TV Tech 494 - Feb 2024 by Future PLC

Welcome to the February 2024 issue of

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www.tvtech.com | February 2024

equipment guide signal conversion, cellular ENG & satellite

On-Set Virtual Production

Democratizing the technology

contents

February 2024 volume 42, issue 2

Tech Gains Strengthen the Case for On-Set Virtual Production

The tech is there, but is the expertise? By Fred Dawson

Sports Audio: Closing in on the Action

What are the ingredients that make a successful audio broadcast? By Christian Scheck

Is SMPTE ST 2110 the Future of Your Facility? Manufacturers increase their IP offerings, big facilities climb aboard By Bob Kovacs

20 Lights for Anchor Comfort:

equipment guide

An Approach to Easing News Desk Eye Strain

user reports signal conversion/cellular eng & satellite

When it’s a contrast rather than a brightness problem By Bruce Aleksander

22 Challenges in Cloud

Computing for the Future Data breaches continue to be a significant threat By Karl Paulsen

Cover: A scene from Disney’s “Light & Magic” Photo credit: Walt Disney Co.

in the news

• ENCO • Blackmagic Design • Comrex • Sony • Multidyne • Riedel

eye on tech

people

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editor’s note

The NFL and the Impact of Cord Cutting If there was any doubt about how cord cutting has impacted the pay-TV industry, the NFL removed all of that in early January. Of course I’m talking about the NFL Wild Card matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins on Jan. 14. NBC, which had the rights to carry the game, had previously negotiated with the NFL in a $110 million deal to exclusively show the game on its Peacock streaming service (it was broadcast on NBC in Kansas City and Miami). Although this was not the first “streaming exclusive,” it was the first playoff exclusive. The NFL loves streaming and who can blame them? What they don’t like is cord cutting and one could rightfully argue that the impact of this slow but steady decrease in pay-TV subscriptions was laid bare last month. Broadcasters also love streaming, but the efforts to build a streaming empire are far harder than the old days when it was often joked that having a local TV station was like a “license to print money.” And that’s why NBC parent Comcast was willing to take this step, which, needless to say, alienated the most vocal of football fans. At press time, Comcast had not released any signup numbers but in terms of subscription figures, Peacock ranked #7 in the top 10 streaming services with 28 million subscribers, prior to the game. That’s less than half of its CBS competitor Paramount+, which has nearly 64 million. We’re not going to argue over whether or not the gamble was worth it. Pay-TV is in the doldrums—as of 2022, there were 70.3 million, comprising only 46.8% of U.S. homes with a cable, satellite or telco TV subscription, according to Digital Trends. That’s down from 54.8% in 2021. Cord cutting has decimated the pay-TV sector; but most of those viewers are not cutting TV altogether; they’re hanging on to their broadband subscriptions and some are even using (gasp!) antennas. NBC (and more importantly the NFL) think the strategy was worth it and that’s all that matters at this point. After the game, the network claimed the live streaming crown, announcing that the game was the most-streamed live event in U.S. history, garnering 26.6 million viewers (as opposed to “unique views”), according to Nielsen. Although the nearly 27 million viewers is 6% higher than the same NFL matchup that was broadcast in 2023, it was also the least viewed NFL game of the weekend and according to one analyst, cost NBC a potential extra 10 million viewers. But let’s not get too alarmist about this. The NFL has contracts with broadcasters through 2032 and broadcast still brings more eyeballs than anywhere else. Of the top 100 broadcasts in the 2022–2023 season, 82 were NFL games. The NFL (especially the Super Bowl) isn’t leaving “traditional TV” anytime soon. And while the NFL couldn’t survive without television, traditional TV—despite cord cutting— will. But for the future, expect to see a lot more “experimentation” with hybrid telecasts. The NFL is not the behemoth that ate television (yet), but it will continue to nibble at the edges. Tom Butts Content Director tom.butts@futurenet.com

In Memoriam: Frank Beacham 1948–2023 Frank Beacham, author of TV Tech’s Media Tech column, passed away on Dec. 12 after complications from a medical procedure. He was 75. Frank was a lifelong journalist who covered much of the technology that shaped the TV and film industry over the past half century. He was among the first users of Sony’s revolutionary Betacam camera (on “Lifestyles of the Rich

Februay 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

Vol. 42 No. 2 | February 2024 FOLLOW US

www.tvtech.com twitter.com/tvtechnology CONTENT Content Director Tom Butts, tom.butts@futurenet.com Content Manager Terry Scutt, terry.scutt@futurenet.com Senior Content Producer George Winslow, george.winslow@futurenet.com Contributors: Gary Arlen, James Careless, Fred Dawson, Kevin Hilton, Craig Johnston, Bob Kovacs and Mark R. Smith Production Managers: Heather Tatrow, Nicole Schilling Managing Design Director: Nicole Cobban Art Directors: Anthony Wuillaume, Cliff Newman ADVERTISING SALES Managing Vice President of Sales, B2B Tech Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE To subscribe, change your address, or check on your current account status, go to www.tvtechnology.com and click on About Us, email futureplc@computerfulfillment.com, call 888-266-5828, or write P.O. Box 8692, Lowell, MA 01853. LICENSING/REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS TV Technology is available for licensing. Contact the Licensing team to discuss partnership opportunities. Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw licensing@futurenet.com MANAGEMENT SVP Wealth, B2B and Events Sarah Rees MD, B2B Tech & Entertainment Brands, Carmel King 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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and Famous”) and was also a producer on the 1999 film “Cradle Will Rock.” Frank wrote for TV Tech for nearly 30 years and in 2001, was instrumental in helping TV Tech document the aftermath of the 9/11 Future plc isefforts a public Chief Executive Zillah Byng-Thorne attacks and broadcasters’ to re-Non-Executive company quoted on the Chairman Richard Huntingford London Stock Chief Financial and Strategy Officer Penny Ladkin-Brand store over the air broadcasting inExchange New York. (symbol: FUTR) Future plc is a public www.futureplc.com Tel +44 (0)1225 company quoted on442 the 244 Our condolences to Frank and his family. London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR) He will be greatly missed. www.futureplc.com

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Chief Executive Officer Jon Steinberg Non-Executive Chairman Richard Huntingford Chief Financial and Strategy Officer Penny Ladkin-Brand

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in the news Peacock Claims Live Streaming Crown After NFL Playoff

Strikes Drop LA Film/TV Production to Near Record Lows Labor strikes in 2023 by WGA and SAG-AFTRA pushed L.A. film and TV production down by 36.4% in Q4 of 2023 year-over-year, and for all of 2023 was down by 32.4% YoY, according to a new report from FilmLA, partner film office for the City and County of Los Angeles and other local jurisdictions. “History offers no point of comparison to the present,” observed FilmLA President Paul Audley. “The pandemic year aside, we have to look very far back—farther back than permit records allow—to find a time when production levels stayed so low, for so long.” “Everyone we are speaking to is eager to see production resume,” Audley added, “Even as it does, we’ll remain in uncharted

territory. We have months to go before we can describe what the new normal looks like for filming in LA.” The report noted that the conclusion of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA work actions on Sept. 27 and Nov. 9, respectively, came too late for production to pick up by year’s end. Local on-location filming declined steeply in the fourth quarter, with 5,520 Shoot Days (SD) logged for a 36.4% decline against the same period in 2022. Viewed on an annual basis, summing four consecutive quarters of double-digit decline, production activity fell by 32.4% year-over-year in 2023, to 24,873 SD. Most television production that has taken place since May came from reality series, the report said. George Winslow

Comcast announced that its exclusive showing of the NFL Wild Card game between the Miami Dolphins and defending champions Kansas City Chiefs on its Peacock streaming service last month was the largest live streaming event in U.S. history and breaking the record for the largest internet traffic usage on a single day, consuming 30% of internet traffic during the game. In all, the game—which Comcast dished out $110 million to the NFL to exclusively stream—reached 27.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen, 6% more viewers than last year's primetime AFC Wild Card contest, which garnered an average 21.8 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital and NFL Digital, NBC said. Considering the NFL’s massive popularity, particularly during the playoffs, the numbers are hardly surprising. This wasn't the first "exclusive" for Peacock, which exclusively streamed the regular season NFL matchup between the L.A. Chargers and the Buffalo Bills in December—but that was during the regular season and wasn't an all important playoff. At press time, Comcast had not reported how many subscriptions resulted from the Saturday night game, which was simulcast live on NBC in Miami and Kansas City. Tom Butts

NAB President LeGeyt Asks Congress to ‘Keep a Close Eye’ on AI In testimony in front of Congress last month, NAB President Curtis LeGeyt warned lawmakers that while the increasing use of artificial intelligence could help broadcasters better inform consumers, they need to keep a “close eye” on its risks, particularly in terms of copyright and misinformation. Speaking to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, LeGeyt cited numerous studies showing local TV and radio broadcasters the most trusted source of news and information in local communities, adding that AI has great potential in helping broadcasters make news more accurate and accessible. “One broadcaster is piloting a tool that will use AI to quickly cull through inbound tips from email and social media to produce recommendations that they can verify and turn into impactful stories,” LeGeyt told the committee. “Other broadcasters are

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

using AI to translate their stories into other languages to better serve diverse audiences. When AI can help these local journalists— real people—perform their jobs in their communities, we welcome it.” Nevertheless concerns over the use of AI to violate copyright laws and promote misinformation are well known and make broadcasters more vulnerable when AI is used illegally, LeGeyt said. “The use of broadcasters’ news content in AI models, without authorization, diminishes our audience trust and our reinvestment in local news,” LeGeyt said, citing a recent example of a West Virginia TV station having its news content lifted word for word by an

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unidentified “well-known” AI without its knowledge or consent. “Not only are broadcasters losing out on compensation, but this unauthorized usage risks undermining trust as stations lose control over how their content is used and whether it is integrated with other unverified information,” LeGeyt added. LeGeyt also warned about the use of AI to mimic the likenesses of TV or radio personalities to make it appear that they are spreading misinformation, hatred, perpetuating fraud, and even altering the image of a well-known anchor to advertise or promote something without their knowledge or consent. Tom Butts

in the news

Study: YouTube TV Tops List Of Services People May Cancel Streaming platforms are not immune to churn and new research identifies the top five platforms people may drop—with YouTube TV leading the list. QR Code Generator Hub, an online QR generation service, conducted the study. It looked at search volumes in the United States using Google Keyword Planner to identify which service users wish to delete. The findings are based on combined average monthly search volume for terms like “how to unsubscribe from X” platform and “delete account X.” YouTube TV led the list of services people wish to jettison with 35,494 monthly searches on terminating accounts. Netflix

was next, with 10,160 monthly searches, followed by Hulu with 5,350, Crunchyroll with 5,150 and Disney+ with 3,557. “Our QR Codes are often used in TV content, which is why at QR Code Generator Hub we track the evolving TV and streaming landscape closely. The initial attraction of streaming platforms, promising limitless access to an array of content, has given way to a growing trend where users are actively reconsidering subscriptions,” said QR Code Generator Hub’s Jonathan Palley. “Features such as the introduction of ads on paid accounts and regular price rises for premium subscriptions have led to many customers deciding to cancel their

accounts.," he added. "These findings offer an interesting insight into which streaming services are losing the most customers, with YouTube TV taking the top spot." Since it launched in 2017 for $35, YouTube TV has more than doubled its monthly subscription rate to its current $73.

Phil Kurz

OPINION

David Smith’s Purchase Of Baltimore Sun Could Have Important NextGen TV Ramifications

ews that David D. Smith, executive chairman of Sinclair Inc., purchased Baltimore Sun Media from Alden Global Capital in midJanuary surprised many, including yours truly. After all, print journalism is supposed to be in a state somewhere between life support and a death rattle (and that’s coming from a Phil Kurz print journalist). Baltimore lighthouse since July 2021. But Smith, a local businessman, reportedly Plus, the broadcast group’s full-power WJLA sees value in the Baltimore Sun and its other and Class A LPTV WIAV in Washington, D.C., media properties, which include The Capital are on air with ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV. and Maryland Gazette newspapers in AnnapIs it unreasonable to think that as more 3.0 olis, the Carroll County Times, the Howard sticks come online and broadcasters get some County Times and the Towson Times. A WashNextGen TV breathing room that leveraging ington Post story on the sale quotes Smith some of the finer points of the standard, such as saying: “I think the paper can be hugely as Layered Division Multiplexing (LDM) and profitable and successful and serve a greater single frequency networks (SFNs), won’t begin public interest over time.” to surface? To be clear, Smith reportedly bought the Together these technologies can power paper with his own money—not Sinclair’s. hyperlocalized broadcasting—yes, over-the-air However, various stories on the acquisition television broadcasting—from a technological report there could be future partnerships or point of view. What’s missing from this scecollaborations with WBFF, Sinclair’s Fox affilinario is hyperlocalized content—in the form of ate in Baltimore. news and advertising. Here’s where the acquisition may get Remember, Sinclair is already on air with an interesting for the broadcast industry. WBFF SFN in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. area has been on-air with ATSC 3.0 as part of the and is at work “densifying” the deployment of

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

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SFN transmitters and antennas there—just the thing the group needs to support hyperlocalization from a transmission point of view. Perhaps Smith can leverage his newly acquired newsrooms, the natural news sense and newsmaker contacts of their “hyperlocal” beat reporters as well as the ad sales force of the Baltimore Sun and its suburban papers to fuel geo-targeted television news content and equally targeted commercials on this SFN. Scott Livingston, senior vice president of news at Sinclair, has frequently discussed the broadcast group’s desire to “embed” reporters and news shooters more deeply into the community to generate stories that speak better to the people who live there. This desire, the technical capabilities of 3.0 and Smith’s acquisition seem to be aligning in a way that sets the stage to make this vision for NextGen TV a reality. Stay tuned.

advanced production

Tech Gains Strengthen the Case for On-Set Virtual Production The tech is there, but is the expertise?

Sony’s modular Crystal LED VERONA video walls achieve true black levels and reduce reflections, as shown in this in-camera VFX production.

robotic cameras, 3D extended reality (XR) objects, lighting that illuminates the physical space in synh with on-screen luminosity, and much else.

By Fred Dawson

Recent innovations in live on-set virtual production (OSVP) have gone a long way toward addressing concerns about workforce skillsets and costs fueling producers’ lingering resistance to upending old ways of doing things. As 2024 gets underway, the gains are impacting progress at both ends of the production spectrum and all points in between. At the high end, content producers now have access to an unprecedented array of purpose-built OSVP studios in the United States and beyond, many of which just came into operation over the past year or so. Featuring massively scalable LED volumes, these facilities are supporting projects that routinely set new OSVP benchmarks for use case versatility in film, broadcast, and ad productions. Meanwhile, in-house productions are making use of LED wall building blocks linked to camera-to-computer rendering “cabinets” that can be stacked to support virtually any volume space. Workflow management systems harmonize dynamic elements across the physical and virtual spaces, including

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

PROCEDURAL AND COST CONCERNS But, for all these gains, the next-gen approach to VP can still be a hard sell when it comes to convincing project managers to relinquish heavy reliance on postproduction in favor of spending upfront on expertise and technology that significantly reduces the need for location-based production. The point is made by Gary Adcock,

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a leading voice in next-gen VP production who leverages expertise in lens and camera manufacturing to help producers navigate tough use cases. Adcock says it’s often hard for people to embrace the idea of basing production on a roadmap that front ends preparations for dealing with all the nuances of visual effects, coloration, lighting, etc. that have traditionally been reserved for post. “You have to think about what the end point is and work backwards to make sure what you’re setting up in VP will take you there,” Adcock explains. “For people who have spent a long time in film, that can be a hard transition to make.” Especially when they must get budgetary approval to cover the upfront costs. “Our rough planning is every three meters of wall has its own computer rendering system,” Adcock explains. “When you start getting into 100-meter walls and every three meters you have to do that, all of a sudden you have a tremendously expensive outlay for computer systems.” Those devices can run $25,000 to $40,000 each or more, he notes. And then there’s the cost of licensing and running in-camera VFX software such as the commonly used Epic Games-supplied Unreal Engine, which combines, compresses, unifies frame rates, and parses out the moment-to-moment scene-specific raw CGI and camera-captured video footage for synchronized rendering on

“We’ve gotten to the point where we can mimic the reality of the world in a way that’s necessary for the types of things that are done for filming and television.” —GARY ADCOCK

advanced production each wall segment. But such costs pale next to what it can cost for a location-based shoot, especially if the in-camera VFX approach can deliver truly realistic visuals that would otherwise be impossible. For example, Adcock notes, no one can tell there are no real cars involved in the climatic wild car chase at the end of “The Batman,” released in 2022. “We’ve gotten to the point where we can mimic the reality of the world in a way that’s necessary for the types of things that are done for filming and television,” he says.

RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES On top of these incremental costs, there’s a need to hire people with new skillsets and/or retrain existing staff to work in this new environment. This is made harder by the difficulties the industry is having with bringing new people on board, notes Ray Ratliff, evangelist for Vizrt products utilizing extended reality (XR) that have helped propel the company to the forefront in next-gen VP. “A significant challenge to the industry is the lack of new people joining the broadcast engineering workforce,” Ratliff says. He knows this from first-hand experience with customers whose leaders “share the challenges of recruiting new talent from universities and broadcast-adjacent technology fields.” Vizrt is doing its part to remedy the situation, Ratliff adds. “Vizrt works with universities in many parts of the world to expose technology students to the broadcast field and nurture their interest in the field,” he says. “We also have opportunities for internships and development programs that we are also in discussions to expand to further support building the broadcast engineering talent pipeline.”

AI TO THE RESCUE The heavy lifting is getting less burdensome thanks to advances in the use of AI, which Ratliff says Vizrt is leveraging “to eliminate complexity and bring more value to our customers.” One of the more dramatic cases in point involves a solution to one of the most vexing issues with in-camera VFX, namely, enabling realistic immersion of on-screen personalities into the virtual environment. Vizrt’s latest version of its Viz Engine real-time graphics rendering platform incorporates a new AI-driven function called “Reality Connect” into its workflows. Utilizing AI algorithms in conjunction with continuously updated 3D models of people

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

Vizrt's Reality Connect, part of Viz Engine 5.1, is powered by Viz AI, using advanced AI algorithms to enable hyper-realistic talent immersion, including shadow casting and reflections within virtual studios and XR sets.

on set enabled by Viz Engine’s integration with Unreal Engine, the solution delivers “significant improvements in reflections and shadow in the virtual environment,” Ratliff says. AI is providing many other ways to save staff time and reduce the level of expertise required to execute tasks. For example, Vizrt is using the technology to track objects in a scene, obviating the need to implement multilayer tracking systems. Ratliff also points to the recently introduced Adaptive Graphics tool, which eliminates the need to manually configure graphics for each type of display used in a production by allowing designers to build a graphic once and set parameters for automatic adaptation to different displays.

BUILDING OSVP EXPERTISE But even with such advances there remains a big gap to be filled when it comes to muchneeded OSVP expertise. Closing that gap is a front-burner priority at Sony Electronics (SE) and Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), according to Jamie Raffone, senior manager of cinematic production at SE. The two divisions are teamed using SE components to support in-camera VFX on Sony Innovation Studio’s Stage 7, a giant volume facility at SPE’s Culver City, Calif. production lot under management of Sony’s Pixomondo (PXO) unit. “Everybody [in production] wants to understand not just what the costs are but what it takes to make use of this technology,” Raffone says. It’s not just a matter of retraining personnel, which is essential; it’s also about educating decision makers, she notes. “There’s not a single role that says

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‘yes’ or ‘no’” to using volume facilities in production,” she says. There needs to be decision-making expertise at multiple levels of management, “from vice presidents to directors to producers to people overseeing corporate investments.” At the ground level, once a go decision is made, there’s a need for knowledgeable oversight that “starts with script evaluation and getting the staff together to execute the project.” Sony is playing an active role in filling these knowledge gaps, Raffone adds. “Sony is aligning with specific workflow integrators, designers, and consultants, so that when a company wants to use the Sony ecosystem, they have a partner guiding them through the entire workflow. There’s so much more to this than buying equipment.”

SIMPLIFYING BROADCASTERS' USE OF OSVP Making the right equipment choices is fundamental to expanding OSVP adoption. Looking at how this point has resonated in the live broadcasting arena, Mike Paquin, senior product manager for virtual solutions at Ross Video, says use of the technology “is starting to become more mainstream, in part because we’re making it more user friendly.” Automated orchestration of components is a big part of this, he adds. Under the command of Ross’s widely used Overdrive automated production control system, the company’s VP controller Lucid orchestrates every in-house or third-party component that’s been integrated to operate in the VP workflow, including switchers, robotic cameras, graphics platforms, and Ross’s Unreal-powered Voyager XR rendering system. With its acquisition of G3 LED in 2021, Ross also became a leading supplier of LED panels that can be seamlessly stacked for use in any scenario, including giant volumes with pixel pitches as small as 1.56 mm encompassing floors, walls and ceilings. “We’re one stop,” Paquin says, “the only things we don’t provide are lenses and cameras.” These integrated solutions have gone a long way toward simplifying OSVP for broadcasters, Paquin notes. “We’re helping people do stuff every day without an army of people,” he says. “Instead of needing one studio for the new set, another for sports, separate ones you have to set up for special events, you can flip a whole set from one use to another during a commercial break.” Will in-camera VFX be the live broadcasting norm everywhere in two or three years? “That’s my goal,” Paquin says. l

immersive experiences

Sports Audio: Closing in on the Action What are the ingredients that make a successful audio broadcast?

Receiving and distributing the audio and video for seven concurrent matches from as many venues—thanks to IP

By Christian Scheck

W hile sports broadcasts are a good way to attract eyeballs and advertising dollars, broadcasters and service providers nevertheless need to ensure that younger viewers also tune in. To this end, broadcasters have implemented several strategies. AI, VR and perhaps even interactive tools are used to keep the coverage interesting, there have been trials with kid reporters to engage both young and old, some of which actually worked, the gamification of live events is becoming a topic, and much more. Even though discussing these various approaches would be fascinating, let us agree to focus on how audio can contribute to an all-round immersive and entertaining experience. Live performances by famous artists during breaks are no longer restricted to finals and other major events that happen only so often throughout the year. Increasingly, the entertainment component is being leveraged to create holistic experiences.

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

TWO THINGS AT ONCE

IMMERSE YOURSELF

Handling high-quality intermissions both at the venue and for the viewers at home often involves two audio mixing consoles—one for the broadcast content, the other for the performance. Although nothing should keep sound supervisors from using consoles of different brands, i.e. specialists for the task at hand, leveraging the synergy effects of a one-brand setup inevitably makes more sense and keeps both the workflow and the budget manageable. Provided, that is, the selected setup offers all the tools operators expect for live performances and an equally compelling feature set for broadcast applications. Consoles that convincingly cater to both applications are few and far between. But they exist and are the weapon of choice for those who continually refine their workflows and like to keep all options open, especially since the 1U processing core to which they are connected is able to accommodate up to 32 hardware and software mixers, or a mix of both.

Immersive audio is on the rise everywhere as it enhances the experience where viewers could swear that they have the best seat at the venue. And just in case you thought this approach wasn’t possible; quite a few sound supervisors work remotely and thus don’t need to travel to the venue or the production hub while still ensuring high-quality immersive audio content delivery. In Europe, fixed remote audio control rooms are used to provide 5.1.4 mixes for sporting events that take place at a venue that is often hundreds of miles away. This is made possible by the fact that a remote mixing workflow allows sound supervisors to make better choices regarding channel separation because they can go about their work unaffected by the background noise at the venue—the SMPTE ST 2110/RAVENNAbased IP technology employed allows them to transmit and receive audio streams over a wide-area network. Latency is not an issue either, firstly because audio streams are comparatively small and travel fast, and secondly because

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immersive experiences CRISP, IMMEDIATE SOUND

Christian Scheck

the audio data being mixed does not need to travel to the remote audio control room (RACR) and back to the venue. With a Lawo mc²/A__UHD Core setup, sound supervisors only hear the result of their mixes, which means that only a small number of stems or busses need to be transmitted to the control room. There is no need to send them back to the DSP processor. This is because the console surface is, in fact, a sophisticated remote controller that sends commands to the processor, which does the number crunching and generates the intended audio result. Immersive, and soon also next-generation, audio has become popular thanks mainly to the emergence of relatively inexpensive and space-saving sound bars, and because immersive sound is supported by mobile devices and the headphones connected to them. Another creative option offered by immersive audio is that a sound supervisor can prepare several so-called presentations, i.e. “mix versions.” In this way, pubs and bars can tune in to the pub presentation that may or may not contain the commentary signal and only a slight amount of stadium roars and other ambient noises. The important sound effects—groaning players, ball noises, referee/umpire action, coach input—are still there, of course. For public viewing opportunities, a different presentation can be envisaged where the fans of team A are audible on the left side, and the ones of team B on the right, for example. Obviously, the more presentations there are, the busier the A1 or one of his assistants will be, because each rendition needs to be checked at regular intervals.

One way to make the audio even more compelling has been in use for quite a few years now. Mandatory in several European countries and for international soccer games, it involves a Lawo’s KICK software which receives commands from a tracking system and converts them to instructions for the desk’s automix functionality. The system is based on placing microphones around the field of play whose level changes as the action moves to a different area. The goal here is to deliver crisp ball, kick, or hit noises—depending on the sport—as well as discussions among players and referees. Thanks to sophisticated algorithms and the console’s quality, this system delivers superb results without any phasing and unnatural level jumps while, at the same time, keeping the ambient noises picked up by the pitch microphones at a consistently low level. In countries and sports where this poses no privacy challenges, operators have begun using on-body microphones for players and other relevant individuals, in an attempt to further boost the immediacy factor and the thrill of removing the last mile, so to speak, thus allowing viewers to hear individual players breathe, sigh, and so on. This again requires a high degree of clean, responsive console automation that works alongside the section (or group) used for the field-of-play noises. It probably needs to be

based on a logic that ensures that only the clip-on signals of persons viewers see on screen are audible. To what extent this can be implemented in an intelligible way—and to which end—is being debated. After all, nobody wants to return to a situation where there are too many sources contributing simultaneously, which would lead to a messy result.

IT’S ALL ABOUT AESTHETICS The availability of the tools for an even more immediate audio delivery for viewers at home does not automatically mean that the results will be brilliant. Shaping the wealth of audio sources into a coherent experience where every part contributes something that would be missed if removed, or absent, requires sound supervisors who know exactly what they want to achieve, and how. Just like for immersive audio, someone needs to decide what the big picture should convey, and in what way—and it had better not be the ones who consume the content as too many options usually lead to confusion. In any case, much of what is needed to further refine content delivery is already in place and can be tweaked via software updates that add more value not only to the mixing system, thus future-proofing your investment, but also to the storytelling as such. l Christian Scheck is head of marketing content for Lawo.

Audio control room where the 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos audio is mixed for an OB truck somewhere in Europe twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | February 2024

ip transition

Is SMPTE ST 2110 the Future of Your Facility? Manufacturers increase their IP offerings; big facilities climb aboard

Pac-12 Control Room In San Francisco, built by Advanced Systems Group

By Bob Kovacs

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers is a highly respected organization that works to establish technical frameworks for the creation and distribution of films and television programs. Although it is not the only group involved in broadcast standards, some of its good works involve such critical signal distribution standards as the Serial Digital Interface (SDI), ST 2022 and ST 2110. SDI, first defined in 1989, remains a popular and reliable method of transporting high-quality video signals from point-topoint within a facility or field production. (The current version of SDI is “SMPTE ST 2083.”) However, since 1989, our world has become increasingly data-oriented and it soon became obvious that transporting broadcast-quality video signals over IP networks was both necessary and advantageous. SMPTE’s first standard to marry SDI video with IT was the ST 2022 standard. “When the need for uncompressed IP networks in live TV production arose, companies turned to the SMPTE ST 2022 family of standards, the online media-over-IP standard

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

available at SMPTE, to build infrastructure,” said Thomas Bause Mason, SMPTE director of standards development. “SMPTE ST 2022 was designed for content contribution, and was not well-suited for live TV production. A better standard needed to be created that reflected the needs of live TV production.” That standard is ST 2110. First published in 2017, it is catching on quickly. “When it comes to large-scale

Thomas Bause Mason, SMPTE director of standards development

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infrastructure, almost all new facilities built [that have] IP networks for production are using SMPTE ST 2110,” Mason said. “SMPTE ST 2110 was also greatly adopted by equipment manufacturers, and SMPTE ST 2110 products are widely available.”

CORE PARTS ARE DONE The core parts of the SMPTE ST 2110 standards family are done and were published starting in 2017, Mason said. Since then, all documents in the family except for one (ST 2110-30) went through revisions to clarify their provisions and to fix minor issues, while considering compatibility with existing implementations. These revisions were published in 2023. (SMPTE recently announced that SMPTE Standards will now be available at smpte.org to members at no additional cost.) Perhaps the biggest benefit of using ST 2110 is that it uses standard IP networks. This has many advantages, including a large body of IP specialists that can build and maintain such networks. Another big advantage is that high-speed networks suitable for live television use commercial-off-the-shelf products that are relatively common and inexpensive. SDI, as well as it works, is for television

ip transition only. SMPTE ST 2110 uses what the rest of the world uses. Manufacturers are wasting no time building products compatible with the ST 2110 standard. “Imagine has introduced SMPTE ST 2110 technology into almost every product family in our line,” said John Mailhot, CTO for infrastructure at Imagine Communications. “We see ST 2110 as the basis of design for almost every large media project in our pipeline, and even small/medium facilities are seriously considering the redundancy and scalability advantages of an ST 2110 approach.” Mailhot said that Imagine’s Selenio Network Processor uses SMPTE ST 2110 to carry up to eight uncompressed UHD signals in each direction over 100G network interfaces, alongside their related audio and ANC components. This consolidation reduces the amount of cable (fiber) and the associated construction and project management time significantly. “The ability to pick-and-choose from a marketplace of QSFP [quad small form factor pluggable] optical power options ensures that 100G [and 400G] IP connections can reach

even the farthest corners of large facilities or even campuses,” he said. “In university settings, we are able to run 100G network connections between sports facilities on opposite corners of large campuses, building consolidated production environments that would have been much more expensive and difficult using traditional SDI approaches.”

LAUNCHING PRODUCTS

John Mailhot, CTO for infrastructure at Imagine Communications

“We see ST 2110 as the basis of design for almost every large media project in our pipeline.” JOHN MAILHOT, IMAGINE COMMUNICATIONS

Blackmagic Design launched two products last year using the SMPTE ST 2110 standard: the 2110 IP Converter and the DeckLink IP. The 2110 IP Converter 3x3G is a rackmount converter that converts 3G-SDI devices to 2110 IP broadcast systems, and the DeckLink IP is a family of three PCIe cards that capture and playback 10-bit uncompressed, broadcast-quality video directly into ST 2110 IP-based broadcast systems. “Blackmagic Design views ST 2110 as an important tool for the industry,” said Dave Hoffman, business development manager for Blackmagic Design. “From a simplicity and flexibility standpoint, ST 2110 creates a universal language we can all speak and work in.”

ip transition

Identifying What’s 2110-Compliant The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) is a non-profit organization founded by leading manufacturers to promote the adoption of standards as the industry transitions toward an IP future. AIMS has cataloged nearly 300 products related to SMPTE ST 2110 from 45 manufacturers (available at https://solutions.aimsalliance.org/). “Originally a specialized solution for high-end or spatially constrained projects, SMPTE ST 2110 has evolved into the primary choice for designers building reliable, scalable IP-based systems,” said Andrew Starks, marketing working group chair for AIMS. “There is a tremendous innovation happening within the SMPTE ST 2110 community.” Does this mean that the industry is rolling toward a future that is all IP and does not use SDI? “SDI’s affordability, industry-wide familiarity, and proven reliability ensure its continued relevance,” Starks said. “Presently, most SMPTE ST 2110 systems incorporate some level of SDI integration, acknowledging its practicality and the need to support legacy equipment. “This reality underscores the importance of interoperability between SDI and SMPTE ST 2110,” Starks added. “Such interoperability influenced key aspects of ST 2110’s design, notably in the handling of ancillary data (ST 2110-40). As SMPTE ST 2110 equipment becomes more affordable, and as the industry gains more tools and expertise in managing IP media networks, we anticipate a shift towards predominantly IP-based systems.” The economy, familiarity and ever-growing capacity of IP networks make them a natural medium for carrying television signals. As SMPTE ST 2110 takes hold and more products are exposed to more people, expect to see ST 2110 forming the backbone of an increasing number of facilities.

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

Hoffman pointed out the features that make the company’s 2110 IP converter the right fit for many applications. “Unlike using an array of miniconverters, the Blackmagic 2110 IP Converter 3x3G is rack-mountable and includes a front panel with an LCD, so users can walk up and change settings at any time,” he said. “The front-panel LCD also has the benefit of allowing live video monitoring of all input and output channels. Plus, the LCD includes network diagnostic tools to assist in troubleshooting issues in complex 2110 IP broadcast systems.” Matrox Video offers both point-of-use ST 2110 converters as well as ST 2110 network adapters for OEM applications. “ST 2110 is important for broadcasters, venue and stadium operators, and other media companies seeking to move to ITbased production workflows,” said Francesco Scartozzi, vice president of sales and business development for Matrox Video. “As an open SMPTE standard, like SDI, customers can choose best-of-breed products from their preferred vendor and maintain compatibility. ST 2110 production workflows use general-purpose networking equipment, which means users can easily upgrade an ST 2110

Francesco Scartozzi, vice president of sales and business development for Matrox Video

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Canadian public broadcaster CBC’s audio IP control room

network from 10GigE to 25GigE, and even (in the future) to 100GigE without changing the whole infrastructure.” Scartozzi said that another advantage ST 2110 offers is its ability to process video, audio and auxiliary data streams separately, depending on the capacity of the network. For example, with the right network connection, one Matrox ST 2110 NIC can support up to four 25 Gbps links and can process up to 32 channels of HD with full redundancy enabled. “Matrox Video is an expert in ST 2110 and supported the standard before its SMPTE ratification,” he said. “We provide components to OEMs, who then build end-user products for media production, and are being used in ST 2110 productions worldwide today. The knowledge and expertise we gained during the development of ST 2110 OEM network cards has been poured into Matrox ConvertIP, which converts 3G/12G SDI to/from ST 2110. This lets broadcasters work with baseband signals inside their IP video network, and display ST 2110 on SDI/HDMI monitors.”

MANUFACTURER AGNOSTIC Chris Scheck, head of marketing content at Lawo, pointed out that an advantage of ST 2110 is that it is manufacturer-agnostic. That means customers can pick the best gear for their operations and production workflow, and avoid being locked into any particular manufacturer’s equipment universe. A recent addition to Lawo’s IP-native product portfolio is .edge, its hyper-density SDI/ IP conversion and routing platform with up to 192 SDI connectors on 2RU. “We recently introduced HOME Apps for server-based multiviewer generation, up/down/ cross conversion, stream transcoding and graphics insertion,” Scheck said. “A lot more HOME Apps are on the roadmap, some of which

ip transition will be introduced over the coming months.” Scheck said that both these product lines feature JPEG XS compression and decompression for lossless, yet bandwidth-saving stream transport. On top of that, Lawo’s HOME Apps support NDI, SRT, H.26x, and will support more formats/protocols as soon as they become relevant.

PAC-12’S NEW 2110 FACILITY ST 2110 is making strides in the real world of big-time sports production as well. The Pac-12 Network, a major collegiate sports producer on the west coast, recently fired up a 42,000 square-foot broadcast and production

facility that it will use for production of more than 850 live events each year. The Pac-12 Network system, designed and installed by Advanced Systems Group, uses a hub-and-spoke design where content acquired at the sports venues is backhauled to control rooms in San Francisco. This model reduces onsite staff and minimizes reliance on costly mobile trucks. Pac-12 also exploited the universities’ existing Internet 2 IP backbone for A/V transport and centralized production, creating the largest private IP network in the U.S. dedicated to sports. Pac-12 selected the Imagine Magellan control system for IP routing,

Blackmagic Design’s 2110 IP Converter

control and monitoring, and Arista highspeed Ethernet switches. Imagine’s Magellan formed the ST 2110 orchestration backbone of the facility, while Arista’s switching and routing is the core transport component. There were many other vendors involved in the Pac-12 build, including Calrec Artemis audio consoles, Grass Valley K-Frame video switchers, Ross XPression graphics, Evertz Dreamcatcher replay systems, just to name a few. The audio in the Pac-12 Netword system is AES67, a standard for audio-over-IP that’s part of the ST 2110 protocol. Interoperability between the two is paramount, and requires careful network orchestration so that the two transports are handled separately and all I/O’s align properly. “Implementing audio redundancy within an IP infrastructure is not a trivial undertaking,” said Dave Van Hoy, president of Advanced Systems Group. “We got caught in a couple of places where those became very interesting challenges. Everything worked out, with many thanks to the impressive cooperation of the Calrec, ASG and Imagine teams. It was definitely a learning lesson.” l

twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | January 2024

lighting technology

Lights for Anchor Comfort: An Approach to Easing News Desk Eye Strain When it’s a contrast rather than a brightness problem

Credit: Getty images (JGI/Jamie Grill)

properly. What I’ve come to ighting experts approach realize is that every legitimate their work in much the complaint should be welcomed same way physicians as useful information in a puzzle do. Both use an Empirthat needs to be solved. And who ical-Rational approach, which doesn’t enjoy unraveling a good has guided medical professionals mystery? However, as Agatha since the days of ancient Greece. Christie would note, things The method involves first listenaren’t always as they appear. In ing to the patient’s (or client’s) one case, insistent calls from complaint and observing the a general manager about “bad problem, then, through the lens EXPERTISE lighting” turned out to be a of a well-informed and specialBRUCE poorly adjusted monitor in their ized insight, they diagnose the ALEKSANDER office. The resolution required cause of the problem. Assuming more diplomatic tact than a cure is achievable, they then lighting skills. recommended a course of treatment to correct The reports that I get about lighting the problem. This approach works for almost problems often include images, which attest anything. to something gone wrong. They typically Since lighting problems, unlike some come from news directors and chief engineers physical maladies, don’t heal themselves, who know what they’re talking about. An nothing gets resolved until someone first interesting common thread is that the initial notices the problem and reports it. If you complaint often originates from on-camera don’t have someone on staff who regularly talent. checks the lighting, there’s another dependable source who will probably tell you when something’s not right—the anchors. VIEWER SCRUTINY I’m certainly guilty of delivering an eye-roll Anchors are good at spotting problems. upon hearing a complaint instead of listening They’re the proverbial “canary in the coal

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

twitter.com/tvtechnology

mine,” providing a warning system for spotting problems. With an understandable pinch of self-interest, anchors care about how they look because their audience cares. Loyal viewers can spot (and will complain about) a hair out of place on a wide shot. This level of scrutiny can spot problems that might otherwise elude the scrutiny of scopes and meters. As for lighting equipment problems, there are fewer issues today. The advent of LED lighting has increased day-to-day dependability. Although solid-state lights are more complex than incandescent, they require no daily maintenance once they’re up and running. Compared to replacing burned out tungsten-halogen lamps every few hundred hours, LED lights are nearly maintenance-free. We’ve entered a period of “set them and forget them” with LED—at least most of the time. As for complaints from on-camera talent, a common one is about how bright the studio lights seem. This is often heard following relights with daylight-balanced LED. Daylight color temperature light (5600K) seems brighter than incandescent (3200K) because our eyes evolved under daylight. Fortunately,

lighting technology we can ease this discomfort by adding a “comfort light.” Human eyes can handle a remarkable range of brightness. Between our eye’s automatic iris and adaptive changes to its light-sensitive cells, we can see a brightness range of a million-to-one. So where does the discomfort come from? Today’s studios are lit at a relatively low level—around 60 fc (foot candle). This is lower than many retail stores, let alone exterior light levels, which can reach 10,000 fc. Intensity isn’t the problem here. It’s the “relative” brightness as compared with the visual background that makes studio lights seem bright. That makes it a contrast, rather than a brightness problem.

FOR EXAMPLE In broad daylight, car headlights don’t look bright. Yet the same headlights are blindingly bright in the context of a dark road. What’s different is the “relative” brightness between the headlights and their background. That’s what’s happening in a dark studio with talent lights. The contrast of the lights with the studio’s darkness make them “seem”

bright. You may not be able to change the brightness of the lights on an anchor desk for numerous reasons, but you can control the depth of darkness by selective lighting. The solution is to simply light surfaces behind where the anchor is looking. Comfort lights should focus on vertical surfaces within the anchor’s sightlines. Comfort lights ease an anchor’s visual task by brightening the dark areas that are within their field of vision. Comfort lights should be focused only where the anchor is “looking,” rather than what the camera sees. This technique retains the intended lighting on the anchor desk, while easing the anchor’s task of looking at the camera and reading the teleprompter under studio lights. Specifically, comfort lights should be focused on vertical areas (preferably with a medium to high reflectance value) such as the back wall of a studio. They may also illuminate the cameras themselves and even the floor crew, provided the lighting angles are steep enough to avoid lens flares and visual glare for the floor crew. These additional lights can sometimes do doubleduty by lighting behind-the-scenes “bump”

FREE SUBS CRI PTI O N

www.mytvtech.com

THE TROUBLE WITH USB-C • MEET SMPTE’S NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR • IMMERSIVE AUDIO

lenses & HDR p. 16

www.tvtech.com | October 2022

GEAR ON THE GO • EDUCATING YOUR STAFF ON NEXTGEN TV • CLOUD BASICS

WHAT’S NEW IN CAMERAS, LIGHTING & AUDIO? • PREVIEWING NEXTGEN TV • IP SHOWCASE

equipment guide cloud solutions

www.tvtech.com | January 2023

Fair Play

equipment guide recording & storage devices

S AR YE AB 0 N 3 10 OF p. 1

C l a i m y o u r F R E E S U BS C R I P T I O N today at

Bruce Aleksander invites comments and topic suggestions from those interested in lighting at TVLightingguy@hotmail.com.

R ST FO CA 5G AD 16 O p. BR

For more than 40 years, T V Tech has been the professional video industry’s most-trusted source for news analysis, trend reports, and the latest industry product and technology Information.

shots. Relatively low intensities (20–30 fc) will achieve the desired results, assuming average reflectance of the background being lit. Because comfort lights aren’t focused at critical on-camera areas, top-quality lights are not required. So long as they don’t flicker or tinge the studio with undesirable colors, almost any working light will do. Even zoned work lights could work. What’s important is visually opening an otherwise dark cavern with light. As for the surfaces to be lit, neutral colors are best. Avoid comfort lighting highly saturated colors, such as chroma-key walls, to reduce possible color contamination of the main set. Not all lighting problems can be resolved as easily as the example involving comfort lights, but all can be addressed once they’re recognized. And once pointed out, a methodical approach can provide the appropriate prescription to cure whatever ails your lighting. l

www.tvtech.com | March 2023

NAB Show Preview

Is it ready for primetime?

Broadcasters’ biggest gathering celebrates its centennial

Broadcasters look to Capitol Hill to level the playing ﬁeld with streamers

TVT481.DigiCover.indd 1

20/12/2022 16:04

TVT478.DigiCover.indd 1

TVT483.DigiCover.indd 1

21/02/2023 15:01

20/10/2022 11:29

twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | February 2024

cloudspotters journal

Challenges in Cloud Computing for the Future? Data breaches continue to be a significant threat

n looking for the most services and tools, automation intriguing topics to address and DevOps—which continually related to cloud for 2023, I evolve as leaders seek to unlock began by exploring what were new efficiencies from the front the most significant challenges office to the back and every for cloud technologies and found space between. The findings of a that one of the most repetiCyberArk report recently issued tively stated challenges related suggested that this technology to “security” and maintaining adoption rate will see a 2.4x “data integrity” (Fig. 1). Data growth in human and machine breaches remain one of the most resources, which is coupled with EXPERTISE significant threats facing cloud a 68% increase in the deployKarl Paulsen computing today. ment of SaaS tools for such What did I find in my search? services. Most reports predicted that cybercrimiThis surely means that utilizing the cloud nals would continue to target the cloud for operational activities is essential, as as a means of gaining access to sensitive when trying to build out the scale of similar information. Summarily, the kinds of senservices on-prem (including construction, sitive information included customer data, supporting and managing) is found to be financial records and proprietary business many times more costly. Furthermore, of the intelligence. many elements incorporated into developing Figuratively, most organizations today a SaaS environment or their application is operate to some degree in the cloud. While that of creating a set of “secure” authenticaemploying the cloud simplifies operations tion steps. in many ways, this comes with its own set of risks that can significantly impact the bottom line for enterprise and similar scaled organizations. From a report published by Lookout, an IBM Security Cost of a Data Breach Report (prepared in 2021), found that “the average cost of a public cloud breach was $4.8 million.”

THE CHALLENGES A significant grouping of priorities related to IT initiatives now involve cloud

Not all cloud providers can assure 100% data privacy, so users should understand the values in privacy and security protection.

Fig. 1: Data security remains a major concern given that many users are taking responsibility for their own data and that not all cloud providers can assure 100% data security.

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

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Creating identities that can authenticate the human user(s) and/or the machine(s) involved, can be automated in the cloud, which will significantly reduce the hands-on requirements otherwise required for upkeep, deployment and maintenance. The growing number of SaaS activities businesses must address in the digital future will be highly dependent upon these evolving cloud services.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT? Trending technologies in 2023 included the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning, Kubernetes and docker. With many of those technologies already in place and in full use, we can expect other new technologies such as quantum computing, cloud gaming, augmented and virtual reality coming forth in the near term/ upcoming years. What will cloud computing be like in 2024? Expect a nonstop evolution of new capabilities enhanced by consumer growth, automation, virtuality and more. Despite these advances, the top challenges expected in cloud computing seem to remain almost the same as they were in previous near-term years (i.e., that last three to five years). We distinguish cloud computing as characterized by those processes and components associated with “deploying computing services,” such as servers, storage, software, analytics, databases, networking and intelligence. Such services rely upon deployment, and of operations over the internet, which characteristically offers flexible resources, faster innovation and economies of scale.

DATA SECURITY AND PRIVACY At the top of the challenges chart (Fig. 2) continues to be that of data security and privacy (including customer trust). Not unexpected in this group is the challenge of password security and protection. Try as we might with multifactor authentication (MFA), people still don’t fully understand or recognize the importance of having a secure, unique and protected password. A 14-character, mixed alpha+numeric+special-character password is essential when working within any compute environment, including the cloud. Continually changing your password—while time-consuming—is an effective (and essential) part of maintaining that security. We note that not all cloud providers can assure 100% data privacy, so users should understand the values in privacy and security protection (see Fig. 3 for validation). Another methodology to protect your data privacy is

cloudspotters journal to routinely install and implement the latest software updates, especially on the network hardware and configure those components properly and fully. Cybersecurity compliance includes certain compliance processes and ensures that the provider(s) meet industry standards, regulations, legislation—including international policies and procedures. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 are both excellent guidelines for the prevention of cyberattacks and compliance. Even if you don’t believe you’ll be “working” internationally, you should still follow such guidelines as data may indeed cross over to those parts of the world without you knowing it.

MULTICLOUD ENVIRONMENTS Given the growing number of cloud service providers, users will be expecting to work amongst more than one cloud platform, even sometimes to support the same applications or activity. A “multiple public cloud services environment” includes services provided from different vendors within one architecture at the same time. For instance, a business might use AWS for data storage, Google Cloud Platform for development and testing, and then Microsoft Azure for disaster recovery. We also hear the term “multicloud computing.” Fundamentally, there are three main types of cloud computing: public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud. Today, using one or more of these is not uncommon. (I discussed multimedia cloud and hybrid cloud uses and values in my October 2021 column, “Evolution of Multimedia Cloud;” my February 2022 column, “Cloud Production for Media,” and December 2023 column on “Hybrid Cloud Choices”.)

Fig. 2: Some of the challenges to cloud in 2024 summarized by several reports.

A private cloud is one built, usually by the owner, for its own independent uses and it most likely would be built on-prem. Public clouds have the most familiar and recognizable cloud service naming with provisions from Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM Cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and others. Each of these public offerings differs in varying ways and can offer hybrid cloud services and migration paths from one platform to another. Be sure to crosscheck the capabilities from each vendor’s offerings when developing a cloud architecture for your uses.

PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY AND AVAILABILITY

Fig. 3: Value propositions in maintaining privacy and security compliance guidelines per the NIST cyber security Framework (see description at www.nist.gov) and ISO 27001:2013(E) standard (description available at www.itref.ir).

Interoperability, flexibility and performance are another set of challenges but possibly less expected are the performance and reliability/ availability of the services to, from and within the cloud. Transferring large data sets (volumes) between cloud data servers depends upon sufficient internet bandwidth, which is a common problem. On the topic of availabil-

ity—as with any internet service provider— getting to (or from) the host is usually a core “bottleneck” concern that is essentially out of the user’s control. And of course, once “in the (public) cloud” a user is now in a somewhat “hands off” world where the internal architecture of the cloud is something that you can only minimally affect—and are often determined by the SLAs written into the cloud agreement.

DRAWBACKS A more serious and probably obvious challenge will be the lack of knowledge. Finding the appropriate cloud talent is another common challenge when maneuvering the cloud computing environment. As workloads increase through cloud dependencies, so do the number of tools available to global users. Enterprises, regardless of size, need strong expertise in order to properly utilize a growing set of tools and capabilities in the cloud. The solution here is to use/hire cloud professionals who have DevOps and automation specializations and experience. l Karl Paulsen is a frequent TV Tech contributor who has been writing about storage, the cloud and media solution technologies for the past three decades. He can be reached at karl@ivideoserver.tv or at TVTech.com.

twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | February 2024

eye on tech | products and services ARRI TRINITY Live TRINITY Live—an upgrade to ARRI’s TRINITY Gen. 1 body-mounted camera stabilizer system—consists of new hardware, wiring and connectivity and is designed to bring a cinematic aesthetic to broadcast. The upgrade kit optimizes TRINITY Live for live productions and improves functionality with the ARRI Multicam System as well as third-party broadcast camera applications. The upgraded solution complements ARRI’s Camera Control Panel (CCP) Live and Tally System Gen. 2 and provides a method to integrate stabilized ARRI cameras into live, multicamera broadcast environments. TRINITY Live allows a wireless video link to be mounted at the bottom of the system rather than attaching it to the camera, allowing it to function as a counterweight when balancing the rig and reducing weight by 8.8 pounds (4 kilograms). z www.arri.com/en/camera-systems/camera-stabilizer-systems/ trinity-live

Sony Electronics Airpeak S1 Professional Drone Firmware Update Sony has released a new firmware update for its Airpeak Drone. New features in the FOTA2.1.0, APF2.20 and APB2.2.0 update include: Enhanced mapping mission, which streamlines the surveying workflow by enabling automatic flight for mapping missions through the Airpeak Flight mobile app; Enhanced automatic return to home, a new feature on the Airpeak drone that enhances safety and efficiency, enabling automatic activation and aircraft guidance back to home in low battery situations or times when signal is lost; Precision flight path recreation via the new Direct Repeat Flight feature for the Airpeak drone; Expanded camera compatibility, including new support for the a7RM3A camera and other models, and extended iPad and iPhone compatibility, including the iPhone SE third generation, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14. z www.pro.sony/ue_US/products/professional-drones/ars-s1

Nevion VideoIPath LTS

NBCUniversal One Platform Total Audience

Nevion, a Sony Group Co., has released the 2023 long-term support (LTS) edition of its VideoIPath media orchestration platform with new features and capabilities designed to make it easier for users to orchestrate, operate and monitor their broadcast infrastructure and media networks. VideoIPath is a key component of Sony’s Networked Live offering and is widely deployed by broadcasters and telecom service providers worldwide for contribution, remote production, facilities, OB trucks and GCCG (ground-to-cloudcloud-to-ground) The new release offers a new GUI with improved search and filtering, faster refresh of the interface when changes occur and more customization options that allow users to tailor their user experience. The GUI now enables linking between different applications, which reduces the number of clicks required, increasing operator efficiency. z www.nevion.com/products/videoipath

NBCUniversal’s new AI-driven One Platform Total Audience for marketing planning and activation is the latest evolution within the company’s One Platform, leveraging new investments in automation and data to provide brands unduplicated reach through a single media buy across linear and streaming. It uses machine learning to automate budget allocation across linear and streaming, identifying an optimized media mix to engage marketers’ precise audience segments. NBCUniversal is also adding programmatic guaranteed for media buys with One Platform Total Audience, leading to more automated and turnkey streaming activation. And to make transacting against strategic audiences simple, the company will add new buy-side automated order and workflow management. z www.together.nbcuni.com/one-platform

JVC Professional Video Firmware Update for KY Series PTZ Cameras

Amagi & TAG Video Systems Advanced Monitoring

A new free Firmware v3 update for JVC Professional’s KY-PZ510 and KY-PZ510N CONNECTED CAM PTZ Cameras, provides users with access to five different settings of Auto Tracking, including Standard, Area, Stage, Wide Area and Fine Adjustment options. The new firmware also lets users set presets for exposure, color and image, among others ― a feature that is being released across all NDI-enabled JVC PTZ cameras. With these latest features, users will be able to use the “Standard” setting to set the designated position of the tracking system, adjust the headroom or indicate subject framing options, such as upper body or above the chest. A free firmware update is also available for the JVC RM-LP100 Remote Camera Controller and web interface, which can now be used to send auto-tracking commands for the cameras via WEB API. z www.jvc.com/usa/pro/professional-video/firmware

Amagi has added TAG Video Systems’ advanced monitoring platform to its suite of cloud SaaS offerings. bringing monitoring capabilities to content owners publishing on FAST channels as well as those deploying on broadcast platforms. TAG’s solution seamlessly integrates into Amagi cloud and SaaS technologies, expanding their scope of operations with support for new delivery protocols, enabling new business models and enriching Quality of Service (QoS) for customers. The initial launch of the integration leverages TAG’s APIs to allow Amagi to monitor a large number of streams for key customers. TAG and Amagi said they plan to explore deeper integrations and develop solutions for the media industry. z www.tagvs.com

XXXXXXXX February 2024 2021| www.tvtech.com | www.tvtechnology.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology | twitter.com/tvtechnology

signal conversion/cellular eng & satellite | equipment guide

ONTV Taps ENCO enCaption for Automated Captioning USER REPORT By Ian Locke Executive Director Orion Neighborhood Television

LAKE ORION, Mich.—For more than 20 years, Orion Neighborhood Television (ONTV) has been producing three public access channels serving the Lake Orion community, just north of Detroit. These PEG channels include a public access channel, education access channel, and government access channel carried by our local Comcast and AT&T U-verse systems. With diverse programming spanning local government meetings, school board meetings, sports, concerts, graduations and our own newscasts and public affairs programs, we produce roughly 800 shows a year. Using Cablecast Community Media software, we make this programming available via broadcast, livestream, and on demand, including our own YouTube channel with thousands of subscribers. Our channels are also accessible using Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity, we are fortunate to have the generous support of our local government. We have a full HD production facility that we use to produce our shows, and for added revenue, we make it available for commercial use. We also teach production classes, offer internships to college students and co-ops to high school students, and provide grants to our school district’s video program to facilitate technology upgrades.

COMMITTED TO CAPTIONING We’re also committed to keeping our media facility up to date. For example, even though ONTV falls below the $3 million annual revenue mark—at which the FCC mandates captioning—we deem it important to make our programming more accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. After evaluating our options, we chose the ENCO enCaption automated captioning solution. We have jumped years ahead in our captioning roadmap since installing enCaption, which we purchased through a county government grant. enCaption automates both live and non-live program captioning in real time with virtually no delay. It’s readily available

ONTV uses ENCO enCaption to automate live and on-demand program captioining in real-time with no delay.

whenever captions are needed, including for live coverage of government and school board meetings, among other live events. It is also far more affordable than using human captioners. As meetings are produced and recorded, our Tricaster Mini at the venue feeds an SDI video signal into the Blackmagic 40x40 SDI router in our facility. That signal is then routed through our Cablecast system into enCaption. That program output then flows to our distribution channels, including Comcast, AT&T U-verse, and all our livestreaming platforms. Since our district doesn’t conduct meetings on Friday, we take that time to download our sidecar video files for the week and attach them to our VOD program files.

ON-SITE CAPTIONING For in-person attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing, we can also pump captions of the proceedings onto meeting room screens. This involves routing an NDI video signal from enCaption, with the captions over a black screen, back into the Tricaster on site. The auxiliary NDI output of the Tricaster is

fed to a meeting control system, which displays it onto video screens next to and above the dais. If multiple people speak over each other, enCaption will zero in on the loudest and screen out others for clarity. We also use ENCO’s DAD radio automation system to play out audio podcasts we produce, as well as PSAs, music and weather announcements onto our channels and Cablecast message boards. With up to 16 playback modules, DAD supports numerous workflows that include automated ingest, logging, scheduling, playout, programming control and more. Between enCaption and DAD, we’re very pleased with the high-quality results we get from these systems. With these reliable, affordable products, ENCO has become critically important to our overall production infrastructure. l Ian Locke is the executive director for Orion Neighborhood Television (www.orionONTV.org). He can be reached at ilocke@orionontv.org. For more information about enCaption and/or DAD, please visit www.enco.com.

twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | February 2024

equipment guide | signal conversion/cellular eng & satellite

Blackmagic Powers elzo Designs’ Live Streaming and Production Workflows INTEGRATED SET OF TOOLS

USER REPORT By Martin Christien Production Technology Workflow Solutions Designer elzo Designs

LOS ANGELES—At elzo Designs, we bring professional live streaming and production workflows to life with a focus on creating a cinematic experience for emerging digital media, such as podcasts. We often implement Blackmagic Design products in our installations because of the compatibility that the ecosystem provides. We have had a lot of conversion needs throughout the various installations we’ve done and we’ve found a huge advantage to using Blackmagic Design converters, in particular the Teranex Mini IP Video 12G and the Blackmagic Micro Converter BiDirectional SDI/HDMI 12G, both of which have helped us immensely with numerous projects.

On a recent project for a large manufacturer that included building four micro virtual production stages, we deployed the Teranex Mini IP Video 12G, that allows the client to convert video to IP and route it over the existing ethernet network, and then convert IP video back to SDI. We created banks of IP addresses, and found any component on the network just by our IP list, including computers, cameras, switchers, and other converters. That was really fascinating and helped us design the studios with a set of tools as opposed to individual pieces, because we understood how it all fit together. We also completed a project where we created a remote rig, which again was fascinating because we were accessing the rig by dialing into a computer to which all our components were attached. Everything that had an ethernet cable needed to be plugged into a switcher that then went into the computer, and then we could see everything. This setup bridged everything from broadcast to production to computer networking

Martin Christien at elzo Design regularly deploys Teranex Mini IP Video 12G (above) and the Blackmagic Micro Converter BiDirectional SDI/HDMI 12G in its installations.

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

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and solved an enormous headache we had created for ourselves because we originally saw everything as standalone products; but they’re not. All the components talked to each other and worked seamlessly together, and the Teranex Mini IP Video 12G was a big part of that. The Micro Converter BiDirectional SDI/ HDMI 12G is another headache solver because it can convert SDI to HDMI and HDMI to SDI simultaneously, and since it supports camera control protocol conversion, it’s so easy for us to use with Blackmagic Design cameras and live production switchers. We can use the Pocket Cinema Camera with SDI-based ATEM live production switchers, or Blackmagic Design broadcast cameras with the HDMI-based ATEM Mini line, and still get full control of the camera color corrector, tally and even remote recording without having to think about the different connections.

SIMPLIFIED CONNECTIONS We can connect either SDI or HDMI from the converter out to the switcher input, the switcher program out to the converter input, and then the HDMI or SDI converter input connects to the camera. We just have to name the cameras correctly, and the converter finds the cameras (however many we have), and the connection is incredibly stable as well. This option blew us away when we first discovered it. We did a bunch of power cycles with it, and it worked perfectly every time. The camera control protocol worked flawlessly and allowed us to really depend on it for remote image control and adjustment. While bigger and more expensive pieces of gear are usually prioritized in installations, the smaller pieces of gear are just as important and often go overlooked or under considered. Blackmagic Design converters are like the mortar between the bricks. We now design within the Blackmagic ecosystem specifically because of its converters. l Martin Christien is one of the co-founders of elzo Designs and has also previously worked at Fender and G-Technology. He can be reached at martin@elzo.io. For more information, contact Blackmagic Design at 408-954-0500 or visit www.blackmagicdesign.com.

signal conversion/cellular eng & satellite | equipment guide

Comrex LiveShot Is the Clear Choice for WEIU USER REPORT By Dennis Riley Broadcast Engineer WEIU-TV/FM

CHARLESTON, Ill.–For the last 15 years, I’ve worked as a broadcast engineer for WEIU Television and Radio, the PBS-affiliated broadcasting stations at Eastern Illinois University (EIU). This means I do everything from transmitter maintenance and desktop computer support, to streaming live events (like commencements), to supporting newsroom operations. Additionally, I provide engineering support for the sports television broadcasts produced by the EIU Athletic Department for ESPN+. When ESPN began working with the athletic department, they wanted EIU to provide live coverage which included the university’s soccer, baseball, and softball teams. Most of these games take place on fields that are on the edge of the main campus, and campus WiFi coverage in that area was spotty at best.

so I built up a mount for our LiveShot portable unit in our equipment racks, where it’s easy for students to access. Since all of ESPN+ sports programming is student-run, everything we use needs to be intuitive, so that our students can learn the ropes. It’s been very easy to teach them how to use it. I pre-configure the equipment so that once the students are in the field, they can just push a button to get connected. I’m able to show them the interface, and they generally don’t struggle to understand it. Plus, LiveShot comes with the “LiveShot Control” smartphone app which allows me to check on the unit configuration from my phone and make adjustments as needed without needing to be in the field with them. If a student calls me in a panic, I’m able to identify the problem and walk them through it immediately.

ROCK SOLID With LiveShot, we’ve also benefited from the reliable quality it provides. We use

CrossLock, the network management tool that’s included with LiveShot. We use just two modems, and once they’re connected, it’s rock solid. Per ESPN+ standards, we broadcast in 720p, and we’ve never had an issue with the connection breaking up. Plus, the video quality is excellent. I’ve used Comrex equipment in one form or another since 1980. Without a doubt, Comrex has met our needs on every occasion, both in radio and in television. LiveShot is an incredibly well thought-out device that comes with a great price, solid reliability, and excellent support. There’s a lot of competition out there, but I’m always eager to choose Comrex when the need arises. l Dennis Riley is a broadcast engineer for WEIU-TV/FM. He has been working as an engineer and consultant in television and radio since 1980. He can be reached at drriley@eiu.edu. More information is available at www.comrex.com.

CHEAPER THAN FIBER We initially proposed to run fiber-optic cables across the campus to the playing fields, but after examining the cost of installing fiber, it was clear that this wasn’t within our budget. We then examined wireless IP, but this would require students to aim antennas and still require the addition of long cable runs at the receive site. Finally, we decided that the best option would be using cellular—half of the cell towers in our county are located on EIU’s campus, so we’ve got the benefit of a reliable data network. I looked into various wireless IP video platforms, and Comrex’s LiveShot was the clear choice for us. Because we’re eligible for a reduced-cost data package through the state of Illinois, it’s a massive plus to not have to subscribe through an equipment manufacturer. The complete LiveShot system was 20% of the cost of running fiber to the playing fields, and it was a plus that we would own the equipment outright. Additionally, because we have a Comrex ACCESS NX audio codec for our radio station, I knew that Comrex equipment and customer support were reliable. We use a remote truck for our broadcasts,

WEIU chose to install LiveShot Portable (top left corner of the photo) in their news truck so they can easily remove it and transport it into the field. twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | February 2024

equipment guide | signal conversion/cellular eng & satellite buyers briefs AJA DRM2 Frame for AJA Mini-Converters

Imagine Communications has extended its Selenio Network Processor (SNP) with the introduction of SNP-XL, which adds a new double-density gateway personality and support for more SDI-intensive integration patterns. This enables customers to migrate to IP at a pace that aligns with their overall system strategy. Delivering all the functionality of the industry-proven SNP—including UHD and HDR conversion, multiviewers, master control and JPEG XS— SNP-XL increases flexibility by supporting HD, 3G, and 12G SDI in and out in all combinations. In addition, an SNP-XL fully loaded with the new double-density gateway personality delivers twice the gateway capacity within the same unit footprint. www.imaginecommunications.com

AJA Video Systems’ new DRM2 is a rackmount frame that can house and power up to 12 AJA Mini-Converters of any kind, or up to 24 AJA FiDO Mini-Converters with a new optional DRM2 Y-Cable. Featuring a 200W fanless power supply and sleek 3RU design, AJA DRM2 streamlines broadcast, production, and proAV workflows by enabling professionals to rackmount multiple AJA Mini-Converters for signal conversion needs. Mini-Converters are mounted to small carriers, which are easily installed or taken out without removing the frame from the rack. The frame’s power cable harness has 13x D5/10-PC connectors and plugs into a connector on the power supply frame, enabling users to customize cabling to the power of their choice. A DRM2-AP model includes an optional active faceplate featuring four fans for maximum cooling in higher ambient temperature environments, facilitating high density installation without heat soak concerns. www.aja.com

Lynx Technik CHD 1412

SipRadius CoralCoder

The CHD 1412 is a versatile and compact HDMI to SDI converter with integrated frame synchronizer designed for any application which requires a fully synchronized SDI input from an external asynchronous HDMI source. The flexible reference sync input will accept any analog video sync format including SD bi-level sync, black burst, colorbars and tri-level sync. The sync input is auto detecting and fully cross lock-compatible. If no reference is present, the converter performs a standard asynchronous HDMI to SDI conversion. It can also lock to the HDMI input. A pair of stereo analog inputs can be embedded into any AES channel. Audio inputs can be either professional balanced audio with selectable full scale-level, or unbalanced consumer line-level audio. The module is also compatible with LynxCentraal and yelloGUI software packages. www.lynx-technik.com

Virtually every media enterprise today is working with a mixture of digital and IP signals. As more formats come along—each performing well for their specific functionality—the need to interconnect moves from a challenge to a nightmare. CoralCoder from SipRadius is a flexible platform that simply converts in and out of any digital format. That includes SDI and transmission formats like ASI, DVB, ATSC and ISDB, as well as IP streams like ST2110, NDI, SRT, RIST and more. CoralCoder is a scalable, cloud or hardware implementation of the CoralOS platform, meeting the production, encoding and transport requirements of any broadcast or streaming application. www.sipradius.com

Imagine Communications SNP-XL

Dejero EnGo 3X The EnGo 3x is a native 5G mobile video transmitter and internet gateway designed to maximize performance and reliability in multicamera live remote productions. EnGo 3x features four antennas per modem to achieve greater reliability and faster speeds. Dejero’s latest generation of 5G modems can support additional bands used by carriers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, China, Korea, and Latin America that other mobile transmitters

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

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can’t connect to. With a completely redesigned RF and antenna architecture to ensure optimal antenna isolation, EnGo 3x offers greater reliability, especially in weak cell signal areas. Key tech specs include: next-gen RF and antenna design for maximum performance in 5G networks; sub-second live video latency and super fast file transfers; unmatched security features for content protection and the ability to transmit up to four fully frame-synced HD feeds from a single unit. www.dejero.com

signal conversion/cellular eng & satellite | equipment guide

Sinclair Accelerates Newsgathering With Avid, Sony and Marquis USER REPORT

By Ernie Ensign AVP, News Technology & Operations Sinclair

HUNT VALLEY, Md.–Sinclair Broadcast has deployed innovative cloud-based news and content gathering and production workflows by combining technologies from Avid, Sony and Marquis Broadcast. This new approach integrates Avid MediaCentral, Sony Electronics’ C3 Portal gateway service and Marquis software and leverages 5G networks to reduce connectivity costs while enriching the flow of news metadata to accelerate the speed of its news operations. Using this method, we’re getting news to air faster than ever. Our fundamental strategy is to democratize news acquisition, with every journalist or photographer having fast content delivery to news production centers. This transformation requires a collaborative approach to streamline the workflow. We’re engaged with Avid on its MediaCentral news production platform, Sony on cameras and C3 Portal and Marquis to enable complex workflow integrations.

maintained from creation throughout the edit and into archive. Another powerful component of the new solution is the ability to send proxy video quickly back to the news production center via 5G network and Sony’s C3 Portal. The Marquis integration enables the “edit while record” feature in Media Composer so stories can be edited as soon as the proxy file starts ingesting. With a wide choice of Sony proxy resolutions, news organizations may easily take the proxy to air within seconds for fast news turnaround.

SONY’S C3 PORTAL

Ernie Ensign describes a new system that Sinclair has deployed for faster newsgathering that involves Sony’s C3 Portal gateway service.

This workflow automates extraction of sequence information from the Avid low-res proxy edit. With this sequence data, Marquis automatically retrieves the high-resolution media from either Sony’s C3 Portal, and the originating camera or originating camera cards. Assuming a 10:1 shooting ratio, this partial extraction process results in a 90% reduction in 5G data transferred and network bandwidth required. Using the dynamic relink feature in Avid, the high-res content simply drops into the timeline and automatically substitutes the low-res content, thus transforming news production. l

workflow is the automatic preservation and enrichment of metadata from the point of origination. C3 Portal supports pushing metadata to the camera before shooting commences; for example, iNEWS slug information and assignment data, preserving this metadata throughout the production process when the story checks into Avid MediaCentral. Future workflows will allow rights information—and therefore genealogy—to be automatically

Ernie Ensign is AVP of News Technology and Operations at Sinclair, focused on the effort of optimizing and advancing news technology across the group. He holds SBE certifications of CBTE and CBNE and has 25 years of television experience spanning news, operations and engineering. He can be reached at eensign@sbgtv.com. For more information on Sony, visit https://pro.sony/ue_US.

NEW NEWS WORKFLOWS We’ve enabled real business and operational benefits, with fast story turnaround and structured metadata automatically delivered to newsrooms, which can then cut several versions of the same story to deliver to digital platforms faster and with improved relevance. We have six stations engaged to refine the technologies and we’re continually optimizing workflows for best ROI and operational outcome. There are challenges to overcome but we’re moving closer to having access to all content in near real time. The next steps are around compression efficiency to increase quality while reducing bandwidth consumption and improving metadata transparency throughout the process. Fundamental to Sony’s C3 Portal news twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | February 2024

equipment guide | signal conversion/cellular eng & satellite buyers briefs

Matrox Video ConvertIP DAWNco C-BANDPASS2 DAWNco’s 5G C-Band Interference Filters are designed for use in both single and multi-feed receive antenna applications. The units are easily installed between the C-Band feedhorn and the LNA or LNB. These 5G C-Band filters offer increased suppression below 3980 MHz for cellular frequencies, including 5G, commercial and military navigational communications (radar), as well as coastal/marine vessels operating below the 5G C-Band. With filtering performed at the 5G C-Band frequencies, the overall picture quality is improved, as the filter prevents overload of the LNA and LNB. Key features include: enhanced low insertion loss; low differential group delay; increased interference rejections; sleek Waveguide body & flanges utilize a one piece construction and more. www.dawnco.com

Vislink WMT LiveLink Vislink bills its WMT LiveLink as the most compact and advanced bonded cellular transmitter yet. Broadcasters can leverage high-quality, low-latency video transmissions—made possible by FPGA technology and HEVC encoding—to enable dynamic, highly-fluid two-way interviews. It offers high-quality 4:2:2, 10-bit HEVC video encoding up to 4K resolutions, and 10-bit Luma Optimization. LiveLink can accommodate two or six modems combined with support for up to 4x public cellular connections, WiFi, private 5G, public internet and Starlink satellite, fulfilling diverse connectivity needs. Best of all, its reduced form factor—50% smaller than comparable devices—enables unmatched portability and ease of deployment. www.vislink.com

Matrox Video’s ConvertIP video converters are designed for ST 2110 and IPMX workflows, serving as a foundation for a standards-based IP video infrastructure. These PoE-enabled devices offer a practical and cost-effective solution to integrate the latest IP video formats into your existing SDI video infrastructure and 1/10/25 G data network. With support for ST 2110, IPMX, JPEG XS, 12G-SDI, 4Kp60, and HDMI 2.0, ConvertIP ensures quiet, reliable, and flexible operation for demanding applications. The ST 2110-7 Daisy Chain mode enhances flexibility and resiliency while reducing the total cost of ownership by enabling the transmission of multiple streams per connection. Other key benefits include: IPMX (Internet Protocol Media Experience) ready; optimized for 1G, 2.5G, 10G, or 25G networks; transmit or receive signals from a single device for maximum flexibility, and zero latency with exceptional 4K image quality. www.matrox.com/en

TVU ONE TVU bills the ONE is the most compact and full-featured 5G cellular transmitter on the market. Weighing in at just 1.79kg and 200mm tall, the ONE incurs latency as low as 0.3 second using cellular connectivity. It can also switch to REMI production within minutes for synchronized, multicamera live event coverage for up to four video sources. The ONE uses the latest generation Sub 6GHz, 3GPP Release 16, 5G embedded modems. With multiple antennas per modem, it offers an advanced antenna array and also supports MIMO uplink. This ensures transmission with wider coverage, better range, increased data transfer rates, and the assurance of future compatibility of 5G network deployments. The ONE includes the latest version of TVU’s patented Inverse StatMux transmission technology fully integrated into the unit. www.tvunetworks.com

FOR-A FA-1616 FOR-A’s FA-1616 multichannel processor has a software-defined architecture that provides a cost-effective path to media-over-IP. With SMPTE ST 2110 and ST 2022 interfaces, the FA-1616 multichannel processor is an ideal gateway between SDI and IP as well as IP to IP and SDI to SDI. The FA-1616’s frame synchronizer also supports 4K/12G-SDI/High Dynamic Range/Wide Color Gamut and simultaneous processing of 4K UHD and HD video by using four channels together as a 4K processor. Like other products in the FOR-A line, it can be monitored and controlled via a web browser or Ember+ and monitored via SNMP networking protocol. A redundant power supply is standard on all models. www.for-a.com

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

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signal conversion/cellular eng & satellite | equipment guide

Live Production Freedom With MultiDyne VF-9000 USER REPORT

By Steve Cormier Vice President, Broadcast Services OSA International

LAS VEGAS–Live production takes on many forms, and OSA has long excelled at all-things related to AV-oriented production including corporate and entertainment events. OSA has also produced many broadcast events over its nearly 40-year history and broadcast industry growth was among my key responsibilities upon joining the company in 2022. The lines between broadcast and AV continue to blur, especially when it comes to live production. One result of that convergence is the increasing presence of broadcast-quality solutions for AV productions. This is just one reason why we adopted MultiDyne’s VF-9000 Series for bulk fiber transport to support both OSA’s productions and those of our customers. We currently own 23 VF-9000 frames, which we package in custom racks designed in-house. It has been so well-received that many of our clients now specifically request the VF-9000 for their productions.

COMPACT TECH The VF-9000 is a high-density video fiberoptic transport platform with 18 optical I/O connections. These are configurable as inputs and outputs to serve the needs of each event and application. At 1RU, it is easy to find space on a truck or within a flypack, as well as within a small rack inside a venue to move signals back to a truck or video village. The VF-9000 can support 36 signals on two fiber strands, and its multiplexing capabilities vastly reduce the amount of fiber required for large-scale productions. It’s also extremely reliable in terms of both consistent performance and built-in redundancy features, which include dual power supplies. Configuration is very simple. Whether for our own production or a client’s, we carefully

For sports production, OSA uses MultiDyne’s VF-9000 to bring graphics, clock timers and other signals generated from inside the venue.

handle all SFP fiber patching in advance to eliminate any potential damage and ensure that the wavelengths match. On the video side, various signals come into the VF-9000 through BNC connectors; on the output side, signals are generated and fed to routers, projectors, LED screens and other endpoints. The VF-9000 allows us to move many 12G signals at once with minimal if any need for throwdown converters, reducing our costs and technology infrastructure. The VF-9000 also supports 3G transport, providing plenty of format flexibility and futureproofing for all our live production verticals.

CONFIGURED FOR SPORTS PRODUCTION For sports production, the VF-9000 allows us to bring graphics, clock timers and other signals generated from inside the venue. In these situations, we will typically configure the 36 connections to serve 24 sends and 12 returns, the latter of which can include live camera and video feeds for instant playback.

The VF-9000 can also carry ethernet signals, and we often add these modules to support control functions for cameras, projectors and other equipment. The versatility of the system means that all this activity can take place within one VF-9000 frame. Swapping modules is also a simple process. Module changes take place in our shop and are fully tested prior to each event—often, the frames are configured the same across each event. When no changes are needed, it’s a simple plug-and-play scenario. Once installed on the truck or elsewhere, the VF9000 is a genuine set-and-forget solution, and along with our custom racking, offers weight reduction for lower shipping costs. It is a robust and reliable solution that simply works. l Steve Cormier is the vice president of broadcast services at OSA International. He can be reached at scormier@osacorp.com. For more information on MultiDyne visit www.multidyne.com.

twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | February 2024

equipment guide | signal conversion/cellular eng & satellite

Riedel Delivers 4K IP Video Solution for Quince in Record Time USER REPORT

By Eric Gazzillo Vice President Quince Imaging

STERLING, Va.–Quince Imaging is an innovative experiential display and design firm, creating awe-inspiring immersive visual effects for events in a broad array of markets, such as corporate, professional, collegiate sports and venues as well as esports—we even count global outreach organizations and labor unions among our clients. The experiences we’ve created over the past 25 years include 3D and holographic visual effects that bring each event to life and captivate audiences for unforgettable moments. To accomplish these amazing feats, there is a great deal of design work and product specification for each venue. High-resolution video is paramount to our stunning visual effects. Routing these high-bandwidth signals throughout a large venue can be challenging and this is especially true with 4K UHD and higher bandwidth formats that traditionally require extensive cabling.

TECH FOR TIGHT DEADLINES We recently took on a high-profile eSports event with only three weeks to install a solution in a temporary venue. We had to install 24 4K UHD Panasonic laser projectors throughout the arena and then supply 4K 12G/SDI signals to each of them. Routing SDI to each of these projectors would prove costly and time-consuming as it would require numerous cables and converters. Leveraging SMPTE ST 2110 video over IP, we minimized the amount of cabling and converters by directly converting HDMI to ST 2110 and routing it over the network to the projectors via fiber. To achieve this in such a short time, we needed a standards-based, unified, comprehensive end-to-end solution that could route, extend and convert the 4K video rather than relying on a connected system of multiple single-purpose devices. The solution needed minimal setup time and cabling for

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

Riedel’s FusionN edge devices were part of a standards-based, end-to-end solution provided by Riedel that Quince Imaging used to route, extend and convert 4K video from a major eSports event.

a quick turnaround. There are not a lot of options that offer an end-to-end solution and even fewer that could deliver in the tight time frame. Not only was Riedel Communications able to provide the end-to-end routing, extension and conversion solution and deliver on time, but they impressed us with their packaging of FusioNs—I have never seen such beautiful packaging of equipment. The Riedel solution was a relatively small and flexible setup that included 40 MediorNet FusioN 6B edge devices that handled the conversion at the edge and a single 1RU VirtU 48-S IP core infrastructure platform that served as the solution backbone. There was also an assortment of SFPs plus lots of fiber. We were easily able to control the FusioN edge devices with a third-party system while routing control and the 4K video signals across the VirtU IP backbone to distribute high-quality 4K UHD video throughout the venue.

SMALL AND FLEXIBLE Approximately half of the FusioNs were used to convert the output of the disguise server’s HDMI/12G ports to ST 2110 IP video that was then routed over fiber via the VirtU

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to the Panasonic 4K UHD projectors. At that point the ST 2110 IP video was converted back to 12G SDI to feed the inputs of the projectors. Luckily, the FusioNs are incredibly small, which made them easy to tie to the projectors, even up high on trusses and other difficult to reach places. This greatly reduced many cable runs and reduced the amount of equipment needed in these tight spaces. Overall, the FusioN edge device paired with the VirtU IP platform streamlined the event production work, enabling highresolution workflows for this very highprofile eSports event. With this solution in place, we were able to provide stunning, larger than life, volumetric visual effects. The Riedel system just worked, and worked really well. l Eric Gazzillo is a vice president, and an experienced designer and media server programmer, specializing in emerging video technologies. He can be reached at egazzillo@ quinceimaging.com. For more information, visit www.quinceimaging.com. For more information on Riedel, visit www.riedel.net/en.

signal conversion/cellular eng & satellite | equipment guide buyers briefs RTS VLink Designed for remote production, the RTS VLink virtual intercom control panel enables remote users to interface with RTS intercom matrices via the internet via an app, allowing a new degree of control and flexibility from anywhere in the world, including from home. VLink can be downloaded from the RTS website for Windows, Mac or web browser applications (visit the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to download iOS and Android apps). To support this expanded user base, RTS has also created a dedicated webinar with instructions on how to set up a remote production using VLink. www.products.rtsintercoms.com/na/en

LiveU The LU800 PRO4 LiveU’s LU800 multicamera production-level field unit for live news and sports coverage delivers mission-critical transmission for global newsgathering and live productions in native 5G. Designed for live news and dynamic sports coverage, it allows users to deliver the most compelling live productions at a fraction of the

Rohde & Schwarz R&SBSCC2.0 The R&SBSCC2.0 broadcast service and control center is the next-generation, software-defined broadcast/multicast core network solution that enables multimedia content delivery over 4G/5G networks in broadcast/ multicast mode. It is fully compliant with FeMBMS/5G BC/MC and offers 3GPP Rel.14/16 IMFN, SFN and SC-PTM support as well as centralized management and control for audio, video and file based content. Key benefits include: 5G broadcast/multicast simplified core network; simplified architecture for multimedia services; software-defined application for resource optimization; centralized core network architecture; flexible and cost-effective service rollout. www.rohde-schwarz.com

cost of traditional transmission methods with a breakthrough all-in-one production-level field unit. As reliable as satellite/fiber, the LU800 offers a highly cost-effective solution for complex remote productions. It can provide up to four high-res, fully frame-synced feeds from a single portable unit. The

LU800 can be turned into a multicam unit at any given time with the PRO2/PRO4 multicam license. Native 5G transmission ensures best-in-class video quality and reliability with the lowest latency. Improved antenna performance and global compatibility for all cellular wireless frequencies, including sub 6GHz 5G & LTE. www.liveu.tv

products & services marketplace

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people on the move For possible inclusion, send information to tvtechnology@futurenet.com with People News in the subject line.

PATRICK MCFADDEN

ALEX MACCALLUM

JEROMY YOUNG

RYAN MOORE

Sinclair

CNN Worldwide

Atomos

Sinclair

Sinclair has hired Patrick McFadden, former SVP and deputy general counsel with the National Association of Broadcasters, as its SVP for Global Public Policy and Communications. He will oversee development of Sinclair’s legislative/regulatory strategy. McFadden worked for NAB for 10 years and was involved in regulatory challenges including NextGen Broadcast licensing and deployment, spectrum allocation and media ownership.

Alex MacCallum has been named CNN Worldwide’s EVP of digital products and services, a new role focused on overseeing CNN’s suite of digital products. She joins from The Washington Post where she served as chief revenue officer overseeing subscriptions, partnerships and advertising. She returns to CNN after previously serving as global head of product for CNN Worldwide and GM of CNN+ was shut down in 2022. Previously, she was at The New York Times.

Jeromy Young, who co-founded Atomos and was CEO for 10 years before stepping down in 2021 to pursue other business and personal interests, has returned to the company as managing director and CEO. The company reported that several of his subsequent business activities were aligned with the broader video technology industry, and he will bring that wider perspective as well as his experience with the company and its markets to the top job at Atomos.

Sinclair has named Ryan Moore its SVP and chief revenue officer to oversee sales for all of Sinclair’s television stations, networks, including Tennis Channel and Compulse, as well as its marketing technology and managed services company. Moore was previously Sinclair’s SVP and CRO of Sports and Digital. Joining Sinclair in 2013, Moore has held executive sales leadership positions. Prior to that, Moore held sales roles with Fisher Communications and Belo.

JIM SPADAFORE

DANIEL NERGÅRD

MICHAEL SHARPSTENE

DON FISHER

Scripps Sports

NDI

Dielectric

Jim Spadafore has been named senior director of revenue for Scripps Sports to help meet the growing demand for local and national sports rights partnerships with The E.W. Scripps Co. He will be the point of contact for Scripps’ local stations with Scripps Sports assets and serve as sales lead for the Golden Knights, Coyotes and Big Sky Conference, as well as for new deals signed in 2024 and beyond. Previously, Spadafore served as regional VP at Comcast Advertising for the Midwest region.

NDI has named Daniel Nergård its new president. He will be responsible for the continued expansion and adoption of the NDI videoover-IP connectivity standard. Nergård previously served as the chief revenue officer of Vizrt, which owns NDI, and was a part of the management team. Prior to that, he held roles in general management and leading commercial initiatives across diverse software segments, including fintech, mobile applications, infrastructure and enterprise software.

Dielectric has appointed Michael Sharpstene national sales manager. He will oversee all U.S. sales and business development east of the Mississippi. He joins Dielectric from SCMS, a manufacturer’s representative serving the global broadcast industry. Sharpstene began there in 2010 and was responsible the creation and launch of SCMS’ lucrative e-commerce site. These responsibilities led to relationships with SCMS customers including broadcast engineers for TV and radio stations.

Coastal Television Broadcasting Group

February 2024 | www.tvtech.com |

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Coastal Television Broadcasting Group has promoted Chief Revenue Officer Don Fisher to president and chief revenue officer. Fisher has been with Coastal since November 2021 and played a significant role in its leadership and revenue growth for its then-existing portfolio of stations in Alaska and Wyoming, as well as with the portfolio of former Waypoint stations in Meridian, Miss., Jonesboro, Ark., Jackson, Tenn., Lafayette, Ind. and Elmira-Corning, N.Y.

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