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 Laura de Diego Marga Quevedo administration@tmbroadcast.com
Summary
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Editorial
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PAN SHOT
Broadcast Video Expo 2015 Preview
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Creative coverage how camera technology has changed what viewers see
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Voice to text present and future Blackmagic ATEM Flexes Its Muscles at Sybila Productions
TM Broadcast International #18 February 2015
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
Published in Spain
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Test: Sony PXW-X180
Editorial
We have a first half 2015 full of interesting quotes, both globally and locally. Obviously the focus of our market in the next months will be NAB, Las Vegas will be as always the broadcasting centre of the planet. But do not stop growing other fairs and exhibitions. Now in February in Amsterdam is celebrating Integrated Systems Europe, where ever there is a greater presence of companies in our industry, and not only that, next year the fair will last one more day, which gives an idea of the acceptance that is having ISE. The next one is BVE in London, 240 companies exhibited this year meaning that is a must for the British market. Of course we can’t forget CABSAT and Broadcast Asia, perhaps more local than the above but no less interesting. Our point of view is clear, all of them are interesting, both larger and smaller. In the world of XXI century remains personal relationships for business, and it is at these events where they are implemented. So is showtime!
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Barix introduces IP Audio Players for fully integrated SoundScape Solution connecting to the central webbased SoundScape interface. A blue-toned backlit LED display details audio program and player information relevant to the location.
Barix last year introduced SoundScape, a solution to centrally manage and distribute branded audio over IP networks of any size. At ISE 2015, Barix will demonstrate the complete cost-reducing, revenue-generating capabilities of SoundScape as the company brings the fully integrated solution to market – including cloud-based content management and live status monitoring via the SoundScape Portal; and new compact, multi-format Exstreamer SoundScape IP audio players for location-based media playout.
software-as-a-service (SaaS) design also establishes a centrally hosted model to increase network accessibility and availability, reducing overall operating costs and maintenance. As a result, SoundScape is more than a basic in-store radio solution: It is a fully functioning, revenue-generating music and entertainment system with hierarchical user management for single locations (clubs, supermarkets), large campuses (universities, corporate complexes) and multi-location networks (retail and hotel chains).
SoundScape is the only “in-store radio” solution capable of integrated audio distribution, remote device management, dynamic contact scheduling, system-wide reporting and monitoring, and high-quality, multi-format audio playout. Essentially, SoundScape brings together several traditional Barix strengths previously available as separate applications—including dynamic, targeted ad insertion—to simplify, accelerate and monetize deployments for content providers and systems integrators. SoundScape’s cloud-based,
The introduction of Exstreamer SoundScape players is significant because it provides a highly reliable platform for remote device management and local playout. The Linux-based players feature the traditional benefits of Barix Exstreamer device¬s—including a compact form factor, low power consumption, multi-format decoding and broadcast-quality audio—and adds integrated control via a simple built-in, five-button keypad. Users can navigate the menu, skip songs, and change audio settings and network configurations without
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Exstreamer SoundScape players also bring greater efficiency to the playout operation through exceptional internal memory, minimizing network resources required for live streaming. A builtin real-time clock ensures that players continue to stream content locally via internal content storage in the event of network downtime— and pick up exactly where the playlist left off upon return of the network. “SoundScape is exciting as it truly offers a wide range of users an audio content distribution system for background music and messages across commercial and public spaces,” said Frank Frederiksen, managing director, Barix. “No other IP audio solution on the market offers as rich of an SaaS-enabled content and player management solution that also incorporates targeted advertising, stream tracking and reporting, and live status monitoring. Adding in tried-and-true reliable Barix audio players, SoundScape brings together a complete hardware and software solution to build new revenue streams and reduce total cost of ownership for branded, location-based music and entertainment.”
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Digigram at BES EXPO 2015 "As a leading supplier of audioover-IP solutions for all applications and all budgets, Digigram will bring to BES EXPO 2015 a full range of innovative IP audio codecs, audio solutions, and professional sound cards particularly well-suited for the FM Radio Phase-III deployment. We look forward to demonstrating the cost and technical efficiencies that our IQOYA audio-over-IP solutions bring to audio contribution and distribution, as well as the uniquely robust performance and feature sets provided by our acclaimed VX, LoLa, LX, and Cancun series sound cards." — Philippe Delacroix, President and CEO of Digigram
Audio-Over-IP Distribution Range IQOYA *SERV/LINK Multiple-Stereo or Multichannel Audio-Over-IP Codec for Professional IP Audio Distribution Digigram's IQOYA *SERV/LINK incorporates multiple distribution codec instances and the company's advanced FluidIP™ technology on a single processing hardware platform to simplify the transport of multiple audio programs (mono, stereo, multichannel) over IP networks in a high-density format. Designed for radio broadcasting and for intercom and commentary for both radio and TV, the IQOYA *SERV/LINK codec allows users to configure multiplestereo or multichannel solutions for links between studios and between the studio and transmitters, DVB operators, or content delivery
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networks. In its compact 1-RU version, the solution can handle up to eight stereo analog channels, 16 stereo AES/EBU channels, 32 stereo MADI channels, or multichannel LAN IP audio interfaces (Livewire and RAVENNA), and up to 64 codecs with multiple GPIOs and RS232 ports for auxiliary data tunneling. The scalability of the system allows users to mix and expand the supported audio I/Os, and a larger 4-RU version provides even higher channel density. The solution supports analog, AES, MADI, Livewire, or RAVENNA audio connectivity and multiple audio codecs (PCM, MPEG L2 and L3, AAC, apt-X), and is one of the industry's few audio-over-IP codecs that can simultaneously stream raw RTP, HTTP, and MPEG-TS/IP streams.
IQOYA *LINK and IQOYA *LINK/LE Audio-Over-IP Codecs The IQOYA *LINK and IQOYA *LINK/LE codecs are full-duplex encoding and decoding solutions that provide uncompromising performance for IP-based studio-tostudio and studio-to-transmitter links, as well as audio program delivery to DVB operators. Developed in collaboration with major European telcos, the IQOYA *LINK/LE codec is a cost-effective version of Digigram's full-featured IQOYA *LINK codec that gives broadcasters the benefit of 24/7 reliability, audio format flexibility, ease of use, and affordability. Based on FluidIP™ technology, the smart IP audio streaming engine
developed by Digigram, both IQOYA *LINK and IQOYA *LINK/LE boast high, field-proven mean time between failures (MTBF), very low back-to-back latency, and a host of state-of-the-art features that guarantee audio quality and continuity.
Audio-Over-IP Contribution Range IQOYA *CALL and IQOYA *CALL/LE Audio-Over-IP Codec for Professional IP Audio Contribution Digigram will highlight IQOYA *CALL and IQOYA *CALL/LE codecs, which allow users to build reliable low-latency IP audio contribution links while keeping costs under control. These codecs are utilized by Digigram's Mobile Studio and Ultra Mobility solutions, which bring professional quality to full-duplex connections between a remote site and a studio. IQOYA *CALL protects the investment of broadcast institutions within large fleets of heterogeneous ACIP EBU Tech 3326-compatible equipment managed by SIP infrastructure. Its front panel enables simple and straightforward usage in all outside broadcast situations. IQOYA *CALL/LE is a costeffective and versatile addition to the IQOYA range of IP codecs. It easily provides full-duplex IP audio sessions over the Internet and wireless connections thanks to its smart signaling and hassle-free symmetric RTP connection mode.
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QVC upgrades audio technology with Lawo Lawo announced that QVC, Inc. has taken delivery of four Lawo mc² series audio consoles and a Nova73 HD central router for their broadcast facilities at its corporate headquarters in West Chester, PA. The mc²56 MKII consoles are being installed in three different control rooms as well as a main theatre and will be interconnected through redundant Lawo Nova73s to provide a completely flexible networked solution interfacing with 10 studio areas. The project was handled by Lawo’s North American office in Toronto, Canada. “As one of the world’s largest producers of live programming, TV continues to be our most powerful platform to share with our customers why we’re passionate
about our products,” said Joe Micucci, vice president, broadcast operations at QVC. “This new system from Lawo enables us to seamlessly provide fun and engaging programming 24 hours per day, 364 days per year to an audience of 106 million viewers across the U.S.” "QVC came to us with a primary goal of ensuring true 24/7 yearround operation due to their unique structure of addressing multiple time zones with live programming," explains Lawo president Herbert Lemcke. "They required robust and redundant operation with the ability to quickly scale. In addition to outstanding audio quality and proven reliability, Lawo is also providing QVC a fully redundant
and integrated audio networking solution with flexibility to access any I/O and drive any production studio from any audio control room.”
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Sachtler launches Premium Bags Range The new Sachtler Premium Bags will see 37 of the 47 existing bags transition over to the brand to complement Sachtler’s wider product range. The product line will enhance the tradition of creating the ultimate protection in the premium video bag market place for professional gear, with the reassurance of the exceptional quality associated with the Sachtler brand. James Wilson, product manager, Sachtler Bags says: “We have simplified the product range to ensure it meets all of the key needs of the industry - whether it is for the camera, lighting, audio or camera support equipment. The new Sachtler Video Bags will take the DNA of Petrol Bags and combine it with those attributes that have
become synonymous with the Sachtler brand, fast, high quality and robust durability. There will be very few changes to the bags themselves, reflecting the quality of the existing products. The design, features and functions remain the same and any changes will be minor, and mainly cosmetic, to incorporate the Sachtler logo, a new interior design and other minor enhancements such as improved zippers and comfort fit straps.” The 37 key products that form the new range will include carrying solutions of premium shoulder, backpack and trolley bags for video, film and broadcast applications. The products will all be manufactured and produced by the existing independent supplier – who has had a strong working
relationship with the Vitec Group brand for the past 15 years. Wilson continues: “Sachtler’s renowned camera support products are consistently delivering the ultimate performance for operators around the globe, from our awardwinning artemis stabiliser systems, to our innovative tripods and the recently released Ace Accessories range. Regardless of the application, users rely on our products to offer the ultimate in quality and reliability, and that ethos will be carried through to the new range of Sachtler Premium Bags.” The new comprehensive range of Sachtler Premium Bags is available via Sachtler and Vitec Videocom’s extensive distribution network.
DirectOut releases updated MADI.BRIDGE Initially developed as a simple link between MADI devices from any manufacturer, MADI.BRIDGE acts as a patchbay, signal distributor, signal buffer and input selector all in one device. The latest incarnation sports a complete redesign and has gained a number of extra features including redundant power supplies, a USB port to enable firmware updates for future enhancements and additional remote control capabilities. MADI.BRIDGE enables the connection of up to 16 devices via six coaxial (BNC) MADI I/Os and two optical multi-mode MADI I/Os. All input signals are
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routed to the desired outputs in their native state, thus supporting any format regardless of channel count, whether or not control data and/or sample rates are included, or even violations of the MADI protocol. Highly sensitive input stages with sophisticated EQ mean that up to 100m coaxial cable runs can be supported, even between devices. An intuitive and easy to navigate user interface makes for fast and straightforward operation.
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Mera-Tech to represent Bridge Technologies in MENA Region Bridge Technologies has appointed MERATECH as its regional business partner for MENA. With a new office in Dubai from 2015, MERATECH will carry and support the entire Bridge Technologies product range. MERA-TECH’s appointment follows Bridge Technologies’ involvement in one of the region’s largest initiatives, having been chosen to supply monitoring technology for a key player for which MERA-TECH is a system integrator. “Bridge Technologies is establishing a stronger presence in MENA, and our partners MERA-TECH will be very instrumental in building our profile, together with Omar Hawary, our Strategic Business Development Manager for the region,” said Simen K. Frostad, Chairman of Bridge Technologies. Through MERA-TECH, media organizations and Telcos in the region will now be able to benefit from Bridge Technologies’ leading-edge solutions for terrestrial, satellite, cable and OTT operators, with award-winning monitoring and analysis probes, intelligent redundancy switching systems and remote video wall displays. “We are delighted to add the outstanding Bridge Technologies’ product line to our world-class inventory including solutions from Cisco, Skyline Communications, Newtec, Snell and others,” said Nicola Gianaroli, Business Development Manager at MERA-TECH. “Now we can offer our customers the optimum in intelligent solutions for developing and operating highly profitable digital media services.” MERA-TECH will demonstrate the Bridge Technologies product line at CABSAT in March 2015.
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Richard Waldner to Strengthen Partner Sales for Imagine Communications Imagine Communications announced that it has appointed Richard Waldner to the role of Director, Channel Sales EMEA. He will be based in Munich, and is responsible for strengthening existing relationships and developing new paths to market. Waldner has had a long career in sales in the broadcast and IT industries, most recently with Avid where he was responsible for sales in central and eastern Europe. Before that he spent time as channel manager for the Apple database product FileMaker, and more than 10 years with Adobe, ending as team leader for channel sales. “With the rapid move to software-defined architectures and IT-based broadcast products, there is a real need for authoritative, informative channel management,” Waldner said. “I am looking forward to developing sales strategies around the new technology landscape with Imagine Communications’ existing partner network. We will also focus on identifying new potential partners who can take advantage of the move to an IT-centric environment and, above all, ensuring the rapid flow of high quality information to the partners and through them to the end user.” Mathias Eckert, EMEA vice president for Imagine Communications, added “Richard has enormous experience in sales channel management from more than 20 years in the industry. He brings a new strength to the partner landscape at Imagine Communications, ensuring that our partner channels provide a real extension of our sales force.” Richard Waldner joined Imagine Communications at the beginning of 2015.
2wcom launches DualChannel FM02 for FM Demodulation, Backup and FM/RDS Monitoring 2wcom has just launched its new FM02 FM Receiver Solution that combines the functionality for the multiple roles of demodulation, sourceswitching for FM backup, and FM/RDS parameter monitoring. Encapsulating 2wcom’s expertise in FM and RDS monitoring into a single unit, the FM02 can be used in a variety of ways to meet a range of broadcasting scenarios. The dual-channel capability allows the unit to receive one FM signal for re-broadcasting, while monitoring a second FM signal with the second tuner; or to receive the same signal on both tuners with one acting as a backup. A very high-quality FM tuner is key to the FM02’s specification, providing it with substantially better FM performance than is typical in competing demodulator products. For source-switching in a backup solution, the FM02 receives an MPX signal and loops it through directly to the output. In case of failure the FM02 uses its tuner as a back-up solution to receive the MPX signal off the air. Robust performance is provided by the unit’s ability to loop through the signal even during a power failure. Extending the versatility of the unit still further, the FM02 can be used as part of a monitoring solution for both FM and RDS parameters. Offering easy remote control via IP and snmp, the FM02 also offers remote audio quality monitoring through its built-in mp3 streaming capability. “Like many of the products we have developed recently in response to customer requests, the FM02 is a sophisticated device that can be used in so many different ways,” said Werner Drews, managing director of 2wcom. “A high degree of versatility is very valuable to customers today, because it saves investment and operational costs, and accommodates a wide variety of network configurations and strategies, and the ability to make network changes without further cost.” The FMC02 is a 19” unit with dual tuners and dual antenna inputs.
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ChyronHego's TRACAB™ to provide powerful player tracking technology for Swedish Premier Football League
Svensk Elitfotboll (SEF) has launched a league-wide rollout of sophisticated player tracking technology driven by ChyronHego's TRACAB™. By the start of the 2015 season in March, fixed TRACAB installations will be installed at all arenas in Allsvenskan — giving the league powerful new capabilities for capturing ball and player positional data in true real time and at centimeter-level granularity. TRACAB is a cornerstone in SEF's "connected stadium" program to install powerful wireless networks and technologies in all arenas and provide richer data to coaches and other league personnel as well as Allsvenskan fans. TRACAB uses advanced patented image processing technology to identify the position and speed of all moving objects within each football arena. At 25 times per second, the system
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generates live, highly accurate X, Y, and Z coordinates for every viewable object, including players, referees, and even the ball. The data provide valuable insight for coaches to evaluate player performance and track metrics such as distance run, speeds, stamina, team formations, and more. In addition, the TRACAB data will be used to enhance live television coverage of matches with "instant virtual replays" as well as enriching fans' experience through second-screen applications and streaming to arena video walls. "ChyronHego's TRACAB player tracking technology is a cornerstone in our objective to be the most digital and connected football league in Europe," said Lars-Christer Olsson, chairman of SEF. "After almost a decade of development, the TRACAB Player Tracking system has matured to become the defining standard in
live sports tracking and undoubtedly the world's leading system in this field." In addition to SEF, TRACAB is installed in over 125 arenas and is used in more than 2,000 matches per year by the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga, and many more sports federations around the world. "SEF's investment in TRACAB is a milestone for ChyronHego and yet another strong validation of our technology," said Johan Apel, CEO and president, ChyronHego. "Coaches and sporting leagues in every market are seeing the value of real-time player tracking data for enhancing team performance and also providing content for secondand third-screen applications. This is driving a real groundswell of demand for the type of unbiased and accurate data and metrics that only TRACAB can provide."
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BBC Northern Ireland chooses MADI-MON The MADI-MON from 4HM gives broadcast, live sound and production audio engineers a simple but reliable way of auditioning embedded MADI channels, without the need to connect to external routers or audio consoles. BBC Northern Ireland (BBCNI) has recently invested in a unit, supplied by Aspen Media, in order to facilitate monitoring of its new MADI audio router and communications systems. As the first device to provide studio engineers with the tools necessary to interrogate the MADI stream in order to view the status of embedded channels, MADI-MON is an ideal monitor for the commissioning and maintenance of MADI-based audio systems. It is the only MADI monitor that makes
all of the audio signals visible and accessible as a breakout simultaneously, with the status bits of the MADI stream also available for diagnostic use. BBCNI chose the MADI-MON because of its ease of use and functionality. One of the unit’s key advantages for broadcasters is that if something unexpected occurs within a MADI system, the unit makes diagnostics - and therefore
rectification - as fast as possible. “’Dead air’ is the biggest enemy of all broadcasters, so fast and reliable diagnostics are a vital part of the system,” says 4HM’s Barry Revels. “We are really pleased that an organisation as prestigious as the BBC has put its faith in the MADI-MON, which will help ensure that its audience always enjoys continuous, high quality output.”
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Imagine Communications receives Technology and Engineering Emmy® Award media companies needing a multipurpose convergence solution to efficiently manage today’s baseband and hybrid operations – allowing migration to the future while protecting their current technology investments. “The National Academy’s Technology and Engineering Achievement Committee is pleased to honor these technology companies and individuals whose innovation and vision have materially affected the way the audience views television and have set the standard for technological excellence in the industry,” said committee Chairman, Robert P. Seidel, Vice President of CBS Engineering and Advanced Technology and Chairman, Engineering Achievement Committee, NATAS.
Imagine Communications announced that it has been recognized with a Technology and Engineering Emmy® Award at the 66th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for breakthroughs in “Standardization and Productization of JPEG2000 (J2K) Interoperability.” This is Imagine Communications’ ninth Emmy recognition and was presented on Jan. 8, 2015 by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) in a joint ceremony with the Television Academy during the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. “We are thrilled that our deep commitment and involvement in creating open standards and facilitating interoperability between industry innovators has been
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recognized by NATAS,” said Charlie Vogt, CEO of Imagine Communications. “These core tenets of our technology vision empower customers to maximize their investments in existing infrastructure and workflows while migrating to an IP future based on open standards and industry interoperable solutions. Imagine Communications’ early involvement in the Video Services Forum makes this acknowledgment of our work creating a multivendor, open standard for JPEG2000 especially meaningful.” At NAB 2014, Imagine Communications introduced JPEG2000 to its leading Selenio™ Media Convergence Platform (MCP) for best-in-class compression over IP. The Selenio MCP is the platform of choice for
Jeopardy! game show icon Alex Trebek and Yahoo Tech star David Pogue, hosted the 66th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards, which honor development and innovation in broadcast technology and recognize companies, organizations and individuals for breakthroughs in technology that have a significant effect on television engineering. This event marks the ninth consecutive year that the Technology and Engineering Emmy® Awards have been presented during CES and the first time that NATAS and the Television Academy have merged their Engineering Awards ceremonies. The reception and presentation took place in the Bellagio Ballroom at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
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Harmonic at Convergence India 2015 At Convergence India 2015, Harmonic will showcase an end-to-end broadcast and multiscreen workflow for 4K Ultra HD services that harnesses the nextgeneration HEVC compression standard. The demo will be powered by Harmonic VOS™, a powerful new solution that provides video content and service providers with completely virtualized media processing from a single software platform, unifying the entire media processing chain from ingest to playout, graphics, branding, compression, packaging, and delivery for broadcast and multiscreen applications.
Electra™ Universal Multiservice Encoder Harmonic will demonstrate the newest members of its market-leading Electra™ encoding family. At the heart of the Electra family is Harmonic's PURE Compression Engine™ technology, which utilizes
Harmonic's experience in video compression algorithms and associated technologies to enable unparalleled codec and format diversity while delivering superior video quality at minimum bandwidth.
Harmonic ProView™ 8100 Commercial Integrated Receiver-Decoder Harmonic's ProView™ 8100 is a single-channel commercial decoder and descrambler designed to optimize primary distribution of video content over satellite or IP delivery networks. Through an advanced feature set and compact design, the ProView 8100 increases workflow efficiencies, cost savings, and reliability for global broadcasters and service providers, simplifying the migration to an IP infrastructure and launch of value-added services.
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Broadpeak upgrades Cloud-PVR Solutions with new impulsive recording capabilities Broadpeak announced new impulsive recording capabilities for its cloud-PVR solution. By enabling video content for multiple end-users to be recorded and stored only once, either on managed or unmanaged networks, Broadpeak's impulsive recording technology significantly reduces operators' storage expenses. "Time-based and impulsive recording can be very challenging for cloud-PVR operators, even when shared copy models are allowed. While the capture can be mutualized when two users request a recording of the same program, a specific technology is required when the recording's start and end times are under the control of each end-user in order to avoid duplicating the video chunks," said Jacques Le Mancq, CEO of Broadpeak. "Relying on an innovative combination of cloudPVR recording methods, our solution allows numerous end-users to request the recording of any portion of a program in an operator network and to access it at
anytime. As a result, operators can reproduce traditional PVR usage without the cost and operational challenges of deploying set-top boxes with massive storage capabilities." As a leading provider of CDN technologies, Broadpeak offers a
Czech Television upgrades to Pablo Rio for high quality color and finishing State broadcaster Czech Television, has upgraded one of its long-serving Quantel eQ finishing systems to a turnkey Pablo Rio 4K system. Pablo Rio will be used for high quality color and finishing of Czech Television’s episodic TV programs and local movie productions. The Czech Television network includes channels, ČT 1, ČT 2, ČT 24, ČT sport, ČT :D, and ČT art. 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-
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comprehensive cloud-PVR solution that includes shared and private copy, asset-based, time-based, and impulsive recording functionalities. Broadpeak's cloud-PVR solution has been successfully deployed by a number of IPTV, cable, and OTT operators in Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region.
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. Czech TV Technical Director, Mr. Ivo Ferkl, said, “Pablo Rio’s advanced color and finishing toolset is second to none, and together with its speed, performance and interactivity, it was the natural choice for us. The system will provide us with future-proof technology, not just for HD services, but at 4K and beyond.” Quantel Sales Director, Martin Mulligan, said, “Czech TV and Quantel have had a long-standing relationship since the mid-1990s so we are delighted they have once again chosen to make such a significant investment in our post technology as they look ahead to a 4K future.”
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Company 3 uses DaVinci Resolve to grade Ridley Scott’s ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ The overall look of “Exodus: Gods and Kings” is a departure from what audiences normally associate with an epic Bible film. “The idea is that you’re watching these epic battles and the seas parting, but it's not the same kind of movie as ‘The Ten Commandments’ or ‘Ben Hur.’ It's designed to feel more realistic,” said Nakamura, who noted that the images he had to work with (as is always the case with Wolski's work) "were already beautiful." In mastering the images separately for 2D and 3D display formats, Nakamura had to always keep in mind the different display characteristics of the two formats in terms of the amount of light that bounces off the screen in areas of the brightest highlights. While the standard for 2D projection is 14 foot lambert (fL), most 3D projection is 3.5 fL, producing a significantly dimmer highlight and much less contrast between the brightest and the darkest imagery that can be displayed. “When you're working at 3.5 fL, you need to globally pull everything up to get the midtones and shadows feeling like they're in the right place to look as much as possible like the 2D version," Nakamura explained. "But when you do what's necessary to get the midtones and shadows in the right place you can start to clip the highlights. So then you need to isolate those areas of the frame that clip and pull them back down. This can be a time consuming process where you draw Power Windows and build highlight keys or other tools to isolate the highlights and manipulate them without affecting the midtones and shadows." But this time around, Nakamura was pleasantly surprised to find a Highlight and Shadows tool on DaVinci Resolve 11’s Color Match Pallet that lets him bring those highlights into the necessary
range for 3.5 fL display without having to create the elaborate secondaries he previously needed. “I use it all the time now, especially when I'm grading for multiple display formats, such as on ‘Exodus.’ It's pretty incredible,” he continued. “Instead of using all the tricks I had to resort to, I can just dial down the highlight adjustment where I like it and everything else falls into place." A lot of "Exodus," especially as it gets more intense, was designed to be really desaturated, with a lot of cold tones in the color that was there. "It was something I could apply over the whole image,” the colorist said, "but there were some portions where color, especially the red in blood, was very important to the story. “You really want to see the color of the blood," he noted, "but once you've pulled the color out of the image, you can't just key portions of the frame where there's blood and pull the color back up," he added, explaining that he used DaVinci Resolve's parallel node function to solve the problem. "I created the desaturation in one node, then keyed the blood in the next node, and then used the parallel node to bypass all the desaturation and color shifts toward blue specifically within the keyed portion of the frame, where the red blood was. Then I could dial that correction up or down until I found where it brought out the color in the blood without looking artificial within the context of the whole shot.”
Nakamura also fine tuned color for some of the day for night sequences by bringing the whole look down, pulling some of the color out and making everything a little blue to indicate moonlight. He used highlight keys to bring the sky down, along with a combination of Power Windows and tracking to bring people, especially faces, slightly up. “Unless a character is moving around like crazy, you can draw a shape around whatever you want to bring up, it tracks really well and the result is very organic looking,” Nakamura explained. “I also worked with some digital sky replacement elements. The VFX company delivered these as separate elements that matched the daylight surroundings. Rather than having them approximate the final day for night look, the VFX house built skies and other elements that matched the daylight environment. Then I held those pieces in an alpha channel so we could create the day for night all at once in the finishing theater." For the colorist, "Exodus," like all his work for Scott, was challenging and exciting. "There's no director in the business more attuned to the power of visual storytelling," he summed up.
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Vualto chooses THEOplayer from OpenTelly for HTML5 crossplatform streaming Vualto announced that it has signed an exclusive UK reseller agreement with Belgian company OpenTelly to incorporate THEOplayer into its video delivery solutions.
to work with us to add features specific to our clients’ requirements. It is clear that OpenTelly is a hugely innovative company that matches our aims and ethos.”
Vualto specialises in building end-to-end video streaming and DRM solutions for leading broadcasters and content owners. One of the challenges in today’s market is to meet the very different technical requirements of the various viewing platforms in a way that is transparent to the user. The expectation is that, whatever the device, if you select a video it will just play.
Steven Tielemans, CEO of OpenTelly adds, “We are excited to be able to work together with an online video specialist like Vualto. This partnership supports our goto-market strategy to team up with the best partners for delivering the best solution and customer experience. We are looking forward to working closely together with Vualto to successfully deliver our next generation of video playback solutions to broadcasters and content owners in the UK market.”
THEOplayer from OpenTelly is a fully HTML5 based player that allows a common streaming format, such as Apple’s HLS (HTTP live streaming), to play on a wide range of platforms, without the need for the device to have a plug-in, such as Flash or Silverlight, installed to interpret it. This means that HLS video and audio streams delivered using THEOplayer will play in all modern browsers across a wide range of devices including Desktops, Tablets and Mobiles running iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Similar support for MPEGDASH is coming soon. Alongside this, THEOplayer is hosted in the cloud meaning that suppliers do not need to download and install player-specific software on their servers. Updates are also rolled out automatically ensuring that maintenance for the serviceprovider is almost completely ‘hands-off’. THEOplayer is as feature-rich as any of its main competitors with the vast benefits of being able to deliver a single standardised format and not requiring users to install
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James Burt, CTO and co-founder
third-party plug-ins on their devices. Styling THEOplayer is straightforward using standard CSS. It comes complete with support for WebVTT subtitles and closed captions, the VAST standard for advertising, and casting of HLS content directly on Chromecast connected devices. “We first came across THEOplayer when we were looking for a new plug-in free player that we could use across a number of our video delivery solutions,” said James Burt, CTO and co-founder of Vualto. “We found the guys at OpenTelly very responsive and willing
Steven Tielemans, CEO OpenTelly
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TeamCast adds an EDI input on its TeamCast is releasing a new S110 software version that enables the EDI input on Green4DAB, TeamCast’s high-end OEM Digital Radio modulator dedicated to DAB/DAB+/DMB networks. Green4DAB is as a very compact and reliable OEM digital modulator, ready to be integrated within VHF Digital Transmitter designs. Enabling the EDI input brings the capability to use IP inputs to receive the front-end contributions. This will come as a simple software upgrade. Green4DAB also features dual-stream ETI input processing, an onboard satellite demodulator, as well as a built-in GPS receiver. “With the EDI input, we complete the Green4DAB development to help our customers to provide full-featured DAB/DAB+/DMB transmitters. We truly believe that using IP networks to distribute signals to transmitters will strongly help the network providers to save CAPEX and OPEX costs compared to traditional distribution networks. With addition to the cuttingedge digital adaptive precorrection algorithm implemented into Green4DAB, these costs will significantly decrease, as a consequence of a much better transmitter efficiency”, says Eric Pinson, Head of the Technology Business Unit at TeamCast. “With this new release, Green4DAB can handle unicast or multicast streams with full seamless switching between EDI and ETI inputs and with error correction capacity. As an unmatched feature, it supports the absolute timestamps required for particular SFN network configurations, in addition to relative timestamps. Besides the Digital Radio applications, this new Green4DAB version can also be used as a DVB-T/T2 compliant Digital TV modulator for the VHF band, with IP inputs” adds Eric.
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Barco Silex wins Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award for Standardization and Productization of JPEG2000 Interoperability Barco Silex announces that it has received a Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award from The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The award is in recognition of the work of Barco Silex within the framework of the Video Services Forum (VSF) on the advancement of interoperability for JPEG2000 systems. The International Consumer Electronics Show, held at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas (US), was the scene for the presentation ceremony of the 66th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards. With the awards, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences looks to honor technology companies and individuals whose innovation and vision have materially affected the way audiences view television and who have set the standard for technological excellence in the industry. Including industry-leading companies like Netflix, HBO and Apple among this year’s award winners, Barco Silex was in excellent company.
Advancing interoperability Barco Silex received a Technology and Engineering Emmy® Award in the “Standardization and Productization of JPEG2000 Interoperability” category. The award honors the work of Barco Silex and several other technology companies within VSF. The Barco Silex video team
played a key role in the VSF J2K Activity Group, culminating in the release of a Technical Recommendation for “Transport of JPEG2000 broadcast profile video in MPEG-2 TS over IP” last April. The document looks to facilitate interoperability between equipment produced by different manufacturers and specifies profiles that help ensure that signals generated by one device are received and interpreted correctly by another.
Industry recognition Barco Silex invests a lot of effort in a series of industrywide initiatives that look to foster interoperability. In March 2014, for instance, the company held the largest technology demonstration ever for motion JPEG2000 technology during the Interop Event organized by VSF at the VidTrans 2014 trade fair in Arlington, Virginia (US). CEO of Barco Silex, Thierry Watteyne, was proud to accept the award in Las Vegas: “This is landmark recognition of the competence level of our video team. But it also underlines the quality of Barco Silex’ JP2K codec technology and our Transport Stream IP core for fieldprogrammable gate arrays. Together with our SMPTE 2022 based video over IP reference design, these have proven to be fully compliant with the VSF recommendation.”
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Quantum's Stornext Pro Solutions win Visionary Product Award at Storage Visions Conference Quantum Corp. (NYSE: QTM) announced that its StorNext® Pro Solutions received a Visionary Product Award for "Enabling Collaborative Storage Technology" at the 14th annual Storage Visions Conference in Las Vegas. The Storage Visions Awards recognize companies advancing the state of the art in storage technologies for consumer electronics and the media and entertainment industries, as well as visionary products for the digital content value chain and digital storage users. Powered by Quantum's StorNext 5 technology, StorNext Pro Solutions include five highperformance storage systems optimized to enable collaborative workflows, providing faster and more cost-effective creation, management, processing and delivery of content: - StorNext Pro 4K meets the demands of modern 4K media
workflows from ingest to production to delivery with flashbased metadata appliances and highly scalable disk storage. - StorNext Pro Studio makes it easier to refresh or enhance existing Apple Xsan deployments by providing a high-performance, scalable and 100 percent Xsancompatible solution.
A partner program of the 2015 International Computer and Electronics Show (CES), the Storage Visions Conference is presented by the Entertainment Storage Alliance and Coughlin Associates.
- StorNext Pro Foundation gives smaller production workgroups a high-performance, attractively priced solution for managing content from ingest to delivery to archive. - StorNext Pro Workgroup provides ingest, production, review and delivery, with different options for petascale content storage and access at any stage of the workflow, including Quantum's Lattus™ extended online storage. - StorNext Pro Production supports complete, high-performance
Cires21 and Olympusat Telecom team up to develop OT Streamer, an innovative Live Encoding Solution for North and Latin American Markets The OT Streamer powered by Cires21 technology will provide Olympusat Telecom existing and new clients with a real time encoder that allows working with multiple input sources and output formats. The live encoding solution has rich feature capabilities that include live event clipping and editing, constant and multiple bit rates transcoding, transmuting capabilities as well as UDP transport. The OT Streamer is certified by Akamai, a leading provider of cloud services for delivering, optimizing and securing online content and business applica-
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workflow storage spanning content production to content library management.
tions, and is designed for 24/7 live streaming continuous operation environments. “Our new OT Streamer will enhance our current online video and over-the-top platforms with the highest market standards to deliver HD live streams in a variety of format and multiple bit rates at a very affordable Price,” said Carlos Ramos, VP of Engineering at Olympusat Telecom. For Cires21 this partnership means not only joining a key global player in the Live Streaming industry, but also setting a strategic collaboration to their international expansion in the North and Latin American Markets. “We are very pleased to open two key global markets together with a leading company such as Olympusat Telecom and we are convinced that Cires21 solutions will help Olympusat Telecom to improve existing environments and to welcome new clients and markets, meaning also technology growth for the solutions,” said Manuel Cardenas, Business Development Director and Founder of Cires21.
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Radiant Digitek Network Pvt Ltd deploys Envivio’s Converged Video Delivery Solution
Envivio (NASDAQ: ENVI), announced that Radiant Digitek Network Pvt. Ltd., a major cable MSO in the Rajasthan region in North India, has deployed Envivio’s converged video delivery solution, connecting a master headend to multiple remote locations, delivering video content to DVB-C set-top boxes. The same high-quality video content will also be delivered to connected devices throughout the region, including mobile phones, tablets, PCs, and OTT IPTV set-top boxes. Envivio’s Director of Sales South Asia Region Zulfakkar Ali commented, “With India moving to all-digital networks, our software solutions help operators, like Radiant Digitek Network Pvt. Ltd., to overcome the challenges they face in India, such as efficiently and cost-effectively delivering the same high-quality video content to local and remote locations.” Envivio solutions are designed to reduce OPEX by delivering high-quality video using minimum bitrate, and to monetize video by delivering the same content to multiple screens leveraging an Internet backbone. Radiant Digitek Network Pvt. Ltd. Director Lokesh Joshi commented, “We selected Envivio solutions keeping in mind our current and future requirements of deploying a universal platform to deliver premium-quality content to multiple screens all over Rajasthan. Envivio made it possible for us to have a converged platform and we are delighted with the video quality we are achieving from Envivio’s head-end.” Envivio’s highly dense, flexible and easy-torun software-based video solutions enable anyscreen personalization and monetization for video service providers and content owners worldwide. These solutions are designed to provide stunning video quality over extremely low bitrates and to reduce the OPEX required for a maximum number of channels with lowpower consumption per channel and minimum rack space.
2015
SCTE™ and ANGA Team Up, now accepting entries for 2015 Bursary Programme The SCTE™ has teamed up again with ANGA, the Association of German Cable Operators, to provide bursaries to 20 individuals for the ANGA COM 2015 conference and exhibition, which takes place from 9-11 June in Cologne, Germany. Each winner will each receive prepaid flight and hotel accommodation for three nights courtesy of the SCTE and entrance to the entire conference courtesy of ANGA. "The SCTE and ANGA are equally committed to providing professional development opportunities to members of the cable television and broadband industries," said Thomas Braun, President, ANGA. "In addition to hosting this bursary programme together, we will also be developing a congress panel at the show designed to educate attendees about a compelling topic. Stay tuned for more information about the line-up for ANGA COM 2015." The SCTE is currently accepting entries for the ANGA COM 2015 bursary programme. SCTE members can apply by writing up to 250 words on why they would benefit from the bursary and emailing it to office@theSCTE.edu. Applicants should be involved in the cable television or broadband industry in some capacity. Past bursary winners have included individuals at Virgin Media, AbComm and IPKO. All bursary winners must be members of the SCTE. The SCTE and ANGA have a long history of cooperation. In addition to joining forces on the bursary programme, they have worked together for many years developing conference sessions at ANGA COM, and ANGA has a regular editorial slot in the SCTE's quarterly international magazine, Broadband Journal. ANGA COM, a key international conference and exhibition for the broadband, cable and satellite industries, attracts thousands of attendees and nearly 500 exhibitors, bringing together network operators, content providers and vendors from all around the world. The SCTE will be a visible participant at the event, networking with SCTE members and ANGA COM attendees, in addition to distributing its quarterly Broadband Journal in all the delegate bags. The SCTE will chair a session in the ANGA COM conference and give a presentation during the ANGA Speaker's Corner event. The SCTE's party for all bursary winners will be held on its booth during the event. Thomas Braun
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ISE 2015 Preview A wide range of events, presentations and training sessions being hosted before and during ISE 2015 will make next year’s show the most compelling event so far in its 11- year history. On 9 February, at 6.00pm in the RAI Forum, on the eve of opening of the exhibition, the Keynote Address for ISE 2015 will be given by Lars Thomsen. Thomsen is a respected and influential futurist and international speaker whose company Future Matters is a leading research and analysis consultancy that has advised 40% of the German stock exchange in their strategic planning. Thomsen specialises in identifying disruptive opportunities, or ‘Tipping Points’, that cause significant shifts in economic, political and social trends. His presentation, entitled, “520 Weeks into the Future: Trends and Tipping Points in the Electronic Systems Industry until 2025”, will cover areas such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics 2.0 alongside
expected shifts in media, marketing and consumer expectations. Preceding Thomsen’s keynote on the 9th will be the opportunity to experience a full day’s conference with Smart Building Amsterdam, a joint venture between ISE coowner’s InfoComm and CEDIA. This event, the third to be hosted at the RAI, follows successful recent SBC events in London and Berlin. Chaired by Bob Snyder, Editor in Chief, Channel Media Europe, the conference will continue its winning twin-track formula and focus on Residential and Commercial smart building technology and applications. Delegates can expect to experience best practice approaches to Smart Building design and efficiency objectives alongside insights into emerging trends, energy savings and home automation systems. Being premiered at ISE 2015 is The Capital Summit, an afternoon event taking place on 10 February. Co-hosted by MediaBridge Capital Advisors and Stiernberg Consulting it will bring together AV/IT industry entrepreneurs seeking investment capital with financial business
professionals from the world of investments, mergers and acquisitions. The Capital Summit will provide delegates with the opportunity to meet and greet business experts and qualified strategic and financial investors with an interest in the AV industry. The Capital Summit will run from 1pm - 4.30pm in Room E102. In addition to these events at ISE 2015, others being showcased include: Audio Forum@ ISE, a oneday pro audio educational forum produced in association with Connessioni, 9 February in Room G001/G002; The Sport Facility Integration Summit conference produced by SVG Europe on 11 February in Room E102; The InAVation Awards produced by IML at the Westergasfabriek’s Gashouder on 10 February. Following on from the success of the introduction of The ISE Theatres in 2014, they will return in 2015 with the addition of the ISE Unified Communications Theatre. This will be located in Hall 9 and will stage case-study presentations by manufacturers, product distributors, systems integrators and end user customers. The Residential Solutions Theatre (sponsored by Vutec) and the Commercial Solutions Theatre (sponsored by Microsoft) will return to Hall 7 and Hall 8 respectively. Here´s a sample of broadcast market exhibitors:
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ADDER TECHNOLOGY Stand 9 D100 Next generation AdderLink products to launch at ISE Adder Technology will be exhibiting at ISE 2015 where it will be unveiling two new products in the AdderLink Infinity range, as well as showcasing a number of other innovations. The AdderLink Infinity 2020 is a new solution that fits neatly into the IP-based high performance KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) portfolio. The 2020 features a transmitter and receiver and provides a dual head, single link solution that delivers IP-based, high performance KVM capabilities. This new model is based on the existing AdderLink Infinity Dual and was developed based on customer feedback, to complement the range of AdderLink Infinity products. “This new cost-effective solution is ideal for customers that don’t require the full functionality of the AdderLink Infinity Dual and is an excellent complement to the range,” says John Halksworth, senior product manager, Adder Technology. “We will also be unveiling version 4 of our A.I.M. (AdderLink Infinity Manager) that builds on the success of this server. ”Version 4 of A.I.M. provides an easy and powerful centralised management solution for a digital matrix. It features a new hardware
platform that is more powerful than previous versions and includes configurable user access rights with full audit trail. The new design is also sleeker, ensuring that it can be efficiently rack mounted with up to two fitting back to back in 1U of 19 inch rack space. “One area we’ve focused on is making service and support more efficient for our customers. Version 4 features remote access options, whereby if given access by the customer, our technicians can log on remotely and trouble shoot any problems or work with them to solve issues. This is made possible through our extensive security upgrades and continued emphasis
on making sure our products are secure,” says Halksworth. In addition, the CCS-PRO4 will be showcased at the event. Providing seamless switching between computers with Adder Free-Flow technology and built on the success of its predecessor. This professional KM (keyboard, mouse) switch delivers a new set of features for mission critical environments, including redundant power and an ergonomic low profile design. CCS-PRO4 also has an integrated web server allowing administrators to view and monitor CCS-PRO4 devices around their installation, as well as upgrade all devices over the network.
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2015
MERGING TECHNOLOGIES Stand 7C160 Ovation 6 gets 3D panning for added realism on Merging will showcase at ISE an array of 12 Tannoy Di6 Dual Concentric loudspeakers that will demonstrate how customised virtual rooms can be created quickly and easily. Tannoy's Dual Concentric driver design - which places the tweeter behind the centre of the medium or bass driver - allows for a much truer, more coherent sound source, perfect for this kind of application, while the Lab.gruppen IPD amplifiers offer a latest-generation DSP engine equipped with up to a total of 40 real-time, multi-slope parametric EQs along with adjustable gain, input and output delay, and both high- and low-pass filters adjustable to any frequency.
significantly increases the capacity of both these products, with Horus able to handle 48 in and 48 out and Hapi 16 x 16 or 8 x 8 plus MADI.
Merging’s Networked Audio Interfaces, Horus and Hapi have also found a place in many installations and are the perfect partners in any complex design. Easy interconnection, exceptional sound quality and the simple set up and routing show the practical advantages of RAVENNA/AES67 networking. The arrival of the new combination ADA8 board, offering 8 mic/line inputs and 8 analog outputs on the same card
Merging’s Product Manager, Johan Wadsten will be on stage in the ISE Commercial Theatre to present “Museums – An aural as well as visual experience”. This intriguing session starts at 12.30 and will use the recent installations at La Grande Galerie de l’ Evolution in Paris and the Imperial War Museum to illustrate why Ovation is as essential in this type of installation as it is in a more dynamic live event.
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RIEDEL COMMUNICATIONS Stand 10K-118 Tango TNG-200 Fully Networked Platform Supporting RAVENNA/AES67 and AVB The Tango TNG-200 represents Riedel's first network-based platform supporting RAVENNA/AES67 and AVB standards. With its own dedicated intercom application, the platform can be turned into a flexible, cutting-edge solution for a variety of communications scenarios. The
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unit itself is equipped with a highresolution, full-color TFT display that ensures perfect readability at all times. Intuitive front-panel controls simplify the recall of presets and adjustment of audio levels. Along with powerful processing capabilities, the Tango TNG-200 features two integrated Riedel digital partylines, two RAVENNA/AES67- and AVBcompatible ports, two Ethernet ports, one option slot, and redundant power supplies. The dedicated intercom application, "My First Riedel," turns the Tango platform into an efficient intercom system that users can tailor according to their needs. The asymmetric 40 x 80 matrix size is another Riedel innovation, allowing for standard premium-quality stereo audio connections to panels. RSP-2318 Smartpanel The new RSP-2318 Smartpanel offers features and capabilities that will enrich the user experience and change the way broadcasters and AV professionals communicate. The world's first control panel designed to serve as a powerful multifunctional user interface, the
Riedel device boasts a unique feature set that includes three highresolution, sunlight-readable, multitouch color displays; premiumquality stereo audio; a multilingual character set; and 18 keys in just 1RU. These features make Riedel's new Smartpanel a powerful user interface that can be further expanded through the use of apps. Riedel's first app for the RSP-2318 turns the Smartpanel into an innovative and smart intercom panel. RAVENNA/AES67 and AVB connectivity are standard, with AES3 over CAT/coax optional. STX-200 Professional BroadcastGrade Interface The STX-200 professional broadcast-grade interface brings any Skype user worldwide into the professional broadcast environment. Licensed by Microsoft, the new Riedel product meets broadcasters' increasing need for a reliable single-box solution that enables them to bring live contributions from both reporters and viewers into live programming — all while avoiding typical problems such as consumer PCs running common Skype
2015
clients, having to add scan and HDMI-to-SDI converters, or audio dropouts and menu pop-ups on the live feed. Serving as more than a stand-alone solution, Riedel's STX200 integrates Skype into the intercom solution to enable even more powerful, flexible applications and workflows. "We are proud to bring several new solutions to ISE that are perfectly suited for broadcast and AV professionals. Our innovative new Smartpanel represents the cutting edge of communications interfaces with powerful features that will provide unprecedented power and convenience. Our new Tango communications platform furthers our philosophy of being standards agnostic with network support for both RAVENNA/AES67 and AVB. Finally, our new STX-200 interface brings Skype content into live production. All of these innovations have the ability to improve workflows and save money." — Christian Bockskopf, Head of Marketing, Riedel Communications
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BVE 2015 will welcome more than 240 exhibitors to this year’s event to showcase the latest products and technologies that take content from creation to consumption. The UK’s only show for the broadcast and production industry attracts manufacturers of many different kinds of broadcast technology, providing the ideal platform to launch products and services to the UK market or indeed the world. BVE 2015 takes place from 24-26 February 2015 at ExCeL London and registration is now open.
Leading manufacturers including Sony, Panasonic, ARRI, Sennheiser, Avid and Vitec Videocom are in attendance with their latest products and technologies, while niche vendors sit comfortably alongside the major players, showing off brilliant innovations, products and services. The show also features the dedicated Production Services area, including studios, hire companies and other production services.
Alison Willis, Event Director, said, “BVE is the number one destination for the UK broadcast industry to launch their new products and services. The internet is great for research, but nothing beats actually meeting vendors who can explain their products in human terms or, for the vendors, meeting the people who will use their products. It’s also a chance to see pieces of equipment in action - press buttons, flick switches and get excited about the technology. We have over 60 new exhibitors this year, many product launches and some exciting innovations that may well turn out to be the new must-have solutions.”
AVIWEST SEMATRON
Here´s a sample of the exhibitors:
Stand M16 NEW Linux®-Based DMNG Studio At BVE 2015, AVIWEST will showcase a new version of its DMNG Studio server, which is designed to receive incoming streams from DMNG video uplink systems, IP cameras, and other equipment through a variety of formats such as RTP, RTSP, TS over UDP, and RTMP. The nextgeneration DMNG Studio is based on a Linux® operating system and offers support for multiple output
formats as well as point-to-point and point-to-multipoint video distribution. DMNG Manager — Now Featuring Cloud Capabilities AVIWEST will demonstrate new cloud-based capabilities for the DMNG Manager at BVE 2015. The DMNG Manager is an innovative server application that enables broadcasters and video professionals to monitor and manage an entire fleet of DMNG equipment including DMNG transmitters, smartphones with the DMNG APP, and DMNG Studio receivers. Through a unified Webbased user interface that can be installed through either a cloudbased application or a headend solution, operators can easily allocate resources and route live video content for transmission over 3G/4G cellular wireless, WiFi, Ethernet, and satellite networks. DMNG APP — Now Available for Android™ and iOS-Based Smartphones At BVE 2015, AVIWEST will showcase the DMNG APP, which turns any Android™- or iOS-based smartphone into a live broadcast video camera. Designed with ease of use in mind, the DMNG APP
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BN623 Audio, Data, Intercom Link
allows broadcasters to transmit video content in just seconds. Using the DMNG APP, video professionals can stream highquality, live video content via WiFi and 3G/4G-LTE networks — even bonding both together for higher bandwidth, coverage, and reliability — or transmit prerecorded video files from anywhere in the world to the DMNG Studio receiver. DMNG RACK180 Contribution Video Encoder With QUAD Antenna Arrays Another key highlight at BVE 2015 will be AVIWEST's DMNG RACK180, a powerful encoding solution for live newsgathering applications. Designed specifically for installation in OB vans, SNGs, or other vehicles such as smaller news satellite cars, the DMNG RACK180 is one of the most reliable, affordable, mobile, and flexible solutions for streaming live HD video signals from anywhere in the world.
BLUEBELL OPTICOM Stand M50 BC364 Multiformat SFP Interface The BC364 is a compact, rack-
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based multiformat converter for use with a wide range of broadcast video and audio signals. The BC364 provides a base unit that comprises input and output SFP cages. With different SFP converter modules, users can adapt the functionality of the unit to suit different applications. Signal input and output formats are defined by selecting appropriate standard SFPs that can perform optical and/or electrical format conversions. The BC364 card offers a range of options including distribution, format conversion, monitoring, and wavelength management including CWDM. BN366 4K Fibre Link The BN366 is designed for the cost-effective transport of 4K UHD signals over fibre. Based on fieldproven technology, the compact unit provides the transport of 4 x 3G-SDI signals over a dual fibre link. The BN366 uses premiumgrade, broadcast-quality components to maintain the highest signal integrity and ensure transparent, error-free pathological signal performance. Units have already been successfully deployed to cover a series of major sporting events using the latest 4K UltraHDTV broadcast cameras.
The BN623 is the latest addition to the Bluebell BlueNano range of compact fibre optic interfaces providing bidirectional analogue audio and serial control data over fibre. The BN623 is specifically designed to link remote panels in an intercom system back to the main central routing position. The robust design allows the unit to be deployed in OB or flypack applications. The BN623 can be supplied in multimode, singlemode, and CWDM variations to suit all applications, offering a perfect complement to the BC323, BC550, and BC323-63 modules. Caddie-LB 4K At BVE 2015, Bluebell Opticom will launch the Caddie-LB 4K, specifically designed for outside broadcast (OB) and deployable applications. Caddie-LB 4K provides a single cable link between cameras and ENG/OB units. Features include four 3G/HD/SD-SDI video paths from the camera's on-air audio, intercom, and control data. Based on field-proven technology, the units offer a range of signals to the operator including program video, audio, comms, data, and genlock for camera control and synchronisation. All signals are multiplexed onto two fibres to ensure easy and quick system rigging. "We aim to make our customers' jobs simpler by designing innovative, reliable products. We've hit the mark again with the latest entries to our product line, which we'll be demonstrating at BVE. Beyond that, we look forward to connecting with current and future customers to hear about their latest needs and challenges." — Paul McCann, Managing Director, Bluebell Opticom
CALREC AUDIO Stand D20 New Dante Interface At BVE 2015 Calrec will showcase its Dante interface, which works in conjunction with Hydra2 across the entire range of Calrec Bluefin2 consoles. The development gives Dante connectivity to every client on a Hydra2 network via a simple, single-width 3U interface card. This provides 64 audio input and 64 audio output channels, with connectivity via dual-redundant RJ45 Ethernet connectors on the card's front panel. Hydra2 for Apollo and Summa Consoles Also on display on Calrec's stand at BVE 2015 will be Apollo and Summa consoles networked using Hydra2 technology. Hydra2 offers more than just a signal transport system. It is also a powerful management tool that provides increased network-wide control of many parameters. Broadcasters can remotely configure mic gain, phantom power, patching, port protection, alias files, virtual patchbays, and access rights. This added benefit not only streamlines the workflow to make setup configuration quicker and more efficient, but also allows the broadcaster to maximize productivity and gain maximum return in today's fast-paced environment.
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EVS Stand K06 Future Proof productions with XT3 & XS servers With the introduction of its new range of XT3 and XS servers primarily aimed at OB and live studio operations, EVS has again delivered the greatest flexibility possible in one box. Both new servers offer extended format support and capabilities including 4K, 1080p and proxy, as well as new 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity and up to 12 HD/SD
live recording channels. This allows customers to transition to the next generation of industry standards and workflows as needed. Content Management for Live Production Designed for live and fast turnaround production, the latest generation of IPDirector offers a wealth of new capabilities and modules. These include web-based remote browsing and content exchange, automated clip management, archive import/export and seamless integration with EVS’ XStore scalable storage solution
Multimedia Distribution Platform with C-Cast C-Cast technology extends the live content experience beyond the TV screen by providing content owners, rights holders and broadcasters with the ability to reach and engage more diverse audiences with high-quality and targeted content as the event unfolds. C-Cast connects on-site production infrastructure to a cloudbased platform, allowing the aggregation of multi-angle video and statistics for instant delivery to any platform. This provides an enriched, personalised and exclusive live sports experience. New Truck Manager Setup Tool Truck Manager is a new software application that detects all EVS devices in an OB van and enables the engineer to configure them from a laptop to meet the needs of the production. Once complete, settings are stored and can be recalled at any time, facilitating the setup for subsequent production teams. DYVI Next Generation Vision Mixer DYVI offers the next generation of vision mixer technology to the broadcast industry. This IT-based live production platform gives
directors full control of all key switcher functionalities no matter where they’re located.
FORBIDDEN TECHNOLOGIES Stand E34 "This is our first exhibition since the new Forscene went live, so we're excited to show it off! We invite everyone to visit our stand and experience the new Forscene interface and Forscene MAM together for the first time as a complete product."— Stephen Streater, CEO, Forbidden Technologies plc New and Greatly Improved Forscene Cloud-Based Video Post-Production Platform At BVE 2015, Forbidden will feature the new Forscene, which was unveiled at IBC2014 and went live in December. The new Forscene interface combines professionally designed graphics with an elegant colour scheme and updated functionality to provide an efficient and enjoyable user experience. Forbidden is also giving Forscene a new infusion of functionality by adding a media asset management (MAM) system. Through the Forscene MAM, users
will have the full potential of the platform — from acquisition to publishing — at their fingertips. Other new Forscene features include the ability to publish with burnt-in timecode or other metadata; expanded multicam logging to support up to 18 cameras simultaneously; and increased support for different formats that enables functions such as editing MXF files during ingest. Speaking Events at BVE 2015 Jason Cowan, Forscene commercial manager at Forbidden Technologies, will participate in a session and present a case study during BVE 2015. On Wednesday, 25 February from 14:45-15:15 in the UKTI Theatre, Cowan will present a case study: "Finding, On-boarding, and Managing Resellers and Distributors." In a topic that is very important to many B2B organizations, this case study will focus on how to find, develop, and cultivate successful partnerships with resellers and distributors abroad. On Thursday, 26 February from 14:10-14:55 in the Post Production Theatre, Cowan will participate in a panel discussion: "The Sky's the Limit — Getting Ahead in the Cloud to See the Potential Value of
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Remote Editing." During this session Cowan, along with other industry professionals, will explore the fresh perspectives of remote editing possibilities and collaboration opportunities for post, discuss the bandwidth requirements for remote editing, and look at innovative ways to create and transfer content. The session will conclude by suggesting best practices in blending onpremise systems and the cloud to save time and enable exceptional creativity.
IKEGAMI Stand F25 Ikegami's HC-HD300 makes its first UK exhibition appearance at BVE 2015 in London, February 2426. Introduced at BIRTV 2014 and now deliverable, the HC-HD300 is
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a highly flexible docking-style camera for studio or field operation. A compact and aggressively-priced addition to Ikegami’s broadcastready Unicam HD product line, the HC-HD300 delivers the outstanding imagery and has the same rugged construction. It is equipped with a 1/3 inch bayonet lens mount and employs three 1/3-inch CMOS progressive-scan 1920 x 1080 native sensors in RGB prism formation. The camera delivers high quality pictures in all commonly used HD video formats: 1920 x 1080/50i, 1920 x 1080/59.94i, 1280 x 720/50p, 1280 x 720/59.94p, and 720 x 576/50i (PAL) 720 x 480/59.94i (NTSC). Typical performance characteristics of the HC-HD300 in 1080/59.94i output mode are 1,000 television lines horizontal resolution, 58 dB signal-to-noise ratio and 2,000 lux sensitivity (89.9 per cent white
reflection) at F10 aperture. Equivalent aperture in 1080/50i mode for this light level is F11. Camera gain can be attenuated from mid level to -3 or -6 dB, or increased by +3, +6, +9, +12 or + 18 dB. Integral neutral density filters (100 per cent, 25 per cent, 6.2 per cent and 1.6 per cent) can be switched in as required, plus operator-selectable 3,200, 4,300, 6,300 and 8,000 kelvin electronic colour conversion. An electric shutter can be set to 1/100, 1/120, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1,000 or 1/2,000 second speed. The camera can be operated under local control or in conjunction with a newly developed control system. This consists of an FA-300 fibre adapter and BSF-300 base station. Light in weight and compact in size (1.5RU), the BSF300 base station is easily integrated
into any studio, mobile truck, or portable flypack. When using a hybrid fibre camera cable, the base station provides power to the fibre adapter and the camera itself.
Ikegami HDK-97 ARRI largesensor broadcast production camera Also on show on the Ikegami stand at BVE 2015 will be the HDK-97 ARRI camera. Jointly developed by Ikegami and ARRI, this is a pioneering new broadcast-style production camera with digital cinema characteristics. The HDK-97ARRI makes it possible to employ a large format sensor in a multiple camera operation. The result is a best-ofboth-worlds image acquisition system ideal for use in multi-camera
studio and field applications, including conventional broadcast camera operation and classic video operator control of multiple cameras. NAC Hi-Motion II sports broadcast camera For slow-motion applications, Ikegami will exhibit the NAC HiMotion II sports broadcast camera. Jointly developed by NAC Image Technology and Ikegami, the HiMotion II delivers broadcast-quality slow-motion images at up to 20 times slowdown. The Hi-Motion II employs three-sensor 1920 x 1080 native technology and has a broadcast industry standard B4 lens mount. Features include simultaneous record and replay (96 gigabytes), up to 1,000 frames per second 1920 x 1080 capture, integral shutter and full remote control with paint, flicker suppression, and EVS system compatibility via an LSM panel.
GARLAND PARTNERS/LIVEU Stand L16 UK debut for LiveU’s new LU200 At BVE 2014, Garland will present the recently launched LU200 for the first time in the UK. The LU200 offers a very attractive price, performance and form-factor for live video transmission, expanding LiveU’s product portfolio. The LU200 opens new live coverage opportunities, enabling every field camera to be equipped with a bonding uplink unit. Weighing just over 500 grams, the LU200 is available in a pouch or camera-mount configuration, providing two built-in modems with powerful integrated antennas in a bonded solution suitable for any video professional. The flexible LU200 can also serve as a standalone video encoder with
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satellite integration functionality, or be used as a LiveU DataBridge mobile hotspot for all IP applications in the field. The LU200 supports two 4G LTE/3G modems together with Wi-Fi and LAN connections and includes LiveU’s proprietary antenna modules for extra resiliency. LU500 and LU400 also on show Garland will showcase LiveU’s LU500, the ultimate combination of high-performance and portability for cellular uplinking. It was recently tested and described by Dom Robinson, industry consultant writing on Streaming Media.com, as, "…the flagship of the leading player in the space, is absolutely robust, extensible, and simple to use, while being packed with features and capabilities." It benefits from a small form-factor combined with exceptional functionality. Weighing approximately 1kg, the unit is powered by LiveU’s new multiprocessor, video encoding engine and fourth-generation patented bonding algorithms, with up 13 network connections.
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LiveU Central Garland will also be showing LiveU Central, LiveU’s central management system. This powerful tool means that fleets of units can be centrally controlled using geolocation capabilities alongside a host of other management options. Footage can be effortlessly introduced to a back end broadcast environment creating a powerful content network.
LYNX TECHNIK Stand A02 LYNX Technik AG will showcase its new Testor™ | lite 3G, a costeffective, compact, hand held touch-screen multi-format test signal generator to the UK market at BVE 2015, stand A02. This testing tool supports SD/HD/3G 4:2:2 and dual-link video formats and generates two simultaneous outputs, as well as one sync output. In addition, Testor | lite 3G generates a 3D test pattern either as two separate signal outputs (left eye, right eye) or one 3G-SDI 1080P dual-stream signal (Level B).
Each test pattern output can be configured via the color touchscreen to support various overlays including:
the brand with their unwavering durability and agility that is essential for today’s on-the-go broadcasters.
-User-defined text up to 16 characters for both horizontal scrolling and static options.
“As BVE is the largest broadcast and production technology event in the UK, it is crucial that Miller showcases its latest cost-effective camera support solutions that can be real assets to broadcasters due to their supreme versatility,” says Mike Lippmann, European manager, Miller. “With the Cineline 70 and Air Tripod System on display, we look forward to interacting with industry professionals to discuss the latest products set to take the broadcast and production industry by storm in 2015.”
-Safe area markers supporting SMPTE safe action (90/90) or safe title (80/80) markers. -Circle overlays in either 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios.
MILLER FLUID HEADS (EUROPE) LTD. Stand J26 Miller Fluid Heads (Europe) Ltd., a leader in the production of innovating camera support solutions, is set to showcase its robust Cineline 70 Fluid Head and Air Tripod System at BVE 2015 (Stand J26). Both camera support solutions embody the essence of
Constructed of corrosion-resistant alloy, the robust Cineline 70 Fluid Head is a feature-rich, costeffective solution that is ideal for use on feature films, documentaries and high-end television commercial productions that require heavy payload, frequent re-rigging and a diverse range of lenses and
The user can select from predefined static or dynamic moving patterns for each of the SDI outputs. Also available is a dynamic EBU Digital AV sync test pattern that has been designed to address a number of test and alignment requirements for audio and video signals in a modern multi-format digital environment. The Testor | lite 3G also addresses audio verification applications and includes an integrated eight channel audio generator with adjustable gain and frequency, which is embedded into the SDI video.
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cameras. For easy setup changes, its eight-position counterbalance system, with “all-in-one location” rear-mounted controls, easily allow users to capture the big picture. The fluid head also features an extended sliding range to promote quick and seamless rebalancing of the rig when changes in lenses and accessories result in weight distribution shifts. It is set to accommodate industry-leading camera mountings, including Arri, Sony, RED and Canon, and it features an Arri-compatible sideloading camera platform, with an optional, easy-to-fit 1225 Mitchell Base Adaptor to suit traditional Mitchell Flat Base tripods. The fluid head also offers dual side mounts for monitors and accessories. Also on display at Miller’s BVE stand will be its multi-award winning
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Compass series, as well as its 150mm ball levelling Skyline 70 fluid head and tripod systems. All Miller products, including the Cineline 70 and Air Tripod System, possess the right feel for their users and are equipped with extensive three-year warranties, as Miller is confident in the longevity of its products’ reliability.
NETIA Stand G30 NEW NETIA Media Assist Software Suite The NETIA Media Assist software suite unites the unique functionality of NETIA's proven radio broadcast automation and media management products with a SQL database to provide a robust
multimedia asset management system with a full complement of production tools. With this powerful new solution, users can manage all types of content, in any format, on any platform, anywhere, at any time. The software suite also makes it easier for users to move media among sites. To enable convenient use across a facility or organization, the Media Assist software suite provides both a rich-client platform and a Webbased interface that can be displayed with a simple Internet browser. Both GUIs have been designed to assure effective ergonomics. The option of working through a browser-based interface allows journalists and reporters to go fully mobile while maintaining their ability to access, search, edit, and repurpose content. In fact,
NETIA has already released Media Assist modules engineered for smartphones and tablets, and the company will provide demonstrations of the modules functionality throughout the show. Media Assist is based on a service-oriented architecture, offering all of the additional advantages of a client-server computing model. Key benefits to operations include increased modularity, optimal scalability through the improvement or addition of services, third-party connectivity through a Web services API, and straightforward, cost-effective maintenance.
NUGEN AUDIO HHB Stand J43 Loudness Toolkit and LMB Processor Update for EBU R128 S1 Compliance The latest standard update for
short-form content such as adverts or promos, EBU R128 S1, will be supported with immediate availability at BVE 2015. NUGEN Audio will launch a series of parameter sets for its highly popular Loudness Toolkit NLE plug-ins and LMB (Loudness Management Batch) Processor software. Implementing the recommendations illustrated in the new supplement to R128 for short-form content, these downloads simplify and accelerate configuration for those working to the new measures. This update will be available at no charge to the end user. Preview: New Upmixer Technology for Stereo-to5.1/7.1/9.1 Upmixing At BVE 2015, NUGEN Audio will preview a new upmix process specifically designed for film and TV production. Capable of producing a downmix-compatible upmix with optional dialog isolation in the center channel, the new technology is projected to be available in early Q2 2015.
LMB Processor MXF Extension Update for DPP AS-11 Program Compatibility NUGEN Audio's LMB Processor is an offline, file-based loudness analysis and correction program for high-throughput applications. The MXF Extension for LMB Processor allows automated analysis and loudness correction for the audio essence within MXF files. This MXF Extension has been updated to include DPP AS-11 compatibility with immediate availability. NUGEN Audio is a participant in the DPP compliance program, an initiative founded by U.K. public service broadcasters to help speed the transition to fully digital production and distribution for television. DynApt™ Extension for LMB Processor (Loudness Management Batch Processor) At BVE 2015, NUGEN Audio will present DynApt™, Dynamic Adaptation Technology, a groundbreaking solution for intelligent repurposing of audio for TV and streaming at faster-than-
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real-time speeds. The DynApt algorithm has been designed to adapt the dynamic content of audio appropriately for different listening environments and playout systems while respecting the level of dialog in the original mix and meeting specific loudness criteria. The first implementation of this new technology is now available as a DynApt Extension for NUGEN Audio's LMB Processor, the company's leading offline loudness correction program.
RIEDEL COMMUNICATIONS Stand F-24 "As the premier broadcast show in the U.K., BVE is a wonderful forum for meeting with our partners and clients. This year we will feature our Tango Communications platform that builds on our philosophy that the customer should have a choice in what standards they embrace. We will
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also show our next generation Smartpanel and our STX-200 Skype interface that brings Skype conversations into broadcast workflows." — Paul Rivens, General Manager U.K., Riedel Communications Tango TNG-200 Fully Networked Platform Supporting RAVENNA/AES67 and AVB The Tango TNG-200 represents Riedel's first network-based platform supporting RAVENNA/AES67 and AVB standards. With its own dedicated intercom application, the platform can be turned into a flexible, cutting-edge solution for a variety of communications scenarios. The unit itself is equipped with a highresolution, full-color TFT display that ensures perfect readability at all times. Intuitive front-panel controls simplify the recall of presets and adjustment of audio levels. Along with powerful processing capabilities, the Tango TNG-200 features two integrated
Riedel digital partylines, two RAVENNA/AES67- and AVBcompatible ports, two Ethernet ports, one option slot, and redundant power supplies. The dedicated intercom application, "My First Riedel," turns the Tango platform into an efficient intercom system that users can tailor according to their needs. The asymmetric 40 x 80 matrix size is another Riedel innovation, allowing for standard premium-quality stereo audio connections to panels. RSP-2318 Smartpanel The new RSP-2318 Smartpanel offers features and capabilities that will enrich the user experience and change the way broadcasters and AV professionals communicate. The world's first control panel designed to serve as a powerful multifunctional user interface, the Riedel device boasts a unique feature set that includes three highresolution, sunlight-readable, multitouch color displays; premiumquality stereo audio; a multilingual
character set; and 18 keys in just 1RU. These features make Riedel's new Smartpanel a powerful user interface that can be further expanded through the use of apps. Riedel's first app for the RSP-2318 turns the Smartpanel into an innovative and smart intercom panel. RAVENNA/AES67 and AVB connectivity are standard, with AES3 over CAT/coax optional. STX-200 Professional BroadcastGrade Interface The STX-200 professional broadcast-grade interface brings any Skype user worldwide into the professional broadcast environment. Licensed by Microsoft, the new Riedel product meets broadcasters' increasing need for a reliable single-box solution that enables them to bring live contributions from both reporters and viewers into live programming — all while avoiding typical problems such as consumer PCs running common Skype clients, having to add scan and
HDMI-to-SDI converters, or audio dropouts and menu pop-ups on the live feed. Serving as more than a stand-alone solution, Riedel's STX200 integrates Skype into the intercom solution to enable even more powerful, flexible applications and workflows.
SHOTOKU BROADCAST SYSTEMS Stand C36 “The BVE show at London’s Excel in February will mark the start of the 2015 show season for us at Shotoku Broadcast Systems,” says James Eddershaw, sales director, Shotoku. “This year, building on the great momentum seen in 2014, the event provides a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our range of manual camera support and robotic camera control systems and provides a platform to demonstrate a wider range of products relevant to a number of
global projects and to visitors from both the broadcast and Pro AV markets.” SX300 Pan & tilt Head / TP200 Pneumatic Pedestal The SX300 features outstanding balance, a robust build and ergonomic design. With a high capacity 40 kg (88 lbs) payload and wide-balance capability, the SX300 supports an array of cameras, lenses and accessories, making it perfectly suited for field production, OB and studio use. The 300 head accommodates flat base or 150mm ball. Operators can not only expect top-class performance and reliability from the SX300’s VISCAM technology for smooth and adjustable pan & tilt drag with reinforced torque, but a continuously adjustable balance system. The SX300 is a perfect match for Shotoku’s ergonomically designed TP200, a two-stage pneumatic pedestal. The pedestal handles a maximum payload of more than
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80kg (177 lbs) and supports a wide range of camera configurations. Its perfectly balanced column and base offer maximum stability and great operational flexibility. Onestep foot brake and single-action cable guard enables precise movements and control at all times for fast, easy positioning. SH100 & 120 Fluid Heads The SH series pan and tilt fluid head’s drag controls make it easy to adjust the head from low to high torque, to provide the smooth, high quality movement needed for calm, clear camera work. Furthermore, the cam/spring Perfect Counterbalance System eliminates any stress during tilts. The tilt fluid drag torque adjustment does not cause any change in balance, and makes this head extremely easy to use. With a maximum payload of 20kg (44.1 lbs), the SH100 has gone through a rigorous performance and reliability testing to ensure that it meets the demands of the strictest professional in any type of situation. Designed as a multipurpose head, suitable for news, documentary, drama, and live sports work, the SH100 is one of Shotoku’s premier ENG/EFP pan and tilt heads. The SH120 extends system coverage for payloads of up to 25kg
TELESTREAM & BOXER SYSTEMS Stand P16 Telestream® will use BVE 2015 to showcase the company's latest developments in Digital Production Partnership (DPP) workflow solutions. At BVE, the company will team up with its channel partner, Boxer Systems, to provide an insight to its strategic development focus on this UK-based broadcast industry initiative. Live on the show floor, Telestream will demonstrate
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how its Vantage® transcoding and workflow automation system provides UK broadcasters and facilities with a clear competitive advantage in developing their DPP enterprise operations. The latest version (6.3) of Vantage adds several new capabilities for assembling and encoding DPP AS-11 MXF files. The Vantage DPP Workflow Portal
allows entry of DPP metadata and the creation of multi-part DPP packages from one or more media files. Vantage Post Producer automatically assembles the DPP timeline, including bars, tones, slates and correct multi-part spacing. The entire DPP solution is completely unified and includes full encoding, timeline rendering and metadata assembly without requiring editing personnel or XML
programmers. Vantage was one of the first products to achieve DPP/AMWA certification in September 2014 as part of the Digital Production Partnership’s new Compliance Program. UK-based broadcaster, ITV, one of the leading partners in the Digital Production Partnership (DPP), has already announced that it has placed the Telestream Vantage platform at the heart of its new Content Delivery Modernisation (CDM) project. “Telestream is proud to be an industry leader with file-based delivery and DPP compliant workflows,” said Paul Turner, VP of enterprise product management at Telestream. “Being one of the first vendors to achieve DPP/AMWA certification was vital for our many UK customers and serves as an important milestone for the rest of the world.”
WOHLER TECHNOLOGIES Stand L01 Tachyon® Wormhole™ Automated File-Based Retiming Solution Tachyon® Wormhole™ is a filebased retiming solution that enables automated plus or minus run-time adjustment of media assets while preserving not only video and audio quality, but also closed caption/subtitle integrity. Based on the Wohler RadiantGrid Intelligent Media Transformation Platform™ running Cinnafilm's
award-winning Tachyon algorithms, Tachyon Wormhole allows content owners and broadcasters to meet specific customers' length requirements cost-effectively and efficiently. In many cases, this solution enables users to replace a great deal of expensive specialized hardware with a single server at a fraction of the cost. MPEG DVB-ASI and IPTV Monitors Providing functionality critical for facilities migrating toward IPoriented distribution networks, the award-winning MPEG Series monitors decode and provide convenient at-a-glance monitoring of program content from MPEG-2/4 ASI and Ethernet IP streams, as well as 3G/HD-SDI inputs. To meet broadcasters' increasing need for stream-based monitoring, the MPEG video monitors identify, decode, and display in high resolution both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 signals (input via BNC or Ethernet) while giving users the ability to browse the PAT, PMT, PID, EIT, and NIT data (both ATSC and DVB tables) for each selected stream. AMP2-E16V Series Modular Audio/Video Processing Monitor The AMP2-E16V monitor's feature list continues to be the longest in the industry, yet the product is operated with one-touch simplicity. In addition to its topquality audio system, it features simultaneous multiformat monitoring, quick program selection, instant stereo downmix, loudness monitoring, internal channel mixing including SDI re-
embedding, and audio delays. The monitor also includes a wide variety of meter scales and ways to view meters, video, and Dolby or SMPTE 2020 metadata. AMP1-16M Dual 3G/HD/SD-SDI Audio Monitor Wohler's new AMP1-16M dualinput SDI audio monitor provides high-performance monitoring of embedded audio in two 3G/HD/SDSDI streams at an attractive price point. The 1-RU system de-embeds and provides metering and monitoring of any or all of the 16 audio channels in the selected 3G/HD/SD-SDI stream. It assures intuitive operation and clear display of levels and other critical information using bright 2.4-inch LED-backlit LCD displays, enabling one-touch monitoring and summing of any selected channel pair(s) to built-in speakers, headphones, or XLR-balanced analog outputs. RadiantGrid Intelligent Media Transformation Platform™ Version 9 The award-winning version 9 of the Wohler RadiantGrid Intelligent Media Transformation Platform™ offers broadcasters a variety of powerful tools that boost the efficiency of file-based workflows for multiplatform media delivery. The platform enables fully compliant OTT offerings for leading formats, including MPEG-DASH, HLS, and Microsoft Smooth Streaming, and aids broadcasters and other content producers in meeting the array of target bit rates, resolutions, and frame rates necessary for today's content delivery ecosystems.
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Paul McNeil, senior project manager, Camera Corps During the last decade camera technology has dramatically changed the way footage is captured. Every time audiences turn on their TV screens, open their laptops or browse through their smart devices, a range of revolutionary dynamic and creative shots are on display in many of today’s most popular programmes. In the same way that technology has transformed viewing habits,
camera technology has had to evolve to meet the increased demands of audiences who expect more innovative and exciting coverage. However, rather than simply responding to the expectations of viewers, the advanced capabilities of the latest camera systems are now capturing shots that are setting the bar even higher. The common theme across these
wide ranges of unusual and unique shots is the creation of a more immersive experience for the viewer. Whether it is looking down a ski slope through the eyes of a competitor or following the antics of celebrities in the midst of an Australian jungle, new camera technology, such as the latest remote camera systems, is placing the audience right at the heart of the action. TMBi - 45
Reality-show producers have proved particularly keen on using remote camera systems as a way of fielding cameras in positions that would be impractical with any other system. One of the earliest high profile examples was the introduction of Camera Corps’ QBalls in Channel 4’s Big Brother, where a range of the discreet systems were placed around the contestant’s house to capture live ‘fly-on-the-wall’ coverage. The first Big Brother programme was aired back in 2000, and since then this type of footage has been increasingly used on our screens. Fast forward to this year and the latest camera technology is being used on some of the nation’s biggest entertainment shows. The recent series of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here used almost 80 Camera Corps cameras in its production, including a number of the Q-Ball remotecontrolled pan and tilt camera systems with high quality built-in optical lenses. Camera Corps technicians also assisted throughout the production, maintain the cameras and carrying out additional rigging for all challenges and trials. Other speciality cameras supplied to the programme included Minishot remote heads, HD Mini Zoom cameras with infrared mode, Hitachi DK-H32, and Toshiba IKHR1s and IK-HD1 mini cameras. The cameras were used to film the celebrities in camp 24 hours a day during their stint in the jungle, as well as during the Bushtucker Trials, and were controlled from the production gallery located over 800 metres away. Another genre that stands out for using the most advanced camera technology is sports. The role of cameras in live sports has changed dramatically in recent years, moving away from providing a range of generic views and close
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Winter Sports, in particular, seems to epitomise advancements in camera technology. Helmet cams have been used in events such as board cross, and unique pop-up cameras are also frequently used to capture action shots during the bobsleigh, skeleton and luge. We have even seen drones being used, with one UK based company trialling its camera mountable drones to film unique close up images at recent ski and snowboarding events.
Paul McNeil Senior Project Manager Camera Corps
ups from the side of the pitch, cameras are now being placed right in the midst of the action. Key broadcasters are deploying increasingly innovative techniques to make their coverage stand out from their competitors, and the new camera products are actually shaping the way audiences view and consume sport. Camera Corps and its fellow Vitec Group brand, The Camera Store, have provided specialist equipment and technical support teams for hundreds of sporting productions – including arena, field, stadium and major motor sports tournaments. One proven camera trend that has already delivered hours of special camera footage is wearable cameras. These are deployed with the latest highperformance RF video links and are part of Camera Corps’ portfolio of remote camera solutions that acquire more exciting and unusual television from these types of extremely challenging environments.
Live or recorded onboard mobile applications have also been in operation covering sports for several years, with a range of specialpurpose cameras developed to shoot specific activities. Whether it is specialist aquatic camera systems to bring the viewer an underwater perspective or solutions such as the Cricket Stump Cam, these are being adopted by some of the world’s biggest broadcasters. Regardless of the genre or application, the latest camera technology has undoubtedly changed the way footage is captured both now and in the future. The winners in this battle of the most creative and innovative shots are the audiences, as when they switch on their chosen devices the dynamic and diverse range of coverage is consistently raising and exceeding their expectations.
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Present and future INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW LAMBOURNE, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, SCREEN SYSTEMS What are the latest developments in voice to text workflows? It has been the dream of broadcasters for many years that they can just plug their programme audio feed or media file into a black box, and magically out comes perfect live subtitles. Sadly this is not the case, and probably will not be the case for a long time to come. The truth is that understanding speech – particularly when there is noise in the background, or the speaker is not speaking clearly, or where there may be two people speaking at once – is a highly complex challenge. Computers are just not able to do this at present – but what they can do very well now is to understand a dedicated speaker who has trained the system to know their voice, who speaks clearly, and who gives extra information like
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Andrew Lambourne Busines Development Director Screen Systems
saying the punctuation out loud. Such a person is called a “respeaker” since they are trained to listen to a live TV show and respeak it for the computer, in such a clear and precise way that the accuracy of speech-to-text is very high (often 99%). The only remaining thing is to ensure that before the programme begins, the
computer knows the vocabulary which is going to be used, otherwise it is not able to put out the correct words. Screen has developed a really useful new system to help with this problem – its VocabFinder product searches websites for latest names of people and places in the news or in sports, so that the subtitlers have a list of words which the speech engine does not know, and can then decide which ones to add to its dictionary. This, plus the careful training which we provide, maximises the quality of the end results. Respeakers can also use their unique skills to help in preparation of subtitles for recorded programmes where there is no script, by transcribing the programme as if it were live, and this is faster than typing a transcript. What are the biggest challenges? One of the big challenges in respeaking is words or short phrases which are pronounced the same but spelled differently – homophones as they are called. For example in English “fish and chips” is pronounced like “fission chips”, and someone called “Greene” may be playing golf and
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Respeaking Software Architecture - for news subtitling
hitting the ball onto the “green”. Various techniques can be devised to overcome this, including defining a different way of saying one of the cases as a verbal code, and telling the computer how to represent this code as text. All of this places extra demands on the skills and ingenuity of the respeakers. Only when computers start to understand the grammatical context of what they are hearing (which they currently do not – speech recognition software is based on a statistical model of the likelihood of different sounds being in sequence) will this improve. What about the delay? How long does it take to the information to appear in the screen? There are various components to the delay of live subtitles. First of all, the respeaker needs to hear enough of the sentence to be able to make sense of it and to be confident that this is what the speaker is actually going to say
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(some speakers start a sentence and then change their minds and go along another track). Then the respeaker has to repeat what it said, the computer has to turn it into text, and finally the text has to be presented on screen. All this takes a few seconds. If the text is presented word-by-word in a scrolling display, then the time before a given word appears may be around 3-6 seconds. If the text is held until a complete sentence or block is ready, then the first words will be delayed by more than this. But working in their favour, if the respeakers are given a feed of audio direct from the studio rather than after digital encoding, they “catch up” by the amount of time it takes to encode the signal for broadcast. Where will the growth be of this content in future years? What content is best suited? That’s a big question. Sport is obviously popular with viewers, and
having live subtitles can make all the difference. So broadcasters may focus on this area even though it can be hard to subtitle well because of all the different names of people and teams. News is easier for the subtitlers because much of a news programme is prescripted, and the scripts can be accessed by the subtitling computer and manually cued to air rather than being created live. Chat-shows are another popular genre, and here again it can be difficult – particularly if there are multiple people speaking at once. I think one has to say that the audience of deaf and hard-ofhearing people probably want access to the same kinds of TV programmes as everybody else, so the broadcasters should probably choose to target their services across the range of content types. But it’s important to keep the audience onside and to explain to them (by way of some broadcast
facts about how the services are produced) where the challenges are and how the team or professionals work hard to give the best possible quality. When handling recorded material, I think that for some specific content types (like documentaries or new clips which do not have a lot of
background noise) automated offline transcription systems are nearing the point at which they will deliver usable transcripts without the need for too many edits: this will assist the workflow and increase productivity. Please tell us about your equipment for this service and
Respeaking with WinCAPS in action
your main projects Our live subtitling preparation system is called Q-Live, and it is used by a number of broadcasters in the UK and around the world to subtitle all kinds of live programmes. We have provided training for many of the respeakers working today, and are constantly in touch with them and finding new ways to help them meet the challenges and to deliver best possible quality at best possible price. See http://www.screensystems.tv/subtitli ng/subtitle-preparationsoftware/live-subtitle-preparation/ for more information. One of the main areas in which we continue to apply pressure is to try to get speech engine manufacturers (of which in the mass market there is sadly only one major player now) to develop tools for more languages: this would open up the possibilities for cost-effective live subtitling in many more countries.
Q-Live Screenshot with respeaker
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Four years ago, Argentinian producer Sebastián Noó Bermúdez, a creative director by trade with a strong technical background in live event productions, discovered a new business opportunity while promoting Argentina’s amateur body building and fitness circuit. “For professional sports, there is an established group of production companies that have the infrastructure and relationships to fully produce and broadcast professional competitions. This was not the case for the amateur sports market. If the public wanted to experience a body building competition, they would have to attend it in person.”
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Seeing the growing popularity in fitness and specifically body building, Sebastián launched Sybila Producciones, a venture designed to produce and broadcast body building and fitness events and competitions. “Our aim was to grow together with the body building and fitness movement, working alongside the organizations to help them increase the presence of the actual event as well as develop and drive programming for national and international coverage.” After discussing the idea with Rafael Santonja, president of IFBB (International Federation of Body
Building), Sybila Productions embarked on a journey to bring the world of body building closer to its fans.
TOUGH GEAR DESIGNED FOR ENDURANCE
post event program interviews and magazine shows, as well as a sturdy mobile unit that could capture the action onsite and serve it back out to the world over multi viewing platforms. With a strong technical background in live event production, Sebastián had an advantage when it came to researching and testing new gear for his studio set up.
While the strategy was well defined, setting up a modern production facility to create and broadcast events and programs was no small task. It would require both a studio build out for pre and
“The first thing I did was investigate the latest products the market had to offer and compare benefits without looking at price as the deciding factor. Based on professional performance alone,
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many of Blackmagic’s products immediately stood out from the rest. It was easy to see that the company invested in its products, putting out cost effective updates frequently, developing important emerging technologies we wanted to use for our productions.” In addition to the engineering power behind Blackmagic Design solutions, Sybila knew it could quickly recover its investments thanks to the company’s cost competitive nature. “Blackmagic gave us the possibility to purchase outstanding production and broadcast technology at a low cost. Combined with the ongoing updates, we are able to compete side by side with any major production company here in Argentina for business. This is important as we did not have the sponsorships that some of these other organizations had.” Sebastián continues, “Our ability to compete on this level speaks volumes about the infrastructure we have in place. In fact, we have collaborated with several established production facilities on projects and, after seeing and experiencing our set up, they have made more than one remark about
moving their infrastructure investment to Blackmagic Design.” Sybila has two Blackmagic Design 2.5k Cinema Cameras and one Blackmagic Studio HD Camera, for shooting live events and pre-recorded interviews in ProRes. Both the facility and mobile units are equipped with two ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K production switchers and Mini Converters. Sebastián explains, “Since we record a lot of interviews before and after events, the studio is set up with two cameras mounted on a crane and we use the two Blackmagic Cinema Cameras either on tripods or steadicams. We have Blackmagic Design Mini Converters to support our HDMI to SDI conversions. At the heart of our studio and our mobile unit is the Blackmagic Design ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K. It allows us to orchestrate recordings destined for satellite, cable and the Internet.” Thanks to Blackmagic Design’s portability, Sybila’s mobile production and broadcast solution is rack mounted in compact anvil cases, ideal for on the go production. “We have managed to build a very portable solution based
on Blackmagic products, which can be disassembled and reassembled very easily, anywhere. In the past we had difficulty with other brands because of the proprietary interfaces and such. Connections between controllers were not standard and it caused problems controlling components that were placed at a distance with a network cable. Not Blackmagic. Their tools are rugged and play well with others.”
BLACKMAGIC DESIGN ENTERS THE MAIN EVENT Sybila’s biggest event is the Argentinian Body Building Title Competition. It is a two day event that takes place every year during the month of August. Each day there are eight hours of competition to capture and broadcast. Sebastián explains the set up he uses to capture the muscle popping moments: “Three of the five cameras we use at the event are the Blackmagic Design cameras, two Cinema 2.5k cameras and one Studio HD. One is mounted on a crane and the other two are used typically on a tripod or steadicam in front of the stage. All Blackmagic Design cameras are connected via SDI to the ATEM 1 M/E with Mini Convertors to support HDMI to SDI conversions.” With the ATEM, Sebastián has an immense amount of flexibility. “For example, audio mixing does not need to be done outside of the ATEM, which was fantastic for us. The mix sent to us from the event’s sound operator went directly to the ATEM. But, we also had the possibility of taking audio from the cameras, which was ideal for the interviews we conducted during the breaks. No additional equipment needed. Microphone and camera were directly connected to the ATEM. The quality of the broadcast
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was really outstanding.”
it is assembled for VOD.
Sybila broadcasts the entire competition to both satellite in HD and over the Internet using the ATEM to incorporate lower thirds and facilitate picture in picture shots, showing various poses simultaneously as well as play sponsorship advertisements.
GROWING STRONGER EVERY DAY
“The diversity of connections is what makes Blackmagic Design components so attractive. The possibility of having eight channels of SDI connections as well as fiber connections, etc., is truly fantastic.” Sebastián also appreciates the camera control module. “That really changed the workflow for the better. We can put up a video monitor with a PC touchscreen, no need for a camera interface or proprietary software.” Once the events are over, Sybila pushes the content into post, where
With the quality of the broadcast at a professional level, Sybila has been able to grow its business quickly. “We have a lot of great customers and they are pretty happy we made the leap from just producing the events to broadcasting them worldwide. Not only has it helped us grow our business, but it has helped them increase their audience and fan base. It’s a win win all around.” In just three short years, Sybila has helped amateur body builders get on a global stage, attracting a wider fan base that is looking for more and more ways to get their muscle flex fix. With demand building, Sybila has
plans to expand its studio production schedule to include more prerecorded shows such as behind the scenes, how to’s and other magazine format programs. “Our goal is to provide high quality live events and a wide range of prerecorded shows. With Blackmagic Design supporting our entrepreneurial vision through affordable, outstanding technology, we are able to engage and raise the awareness around an entire market as well as start and grow a successful business.” The push into more studio production oriented shows means a bigger emphasis on post. Sebastián looks into their future: “I just started playing around with Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve and love it. I am looking forward to this next phase and so glad that Blackmagic is along for the ride!”
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WHAT’S NEW? ANOTHER GOOD STEP FORWARD
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Any tool can be limited by the hands that manage it. Undoubtedly tools need good hands to handle them in order to take advantage of all they offer.
Txt: Luis Pavía The content creators are permanently in luck thanks to the growth on variety and capacities of the tools available to do their job. Of course, this situation enables their work but at the same time complicates the decision-making when choosing the equipment they will use to work with. We have been saying for some time, the selection of the appropriate tool, together with the use of its characteristics with our knowledge and skills, is the best starting point for the success of our projects. Let’s see what this new member of the Sony family offers us and how can it help us increase our possibilities and finally, if it can make our lifes easier. In short, this is a full HD camcorder, with three state of the art 1/3 Exmor Cmos sensors, a wide noninterchangeable 25x zoom, Wi-Fi ,NFC and GPS with a compact body and partially adapted for the shoulder. It was launched before the summer of 2014 in order to replace the “old” HVR-Z7 and HXRNX5. It includes enough advantages and news to be an authentic advance until the next level. In fact, the equipment is already part of the XDCAM family and records in XAVC and MPEG2 formats on SxS. It’s the new step forward. We have a lot of thing to review; therefore we have separated the content in parts.
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THE
BODY
Regarding the body, it doesn’t have much news. It maintains the classic structure of this type of cameras: solid, well-balanced, with a screen, the lens and some protective lids as the only mobile parts. It is slightly bigger and heavier than the classic EX1, but without having the dimensions and weight of the EX3, models we use as reference
because of their popularity. All elements are logically grouped on their usual places and we only miss a revolving handle, which hasn’t got much approval by users because almost all models have removed it. However, we find it very useful on many shots. It has an upper handle with two viewfinders: the frontal pop-up screen and a new OLED viewfinder in colour on the rear and the second zoom and shot control.
THE LENS It has a Sony lens of the G series: with a big 25x zoom and approximately 26-650 range (35mmFF). It also offers a wide angle with an impressive range, especially for a non-interchangeable lens. It can be handled by remote control through Lan-C and has three independent rings for the focus, zoom and iris. The touch is good and offers accuracy and inspires confidence. We especially like the ring of the focus because it can be moved back and forth; it can be moved manually with marks of distance and blocks or it can be partially automatic without distances and blocks. The zoom can also be selected on manual or servo mode. With the servo mode, the physical ring which controls it, remains off and unhooked. This way, accidental moves can be avoided. The iris ring doesn’t have marks or blocks, its values appear on the screen, on manual and automatic mode.
CONTROLS,
BUTTONS
In this section, and like the design of the body, we find everything “on its place”, or at least where every person used to handling camcorders will try to find these buttons. With the camcorder on manual position, all buttons which can be necessary during the shooting are accessible with the left hand, with a second zoom control and a starstop button on the upper part of the handle, which is the place for the low shots. There are seven assignable buttons, with a big list of options for each of them. This way, we can place at hand the different options necessary for the work we are doing at each moment. As a new function and especially interesting feature, it includes a variable ND filter which enables continuous setting adjustment from 1/4 to 1/128, that is to say, from 2 to 7 diaphragms on one to one
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steps. If this wasn’t enough, the three positions ND1, ND2, ND3 can be configured through the menu with any of the values of that range. By activating the “variable” on any of them, it will automatically apply the lat value used. We find this very useful, because it enables us to manage the iris (and the resulting field depth) regardless of the light without precedents. Provided there is some light, of course. The gain can even be configured on negative to reduce sensitivity. We are not surprised to learn the values assigned to the selector position can be configured with the menu, from -3 up to +18db. Regarding the noise, it can be found when we are approaching the limit. How much? Is it acceptable? Only the type of work we are doing, the look we want for our shots and our level of exigency can answer those questions. All these factors are very debatable; the only valid assessment is we find it less than the noise you can find on other cameras with sensors of the same size. Apart from the base for a gun microphone it has a stereo built-in microphone. The multi-interface shoe has new connections, which are not evident at first sight and offer the possibility of including a compatible wireless microphone (UWP-D11 ó D12) and collect the signal without cables and power supply. These same connections also switch on or off the video light which is synchronized with the filming, without additional cables. Of course, only on compatible models. Protected by the screen we find a collection of buttons that, although they are not usually used on filming, are convenient for other functions. The OLED viewfinder of 0.5 inches completes the external screen of 3.5. The visibility of both screens is very good and is an inseparable part of the authentic control
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centre of all camcorder functions: the menu. On the image we will be able to see up to 37 additional fields which provide us with the information of all the conditions and adjustments we are using at each moment. Calm down, because with a simple button we can make them appear or disappear to be able to focus all the attention on the shot without distractions. They can be selected with the menu in order to choose if we want them to be on the screen or not. The 37 fields aren’t unnecessary; we can even find some good surprises. For example, the same field of
the histogram can show instead a vectorscope or a monitor waveform, always on the real time of the shot.
THE
MENU
From the menu you can control the parameters with enough manoeuvre margin to give the camera some time to adapt to the most appropriate and convenient behaviour for each moment. You have enough time to make the camcorder work on completely different ways on each occasion. If we try listing all the options we won’t have
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CONNECTIONS
AND
CONNECTIVITY It has enough variety and versatility to offer a good performance on difficult environments: SDI ports on SD and HD, HDMI, Genlock, time code... Moreover, with the NFC and Wi-Fi we can control, see and send files on real time. Some years ago, these characteristics were unimaginable and today we can control our camera with a mobile phone or tablet and upload shots to the cloud almost instantly. Although it’s not a part of the connectivity, we have to mention its built-in GPS which enables the geolocation of our shots. It can be a valuable element on certain situations. It can be deactivated, because sometimes it’s also important to stop delocalizing.
enough paper to put them on. The user manual is very extensive and it includes all this information. You should read it if you want to take advantage of all its possibilities. We can access the menu easily and select options and values with special buttons, both on the side of the camera with a thumbwheel and with the buttons below the screen. It’s always of great help to have the option of configuring the camcorder on nine languages, among them the Spanish language. Parameters are grouped under the usual names and the menu also has new ones to include the new functions, like the network parameters for the Wi-Fi connectivity. It has an option that although it’s not frequent, not even on high end camcorders, is one of our favouri-
tes: the skin tendering. This function enables you to establish a range of tones and adjust different levels of clarity in the images which are in and out of that range. This way it’s easier to maintain all the details of any shot and provide at the same time certain tenderness on the skin of the lead actors. It’s important to do this carefully otherwise the actors will lose its essence. We like the fact the parameters have a numerical value and that they can be selected from a range and also that they have next to them a graphic bar which shows a reference mark of the value by default. It makes experimentation easier without losing the references. We also like the fact of finding the last option selected when entering the menu. At least until you switch off the camcorder.
The audio entry selector has the classic options of an internal microphone and external XLR connections, plus an extra option for the multi-function shoe. On the third position, the audio is registered through the connections of this shoe; therefore there is no need to wire up the receiver, provided the model is compatible with the system. By the way, this selector is next to the volume controls on the side of the camcorder, while the selector of entry level and supply +48v is next to the XLR connectors, near the gun microphone base. In order to activate the wind filter you have to enter the menu. To monitor the audio through the headphones there is a practical selector to hear both stereo channels, or hear each of them individually.
CODECS The main news is the capacity to work with the XAVC format. It’s important to know the difference with the XAVC-S, a simplified ver-
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sion for “domestic” use. Technically, the XAVC uses a MPEG4 with AVC.H264 container of level 5.2. It seems that writing more acronyms won’t make a difference, so let me explain the XAVC technology is based on a method which provides the biggest image resolution, the higher frame-rate and the best video compression available at this moment. The format design is the XAVC codec and it can obtain: in 4k (4096x2160) and QFHD (3840x2160) up to 60 fps. In 2K (2048x1080) and HD (1920x1080) up to 180 fps. In all cases with space colours of 4:4:4, 4:2:2, or 4:2:0 and extended gammas with S-Log curves and colour depths of 8, 10, and 12 bits. With this camcorder HD in 50i or 25p resolutions can be obtained, or 1280x720@50p. The recording formats are: XAVC intra, XAVC longgop, MPEG HD422, MPEG HD420, AVCHD and DVCAM. The files are recorded with data flows from 112 Mbps to 8 bits, although on the SDI outputs the signal has 10 bits and can be registered at a higher quality on external devices. Not only there are a lot of available formats but also there are the most important ones, these camcorders offer the minimum level appropriate for TV emission: MPEG HD422 at 50Mbps.
THE
CARDS AND THE
WORK FLOW It can record on memory cards, which is almost the most used device today. The work flow necessary to maintain the quality levels has marked the selection of the SxS cards as the main way of recording. It has two slots which can be configured to record in parallel or one by one. When a card is full, the recording continuous automatically on the other, if there is enough space.
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Then these two files are directly connected to the frame without having to do anything else. We can use different SxS cards from different ranges and capacities, like the new XQD cards or the classic SD cards or MemoryStick pro with its own adaptors. There are two additional slots for SD cards or Memory stick pro duo. One of them is for the recording of proxis in low quality. The low quality can be configured with resolutions between: 1280x720, 640x360, and 480x270. This recording can be simultaneous to the main recording or the buttons can be configured to ensure one of them has an independent control of the recording in a device (SxS ó SD). There is a fourth slot for SD cards created for the scene files and the plan metadata. The scene files are parameter collections to quickly store and upload. On other models this possibility requires the
use of the same SxS cards. Plan metadata are data collections that are going to be stored together with camcorder metadata in order to use them afterwards for edition and postproduction projects. In this case, we can use cheaper cards just to store and share all this information. We think is a good choice, because it’s usual to have several accessible configurations which are quick and safe to use. It’s also usual to have metadata for editing and postproduction on the original files of the camcorder. Only if we think about the Wi-Fi networks we can access, it’s worth to have a collection of different configurations. On big projects is a great advantage to avoid the step of uplo-
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ading metadata, more for security reasons than for the time it takes. If we also add all the corresponding parameters to the image, in a short period we will have a good collection. These uses are even more interesting if you hire these equipments frequently. You can rest assured you will have a safe and reliable configuration on a minimum time. Regarding the work flow, the MPEG files are immediately recognized by all editors, even on versions a couple of generations older. Only if we want the maximum of the XAVC files, we will need an updated editor or to have third party
converters. The last possibility could be cheaper, but we will lose the advantage of the high quality on files of reduced size that the format has. Regarding the use, as the XDCAM range to which it belongs, the batteries are the usual BP-U of this range, although the battery charger doesn’t work to power the camcorder. Therefore it comes with the appropriate one for its power necessities. By the way, its consumption, with all the wireless functions is higher than on other models of the range. We have to take this into account to carry charged batteries all the time.
THE
CLIENTS
To who is directed? We find it curious to find more and more versatile equipments for wide environments, in this time when tool creation seems to go towards specialization. Usually, the more versatile equipments are, the more limited they become or the more expensive we can find them. This time, the step forward doesn’t imply limitations or an excessive price: it’s below 5,000€ (without taxes at the moment I ‘am writing this article at the end of 2014). This makes the client range very wide, especially if we take into account it has a very good price, with regards to what it offers. The SDI, HDMI, and genlock connections, added to its capacities of being managed by remote control make easier the configuration as studio camera on small local broadcasters, companies and universities. Therefore, the possible client range is bigger than usual. The only element we could consider “limited” is the sensor due to its size of only 1/3 inches. We think is not really a limitation. There are many jobs where a small sensor, with its higher field depth can be used like: social, company, training,
dissemination, news, documentary and low cost videos and even as B camcorder on bigger productions. It’s also true that a field depth helps you focus on the main actor and the message, but sometimes to film on such controlled conditions is a problem or even impossible. In all other cases where a field depth is a relief, like persons moving around, or just one operator, this tool is your ally. If you want a camcorder with similar characteristics and a bigger sensor of ½ inches, there are models like the PXW-X200 or the PMW-X300. You can even have all the advantages at a lower price if you go without the GPS, the Wi-Fi and the NFC, like the model PXWX160.
CONCLUSION In short, apart from the elements highlighted on the headlines of the (3Cmos 1/3, Zoom x25, XAVC + MPEG, Wi-Fi + NFC, variable ND filter, screen 3.5 + OLED viewfinder, GPS,…) a valuable and a wide collection of characteristics, a high level of customization and connectivity to face the most complicated situations, provides it with everything you need to work on a great variety of situations with a good result. If you add to all of this the good price, we think is a tool that offers us good results without a bigger inversion. And yes, it can make our lives easier, at least in a professional way. We cannot talk about imperfections or shortage of advantages. We can only talk about some decisions made regarding the design which could have been better, but that were made to lower the final price. However, these improvements can be obtained on superior models with a higher price.
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