Staff Editor Javier de Martín editor@tmbroadcast.com Editor in chief Jesús Carrillo director@tmbroadcast.com Key account manager Cristina Feduchi international@tmbroadcast.com Eva Barreras eva.barreras@tmbroadcast.com Creative Direction Mercedes González design@tmbroadcast.com Editorial staff press@tmbroadcast.com Administration Margarita Quevedo administration@tmbroadcast.com
Summary
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Editorial
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4K, IP and the future of broadcasting
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TM Broadcast International is a magazine published by Daró Media Group SL Centro Empresarial Tartessos Calle Pollensa 2, oficina 1 28290 Las Rozas (Madrid), Spain Phone +34 91 640 46 43
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TM Broadcast International #16 December 2014
PAN SHOT
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Editorial
We are in a period in which several local fairs are held throughout the globe. There are people who wonder whether it makes sense this kind of event in the globalized world in which we live. Especially considering there are large organizations that act as major hubs of technology and knowledge, cases like NAB, IBC, Broadcast Asia, etc. However local events remain effective and in some cases grow. SATIS, BVE, CCW, BITAM, for example, stands for fairs or have settled (some take years) or are growing right now. Products and companies in the audiovisual ecosystem are increasing, and they need local dealers to focus their sales on the right direction because they do have the details of who the customers are, and how to present the different options. It is also true that big brands with big marketing campaigns can market online much of their products, and this is increasing, but this is something not reachable for everybody, in fact this is something that will be reserved for few brands. The rest will continue operating in a more traditional way.
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Expanded Riedel Artist Intercom system enables robust VOIP communications for Scottish Referendum Broadcast Riedel Communications announced that BBC Scotland used a Riedel Artist digital matrix intercom system along with the broadcaster's most extensive IP deployment to date to support communications for its Scottish Referendum broadcast. By augmenting and expanding the building-wide Riedel system used for day-to-day business at its Pacific Quay facilities in Glasgow, the broadcaster was able to establish effective VOIP communications among outside broadcast venues across the United Kingdom. The Riedel Artist deployment allowed BBC Scotland to employ VOIP panels from London to Shetland, all connected to its Glasgow facilities, in a versatile alternative to using ISDN lines. A preassembled and pretested integrated kit provided straightforward plug-and-play
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operation at each OB site. This reduced the time and complexity of on-site set up and configuration. This approach provided much greater functionality at each OB location, where the dual-channel panel made it easy for users to speak to key technical staff back at Pacific Quay. The Artist system included 32 Riedel Artist panels for VOIP communications to OB locations in Scotland and another eight connecting a remote switching hub in London; a pair of four-wires converted to IP for a VOIP connection to an OB at Holyrood, home to the Scottish Parliament; nine commentator panels for radio reports; and two virtual panels for communications with the IT support team. With support from Riedel engineers, the BBC was able to integrate extra panels and cards and perform the necessary programming to increase the
capacity and functionality of the Pacific Quay Artist system without disrupting its ongoing broadcast operations. The fully integrated kits used at each OB site featured a modem, router, Riedel Connect IPx audio-over-IP interface, desktop panel, headset, and input and output leads, all packaged in a flight case optimized for field deployment. "The BBC has relied on our Artist system for daily operations for quite some time now, and we worked closely with the Pacific Quay IT and technology team to ensure a smooth extension of this system to accommodate comprehensive coverage of the Scottish Referendum," said Paul Rivens, U.K. general manager at Riedel. "The resulting communications system supported a rich and dynamic broadcast program for this historic event."
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Miller Camera Support , LLC announces winner of LP ’54 Classic tripod at Abelcine’s 25TH anniversary celebration When professional products and services provider AbelCine recently hosted its 25th anniversary celebration at its Burbank facility, Miller Camera Support, LLC was pleased to auction off one of its LP ’54 Classic Tripods to camera operator David Roy Tondeur, SOC.
collector’s items were produced for worldwide distribution in honor of Miller’s 60th anniversary. Each LP ’54 is numbered and comes with its own certificate of authentication and wooden encasement, which is crafted from the finest Australian Blackwood.
The limited edition Miller LP ’54 Classic Tripod was hand-built from remaining components left after the last production run of the Light Professional (LP). Not available for purchase, only 40 of these rare,
“While I first started out in the industry years ago working as a clapper loader, I later worked for Dixons Technical in London, selling Miller tripods and fluid heads that looked very similar to the LP ’54
David Tondeur - Miller Raffle Winner - AbelCine 25th Anniversary Event
Classic Tripod, which is quite remarkable when you stop to think about it,” Tondeur says. “All of their equipment is beautifully made and exudes high quality workmanship. I am surprised and honored to have won the raffle and receive this marvelous, rare collector’s item.” Born in Bude, South West England, Tondeur, after working at Rank Film Laboratories to achieve his British film union card, ACTT, soon became assistant to the celebrated Jack Cardiff, traveling across the globe with the acclaimed cinematographer to work with him on seven major motion pictures, the first of which being The Wicked Lady with Faye Dunaway, directed by Michael Winner. Now specializing as a camera operator on films and commercials, Tondeur is currently working with Tony Richmond, ASC, BSC. AbelCine, Miller’s exclusive authorized product and service center on the west coast, has been supporting filmmakers for 25 years, meeting the needs of content creators working in digital cinema, high-speed, 3D, broadcast, new media and communications. The recent company celebration boasted close to 400 attendees and included presentations, panel discussions and demos from leading industry professionals looking to share their expertise working on set with an array of production technologies. Additionally, guests were invited to participate in a “Phantom photo booth,” in which they were slowly filmed in 4K slow motion, striking their best poses with a variety of fun props, with all captured footage immediately played back on a 4K monitor.
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Advantech Wireless wins contract to expand a Broadband VSAT Network for Government Services in Latin America Advantech Wireless' S4120 VSAT terminals are DVB-RCS compliant and fully support DVB-S2 ACM/VCM/CCM capability. They are optimized to achieve high-performance and quickresponse time to bandwidth requestsfor professional, enterprise and governmental applications in an economical fashion. “This significant contract is a strong testimony of Advantech Wireless’ capabilities and customer confidence in our advanced solutions,” stated John Landovskis, VP PLM & Business Development, VSAT & Modem Products at Advantech Wireless. “Advantech Wireless’ platform has been seamlessly integrated as an expansion of a previous deployment. The deployed network capacity for the Hub is to support more than 20,000 VSAT terminals.“ Thousands of the S4120 VSAT terminals can populate a DVB-RCS compliant network. The S4120 from Advantech Wireless offers powerful connectivity directly to the LAN/WAN environment or directly to a host computer. The S4120 performance provides bandwidth-ondemand. Designed to support unicast, multicast or broadcast traffic up to 155 Mbps on the forward link (hub to remote terminal), with the choice of standardized DVB-S2 (CCM, VCM, ACM)with rolloff down to 10%, and up to 8 Mbps transmission on the return link (remote terminal to hub), the S4120 is ideally suited for all business needs.
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Ross Video and Sixty announce graphics partnership As part of the growth and expansion of XPression, Ross Video is proud to announce a partnership with Sixty, a Norwegian design agency with more than 12 years experience creating channel brands, on-air graphics and openers for TV. Sixty is the result of a merger between the award winning broadcast design agency Gosu and the digital product developers at Kamikaze Media. Having worked on broadcast design and branding for leading channels across the globe for more than a decade, Sixty has extensive experience of the industry’s best broadcast graphics engines and software. This makes Sixty an attractive strategic partner for many big media companies worldwide; the natural link between content, distribution and technology. Commenting on the partnership, Alexander Øksenberg, Sales and Marketing Director with
Sixty notes “Traditional broadcasters are increasingly having to be cost cautious due to fierce competition from OTT and streaming. We believe that the wide range of advanced software and hardware solutions delivered by Ross Video is not only superior when it comes to price; the real clincher is their product stack and continuous focus on adding value to the media industry through innovation, open ISP and their focus on creating longterm relationships with partners such as ourselves. We’ve used a number of graphics solutions from major manufacturers over the years and we can safely say that XPression allows us to generate a visual quality of graphics that ranks amongst the very best in the world”. Ivo Guilini, Ross Video’s Scandinavian Sales Manager, adds “We’ve been extremely impressed with Sixty’s portfolio of work and it’s clear we both have a very similar approach rooted in creativity and excellent customer service. We’re very much looking forward to developing this partnership and seeing what eyecatching and creative content Sixty can dream up with XPression next!”
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LiveU launches its cloud-based community platform, connecting global broadcasters, media companies, production houses and a network of video professionals LiveU (www.liveu.tv) launched the LiveU Community platform (http://www.liveu.tv/community), a cloud-based network connecting freelancers, production houses and other service providers with hundreds of top broadcasters around the world. Using its own management technology, LiveU has created an online news exchange platform, making it simpler and cheaper for LiveU customers to offer or request newsgathering services for breaking news and events anywhere, at any time. LiveU Community is a reflection of LiveU’s strategy to offer valueadded services to its customers, enabled by its cloud-based central management platform, LiveU Central. Once the connection is made between the broadcaster and the service provider, the content can be transmitted and managed centrally. With the LiveU Community, LiveU uplink devices can transmit to any LiveU server, essentially allowing the broadcaster to use any service provider’s unit as one of their own. Leveraging the massive deployment of LiveU units and servers around the world, LiveU Community enables LiveU broadcasters to find LiveU-
equipped professionals in any geographic location and create unique content at a significantly reduced cost, and much faster, than sending their own news crew or using satellite or microwave equipment. Samuel Wasserman, LiveU’s CEO, said, “Using our technology, we’re proud to have created an effective platform with hundreds of customers that serves as a bridge between broadcasters and the freelance video community. The LiveU Community platform is a real innovation in its field, opening a whole range of options for our customers to connect to one another and acquire valuable content when they need it. We’ve had great feedback so far with new members signing up every day.”
"The LiveU Community opens a whole new door for potential clients. Providing live content as a freelancer is so much easier and affordable with LiveU technology and the Community gives us the platform to access the largest broadcasters," said Terje Næss, Press Photographer, Næss Multimedia AS. Wasserman continued, “It’s a winwin solution for the industry. Broadcasters can obtain content that financially or logistically would have been prohibitive, and freelancers and service providers have greater access to the world’s media. LiveU Community reflects our long-term strategy to enhance our offering with new value-added services.”
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TC Electronic Introduces aNorm ‘aNorm’ is a new, original and highly innovative approach to loudness adjustment that learns the incoming program on the fly and adapts seamlessly to hit userdefined Targets for Program Loudness and Loudness Range (LRA). It delivers uncompromised audio that has not been dynamically processed unless requested. In most cases, setting the Targets is all that aNorm needs to achieve a great-sounding result that stays within the boundaries of international broadcast standards and legislation. In other words, it has never been easier to integrate, setup and use intelligent loudness processing that doesn't destroy delicate balances set in production.
achievable from the first day of a station's transition to loudness normalization. aNorm therefore allows the user to indicate whether or not a program has already been normalized.
Thomas Valter
aNorm represents a revolution in streaming processing that keeps dynamic changes at a minimum by normalizing intelligently first. Only if normalization by itself is not enough to hit the Targets for
TC Electronic also debuts a brand new Loudness Processing Meter as part of aNorm: The Butterfly MeterTM. This innovative interface displays content pre and post loudness normalization using a graph that instantly provides an overview of how and why incoming audio is adjusted. Both the Program Loudness and Loudness Range parameters are reflected visually – not just as numeric values. The sheer look of the meter
is just as astonishing as it is intuitive and informative.
To Normalize or Not to Normalize In numerous published research papers, TC Electronic has shown how transparent normalization is the audio-friendly, low-cost concept that prevents blurring of foreground and background elements. It works across genres, works across platforms and works across codecs – now and in the future. The goal for any audio-conscious broadcaster is to loudnessnormalize programs before transmission. Pre-normalization of all content, however, may not be
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Program Loudness and Loudness Range, aNorm applies dynamic loudness processing. Without proper attention to normalization, the spirit and the revolutionary improvements from EBU R128, TRB32, ATSC A/85 etc. cannot be expected to reliably make it through to the listener leading to the risk of extensive transmission or consumer processing is simply too big. This is exactly what aNorm seeks to prevent, providing a way for broadcasters to ensure their audio is preserved as pure as humanly possible – from the earliest production stage to the speakers of the viewers and listeners.
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ORTM (The Mali Office of Radio and Television) has chosen Studiotech Belgium as partner for the development of its second TV channel Studiotech Belgium has completed and commissioned a new installation for ORTM’s second channel TM2 in the West African state of Mali. Studiotech was awarded the tender for the construction of a new building in Bamako and the supply and installation of production equipment. The Office of Radio and Television of Mali (Office de radiodiffusion et de télévision du Mali, ORTM) is the national broadcaster of Mali. Studiotech Belgium’s challenge was to complete the project in the record time of six months, a challenge that has been fully achieved and has met with full customer satisfaction. The design and development of the project was
entirely planned and managed by Studiotech Belgium, who provided the latest broadcast equipment and systems for this ambitious television project. Mr Mohaed Soumana Maiga, Coordination and Project Monitoring/Partnerships, RAPAF (Francophone African Network of public broadcasting), ORTM said “We were impressed by the design, implementation and the choice of equipment. The Studiotech team were informative, helpful and responsive, and the project came in on time and on budget.” The new infrastructure includes an audiovisual studio containing 3 HD professional cameras and a robotic camera, a control room, a
news room, a lighting control room, a central technical area, a Pro Tools editing suite, two NLE editing suites, numerous production servers, an audio booth, and multiple mobile production facilities. Dominique Verhoest, Technical Director at Studiotech commented “One of the project’s many technical requirements and challenges was the integration of a production control room and final control room in one area to be used for both live TV broadcasting as well as the distribution loop.” The latest and most powerful computer and audiovisual resources were implemented by Studiotech Belgium to ensure production and distribution 24/7 to HD standard.
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CalDigit T4 Thunderbolt™ 2 RAID storage solution available The T4 is a powerful 4-bay storage device that utilizes the power of Thunderbolt™ 2 technology. The T4 supports RAID 0 for maximum performance, RAID 1 for four automatic back-ups of user data, RAID 5 for performance/protection, and JBOD for four independent disks. “Traditional 4-bay storage solutions have a much larger form-factor than the T4. CalDigit’s focus on design and usability has allowed us to create a much more compact storage solution that takes up less space, but still retains extreme performance.”, said Kosta Panagos, Director of Marketing at CalDigit. The T4 is one of the fastest 4-bay storage solutions on the market. With 3.5” HDDs installed it can achieve speeds of 750MB/s, and with 2.5” SSDs installed it reaches extreme performance of 1370MB/s in RAID 0. The RAID 5 functionality of the T4 allows users to not only achieve great performance, but also single drive redundancy. The beauty of RAID 5 is that it gives users piece-of-mind for their valuable files whilst at the same time allowing for outstanding performance. The T4 also features CalDigit’s new industry leading 5 Year Warranty that brings a new level support for professional users who need the reassurance of a 5 year warranty. Traditional RAID storage solutions offer a 1-3 year warranty. CalDigit is leading the way with a 5 year warranty that is also backed by CalDigit’s industry renowned technical support. CalDigit’s investment in Thunderbolt™ 2 has ushered in a new era of 4K capable devices, allowing professional users to integrate a powerful 4K workflow. The dual Thunderbolt™ 2 ports on the T4 allow users to connect a 4K monitor as part of the daisy-chain, with ease and simplicity. “Thunderbolt™ 2 gives professional users the performance they need for working with high-resolution uncompressed 4K video formats, and the T4's data transfer performance means working with 4K files has never been easier”, said Kosta Panagos, Director of Marketing at CalDigit.
Frank Wildner joins 3D Storm as Sales Representative 3D Storm, distributor of NewTek products in EMEA, and LiveXpert worldwide, is pleased to announce that Frank Wildner has joined 3D Storm team as sales representative for the DACH region. Over the past 25 years, Frank has acquired a strong experience, working with leading companies in IT, broadcast and video such as, TrueVision, Matrox and Vizrt. Frank Wildner will bring a solid experience and strong knowledge to the market. "Frank's experience and knowledge of our industry is a great asset" says Franck Lafage, managing director of 3D Storm, "3D Storm is NewTek official distributor since 1999. Since then we have provided the best services possible through our field sales representatives. They play an important role by providing local and bespoke support to our resellers and customers in specific regions. Frank will enhance our presence in one of our main markets, Germany, Austria and Switzerland". As primary contact for local resellers and in close relation with inside sales administration in Bordeaux, Frank is in charge of developing the market in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.. Thanks to wide knowledge of the IT and broadcast industry, Frank will be the primary contact for NewTek and LiveXpert development, training and sales in the DACH region. "I am excited about this new challenge", says Frank Wildner, "Working with 3D Storm is an amazing opportunity. I am looking forward to providing to our resellers and to the whole market a dedicated and driven support". Contact information: Frank Wildner fwildner@3dstorm.com
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Riedel gear supports live productions from Red Bull eSports Studio for streaming to millions Riedel Communications announced that its MediorNet realtime network, RockNet audio system, and Artist digital matrix intercom system are being used in the Red Bull eSports studio at Red Bull Media House's North American Headquarters in Santa Monica, California. The Riedel gear is enabling the production of events, as well as the live streams watched by millions of fans. "Riedel products have continually provided Red Bull Media House with the flexibility, performance, and audio and video quality we require for the production of premium sports events and live broadcasts, and they have proved to be a perfect fit for Red Bull eSports studio," said Scott Gillies, director of production & technology, at Red Bull Media House North America. "The robust functionality of both the MediorNet and Artist systems actually simplifies production while enabling us to put on a sophisticated and exciting show for the millions of fans tuning in from all around the world." For example, one eSports
broadcast format that's produced out of the Red Bull eSports studio pits two video gaming teams of five players against one another. As they play, MediorNet Modular frames take in a total of 20 HDMI POV video signals from the gaming consoles, convert them into HDSDI, and carry them to the control room. The POV cameras focus on the faces and hands of all 10 players, with additional HD-SDI cameras positioned on the game commentators. These inputs are combined with the primary gameplay feeds to produce a complete eSports broadcast. An additional MediorNet Compact Frame is used for complementary shots from other parts of the competition. Additionally, each player in this example wears a headset that provides game audio and a link to other team members. The Artist system supports these communications, as well as the intercom and on-air audio signals of the commentators. Because the Artist system works with 48-kHz digital audio, it is also being used to create a downmix of game audio
for each team, as well as for the audio mixing console. Combining individual game audio with the team communications, the Artist creates 10 individual mixes for each of the 10 players. A single four-core fiber cable, equipped with OpticalCON QUAD connectors, handles all signals. "Once again, Red Bull turned to Riedel to help further their innovation in the field of eSports, and we're proud to continue to play a role in this space," said Sascha Kneider, head of technical services, North America, for Riedel. "This installation is a textbook example of a system that integrates the three main product lines from Riedel. By using MediorNet as the backbone for video, RockNet for audio, and Artist intercom for communications, we can create a lot of synergies. The benefits of this approach are obvious: the customer does not have to buy three different systems that may or may not work well together, every signal is available at every node in the system, and changes are just a matter of a mouse click."
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Lawo mc²56 is France’s next Rising Star! Gilg. “The size and power of the Lawo matrix is simply awesome, and now that Lawo has given Optocore the possibility to emulate Lawo’s DALLIS interface, it’s as though the console sees its own I/O cards and can thus control Optocore’s preamps as if it they were its own. This means that we can harness the combined power of Lawo and Optocore for optimum results.”
From a technical point of view, the show clearly breaks new ground. The same is true backstage where Euro Media, the European leader in the provision of broadcast services who are responsible for bringing Rising Star to French TV screens, decided to call on Paris-based company Yasta to provide the music premix for the OB van. Yasta specialises in live audio recording and mixing of major artists and events for broadcast, either via TV or internet streaming. They have developed a turnkey digital audio recording/mixing/networking solution built around a Lawo mc²56 digital console combined with Optocore networking modules. Yasta was keen to test their methods of audio workflow management in a TV studio environment, so in addition to handling the music premix, Yasta offered to set up and manage the entire audio signal chain from the stage right out to the OB van. “A traditional solution in a TV studio environment would probably take the audio from the stage via
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analogue microphones before being split to go to all the other destinations (FoH, monitors, premix, OB van etc.),” explained Yasta’s co-founder, Louise Bardet, who is handling the music premix for Rising Star. “In each case it’s just an A-to-B link that no-one else can see or manage. Our solution differs in that it is fully digital from the stage all the way out to the OB van – in the case of Rising Star, all of the microphones (except the presenter mics) are digital as well and completely transparent. Everyone in the chain has access to all the signals from everywhere in the network. That way, if something goes wrong at some point in the chain, or if we decide at any point to change things around, the signal can be instantly and seamlessly accessed from elsewhere and either re-routed or intervened upon in whatever way is necessary.” “It is the combination of Lawo with Optocore that makes this solution so uniquely powerful and flexible,” continued Louise’s colleague and co-founder, Benoit
“It’s true that we’re blown away by the power of the matrix, which is particularly pertinent for us and the way we use the desk, but of course the mc²56 is simply the most amazing console in its own right,” said Louise. “The sound quality is just unparalleled – what you hear through this desk before you’ve done anything to the sound is more musical than through any other console I’ve used. I also love the fluidity and ease with which you can configure your work surface however you like depending on the job you’re doing and the way you like to work. On this job in particular, it’s also a big bonus that I can manage all of the digital microphones directly from the console.” Yasta is managing a colossal 768 audio signals in total. Indeed, with the exception of the analogue presenter mics which are handled directly by the OB van, all of the microphones including the ambience mics are digital and all premixed by Louise before being sent to the OB van. In a traditional analogue set-up, the ambience mics would normally be sent to the OB van to be mixed directly with the video, but in Yasta’s all-digital implementation, the ambience mics can be piloted from the mc²56 along with the rest, so it made sense for Louise to manage them. However, as she pointed out, it would be the work of a moment to re-route them to the OB van or elsewhere if that worked out better.
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AVIWEST opens new office in Hong Kong AVIWEST announced that it has opened a new sales and services support office in Hong Kong to further augment the company's growing business in the Asia-Pacific region. Frederic Parbey, APAC manager at AVIWEST, will oversee the AVIWEST Asia operations from this location. The new office location in Hong Kong enables AVIWEST to quickly respond to immediate pre-sales, sales, and service support needs for regional customers with live newsgathering operations. The company's local presence in Asia, immediate services support, and faster after-sales services also benefits AVIWEST's local distributors, resellers, and channel partners. In addition, AVIWEST Asia will soon feature an expert support engineering team for equipment repairs and upgrades, further reducing the total cost of ownership for AVIWEST equipment. "Opening up a new office in Hong Kong strategically aligns with our long-term business goals and technology development roadmap by enabling us to fulfill the current and future market needs for advanced newsgathering solutions," said Erwan Gasc, CEO, AVIWEST. "Furthermore, with China currently expanding its 4G network, the local office gives us the opportunity to explore new business models, such as rental services, for international news agencies."
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BCE, Level 3 Communications and Sony demonstrated 4K live over IP broadcast Using state-of-the-art equipment from Sony and fiber links from Level 3 Communications, BCE configured the production platform and studio in Luxembourg. The broadcast was captured in Ultra High Definition at a 50p rate. The demo on Sony and BCE booth were configured by Sony experts. This demonstration was screened successfully each day and during Sony’sPress Conferenceat IBC 2014. This live 4k/50p production demonstrated bi-directional transmission of 4K signals including audio and realtime remote control (pan, tilt and zoom). Even with the 320 km separating each city, the broadcasting was perfectly ensured with no delay in the video. Live production over IP is the next level for broadcasters, with this demonstration, BCE, Level 3 Communications and Sony proved that large scale production in Ultra High Definition can be done, with no latency, over IP. This performance will trigger the future of live production, opening a new world for broadcasters, increasing mobility and flexibility as well as reducing production costs, since live over IP minimizes staffing requirements but also equipment,
trucks or even cabling for each productions. “We see live over IP as a real game-changer, since it provides broadcasters with a potent combination of format flexibility, creative control and ‘access-fromanywhere’ mobility,” explained Gusty Feinen, Manager of New Technologies at BCE. “We think this technology will play a significant role over the coming months and years as live broadcasters increasingly look today to Video-over-IP solutions as a differentiator today and to 4K in near future,while still aiming to keep their costs and logistical operations to a manageable level.” With this 4K live production over IP, BCE continues to demonstrate its expertise in finding and testing new solutions for the future of broadcasting. “Technology is in constant evolution and it is important that our customers would be the first informed about new strengths to serve their audience thus minimizing their infrastructure costs,” concluded Patrick Bernard, Head of Technical Services at BCE. Follow this link to see the video: http://www.bce.lu/BCE-PR04112014.htm
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Telestream Wirecast 6.0 now available Telestream® announced the immediate availability of Wirecast 6.0, the latest version of its popular live streaming software. Wirecast is the industry's only cross-platform, all-in-one live streaming production software that enables capture, live production and encoding of live streams for broadcast to multiple servers and platforms simultaneously. With new powerful production capabilities, streamlined workflows, and expanded content source options, Wirecast 6.0 offers the capabilities of more expensive hardware solutions with the flexibility and affordability of a software application. "With Wirecast, you don’t need to be a video professional to create polished live broadcasts. It is easy and affordable and all you need is a camera, a computer and an Internet connection to broadcast your video productions to any audience, live or on-demand for a fraction of the cost of other live video streaming solutions," explains Barbara DeHart, VP of Desktop Business at Telestream. The new Replay function enables the capture and replay of clips
live shots to perfectly automate broadcasts, add commercial breaks, or stream archived content during off hours. Playlists can also be used to rotate live camera views. New in version 6.0 is the ability to quickly and easily send content from Wirecast to Microsoft Azure Media Services allowing large-scale streaming broadcasts to leverage the dynamic scalability, reliability, redundancy and minimum capital investment the cloud offers when streaming live to large audiences with myriad devices. during live production, allowing users to easily switch in important captured segments right from the interface. Using Replay, users can slow down, speed up or scrub across a clip and find the exact moment to show. Replay is useful for sports broadcasts or for any application that needs to reshow portions of a live broadcast. The new Playlist feature in Wirecast 6.0 allows users to create playlists on the fly: they can easily drag-and-drop the queuing of multiple videos, images, audio or
"The combination of Wirecast’s powerful new production capabilities with Microsoft Azure’s open and flexible cloud platform helps make the creation of high quality professional program content easier than ever before. By removing the burden of complexity from content owners streaming to large audiences, they are then free to concentrate on creating, managing and monetizing their streaming media," says Sudheer Sirivara, Partner Director of Engineering, Microsoft Azure.
International Datacasting selected for expansion of U.S. Government Broadcast Network International Datacasting Corporation (TSX: IDC), a technology provider to the world’s premiere broadcasters announced a new order to support the US Government for the expansion of its worldwide satellite broadcast network. This order was based upon the continued reliability and high performance of IDC receivers in this missioncritical communications system. The satellite receivers provided by IDC are used to distribute encrypted data files and live streams to sites throughout the world. “The high performance and integrated security of the SuperFlex Pro Data receiver is an ideal fit for this application,” said Doug Lowther, IDC’s President and CEO. “IDC is pleased to continue to support the requirements of this demanding and vital application.”
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Calrec installation in South Africa marks Milestone success for Summa audio console Calrec Audio announced that it has sold its 20th Summa audio console, the newest in its lineup of advanced digital audio consoles. Since July, Calrec has been delivering Summa desks into the U.S., China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Turkey, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, and Kuwait. The most recent two Summa sales were made to SuperSport Outside Broadcast in South Africa. Having standardized its fleet of large OB trucks on Calrec, SuperSport is installing the two Summa consoles to replace the other audio desks in its smaller OB7 and OB-8 units. The small OB trucks will be used for sports coverage throughout South Africa.
we can take advantage of the Calrec benefits in our small OB vans as well."
"OB vans are becoming more and more sophisticated, and space is always an issue, but perhaps even more so in small units. They must be able to deliver the same level of quality as their larger counterparts in a smaller footprint," said Johan van Tonder, technical operations manager at SuperSport Outside Broadcast. "We trust our entire fleet of large trucks to Calrec, and now that the Summa desk is available,
"Our customers and other broadcasters were asking for a console that was every bit as robust as our Apollo and Artemis consoles, but with a smaller surface, fewer resources, and an intuitive GUI with a small learning curve. That was the motivation behind the Summa console," said Calrec's international sales manager, Anthony Harrison. "The fact that we've delivered 20 of them
since July tells us that demand is high for a more compact alternative to our other popular consoles. Progressive broadcasters like SuperSport, our first Summa customer in South Africa, are helping Calrec to gain a foothold in the market for small OB units." Launched in September 2013 with a 180-channel capacity, Summa is now also available in a 128-channel version as an alternative for broadcasters who do not require the larger channel count of the original Summa console. Both versions offer broadcastfocused facilities presented on a straightforward control surface with a highly intuitive GUI, making it suitable for a broad range of operator levels. Operators control the console via a 17-inch multitouch screen inspired by familiar tablet technology using established finger gestures. Summa 128 has been designed for live broadcast applications with a clear focus on ease of operation, allowing fast and easy access to controls to make it easy to create engrossing broadcast audio. On Summa, even complex workflow tasks such as creating mix-minus feeds are simplified.
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Switzerland’s Auviso offers customers more options and flexibility with Grass Valley LDX Première Cameras Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, has supplied Auviso with four LDX Première advanced cameras and XCU base stations. This purchase will provide Auviso’s growing customer base with the ultimatecamera flexibility and superior image quality for a wide range of productions. Auviso features one of the largest, most modern rental fleets in Switzerland, encompassing audio, video, lighting and rigging. The company supports multiple types of events including general assemblies, TV productions, concerts and festivals, award ceremonies and sporting events. “Because we provide full-service solutions for special events, the LDX Première camerais an ideal addition to our product portfolio,” said Martin Elmiger, chief executive
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officer, Auviso. “Flexibility is one of the main reasons we purchased the LDX Première—it meets the needs of our customers no matter what type of production.” Optimized for a variety of production applications, the LDX Première delivers high performance with stunning imagery in standard multiformat 1080i and 720p acquisition and is fully compatible with Grass Valley’s line of 3G transmission solutions that support all HD formats (720p, 1080i and 1080p). The LDX Première canbe scaled up through the GV eLicense program, where users have the choice of expanding their camera’s capabilities forseven days or perpetually. This unique upgrade feature provides broadcasters with a flexible tradeoff between CAPEXs and OPEXs.
The XCU base station gives Auviso customers full 3G transmission connectivity for both triax and fiber. The unique XCU cradles are premounted and prewired in the rack, making a secure mechanical and electrical connection. They can easily slide in and out whenever needed and are transferable between OB vans, studios or anyplace. “The LDX Premièrecamera offers the right combination of quality, flexibility and upgradeability for Auviso’s diverse customer base and the variety of events they produce,” said Said Bacho, senior vice president, EMEA, Grass Valley. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Auviso and look forward to supporting the company’s continuing growth and innovation.”
NOV
PA N S H O T
NUGEN Audio donates VisLM licenses to 41 NaSTA student stations NUGEN Audio announced that it has supplied licenses of VisLM, the company's industry-leading loudness metering plug-in, to 41 student television stations throughout the U.K. All members of the National Student Television Association (NaSTA), the student stations will use the plug-ins to help them comply with the European Broadcasting Union's EBUR128 loudness recommendations, and also as a training tool for students to gain loudness monitoring experience in preparation for professional careers. "People usually think of television as a visual medium, but they are more likely to notice flawed audio. Therefore, it's critical that broadcast sound be flawless, not only to meet regulations but also to provide the best possible experience for viewers," said Mitchell Perry, NaSTA marketing officer. "With its generous sponsorship, NUGEN Audio is giving our student members an opportunity that is simply not available in most of the U.K.'s television production courses: a chance to learn about loudness management and how to edit sound according to industry standards. After working with VisLM, students will be able to add another valuable skill to their CVs and increase their employability." NaSTA distributed the VisLM licenses to student stations throughout its network in Scotland, England, and Wales. VisLM is in use daily by on-campus television stations to create and edit programs ranging from major events and sports matches to coverage of student elections.
2014
Video Clarity's RTM and ClearView now include built-in decoding of DolbyÂŽ Digital Audio Many facilities for cable, IPTV, and satellite program distribution carry Dolby Digital audio in programs from the origination point through digital processing and distribution. As part of the encoded video/audio package, these signals need to be decoded from the file or the network in order to be tested for quality, loudness, and lip sync. Previously, in order to test SDI or IP video streams, RTM and ClearView systems required an additional external decoding device to provide PCM (uncompressed), MPEG, or AAC audio in the stream. With this new function, Video Clarity customers can now use RTM and ClearView to test files and streams containing Dolby audio without having to decode IP streams to baseband signals. Additionally, operators can join and switch to any stream over an IP network and selectively decode any of those audio/video streams serially for testing. The new integrated decoding functionality saves television networks and other broadcast facilities the expense of having to purchase a separate decoding device, and also reduces cabling and power consumption. "Audio testing has become a critical component in the program distribution chain. By providing a built-in Dolby Digital decoding feature in ClearView and RTM, we're able to offer our customers an even more complete and robust set of test functions," said Blake Homan, president and founder of Video Clarity. "This is a needed capability in practically any quality testing environment, whether it's for a TV operator or a broadcast processor manufacturer. It's the latest example of how we are continually and incrementally adding the features and enhancements that our users need."
"For more than 40 years, NaSTA has played a lead role in supporting, promoting, and representing student television in the U.K.," said Jon Schorah, founder and creative director, NUGEN Audio. "It is our pleasure to assist NaSTA in this effort, and it's gratifying to know that our technology is helping these future television professionals develop the skills they need to be successful."
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NOV
PA N S H O T
2014
Quantum's new StorNext Pro Foundation brings high-performance workflow storage to smaller workgroups Quantum Corp. has extended its line of high-performance StorNext Pro™ Solutions with the introduction of StorNext Pro Foundation, a low-cost, integrated shared storage system designed specifically for smaller workgroups. Built on proven StorNext 5 collaboration and workflow software, StorNext Pro Foundation brings the capabilities of Quantum's award-winning StorNext Pro Solutions to a new audience of media professionals in post and broadcast as well as those managing corporate and government video.
Complete, HighPerformance Solution - Ready to deploy within new or existing networks, StorNext Pro Foundation gives smaller production workgroups a highperformance, attractively priced solution for managing content from ingest to delivery to archive.
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- The underlying StorNext 5 platform enables extreme versatility to ensure that, as customers' workflows evolve, the solution will provide the power to meet their needs for content ingest from multiple sources, collaborative content creation, ontime delivery in any format and content preservation for future monetization.
Configurations and Support
Full Xsan Compatibility
- Either configuration can support up to four file systems (volumes) comprising 100 million files.
- StorNext Pro Foundation provides full Xsan compatibility, enabling smaller workgroups — such as ad agencies, corporate video production departments and houses of worship that create significant amounts of video — to refresh or upgrade their Xsan storage environments. - Current StorNext® users can also leverage StorNext Pro Foundation to add smaller workgroups for graphics, rendering and EFX.
- StorNext Pro Foundation comes in either 48TB or 96TB configurations, which respectively support five and seven simultaneous Xsan/Windows/Linux SAN clients, including two Windows/Linux SAN clients as core system components.
- The 48TB configuration is upgradable to 96TB. - Customers have the option of purchasing a StorNext AEL500 tape archive with either the 48TB or the 96TB configuration. - StorNext Pro Foundation includes one year of Quantum support with 30-minute phone response.
NOV
PA N S H O T
2014
U.K. media-training leader DV Talent chooses Forscene for edit producer training Forbidden Technologies plc (AIM: FBT), announced that DV Talent will offer a training course for edit producers featuring Forscene. DV Talent is the U.K.'s leading independent training school for TV, film, and media professionals. The course, "Edit Producing for Professionals with Forscene," will take place at DV Talent in London in late November and then several times during 2015. The economics and relentless pace of media production today have created the new role of edit producer. An edit producer is someone who hasn't been on the shoot but directs and produces the edit. This scenario may occur for various reasons, most commonly because the edit has to start while filming is ongoing. "Forscene is the perfect solution for edit producers because its intuitive interface makes it easy to learn and quick to master," said Stephen Streater, CEO at Forbidden Technologies plc. "Forscene allows edit producers to
prepare for the edit before they get into the edit suite — to familiarise themselves with the material and start doing sync pulls and rough cuts. It continues to be helpful during the edit; the producer can work in tandem with the editor to search for and identify clips in Forscene while the editor works on crafting the final product." Taught by two award-winning TV professionals, executive producer Chloe Solomon and senior edit producer Jo Woolf, the practical two-day course is designed for producers, directors, APs, and others looking to build their skills as edit producers. It also aims to benefit those involved in managing and working with edit producers. In addition to learning how to step confidently into the role of the edit producer, attendees will learn how to use Forscene for cloud-based video production and how to get the most from the platform. By the end of the course, attendees will be confident in using Forscene to log and manage material.
"When we were designing our new 'Edit Producing for Professionals' course, it quickly became apparent that it was essential to incorporate modules on Forscene," said Matt Born, managing director of DV Talent. "Speaking to the industry, it is clear that Forscene is the stand-out software for managing rushes efficiently and effectively." "In our experience Forscene is the most common viewing and logging device used in factual entertainment edits, thanks to a combination of factors: It has a good user interface; it can be used anywhere there's a Web connection; and it doesn't involve expensive and time-consuming ingesting of data," Woolf said. "Without Forscene it takes a great deal of time to view and log the rushes needed for a show, which has an impact on the whole edit. In cases in which there's an editor working with an edit producer who hasn't been on the shoot, Forscene is essential."
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NOV
PA N S H O T
2014
Wealth of industry leaders to drive discussion at IABM Annual International Business Conference & Awards IABM has announced its expert speaker line up for the association’s Annual International Business Conference & Awards. The highlight of the two-day conference is Friday’s keynote presentation by John Amaechi OBE. Amaechi, a New York Times best-selling author, psychologist, organisational consultant and executive coach, will deliver an insightful presentation titled “Achieving Authentic Leadership and Inspiring Intrinsic Motivation”. The event is taking place on 4-5 December and brings together leading figures from the broadcast and media technology industry, the digital entertainment industry and experts from the wider business world to engage in two days of discussion and debate. Following lunch and a networking session on day one, the conference agenda begins with IABM CEO Peter White’s presentation, Taking the Pulse of the Industry, that maps out business trends based on the organisation’s market intelligence. This will be followed by a series of presentations from industry professionals, who will deliver key findings from a range of exclusive IABM research projects. The afternoon session also includes two panel debates – the first featuring David Ross, Ross Video; Guillaume Neveux, Front Porch Digital; and Mark Horchler, Elemental Technologies; covering industry change. The second includes panellists Andy Quested, BBC; Steve Fish, Turner Broadcasting; Chris Johns, Sky; Hans Hoffman, EBU; and Steve Plunkett, Red Bee Media; talking about customer expectations. Kicking off with the keynote from John Amaechi OBE, day two includes presentations from Mark Harrison from the BBC on collaboration making broadcast
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Peter White - IABM
manufacturers more competitive, as well as a number of interactive panel discussions on topics such as the state of the industry ten years on, identifying success factors and profitable technology. “As the only trade association that represents the broadcast and media technology supply industry worldwide, we see our annual conference as the perfect opportunity to bring together experts and influencers to discuss both the present state of the market, as well as its future and the trends and challenges that will
impact us,” says Peter White, CEO, IABM. The Annual International Business Conference & Awards is taking place on 4-5 December at the Radisson Blu Edwardian in Heathrow, London, and is sponsored by Ardis Technologies, dB Broadcast, Imagine Communications, Grass Valley, TVBEurope and TV Technology Europe. For the full agenda, please visit the IABM website www.theiabm.org/annualconference
NOV
PA N S H O T
2014
DVEO announces new products at Streaming Media West 2014 Revamped Media Server -Atlas Media Server Designed for IPTV operators, telcos, mobile operators, broadcasters, and Over The Top (OTT) video providers, the powerful Atlas Media Server provides grooming and VOD (video on demand) options in three different sizes. The system ingests MPEG2, H.264, and/or H.265/HEVC live streams over IP, then "grooms" the streams by adding wrappers such as MPEG-DASH, HLS, or RTMP, plus subtitles for closed captions or multiple languages. It outputs the live streams and simultaneously stores the streams as VOD files.
UDP Video Packet Recovery Technology DVEO's patent pending "DOZER" technology enables reliable high quality video delivery over public internet or so-so private lines. The DOZERbox II IP IP is a compact end-to-end Error Correcting Router for smoothing UDP traffic over the public internet, with built-in packet recovery algorithms for alleviation of packet loss and resultant video freezes. It does not add jitter or noise, and does not increase bandwidth consumption like FEC. It is perfect for delivering critical video over congested public backbones.
Mobile Cellular Modem Encoder for H.264 HD Streaming from HD-SDI Cameras - Mobile Backpack: H.264/HD SDI Kit The Mobile Backpack: H.264/HDSDI Kit is a lightweight (about 8.6 lbs./3.9 kg.) H.264 backpack encoder for streaming HD-SDI, SDI, or HDMI video via live wireless video and data transmission, using bonded 3G and 4G mobile network connections. It bundles up to eight mobile network channels from one or more operators into a single broadband channel. Streaming
media production professionals will use this system for electronic news gathering and streaming live video from events. The system ships with a matching decoder and a custom made backpack.
120 Channel Adaptive Optimized Transcoder for OTT and Multi Screen Services --Brutus V IP/IP: TELCO The enterprise class Brutus IV IP/IP: TELCO is a real time Adaptive Optimized Transcoder with 48 Cores -- ideal for simple transcoding or grooming at headends for OTT or Multiscreen services. It transcodes up to 120 SD streams, or 40 720p HD streams, or 30 1080i/p HD streams from MPEG-2 to H.264 or viceversa. The system is suitable for IPTV, OTT, mobile TV, broadcast, and Telco TV, or as a transcoder/reformatter for RTSP IP Cameras. The Brutus supports Flash, HLS, RTMP, HTTP, Smooth, and Live streaming and works well with Wowza®, Adobe® Flash®, and RealNetworks® Servers.
IP to SDI/HD-SDI Video and Audio Decoder -- DStreamer IP/DIG The D-Streamer IP/DIG is a real time H.264 or MPEG-2 decoder that receives IP transport streams and decodes them to SDI or HDSDI, or optional HDMI. Streaming media content providers use DVEO's MultiStreamer DIG/IP to encode SDI or HD-SDI to H.264 IP, then decode the IP streams with the D-Streamer IP/DIG.
Ad Inserter for Mobile Multi Screen Video Delivery and for OTT -- Ad Serter IP/ASI/SDI The Ad Serter IP/ASI/SDI is a broadcast quality playout server with Ad and EAS (Emergency Alert System) capabilities. It inserts or
overlays video clips, graphical ads, logos, scrolling text, and RSS news feeds -- anywhere on live or stored video content, on a schedule, or via signaling like SCTE 35 signals from EAS generators. Graphics, logos, and text can be static, blinking, or rotating.
50 Channel Transcoding IP Video Playout Server with Scheduling -- IP Grooming Server 50ch 1TB The IP Grooming Server 50ch 1TB is a file playout server for scheduled continuous streaming. It stores various file types, then "grooms" them by transcoding the streams to H.264 and/or scaling the video to different resolutions. It also adds various "wrappers" such as HLS, RTMP, etc. With the IP Grooming Server, users can create their own 50 "streaming" web channels with 50 different movies or content, playing on a preset schedule. The Linux® based system is a great video hosting playout server for ISPs, corporate websites, schools, hotels, and digital signage.
SDI/HD-SDI to IP Live Streaming Appliance -MultiStreamer DIG/IP The latest version of DVEO's real time MultiStreamer DIG/IP live streaming webcasting encoder receives one, two, or four SDI or HD-SDI inputs (from cameras, editing systems, or video servers) and multiple IP inputs. It creates multiple simultaneous high, medium, and low bitrate IP streams and sends them to iPads, iPhones, content delivery networks (CDNs), and remote video capture devices.
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NOV
PA N S H O T
2014
Albis Technologies supports growing momentum in Latin American market – partners with FastLink Telecom in Brazil Albis Technologies announced that it has appointed FastLink Telecom as its new dealer in Brazil, increasing the company's brand presence and sales efforts in Latin America. FastLink Telecom will offer the entire Albis Technologies product portfolio, including business access and multimedia solutions, to customers in the region. "Our goal is to provide telecommunications operators in Brazil with best-in-class products and services," said Jamil Naufal, managing partner at FastLink Telecom. "Albis Technologies' business access and multimedia solutions are designed to meet the specific challenges facing telco operators and service providers, making them a perfect fit with FastLink's knowledge and solid relationships in the market." FastLink Telecom is a São Paulo-
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based company dedicated to providing fiber-optic cable, data communications equipment, coaxial cable, cellular antennas (2G/3G/4G), and other technology solutions to the telecommunications industry. Founded and led by executives with extensive experience in the market, FastLink Telecom has developed strong partnerships with national and international manufacturers and distributors in order to provide carriers and enterprises with the best and latest technologies. Albis Technologies' comprehensive portfolio of business access, mobile backhaul, wholesale, and cloud solutions are ideal for network operators looking to boost revenue, increase customer satisfaction and retention, and lower operating costs. The multimedia solutions product line includes the widely deployed
SceneGate™ set-top box (STB), designed to support a variety of traditional (e.g., IPTV, broadcast television, and VOD) and valueadded services (e.g., OTT, interactive content, and media sharing). "Brazil is a hot market right now, and telco operators in the region need business access and multimedia solutions that offer superior-quality design, reliability, and flexibility," said Peter Winkler, managing director, Albis Technologies. "We recently coexhibited with FastLink Telecom at the Futurecom 2014 tradeshow in São Paulo, and received a lot of positive feedback and sales inquiries. Creating a dealer partnership with FastLink Telecom puts us in an excellent position to reach more customers and grow our sales revenue."
NOV
PA N S H O T
2014
Light Iron and Quantel go 6K for Gone Girl Leading Hollywood post house, Light Iron, has used Quantel’s Pablo Rio color and finishing system to complete the world’s first 6K feature post production on director David Fincher’s latest thriller, ‘Gone Girl’. Light Iron upgraded one of its six Pablo Rios with additional GPUs to support an 8K workflow and used its Quantel Genetic Engineering 2 shared workflow system to complete the 6K color correction in multiple rooms at Light Iron’s Los Angeles facility, all in realtime. Light Iron is home to four Pablo Rio systems in Los Angeles and a further two in New York. Shot in 6K on the EPIC RED Dragon, ‘Gone Girl’ is the third David Fincher movie posted at Light Iron, following ‘The Social Network’ and ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. ‘Gone Girl’, an adaption of Gillian Flynn’s 2012
novel, tells the story of a writer (Ben Affleck) who becomes a suspect when his wife (Rosamund Pike) goes missing, leading to a suspense driven plot examining dishonesty, the media, appearances and the economy’s effects on marriage. Pablo Rio is Quantel's high quality color and finishing system that provides the ultimate productive post workflow. Pablo Rio runs on high performance PC hardware and exploits NVIDIA Maximus multi-GPU technology to deliver true interactivity and maximum productivity, with realtime performance at 4K 60p and beyond. Pablo Rio is available as software only and as a range of Quantel-backed turnkey systems. Genetic Engineering 2 provides shared storage and workflow for up to four Pablo Rio systems, enabling better teamworking and more
productive post. Light Iron CEO, Michael Cioni said, “We had to have an 8K DI system in house to accommodate the immense size of the Gone Girl 6K workflow. Together with Quantel we boosted our Pablo Rios and built the world’s first 8K DI system, giving us 6K playback in realtime, in multiple rooms. Pablo Rio and GE2 is the future; its power and storage is unbeatable as the industry looks to 4K workflows and beyond.” Quantel Marketing Director, Steve Owen, said, “Light Iron is leading the post industry with its pioneering high resolution workflows. Michael and his team are always looking ahead to what’s next in the industry – Gone Girl is the latest example of how they push the boundaries of what’s possible. It’s great that Pablo Rio and GE2 are supporting their vision for post.”
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4K or Ultra High Definition (UHD) is here to stay. This is clear in the significant development of 4K-capable video cameras, obvious professional need for 4K set ups, and growing consumer demand for 4K televisions. UHD promises a number of benefits to broadcasters, content owners and consumers. However, between the capture and viewing of 4K content there is a definite gap that exists in the broadcast workflow.
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Txt: John Halksworth, Senior Product Manager, Adder Technology
In order for 4K/UHD to be truly successful, it is the consumers that need to be convinced and with limited 4K content available, where do the obstacles lie for the widespread adoption of this new technology?One of the major obstacles is the limited availability of source transmission equipment that meets the specifications of broadcasters. SkySports, for example, is experimenting with capturing sporting events in 4K and transmitting via satellite using HEVC (high efficiency video coding). OTT(over the top) providers like Netflix are trialling the delivery of 4K programmes. Netflix is streaming season two of House of Cards in 4K and has since added shows like Breaking Bad and Blacklist. However, consumers are paying a premium to view this limited selection in ultra-high definition.
M ANY
BROADCASTERS TO USE A STAN DARD NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE TO TRANSPORT SIGNALS AND LESSEN THEIR DEPENDENCE ON PROPRIETARY TECHNO LOGY , IP AND 4K/UHD ARE BECOMING INEXORABLY LINKED
With the move by many broadcasters to use a standard network infrastructure to transport signals and lessen their dependence on proprietary technology, IP and 4K/UHD are becoming inexorably linked. There are definite merits in using IP as a mode of transport – the infrastructure already exists within the organisation and as a result no significant capital investment is required. Beyond that, it is inexpensive, provides excellent value for money and delivers the high resolution and frame rates requiredby broadcasters. Compared to similar technology, such as 12G SDI, bespoke equipment is required to make it work. The same can be said for fibre – while it is not expensive itself, broadcasters would need a new infrastructure to support it.
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The benefits of using IP within the broadcast environment, from OB and the gallery, to post production, are widely recognised, especially in areas such as keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) technology where switching and extension brings added functionality, flexibility and scalability to operations. Transmitting 4K/UHD requires four times as much bandwidth as HD and as4K screens receive 16GB of data per second some level of compression is required. This can be accomplished using lossless compression that guarantees no difference in quality,
as well as lossy compression where a minimal amount of data is lost. The key to success here is making sure that the data is used optimally and the link used for transport is used to capacity. What makes IP ideal for transmitting 4K/UHD signal is the fact that it can be transported over any distance. Over standard copper wiring, 4K/UHD can be transmitted up to 100 metres before a repeater is needed. When transmitting 4K over SDI there are significant limitations; it can run over 100 metres of 6G coaxial cable, whereas 12G SDI will only go up to
30 to 40 metres. In addition, SDI requires the use of a bespoke infrastructure which is costly and often presents its own challenges. IP, on the other hand, overcomes any distance limitations and adds other benefits such as costeffectiveness and reliability. There are also other options available, such as the use of HDBaseT, a connectivity standard for the distribution of uncompressed HD multimedia content. However, HDBaseT was originally designed
as a consumer technology to move HDMI signals around the home, and as such there are some challenges to consider. The standard is suitable for moving 4K/UHD signal at the lower refresh rate of 30 Hertz and is useful for point to point transfer over 100 metres, where the refresh rate is not a concern. However, it requires expensive switching technology with high power requirements. While many argue that moving 4K/UHD signals over IP could be
T RANSMITTING 4K/UHD
REQUIRES FOUR TIMES AS MUCH BANDWIDTH AS HD AND AS 4K SCREENS RECEIVE 16GB OF DATA PER SECOND SOME LEVEL OF COMPRESSION IS REQUIRED
restructured by bandwidth, the likelihood of 10GB, 40GB and even 100GB Ethernet is quickly becoming a reality. The technology already exists and will be commoditised before too long. When this happens, the cost of implementation will fall even further. This same principle applies to the television manufacturers; at the moment 4K televisions are expensive. However, just as with HD, as the technology develops, is more widely adopted and accepted, prices will decrease making it more accessible. As more broadcasters and content owners move away from using bespoke technology and seek to successfully deliver 4K/UHD content to viewers, the use of IP as a standard network infrastructure will become more attractive. This will be seen not only in its use to transport signals around the studio and facilities, but also in delivering content to viewers.
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ContentWise™ announced that Sky Italia has selected its discovery solution to power personalized recommendations for Sky Online™, Sky Italia’s recently launched online video service. The ContentWise solution enables Sky Italia to offer subscribers of its Sky Online service an intuitive, personalized experience that combines discovery, content recommendations and viewing like never before. It will be deployed as part of a systems integration project managed by Ericsson. Sky Online provides subscribers with access to a broad content catalog, including movies, sports and TV series. The entire offering will be available online to create an enhanced viewer experience accessible from any device. “Creating amazing entertainment experiences always means putting the customer first,” said Pier Paolo Tamma, CIO, Sky Italia. “As viewers demand more relevance and convenience in the content they consume, our goal is to make sure they can enjoy moving effortlessly across discovery patterns. Selecting
ContentWise’s solution makes this vision a reality.” The ContentWise solution offers Sky Italia complete management of Sky Online through use of its powerful multidevice content publishing tool, which enables content curators to deliver targeted video recommendations. The solution also offers advanced interactive analytics, providing valuable insights such as recommendations effectiveness and user engagement, giving Sky Italia more visibility and control over the user discovery process. “The inspiration for ContentWise has always been to make it easy for service owners to put the user at the center of the entertainment experience, offering a onestop-shop for personalized discovery and enabling continuous improvement of the experience,” said ContentWise CEO, Paolo Bozzola. “We are proud to be partnering with Sky Italia, one of the most high-profile pay-TV operators in the world, to introduce discovery experiences that are set to expand its multiscreen content innovation and increase revenues.”
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THE MOST VISIBLE GADGETS Test bench written by Pablo Martínez This month we will test several equipments of the manufacturer LYNXTechnik. The equipments are: a portable test signal generator and several converters. I am sure you will know what equipments I am talking about when you see the photos. One of the main features of these equipments is their colour, which personally I think is a very good choice because you can easily identify them and also because of their easy location on an installation. These equipments are part of the series known as Yellobrik. LYNXTechnik has been innovating for years on the audiovisual market,
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providing precise solutions for multiple applications that our sector demands. There are many converter manufacturers and of different price ranks, but please keep in mind that many times cheap can be expensive. It’s very easy to buy something cheap instead of analyzing the technical features and reliability manufacturers offer us. With the Yellobrik series, all the models we have tested (I have followed this manufacturer for years) meet one of my most important requirements: “quality-reliability-price”, together with an excellent technical support service.
TEST AREA
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TEST AREA
Everybody needs, at some point or another, equipments which offer flexibility, both on studios or mobile units in order to plan events which aren’t very expensive but also equipments which can be used on different locations, in short: portable. This is a necessity which grows every day due to the different formats there are. On this test bench I will describe you the most important technical characteristics of different models that I have analyzed within the Yellobrik series, so that you can draw your own conclusions about their possible use and also we will analyze in depth the performance of the test signal generator.
KNOWING THE DIFFERENT MODELS First, I will like you to evaluate the technical characteristics of all the equipments. Although I am not very keen on writing the entire description and I prefer to write only what I consider relevant, in this case I will make an exception and put all the information, because is very interesting to read all the technical possibilities they offer. At the end I will include my personal opinion, as I don’t think is necessary to explain how to use equipments you already know.
- “side by side” , “top-bottom” and “dual stream (3G level B)”
- 3D modes supported:
- (depends on input SDI format)
- “top and bottom”
- Return Loss: > 15dB to 1.5GHz and > 10dB up to 3GHz
- “frame packing”
- Automatic cable EQ (Belden 1694A cable)
- 24 bit (3 X 8bit) and 30bit (3 x 10bit) deep color (R,G,B / Y,Cr,Cb / X,Y,Z)
- 250m @ 270Mbit/s, 140m @ 1.5Gbit/s, 80m @ 3Gbit/s
- 2 or 8 channel audio embedding (selectable)
- Optical Input: 1 x fi ber optic SDI input. LC fi ber connection (Optional- see fi ber options table)
- AES Output: AES3id on 75 Ohm BNC, 2 channels (selectable)
- SMPTE 297M - 2006 - SDI Output 1 x SDI video on 75 Ohm BNC connector
Within the Yellobrik series we have the following models:
- SMPTE 424M, SMPTE 292M, SMPTE 259M
SDI (SD, HD, 3G) to HDMI (CDH 1813) converter:
- Multi-standard operation from 270Mbit/s to 3Gbit/s
These are most relevant thechnical features and the equipment included on the set.
- Optical Output: 1 x fi ber optic SDI output. LC fi ber connection (Optional- see fi ber options table)
- SDI Input: 1 x SDI video on 75 Ohm BNC connector
- SMPTE 297M - 2006
- Multi-standard operation from 270Mbit to 3Gbit (auto-detect)
- HDMI Output: 10 bit HDMI 1.4a support including 3D, deep color and embedded audio
- Support for ‘single link’ 3D modes:
- Type A connector.
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- “side by side”
- Audio Output: Left and right analog audio using 1/4 inch jack sockets (phono sockets) - Balanced mode with 24,22,20,18,15,12 dBu full scale (selectable) - Unbalanced mode with (line level) at -10 dBv - 1/4 inch Jack plug (phono) to RCA connection adapters supplied - USB Standard USB port for yelloGUI interface and fi rmware updates - (Mini Type “B” plug) - Power: +12VDC power supply (included)
TEST AREA
- Size: 105mm x 95mm x 22mm (4.13” x 3.74” x 0.86”)
pling you want to see on the HDMI ouptut over the input signal.
- SMPTE 274M, SMPTE 296M
- Includes: Module, power supply, RCA adapters, HDMI cable, transport case.
HDMI to SDI (SD, HD, 3G) converter with timer (CHD 1812-1)
- Functional if valid reference is detected, otherwise operates in free run
This is a video converter, an audio de-embedder and signal analyzer, yes it’s all together in one equipment, depending on our necessities. Moreover, it can be used to send signals to far locations by usign the I/O optional optical fiber on other equipments. The parameters measured on the input and output will not lose part of the signal when converting the native input signal and even if we don’t resize it. This equipment has everything necessary to interact with the converter without having to connect a control computer. It lets you select the output audio pair of the 16 possible input channels (embedded), as well as the audio level in the analogical sign and the information selection of the sam-
These are most relevant thechnical features and the equipment included on the set. - HDMI Input: 3D compatible input using type A connector - Up to 8 channels embedded audio in HDMI is passed transparently or - replaced with external analog audio input - Reference Input: - SDTV: Analog 525 or 625 bi-level sync, black burst or colorbars - HDTV: All tri-level sync standards (exceptions 1080p 50/59.94/60Hz) - Cross lock compatible - 75 Ohm BNC connector
- Frame Synchronizer:
- (asynchronous) mode. External audio and HDMI input are frequency - locked to external reference, fully cross lock compatible across standards - SDI Outputs: 2 x SDI video on 75 Ohm BNC connector - SMPTE 424M, SMPTE 292M, SMPTE 259M - Multi-standard output from 270Mbit/s to 3Gbit/s (follows HDMI input) - SDTV (525/625) - 720p and 1080p (23.98/24/25/29.97/30/50/59.94/6 0 Hz)
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TEST AREA
- 1080i (50/59.94/60 Hz) - Audio Inputs: Left and right analog audio using 1/4 inch jack plugs - 10k Ohm differential balanced input mode with 24,22,20,18,15,12 dBu - full scale (selectable) - Unbalanced mode with (line level) at -10 dBV - (1/4 inch Jack Plug to RCA connection adapters supplied) - Selectable AES channel for audio embedding (1 through 8) - (Overwrites any HDMI embedded audio present in selected channel) - Frequency response: <+/- 0.2dB 20Hz to 20KHz - 48KHz A/D sample rate (free run or frequency locked to ref input) - Power: +12VDC power supply (included) - Size: 105mm x 95mm x 22mm (4.13” x 3.74” x 0.86”) - Includes: Module, AC power supply, RCA adapters, HDMI cable, USB cable, transport case This converter/timer gives us all the options to be able to include video sources with HDMI synchronized output on our work system, in order to use it on a mixer or for a simple converter without synchronization. The most extended use of these equipments is to convert a pc or laptop video source to put on a mixer the signal and its reference, thanks to the possibility of adapting the work frequency with the refence synchronizer. This is one of the important points of this equipment. At this moment, is very important to evaluate the necessary technical characteristics of resolution and sampling to convert without problems and avoid unpleasant surprises. I have done tests with three different equipments (camera, pc and laptop)and I didn’t had conver-
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sion problems, as the manufacturer says, nor did it lose part of the signal.
- GPI: 2 x general purpose inputs + 2 x general purpose outputs
Bidirectional converter/extenser fiber to series port and GPI (OBD 1510D):
- GPI Inputs:
These are most relevant thechnical features and the equipment included on the set.
- Connector - RJ45
- External passive closure between pins (short) to trigger - Max input switching frequency 25Hz (50 operations / second)
- Serial I/O: EIA/ETA RS232C / RS422 / RS485 (selectable)
- Inp insulation 3.75kV
- Connector - RJ45
- Internal contact closure (relay)
- Baud rate - Auto sense and auto adjust from 300 to 460K
- Max switching frequency 25Hz (50 operations / second)
- Serial setting dip switch provides settings for:
- Max switching power 220VDC / 0.25A or 250VAC / 0.25A
- Select RS232 / RS422/485 modes
- Output insulation 3.75kV
- Select serial termination (for end of line) - RX/TX crossover to flip the RX and TX if needed - Set RS422/485 data direction to automatic or manual if needed - LED status indicators (under RJ45 connector). Serial RX and TX activity - RS422/485 Maximum number of electical nodes = 25 - ESD protection for up to 26kV
- GPI outputs:
- LED status indicators (under RJ45 connector) - GPI Input 1 activity - GPI Input 2 activity - GPI Output 1 activity - GPI Output 2 activity - Fiber:I/O: 1 x fiber optic I/O port (bidirectional) - Simplex (single mode) using LC/PC Connection - WDM using 1310nm and 1550nm wavelengths
TEST AREA
- Optical budget = 18dB - Max distance 10km (6.2miles) - RX and TX activity LEDs on side of module next to fiber I/O - Power: +12VDC @ 0.25A power supplies (included) - Supports external power from 9 to 14VDC - Power LED on side of module
a control equipment remotely handled (today the system has twisted cable amplified and filtered every each 50 metres, due to the interferences present on the itinerary). This system was an easy and reliable solution for all the data transmissions.
Synchro generator (SPG 1707):
- Size: 105mm x 40mm x 22mm (4.13” x 1.57” x 0.86”)
These are most relevant thechnical features and the equipment included on the set.
- Includes: 2 x OBD 1510 D modules (Type A and Type B), 2 x 12V D
- HDTV Sync: 3 x Tri-level HD Analog Sync outputs
These two equipments provide us with the possibility of bridging long distances of technical equipment connections (RS232, RS 422, RS 485, 2 x GPI) with just one line of optical fibre. This way, we ensure the correct transmission of data and avoid the interferences of the external elements to have a reliable and safe transmission. This is a good solution to end with the problems related to long data cable distances. On the test of this equipment I installed it on a main network of fibre which connected two buildings, through which I connected everything via the RS422 of
- Standards: - 1080i /50Hz / 59.94Hz / 60Hz. - 1080p / 23.98Hz / 24Hz / 25Hz / 29.97Hz / 30Hz. - 720p / 23.98Hz / 24Hz / 25Hz / 29.97Hz / 50Hz / 59.94Hz. - 1080psf / 23.98Hz/24Hz - Note: 1080p 50Hz/60Hz is not supported and 720p 30Hz/60Hz is not supported, but the - .001 derivatives are supported
tion rotary switch - Return Loss > 40dB up to 5MHz - SNR > 75dB - SDTV Sync: 3 x Bi-level SD sync outputs - Standards: NTSC, PAL, PAL M/N - SMPTE 170M, ITU-R BT 470.6 - Selectable: 75% color bars / black burst / sync only - NTSC 7.5 IRE pedestal ON/OFF - Adjustable burst phase in 8 increments - Return Loss > 40dB up to 5MHz - SNR > 75dB - Ref Sync Input: Bi-level or trilevel analog sync - Cross lock compatible to 525 and 625 SD sync and all HD sync - standards (excluding 1080p 50/60/59.94Hz) - SMPTE 274M, SMPTE 296M - Audio Ref.: Selectable 48KHz Word Clock or DARS
- SMPTE 274M, SMPTE 296M
- DARS: SMPTE 276M unbalanced AES (24-bits) - Grade 2
- Selectable via integrated 16 posi-
- 48KHz Word Clock: 0 - 5.0V
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TEST AREA
- Accuracy: 2 ppm
upper part of the SPG1707.
- Power: +12VDC power supply (included)
The theory is always very good, but in this case is important to be extra careful as we are talking about an equipment that is going to be essential on all the synchro installaion. We need an accurate and reliable equipment, regardless of the temperature changes and hour use. In order to check this, I tested the SPG1707 for 24 hours within a space that I had previously provided with temperature variations every 4 hours of 50ºF. Then, I measured the SD synchronism level and the audio ouptut synchro was in Word CLock format. The dissipation capacity to maintain the signal balanced was clear on this test. On the video synchro the deviation was of 0.01% regarding the refence value and on the audio synchro
- USB: USB port for firmware upgrades - Size: 105mm x 95mm x 22mm (4.13” x 3.74” x 0.86”) - Includes: Module, 12V DC power supply and wall mounting brackets This is one of the smallest and most versatile synchro generators that exist on the market. As you can see on the thecnical features it can provide 6 video synchro outputs (3 SD, 3 HD) and one signal of Work Clok or DARS (Digital Audio Reference Signal) for our audio desk. They can all be configured with the controls placed on the
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with a standard pattern of 48KHz. I didn’t detect any variation that affected the correct operation of the measurement equipment. In short, is a good equipment if we want flexibility, assurance and accuracy.
Rack for Yellobrik series (RFR 1000): These are most relevant thechnical features and the equipment included on the set. - Compact 1 RU Design - Accomodates up to 14 yellobriks - External 12VDC power inputs - Primary and redundant power options - Power failure alarm GPO outputs In this case, we have a 1 UR rack that can be used as a container for
TEST AREA
- Dual Link Level B (SMPTE 425)
the different equipments of the Yellowbrick series. Although we can place all the equipments, is usually used for the fibre converters (if we were to place other converters we are not longer talking about 1 UR). As usual, I miss the second power supply (redundant) on the equipment.
- 2 x SDI video on 75 Ohm BNC connectors
- Video Formats:
- Preset frequency selections: 50, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1k, 3k, 6k, 9k, 12k, 15k, 18k, 20kHz
In my case and due to how I use these equipments I don’t need this necessary unit, but I understand that because of its volume, is an interesting option to control up to 14 on the same surface.
- SDTV 270Mbit: 525 (480i/59.94), 625 (576i/50)
- Level adjustments: 0 to -79dBFS in 1dB steps
- HDTV 1.5Gbit: 1080i/60, 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 1080p/30, 1080p/29.97, 1080p/25, 1080p/24, 1080p/24.98, 1080psf/25, 1080psf/24,1080psf/23.98, 720p/60, 720p/59.94, 720p/50, 720p/30, 720p/29.97, 720p/25, 720p/24, 720p/23.98
- All 4 channels available to both SDI output embedders, which can embed 8 channels into any two groups (selectable). Each SDI Embedder can be configured independently with different groups and channel assignments.
Test signal generator “LYNX TESTOR LITE 3G” The Lynx Technik Testor Lite 3G, is a very compact generator for generating test signals. It includes a touch screen to control all the system. It is very easy to handle and can be comfortably moved. It has two video outputs that provide us the same format and tone we have selected, but we can change the pattern chart on the output. This is very interesting for checking and identifying the wiring. Here is a list of its technical features: - SDI Outputs:
- Each output is the same format and frequency, but can have different patterns - SMPTE 424M, SMPTE 292M, SMPTE 259M
- Embedded Audio Generator: - 4 x independent audio channels (2 Stereo pairs) each with adjustable level and frequency
- HDTV 3G: 1080p/60, 1080p/59.94, 1080p/50
- Note: When SMPTE 525 dual stream or dual link mode is used, audio is embedded into both streams.
- Multiple 3G Streaming Modes:
- Analog Reference Sync Output:
- One 3G stream, on both connectors. Direct mapping Level A (SMPTE 425)
- 1 x analog sync output, BNC connector 75 Ohm
- Two individual 1.5G streams, one per BNC Connector. Dual Link. (SMPTE 372) - Two individual 1.5G streams multiplexed into a single 3G stream.
- Reference output is the same standard as the selected SDI output - SDTV = Bi-level analog sync only (no burst or video content) - HDTV = Tri-level analog sync
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TEST AREA
- Large Internal Pattern Library - Static Patterns: 100 Split Colorbars, 75 Split Colorbars, 100 Full Bars, 75 Full Bars, SMPTE 219 Colorbars, Full Field Red, Full Field Green, Full Field Blue, Full Field Black, Full field White, Pluge, Crosshatch, 5-Step Staircase, Valid Ramp, Limit Ramp, Multiburst, Frequency Sweep, Pathological EQ/PLL - Dynamic Patterns: EBU A/V Sync Pattern, Moving Boxes - 3D Patterns: 3D Boxes (left eye / right eye), 3D Gray Boxes (left eye/right eye) - Multiple Overlays (Selectable) - Text Overlay: Single line, 16 characters max, static or scrolling horizontally - Circle: 1 pixel circle centered on test pattern - Markers: Safe Action or Safe Title markers per SMPTE RP218-2002 - Power Supply: - internal rechargeable battery. Full charge provides approx 4 Hours continuous use. - Physical - Size (including connectors): 130 x 77 x 23mm (5.12 x 3.03 x 0.91 inches), weight: 250g. I would like to say this equipment is essential for our work installations. In the case of the model I tested, is a very comfortable and simple equipment to use, even if it has more potential that other bigger equipments from other manufacturers. It has a great variety of pattern charts together with the EBU A/ V Sync pattern adapted for LYNX Technik, taking into account the UER proposal on the EBU 3305 document. It has been one of the best discoveries of doing this test bench. I invite you to check the web of “LYNX” and read its development, you won’t be disappointed.
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CONCLUSION As I said at the beginning of the article, this laboratory was not focused on verifying the equipments, but on letting you have your own ideas by reading their features and drawing your own conclusions about how they will work and where to use them. I think is a good series, well designed and strong. I will also highlight its colour, it may same something stupid, however when you are recording live with all the equipments installed, is important to
find a particular equipment just by looking around (it stands out due to its colour). Regarding the generator of test signals, I think is an enclosed equipment in a reduced format with all that is necessary for verifying our installations / transmissions regardless of the reference source we choose. As always, I would like to thank to IB3TV for letting us use their facilities in order to do the test as well as to PROVITEC for lending us the equipments for this test bench.