Content + Technology ANZ July August 2013

PP: 255003/06831

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 3 JULY/AUGUST 2013

MEDIA + PRODUCTION + MANAGEMENT + DELIVERY

www. www. ww www.content-technology.com w co ont nten enten t-te ttech te ch hno nolo lo ogy y.c .co om om

GAT S BY

A TOAS T T O P O S T

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

PREVIEW

ISSN 1448-9554

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www.aja.com

Get Ready For 4K Unite 4K, QuadHD, 2K and HD with breakthrough features and quality.

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For on-set monitoring and playback, Ki Pro Quad performs a real time debayer of RAW camera data to the 4K and HD outputs, allowing you to view the native resolution and simultaneously down-converted SDI and HDMI outputs for cost-effective monitoring.

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Pass RAW data via Thunderbolt™ and record 4 Apple ProRes files for the perfect combination 4K of the highest quality and manageable file sizes.

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Find out more at www.aja.com and visit us at Booth #7.F11

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Platinum Gen

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 3 JULY/AUGUST 2013

Also see C+T in PDF at www.content-technology.com

Cover Story – Gatsby – a Toast to Post

40 REGULARS 02 04

EDITOR’S WELCOME NEWS DubSat Simplifies HD Delivery, Foxtel Goes OTT with Elemental, Multichannel Solution for Fiji TV, Fox Sports Upgrades Comms, Sony DADC Embraces Internet VOD, Silver Trak Digitises Mudfest, VideoCraft Provides Foundation for Hillsong Church

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TAKING STOCK Vale Senator Stephen Conroy, the Future of Industry Job Seeking, ericsson to buy Red Bee Media, US Broadcaster Buys Dielectric,

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CLASSIFIEDS AND EVENTS OFF-AIR TIME SHIFTER Happy Birthday Ethernet!

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM Sohonet Launches in Singapore, TVT

FEATURES

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TECHNICAL STANDARDS HbbTV Ramps Up Worldwide Activity, Ericsson/Intelsat Demonstrate 4K via Satellite.

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SMPTE13 PREVIEW Conference Preview ACQUISITION Inspiration Studios Takes

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SPORTSCASTING Gearhouse Assembles OB Supertruck Dream Team, The Glasgow Diaries Chapter 4, Thoroughbred Productions on Track with DAMsmart MAM

RADIO SBS Radio upgrades with Lawo and VSM from PAT, Paul Thompson Next CEO for Radio NZ, Radio National Installs VidiGo, ABC Port Macquarie Installs Logitek.

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AUDIO AWAG Readies for Digital, News

NEWS OPERATIONS Sky News in Major

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TRANSMISSION TXA National Modulator

Fujinon, ARRI to Wonderland, Sony ANZ Dealers Convert to 4K, PNG Broadcaster Calls in Lens Panel-Beaters,

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Studio Upgrade, AP Invests in UserGenerated Content, IMF iPAD App.

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Installs AmberFin in Sydney and Singapore, Scaling Out Digital Storage by Charles Sevior.

Loudness and Mixing Solutions.

Upgrade, WA Switches Over, Plant 4K Migration Strategy by Stan Moote.

POST-PRODUCTION The Great Gatsby – a Toast to Post. Keith Ford talks to editing, colour-grading and VFX lighting teams.

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CONTENT+TECHNOLOGY: ISSN 1448-9554 PP:255003/06831 Broadcastpapers Pty Ltd (ABN: 34 095 653 277) PO Box 259, Darlinghurst, NSW 1300 Australia www.broadcastpapers.com PUBLISHER: Phil Sandberg Tel: +61-(0)2-9211 8205 Fax: +61-(0)2-9211 8208 Mob: +61-(0)414-671-811 papers@broadcastpapers.com

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SUB-EDITOR: Keith Ford PRODUCTION MANAGER: Lucy Salmon Tel: +61-(0)29211 8205 production@broadcastpapers.com DESIGN & LAYOUT: Wide Open Media Tel: +61-2-9690 2835 info@wideopenmedia.com.au PRINTING: Pegasus COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All material in Broadcastpapers’ Content+Technology Magazine is protected under

Australian Commonwealth Copyright Laws.

No material may be reproduced in part or whole in any manner without prior consent of the Publisher and/or copyright holder.

DISCLAIMER: Broadcastpapers Pty Ltd accepts no responsibility for omissions or mistakes made within, claims made or information provided by advertisers.

7/07/13 6:28 PM

EDITOR’S WELCOME

And the Broadband Plays On!

By Phil Sandberg WELCOME TO OUR 2013 SMPTE Australia Conference and Exhibition preview issue. For over a decade, it has been our pleasure to be an active partner of the SMPTE Australia Section – from promoting its events in C+T to enabling the Australia Section’s online presence to publishing the Official Directory of the SMPTE Australia Conference.

This year’s event theme, Delivering the Personalised Content Experience, is a reminder, if any were needed, that we are well and truly living in the era of cross-platform, multi-device, media convergence.

With spectrum auctions already underway and the final switch-off of analogue terrestrial television due at the end of the year, broadcasters and others involved in content delivery will have the “bandwidth” to refine their offerings across multiple devices and business models.

A major factor in all of this will undoubtedly be Australia’s National Broadband Network, something SMPTE has chosen to acknowledge by inviting Landry Fevre, General Manager – Media, with the NBN Co, to deliver the conference’s keynote address - The Future Landscape of Media & Entertainment.

There are over 50 countries currently rolling out infrastructure under the umbrella of a national broadband network. This number equates to around a quarter of the members of the United Nations. In the Asia-Pacific, countries embarking on this modern version of the nation-building project include India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Hong Kong.

Of course, the technology mix for a broadband network varies from country to country, but there is a tendency in high density areas towards fixed fibre and/or DSL as well as 3G/4G wireless with more isolated population areas being serviced via satellite.

And, video is set to be a huge part of these broadband networks. The latest Australian Multi-Screen Report from the Regional TAM, OzTAM and Nielsen audience measurement agencies reveals an increasingly connected Australian home, with 27% now having access to four screens: television, computer, smartphone and tablet (up from 16% a year ago).

The report, which covers the first quarter of calendar 2013, shows media consumption patterns are evolving as households add new technologies.

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53% of homes have PVRs, and 13% of homes have two or more PVRs. Internet-connected TVs are in 21% of homes (15% in Q1 2012).

31% of homes have tablets (15% in Q1 2012).

61% of Australians aged 16+ own a smartphone (48% in Q1 2012).

98% of homes have converted to digital terrestrial television (DTT), with 84% having converted every working set in the home to DTT. 11.4 million Australians watch some video (both television broadcast and non-broadcast content) online via a PC or laptop each month Household internet penetration is stable at 80%.

Australians spend on average 51 hours and 47 minutes per month using the internet on a PC. 74% of online Australians aged 16+ say they multi-task (simultaneously watch TV and use the internet). Of that group, 79% claim to at least once a week (60% in 2011). 32% do so at least once daily, and 54% say they do so almost every day.

Viewing of any video via extended screens (PC, smartphone and tablet) accounts for 9% of the video consumption on traditional TV sets

Meanwhile, according to the new edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, mobile-data traffic will continue to grow significantly in the coming years, a trend driven mainly by video. Overall data traffic is expected to grow 12-fold by the end of 2018. The report says smartphones accounted for around half of all mobile-phone sales in Q1 2013, compared with roughly 40 percent for the whole of 2012.

The Ericsson report also says video consumption is on average 2.6GB per subscription per month in some networks and makes up the largest segment of data traffic in those networks. Interestingly enough, the report also says that while video is popular, users don’t necessarily tend to spend the most time on data-heavy applications. Consumers spend more time on social networking: an average of up to 85 minutes per day in some networks.

And that personalised content experience is something to contemplate for anyone in the eyeball competition business.

Thanks for reading Phil Sandberg Editor/Publisher

More than 91% of all viewing is to the traditional television set, on average 92 hours and 39 minutes per month.

93% of all TV viewing is live, with playback accounting for 7% (6:48 per month).

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papers@broadcastpapers.com T: +61-(0)2-9211 8205

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2013 C+T DEADLINES

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ehran

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AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013 VOL 1 ISSUE 5

‘ASIAPAC’

Bookings: 30-07-2013 Editorial Submissions: 31-07-2013 AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND EDITION SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2013 VOL 10 ISSUE 5

EDITOR’S WELCOME

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FOR MORE INFORMATION www.content-technology.com +61-(0)2-9211 8205 or +61-(0)414 671 811 Email: papers@broadcastpapers.com Sales enquiries: papers@broadcastpapers.com +61-(0)2 9211 8205

The C+T (Time) Zone.

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Complete the picture with the power of ChannelPort

Focus on your channel, not your technology Harmonic’s Spectrum ChannelPort speeds, simplifies and dramatically reduces the cost of deploying new television and video channels by integrating sophisticated branding and graphics with clip playback, master control switching, live feed and Emergency Alert System support. Beyond “channel in a box,” ChannelPort is part of Harmonic’s industry-leading Spectrum media playout system and fits seamlessly into new and existing environments.

Learn more at harmonicinc.com/channelport

©2013 Harmonic Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

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NEWS + PEOPLE For the latest news visit www.content-technology.com

Dubsat Launches Simplified HD TVC Delivery GLOBAL CONTENT MANAGEMENT and distribution company, Dubsat, has launched a simplified, user-based ‘self serve’ HD TVC delivery service for advertising agencies and production companies.

Now an advertiser wanting to deliver a TVC to both HD and SD TV channels only has to upload an HD version using Dubsat’s multi-OS desktop application, MediaPro Extreme HD, and Dubsat will automatically downconvert the file to SD when required.

Dubsat launched its HD workflow delivering to Australian and New Zealand HD destinations, including 7Mate, 9GEM, One Metro (Ch10), World Movies (SBS), FX, National Geographic Channels, TVNZ, and TV3.

Foxtel Over-The-Top with Elemental ELEMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES has announced that its video processing systems have been selected by Foxtel for its on demand and catch-up television services. Foxtel is employing multiple Elemental systems to process and deliver more than 50 channels for the Foxtel Go over-the-top (OTT) and TV Everywhere services.

Foxtel Go service enables subscribers to watch the network’s premium TV shows, series and sports on the go and was recently expanded to offer more than 50 channels covering drama, entertainment, documentaries, movies, sport, news, lifestyle, music and kids as well as additional catch up content.

Visit www.elementaltechnologies.com

Dubsat CEO Grant Schuetrumpf said, “Dubsat has developed its simplified HD and SD workflow to efficiently deliver TVCs to broadcasters, IPTV, Internet and out of home destinations. By closely collaborating with our clients and broadcasters the common request was that they all wanted us to simplify the SD and HD TVC delivery process for them as much as possible.”

Dubsat CTO Adam Larter added, “Along with the unique features of MediaPro Extreme HD we have added several new functions including identical end-user management of SD or HD TVCs. MediaPro Extreme HD also accepts a wide variety of client-preferred HD formats including ProRes LT and HQ, MXF and MPG2 and provides state-of-the-art transcoding services. Thus the

Dubsat CEO Grant Schuetrumpf [left] and CTO Adam Larter.

user experience is simple and intuitive and of the highest quality.”

Visit www.dubsat.com.au and www.dubsat.co.nz

Fiji TV Goes Multichannel with Gencom, Harris HARRIS BROADCAST HAS SUPPLIED a range of integrated broadcast solutions to Gencom Technology for the implementation of a multi-channel playout facility at Fiji TV. The solution encompasses the playout operation for 25 channels and also serves SKY Pacific.

Gencom Technology designed and built the new solution in Auckland, New Zealand.

“In talking to Gencom, it became clear that the Harris Broadcast integrated solution was the right option for us,” said Tarun Patel, CEO, Fiji TV. “We already rely on the Harris Broadcast NEXIO AMP server platform and our experience so far has been extremely positive.

For this reason, we were confident that we could rely on Harris Broadcast technology and,

with help from Gencom, the two companies were able to design a solution specific to our needs.”

At the heart of the new facility is a Harris Broadcast Platinum router with integrated HView SX Pro multiviewers. This, alongside various 6800+ modular processing systems, ensures reliable signal processing and monitoring across the entire Fiji TV facility.

The facility, now on-air, also incorporates a range of Harris Broadcast master control graphics and production solutions to enhance the on-air look across all channels.

Visit www.harrisbroadcast.com and www.gencom.com

Studiotech Australia is proud to continue to Sell, Integrate and Support the complete range of Evertz Solutions and Products AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd

NEWS + PEOPLE

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Includes control software for Mac and PC plus Photoshop plug ins for direct graphic downloads.

Connect professional SDI or consumer HDMI cameras in SD, HD or Ultra HD! Imagine your event in full Ultra HD!

Rack mount design lets you install into road cases for portability.

Ethernet lets you plug direct to your computer for control and uploading graphics.

HDMI inputs let you plug in video cameras or even computers for slide shows!

You can even plug in SD, HD or Ultra HD broadcast cameras using the 6G-SDI inputs.

Aux output allows connection to on stage screens and projectors. Aux switching can be done using the front panel buttons!

SDI and HDMI program outputs for sending your live program feed to your audience!

Includes down converter from Ultra HD to HD.

Smash quality barriers with the world’s first Ultra HD live production switcher! ATEM Production Studio 4K lets you connect up to 8 SD, HD or Ultra HD video cameras, disk recorders and computers. You get all the features you expect from a professional switcher including chroma key, transitions, media pool, downstream keyers, built in 24 channel audio mixer, multi view, aux output with front panel aux switching and the world’s first 6G-SDI and HDMI 4K video connections!

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See all your cameras and program video output using a single TV with the built in multi view.

Audio inputs connect direct into the built in audio mixer for professional and consumer HiFi audio sources.

More Connections ATEM Production Studio 4K can be switched between SD, HD and Ultra HD so it connects to a wide range of HDMI and SDI cameras! You get 4 x 6G-SDI and 4 x HDMI 4K inputs for up to 8 simultaneous live inputs. All inputs feature re-sync so you can plug in anything! Also included are 2 balanced XLR audio inputs and HiFi audio inputs for connecting audio sources!

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ATEM Production Studio 4K is a true professional M/E style switcher, perfect for live music, sporting events, theatre productions, program production, conferences and more!

You get the most creative solution for live switching with cut, mix, wipe, dip and more! You can even load graphics directly from Adobe Photoshop into the 2 built in media players for live keying!

ATEM uses a familiar M/E style of operation so you get an instantly familiar workflow that’s fast and easy to use. ATEM includes a software based control panel for Mac and Windows! If you need a hardware control panel then simply add the ATEM 1 M/E Broadcast Panel for a true broadcast solution.

Thousands of ATEM switchers are used today for live broadcast events such as sports, music festivals, drama, reality TV and much more!

Incredible Features ATEM includes upstream chroma key for green and blue screen shooting. You also get pattern, shaped and linear keying, 2 downstream keyers, 2 built in media players and more! The built in multi view allows all camera’s, preview and program to be viewed on a single SDI or HDMI monitor or television, so ATEM is perfect for portable location use! Now you can cover any live event, anywhere!

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NEWS + PEOPLE

Fox Sports Upgrades Comms with Magna WHEN FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA moved from its Pyrmont site to new facilities in Gore Hill, installing a new comms system whilst decommissioning the old system seamlessly was one of the challenges that had to be overcome.

The broadcaster chose a new RTS Telex system and a migration plan devised and managed by Magna Systems and Engineering.

The company installed a new full-size ADAM matrix which supports up to 272 + ports with a single 7RU frame and can be linked to configure multi-frame systems of up to 880 ports. ADAM frames also support audio interface cards including AIO, RVON VoIP, Omneo, and MADI.

Magna Systems and Engineering Product Specialist, Lucas Bohm, explained, “The idea was to leave the existing RTS Telex ADAM frame at Pyrmont, install a new ADAM128 with KP32 keypanels at Gore Hill and intelligently trunk them via Ethernet using Fox Sports’ existing RVON-16 cards. This would provide a reliable and dynamic communication path between both sites during the build and help maintain the overall operational dynamics.”

The system design and project plan, devised and developed by Bohm, was agreed, with Fox Sports Australia assured that both sites would run concurrently and with a seamless switchover there would be no on-air disruption.

Bohm added, “It was a very logical and methodical process with the Magna team migrating the kit systematically across to the new building. As the new studios became operational the older existing equipment was decommissioned. It was a cost-effective solution that also minimised the re-training of staff.”

Combining Fox Sports Australia’s existing RTS system with the new ADAM frame at Gore Hill provided a transparent communication path for all stakeholders irrespective of location and allowed them to operate with minimal interruption.

Visit www.magnasys.tv

Avalon Studios Puts Xytech at its Core XYTECH, A LEADER IN facility management software for the broadcast and media services industries, announced that Avalon Studios has chosen the company’s Media Pulse Express solution. Located in Wellington, New Zealand, Avalon Studios is an independently owned and operated studio complex. MediaPulse Express

helps the busy studio manage its varied facilities, as well as staff, resources, and back office operations.

The studio facility provides an extensive infrastructure with sets and stages, back lots, control rooms, post production environments, camera and lighting hire, staff

and crew support, and even a helipad. With the implementation of MediaPulse, Xytech’s resource, work order and asset management platform, Avalon Studios has the software solution it needs to keep all of the various and demanding aspects of the studio running.

Visit www.xytechsystems.com

GV Director Produce big. Pack small.

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Every production needs a multipurpose tool.

Make yours GV Director™. Switcher, Server, Graphics Engine, and Multiviewer—many powerful tools in a single, streamlined package.

Small, yet mighty. That's GV Director. www.grassvalley.com/gv_director Meet us at SMPTE2013, Booth H18.

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Videocraft Builds Full Production Facility for Hillsong Church DESIGNED AND BUILT BY Videocraft, Hillsong Church’s new state of the art full production facility in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria is certainly in contention for the title for one of the year’s more impressive studio builds.

Hillsong TV Technical Manager, Luke Irvine, explains, “For years our Waterloo campus in Sydney has been growing and we’ve had a great need to expand our facilities to house the increasing numbers of people attending. As a church we have looked at many options to help relieve the pressure and time restraints that we faced with our current building in Waterloo.

Before we embarked on this new project, we were running eight services on the weekend to try and accommodate everyone. Thus the decision was made to custom-build an additional venue so the campus could still grow and not be crippled by time and space.”

The venue Hillsong chose was in the neighbouring suburb of Alexandria which was, before construction, an empty warehouse with shop fronts requiring a major construction effort to get it ready for use.

The church sent out an industry-wide RFQ which had some very specific requirements that made it unique from a traditional broadcast facility, but with quality always the overarching feature that had to be factored in.

In essence the system revolved around dual Ross Carbonite switchers chosen predominantly due to their flexibility, functionality and cost effectiveness. The Carbonite switchers particularly excel with their on-board format conversion capabilities, built-in high quality multi-viewer and integration with the Ross Dashboard, which also oversees control and diagnostics of all Ross components across the entire system.

When complete, Hillsong’s new production studio included two Ross Carbonite vision switchers, a Ross video router, Sony OLED and LCD monitoring, several TV One scan converters, BlackMagic design Teranex 2D converters and HyperDeck Studios, a GVG T2 Turbo server, Ross openGear and mini converters, Sony cameras, Canon lenses, Vinten and Miller tripods and fluid heads, and live IP video links between campuses. There were also significant audio, comms, display, rigging, and lighting components supplied by others that Videocraft worked with and integrated.

Irvine and the Hillsong team were particularly impressed with the quality level and attention to detail of Videocraft’s involvement. He commented, “The Videocraft team were extremely helpful and continually suggested ways of making the system better and more cost effective. They were always professional and impressively took total responsibility for the systems integration, equipment selection, system design and diagrams, installation and labeling all in-house. Videocraft’s willingness to work with us, take our ideas and make them work was a major plus. Also the fact that they could work with very tight budgets and be totally honest about the real cost of things from the very beginning was excellent. Listening, thinking outside the box, and working with tight budgets is classic Videocraft. To that end I must say a particular thank you to Andy Liell, Glenn Beaumont and the entire Videocraft team for their outstanding effort and commitment to this project.”

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Irvine added, “In short our requirements were that the system must be HD, facilitate four cameras, three projection screens and multiple external rooms. The system also had to enable linking to and from all other campuses, and keying of song words had to be achieved on five different feeds with different backgrounds and different overlays, with ease of use for one volunteer operator.

The system had to be cost effective but extremely reliable, easy for volunteers to use on a weekly basis and versatile enough to accommodate for future changes that will happen within the campus. Every source and destination needed to be easily monitored by the relevant

volunteer operators and the system had to also be capable of a broadcast TV record for our television programme Hillsong Television.”

An elite class of partners

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NEWS + PEOPLE

Sony DADC Selects Elemental Technologies for Internet VOD WHILST PERHAPS BEST KNOWN AS a leader in optical disc replication, printing, and packaging for production of CD, DVD and Blu-ray, Sony DADC is also a large player in the field of generation of on-line video on demand content.

Sony DADC is a major generator of content for on-line movie subscription services, including on-line content which can be streamed to connected TVs. Sony DADC Australia needed a solution that could produce high quality video files in the multiple formats, bit rates and resolutions required for on-line video content, with rapid content throughput.

It also required a system that would integrate with a variety of digital rights management (DRM) systems to support to creation of DRM key protected, paid, on-line content.

After a period of evaluation, Sony DADC purchased two Elemental Technologies’ Elemental Servers capable of very high throughput video file transcoding, from local Elemental Technologies distributor Quinto Communications Pty Ltd. Elemental Server performs simultaneous, faster-than-real-time conversion of multiple video files to create mezzanine deliverables or adaptive bit rate outputs for delivery to connected TVs, PCs, and mobile devices.

Elemental Server accepts high quality content in a very wide variety of industry standard broadcast and mezzanine video file formats. The system then uses GPU accelerated transcoding to rapidly convert the content to high quality internet video on demand assets in web deliverables formats such as Apple HLS, Adobe Flash, Microsoft Smooth, MPEG-DASH, Ultraviolet, QuickTime or traditional broadcast file formats. The system is capable of producing multiple output files in all required different output formats, resolutions, and bit rates, all simultaneously, faster than real time.

Content creation can be performed using video codecs such as VC1, MPEG-2 and H.264 as well as using new codecs such as HEVC / H.265, and at any video resolution including up to 4K. Leading DRM solutions, including Microsoft PlayReady, DECE Ultraviolet, and AES 128-bit for Apple encryption standards, are supported for creating DRM protected paid content.

SILVER TRAK, one of Australia’s largest digitisation, duplication and authoring companies, has won the contract to digitise the last nine years of finalist entries amassed by the Mudgee International Short Film Festival – Mudfest. The film festival, which celebrates its 10th anniversary next year, will be archiving all the movies with Silver Trak’s unique Media Sphere endto-end media asset management (MAM) solution.

Mudfest co-founder, Mike O’Malley, said, “We have been working with Rod Capon and the Silver Trak team since the very first Mudfest as they are the partner we use to master all of our movie entries. From the early days of VHS, DVD and Digi-Beta tapes, through the HD revolution, Silver Trak have helped author and master all the movies that will be shown at the festival.

This year’s Mudfest was no different except that during the event we asked them about also using Media Sphere to digitise and store all our finalist entries from the last nine years. After some further discussion it was clear Media Sphere was the perfect solution for Mudfest’s digital requirements.”

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Media Sphere is the first MAM solution in Australia to truly encompass all aspects of digitising, transcoding, technical assessment QC, and digital distribution workflows.

O’Malley continued, “Silver Trak have been dealing with file-based formats for some time so they are very familiar with the technologies that surround the workflows. In fact this year’s Mudfest entries were all file-based or links to FTP sites, none of which presented any issues for the Silver Trak team.

Our concern for the future was preserving these valuable assets and that’s where Media Sphere came in.

“By digitising and archiving the entries with Media Sphere we have ensured the content is stored correctly with proper redundancy and safe, easy webaccess. Media Sphere also has a very clever ‘viewing room’ function where we can not only play the movies but also share a watermarked proxy copy with clients and sponsors.”

Tra

Last year O’Malley and Mudfest took part in the annual G’Day USA bi-coastal celebration that brings Australian film and business to a US audience, something he says would have been even more effective had they had the Media Sphere option available to them.

He says, “At G’Day USA we played a Mudfest compilation DVD at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood to show the A-listers what Mudfest is all about. Next time, as we will have instant access via Media Sphere, we can present from any location with Internet access. In fact, for the next G’Day USA we’re currently investigating a sponsorship deal with an Australian themed business in the USA where Media Sphere will give us the perfect distribution platform across their outlets nationally. This is another bonus of having all of our entries stored on Media Sphere as we can view the movies on any PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone.”

Visit www.media-sphere.com.au and www.silvertrak.com.au

NEWS + PEOPLE

Visit www.quinto.com.au

Silver Trak Wins Mudfest Contract

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www.content-technology.com/mediabusiness

Conroy Was Here: What a Load of KRudd!

Opinion by Phil Sandberg Just as the Australian population at large might ask what was the point of having Julia Gillard serve as Prime Minister these last three years if the Labor Party was going to reinstall Kevin Rudd, those in the broadcast, broadband, communications and content sectors might ask what was the point at all in having Senator Stephen Conroy serve as Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

TAKING HIS BALL HOME after backing Julia Gillard over Kevin Rudd in the recent leadership spill, Conroy abdicated his position as Minister and, unless he joins the ranks of resigning rats who have abandoned the Labor ship, will face a Senate election in 2017. Despite championing Australia’s National Broadband Network, Conroy will be remembered as the Minister who failed to deliver much needed (and talked about) media regulatory reform.

The bastard offspring of three overlapping inquiries – Privacy, Convergence and Independent Media – the “reform package” Senator Conroy put to the Australian Parliament failed for three reasons: The Minister tried to bully the parliament into passing the legislation in just two weeks, trying to railroad the usual processes of review and oversight; It failed to address the structural changes wrought by technological and economic change throughout the media sector; and It sought to regulate the output of news organisations, primarily that of News Limited with whom Senator Conroy’s relationship was rancorous.

In trying to punish News Corporation for negative coverage of the Government, the Minister was prepared to punish all media outlets - the only exception, and the only parts of the package that were passed, were reductions in licence fees to commercial broadcasters in return for boosting local content levels.

well-thought out and forward thinking legislation. And which Government after this year’s election will be hurrying into fixing those broken concepts?

Part of the problem is the Nation’s legislators are out of their depth when it comes to media regulation. Just as Keating-era Minister for Communications Michael Lee had a singular grasp of technology issues as a qualified Electrical Engineer, this current Parliament’s leading light would be the Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband, Malcolm Turnbull, whose career as both journalist and internet entrepreneur, you would assume, would give him some insight into the issues being faced by the industry today.

In the main, however, Federal Politicians remain in an adversarial, 19th Century mindset when it comes to the media, still convinced that the public swallows everything that is dished up to it. Indeed, Senator Conroy’s comments about him being able to order spectrum auction applicants to wear red underpants on their heads would indicate this attitude goes beyond traditional media.

Another real problem, and not just for the media and communications industries, is that workers in the industry do not have any teeth when it comes to trade union representation. One reason uneconomic car manufacturers can bully for money from the Federal Government is because of high union membership amongst its workers and the position of that union within the ACTU. Media companies cannot. It is estimated by the Media Alliance that more than 200 journalists have departed Australian media companies in the last six months, on top of restructures at Fairfax and News Limited in 2012 which saw up to 1200 jobs lost across the sector. In short, the industry is left to its own devices to adjust to the structural changes brought on by technology.

In an absurd follow-up to this regulatory debacle, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) on June 28 issued a press release citing it had “identified a further ten regulatory concepts that are now ‘under pressure’ in the communications and media regulatory framework – on top of the 55 identified earlier in 2011.”

And, this is unlikely to change in the short term. Until September’s Federal election, Senator Conroy has been replaced as Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy by Anthony Albanese. He is also Federal Member for Grayndler, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Leader of House. So, if Labor does win the September poll, maybe he’ll be able to squeeze in time for a photo op, pressing that big red button on the last of Australia’s switchovers from analogue to digital television.

That is 65 broken concepts which should have been addressed by prudent,

Broken concepts indeed!

TAKING STOCK

Harris Broadcast CEO Departs AS C+T WAS going to print, a Harris Broadcast internal email was posted

BCD in February 2010.

on the website of consulting firm Devoncroft Partners (the company behind the Big Broadcast industry survey).

In February 2013, Morris was named CEO of Harris Broadcast when it became an independent company following the purchase of Harris BCD by the Gores Group from Harris Corporation.

According to the email, Harris Broadcast CEO, Harris Morris, who led the company through its divestiture from Harris Corporation and subsequent acquisition by the Gores Group, left the company on July 3rd 2013. The email, sent by company chairman Carl Vogel, said a new CEO would be announced soon after.

Morris joined the Harris Broadcast & Communications (BCD) business unit in January 2008 as VP software systems. He became president of Harris

Prior to his time at Harris, Morris was chief strategy officer at Thomson Learning; and was a partner and vice president for Bain & Company, a global business consulting firm. In his 13 years with Bain & Company, he helped a wide variety of global clients analyze markets, develop growth strategies, expand into international markets and drive operational efficiencies.

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TAKING STOCK

Future Industry News & Industry Jobs!

Media staff & strategy by Karl Jansson In the last edition of C&T I wrote about a significant advancement in recruiting staff using a new online jobsite that is setting new standards due to its virtual interactive capabilities.

As www.BroadcastJobz.tv was created from over 20 years of personal experience in the recruitment industry, it’s programming was based upon more than 15 years servicing the broadcast community.

A few earlier versions were pre-released over the last couple of years for the purpose of industry feedback and input. It has now evolved into a polished user friendly jobsite built by, and for, my broadcast colleagues, so you can now log into an industry specific site to either browse jobs or to source candidates, rather than generic recruitment sites or social media portals.

In the process I also stirred the recruitment industry pot somewhat by predicting that “Recruitment agencies could halve over the next 3 years!”

Since writing that article I’ve had a surprising number of calls from employers who concur with that prediction, as they use more online resources than ever before to source candidates. Having said that, there will be some global agencies that will survive on the back of specialising in ‘Search’ products (headhunting) used for identifying and appointing technical professionals and executives within a specific market sector.

In regards to trending successful websites, or social networks, they’re not dreamed up purely on an idea, then launched. It takes a significant amount of research to identify a market position on which to build a solid foundation, so I thought you may be interested in some of the road signs that I identified along this meticulous journey.

Hopefully, it may create awareness in you to use as your own road signs or global hotspots.

CHINA & INDIA- IT & TELCO It appears that a trend is developing within China and India, as they gear up for the major hiring of IT professionals to support their growth at a time when Western companies are still coping with the impact of the economic crisis. However, the disparity between the hiring practices of Western and Asian organisations will be attributed to the increased use of industrialised IT solutions, which will further reduce the IT staffing needs of Western firms.

This could influence Telco opportunities coming from Chinese vendors who have the opportunity to leverage their strong position in the domestic Chinese market for entry-level smartphones and their ability to expand into other regions.

COMPONENTS AND STORAGE (EXABYTES THROUGH TO ZETTABYTES AND YOLLABYTES)

TAKING STOCK

In regards to software developments keep an eye on new components called “memristors”!

They’ll become the norm in future PCs, Mobile phones or anything that depends upon memory and speed of data transfer. The difference is that they’re similar to a capacitor, storing data when an electronic device switches on/off. Without going into it technically, these nanoscale devices work at the atomic level, having a variable resistance, as they “remember” their resistance when power is turned off.

Taking it to the next level, they’ll play an integral part in artificial intelligence, due to their learning ability.

Primarily due to the increase in global IP traffic, storage and other memory devices appear to be doubling each year so growth in this area of storage is

certainly exponential.

It’s interesting to note that the fastest business growth appears to be initially coming from North America, Western Europe and then the Asia Pacific region.

It also appears that CDN traffic will continue to increase, but VoD traffic will increase at a greater rate.

SOFTWARE SECURITY (GLOBAL) With the popularity of smartphones, security appears to be an increasing concern for BYOD (BYO Devices) and their users in the corporate environment, because our individual dependence on them seems to be greater in number than corporate owned devices that are given to employees.

ENTERPRISE GAMIFICATION Similar to consumer gamification, enterprise gamification addresses the transparency of work by connecting employees’ actions to business outcomes. It’s based upon companies applying feedback, using measurement and incentives, the same techniques that game designers use, to keep players in consumer games interested.

Link this to BYODs and we’ve started to create a Big Brother environment!

HOW DOES THAT AFFECT ME? In HR terms, there is a real trend for expertise in these areas but there are substantial factors that will govern the direction of the workforce moving into them.

We are fully aware that the Baby Boomers (aged between 50 and 68 years) will be exiting the workforce in greater numbers than any other group at present, and over the next few years.

It’s also statistically proven (not that I agree with it) that during economic downturns and weaker job markets that the more experienced are retained whilst the younger labour force will probably stay at school longer because they are vulnerable at these times. Generally speaking (statistically) that they can see that they will be the first to be released from the workforce and the last to be hired.

By contrast, the 25-to-54-year age group are seen as to be the mid-range professionals who are potentially driving the above technology changes.

Now… no matter what age group you are, if you are a dedicated individual with a passion, knowledge and expertise in an area of your choice, then you have more than enough to contribute to your continuing career. If you feel you’re off centre, speak to your employer and ask for assistance to shift into this central point. Your decision now, may be your future.

Karl Jansson is the principal of “BroadcastJobz.tv”.

Contact: karlj@BroadcastJobz.tv or +61 (0)408 274 413

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TAKING STOCK

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TAKING STOCK

Ericsson to Acquire Red Bee Media ERICSSON (NASDAQ:ERIC) has announced its intention to acquire Red Bee Media, the media services company headquartered in the UK, from an entity controlled by Macquarie Advanced Investment Partners, L.P. The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, supports Ericsson’s strategy to grow in the broadcast services market and takes advantage of its technology and services leadership to help broadcasters and content owners address the convergence of video and mobility. It will bring 1500 highly-skilled employees, as well as media services and operations facilities in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Australia. This will further strengthen Ericsson’s broadcast services business, which was started in 2007 and expanded in 2012 with the acquisition of Technicolor’s Broadcast Services Division.

With 1,240 of Red Bee Media employees being based in the UK, Ericsson’s UK business would grow to around 4,000 employees and, with more than one-third working in the media services business, the UK will become a global media hub for Ericsson.

Since its foundation in 2005, Red Bee Media has established itself as a strong and diverse business with a growing number of customers

around the world. It provides a range of media services; from media asset management to playout and digital video publishing, metadata services, multilingual access services and creative services to major broadcasters and broadband platforms. Red Bee Media, which is known for its high quality playout services and is also the largest editorial metadata provider in Europe, delivers more than 100,000 hours of subtitling per year for leading broadcasters.

incorporated into Ericsson’s Business Unit Global Services.

Visit http://www.redbeemedia.com and www.ericsson.com

“Ericsson is making a step change to our business, cementing our commitment to TV and broadcast services and continuing a journey we started in 2007,” says Magnus Mandersson, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Unit Global Services, Ericsson. “We can create value for broadcasters by making digital content more accessible, enabling monetisation of TV content more efficiently. Video traffic shows very strong uptake in the mobile networks and Ericsson can address the need of both broadcasters and telecom operators through our technology expertise and services capabilities.”

The closing of the acquisition is subject to approval from relevant regulatory authorities and other contractual conditions.

After completion, Red Bee Media will be

“Ericsson is making a step change to our business” - Magnus Mandersson, EVP and Head of Business Unit Global Services, Ericsson.

SMPTE 23 – 26 July 2013 Please join us at SMPTE, Stand B29 for a chance to win 1 of 2 iPAD Minis*

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TAKING STOCK

Sinclair to Buy Assets of Dielectric SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP, INC. (NASDAQ: SBGI) has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase the assets of Dielectric from SPX Corporation, for an immaterial and leverage neutral purchase price. Dielectric is the USA’s largest manufacturer of broadcast television, radio and wireless antennas, transmission lines, and RF systems.

Commenting on the transaction, David Smith, President and CEO of Sinclair, stated, “Dielectric has supplied more than two-thirds of the TV industry’s high power antennas and its name is synonymous with expert engineering and quality products. We feel fortunate to have this opportunity to acquire the Dielectric intellectual property and assets related to our most critical infrastructure.”

Dielectric will be operated as a whollyowned subsidiary of Sinclair (Dielectric, LLC) with a management and operational team drawn from current Dielectric staff.

ACCORDING TO THE OUTDOOR MEDIA Association (OMA), Australia’s Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising industry is moving from strength to strength, recording 5.2% growth in the second quarter for 2013, with an increase in sales revenue to AUD$126.5 million.

Year to date revenue has increased by 4%, tracking at $248.7 million, up from $239 million for the same time last year.

“The OOH industry continues to remain at the competitive forefront of today’s changing media landscape by understanding its audiences, embracing technology, being a responsible community player, and showcasing the medium’s unlimited creative potential,” said Charmaine Moldrich, CEO of the OMA. Category figures for 2013 include: Roadside Billboards: $39.8 million (Q2), $82.5 million (Year-to-Date June 2013); Roadside Other: $45.1 million (Q2), $89.4 million (YTD); Transport (including airports): $21.1 million (Q2), $40.7 million (YTD); and Retail: $20.5 million (Q2), $36.1 million (YTD).

Visit www.oma.org.au

Calls to Restore ERT in Greece THE DISPUTE OVER the cost-saving closure of Greek public broadcaster ERT by the Greek Government has cast doubt over the network’s entire operations.

After the Greek Government took ERT off air on 11 June, the country’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, ordered the return to air of public service broadcasting as soon as possible. Fifty public service media (PSM) leaders in 39 countries rallied behind the broadcaster by signing an EBU-led statement calling for the station to be restored to air immediately.

This was followed by a declaration at the 70th EBU General Assembly in Malta expressing grave concern with the continued “black screens” and silence of Greece’s public broadcaster.

According to the declaration, “The EBU membership welcomes the court’s interim ruling, which reaffirms the pivotal role of public service media in democratic society.

Yet the Greek Government still has not succeeded in restoring services, and ERT channels remain black and silent.”

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TECHNICAL STANDARDS www.content-technology.com/standards

Intelsat, Ericsson Demonstrate 4K Via Satellite INTELSAT S.A. AND ERICSSON have announced the successful demonstration of a true 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD), end-to-end video transmission over satellite to Turner Broadcasting’s facilities in Atlanta, Ga. This was the first transmission of a UHD signal over satellite in North America, and the two companies say the demonstration proves that the satellite delivery chain can accommodate the next-generation signals as soon as broadcasters are ready to offer them.

During the demonstration, Intelsat’s Galaxy 13 satellite delivered a 4:2:2 10-bit, 4K UHD signal at 60 frames per second. The 100 Mbps video feed was encoded and decoded in real time by Ericsson, using its AVP 2000 contribution encoders and RX8200 receivers, capable of 4K UHD operations as well as HD and SD contribution at the highest quality.

Newtec provided the modulation and demodulation hardware, featuring Clean Channel Technology, and the satellite downlink antenna was provided by Turner Broadcasting.

An earlier test between Newtec and satellite transmission provider PSSI Global Services, which was conducted in preparation for the UHD

demonstration, achieved 140 Mbps over a 36 MHz transponder on Galaxy 13 to a 4.6-metre antenna.

“4K UHD is the next evolutionary step for television broadcasting, and just as Intelsat supported the smooth transition from SD to HD, so too will we be ready to support the transition to full-time distribution in this new format,” said Peter Ostapiuk, Intelsat’s vice president of media product management.

“We are tremendously pleased with the outcome of today’s demonstration,” said Giles Wilson, head of TV compression business, Ericsson. “It shows what is feasible in terms of meeting consumer demand for the highest quality possible. Demonstrations such as this show operators that it is possible to start building the necessary ecosystem and a library of UHD TV content now as the industry readies itself for the rollout of commercial services in the coming years. Ericsson has always been a pioneer of next-generation compression systems, and we are pleased to have worked with Intelsat to lead the way for UHD TV over satellite.”

Visit www.ericsson.com and www.intelsat.com

HbbTV Consortium Ramps up Worldwide Activity THE HBBTV CONSORTIUM, a pan-European initiative dedicated to providing an open standard for the delivery of broadcast and broadband services through connected TVs and set-top boxes, is launching a strategic marketing campaign aimed at increasing global acceptance of the HbbTV standard. As newly appointed co-chairs of the consortium’s marketing group, industry experts Kirk Edwardson and Régis Saint Girons will work with the HbbTV membership to increase market awareness of HbbTV and accelerate the worldwide deployment of the standard.

The HbbTV consortium was formally established in 2010 and is made up of more than 60 TV broadcasters and consumer electronics companies. The HbbTV standard provides the industry with an open and business-neutral

technology platform that combines TV services delivered via broadcast with services delivered via broadband, in addition to enabling access to Internetonly services on connected TVs and set-top boxes.

The standard is already deployed in various European countries including Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Turkey, and a large majority of all connected TV sets sold in Western Europe implements the HbbTV standard. Future HbbTV deployments have also been announced in Europe, Australia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The HbbTV standard is also rapidly gaining additional supporters all around the world including the Americas and Asia.

Visit www.hbbtv.org

IEEE Broadcast Technology Society Gets Social THE IEEE BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY (BTS) is taking advantage of social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to better reach the global broadcast technology community, including its members. IEEE BTS will use these networking platforms for instant, effective communications with those active in the broadcast technology space and to disseminate information about its programs and educational activities in a timely manner.

Link to Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IEEEBTSociety Link to Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/IEEEBTSociety Link to LinkedIn page: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/IEEE-BroadcastTechnology-Society-IEEE-4937489 Additional information about the IEEE BTS and its activities is available at http://bts.ieee.org/.

TECHNICAL STANDARDS

The IEEE BTS has about 2000 members and chapters worldwide, offering timely, quality education through a variety of engaging technical

publications, local chapter meetings, workshops, and international conferences. The social networking platforms will serve to complement the mission of the BTS, allowing for the creation of a close-knit virtual community to foster technological innovation and excellence.

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SMPTE 13 PREVIEW

www.content-technology.com/smptedaily

SMPTE 13: Delivering the Personalised Content Experience July 23- 26, Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour THROUGHOUT THE EVOLUTION of the film and television industry, the mantra of “Content is King” has been the only constant. “Content is King” refers to the content relevance - that entertainment content people want to consume. And, of course, the ultimate refinement of this mantra is “Personalised Content” - that content which is the pick of the crop for a demographic of one - the individual.

As such, the theme of SMPTE13 tackles the crucial industry challenges and opportunities associated with “Delivering the Personalised Content Experience”.

According to Ian Fellows, Board Chair of the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers’ Australia Section, “The job we do as technologists, practitioners and creatives is changing. This conference is an essential event for anyone who needs to keep abreast of the technological revolution that is driving our industry.

“The SMPTE 13 program includes more than 90 participants covering more than 60 topics and workshop sessions, providing delegates with a broad spectrum of the latest techniques and technologies from the experts.”

A strategic relationship and cross-promotion agreement has recently struck between the SMPTE Conference & Exhibition and the USA’s NAB Show.

“This will make the SMPTE Australia Conference & Exhibition an even greater regional forum for technology exchange to stimulate the local industry,” says Fellows. “SMPTE Members will also benefit, being able to take advantage of special packages and discounts when attending the next year’s NAB conference.

Ian Fellows, Chair of SMPTE Australian Section

“We are also extremely fortunate to have Landry Fevre, General Manager, Media, of the NBN Co, to deliver the keynote on day one. This is an open session, which is not to be missed.”

Reflecting the theme of the personalised experience, per-session package options are returning again this year, offering value for money and flexibility in choice of sessions and experiences.

MULTI-ASSOCIATION INPUT “Again this year,” says Ian Fellows, “we are proud to have our fellow associations join us in our mission to give you the best education and conference experience.”

Other Associations and Societies involved in SMPTE13 include: • The Australian Cinematographers Society, which has created a range of compelling panel sessions and workshops allowing delegates to get inside the heads of the creators and the creatives; • The Audio Engineering Society whose sessions will include making cinema sound live; and • Career Corner - for newcomers as well as experienced professionals, where you can explore job opportunities. Career Corner is for the whole industry and is an initiative of Women in Film and Television.

Other features of SMPTE13 include the Retro Tech booth and a special Red Bull powered session on pushing the envelope from OTT to the Edge of Space. Also, don’t forget to register for the Gala dinner. Places are going fast.

To register, visit www.smpte.com.au

Harris Broadcast Debuts Platinum IP3 Router in Australia HARRIS BROADCAST IS showcasing an array of its latest integrated broadcast solutions at SMPTE Australia 2013.

SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

The acceleration of IP connectivity makes the new Harris Broadcast Platinum IP3 router the centerpiece of its display in Sydney. Being shown for the first time in Australia, this new iteration of the Platinum router series is unique in offering triple-path routing, with unique paths for audio, video and other services including IP data in the same frame.

The display will also focus on the Versio integrated channel playout solution, Harris Broadcast’s unique approach to channel-in-a-box.

Harris Broadcast will demonstrate the software-centric NEXIO Volt in conjunction with the NEXIO Farad online storage system, which provides central resources for complex ingest and playout networks.

The company’s range of test and measurement devices will be demonstrated on the Techtel booth G35. These will include the Videotek

Compact Monitor series, such as the CMN-LA loudness analyser, a comprehensive audio monitoring tool as well as the VTM series of multiformat onscreen monitors.

Harris Broadcast transmitters will be on show on the Broadcast ONE booth H09. For conventional transmission requirements the SMPTE Australia demonstration will include the latest Flexiva and Maxiva air-cooled solid-state transmitters.

With IP increasingly the transport fabric for contribution and distribution links, including services to transmitter sites, Broadcast ONE will also demonstrate Harris Broadcast’s growing IP Link codec family for radio broadcasters.

Visit www.harrisbroadcast.com

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Social TV

Visualize the power of social media

With Social TV, Vizrt brings a solution that not only captures social media content, but also allows presenters to tell a story in visually compelling ways. With editorial, visualization and automation tools, Vizrt is revolutionizing the way broadcasters incorporate social media.

Go to www.vizrt.com or visit us at SMPTE Booth #G17 to learn more.

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SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

Storm FX Showing Xenon’s NVIDIA Grid LOCATED ON STAND J16 at this year’s SMPTE conference, Storm FX, along with the team from Xenon and Autodesk, will be showcasing how Xenon’s NVIDIA Grid Technology provides an efficient platform to run applications such as Autodesk Max, Maya, and Motion Builder.

Speak to the Storm FX and Xenon experts on how the NVIDIA GRID technology offers the ability to offload graphics processing from the CPU to the GPU in virtualised environments, allowing the data centre manager to deliver true PC graphics-rich experiences to more users.

Specialists from Autodesk will be on the Storm FX Stand between 1:30pm2:30pm and 3:30pm–4:40pm on any day during SMPTE to give advice and live demonstrations of Smoke for Mac. Storm FX will also be giving away a GO PRO in a draw at SMPTE.

SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

Visit www.stormfx.com.au

RTW To Exhibit Touchmonitor Line RTW, A VENDOR OF visual audio meters and monitoring devices for professional broadcast, production, post-production and quality control, announced that during this year’s SMPTE Australia show, Syntec International (B35) will display RTW’s new TM3, the latest addition to its TouchMonitor family of products, as well as the TM7 and TM9 TouchMonitors.

Controlled using a 4.3-inch touch-sensitive display, the TM3 includes a large number of graphical and numerical instruments showing single-channel and summing-loudness bargraphs, PPM, true peak, SPL, loudness range (LRA), dialnorm and correlation. It is a compact solution ideal for editorial offices, edit suites and small control rooms.

Both the TM3 and TM3-3G models feature PPM and true-peak instruments and offer comprehensive loudness metering in compliance with all globally relevant standards, including EBU R128, ITU BS.17703/1771-1, ATSC A/85 and ARIB. They also feature the Magic LRA instrument, specifically designed by RTW, for intuitive

visualisation of the loudness range and integrated-loudness parameters.

Finally, the TM3 on display will be equipped with the new TM3-SWMC Software license, available as an add-on option, which incorporates a moving-coil emulation display.

The TM7 and TM9 TouchMonitors, which include the Magic LRA instrument, feature a seven- and nine-inch touch-sensitive display, respectively, and provide flexibility and modularity combined with intuitive control.

The software visualises multiple sources simultaneously.

Both support displaying the same signal on multiple instruments in parallel, each with dedicated defaults with both horizontal and vertical operation. The system visualises up to 16 analogue and/or digital sources at the same time.

The TM9 is also capable of providing a view of up to 32 digital channels when the 3G-SDI option is implemented.

Visit www.rtw.de

Access Archives in a Flash with SGL

ARRI Choppers Into SMPTE

ON THE GENCOM TECHNOLOGY booth (H09)

ARRI AUSTRALIA WILL be demonstrating

full-sized ALEXA.

at SMPTE 2013, SGL will show its web-based interface for its flagship SGL FlashNet archive system for the first time in Australia. SGL will also demonstrate the latest version of its archive management application – FlashBrowse. SGL’s Open System architecture provides broadcasters, post-production facilities, and news/sport organisations with reliable, scalable solutions with substantial cost and workflow benefits in single or multi-site configurations.

four Australian firsts at this year’s SMPTE show with three of its cameras never before having been exhibited at an Australian industry event and one mounted in two unique helicopter rigs.

The first will be the combination of ARRI’s flagship ALEXA Studio camera and the Fujinon 19-90mm and 85-300mm Cabrio zoom lenses demonstrated and on display on Fujifilm’s C23 stand.

ARRI’s fourth ALEXA, and another first for SMPTE, takes the form of its A-EV model rigged onto a Tyler Nose Mount and Middle Mount on a helicopter exhibited on the show floor by Peter Beeh. The ALEXA M will have a variety of lenses fitted but will specifically feature the 15.5-45mm wide lightweight Alura zoom.

Using SGL FlashNet broadcasters and content owners can now easily archive and restore material without the need for a controlling MAM or automation system. Using FlashNet’s tools, the user can archive directly to any configured FlashNet disk or tape group. Once in the archive metadata can be extracted or added manually, and searching for and restore of clips is quick and easy. The interface can be used on any platform – Windows, PC, Mac or Linux.

ARRI’s second Australian first comes in the form of its new ALEXA XT Plus camera which will be demonstrated on the Canon stand.

In a display that takes advantage of a larger demo area, the ALEXA XT Plus featuring an integrated wireless receiver for camera and lens remote control will be shown with both 14.5-60mm and 30-300mm PL mount Canon zoom lenses.

If required, SGLs archive management application FlashBrowse can be configured to provide atarchive browse creation, automatically generating browse resolution copies of clips as the high resolution versions are archived. The FlashBrowse interface, with or without proxy creation, can be used to instigate restores or partial file restores directly from the desktop.

SGL continues its successful rollout of nextgeneration archiving technology with the demonstration of SGL FlashNet and LTFS interoperability in a production environment.

In addition to the four ALEXA cameras ARRI will be demonstrating its full range of Alura Zoom lenses and fast PL mount lenses at the show.

Visit www.arri.com.au

The third Australian first will be found on the Miller stand where ARRI’s ALEXA XT M camera will be mounted onto several of the company’s latest tripods. The ALEXA XT M (Modular) is ARRI’s flexible solution consisting of a separate camera head and body; it is tailored for action and aerial photography, tight corner shots and 3D productions, and any application or environment that would challenge a

Visit www.sglbroadcast.com

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SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

Fujifilm Focuses on Fujinon Lenses its ever-expanding range of Fujinon Cabrio and broadcast box lenses at this year’s SMPTE exhibition (Stand C23).

The Fujinon PL 19-90 and 85-300 Cabrio lenses feature an exclusive detachable servo drive unit, making them suitable for use as a standard PL lens. The Cabrios also feature flange focal distance adjustment, macro function and are LDS (Lens Data System) and /i metadata compatible. With 19-90mm and 85300mm focal ranges and weighing only 2.7kg and 3.3kg respectively including servo motors, these lenses have the longest focal range available in lightweight zooms.

The company will also be releasing its new 14-

35mm wide angle Cabrio zoom lens, only just announced at this year’s NAB Show in Las Vegas.

The new Premier PL 14-35mm Cabrio wideangle lens is the third lens in the expanding Cabrio range alongside the PL 19-90 and PL 85300. The digital servo’s 16-bit encoding assures operators that all lens data output is extremely accurate and the lens also supports Lens Data System (LDS) and /i metadata formats.

Keeping the NAB theme very much alive the company will also have a live demo of its Fujinon HK 18-85 4K premier zoom lens mounted on a Sony F65 4K camera, similar to the set up Claudio Miranda ASC used recently on the Tom Cruise sci-fi blockbuster Oblivion.

Completing the lens demos will be Fujinon’s

Moving News from Digistor and Dejero at SMPTE13 DIGISTOR (STAND G30) HAS announced it will partner with US-based Dejero to bring the latest range of bonded wireless uplink solutions for mobile newsgathering to the SMPTE Conference & Exhibition in July.

As well as demonstrating the new LIVE+ VSET vehicle-mount version of the company’s Dejero LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitter and the new LIVE+ Mobile App at the stand, Bogdan Frusina, Dejero CTO and founder, will discuss the latest innovations in wireless transmission technologies as delivered in the Dejero LIVE+ Platform at the Digistor theatre each day of the conference.

Dejero will show the LIVE+ VSET, a 1-U vehiclemount version of the company’s Dejero LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitter. Designed for use with satellite and microwave trucks, the adaptive-bit-rate

encoder on Dejero’s LIVE+ VSET reduces latency and improves reliability of satellite video feeds.

Cobham’s IP encoder is a light, easy-to-add accessory that enables a reporter to go live wherever there is IP connectivity. The encoder provides even more bit rate efficiency with the additional benefit of the ability to operate in standard, low, and ultra-low latency modes.

A control panel on the encoder enables a cameraman to select pre-sets directly from the box rather than waste time connecting to and configuring via a laptop. It also offers the option of broadcast-standard IFB talkback, which takes advantage of in-built Bluetooth and WiFi for connectivity between presenter, camera and newsroom, including access to IT facilities, email and the Internet that can be

Fujifilm will also be highlighting its new LTO-6 tapes that utilise unique Barium Ferrite technology and demonstrating how this new media provides greater storage and a far longer shelf life than any other media in its category.

Finally, for those who were at the previous two SMPTE exhibitions Fujifilm will again have a classically trained Barista on its stand serving its clients with the best coffee at the show.

Visit www.fujifilm.com.au

Volicon Nails Logging and Monitoring

Dejero is also introducing an Android version of its LIVE+ Mobile App, which enables both traditional and online broadcasters to transmit high-quality HD or SD live video from select Android phones and tablets.

Following up on the app announced last summer for iOS devices, the LIVE+ Mobile App for Android is capable of bonding multiple wireless signals to deliver high-quality video from the street to the television or Web. Using the same patent-pending bonded cellular technology as the Dejero LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitter, the LIVE+ Mobile App aggregates both the WiFi and cellular connections of the Android device.

Visit www.dejero.com

Cobham Future-Proofing IP HD Encoding and Connectivity RF SPECIALIST COMPANY, Cobham Broadcast, will be on hand at SMPTE Australia 2013 (Stand H17) to feature its latest IP-based HD encoding technology.

new XA99x8.4 Ultra Wide field production lens used for producing live sports and entertainment events. The XA99x Ultra Wide offers a zoom range of 99x, a focal length of 8.4 to 832mm, and MOD of 2.9m. The XA99x is f1.7 to 341mm and f4.2 at 832mm.

shared by the entire location crew.

Cobham also offers the ability to establish citywide mesh connectivity in the form of MediaMesh, an IP-based platform for lightweight, rapid set-up field newsrooms.

Using Cobham’s COFDM mesh technology, MediaMesh provides wireless for journalist’s laptops, and even a micro-cell for mobile phone coverage.

MediaMesh removes traditional restrictions on live production to enable on-location journalists to establish a broadcast quality path for live two-ways; remote camera control; high quality file transfer; and a high-capacity internet connection with access to base newsroom computers. The entire package fits within a single, easily transported, case that can be in operation in minutes.

Visit www.cobham.com

PART OF THE ON-AIR SOLUTIONS stand (H13) at SMPTE Australia 2013, Volicon, a global provider of broadcast and content monitoring and logging, will demonstrate how the Observer 7.0 system allows users to log MPEG transport streams continuously, as well as monitor A/V content including BS-17701/2/3 loudness and other correlations of data and video.

Additionally, Observer 7.0 allows users to stream and export content to all stakeholders in the media enterprise. Because Observer TS logs the full transport stream, the user is able to go back an hour, a day, a week, or a month to examine and/or export content and effectively eliminate chronic issues with service handoffs.

Low-bit-rate proxies, WMV or H.264, and DVR-like, frame-accurate controls allow for easy content review, even when operating over an enterprise network or WAN. Leveraged across the enterprise, Observer 7.0 can provide benefits to hundreds of users.

Gary Learner, DTO at Volicon, has been selected to present a paper at SMPTE Australia 2013. Learner’s presentation, entitled “Opportunities and Challenges of TV Anytime, Anywhere”, will be held on July 24 from 3:455:00 p.m. in room 1 of the Sydney Exposition Centre.

Visit www.volicon.com

SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

FUJIFILM WILL BE PLACING ITS FOCUS on

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SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

Wohler Monitoring at SMPTE WOHLER TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE showing off a range of their products on The AV Groups stand (H17) at SMPTE13. On display will the RadiantGrid Intelligent Media Transformation Platform, DVM family of monitors, AMP1-MADIe Audio Monitor, AMP1-16M Dual 3G/HD/SD-SDI Audio Monitor, and HDM Series Monitors.

The Wohler RadiantGrid Intelligent Media Transformation Platform offers a highly efficient solution for transcoding, standards conversion, and audio processing in applications including loudness correction, quality control, and distribution of media. At the heart of the platform is RadiantGrid’s TrueGrid parallel-processing engine, which excels at providing faster-thanreal-time content transformation.

Wohler will feature its DVM family of video monitors, including the DVM-4290, a 4-RU system with two 9-inch screens; the DVM-3270, a 3-RU system with two 7-inch screens; and the DVM-2443 with four individual 4.3-inch screens and decoders.

The AMP1-MADIe is an in-rack portable MADI unit with Ethernet control and configuration.

Ideal for sports production and other live broadcasts, it can be connected in series with a 56- or 64-channel MADI stream for individual volume adjustment and audible monitoring of any eight selected MADI channels at once.

Wohler’s new dual-input SDI audio monitor, the AMP1-16M, offers broadcasters highperformance monitoring of embedded audio in

two 3G/HD or SD-SDI 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 or SD-SDI stream.

Offering a full feature set, the Wohler HDM-170 and HDM-215 are cost-effective 17-inch and 21.5-inch HD/SD-SDI video monitors that are perfect for viewing the many feeds in mobile trucks, news and transmission control rooms, duplication facilities, and post-production houses. The units feature full HD-resolution displays with 178-degree viewing angles and dual split or picture-in-picture monitoring modes.

Visit www.wohler.com

Quinto Featuring Integrated Workflows QUINTO COMMUNICATIONS WILL HAVE a

From digital acquisition to integrated playout

prominent position on stand D31 at this year’s SMPTE exhibition and conference. As one of Australia’s leading suppliers of high technology video products, Quinto’s focus will be on digital integrated workflows and will feature a range of new products covering the latest innovations in video production and transmission.

facilities, including 2K and 4K file-based

blocks of video production and transmission in

Representatives from several leading manufacturers including Autocue, Evertz, and Elemental Technologies will be present on the Quinto stand, to demonstrate their high technology solutions for cost effective broadcasting in multi functional digital era.

the most cost-effective and resilient manner.

Visit www.quinto.com.au

technology, Quinto will demonstrate a comprehensive range of products designed to enable users to seamlessly integrate the building

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MD-QUAD

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SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

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Phone: +61 (0)2 9764-5911 Email: sales@avgroup.com.au Website: www.avgroup.com.au

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Visit us @ SMPTE, Darling Harbour, Sydney Stand No. H17, 23 - 26 July 2013 http://www.smpte.com.au

www.decimator.com FUTURE-PROOF SOLUTIONS

5/07/2013 3:19:07 PM 7/07/13 5:34 PM

SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

Techtel and Harmonic Team-Up TECHTEL AND HARMONIC IN Australia will co-exhibit on Stand G35 at SMPTE 2013, further strengthening their partnership one year after the launch of Harmonic in Australia.

Videocraft Sees New Workflow at SMPTE THIS YEAR’S SMPTE sees Videocraft (Stand F17) pushing the boundaries with new production workflows.

Techtel show highlights include Masstech’s media asset solution, Emerald for News. See the E.P.I.C. teleprompter from Autoscript, the world’s first hybrid prompter and talent monitor, as well as the demonstration of a 4K transport solution from Net Insight. Panasonic return to HDTV studio cameras with the release of their AK-HC3800, which will be making its Australian debut at the show. Visit the interactive and expansive TVLogic monitor wall to see their versatile applications, and check out test and monitoring solutions and glue for every purpose.

Videocraft NSW State Manager, Andy Liell, said, “We’ll be demonstrating what we do best in terms of proven small to medium scale, cost effective OB production solutions, with a twist.”

For the first time in Australia, Harmonic will show its new Ellipse 3000 Contribution Encoder featuring a flexible system architecture, bringing new levels of video quality and workflow efficiency to broadcast contribution applications.

Other highlights include Harmonic’s High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) demonstration, as well as solutions for multiscreen production and delivery workflows, which boast increased scalability, efficiency and flexibility.

In the stand’s acquisition and production areas there will be ample opportunity for visitors to play with the latest Sony 4K CineAlta PMW-F55 and PMW-F5 cameras, 65” and 84” Sony 4K displays, Canon Cinema EOS cameras and lenses, the new Fujinon Cabrio lenses as well as all the new products from Panasonic, Blackmagic Design, Small HD and many more.

Visit www.techtel.tv

The company also demonstrates new post-production solutions using the latest versions of industry leading systems that include ProTools 11, Avid Media Composer 7, Avid ISIS, Avid Interplay MAM, and the EVS suite of production servers and workflow enhancing software solutions.

Visit www.videocraft.com.au

Magna Presenting OTT, HbbTV, and IP Solutions THIS YEAR’S SMPTE SHOW sees Magna Systems and Engineering (Stands C37 and C44) presenting and demonstrating the latest, next generation products and systems in file movement over IP, OTT and HbbTV solutions. In addition the company will present a wide range of end-to-end monitoring solutions at the show.

Magna Systems and Engineering Group Engineering Manager, Barry Pegg, said, “At SMPTE we will be demonstrating much of what the market is looking for within these new business models and revenue streams. We have over 30 principals’ products represented on the stand with many principals offering extra support in the way of personnel in attendance so clients will be able to find exactly what they are looking for.”

Represented on Magna Systems and Engineering stands are companies that include: Interra, Bluebell, Blueshape, Brick House Video, BridgeTech, ChyronHego, Cambridge Imaging, Dalet, Dataminer, Enensys, FOR-A, File Catalyst, Front Porch Digital, Leader, Miranda, Media Excel, Media Power, Nevion, Pebble Beach Systems, Penta, SeaChange, T-Cube, RTS Telex, Thomson, Tightrope, TVU Networks, VTQ, and XOR Media.

Visit www.magnasys.tv

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LOUDNESS METERING integrated into NEXUS

2013 50 Years of SALZBRENNER 25 Years of DELEC 20 Years of Stage Tec

STAGETEC MEDIAGROUP AUSTRALIA www.stagetec.com.au

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SMPTE Sydney, Australia 23-26 July, booth No. A29

SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

MEDIAGROUP ANNIVERSARIES

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SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

Masstech Shines Spotlight on Frictionless Workflows MASSTECH GROUP WILL HIGHLIGHT frictionless workflows that help media companies extract maximum value from their content when the company appears at SMPTE 2013 on Stand G35 with partner Techtel. During the conference, Masstech Vice President Mike Palmer will present a paper.

Masstech will demonstrate its complete range at SMPTE 2013, with products and solutions for

Digital Rapids to Showcase Live and On-Demand Solutions DIGITAL RAPIDS, PROVIDER OF media transformation and workflow solutions, will be showcasing the company’s newest offerings with two partners at SMPTE13. In the Digistor stand (G30), Digital Rapids representatives will be conducting live presentations of the Digital Rapids Transcode Manager 2.0 automated, highvolume media file processing software powered by the Kayak workflow platform. At the Gencom Technology stand (H09), Digital Rapids staff will be showcasing the new StreamZ Live 8000EX integrated encoder for live and linear multiscreen and broadcast applications.

The enterprise-class Digital Rapids Transcode Manager 2.0 automated media processing software goes far beyond transcoding, blending media file transformation and workflow processes while offering efficiency and agility for applications from post-production and archive to multiscreen distribution.

SMPTE 2013 PREVIEW

Powered by the Kayak workflow platform, Transcode Manager 2.0 combines powerful management tools, superior quality and exceptional flexibility with adaptive, automated decision-making; rich metadata support; intuitive, visual workflow design tools; dynamic deployment; fast, easy integration of new and emerging technologies; and a deep ecosystem of third-party technology partners.

requirements from smaller media operations through enterprise-calibre archiving and management systems. Products for media asset management (MAM) and other applications will include Emerald and Topaz solutions that enable automated content archiving and support production workflows across operations of all sizes, as well as the Sapphire channel-in-a-box system, and the Iris logging solution.

A highlight of the demonstrations will be Masstech’s frictionless content workflow for news that allows journalists to drive a company’s media asset management system through native search and drag-and-drop operations within existing desktop tools such as their newsroom computer system (NRCS).

Visit www.masstech.com

Sony Showcases ‘Beyond Definition’ Solutions AT SMPTE 2013 (Stand D35), Sony is exhibiting a range of technologies for HD and 4K that embody its ‘beyond definition’ vision and demonstrate innovation in shooting, workflow and viewing, and developing live production solutions.

Aside from showcasing its newer technologies and solutions, Sony will also be demonstrating products that over the past year have become widely used throughout the broadcast industry.

Sony’s OLED professional monitors already feature the best available image quality for critical picture evaluation, and now Sony has incorporated wider viewing angles into its new ‘A’ Series OLED monitors.

Introduced earlier this year for motion picture, TV drama, commercial, documentary and reality production, the versatile PMW-F55 will be shown at SMPTE 2013 in both standalone and live production configurations. The forthcoming CA-4000 adapter will allow the PMW-F55 to be integrated via SMPTE fibre into a fully-featured live production mode suitable for multi-camera 4K coverage of sports, concerts and other major events.

The Anycast Touch AWS-750 Live Content Producer is a powerful content creation tool

for live events, education, houses of worship and corporate seminars. With an all-inone style featuring a double touch-screen, Anycast Touch enables intuitive operation and eliminates the cumbersome setup and signal adjustment process typically required when connecting various devices. It also features a camera remote control capability.

Sony’s latest “A” Series of its TRIMASTER EL OLED professional monitors range feature significantly improved viewing angles, reducing colour shift by half when compared with their predecessor models. This enables group monitoring by video engineers or colourists, which improves overall productivity and workflow efficiency.

Sony’s MVS-3000 multi-format production switcher is a compact yet powerful switcher from Sony that is ideally suited for production studios, stadiums, houses of worship, and OB vehicles requiring multiple inputs in a limited space. The MVS-3000 comes with sophisticated capabilities such as two mix effects (M/Es), four keyers per M/E, each with the MVS high-performance chromakey, 2.5D resizers, colour correction, and more.

Visit http://pro.sony.com.au

Gearhouse Drives New HD Supertruck Into SMPTE 2013

Simplifying the convergence of core television and multi-platform streaming operations, the new StreamZ Live 8000EX integrated broadcast/ multiscreen live encoder combines the proven multi-format flexibility and output quality of the StreamZ Live family with robust features for the unique demands of broadcast, cable, telco and satellite television deployments. Reducing operational complexity and costs, the StreamZ Live 8000EX features simultaneous encoding for broadcast television (H.264 or MPEG-2) and adaptive bit rate streaming for delivery to platforms including mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers, ‘smart TVs’, over-the-top (OTT) services and more.

IN A SIGNIFICANT FIRST for the SMPTE

Also on the Gearhouse Broadcast stand will be the full range of Hitachi cameras including the SK-HD1200 HD broadcast camera with its extremely low noise HDTV image and integration of new 2.3 million pixel, micro-lens array, native 1080p CCDs. Alongside the SK-HD1200 will be the SK-HD1500 HD high-end multi-format high speed production camera developed for super slow motion applications and capable of 3x speed 1080-line HD operation.

Where there are cameras, there are lenses, and at this year’s show Gearhouse will also be demonstrating the full range of Canon HD lenses on their stand.

Visit www.digitalrapids.com

Completing the trio of high-end Hitachi cameras

Visit www.gearhousebroadcast.com

exhibition, Gearhouse Broadcast will this year demo its new 30-camera HD OB supertruck, HD6, at the show (Stand J49). More information on HD6 can be found on Page 30 of C+T.

will be the top-of-the-line multi-purpose HDTV DK-HD100 HD broadcast camera, the highperformance special application HDTV/SD camera that is ideal for graphics stand, point of view and remote observation applications.

Manning the stand this year will be a full team from Gearhouse including owner John Newton alongside Manny Papas, Ray Martin, Garth Wienke and a host of Gearhouse’s outside broadcast engineers.

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7/07/13 5:34 3/07/2013 11:34:53 AMPM

ACQUISITION www.content-technology.com/acquisition

Inspiration Studios Takes Fujinon and ARRI to Wonderland MELBOURNE-BASED DIGITAL CINEMA specialists, Inspiration Studios, are known for their professional workflow solutions from pre-production to on-set expertise through to post-production. Recently the company was commissioned to provide the camera and offline workflow and equipment for Wonderland, the TV series produced by Fremantle Media for Network TEN to screen later this year.

Set in a beachside apartment building in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, “Wonderland concentrates on four very different couples navigating the humorous and sometimes painful minefield of love, friendship and life in the 21st century.”

With Wonderland requiring the latest state of the art HD lenses, after a period of evaluation, Inspiration Studios decided to purchase four Fujinon Cabrio lenses from ARRI Australia.

The Fujinon PL 19-90 and 85-300 Cabrio lenses feature an exclusive detachable servo drive unit, making them suitable for use as a standard PL lens. The Cabrios also feature flange focal distance adjustment, macro function and are LDS (Lens Data System) and

/i metadata compatible. With 19-90mm and 85-300mm focal ranges and weighing only 2.7kg and 3.3kg respectively including servo motors, these lenses have the longest focal range available in lightweight zooms.

Inspiration Studios’ Cail Young explained, “We already have a great relationship with Stefan Sedlmeier and the ARRI Australia team having purchased multiple ALEXA cameras and a set of Alura lenses in the past. So when we were looking for the best lenses to shoot Wonderland with we gave Stefan a call and set up a lens test day at ARRI’s Lane Cove HQ.” The lens test consisted of an ARRI ALEXA M camera and a wide array of ARRI Alura Zoom and Fujinon Cabrio lenses.

Young continued, “It was our DOP Russell Bacon, Pete Wells, myself and a trolley full of lenses in ARRI’s demo room. The new 1990mm and 85-300mm Fujinon Cabrio lenses were stunning and produced amazing results so we got exactly what we were looking for.

It’s great to have a partner like ARRI Australia as they really walk the walk where equipment and service is concerned, whether theirs or from other manufacturer’s, the level of

support is still the same and it’s this high level of support that keeps us coming back.”

With the decision to purchase two new 19-90mm and two new 85-300mm Fujinon Cabrio lenses made Inspiration Studios asked Sedlmeier if they could us ARRI Australia’s HQ to prep and test all of their equipment for the Wonderland shoot.

Young added, “In true Stefan fashion this request was also no problem. So we brought all of our crew, camera truck and equipment to Lane Cove and got to work. It’s such a great space and Stefan and his team really can’t do enough to help, so the whole experience was perfect. I’m delighted to say that everything went well and on set, as well as in the demo room, Fujinon’s Cabrio lenses are again producing spectacular images. It’s no wonder these lenses are being used more and more for high-end cinematography as they really are the perfect set for TV series work. As a DOP Russell is particularly impressed with the Cabrio lenses and we all agree these lenses should become the workhorse in TV for many years to come.”

Visit www.inspirationstudios.com.au and www.arri.com.au

Sony ANZ Dealers Convert to 4K SONY AUSTRALIA’S PROFESSIONAL Solutions

ACQUISITION

Division recently arranged for a number of its Content Creation dealers from Australia and New Zealand to participate in a training session on 4K acquisition at the Digital Motion Picture Centre (DMPC) on the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, Los Angeles.

their customers understand and get the very best out of this camera.”

The day also involved the dealers disassembling and reassembling the cameras, then moving on to several fully dressed sets where they could direct their own lighting set-ups and shoot a series of test shots.

The DMPC was created by Sony as somewhere the global production community could come together, share experiences, and stay current with the latest digital technology. The DMPC is a one-stop learning destination for camera and lens training and testing, dailies, editorial and DI workflow optimisation, and 4K content viewing.

Lemac’s Manager for Digital Cinema and Post Production, Tim Schumann, added, “We got to shoot on the Stage 7 set with talent, gaffers, and grips lighting a variety of scenes. It was the best way to really learn the ins and outs of the 4K cameras and the best way to really test Sony’s 4K ecosystem.”

Dealers involved in the training included Australia’s Lemac, Videocraft, and Videopro; and New Zealand’s A2Z Technologies and DVT.

As part of the training there were various 4K screenings throughout the day including the clips shot by the dealers themselves, which made for interesting viewing.

According to Videocraft NSW State Manager, Andy Liell, “The day at DMPC was incredibly valuable. It was a hands-on opportunity to see the extraordinary capabilities of the F55 camera in a real shooting and colour grading environment.

This camera has truly amazing image performance, and the fact that Sony offers this training in LA at no cost indicates their commitment to helping

Videopro Sales Manager for Business Solutions, Graham Bennett, said, “All of the clips were screened in Sony’s 4K viewing room with a colourist on hand to discuss the grading. It really was a great way to learn more about how this technology can be used to its maximum potential.”

The colourist not only discussed the clips, but with the centre’s Baselight DI grading system at his disposal also showed participants how to get the best out of the Sony 4K cameras and how the footage fitted into the post-production ecosystem they have created.

The DMPC offers weekly hands-on training on Sony’s full range of Super 35mm CineAlta digital motion picture cameras and as demonstrated by the Sony dealers, allows visitors to shoot 4K pictures, process them through a 4K workflow and view the results on a 4K projector in a single session. In addition to Sony products, the DMPC features a wide range of third party workflow solutions that support Sony technology.

Visit pro.sony.com.au or pro.sony.co.nz

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ACQUISITION

PNG Broadcaster Calls in Panel-Beaters for Fujinon Lens FROM THE DUSTY STREETS of Port Moresby to tropical mountain highlands and hot, humid jungles, Papua New Guinea can dish up a range of extremes to challenge the technology of any broadcaster, especially camera technology.

Fujinon takes pride in the reputation its lenses have for quality and durability so when a lens purchased by the National Broadcasting Corporation of Papua New Guinea (NBCPNG) in 2009 succumbed to the harsh PNG environment, the company sprang into action to restore it.

The Fujinon ZA Broadcast Series Wide Angle Lens had been purchased along with a Sony PDW700 Broadcast XDCAM HD Camcorder from Fujinon dealer Videopro for NBCPNG’s news and current affair productions.

The lens selected by the NBCPNG was the Fujinon ZA 12X 4.5BERM, one of the company’s most robust lenses.

According to Bennett, “The lens operated faultlessly in what was often a hostile and extremely challenging environment for many years. Eventually, the lens started to bear the brunt of such extreme usage.”

Upon observing the distressed condition of the lens Bennett recommended a complete overhaul and service by Fujifilm in order to maintain the lens’ specification and reliability.

With a commitment from Fujifilm Australia General Manager Optical Devices Marc Van Agten to help offset the service costs associated with a complete rebuild of the lens, Senior Fujinon Optical Engineer Terry Kasai painstakingly carried out the restoration at Fujifilm’s Brookvale HQ. “Terry had fully stripped it down to its 38 individual components, cleaned, recalibrated and reassembled the lens, even repainting all the green decals so they were as sharp as the day it was manufactured,” said Bennett.

Visit www.fujifilm.com.au

Back in action.

ACQUISITION

Before [left] and After.

As Videopro’s Sales Manager – Broadcast and Production, Graham Bennett, explained, “The combination of the Sony PDW700 and Fujinon HD wide angle lens fitted the broadcaster’s requirement for an acquisition system that could withstand the challenges of shooting in the often dusty, hot and humid remote regions across the entire country.”

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ACQUISITION

Semi-Shoulder Mount Camcorder SONY HAS ANNOUNCED the PMW-300 XDCAM camcorder, equipped with 1/2”-type Exmor Full-HD 3CMOS sensors capable of delivering incredible images even in low-light conditions. The PMW-300 is designed for broadcast producers and corporate event camera operators who require a flexible semi-shoulder mounted camcorder that can easily be adapted to suit a wide range of production environments.

An evolution of Sony’s PMW-EX3, the PMW-300 is able to record 50Mbps HD material in MPEG HD422, meeting broadcast standards around the world for HD broadcast acquisition. The high bit rate ensures excellent capture of fast moving objects, while its chroma subsampling is perfect for a wide range of video encoding areas such as VFX and green screen applications. The camcorder can also be upgraded in the future to support Sony’s XAVC codec, extending the lifecycle of the product to ensure maximum return on investment.

The 1/2”-type Exmor Full-HD 3CMOS sensors offer high light sensitivity and low image noise. As a consequence, it delivers clear high-resolution images even when filming in low-light conditions. The camcorder also includes Sony’s advanced signal processing technology, which suppresses noise effectively and thus creates noticeably clearer images.

The PMW-300 features the same EX-mount interchangeable lens system as the PMW-EX3, making it compatible with a wide range of 1/2 inch and 2/3 inch lenses. There are two types of lens packages planned to be available for the PMW-300. One is with a 14 times zoom lens (PMW300K1), and the other is with a 16 times zoom lens (PMW-K2). Both lenses have a focus ring for quick switching between auto and manual focus, in addition to the dedicated zoom and iris rings.

An HD-resolution 3.5-inch colour LCD viewfinder (960x540 pixels)

enables precision focusing for HD filming, while the 8-pin remote control and multicamera operation capability allows the PMW-300 to be used in 3D configurations and high-end camera systems.

With HD-SD/SDI and HDMI outputs, the PMW-300 connects not only to broadcast infrastructures, but also to consumer devices equipped with HDMI inputs.

Based on customer feedback the PMW-300 features a semi-shoulder design that has a rotary hand grip, allowing comfortable recording over long periods of time. Its magnesium metal body ensures the camcorder is robust and can withstand even the harshest production environments.

Users can choose to record on Sony’s professional SxS memory card as well as other media such as SD, Memory Stick, and XQD cards depending upon their budget and application.

Sony has also confirmed that an optional wireless adapter currently in development will enhance proxy recording, wireless transfers, Wi-Fi viewing and metadata input.

The PMW-300K1 with a 14 times zoom lens will be available from October 2013. The PMW-300K2 with a 16 times zoom lens release date is still to be confirmed. XAVC support for HD will be available in 2014.

Visit http://pro.sony.com.au or http://pro.sony.co.nz

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ACQUISITION

the 8 Video channels RGB Colour Correction & Proc Amp for all video channels Up to 2 channels Up/Down/Cross Format Aspect Ratio Conversion Audio Embedding and de-embedding for 8 video channels Integrated Sample Rate Converters Two 5.1 to stereo Downmixer per Embedder

Variable audio delay of up to 320 ms for each mono channel

See it at SMPTE 2013, stand H13

Variable video delay of up to 8 frames for each channel

Time Code Insertion, Test Pattern Generator and Video ID Generator per video output

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P +61 2 8882 7766 | sales@onair.com.au | onair.com.au

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ACQUISITION

Camera Corps Upgrades PTZF Mini Joystick CAMERA CORPS HAS ANNOUNCED the latest version of its ultracompact PTZF Mini Joystick, designed for restricted-space applications such as commentator-camera control or outside-broadcast vehicles. It can control up to five pan and tilt heads from a wide range of manufacturers.

The new PTZF Mini Joystick Version 3 is optimised for use with up to five Camera Corps Q-Ball Pre-Set remotely controlled pan/tilt/zoom/focus heads. Ten positions per head can be assigned and recalled. Individual control reverses are provided for pan/tilt/zoom/focus and stored separately for each of the five heads. Data input from an external camera control unit, data output and incoming power can all be carried via a single connector at the rear of the controller.

Space on the PTZF Mini Joystick panel is saved by using a twist action on the joystick to provide zoom control. Three rotary controls below the joystick provide individual adjustment of pan, tilt and zoom speed and can be set to different values for each of the five Q-Ball Pre-Set heads.

The same rotary controls can be used to adjust functions such as manual and auto iris and red/blue gain.

The joystick and control buttons have the same tactile responsiveness as those on our full-size controller,” states Camera Corps’ Technical Director Jim Daniels. “These include fully adjustable pan, tilt and zoom speeds and reverses. Zoom is controlled by rotary twist of the joystick. Reverse settings and control speeds for each of the five channels are stored in non-volatile internal memory.”

The standard Camera Corps audio data communication system is employed to allow unlimited operating distances between Mini Joystick Control and the remote heads. Each of the five channels has its own red

and green cue/tally light switch. Individual channels can be locked to prevent inadvertent alteration of presets. Focus can be remote-adjusted manually or switched between manual and automatic when working with cameras that support these features.

Housed in a robust and fully-weatherproof 115 millimetre diameter aluminium sphere, Q-Ball and Q-Ball Pre-Set are ultra-compact remotelycontrolled cameras with integral 10-times zoom optical lens and smooth-accelerating pan/tilt motors. Equipped with a 2 megapixel CMOS sensor and capable of operating in daylight or infra-red illumination, each camera delivers 1080i/720p high definition or 625/525-line standard definition at 50 or 59.94 hertz refresh rates. Pan and tilt slip-rings enable Q-Ball to perform unrestricted rotation at a wide range of speeds with precise control of acceleration and deceleration. Master black and colour saturation control allow accurate colour matching with third-party cameras.

Visit www.cameracorps.co.uk

ACQUISITION

T

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SPORTSCASTING Sport coverage worldwide

www.content-technology.com/sportscasting

Gearhouse Assembles OB Supertruck Dream Team GEARHOUSE BROADCAST HAS commissioned four new 30-camera HD OB supertrucks, two of which are delivered and in operation. The trucks, named HD5, HD6, HD7, and HD8 represent a multi-million dollar investment by the company.

coachbuilders A. Smith of Great Bentley in the UK, a process taking six months per chassis before it is shipped for integration in Australia. The trucks also feature the latest in lighting, expanding sides, physical auto levelling and 90KW of water-cooled air conditioning as standard.

Gearhouse Australia Sales and Marketing Director, Manny Papas, says the new trucks are very much in keeping with Gearhouse’s global philosophy, adding, “Gearhouse Broadcast’s owner John Newton recently relocated to Australia and his edict has always been quality and presentation are paramount. Anyone who sees these trucks will also see that edict has been followed to the letter.”

Gearhouse Australia’s Head of Engineering, Stephen Edwards, said, “My team work alongside our Chief Design Consultant John Fisher, a veteran of OB truck design with over 21 to his name to date. With John’s expertise and knowledge as the driving force behind the design we are able to oversee and turn concepts into reality in every area of the truck in order that they become truly incredible production environments.”

Four new trucks is a big investment by any company’s standards in today’s challenging marketplace, but Gearhouse has experienced significant year on year growth, which, according to Papas, was the driving force behind their commissioning.

Gearhouse’s new HD supertrucks have a number of technology centrepieces. Based around the NVISION NV8576 hybrid main vision router that embeds and de-embeds internally, has a MADI I/O and an enormous amount of processing and cross conversion power, the true hybrid router offers extensive functionality to a high number of operators.

Standalone areas include an audio mixing and control room, replay area, production gallery, CCU and vision control, and engineering space.

He added, “HD5 and HD6 have just been finished and gone immediately into service. This demonstrates the demand in the market for this level of OB supertruck. HD7 and HD8 are both scheduled to be finished by the end of this year and there are already several large events planned for them to cover.”

SPORTSCASTING

Not only do the trucks meet the market demand and add significant capacity to Gearhouse’s ever-growing fleet, but they have been designed specifically with Australian broadcasting requirements and workflows in mind. The trucks also provide a larger production space and more processing power than any other single truck in the market, with one of the new supertrucks now capable of doing the work that would previously have taken two standard OB trucks.

Some of the supertrucks’ main product highlights include the fact that they are all wired for 24 CCU and 6 POV cameras and seven 8-channel EVS XT3s, they all feature an 80 input, 36 output Sony MVS7400 mixer, have four VTRs, five replay transition devices, a 64 fader MC56 Lawo audio desk and Riedel Artist 192-port talkback system.

Manny Papas concluded, “The fact that Gearhouse has a major SI business building trucks and installations for clients all over the world is a huge bonus for our clients in Australia as all of these supertrucks are designed, built and integrated in-house by Gearhouse engineers.”

Each of the new supertrucks had its chassis built by world-renowned

Visit www.gearhousebroadcast.com

The new Gearhouse Broadcast HD5 and HD6 Supertrucks.

HD5’s CCU area.

The HD5 EVS Replay Area.

The new Gearhouse Broadcast HD5 and HD6 Supertrucks.

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The Future Is Networked.

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SPORTSCASTING

The Glasgow Diaries: Chapter 4

By David Bowers

“Just there. The new access way can join up to the right of that row of cars.”

HOST BROADCAST PROJECT DIRECTOR Andrew Quinn and I are standing outside the Scottish Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC), our architect Cris Van Haren virtually beside us thanks to my iPad and Skype, as we progress plans for the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) design and build.

It’s a fine day and taking in the wider vista reinforces why the IBC will be located here.

Perched on the picturesque River Clyde, with large-scale exhibition halls, several adjacent hotels and next to the Clyde Auditorium and the new SSE Hydro, the precinct will host gymnastics, boxing, judo, netball, wrestling, weightlifting and powerlifting, as well as become home to the IBC and the Main Press Centre.

The SECC site also offers more than enough room to construct the IBC’s administrative, technical and working areas – which will span 2,800 sqm or more – with the Main Press Centre just a short walk away and easily connected to the IBC via fibre.

Although Cris and Andrew have combined

experience on five Olympic and Commonwealth Games, this is the first time any of us has situated an IBC in a completely temporary facility!

For maximum cost and space efficiency, the IBC will be a combination of modular portable buildings – similar to what many Australian schools use for temporary classrooms – with a large tent serving as the main entrance foyer.

This is not your run-of-the-mill function marquee, of course: at 25 x 20 metres it will house security, reception and lounge areas; the broadcast rights holders’ services booking centre; entrances to operational and technical areas; and an 88-seat cafe.

Andrew and I disconnect Cris (in the nicest possible way!) and walk back to the point at which the reception tent will end and modular areas begin. The actual barrier will be a glass wall, offering a view of the IBC control rooms, monitors and switching centre, and all the activity therein.

We are already working on plant including heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC)

systems, the latter being especially critical to the technical areas, which even in the unpredictable Scottish summer weather will need to be several degrees cooler than the rest of the complex.

Housing the data centre and equipment racks, these areas will also be subject to additional security: of up to 200 people rostered to work at the IBC at any one time, only around 30 will have access to the restricted technical areas.

We know to the metre how much room the broadcast rights holders appointed to date will need, so have allocated all their requested production areas and can anticipate shift numbers, allowing us to estimate how many people will be in the complex at any point in

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SPORTSCASTING

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32

Thanks to its new design, the console guarantees an absolutely intuitive workflow. Additional features like button glow, instant local access and the new overbridge ensure fast and safe operation. In terms of future-proofing, once again the mc²56 is packed with innovative features such as Loudness Metering, new surround tools and ground-breaking RAVENNA technology. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the very essence of the mc²56: in other words, cutting-edge technology in an extremely compact footprint. The mc²56. Performance, pure and simple.

Come and see us at SMPTE 2013 – Stand D10 Exclusively & proudly sold in Australia by Professional Audio Technology. Call 02 9476 1272; www.proaudiotechnology.com.au

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SPORTSCASTING easy retrieval.

For example, if Australia scores a goal in the hockey, that footage will come in to the IBC in real time, be tagged, time-stamped and archived, and within 10 seconds of the actual event any rights holder – whether in Glasgow or their home countries/offices – can retrieve it for use in their own reports.

time. This in turn means we can now finalise fire, safety and evacuation plans, too.

We’ve also got a handle on the likely demand for terrestrial and satellite communications links.

We’ve planned for all the outgoing circuits to accommodate simultaneous use by every rights holder – i.e., if they all decided to do live reports back to their home studios at once we could cope.

Just to the right of the IBC entrance will be the satellite ‘farm’, where dozens of uplink dishes will play their part in the transition path.

While we can distribute signals to satellite directly from Glasgow, we can also redistribute them out of London via the BT Tower. This gives us both extra capacity and redundancy in case we need it.

Meanwhile the vast amount of material that will come from the venues and events into the IBC will be logged and stored on hard disc drive for

We are working with a third-party software provider to build the system and databases, using a combination of existing technologies. It will mean, for instance, that a producer working at Australian rights holder Network Ten’s Sydney station will be able to browse low-res images via a secure VPN, select what they want and make a call to have the broadcast quality footage transmitted. Because they can look for content that is relevant to them on the day, this will not only save a lot of time, but mean rights holders won’t need to send as many people to Glasgow to deliver their Games coverage.

Our testing so far has been very positive, and we plan to reveal the system design at the next broadcasters’ meeting in mid-July, at which time the rights holders will be able to sign off on their individual broadcaster plans, needs, budgets and finer details.

It’s the next major milestone on our critical path to Glasgow 2014, and auspiciously timed nearly a year to the day from the Opening Ceremony.

David Bowers is head of engineering and technical operations for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Host Broadcaster contract.

Camera Corps Robotic Cameras at Wimbledon ROBOTIC CAMERAS and control systems from Camera Corps were chosen as key elements in coverage of the 2013 Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships. Q-Ball remotely controlled pan/tilt/zoom/focus cameras, MiniShot remote pan/tilt heads with Hitachi DKH-100 cameras, long-range optical and electro-optical video/audio links, joystick control panels and RCP remote camera control panels were installed for the duration of the event.

“Our involvement with the Lawn Tennis Championships has increased steadily year on year since we first provided MiniShot robotic pan/tilt heads and cameras in comcam roles in 2003,” comments Equipment Manager, Neil Ashworth. “The cameras and supporting equipment have become much more compact over the past decade. Q-Ball heads will be used this year to televise the commentators.

MiniShots will be installed in the players’ lounge to cover the action between games.

“Venue-wide images will be sourced from HotShot heads mounted on and above the canopy. The entire production is in digital highdefinition so we have installed a combination of single-mode optical and Simply SMPTE dual-mode electro-optical long-range links between the cameras and the control

3:43 PM

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areas. Nick Bonner and Ben Elms from our Brooklands headquarters were at Wimbledon for initial rigging, Nick remaining there for the duration.”

The Wimbledon tennis tournament is the world’s oldest of its kind. Held at the All England Club in southwest London since 1877, it is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments and the only event of its type still played on grass. The tournament takes place over two weeks in late June and early July, culminating with singles finals. Each year, five major events are contested, as well as four junior events and four invitational events.

Visit www.cameracorps.co.uk

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SPORTSCASTING

Thoroughbred Racing Productions on Track with DAMsmart MAM DAMSMART, THE AUSTRALIA-BASED provider of audiovisual digitisation, management and access solutions has recently completed the commissioning of Thoroughbred Racing Production’s (TRP) first Media Asset Management system.

TRP provides exclusive production services to the Victorian Racing Industry, producing broadcasts for more than 525 thoroughbred race meetings across Victoria. The broadcasts are provided to ThoroughVision, Free-To-Air and other subscription channels in both Australia and overseas, to on-course patrons and importantly, the Stipendiary Stewards who mange the integrity of racing.

TRP produces thousands of hours of content each year and manages an extensive back catalogue of racing vision for ThoroughVision. In 2012, the organisation identified a need to evolve and grow its digital content storage and access infrastructure to deliver greater productivity and provide a greater level of security for its collection.

Charles Cole, TRP’s Technical & Engineering Manager, said, “An integral part of producing race coverage is the management and maintenance of an archive to catalogue captured video. We identified a need for a system to facilitate multiple functions including replaying races for the industry stakeholders, use by Stewards in inquiries, indexing archived content, and the preservation of Australian racing history.”

TRP went to market in late 2012 with a competitive tender seeking a solution for the storage and management of its digital video collection, which resulted in the appointment of DAMsmart as the preferred solution partner. DAMsmart proposed a comprehensive digital video archive management solution using CatDV Enterprise Media Asset Management software, from UK based company Squarebox, for collection access and control. The MAM application was integrated with Storage DNA Evolution LTO/LTFS archiving software, configured with an LTO5 library for storage of the high-resolution files.

Charles Cole commented, “We considered a range of options, including the cloud, and for us the DAMsmart solution made sense. CatDV suited the organisation perfectly. It is an enterprise-level application without the complexities of other applications that are focused on servicing large-scale broadcast environments. CatDV allows us to link our

Mediaproxy LogServer Provides Monitoring at French Open MEDIAPROXY, with its local partner Visionetics, recently integrated the new LogServer IP MPEG confidence monitoring solution at the French Open Tennis Championships at Roland Garros in Paris.

SPORTSCASTING

LogServer IP continuously recorded court-side camera feeds in MPEG format to provide umpires with both live monitoring and post-match review solution for selected courts during the tournament. Mediaproxy’s comprehensive LogPlayer IP client review application provides easy access to all recorded media content. Mediaproxy’s new Monwall hybrid multiviewer application, allows for flexible configuration of layouts with custom panel arrangements and metadata overlay. Running on standard desktop PCs and laptops, Monwall provides easy monitoring of all court feeds.

“We are proud to be associated with one of the great sporting events of the year and pleased to be working with Visionetics on this exciting project,” says Erik Otto, CEO at Mediaproxy. “Since the launch of LogServer it has gained a lot of traction in applications beyond the traditional use in broadcast environments. LogServer IP provides the most cost effective solution for native transport stream review and multi-viewing applications.”

Visit www.mediaproxy.com

complex and extensive racing metadata with individual races enabling robust search functions. It is intuitive and customisable, which was an important consideration as we have a range of system users, all with very different requirements. The web client enables remote access for both the Stewards for race assessment and the OB vans for offsite content management tasks.

“The LTO/LTFS technology gives a stable, economical and secure storage platform that we can scale. The DNA Evolution software takes full advantage of LTFS enabling tape performance that is comparable to disk. Importantly, Storage DNA is based on open standards, which gives us confidence the collection will be accessible well into the future.”

Prior to commissioning the system, DAMsmart worked closely with all stakeholders in the organisation to identify user profiles and collate an accurate description of their needs. After commissioning, DAMsmart has continued to work with TRP to refine system workflows and tailor functions as users become more familiar with the system and its capabilities. DAMsmart, working with the Australian distributors of CatDV and Storage DNA, Blonde Robot, has provided training for the system, and provides ongoing support for the various stakeholders in the organisation.

Joe Kelly, General Manager at DAMsmart, said, “This was a really exciting project for DAMsmart as we are focused on making content accessible for today, and tomorrow. As the leading Australian provider of AV digitisation services, we know that digitising content is only part of the job. Managing digital media, either as a result of digitisation of legacy archives or born-digital content, is key to maximising the value of the asset. We have been working closely with our partners Storage DNA and CatDV to configure systems to suit a broad range of applications that are both economical and practical.

“The solution we have provided for the TRP will enable them to get the most of the content they hold, and promote greater efficiencies and control for the access and management of the collection.”

Since the MAM system was commissioned, DAMsmart has commenced work with TRP to digitise its existing legacy videotape collection.

Visit www.damsmart.com.au

Encompass Selects AsiaSat to Distribute Edge Sport HD TELECOMMUNICATIONS CO. LTD. (AsiaSat) has announced that Encompass Digital Media Asia has selected AsiaSat’s DVB-S2 MCPC platform, operated from its Tai Po Earth Station in Hong Kong, to distribute Edge Sport HD, a 24-hour action sports channel, on AsiaSat 5.

Encompass Digital Media has worked with Edge Sport HD since its launch in Asia in 2012 managing playout and content distribution across the Asia-Pacific. Edge Sport was the first 24-hour premium action sports HD channel tailored for the Asian market by IMG Media, part of IMG Worldwide, in 2012. The channel offers action sports content such as surfing, snowboarding, BMX, mountain biking, skateboarding, supercross, skiing, base jumping, freestyle motocross and wakeboarding.

In addition to transponder capacity, AsiaSat will provide uplinking and transmission services, allowing Edge Sport HD to enjoy cost effective delivery to all major terrestrial TV networks and pay TV platforms across Asia, Middle East and Australasia.

Visit www.encompass.tv and www.asiasat.com

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NEWS OPERATIONS www.content-technology.com/newsoperations

Sky News in Major Studio Upgrade with Sony Pro Solutions SONY AUSTRALIA’S PROFESSIONAL Solutions Group has released details of the full studio upgrade it is carrying out for leading ANZ broadcaster SKY NEWS. The upgrade, which came about after discussions at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, is one of the largest and most comprehensive the broadcaster has ever carried out.

National Sales Manager - Broadcast & Production Professional Solutions Division for Sony Australia, Luke Simpson, explained, “We discussed the studio upgrade with Australian News Channel CEO, Angelos Frangopoulos, and SKY NEWS Director of Engineering and Technology, Rick Zecevic, over several meetings that began at NAB and continued back in Australia. It became evident that it was going to be a very large project that involved upgrading and integrating robotics, studio automation, new control rooms and more. So, instead of solely providing Sony equipment, we agreed the Sony Professional Solutions Group would also be systems integrators for the entire project.”

SKY NEWS’ requirements fell into two categories. Firstly the broadcaster needed to perform a technical refresh of some of the key equipment in the main SKY NEWS production control room. The control room also needed an upgrade that would provide the increased levels of flexibility and functionality essential for modern day news production. Secondly, the broadcaster concluded that studio automation was going to be the critical technology which would enable it to broadcast new channels and services at its existing site whilst simultaneously streamlining its overall live production process. In order to achieve these key goals the broadcaster needed to build and integrate four new automation suites to control the on-air services for SKY NEWS National, SKY NEWS Business Channel, SKY NEWS Weather, and SKY NEWS New Zealand.

Angelos Frangopoulos said, “Due to the fact that SKY NEWS is a 24/7 broadcaster, any equipment changeover had to happen with the absolute minimum disruption to on-air operations. In order for this to happen we needed an experienced and well-resourced systems integration partner, which is why we chose the Sony Australia Professional Solutions Group.”

With the new system design and plan agreed, Sony began the project by installing and commissioning a Sony MVS-7000X production switcher in the main SKY NEWS production gallery and replacing the existing CRT monitor wall with 55” Sony LCD panels and an AXON Multi-view system.

The new systems were initially installed in parallel to the existing studio control room to allow for equipment familiarisation, off-line operational

training, and a smooth transition to full on-air operations.

For the new control suites, SKY NEWS chose Mosart to provide automation of live production equipment including switchers, audio mixers, video servers, graphics, and camera robotics. One of the more complex parts of the system, the Mosart installation and integration involved Sony and SKY NEWS working in close collaboration to design, install, and integrate four custom automation suites all under Mosart control.

Frangopoulos added, “Mosart was chosen because of its proven track record at worldwide installations, along with its ability to control equipment from a number of different manufacturers. Mosart’s history combined with Sony’s SI expertise and both teams working together so well in partnership has allowed SKY NEWS to successfully integrate production equipment from a wide number of manufacturers including Sony, Ross, Yamaha, Quantel, VIZRT, Euphonix, and Vinten.”

The new SKY NEWS studio and automation control suites also feature a state of the art equipment list that includes a Sony MVS-7000X 3ME production switcher, Sony FWD-S55H2 HD LCD panels, Sony FWDS46H2 HD LCD panels, a Sony MVS-6500 2ME production switcher, a Yamaha DME64N audio mixer, AXON Multi-view processors, Harris VTM2400 Rasterisers, an Avocent KVM switch and Vinten Radamec camera robotics.

Visit pro.sony.com.au, pro.sony.co.nz and www.skynews.com.au

NEWS OPERATIONS

Australian News Channel Connects Workflows with Quantel AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL (ANC) has also purchased a major upgrade for its Quantel Enterprise sQ fast-turnaround production system, adding the latest V5 software and Quantel’s connected workflow technology, QTube. The upgrade expands ANC’s current Quantel system, adding a host of new editing, workflow and management facilities enabling ANC to enhance and expand its services which include SKY NEWS National, SKY NEWS Business, SKY NEWS Weather, SKY NEWS New Zealand, and A-PAC Australia’s Public Affairs Channel.

ANC has purchased an extensive Quantel QTube system to allow remote video journalists across Australia and New Zealand to access and edit content stored in a central Sydney-based Enterprise sQ system using

standard internet connectivity.

ANC Chief Executive, Angelos Frangopoulos, said, “Our Quantel Enterprise sQ system has served us well for many years at the Australian News Channel, coping with everything we have thrown at it as our operation has grown in scale and success. It was therefore a natural choice to again look to the future with Quantel to continue giving us the shortest time to air, fantastic usability and great performance. We’re also very excited as to the possibilities that QTube brings to the ANC network; with QTube our production facility will extend across all the countries we operate in.”

Visit www.quantel.com

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Take your newsroom anywhere.

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Learn more. Get the Universal Connectivity Executive Brief.

Visit avid.com/connectivitybrief © 2012 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice.

Avid, the Avid logo, and Interplay are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay Entertainment Corp, which bears no responsibility for Avid products. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

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NEWS OPERATIONS

Remote Control of Dejero ENG Systems DEJERO HAS LAUNCHED a remote control feature for its LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitter and LIVE+ VSET mobile ENG systems. Integrated with Dejero’s LIVE+ Portal intelligent online management system, this new feature enables broadcast organisations to manage and control their LIVE+ 20/20 or LIVE+ VSET transmitters from any location in the world using any Web browser, including those running on mobile devices.

Dejero’s LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitter is a portable and rugged solution for encoding and transmitting HD or SD video over 4G, 3G, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet, and the LIVE+ VSET is a 1-U vehiclemount transmitter designed for use in satellite and microwave trucks. With the Web-based LIVE+ Portal, operators now have an easy means of controlling both systems from a studio or other remote location using a Web browser and the familiar and intuitive LIVE+ 20/20 graphic interface. The remote control feature enables joint field/studio operation and provides an optional lock-out of hardware buttons on the transmitter for control from the studio only, giving operators on both ends a clear indication that the transmitter is under remote control.

ORAD, THE PROVIDER of video and broadcast graphic solutions, has announced the availability of its new graphics control panel playout solution, the Orad SmartShot. With one click, operators can easily and quickly access and trigger pre-assigned graphics. In addition, Smart-Shot can be configured with application short cuts such as “next”, “previous”, “cue”, “play”, “stop”, and more.

Smart-Shot seamlessly integrates with Orad’s graphic control applications for an end-toend broadcast graphics workflow. Operators can easily assign any graphic template to any Smart-Shot button, allowing quick and easy access to all relevant pre-assigned graphic templates.

With Smart-Shot, operators can easily change the button’s assignment per production need, enabling Smart-Shot to be used effectively for multiple productions. Smart-Shot can instantly load different pre-sets/layouts per production to be used immediately.

Ideal for graphics-intensive productions such as news, sports and elections, Orad SmartShot’s quick access and triggering of graphics

significantly simplifies the workflow, giving operators more time to facilitate broadcast graphics selection and playout.

Smart-Shot offers 28 LCD buttons, each updated with a relevant 128 x 128 pixel color image representing the associated graphic and its status. Smart-Shot provides 10 bank buttons, for a total of 280 quick access buttons.

An alternative to conventional keypads, the Smart-Shot touchscreen provides immediate feedback. Smart-Shot’s LCD buttons reflect the graphic’s status such as green for “cue” and red for “play.” The touchscreen provides operators additional detail including graphics broadcast progress or time left to broadcast.

Smart-Shot is equipped with a 640 X 240 pixel touchscreen for initial configuration, with a GUI to set up work environment properties. The LCD can display detailed information of the relevant selected item.

In addition, when controlling graphics rundown, the LCD can display previous and next items.

Visit www.orad.tv/smart-shot

NEWS OPERATIONS

Visit www.dejero.com.

Orad’s Smart-Shot Triggers Graphics Fast

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NEWS OPERATIONS

AP Invests in User-Generated Video Platform THE ASSOCIATED PRESS has announced the purchase of a minority stake in Bambuser, the live video service that allows users to broadcast, watch and share live video through mobile phones and computers. The investment builds on the exclusive editorial relationship that the AP has with Bambuser and further strengthens the AP’s world-leading capability to source and stream live video news from eyewitnesses.

Under terms of the deal AP’s director of global video news, Sandy MacIntyre, will join Bambuser’s board as a non-executive director.

It is the culmination of a three-year relationship with Bambuser that last year saw the AP sign an operational agreement providing news agency exclusivity for real-time video syndication of content from participating Bambuser users.

AP’s investment follows the successful development by Bambuser of both its technology and user base. Bambuser has a proven track record for enabling real-time creation, solicitation and distribution of usergenerated content (UGC), especially for newsrelated content. This is supported by a broad product portfolio and clear product roadmap designed to target the needs of a rapidly changing and evolving news media landscape By making this investment, AP says it is cementing its leadership in UGC newsgathering.

The AP already uses UGC-sourced and verified content as an everyday part of the news agency’s newsgathering activities, and there is increasing demand for live video content from broadcasters and online publishers.

Through Bambuser, AP can source UGC video news live from the scene from eyewitnesses exclusively for its broadcast and online publisher customers. This not only ensures that the AP remains the foremost global provider of live video news, but also helps its customers overcome their own UGC challenges.

In addition, Bambuser provides the AP with access to an established community of video contributors who can act as effective “first

responders” across the world. AP’s journalists also use Bambuser as a newsgathering tool when out in the field.

The AP has been at the forefront of UGC usage for global newsgathering. From the outset, AP has applied the same high level of editorial standards for UGC as to its own newsgathering.

This includes the application of a strict verification process that ensures the robustness of the news output.

“User-generated video content of live and breaking news is the new frontier of news generation,” MacIntyre said. “Bambuser is the proven platform for eyewitnesses around the world to stream their video content and has been invaluable to the AP over the past year, allowing us to access footage of verifiable breaking news stories that would simply not have been possible before. Moreover, we have always been deeply impressed by the proven technology from the small but very talented team at Bambuser.”

Hans Eriksson, executive chairman at Bambuser, said, “Working so closely with the AP over the last year has proven the huge demand for usergenerated video content. This equity investment is an important milestone in Bambuser’s journey as it not only brings our two organisations closer, but enables us to share our expertise to an even greater extent.”

Eriksson added, “It also comes at a time of exciting developments within Bambuser.

Recently we initiated the rollout of new SDK [software development kit] that enables customers and partners to integrate and customise live video broadcasting capabilities directly into their consumer apps for iOS and Android with just a few lines of code, allowing anyone to be a live video reporter. This marks another milestone in Bambuser’s mission to bring live video broadcasting to the mass market and change newsgathering.”

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POST PRODUCTION

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Gatsby – A Toast to Post

By Keith Ford F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a work that lives up to its title, heralded by many as the closest anyone has come to writing the “Great American Novel”, a quintessential take on the “American Dream”.

IN ADAPTING THE BOOK, director Baz Luhrmann had accepted quite a challenge. Indeed, it was one that many had baulked at previously.

Robert Towne refused a chance to write the screenplay for the 1974 film, despite a $175,000 salary, reportedly saying, “I didn’t want to be the unknown Hollywood screenwriter who f---ed up a literary classic.”

the inconsistencies between shots and pickups stand out. Even though it’s really pushed, a lot of the scenes are incredibly delicate. If you look at the set design, it’s all this really classy, amazingly intricate, delicate differences in colour and subtle hues and things like that. When you push something that big it gets quite unwieldy,” Hauser said.

Assisting in bringing the book to life and, in the process, creating a visually stunning movie was a cadre of production and post-production staff. Among those was Lead Digital Intermediate (DI) Colorist, Adrian Hauser and Optical Designer and Compositor, Hugh Seville from Cutting Edge; Lighting Lead, Matt Estela from Animal Logic; and Editors, Matt Villa ASE and Jason Ballantine ASE.

“Just in terms of the traditional role, the grade is to match stuff. On top of that if you have the opportunity to help create a new colour palette or something like that, that’s the fun bit, but in creating and enhancing the palette that’s there, it made it really difficult.”

THE GRADE GATSBY Luhrmann, much like the eponymous Jay Gatsby, has a flair for the extravagant, making the job of DI Colorist Adrian Hauser, who completed the full final 3D DI, a difficult one. Somewhat unusually for a drama, blockbuster though it may be, it was produced in stereoscopic 3D. The film is also incredibly bright and colourful, despite 3D’s tendency to dim the picture.

“From the grade conform side of it, the process was like a full stereoscopic conform that throughout the process had to be continually updated as the cut changed. Then a traditional 2D style grade on top of that, but then, because we were working in 3D meant we had to work out these really low light levels. He [Luhrmann] had such an amazing, and CM [Producer Catherine Martin] as well, has such an amazing attuned eye for colour detail, and separation, and all the references like classic colour or early colour films where they were just shot with so much light that’s you’ve got this amazing strike,” explained Hauser.

“So to try and get that result from a digital source, through a digital process at a really low light level in the 3D world - you can’t. Most of the grading time is spent creating that look that really shone and sparkled, in Baz’s words, at that low light level. Because a lot of films when they come out in 3D the colour gets a little bit bleached and the levels sit down and it’s not that glamorous.”

The final product, even in the dimmed 3D, is certainly bright and colourful, verging on the hyper-real.

“If you’re in a complete CG movie, everything comes out of the camera perfect anyway because it’s CG cameras, for a live action two eyes are never 100 percent perfect. In a grading and finishing world there’s always something that doesn’t quite track or just tweaks your eye a little bit because there’s ever so slight differences in there,” said Hauser. “So that in itself that takes a lot more of the time as well. Not just having to come to streams for information and having to output to distinct deliverables, just that because optically, you can never find two pieces of glass that are exactly the same, so there’s always something that you can do better about the shot. Because it is two and a half hours in duration you’ve got to make sure that things are aligned as well as possible because your eye will always make up for the differences while you’re watching it in 3D, but that’s what gives you the headaches.”

He also added, “There’s heaps of over the shoulder shots, which in 3D people kept saying that you can’t shoot shallow focus or you can’t shoot over the shoulder or you can’t have things breaking the edge of frame, and they’re all rules that in a perfect world make it a 3D picture. There are kind of bits of transparent glass floating in the corner of your eye and it’s disturbing. So you’ve got to come up with tricks to make it not so disturbing.”

Compositor, Hugh Seville, found that Autodesk Flame was the perfect tool for Gatsby. “We did set up Smoke on Mac and the Flare, so we used Smoke on Mac for IO, the editorial, stereoscopic conforming and then translate all of Adrian’s figures, which he had created in his optical flow, translate it into Smoke and then into the effects side, which was Flare.

With the deadline not moving and the shots not coming in, we ended

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“It was a really uncomfortable - for a colourist it’s the most uncomfortable place, or type of grade, because the more bright you make something and the more saturated you make something, the more

Brightness was hardly the only part of the production that was made more difficult by the use of 3D. Matching shots for each eye, the way the film was shot, and using the right software, were among the issues brought about by the 3D.

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POST PRODUCTION

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up having to put a Flame and another Flare in, and another artist, just because of the lateness of the deliverables.

drive - can become a real nightmare. Whereas, this way they could just walk in and go, yes, no,” said Seville.

“So there was a bit of a block at the end, but we definitely got there and it was really handy in the sense of using Flame as a design tool, because other tools like NUKE or After Effects are no good with stereo and NUKE doesn’t have much in the way of text ability or editorial. Whereas this seemed to cover all bases and the ability to open it up, and keep it open and change it, is perfect.”

Editorial changes resulting from a number of studio screeners also created some challenges. It is also well known that Luhrmann has a tendency to change the cut of his films, including quite late in the process, and Gatsby was no different.

On the DI side, Adrian Hauser was using FilmLight’s Baselight for grading.

“Well we had a Baselight EIGHT and a Baselight TWO. So it was a small DI department with myself, one other colorist [Vanessa Taylor], and Angela [Mclellan] as the conform artist. Which seemed - if we had four months to do it - quite a good team, but in the end we were all just working ridiculous hours to get it through,” Hauser explained. “Essentially the second base light machine became almost a conform machine that was pretty much constantly grading the film, keeping up-to-date with the new effect shots that were coming in, and trying to keep the stereo balance continual as well. Then the other machine was just physically keeping up-to-date with the cut changes and the new shots coming in.”

“We did Happy Feet in 3D on it [Baselight], so we had a good understanding of how it could handle 3D timelines and delivery workflows. I think that kind of led, or gave us a natural progression to this job,” Hauser added.

While filming was taking place in Sydney’s Fox Studios, the Cutting Edge team essentially picked up and moved onto the lot to be closer to the production. So close, in fact, that Hugh even worked out of the boardroom at Iona, Luhrmann and Martin’s Darlinghurst mansion.

“Having those six screeners for Warners over the last 12 months helped us, because I think the first screeners they had, the audiences were pretty - had pretty sore heads from the 3D. So that helped us work out how to make the 3D work,” added Hauser.

THE LIGHT ON THE DOCK Speaking at a ‘Tools for Award Winners’ event hosted by Autodesk, Lighting Lead on Gatsby, Animal Logic’s Matt Estela detailed the software the company used for the film and the work that goes into making lighting work in an effects heavy environment.

“Maya was used across all of our departments except for Comp, so it was the core tool in modelling, surfacing, effects, and lighting. The crowd scenes were done in MASSIVE and they were then moved across to MayaMan as procedural. The massive amounts of vegetations and trees meant that they couldn’t be hand modelled so we had to use some tools to help us do that,” explained Estela. “We used SpeedTree for the trees, while bushes, ivy, flower beds, ferns, topiaries, all kinds of smaller things, were all done with Paint FX. RenderMan was our main renderer, we used Snoop for Comp, and there’s a lot more. So there’s MARI for plain textures and surfacing, there’s a bit of ZBrush for displacement, through to Equaliser for tracking, Photoshop for matte painting, Maya Fluids for

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“We were in a little shed outside and then sound had to go in there. So they moved us up into Iona, and design was upstairs which was really handy. It was very convenient just to be able to pick it up and move, otherwise the tyranny of distance - even though it’s a 10 or 15 minute

“I think there’s also, something that Baz does, there are a lot of editorial changes. Sometimes there was just no pickups, so environments had to be built without being specifically shot for that purpose,” explained Seville.

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[L-R] : Lead DI Colorist Adrian Hauser; Optical Designer and Compositor Hugh Seville; Editors [L-R] Jonathan Redmond, Jason Ballantine ASE, and Matt Villa ASE

smoke and dust, and other bits and pieces in various departments, as well as quite a lot of internally developed software.

“Focussing on lighting, we used a smaller set of tools. MayaMan was our main bridge to RenderMan, which is our proprietary Maya to RenderMan Explorer. PHX is our lighting and shading engine. RSS (Render Sub-Script) is a text-based, python-based pass system for defining and sending passes to the farm. Shot Set Up, which is our asset management tool for tracking assets that get collapsed into Maya references to be put into Shop Lighting and Nuke for lighting precomps.

“PHX is a physically-based, ray tracing-based lighting and shading engine developed inside RenderMan. It was a large project for us and it was replacing a bridge system called Impasto, which was the primary lighting and shading engine used in Animal for several years. Gatsby and Dino [Walking with Dinosaurs 3D] were the first shows to use PHX, but we started delivering shots first, so I think we were the first to use it. It’s a path tracer implemented inside RenderMan so it shares certain commonalities with, say, V-Ray or Arnold, but it’s still slightly different.

You might ask why we didn’t just go with Arnold or V-Ray then. The answer was we had a lot of existing technology that’s based around RenderMan and it would have been a huge amount of time to redevelop all those tools, so we decided that we just didn’t have that kind of time.”

There are a number of advantages to using a path tracer, based on ray tracing, compared to a standard RenderMan renderer. Most notable is removing all of the pre-passes required before you can get to the main render. The materials are much cleaner for surfacing work, wires need less lights, and you don’t have to assemble passes or perform lighting in composition. Not everything about ray tracing is easy, however.

“The curse of ray tracing, which is path tracing, is noise. One of the core things within a path tracer is randomness; so a beam of light will actually hit a surface and will bounce and will scatter, in many directions. To capture all those possibilities we have to follow every single ray. It might take an infinite amount of time. We don’t have that so we have to limit the amount of rays and bounces and samples that get fired. If you don’t have enough samples to capture the kind of light effects you’re after, then it will manifest as noise in the image,” said Estela.

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On the positive side, implementing everything within an existing renderer, in this case RenderMan, that the artist’s know and use regularly, is that they can utilise all of the hacks and tricks to create shortcuts. One such trick is parallax mapping, a technique borrowed from videogame technology, to provide the city’s buildings with depth without having to build rooms behind every window.

“What you see up until filming renders is just a cube. We would be given priorities on a shader, which would give us the amount of floors going up and rooms going horizontally, randomisation for wallpaper, lights, and textures, and it would give you this illusion of having room detail,” explained Estela. “The advantage with this is that when modelling we are building the hundreds of buildings that had to be built, but we no longer had to build rooms behind the windows. They would just make a flat polygon for the window, we would then assign this shader and we would get the illusion of having rooms behind every window.”

There was quite a large time-frame between the first trailer for the film

and the actual release, or completion, of the movie. This was, in part, due to the initial release date being much earlier. It also meant that work on the trailer needed to be completed well ahead of time.

“We had several massive shots, one of the biggest ones being a pullout of the Queensboro Bridge. At the end of the shot we see Manhattan on the far side, complete with traffic. This shot came up for the trailer, so the middle of last year, and we still didn’t have all of our tech sorted and rendering that amount of crowd and cars, at that distance, of that size, was just crashing all of our renders. What the hell were we going to do?” said Estela. “Well, between comp and lighting we came up with clever solution. So lighting renders per turntable with a few extra passes for a matte for the car colour and a few other bits and pieces.

“Animation exported locators for where the crowd cars were, which would rotate them about, and we gave all these things to Alex Frye, one of our comp leads. So with some funky comp expression magic he made this little demo where he copied the turntable sequence onto each locator and, based upon the rotation of the locator, he would then find the matching frame from the spinning car turntable sequence. Because we had mattes for the car paints we could then modify car colours going and coming full crazy,” continued Estela.

“He used the P pumps, which basically encodes the XYZ position of each pixel into an RGB colour that you can use to essentially make a little, almost point cloud, like a bas-relief version of the car, which you can then project the car renders back onto, which would then let you do rudimentary 3D moves around it. So if you rendered these things fullscreen they would look a little bit ropey, damaged, and matrixy pixelar, but when they were small they looked great.”

CUTTING GATSBY The Gatsby editorial team consisted of Matt Villa ASE, Jason Ballantine ASE, and Jonathan Redmond. Matt and Jason recently spoke about the lengthy process of editing the film, a project on which they both worked for a total of 16 months. In comparison, Ballantine’s work on Wish You Were Here was completed in just 12 weeks.

“The shoot started in September of 2011 and Jason had been on for a couple of months getting things set up. We always knew it was going to be a pretty monumental shoot,” said Villa.

Much like the Cutting Edge contingent, as well as Animal Logic whose offices are located at Fox Studios, the editors were also being kept close to the production.

“When the shoot began, Baz realised pretty early that he wanted to have an on-set cutting station,” Villa continued. “So we put together a little, portable Avid to take around with us. It was mainly shooting on sets in Fox Studios, but we were using a number of different stages and this portable Avid would travel around to whichever stage they were shooting on. The main cutting room was also fully operational on the Fox lot.”

It wasn’t until shooting wrapped and the production moved into post that Gatsby became a more regular project, even if it was quite long. The length of the shoot was not the only challenge faced by the editorial team. Much like the other facets of the production, working in

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“Working in MC5 and not MC6 meant that we were not using stereo clips format that MC6 had, and so did not translate re-positions, and resizes within a stereo framework. This would ‘break’ the 3D,” explained 1st Assistant Editor, Christine Cheung. “We had a few machines running MC6 that the 2nd Assistant Editors, and the 3rd Assistant Editor, would create a side-by-side version to keep as a proxy in the AVID.” Digital Cinematography has changed, and is still changing, the film landscape on every level. It has contributed many advancements and benefits, whilst also offering up challenges. Chief among these, for editors at least, is the ability to continue recording without having to change the film, allowing more footage to be shot.

stereoscopic 3D brought about some technical issues.

“It was shot in stereo, so we were able to cut in stereo or at least had that full time option available. We were working with side-by-side Muxed media at a great resolution in DNX115, even though because it was side-by-side it was immediately halved in its resolution when you look at the picture full-screen,” explained Ballantine. “As simple as it sounds that we just cut it in stereo, great lengths were taken to prepare the rushes prior to Matt and I being able to cut it. There was even an onset Stereographer.”

The biggest constraint was that they had to use Avid Media Composer 5.5, as Media Composer 6 had not been released when production began, just a few weeks before the official software release, and the studio was unwilling to take a chance on software that was yet to be finalised. This meant that they were tied to the older system throughout, and could not take advantage of the improvements that came with the new version.

“Ratio is a big consideration for an editor. Traditionally, shooting on film for low-budget productions there was a 12:1 ratio, so for every minute on screen there was another 11 minutes shot. Nowadays, I don’t know who is doing that,” said Ballantine. “For all the beautiful flexibility that digital technologies have brought to shooting, you can throw more cameras on set because they are cheaper to rent, even people setting them in places knowing that they will be destroyed just to get a better angle, there is just such a different mindset now.

“The accumulation of footage is just crazy. Baz’s previous film, Australia, shot at around a 180:1 ratio, so for every minute on screen there was three hours of footage unused. I’m not sure on the exact number, but Gatsby would have had to have been in the same realm.”

“I think it is still a good thing, because it allows the director to capture more performances to choose from, but for us back in the cutting room the volume can just explode,” added Villa. “Sometimes there can be too much, but it’s our job to deal with that.”

Shared storage of footage however is an area that both editors felt is a huge benefit to come out of the move to digital, with Ballantine saying, “I think that the workflows in the cutting room are probably the most efficient that you could hope for. The picture quality, the resolution you’re working on is great now.”

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM

Sohonet Launches New Service in Singapore SOHONET, A SPECIALIST in connectivity and data management for the media and entertainment industry, has announced the availability of its Sohonet Media Network in Singapore, as part of an expansion program.

According to the company, Asia is a key territory for Sohonet. It has the fastest growing economy in the world and is quickly become a significant centre for media companies, visual effects facilities and post-production houses.

Sohonet says Singapore is an ideal location for multinational media companies, broadcasters and an ideal launch point for Sohonet to expand into greater Asia.

The continuing globalisation of the media industry means that media companies based in Singapore require the same quality of connectivity and service offerings that are available to customers throughout Europe,

North America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sohonet will offer a range of local and international connectivity options including dedicated, private bandwidth between Singapore, Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, and London, as well infrastructure services like secure file transfer, production quality storage as service, and high performance compute clusters. These services are provided through Sohonet’s simple to use community web portal, the Sohonet Hub, which ties infrastructure and service layers together.

Sohonet recently received their telecommunications license from the InfoCommunications Development Authority of Singapore, making the Sohonet Media Network available to customers in Singapore immediately.

Dave Scammell, Sohonet CEO said, “We are delighted to announce the expansion of our network to Singapore and look forward to engaging with local Singapore media companies to fulfil their networking and infrastructure service requirements."

After ten years with Sohonet in Australia and New Zealand, Director for ANZ and Asia, David Edgar, will be the driving force in deploying the Sohonet Media Network in Singapore.

Edgar said, “It has always been our plan to grow the network out from ANZ to Asia and then back to the UK to complete our global diversity and we are really excited about the opportunity to work with new customers in this region.

Singapore is the ideal first step for Sohonet and a natural progression from Sydney."

Visit www.sohonet.com

TVT Installs AmberFin iCR in Sydney, Singapore AT THIS YEAR’S BROADCASTASIA, AmberFin, developer of file-based media ingest and transcoding solutions, announced a contract with international media facility, TVT. The project sees the company’s iCR software-based media ingest, transcode, and quality control platform integrated within TVT’s file-based workflows at a new media facility in Sydney, Australia. The new facility is building on the success of TVT's Singapore operation where AmberFin iCR plays a central role in enabling file-based operations.

it established a file-based facility which can digitise, transcode, create rich metadata for content, edit, create subtitles and provide language, video restoration, VOD, and OTT support services.

Established in 1994, TVT has seen considerable growth in its international operations over recent years, especially within the APAC region. The company’s facilities offer versioning, localisation, and media supply services: in 2011 in Singapore,

Fully operational by 1st June this year, TVT’s new Sydney facility has already secured major contracts to provide all media preparation services for the BBC and UKTV channels in Australia and New Zealand.

“TVT needs the flexibility and confidence in the systems that we implement to service our clients with top quality products to give them the best results,” comments Robbins. “The flexibility of AmberFin’s systems enables us to deal with multiple clients and workflows as well as automating elements of them. We make full use of its digitisation, transcode, and QC functionality across the many formats that we take in and are required to make.”

Visit www.amberfin.com and www.tvt.biz

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM

This facility operates within a tapeless, filebased production environment and this is where AmberFin’s iCR file-based media ingest and transcoding solution adds value to TVT’s operations.

TVT has enjoyed superb growth over recent years and the company’s COO, Jake Robbins, believes its choice of technology partner has played a central role in this on-going success story.

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM

Scale-Out Digital Storage

By Charles Sevior, CTO (APJ), EMC² ISILON

The media and entertainment sector has a remarkable ability to capture interest, emotion, and excitement through the rich content that is produced and delivered to a huge audience. The media content that we handle has the power to engage millions of people, creating comment and revenue.

OUR INDUSTRY HAS RAPIDLY ADOPTED a fully digital workflow - where all media content assets are stored, managed, and manipulated in the form of digital files.

This is true in the production of content, where linear videotape acquisition has been replaced with digital acquisition. Editing of content is moving from bespoke digital workstations to large and open collaborative editing platforms built on shared storage.

This is also true in the consumption of content, where viewers whilst continuing to access broadcast media streams, are increasingly choosing unicast (or connected) media streams via mobile phones, IPTV/OTT connected screens, and tablets for main and secondary entertainment.

In addition, the requirements for data capture and analysis particularly of consumption and sentiment metrics are rapidly increasing as media businesses learn new tricks to generate new revenue streams.

Consequently the need for storage at the core of all of these activities has never been greater.

Specific architecture approaches must be considered and compared when mapping out the appropriate technology infrastructure roadmap for your particular business requirements and growth plans. It is a matter of critical importance that will result in either an efficient scalable digital storage architecture or a collection of storage silos with ongoing growth restrictions and management overheads.

CONTENT STORAGE EVOLUTION We have evolved over the last 30 years from

the storage of content on videotape and the manipulation of media via linear process to a current environment where most content is acquired and stored in a digital format, creating vastly improved processes based on non-linear and parallel access to these digital media assets.

The simple replacement of legacy linear systems with digital solutions with their inherent advantages of numerically precise copies and transformation is now giving way to a digital media infrastructure “2.0”, which is based on virtualised workloads and virtualised infrastructure. Although previously restricted to vendor-certified bespoke hardware platforms, most forward-looking professional media vendors realise that their future lies in innovative applications that work well in virtualised environments.

This allows the abstraction of physical infrastructure from the application, leading to flexible and inherently more reliable solutions.

MEDIA TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS EVOLUTION As IT infrastructure becomes more broadly applicable to demanding real-time media workloads, this removes the need for media application vendors to align with specific IT vendors, whilst still developing specific hardware platforms where extremely high-performance interfaces and processing requirements fall outside of current generation x86 architectures.

This is a not insignificant business change for vendors specialising in the M&E sector and has brought a period of product re-alignment, ownership changes, and consolidation to reflect the changing commercial business models and

revenue streams.

As end-users get greater access to large-scale technology companies, they also get the benefit of larger economies of scale and delivery of significant performance improvements and cost reductions via the continued realisation of Moore’s Law. Avoiding proprietary vendorspecific solutions opens up greater competition for generic IT components such as compute, network, and storage. The choice differentiators then become price, performance and applicability to other requirements across the enterprise – rather than suitability to a specific M&E workload.

These changes are also impacting the way in which technology is managed in the end-user environment, with a much greater integration of the previously separate expertise domains of “Broadcast” and “IT”. Most media organisations now have broadcast engineers very savvy on VM management and authentication zones, and IT engineers who understand the requirements of media production and real-time broadcast streams.

STORAGE ARCHITECTURE To some extent, compute and network components are reasonably well understood and can be applied in virtualised environments under VMware or similar to M&E-specific workloads.

There are more flavours of storage to consider and the domain of the enterprise storage architect is quite broad, so we shall review these in more detail.

STORAGE CATEGORIES

Disk drives contained within the computer cabinet and connected to the CPU via PCI or some other peripheral bus. Most users’ computers and most servers have direct attached storage (DAS). By definition these are not a shared storage device.

SAN (Storage Array Network) An array of disk drives in a self-contained unit.

In large enterprises, SANs serve as pools of storage for the servers in the network. Compared to managing disks attached to each server, SANs improve system administration. The SAN transfers data between servers and disks at the same fast peripheral channel speeds as if directly attached, and Fibre Channel has been the traditional interface.

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM

DAS (Direct Attached Storage)

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM  Continued from page 45

NAS (Network Attached Storage) A specialised file server connected to a network.

A NAS device contains a slimmed-down operating system and a file system and processes only I/O requests by supporting the popular file sharing protocols, primarily CIFS (SMB) for Windows and NFS for Unix. Using traditional LAN protocols such as TCP/IP over Ethernet, the NAS enables additional storage to be quickly added by plugging it into a network switch. As network transmission rates have increased from Fast Ethernet to Gigabit and 10Gb Ethernet, NAS devices are approaching speed parity with DAS devices.

Scale-Up A NAS architecture based on access to storage arrays via a “head” server that allows scaling of capacity as required by adding additional storage volumes.

Scale-Out A NAS architecture based on symmetrical design of an array of nodes that allows scaling of both capacity and throughput as required by adding additional storage, compute, and IO resources to the storage cluster.

Tiered Storage A data storage system made up of two or more types of storage based on their access speed.

This provides a price – performance trade-off for the enterprise architect to optimise storage capacity to total cost.

The best analogy for tiered storage is airport car parking. As you park your car closer to the airport, with greater speed of access to your vehicle, you pay more for the privilege. Compare the rates of valet parking to long-term parking (or even off-site park & fly sites) and you will understand the concept!

Archive Long-term storage of information usually in a lower-cost higher density format. The storage medium must be both reliable and stable and, as large quantities of information need to be stored, cost is of major importance. Currently the lowest raw price/TB is magnetic tape (e.g. LTO5/6) but there is increasing interest in using commodity high-capacity disk drives as possibly the best compromise between TCO and data accessibility.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM

Cloud Cloud storage is a service model in which data is maintained, managed and backed up remotely and made available to users over a network (typically the Internet for a public cloud).

There are three main cloud storage models: Public cloud storage services, such as Windows Azure Storage or Amazon’s Simple Storage Service (S3), provide a multi-tenant storage environment that’s most suitable for unstructured data.

Private cloud storage services provide a dedicated environment protected behind an organisation’s firewall. Private clouds are appropriate for users who need customisation

and more control over their data.

Hybrid cloud storage is a combination of the other two models that includes at least one private cloud and one public cloud infrastructure. An organisation might, for example, store actively used and structured data in a private cloud and inactive unstructured and archival data in a public cloud.

STORAGE DEVICES In the M&E sector, the most commonly utilised storage devices are spinning disks, flash memory and data tape.

SATA (Serial ATA) Currently the most widely deployed highcapacity hard disk technology spanning the gamut from a typical workstation to very large disk arrays. These are available in a range of speeds (RPM & throughput) and quality grades (consumer, enterprise). Available today in 4TB capacity and growing.

SAS (Serial-Attached SCSI) The highest performance drives and generally more costly than SATA. These are taking over from Fibre-Channel (FC) drives at the top-end.

Available today in 4TB (3.5”) and 1.2TB (2.5”) capacity and growing.

SSD (Solid-State Disk) An application of flash memory bundled into a hard disk form-factor for ease of integration.

These are much faster than hard drives, but also much more costly and limited to the number of write-cycles per cell (i.e. shorter life span).

Available today in 800GB and 2TB capacity and growing.

infrastructure budget. This invariably involves trade-offs between the amount of storage capacity allocated to high-performance workloads and nearline or archive workloads.

Having separate storage volumes to meet these varying requirements implies making hard decisions about the capacity of each sub-system, plus the additional network and management overhead of copying files between the multiple storage pools.

OPTIMAL ARCHITECTURE Given the above trade-off, the apparent nirvana is a single scalable storage volume consisting of multiple tiers of storage (each with specific performance and capacity characteristics).

Ideally, the positioning of files within each tier should be based on flexible policy settings allowing for the automated movement of file between tiers as their usage requirements change (e.g. files greater then 10MB not accessed for 14 days move to a slower tier).

Typical enterprise IT architecture has a 4-5 tier model, with Tier 1 (or sometimes Tier 0) storage representing the fastest pool for the most critical or complex business requirement down to Tier 4 for archived content. The actual speed metrics vary, based on the nature of your business requirements, so these can be somewhat relative measures.

The storage technology being applied to the tiered architecture is changing as concepts like a “hot edge” of flash memory storage (either server-side flash or SSD in NAS) act as an active file cache and commodity cloud storage or dense consumer-grade SATA disks works as the “cold core” of online storage.

Figure 2 - EMC ISILON file tiered storage architecture

LTO (Linear Tape Open) The dominant data tape format now available in the latest LTO-6 version, with a raw capacity of 2.5TB per tape.

Optical Disk In the media sector this is predominantly the domain of Sony with the XDCAM product, available today with a raw capacity of up to 0.1TB (128GB quad layer).

PERFORMANCE METRICS Different categories of storage come with different performance and price points. The key metrics are; Capacity - storage volume in TB/TiB [base 1000 / 1024] or PB Throughput – sustained read/write in MByte/s or GByte/s Variations: Sequential / Random / Single stream / Total / Protocol IOPS – number of file system Input or Output operations per second Latency – the delay (usually in ms) between request and fulfilment (of data or metadata) The art of the enterprise storage architect is to match the appropriate class of storage and workload in a manner which provides the required performance within the available

provides single volume simplicity

This multi-tier architecture should still allow expansion of any given tier as business requirements change. Over the years, older storage pools can be relegated to higher tiers of storage until the costs of rack space and power consumed in return for the capacity provided force them to be scrapped (a common result of Moore’s Law).

Continued on page 47 

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM  Continued from page 46

RECOMMENDED CONSIDERATIONS Decisions about the best architecture and vendor are critical. With the adoption of standards across the storage and IT industries, we are in a much better position to make independent selection decisions rather than being locked into a storage solution tied to a specific application vendor.

A good storage provider should be able to offer certified solutions with multiple M&E equipment and application vendors to provide certainty about performance of the complete architecture against YOUR specific workload requirements.

platforms and OS’s is the driver available for?

Can you select from a choice of drive technologies to suit applications at different tiers of performance & cost? Can you mix and match SSD’s and hard drives for the storage of metadata, data or both?

What is the process to add additional storage to an existing pool?

Can you expand capacity without data migration, volume reconfiguration or a shut-down of the NAS? What is the process to upgrade NAS software over the life of the storage pool? Does it offer a non-disruptive upgrade?

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Will the storage pool support a heterogeneous mix of storage arrays purchased and added over a series of hardware generations?

The following range of questions hopefully hit the key criteria for comparison and selection of this very important part of broadcast-IT infrastructure. These can be used when putting together an RFP.

When planning for storage growth over 5-7 years, is it necessary to provision a higher capacity (more expensive) controller up front?

Does the NAS support a range of open file protocols?

Is a client-side driver required to gain access to the NAS? If so, what

What is the protection scheme in place to secure the data? Is it flexible and granular or configured on a per volume basis? Can protection levels be altered as business priorities change?

Can the storage solution meet your varying recover point objectives and recover time objectives for specific data categories via snapshot and backup tools?

Bridge SAN to NAS with GB Labs

What are the capacity KPI’s? Some typical benchmark comparison points are $/TB, RU/TB, KW/TB, Staff/PB

GB LABS’ NEW BRIDGE enables SAN owners to convert their existing

What are the performance KPI’s? Usually measured as throughput in TB/s or GB/s for Read / Write, Sequential, Random, Mixed, Per Protocol.

and legacy storage units into network attached systems, extending the life span and viability of fibre systems. Until recent years, fibre SAN storage dominated the world of shared editing platforms. Now superseded by more practical Ethernet-based solutions, they are gradually being replaced as tier 1 solutions.

GB Labs’ Bridge is a rack-mounted unit that connects fibre or SAS systems to standard IP protocols for instant deployment on a network. Bridge resides on Ethernet networks and can be addressed by any mix of Mac, Windows or Linux computers, without the need for adapter cards, drivers or client software licences. The adapted storage also benefits from the fastest possible implementation of protocols such as NFS, SMB and AFP, as well as Active Directory Authentication for instant integration with Microsoft server environments. While Bridge cannot increase the fundamental performance of the array, it improves the user experience and delivers data workflow benefits.

What are the capacity limits of the storage pool? Maximum storage capacity, total number of files, depth of directories, files per directory, number of active/idle client connections, number of open files, number of shares etc.

Considering your specific workload estimates for capacity and performance, how closely and cost-effectively can the solution offered meet your needs, whilst still able to scale for additional and possibly quite different workloads across your enterprise in subsequent years?

Bridge also features GB Labs’ hierarchical tiering software tools that allow the storage to be used with other Space products, media assets to be cloned or archived automatically from other GB Labs systems.

Bridge-converted arrays can work equally well in tandem with GB Labs’ Space LTO archiving racks, with files or complete projects being transferred at high speed to secure tape over Gigabit networks.

Visit www.gblabs.com and www.eurekapacific.com

PILAT MEDIA HAS ANNOUNCED the release of a new rights management solution for IBMS Express, the company’s modular and flexible entry-level business management product suite, derived from its IBMS broadcast management system. Like the full IBMS Express system, Rights Express is a cloud-based platform that can be deployed as a stand-alone system.

The new Rights Express enables broadcasters to capture multidimensional rights to support a wide range of delivery platforms and interactive services, with rights assigned by region, platform, channel, device, and language. The module includes tools for contract, EPG, and metadata management to ensure that assets are fully utilised and contractual obligations are always met.

As a cloud-based service, IBMS Express dovetails with a broadcaster’s outsourced IT strategy. A “pay as you grow” software-as-a-service pricing model gets stations up and running with minimal upfront investment. Pilat Media’s professional services team provides configuration, training, and ongoing maintenance of the live system.

Visit www.pilatmedia.com.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM

Pilat Releases Rights Express

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RADIO The original broadcast media

www.content-technology.com/radio

SBS Radio Sydney Upgrades with LAWO and VSM from PAT Professional Audio Technology Pty Ltd recently supplied and configured 10 Lawo crystal On-Air consoles, three voice booth crystal frames, a NOVA73 HD Core router and a large VSM system to SBS – Special Broadcasting Services in Sydney.

THE NEW SYSTEM HAS BEEN SUPPLIED, configured and commissioned in two phases.

The first phase consisted of the replacement of SBS’s main Radio MCR router with a NOVA73 HD core router controlled by a VSM system. The VSM system not only controls the main matrix of the LAWO MCR router, but also serves as the main on-air scheduling system via its VSM Control scheduling software. All on-air studios and production booths also have VSM LBP17 router panels for easy source selection from the MCR in each location. The MCR VSM system, which consists of two fully redundant VSM servers, provides operators not only with LBP50 and LBP51 LCD button panels as routing controls, but the hardware panels have also been mirrored onto custom designed VSM virtual panels on touch screens.

This approach was taken to provide easy access and operation to operators, while also having fully redundant switching capabilities should either the hardware panels or PC’s fail.

RADIO

VSM Scheduler is used by the SBS traffic department to maintain the entire SBS Sydney Radio schedule and to control all on-air contribution switching on the LAWO HD Core router. Extensive cooperation between VSM’s manufacturer LSB Broadcast Technologies, SBS’s Traffic department and Professional Audio Technology took place to customise the VSM scheduler to SBS’s requirements, including special functions within the VSM Scheduler and custom designed operator screens for remote terminals.

Alan Liddelow & Patrick Salloch from PAT and Francis Fung from SBS during factory acceptance of the large VSM & Lawo routing system.

With the first phase of this project completed and the VSM system and the LAWO NOVA73 Core router commissioned earlier this year, all focus has now shifted to the commissioning of all on-air studios and voice booths in Sydney.

Professional Audio Technology’s MD Patrick Salloch noted “SBS and Professional Audio Technology worked very closely together to make sure that the routing and scheduling system cut-over was implemented without any glitches, while taking all of SBS’s unique requirements, redundancy and ease of operation into account. It made sense to ensure we got the first phase spot on before we moved on to the console integration in the studios.”

Solutions Architect and Project Manager Francis Fung commented, “It was crucial to not interrupt our 24/7 on-air operation while cutting over to the new system. PAT were extremely helpful in working together with key SBS stake holders, liaised closely with operators, the project department and the German manufacturers to ensure the successful commissioning of phase one of this project.”

James Vicary – Operations Manager for SBS Radio added, “…this has been a fantastic team effort between all parties involved so far.

We are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship between SBS, Professional Audio Technology, LAWO and LSB over the coming years.”

Alan Liddelow during the configuration stage at PAT.

Phase two of the project has already begun and all console cluster custom configurations have been finalised and tested prior to the final install.

Alan Liddelow, PAT’s Technology Specialist, outlined that “…it was crucial to emulate some of the screen layout within VisTools to provide On-Air Talent with a similar feel when operating the new LAWO consoles. A fine balance had to be met between emulating the old technology while introducing newer and far advanced features. Close cooperation between the SBS Operations Department and PAT made this possible, while taking full advantage of the flexibility of LAWO’s VisTools control software.”

While SBS Radio has three standalone on-air studios in their Sydney facility, the radio complex also accommodates three studio clusters consisting of two on-air studios which both can remote control one voice booth. These studio clusters required custom configuration whereby each on-air studio can control all parameters in the voice booth remotely, so that on-air producers can take control of all technical aspects of a program while the on-air talent can concentrate on the program itself. Various other custom functions such as integration of delay features, talkback and hybrid control were included in each studio’s configuration. All custom configurations were completed by Professional Audio Technology in Australia.

Visit www.proaudiotechnology.com.au

The SBS Team and Alan Liddelow during commissioning.

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RADIO

Oz Govt Makes Good on Digital Funding for Community Stations

Paul Thompson Next CEO and EiC of Radio NZ

AUSTRALIA’S COMMUNITY DIGITAL RADIO

infrastructure and operational costs;

stations are breathing a sigh of relief, after the Federal Government announced it will rectify a funding shortfall that has been threatening the future of current services. The announcement comes following a community campaign calling on the government to rectify the annual operational funding shortfall which was created after the 2012 Federal Budget.

$3.1 million for content production in the specialist areas of Ethnic, Indigenous and Radio for the Print Handicapped, and for a Community Radio Content Development fund established in 2011-12; and

The Federal Government’s commitment will provide AUD$6 million in funding over three years to enable community digital radio services to stay on air. In 2013-14 the Government will also provide support to a range of initiatives in the community broadcasting sector, including: $4.6 million in core funding to support general community radio and television broadcasting; $2.1 million for targeted funding for ethnic community broadcasting, information technology initiatives and satellite services; $0.7 million for the National Training Fund to provide accredited training, particularly in regional, rural and remote Australia; $2.2 million to assist community radio stations, including Radio for the Print Handicapped with the costs associated with access to transmission

$0.6 million to ensure that Australian musicians and community broadcasters can continue to access AMRAP services.

President of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA), Adrian Basso, said, “This is a sign that the Federal Government is serious about supporting media diversity in Australia. There’s been a long-standing government commitment to ensuring community broadcasting has affordable access to digital platforms. This announcement makes good on those commitments.”

The now former Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said, “This new funding will help community radio stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth to continue broadcasting, upgrade their equipment and improve their digital radio services.”

Visit www.committocommunityradio.org.au

THE NEW MOSAIC NEW STYLING | NEW FEATURES | SAME LOGITEK PERFORMANCE

THE BOARD OF RADIO New Zealand has appointed Paul Thompson as the next Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief of the national public service broadcaster.

The appointment follows the January announcement by Radio New Zealand’s CEO, Peter Cavanagh, that he would be stepping down from the position when his contract expires at the end of the year.

Paul Thompson is currently the Group Executive Editor of Fairfax Media in New Zealand and a former award-winning editor of the Christchurch Press and the Nelson Mail.

The Chair of Radio NZ, Richard Griffin, said, “The Board was encouraged by the quality of those individuals who responded to the request for expressions of interest in the position.

The process of selection was thorough and competitive and we are sure we have now appointed a CEO who is ideally versed in the concepts of editorial integrity and executive management that have been the hallmark of Peter Cavanagh’s ten years at the helm.”

Paul Thompson said,“Radio New Zealand plays a pivotal role in New Zealand life and I’m immensely looking forward to the challenge.”

Visit www.radionz.co.nz

See it at SMPTE 2013, stand H13

Logitek’s flagship console is now even better with enhanced styling and functionality.

The Mosaic provides anywhere from four to 24 faders in a durable, attractive tabletop enclosure.

OLED screens are used throughout the console and have been added to the Softkey module for easier source selection.

We’ve made access to controls more intuitive and have illuminated key controls for use in any type of studio lighting.

For more information, please contact Phone +61 2 8882 7777 | Email sales@logitek.com.au | www.logitek.com.au

A division of OnAir Solutions

RADIO

Available now, the Mosaic is perfect for operation with our JetStream Networked Audio platform.

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RADIO

Radio National Installs VidiGo Visual Radio

ABC Port Macquarie to Take New Mosaic Console from Logitek

IN YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE of cross-platform multi-tasking, ABC Radio National has signed with Dutch developer VidiGo for the company’s VidiGo Visual Radio, which will enable RN to automatically switch video cameras during radio productions, allowing it to produce video content for TV, the web and mobile.

VidiGo fully automates camera switching based on measured audio levels with high standard image quality that enables broadcast industry quality video content. A special feature of the VidiGo Visual Radio installation at ABC Radio National is the integration of VidiGo with IP driven Panasonic robotic cameras allowing RN to automate all camera functions.

Visual Radio turns radio broadcasting into a compelling visual show. It is a full software based workflow that automates an entire video production.

The advanced automation possibilities, like automatic camera switching based on measured audio levels and the Sync. Video Clip Starter, allow radio stations to create professional video without the need for extra staff. VidiGo Graphics, which renders web-technology to SDI, is an integrated part of Visual Radio. VidiGo Graphics allows you to add real-time graphics including Social Media and news feeds to the video feed.

“Having a background in radio, VidiGo understands the culture and the needs of a radio station. We don’t bring a traditional TV environment to radio. We extend the existing radio workflow with video. We realised from the start that we shouldn’t bother radio professionals with creating video.

Therefore we have developed a highly automated software based workflow that can be fully integrated with existing workflows,” according to Hans Krouwels, CEO of VidiGo. Visit www.vidigo.tv

THE FIRST INSTALLATION of the new Mosaic on-air console from Logitek Electronic Systems will be in Australia at the ABC’s Port Macquarie facility. The installation will feature two Mosaic2 12-fader consoles, in a split layout for the main studios, and a Logitek ROC 6-fader surface in an edit booth.

Logitek recently released an updated version of its Mosaic console.

With over 80 of the original Mosaic surfaces deployed throughout Australia, and hundreds worldwide, a new look brings with it table-top mounting, a sleek colour scheme, and a number of module options.

A key part of the new look is OLED screens, providing a large readout of source names and key functions, without overloading the operator with too much information. Existing Logitek users will be pleased to see two big high-resolution LED meters on the “Large Bridge” option.

Like its predecessor, the new Mosaic is highly customisable, with the ability to swap ‘on’ and ‘off’ buttons, program RGB colours, and set button brightness for different applications. The new Mosaic retains the same modular architecture, scaling from 4 to 24 faders in a variety of frame sizes to suit any size of on-air studio. Like all Logitek digital consoles, the Mosaic hooks into both the AE-32 audio engines and the newer Audio-over-IP based JetStream Mini.

Logitek Australia, a part of the OnAir Solutions group, will have the new Mosaic and ROC consoles on display at SMPTE 2013 stand H13.

Visitors can also see a preview of the forthcoming JetStream Plus, a larger and more scalable version of the Mini AoIP engine.

Visit www.logitek.com.au and www.onair.com.au

professional audio technology Y o u r s o l u tio o n s p ro rov v id d e r f or Broa a d c a st t & Pr Pro o A udii o

DirectOut Technologies®

Come and see us at SMPTE 2013 – Stand D10 P: +61-2-9476 1272

E: sales@proaudiotechnology.com.au

RADIO

www.proaudiotechnology.com.au

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RADIO

Localised Ad Insertion for Radio THE SECOND GENERATION OF International Datacasting’s STAR Pro Audio Solution opens up new revenue generating opportunities for radio networks by providing localised ad insertion. The new platform also enables time-shifting functionality, allowing broadcasters to play the right content at the desired time.

In addition to increasing ad revenues and improving flexibility, the STAR Pro Audio Solution significantly lowers per-channel costs through shared hub support. Additionally, IDC says it uses up to 70% less bandwidth compared to other solutions.

According to Doug Lowther, President and CEO, International Datacasting, “The platform increases advertising revenues because it enables highly localised ad insertion. The ability to sell more targeted ads — by location, demographic, time zone, or language — means more revenue opportunities across the entire network.”

The STAR Pro Audio Solution includes a copy split capability that allows operators to send select ads to specific regions or specific receivers. Stored audio files can be inserted into live or recorded programming. Cost savings are realised through shared hub support which enables multiple radio networks to share one 4-channel receiver instead of having each network deploy its own stand-alone, single channel receiver. Additionally, the STAR Pro Audio Solution requires just 120kHz space segment for stereo.

Visit www.datacast.com.

StreamGuys First with New Ogg Opus CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORK STREAMGUYS says it will give radio broadcasters more options for high-quality, low-latency audio streams through support of Ogg Opus, the new versatile, open-source audio codec standardised by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

Ogg Opus incorporates technology from the Skype-developed, speechoriented SILK codec and the low-latency CELT, developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation as a next-generation music codec. Ogg Opus is able to scale from 8kb/s lo-fi audio all the way to full-band, high-fidelity music and surround sound.

For the benefit of broadcasters, Ogg Opus offers both exceptional audio quality and very low delay, distinguishing itself from audio codecs that excel in one category but lack in the other. For example, MP3 supports broadcastquality audio but often lags noticeably behind real-time broadcasts. Ogg Opus also offers a natural transition to the similar Ogg Vorbis by delivering higher audio quality at a lower bitrate.

StreamGuys is the first CDN to give broadcasters that option by efficiently transcoding live Icecast feeds into Ogg Opus streams. Monty Montgomery, Executive Director at the Xiph.Org Foundation, believes that StreamGuys will be instrumental in driving greater demand for Ogg Opus streams in the broadcast space, which he notes is currently split across many different, older codecs — a splintering he views as a potential disadvantage to the broadcast industry.

According to Montgomery, “Opus, as one codec, does a better job at the same bitrate, and can scale across an entire range of speech, music and interactive uses — seamlessly and dynamically in the same stream, and without the need to license, pay or request permission. It is technology available to everyone just like the Internet itself.”

Montgomery adds that its royalty-free status further simplifies adoption through compatibility with free media player software, including VLC, WinAmp and Firefox Mozilla, which natively supports Ogg Opus through its HTML5 audio tag.

Eduardo Martinez, Director of Technology for StreamGuys, emphasises that StreamGuys will maintain its position as a codec-agnostic CDN, and simply offer Ogg Opus as a new option. He notes that StreamGuys’ cloud-based architecture is capable of simultaneously transcoding live feeds into multiple formats (mp3, HE-AAC, Ogg Vorbis, etc.) and bitrates to meet a variety of broadcaster requirements around the world.

Visit www.streamguys.com

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AUDIO Digital soundwaves

www.content-technology.com/audio

AWAG Getting Ready for Digital

By Keith Ford Following the recent completion of the digital dividend spectrum auction by the ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority), which sold radiofrequency spectrum in the 2.5GHz and 700MHz bands that is being vacated by broadcasters as a part of the analogue to digital television switchover, the spectrum restack has taken a giant leap forward.

WIRELESS MICROPHONE USERS are to be amongst the chief groups affected by the restack. Their place in the process is even more pronounced than others because they run the risk of operating illegally if not properly prepared. Any microphone that operates between 694MHz820MHz will become illegal to operate as of the 1st of January 2015.

“AWAG (Australian Wireless Audio Group) has always supported the responsible use of spectrum for the benefit of the community,” said AWAG Chairperson, Susan Twartz. “As such we have worked since 2007 to advise the regulators and the Minister on how we use the spectrum for our industry. We have commissioned economic reports and done a number of analyses on the way things are used.

“We understood that we were going to lose some spectrum, because it has happened world-wide and Australia tends to follow what happens around the rest of the world. When the digital dividend was announced in 2010 as being 126MHz, it put us in the position of having one of the largest dividends in the world. Now everyone who was operating in the 700MHz band has to go into the white spaces below, which is not uniform across the whole country.”

As part of AWAG’s ongoing research, they survey their members regarding numbers of microphones sold, as well as where in the spectrum they can operate. The results of these surveys show that an alarming amount of microphones that will become illegal to use are still being used and purchased.

“In 2008, 80 percent of devices in use were in the 700MHz band,” explained Twartz. “That number has reduced somewhat as we have become aware of where the digital dividend was going to be. AWAG members in particular started moving their prime stock to products below 694MHz, but there is still a lot of product out there that is in the 700MHz band. We estimate that it is upwards of 150,000 devices in Australia.”

That translates to approximately $220 million worth of equipment that will shortly become unusable and need replacing. Unfortunately there are still many people unaware of the issue and the government is doing little to inform them or, according to AWAG, incentivise the switch.

AUDIO

“There are a lot of small businesses out there that have a significant amount of money invested in wireless microphones, and they are going to have to come up with that sort of money over the next 18 months to replace their 700MHz stock,” said Twartz. “Our biggest concern at the moment is that there is no incentive for people to move other than the fact that it will be illegal.

but it really needs to have some targeted communication with those end users, combined with some sort of incentive.”

In order to help inform end users about the forthcoming changes, manufacturer and distributor Jands has set up a website, www. readyfordigital.com.au, to keep people up to date. They have also been trying to inform customers directly.

“Essentially we haven’t been selling product that operates above 694MHz, knowing that product above that would not be valid after the digital dividend took affect,” said Jands Audio Systems Specialist, Mitchell Lockyer-Lane.

It is, of course, not as simple as just purchasing new microphones or equipment that work below 694MHz, they also have to be in the right range for the area in which they will be used. This means that the right device to buy will be heavily defined by where in the spectrum TV stations will be broadcasting for each area.

“The way that the ACMA is planning to re-allocate the TV channels is into blocks. Essentially there are five different blocks, so A, B, C, D, and E,” explained Lockyer-Lane. “A is basically a VHF block, so it doesn’t really matter with most of the UHF wireless audio products, but the B, C, D, and E blocks is definitely where most of the wireless devices will be situated going forward.

“The problem with this is that it’s not just going to be every capital city having it’s own block, they are actually going to be interspersed around the different blocks depending where you are. That’s going to be the challenge for a lot of people, particularly users who are touring around.

If you want to have a wireless microphone system that can go from, say, Brisbane to Perth, you’re going to have to look at the allocations that are available in all of the capital cities that you are going to, and you may have to change your equipment in between.”

Users will also have to be mindful of other users in the area, as they will be operating in the same range.

“Do your research before you purchase a product and find out which frequency range you can use first, then buy a product that has the most tuning flexibility that you can afford,” concluded Twartz.

Visit www.readyfordigital.com.au and www.aceta.org.au/awag

“AWAG is doing what we can, as are the individual AWAG members through their marketing campaigns, but an AWAG concern is that there is no concerted effort on behalf of the Government to communicate directly with the affected parties.

There has not been a significant budget put aside, they will do it through their normal channels, such as their websites, emails to people they know about, some advertisements in newspapers etc.

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AUDIO

Avid Rolls Out Pro Tools 11 AVID IS NOW SHIPPING Avid Pro Tools 11, a major upgrade of its digital audio workstation. This latest version enables audio professionals to take on the most demanding productions with new, high-powered audio and video engines, 64-bit architecture, expanded metering, and direct HD video workflows.

Pro Tools 11 key benefits and features include: Fully redesigned audio engine and 64-bit architecture - New Avid Audio Engine delivers multiple times the processing power of Pro Tools 10 on the same hardware configurations; Offline bounce - Delivers mixes up to 150 times faster than real time; Low-latency input buffer - Ensures ultra-low latency record monitoring without sacrificing plug-in performance; Dynamic host processing - Maximises plug-in count by reallocating processing resources as needed; Expanded metering, extended standards support - Features a broad range of built-in metering standards, from peak and average to VU and PPM, to maintain adherence to regional broadcast requirements; Gain reduction - Shows gain reduction for all dynamics plug-ins on each channel; Direct HD video workflows; Built-in Avid Video Engine -Enables audio post professionals to play and edit a wide range of HD video formats including Avid DNxHD, directly in the Pro Tools timeline without transcoding; and Video interface support - Enables monitoring of DNxHD and QuickTime media through Avid Nitris DX, Avid Mojo DX, and other video interfaces.

Visit www.avid.com

NUGEN Distributing with Amber NUGEN AUDIO, CREATOR OF creator of tools for audio professionals, has struck a deal with Australian distributor Amber Technology to sell and support NUGEN products in Australia and New Zealand. NUGEN Audio’s loudness metering and correction solutions will expand Amber Technology’s existing portfolio of audio-processing tools for broadcast, music, and postproduction applications.

“We already provide loudness metering and correction solutions for critical real-time environments such as live broadcast and transmission, but some of our key customers have been asking for additional tools that can operate efficiently in file-based and non-real-time workflows, and also allow them to automate certain processes,” said Julius Chan, Amber Technology’s specialist sales engineer for audio products. “NUGEN is right on the bleeding edge in terms of loudness metering, correction, and true peak limiting tools and offers great value for the money.”

NUGEN Audio’s VisLM-H visual loudness monitoring tool, coupled with the ISL intersample true-peak limiter, will be especially valuable for Amber’s customers. The combination will give Australian broadcasters confidence that they are compliant with OP-59 for measuring loudness in soundtracks for television broadcasting. In addition, LM-Correct offers no-hassle analysis and correction for solo editors in either a software or stand-alone version, while the Loudness Management Batch tool allows broadcasters to handle a wide variety of audio and video files with batch processing.

NUGEN Audio recently upgraded its line of audio-metering plug-ins to support the Avid AAX 64-bit format for both PC and Mac. The upgrade makes NUGEN Audio’s plug-ins among the first in the industry to be compatible with Avid Pro Tools 11.

NUGEN Audio has upgraded its VisLM visual loudness monitoring tool, the LM-Correct loudness analysis and correction tool, and its True-Peak limiter, ISL. The upgrade is available now and is free for all current users.

Visit www.nugenaudio.com and www.ambertech.com.au

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High Fidelity Pure Audio Industry Group Launches FOLLOWING A NUMBER of pilot releases of High Fidelity Pure Audio albums in France, the High Fidelity Pure Audio Industry Group was launched recently at Dolby’s headquarters in London to drive the development of Pure Audio.

High Fidelity Pure Audio (HFPA) is basically a Blu-ray disc that delivers 96kHz/24 bit audio recordings in three lossless formats: uncompressed PCM PCMI -1.12%, DTS DTSI +0.66% HD Master Audio, and Dolby TrueHD. Most discs include the option to download MP3 and lossless FLAC versions of the songs as well. The discs will also play on any Blu-ray player or PS3 device.

Produced directly from original studio master recordings, High Fidelity

Pure Audio allows fans to enjoy music at a level of quality that has rarely been experienced outside of a recording studio and which can be played on any Blu-ray player or PS3 console.

Supporters of the format include Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) Live, Dolby, Bang & Olufsen, Bose, QOL, Metropolis, and Allainé Plastic.

The international roll out of Pure Audio releases will continue over the course of 2013 from various music labels, studios and other content owners around the world.

At present, a Facebook page exists dedicated to the format.

Visit www.facebook.com/HFPureAudio1

TC Electronic Discloses Research on Audio Loudness TC ELECTRONIC’S CTO for Broadcast & Production, Thomas Lund has taken a number of mobile devices, including Apple’s iPhone and iPad, to the test bench at the ‘TC Lab’.

Based on the test results, it is determined that -16 LUFS/LKFS is a suitable target level when making the transition from HD Audio to Mobile Platforms.

It is not recommended to push level up further, but rather to integrate a process of three simple steps to simulcast HD Audio to mobile that doesn’t wash out the distinction between foreground and background sound.

It is also not recommended to let audio sit as low as on regular TV, because some programs will not be able to play loudly enough for a listener on the move.

The paper was originally written for the Broadcast Engineering Conference at the 2013 NAB Show at which the research results were presented for the first time.

Visit www.tcelectronic.com/ loudness/literature-glossary

AUDIO

Lund also elaborates on perception, clarity and speech intelligibility before

concluding that the 400ms sliding window of Momentary Loudness in EBU and ITU standards is a wellindicated choice.

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Avid Rolls Out Pro Tools 11 AVID IS NOW SHIPPING Avid Pro Tools 11, a major upgrade of its digital audio workstation. This latest version enables audio professionals to take on the most demanding productions with new, high-powered audio and video engines, 64-bit architecture, expanded metering, and direct HD video workflows.

Pro Tools 11 key benefits and features include: Fully redesigned audio engine and 64-bit architecture - New Avid Audio Engine delivers multiple times the processing power of Pro Tools 10 on the same hardware configurations; Offline bounce - Delivers mixes up to 150 times faster than real time; Low-latency input buffer - Ensures ultra-low latency record monitoring without sacrificing plug-in performance; Dynamic host processing - Maximises plug-in count by reallocating processing resources as needed; Expanded metering, extended standards support - Features a broad range of built-in metering standards, from peak and average to VU and PPM, to maintain adherence to regional broadcast requirements; Gain reduction - Shows gain reduction for all dynamics plug-ins on each channel; Direct HD video workflows; Built-in Avid Video Engine -Enables audio post professionals to play and edit a wide range of HD video formats including Avid DNxHD, directly in the Pro Tools timeline without transcoding; and Video interface support - Enables monitoring of DNxHD and QuickTime media through Avid Nitris DX, Avid Mojo DX, and other video interfaces.

Visit www.avid.com

NUGEN Distributing with Amber NUGEN AUDIO, CREATOR OF creator of tools for audio professionals, has struck a deal with Australian distributor Amber Technology to sell and support NUGEN products in Australia and New Zealand. NUGEN Audio’s loudness metering and correction solutions will expand Amber Technology’s existing portfolio of audio-processing tools for broadcast, music, and postproduction applications.

“We already provide loudness metering and correction solutions for critical real-time environments such as live broadcast and transmission, but some of our key customers have been asking for additional tools that can operate efficiently in file-based and non-real-time workflows, and also allow them to automate certain processes,” said Julius Chan, Amber Technology’s specialist sales engineer for audio products. “NUGEN is right on the bleeding edge in terms of loudness metering, correction, and true peak limiting tools and offers great value for the money.”

NUGEN Audio’s VisLM-H visual loudness monitoring tool, coupled with the ISL intersample true-peak limiter, will be especially valuable for Amber’s customers. The combination will give Australian broadcasters confidence that they are compliant with OP-59 for measuring loudness in soundtracks for television broadcasting. In addition, LM-Correct offers no-hassle analysis and correction for solo editors in either a software or stand-alone version, while the Loudness Management Batch tool allows broadcasters to handle a wide variety of audio and video files with batch processing.

NUGEN Audio recently upgraded its line of audio-metering plug-ins to support the Avid AAX 64-bit format for both PC and Mac. The upgrade makes NUGEN Audio’s plug-ins among the first in the industry to be compatible with Avid Pro Tools 11.

NUGEN Audio has upgraded its VisLM visual loudness monitoring tool, the LM-Correct loudness analysis and correction tool, and its True-Peak limiter, ISL. The upgrade is available now and is free for all current users.

Visit www.nugenaudio.com and www.ambertech.com.au

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TRANSMISSION Signal distribution, test & measurement

www.content-technology.com/transmission

Next-Gen DVB-T: National Upgrade for TXA Modulators TX AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED (TXA), a broadcast transmission facilities and service provider, recently undertook a two-stage national modulator upgrade process using Enensys NetMod modulators, supplied by Magna Systems and Engineering.

As TXA National Engineering Manager, Christopher Welch, explains, “We initially met with Magna Systems product Specialist Lucas Bohm and Enensys engineers to discuss our unique “Parent” VHF high power transmission site DVB-T modulator requirements. Most of our VHF Parent sites operate in DVB-T Multi Frequency Network (MFN) mode and feed our UHF Child retransmission sites operating in Single Frequency Network (SFN) mode. We thus wanted a solution which could reference clock synchronise from the input ASI Transport Stream (i.e. Data Derived) and also remain bit-synchnronous to maintain operation of our SFN Child retransmission sites. A solution was developed by Enensys in co-operation with TXA engineering enabling a trial unit to be provided via Magna for testing in Sydney. The performance of the evaluation unit met TXA’s stringent criteria and therefore twelve units were purchased (Phase 1) to replace a number of our legacy modulators, which were end of life in our first generation VHF DTV transmitters (circa 2001).

“For Phase Two, we required Enensys to carry out some additional bespoke development to further enhance the product. Due to our good working relationship with Lucas and Magna, none of our requests for further enhancements were too much trouble and any issues were dealt with swiftly. As the first set of developments were completed, we also requested a priority ASI TS input switching option for main and back-up to be included in our NetMod units. This now means our backup units can revert back to the main input when it comes back online subject to some user settable criterion, a very helpful option.”

As a result of the successful collaboration with Magna Systems and

WA Completes DTV Switchover WESTERN AUSTRALIA has fully switched over to digital television with 184,700 households in regional and remote areas of WA joining the rest of the state on June 25, 2013.

The switchover means that there are now only four regions and under six months left before Australia’s switchover is complete. The Northern Territory capital Darwin is next in line to switch on 30 July, followed by Sydney on 3 December. Melbourne and Remote and Central Eastern Australia will be the final regions to switch on 10 December.

Visit www.digitalready.gov.au

Broadcast Australia Completes DSO BROADCAST AUSTRALIA recently implemented the Digital Switch Over

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process for the ABC and SBS TV services for Boonah, Brisbane, Currumbin, Esk, Gold Coast, Gympie, Gympie Town, Nambour, Noosa/Tewantin and Sunshine Coast.

Digital multiplexes are now being transmitted at high power from the main station at Mt Coot-Tha, and retransmitted to local transmitters at Boonah, Farell Lookout, Esk, Moore, Mt Tambourine, Black Mountain RT, Tozer Hill, Dulong Lookout, Tewantin and Bald Knob.

Visit www.broadcastaustralia.com.au

TXA National Engineering Manager Christopher Welch (left) with Lucas Bohm holding an Enensys NetMod in front of one of TXA’s legacy DTV transmitters.

Enensys, TXA went on to purchase another fifteen NetMod – T/H RF units, all of which include an IF option for their national modulator upgrade.

Enensys’ now upgraded NetModII-DTTV broadcast modulator has been designed to provide a cost effective and high quality solution for broadcast network operators, system integrators and transmitter manufacturers aiming to deploy digital TV services over DVB-T, DVB-H or DVB-T2 networks in MFN or SFN environments. The NetModII-DTTV offers high grade broadcast IF and RF output level. It includes linear and nonlinear Digital Pre-Correction (DPC) to optimise the transmission efficiency.

Visit www.magnasys.tv

Adstream Reports Strong Growth in HD TVC Delivery AUSTRALIAN DIGITAL ADVERTISING services provider Adstream has reported a 20 per cent month-on-month growth in the delivery of High Definition commercials to stations now broadcasting in HD. Since mid 2012, Adstream has been delivering HD TV commercials to stations for broadcast in full HD. Adstream Managing Director, Peter Miller, said, “There is an appreciable lift in resolution, depth and colour, and the audio is delivered uncompressed.

“Brand values are really celebrated, as they should be, and creativity shines though. HD TVCs are significantly larger than SD TVCs and require a fair bit of bandwidth, which we have in spades.

“So far Adstream has delivered 1,290 HD commercials and we haven’t missed a deadline. Creative fidelity is critical for categories such as beauty, food travel, prestige, fashion and motor vehicles. HD finishes the job beautifully,” he said.

HD and captioning for the hearing impaired are two of the value added services Adstream offers. Adstream currently delivers HD commercials to 7Mate, GEM, One Metro, TVNZ, and TV3, with more stations planned to come online later this year.

Visit www.adstream.com.au

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Volicon Nails Logging and Monitoring VOLICON IS A GLOBAL provider of broadcast and content monitoring and logging. Part of the On-Air Solutions stand (H13) at SMPTE Australia 2013, Volicon will demonstrate how the Observer 7.0 system allows users to log MPEG transport streams continuously, as well as monitor A/V content including BS-1770-1/2/3 loudness. Additionally, Observer 7.0 allows users to stream and export content to all stakeholders in the media enterprise. Because Observer TS logs the full transport stream, the user is able to go back an hour, a day, a week, or a month to examine and/or export content and eďŹ&#x20AC;ectively eliminate chronic issues with service handoďŹ&#x20AC;s. Low-bit-rate proxies, WMV or H.264, and DVRlike, frame-accurate controls allow for easy content review, even when operating over an enterprise network or WAN. Leveraged across the enterprise, Observer 7.0 can provide benefits to hundreds of users. Its low-resolution proxy streaming functionality gives executives the benefit of easy desktop review of live and recorded content, enables engineering staďŹ&#x20AC; to monitor and maintain quality of experience, and gives sales staďŹ&#x20AC; a tool for rapid ad verification.

Gary Learner, chief technology oďŹ&#x192;cer at Volicon, has been selected to present a paper at SMPTE Australia 2013. Learnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presentation, entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Opportunities and Challenges of TV Anytime, Anywhereâ&#x20AC;?, will be held on July 24 from 3:45-5:00 p.m. in room 1 of the Sydney Exposition Centre.

Visit www.volicon.com and www.onair.com.au

4K Routing Switcher UTAH SCIENTIFIC, a provider of routing and master control switchers, has announced a major extension of the UTAH-100/UDS routing switcher family with a new range of routing switchers oďŹ&#x20AC;ering 6 Gbps UHD-SDI signal capabilities to support new 4K signal formats (both single- and multi-link) used in ultra-high-definition (UHD) TV production. The 6 Gbps UHD-SDI solutions will provide twice the density (at half the power) and outstanding performance at a substantially lower cost than competitive 3 Gbps multilink solutions.

The UTAH-100/UDS 4K routers bring a cost-eďŹ&#x20AC;ective signal management solution to the growing world of UHD television. Routers in this new series are available in 32 x 32, 64 x 64, and 144 x 144 matrix sizes, and they oďŹ&#x20AC;er the same control options as the UTAH-100/UDS routers introduced in 2012.

Complementing the new 4K routers will be a 4K signal-processing module that provides multiplexing and demultiplexing of 1.5 Gbps and 3 Gbps streams to and from the 6 Gbps format.

This modular system is based on I/O modules with 16 ports, interconnected by a crosspoint fabric that allows any input signal to feed any number of output ports. For mixed-signal applications, the new 4K routers can also be fitted with 3G cards from the UTAH-100/UDS family, providing a full range of connectivity options including coax, fibre, IP-video, and DVI/HDMI interfaces.

The UTAH-100/UDS 4K routers are controlled and monitored through a built-in Web interface that allows users to operate the system from a Web browser for local or remote control. Hardware control panels and an iPad app are also available to control the routers.

Visit www.utahscientific.com

Visit us at SMPTE July 23-26 stand H17

Cortex

Take control, make life easier...

Originally designed for the complete range of Synapse products, Cortex also SURYLGHV FRPSUHKHQVLYH WRROV WR FRQÂżJXUH monitor and maintain products from other manufacturers within and beyond the broa broadcasting industry. The result is that multiple multi users can take total control over multiple and complex routines.

www.axon.tv

www.avgroup.com.au Tel: 02 97645911

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Distributed by:

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Plant 4K Migration Strategy

By Stan Moote, VP Business Development, Harris Broadcast

4K is a very attention-grabbing topic from the broadcaster’s point of view. As you may know 4K, or what is often called digital cinema, is well accepted in the film world. Taking advantage of digital techniques directly from the RAW footage is really cool. But in what way can this relate to how broadcasters will use 4K technologies and distribute this to the newer 4K TV sets on the market today.

TO MAKE THINGS CLEAR, when I refer to 4K, I don’t mean the cinema definition of 4K (which is 4096 pixels × 2160 lines having an aspect ratio of approximately 17x9). Broadcasters want to focus on resolutions that match the TV sets being made, being close enough to 4K, hence get called 4K (or Ultra High Definition) — having a 16x9 aspect ratio and an actual resolution of 3840 × 2160. This resolution is now standardised. What isn’t yet standardised is the frame rate. In fact the frame rate is one of the misleading areas about 4K. As much as I hate to say this, the limitations of 4K are concealed in the hype. By limitations, I mean short-term technical issues. When we view programs on televisions, our minds have been trained for certain expectations. Part of this is due to how creative and technical directors portray how we visually perceive a program.

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So why do we care about this technicality when we simply want to have 4K running in our facility? This is a key part of the misconception.

Most of the 4K we see today is running at film frame rates. Tests have shown that when we are viewing live television at film rates, our minds think we are watching a movie. For example, live news can be perceived as a fictional movie.

4K technology takes advantage of this lower frame rate to use less data. At the same time, even HD at 24, 25 or 29/30 FPS stretches the ratio of static to motion detail. These frame rates are well below those needed to deliver the kind of visual experience 4K is capable of, and when watching 4K at lower frame rates, it detracts from the full 4K experience. Its simple, great-looking spatial detail requires a comparable temporal resolution. For 4K television to be stunning, it needs to be running at 50p or 60p.

Going through these details sets the scene about good-looking 4K television and helps us to understand the wiring needed within the broadcast facility. Without getting too deep into some of the nuisances that make 4K different than HD, just consider 4K as four

times 1080 and also remember that 4K is inherently a progressive scan. This leads us to have a clearer understanding of what is required since we know that 3Gb/s is needed for 1080p50/60, then four 3Gb/s “pipes” are needed for 4K running at 50p or 60p.

Remember what I said about movies and the 4K hype? For this they are typically running 24p, 25p or 30p, which only requires half the bandwidth hence, only two 3Gb/s pipes.

Whilst many 4K cameras record directly to memory, some offer live outputs via four 3Gb/s SDI connectors. This is the format needed to support 4K within a broadcast plant. Now if your plant only supports 1.5Gb/s, you would need eight coaxes which does get messy. Four lines is bad enough, but thinking back to the days of analogue, production houses that kept away from composite video ran RGB and Alpha, which consisted of four coaxes, was not impossible to handle. Labeling is crucial; this includes both physical labels on wiring/ patch-panels and soft labeling (databases). In a single coax per signal world, finding the right signal in a large plant can be difficult enough, but think of trying to find four matching signals!

Documentation is crucial.

We would classically think of having supporting 4K support by building “4K islands” just as we had “digital islands” during the transition from analogue. Nonetheless, if your plant already supports 3Gb/s routing – you are in good shape. As extra paths will be needed to handle 4K, this shouldn’t be an issue as most mid to large size routers are expandable to handle growth. Although router control systems can switch four signals together as salvos, or simply with four different takes, having one that can support 4K certainly makes life easier.

To future-proof broadcast plants, 3Gb/s directly does the trick — and many infrastructure products are already 3Gb/s-ready. Some simply need software upgrades and have device control parameters set for various uses. In Figure 1, we can see a router drop-down menu for connection ports. For 4K considerations, different options are available for binding together two (dual) or four (quad) ports for different 4K frame rate options. For longer runs, Harris Broadcast has a cool card that puts four 3Gb/s onto a single fibre, which provides the assurances that the 4K signals are travelling together.

Figure 1 – New generation 3Gb/s routers are future-proofed for new standards such as 1080p and 4K with drop-down configuration menus.

A few final words about routing and distribution - in the days of RGB, timing was very critical.

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Figure 2 – Using a 4K multiviewer in master control gives the operator full HD resolution on the program feed.

However, in today’s digitally buffered world we don’t have the same issues. So basic routing and distribution delays are of no concern in the digital world. A word of caution though since frame syncs are all over the plant, and often put in for one feed and later forgotten. So be sure paths are matched at least within half a line. More is OK, but if these are sloppy they will predictably come back later to bite you!

Beyond routing and distribution is where the kicker comes into play.

Let’s look at servers and storage. Putting four 3Gb/s SDI’s into a server, isn’t difficult. However, ensuring they can record, compress and playback simultaneously is the concern. Additionally, 4K files will be sent around and MXF’ed directly into the server as a single 4K file, not as four streams.

Can the server support this? What compression format will be used?

Assuming your server plays out OK, joining four switchers or even having multiple logo and branding products linked together can get you on-air with 4K. This issue will be the final distribution scheme as 4K has a lot of bits to get to the home user! New compression formats like HEVC will be required and most likely HEVC decoders will be built directly into television sets within the next couple of years.

So after reading this, you may have decided that 4K is not worth a look within your broadcast plant. I don’t think this is true. In the production environment, 4K is going to be great! Shooting at 4K and using file-based editing systems is perfect. Zooms and pans for HD can be produced in post more elegantly without a loss in resolution — resulting in lower HD production costs and fewer re-shoots. The statement “fix it in post” will have new meaning. In this environment, 4K streams never happen beyond the editing room. It’s all kept as files — no need to worry about tying up so many SDI paths and the final output is HD. 4K is also very useful in master control and monitoring environments.

The switch from having a wall of multiple CRTs to flat screens has created a dilemma: Users forget that putting 16 pips on an HD screen is clearly not the same as having 16 HD monitors. The maximum resolution of the monitor is divided by 16 for each pip. As operators often sit very close to the monitors, switching to 4K displays radically improves quality. Figure 2 shows a typical MCR layout. Notice the program feed is one quarter of the flat screen. When using both a 4K multiviewer and monitor this means the operator is viewing the actual HD resolution, since 4K is four times HD resolution.

There is no question that 1080p50 or 1080p60 are great formats. HD camera sensors are 1080p and if we could shoot and produce everything in 1080p, we could easily down convert to 1080i or 720p. Whereas if we shoot in current HD formats, we often need to cross convert to/from 1080i and 720p formats leaving artifacts. Using the 1080p format we lose these types of artifacts which mainly come from the de-interlacing process. Additionally 1080p upconverts very nicely to 4K as 4K is a progressive scan format only.

So, in summary, it is understandable that broadcasters have concerns about 4K as it requires new systems and new distribution formats.

However, with many broadcast facilities already implementing 3Gb/sready infrastructure, they are in a good position to embrace both 1080p and 4K technology and look ahead to an even brighter future.

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LYNX Technik Launches yelloGUI LYNX TECHNIK AG, a provider of modular interfaces, has developed the yelloGUI application for yellobriks, a new complementary software application that permits select yellobriks to be controlled and configured over USB using a PC. With the new yelloGUI, users have access to a host of advanced settings and adjustments of the individual yellobrik that were not possible before. Typically, yellobriks are controlled via the integrated module rotary switches, dip switches and indicators and, with the availability of yelloGUI, users now have an enhanced level of yellobrik control and configuration for advanced features and settings.

The yelloGUI user interface, like the yellobrik modules, was designed to be simple and intuitive. Once the module is connected, a virtual image of the module is displayed showing the user all switches, controls and module indicators. yelloGUI also displays status information such as the detected video format, HDMI output resolution and frequency, as well as audio signals. Module settings can be changed with the click of a mouse. The internal signal flow inside the yellobrik is graphically displayed and dynamically changes when a setting is changed.

The company also offers a new key feature for its APPolo Control System. The APPolo Control System is a user-friendly, intuitive, and self-configuring control system for remote control, status monitoring, and SNMP error reporting. Typically used with the Series 5000 CardModule system, APPolo is the heart of a centralised control system, which can easily be expanded to grow with your system.

AutoControl allows users to configure and set system conditions for any parameter in a system, which if met, will trigger pre-programmed and automated actions. For example: If it is required to change signal routing based on a given video format being detected elsewhere in the system, users can program the system to monitor the required input signal and then trigger a change to the signal routing settings on a distribution amplifier located anywhere in the system.

Multiple external GPI and GPO connections have also been added, which means users can create actions based on system triggers from external devices, or send commands to external devices.

Visit www.lynx-technik.com

Platinum VAX VHF Transmitters from Harris HARRIS BROADCAST’S PLATINUM VAX Compact Class range of VHF transmitters adapt the company’s compact, power-efficient transmission philosophy to low-power VHF applications.

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The Platinum VAX Compact Class series is most suited for low-power transmitting stations and gap filler applications, and is especially useful for covering specific regions in extended markets or difficult terrains.

Platinum VAX Compact Class transmitters cover low-power VHF transmissions in a 2RU chassis design, with rack savings of up to 50 percent compared to previous-generation transmitters of equivalent power levels. The new series integrates Harris Broadcast Apex M2X exciters to enable simple modulation changes and analogue-todigital upgrades, supporting ATSC, DVB-T/T2 and ISDB-Tb among other standards — including DAB radio.

Visit www.harrisbroadcast.com

R&S AVHE100 Headend Adds DVB-S /DVB-S2 FOLLOWING ITS MARKET LAUNCH in late 2012, where the focus was on DVB-T/DVB-T2, the R&S AVHE100 headend solution for encoding and multiplexing has been further enhanced for operation with DVB-S/DVB-S2.

The R&S AVHE100 integrates all essential functions for encoding and multiplexing in just a few hardware components. This makes the R&S AVHE100 one of the most compact systems on the market. Its core components are the R&S AVS100 processing platform and the R&S AVG100 audio/video gateway. In just two height units, these two components can, for example, be set up as a DVB-S2 headend that includes multiple HD-SDI or satellite inputs, decoders and encoders for up to 6 HD or 10 SD programs, multiplexers, and a workflow-oriented headend management system.

All audio and video signal processing functions have been implemented entirely with software-based modules in the R&S AVS100 processing platform. Signal distribution and communications inside the headend are fully IP-based. This simplifies installation and allows for flexible, customisable configuration and easy system upgrades. The R&S AVHE100 is well-suited for direct IP connections to and from the headend. The audio/ video gateway converts legacy signals such as SDI, ASI or AES to IP at the system boundaries. The A/V gateway can optionally house a satellite receiver with decryption module as well.

The headend can encode video streams in both H.264 and MPEG-2 format at professional broadcast quality. There is also an option to consolidate the streams into a statistical multiplex. This efficient utilisation of data rates makes it possible to transmit more programs and achieve higher picture quality. In the DVB multiplexer, the relevant program information is added.

The integrated headend management system allows users to configure, control and monitor the individual system components. A straightforward, workflow-oriented graphical user interface – also available in touchscreen format – simplifies system operation. A unique redundancy concept provides an especially high degree of fail-safe performance.

The proprietary R&S CrossFlowIP uses IP switches to ensure uninterrupted signal switching during redundancy operation. R&S CrossFlowIP makes it possible to route the signal via the main path and redundancy path of the headend as required for the specific operating situation. This allows seamless signal switching during maintenance and in the event of faults.

Core R&S AVS100 processing platform and IP switch hardware components come with redundant power supplies to ensure high availability.

An optional video wall for the R&S AVHE100 enables quality control on all critical interfaces of the signal path. The video wall shows the quality of the programs supplied and of the output transport stream, displaying measured results graphically and numerically.

Visit www.rohde-schwarz.com

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CONFERENCES, EXHIBITIONS + ROADSHOWS www.content-technology.com/events

what’s on JULY SMPTE AUSTRALIA July 23-26 Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia www.smpte.com.au

ENTECH 23rd - 25th July 2013 Syndey Convention & Exhibition Centre Darling Harbour Sydney, Australia www.entechshow.com.au/home

AUGUST PALMM PHILIPPINES 2013 August 15-17 SMX Convention Center Manila, Philippines www.globallinkmp.com

BIRTV August 21-24 China International Exhibition Center Beijing, China www.birtv.com

Pro Audio Showcase for Auckland SEPTEMBER RADIO ASIA 3rd - 7th September 2013 Howard International House Taipei, Taiwan aprasc13.ntu.edu.tw

IBC 2013 13 - 17 September 2013 RAI, Amsterdam The Netherlands www.ibc.org

OCTOBER BROADCAST INDIA

NEW ZEALAND’S leading professional audio suppliers are getting together in Auckland at the end of July for PRO AUDIO SHOWCASE 2013, the tradeonly showing of what’s new in the world of professional audio.

PRO AUDIO SHOWCASE 2013 will be held over two days (Wednesday/ Thursday) July 31 and August 1, with access for stand build-up during Tuesday July 30. These dates are the week following the SMPTE show in Sydney, chosen so as to maximise possible international specialist participation. The venue is the Ellerslie Events Centre, which is situated near the Greenland roundabout on Auckland’s southern motorway, just five minutes from the CBD. The PRO AUDIO SHOWCASE 2013 will be an invite-only showcase for the latest recording, broadcast and live performance products providing the

9 - 11 October 2013 Bombay Exhibition Centre Mumbai, India www.broadcastindiashow.com

opportunity for exhibitors to offer hands on demos, seminar presentations

CASBAA COVENTION 2013

show is managed by Southern Exposure Ltd.

21-24 October, 2013 Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong www.casbaaconvention.com

SMPTE ANNUAL CONFERENCE 21 - 24 October Loews Hollywood Hotel Hollywood, California, USA www.smpte.org

and to make good use of any international brand specialists available.

Organised by a collective of leading local pro audio distributors; Protel, Sound Techniques, Oceania Audio and Syntec International, the bi-annual

A welcome opportunity for audio professionals to check out the latest product developments and update their knowledge, the show also provides a rare opportunity for the main New Zealand industry players to come together and share in the promotion of the sector.

Visit www.proaudio.co.nz

Spectrum Management Conference

Co./Last Name ................Page no AAPT ................................................17 Adimex............................................33

Magna Systems & Engineering ...11 Miller Fluid Heads .......................27 OB group ........................................61 On Air Solutions ....................28, 49

ON 26 AUGUST, 2013, the Thai capital, Bangkok, will play host to the AsiaPacific Spectrum Management Conference.

With contributions from all of the main stakeholders at both a policy and industry level from the Asia-Pacific, this conference will take a comprehensive look at spectrum management policies across the region.

AJA ..................................................IFC

Professional Audio Technology

Amber Technology ......................13

....................................................32, 50

Avid Technology ( Australia ) Pty Ltd .............................................37

Quinto ............................................... 9 Riedel Communications

Blackmagic Design ........................ 5

broadband coverage for rural areas and tackling the digital divide.

GmbH & Co. KG ............................31

The event will also explore the possible scope and benefits of deepening co-

Roland .............................................29

ordination of spectrum policy across the Asia-Pacific region, and by bringing

Ross Video Asia ............................38

in speakers from the EU and the Americas, the debate will also extend to a

Snell (Singapore) .........................59

global level.

Fuji Film ...................................62-63

Stagetec Mediagroup Australia...23

In addition to the main conference, all delegates will be invited to participate

Future Reality ...............................41

Storm FX .........................................40

at a gala networking dinner (with special guest speakers) that will take place

Gencom Technology Pty Ltd ....15

Studiotech Australia ..................... 4

on the evening of 26 August.

Grass Valley Singapore Pte Ltd.. 6

Syntec International Pty Ltd

Due to the generosity of the event hosts and sponsors, the organisers are

Harmonic Technologies (HK) Ltd .. 3

............................................ 51, 53, 55

able to offer complimentary attendance to the event to national regulators

Techtel Pty Ltd ......................... 7, 39

and policymakers, Journalists and members of the Press, students and aca-

Digital Rapids Corporation Ltd...47 EditShare Pty Ltd .........................43 Ericsson Television Limited Hong Kong ................................. OBC

Harris Communications Limited.......................................... IBC Interra Systems ............................44

TekMark ............................................ 8

IRT Electronics Pty Ltd................16

The AV Group ................. 22, 54, 57

Jands Pty Ltd .................................35

Videocraft ......................................25

Lumina Broadcast Systems.......14

Vizrt Australia ...............................19

It will offer the chance to look at best practices in areas such as spectrum pricing and allocation, what additional spectrum is available for next generation mobile broadband, the Digital Switchover in the region,

demics, and members of not-for-profit and non-governmental organisations.

There is also a fellowship available to support the participation of certain delegates attending from developing countries. A nominal fee of $195.00 (USD) will be applicable to all corporate organisations.

Visit www.spectrummanagement.asia

CONFERENCES, EXHIBITIONS + ROADSHOWS

Advertiser Index

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TIME shifter Happy 40th Birthday Ethernet IEEE Standard 802.3 Hits Middle Age

IEEE, the world’s largest professional organisation advancing technology for humanity, has celebrated Ethernet’s 40th anniversary. IEEE 802.3 “Standard for Ethernet” and the varied technologies, applications and networks that the family of standards helps enable have changed the world as we knew it, and multi-dimensional innovation never stops.

FRONTIERS OF IEEE 802.3 ETHERNET INNOVATION include everincreasing speeds and new applications for the technology. For example, in April 2013, IEEE announced the launch of an IEEE 802.3 study group to explore development of a 400 Gb/s Ethernet standard to efficiently support ever-increasing, exponential network bandwidth growth. Fastgrowing IEEE 802.3 Ethernet application areas include energy efficiency, the globally emerging smart grid, data centres and supercomputing, access networks, mobile-communications infrastructure, healthcare and medicaldevice communications, entertainment and networking for automotive and other industries.

Furthermore, in both developed and developing areas of the world, IEEE 802.3 Ethernet is being deployed with infrastructure build-outs to support the exploding array of applications that users rely on in their every-day lives.

“IEEE 802.3 Ethernet is everywhere; its uses are constantly expanding, and Ethernet works so well and seamlessly that we are almost unaware that it’s there,” said Michael Howard, co-founder and principal analyst with telecom marketresearchfirm Infonetics Research. “In fact, it is a sign of Ethernet’s maturity that, as the world grows increasingly dependent on the technology – in new markets, new applications and new industries – Ethernet’s presence goes almost unnoticed. IEEE 802.3 Ethernet today connects people and touches lives in so many diverse ways in every corner of the world, yet it’s so easy to overlook the underlying enabling infrastructure. That’s the mark of a fundamentally good technology.”

Initially developed in order to standardise connectivity among computers, printers, servers and other devices inside a local area network (LAN), IEEE

802.3 – first published as a draft in 1983 and as a standard in 1985 – steadily has evolved to deliver increased capacities and connect more devices, users, media and protocols across more types of networks. IEEE 802.3 defines the standards that provide the fundamental basis of networking.

Over the last three decades, industry has invested heavily in IEEE 802.3 and other networking infrastructure standards, and the result of the investment has been the creation of a vast global market and a transformation in the way people access, consume and use information.

“No matter where you are in the world, connecting a device to the Internet is simple and universal,” said David Law, chair of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group and distinguished engineer with HP Networking. “In large part because of the consistent interoperability and innovation enabled by IEEE 802.3, the Internet has spawned novel approaches to the ways we work and play, such as border-crossing e-commerce, information sharing and community operations. New business models have been invented; a powerful, new engine for global economic opportunity has been created, and the lives of billions of people in markets around the world have been improved.”

TIME SHIFTER

“This anniversary is an opportunity to acknowledge and congratulate the thousands of engineers that contributed to the development of the IEEE 802.3 suite of standards over the past three decades,” said Paul Nikolich, chair of the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee and IEEE fellow. “Its success is rooted in these individuals’ dedication to working in an open, transparent consensus process to produce standards of the highest quality, which resulted in an ubiquitous, low-cost, error-free datacom infrastructure.

And their work continues in response to market needs. Well done, IEEE 802.3 participants. Well done.”

Added Konstantinos Karachalios, managing director of the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), “IEEE 802.3 and other IEEE standards are created within a rigorous process that is rooted in consensus, due process, openness, right of appeal and balance. In these ways, the IEEE 802.3 development process is emblematic of the principles that the ‘OpenStand’ market-driven paradigm for global, open standards is based upon. In the case of IEEE 802.3, it is an empowered marketplace itself that drives development, refinement and adoption of a globally relevant standard, and the resulting benefit to humanity is monumental. The IEEE-SA provides the forum through which the standard thrives.”

Visit http://standards.ieee.org/events/ethernet/

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