3D Treasure for Arri

Transcription

TVBE_Feb P1-10 News
27/1/11
17:09
Page 1
Inside: BVE Preview, CES Las Vegas, Channel in a Box TV
TVBEUROPE
Europe’s television technology business magazine
FEBRUARY 2011 £5.00/€ 8.00/$10.00
www.tvbeurope.com
3D Treasure for Arri
3D Case Study
Vicky and the Treasure of the Gods
is Germany’s first live-action 3D
production. It was shot using four
Arri Alexa cameras, with a complete
on-set 3D playback and viewing
trailer and all grip and 3D equipment
supplied by Arri. David Fox reports
The movie, which was shot in
Bavaria and Malta, has just started
post production and should be in
theatres in September. The producers had wanted to make its predecessor in 3D, but the technology wasn’t
advanced enough. Even so, Vicky
the Viking gained an audience of six
million and was the most profitable
German feature film of 2009 in
German-speaking territories.
For Treasure of the Gods they
wanted to use a German 3D system, and worked early on with
Arri and Stereotec to develop a
rig system tailor-made for Alexa,
while Arri developed a workflow
for the 3D post production. They
also used a modified Steadicam
rig from P+S Technik.
“No one in Germany has
made a German speaking liveaction 3D film, and exclusively
with German technology at that,”
says producer Christian Becker, of
Rat Pack Filmproduktion.
The two customised Stereotec
mid-sized rigs were equipped
with motorised controls and a
data capture system. For crane
shots they used a Super Scorpio
telescopic crane and a Supertechno 50 with a modified 3D
remote head. Arri Film & TV
built a new on-set service trailer
with space for several workstations, a 65-inch 3D monitor, 2D
broadcast monitor, grading panel
and eight seats for screenings.
Smart TVs overtake 3D as the driver for CE vendor agenda
Above: Trailer park — Arri’s on-set lab on location for Vicky and the
Treasure of the Gods. Below: The Dailies show — Inside Arri’s trailer
Keeping connected
and staying smart
Show Analysis
The consumer gadget market could
top one trillion dollars this year
with connectivity to video services
driving demand. Adrian Pennington
reports from last month’s CES show
floor in Las Vegas
The Alexas recorded onto two
Codex Portable recorders, and
there were two Codex lab stations
in the trailer to receive the digital
footage, with two Arri staff
handling all digital imaging,
including: geometric and colour
corrections of both stereo
images; quality control; metadata
management; backups to LTO 4
tape; creating any deliverables
(DVD, 3D Blu-ray, Arri Webgate
dailies and Avid 3D MXF files);
and the screening of dailies.
The main software used was
the Colorfront On-Set Dailies
software, which was optimised
for 3D shoots in close collaboration
with Arri (which also developed
the archiving software).
“Developing the script, we made
sure that key scenes had the full 3D
effect. I’m thinking of American
Continued on page 10
Channel in a Box
Can one size fit all in the area of
integrated playout? Can you run
an entire TV channel from a
commodity computer platform?
A number of key vendors have
contributed to our ‘Channel in a
Box’ debate this issue, starting
page 28. — Fergal Ringrose
No matter where you looked at
the Consumer Electronics Show
(CES) in January, everything from
TVs to smartphones, cameras,
Blu-ray players and consoles was
being connected to the web.
Within four years, predicts the
Consumer Electronics Association
(CEA), more than 70% of all
mainstream consumer electronics
(CE) products will feature online.
“The home entertainment business is suddenly really dynamic,” noted Thomas Gewecke, Warner Bros.’
digital president. “The wider adoption of Blu-ray and the influx of connected devices means digital distribution is starting to be significant.”
www.broadcast.harris.com
Bob Chapek, president of distribution for Walt Disney, added:
“Virtually every living room will
be directly or indirectly hooked
to the TV making it a gateway to
purchase content or view content
you might have purchased on
another networked device.”
To ram the point home Merwan
Mereby, VP of corporate development at Panasonic declared that,
“2011 will be the breakthrough
year for connected devices” while
LG Electronics’ President Wayne
Park asserted: “2011 is all about
smart product — smart TVs, smart
mobiles and smart appliances.”
The hottest trend was the
development of ‘smart TVs’ with
much the same functionality as
app-powered smartphones including the ability to stream video,
music and photo content from
‘the clouds’ of literally hundreds
of online content suppliers.
Continued on page 8
OTO/TVBE Page Template
27/1/11
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TVBE_Feb P1-10 News
27/1/11
17:10
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TVBEU R O PE N E W S & A N A LY S I S
Compromise 2D to make 3D work
By Adrian Pennington
The editorial decisions behind
current 2D live sports production
need to be compromised if 3D
broadcast costs are to be reduced,
says Steve Schklair, CEO and
founder of 3Ality Digital. He
also believes that episodic television is the next genre to be
given the 3D makeover.
There’s a pressing need to
bring costs down for live sports
and that requires simultaneous
2D and 3D productions, experimentation for which will happen
this year, Schklair told TVBEurope.
“Everyone talks about the
creative differences between 2D
and 3D as being a barrier to
simultaneous productions but
I’ve never seen a 2D cut of anything shot in 3D that didn’t
work,” he says. “Simultaneous
productions will be an experiment
this year. It won’t be used on a
golf Masters or a Super Bowl —
Steve Schklair: “It’s about training
the audience back the other way”
no-one will compromise those
events. But compromise is the
only way forward for regular
weekday sports.”
Schklair, whose rigs are used by
EPSN and BSkyB, said the editorial pace of 2D needs to be slowed
and the number of camera angles
needs reducing in order to make
simultaneous productions work.
“The audience has been
trained by the broadcaster over a
decade to accept more cameras
and angles. So it’s about training
the audience back the other way,”
he explained. “With some adjustment the 3D would be perfectly
viewable as 2D. Yes there would
be some compromise on the 2D
and the 3D editorial but TV is a
business of compromise. It’s great
to be a purist but the economic
reality means it won’t work. You
can be a purist right up till it’s not
a business.”
US studios have discussed
shooting 3DTV series with 3Ality,
Schklair said. “The important
factor regarding episodic TV is
that you can now do 3D sets up to
the same schedule as 2D,”
Schklair remarked. “One thing is
unchangeable on episodic and
that is the schedule. Whereas you
can add maybe two to three weeks
to the schedule for a feature you
have two weeks to shoot a one
hour show and that’s it.”
The R&D focus for the company includes graphics handling
tools for 3D broadcasts and
lighter-weight rigs and recording
media aimed at the run and gun
documentary production.
“We are also working on eliminating the 10 extra crew members or technicans, that you
currently need when doing a 10
camera 3D shoot. It’s not just 10
people on salary – but 10 airfares,
10 times food, hotel, accreditation and space in a broadcast
compound. That’s a lot of extra
expense which we can reduce by
automating some of the process.”
www.3alitydigital.com
BBC W1 for Quantel
By Melanie Dayasena-Lowe
The BBC has ordered a Quantel
Enterprise sQ system as part of
the major refurbishment and reequipment programme for its
Broadcasting House, London W1
project. Currently home to
National Public Service Radio,
Arabic & Persian Services and
London local broadcasting,
Broadcasting House will become
the live network broadcasting
centre for the BBC.
Quantel’s Enterprise sQ HD system is equipped with 2,600 hours of
HD storage across 12 sQ servers. It
supports 158 Quantel editors and
16 Final Cut Pro editors, which are
fully integrated into the Quantel
workflow. There are also 500+ journalist workstations equipped with
Quantel desktop editors integrated
into the BBC’s own Jupiter Asset
Management system. The system is
split into two mirrored zones to
deliver operational resilience.
The playout system comprises
10 sQ servers with a total of 300
hours of HD storage. Using the
same technology for production
and playout delivers workflow gains
and provides further resilience.
“The BBC has an unparalleled reputation for innovation
CONTENTS
1-8 News & Analysis
6 CES show analysis
David Fox reports on the
wave of 3D camcorders
unveiled at the
Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas
12-14 The Workflow
12 MTV content concept
MTV Networks North
has pioneered an
integrated content
management concept,
spurring other MTV
facilities to follow suit,
writes Richard Dean
14 3D documentaries
After movies and live
sports, it’s the turn of
documentaries to be
given the 3D treatment.
Adrian Pennington
explores the world of
Flying Monsters
16-27 BVE preview
In our first ever
preview of the
Broadcast Video Expo
at London’s Earls
Court, find out which
new products will be
unveiled at the
exhibition this month
28-41 Channel in a Box
32 Oasys
Broadcasting House: Will become network broadcast centre for BBC
and rightfully sets the bar very
high for its potential suppliers,”
said Ray Cross, Quantel CEO.
“It’s also great to have won the
playout side of the contract in
a competitive situation… our
unique FrameMagic technology
was a crucial factor in winning
this contract.”
www.quantel.com
DK meter update: Audio and video metering company DK-Technologies is offering all customers with a
MSD or PT0 600 series audio meter a free software update to enable them to use the new EBU R128
Loudness Recommendation as well as the ITU BS1770/1771 and ATSC recommendations. All new meters
will automatically have both specifications included, allowing customer access to use both
recommendations. Richard Kelley, sales and marketing director for DK-Technologies, said: “As this update
is very straightforward to implement, we want to help our customers achieve optimum results without
the need to incur additional costs. Our decision to make this free indicates our determination to stay at
the forefront of loudness metering and monitoring technology.” The Loudness Recommendation explains
how broadcasters can now measure and normalise audio using loudness meters instead of peak meters,
which had previously been common practice. — Melanie Dayasena-Lowe
Mark Errington at
Oasys explains how to
distinguish between
Playout Automation
and Automated Playout
37 PubliTronic
Harold Vermeulen
sheds light on the
benefits of ‘Channel in
a Box’ and the future
of integrated playout
40 Harris Broadcast
Fergal Ringrose speaks
exclusively to Product
Manager Randy
Conrod on Harris’
newly launched media
convergence platform
www.dk-technologies.com
42-46 The Workflow
42 Rai innovation
Mike Clark reports on
the in-house research
centre at Italy’s public
service broadcaster Rai
and its contribution to
innovation and design
46 Cloud production
Cloud computing opens
up new opportunities
for the broadcast
industry. Philip Stevens
learns more about
Input Media’s alliance
with Octopus Media
Technology
www.tvbeurope.com F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1
3
TVBE_Feb P1-10 News
27/1/11
18:14
Page 4
TVBEU R O PE N E W S & A N A LYS I S
John Cresswell, Arqiva
People on the move
Arqiva has appointed John
Cresswell as CEO. Formerly
COO and interim CEO of ITV,
Cresswell will assume responsibility for an organisation with
turnover approaching £850 million. He replaces Tom Bennie
who is stepping down after 32
years with the organisation.
Band Pro Munich has undergone a staff reorganisation to
focus on the European market.
Rainer Hercher, former managing director of Camelot
Broadcast Services Berlin, now
manages business development.
Martin Kreitl, HD consulting
specialist and Tanja Decman,
sales manager, continues to be
responsible for file-based recording, codecs, monitors and
measurement engineering. Manuel
Weimer supports the areas of
logistics products and foreign
trade while Isabell Schaarschmidt
is responsible for administration
Paul Lara, Broadcast Pix
and organisation of events. In
addition, Fred Meyers joined
last year as director of production engineering, coming
from Lucasfilm.
Broadcast Pix has announced
two new appointments. Fred van
Elk has been named director of
sales for the Europe, Africa, and
Middle East region and Paul Lara
has joined as director of marketing. van Elk replaces David Hughes
who recently retired.
Camera Corps has appointed
Jeff White as design & development engineer. White joined the
BBC in 1984 and transferred to
SIS in 2008.
Front Porch Digital has
expanded its marketing team with
two new positions. Susan Crouse
has joined as product marketing
director for the DIVASolutions
Manage line of products, while
Travis Johnson will serve as
product marketing manager for
DIVASolutions Migrate.
Following its acquisition by
Francisco Partners, Grass Valley
has unveiled a new executive
team, which will be headquartered in San Francisco. Leading
the team as president and CEO
will be Alain Andreoli, who came
from Francisco Partners. Jeff
Rosica will be executive vice president and chief sales & marketing
officer. Other key appointments
being confirmed are: Charlie
Dunn, senior VP and GM of the
Editing, Servers & Storage
Product Group; Martin Fry, senior VP and GM of the Routing
& Signal Management Product
Group; Marcel Koutstaal, senior
VP and GM of Cameras;
Scott Murray, Live Production
Solutions, and Dave Perillo,
Global Operations. Meanwhile
Aengus Linehan, a veteran of the
IT and communications services
industry, has joined as Senior VP
of the company’s Global Services
business unit.
Haivision has appointed
Richard Brice as vice president,
EMEA. Prior to joining Haivision,
Brice spent 10 years with
Miranda Technologies, most
recently as senior vice president
of US sales.
Mark Carrington, previously
vice president of sales for the
Harmonic-branded product sales,
has been promoted to vice
president of worldwide sales for
Harmonic. In this expanded role,
Carrington will be responsible for
the entire sales organisation and
the complete product line. Separately, the company announced
that Suresh Vasudevan, president
of Omneon at Harmonic, has
decided to leave.
The London Filter Company
has hired Eren Ibrahim as
showroom manager. Based in
LFC’s showroom he has responsibility for sales, rental and
client contact across the range
of LFC’s products.
Marquis
Broadcast
has
appointed Peter Lambert as sales
director. He has previously held
senior positions at Bright Systems,
Nucoda and Avid Technology.
Media Broadcast has announced the appointment of Bernd
Kraus as its new CEO, effective
1 April. Kraus follows Helmut
Peter Lambert, Marquis Broadcast
Laurie Giraudeau, Rosco
Egenbauer who was appointed
non-executive vice chairman of
the supervisory board.
Rosco has expanded its UK
sales force with the appointment of
Laurie Giraudeau as sales executive. She previously worked as marketing manager for Litestructures.
Ross Video has appointed Jim
Siega as business development
manager for XPression, Ross’
Real Time 2D/3D HD character
generator. He will be based out of
Maniago, Italy and report to
Sharon Quigley, director of sales
for EAIME.
Mahmoud Chatah has joined
RTW as the company’s new
director of marketing and sales.
Chatah’s career spans 24 years in
the marketing and management
of technology-based businesses.
SGO has promoted Geoff
Mills to director of SGO global
sales & operations to develop
new relationships and manage
sales of Mistika worldwide.
“Geoff’s experience, charisma and
human touch fits like a glove with
SGO’s philosophy,” said Miguel
Angel Doncel, CEO of SGO.
There are simple ways to solve
complex issues
For effective media production and delivery, you need a powerful vehicle that allows you to speed up media exchange in
workflows or between remote facilities. The standardized “metadata-enabled” MXF format is clearly the way to go, but you
have to master the means. EVS-OpenCube offers a full range of MXF file management devices – from the codec-Agnostic
MXF ingest server (XDCamHD®, Jpeg2k, DNxHD®, etc.) to file conversion and monitoring tools - which put you in driver’s seat
and give you full control, smoothing the way and making the road to efficient production and tapeless archive management
safe, fast and easy to travel.
www.evs-opencube.com
4
MXF Solutions
Geoff Mills, SGO
Strategy & Technology (S&T)
has established a dedicated
Hybrid business unit headed up
by Matt Whitfield. Whitfield joins
S&T from Freeview Australia,
where he was most recently
the technical director responsible
for phase 2 (MHEG-5 Platform
EPG) of the Freeview platform.
Andrew Pearson has joined
ViewCast Corporation’s UK
office as technical manager for
EMEA & India. Pearson joins
ViewCast from Channel 4 TV
where he served as the broadcast
distribution manager.
27/1/11
17:02
Page 1
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TVBE_Feb P6, 12 News v2
27/1/11
17:14
Page 6
TVBEUROPE
Europe’s television technology business magazine
EDITORIAL
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[email protected]
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[email protected]
+44 (0)207 921 8346
UBM Ltd, Ludgate House,
245 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 9UR
Editorial Consultant Adrian Pennington
Associate Editor David Fox
USA Correspondent Carolyn Giardina
Contributors Bob Charlton, Mike Clark,
David Davies, Richard Dean, Chris Forrester,
Jonathan Higgins, Mark Hill, Dick Hobbs,
John Ive, George Jarrett, Ken Kerschbaumer,
Heather McLean, Bob Pank, Nick Radlo,
Neal Romanek, Philip Stevens, Reinhard E Wagner
Web Editor Andy Stout
Digital Content Manager Tim Frost
Publisher Joe Hosken
ART & PRODUCTION
Group Production Editor Dawn Boultwood
Production Executive Alistair Taylor
SALES
Group Sales Manager Steve Grice
[email protected]
+44 (0)20 7921 8307
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[email protected]
+44 (0)20 7921 8233
Business Development Manager Alex Hall
[email protected]
+44 (0)20 7921 8305
US SALES
Michael Mitchell
Broadcast Media International, PO Box 44,
Greenlawn, New York, NY 11740
[email protected]
+1 (631) 673 3199 Fax: +1 (631) 673 0072
JAPAN AND KOREA SALES
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CES unleashes wave of
low-cost 3D camcorders
3D Market Analysis
By David Fox
3D was probably the key theme at the Consumer Electronics Show
in Las Vegas (even more so than would-be iPad rivals), with 3D
displays, 3D games consoles, 3D-equipped laptops, and cheap and
simple consumer cameras on many stands — several of which
could find themselves used for professional applications.
Sony’s first foray into the world of consumer 3D camcorders
includes one that may be of interest to professional users. The
HDR-TD10E was claimed to be ‘the world’s first Double Full HD
3D consumer camcorder’ — JVC made similar claims (see below). It
uses an integrated dual lens system with two Sony G Lenses, two
Exmor R CMOS sensors, and two BIONZ image processors, recording
1920x1080 on both channels. The Sony camcorder can also output
full HD 2D video, and recordings can be played back in 3D without
glasses on its 3.5-inch autostereoscopic LCD touch screen.
Sony also has one of the simplest and cheapest 3D camcorders
on offer in its new Bloggie HD range. The Bloggie 3D records
1920x1080 MP4 video and 5-megapixel still photos. It has two
lenses (very close together), two image sensors, stereo microphone
and built-in LED light. Recordings can be viewed in 3D without
glasses on the camera’s 2.4-inch LCD or via a 3D screen using
HDMI. It has 8GB of internal memory and will be available in
April for less than $250.
JVC’s GS-TD1 full HD 3D consumer camcorder can also
record 1920x1080 (50i or 60i) on both left and right channels
simultaneously (as well as supporting side-by-side format AVCHD
3D plus AVCHD 2D).
It features two 3D HD GT 5x lenses (10x in 2D mode), two
3.32 megapixel CMOS sensors, 64GB of built-in flash memory
plus an SD card slot, the new Falconbrid LSI chip, and a 3.5-inch
glasses-free 3D touch panel LCD. It should cost less than $2,000
and ship in March — which might indeed mean it lives up to JVC’s
claim that ‘the newly developed LR Independent Format makes
the GS-TD1 the world’s first consumer-oriented camcorder capable of 3D shooting in full HD’.
The JVC camcorder has an Optical Axis Automatic
Stabilisation System for disparity control to give depth to
3D images, biphonic
technology for dynamic 3D sound,
and automatic
parallax adjustment to optimise
the 3D-video
comfort zone.
The f1.2 lenses have round
Panasonic’s new TM900 camcorder has
iris diaphragms to give a
three CMOS sensors and can record 3D
pleasing bokeh effect (backwith the addition of a 3D conversion lens
ground blurring) for both
Dubbed ‘the world’s first Double Full HD 3D consumer camcorder’, the Sony
HDR-TD10E allows recordings to be played back in 3D without glasses
video and stills alike — although the small, back-illuminated
CMOS sensors may not always give the shallow depth of field
needed to make that useful.
One of the most interesting developments is a small, waterproof
3D rig for shooting full 1080p 3D video with the tiny GoPro Hero HD
cameras. These are already widely used for TV production to get shots
in wet, dusty or difficult conditions (such as fixed to a ski helmet).
The upcoming 3D Hero Expansion Kit will allow users to fit
two of the 1080p cameras in the one housing, with a synchronisation cable that connects the camera’s bus outputs (it says that this
synchronises ‘video capture and settings’, hopefully including the
auto exposure). The kit should cost less than $100, and each
HD Hero costs $260 (although many production companies and
cameramen will already have one or two of them).
Panasonic’s new TM900 and HS900 1080/50p camcorders have
three CMOS sensors, record AVCHD at 28Mbps, have 3.5-inch
touch screens, a manual control ring, 20x f1.5 zoom lens, and can
record 3D with the addition of a 3D conversion lens.
It has also launched even cheaper, single sensor 1080/50p camcorders, the TM90 and SD90, with 28mm 21x zoon lenses that can
also be converted to 3D.
ViewSonic’s ViewFun 3D camcorders were some of the least
expensive on show, with one of its models, the Palm 3D HD able
to record full HD 1080p in 3D or 2D at 60fps (at 18Mbps — there
is no word on whether there will be a 50p version). It has a
3.2-inch LCD screen using parallax technology to display 3D
without the need for glasses. Cost is about $250, with instant sharing to YouTube 3D and Facebook,
It also showed some even less expensive 3D models using the sideby-side format, from $150 to $200. Prepare for the onslaught….
www.sonybiz.net
www.jvcpro.eu
www.gopro.com
www.panasonic-broadcast.com
www.viewsonic.com
From second generation to third dimension
DVB World 2011 Preview
Helmut Stein, chairman, DVB Promotions & Communications Module,
provides an insight on what you can expect from this year’s DVB World
conference to be held in Nice from 7-9 March
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ISSN 1461-4197
6
In the second week of March, you will find a lot of very skillful
electronic engineers and managers of global consumer electronics
brands at the luggage belt in Nice airport, France. They are doing
what they do every year around this time. Last year it was in
Lisbon and in previous years Berlin, Budapest and Dublin. It is
time once again for DVB World, the annual conference of the
global standardisation body for digital television and beyond.
Twenty years after the soft launch of DVB then known as
‘European Launching Group for Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting’
with the official inauguration of the name ‘DVB’ two years later,
Helmut Stein: “Emphasis on
informed analysis rather than
commercial pitches”
DVB has developed into a prestigious global brand enabling digital
television and data services in
almost all countries of the world.
During this time, innumerable
experts from up to 300 members
have created around 100 specifications and their implementation guidelines.
Turning to the DVB World 2011
conference, there is a tradition to be
followed from previous events that
first takes a retrospective look at
the previous year’s DVB activities
to learn about the technical and
11/1/11
15:57
Page 1
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with many of the world’s leading
cinematographers.
F35
SRW-9000PL
Where budgets are tighter, our new
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And with the flexibility to output RGB
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offers even more creative choice.
Come into our 35mm world and
see how it can enhance yours.
www.pro.sony.eu/35mm
PMW-F3
TVBE_Feb P1-10 News
27/1/11
17:11
Page 8
Keeping connected
and staying smart
Continued from page 1
DisplaySearch expects that 118 million net-enabled TVs will be sold
worldwide by 2014, while iSuppli
predicts an even more ambitious
148 million globally for that year
and Park Associates puts the 2015
figure at 185 million.
After decades of defining TV
as a device that is a receiver with
limited broadcast content, the TV
is viewed as the hub for a connected home environment encompassing smartphones, PCs and
tablets or DLNA-certified appliances, joined by high-speed Wi-Fi
or 4G, the new benchmark in
mobile phone broadband.
Portable tablets in particular are
being adopted to augment the TV
experience. Sales are set to rocket to
30 million in 2011 with CE manufacturers rather than PC developers
leading the charge. Sharp,
Samsung, Panasonic and Sony —
all with new tablets — believe that
content suppliers will favour companies that sell products across the
three-screen platforms of mobile,
desktop and living room.
Users of Samsung’s Galaxy
for example are able to remotely
control and watch programming
aired on Samsung TVs or Blu-ray
players. Panasonic’s prototype
Viera Connect tablet is designed
to do something similar, while
Sharp’s Galapagos uses a proprietary XDMF format that automatically adjusts digital content
to the size of the screen.
John Herrington, president of
Sharp North America, said the
company will extend XDMF to
its smartphones and connected
TVs “so users can seamlessly port
content from one device to another
most convenient to them.”
The living room TV may remain
a fixture but the type and manner in
which content gets to it is evolving
beyond all recognition. CE manufacturers themselves spy a slice of
the action with Sony’s CEO Sir
Howard Stringer stating that his
company was ‘redefining TV’.
“By March more than 50 million TV screens in US homes
alone will be connected to a Sony
device be that PS3, Wi-Fi Blu-ray
player or internet TV,” he said.
“That’s a significant base of connected products. But our business
is no longer just about the sale of
hardware. We have an equally if
not more significant revenue base
for content across these devices.”
It aims to pack as many entertainment options as possible into
its Web-connected hardware. It has
Netflix, Amazon VoD, YouTube
and a library of its own shows,
music and movies available for purchase or rent via its Qriocity VoD
and Music Unlimited service.
Many of Panasonic’s new TVs
will have Viera Connect on board,
an open platform available to
developers of third-party content
to promote the expansion of
IPTV services and applications.
Samsung models will incorporate
Smart Hub, a portal that unifies
content search across the TV and
other home networked devices,
internet and VoD services.
Both Samsung and Sony struck
deals with Time Warner Cable
which will enable the latter’s cable
subscribers to access programming
direct from a Samsung or Sony
connected TV without need for a
set-top box. Samsung signed a similar contract with DIRECTV, and
said it would add Adobe AIR 2.5 to
“Our business is no longer just about the sale of hardware,” said
Sony Chief Executive Sir Howard Stringer at the CES show in Las Vegas
announced plans to roll out digital
distribution technology UltraViolet
in the US and then to the UK by
the end of 2011.
The technology is designed to
make approved film and TV content playable on certified devices,
and is touted as a digital replacement for the ubiquitous DVD.
Consumers could acquire lifetime
rights to movies and shows and
wouldn’t have to fear losing or
breaking movies because all the
material would live in the cloud
and be accessible via web-connected
TVs, handhelds, computers, and
set-top boxes.
“Whereas in 2010 3DTVs were featured with internet
as an add-on, in 2011 the roles are reversed and
internet connectivity is the key functionality with 3D
as an add-on” — Shawn Dubravac, CEA
its SmartTV and Blu-ray range for
developers to more easily create, distribute and monetise applications
through the Samsung Apps store.
‘TV Everywhere’
Meanwhile, IT giant Cisco unveiled
an ambitious platform called
Videoscape that aims to do nothing
less than unify online content
and digital TV with social media
and communications applications.
Dubbing it ‘TV Everywhere’ Cisco
chairman John Chambers observed
that an increasing dialogue between
devices is likely to become the
norm, with data stored and shared
in the cloud.
Seizing on this momentum, the
Digital Entertainment Content
Ecosystem (DECE), a consortia
backed by most major US studios
and CE vendors as well as BSkyB,
BT and LoveFilm in the UK,
DECE has not however convinced Walt Disney and Apple to
join them, while consumers could
baulk at having to lock their content into a digital rights management system.
The demand for connectivity
is credited with helping the global
market for CE products to hit an
all time high with revenues topping $873 billion in 2010. Growth
is predicted to top one trillion
dollars by the end of 2011.
3DTV
Internet-fed TV is likely to leapfrog
ahead of 3DTV sales this year.
“Whereas in 2010 3DTV’s were featured with internet as an add-on, in
2011 the roles are reversed and internet connectivity is the key functionality with 3D as an add-on,” noted
Shawn Dubravac, the CEA’s chief
economist and director of research.
One rationale for this is the
amount of available programming.
Connected TV content ranges from
established video sources such as
YouTube and the online offerings of
TV networks to new creative video
apps. This web content glut contrasts vividly to the relatively small
library of 3D shows.
One means to plug the gap is
realtime 2D-to-3D conversion
which is now built-in as standard
into an increasing number of
3DTVs and Blu-ray players. With a
flick of the remote, consumers can
turn any programme into pseudostereo vision.
Sony’s algorithm reads each
frame and sends, for example,
faster-moving objects, background
objects and objects at the sides of
the frame to the back of the picture.
This functionality is clearly inferior
to native 3D productions, can’t be
recorded, and has its opponents.
“As a movie studio we made it
very clear to the CE companies that
we don’t support conversion at all,”
declared Fox Home Entertainment
President Mike Dunn. “Any time
you touch it without the filmmaker,
it is off limits. It distorts what
everyone is trying to do. We don’t
even want a football game converted like that.”
The second year of the 3DTV era
saw multiple manufacturers begin to
introduce additional technology
options to get around some of the
issues of cost, comfort and style associated with 3D active-shutter glasses.
New lines from LG, Toshiba and
Vizio used passive polarised glasses
costing as little as $20.
There was also a proliferation of
glasses-free displays using lenticular
coatings to displace light on both
large screens and smartphones,
laptops and tablets. Most were not
commercially available since, by the
manufacturer’s own admission, the
effect is generally only viewable
from a central sweet-spot a few feet
away. With individual, fixed viewpoints, mobile autostereoscopic
screens are likely to take off first,
perhaps fed with 3D content from
the growing number of online
streaming sites like 3DeeCentral,
which launched featuring shortform 3D content from 30 providers.
Toshiba and LG were hedging
their bets by showing passive
and active glass technology as well
as autosteroscopic screens. Sony
revealed prototypes of a 24.5-inch
OLED glasses-free screen in
1920x1080 resolution plus 46- and
56-inch 4k x 2k autostereo LCDs.
“The glasses-free area is one
we are very interested in, but it’s
too early to launch now since
the technology has not evolved
enough to bring to it to market at
a reasonable price,” said Tim
Page, senior manager, technology
marketing, Europe. “It’s just to
show we are working on the technology, that it can be done.”
Sony, Panasonic and JVC
debuted 3D consumer camcorders,
with Sony’s $1500 Handycam
HDR-TD10 offering Full HD 3D,
a 10x optical zoom and viewing on
a 3.5-inch LCD autostereo screen.
It uses sequential framing with left
eye and right eye encoded separately 200 times a second so that
Sony can claim full 1920x1080 resolution for each eye.
Could it be used for professional production? Certainly says
Page. “We are seeing DSLRs
being used to shoot professional
features and there’s no reason why
technologies such as this could
not be adopted by filmmakers
perhaps for run and gun shoots.”
The most eyecatching innovation was a demonstration by telco
Verizon of full 1080p HD 3D video
streaming in contrast to the ‘frame
compatible’ 3D currently available
from payTV providers. Signals
were sent as IP unicast video
streams over Verizon’s fibre optic
FiOS network to a Panasonic
Blu-ray Disc 3D player, at 18Mbps
in MPEG-4, double the bit rate
currently used to broadcast HD.
“Blu-ray players are about the
only devices currently capable of
decoding the information,” said
Jimmy Ho, a member of Verizon’s
technical team.
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Communication multimédia - Tél. +33 (0)5 57 262 264
27/1/11
18:07
Page 1
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TVBE_Feb P1-10 News
27/1/11
17:11
Page 10
Google drops H.264 for WebM
By David Fox
Google is ending support for the
H.264 video codec in its Chrome
web browser, preferring its own
WebM format. In future, its
resources will be “directed
towards completely open codec
technologies,” explained Google
Product Manager Mike Jazayeri.
“We are changing Chrome’s
HTML5 video support to
make it consistent with the
3D Treasure
for Arri
examples, where not enough is happening in front of the screen. A family film such as Vicky is meant to
entertain, to fascinate, and there’s
room for a bit of carnival attraction,
too; after all, that’s why we are making the film in 3D in the first place.
That’s why there are passages in the
screenplay where we describe the
action in great detail, such as a head
sticking out of the screen or spears
and arrows flying right into the
audience,” says Becker.
“In terms of shooting, the
process becomes pretty normal
after a few days of getting used to it.
You don’t have to wait for the cameras anymore, although you can’t
shoot as many takes per setup with
two cameras,” said the director,
Christian Ditter. They had up to 10
cameras on set, covering five angles.
“Also, 3D isn’t cut as fast; instead,
the images and camera moves are
more elaborately composed. That’s
a particularly fun aspect of 3D.”
“This isn’t just my first 3D film
but also my first shoot with a digital camera,” admits DoP, Christian
Rein. “Luckily, after doing the first
tests with the Alexa, I realised that
I can use it like a traditional film
camera. I had questions, of course.
How does the camera respond?
Where are the noise levels? What’s
the exposure range? After all, there
was no digital film camera on the
market before the Alexa that could
have compared to 35mm or that
could have delivered comparable
results in terms of image quality.
The Alexa is a huge step forward in
that regard.”
“When the Alexa came out at
the beginning of the year, there was
no master-slave function yet for
these cameras. But Arri caught up
quickly, making the Alexa compatible right away. That and the new
software updates were crucial to
shoot the film in this way,” he adds.
The cameras are now synchronised
as a master and slave so the settings
of the master camera (shutter
angle, frame rate, aperture and
focus) also apply to the slave.
In terms of camera work, 3D
is a major change. “You use different focal lengths and the equipment got larger again. It’s a bit
like in the past, when you had lots
of heavy equipment. You are not
as fast and spontaneous, you have
to plan more, but in the end, you
do achieve the desired results.
“Also the focal length went
down. For what we used to shoot
with around 40mm, you now only
need 24mm. The 3D experience is
much more challenging for the
audience, that’s why there are fewer edits and the pacing isn’t as
fast. Now setups are combined to
allow people to really enjoy what
they are seeing. Of course, setups
in 3D don’t get boring as quickly,” says Rein.
Working with a Steadicam,
cranes and remote heads, means
the shoot is more technical and
more removed. “You no longer
have that sense of immediacy,
which you had looking through an
optical viewfinder and being the
first actual audience member seeing
codecs already supported by
the open Chromium project.
Specifically, we are supporting
the WebM (VP8) and Theora
video codecs, and will consider
adding support for other highquality open codecs in the
future. Though H.264 plays an
important role in video, as our
goal is to enable open innovation, support for the codec will
be removed and our resources
directed towards completely
open codec technologies.”
The WebM Project was
launched last year “to bring an
open, world-class video codec to
the web,” but most analysis indicates that WebM is less efficient
and delivers lower quality video
than H.264.
However, Jazayeri has seen:
“rapid performance improvements in the video encoder and
the film.” There is also a larger
crew, with a stereoscopic team, a
recording crew and the Digital
Imaging technicians, giving a camera crew of about 14 — 2D projects,
with two units, would only need six.
“We light exactly the way we do
on 2D films. Sometimes you have
to make adjustments later during
grading to sharpen the contrast
because the 3D effect is greater
when the images have more contrast. When the images are flat, the
3D effect gets watered down.”
“The main differences, in terms
of directing, are that we have many
sequences, the takes are very long
and include a point-of-view
change, and there are fewer cuts,”
says Ditter. “This means that the
takes are also longer for the actors,
but it gives them the opportunity to
really flesh out a scene. I personally
like that because it draws the audience into the story and you have the
feeling you are there with them.
“You have an additional dimension to tell your story with. Before,
you could choose the size of a shot
and what you cut to, but now you
have an additional choice, another
element in the language of film.
Now you think about how close
you want to bring an object to the
audience or how close you want
to be to a character emotionally, or
how much you want to distance
yourself from it. That enriches the
language of film,” says the director.
Schernthaner. “Using this new
recording technique requires that
you are able to react quickly. You
can only guarantee that if there is a
colourist and an additional technician, who can take care of the
metadata as well as the backups
and deliveries for the screenings
and the editing room, on the set.”
“The combination of features
such as colour grading, frame accurate and traceable quality control
and quick rendering of the various
derivatives is a major advantage of
the Colorfront On-Set Dailies system. It saves a lot of time and manpower,” explains Markus Kirsch,
Arri head of TV post production.
The Alexas recorded onto
Codex Portables in the HD JPEG
2000 format. Then the recorded
data was sent to the trailer, where it
was backed up before being transferred to the servers and undergoing
quality control. About an hour
after shooting, feedback regarding
the quality of the recorded data was
available and, about an hour and a
half later, the 3D images could be
viewed on a monitor, colour corrected and complete with the relevant
metadata (scene, shot, take).
“If something goes wrong on
the set, especially when you work in
3D, it is important to get feedback
as soon as possible, because everything that needs 3D retouching or
rebuilding is extremely expensive,
and sometimes it just can’t be
fixed,” warns Schernthaner. “3D
isn’t for people with a ‘we-fix-it-inthe-post’ attitude.”
The daily 3D screening took
place in the trailer after shooting
had wrapped. All the digitally
recorded material was screened
On-set workflow
“Mobility is the key, among other
things, to put to rest some of the
uncertainties still connected with
a 3D shoot,” says Arri Head
of Digital Filmworks Harald
TM
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Television Audio Processor
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decoder thanks to contributions
from dozens of developers
across the community; broad
adoption by browser, tools, and
hardware vendors; [and] independent (yet compatible) implementations that not only bring
additional choice for users,
publishers, and developers but
also foster healthy competition
and innovation.”
http://blog.chromium.org
stereo-geometrically and checked
with synchronised scratch sound
and a colour-corrected image.
Simultaneously, the Arri Colorfront software generated and sent
out Avid 3D-MXF files for the
editing room, 3D Blu-rays for the
executive producer, four personalised DVDs with name burn-ins,
and the Arri Webgate derivatives
for online viewing.
Finally, all the data generated
on the set arrived at Arri on two
sets of LTO 4 backup tapes to be
stored in the data archive. The complete shoot took about 160TB. The
grading metadata from the dailies
and the stereoscopic parameters
can be used without further modification later on during post
production in the Lustre Suite or
during effects generation.
Visual effects
“3D demands a lot more precision than 2D and, on a technical
level, is much more complicated,”
says Dominik Trimborn, Arri’s
head of VFX, who is supervising
effects work on Vicky at Arri.
“The possibilities of digital
effects have been exhausted in 2D
but now, everything has changed.
To give you a few examples: the
matte paintings for 2D, which were
typically generated in Photoshop,
are no longer adequate. In the
future, 3D models will be required.
“Simple retouching tasks have to
be completed for both eyes now.
Removing a wire was one of the
simpler exercises in 2D and could be
completed easily, if the wire wasn’t
dangling into someone’s face. In
a 3D environment this suddenly
becomes incredibly difficult, because
the human being has two eyes.
“If, for example, a bulge in a
piece of clothing, caused by the
wire, has to be retouched, then it
has to happen in 3D. To just brush
over it, as in 2D, doesn’t work
anymore. Plus, the 3D layers have
to be delivered to the compositors
in nearly perfect condition,
because any subsequent adjustments are very complicated. In
other words, the overall effort
going into these projects has
increased exponentially.”
To prepare for 3D, Arri moved
from Shake to Nuke, and completed all of its 2D projects on Nuke
during 2010 to familiarise everybody with it.
27/1/11
17:12
Page 1
TVBE_Feb P6, 12 News v2
27/1/11
18:17
Page 12
TVBEU R O PE T H E W O R K F L O W
MTV Networks hits the right note
Workflow Case Study
MTV Networks North has pioneered
an integrated content management
concept, spurring other MTV facilities
to follow suit. Richard Dean heads
into the MTV cloud
When Mark Knopfler added the
hook line ‘I want my MTV’ to hit
song Money for Nothing in 1985,
he was voicing the desire of a
whole generation mesmerised by
the first dedicated 24/7 music video
channel launched four years earlier
in New York.
What he perhaps understandably
didn’t point out was that delivering
this series of short, disparatelysourced productions at an unprecedented rate per hour was an
extremely labour-intensive and
indeed expensive proposition, with
an army of operatives frantically juggling individual tapes day and night.
Naturally the playout and other
technology has evolved considerably
over the intervening 25 years, but in
2007 MTV Networks embarked on
an entirely new approach driven
by Marco de Ruiter, senior VP
and COO of MTV Networks North
in Amsterdam; Roderick Aal,
vice president Technology; and
Thomas Popma, vice president
Channel Operations.
Instead of independently
scheduling and managing each of
its six channels, MTV Networks
North pioneered a Media Centre
concept where all aspects of planning and content delivery were
brought together for the first time.
The system went live in mid 2008
with all Benelux and Scandinavian
channels migrating within a year,
and has since become the role
model for the reorganisation of
MTV Networks facilities at
Camden Lock in London, which
began an ambitious 18 month refit project in February.
At the heart of each Media
Centre is the MediaGeniX
WHATS’On channel management
and playlist system controlling
Nexus playout automation from
Publitronic and a Pharos Mediator
From second generation
to third dimension
commercial environment of its
work. Veena Rawat, president of
the Communications Research
Centre Canada, will open the conference with a keynote address that
outlines the roles of Broadcast and
Communications and whether the
two are partners or competitors.
There will be several flagship sessions that will include examining
and providing information on green
broadcasting, DVB chipsets and
DVB implementation particularly
12
MTV Networks North in Amsterdam currently runs between
25 to 30 channels with plans to expand up to around 50
Amsterdam is currently running
between 25 to 30 channels — six
for MTV and the rest for MTV
Networks stablemates Comedy
Central and Nickelodeon — with
plans to expand up to around 50,
while London will start with 35 to
45 but could reach as many as 60
channels as MTV’s ambitious
expansion plans unfold.
Ultimately these two Media
Centres will provide storage for all
of MTV Networks Europe’s content, with scheduling to other
regions simplified by a comprehensive rights database held within
WHATS’On. With all actions taking place where the decisions are
made, the single integrated system
is expected to improve the overall
efficiency by as much as 70%.
“An additional benefit of computerised integration is that it
becomes cost-effective to programme
and brand a channel even for the
smallest of countries and audiences,”
says Popma, adding that further efficiencies may yet emerge. “We’re
working on an interface for the registration of music cues — including
rights information — to streamline
the assembly of content, as manually
defining 200 or so cuts in a 20 minute
show is a very laborious process.”
A video-on-demand (VoD)
channel for delivery to cable MSOs
(multiple system operator) is currently at the pilot stage in Amsterdam, and this is expected to blossom
into an important element right
across the entire business. MTV
Networks already offers a wealth of
on-demand content from a series of
websites across Europe, and possible
participation in the forthcoming
YouView — or indeed other hybrid
TV platforms — will further endorse
the case for a unified multi-channel
core. Again, WHATS’On will form
the backbone for planning and
management of all MTV Networks’
on-demand platforms, based on the
same workflow and from within the
same system.
According to Aal, all content
is put within an MXF (Media
eXchange Format) wrapper for
in Africa and India. Special aspects
of the future of content delivery
will be covered by the BBC and
finally, in another tradition, there
will be an overview of DVB in
France, this year’s host country.
What then are the latest DVB
achievements to be highlighted at
this year’s conference? First of all,
the second generations of the traditional broadcast transmission
standards have been finalised.
After DVB-S2 and DVB-T2, the
new cable standard, DVB-C2, is
also available now. These together
with the latest in transmission
security, the implementation in
the different markets of the new
common scrambling format
DVB-CSA3 will be discussed.
With DVB’s concept of ‘tool boxes’,
it is fascinating to see the wide
range of customised solutions.
These topics are all covered in the
session called DVB Today.
A dedicated session will concentrate on the topic of mobile
reception. With terrestrial broadcasting as the natural path to
handheld and mobile receivers,
this market has still to grow and
develop, while the search for specific business models to encourage
and enable the technology to be
implemented is at the top of the
agenda. Complementary to mobile
phone systems, a hybrid solution
could be the most economic way
media asset management (MAM)
installation. “WHATS’On provides a cockpit from which new
channels can be set up and the
appropriate parental guidance and
bandwidth defined within a matter
of hours,” explains De Ruiter.
“This is also more efficient operationally than the old channel-based
approach as all content can be shared
— any person involved has access
to all the information about every
asset, while cumbersome middleware
components have been eradicated.
London in particular uses a complex
legacy operation that has been glued
together over 12 years, which will all
be migrated across to the new system
over the coming months.”
Expansion plans
playout, which allows a single
re-usable asset to be created containing up to 18 languages plus
subtitles. Metadata is kept on a
database separate from the essence
for ease of access, as well as to minimise bandwidth overheads.
Interestingly, ads supplied to
MTV Networks now come complete with metadata — this is not
the case among the broad community of music video and other programme providers, as they have yet
to settle on a standard. However
metadata can be directly imported
from content prepared by the parent company in the US, which
makes up a large proportion of
MTV Networks Europe’s output.
While ad bookings are handled
by a separate system, centralised
channel management gives the
suits plenty of stats to savour, from
content management and capitalisation to extensive correlations
between stocks, amortisations, ratings, product costs and the like for
performing what accountants call
business intelligence calculations.
breaks, he believes the process will
be simplified, as all the ad breaks
for each country can be executed
with the press of a single button.
Although the standard definition
workflow is entirely tapeless backed
up with a remote storage facility in
Hilversum, in the light of current
workflow bandwidth constraints,
HD production still takes place on
tape prior to 50i/60i playout.
No other broadcaster is
believed to operate a system quite
like this one developed by MTV
Networks. But how about what
some see as the poster boy of nextgeneration broadcast operations
— the so-called ‘cloud’ storage of
content on third-party servers?
“All of our content and data is
stored on our own resources,” says
De Ruiter. “Cloud storage could
offer certain efficiencies, but as well
as being secure — which is especially
important in the case of high value
pre-release media — it would have
to be very fast to keep up with the
high service levels that MTV
Network output demands.
Thomas Popma: The single
integrated system could improve
efficiency by as much as 70%
Marco de Ruiter: “All content
and data is stored on our
own resources”
The new Media Centre
approach is clearly well suited to
automated playout, but equally at
home with live events such as
MTV’s prestigious European
Music Awards, says Aal. Indeed
given that these events tend to
air simultaneously across several
regions requiring different ad
“This whole project has been
about clearing bottlenecks in the
system, and cloud bureaux could
become a victim of their own success. With the great team that
we’ve now put together at MTV
Networks, I’d say that if we have
to have a problem, we’d rather
own it ourselves.”
to create new markets. DVB’s
next generation handheld system
(NGH) has the potential to foster
such solutions.
Day three takes a look at
the future. With HDTV widely
implemented, it is time to discuss
further quality improvements
with, for example, ‘ultra high definition TV’, in short UHDTV.
This goes hand in hand with the
future of 3DTV, where solutions
without glasses would require
higher resolution or data rates.
IPTV and net neutrality will be
covered in discussions beyond traditional broadcasting. A special view
on the gaming market will help us
to better understand this hardware
convergence trend. All of these new
developments will pave the way to
new work within the DVB.
As in previous conferences,
Prof Ulrich Reimers will give a
pre-conference master class lecture
about the technology of DVB’s
second-generation standards.
Being a member of DVB
means being on the inside track
with the opportunity to network
and influence the world’s most
successful broadcast standards.
The conference, exhibition and
lunch will take place at the Hotel
Le Méridien, right on the famous
Promenade des Anglais boulevard in Nice.
www.dvbworld.org
27/1/11
17:14
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27/1/11
17:18
Page 14
Bringing documentaries to life
Production case study
After movies and live sports,
documentary programming is
getting the 3D treatment. To help
finance the uplift in 3D production
producers are looking to cinema
and Imax outlets as well as to
the small screen, presenting
unique challenges on location.
Adrian Pennington reports
Atlantic Productions’ Flying
Monsters, commissioned by Sky
to be a flagship documentary on
its 3D channel last Christmas,
bagged a number of production
firsts. It is claimed as the first film
intended for exhibition on an
array of formats spanning Imax
2D and 3D, Imax Dome, 2D and
3D cinema release and TV. It is
the first time an Imax film has
had an on-screen presenter (Sir
David Attenborough) and it is the
first 3D documentary intended
for general cinema release.
The nature of its subject, prehistoric pterosaurs, leant heavily
on CGI. Of the 340 shots in the
hour long piece, 140 were either
CG, stills or post converted elements which needed integrating
into live action backgrounds shot
in New Mexico, France, Germany,
Lyme Regis and the Eden Project.
The multiple deliverables presented the production with some
huge challenges, not least having
to frame each shot and design the
3D so it worked on both a 100ft
Imax screen and a domestic TV —
without the luxury of multiple
takes. To cope with the different
formats, a pair of Red MysteriumX cameras were selected, shooting
at 4k 16x9. These, along with a
digital imaging technician and
Element Technica Quasar rig,
were supplied by On Sight. The
Red RAW data was recorded to
cards and checked by the DIT for
data integrity
“Because we had a tight turnaround and were
getting VFX quite late in the process it was
important to be able to jump between grade,
conform and stereo fix within the same Mistika
system” — Angus Cameron
Angus Cameron: “The quality
threshold for 3DTV stereo is
generally low”
the script was broken down and
storyboarded, specifying every
shot size and angle.
“Because wider angle lenses
give the best and most engaging
3D we used those even on closeups rather than switching to
longer focal lengths,” explains
project stereographer and Vision3
founding partner, Chris Parks.
“Being forced to work in a more
considered way did constrain
shooting a little but it actually
worked well since we were trying
to achieve a focus on the information and the narration rather
than on lots of cuts.”
Capturing to Imax dome was
particularly extreme with DP Tim
Cragg mindful that the image
‘loses’ the corners of the frame on
projection. “Also, if you frame a
standard full shot for TV it’s likely
that the presenter’s head will be
14
Atlantic Productions’ Flying Monsters is the first 3D documentary intended for general cinema release
The resolution was of sufficient quality for the largest
screens while enabling post production to punch in for a slightly
tighter framing for the smaller
ones. In addition to the usual 2D
crew, two additional people were
needed for the 3D — the rig tech
to look after the sophisticated 3D
hardware and the stereographer
who was responsible for designing the stereo.
Ultra prime fixed-length lenses
(no zoom) were used to maximise
image quality but lens changes
required precise realignment taking up to 20 minutes — although
this was somewhat ameliorated
by needing less cuts in 3D because
of the extra information that it
conveys. In preparation for this,
Of the 340 shots in the hour-long piece, 140 were either CG, stills
or post converted elements integrated into live action backgrounds
behind you when projected on
Imax Dome,” explains Parks. “To
compensate you need to keep the
primary subject framed a third to
a half way up the screen and take
close-ups much wider than you
would normally for TV.
“The broad approach was to
keep the 3D pretty relaxed when
Sir David was on screen in a similar way to how you might use
softer lighting when shooting a
portrait,” he adds. “Sir David was
placed slightly further back in the
shot than we might otherwise
have done so that the audience is
concentrating on what he is saying, rather than the stereo effect.
For close-up shots of the fossils,
we made strong use of the depth
to help explain an otherwise relatively flat subject.
“For the CGI, where we had
close control over the depth, we
pulled more out into theatre
space to make the audience feel
like they were flying with the 50
million-year-old pterosaurs.”
The rushes were prepared in
2D and offlined at Atlantic on
Avid. A sequence of 2D selects
were delivered back to Onsight
where they were prepped into side
by side DNxHD 36 files for
review on an LG stereo monitor.
With the picture locked, the
piece was conformed with the
original Red footage in Mistika at
On Sight and the final list of CGI
instructions handed to Molinare,
Zoo, Fido (in Stockholm) and
CVFX by VFX supervisor Robin
Aristorenas.
Most of the shots were built
in full stereo 3D CGI environments but around 20 were post
converted by Chris Panton on
Shake at Dimenxion in North
London. Some were stock
footage landscapes to help with
the scale of the CG build of the
creatures. Others were built from
stills provided as additional narrative elements and some were to
correct the stereo original, which
wasn’t useable.
“The 3D went through various
technical stages to ensure that the
geometry and colour between left
and right eye matched,” explains
post stereographer and cofounder Vision3 Angus Cameron.
“It went through a preliminary
camera match pass to make sure
both ‘eyes’ looked the same
before grading in 2D. We then
tested to DCP and reviewed the
results from the point of view of
a 3D grade. We next performed a
3D ripple grade in which we apply
adjustments to the 2D grade particularly adjusting for light loss
when projected on a big screen.”
Nuke’s colour matching tools
were used to align both channels
before any visual anomolies, such
as occasional polarisation, were
finessed out. The final stage was
the depth grade, a process of
adjusting the depth of objects in
relation to the screen plane and
how that shot relates in terms of
continuity and flow to the next.
“Since Imax audiences are less
aware of the edge of the frame
than TV viewers we have the
ability to push more towards
the audience,” explains Cameron,
who supervised a separate depth
grade, and shorter version, for the
format. “Because we had a tight
turnaround for delivery and were
getting VFX quite late in the
process it was important in terms
of post to be able to jump
between grade, conform and
stereo fix within the same Mistika
system,” says Cameron.
The production was also
mindful of creating a programme
that would stand the test of time.
“Currently the quality threshold
for 3DTV stereo is generally low,”
he says. “Audiences aren’t used to
seeing 3D so they accept this but
if they look back on it in 10 years
time the effect could look awfully
dated and the errors really
standout. Since a Sir David
Attenborough documentary is
timeless we wanted to create a
high quality product that you
could replay in a decade and not
notice the joins.”
This month Atlantic begins
production in South Georgia on a
new documentary about the life
of penguins for Sky. Again shot
on Reds with Vision3 stereo
supervising, the Sir David
Attenborough-narrated Penguin
Island 3D will be more of a conventional natural history which
means that planning can never
be perfect.
“With Flying Monsters we
had a narrative arc with which
we could plan the 3D in advance,
but with penguins we will have
to be flexible to their behaviour,”
says Parks. “3D should work
well with this subject since we
can get up close and in
amongst them.”
11/1/11
13:53
Page 1
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TVBE_Feb P16-27 BVE
27/1/11
18:36
Page 16
TVBEU R O PE B R O A D C A S T V I D E O E X P O
What’s new for BVE
For the first time ever, TVBEurope is pleased to bring you a new product guide to the growing
Broadcast Video Expo show in London's Earls Court, February 15-17. Broadcast Video Expo is
now on the european broadcast industry agenda as a key regional technology show, and the
TVBEurope team will be there in force for the 2011 event. — Fergal Ringrose
PlayBox manages Traffic
One-to-one demos on PlayBox stand
By Fergal Ringrose
PlayBox Technology is planning
to provide one-to-one demonstrations of its latest products at
BVE, including the popular
award-winning TrafficBox traffic
management system.
Targeted at broadcasters needing TV business management
solutions, TrafficBox includes all
the features for programme planning, advertising sales and longterm playlists scheduling. It also
enables the preparation of the
physical material that is presented
on-air: the video, audio, text,
graphics and subtitles.
The traffic management system
within TrafficBox is a client/server
database application that allows a
virtually unlimited number of users
to access the server where all relevant data can be entered, saved and
modified. A high level of integration with PlayBox Technology
automation systems allows both
new and existing broadcasters to
achieve more efficient workflows. It
offers advantages in the overall
management of both single and
multi-channel TV operations, such
as allowing programme planning
to modify active rundowns without
the involvement of the MCR personnel; or reducing the operator
time required for everyday tasks.
The company is also showing
off EdgeBox, which forms the
centrepiece of its unattended automated remote playout solutions.
EdgeBox enables the full operation
and monitoring of distant broadcast playout using public internet as
the link for all content delivery, control and monitoring. Customisable
to fit user requirements, single and
multi-channel operation, as well as
full equipment redundancy, are
available. Rather than offering only
unbranded generic feeds, EdgeBox
can enable the complete localisation
of content branding, including
commercials, station IDs, multilingual audio, subtitles, graphics
and even programme content. This
makes possible low-cost worldwide
‘local’ playout from any network
operations location.
Finally, the new NewsAir
newsroom computer system integrates with PlayBox Technology
CG, graphics and playout capa-
bilities to offer performance and
a new level of cost-effectiveness
for newsroom operations. The
NewsAir NRCS provides journalists with a networked collaborative
environment that can include news
archive, chat, a phonebook and
agency news aggregation, as well
as operation over the internet that
can work either separately or integrated with video facilities.
B14
Sachtler heads to BVE
By David Fox
The new Precision panel boasts new features: four track balls,
panel touch, screen tactile control surface and virtual keyboard
Digital Vision Precision
Digital Vision is highlighting its
new Precision panel control surface at BVE, as well as the latest
developments in its well-regarded
Nucoda Film Master grading and
finishing system.
The slim Precision panel from
Digital Vision includes new features such as four track balls,
panel touch, screen tactile control
surface and virtual keyboard. The
high-res full colour screen with
touch technology also includes
intuitive operation, a clearer display and a higher level of detail
on the status and settings of the
16
project, timeline and effects. The
panel sees a reduced number of
controls while maintaining optimal functionality and is slated to
ship in Q1 2011.
Digital Vision will be demonstrating its colour grading and finishing solution for feature films
and commercials, Nucoda Film
Master, delivering digital cinema
content up to 4k. Used by clients
such as Pixar Animation Studios
on Toy Story 3, Nucoda Film
Master creates complex looks and
visual styles for animation, 2k/4k
film and stereoscopic 3D.
L30
Sachtler will showcase the new
Cine DSLR fluid head as well as
the ENG / EFP Video 18 S1 and
Video 20 S1 fluid heads. In addition, the German professional
camera support systems specialist
will show the artemis modular
camera stabiliser system for professional film production and
digital cinematography.
The
award-winning
Cine DSLR fluid head is
well suited for professional use with DSLRs shooting high definition videos
such as the Canon 5D Mark
II or 7D.
It has a payload range of 1-5kg
and a counterbalance in 10 steps.
The Video 18 S1 and the
Video 20 S1 are the latest models of the legendary Video 18
and Video 20 ENG/EFP heads.
They both have a 16-step counterbalance. The Video 18 S1
has a payload range of 2-18kg,
the payload range of the Video
20 S1 is 2-25kg. Both heads
provide the classic Sachtler
Speedbalance Technology and a
Touch & Go plate.
In addition, Sachtler will show
the artemis modular camera
stabiliser system. The artemis
Cine HD Pro features modular
construction, dual video processing as well as HiCap wiring.
HotSwap technology provides an
uninterrupted power supply when
changing batteries.
I30
The Cine DSLR fluid head
is well suited for professional use
27/1/11
17:18
Page 1
Creating Full Tapeless
Workflows
Want to know more, go to www.evs.tv
TVBE_Feb P16-27 BVE
27/1/11
18:40
Page 18
Latest camcorders and monitoring technology from Sony on show
Sony presents tech & training
By Andy Stout
Visitors to the Sony Professional
stand will have the opportunity
to meet the experts delivering a
range of solutions for a wide
array of broadcast requirements,
as well as see the groundbreaking
Sony
PMW-F3.
Explaining Sony Professional’s
proposition at BVE 2011, Olivier
Bovis, Head of AV Media
Business, said: “2010 was a milestone year for Sony Professional,
setting ourselves apart from
competitors as the only company
able to deliver end-to-end 3D
solutions from lens to living room
at the world’s largest sporting
events, supporting the industry’s
move towards file-based HD
acquisition with new additions
across our entire camcorder
range and continuing to expand
our 35mm World product line-up
to bring high quality production
solutions to all budgets.”
BVE will not only be a
platform for Sony Professional
to display its latest product lineups, from 35mm to live 3D
production solutions, but will
also showcase a number of new
product launches.
Sony Professional’s file-based
offering continues to go from
strength to strength, with new
introductions across the product
Sony’s PMW-F3 XDCAM EX camera comes with a newly designed
Super 35mm Exmor CMOS sensor and versatile workflow options
portfolio. At the top end,
HDCAM SR continues to evolve
from a purely tape-based format,
allowing users to adopt a file-based
MXF or DPX workflow using the
SRW-5800/2. The excitement is set
to continue in 2011, where the
introduction of Sony’s SR
Memory technology will take SR
performance to a whole new level.
Sony’s heritage in digital
cinematography was further
strengthened in 2010 with the
launch of the SRW-9000PL, an
all in one HDCAM SR
camcorder with a Super 35mm
sensor and PL lens mount.
35mm Sensor & PL mount
upgrades are available for
existing 2/3-inch SRW-9000
camcorders and this year both
camcorders will have the ability
to upgrade to SR Memory
recording, making the SRW9000PL a ‘camcorder for life’.
October saw the announcement
of the game changing PMW-F3,
an XDCAM EX camera with a
newly designed Super 35mm
Exmor CMOS sensor and versatile workflow options bringing
high quality digital cinematography to the mainstream.
Following on from last year’s
launch of the groundbreaking
PVM-740 7.4-inch OLED Monitor
Sony will showcase further
developments to its OLED line
up at BVE. With outstanding
high-contrast images and deep
colour reproduction, the OLED
is fast becoming a technology of
choice for professional monitoring applications.
Sony Professional will also
be hosting five seminars on each
day of the show on 3D Live
Production, 35mm World, Monitoring Technology, XDCAM
File Based Acquisition and the
PMW500, and The Evolution of
Professional Audio. All sessions
will be held in the Whitehall
Room and are free to attend;
places are available on a firstcome-first-served basis.
I20
Camera Corps’ compact concept
By David Fox
Camera Corps will introduce
Switchpad and Mini Joystick
Control, demonstrated as part
of a fully operational programme production system
including Camera Corps’
flagship Q-Ball robotic
cameras. Switchpad is a multi-camera control unit which
increases from five to 96 the number of remote camera heads that
can be operated via the company’s
Joystick Control or CCU Panel.
It can also be used with Camera
Corp’s Multi Camera Combiner
unit to allow up to four Joystick
operators and up to four CCU
engineers to control the 96 cameras
and pan & tilt heads simultaneously
using just a single data line. An
output is provided to drive many
different types of video router,
enabling the picture monitor to
follow camera selection at any of
the eight operator positions. Up to
255 channel numbers and routingmatrix assignment numbers can be
selected via the keypad for easy
integration of the 96 camera
sources with existing camera
channel configurations on video
matrices with up to 256 inputs.
Switchpad is compatible
with cameras of many different
types and particularly ideal
18
Compact Mini Joystick Control ideal
for fast-response on-air operation
for operation with the Q-Ball
ultra-compact robotic system.
Connection is quick and easy via
a highly robust interface, which
encodes control data onto a
standard audio line at user-selectable bit-rates.
Developed for applications
such as commentator-camera
control or for outside-broadcast
vehicles where desk space is
often very restricted, the ultracompact Mini Joystick Control is
compatible with all Camera
Corps and Egripment pan-andtilt heads, including the Camera
Corps Q-Ball. It is extremely easy
to use and ideal for fast-response
on-air operation.
B10
Speedy disc printing: Manufacturer of CD, DVD & Blu-ray disc publishers
Primera Technology has announced its DP-4100 series disc publishers.
Claimed to be the fastest in its class, the DP-4100 disc printers and
publishers offer full colour 100% coverage discs printed in six seconds each.
With built-in high speed recorders, direct-to-disc printing and fast
robotics, Primera’s disc printers and publishers automate the process of
burning and printing quantities of CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs. “You
really have to see it to believe it. Being able to print high-quality discs at
such fast speeds is unprecedented in our industry,” says Mark D Strobel,
Primera’s vice president of sales and marketing. Features of the new
DP-4100 Series include 4,800dpi print quality, 300% faster robotics
than previous models and seventh-generation disc picking mechanism.
— Melanie Dayasena-Lowe
D40
27/1/11
17:19
Page 1
“With Canon’s 3D solution,
it’s easier to set up and to
get the best quality pictures.
Only Canon gives me simple
adjustability through the drive
unit display, and let’s me create
a matched pair from any two
of the same lens models.”
John Perry, 3D Engineer,
CanCommunicate
www.canon-europe.com/tv-products
TVBE_Feb P16-27 BVE
27/1/11
18:40
Page 20
Blackmagic offers
free workshops
By Andy Stout
Blackmagic Design will host a
series of free DaVinci Resolve
workshops, covering everything
from colour grading for
beginners to grading 3D projects
and working with DSLT and
other formats.
A variety of introductory
and advanced workshops will be
conducted in the Blackmagic
Theatre, located on the mezza-
nine floor of the exhibition
centre, and will begin on
Tuesday 15 February, with a
number of sessions held throughout the show. Blackmagic
Design product managers and
New Steadicam for Tiffen
Tiffen International will be displaying its extensive range of
camera support and accessory
equipment. The products on
show include Tiffen optical filters
for the latest cameras, new
Steadicam rigs, Transvideo monitors and lightweight prompters
from Listec Video as well as
Lowel Lighting.
In its first public showing in
the UK of its new Steadicam rigs,
the new stabilisers include the
lightweight Zephyr system, which
supports camera loads of up to
11kgs and offers unique control
over the feel of the rig with
features usually only found on
high-end models. These include a
new tool-free gimbal, HD ready
out of the box, fully adjustable
lower sled for inertial and dynamic
balance, side loading stage and a
tool-free Iso-Elastic arm.
The new Steadicam Scout
offers a precise and versatile
lightweight system. Supporting
up to 8kgs, the Scout features the
same side loading stage from the
Zephyr series, a new base design
for adjusting dynamic and
inertial balance and the same
tool-free performance from its
Iso-Elastic arm.
Another new product that will
be showcased is the Steadicam
Phantom, a low cost big rig that
performs like the top-of-therange Ultra2. Working with loads
up to 20kg it includes two posts,
the Ultra2 tilt stage, an inertially
adjustable sled, G-70 arm and a
SD monitor, upgradeable to a
high definition monitor, and a
motorised stage.
Tango delivers the floor to ceiling
boom range with lateral reach
experienced colourists will be
available for demonstrations and
to provide real-life experiences
and tips and tricks to using
DaVinci Resolve for national
and international projects.
DaVinci Resolve has been
used to grade more feature films,
television commercials, documentaries, episodic television
production and music videos
than any other colour grading
system, according to the company. To register your interest
for the BVE 2011 DaVinci
Resolve workshops please email
[email protected]
I10
Other products include the
Tango, which delivers the floor to
ceiling boom range with lateral
reach and Steadicam stabilisation, and the Smoothee that
steadies iPhones and other smartphone videos.
Also on the Tiffen stand, the
London Filter Company (LFC)
is showing its rental range
including Transvideo monitors
and DSLR shooting kits. LFC
also offers the full range of
Tiffen filters. Aside from optical
filters, Tiffen is also showing the
V2 version of its Dfx software
that offers digital representations of its glass filters for use
with digital images.
Newcomer to the Tiffen
range, Listec Video presents
its lightweight prompters for
the first time in the UK. With a
new approach to prompter
design, these offer flexible
performance in a lightweight
portable package.
B40
UK debut benefits from Automated Logic
Pixel Power shows v9.5
By Andy Stout
Lit up: The Lowel Lighting lighting range, including the Blender LED light,
can be seen on the ProKit stand. The manufacturing, worldwide distribution
and marketing of all Lowel products is taken care of by Tiffen International.
— Melanie Dayasena-Lowe
H14
20
Among the attractions on the Pixel
Power stand will be the UK show
debut of the company’s v9.5 core
software release. The v9.5 sits at
the heart of Pixel Power’s product
range and is a significant update to
the software that powers broadcast
graphics operations around the
world. The software also benefits
from Automated Transition Logic
(ATL), which simplifies operations
and reduces the possibility of
graphical playout errors.
It allows templates to modify
their appearance automatically in
response to changes in one or
more of the objects within the
template. This ensures that a
single template can accommodate
dynamic changes to data or
graphical objects without the
need for external intervention or
the creation of additional templates. For example, a logo could
be automatically repositioned,
when a lower third is added without the need to take off the logo,
trigger another animation, or
even playout a new template page.
The Pixel Power Media Shop
has been significantly upgraded
to allow it to operate as an ingest
server and to automatically
manage the conversion and distribution of v9.5 template-related
audio/video clips, still images and
job packages to Pixel Power
graphics systems. This means that
once the system is user-configured there is no further manual
intervention in terms of file
conversion or distribution to
graphics systems.
At the show, Pixel Power will
also highlight its BrandMaster
Control System, a user configurable, any-screen-to-any-device
branding and master control
environment. Customers can
deploy Video Switch Panels
(hardware), with unique fullcolour TFT switches that can
display images of graphics
and video assets, alone or in
combination with soft panels
configured and hosted within
the Pixel Power Management
Console environment.
H6
TVBE_Feb P16-27 BVE
27/1/11
17:34
Page 21
OConnor juggles accessories
Fluid head and tripod maker
OConnor exhibits its innovative
line of professional camera accessories. With a modular construction, the CFF-1 Cine Follow
Focus eliminates the need to
standards. Each grip is adjustable
and stackable.
The new O-Box WM is
designed for the 16:9 format fullsize sensor camera set-ups including HDSLR hybrid digital still
and video cameras. The product
is compact and accommodates
lenses up to 18mm in focal length.
O-Box WM is the first commercially produced mattebox to have
integrated handgrip interfaces,
according to OConnor.
I30
The O-Grips Handgrip system for professional cameras in action
O-Box WM for lenses up to 18mm
juggle separate bridge plates.
With the lowest clearance available in a double-sided studio unit,
the CFF-1 integrates with other
accessories such as whips, gears
and cranks.
The
O-Grips
Handgrip
system for professional cameras
features single-handle ball joints
with high-load capacity and a
rod bridge that fits all three rod
Argosy lights
By Fergal Ringrose
Argosy will début its newest
range of HD broadcast infrastructure components, including
the latest in rack lighting,
Argosy-branded video, audio, Ftype, CAT6A termination panels
and coaxial cables.
Showcasing for the first time at
BVE 2011 will be the 1RU frontloading rack mount light units.
This unit uses cool white LED
technology to provide clear and
powerful illumination to a loaded
rack. Units are switched with a
fixed canopy that efficiently
directs light to the floor and into
the rack face while remaining
flush with the rack’s profile.
It offers much lower power
consumption, less heat generation
and a longer lasting ‘bulb’ life,
making it more energy efficient
and environmentally friendly. This
in turn equates to lower overall
operating costs for broadcasters.
These lighting units are ideal for
use in ‘lights out facilities’ where
service engineers need to operate
on individual racks without lighting up a whole room.
Argosy’s termination panels,
used to connect equipment together between two racks, will also be
on show. These panels are populated with isolated through bulkhead mounting BNC’s. They are
manufactured from extruded aluminium and supplied complete
with designation strip and lacing
bar for cable strain relief.
BVE will also see the first
showing in the UK by Argosy of
the latest addition to the Miranda
NVISION Compact routers —
the smallest 8x8 router matrix.
The Miranda NVISION Compact routers are available in a
variety of formats, including
3Gbps, HD, SD and AES.
I34
Discover the Kahuna 360
A Revolution In Live Production
Kahuna 360 is the brand new
addition to the Kahunaverse. It
brings major new functionality
and flexibility to meet the
most demanding production
requirements. Kahuna 360 breaks
the tradition of fixed M/Es, fixed
resources and fixed formats, and
supports many simultaneous
productions that would require
multiple switchers from any other
provsider.
Efficient Operations
Creative Freedom
Reduced Costs
Creativity
Unmatched freedom in
combining mixers, keyers and
3D DVE effects to create any
on-air style.
New intelligence in the switcher
allows Kahuna 360 to handle
the mundane, freeing you to
create great productions.
Flexibility
Uniquely powerful, Kahuna 360
can run up to 16 productions
simultaneously from a single
mainframe.
FormatFusion3 raises the bar
for multi-format operations,
supporting any combination
of SD, HD, and 3G.
Productivity
Dramatically reduce the
overhead of show set-up times.
Advanced file workflow tools
enable you to turn around
content in seconds.
Reliability
Designed for mission critical
operations with a hot-swappable
architecture.
Innovative Live Assist features
provide even greater on-air
confidence.
Routing
Modular Infrastructure
Conversion & Restoration
Live Production
Automation & Media Management
Control & Monitoring
21
TVBE_Feb P16-27 BVE
27/1/11
18:42
Page 22
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Gekko’s LED advances
Two from Eyeheight
Eyeheight will feature two major new
additions to its range of broadcastquality production and post
production tools. KARMAudioAU is a
new plug-in for the Apple Mac OS X
platform that performs offline scaling
of an entire programme file to match
audio loudness to a target LKFS level.
KARMAudioAU performs an 8x
oversampling true-peak analysis and
corrects for true-peak overshoots.
KARMAudioRT is a hardware solution
based on a geNETics processor that
allows realtime, unattended adaptive
loudness and true-peak correction. It
monitors the amplitude of incoming
audio and makes gradual adjustments
to ensure that content complies with
predefined loudness targets.
A2
Wi-Light for studios
At BVE 2011 Photon Beard presents a
new low-cost concept in control for
studio lighting systems called Wi-Light.
Designed as an easy-to-install add-on
to the DMX-controlled series of Photon
Beard Highlight fluorescents, it can
be used to control a mixture of
fluorescent and incandescent lighting
systems. Wi-Light consists of one
master transmit/receive module,
which can be located at studio floor
level. The system is cost-effective and
reduces or, in some cases, eliminates
the need for traditional wired DMXcontrolled systems, which are time
consuming and can be untidy due to
the multiple cable requirements for
each luminaire.
D30
Kezia 200F more economical in power consumption and generates less heat
By David Fox
Gekko will demonstrate the latest
additions to its product range,
including the kezia 200-E colour
tunable hard-source, the kezia
200F white-optimised LED hard
source, and karesslite 6006-DD
high output soft light.
Gekko’s kezia 200-E gives
lighting designers in entertainment, film and broadcasting
dynamic control of colour output
without the need for gel. Based on
Gekko’s award-winning ‘kleercolour’ LED multi-chip array, it
combines a high quality of output, long component life, creative
versatility, low power consumption and minimal heat generation.
The kezia 200-E has all the inherent benefits of an LED-based
fixture and also produces a broad
spectrum of light, which renders
skin tones especially well. Lighting
directors will in turn appreciate
being able to generate colour
effects that are consistent from
lamp to lamp, as a consequence of
the closed-feedback loop, which
constantly monitors and corrects
the light temperature of output.
Controllable via DMX or an
optional rear panel, the kezia 200-E
can be adjusted manually or remotely
to produce literally millions of
colours. Integral presets allow rapid
selection of 2,900k, 3,200k, 4,300k,
G&D presents DVI KVM Matrix
By Andy Stout
The new DVICenter from
Guntermann & Drunck is specifically designed to optimise studio
workflow and declutter the workspace in studios or OB vans.
Essentially, the KVM DVI Matrix
switch permits multiple users,
each equipped only with keyboard, mouse and display, to
simultaneously access a series of
computers that can even use
different platforms.
Applying the new matrix switch
provides maximum flexibility to
the studio infrastructure since each
workstation can now be deployed
for different tasks. The included
extender functionality is where the
studio space saving comes into play
— because computers can now be
placed into a dedicated server
room, freeing up space in the studio. As a result, the generated heat
and noise leaves the studio along
with the computers. By creating
such a convenient and less distracting studio environment, people can
concentrate on the big picture.
The DVICenter also allows engineers and IT administrators to service and configure the connected
computers without disturbing studio
or post-production operatives. This
way, the devices can be deployed 24/7
while the staff remains concentrated,
cool and undisturbed.
With the new DVICenter, DVI
signals can finally be processed by a
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5,600k and 6,500k whites. Colour
temperature also remains constant
even when the light is dimmed.
Drawing less than 200 Watts of
power, the kezia 200-E has an output roughly equivalent to a 1kW
tungsten fixture. Dimensions are
266 x 323 x 278 mm (length x height
x width) and weight is 6.9kg.
Optimised for use in film production or studio broadcast, the
kezia 200F has presets of 2900,
3200, 4300, 5600 and 6500K via
DMX or an optional rear panel.
A built-in colour-feedback system ensures colour temperature
remains constant when the light is
dimmed, as ambient conditions
change or as the unit ages.
The kezia 200F draws less than
200W of power yet is comparable in
output intensity with a 1kW tungsten
fixture. Besides being more economical in power consumption, the 200F
generates far less heat than traditional lamps. Interchangeable optics provide beam angles of 20, 40 or 60˚.
Output intensity is 8,300 lux at 1m,
1,900 lux at 2m and 900 lux and 3m
H40
matrix switch. The KVM — keyboard-video-mouse broadcast solution provides a DVI resolution of
1,920x1,200 at 60Hz. Distances of
up to 560m over CAT cable can be
bridged with no loss of quality. The
transmission via fibre optics is also
supported. This extends the system
range over 10,000m and is vital for
the deployment in buildings with
vertical fibre-based cabling.
The 32 dynamic ports can be easily configured for either connecting a
user console or a computer module,
completely free in steps of one. This
provides flexibility for future tasks
and makes the matrix switch a safe
investment. The DVICenter can be
expanded on both the computer and
the user side while software upgrades
enhance its functional range. All configurations are carried out easily in an
intuitive web interface or by OSD.
Redundant power supplies,
pro-active monitoring of the device
status by web interface or SNMP,
and the support of external directory services like LDAP or Active
Directory are only some of the safety
features that support the use in mission-critical environments such as
broadcast live surroundings.
C10
TSL technologies
TSL’s Systems Integration team
will be on hand to discuss how
they can assist broadcasters worldwide to develop systems technology
specifically tailored to their individual business requirements.
TSL Professional Product
Group’s award-winning PAM23G16 is a multi-standard, multiformat audio monitor that simplifies
multichannel audio monitoring for
complex broadcast audio systems.
Other TSL products include
PsiMon, an SQL server-based
system that provides monitoring
and control, and the TallyMan
tally control system.
H26
22
The
DVICenter:
the KVM matrix that delivers
crystal clear images
G&D
AT BVE:
STAND
C10
The new DVICenter from Guntermann & Drunck
is a DVI Matrix switch that optimises studio
workflow. Offering centralised configuration
through a web interface or OSD, it provides
multiple users with access to a series of computers
using different platforms simultaneously.
Leading the way
in digital KVM
www.gdsys.de
This unique KVM broadcast solution provides
a high resolution of 1920x1200 @ 60Hz over
distances of up to 280m by CAT cabling and
up to 10km by fiber optics. Which means
computers can now be based in a dedicated
plant room, gaining more space in the studio
with less heat and noise. Yet despite the distance
between computers and consoles, users enjoy
brilliant video quality with absolutely no
loss of quality.
The DVICenter allows engineers and IT
Administrators to service and configure the system,
without disturbing studio or post production
personnel and so allowing continuous use, 24/7. It
supports both PS/2 and USB keyboards and offers
Dynamic Port technology – 32 ports in total. This
provides any number of computer and workstation
connections, ensuring total flexibility for all your
future tasks.
German manufacturer Guntermann & Drunck are
the pioneers of KVM technology and created their
first KVM solution in 1985. The new DVICenter
joins the family of G&D broadcast industry
products, renowned for their excellence in video
performance and reliability. For full details, please
visit www.gdsys.de
TVBE_Feb P16-27 BVE
27/1/11
17:35
Page 24
Polecam expands into BVE
Three major additions to the
Polecam product range make
their first British exhibition
appearance at BVE 2011; the 3DHead and two lenses designed
specifically for use with broadcast-quality ultra-compact high
definition cameras.
Supplied with all new Polecam
systems since its launch at NAB
2010, the 3D-Capable Head
allows extremely realistic stereoscopic content to be produced
from paired HD mini-cameras
and lenses such as the Toshiba IKHD1 and the HRO69. Attaching
directly to all standard Polecam
rigs, the 3D-Mounting Plate is
optimised for normal studio
shooting and close-ups where it is
desirable to match normal human
eye spacing. Set-up is quick and
easy, conforming with Polecam’s
strategy of ensuring high mobility
and operational efficiency. A
levelling plate with three fineadjustment verniers allows each
camera to be exactly matched in
height and forward angle.
“The Polecam system is
fully 3D-ready,” commented
Polecam founder and Managing
Director, Steffan Hewitt. “Using
unobtrusive minicams eliminates
the need for a comparatively
massive and complex ‘mirror
rig’. Our cameras and lenses can
easily be brought closer than the
optimum 65mm interocular distance. A wider version is available for producers who want a
greater distance between cameras. The 3D-Head retains the
freedom to achieve sweeping
dynamic vertical and broad lateral camera movement without
sacrificing fast-and easy toolsfree set-up and dismantling and
the high efficiency which results
from the true portability.”
Prism showcases software SADiE
By David Davies
Prism Sound will be showing the
recently released SADiE 6, a new
software-only version of its worldfamous recording and editing
system. SADiE 6 operates on
any computer running Microsoft
Windows as well as existing
SADiE 5 hardware platforms. This
extended compatibility is reinforcing the brand’s appeal to broadcasters and professional users
around the world by giving location recordists, sound designers,
audio editors and post production
engineers the most powerful tools
SADiE 6, new software-only version
of the recording and editing system
possible for today’s audio recording and editing requirements.
Also on show will be the SADiE
LRX2 multitrack location recording workstation, which is popular
with production companies and
film crews that need to record
multitrack audio. The workstation
allows users to record up to 64
channels at 48kHz/24bit (or 32 at
96kHz/24bit) from a variety of dedicated input cards including MADI
and mic pre amps.
Prism Sound will complete its
BVE line-up with the dScope
Series III audio analyser, the
The Polecam HRO69, meanwhile, is a C-mount lens designed
specifically for 1/3-inch 3-CCD HD
cameras. Compatible with cameras
such as the Toshiba IK-HD1,
Iconix RH1, Panasonic GP-US932,
Ikegami MKC300, it produces far
higher resolution images than any
comparable model. Designed for
use with 1/3-inch single-CCD or
CMOS cameras of up to 5 megapixel resolution, the C-mounting
MY125M captures a massive 125˚
horizontal field of view with high
geometric precision and 10cm to
infinity focal depth.
B10
DSA-1 and the Orpheus
Computer FireWire Interface,
which is used in recording, mixing, post production, mastering,
archiving and broadcast applications where the highest audio
fidelity is a necessity.
Prism Sound/SADiE is also
taking an active part in the new
BVE Radio Day, which takes
place on 15 February 2011. Highlevel practitioners in the radio
industry will provide an engaging
insight into creative radio production today, and into the future, via
a series of seminars. One of these
— on the drama/documentary
format — will be presented by
SADiE 6 specialist Pete Nash.
I52
Lighting Smart camera Cambio carriers
the way
Litepanels, part of the Vitec
Group, presents its range of
LED lighting at the show.
Litepanels Sola Fresnels combine the single-shadow performance benefits of Fresnels with
the advantages of LED.
The new SolaENG, cameramountable and battery-powered,
has an output equivalent to a
250W Tungsten Fresnel while
drawing only 30W.
The Sola6 provides an output
similar to a 650W Tungsten
Fresnel yet only draws 75W.
Electronic dimming and motorised mechanical focus can
be
controlled
using
the
manual dials, touchscreen or
DMX address.
Ideal for HD DSLR cameras,
Litepanel’s MicroPro Hybrid is
claimed to be the first professional LED light to offer continuous output and flash function.
For productions requiring a single light in the field or as part of
a full studio, Litepanels 1x1s are
compact and lightweight with a
low energy draw.
I30
24
Professional carrying bags, cases
and accessories by Petrol Bags,
designed for cameras and production equipment, will be on display
at BVE 2011. The new Black
Deca line includes an internal
LED lighting system to illuminate
the bag’s interior; removable
shock-resistant molded AbsorbaPad
for extra protection and grips
camera,; twin connecting brackets to allow quick & easy connection of the new Snaplock wheel
and trolley system; and a
exchangeable logo/ID frame. In
addition, the new DSLR in
Motion line shares similar
features to the Black Deca range
The Cambio carry-on camera
carrier can also double up
as a lightweight support system
for small video camcorders
Two new for Vinten
For the first time in the UK Vinten
is showcasing its new Vision blue
and award-winning Vector 430
products. The camera support
products will be on display alongside two other Vision 3AS and 8AS
pan-and-tilt heads.
Vision blue, a pan-and-tilt head
& tripod system, is capable of balancing smaller lightly accessoried
cameras. One of the first UK users
of Vector 430, the compact pan and
tilt head, is Ravensbourne College. It
is suitable for applications that use
both compact box lens and large
EFP barrel lenses.
On the same stand, Vinten
Radamec will present compact
automated camera systems. The
standard Vinten Osprey Elite studio
pedestal, fitted with a Vinten
Radamec Fusion Bolt on Height
Drive and Fusion FH-100 robotic
but is customised for videoenabled DSLR camera gear.
In an industry first, the company showcases its Cambio convertible equipment bag/camera
support system. The carry-on
camera carrier, that can also double up as a lightweight support
system for small video camcorders, allows users to travel
light, avoid waiting for baggage
and set up quickly on location.
The expandable bag can accommodate cameras weighing up to
4.5kg and comes with an optional
microfluid head allowing for
quick attachment and conventional pan-and-tilt movements.
I30
and manual head, will be on display.
It will be teamed with a Vinten
Radamec HDVRC control system,
a flexible robotics controller.
“Automation — whether for a
public building like a legislature or
for a busy studio — is definitely no
longer a complex, risky and expensive process,” says Karen Walker of
Vinten Radamec. “What we are
showing at BVE this year is that it
is simple to implement, secure in
operation and delivers a real return
on investment in a surprisingly
short timescale.”
I30
Stereoscopic content from paired
high def mini-cameras and lenses
ATG in the
BVE frame
By Fergal Ringrose
ATG Broadcast will exhibit its
full range of systems planning,
design, installation, commissioning and post-installation support
services, as well as debuting its
broadcast products to the UK
market. “ATG Broadcast has
proved its ability to design and
deliver reliable systems of practically any scale, anywhere, efficiently, on schedule and within
budget,” commented Managing
Director, Graham Day. “Our
engineering team pioneered the
advance from tape-based to
file-based studio operation which
enabled huge improvements
in productivity and flexibility.
Future-proofing is a central feature of our designs, allowing easy
migration from standard definition to 1080i, 1080p and 3D.
“Our support services extend
forward of traditional systems
integration as we work with our
clients through the strategic preplanning phases of optimising
broadcast workflow, ensuring
efficiency-conducive
working
environments for production staff
and considering the options
for implementing the most costeffective signal processing, networking, archiving, monitoring
and playout technology. We are
now in a position to provide even
more value to our clients with the
introduction of three complementary product ranges for the
UK market. We hope these will
prove cost-effective and revenueearning for our UK client base.”
Recently completed European
projects have included: a major
upgrade to Studio Six at Television
Centre in London; a major expansion for TV4, one of Scandinavia’s
largest independent broadcasters;
and studios and post production
facilities for BSkyB’s new broadcasting facility at the network’s corporate headquarters in Osterley,
west London.
B28
27/1/11
17:23
Page 1
Ki Pro Mini.
From lens to post in a flash.
NEW
www.aja.com
Compact capture direct to
Compact, lightweight and ready for any shooting
environment, Ki Pro Mini records ProRes 422 direct
from any SDI or HDMI camera.
Rapid transfer to Final Cut Pro
The ProRes media is stored to Compact Flash,
ready to edit as soon as you connect to your
Mac with a standard card reader.
Designed as a miniature field recorder for creating ‘ready-to-edit’ professional digital video, Ki Pro Mini speeds your
workflow from lens to post by recording Apple ProRes 422 (including HQ, LT and Proxy) direct from any SDI or HDMI
camera. While the camera is recording to its own tape or file-based memory, Ki Pro Mini simultaneously captures
ProRes footage to Compact Flash media, instantly ready to edit when connected to a Mac.
Its unique design and tiny form factor provide easy mounting to cameras or tripods. An optional Ki Pro Mini
mounting plate offers a wide variety of bolt patterns for mating to virtually any camera accessory or shoe adapter.
Find out about our workflow enhancing solutions
by visiting us at www.aja.com
B e c a u s e
i t
m a t t e r s .
TVBE_Feb P16-27 BVE
27/1/11
17:35
Page 26
Oxygen DCT fans flames
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Volicon Observed
Volicon presents a range of its
video monitoring and logging
products at BVE 2011. Volicon
recently announced a significant
expansion of the Observer
product family to address the full
range of broadcast workflows and
budgets. It includes Observer
Professional, designed for TV
stations and organisations that
require simplified workflows for
media monitoring; Observer
Enterprise, a fully-redundant,
enterprise-grade, 24x7
automated record-and-search
appliance targeted to
broadcasting networks for media
monitoring and compliance
workflows; and Observer Remote
Program Monitor (RPM), providing
monitoring for IPTV, MSOs,
independent cable operators, and
satellite operators.
G6
Autocue portable world
Autocue’s new video server
range makes its UK debut at the
London show. The company
claims it offers better value per
channel and format than any
competitive product. Making its
world debut at BVE will be
Autocue’s new entry-level
portable prompter, which folds to
fit in a customised case and can
be used handheld, with a
monopod, or in a traditional
tripod set up. The unit is
available in a range of monitor
sizes, including iPad or Tablet PC.
C14
By Andy Stout
Oxygen DCT is showcasing a
number of products, including
the Cinedeck EXTREME v2.0,
an ultra-portable uncompressed
HD recording and playback
device for film and TV.
Cinedeck EXTREME v2.0
incorporates new enhancements
including support for Apple
ProRes, Avid DnxHD, CineForm
and uncompressed HDTV. New
features that will be on show at
BVE include Cinedeck Fullstream
Uncompressed option, delivering
industry-first uncompressed 444
or uncompressed 422 recording on
a 2.5-inch RAID SSD flash drive.
Cinedeck EXSync timecode module enables a single or multiple
Cinedeck EXTREME devices to
jam sync to SMPTE/EBU time
code from a master clock.
Oxygen DCT will also be showing its Penta Gold Series of reference picture monitors that give
clear images with lifelike detail and
true colours. Penta Gold monitors
Ultra-portable uncompressed HD recording and playback device
claim to be the first in the world to
incorporate 10-bit LCD technology and 16-bit input processing,
which has pushed the quality
boundary even further, enabling
these monitors to exceed the performance of grade 1 CRT reference monitors in many parameters.
These join Oxygen DCT’s range of
single, dual, triple and quad 19inch rack mount monitors for studios and OB vehicles, and its
equally impressive range of production monitors that incorporate
a variety of screen sizes from 3.5inch to 20-inch. Ideally suited to
television/film production and studio use, Oxygen DCT’s production
FOR-A hits 40 in style
recorder provides 1.5TB of storage
per cassette, representing 50 hours
of 1080/59.94 HD at 50Mbps.
The LTR-100HS inputs and
outputs HD/SD-SDI and can
be used as a material/
programme exchange media
server. With the built-in high quality
MPEG-2 codec and MXF (OP-1a)
wrapper/un-wrapper, MXF files
are recorded and replayed via the
LTO-5 tape. Using the open technology Linear Tape File System
By Andy Stout
Celebrating 40 years of research,
development and manufacture in
the broadcast television industry,
FOR-A continues to innovate and
is showing its latest products at
BVE 2011, Earls Court. After previews and awards at NAB and
IBC, the range on display is now
all shipping and on show at the
London exhibition.
BVE 2011 sees the first UK
public showing of the award-winning LTR-100HS video archiving
recorder offering high quality, low
cost easy-to-use archive solutions.
Using front-panel VTR-style controls, the built-in LTO-5 data-tape
A new generation, platform independent newsroom computer system
brings convenience of the latest technology to MacOS X, Linux and Windows users.
Simply the
News.
Anywhere.
www.octopus-news.com
Octoad_IBC_181x121_06.indd 1
26
6.10.2010 16:23:38
monitors include signal monitoring and 3G input for 422 and 444.
Oxygen DCT will also be
exhibiting OxyStack, its integrated
turnkey system for monitor walls
and galleries. This ‘one stop’ solution for monitor walls, which comprises a complete ‘turnkey package’
including drawings, will be shown
with a variety of studio and gallery
monitors, multiviewers, clocks,
speakers and cable assemblies.
Finally, the company will be
showing the latest additions to its
GlueBox Mini Series system of
compact interfaces, converters
and distribution products. These
include four new types of 10-bit
3G/HD-SDI audio embedders
and de-embedders, a 3Gbps DA, a
phantom powered 3GB/HD-SDI
reclocking distribution amplifier,
3G/HD-SDI fibre converters and
a low-cost, high quality HD-SDI
to analogue monitoring converter
with composite and component
analogue outputs.
I60
FOR-A’s new compact vision mixer
(LTFS) the recorded files can also
be accessed directly by other filebased systems, enabling wide access
for building any scale of archive.
The family of compact vision
mixers expands with the new 1.5
M/E HVS-350HS. This low-cost versatile mixer is packed with capabilities to support a wide scope of on-air
presentation styles while greatly
reducing the need for external interface and monitoring equipment. The
standard eight HD/SD-SDI inputs
and outputs have frame synchronisers on each input and resizing
engines on four, allow asynchronous
signals — including HD and SD —
to be directly mixed into the same
programme. The range of inputs can
be extended to also include analogue
and PC video. There is also choice of
20 or 12-button control panels- ideal
for small OB trucks.
Meanwhile, the FA-9500 is billed
as the ‘must have’ multi-purpose
signal processor and frame synchroniser. The antidote to modular
design, it provides a one-box solution for a wide range of video and
audio processing needs. A replacement for the popular FA-9100, the
FA-9500 offers a huge range of
functions including support for 3GSDI, HD/SD-SDI, and composite
analogue video, up/down/cross,
aspect ratio and frame-rate conversion, colour correction and automatic video optimisation (AVO).
I50
TVBE_Feb P16-27 BVE
27/1/11
17:36
Page 27
Lynx leads yellobrik road
At BVE 2011 Lynx Technik,
provider of modular interfaces, will
show its full range of fibre optic
signal processing products. The
company will feature its fibre product portfolio, designed to ease network migration from copper to
fibre within the broadcast industry.
As the demand for high definition
signals increases, the need for more
bandwidth has accelerated and
broadcasters are transitioning from
copper to fibre optic cable feeds.
Lynx Technik is expanding its
popular yellobrik series and will
show the new fibre optic yellobriks
such as OTT 1812 dual-channel
SDI to Fibre Transmitter and OTT
1842 dual-channel SDI to Fibre
Transmitter with CWDM support.
Also on display will be new
fibre additions to the Series 5000,
rack and card-based interfaces.
For Series 5000, three new
CWDM compatible modules; an
optical transmitter, receiver, and
transceiver, provide an electrical to
optical and optical to electrical
conversion solution for the transmission of SDI content to fibre
over long distances.
Three new CWDM multiplexers/demultiplexers are used to combine and transport 18 3G/HD/
SD-SDI, nine Ethernet signals, or a
mixture of SDI and Ethernet signals over a single fibre connection.
The new Series 5000 fibre
optic modules are designed to fit
in either the Lynx Technik 1RU
or 2RU rack frames and are
compatible with all other Series
5000 card modules. Up to 40
fibre channels are supported in a
single 2 RU. The fibre I/Os are
located on the rear connection
panel of the Lynx rack frame,
which allows modules to be
removed and exchanged without
disconnecting any fibre cables.
This prevents fibre links from
being damaged during module
removal and exchange.
D56
Ianiro pro
Minima LED
By Andy Stout
Ianiro UK is introducing the new
Minima pro LED light, which
weighs a mere 190g, provides an
equivalent 50W tungsten output,
and offers full colour temperature
switching with six settings from
2,800°K to 6,500°K. Nick AllenMiles of Ianiro UK commented:
“The Minima is a major step forward for every production on the
Minima features 144 individual
LED light bulbs
run. It does away with the need for
colour gels to control image temperature, buying the camera team valuable time while reducing the size of
their kit bag. But most importantly,
the quality of the output is excellent,
marrying outstanding brightness
with amazing colour accuracy.”
The Minima achieves this accuracy by combining red, white and
yellow LED lights to form a continuous spectrum with full-range
frequency. Low-cost and inaccurate
analogue circuitry has been
replaced by a digital signal microprocessor and a 25k frequency
PWM controller. This allows for the
colour ratio of different LEDs to be
adjusted precisely according to different colour temperatures.
E26
27
TVBE_Feb P28-39 Box v2
27/1/11
17:39
Page 28
TVBEU R O PE C H A N N E L I N A B OX
What’s in a box?
Channel in a Box
In the last few years technologies have switched around and, with broadcasters now
being disc- and file-based, the right ‘box’ can fit, or even be the making of, the modern
playout workflow. On the other hand, those bespoke separates are now looking old hat…
By Krasimir Dachev, CTO
and Kamen Ferdinandov,
chief software developer,
PlayBox Technology
In 2000, the ‘channel-in-a-box’
moniker described a very different approach to the way television
playout operated. Then VTRs
replayed video, caption generators created on-screen text,
graphics came from stills stores
and cuts were made by the presentation mixer — all controlled by
separate ‘computer automation’.
These days, many thousands of
channels, ranging from ‘start-up
TV’ to multinationals, run on
channel-in-a-box technology.
Today many manufacturers
offer ‘boxes’ — but they vary
widely in capabilities and performance. And although the ‘box’
solutions are generally low cost,
some offer unique and powerful
capabilities. In the last few
years technologies have switched
around and, with broadcasters
now being disc- and file-based, the
right ‘box’ can fit, or even be the
making of, the modern playout
workflow, whereas the bespoke
separates are looking old hat.
Of course the ‘box’ is a PC and
the rest is (just) software. But this
is not just any PC as, for defined
high performance, the PC too has
to be defined for continuous
video capability — including HD.
The PC platform benefits directly
from the advances of commodity
computer technology with recent
examples, Windows 7 and Core i7
CPUs, adding extra performance.
It’s not rocket science or
expensive to build such a computer; but creating a series of
versatile software modules, such
as playout, graphics, automation
and many more, that can run
together and provide the reliability
needed for on-air broadcast
playout, is. However, the various
28
removes any close association with
specific types of I/O cards as the
requirements from them become
quite basic. Even more — it allows
direct stream output without need
of re-compression. Also, should a
new container format be met, handling can be available in a short
time. It’s only software!
Crucial reliability
Kamen Ferdinandov (left) and Krasimir Dachev, Playbox: “The in-a-box
concept, with a proven track record, can fit well and enhance efficient
modern playout workflows”
manufacturers have different
ideas, priorities, markets and
aims, and so offer boxes and software to suit.
A different approach
A major point of divergence in
box design occurs in the handling
of file formats. Nearly all discbased video products from many
of the bigger companies have
used their ‘pet’ favourite, possibly
in-house, file format. The video
I/O cards have to be able to translate between this and SDI.
This is the easiest way to build
a ‘box’ but has limitations in that
its store is not compatible with
any other file format, so to use
other file-based material, such as
archives or the output of an NLE
suite, often involves playout to baseband video and then re-coding
and recording. This is slow,
expensive and cannot reasonably
be a part of a wider file-based system. The design is also dependent
on the supply of specific I/O cards
— often from other manufacturers who may want to update or
delete the products. Both happen.
Eleven years ago, as a start-up
company with no ‘pets’, PlayBox
Technology took a different approach, to build a remultiplexing
(Remux) engine. Executed 100% in
software this enables any MPEG-1/2
encoded video file format (container)
to be accepted directly, and then
using it without having to transcode, and playing it out in the
chosen replay video output.
So all existing MPEG-1/2 filebased material can be directly
accessed by the box’s store. This
has enabled PlayBox Technology’s
boxes to be at the centre of
file-based workflows; making
otherwise fragmented file-based
operation work smoothly.
The design involved a big development hit at the outset and took
time to perfect but the long-term
benefits have been substantial.
Besides the potential for efficient
workflows this approach also
More recently there has been an
explosion of new file types and
compression codecs (MPEG-1,
MPEG-2,
H.264,
M-JPEG,
JPEG2000, etc), containers (AVI,
MPG, MOV, MXF, GXF, etc.)
video resolutions (SD, HD and
others), frame rates (PAL — 25fps,
NTSC — 29.97fps, 30fps, 24 fps,
50fps, 59.94 and others), audio codecs
(MPEG, AAC, uncompressed, etc)
and different metadata.
To
maintain
flexibility
PlayBox developed a new software engine, Mixer, to allow continuous realtime replay of any
mix of totally different file formats. All formats are transcoded
in realtime to a common preselected output format — usually
that of the television channel.
This approach allows total
independence of source files in
terms of their properties (listed
above) and the direct playback of
virtually any file without need
of preprocessing or conversion.
Unsurprisingly Mixer has much
higher system resource requirements than Muxer but these are
amply provided by modern commodity PC technology.
Again this approach gives
flexibility in its independence of
both source formats (files, streams,
even live sources) and output.
Whenever a new source format or
video output is available it is
simply plugged in to the engine.
All this would be irrelevant
without the reliability that is crucial
Can one size fit all in the area
of integrated playout? Can you
run an entire TV channel from
a commodity computer
platform? A number of key
vendors have contributed to
this ‘Channel in a Box’ debate
— Fergal Ringrose
to broadcasters — especially when
playout is deployed in remote locations. First, reliability is built into
the product and its software. For
those seeking fail-safe measures
such as dual redundant power
supplies, 1+1 or 1+n redundant
systems — which will require extra
boxes, RAID storage protection,
distant alarm monitoring, etc —
these can add them according to
clients’ requirements. Being an ITbased system, many of these features are available off the shelf but
one, a bypass relay introduced in
2009, was the first hardware
PlayBox had built.
Most broadcasters want complete playout systems that will
operate with their existing or chosen other equipment. This can be
supplied as a series of software
modules designed to work together
sharing one PC host, or working
over several boxes, whichever
fits the requirements. What is
delivered is a system — several
boxes — built for the customer’s
needs. Major additions can
include MAM, newsroom computer system or traffic management — all built to work together
with the box.
PlayBox Technology has been
developing its playout solutions
for over 11 years over which time
the acceptance of its channel-ina-box design has risen sharply —
especially through the last three
years. The ‘box’ concept is now
well understood by all sizes and
types of broadcaster. Despite the
in-a-box tag, most installations
comprise a number of boxes to
meet customer requirements.
System design, integration and
installation remain popular
services. All this points to the
maturity of the in-a-box concept
which, with a proven track
record, can fit well and enhance
modern playout workflows.
28/1/11
11:13
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27/1/11
17:40
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The cost-cutting potential of
consolidated playout systems
By Mark Cousins, product
line manager for Omneon,
now part of Harmonic
Broadcasters and other television
content originators are under
unprecedented pressure to reduce
the cost of delivering their content.
Poor economic conditions in many
regions have reduced advertising revenue, squeezing budgets. And the
explosive growth of both traditional
and alternative content delivery
mechanisms has increased the
demand for channels and programming. In this environment, ‘do more
with less’ has become more than a
goal; it is a business imperative.
Thus, content providers continue to show strong interest in
approaches that consolidate or ‘collapse’ channel playout functions as
much as possible. Their primary
motivation is, of course, to reduce
the deployment (capital) and operational costs for a playout channel
without compromising on presentation quality or channel reliability.
Such cost reductions are
realised in several ways:
G The cost of the consolidated
system is lower than the cost of
the individual components
G The consolidated system occupies less space, consumes less electricity, and needs less cooling
G The workflow to support
the consolidated system can
be simplified
G The simpler management of the
consolidated approach requires
less staff
By contrast, IT-type systems are supported by their
vendors only at the component level, leaving the
customer to perform first-level triage and diagnosis
Consolidation: lower
costs, simpler operations
A consolidated playout system
can be made available at a lower
price primarily because it uses a
single (or small number of) hardware unit(s) to perform required
functions. For a single channel,
these functions might include
programme playout, format conversion, aspect ratio control,
branding, graphics, mixing, and
audio processing. The traditional
approach might use a separate
unit for each of these functions,
but a well-engineered consolidated system can perform all of these
tasks — to some degree, at least
— in a single functional unit.
Of course, the details will vary
from one implementation to the
next. Some systems may offer all
required functionality in one unit
but only support one channel.
Others may deliver functionality
using several units and support
multiple channels simultaneously.
The system may offer local storage for the playout material and
graphics, or it may connect to a
shared storage topology.
By their very nature, consolidated
systems
typically
occupy far less equipment rack
space than component-based
approaches. The reduced component count usually results in far
lower power consumption, and
this translates to reduced cooling
requirements. Costs for equipment room space and the electricity to power and cool gear are
significant, but they can be
reduced easily through use of a
consolidated system.
The workflow supporting consolidated systems can be simpler
than workflow supporting component-based systems, primarily
because all elements needed for
playout — video, audio, branding
(logos), graphics, schedules, and
so on — are staged at a single
location. Systems with internal
media management driven by
traffic schedules can be configured to retrieve all playout elements automatically. The best,
most flexible systems can respond
to late changes in the schedule,
grabbing the content required
and even starting playout before
the material is fully transferred.
Such traffic-driven operation
further simplifies the workflow by
automating playlist creation. The
Pioneering IT broadcast
workflow for decades not years.
Imagine a playout centre running multiple
channels with racks and racks of equipment,
cables running everywhere, and different software
required for each function.
Now imagine the same playout centre with a single standard
playout server for each channel, each running the same software
application that negates the need for all that extra equipment and
software. Each server handles playout, graphics, audio and all the
other myriad functions that an efficient playout centre needs.
OASYS, the pioneers of automated playout, have made this
scenario a reality today. Visit www.oasys.com to read about the
fully automated multichannel playout centre recently presented
at the IT Broadcast Workflow Conference in London.
OASYS
a: Norton Grange, Norton Green Lane, Knowle, Solihull B93 8PJ
t: +44 (0) 845 0942 612 f: +44 (0) 845 0942 613
e: [email protected] w: www.oasys.com
OASYS is a trading name of ON-AIR Systems Limited.
30
27/1/11
17:40
Page 31
traffic department forwards the
schedule for both programming
and graphics, and the system
takes care of generating main and
secondary event playlists. Welldesigned systems will alert the
operator if material is missing,
and if the problem is not rectified
by the time the event rolls, the
system will choose material from
a previously provisioned ‘evergreen’ pool in order to avoid
going black-to-air.
This high degree of automation simplifies not only workflows, but overall operations as
well, reducing the need for human
intervention in controlling and
monitoring channels.
When consolidation
makes sense
Not all channels lend themselves
to consolidation, but many do.
Ideal applications include specialty
channels that don’t share a lot of
material with other channels,
disaster recovery (DR) provisioning, and service provider models
in which clients need rapid
deployment at low cost but don’t
require large numbers of channels
managed as a group. Poor candidates for consolidation include
channels with high-end graphics
or branding requirements, channels with unpredictable mixes of
live and recorded content, and
channels whose schedules change
late or frequently.
Simplicity and reduced costs
do come at the price of reduced
flexibility. Traditional ‘best-ofbreed’ solutions allow the broadcaster to choose the components
that best solve the problem at
hand. Consolidation, on the
other hand, is an all-or-nothing
proposition: the customer must
accept the vendor’s choice of
playout, file formats, graphics,
interfaces, and (sometimes)
automation. Multichannel originators probably find this too limiting for their general operations,
but they may see value in consolidation for DR or incremental
channel deployments.
Related to but different from
consolidated systems are homegrown solutions built on standard
IT server and storage components that are mated with commercially available baseband
interfaces such as those from
AJA, Matrox, Sony, and other
vendors. While these systems are
very tempting from a cost perspective, they generally require
the customer to play the role of
systems integrator. In assessing
such systems, vendors of broadcast playout systems will rightly
suggest that the engineering of a
video server consists of far more
work than simply bolting together off-the-shelf components.
The requirements for deterministic, realtime performance
combined with reliable operation
even in degraded situations (such
as failed storage modules), as well
as support for industry standards
(file interchange, control, etc),
pose significant engineering
challenges that vendors of this
equipment have spent dozens of
years addressing. It should also
be noted that these vendors offer
world-class service and support
with same-day parts dispatch. By
contrast, IT-type systems are supported by their vendors only at
the component level, leaving the
customer to perform first-level
triage and diagnosis.
Poor candidates for consolidation include channels
with high-end graphics or branding requirements,
unpredictable mixes of live and recorded content,
and schedules that change late or frequently
There is no single right solution for every situation, but these
alternative playout systems can
offer significant benefits for the
right user. Deployment cost is
but a single driver in making this
decision and should be kept in
perspective. Additional consider-
C10HD
ations should include factors such
as ongoing management, feature
sets, maintenance, service and
support, workflow integration,
and interoperability with existing
infrastructure. That said, the
consolidation story can be very
compelling in many circumstances, and it will be interesting
to watch how these solutions
evolve over the next few years.
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31
27/1/11
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How to distinguish between Playout Automation and Automated Playout
Can we define a ‘channel in a
box’ in a broadcast workflow?
By Mark Errington,
Chief Executive Officer, Oasys
Over the last few years IT-based
playout and automation systems
have become more common.
The term ‘channel in a box’ has
also been gaining favour and
momentum, without much discussion or consensus about what
it actually means.
I would like to think that as
manufacturers, we have a duty to
educate as well as innovate, so
here is my attempt to compare
the generic products available in
the market, the key components
of each, how they fit into an
IT-based broadcast workflow,
and see where there is common
ground — while analysing most
specifically what is a ‘channel in
a box’.
A broadcast workflow is
broadly made up of the following:
G Creating material
G Indexing and managing the
material
G Assembling the material for
linear and nonlinear playout
G Distributing the material to
customers
G Recording, logging and monetising the content
An IT broadcast workflow is
where material is stored in files,
and where some or all of the
broadcast workflow stages are
automated by computer software.
A sub-set of this is playout, and a
sub-set of that is automated playout. Let’s start here.
Automation of workflows
grew out of the control of broadcast devices, like tape recorders.
Computer software was developed to send commands to these
multiple devices, assembling the
output of each of these devices
into a final output. This type of
automation is still widely used,
and it still fits into an IT broadcast workflow model. I will call
this Playout Automation.
Other software was developed
for other types of automation,
such as asset management,
storage, re-purposing, staffing,
recording, scheduling etc, but
these can be common to all types
of playout.
So as an alternative to Playout
Automation, other software
evolved at the same time, but
instead of sending commands to
multiple devices, commands are
primarily contained within the
system (or sent to only one system)
which completes the assembly of
the final output inside the ‘box’.
The majority of broadcast
features can be included inside a
32
the single system and assuming
the processing power is sufficient
to cover all the IT broadcast
workflow stages.
The server software is that
which carries out the commands, while the client software
issues the commands. The
client software can be either
integrated in, or installed on the
broadcast server.
So what defines a ‘channel in a
box’ is whether you can digitise,
edit, store, manage, schedule,
play, record and monetise assets
on a single device. While this is
possible, it is not necessarily wise.
broadcast based — are required
for a channel solution.
As playout is only a sub-set of
an overall IT broadcast workflow,
the functions of each playout
device therefore only define how
the final content is assembled for
distribution. In a linear channel
you have a spectrum of how many
devices are required for final
assembly, and a highly featured
broadcast server requiring no live
inputs is at one end of the scale,
handling video, audio, graphics,
branding, sub-titles, aspect ratio
and many other things. At the
other end of the spectrum is
When you are looking for your solution, avoid
the hype and ask just how many functions the
broadcast server can perform and how many
additional pieces of equipment you will need
Mark Errington: “It is the increase
in computer (IT) processing power
that has pushed automated playout
into the mainstream”
system; depending on the channel requirements, some processes
(such as live input switching)
have to happen outside the system, but the majority are self
contained. So I will call this
Automated Playout.
In Playout Automation and in
Automated Playout you have a
‘box’. In Playout Automation it is
generally just a control PC with
no input/output capabilities. In
Automated Playout it is a computer consisting of: a power supply;
a motherboard; CPU/Memory;
system and storage drives/controllers; network interfaces; and
an input/output card.
What makes each box different is the type of input/output
card — hardware features, software features, and the processing
power available from the various
components. This is a broadcast
server — not a video server which
only handles audio and video,
and why in a Playout Automation
solution the assembly is done in a
Switcher/Mixer.
Running a channel
So given that a Playout
Automation solution needs multiple devices to assemble the output, it could never be described as
a ‘Channel in a Box’, although
many component parts are ITbased. Automated Playout solutions could be a ‘channel in a
box’, providing both the client
and server software resides within
If you take out the other
aspects of running a channel,
you could get ‘playout in a box’,
and that actually fits much more
neatly into an overall IT workflow: then it is just a case of how
many features (hardware and
software) does the box perform,
and how many other pieces of
equipment — whether IT or
Playout Automation with a
mixer being fed by video servers,
graphics servers, logo generators,
converters, etc.
Wherever your solution is on
this spectrum, however, it is usual
to have many other factors in
your channel workflow. Asset
management and workflow management systems often over-arch
some or all of these, but some are
made up of a range of processes
ranging from manual to fully software controlled, often with software integration links between
various supplier solutions.
It therefore stands that as the
final broadcast output will look
the same, the only elements you
need to look at in deciding the
correct workflow for your channel are the commercial ones.
G Cost: Is IT equipment less
expensive to acquire and maintain than broadcast equipment?
G Redundancy: Can you minimise the number of devices?
G Deployment: Can you install
and expand/contract quickly
and efficiently?
G Feature development: Can you
implement new features more
readily in hardware or software?
G Performance: Are systems stable and well supported, and how
many support relationships do
you need?
Are IT broadcast servers
capable of handling multiple file
formats, HD, complex graphics,
mixing, scaling, sub-titling,
streaming and logging? With the
increase in processing power in
the last five years, absolutely yes.
Is there a workflow that is not
suitable for this type of playout?
No. Is this therefore the future
of broadcasting? As software
becomes more sophisticated and
more processes become software
— rather than hardware —
dependent, and as more archives of
material are transferred and maintained as files, it is likely that IT
broadcast servers will not even
require input/output cards. As
processing power increases, the
capabilities of the servers will
increase, so you could put many
more functions into a single system
— meaning the workflow could
really become a ‘channel in a box’.
For now, however, ‘playout in a
box’ is much more of a reality.
And when you are looking for
your solution, avoid the hype and
ask just how many functions the
broadcast server can perform and
how many additional pieces of
equipment you will need, because
that will help you to properly
address the commercial aspects
of your choices. Look at the
common areas — storage, import/
export, workflow management —
and see that the architecture of
the systems is very similar in all
IT-based solutions.
Then look at the knowledge
base of the suppliers and their
operating history of delivering
software-based solutions, and
cross-company integration. Some
manufacturers will claim to have
invented IT-based broadcast
workflows and automated playout in the last few years. In reality,
software solutions have been
available for decades, but it is the
increase in computer (IT) processing power that has pushed
automated playout into the
mainstream — and it is here to
stay, whether it is really in one
box or not.
11/1/11
14:03
Page 1
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27/1/11
17:41
Page 34
NEWS
IN BRIEF
SGL for ADMC
Two SGL FlashNet archive systems
from Software Generation have been
installed by Abu Dhabi Media Company
(ADMC) as part of its expansion
project. The SGL archives, which are
both under the control of Harris
Invenio automation, support 21 of
ADMC’s channels (10 SD and 11 HD).
The first system forms the network’s
new film archive digitisation project.
Film coming into the facility is
digitised and the files are then stored
on a StorNext SAN. The second system
provides an archive for ADMC’s sports
channels. A number of ingest sources
create files of varying formats. Files
are archived and restored directly
from the Isilon and NEXIO storage.
www.sglbroadcast.com
Bright news
Bright Technologies, developers of
advanced media file server
technology, has completed its move
to a new business model providing
software-only products. After
consultation with key customers over
the last 18 months, the company has
announced a new range of file
recording products. The new
software-only products, available
stand-alone, can be easily integrated
into customers’ existing storage
infrastructure. “The Bright storage
products breathe new life into
existing storage infrastructures by
ensuring that the underlying
hardware performs to its maximum
capabilities at all times. Customers
will experience more flexibility and
predictability in the way media is
accessed and delivered,” said Ed
Rodriquez, Bright Technologies.
www.4bright.com
On the way to Tapeless 2.0
Taking advantage of the latest
technological advances, VSN
believes its Spider project brings a
new generation of automation
solutions to TV stations, generating
important benefits to broadcasters
and content producers alike. By
Pedro Serrano, vice president, VSN
1. Tapeless 1.0 (2000-2010)
IT technologies reached TV
channels much later than expected due to the size of their video
files and the need to manage large
volumes of data for digitisation
and processing purposes. In the
90’s of the last century, available
software
applications
only
allowed for basic control of
VTRs and tape libraries. The
existing nonlinear editing systems
worked independently,
always using videotapes as the
source and
target
of their work. In news production
workflows, NRCS systems only
managed text and rundowns
making it difficult to integrate
with edited video.
With the advent of Gigabit
Ethernet popularisation, a first
generation of media asset management, automation and file
transfer to video server software
appeared which has been used
during the first 10 years of the
21st century to digitise many productions, playout and archive TV
areas. Video servers to replace
VTRs and better storage units
and network infrastructure
sparked off the first ‘tapeless’ systems that would connect
different operation areas (post
production, archive, master control…) across networks at
1,000Mbps. VSN was one of the
first manufacturers to propose
the tapeless concept back in 2001,
when it was seen just as wishful
thinking for many.
Proprietary hardware architecture from different manufacturers, the multiplication of
SD and HD digital video
formats and multiple nonstandard specific communication protocols are a
nightmare for technical managers and integrators of
broadcast systems sometimes. The hypothetical benefits in terms
of efficiency and
speed (therefore,
economic benefits)
This ‘puzzle’ picture explains the benefits of VSN’s Spider project
vanish due to slow implementation
and start up, scarcity of training to
make users adapt to the new roles in
the process, and reluctance from
some of the users.
On the other hand, the debate
arose in many TV companies
among those in favour of integrating the best elements (individually) of different manufacturers
and those who argued that ‘the
fewer manufacturers within the
system, the fewer integration
issues we will encounter, thus
shortening our implementation
and training cycles’.
As with any other technology
changes, digitisation was often
performed by areas in many
companies (master control, production, archive, etc.) without a
global business view, and, commonly, ignoring the development,
administration and rights management areas – ie, the non-technical
or management areas.
It goes without saying that
the possibility of remote work
environments was not even considered in the first tapeless generation but through the use of very
expensive RF link connections or
satellites that allow the transfer of
files or streaming video in an efficient way. All integrated solutions
are restricted to the LAN (local
area network) domain.
We have witnessed a dramatic
evolution in software development tools over the last decade in
the field of Informatics. But these
advances have not yet been implemented in most systems currently
in use in many TV channels.
Current technologies like web
services, xml, user interfaces created using Silverlight or the like,
can be hardly found in the broadcast market. Quite often, the age
of a solution is taken as an indicator of its robustness, especially
in the news and master control
automation areas.
2. Competitive environment
of the broadcast market
in 2010
Over the last few years, the internet has caused a cataclysm in the
world of conventional TV broadcasting. Audience fragmentation,
IPTV, multicast platforms and
multidistribution are the real bugbears broadcasters are facing
today. The environment is more
competitive than ever before,
which has brought about a clear
specialisation among producers,
content distributors, carriers, etc.
Among some of the consequences we can mention the need
for better media asset management systems (in multiple qualities), and the need for commercial
and planning departments to take
a more prominent role for a quicker
management of unexpected events,
latest news and new sponsoring/
advertising methodologies.
To conclude, traffic solutions
must be closely integrated with the
master control operations; merely
sending an xml file (a playlist) to
the master control and receiving a
similar file (an AsRunLog) is not
enough. Likewise, the most powerful companies in the field publish their RFP contents (request
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34
27/1/11
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for proposal) with a common
denominator: the need to put into
operation workflows adapted to
their staff, environment and special circumstances.
So far, the choice of a provider
commonly meant the necessity to
adopt the workflow suggested by
the manufacturer. Furthermore,
said workflow could not be
changed or implementing customisation was just very expensive.
These new circumstances allow
for companies offering BPM
(Business Process Management) to
prosper: the paradigm of customised solutions’ development
and the flagship of large consultancy firms. Unfortunately, it still
needs to be proved that standard
BPM tools can be reliably and efficiently integrated in a broadcast
solutions’ ecosystem.
Thanks to impressive improvements in internet connections and
lower prices, many industrial
environments are adopting ‘cloud
management solutions’, which
will enter the broadcast world
sooner or later to stay. In the last
few years, new technologies have
also emerged that allow the adoption of affordable IP environments
(ADSL, 3G, etc.) for transferring
high quality content and helped get
rid of satellites, courier services, etc.
Take for instance the case of
VSNIPTRANSFER, currently in
use in more than 200 TV channels
in Spain and abroad. This sort of
application fights the core of
exploitation costs and allows for
the delocalisation of production
centres and contribution at reasonable costs.
Likewise, the proven maturity
and experience of engineering
departments to undertake digitisation projects makes it difficult for
everyone to unquestioningly swallow
any proposals or accept the imprecise habitual marketing documentation coming from many manufacturers. The demand for open platforms and non-proprietary interoperability protocols is an essential
condition in all new projects.
3. Tapeless 2.0 (2010)
Nowadays, VSN is well-known for
having promoted open technologies and defended tapeless environments for more than 10 years. In
view of the current competition in
the broadcast market, VSN undertook the radical renovation of its
automation software, traffic,
MAM, content production and
video servers’ offer. The new generation of solutions should accomplish a few basic assumptions:
G Allowing TV production and playout by means of distributed resources,
in multi-centre environments
G In particular, facilitating multiplatform content distribution
G Easy and efficient customisation of each customer’s workflow
The Spider architecture: new products will be rolled out in 2011
Boundless integration of
multiple areas (traffic, MAM,
automation, etc. without duplicating tasks)
G Affordable cost of property
throughout the whole life cycle of
the technology, including a model
of ‘cloud services’ for applications
like Contribution, Archive, etc.
G Optimal exploitation of existing systems
G Complying with proven market
standards
G Open systems (even to thirdparty manufacturers) and fully
scalable at reasonable cost
The integration of the first four
points of the previous list, keeping
G
the known points five through eight
and the use of state-of-the-art programming techniques available
today, defines the new Tapeless 2.0
generation of software solutions,
which are set to create a new standard in broadcast automation and
digitisation. The R&D project
developed by VSN to undertake
this transformation is called Spider.
Spider proposes an SCS (Spider
Central Server), where most applications (or ‘services’) of any company are installed or get connected
to. The work environment is now
called Ecosystem and it is accessible to any user with the appropriate permissions either locally or
remotely. The applications in this
ecosystem ‘talk to each other’ via
web service-type open protocols
(SOA, REST, etc.) or via simple
interfaces like xml and official
protocols like BXF.
The goals of the different modules developed under the Spider
paradigm are the following:
G Gaining levels of integration
among the different areas
unheard of so far, especially
among the traffic, MAM and
automation areas
G Offering workflows adapted to
every customer in an easy and
affordable way (BPM)
G Non-proprietary hardware and
software platform
G Totally public and open protocols, gateways and interfaces (an
‘Ecosystem’ with gateways concept)
G Modern interfaces of extensive
usability (using web technologies,
Silverlight, etc.)
Since the end of 2010, VSN
has begun publishing the new
versions of its modules compatible with the Spider platform. The
project is planned to be finished
at some time during 2011. VSN
will be presenting all the new
products that make up the
second generation of tapeless
solutions at the different trade
shows and exhibitions in 2011;
all of this thanks to an unprecedented R&D effort in the TV and
broadcast sector.
35
27/1/11
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Why newsroom vendor Autocue moved into the video server space
Jack of all trades versus
best of breed systems?
By Neil Hutchins,
CTO, Autocue
There have been many ‘in-a-box’
systems over the last 15 years;
indeed Autocue has offered a few
in the past — based either on our
own products or in collaboration
with other vendors. The scope,
scale and cost of those many different offerings have varied wildly,
as has their commercial success.
The concept of a self-contained
solution is sound for many reasons.
For example, integration issues
between different components
should not be a problem because
all components are from the
same vendor, which is important
because integration between thirdparty systems is always complex
and time-consuming to do properly
and will often be the weak link in
the chain during operation.
It should be a simple purchase
for the customer, because they only
have to buy one system from one
supplier. It therefore follows that
system installation and configuration will be straightforward, as the
vendor only has to deal with his
own system. On-going support
should also be straightforward, as
the customer only has to call one
company if there is a problem.
However, it has to be said that
there are also disadvantages to an
all-in-one approach. A complete
single solution is only appropriate
for a brand new system, where
there is no legacy equipment, or
where all of the existing equipment
is to be discarded. And, inevitably,
a single solution will lack the flexibility and range of functionality of
a system built from individual
components, where the customer
can choose separate elements that
best meet the specific requirements
for each part of the operation.
There are probably two different interpretations of an ‘in-a-box’
solution. Either literally a single
box, for instance one high-powered
PC or server which contains everything required for the system, or a
number of individual units that are
bundled together to form the overall system: perhaps more accurately
an ‘in-a-small-rack’ rather than
just ‘in-a-box’ solution.
The danger with a single box
solution is that the overall capability
and functionality is limited by the
hardware platform — for instance
the amount of storage or number
of playout channels might be
restricted. It is also very unusual to
find true multi-user access (eg, in
some form of client-server configuration) available from a single box.
Autocue specialises in flexible
multi-user systems, so our preference is always to provide a single
system that consists of a number of
individual units, rather than a
single piece of hardware. This
approach allows us to retain our
underlying multi-user functionality
with flexible system configurations
while still being able to offer all
of the benefits of an ‘in-a-box’
system, which ensure, as mentioned, straightforward installation and support.
Underlying hardware
Autocue has offered its own newsroom computer system (NRCS),
prompting, automation and media
management functionality from a
single software product for many
years. The introduction of the first
generation of our own video server
meant that we were able to offer an
‘in-a-box’ workflow solution that
provided all of the functionality
required to produce simple news
programmes — and such systems
have now been in use for several
years by a number of UK universities teaching broadcast journalism.
The solution is based around
standard off-the-shelf PC hardware, allowing a wide variety of
system configurations at low cost,
but managed by ‘clever’ software
to make the best use of that standard hardware. This software element is the key to ensuring that the
system is turned successfully from
a series of standard hardware
components into a complete functional solution, ie, it is the critical
factor in adding value to what
would otherwise just be a collection of off-the-shelf hardware.
Our server has now evolved to an
even more flexible platform that can
be easily configured to meet specific
requirements. The types of choices
available include multiple bi-directional ports; a variety of video
and audio connections; SD-only or
SD/HD support; variable storage
capacity and configuration; and a
range of supported capture/playback formats and control models.
Redefining channel in a box
By Alison Pavitt,
Pebble Beach Systems
Channel in a box solutions are
becoming more common as broadcasters gain confidence with this
relatively new technology. For simple channels, and where space is at
a premium, the solution offers
straightforward setup, minimal
cabling issues, reduced launch time
and in some cases lower costs.
But many of the solutions on offer
are designed as single boxes with their
own user interface and do not scale
well. To run multiple channels
requires multiple boxes and therefore
operator positions so, despite saving
money, the technology may cost more
in the long run if you have to employ
more people to drive it.
It also remains the case that
the graphics, subtitling and DVE
capabilities are not as good as the
sophisticated dedicated functionality
36
Dolphin operates under Neptune or Marina automation control
offered by discrete ‘best of breed’
products. Moreover, some channel
in a box products struggle to cope
with the demands of dynamic
channels that have a lot of live content, such as rolling news, sports,
and magazine programmes.
Flexible Integration
The approach from Pebble Beach
Systems is quite different. Dolphin
is a flexible and cost-effective integrated channel device that can
operate under Pebble Beach
Systems’ Neptune or Marina
automation control either as a
standalone product, or as part of
a larger system that incorporates
other playout devices. This enables
it to integrate into a system which,
for example, also employs independent video server, graphics or
captioning devices for prime channels, Dolphin for other lower cost
channels, and hybrid channels
which mix Dolphin with best-ofbreed discrete devices.
Regardless of underlying channel technology, the user interface
remains the same, allowing operators to control multiple channels
through a single system, thereby
avoiding operational silos. There are
also benefits from having a single
system-wide database that spans the
entire playout facility and enables
Autocue’s end-to-end newsroom, media management and
transmission system in operation at Roger’s Network in Canada
This ensures that the customer
is only paying for the elements that
are required and that the cost of
underlying hardware is appropriate
for the range of functions to be
used. The use of standard offthe-shelf hardware and standard
networking technology means that
the system is very easy to integrate
into an existing network, without
necessarily requiring complex
involvement from either IT or
Engineering departments. The flexible platform also means that it is
possible to buy a partial system that
can be used immediately, but which
has scope to be upgraded as needs
or budgets expand in the future.
The third generation of our
video server contains more functionality, providing a more compelling ‘in-a-box’ solution by incorporating vision and audio mixer
handling; virtual playback channels
(where video clips can be played
back into the mixers, rather than
simply out of a physical output
port); internal character generation;
and channel branding and virtual
record channels (where the output
of the mixers can be recorded
straight back into the system without having to use an external unit).
Whereas our customers previously would have needed to provide
some hardware around our systems
(eg vision and audio mixers and a
CG device) they can now use a single
system to produce live programmes.
All they need to provide are cameras.
Our multi-user software
enables a team to work together to
plan and produce a programme
and our hardware provides the
platform to store and transmit the
material — a compelling solution
in an environment where support
for a complete production workflow is required but where cost and
expertise are restricted.
Single ‘in-a-box’ solutions from
any one vendor will never completely replace conventional systems built from individual components, partly because the ‘jack-ofall-trades’ approach cannot beat
‘best-of-breed’ hardware from specialist vendors. Conversely though,
that best-of-breed hardware is
inevitably expensive and potentially
difficult to integrate. As there
will always be environments where
cost and simplicity are more
important, there are plenty of
opportunities for ‘in-a-box’ solutions to flourish.
efficient and non-conflicting media
management across all channels.
As an SD/HD video server,
master control switcher, character
generator and channel branding
solution, Dolphin is available in four
basic configurations, each of which
occupies 1RU of rack space and
comes with a choice of 2.4TB of
internal or scalable external near
line attached storage.
As the drive for more compact
and energy-efficient operations
increases, Dolphin’s scalable architecture enables Pebble Beach Systems
to offer high channel density. For
example, a 12-channel Dolphin
system including decoders, storage,
graphics database and control
occupies just 6RU of rack space,
with power consumption of less than
5kW. To ease on-site integration,
reduce installation time and provide
assured operations, each unit is
shipped as a complete unit that is preconfigured, assembled and tested.
In addition to the operational
and logistical efficiencies it delivers,
Dolphin offers flexibility in terms of
the range of compression and file
formats it supports. With full upand down-scaling on ingest and
playout, it also allows multiple formats to be mixed within the same
timeline, with associated text, logos,
stills, RSS tickers, multi-lingual subtitles and 2D effects.
This means that, for example,
legacy SD content can be mixed with
new HD material and presented for
playout in a unified format. The wide
range of formats supported includes
DNxHD (up to 120Mbps) in .MOV
and MXF; GXF, LXF and H264.
Furthermore, Dolphin’s simulcast output capability provides the
simultaneous output of a single
media timeline in HD and SD formats under the control of a single
Playlist, eliminating the requirement
for downstream up or down scaling.
The future
It seems beyond doubt that, where
on air requirements are predictable
and relatively simple, channel in a
27/1/11
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Page 37
are flawed and create unnecessary
pressure for the time-critical resolution of any problems.
By decreasing the use of disparate technology systems, the
entire playout process can be
brought forward by hours, even days
and run as a much leaner operation
— often saving at least one third
on human resources. Integrated
Time to shine for integrated playout
Harold Vermeulen, founder and managing director of PubliTronic, sheds light on the
considerable benefits of the ‘channel in a box’ concept and the future of integrated playout
The ‘channel in a box’ concept has
grown rapidly, and integrated playout in particular undeniably represents the future of broadcasting.
Eventually, this technology will
replace conventional playout
entirely, although this will be
through distributed IT platforms
rather than single ‘channel in a
box’ solutions.
The key drivers for its adoption
to date have been its low cost-
A smooth process is particularly
hard to achieve when there are
different systems to integrate,
Input
which all have individual intelligence on their own local domains.
It is now widely recognised that
3G-SDI
conventional workflow processes,
requiring complex programming
to be assembled close to playout,
3G-SDI
Frame Synchronizer
Output
Time Base Corrector
HD-SDI
HD-SDI
Up Converter
Down Converter
HD Analogue Component*
HD Analogue Component*
Cross Converter
Aspect Ratio Converter
SD-SDI
SD-SDI
A/ D Converter
D /A Converter
SD Analogue Component*
Y/C*
Analogue Composite
Optical*
Harold Vermeulen: ‘Integrated
playout helps to greatly reduce cycle
times for programme changes’
point and simplified workflow;
however an often untold benefit of
the technology is that channel in a
box systems can actually enable
far more complexity than conventional playout, by merging functionality together.
For almost every modern technology company, functionality is
increasingly becoming softwarebased; hardware is merely an
enabler and will be more generic
towards the future. At PubliTronic,
for example, we have reached our
third generation platform, having
reduced the amount of dedicated
hardware in every generation.
Currently, functionality for specific broadcast requirements, such
as dedicated broadcast interfaces
like SDI, are what distinguishes a
broadcast server from a standard
IT system for many manufacturers.
But when most of the functionality
in video servers, graphics servers
and other secondary functions
already exist in software modules,
surely its operation is simplified
and more cost-effective when
merged into single systems?
The challenge now is for a single company to develop intelligence
for the multitude of functions
required for an integrated playout
solution. The ability to merge functionality into an all-in-one ‘channel
in a box’ solution, or in a more distributed way on different IT based
systems, provides the flexibility
required for high-end solutions. At
PubliTronic, we have been solely
focusing on such integrated playout
since 1997, and its mature technology has been competing head-on
with conventional systems.
Embedded Audio (16 Channels)
AES/EBU (8 Channels)
Analogue Audio (4 Channels)
Dolby E*
Dolby Digital*
SD Analogue Component*
Proc Amp
Video Delay
Y/C*
Colour Corrector
Auto Video Optimizer
Analogue Composite
Logo Generator
Frame Rate Converter
Optical*
Audio MUX
Embedded Audio (16 Channels)
Audio DEMUX
Audio Delay
AES/EBU (8 Channels)
Sampling Rate Converter
A/ D Converter
Analogue Audio (4 Channels)
D /A Converter
Down Mix
Dolby E*
Channel Re-mapping
Channel Mute
*
Dolby E Encoder
options
Dolby E Decoder
New FA-9500
Multipurpose Signal Processor
Back to the future for frame synchronization
T Compact, lightweight, powerful and cost effective
T 3G/HD/SD-SDI and Analogue formats
T Full up/down/cross conversion
T Separate cross/down conversion output
T Up to 16 channel embedded audio, 8 digital
and 4 analogue
T ARC Aspect Management
T AVO automatic video optimisation
T Colour Corrector
T Web monitoring and control
T Frame Rate Conversion option
T More options
FA-9500
A complete line of frame synchronizers from our affordable analogue
model up to our new multi purpose signal processor.
www.for-a.com
L Head Office (Japan)
L UK (London)
L Italy (Milan)
Tel: +81 (0)3-3446-3936
Tel: +44 (0)20-8391-7979
Tel: +39 039-881-086/103
37
27/1/11
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Television broadcast technology thinks inside the box, according to ToolsOnAir
for editing and playout, so any
editing computer can be put into
service for emergency playout.
Expensive repairs and critical
down-time are a thing of the past.
In the event of a hardware failure,
replacement hardware is only as
far as your nearest Apple Store or
Final Cut Pro edit suite.
Peripheral costs are also
reduced. These smaller, more agile
setups are faster to build and cheaper
to run. No need for air-conditioned
racks and expensive maintenance
contracts. Their scalable nature
makes it easy to build systems to suit
current scenarios, expanding and
adapting them as needs change.
These are advantages that are just as
appealing to large, deep-pocketed
organisations as they are to small
startups on a shoestring.
On
the
software
side,
ToolsOnAir’s TV Station in a Mac
concept is also based around open
standards like Apple’s QuickTime,
giving users even more flexibility to
use the most commonly supported
codecs for ingest and playout. Our
integration of Apple’s Quartz
Composer taps into a growing and
thriving community of Quartz
developers and resources, giving
users access to a wide palette of
graphic development avenues at little or no cost. While many proprietary hardware systems restrict
their users with closed systems,
today’s new computer-based systems allow for open adaptability.
ToolsOnAir’s just: Broadcast
Suite delivers a set of high level
tools for professional broadcasters,
enabling ENG and live events producers to work with multiple HD
ingest streams in realtime, schedule
and automate playout, and create
graphical effects including realtime
news and weather tickers.
Going forward, ToolsOnAir is
working to address the needs of
large and mid-sized broadcasters,
developing and providing an
expanding Toolkit for integrating
our Broadcast Suite into both
new and existing networks. This
is an exciting era in video and
broadcast technology, and we’re
happy to be a part of it.
There remains a level of scepticism surrounding the ‘pay only for
what you need’ approach, but this
is largely unfounded because the
model works very well for channel
in a box. The software environment
is key; the fact that integrated playout’s main IP is all software-based
helps facilitate this ‘pay for what
you need’ model effectively.
It will take another few years to
optimise, but ultimately the hardware platforms are identical for all
users, with extra functionality all
added through software add-ons.
Vendors can reflect this in their
pricing structures very simply,
because there is no additional hardware cost associated with providing
any number of add-ons, and the
system’s inherent flexibility also
makes it very scalable without
increasing overall complexity.
Through full integration of
enterprise IT and broadcast media
operations, the ‘pay for what you
need’ model can really come into its
own. Where in the past companies
would have no choice but to buy a
dedicated broadcast platform,
nowadays high-end — but standard — IT technology is perfectly
capable of delivering the necessary
performance. The IT hardware element of the playout platform is fast
becoming merely the enabler, but
there is still relatively little market
demand for complete integration
and broadcasters must assess its
immediate value.
At PubliTronic we believe that
the benefits of integrated playout
are not just limited to cost efficiency, but that integrated playout is a reliable, capable and conceptually superior infrastructure
for delivering broadcast workflow. With only minor barriers
left in place, it is simply a matter
of time until this type of system
becomes standard.
Redefining channel
in a box
quality HD transmission with
error-free playout, and channel
controllers expect flexible, creative
and dynamic branding.
With Dolphin, Pebble Beach
Systems goes beyond the accepted
definition of ‘channel in a box’ technology, delivering a generic media
delivery system which offers a quick
and straightforward pathway for
the launch of new channels —
allowing broadcasters to select the
most appropriate delivery technology for the budgetary and technical
needs of each individual channel
while delivering exceptional operational efficiencies.
Small is this year’s big
By Gilbert Leb, ToolsOnAir
The evolution of broadcast video
has mirrored that of most modern
technology — each passing day
brings us tools that are more compact, more powerful and more
affordable. As computer-processing
power has continued to multiply,
today’s desktop computers are capable of more than yesterday’s bigger
and more expensive hardware.
In designing our just: Broadcast
Suite, our goal was to create a
versatile, all-inclusive system of
broadcast video tools that could
run on a single computer — a concept we call TV Station in a Mac.
The feedback we received from our
users was that we had accomplished that, as well as something
more. In a word: independence.
Broadcasters are no longer
bound by proprietary systems
and expensive hardware. Why
pay more for a branded black
box, and be locked into a single
manufacturer’s product, when an
off-the-shelf computer provides
the same CPU power with far
more flexibility?
To compete in today’s internet-enabled world, broadcasters
need to be versatile, agile and efficient. While it’s not great news for
systems integrators, many small
independent TV facilities are now
being designed and assembled by
their end-users, working directly
with equipment vendors.
ToolsOnAir’s user base — from
public broadcasters like France 3,
Televisa and Swiss TV, to major
universities and religious channels
— all have one thing in common:
they have created complete Macbased in-house setups while maintaining control over their choice of
peripheral hardware. Their production quality is virtually equal to
that of high-end hardware systems.
These systems all use standard
Apple Mac Pro computers with
off-the-shelf hardware interfaces
from AJA, Blackmagic Design or
Matrox. In most cases, the systems are identically configured
Time to shine for
integrated playout
playout also helps to greatly reduce
cycle times for programme changes,
avoiding repetition and allowing
broadcasters to get their content to PubliTronic in the racks: ‘We have
air more smoothly than convention- reached our third generation platform,
having reduced the amount of
al models.
dedicated hardware in every generation’
Pay for what you need
It is a common assumption that the
channel in a box concept must sacrifice performance, but low-cost does
not have to equate to low-performance. Integrated playout uses the
same technology as conventional
playout methods, only this technology is integrated together in order to
work much more efficiently.
So, cost savings are in fact a
knock-on effect rather than the
goal at outset. Using the same, premium technology also means that
producing HD content, for example, is not a challenge. In fact, com-
38
plex content can be easier to construct with channel in a box, even
in high definition.
Keeping up with new technology advances is no more difficult
than conventional systems; growing to next generation processors,
hard drives and graphic cards happens naturally in companies like
PubliTronic, and there is no
additional cost passed on. It is
the development of software and
algorithms where the IP lies for suppliers like us, and what represents
the real value for the customer.
Children’s show Zambo, which launched August 2010, was a multimedia production
first — on television, radio and online — for SF and SR DRS in Switzerland
box solutions will eventually predominate. The key factors are
overall systemised reliability of the
solution, close integration with
traffic and upstream workflow systems and the ability to handle a
wide range and growing variety of
media file formats.
In today’s highly commercial,
multichannel broadcast environment, audiences demand high
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TVBE_Feb P40-41 Box
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A new media convergence platform
demultiplexing, frame-compatible
and full-resolution 3DTV processing, up/ down/cross/aspect ratio/
frame rate conversion, audio conversion for analogue, balanced and
unbalanced digital AES interfaces,
DTS Neural Surround UpMix/
DownMix, DTS Neural Loudness
Control, and embedding and deembedding along with the required
data (ie, timecode, close captions)
and metadata (ie, Dolby audio
metadata, AFD Active Format
Description) processing.
Broadcast Infrastructure
Television has been a hybrid
infrastructure since the move to digital
in the 1990s. The biggest challenge has
been how to continually add on to
systems as new technologies emerge
such as digital television, HDTV, IPTV,
3DTV, and mobile or pedestrian
television. A next-generation platform
should enable true interfacing of
‘anything to anything’ to solve today’s
issues and provide a foundation for the
future. It should provide energy
efficiency, ease of use for setup,
control and monitoring, and lower cost
of ownership. Harris Broadcast set
itself these goals in developing the new
Selenio Media Convergence Platform.
Here, exclusively, TVBEurope talks to
Randy Conrod, product manager, Digital
Products at Harris Broadcast, about
the development and thinking behind
the yet-to-be-launched new product.
By Fergal Ringrose
Where does Harris see the
market going?
Conrod: Television is continuing
to evolve — consider 1080i and
720p HDTV, more programme
channels in the multiplex into the
home (over the air), 3DTV, surround sound with 5.1 and 7.1 mixes and higher-quality 1080p in the
future. Almost anywhere, one can
see television; all it takes is a device
with an OTA (over the air), cable,
satellite or IP connection, or quite
possibly more than one of the
aforementioned connections. The
Selenio Platform is designed as a
next-generation product that
40
Randy Conrod: “The biggest challenge
has been how to continually add on to
broadcast systems as new
technologies emerge”
solves the television interface
issues and provides future modular product implementations.
What is ‘anything to anything’
connection?
Conrod: For the Selenio platform,
the definition of ‘anything to anything’ includes analogue composite
NTSC, PAL and PAL-M, and the
SDI with its many interface standards and image format capabilities, including standard definition,
high definition and 3DTV. Signals
transported in the compressed
domain via IP or ASI interfaces
using compression technologies for
video (such as MPEG-2 and H.264
MPEG-4) and audio (such as
Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus,
Dolby E, Dolby Pulse, AAC and
SMPTE 302) are also included.
Functionality includes encoding, decoding, multiplexing and
Why is Selenio being launched?
Conrod: Modular platforms have
suffered for years due to the large
back module space required for
external connectivity, as well as the
challenges associated with maintaining temperature rise specifications and the ability to connect to
two separate IP networks: one for
management, control and monitoring and another to handle content over IP.
Selenio overcomes these issues
by using a new, standard HD-BNC
connector, integrating SDI and IP
routing within the architecture of
the frame and adding a new, efficient power supply with front-toback forced air cooling. As well,
the internal connectivity enables
full redundancy for no points of
failure within the architecture.
We believe the new architecture
delivers better performance from a
cost-of-ownership perspective. For
example, the synergy achieved
when moving to a smaller connector, proven to be an enabling factor
to improved power consumption,
and using internal connectivity
between modules provides a technically advanced solution. Utilising
internal connectivity between modules for SDI and IP interfaces
reduces the installation cost. A
redundant architecture reduces
downtime and revenue loss for critical program paths.
What is the thinking behind
the product?
Conrod: In line with the green initiative to reduce power consumption, the main criterion was to
reduce space — by doing so, less
power is used for the rackmount
modular platform and the HVAC
(Heating, Ventilating, and Air
Conditioning) system that maintains the temperature specification
for long-term usability and stability.
As well, the intelligent frame
operating system that is built-in
(no software to load onto a PC
and keep up-to-date) is easy to
learn and use, and assists the user
in setting up services, in knowing
which module should be replaced
when a fail-over has occurred and
if the wrong modules are
installed. When the proper
replacement is installed, the user
has the choice of using its preset,
or the preset of the previously
installed module, and upgrading
to the chosen software version.
Isn’t a new connector to replace
the BNC connector something of
a departure?
Conrod: True, it is. However, if we
look at product releases over the last
few years, the DIN 1.0/2.3 is a pop-
ular choice for high-density cabling
situations, readily adapted to the
requirements of television engineers
— especially for routing switchers
and multiple-image processing
devices. The DIN 1.0/2.3 provides
higher density than the BNC, but
the HD-BNC increases the density
to a greater degree.
A new insertion and extraction
tool for the HD-BNC allows higher density than the DIN 1.0/2.3, as
the DIN 1.0/2.3 must be inserted by
hand (there is a DIN 1.0/2.3 extraction tool). As well, the DIN 1.0/2.3
may have mechanical issues,
dependent on the choice of the
manufacturer, which can affect connectivity and return loss at high frequencies (3Gbps).
The HD-BNC, due to is
smaller size, exceeds the return
loss specification at 3Gbps. The
bayonet connection, well known
for the BNC connector, is reutilised on the new HD-BNC
connector.
At
this
time,
Amphenol, the inventor of the
BNC and HD-BNC, is actively
seeking industry standardisation.
What are some of the unique
aspects of this new architecture?
Conrod: We believe the internal
connectivity goes beyond anything
available today. Each Selenio module has a genlock reference, a
100BaseT IP connection for control, monitoring and alarms, and a
1000BaseT connection for content
over IP and SDI at 3Gbps to and
from the controller module. For
critical path processing, a second
controller mirrors all of the internal
connectivity automatically.
There is no PC software to
load. The frame architecture has a
built-in RIA (Rich Internet
Application) that presents the
frame and modules in an easy-tounderstand interface. A block diagram approach allows the user to
select parameters in a signal flow
fashion. The external connections
for the application modules can be
easily swapped out, providing electrical to electrical, electrical to
optical, optical to electrical and
optical to optical interfaces. SFP
optical inputs and outputs provide
easy selection of wavelength.
Adding more external inputs
and outputs is simple. A video or
audio expansion module is simply
plugged in beside the video/audio
processing module. An automatic
connection takes place between the
modules, and the user interface is
automatically updated with the
new parameters.
A new DSP implementation fills
virtually any requirement for
advanced audio processing. Dolby
codecs for Dolby E and Dolby
Digital, and new codecs such as
Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby
Pulse, as well as AAC and SMPTE
302, can be selected as a softwarekeyed option. DTS Neural
Surround UpMix, DownMix and
MultiMerge with DTS Neural
Loudness Control can also be
selected as a software-keyed option.
The audio processing can be easily
set up using the new RIA GUI.
TVBE_Feb P40-41 Box
27/1/11
17:47
Page 41
Channel in a Box or IT playout: 'LVFRYHUWKH
Hidden facts behind the debate QHZVWDURI
By Roman Ceano,
general manager, Vector 3
The term ‘channel in a box’ means
quite different things to different
people. It has been taken to the
front line by two completely different camps in the industry and
for opposite reasons.
Firstly, it is used by project managers and channel owners in RFIs
and RFPs to prescribe an IT-based
playout solution and as a means of
excluding ‘traditional’ playout systems developed using proprietary
hardware. These ‘traditional’ systems comprise video servers limited
to playing out video, extremely
expensive automation products,
and the rest of the ‘traditional’ playout chain. On the other hand, manufacturers of traditional playout
systems often use the expression
‘channel in a box’ as a derogatory
term, attempting to discredit all
IT-based solutions using this label.
As far as I am aware, we at
Vector 3 were the first company to
publicly use the expression at IBC in
1995. As Marketing Manager of
Vector 3 at the time, I personally
coined the expression as catchphrase
for the new product we launched
that year — VectorBox. I have followed its usage since with great interest, through more than a decade to
its current relative popularity.
The phrase was conceived to
describe systems destined for installation in what are termed ‘spoke
sites’ in the US — remote channels
or stations — as opposed to the central hubs that house multichannel
playout facilities. VectorBox was
our answer to the need for modern
and flexible systems to be deployed
in these spoke sites.
Our
larger
conventional
automation systems needed cart
machines, CGs, mixers and the usual paraphernalia of the traditional
playout chain. VectorBox delivered
all this functionality from a single
chassis composed of a PC, a
Matrox card and our software.
Vector 3 has led the IT-based
playout market since. We were the
first to market a reliable frameaccurate PC-based automation
system, first with a video server
incorporating integrated graphics
and transition capabilities (1998),
multiple codec support (2001), multiple wrapper support (2003), and
the provision of dynamic redundancy management with the launch
of Vector MultiPlay in 2007.
Vector 3 thus proved in the field
many years ago that IT-based solutions could easily exceed the five 9’s
of reliability — 99.999% — with
multiple advantages over proprietary
systems, far beyond the greatly
reduced price tag. Over 1,000 customers worldwide now use Vector 3
solutions all day every day, ranging
from massive multichannel playout
792QH«
View of Telefónica Servicios Audiovisuales, based on Vector 3 infrastructure
centres (Vector MultiPlay) to
small-scale channel in a box operations (VectorBox).
In a separate whitepaper titled
‘The Computer Revolution and
the Master Control Room,’ I have
discussed in detail the reasons why
the TV industry was slow to adopt
IT technologies for playout. As
explained in that paper, this was not
due to the reluctance of broadcast
engineers to adopt IT solutions. On
the contrary, it took the IT industry
a long time to develop products
that were suited for broadcast
quality playout. This delay caused a
certain tension between the IT
and broadcast industries. Tension
reached a peak when doomsayers
predicted that the internet would
spell the demise of television.
A number of years have passed
and fortunately this has not eventuated. Internet has created a means
of distributing content which offers
competitive alternatives to terrestrial
broadcasting, but millions of viewers
are still tuning into their TV sets.
Preservation of the now semi-abandoned quality standards of the
‘broadcast tradition’ is crucial for
the success of the industry. Quality
is the key and this is the area in
which television must nurture its
supremacy: ensuring the overall television experience is superior for
viewers than the alternatives.
IT technology is a core component of television survival
strategies. Broadcasters look to
this technology to give them the
operational and financial advantages they need to compete. With
IT-based automation, ‘linear television’ can preserve the Gold
Standard without the high costs
associated with using technologies
of the past. High-end IT systems
provide playout for TV channels
at a reasonable cost yet deliver
broadcast quality and a feature
set that is already far superior to
that of traditional systems.
However, in this new era of lean
operations, some companies could
use the label Channel-in-a-Box
to cut corners, selling unreliable
solutions, attractive only for their
extremely low price tag, and which
are only suitable for managing
playout in the most humble and
non-critical spoke sites. In addition, some manufacturers may
resell their products without proper
project planning procedures, using
consumer sales procedures.
The market will learn to navigate
around both the extremely expensive, proprietary products of the
past and the ridiculously cheap, doit-yourself offering, giving serious
consideration only to the IT-based
solutions that are manufactured,
marketed and supported according
to broadcast-quality standards.
There is now a whole generation of
broadcast engineers who are familiar with IT technologies and are well
able to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Wrapping up, high-end ITbased playout systems are now the
solution of choice in the majority
of new or upgraded installations.
They have proved their reliability
in both massive multi-channel
installations and single ‘channelin-a-box’ spoke sites, and offer a
far better price-performance ratio
than traditional proprietary systems. There is nothing traditional
system manufacturers can do
except to start developing ITbased systems themselves, as the
smart brands are in fact doing.
In view of the confusion over
the channel in a box term and what
it refers to, there is a question
remaining which needs to be
addressed: how should IT-based
playout systems be termed? ‘ITbased playout systems’is appropriate
terminology for inclusion in RFIs
and RFPs where the goal is the
exclusion of video servers which
are unable to handle graphics or
transitions, unable to work with
non-standard file formats or even
to be connected to a LAN, except
using work-around procedures.
However, my answer is that
IT-based playout systems should
simply be called ‘playout systems’,
since in a very short time they will
be the only ones left in the field.
WKH&6HULHV
8QLYHUVDO,QSXW
6HDPOHVV6ZLWFKHU

/PNO X\HSP[` ZLHTSLZZ Z^P[JOPUN ]PH *6906 ZJHSLYZ
<W [V +=0< PUW\[Z +=0< V\[W\[Z
<W [V :+/+.:+0 PUW\[Z V\[W\[Z YLJSVJRLK V\[
.LUSVJR PUW\[ ;YP)P ^P[O SVVW[OYV\NO
/+40 JVTWH[PISL ^P[O M\SS /+*7 MLH[\YLZ
*YVZZMHKL 7\ZO >PWL *\[ [YHUZP[PVUZ
+\HS 707 ^PUKV^PUN
*OYVTH HUK 3\TH RL`PUN
7* YLZVS\[PVUZ \W [V _ /+;= YLZVS\[PVUZ \W [V W
(UHSVN3+PNP[HS JVU]LYZPVU
!! -\SS IHUK^PK[O ZHTWSPUN
+PNP[HS ÅPJRLY LSPTPUH[PVU
The Universal I/O
compatible with
;LTWVYHS +PHNVUHS 0U[LYWVSH[PVU
HDMI, DVI-D, DVI-A,
RGBHV, RGBs,
6W[PVUHS YLK\UKHU[ WV^LY Z\WWS`
RGsB, YUV,
YPbPr, CV,
3VNV PUZLY[PVU
Y/C
0U[LNYHS H\KPV WYVJLZZPUN
DVI-U
“All truths are easy to understand once
they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”
Galileo Galilei
The Video Processing Specialists
TV One Ltd., Continental Approach,
Westwood Ind. Est.,
Margate, Kent CT9 4JG, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1843 873311
Fax +44 (0)1843 873312
[email protected]
www.tvone.eu
C2-6104A
Systems Product
of the Year 2010
E&OE. All Copyrights and Trademarks are acknowledged
41
TVBE_Feb P42-46 Workflow
27/1/11
17:50
Page 42
Innovative thinking at the Rai
R&D Analysis
Mike Clark reports on the in-house
research centre at Italy’s public
service broadcaster Rai and the
significant contribution it has made
— and continues to make — to
broadcast innovation and
technology design
Italy’s Rai is one of the few remaining broadcasters with its own inhouse research centre, originally set
up in 1929/30 in its Via Arsenale
premises in Turin to carry out
in-depth research on what at that
time seemed to be a science fiction
prospect: transmitting moving
images over a distance by means of
a device called ‘Visorium’.
In 1961 Laboratorio Ricerche
Rai, one of Europe’s key research
centres (along with that of the
BBC in Kingswood Warren,
Germany’s IRT in Munich and
CCETT in Rennes), moved into
new premises in Corso Giambone.
Today, the CRIT (Centre for
Research and Technical Innovation) is part of Rai’s Technological Strategies Division and
currently has 60 employees, led by
Dr Alberto Morello.
CRIT, part of Rai’s Technological Strategies Division, has 60 employees working across
broadcasting innovation, mid-term studies, designing technologies and introducing new services
Morello, also on his second stint
as chairman of the EBU Technical
Committee, gave TVBEurope an
overview of the timeframes
involved in the team’s work. “Our
activity involves all aspects of
broadcasting innovation — television, radio and multimedia technology — and approximately 20%
of our resources are focussed on
Control speed of your
prompting script, or
jump between break
marks, with the supplied
i-remote wired controller.
mid-term studies (services listeners
or viewers will hear or see in five to
10 years time). This includes work
on UHD (ultra-high definition)
television (from four to 16 times
the resolution of HDTV), mainly
financed by the European Community or in collaboration with other
broadcasters’ R&D centres —
Japan’s NHK and the BBC.
“Approximately another 40% of
our resources are dedicated to
designing technologies that will be
used in two-to-five years, for example coordinating some activities on
the Digital Video Broadcasting
project. The remainder is dedicated
to introducing new services, in
collaboration with the engineering
teams of the Rai group’s other
operating divisions: ICT, TV and
Radio Production, Archives, Nuovi
Media, Rai Net and Rai Way.”
3DTV is without doubt one of
the hottest topics at the moment,
as the general public’s curiosity has
been aroused by the possibility of
having the new immersive viewing
experience seen in cinema theatres
in the comfort of their homes. On
this specific issue, Morello continues, “Work is currently concentrated
on stereoscopic 3D, which requires
the use of special glasses and here
in particular, at international level,
we are proposing Italian technology
for obtaining 3D and 2D compatibility of the transmitted signals. In
simple terms, this enables to transmit a 3D signal for new 3D-ready
televisions, but at the same time
also allows programmes to be viewed
traditionally on ‘old’ 2D TVs.
“In techno-speak, it consists
in the appropriate use of some
parameters of MPEG/AVC signalling (the so-called cropping
window and Sample
Aspect
Ratio messages) to enable current
HDTV receivers to extract only
the left eye view from the transmitted 3D signal and scale it to
the full screen. This proposal is
part of a technical annex of the
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42
27/1/11
17:50
Page 43
DVB 3DTV specification due to
be approved in coming months.”
Practical results of the centre’s
3D work were spotlighted a few
months ago, when a preview
screening was given of a short
documentary combining backstage 3D footage shot during production of the ‘live film’ of
Rigoletto covered by Rai in HD
from Mantua and aired in 138
on-demand and free of charge
via their web provider’s ADSL
connection. Along with other
Rai divisions, including Rai Net
and ICT, our Centre is developing the entire technological
chain and the apps that will soon
enable this innovative service to
be launched.
“X2TV is another interesting
project we’re working on with our
Technological Strategies Division,
to offer users additional in-depth
content regarding TV programmes on Smart Phones and
iPads. Hyper Media News, on the
other hand, is a powerful tool for
journalists searching for news
on any given issue — on TV
newsreels and the web, based on
the latest Semantic Web technologies. This system has already
received considerable recognition
at national level, such as
Confindustria’s ICMT (Innovation in Information Communication & Media Technology)
‘Prize of Prizes’ award, presented
to Rai by Italy’s President.”
Another field in which the
Rai Research Centre has been
working for some time is that of
new DVB technology for radio
transmissions. Morello, who
was chairman of the DVB technical committees that defined
the DVB-DSNG and DVB-S2
systems, concludes, “It’s now
the turn of the new DVB-NGH
(Next Generation Handheld)
standard, due to see the light of
day in 2011, which will enable to
re-use terrestrial television networks to reach mobile phones.”
Dr Alberto Morello: “X2TV is another
interesting project we’re working on”
countries (TVBEurope October
2010) and the 2D images beamed
out via satellite.
The setup used in Mantua featured a pair of Ikegami HDL51
cameras mounted on a custom
support built to Rai specs that
enabled manual stereo base and
convergence angle adjustment.
Fitted with Canon HJ17ex7.6B
IASE lenses, the cameras were
connected via fibre optic cable to
a system for stereoscopic calibration, also designed by the Centre,
that enables to fine-tune the
cameras’ geometric configuration
using appropriate video monitors, and a colour calibration system with a waveform monitor.
The single-cable fibre optic transmission system enabled two signals to be fed from the cameras to
the control room and one in the
opposite direction, displayed in a
viewfinder and used as a monitor
for the cameraman as well as for
system calibration. The CRIT’s
3D work also includes longerterm European projects, which
allow full HD quality 3D viewing
without glasses.
In-depth X2TV
Catch-up TV is another hot topic,
as it combines the TV world with
that of broadband and internet.
There are various proposals at
world level for providing web
content on television: from interactivity to YouTube and Google TV.
Morello continues, “Our Research
Centre is working with the other
Italian digital terrestrial and sat
television players (DGTVi) to
establish how to provide ondemand video content via Internet.
“The ‘main dish’ of these
services should be precisely
Catch-up TV, where viewers will
be able to choose one of the
programmes broadcast during
the previous week and receive it
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43
27/1/11
17:51
Page 44
The holy grail of 2D conversion is to achieve negative parallax
Transforming 2D to 3D
3D Production
By George Jarrett
One of the hardest things to
believe about the booming area of
stereoscopic 3D is that converting
live 2D camera feeds and 2D
archive content to 3D could ever
be a simple matter of plug and
play, on the fly processing.
The first to gather some proprietary algorithms — and deservedly
bag loads of ‘hit pick’ awards at
IBC — was JVC with the IF2D3D1. It has now sold several
dozen of this box, but it is very
keen to identify what the product is
designed for and where it resides in
the OB armoury because some
people expect too much.
“It has actually been on the
market for nine months and used
for some major productions, but
2D to 3D conversion is an awkward subject,” says Kris Hill, sales
executive and 3D product specialist
at JVC. “People did not think it
could be done, and first up it is not
designed to get you away from true
stereo. It is yet another tool to complement true stereo acquisition.
“Where it is being openly used
is in current events, where they are
taking from 2D camera positions
that simply do not work in 3D for
one reason or another. They convert on the fly and in realtime to
3D using our processor,” he adds.
“The other purpose of the tool —
so it can be seen as a ‘get you out
of trouble’ box — is taking archive
footage shot originally in 2D and
re-purposing it for insertion in
largely 3D acquisition projects.”
Asked what the common misconceptions are, Hill says:
“Precisely that you simply put
Oh for negative parallax
The IF-2D3D1 weighs about the
same as a laptop and is not much
bigger in footprint as it comes in a
19-inch rack-mountable frame. It
looks so unremarkable it is hard to
imagine there is a technical holy
grail to chase.
“It is very plug-and-play, unlike
other processor systems where
you get a big server system, software, and set-up issues to
resolve,” says Hill. “The holy grail
of 2D conversion is to achieve
negative parallax. The current box
will only put everything it converts
“It is very plug and play, unlike other processor systems
where you get a big server system, software, and
set-up issues to resolve” — Kris Hill, JVC
your 2D footage through our box
and you have got a 3D programme or film. That’s not the
case. It is designed, for the live
events business, to do something
very quickly on the fly, but when
you are working with archive content it does about 70-80% of the
work for you.”
into positive parallax, where
everything looks like it is behind
the screen. This gives you an
immersive feeling.
“What people are hoping for,
and indeed what we are looking at,
is what we can do with the algorithms to bring some content to the
negative space as well,” he adds.
The JVC image processor was used for a 3D production of the
Prince’s Trust Rock Gala at the Royal Albert Hall last Christmas
Hill sees 3D as a niche market
at present, peopled by a growing
professional community. The
processor has been used regularly
by OB facility companies like
Telegenic and production outfits
like Nineteen Fifteen 3D, and it
was this combo which made history at the Albert Hall just before
Christmas with a 3D production
of the Prince’s Trust Rock Gala,
starring Eric Clapton.
“We do not choose the projects.
Everybody in the 3D community will
find how our product works. It was
even used at the World Cup, despite
that being a Sony event,” says Hill.
“The Albert Hall event was
managed by stereographer Vicki
Betihavas of Nineteen Fifteen, and
she has had experience of using our
box with the guys at Telegenic —
the OB provider to Sky — before,”
he adds. “Her expertise alone
works best because obviously she
knows what camera positions are
going to work best. Vicki knows
what you can get, and indeed the
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Visit Nevion at BVE
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Stand G46
27/1/11
17:26
Page 1
RAI Amsterdam
Conference 8-13 September : Exhibition 9-13 September
Exhibit at
IBC2011
Raise your profile, move into new
markets, develop distribution channels
and generate sales leads.
• 48,000+ attendees from over
140 countries
• more than 1,300 of the industry’s
leading companies
• leading event for professionals
involved in the creation, management
and delivery of entertainment and
electronic media content
• world renowned conference with
over 300 global leaders presenting
their views on the future direction of
the industry
• benefit from a number of added
value opportunities including the
Production Village, Post Production
Zone, New Technology Campus,
IBC Awards Ceremony and the
IBC Big Screen Experience
To exhibit at IBC2011
contact the Exhibition team on:
[email protected]
IBC Fifth Floor International Press Centre 76 Shoe Lane London EC4A 3JB UK
T +44 (0) 20 7832 4100 F +44 (0) 20 7832 4130 E [email protected]
www.ibc.org
27/1/11
18:49
Page 46
AD
INDEX
43
Argosy
www.argosycable.com
25
AJA www.aja.com
5
Blackmagic Design
www.blackmagic-design.com
Bridge Technologies
3
www.bridgetech.tv
Canon www.canon.com
19
34,47 Clearcom
www.clearcom.com
Datavideo
42
www.datavideo.nl
IFC Digital Rapids
www.digital-rapids.com
DVS www.dvs.de
38
4,17 EVS www.evs.tv
For-A www.for-a.com
37
Guntermann and
23
Drunck www.gdsys.de
Harris
FC
www.harris-broadcast.com
IBC www.ibc.org
45
Juenger Audio
10
www.junger-audio.com
Lynx Technik
39
www.lynx-technik.com
Matrox
13
www.matrox.com
Miranda
15
www.miranda.com
Murraypro
40
www.murraypro.com
Nevion www.nevion.com
44
Newtek
9
www.newtek-europe.com
Oasys www.oasys.com
30
Octopus
26
www.octopus-news.com
22,46, Playbox
www.playbox.tv
48
Publitronic
27
www.publitronic.com
Quantum
22
www.quantum.com
Red Byte
8
www.decimator.com
16,18, Riedel
www.riedel.net
20
Rohde und Schwarz
33
www.rohde-schwarz.com
Snell
21
www.snellgroup.com
Solid State Logic
31
www.solid-state-logic
Sony MPE
7
www.pro.sony.eu
Tools on Air
28
www.toolsonair.com
TV One
41
www.tvone.co.uk
TwoFour54
11
www.twofour54.com
Vector3
29
www.vector3.tv
Wohler
35
www.wohler.com
46
Cloud produces bright outlook
‘Cloud’ is the latest buzzword when it come to computing technology.
Philip Stevens looks at how it is helping with the streaming of sports events
For most people talk of ‘Cloud’
usually means the potential for a
dull time ahead. But in terms of
computer technology, ‘Cloud’ is far
from bleak — in fact, it opens up a
whole new vista of opportunties
for those in the broadcast industry.
Put simply, cloud computing
embraces services used on the internet without the need to download
any software. Most people already
use Cloud when they log in to Gmail
or Yahoo. The information being
sourced or collected is located in a
central place rather than on a specific
computer. In short, Cloud involves a
grid of computers and a serviceoriented architecture to deliver software and data from a production
source to selected participants.
Although the technology can
be used by just about any industry, developments by broadcasters
are opening up new opportunities.
In order to provide a more wideranging service to its customers,
London-based sports production
company, Input Media has formed
a strategic alliance with Octopus
Media Technology, one of the leading Cloud-based content management and digital delivery facilities.
OctopusMT’s range of services
includes enhancing websites with
video content, bespoke online
video applications, digital content
storage, broadcast content management and distribution, global
digital delivery of rushes, interactive IPTV channels, hosting, webcasting, web-TV simulcasting, and
live events streaming.
“An increasing demand for
new media services meant that we
Transforming
2D to 3D
limitations from the box as well. It
is a process, fair and simple. It takes
2D feeds and works on the fly.”
Betihavas does indeed trust
the IF-2D3D1. In shooting the
David Johnson: “The main advantage
is that it is browser-based”
wanted to find flexible and economic solutions for our customers,’
explains Input Media’s Managing
Director, David Johnson. “So, it
makes sense to form alliances with
specialists in areas outside our main
core expertise. This enables Input
Media to concentrate on production work — which is our speciality.”
The Octopus platform used by
Input Media is Software As A
Service (SAAS) and browserbased. This means that content can
be uploaded and managed anywhere in the world from any
device with an internet connection,
without the need for any extra software or hardware.
“The main requirement for
Input Media was a very flexible
solution that could be tailored
for each individual client,” reveals
Andrew Eborn, founder and
president of Octopus Media
Technology/Octopus TV. “For
Prince’s Trust Rock Gala her team
used the processor for 2D feeds
from a couple of camera positions, but the output from one of
those positions would not work
with either the JVC or Sony converters — and that camera output
was subsequently kept for the 2D
version of the show.
“It likes certain 2D positions
better than others,” she says. “We
As far as Input Media is concerned,
the alliance (which has been in place
since August 2010) enables the company to offer new openings to its
clients in, what is, after all, a fast
changing space. “There are added
value services that can be gained
through Cloud technology,”declares
Johnson. “The main advantage is
that it is browser-based. Subject to
rights availability, which we can
manage, the user can access content
on any device, anywhere, without
complicated set-ups. This makes the
services more appealing to the user.
We can also offer our clients the
option of securing additional revenue streams through VoD and
micropayment mechanisms.”
Such facilities can also be valuable as a business to business service
because clients can access their own
content for review more easily.
Input Media is convinced that, over
time, these types of usage will
become more and more valued.
To ensure the system would
deliver the expectations of Input
Media and its clients, technical personnel from both companies were
involved in several trials at various
events covered by the producer. The
strategic alliance was launched with
a series of live football matches being
streamed for SportFive, the international rights management company,
and The Football Association via
FA.com, including The FA Cup
draws, England Under 21 matches
and the Euro 2012 qualifiers
Even though the technology is
the main ingredient of the alliance,
Input Media personnel have had to
view the output in a different way.
“The biggest change is that there is a
new end product, in addition to the
main TV output,’ states Johnson. “It
really depends, programme by programme, sometimes there are slight
editorial or production changes that
are required to meet the demands of
making content fit for the different
platforms. We work closely with
Octopus when new work is booked
to make sure the set-up is appropriate, and then after that it is fairly
straightforward.”
He adds, “We’re involved in a
growing market. Improvement in
bandwidth and devices such as
mobiles and tablet units like the iPad
will drive progress through customer
demand. It is important to stay in tune
with a fast moving market place, and
working with a range of partners is
enabling us to build upon the strength
of our core production work.”
used the JVC box in post on certain shots and it was great. They
worked well in the final show.”
The IF-2D3D1 is equipped
with 3D image and camera adjustment tools. This means that you
can use flip-flop and rotate techniques via the box. It has dual
waveform monitors, dual vector
scopes, plus split-screen overlays
in anaglyph mode.
“Using the box and any 2D
screen when you are using your
3D rig(s) it will align your cameras (using red and blue type
glasses). It has a rotation mirror
function as well,” says Hill. “It
will give you four different 3D
output formats — side-by-side,
above and below, checkerboard
and line-by-line — and it will kick
that out either as HDMI or SDI.”
example, one of the contracts is for
a service that needs the capacity to
stream up to 12 live football matches
simultaneously. The Octopus equipment handles this effortlessly.”
The Octopus browser-based
platform is not only an economical
solution for Input Media’s services,
but it also opens new revenue
streams. One part of the system —
Octopus Digital Courier — also
enables large files to be delivered
globally without the need for tapes
and couriers. With accelerated
upload and download, Octopus
Digital Courier is significantly
faster than normal ftp and also
offers several additional advantages
tailored to industry requirements.
Added value
3/12/10
14:14
Page 1
Digital intercom systems for
greater performance, usability and value
HelixNet™
All-Digital, Unified Intercom System
s Group communications with greater channel capacity
and flexibility
s Operates on twisted-pair cables (mic cables
and CAT-5)
s Enhanced ‘Clear-Com Sound’ with digital precision
s Beltpacks interconnect passively: Y-splits,
one-to-many splits, daisy-chaining
s Intuitive control operations for ease of use
s Interface modules for connections to 2- or
4-wire audio sources
Tempest®2400
2.4GHz Digital Wireless Intercom System
s Excellent audio intelligibility even in crowded Wi-Fi environments
s High audio dynamic ranges (>94dB) to reduce noise
s Multi-Modes of operations:
- Normal (Up to 5 full-duplex BeltStations)
- Split (4 full-duplex BeltStations +
1 Talk-at-a-time with unlimited users
on a common channel)
- Shared (Unlimited users but only 5
total operations at any given time,
i.e. talk, listen, relay)
s No drop-outs at end of range
s No frequency coordination required. License-free worldwide.
www.clearcom.com
27/1/11
17:29
Page 1

3D Treasure for Arri

Transcription

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