant with ITU
BS.1770-1 and BS.1770-2, ATSC
A/85 RP 2011, CALM Act
(FCC Report 11-182A1), EBU
R128 (Tech 3341/2/3/4), and
ARIB TR-B32, Volicon’s Observer system offers a powerful
combination of logging and loudness measurement.
SU5715
The Observer system allows users to record (log) MPEG
transport streams continuously, and monitor the A/V content
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47
Robotics track well
Ross Video
This year Ross Video will present
new features and additions in
48
each product line as well as the
introduction of Ross Robotics.
Ross’ Vision Series high-end
production switcher family continues to evolve with v15 software
that will be showcased at NAB
Carbonite C1M: a 1 MLE production switcher with 24 direct access source buttons
2012. This new version extends
the rich integration between
Production Switcher, XPression
Graphics system and the
OverDrive Automated Production
Control system. Sports and News
workflows will be demonstrated
that previously would have
required multiple CG channels
across multiple platforms, streamlining production tasks without
compromising that perfect on-air
look. Also at the show will be new
Vision control panel modules that
accommodate additional external
device control. Vision offers
tremendous operational flexibility
— cost effectively, making it the
smart choice for mid to large production systems.
The company’s new mid-sized
switcher line-up adds the new
Carbonite C1M, a 1 MLE production switcher with 24 direct access
source buttons. Version 6 software
will also be demonstrated, bringing
several important enhancements to
this highly successful product. New
features will include expanded
MultiViewer capabilities, providing
users with far greater monitoring
flexibility and unprecedented control over screen layouts and labels.
In addition audio playout capabilities have been added to the Media
Stores for playout with animated
transitions. This version will include
many other valuable features and
be available to all existing Ross
Carbonite users via a free download
from the Ross Video website.
NAB 2012 will also see the
preview of v12 software for
OverDrive. Version 12 completes
the set of redundant options,
which include: HotSwap to switch
between OverDrive servers,
DeviceSwap to manage sync
rolling of video servers, and
FrameSwap allowing two Vision
switchers to be operated synchronously from a single OverDrive
system. Additionally, support has
been added for Traditional
Chinese text, .5MLE Vision
switcher models and device status
indications in GlobalView. Also
featured this year will be the
QuickTurn new media workflow,
which enables concurrent creation
of web and broadcast streams.
Realtime motion graphics
XPression has gone through
some major enhancements. With
the introduction of v4.0, users
can now load multiple projects
simultaneously, or even single
graphics, without disrupting onair operation. In addition, in a
MOS newsroom environment
XPression can now apply different styles to the same graphics in
a rundown.
In other news, last month Ross
Video acquired FX-Motion,
which brings a whole new product
line to the Ross booth. Furio
Robotic Camera Systems uses a
unique absolute positioning system and rail-based tracking along
with lift and PTZ head. It is
ideally suited to automated
studios as well as virtual set and
augmented reality applications.
N3807
G&D KVM DVI systems
Modular solutions
designed to grow with you
FLEXXITY Output page rendering QuickTime ProRes files
FLEXXITY for Mac:
Software fine-tuned
Digital Film Technology
By Jake Young
In addition to supporting a Linux workflow, FLEXXITY for Mac provides the
post software tools for dailies, playout, and
archive applications for facilities with an
existing Apple infrastructure.
Visitors to the DFT NAB booth can
receive a demonstration of the new
FLEXXITY v1.5 software, and receive a
hands-on experience for how it can apply
to their specific post production workflow.
Whether working with film or digital, onset dailies, post dailies, playout and mastering, or archive workflows, FLEXXITY
offers a specialised software suite that
aggregates a number of key functions in
one software interface. FLEXXITY
helps facilities maximise their value and
delivery of their content by streamlining
audio ingest, image ingest, audio/video
synchronisation, metadata logging, grading, and playout/file generation. It runs on
Linux or Mac, making it an ultra-stable,
high performance, and high-throughput
post production software tool for a variety
of workflow pipelines.
The scale-up flexibility of FLEXXITY allows users to implement a software
system that is fine-tuned to their specific
needs from single-user seats, to multiuser workgroups.
FLEXXITY Dailies can be used as an
on-set or post tool for both digital and
film dailies. It provides native support for
ProRes, QuickTime, MXF and DPX files
as well as most digital cinematography
camera formats. FLEXXITY Dailies
performs simultaneous image and audio
synchronisation, timeline editing, colour
correction, image scaling as well as layout and file generation of many different
file formats.
C11145
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www.gdsys.de
Our new DVICenter DP64 matrix
switch has 64 dynamic ports to allow
flexibility in connecting either a
computer or a user console to each
port. Hence, multiple computers and
platforms can be controlled by teams
of users simultaneously. The system
provides crystal clear digital images
with transmission distances of up to
560m using CAT cables or up to 10 km
with fiber optics. It also comes with a
superior user interface, easy intuitive
configuration and the extra assurance
of a built-in monitoring function.
With digital KVM systems from G&D,
your future’s looking good –
and geared for growth
Extreme first for ultra-motion: At NAB, I-MOVIX will show the brand-new X10 system,
claimed to be the industry’s first live ultra-motion solution, to deliver continuous extreme
slow-motion in full high definition at a groundbreaking 300fps (or 600fps in 720p), writes
Melanie Dayasena-Lowe.
Developed in partnership with EVS, the X10 system is used with an EVS XT3 production
server under Multicam LSM control. It smashes the performance ceiling of existing
continuous super-slow motion systems, which are restricted to three times slower than
real time, or 75fps. The X10 system is designed for continuous slow-motion at frame rates
far in excess of existing systems. It provides a consistent and familiar user interface and
controls that any broadcast crew can use immediately without any special training.
I-MOVIX will also show the benefits of the new SprintCam Vvs HD 1.2 software release.
This updated version of the SprintCam Vvs HD technology features refined
functionality inspired by feedback from the community of SprintCam users.
C4644
49
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Christmas at Vatican
VDM Records completed the recording of
one of the Vatican’s most memorable
and notable concerts of 2011 on 21
December using Merging Technologies’
Pyramix MassCore workstation as the
primary recorder. Using 2 x MADI coaxial
PCIe Mykerinos cards, Igor Fiorini, the
lead engineer, was able to record 96
inputs over the hours of performance
at the Christmas Concert 19th Edition.
Once the recordings had been finished,
Fiorini then used the same Pyramix
system to edit and mix the entire show
for an upcoming DVD and CD release.
Using Pyramix’s integrated mix engine
and CD mastering tools allowed the
whole project to stay inside the Pyramix
application from beginning to end.
www.merging.com
Crystal Vision
in BBC upgrade
BBC Studios and Post Production has
upgraded Studio Three at Television
Centre in London with Crystal Vision
supplying 133 of the interface boards
purchased by ATG Broadcast. The studio
is the second to be designed for full
1080p 3Gbps HD-SDI. The upgrade allows
for 1080p production with minor changes
to the vision monitoring and camera
channels. A total of 25 synchroniser
boards were purchased for the new
design. This included 22 of Crystal
Vision’s multifunctional synchroniser
SYNNER-E 3G. Eight of Crystal Vision’s
Up-Down-A 3G converters and six of the
Up-Down-AS 3G synchronising
converters are being used for routing
any conversion needs on the matrix.
www.crystalvision.tv
50
The MRD 5800 will decode and output Full HD 1080p60, ensuring compatibility with video formats in use today
Decoding video formats
Sencore
Making its debut is Sencore’s
upcoming MRD 5800 receiver/
decoder, which supports today’s
highest quality contribution video
feeds and provides full H.264,
4:2:2, and 10-bit decoding. In
addition, support for up to eight
audio PIDs gives operators the
flexibility to tackle all of their
multi-language, multi-channel, and
multi-format delivery challenges.
The MRD 5800 will also decode
and output Full HD 1080p60
video, ensuring compatibility with
popular video formats in use today
and well into the future.
The company will also introduce
OTT adaptive stream monitoring
enhancements to its VideoBRIDGE
line of probes and software that will
help operators ensure desired QoS
from the point of origination,
through the delivery network, and
onto the customer-premise end viewing devices. VB owners will be able
to monitor quality of all popular
Archiving the next generation
SGL
At NAB 2012 SGL will continue its
rollout of next-generation archiving technology by announcing its
support for writing AS02-wrapped
files (part of the MXF standard) to
LTFS tape. SGL’s support for
LTFS provides instant content
portability between systems and
streamlines file-based workflows.
Users can now benefit even further
as AS02 files written to LTFS tape
allow the simple transportation of
primary video/audio content and
the related metadata. As well as
demonstrating this important
development in current archive
practices, SGL will also highlight
an end-to-end Avid InGame workflow using its FlashNet archive
management software solution.
Making its worldwide debut at
NAB is the support for AS02/LTFS,
a new user interface and the endto-end Avid InGame workflow.
SGL is continuing to drive interoperability forwards with LTFS and
AS02. The nature in which LTFS
describes the content held on tape
dovetails with AS02, which like
LTFS is self-describing. Although
LTFS describes the files that are
written to tape it doesn’t describe
the content itself. Now, when SGL
FlashNet writes AS02-wrapped
files to an LTFS tape, the user
has all of the requirements to transport video, audio and metadata
anywhere, and to ensure that the
receiving system has all the information about those files, ready for
both playout and archiving.
Demonstrating end-to-end Avid
InGame workflow: SGL will provide a full demonstration of Avid
InGame, a complete video production and archive solution for sports
broadcasters. The combination of
Avid Interplay, SGL FlashNet
archive management software and
the high-density Spectra T50e data
tape library enables time-saving
browsing of archived assets.
N1520
adaptive bit rate streaming protocols
by adding licenses to their existing
VB probes, by including the OTT
options with new probe installations,
and by installing VB software modules directly onto multiscreen client
devices. The new options will monitor every aspect influencing the multiscreen viewer experience including
extensive protocol breakdown,
peak, average, and total bandwidth
utilisation, and advance packet loss
and jitter metrics.
The Sencore TXS line of
MPEG-2/4 transcoders has been
updated for 2012 with must-have
features, including audio transcoding
and simultaneous PiP (small format
video) generation. As always, the
TXS delivers a flexible, high-density,
high-quality package providing
multiple channels of transcoding or
transrating in a 1-RU chassis.
SU3612
AViTA aids
operator comfort
Hi Tech Systems
The AViTA production control
system from Hi Tech Systems
will be displayed at NAB 2012
including the launch of a new
sports application. The com pany has developed a unique
hybrid control system using the
very latest touchscreen technology and modular hardware
panels to allow multiple users to
access multiple server ports over
a network.
Tom Favell, managing director, said: “AViTA takes Hi
Tech’s control expertise right to
the heart of production workflow, providing financial and
operational benefits to our customers.” Launched at last year’s
NAB, AViTA is now installed in
a number of key broadcasters
who use it for news playout and
live studio productions.
NAB 2102 sees the introduction of AViTA Sports — a
specifically designed software
application and an associated
T-Bar hardware panel module
for accurate slow motion replay.
AViTA is a live production
system that is designed to capture, edit and playout media
from multiple sources very
easily and quickly — for example pressing the ‘record’ button
instantly initiates the creation
and recording of a clip. Using
more traditional controllers,
the clip would typically need to
be created and named before
recording commenced, potentially missing vital seconds from
the incoming source. The user
interface is clear and uncluttered
with menus that slide in and
out of view as required and
the system is built to allow easy
conversion to languages other
than English.
N5020
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TVBEurope is the proven European market leader in
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monthly magazine, electronic newsletters and constant
news presence at www.tvbeurope.com we publish more
original, journalist-written content every month than all
our competitors combined.
EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2012
MONTH
ISSUE FOCUS
TVBEurope leads the market in discussion of digital
April
NAB Show Issue
Media Asset Management
workflows for acquisition, operations, post, playout and
delivery – with a business-led approach that is insightful,
readable and relevant.
May
London Olympics Countdown
Broadcasting in the Cloud
June
NAB Wrap-Up
In addition to the Issue Specials outlined, in every
July
London Olympics Issue
August
IBC Product Preview
September
IBC Show Issue
October
Best of IBC Editors’ Awards
November
IBC Wrap-Up
December
Media Asset Management
issue our three established core sections anchor
TVBEurope’s reporting of the television broadcast
workflow. News & Analysis delivers headlines, context and
explanation of the big stories. The Workflow is our
bedrock coverage of end-user moves to HD, tapeless
operation, an IT infrastructure and multi-platform
delivery. And The Business Case is still unique to
TVBEurope: every issue, an examination of a vendor’s
business and how it impacts the European marketplace.
ISSUE SPECIAL
Archiving & Storage
Reference Monitor Shoot-Out
IT Broadcast Workflow Wrap-Up
3D Production Close-Up
Audio For Broadcast
Tapeless Video Recording
News Broadcast Workflows
For all advertising and sponsorship opportunities, contact the sales team: Europe Steve Connolly: +44 (0) 20 7354 6000, [email protected]
or Ben Ewles: +44 (0) 20 7354 6000, [email protected], USA Mike Mitchell +1 631 673 3199, [email protected]
Archiving strategy A
in motion
new ViBE hits NAB
Thomson Video Networks
DIVArchive V7.0: Now for a
broader array of applications
Front Porch Digital
By Jake Young
The products highlighted at
NAB illustrate an archive that is
open, active and connected, said
Michael Knaisch, president of
Front Porch Digital.
LYNX is an integrated, cloudbased environment for managing
assets on a global scale, from any
device and any location. It offers
media organisations an outstanding range of benefits in
adaptability, on-demand scalability, capital cost reduction, and
simplified maintenance.
Front Porch Digital DIVAdirector is an easy-to-use and
cost-effective media asset management (MAM) system that enables
operators to search, locate, and
retrieve stored media assets directly
from their desktops using their web
browsers. Front Porch Digital will
introduce DIVAdirector v5.0, with
a host of new features for even easier, more versatile media asset management. V5.0 boasts HTTP-based
adaptive streaming support, whereby client internet browsers can
seamlessly and dynamically switch
between different video and audio
bit rates depending on available
network conditions and CPU
power. The resulting user experience is one of reliable, consistent
playback without stutter, buffering,
or last mile congestion. In addition,
DIVAdirector V5.0 offers portability across operating systems
(Windows 7, Mac OS), browsers
(Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome,
Firefox), proxy formats (WMV &
H.264), and an increased number
of concurrent users.
Front Porch Digital will also
showcase its DIVArchive v7.0
content storage management
(CSM) system (pictured). New
features and capabilities make
it ideal for a broader array of
applications. With its support
for complex DPX packages,
DIVArchive V7.0 enables videolike operations on film-carried
content, making it desirable for
film production and post production applications.
SL3815
For the 2012 NAB show,
Thomson Video Networks is
introducing the ViBE CP6000, a
new dedicated high-performance
platform for contribution; the
ViBE EM4000, a powerful new
multichannel HD encoder; and a
new IP-enabled version of the
Amethyst switcher. Thomson
Video Networks’ booth will
also feature the ViBE VS7000
platform for OTT and convergent
TV services, together with solutions for MPEG playout and
ATSC MDTV.
The ViBE CP6000 is a dedicated multiformat, high-performance
platform for contribution of live
video. With the product’s modular
implementation of the optimal
MPEG-4 contribution codecs, an
unprecedented eight HD channels
per 1RU chassis, and industryleading compression performance,
The ViBE EM4000 delivers valuable energy savings and reduces the complexity of head-end infrastructure
New multifunctional interface
TANDEM 310: Analogue and digital piggybacks can be mixed
Crystal Vision
By Jake Young
High Performance
Broadcast LCD Monitors
HD2line PRO represents the newest generation of Broadcast LCD Monitors from Penta, utilizing state-of-the-art
p
g hardware combined with the
video and audio processing
most precise LC display technology available today.
The latest interface products will be
shown at NAB 2012. The new modules are designed for embedding,
synchronising, up and down converting and delaying 3Gbps, HD
and SD signals as well as transmitting them over longer distances.
TANDEM 310 is a combined
embedder and de-embedder for
3Gbps, high and standard definition sources with the ability to
embed and de-embed a mixture
of up to eight AES and analogue
audio channels at the same
time, by fitting two audio
piggybacks. It includes audio
routing, audio and video delays,
audio and video processing and
integrated fibre I/O. TANDEM
310 can also be optionally
fitted with a Dolby decoder
top board, which includes a
Serving up storage
Sonnet Technologies
NEW 55"
Displays 17"
17 to 55"
55
Penta Studiotechnik GmbH
Ludwig-Erhard-Straße 10a, 85375 Neufahrn · Germany
Fon: +49 (08165) 9533 - 0, Fax: +49 (08165) 62300
E-Mail: [email protected], www.HD2line.com
52
the ViBE CP6000 is a substantial
advance for contribution applications. MPEG-4 and MPEG-2
codecs can be enabled as required
with software licensing, and the
high-density support simplifies
the infrastructure and saves energy costs. The ViBE 6000’s support
for XMS control and telecom
transmission streamlines large
deployments. The ViBE CP6000 is
available for commercial deployments starting in June 2012.
SU3012
Provider of storage systems and
media readers Sonnet Technologies
will be demonstrating its latest
innovations in direct attached and
shared storage and how these can
deliver dramatic new efficiencies for
all types of mobile and studio
broadcast workflows.
Sonnet’s Xmac mini Server
(previously known as RackMac
mini Xserver) 1U rackmount
PCIe 2.0 expansion system with two
Thunderbolt Ports mounts a Mac
mini inside a specially designed
enclosure with a 150W power
supply, and an installed
Gigabit
Ethernet
card. “Our new
Xmac mini
stereo down mix from 5.1 surround sound.
SYN-A 3G is a video frame
synchroniser for 3Gbps, HD or
SD sources containing up to four
groups of embedded audio, which
can synchronise sources timed to
a different reference or correct
any processing delays. It can
synchronise mixture of linear
AES and Dolby E in same audio
group and will automatically
align Dolby E. It includes crosslocking, flexible video and audio
delays, AFD insertion, video
proc-amp, tracking audio delay,
audio routing and resampling and
integrated fibre I/O.
AVDELAY
3G
is
an
audio/video delay for correcting
large lip-sync errors on incoming
3Gbps, HD or SD signals containing up to four groups of
embedded audio that have a big
timing difference between the
video and audio paths, often
caused by sending the video and
audio signals back to the broadcast station by different methods.
N1815
Server PCIe 2.0 expansion system
packs a lot of punch into a 1U rackmount with features such as dual
Thunderbolt ports and dual x16 (x4
mode) PCIe 2.0 slots — extending
powerful expansion and connectivity
capabilities to Mac mini users,”
revealed Robert Farnsworth, CEO
of Sonnet Technologies.
SL8713
Xmac mini Server mounts Mac mini inside a specially designed enclosure
Making a Play for sports
Orad
Among its NAB line-up, Orad
will present its state-of-the-art
on-air graphics, studio, sports,
MAM, and video server solutions
for the broadcast industry.
Orad’s TD Control allows
technical directors (switcher
operator) to select different video
box compositions and assign different video sources to each of the
video boxes, enabling tasks that
could not have been achieved
before, like switching on air from
six video sources to completely
different video sources with one
click of a button.
PowerPlay is a turnkey solution
that manages fast turnaround
sports productions from ingest,
through instant highlight editing,
to dedicated sports media asset
management in a post production
environment. PowerPlay is designed
to provide a complete solution for
large-scale sporting events, focusing
on fast turnaround and advanced
data management tools.
PlayMaker, Orad’s SD/HD,
slow-motion video server, is
designed to meet the growing challenges of live sports productions.
PlayMaker provides up to eight I/O
channels of high quality ingest in
multiple video formats, including
DVCpro, DNxHD and JPEG200,
with synchronised slow motion
replay and powerful yet simple
editing tools. With its ‘PlayNet’
module, PlayMaker provides
Gigabit network file sharing
between servers for preview, copy, or
instant playout of clips from remote
servers. For an extremely fast turnaround workflow, PlayMaker introduces instant import and export
capabilities to almost any storage
or NLE environment. PlayMaker
supports tapeless workflow with the
export and import of video footage
to and from NLE systems.
SL4524
PlayMaker provides Gigabit network file sharing between servers
for preview, copy, or instant playout of clips from remote servers
®
STUDIO LIGHTING
THAT PAYS FOR ITSELF
COST SAV
A ING LED FRESNELS AND PANELS
>
>
>
>
>
Encompassing graphics: Pixel Power
has announced that Encompass
Digital Media UK has purchased a
range of its channel branding
technology, writes Jake Young.
Encompass is installing 12 Pixel
Power LogoVision 3Ds — six live,
six redundant — plus Pixel Promo at
its London centre.
“The LogoVisions will be used
for a wide variety of channel
branding — the basic lower third
straps/logos then moving on to
dynamic branding including
now/next/later and DVE squeezes
and ultimately for moderated SMS
message display,” said Gary
Finnerty, senior solutions manager
with Encompass Digital Media.
“The dynamic scheduling — batch
processed at this stage — is handled
totally automatically by Pixel Promo
and third-party Muvi2 middleware,
a company that works closely with
Pixel Power.”
N2034
80% more energy efficient than traditional fixtures
Run Cool™ technology minimizes HVA
V C requirements
Built-in DMX controllable dimming
Maintenance free 50,000+ hour bulb life
Shrinks facility’s carbon footprint
Learn how to realize your ROI in less than 3 years at
www.
w litep
panels.ccom/broadcast
NAB BOOTH
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Litepanels
A Vitec Group
p bra
and
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www.llitepanels.ccom/broadcast
53
TVBEU R O PE V I S I O N M I X E R S
Getting the right TV mix
The market for vision mixers (production switchers) is picking up, and remains competitive across all areas of
TV broadcast production. Philip Stevens leads TVBEurope’s unique Vision Mixer Roundtable in conversation with
Blackmagic Design, FOR-A, Grass Valley, NewTek, Ross Video, Snell and Sony to talk about the trends in the sector
What are the biggest challenges
facing the manufacturers of
broadcast vision mixers right
now? What are the greatest innovations in the sector in the last 10
years? What role does 3D now
play in the broadcast production
environment? How much delay is
acceptable in OB production —
and what does the future hold for
broadcast vision mixers? Are the
current range of vision mixers
really self-op friendly – given the
pressures for directors to cut their
own shows?
The participants (in alphabetical order) in TVBEurope’s
first Roundtable discussion are
Stuart Ashton, EMEA director of
Blackmagic Design; John Carter,
senior product manager at Snell;
Andrew Cross, chief technology
oficer, NewTek; Andrew Hotten,
product specialist group leader
at Sony; Peter Jones, managing
director FOR-A (UK); Scott
Murray, VP Product Marketing,
Grass
Valley;
and
Nigel
Spratling, marketing product
manager at Ross Video.
TVBEurope: What has been your
greatest challenge over the past
12-24 months?
Carter: Our greatest challenge is
to continue getting the word out
about the multi-format capabilities Kahuna can bring. One exciting announcement is the launch
of the Kahuna 360, the world’s
first true 1080p switcher.
Cross: Our challenge has been
looking at the industry with an
eye toward changing things —
instead of accepting the status
quo. Our goal is to provide inno-
vative products that help more
people deliver dynamic, professional live video content to every
screen, from LED displays to laptops to mobile phones.
Hotten: Probably the biggest
challenge has been the requirement for 3D production. Our
MVS range of switchers has been
used for many 3D productions
and can be configured to handle
either 3D dual link (separate L +
R connections) or 3D on 3G
(where a single 3G interface can
handle both channels together).
Jones: The overall market for
live vision mixers is picking up,
which is a good market sign.
FOR-A is market leader in small
mixers, but our challenge is to
become the same for large mixers.
Murray: The greatest challenge is not a technology problem
but the economic situation. The
production community has been
pushed to even higher standards
— HD, more cameras, more
graphics and effects — but at the
same time is having to work within ever tighter budgets.
Spratling: Ross Video business
was up 47% in the past year, so I
guess our main challenge has
been to grow our business while
continuing to offer the great customer support and service for
which we are known.
TVBEurope: Vision mixers have
come a long way in the past 10
years or so – what do you think
has been the greatest innovation?
Carter: When Kahuna was
launched, it revolutionised live
production as the world’s first
vision mixer to offer multi-format
MEs) and integrated multiviewers without having to create
new hardware.
Stuart Ashton: “If we can offer further functionality
for the same price, then we always try to do that”
John Carter: “Users are looking
for more flexibility to share
resources and build the exact
systems they need”
“The production community has been pushed
to even higher standards — HD, more cameras,
more graphics and effects — but at the same
time is having to work within ever tighter
budgets” — Scott Murray
Grass Valley’s Scott Murray said
the greatest challenge he
has faced is not a technology
problem but the economic situation
54
operations within the same mainframe — providing a means of
progressing from SD to HD operations. This has brought about a
fundamental shift in the market
for vision mixers.
Cross: First, the addition of
streaming video into the production workflow. Secondly, the
collective innovations that have
made it possible for a whole new
breed of video producers to get
into the market. While broadcasters
and traditional video producers
have embraced new integrated
video mixer systems, it is now
possible for those who would
never have been able to get ‘on television’ to create and distribute
original productions, live, to a
global audience.
Jones: Over the last decade
vision mixers do more than they
did before. For example, DVEs
are often included. You can also
get very useful infrastructure
built-in such as frame synchronisers
and up/down converters. They
can accept a wider range of signals — such as video from PCs.
Another feature is the built-in
multi-viewer. If you add all that
Andrew Cross: “The company has
been looking at the industry
to change things instead of
accepting the status quo”
up and can squeeze it into a small
rack-frame box you have very
useful on-the-road mixers.
Murray:
Bringing
more
functionality with more creative
capabilities. In particular, our
customers tell us they need to
produce multiple feeds from the
same event. It might be a different
output for SD and HD, or it
might be separate home team and
away team cuts from a game, or
feeds for in-vision screens, or
online services.
Spratling: The exponential
growth in Field Programmable
Gate Array (FPGA) technology
has allowed vision mixers to be
designed with many additional
functions that required external
devices 10 years ago. This
technology has allowed Ross
to achieve industry firsts
like AuxKeys (multiple mini-
TVBEurope: What features have
proved to be the most popular?
Carter: Without a doubt,
FormatFusion — the underlying
technology that enables SD material from any source to be integrated into an HD production
without the need for upconversion. I’d also include powerful
mix/effect architecture, DVE
package, internal storage, and a
simple means of control.
Cross: With the increased
demand for live video and the
direction that budgets are headed,
an integrated solution like the
TriCaster comprising multiple
capabilities is very important. For
instance, a small crew in a van or
OB truck can now cover a game,
in situations where it used to take
a bigger vehicle.
Jones: Built-in up-/down converters and synchronisers, built-in
multiviewers, to size down rack
frame sizes, adding central controls for effects and sources.
Spratling: While there are
many new features and functions,
it’s probably the consolidation of
features that provides the most
benefit and popularity. Certainly
moving multi-viewers internally
stands out, but having more MEs,
keyers, mini-MEs, internal Media
Storage, signal conversion and
the ability to automate production control, combine to make a
much more desirable product.
TVBEurope: For many productions,
only a fraction of the capacity of
the mixer is used. Is the massive
capability of the equipment a
request from users?
Ashton: We always want to give
the user what they want and
more. If we can offer further
functionality for the same price,
then we always try to do that. Our
customers need to be prepared for
any eventuality, especially with
the growing trend of ‘pop-up’
television stations and the immediacy of today’s news. Which is
why we offer a variety of switchers, to fit in with any workflow,
and it’s the users’ choice to pick
the best solution.
Jones: User requests have driven
the development of multiple
MEs. This is not for throwing
tons of effects on to the TV
screen, but to make TDs’ life
easier and make complex live
productions manageable. But then
if you drive on unexpected terrain,
TVBEU R O PE V I S I O N M I X E R S
it is always good to have some extra
horsepower and security on board.
Murray: We make modular mixers for this very reason. The big
trucks used on premium sports
know they need as many inputs as
they can get. For a smaller truck or
studio you might want fewer inputs,
and maybe even one or two fewer
M/E banks. With a modular mixer
like the Kayenne or the new Karerra,
you have exactly the same functionality with the keys in exactly the same
place on a smaller switcher.
Spratling: The answer is – both.
Many sports producers require the
ability to make snap production
decisions and multi-ME mixers
allow the TD to have alternative
choices set and ready in this highpressure environment.
TVBEurope: Many production
facilities and broadcasters are getting
directors to carry out vision mixing.
Are the current range of vision
mixers really self-op friendly?
Ashton: Yes, at the forefront of
our products is the desire to make
them user friendly, which is why
Blackmagic Design offers solutions for small, medium and large
studios. We also offer a common
software interface and both of
our hardware control surfaces are
for example, two clip transitions
can be loaded on two separate
buttons and labelled ‘Team A
Goal’ and ‘Team B Goal’. When a
goal is subsequently scored the
director can instantly run the animation effect and create the
required on-air effect.
TVBEurope: How are you
gearing up to handle the demands
for 3D production?
Ashton: Blackmagic Design has
been developing products for 3D
production for a number of years
now. We have various internal
and external cards for 3D workflows, which includes our DeckLink,
Intensity and UltraStudio range.
More recently, we announced the
acquisition and release of the
Teranex VC-100 for 2D to 3D
broadcast conversions. Like with
any new technology, if our customers ask us for it, we’ll do our
best to meet their demands and if
possible, exceed them.
“User requests have driven the development of
multiple MEs. This is not for throwing tons of
effects onto the screen, but to make TDs’ life
easier and make complex live productions
manageable” – Peter Jones
Nigel Spratling: Growth in (FPGA) technology has allowed
vision mixers to be designed with many additional functions
easy to use and have intuitive
menu systems.
Carter: One feature geared to
directors (and unique to Snell) is
Galaxy, an event-driven tool that
allows directors to automate elements within a show. This helps
the director stay focused on the
show and not on the mechanics of
the mixer.
Cross: TriCaster allows not
only directors, but also new members of the television staff to cover whole new events, programmes,
stories, breaking news that were
never covered before because of
budgets and personnel considerations. But is it really self-op
friendly? We have customers with
productions where volunteers run
an entire show.
Hotten: Using the smart and
legend-able buttons on the control
surface it is very easy for any operator or director to cut a programme. Any complex effects can
be pre-loaded in advance on to a
specific button and labelled
accordingly. In a football match,
Carter: Kahuna does indeed handle embedded audio, enabling the
user to easily select the source
desired for use on a given output.
Also, our ClipTrax feature takes
advantage of embedded audio,
allowing users to add audio
accompaniment to a clip transition such as a breaking news jingle.
Murray: The problem is that
some of the things you can do
in a production switcher need
an enormous amount of processing. That introduces latency
through the switcher, which
may not be consistent because
of the way you build effects.
The jump in latency will be
invisible, but it will be very distractingly audible. The solution
we have at the moment is an
option by which you can put
the switcher in a fixed delay
mode, so there are no audio
glitches, at the expense of a
latency which may be longer
than you ideally want.
Carter: Snell switchers handle
3D production as simply as 2D production — in fact, we had
the industry’s first switcher to manage both 2D and 3D signals within
a single unit, with built-in capabilities that can help bring left-right disparity and other image quality
issues back within acceptability.
Built-in 3D features include common stereoscopic control such as
convergence correction, camera calibration, and camera orientation.
Hotten: In a very basic way the
majority of switchers can handle
3D production. As long as you can
link two sources (on two separate
busses) you can make a 3D transition. We also offer a dedicated 3D
mode. Once the L & R signals are
connected to the relevant BNCs
and 3D mode is enabled the operator can cut the programme from
a single ME strip.
TVBEurope: Moving to some
technical questions posed by
users, can today’s vision mixers
fully handle embedded audio?
TVBEurope: A studio manager
states: “The delay, especially
these all-in-one-production-in-abox units, is a real frustration.
Three frames is completely
un-usable in any live ‘on to big
screen’ environment.”
Ashton: Latency is a big issue,
especially for live events. There is
a level of acceptability though
and we find one line latency when
all the sources are synchronised is
okay for most people.
Jones: True! That’s why FORA mixers have a low delay mode
to make sure what happens on
stage matches with what is happening on the large screens
behind! Our mixers can have a
delay of about half a line, which
makes it a real vision mixer as far
as I see it.
Spratling: We agree, delay is a
bad thing in live production and
many new small mixers have
built-in format conversion and
synchronisation, which if used
will add processing delay.
Andrew Hotten of Sony explains that
flexibility and integration are two
key areas for ongoing development
channels of video. The future is
in pushing the technological limits while also making it accessible
and powerful.
Hotten: Flexibility and integration are two key areas for ongoing
development. Customers in fixed
installations are requesting the
ability to control any studio from
any gallery and move all the associated resources by flicking a
switch. They are also requesting
greater integration with external
devices and the ability to control all
parameters of the switcher from an
automation system.
Jones: Technical resources
such as chromakeys or effects will
be floating inside the engine to
wherever they are needed. Several
control positions or even two or
more control rooms and different
productions will access the
resources of one single central
point of production.
Peter Jones: The market for live
vision mixers is picking up
Murray: NAB is just coming
up. I strongly recommend you visit our booth to see what we see as
the future in functionality, realtime control and — perhaps most
important — pricing.
Spratling: Adding more
functionality for less cost while
continuing to bring the rest of
the production equipment
under the TD’s control is always
our goal. Our OverDrive
Automated Production Control
System is a Vision add-on that
enables complete control over
video, audio, robotic cameras,
video servers and graphics from
one person.
www.blackmagic-design.com
www.snellgroup.com
www.newtek.com
www.sony.co.uk
www.for-a.com
www.grassvalley.com
www.rossvideo.com
TVBEurope: Finally, what is
your prediction for the mid-term
market developments?
Carter: Users are looking for more
freedom and flexibility to share
resources and build the exact systems they need. We have responded through the development of our
MakeMe technology, which allows
operators to custom-build their
own M/E feature sets to match specific production requirements.
Cross: Increased complexity
combined with the need for easyto-use equipment. TriCaster provides HD virtual sets at a quality and complexity never seen
before in a video mixer. In our
latest models, there is the capability to ISO record up to eight
55
Changing the rules of playout
Melanie Dayasena-Lowe meets ABS Broadcast, Trilogy and VSC Design for a tour of
ABS’ newest playout centre and to hear of plans for further MAM and digitisation
Independently-owned playout
and TV facilities company ABS
Broadcast has opened a brand
new 32-channel playout centre in
Park Royal, London to meet its
growing customer base. Now
boasting two active playout centres, ABS has grown to meet
needs in an ever-changing technology environment.
Sass Jahani, managing director
of ABS Broadcast, says the company first started over 20 years ago.
Originally a BBC broadcast engineer,
Jahani left to start the company
Advanced Satellite concentrating
mainly on systems integration
work in Africa. When Sky Digital
launched in 1998, he started to
receive enquiries from channels
about setting up and looking after
their facilities in the UK.
A year later ABS Broadcast
launched its first playout, starting
with six-to-seven channels and growing up to 15 channels. This is where
British companies such as systems integrator VSC Design and
Trilogy Communications became
involved in the project in terms of
design and technology supply.
As one of the new players in the
playout sector, Jahani explains how
his company changed the rules:
“We were the first server-based
playout, and people weren’t too
sure about servers.” In 2004 the
second playout was built, handling
25-30 channels with more channels
being added every five years.
The newest playout centre has
been designed and installed by VSC
Design and kitted out with Trilogy
equipment among other technology
systems. The first playout centre has
since been decommissioned.
UK-based VSC Design has
been working with ABS for 10
years. “We were initially engaged
by ABS to build a 12 channel playout system at their premises in Park
Royal. The facilities were then
expanded in 2003 with the addition
of a new 16 channel system in a new
building,” explains Martyn Hales,
managing director.
This existing relationship led to
VSC’s involvement in the newest
playout centre. Hales adds: “We has
built their original playout channel
facility and then upgraded it to
capacity. This led to the requirement
for the new playout centre to allow
ABS Broadcast to expand its channels’ capacity even further.”
Trilogy’s Mentor XL’s manage
the transmission of many major
TV channels across the globe and
was selected by ABS Broadcast as
it was the only sync pulse generator
that was able to meet all the desired
functionality while keeping to the
required budget. It avoids the need
I think it is something that is here to
stay. It is going to be the bedrock of
some of the broadcasters to get
MAM established.”
The other area of growth is
digitisation where broadcasters
can turn material on tapes into
digital content to maximise revenue. “We’ve made investment
and we think the way it’s going to
go is people who have hundreds
or thousands of hours of content
sitting on shelves will realise that
“I see digitisation as step one of getting into MAM.
Putting MAM in is a scary thought for a company
with 300-400 people because you have to break
down some departments to get MAM” — Sass Jahani
The Master Control Room in the newest playout centre
features MAM as one part of its Absolute Delivery Platform
ABS Broadcast’s Sass Jahani
and Trilogy Communications’
Barry Spencer in the data centre at
the new 32-channel playout centre
Martyn Hales: “We were careful to
design a flexible system that
would allow future requirements
with a minimum of modification”
solution for a customer’s problem is
what I do. The physical delivery of
how you put it together, make it
work, run the cables and do the final
design is what VSC is brilliant at.”
Hales describes how the installation has been designed to meet
future growth prospects. “ABS
will add channel functionality to
meet their future clients requirements. We were careful to design
a flexible system that would allow
any future requirements to be
handled with a minimum of
modification.” ABS also needed
a flexible monitoring solution,
which would provide alarms to
operators should there be any
breaks in transmission. VSC
developed a design based around
Miranda Kaleido X multiviewers
to meet this requirement.
Among the technology chosen
for the new playout centre was
Trilogy’s Mentor XL master reference generators. VSC Design
first introduced Trilogy to ABS
Broadcast back in 1999 and
Jahani was impressed by the company’s support and attitude.
for numerous option boards or
factory upgrades by allowing
optional features to be activated via
a standard IP connection.
The Mentor XLs were also
specified with GPS receivers,
which allow for all video, timecode
and audio signals to be locked to a
single stable reference. The other
key benefit of using GPS as the
reference source is that it also
allows the Mentor XL to act as an
NTP server for all other PC-based
broadcast equipment.
Barry Spencer, general manager
Broadcast, Trilogy Communications, says: “Our aim is to put it all
in one box because it all needs to
be reliable. It needs to have a detection and changeover system in the
event of failure. It needs to log to
one reference source so everything
is synchronous.
“It’s not like we’re pushing the
boundaries of broadcast with 3D
technology; we’re providing a core
infrastructure product that has to
do the job that’s needed now and in
the future — and we’re constantly
evolving it.”
MAM at the ready
The new ABS playout centre has an
area dedicated to Media Asset
Management (MAM) and digitisation. “Where we are trying to move
to is MAM,” says Jahani. “It’s a big
investment for some of the channels.
by digitising it they could create
some revenue.
“When a dashboard view is
put together for people to browse
and buy it, new income streams
will appear for some of the content owners. We’re trying to get
some of the digitisation going and
get MAM to enable those people
to then browse, search and buy
etc,” he explains.
Jahani sees MAM and digitisation as complementary. “I see
Technology
at a glance
l New
Miranda multiviewer
Vision distribution
l Miranda ‘Solo’ audio
monitoring
l PubliTronic servers
l Snell routing
l A small studio, designed by
VSC Design, based on a
Tricaster vision mixer, three
cameras, lighting using a
floor standing grid due to the
limitations of the location
l Trilogy Communications
Mentor XL master
reference generators
l Crystal
The right kit
When it came to technology choice,
Jahani at ABS Broadcast had his
own clear idea of what he wanted. “I
am looking at PubliTronic, Grass
Valley, Trilogy — putting these
technologies together to deliver a
57
AD
INDEX
Taming Gorilla’s monster projects
17
24
50
5
Archive & Restore
33
3
55
51
56
IFC
22
39
59
31
9
40
49
1,21
32
11
20
30
53
13
37
7
45
52
47
41
26,57,
25,27,
29
19
48
46
15
10
16
44
56
35
42
36
43
23
28
58
AJA
Argosy
B4M
Blackmagic
Design
BMS
Bridge
Technologies
Clearcom
Cobalt
Dalet
Digital Rapids
DVS
Ensemble
Evertz
EVS
Fujinon
Glensound
Guntermann &
Drunk
Harris
IBC
IPV
Kit Digital
LAWO
Lite Panels
Matrox
Mediagenix
Miranda
Omnitek
Penta
Studiotech
Phabrix
Pixel Power
Playbox
Riedel
The Gorilla Group, Wales’ largest TV
facilities group, has been beta testing
Marquis Broadcast’s Project Parking
product since early 2011. It is a new
Avid archiving solution, that supplies
a fast archive and restore process by
creating a complete copy of any Avid
project onto any storage device.
By David Stewart
Gorilla, which provides studios,
dubbing, grading, graphics, VFX,
OB facilities and editing services,
works with customers such as the
BBC, BBC HD, Channel 4, S4C,
CBeebies, CBBC, Disney and
Animal Planet. Ken Burnett, chief
engineer at Gorilla Group, explains
the facility’s storage requirements:
“We have half a petabyte of Avid
Unity ISIS storage across three
sites in Cardiff. With nearly 100
Avid editing systems there are
many ‘monster’ projects in progress
at any one time. That makes archiving completed projects, or moving
temporarily delayed projects onto
near-line storage a critical task that
is hard to complete accurately.”
This is where Project Parking
came in. “Despite policies about
where media should be stored, it is
still difficult to identify all the
media associated with a particular
project and almost impossible to
be sure that you have found it all
when archiving the project,” he
confirms. “The problem is compounded when projects move from
one edit suite to another, leading to
a plethora of project files.
“Project Parking presents a tree
view of the projects on the shared
storage; the user navigates to the
one they want to archive and
chooses a location to which to
archive. The product starts by
analysing the project and finding
the media associated with it,
whether just in a bin or a sequence.
“This analysis phase is useful
just on its own,” observes Burnett.
“It is a common problem that
media is in the wrong place, perhaps on a local drive or USB drive:
the analysis identifies this quickly,
avoiding what could have been a
long search for the media across
many workstations.”
digitisation as step one of getting
into MAM. Putting MAM in is a
scary thought for a company with
300-400 people because you have
to break down some departments
to get MAM.”
can be confident that the archive is a
faithful copy. This is such an important step that we are happy for the
copy to take a little longer in order
to check that the sums match. The
“We have half a petabyte of Unity ISIS storage
across three sites in Cardiff. With nearly 100 Avid
editing systems there are many ‘monster’ projects
in progress at any one time” — Ken Burnett
Faithful copy
“Project Parking then goes on to
copy all the project files, directory
structure and any referenced media
to the archive location,” says
Burnett. “As it does so it calculates a
checksum for each of the files before
and after copying so that the user
Project Parking “lets me get the most out of my edit storage”
Rohde &
Schwartz
Ross Video
Screen
Subtitling
Shure
Snell
SSL
Studiotech
TBA
Telestream
Thales
Angenieux
TV Logic
TV One
Two Four 54
Wohler
Baselight grading suite at Gorilla: The facilities group provides
studios, dubbing, grading, graphics, editing, VFX and OB services
The final part is delivery, says
Jahani. Once content is on the
platform, it’s available to anybody
who needs it. ABS has developed
its Absolute platform to be cloudbased. “The other part of broadcast that’s a given is cloud — do I
user can add notes to the project to
help explain what it is.”
Once the archive is complete, two
XML reports are written out; a summary with the user notes and a
detailed listing along with the checksums. These provide a record that the
archive is a complete and correct
duplicate of the project and its media.
Burnett is keen to use Project
Parking at the beginning of a project as well as at the end: “Capturing
the rushes for a project is a great
way of creating a baseline archive
in case media goes missing,” he
says. “Later archives can be added
as incremental versions to this
archive and will only contain the
files which have changed since the
first archive was created, saving
space on the near-line storage.
“The product has improved
a great deal since the first beta,” says
“Don’t worry about it, you give me
your DigiBeta that you are familiar with, we will take care of the
rest in terms of managing it, digitising and delivery,” says Jahani.
The new playout centre went live
with two channels in mid-January
Absolute power
ABS has packaged this as the
Absolute Delivery Platform,
explains Ted Gush, head of marketing at ABS Broadcast. “The
claim we make is that it will take
content from any content owner
anywhere in any format and
deliver it to any broadcaster
anywhere in any format. Then
you start looking at how that
happens? Most people in the
MAM space are only at the
delivery end, not at ingest and
digitisation at the front as well.”
The Mentor XLs were specified with GPS receivers, which allow for
video, timecode and audio signals to be locked to a single reference
really care where it is? I just want to
make it available to people. We’re
definitely going in that direction.”
The facility takes the pressure
off content owners by handling
content in different formats:
and the facility is launching or
migrating channels at the rate of
one per week. It has a programme of
20 channels going live in 20 weeks.
The Master Control Room in the
newest playout centre features MAM
Burnett, “Marquis has done a great
job of following up on suggestions,
even doing some development on
site at Gorilla. Just small additions
have been really helpful and saved
me a lot of time.”
When it is time to restore a
project archive, the operator can
choose how the Avid workspaces
that existed when the archive was
created are mapped onto the
workspaces that exist today. “This
was a key improvement during the
beta testing, one that really
responded to the reality of how
things are in a busy post facility,”
explains Burnett.
“This feature gives me the
ability to combine a project that
was spread across multiple workspaces into a single one. Once the
restored project is opened in
Avid, it appears just as it did
when it was archived, helping the
editor get down to work with the
minimum of preparation.”
He concludes: “Project Parking
is a fantastic tool which lets me get
the most out of my edit storage. It
gives me the confidence that I have
captured every media file needed
by a project and have an authentic
copy of them. Archiving our Avid
projects was a monster challenge,
which has now been tamed by
Project Parking.”
as part of its Absolute Delivery Platform. The facility’s digitisation centre
receives tapes, digitises them using
Flexicart or VTRs, put it into the
digital storage archive and ABS provides 24/7 management support.
“We can then sell MAM as a
service rather than just selling kit.
We digitise it and we look after
the content.” The facility can digitise up to 150,000 hours a year in
SD/HD, he says.
The new unit was launched with
its larger customers such as Farsi1,
part of News International, and Sony
channels such as SET, SAB and
MAX. Eleven Sony channels are
currently being migrated to the new
unit. “An international feed comes to
us, we localise it, chop it up, regurgitate it, put commercials in, time delay
it and send it to various territories –
from here to Canada, US, Europe,
UK, Africa, India,” Jahani explains.

March 2012 - TVBEurope

Transcription

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