AV Technology - Technology Manager's Guide to Streaming Media Ecosystem - April 2022

THE TECHNOLOGY MANAGER’S GUIDE

APRIL 2022

STREAMING MEDIA

ECOSYSTEM PLUS: 20 THOUGHT LEADERS SHARE STREAMING BEST PRACTICES AND INSIGHTS 4 CASE STUDIES THAT INCREASED AUDIENCE AND DROVE ENGAGEMENT A PRO CINEMATOGRAPHER LEVELS UP VIDEOCONFERENCING 24 PRODUCTS FOR MOST ANY STREAMING SCENARIO

SPONSORS: ATLONA | AVIXA | HALL TECHNOLOGIES | LIVEU | OPTICIS | SHURE

IN THIS ISSUE

Editor’s Note...............................................................................04 Cindy Davis illustrates the case for high-quality audio and video production.

AV/IT Team..................................................................................06 TV technology film specialist, explorer, and educator, Philip Grossman refused to compromise video quality and opted to ditch his traditional webcam. He harnessed his expertise to create an economical, top-notch setup that supports nearly any video conferencing platform.

Photo: LiveU

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Thought Leaders .......................................................................12 For some insights and best practices for setting up a streaming media environment, we reached out to industry experts from 20 manufacturers that continue to keep us connected.

Case-in-Point ..............................................................................24

Photo: Shure

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Four case studies that are sure to inspire your next streaming project or setup. 1: Live-streamed VR events drive engagement and new revenue at corporate, sporting, and higher ed events. 2: Since starting live streaming services a house of worship fosters connections with its local congregation and reaches those who have relocated to a new parish. 3: This university live streams and records content for 150 class sessions—each week, and software is used to centrally manage, monitor, control, and troubleshoot the AV systems. 4: The live streaming of House and Senate floor sessions and other events are streamlined with auto-tracking cameras and workflows.

Products That Matter ..............................................................30 From streamlined audio control to HEVC encoders, ePTZ cameras, NDI|HX 3, AVoIP, ultra-low, end-to-end latency AV streaming, distribution and streaming platforms, edge analytics, to scalable live streaming solutions, we feature 24 products for most any streaming scenario.

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Photo: Philip Grossman Productions

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FOLLOW US twitter.com/AVTechnologyMag CONTENT VP/Content Creation Anthony Savona Brand and Content Director Cindy Davis, cindy.davis@futurenet.com Contributing Writer, Macy O’Hearn Managing Design Director Nicole Cobban Design Director Sam Richwood Production Managers Heather Tatrow, Nicole Schilling

EDITOR’S NOTE

TIME TO LEVEL UP STREAMING

by Cindy Davis

ADVERTISING SALES VP/Market Expert, AV/Consumer Electronics & Pro Audio Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, 212-378-0465 Janis Crowley, janis.crowley@futurenet.com,

JUST A BIT MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO,

equipment to ensure the best quality was

only creatives and video production teams

delivered.

gave much thought to the quality of streaming

But a funny thing happened on the way

845-414-6791

media. By now, however, nearly everyone

to the forum. The pop-up studio has given

Debbie Rosenthal, debbie.rosenthal@futurenet.com,

has had experience with streaming video

way to many permanent, broadcast-quality

conference calls and classroom instruction.

recording studios in corporate and educational

845-678-3752

The audio and video quality streamed from

environments. Once thought of as unnecessary,

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laptops, or from kludged-together cameras

recording studios have proven beneficial in

212-378-0473 Zahra Majma, zahra.majma@futurenet.com,

and microphones, were good enough because

more ways than one. The use of multiple

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most of us considered them just a stopgap

cameras, high-quality microphones, and

LICENSING/REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS

measure until we got back to life, work, and

switching between the presentation and more

school as we knew it.

than one view of the speaker creates a greater

To subscribe to AV Technology or Future’s other AV industry

AVTechnology is available for licensing. Contact the Licensing team to discuss partnership opportunities. licensing@futurenet.com MANAGEMENT Senior Vice President, B2B Rick Stamberger Vice President, Sales & Publishing, B2B Aaron Kern Vice President, B2B Tech Group Carmel King Vice President, Sales, B2B Tech Group Adam Goldstein Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance Head of Design Rodney Dive FUTURE US, INC. 130 West 42nd Street, 7th Floor New York NY 10036

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Sometime in 2021, the workforce collectively

level of engagement. Companies no longer need

decided it wanted the flexibility to split the

to fly employees to one location, and colleges

workweek between the office and home office,

can increase enrollment by reaching more

with some people declaring they wanted to

remote students. And of course once the high-

work from home permanently. Three years ago,

quality production was experienced by both the

even the thought of providing such flexibility

presenters and the viewer—nobody wanted to

would have had managers running to the HR

go back to videoconferencing from a laptop.

department in protest. But today, the Great

A wide range of products, solutions, and

Resignation has companies bending over

streaming ecosystems that are easy to use and

backward to accommodate a hybrid and remote

less expensive than even three years ago are

workforce. It has been declared that the hybrid

moving the investment from a “nice to have” to

workplace is here to stay.

a “must have.”

There has been much discussion about how to ensure parity and productivity between

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

in-office and at-home workers. Fortunately, the

By illuminating the stories of AV/IT managers

AV industry has offered solutions to connect

and technology stakeholders, as well as

remote offices and campuses for several years.

exploring the innovations of our industry’s

And during the past 18 months, manufacturers

manufacturers and solution providers, we hope

have been hard at work developing a whole host

the AV Technology Manager’s Guides become

of new, near-broadcast-quality audio and video

your go-to resource throughout the year.

products and solutions to create immersive environments that bridge the remote gap.

During the early days of the pandemic, many pop-up production studios emerged so that CEOs could host a town hall, and instructors could teach a class using professional streaming

AV Technology is your forum. Please drop me a line at cindy.davis@futurenet.com and tell me about your latest AV/IT project. Nominate a tech manager for a profile.

Let’s share best practices and keep the momentum going.

Internationally recognized and awardwinning photographer and cinematographer, Philip Grossman has been in the media and entertainment industry for nearly thirty years.

He has been involved in several independent projects in addition to working closely with many of the world’s largest media companies including Discovery, SkyUK, and ABC/Disney.

AV/IT TEAM

Cinematographer Levels up Video Conferencing 6

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F

rom Microsoft Teams to Zoom, the use of video conferencing platforms has seen unprecedented growth in the last two years, with more in-person meetings abandoned in favor of virtual ones.

This shift has impacted nearly every industry, including media and entertainment (M&E). It has also challenged creatives like adventure cinematographer Philip Grossman to rethink their approaches to production planning, collaboration, and content review.

“A lot of what I try to do is document history and share it with the world,” he said. “Travel and exploration are a passion, but I also love how my job allows me to collaborate with a bunch of different hardware and software manufacturers, and in turn help influence technological evolution.”

During the past eleven years, Grossman has been engaged in a long-term project in Chernobyl, which led to his involvement in the award-winning HBO series “Chernobyl.” He also produced and hosted a one-hour episode of the Discovery Science Channel’s “Mysteries of the Abandoned” entitled “Chernobyl’s Deadly Secrets.”

Photos Courtesy Philip Grossman Productions

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A DISCERNING DOCUMENTARIAN Equal parts media industry stalwart, TV technology and film specialist, explorer, and educator, Grossman refused to compromise video quality in this new norm and opted to ditch his traditional webcam. Instead, he harnessed his video expertise to create an economical, top-notch setup that supports nearly any video conferencing platform. It comprises a RED digital cinema camera, AJA U-TAP SDI (a USB 3.0 3G-SDI capture device), plus a recorder, lighting, and a practical backdrop.

“Given all the changes in the M&E industry over the last two years, there’s now a bit of an unwritten rule in terms of your video conferencing quality. Just as an attorney wouldn’t walk into a courtroom in sweatpants, you can’t join a video meeting with a low-quality video feed,” shared Grossman. “U-TAP has been great in this respect; it allows me to use the gear I use every day for cinematography jobs to pull off a high-quality HD feed easily and at a low cost.

Since the start of the pandemic, it’s become an essential piece of kit.”

For most video conferences, Grossman uses a RED DIGITAL Cinema DSMC2 with HELIUM (8K)

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to capture himself on-camera. The feed is then output to the U-TAP SDI and into his MacBook Pro, plus pass through into a recorder. For live switching content or working with multiple feeds, he’ll reverse the steps. Camera outputs are run through his recorder, live switched, and the switched feed is then output to U-TAP for webcasting from a laptop or desktop.

Grossman harnesses the workflow to support video conferencing needs wherever he goes, including a recent urban exploration trek overseas, which included stops in Hungary, Albania, Croatia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Northern/Southern Italy. He has also spent time in Chernobyl, as well as barren parts of the former Soviet Union, tracking down abandoned science- and engineering-related sites.

Grossman harnesses the workflow to support video conferencing needs wherever he goes, including a recent urban exploration trek overseas, which included stops in Hungary, Albania, Croatia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Northern/Southern Italy.

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Grossman has the distinction of being the first person to fly a Multi-Rotor Drone in the Chernobyl Zone of Exclusion as part of his work in documenting the aftermath of the nuclear catastrophe.

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DURABILITY AND FUNCTIONALITY Grossman carefully sources every tool he uses in the field. In addition to his video conferencing gear, he also carries a GoPro 10 with him on every adventure, with all his gear fitting nicely in a travel backpack.

“You have to find the tools that best suit your needs, and for me, that translates to functionality, durability, and ergonomics. I went with U-TAP, in part, because I’ve used AJA products for years and they’re durable,” he added. “They also have a legacy of giving professionals the Swiss army knife toolset required to handle any format you encounter on the job. U-TAP allows me to turn a very high-end camera output into a webcam feed, so that my live output looks more professional; from the moment I opened

it, I was impressed by how easy it was to get up and running. I literally just plug in the U-TAP and my computer recognizes the signal over the USB connection without the need for third-party drivers.”

Although Grossman underscores the importance of video in conferencing, he constantly reminds others in the field to not underestimate the importance of audio and lighting.

“A good mic and an overhead light as well as two small color LED lights can go a long way in shaping your webcasting look without breaking the bank. The secret to a good feed lies in a decent mic, lighting, practical backdrop, a good camera, a recorder, and a device like U-TAP,” he concluded.

ON THE STREAMING MEDIA ECOSYSTEM

By Cindy Davis and Macy O’Hearn

A

t the start of the pandemic, there was an immediate, worldwide scramble to stream all manner of live and recorded content. (Remember the One World: Together at Home concert?)

Streaming has become indispensable to brand messaging, working and learning remotely, and viewer accessibility; in fact, many venues have gone so far as to say that there will never be a time, going forward, when event streaming will not be available in some form.

But despite this evolution, the concerns and considerations around streaming have remained the same: tight security protocols, dedicated bandwidth, superb audio quality, low latency, and compatibility with other devices on the network.

For some insights and best practices, we reached out to industry experts from 20 manufacturers that continue to keep us connected.

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Photograph: Getty Images

THOUGHT LEADERS

MICHAEL DIBELLA Director of Commercial Product Marketing Crestron When deploying an AV-over-IP solution that’s going into spaces that are designed for diverse aspects of collaboration, one’s first consideration should be the output—in this case, resolutions for an optimized in-room experience. Recognizing the room’s use case is foremost. For example, true 4K will be necessary for very visually comprehensive studies, such as in a simulation center or a medical application. I’d include any kind of engineering work when it comes to highresolution output, too, as there is likely a lot of detail that needs to be displayed clearly. In other rooms, such as huddle spaces, 1080p will suffice, despite the broad availability of 4K (and soon, 8K).

It’s important to consciously design a system that’s accommodating of all these different form factors, and you have to have a platform that can handle that; otherwise, you’ll likely either sacrifice functionality on the top end, or overpay on the small, standardized spaces with a lot of technological muscle you don’t need.

When you’re talking about some of these more detailed applications, top-flight security is going to be a necessity as well. Often, medical, engineering, or simulation deployments will demand the need for HIPAA compliance or adherence to government standards. All of these factors are driving quality manufacturers to offer a wide range of solutions, such as the Crestron DM NVX line.

VANESSA JENSEN Senior Market Development Specialist Shure With the hybrid working model here to stay, companies of all sizes are upgrading their conferencing technology to foster collaboration amongst employees, regardless of their location.

Having the right audio is critical to unlocking the productivity and potential for employees, end users, and customers. We all know that you can still have a successful conference call without video, but without high-quality audio, your call is over before it can really even begin.

The key to setting up a streaming media environment is selecting the right audio solutions and technologies that provide highquality audio from all participants. For those working from home, products like Shure’s MV7 or MV5C bring studio quality to your home office, enhancing audio quality and ensuring every word is heard perfectly. In meeting rooms or classrooms, both Shure’s Microflex Ecosystem solutions and Stem Ecosystem devices ensure IT teams and AV integrators are getting the best of both worlds, with a high-quality suite of audio devices that can be customized and scaled to meet the needs of any room and budget. This makes them the perfect choice for any type or size of organization seeking high-quality standardized audio solutions.

PAUL CORDS Director of Sales and Product Management Vaddio Everyone has become incredibly tech savvy in the past couple of years regarding streaming. Good audio, video, and lighting are just the table stakes.

People expect high production quality as online media has become more produced in our everyday lives; laptops or cheap USB cameras are no longer good enough.

Easy production wins utilize green screens when you don’t have access to a studio set, or incorporate picture-inpicture for additional interest. Vaddio has added NDI cameras into our lineup because of their value in the streaming environment. We have seen NDI technology push digital production into the mix by putting the stream over the Ethernet in a localized network.

Another area that people should consider when setting up streaming environments is the adjustability of the camera image. Cameras that automatically adjust to lighting conditions are huge time savers. Being able to rely on the camera to adapt to changing environments with ambient light or differences in distance to the subject allow the content creator to focus on the content of the video instead of tweaking equipment before each stream.

“Often, medical, engineering, or simulation deployments will demand the need for HIPAA compliance or adherence to government standards.”

— Michael DiBella, Director of Commercial Product Marketing, Crestron

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GEORGE KLIPPEL Director of Channel Sales LiveU Live video is something you can no longer ignore as a viable strategy to build your brand, communicate, and grow your audience. Today’s challenges confirm that live streaming has an important role to play in every industry—whether communicating internally or externally. Connectivity is key.

Invest in internet stability before video equipment. You can have the best HD or 4K cameras, but they’re of no use if your signal is lost. You can literally lose business for not being able to deliver a high-quality picture.

Cellular bonding technology provides the peace of mind that if you go on site and the venue connection is either spotty or very expensive, you can produce a high-quality stream no matter what. This technology revolutionized live production and made it more accessible to smaller production houses and organizations. It literally changed the game for live news, sports, and other vertical markets—especially during the pandemic when it was paramount to go live from anywhere and everywhere.

Now that live events are coming back in person, it is important to test on-site bandwidth beforehand. This cannot be overstated; it’s truly what keeps our live event producers up at night. If they can get the client or someone on site to at least get the crew bandwidth tests from multiple cellular carriers and any terrestrial line beforehand, then the crew knows what they’re walking into and can plan accordingly. Once you’ve sorted out the technology, think about improving your workflow. Consider, “How can I be more efficient, cost and resource wise?” The pandemic accelerated the adoption of the remote production workflow. With LiveU’s new products and features supporting the expansion of remote productions, we see a greater potential to shift more projects to this model, which will meet client needs and budgets.

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TONY MASTANTUONO Product Manager Broadcast Pix Today people in all industries are streaming from any device to virtually every possible platform. The pandemic forced people to quickly learn and implement streaming technologies, without properly understanding the basic necessities when it comes to streaming online.

First and foremost, when considering streaming, it’s important to understand the target audience. That, ultimately, will dictate the platform to use and the bandwidth required. It’s simple to say, “We want to stream everywhere,” but that comes at a cost. Keeping the message focused to where the viewers will be can ease any technological constraints.

From there it’s important to have clear audio, because if there are any interruptions in the video, your message can still carry through. Ideally when streaming to a CDN or website platform, having more upload bandwidth is more important than download.

Roughly 5 Mbps is a minimum for HD video and audio, but having more is always good, as that bandwidth is rarely only dedicated to the streaming service. A wired connection is also important, as wireless is convenient but not always reliable. When it comes to distributing the stream, it makes more sense to use a third-party service to multi-cast the stream.

This method may have a cost associated with it, but it is more reliable since less bandwidth is needed at the stream location.

Lastly, keeping your message direct and to the point will keep your audience engaged, and ultimately that is the most important part. Multiple camera angles and switching of supporting content assists in that engagement as well. It doesn’t matter the exact equipment being used when streaming, but some of these core fundamentals will assist in your streaming ecosystem.

TOBI TUNGL Vice President Sales, North America Epiphan Video Setting up for live streaming can feel like a monumental task. Here are five tips to help get you on your way: First, start from your applications.

Consider what you are hoping to do with your streaming environment. Maybe you want to kick off a webinar program to connect with your community and generate leads, or host a weekly live show with expert guests to demonstrate thought leadership and build your brand. Whatever your target applications, get clear on the specifics. For example, consider how many people may be on camera or behind a microphone at any one time, and what sources presenters might want to show on stream. From those requirements, create a list of gear and features you’ll need.

Next, choose your location wisely. The ideal streaming space is big enough to fit all your gear while allowing good lighting and depth of field. It’ll also offer a reasonable amount of control over outside noise (acoustic blankets and other treatments can supplement this).

Third, you must take your network into account. Ensure any connected devices you bring in will “play nice” with your existing network. Favor gear that’s designed to work with any policies your organization has in place, rather than requiring exceptions that could leave your network vulnerable.

Fourth, make sure you have enough bandwidth. For smooth streams that will engage rather than frustrate viewers, make sure you have enough upload bandwidth (as opposed to download bandwidth). The right amount is your total bitrate (video and audio) multiplied by 1.5.

And finally, integrate for maximum efficiency. Keep an eye out for opportunities to streamline your operations by integrating your streaming and recording devices with complementary products and services, such as Crestron controllers or a video content management system (CMS).

CHRIS MERTENS Vice President of US Sales, Display Division Samsung Electronics America Streaming is a vital way of sharing information and has proven to be a powerful marketing tool. From a retail location, to a school cafeteria, to corporate training rooms— brand messaging has become increasingly simple as digital signage displays can stream a variety of media. One thing is for certain: streaming signage opens up opportunities for seamless collaboration, interactive messaging, and engaging communication.

Today’s digital signage solutions offer brilliant image quality, deep contrast ratio, and powerful colors that make streaming media more captivating. From large-format video walls to tableside kiosks, displays have the potential to create “wow” moments while pushing customizable content. Additionally, when it comes to content distribution, the smallest touches can make the biggest impressions, including the ability to cast from personal devices.

For hospitality guests in particular, displays that offer personal streaming through Bluetooth capability are becoming standard practice, connecting users like never before. Seamless streaming provides a cost-efficient alternative to frequently stolen or broken connectors, and helps hotels further transform rooms into all-inone entertainment hubs. Besides picture-perfect quality and customization, speed and reliability are essential factors to guarantee satisfied users.

No matter the setting, streaming media is critical to building and maintaining brand messaging. Best practices for streaming include offering interactivity, reliability, and user-friendly operation. An underrated aspect of managing streaming is having proper data storage hubs which are responsible for delivering uninterrupted streaming media. With quality rapidly growing into 8K, calculating the proper storage capacity is of grave importance to keep up with expected performance and highresolution standards.

As more establishments adopt digital signage to create unique and memorable experiences, streamlining content distribution will be a significant part of running an effective long-term marketing strategy as well as offering top-quality service.

JIM JENSEN Senior Category Owner for PTZ and Remote Systems Panasonic The popularity of streaming will continue to grow as platforms and technologies enhance their capabilities, enabling industries to experience the benefits of an efficient and high-quality streaming media environment that connects and engages their audiences. Companies need to prioritize technology that produces high-quality content, streamlines the production process, and produces clear sounds.

Integrating the right camera solutions is crucial to setting up the perfect media streaming environment. For example, consider PTZ cameras that support 4K and full-HD visuals, offer extensive feature sets to meet various application needs, and provide technologically advanced sensors and optics for clear optical zoom, wide viewing angles, et cetera. These features enable companies to capture both the expansive and intimate shots that give viewers dynamic viewpoints.

Production switchers also offer a lot of value when it comes to streamlining the production process by establishing pre-set workflows to easily switch between different camera inputs and provide control over how the footage goes out. The deployment of the right mix of camera solutions will ensure they can easily capture content from different angles and viewpoints to cover the entire setting in a visually dynamic way that’s engaging for viewers. If you are working with a fixed budget, integrate camera and switcher solutions that also offer longevity and reliability to ensure that your company will be supported for years to come.

Another key element to consider when developing the ideal streaming media environment is professional-quality audio.

The use of microphone technology can have a substantial impact on the clarity of communication. Comprehensive and userfriendly professional audio systems allow companies to focus on the messages they want to convey and ensure the success of any content that is streamed.

CHRISTIAN YOUNG Pro AV Product Manager ATEN Technology We continue to see streaming added to new environments such as education, houses of worship, and many others. Streaming is an on-demand environment, and so to meet the rigors of broadcasting immediately, one must be prepared. Streaming seems to ramp the principle of, “What can go wrong, will go wrong,” all the way up to eleven. Everything in the setup must be tested and configured properly to best meet your standards and set up a professional-looking stream. Test all your transitions, because that is likely where things will go wrong.

With mixing in hybrid events, make sure everything works well in the environment and is out of the way of foot traffic, so you can try to avoid things like knocking a table, loosening a cord, and completely stopping your on-air feed!

Integrating a streaming mixer into an existing AV setup is a simple way to get on air while creating a very professional look and feel. You can use your existing AV hardware, and, instead of trying to digitize into one stream—let the streaming mixer do it for you and create an output directly to a computer or streaming network.

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BRANDON WHITE Director of New Product Development Vanco The enterprise approach to video streaming has really evolved. Once, if a video stream didn’t look like the nightly news, a lot of brands didn’t want anything to do with it. Now, in many contexts, that kind of polished, formal approach reads as old fashioned. TikTok aesthetics have seeped into the culture at large, priming viewers to engage with video that seems more spontaneous and authentic.

In terms of streaming media environments, this means that while the studio still has its place, content creators must be equipped for flexibility. There’s enormous value in offering customers a “studio on the go” kit that will empower them to capture compelling, high-quality content from anywhere.

You can’t replicate a production studio in a backpack, and you’re not trying to.

Mobile streaming tools allow customers to supplement their in-studio stream with dynamic content from the field. By packaging together some portable lights, a few external mics, and an audio mixer, a laptop, a mobile Wi-Fi router, and some tripods, you can untether your client’s video streaming operation.

One element of the studio—mobile or otherwise—which can’t be overlooked is capture cards. In the field, creators should be prepared to ingest content from anywhere: DSLR cameras, HDMI video sources, analog sources, et cetera.

A selection of capture cards won’t take up much room in the bag, but can be the difference between capturing everything needed in the moment, and hours of post-production hassle.

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KYLE BARRON Product Manager for Network AV, AMX Harman Professional Solutions Technologies that enable the transportation of audio and video signals over standard IP networks have created a momentous shift in AV system designs. The flexibility and scalability of Network AV (NAV) solutions, such as AMX’s SVSI N-Series encoders and decoders or DSPs that leverage AES67 or Dante, enable integrators to design AV systems that meet the needs of their customers better than any other distribution technology.

As the demand for NAV has exploded, so has the number of NAV products available on the market. Many NAV products have been designed with non-standard network requirements, and those requirements are marketed as features to simplify configuration.

While striving to develop mechanisms to simplify configuration is commendable, adhering to standard enterprise IP networking standards will result in more reliable, easierto-support, and therefore, lower total-cost solutions for the integrator and end user.

Some of the key enterprise IP networking technologies that are leveraged by AMX NAV solutions are IGMP, POE, Active Directory/LDAP Integration, 802.1Q, QoS, 802.1X, and AES. Many of these technologies work together to create the extremely high-security configurations required in government and corporate enterprise applications, and are often only available from the most sophisticated solutions from leading NAV vendors.

Networked AV solutions that are to be deployed on the network should be designed to work on the network. What this really means is that the devices should have the capabilities that are required by IT managers, and they should be able to work within the IT manager’s existing network structure. HARMAN understands what’s needed to meet these requirements. We’ve been selling networkcapable devices to enterprise customers and governments around the world for decades, and we understand the security, management, and support requirements of those environments. That is why all AMX Network AV products are designed with enterprise IP networking standard technologies.

CODY HALL Product Manager Listen Technologies For guests attending events in person, streaming media platforms are often not a viable solution for those who struggle to hear. Audio over Wi-Fi is an easy and affordable way for venues to stream live and recorded audio directly to listeners, using the local Wi-Fi network, so guests can hear high-quality audio in sync with the live event. In venues offering Listen EVERYWHERE, an audio over Wi-Fi solution from Listen Technologies, listeners download a free app on their smartphone, select an audio channel, and listen through headphones or earbuds connected to their smartphone. They also can stream from their smartphones to Bluetoothenabled hearing aids. When live-streaming events, Listen EVERYWHERE is an important addition and should be included to provide audio to hard-of-hearing individuals and to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements.

Examples of in-person events where individuals could use audio over Wi-Fi include: students in a lecture hall streaming audio from a professor’s microphone to their smartphones and hear despite distance or hearing loss; guests in a bar featuring multiple TVs selecting the audio that corresponds with their preferred screen; and worshippers in a house of worship that offers live audio in multiple languages selecting the audio channel streaming audio in their preferred language.

For optimal audio streaming, the following best practices should be considered: use a less crowded 5-GHz band with a 20-MHz-wide channel for cleaner sound; use a Wi-Fi scanner app to scan for the clearest band and set the access point to that channel; and avoid Wi-Fi accessories such as range extenders, multihop Wi-Fi systems, and mesh networks as they can increase lip sync issues and variance.

PETER VERWAYEN Vice President of Product Management BlueJeans by Verizon “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” While commonly referenced in leadership trainings and public speaking classes, the phrase can be applied to more than just confidence and posture, but also to the tools you use to disseminate your message. Appearances matter, and a polished presentation—whether in person or streamed—can sway audiences, close deals, and build brand preference.

If viewers are wondering why you’re off to the side of the screen, or trying to decipher what you’re saying because your video regularly pixelates, you’ve lost an opportunity to engage your audience.

Video conferencing and live streaming has become a regular part of our professional lives, but that doesn’t mean we’re all techsavvy producers. To create the greatest impact though, it’s essential that we conform

“Make sure the room from which you’re broadcasting is uncluttered, to allow participants to stay focused on you.”

— Peter Verwayen, Vice President of Product Management, BlueJeans by Verizon

to the accepted language of television. From a personal standpoint, that means setting up the camera so that it captures you at eye level—not up your nose or so far away that it makes viewers squint to see your face. Make sure the room from which you’re broadcasting is uncluttered, or use a blur tool in your presentation software to allow participants to stay focused on you.

Check that your internet speed is sufficient to provide a smooth stream and that there are no dead spots in the area you’re broadcasting.

If you plan on streaming a presentation on YouTube or another streaming service, make sure you test your access at least 24 hours before the broadcast.

Using production tools, such as BlueJeans Studio, can help you easily create professionallevel effects and enable participant interaction without requiring new skill sets.

Most importantly, don’t wait until the last minute to have everything in place. Planning ahead will ensure that participants pay attention to you and your message, not to your mistakes.

DREW BUTTRESS Senior Product Manager, B2B Sony Electronics The pandemic changed the way people live, work, engage, and learn, and technology played a pivotal role in facilitating connections.

Content creators of all forms had to pivot.

Houses of worship and higher education had to learn how to stream, if they were not already doing so. Musical acts had to learn to manage and monetize live streaming shows.

Businesspeople had to learn how to present to customers and collaborate with each other over video conferencing platforms.

When looking at the simpler ways to deliver content, classes can be held remotely using video conferencing. Presenters’ content can be recorded and made available as VOD over the school’s lecture capture system. But what about presenters who want a more engaging experience for a hybrid setup? Tools like Sony’s Edge Analytics appliance allow a presenter to be on camera while capturing the white or black board, and all of the content can be streamed live. A single camera, or in the case of Edge, the video, can be RTMPS streamed to video platforms.

The same technique can apply to smalland even mid-sized churches where a single camera with RTSP, RTMPS, or even SRT can stream to a delivery platform that consumers can connect to and receive the live feed. Or, they can stream the single camera to a cloud service which will transcode and deliver the content to the consumer’s device through a link, which can be posted on the content provider’s website.

For more complicated environments involving multiple video sources such as auditoriums, live music venues and even sporting events, multiple camera sources are fed through a video switcher and the PROGRAM out from the switcher gets encoded and sent to a delivery service to the consumer’s device, or encoded and sent to live streaming platforms.

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MARK HORCHLER Marketing Director, Products and Solutions Haivision Organizations are relying on live streaming video more than ever before, and for good reason. It’s an excellent way to improve communications with employees in different locations and is a cost-effective alternative to in-person events.

Whatever the reason for live streaming video, users will need a reliable video encoder to get the job done—one that considers latency, network reliability, and security.

Anyone who’s used video conferencing or tuned into a Livestream has likely experienced lag, or latency, that disrupted the flow of the event. To keep live streams truly live, users need a video encoder with low latency that keeps the viewing experience as close to real time as possible. And just like latency, an unreliable network can compromise the quality of video streams. Because of this, it’s important to choose a video encoder that’s capable of managing bandwidth fluctuations to deliver the highest possible video quality over any network. One way to ensure this is to choose a video encoder that supports the SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) protocol, which provides advanced error correction to prevent pixelated and blocky video. SRT can also be used for transmitting directly to cloud-based content management systems and video distribution.

A key consideration when choosing a video encoder is how sensitive live video content will be. Regardless of whether the live video is meant for external audiences or not, it’s important to ensure the stream is secure over the internet. Look for an encoder which supports the SRT streaming protocol, and has AES encryption incorporated within the protocol, so that you can stream video securely over any type of IP network including the internet.

There’s plenty to consider when setting up a streaming media environment, but choosing the right video encoder is an important first step to setting up your live streams for success.

MATT DAVIS Director of Technology and Information Systems PTZOptics In the enterprise context, any streaming media environment should be both manageable and replicable. We can safely assume that organizations’ need to produce video content will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. Even if the current intent is to create a single streaming studio as a test concept, start as if you mean to go on: consider how well the environment design can be standardized and scaled, and build in capabilities for remote production and control.

As an organization expands streaming capabilities to dozens or hundreds of spaces, the effort required to configure each device adds up quickly. If you’ve standardized on a line of networked cameras with a browserbased configuration tool, you can copy/paste camera profiles and fine tune from there. This approach shortens setup time by an order of magnitude.

The ability to scale standard setups is highly dependent on inventory. Some manufacturers have been more successful than others in securing their supply chain; verifying available inventory has become a crucial step in the design process. This uncertainty has also cast the importance of using widely adopted protocols and standard infrastructure into sharp relief: if a specific product is unavailable, you should be able to find a replacement that works with the same protocols, network infrastructure, and production and control components.

PTZOptics has rolled out NDI capabilities across our camera and production tool lines.

NDI offers automatic discovery and multicast IP address assignment, speeding configuration and setup and eliminating the need for a media server to broadcast over a multicastcapable network. We’ve also developed a line of joystick controllers, including the PT-Joy-G4 and the SuperJoy, designed to work with practically any NDI camera. We want to offer the toolset to create an enterprise-scale network of streaming environments and the flexibility to adapt each space as needed.

NAMITA DHALLAN Chief Product Officer Brightcove When setting up a successful streaming media environment, brands face a constant challenge to keep audiences engaged and focused. With so many options out there, you need to put yourself in viewers’ shoes and think about what they really want.

First and foremost, you must use a technology platform that is secure and reliable for creating and delivering content as live, recorded, or combined experiences to attendees. Your videos need to be able play on every device no matter its location— smartphone, laptop, connected TV, and web.

Audiences expect the viewing experience to be the same as TV, so your video needs to be broadcast quality, from 380p up to the latest 4K or even 8K resolution. It needs to load instantly, play at the highest possible resolution, consume bandwidth efficiently,

“First and foremost, you must use a technology platform that is secure and reliable.”

—Namita Dhallan, Chief Product Officer, Brightcove

and never skip, freeze, crash, or lag. It shouldn’t take a long time to load and should look as great on screen as it does in person.

Incorporating technology like AI/ML can also improve color balance, remove background noise, and repair damaged archival video, improving on the quality of what was originally shot.

Data is also essential to analyze what works and what your audience wants to see. You’ll want to monitor the performance of every video to determine what’s resonating, which will require full visibility into video quality and viewer metrics captured during and after the stream. These metrics will tell you what your audiences are watching and for how long, what they want more of, and how many are responding to your call to action.

Finally, video security is vital—especially with cyber attacks on the rise. You need to ensure no one can intercept, pirate, copy, or alter your content.

ANDREW JONES Director of Solutions Engineering StreamGuys We recommend several best practice guidelines when delivering lowlatency video streams from venues to live viewing audiences within any AV vertical. Dedicated bandwidth is high on the list, as sharing the network with other nonbroadcast activity, especially on public Wi-Fi, can affect stream quality. If a dedicated hardwired cable or fiber optic connection is not available, identify 4G/5G providers that offer a dedicated reserve band. This prevents other cellular network activity from compromising your stream. Dedicated encoders also reduce the likelihood of streams being interrupted by OS updates and non-production software.

Purpose-built ingest protocols such as SRT and RIST support reliable, low-latency transmission from source to delivery network.

These ensure reliable delivery even when unstable network connections appear. More specific to low-latency delivery, we recommend reducing the GOP frame settings to one second or less so the encoder can segment and deliver the video content quicker.

It is critical to choose the optimal delivery protocol from CDN to viewer when streaming a presentation. SLDP or WebRTC is the ideal protocol to use when very low latency is required. This allows the user to incorporate viewer feedback into the presentation in real time, or provide a second screen experience to those at the venue. Use the SLDP protocol if simultaneous viewing across the entire audience is required, such as when competitive or learning content is shown. Timecode is used to ensure that all viewers see content at the same time.

Dedicated monitoring and support will provide ideal safeguards. Rely on both technology and humans to notify of signal loss throughout the signal chain. Monitor encoder output, network throughput, and end user experience to identify problems quickly.

Immediately elevate to an on-site networking engineer, ISP contact, and CDN support who can diagnose problems throughout the signal chain and help you overcome obstacles.

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“It is critical to choose the optimal delivery protocol from CDN to viewer when streaming a presentation.”

—Andrew Jones, Director of Solutions Engineering, StreamGuys

“By hiring an expert, you can maximize your video investment and reduce risk by future proofing your video deployments and accelerating adoption.”

—Donny Neufuss, Director, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Sonic Foundry

DONNY NEUFUSS Director, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships Sonic Foundry As a leader in the streaming media market, Sonic Foundry recommends the following best practices for setting up a streaming media environment: First, hire an expert. Setting up a successful streaming media environment can transform your organization and help you to stay competitive in a video-first world, but doing so is no small task. By hiring an expert, you can maximize your video investment and reduce risk by future proofing your video deployments and accelerating adoption. An expert can also make your life easier by anticipating potential problems and simplifying the implementation process.

Second, develop a streaming media strategy. A lot goes into creating the best streaming media environment. You’ll need to choose the right hardware, software, location, team, content, format, cadence—and in some cases you may need to hire online talent. This takes hours, resources and dedication, and a clear strategy with well-defined objectives can make all the difference when it comes to efficiency. Is the objective to set up another revenue stream? Is it to reach a targeted audience, or to promote new products? Having a strategy in place can help your organization to map back, to pivot if necessary, and to stay focused on the primary objectives.

Third, move to the cloud. For a truly successful streaming environment, move to cloud-based digital infrastructure. Moving to the cloud can help you stay a step ahead of competitors and maximize the value of your transition, including benefits like eliminating the costs of maintaining an on-premises server infrastructure, increased scalability, a more integrated user experience, and greater workflow flexibility for your team.

Companies who are embracing streaming media and setting up the right environments are positioning themselves for success. And if you have any questions, call Sonic Foundry.

We’ve been doing this for 30-plus years.

CHRIS SCHECK Marketing Content Manager Lawo Today’s corporate headquarters, concert arenas, opera houses, theaters, and other kinds of venues all rely on a network for the distribution of audio, video, and control signals.

While this may come as no surprise for big tech companies and other conglomerates, the classical music scene is almost equally eager to embrace low-latency network technology for opera and theater productions.

The pandemic sparked a number of successful projects borne of the necessity to keep staging performances while abiding by physical distancing regulations and playing to an audience that wasn’t there. Live telecasts or (chargeable) OTT streams allowed them to enjoy the performances from their homes.

Video screens and PTZ cameras next to the conductor and close to singers on stage provide visual clues, and an immersive sound

“Thanks to an open-standards approach, users and manufacturers are free to imagine new workflows and options. ” —Chris Scheck, Marketing Content Manager, Lawo

reinforcement system delivers a life-like sound in the hall. The orchestra and choir, on the other hand, make do with a few audio monitors to at least hear the soloists.

For this to work, you need a fiber-optic connection between the locations and a network protocol able to transport audio, video, and control signals—or “essences,” as they are called. The most robust and uncompressed protocol is SMPTE ST 2110. It is supported by most high-end mixing consoles, and video and control surfaces. Control essences are important in order to remotely control audio cores from a mixer, set video and immersive audio processors, operate the stage machinery, video walls, and more. Distributed workflows, such as with two audio engineers working on different aspects from different locations, are also possible.

Thanks to an open-standards approach, users and manufacturers are free to imagine new workflows and options. With the help of an IP management system built into highend audio and video devices, the entire infrastructure even becomes plug and play.

CASE-IN-POINT

CLOUD-BASED AND PORTABLE IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY CONNECTS FANS The pandemic impacted every aspect of sports, including ticket sales, sponsorships, and merch sales. Sports venues, producers, teams, and associations needed to get creative to recoup some of those losses in revenue. They blended high-quality production, broadcast, and streaming capabilities into emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) to increase the spread of sports, fan engagement, and profitability.

VR has exploded in a big way over the last few years and, most recently, brought the energy of being at a home game back to die-hard fans across the country. In fact, live VR experiences have never been more affordable—giving fans access to exclusive content, a trip to a venue or city they may never physically get to, and even court-side seats next to their favorite celebrities.

And for businesses and sports organizations, live VR drove fan engagement and new revenue streams.

A digital-first marketing and advertising services company, Media.Monks connects content, data and digital media, as well as technology services across one global team built from the bottom up. The organization has a stellar roster of clients in sports, consumer goods, food and beverage, technology, and other vertical markets.

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Photo: Courtsey LiveU

Media.Monks continues to push the limits of technology to bring real-time filmmaking, visual effects, previsualization, virtual production, and CG animation together to create unique experiences for its clients’ target audiences.

The company recently created fully immersive interactive virtual shows for a professional sports organization and social media platform leveraging LiveU’s HEVC portable encoder as the live transmission delivery solution. The organization is developing innovative content using cellular bonded technology to remove the connectivity challenges associated with congested venues, stadiums, and arenas.

The Media.Monks team was tasked with producing a live show during a basketball game featuring camera views they wouldn’t normally get to feed into the 4K/60/180-degree VR environment. The production team was looking for a way to increase the production capabilities without adding cameras. The budget was also a concern. “We needed to keep costs down, which required us to look at options that would eliminate cabling, but also maintain the high-quality video that our clients expect,” noted Patrick Jones, broadcast and films senior technical manager, Media.Monks.

A LiveU LU800 portable field-level live streaming encoder was incorporated into the production which allowed them to send a single 4K UHD feed to the virtual reality environment.

The show took fan engagement to another level, allowing the VR audience to get exclusive live content, including games and trivia in between plays, the ability to interact with other VR users, and the chance to take photos within the VR environment and share them on social media.

The LiveU provided four to five static views of the action. Running the show untethered enabled Media.Monks to quickly access player arrivals, team huddles, and fans walking the corridor. With the portability of the LiveU LU800, the production crew could pick up and reposition the camera without ever losing the live transmission.

With today’s social distancing guidelines still in place, a cloud-based production workflow reduces costs and minimizes on-site staff, without ever compromising the quality of the live production.

Live VR has connected brands to its followers and fans in new ways and changed consumer buying habits. Companies like Media.Monks continue to push the limits of this immersive technology—driving solutions that will enhance the sports entertainment experience on the court, field, and stage.

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STREAMING ENHANCES WORSHIP EXPERIENCE

Photo: Courtsey Vaddio

Pax Christi, a Catholic community church located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has a large sanctuary with seating to accommodate 1,500 worshippers.

The AV crew at the church knew how important it was to supplement the weekly services with presentations and image magnification to keep people throughout the sanctuary on track with the sermons. They were noticing, however, that their congregation was increasingly struggling to see media shown on their outdated, too-small projection displays.

“Our old system was outdated. The screens were dark, the projectors were insufficient, and it was hard to see what was going on at the altar when you were in some of the corners of the building,” said Ken Reineccius, director of operations at Pax Christi. “When COVID-19 came into play, it became even more important because now we needed the live stream.”

The Pax Christi team quickly realized they needed to invest in a complete system overhaul, so they reached out to Mike Chapley at local AV consultant and integration firm Tierney Brothers to help them navigate the process.

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Chapley recommended that the church replace their standard-definition projectors with high-definition Epson projectors to assist with legibility of lyrics and clearer image magnification.

Chapley knew that the quality of the screen surface was just as important as selecting the right screen size to achieve the crispest image, as well as to future proof the system. They went with two Da-Lite Cinema Contour screens.

Pax Christi was familiar and happy with the Vaddio ProductionVIEW switcher they purchased a few years prior, and when exploring what was now important to their congregation, it became clear that a video production system that could facilitate streaming, graphics, and paired with the newest 40x zoom cameras was going to get them to the experience they envisioned. Pairing two RoboSHOT 40 UHD PTZ cameras, a RoboSHOT 30E PTZ camera, and the AV Bridge MatrixMIX production system allowed them to clearly pan across multiple areas of the sanctuary. The ability to switch between cameras and PC content with the large touchscreen monitor simplified previewing and setting up shots.

During the installation of the system, the COVID-19 crisis hit the United States and churches like Pax Christi were closed by local governments. Pax Christi, however, was fortunate to have already had their AV system upgrade in motion. Their new MatrixMIX production system, with multiple PTZ cameras, allowed them to maintain services and reach their large community more quickly than if they had to design a system and find equipment after the shutdowns occurred.

Since starting the live streaming services, Pax Christi has been able to build and foster connections not only with people at home, but also with those who have relocated for the winter or moved to a new parish.

“We do the live stream and have the comments section on the side, and some of the comments have been especially touching from people that have reconnected and feel like they’ve come home,” said Ken. “We’ve seen people watching from the Philippines, from Japan, from all over Europe... So the reach has been amazing to all of us.”

They are already fielding requests to add a fourth camera—to dedicate to an American Sign Language interpreter to assist those who are hearing impaired to follow more closely.

Ken said the whole experience has him convinced they will never go back to just having in-house services, and that masses will always be live streamed.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on reaching out, but this is reaching out in a whole new way,” he concluded.

QUALITY EDUCATION DURING A PANDEMIC

Photo: Courtsey Extron

The University of Connecticut is a public research university founded in 1881. Its 14 schools and colleges grant undergraduate degrees in 119 majors, graduate degrees in 88 research and professional practice fields, and six types of medical and law degrees.

In the first semester of 2020, UConn was teaching over 30,000 students at its 4,400-acre Storrs campus, plus four regional campuses across Connecticut. When COVID-19 hit, the University adjusted quickly, with a mix of remote, hybrid, and in-person classes. To accomplish this, UConn leveraged and expanded their existing lecture capture and streaming infrastructure based on Extron’s SMP 351 Streaming Media Processor and the Kaltura Video Cloud.

Recognizing that part of the 2021 academic year would still require social distancing and limit on-campus attendance to 30 percent of the student body, UConn implemented a plan to maintain robust remote and hybrid learning capabilities that would meet their immediate needs and be a valuable addition to teaching options well into the future.

To support this plan, the Campus Technology Services AV team, headed by IT manager Steven

Fletcher, outfitted most classrooms and select seminar rooms across all campuses with over 200 additional SMP 351 Streaming Media Processors.

Learning spaces equipped with the SMP 351 allow UConn instructors to record and live stream any of the AV sources used during lesson presentations. Remote learners take part in classes both in real time or any time via on-demand access through the Kaltura video platform.

Each AV-enabled learning space is equipped with an Extron TLP Pro 725T Touch panel and an IPCP Pro 250 xi, 350 xi, or 550 xi Control Processor. The touch panel graphical interface guides users through the lesson streaming and recording process. Users can select sources, turn live streaming on or off, and pause recording.

Recordings automatically upload to Kaltura when STOP is pressed.

In every AV equipped learning space, a single user command powers all AV system components on or off under control of IPL T PCS4 Power Management units. In standard classrooms, Extron IN1608 xi MA 70 Presentation Switchers send selected AV content from document cameras, laptops, and Miracast BYOD screen

mirroring receivers to the rooms’ projectors and FF 220T ceiling speakers. The AV content is also provided to SMP 351s for recording and live streaming. The switcher drives the room speakers with a built-in power amplifier. SW4 USB Plus USB Switchers route USB signals to the instructor PC from laptops, keyboards, mice, and handheld lecture clickers.

UConn deployed Extron’s GlobalViewer Enterprise software to centrally manage, monitor, control, and troubleshoot the AV systems. Using the software’s web browser interface, the UConn Campus Technology team is able to provide realtime help desk support to users. GlobalViewer Enterprise also helps UConn manage the lifecycle cost of their AV investment by automatically scheduling startup and shutdown of all rooms on customized schedules, saving time, energy, and expendables such as projector bulbs across the entire campus.

In a typical week, the SMP 351 supports education content recording and live streaming for 150 class sessions. SMP 351s broadcast to dedicated Kaltura web pages that are listed online for students to access on demand. This capability allowed UConn to continue to provide quality education throughout the pandemic.

Explaining his team’s service philosophy and their experience with Extron, UConn AV team member Jeffrey Albright, audio visual technician 3 said, “We strive for simplicity, standardization, and reliability. We want our rooms to work every time a professor walks in to teach a class. That’s one of the reasons that we use Extron for switching, distribution, and control. We select AV suppliers based on product durability, functionality, and responsive technical support. Extron has always been awesome at all three.”

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A BOOST IN BROADCASTING CAPABILITIES

Photo: Courtsey Panasonic

Located in Juneau, Alaska, KTOO operates a full-time statewide television channel which broadcasts live legislative coverage. As the demand for remote production capabilities and streaming grew, KTOO was looking to supplement their traditional hands-on ENG/EFP cameras with a fleet of PTZ cameras throughout the Alaska State Capitol. Social distancing measures during the pandemic placed even greater pressure on the station to adopt technology that would minimize personnel on site.

With a long history of using Panasonic professional video solutions, KTOO deployed 39 Panasonic HD and 4K pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras, including a mix of AW-UE150s, AW-UE100s, and additional Panasonic PTZ cameras across its nine committee rooms and the House and Senate chambers.

“We chose additional Panasonic PTZ cameras for their compatibility, reliability, full HD capabilities up to 1080/60p with NDI, and POE+ support which greatly sped up installation, with the cameras only needing one LAN cable for both control and power supply,” said Mikko Wilson, KTOO production manager. “Furthermore, the streaming provides augmentation to SDI of additional video capability over that same network cable.”

Building upon their prior experience and taking into consideration the wants and needs for the technology refresh, KTOO stayed with Panasonic for several reasons. First, the upgraded system

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needed to achieve a professional quality-looking result and the option to upgrade the resolution from SD to HD, with an eye towards 4K in the future if needed for higher-profile events. Second, prior to installing robotic cameras, the meetings and events the station captured were staffed on site in cramped quarters. A solution that would allow the station to broaden their scope of programming and shots captured while reducing the gear wear and tear was key. Lastly, KTOO needed a system that would work seamlessly with existing camcorders and controllers for more unified streaming and remote broadcasting. The camera’s ability to automatically scale the pan and tilt speed while zooming, along with wellestablished IP control code, also influenced the station’s decision to remain with Panasonic.

The UE100 and UE150 PTZs are primarily used in the House and Senate chambers and are grouped by room, with one operator controlling each group of three to four cameras at a time.

While KTOO is not currently producing in 4K, the cameras’ large MOS sensors, wide viewing angles, and impressive optical zoom enable both full shots of the large chamber rooms and close ups of the lawmakers as they make their floor speeches. The cameras support streaming with built-in technologies such as NDI and SRT protocols to provide the station additional signal options beyond the SDI infrastructure. The UE150’s filter threads also allow KTOO to attach polarized filters to provide privacy screens to staff computers and monitors.

“Overhauling our AV technology to include more robotic cameras with the latest technology has provided us flexibility in the number of angles we are able to capture, streamlined our workflows to cover events we would have otherwise missed due to time lost in moving between events, and improved the picture quality of our live and recorded programming,” said Wilson. “While much of Alaska still receives our television service in SD, the transition from SD to HD has been a massive improvement.” The cameras also enabled their staff to work fully remote and ensured that staff could continue to work yet remain safe throughout the pandemic. While 2021 was the first year KTOO had no in-person operators in the capitol, they are looking forward to integrating full hybrid production with their ENG cameras once it becomes safe to do so.

PRODUCTS THAT MATTER

PRO AV PRODUCTS FOR THE STREAMING MEDIA ECOSYSTEM 1

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Stem Ecosystem

With Shure’s Stem Ecosystem portfolio, there is now a solution for situations that require a straightforward, streamlined audio and control package for videoconferencing which local IT teams can deploy in any meeting room.

Reliable, scalable audio technology is fundamental to ensuring that the workforce has the right tools when facing daily working challenges—without adding any technological difficulty. Stem Ecosystem products respond to market requirements, adapting to different situations and IT demands. Users and remote workers can continue working efficiently and productively with a setup that allows them to interact and feel engaged, while enjoying broadcast-quality sound delivered by intuitive technology.

shure.com

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3

4 2

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LU300

The LiveU LU300 is a small-sized, costeffective, and reliable HEVC encoder, enabling broadcasters and other content creators to transmit high-quality video on the go. With LiveU’s professional-grade hardware HEVC technology at its core, the LU300 combines high-quality video performance with extreme bandwidth efficiency. Content creators can provide the same video quality as H.264 while using about half the bandwidth. In cases where original H.264 bitrate is maintained, the LU300 HEVC offers greatly improved video quality. Live & Store functionality enables users to upload high-quality stored copies of the live video immediately after live sessions.

liveu.tv

3

HT-CAM-4KEPTZ

Hall Technologies’ HT-CAM-4KEPTZ is a 4K ultra-high-definition EPTZ camera with a new design—enhancing video communication in personal conferencing, huddle spaces, meeting rooms, education classrooms, online streaming applications and more. With AI intelligence, and a 100-degree-wide angle lens, it can frame according to the number of people in the scene and has presets that can be saved and recalled, allowing the camera to easily cover multiple angles in any given application. Images are clear and bright—with strong color layering, high resolution, and fantastic color rendition. It is plug and play and easy to install.

halltechav.com

4

ConvertIP Encoders and Decoders

Built on SMPTE ST 2110, NMOS API, and IPMX-ready technologies, Matrox ConvertIP standards-based encoders and decoders empower you to build interoperable, costeffective, and scalable infrastructures to deliver a new era of compressed and uncompressed 4K IP signal transport.

ConvertIP is a versatile platform that supports visually lossless 4K over 1 GbE and 2.5 GbE networks with imperceptible latency, or lossless 4K over 10 GbE and 25 GbE networks with zero-latency performance.

In addition, the Matrox ConductIP NMOSbased signal routing platform simplifies media distribution in networks of any size by enabling you to discover, monitor, and route any AMWA NMOS-enabled ST 2110 or IPMXready signal.

matrox.com

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AJA Streaming Solutions

AJA’s streaming solutions include its BRIDGE LIVE 1RU encoding, decoding, and transcoding solution featuring NDI support, as well as the HELO streamer/recorder, which includes H.264 codec support and integrated CDN compatibility with YouTube, Facebook Live, and more. U-TAP SDI and HDMI USB 3.0 ingest devices offer integrated macOS, Windows, and Linux OS support into a wide array of conferencing, streaming, and encoding software, while KONA and Io desktop solutions integrate with streaming applications such as vMix and Wirecast.

aja.com

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6

Edge Analytics

7

PTZ3 Camera

Sony’s Edge Analytics solution (REA-C1000) allows users to create video content in real time, without the need for specialized training, additional staff or equipment. The compact and lightweight Edge uses AI-based video analytics technology to analyze the input it receives from connected cameras and automatically extracts the object in focus to combine it with other images in real time. When used alongside Sony’s PTZ cameras, Edge is a virtual camera operator that can elevate and capture a presentation. Additional licenses can be incorporated to enable features including handwriting extraction, PTZ auto tracking, close up by gesture, chroma keyless CG overlay, and focus area cropping.

NewTek’s PTZ3 Camera has innovated the PTZ camera market. As the first camera to use NDI|HX 3, the PTZ3 seamlessly integrates into any workflow, delivering high-quality video and low-latency transmission at a reduced bandwidth. The PTZ3 incorporates automated capabilities with ease in and out created as a preset recall, while offering such advanced features as an improved lens and sensor that, together, optimize use in low-light environments. Synchronized preset starts and a new motion algorithm infuse each production with a more natural look and feel. With single-cable connectivity, the PTZ3 facilitates productions of all sizes without a complex setup.

pro.sony

newtek.com

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10

9

8

Pearl Mini

9

VPX Series

Epiphan Pearl Mini offers organizations powerful tools for live streaming. This hardware encoder can record, stream, and switch up to three full HD video inputs from HDMI, SDI, and USB sources. Advanced security features like 802.1x network access control make Pearl Mini easy to deploy. And with the giant touch screen and intuitive user interface, anyone in your organization can master the device quickly.

Full API integrations with Kaltura, Panopto, and YuJa can streamline your CMS workflows, while the Crestron-developed Control Module for Pearl encoders makes it easier to integrate Pearl Mini into Crestron AV systems.

Aurora Multimedia’s VPX Series 4K60 4:4:4 1-Gbps AVoIP transceiver and two-gang wall plate transmitter are the most advanced IP streaming products to date, utilizing Aurora’s Mimix CODEC technology. Video is capable of HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision while audio can easily handle LPCM up to 12 channels, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD DTS HD Master Audio, and ATMOS. Enterprise-class security utilizes HTTPS, SSH, AES 256, LDAP, and more. The VPX Series features Dante Controller for use with Dante Manager, video preview at full resolution and frame rate, image rotation, and consumes only 8 Watts of power in a small form factor.

epiphan.com

auroramultimedia.com

UC9040 StreamLIVE

10 PRO

ATEN’s UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO is an innovative, all-in-one, four-port HDMI AV mixer— packed with direct streaming, direct recording, and scene-based switching capability. It is optimized for the easiest operation and uses an iPad to replace a computer and monitor for controlling, preview monitoring, real-time editing, and arranging elements into program mixing— thus reducing the complexity of your live streaming. The StreamLIVE Pro is a live production studio in a box with extremely powerful features. It is designed for live video streamers with complex streaming equipment. Everything you need for live streaming is ready to go—just plug and play with the intuitive control interface.

aten.com

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AW-UE80 4K

Panasonic’s AW-UE80 4K Professional PTZ Camera offers high-image-quality 4K/60p resolution; a wide, 74.1-degree angle; and optical zoom with up to 24x magnification to achieve superb video image quality and capture true, detailed visuals. The camera is ideal for streaming, with key features such as Auto Tracking Software to follow and capture the speaker; RTMP and SRT protocols for efficient long-distance streaming; and 3G-SDI, HDMI, and IP output capabilities to support a range of video productions. The camera facilitates engaging and efficient content creation and immerses viewers in an eye-catching experience.

panasonic.com

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BlueJeans Studio

BlueJeans Studio is an all-in-one event production platform that gives creators the ability to easily and affordably create stunning, professional-grade live streams with just a few clicks. With easy video feed mixing, custom branding, and endless streaming capabilities, brands can produce TV-quality content that helps drive audience engagement and elevates any virtual event experience. BlueJeans Studio brings powerful production tools to BlueJeans Events, giving corporate and individual users— social influencers, creators, reporters and marketers—the power to produce stunning, professional-grade virtual events and live streams without any production or technical experience required.

bluejeans.com

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CAPT4K1

The Vanco CAPT4K1 allows for HDMI sources to be streamed or recorded, resulting in converted content that can be viewed locally or remotely. As the need to produce video content continues to grow, the CAPT4K1 device makes it easy to ingest content from video cameras, gaming consoles, mobile devices, and more for content ranging from worship services to esports. HDMI signals can be converted to USB for recording or live streaming purposes. With the ability to accept 4K@60Hz HDR content, and locally view and monitor audio and HDMI signals, the CAPT4K1 is a great solution for capturing HDMI signals for any audience.

vanco1.com

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Poly Studio P21

The Poly Studio P21 is a personal meeting display that includes everything needed for a premium video conferencing experience.

Designed for video chat, the 21-inch display is equipped with all-in-one video and audio technology that makes it easy to create a pro-grade work setup. The display delivers vibrant colors and ambient lighting that adjusts to illuminate appearances and improve video quality, with advanced audio so users can be seen and heard clearly. It also offers USB connectivity for a PC or Mac, and can be used with any video app such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

poly.com

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Performance Series Ultra High Speed

C2G Performance Series Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables are ideal for displays requiring high-bandwidth solutions and video resolutions up to 8K. The 48-Gbps bandwidth allows for faster frame rates, as well as enhanced audio and media features.

Integrating the Performance Series features such as in-wall rated jackets, compacted overmolding, integrated finger grips, and the gripping connector shells makes these perfect for any installation.

These cables have also been tested and certified to ensure low EMI to reduce the possibility of interference with wireless networks and devices. Lastly, this tested and certified ultra-high-speed cable is backed by a lifetime warranty.

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Web Presenter 4K

Blackmagic Web Presenter 4K is a complete solution with a professional hardware streaming engine for direct streaming via Ethernet to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and more. Its built-in USB connections simulate a webcam, so you can connect a computer and use any streaming software.

With an upgraded ultra HD resolution H.264 encoder for live streaming in native ultra HD, it also includes a 12G-SDI input with down converter, so you can stream in 1080p HD or 2160p ultra HD resolutions. For redundancy, you can stream to the internet via Ethernet or connect a 5G or 4G phone to use mobile data.

blackmagicdesign.com

legrandav.com

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FOR-A Video Production Products

FOR-A Corporation of America video production products are designed for hybrid SDI and IP operation, together with an IP migration path for existing products.

A key element making this IP migration path possible is that FOR-A products are designed to utilize Network Device Interface (NDI) protocol. NDI enables them to deliver high-definition, low-latency video—plus audio and metadata—in real-time over standard IP networks. This creates an ideal scenario in a live production environment.

FOR-A’s cost-effective, hybrid live event solution includes: the HVS-490 production switcher with a new NDI option, the MFR3100EX routing switcher, and ClassX graphics for the creation of backgrounds and lower third graphics.

for-a.com

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Brightcove Live

Brightcove Live offers viewers an unmatched, industry-leading live streaming experience at any scale—from niche trade shows, to global sporting events, to CEO town halls. With Brightcove Live, every media organization and enterprise company can deliver and monetize live video at low cost with flexibility to scale with business needs. Brightcove Live is a broadcastgrade, cloud-based live streaming solution with wide device reach and integrated monetization capabilities, using server-side ad insertion. Broadcasters and publishers can originate live events using Brightcove’s globally distributed architecture, and deliver a high-quality experience to viewers across multiple platforms and devices.

brightcove.com

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Mediasite 8

Mediasite 8 from Sonic Foundry offers new video advancements as well as personalized communication and user engagement tools.

It’s the most scalable version yet, with performance improvements for both live and on-demand video playback worldwide.

Mediasite 8 also has a new video engine designed to support ubiquitous usage, allowing for more efficient storage. It offers a full suite of room-based and desktop software that can automate content in classrooms, training rooms, or board rooms, and its ability to stream third-party sources directly through Mediasite allows you to scale faster and offer more content.

Finally, Mediasite 8 allows organizations to implement new policies designed around their specific content.

mediasite.com

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Makito X4

Haivision’s Makito X4 video encoder is the complete solution for real-time, multi-camera video workflows, providing the quality, flexibility and reliability needed for the most demanding live video transport applications, including the ability to simultaneously stream content to downstream receivers with varying bitrates, codecs, and resolutions. Now featuring SMPTE ST 2110 input support, the Makito X4 can directly connect to central production facilities, cloud resources, or remote locations over public internet connections using the highly reliable and low-latency SRT protocol. Highly portable, extremely secure, and deployed by thousands of users worldwide—the Makito X4 video encoder delivers anywhere latency matters.

haivision.com

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Ultra Low Latency Streaming (ULLS)

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SMP Streaming Media Processors

StreamGuys Ultra Low Latency Streaming (ULLS) is the complete package for delivering a reliable broadcast with minimal delay to your live viewing audience. It begins with support of multiple ingest protocols, including those optimized for low latency: SRT, RTMP, and RIST. Multiple geographically dispersed ingest origins are utilized for redundancy. Adaptive bitrate delivery is available for added resiliency. The end user can watch the lowest-latency stream through a HTML5 web player, a mobile app that supports the SLDP protocol, or an HLScompatible player viewable in any browser.

The result is a premium broadcast with sub-three-second latency and significant scalability for large audiences.

Extron SMP Streaming Media Processors are robust, worry-free recording and streaming appliances for capturing and distributing AV sources and presentations as live and recorded media. Designed to be flexible, customers can easily stream to Wowza, YouTube, Twitch, Vimeo, and more. Extron has worked with Panopto, Kaltura, and YuJa to create unified solutions for AV control, media capture, video content management, and delivery. SMP processors directly integrate into these leading enterprise video platforms to ingest recording schedules for automated recording and content publishing, ad-hoc recording and publishing, and for live streaming applications.

streamguys.com

extron.com

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VIEW Lite

The ClearOne VIEW Lite AVoIP streaming platform delivers high-quality, ultra-low, end-to-end latency AV streaming and distribution over an IP network based on JPEG2000 codec technology. VIEW Lite users can experience up to the ultimate 4:4:4 color space and up to 4K60 resolution.

VIEW Lite provides essential functionality that meets the needs of simple AV over IP applications, while simultaneously delivering superb price-to-performance value.

Solutions in the ClearOne VIEW Lite AVoIP line include the VIEW Lite Encoder EJ100, VIEW Lite Decoder DJ100, and a compact shared controller.

clearone.com

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TVU Channel

TVU Channel is an infrastructure-free, 24/7 channel solution, enabling the user to schedule live and VOD programming from anywhere in the world using a simple web browser. The cloud-based solution can be used for simultaneous playout via a traditional television channel, an OTT channel, a pop-up channel, or directly to social media.

The platform provides extensive support for ad insertion, including scheduled breaks, manual breaks, and full SCTE passthrough.

Direct support from CDN, social media, and online video platforms is available. TVU Channel also interfaces with BFX, Wide Orbit, and most third-party ad scheduling platforms.

tvunetworks.com

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PT-SuperJoy-G1

PTZOptics’ PT-SuperJoy-G1 puts sophisticated multi-camera production control at users’ fingertips, regardless of ability level. The SuperJoy features a PTZ joystick, on-screen display controls, quick camera select buttons, and power over Ethernet support. Flexible and highly configurable, the SuperJoy allows operators to save cameras in unique groups for multicamera shoots, multiple locations, or scene changes. The SuperJoy’s “basic,” “basicplus,” and “matrix” modes disable controls other than position control and presets, offering novice users straightforward production control. Volunteer friendly but powerful enough for the pros, this full studio control in a single joystick is an ideal choice for production crews looking to improve workflow and streamline production processes.

ptzoptics.com

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