AV Issue 37 by Alchemedia Publishing

– following Sir Ed’s journey to th

e summit –

issue #37 $6.95

Betting the farm: Sportsbet makes the move to IPTV Haven’t got the Foggiest: Demistifying atmospheric effects

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NEWS

Editorial When Moore isn’t really more One of the fortuitous accidents of ‘60s technology was Gordon E Moore at semiconductor manufacturer Intel noting that since the development of the integrated circuit in 1959, the number of devices/transistors that could be packed onto an integrated circuit chip seemed to have been approximately doubling, approximately every couple of years. This vague approximation of a trend was dignified with the grandiose title ‘Moore’s Law’ in the early ‘70s, and since then has become a form of self-fulfilling prophecy. Engineers, semiconductor fabricators, and most especially marketing departments, have actually used Moore’s prediction as the motivation to push harder and further to miniaturise the transistors on their chips just to meet Moore’s expectations. Sure enough, as regular as clockwork, the chip foundries find new ways to mess with materials chemistry and the laws of optics to yet again shrink the size of the transistors on the chip dies and give us faster, cooler and more powerful integrated circuits. Many people labour under the assumption that these more tightlypacked chips translate into faster or less power hungry processor chips, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg of the benefits that come from the ‘Moore’s Law Bonus’ we receive every couple of years. The same chip fabrication processes are used to build all manner of devices. Using precisely the same CMOS technology as processors, the sensor chips at the heart of all kinds of imaging systems have continued to increase in resolution and pixel density (not the same thing) whilst also consuming less power and becoming more sensitive. Memory chips of all kinds have continued to get cheaper, faster and less power hungry, and

not only the volatile dynamic RAM that’s used as system memory for all microprocessor and DSP-based devices such as laptops, tablets and phones. DRAM is also the fast working-memory for everything from scalers, routers, and frame buffers to media players, transcoders, echo cancellers, synthesizers and effects engines. Non-volatile flash RAM, on the other hand has transformed the world in recent times with SSDs standing in for almost any magnetic storage medium, while stand-alone flash storage devices such the CF and SD card families and the USB memory stick, have become the combined paper, cassette tape, floppy-disk, CD and DVD of an entire generation. Perhaps a little less obvious has been the migration of formerly analogue and hybrid circuits into the chip fabrication process, allowing a whole new range of chips to find their way into the devices we’re now building. A particular case in point are radio frequency transmitters, receivers, synthesizers, mixers and amplifiers. Without the Moore’s Law bonus of continual improvements in these RF functional blocks, the typical mobile communication device with its GSM, 3G, 4G, wifi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC radio systems would not even be conceivable. Adding a Bluetooth or wi-fi capability to a piece of equipment now only attracts a miniscule extra cost, most of it due to the relatively expensive shielding and antennas required, neither of which are subject to Moore’s Law price decreases. The big issue with the relentless improvements in our enabling technologies is economic, rather that technical or even sociological. Once you’ve bought your fleet of 55-inch LCD panels for rental stock are you going to want to dump them all for 65-inch screens, or high frame rate models

or 3D versions or 4K 10-bit versions? None of these new and exciting improvements are likely to improve the client’s viewing experience in the absence of content and the indiscernible visual improvements under most operating conditions. To be fair to panel manufacturers there are similar marginal-benefit technology improvements in every field from projectors to audio amplifiers and lighting controllers to line arrays. Don’t think for a moment that I’m espousing that famous late 19th century view that we’re approaching the point where we’ll have invented everything. On the contrary, we need to invent more radically than ever, to take up the underutilised productive capacity that Moore’s Law keeps delivering. I’m bewildered to keep reading in the technology press and hip-technology pages of the mainstream press, that we’re witnessing the death of the personal computer. Of course the opposite is actually true, not only are all the computers we’ve bought in the last five years still going strong because of the improvements in design and build quality, we’re totally unlikely to pension them off when there’s no overwhelming need to replace them to run the latest software. Except in the area of cutting-edge, highlyrealistic interactive gaming, most current entertainment and productivity software doesn’t require the power improvements delivered last couple of iterations of Moore’s Law, so why bother to replace your system. Of course this frees up your technology budget to buy more exciting, but less productive, toys, such as even more overpowered smartphones and unnecessarily high pixel density tablets. Andy Ciddor, Editor: andy@av.net.au

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Now it’s easy to add SD, HD and Ultra HD waveform monitoring to your studio! Add accurate and professional rack mount waveform monitoring to your studio! SmartScope Duo 4K includes dual independent screens so it’s two video and waveform monitors in one! You get seven different types of scope for measuring all aspects of a broadcast video signal including waveform, vectorscope, RGB parade, YUV parade, histogram, audio phase display, 16 channel audio level meters plus picture view! Work in SD, HD or Ultra HD and always get the technical accuracy broadcast engineers demand!

Broadcast Accurate You get a wide range of the most popular waveform displays available. The waveform display shows you the luminance brightness in your video, the vectorscope shows you a color plot of the various colors in your video, the RGB parade shows color balance and illegal video levels, the histogram shows the distribution of pixel brightness in your video and clipping and the audio scope lets you check audio phase and levels!

Eliminate Technical Errors Only professional waveform monitoring allows you to keep track of your video and audio quality at all times and is the only way to ensure your production meets all international standards. SmartScope Duo 4K can be installed in racks for general technical monitoring and quality control, as well as installed into desks for use during editing, mastering and color correction. Choose your Scope! SmartScope Duo 4K features two independent 8” LCD screens in a compact 3 rack unit size that you can instantly select between waveform, vectorscope, RGB parade, component parade, histogram, audio phase display, audio level meters or regular picture view! You can set each SmartScope Duo 4K screen to any combination of video monitor or waveform view and change between them at any time!

Perfect SDI Video Monitoring Featuring 6G-SDI inputs, SmartScope Duo 4K is the perfect rack mount video monitor for SD, HD and Ultra HD! You can use it for general rack monitoring for broadcast, post production, live production camera monitoring, on set camera monitoring, flyaway kits, broadcast trucks and much more! SmartScope Duo 4K includes a built in Ethernet connection that allows all controls and scope settings to be changed centrally via the SmartView Utility even from a laptop!

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Crew Graeme Hague worked for the last twenty years in regional theatre venues as an audio, lighting and AV technician, before leaving to work freelance for local production companies and focus on becoming a fulltime writer based in the south west of WA. Graeme is a regular contributor to Audio Technology magazine and was the principal writer for the new Guerrilla Guide to Recording and Production (www.guerrillaguide. com.au). He owns a Maglite, a Leatherman and a wardrobe of only black clothing which proves he is overwhelmingly qualified to write on any technical subject. Advertising Office: (02) 9986 1188 PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086

Editorial Office: (03) 5331 4949 PO Box 295, Ballarat, VIC 3353

Editor: Andy Ciddor (andy@av.net.au) Publication Director: Stewart Woodhill (stewart@av.net.au) Editorial Director: Christopher Holder (chris@av.net.au) Publisher: Philip Spencer (philip@av.net.au)

Marcus has worked in the entertainment industry for over 15 years. He has lit everything from TV to tours, corporate to circus, galleries to garages, and yet heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still smiling and always up for a joke. He spends much of his time looking after a large client base for Melbourne lighting company Resolution X. He is currently a committee member of the Australian Lighting Industry Association, a member of the AVIAs judging panel, and has a continuing passion for lighting in all fields.

Art Director: Dominic Carey (dominic@alchemedia.com.au) Graphic Design: Daniel Howard (daniel@alchemedia.com.au) News Editor: Graeme Hague (news@av.net.au) Accounts: Jaedd Asthana (jaedd@alchemedia.com.au) Circulation Manager: Mim Mulcahy (subscriptions@av.net.au)

Paul is a freelance lighting designer based in Sydney. Struggling to find work in his homeland, Paul spends much of the year in far flung places in perpetual search for the perfect breakfast and good coffee. With a love of lights, gadgets and a good story, Paul makes an admirable effort to bring to AV reviews of products and events from around our small and wondrous globe.

alchemedia publishing pty ltd (ABN: 34 074 431 628) PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 info@alchemedia.com.au All material in this magazine is copyright ÂŠ 2013 Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd. The title AV is a registered Trademark. Apart from any fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. The publishers believe all information supplied in this magazine to be correct at the time of publication. They are not in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. After investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, prices, addresses and phone numbers were up to date at the time of publication. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements appearing in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility is on the person, company or advertising agency submitting or directing the advertisement for publication. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, although every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy. 6/1/2014

Derek is an audiovisual consultant with AVDEC, specialising in tertiary education projects. Starting in broadcast TV and radio at the ABC, he bounced between event AV and video production before settling for 12 years at the University of Queensland. He is past president of the Association of Educational Technology Managers and has been a regular judge of the AVIA awards. He now divides his time between consulting, writing and the occasional video production assignment.

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Issue 37 REGULARS NEWS AV Industry and product news. Includes new product from NAMM and ISE.

NEWS: LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS TDC’s spectacular projections.

INFOCOMM ASSOCIATION NEWS News and important dates from the Oceania region.

TERMINATION The Next Big Thing?

42 FEATURES

MOVING MOUNTAINS Auckland Museum brings Sir Ed’s epic ascent to life.

SPORTS BET Punting is big AV business.

TUTORIALS

HAVEN'T GOT THE FOGGIEST? Haze and fog effects explained.

WTF IS RDM? The Remote Device Management promises much. We explain what it is and why it hasn’t set the world on fire.

HOW DATA IS ENCODED & TRANSPORTED? Haze and fog effects explained.

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NEWS

PANASONIC 4K MONITOR

SONY UPW-D: A SHOE-IN

TVONE 8-WAY ROUTER

Panasonic has announced the launch of the BT4LH310E 787.4mm (31-inch) 4K LCD Professional Reference Monitor for 4K monitoring. The BT4LH310E has a 4096 x 2160 resolution 10-bit horizontally-aligned IPS LCD panel with high contrast (1450:1) and 178° vertical/horizontal viewing angles, and it supports 4K 4096 x 2160, QFHD 3840 x 2160, 2K, HD and SD workflows. As a cinema production tool, the BT-4LH310E supports DCI-P3 colour space, which is defined by more than 96 percent coverage of DCI-P3, and facilitates digital cinema workflow with a LUT upload function. The BT-4LH310E can also accurately display industry-standard colour space with 100 percent coverage for ITU-R BT.709, EBU and SMPTE-C. The BT-4LH310E’s colour reproduction is achieved by utilising a colour palette of up to 1.07 billion colours in combination with a 3D-Look-Up-Table (LUT) function. The BT-4LH310E has an aluminium frame, multiple professional inputs 3G/HD-SDI (with BNC x 4 active loop-through), HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.1, HD/SD closed captioning, 240VAC/24VDC - 28VDC operation and remote terminals. Panasonic Australia: 132 600 or www.panasonic.com.au

Sony’s new UWP-D series of wireless microphone systems bear a striking resemblance to the UWP-V models we reviewed last year but the D models are UHF rather than working in the 2.4GHz band. UWP-D was designed with the ENG and filmmaking sectors in mind. The new receivers are designed to mount directly onto professional video cameras or even high-end SLR/mirrorless-type cameras. The LCD is large, provides channel and battery status info, and functions such as Automatic Channel Setting and Clear Channel Scan make it easy to find a frequency you can call your very own. The UWP-D series comes in three flavours, the D11, D12 and D16, which all vary according to the type of transmitter included – handheld, bodypack or plug-on. We’re still a few weeks away from seeing stocks in Australia and pricing isn’t confirmed. Sony Australia: pro.sony.com.au/audio

TVOne has a new 8x8 Matrix Router with HDBaseT outputs. No prizes for guessing the new MX-8488 HDMI 8x8 Matrix Router allows distribution of eight HDMI signals (with 3D support) to up to eight HDBaseT outputs for Cat6 extension as far as 100m at 1080p or 1920x1200, either independently or simultaneously. In addition, the MX-8488 also allows for flexible control using IP control, IR remote control, RS-232, or the front panel. The MX- 8488 supports HDMI (with HDCP) video with Deep Color, EDID and 7.1 channel audio. Note that HDBaseT Receivers (supported receivers powered by POH) are not included with the TVOne MX-8488. For compatible receivers, check the 1T-CT-650 Series or the Magenta Research HD-ONE Series. The switcher uses single link (225MHz/6.75Gbps) video processing circuitry. The MX-8488 HDMI Matrix Switcher is designed as a convenient and cost-effective solution for the switching of HDMI video in boardrooms, showrooms or exhibition applications. Corsair Solutions: 1300 562 779 or www.corsairsolutions.com.au

NEWS IN BRIEF:

If you’re using a musicstreaming service to entertain your customers, take note. In December it was announced that Dr Dre, of up-market and fashionable headphones fame, was going to launch his own service, which consequently went live in early January. Called Beats Music, hidden behind the launch hype was the fact that Beats has somehow gotten hold of MOG – and MOG will be closed down completely in April. Subscribers are not automatically switched across. So far, this is only happening in the US and MOG in Australia will continue to operate here. Neither MOG or Telstra Bigpond, which hosts MOG, has any further info.

Audinate announced that it plans to incorporate AES67 transport in its Dante media networking solution. The new AES67 standard provides interoperability recommendations for professional quality audio networking in the areas of sync, media clock ID, network transport, encoding and streaming and session description. Dante is primarily built on standards. AES67 can take advantage of Ethernet switches with IEEE-1588 precision time protocol support, but unlike some other network standards, does not depend on specialised switches in order to operate. Audinate: www.audinate.com

Genelec already has the 12W 6010B ‘extremely compact’ monitor aimed at mobile PC monitoring. Genelec has now released the Genelec 8010 monitors that are similarly loaded with a three-inch driver and ¾-inch dome tweeter. However the amplifiers have been doubled to 25W and the input is an XLR rather than RCA only. Also included is Genelec’s Iso-Pod speaker stand. The 8010 has an internal power supply and needs a standard figure-8 power lead for each. Studio Connections: (03) 9874 7222 or www.studioconnections.com.au

Calrec Audio was selected to provide five Artemis Consoles to NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, during its production of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. NBC Olympics purchased two 64-fader Artemis Shine consoles and rented a further 40-fader and two 24-fader Artemis Beam consoles direct from Calrec. More on the actual ceremonies in coming issues. Syncrotech Systems: (02) 9879 0800 or paul@ssd.com.au

Mackie was the first to release a small-format digital mixer controlled solely by a docked iPad and here its not-so-evil genius becomes most apparent. Mackie has released Master Fader v2.0, the primary control app for Mackie DL Series Digital Live Sound Mixers. Master Fader v2.0, which is available as a free download, delivers new features that are a direct result of customer complaints… ah, sorry – suggestions and feedback. Forget scary firmware updates for your digital console, Mackie can add functions with a simple app update. CMI Music & Audio: (03) 9315 2244 or www.cmi.com.au

SONY LIGHTENS UP

OUT OF THE COOLUX BOX

Sony has announced new lightweight and slim full HD multi-format LCD monitors. The new models consist of the LMD-A240 (24-inch, 1920 x 1200), the LMD-A220 (22-inch, 1920 x 1080), and the LMD-A170 (17-inch, 1920 x 1080). These LMD-A series monitors were developed as part of a broader redesigning of Sony’s professional monitor line-up to become lighter and slimmer in build. The LMD-A series monitors incorporate full HD LCD panels meaning that users can perform video monitoring at the original resolution without downscaling. The new models are approximately 30 percent slimmer compared to previous models and power consumption has been reduced by approximately 20 to 30 percent depending on the model. The LMD-A monitors also feature a number of operational improvements such as an optimised I/P conversion system with low latency and an In-Monitor Display (TSL UMD protocol) function. There is an optional protection kit available for LMD-A170 to reduce damage during transport or use, if one is part of a rental inventory. Sony Australia: 1300 720 071 or pro.sony.com.au

Coolux, the creators of the Pandoras Box product family, will be presenting new hardware product at this year’s ISE. The Pandoras Box Compact Player is a hardware based media player that makes it simple to play back multiple media files in a row without the need of programming separate containers on a timeline sequence. An unlimited number of Compact Players can be controlled via network, using the Pandoras Box Manager software. A newly-developed range of coolux NetLink products make it possible to convert a greater number of external inputs into network data. Each NetLink unit can be equipped with up to two modules that can be freely configured. The coolux EDID Link is an EDID generator. One of its major features is the ability to supply power via USB or DVI. You can also select pre-programmed presets by using a rotary switch on the body of the EDID Link. Up to 50 different EDIDs can be chosen and set using a simple GUI. Show Technology: (02) 9748 1122 or www.showtech.com.au

RTW, which manufactures visual audio meters and monitoring devices for professional broadcast, production, post production and quality control, has announced that Professional Audio Technology (PAT) is RTW’s exclusive distributor in Australia and New Zealand. All RTW equipment, including the entire line of TouchMonitor audio meters and the new LQL (Loudness Quality Logger) software, will be represented by PAT. Demo equipment, such as the TM3 and TM7 TouchMonitors, featuring the latest upgrades, will be soon available. Professional Audio Technology: (02) 94761272 or sales@proaudiotechnology.com.au

Apantac has expanded its Crescent Series of Video Walls. The newest configurations include a variety of both portrait and landscape style arrangements, all of which convert a single HDMI input to the required display designs. The hardware is a compact half-rack unit or 1U chassis size, and includes a built-in extender per every output for extending the DVI/HDMI video signals over Cat6 cable. Controlling the Crescent Wall series is straightforward via front panel buttons, which allows setting the display mode and compensate for the monitors bezel width. Techtel: (02) 9906 1488 or www.techtel.tv

Hitachi has introduced its CP-AX2503, CP-AX3503, CPAW2503 and CP-AW3003 Ultra Short Throw projectors. The new 3LCD projectors offer improved image quality, flexible connectivity including powered focus, and wireless networking plus a host of useful convenience features. The CP-AX2503 and CP-AW2503 deliver 2700 colour and white light output with XGA and WXGA resolution, respectively, while the CP-AX3503 and CP-AW3003 offer 3300 and 3600 colour and white light output with XGA and WXGA resolution, respectively. Hitachi: 1800 448 224 or www.hitachi.com.au

JBL is incorporating Duran Audio’s products into the JBL Professional brand – which gives JBL’s higher-end installation loudspeakers a significant boost in cred. The new products will be sold as the JBL Intellivox and JBL AXYS product series. Duran is well known for its beam shaping technology, much loved by the industry for acoustically hostile environments. Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or info@jands.com.au

True To Your Pitch Wi-Fidelity

Epic digital wireless technology, now amazingly affordable. Introducing the DWZ Series with affordable 2.4 GHz technology. You get solid-gold, 24-bit linear PCM digital audio to keep you sounding your best. You get robust transmission and easy channel selection. Even automatic feedback reduction, encryption and battery charging are available. And Sony has pre-assembled DWZ packages for presentation and speech, as well as musical instruments. Sony’s DWZ Series. Sound like a million bucks without spending it. pro.sony.com.au/audio

014

NEWS

ALCONS RIBBON ARRAY

QUEUE UP FOR NEW Q SERIES

GEFEN HDMI WIRELESS

Alcons’ new RR12 cabinet is designed to implement the features of Alcons’ multiple-patented pro-ribbon technology into a modular concept, meaning the RR12 has been developed as a ‘building block’ to create tight packed arrays for controlled sound coverage. The system uses Alcons proprietary RBN602rsr six-inch pro-ribbon driver and a custom-designed 12-inch woofer with four-inch voice coil, and a dualspider suspension with forced-venting. Due to the pro-ribbon’s cylindrical wavefront, no adapters or converters are needed to obtain coupling for precise lobe-free directivity up to even the highest frequencies (to beyond 20kHz.). The purposedesigned six-inch pro-ribbon driver promises 1000W peak power handling and a 1:17 dynamic RMS-to-peak ratio. The RR12 is driven by the Sentinel four-channel amplified loudspeaker controllers. The system’s response is optimised by factory presets, selectable for each array configuration. Presets are also available for phase-matching low-frequency extensions. The trapezoidal cabinet is fitted with integrated mounting hardware. Loud & Clear Sales: (02) 9439 9723 or www.loudandclearsales.com.au

Christie’s new Christie Q Series debuted at ISE Amsterdam. This one-chip DLP platform has brightness options ranging from 8500 to 10,000 lumens and XGA, WXGA and WUXGA resolutions. Usable in either single or dual-lamp mode, Christie Q Series is equipped with eClarity ‘advanced image processing that significantly enhances images by providing greater control over image sharpness, gloss and shading’. Christie eClarity delivers increased image clarity of standard definition content – making images stand out more than ever. With built-in High Dynamic Contrast Range (HDCR), image ‘washout’ in high ambient light conditions is eliminated. HDCR works by recovering details that may have been lost due to excess light on the screen. Christie Digital Systems Australia: (07) 3844 9514 or www.christiedigital.com

Gefen’s new wireless HDMI 60GHz is designed for any in-room transmission of high quality, 1080p full HD video up to 10 metres. It delivers 3DTV, is plug-andplay and supports all audio formats including the new lossless High Bit Rate (HBR) 7.1 channel Dolby True-HD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The ability to pass through uncompressed video, lossless audio and 3DTV is ideal for high performance commercial or residential installations. This extender uses the best technology currently available for wireless extension that takes full advantage of the WirelessHD specification, which is based on the 60GHz EHF (Extremely High Frequency) radio band. Due to its comparatively limited in-room transmission and use of the uncluttered 60 GHz frequency band, this extender can perform seamlessly alongside other wireless devices in adjacent rooms with zero interference. Content is transported wirelessly at 4Gbps from source to display. The HDMI 60GHz has a small footprint and will be competitively priced. Amber Technology: 1800 251367 or www.ambertech.com.au

NEWS IN BRIEF:

InfoComm International has announced that Microsoft will be a new exhibitor at InfoComm 2014. Microsoft will be a platinum show sponsor occupying significant exhibit space in the Las Vegas Convention Center June 18-20, 2014. InfoComm Show: www.infocommshow.org

ANnu Alliance, the industry consortium that certifies Audio Video Bridging (AVB) products for interoperability, has welcomed Crestron into the fold. The membership addition of Crestron marks the first AVnu Alliance member to create solutions for smart home and commercial buildings, and furthers the progression of AVB in professional audio/video and residential markets. Crestron: (02) 9737 8203 or www.crestron.com.au

Barco has introduced an option that couples two of its products, the ClickShare wireless presentation system and the Present projectors. After integrating this option under the bonnet of its Present projector, users can wirelessly share their content on-screen. Barco: (03) 9646 5833 or sales.au@barco.com

Matrox announced the VS4Recorder, a new standalone multi-camera recording app bundled with Matrox VS4 quad HD capture cards at no additional cost. VS4Recorder gives live event producers independent control over capture of the four inputs connected to the VS4 to create files for use with popular editing apps from Adobe, Apple and Avid and for archiving. AVI files can be created using the high-quality Matrox MPEG 2 I-Frame codec. MOV QuickTime files can be created using DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50 and DVCPRO HD. New Magic Australia: (03) 9722 9700 or www.newmagic.com.au

Mersive has announced the availability of the Solstice Open Control Communication Protocol that enables integration between Solstice Display Software with in-room AV control panels from vendors like Crestron and AMX. With this integration interface, users can control their Solstice displays from their room control panel. The update includes language about the AV control panel integration as well as additional clarifications for technical specifications. Image Design Technology (IDT): 1300 666 099 or sales@idt.com.au

NEW KRAMER RANGE

MARSHALL DUAL MONITOR

Kramer used ISE 2014 to announce the first model in its new professional and events range, the VP-794 multiinput scaler designed for scaling, scan conversation, professional edge-blend and warping of video content on to projection and LED video wall displays as well as for general purpose events and broadcast scaling. The VP-794 is “multi-personality”, meaning it can be switched between LED, Projection or Scaler/Scan Converter modes. The introduction of the VP-794 is a result of the joint cooperation between Calibre UK and Kramer Electronics. The VP-794 is based on Calibre UK’s HQView architecture optimised for low latency scaling to arbitrary active image sizes. The VP-794 features dual-processor architecture with 16-bit professional-grade blend processing. With ease of use in mind, the rack-mountable VP-794 has front panel LCD menu with a jog-shuttle wheel for fast setup. Remote control over a network can be achieved through an in-built web server. Kramer Electronics Australia: (07) 3806 4290 or www.krameraustralia.com.au

Marshall has introduced the M-Lynx-702 Dual seveninch 3RU hi-res LCD rackmount monitor, packing easily accessible controls and multiple inputs. The M-Lynx-702 has a high resolution 1024 x 600, bright, colourful display with input selections for each screen. Digital inputs are HDMI and 3G SDI with loop-thru (auto selects HDSDI/SDI). The analogue inputs are component and composite with loop-thru. Special features include selectable markers, 1:1 pixel mapping, over scan and H/V delay modes, P-in-P, and viewing individual colour channels. Audio de-embedding and monitoring is via front panel headphone jacks. There is also built-in LED tally indicators (Red, Green, Yellow). The unit can be powered using the included 12V supply or through a standard four-pin XLR connection. Quinto Communications: (03) 9558 9377 or www.quinto.com.au

Robe Lighting kicked off 2014 with the launch of a new Asia Pacific office in Singapore. The new premises is part of the Czech Republic-based moving light manufacturer’s planned mediumterm expansion strategy. It will be an advanced, resource-efficient sales and distribution point for all Robe and Anolis LED brand distributors and customers in the geographical regions between India and Australia / New Zealand on the Indian Ocean side, and China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea in the western Pacific. Robe Lighting: www.robe.cz

InfoComm International’s latest standard, ANSI/INFOCOMM 10-2013, Audiovisual Systems Performance Verification, has been approved by ANSI, a private, non-profit organisation that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardisation and conformity assessment systems. ANSI/INFOCOMM 10-2013, Audiovisual Systems Performance Verification provides a comprehensive, systematic, and practical approach to verifying performance of AV systems. A one-page overview can be found at infocomm.org/ standards. InfoComm International: www.infocomm.org

Turbosound has launched the iQ Series networked loudspeaker line at the 2014 NAMM Show. Combined with Klark Teknik’s networking and DSP technologies, iQ Series loudspeaker systems feature Acoustic Integration, which enables digital mixers, personal monitor systems and loudspeakers to communicate directly with each other digitally via Ultranet Technology. The iQ Series also has speaker modelling capability, which lets users dial up preset frequency contours that emulate the sound of 10 of the world’s most famous loudspeakers. Hills SVL: (02) 96471411 or nsw@hillssvl.com.au

NEP has closed on its acquisition of Australia’s Global Television from Catalyst Investment Managers. This officially brings Global Television into NEP’s worldwide operations, uniting two of the world’s most experienced and successful television technical services companies. With the acquisition, NEP adds Global Television’s top-tier fleet of outside broadcast and studio facilities to its worldwide pool of resources raising NEP’s total facilities to more than 70 high-definition units, several HD flypacks, studios in Los Angeles, New York, London, Cardiff, Sydney, and Melbourne, plus a large team of engineering and technical experts. NEP: www.nepinc.com

True To Your Voice Wi-Fidelity

Epic digital wireless technology, now amazingly affordable. Introducing the DWZ Series with affordable 2.4 GHz technology. You get solid-gold, 24-bit linear PCM digital audio to keep you sounding your best. You get robust transmission and easy channel selection. Even digital EQ and interchangeable mic heads are available. And Sony has pre-assembled DWZ packages for vocals, guitar/bass, wind instruments, presentation and speech. Sony’s DWZ Series. Sound like a million bucks without spending it. pro.sony.com.au/audio

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NEWS

News from NAMM A taste of the audio riches from the recent NAMM show

1/ MORE MINIATURE MICS

2/ MORE X-FACTOR

3/ NO MORE WAITING FOR AN EON

DPA Microphones introduced its d:fine 66 and d:fine 88. These new headsets use the same microphone capsules as the 4066 and 4088, but improve on the d:fine mechanics with features such as an advanced headset mount and flexible ear hooks. All three of the d:fine headsets, including the new models, are still available with the concept of DPA providing a broad assortment of headsets and features depending on the intended application. All up, the Miniature Headset Microphones series includes four capsules types, two omnis and two cardioids, and three headset mounts, single-ear, dual-ear and personalised mount. Amber Technology: 1800 251367 or www.ambertech.com.au

The digital iPad/tablet mixer X18 from Behringer features 16 Midas-designed preamps, has six aux outputs, Ethernet and Behringer’s own Ultranet ports, MIDI connections and a USB port that allows 18x18 bi-directional routing for DAW recording. Where Behringer has been clever is by connecting your tablet of choice either by wi-fi or the Ethernet port only – there’s no physical docking involved – meaning the designers have avoided the pitfall of Apple changing its iPad connector anytime in the future. In a live situation you can control the X18 remotely, checking the mix on stage and around the venue, and Behringer says that artists can control their own monitor, suggesting the X18 can interface with more than one wireless device at a time. iOS-only for the moment. Galactic Music: www.galacticmusic.com.au

JBL’s Eon series of portable PA cabinets has been a perennial winner that periodically gets an upgrade, and in this case a ground-up rethink. The new 600 series promises “studio monitor” sound quality in a flexible, easy-to-use PA system. The first model available is the EON615 and that “easy to use” bit comes courtesy of an iOS and Android supported interface paired with the Bluetooth Smart Ready 4.0 for controlling the EON615’s master volume, adjusting the five-way, userdefinable parametric EQ, and saving and recalling user presets. It’ll come in handy. The EON615 is a 15-inch two-way loudspeaker with a built-in 1000W amp and with that much grunt will need the odd tweak in certain situations. Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or info@jands.com.au

6/ ATLAS MAPS OUT MORE I/O’S

7/ALL IN THE FAMILY

8/ ONE MIC TO RULE THEM ALL

The new Atlas USB interface improves on the fourpreamp USB Titan released last October by providing a total of eight pre’s, plus a raft of digital I/O options, wordclock and other functions that place the Atlas as Prism’s premium interface. Similar to the Titan, which is essentially a USB version of the Orpheus Firewire interface, the Atlas packs a Multichannel Digital Input & Output (MDIO) expansion slot that offers connection to digital interfaces such as ProTools HDX and AES3 multichannel devices, but Prism is still being coy about Thunderbolt which is “to be confirmed”. Otherwise, the comprehensive feature list of the Atlas has got everything covered and a built-in digital mixer will let you route signals accordingly. Look for yourself – Prism Sound has its act together with its website already chockers with technical data on the Atlas. CDA Professional Audio: (02) 9330 1750 or www.cda-proaudio.com

Electro-Voice’s new ETX family is extended. There are three two-way models with 10-inch, 12-inch and 15inch bass drivers respectively (all with a HF titanium compression driver), a three-way model loaded with a 15-inch bass, 6.5-inch MF driver and a precision HF titanium compression driver, and finally two subs with either a 15-inch or 18-inch driver. Positioned above the ZLX and Live X families, ETX completes EV’s planned trio of portable loudspeaker series – each designed to cater for a specific, market price point. Inside, you’ll find EV-engineered high-efficiency transducers and high-powered Class-D amplifiers, Signal Synchronized Transducers (SST) waveguide design and smart FIR-Drive DSP all work together to promise high quality and precise coverage at the highest SPLs. A full-function DSP control via a single-knob interface with an LCD screen allows for easy system setup or a choice of provided presets. Bosch Communication Systems: (02) 9683 4572 or www.boschcommunications.com.au

Steven Slate and Slate Digital are looking to rattle the recording industry’s cage again – this time with its Virtual Microphone System. The VMS is a hardware/ plug-in combination that includes two microphones, the ML1 large diaphragm condenser and ML2 instrument microphone, the VMS Dual Preamp Converter and the VMS Plug-in Module. The modelling algorithms in the plug-in are the heart of recreating the sound of a wide range of classic microphones, but just as critical to the VMS’s accurate reproductions is the neutral-sounding hardware. Grizzled studio pros are unlikely to turf their treasured mid-century German microphones, but neither is this a dirt-cheap bedroom alternative. Steven Slate is a persuasive man, and time will tell if he’s truly onto something. Audio Chocolate: (03) 9813 5877 or www.audiochocolate.com.au

4/ TOP GEAR FROM MIDAS

5/ NEW MEYER ARRAY

Sporting a design created by no less than Bentley Motors Industrial the M32 makes use of highperformance material such as carbon fibre and… hmm, okay – aluminium. The M32 is a 40-input digital mixer with a good range of connectivity options. The mixer’s DSP gives you an eight-slot stereo effects engine and digital networking is possible. Beneath the surface the M32 has features borrowed from Midas’s Pro Series consoles. Saying that, Midas M32 will probably remind people more of its popular stablemate, the Behringer’s X32 console. National Audio Systems: 1800 441 440 sales@nationalaudio.com.au

The Lyon linear sound reinforcement system is the newest addition to Meyer Sound’s Leo Family of linear loudspeaker systems. Lyon is available in two versions: the Lyon-M main line array loudspeaker and the Lyon-W wide-coverage line array loudspeaker. Complemented by the 1100-LFC low-frequency control element and the Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system, the Lyon-M can be deployed as a main system for installations in arenas and large auditoriums, as well as tours and festivals. The Lyon-W can serve as downfills. If you’re thinking bigger, both Lyon versions can be used to provide supplemental coverage in a Leo system. Meyer Sound Australia: 1800 463937 or australia@meyersound.com

9/ TANNOY REVEALS… REVEALED

10/ APOLLO TWIN: MODEL BEHAVIOUR

Tannoy has released its new Reveal range of active studio monitors: the Reveal 402, 502 and 802 (no prizes for guessing the bass driver configurations in each). The 402 has a ¾-inch soft dome tweeter while the 502 and 802 have a one-inch tweeter. Respectively, the models are powered by 50W, 75W and 100W biamps. All three have standard connections of balanced XLR or unbalanced TS inputs, a volume pot and a threeway EQ switch offering high-cut, high-boost or neutral position. An added extra – a growing trend we’re seeing – is an auxiliary 3.5mm input on the rear that allows you to directly plug in a portable device such as a phone, tablet or laptop. A similar 3.5mm Link output and a supplied 5m cable connects the two monitors – only for that aux function. Amber Technology: 1800 251 367 or www.ambertech.com.au

The new Apollo Twin is a Thunderbolt audio interface that uses the same 24-bit/192k audio conversion of UA’s existing Apollo series with onboard Realtime UAD Solo or Duo Processing. Apollo Twin ships with the Realtime Analogue Classics UAD plug-in bundle – not to be sneezed at – and also introduces UA’s new Unison technology. Built on an integration between Apollo’s mic preamps and its onboard UAD plug-in processing, Unison promises the authentic tone of the most soughtafter tube and solid state mic preamps including genuine impedance, gain stage ‘sweet spots’, and component-level circuit behaviours… yes, microphone preamp modelling. Interesting. Extra preamp models will be released over time and Universal will be available for Apollo Duo and Quad interfaces later, too. CMI Music & Audio: (03) 9315 2244 or www.cmi.com.au

True To Your Sound Wi-Fidelity

Epic digital wireless technology, now amazingly affordable. Introducing the DWZ Series with affordable 2.4 GHz technology. You get solid-gold, 24-bit linear PCM digital audio to keep you sounding your best. You get robust transmission and easy channel selection. Even automatic feedback reduction, encryption and battery charging are available. And Sony has pre-assembled DWZ packages for presentation, speech and vocals, guitar/bass and wind instruments. Sony’s DWZ Series. Sound like a million bucks without spending it. pro.sony.com.au/audio

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NEWS

TDC Landmark Light Up

The team at Technical Direction Company (TDC) delivered spectacular projections at multiple landmarks during December 2013 including: St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, Melbourne Town Hall and the Old Post Office, Newcastle. TDC supplied over 30 high-brightness Barco digital video projectors incorporating Barco’s latest 26,000-lumen HD projectors, in addition to Barco 22K and 20K projectors along with all control and media server equipment and expert technical support, including the painstaking on-

site preparation and careful projection mapping before each event. Melbourne Town Hall: TDC provided projectors and crew to transform the Melbourne Town Hall into a dramatic façade celebrating Christmas and the festive season in a playful way. ‘City Evolutions’ at Old Post Office, Newcastle: A 25m-high Christmas tree was projected using TDC projectors onto the Old Post Building in Hunter Street, Newcastle, a highlight for local businesses and retailers during the festive season.

‘Lights of Christmas’ at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney: Perhaps the most spectacular of projections, TDC for the third consecutive year provided 17-million-pixel HD projections onto the façade of St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney. (Images: Technical Direction Company.)  Technical Direction Company: (02) 8332 2100 or www.tdc.com.au

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NEWS

FEATURE

Moving Mountains The Auckland Museum brings Everest to life in celebration the 60th anniversary of the first ascent. Text:/ Derek Powell

Aucklanders are fiercely proud of their home-grown hero Sir Edmund Hillary who, along with Tenzing Norgay, made the first successful ascent of the world’s highest peak. Sir Ed, as he is fondly known in New Zealand, bequeathed his wonderful collection of objects and images to the museum, including his forged steel ice axe and the hand-written diary he kept on the expedition. For the 60th anniversary of the ascent, the first major milestone since the passing of Sir Ed in 2008, the museum was determined to create an exhibit that would help a new generation of Aucklanders come to know the man who features on the New Zealand five dollar note. Janneen Love, the exhibition developer, described the thinking behind the display. “We wanted to ensure we didn’t repeat ourselves and if there was any opportunity to share the story with a younger audience, it seemed that should be our focus too.” TALKING ED

The ideas actually started to evolve much earlier and Janneen related that the museum had received really good feedback from Sir Ed himself following the 50th Anniversary display. “One thing [Sir Ed] was really perplexed by was that people would still ask him the question: ‘Who got to the top first?’ and he was quite passionate about letting people know that it was a two people on a rope and you moved as a unit, so that it was a team, he wasn’t the only person that climbed the mountain, there was a whole team that got him up there.” As the planning for the 60th anniversary progressed, twin themes emerged, with the story of the teamwork of the climb, matched with the good works that Sir Ed, and the foundation he started, have achieved for the community in Nepal. “We didn’t want to just rely on text,” Janneen explained. “We needed to think creatively about how to share the story with a younger audience, which led to the idea of making the mountain the central point, because the mountain has remained.”

UPDATED DIORAMA

The first concept was a simple diorama – a very traditional museum technique, but one the team sought to update by wrapping it in projection. Some wonderful contemporary film had been shot by fellow New Zealand expeditioner George Lowe which was made into a film The Conquest of Everest. The Museum approached Canal Plus, which readily agreed to make the priceless footage available to them. “Because it was for Sir Ed, we seemed to get a lot of input and a lot of effort from a lot of people for not a lot of cost,” Janneen noted brightly. But putting all this together needed not just a lot of work but also, as it turned out, a beer or two. Jon Baxter, special effects guru from Perceptual Engineering takes up the story. “A friend I’ve done a few collaborations with, Robin Rawstorne, mentioned that he was doing this thing with Mount Everest,” he recalled. “So we just started yarning, over a couple of beers, about how we could represent a mountain in a museum.” Robin, who was designing the concept for the exhibition, knew that Jon had a special interest in augmented reality. “I’ve been kinda interested in the boundary between the physical world and the virtual world,” Jon explained. “We wanted to get a whole lot more out of the mountain than just a static object and projection felt like an obvious way to do a whole lot more, and get way more illusionary.” But first they were going to need a mountain. SCALING THE HEIGHTS

The plan was to create a 1.5m-high scale replica of Mount Everest from polystyrene, cover it with a fibreglass skin and then finish it off with pearlescent paint. The model would act as a perfect three-dimensional screen for the images mapped onto it from all around by three shortthrow video projectors. That part of the job fell to freelance designer Andy Hoey. Working from topographical maps and reference photos on Google Earth, Andy created a 3D computer map in Maya using ZBrush software. After

FEATURE

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The 1.5m-high scale replica of Mount Everest was made from polystyrene, covered in a fibreglass skin and finished with pearlescent paint. The model acts as a perfect three-dimensional screen for the images mapped onto it from three Sony short-throw video projectors. All images courtesy of Auckland Museum

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countless hours of digital ‘carving’ (with its six million reference points), his digital model was finally realised from polystyrene using a multiaxis laser cutter. The next step was prepare the projected media that would overlay the physical object. The first job was to apply some texture to the virtual model in the PC, so it was back to Maya again. Working from photographs, three separate ‘matte paintings’ were created, one from each of the three viewpoints above the mountain where projectors would later be positioned. To bring the exhibit to life, Jon would first create a sunrise to sunset sequence on the mountain, replete with the lush orange and violet hues of dawn and dusk. “We had to paint all the shadows out – we didn’t want any shadows in the base matte painting,” Jon explained. “So we rendered a very ambient texture from each of those three angles. Then we moved the sun around in Maya – and that gave us the shadow path and the colours that would play across the model. The moving sequence had to be rendered three times from the three camera positions.” Jon confesses that things got a little ‘nerdy’ as the team tried to work out the exact position for the sun rising and setting on that famous day in 1953. “There were lots of arguments but I think we got it fairly close,” he laughed. The next step was to bring the three renders into Flame to add the video content.

FEATURE

The late Sir Edmund Hillary is a dead-set hero in more than one country.

THE CLIMB

To represent the full experience of the climb through the seven-minute exhibition cycle, a projected line starts out from the base of the valley. Following the exact route noted in the hand-written expedition log, the red line tracks repeatedly up and down the mountain as over 50 days the climbing team establishes the camps, bridges crevasses and dumps supplies for the final assault team. Excerpts from the film are projected onto the slopes adjacent to the camps, recalling the experience of the men slogging it out in their bulky climbing gear. After all the planning, building, rendering and finishing, the last step after installing the three Sony VPL-SW125 short-throw data projectors was the critical line-up. “It didn’t quite line up,” Jon admitted, “which it never does because if you are just one millimetre off it throws it out of whack but that’s where ‘MadMapper’ comes into its own.” The MadMapper replay software ran on a single Mac Mini computer equipped with a three-output Matrox TripleHead2Go graphics card driving the projectors. “It gives a very easily adjustable mesh so you can move each part of the mountain until its bang-on,” Jon

Right: The final job of mapping the imagery to the mountain fell to the Mad Mapper replay software running on a Mac Mini equipped with a three-output Matrox TripleHead2Go graphics card to drive the projectors. Below: Sir Ed's journal. One of the many relics donated by Sir Edmund for the exhibit.

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commented. “The final lineup happened pretty quickly – a day’s work just wandering round the mountain lining up every pixel. Then push ‘Play’ and leave it alone for a year!” FINDING THE MAGIC

The final result is pure magic and Aucklanders have taken it to their hearts. The display, originally intended to run for just six months, has been extended to a whole year by public demand. According to exhibit developer Janneen Love, that’s a situation almost unprecedented in the tightly scheduled museum world. Jon Baxter admitted the Everest exhibit was the most complex thing he had ever worked on. “I guess we were trying to blur the lines between computers and the physical world,” he said. “But as soon as that line starts getting blurry, it opens up so many doors for illusion that are way beyond just projecting onto an existing object. “Just doing an accurate depiction of a mountain isn’t enough – you need to somehow find the magic,” he continued. “All the technical stuff, you can solve because you just

FEATURE

stay late that night and work it out – but then the creative part, that’s where it gets difficult. But that’s where it should be hard because that’s the important stuff.” From within the exhibition gallery, it is clear that the ‘creative stuff’ and the ‘technical stuff’ mesh perfectly with the real-life artifacts to convey the inspirational story of teamwork on the mountain. And 60 years on, the same kind of teamwork has produced a mesmerising world-class exhibit. I think Sir Ed would have approved. 

Personnel: Exhibit Developer: Janneen Love, Auckland War Memorial Museum Concept Design: Robin Rawstorne - Rawstorne Studios Projection System: Jon Baxter Flame Artist: Jon Baxter 3d Modelling and Texturing: Andy Hoey Sound Design: Peter Hobbs – Harmonic Physical mountain build: Cutting Innovations

Web References: Auckland Museum: www.aucklandmuseum.com Perceptual Engineering: www.perceptual-engineering.com ZBrush: pixologic.com Maya: www.autodesk.com/products/autodeskmaya/overview TripleHead2Go: www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/ Flame: www.autodesk.com/products/autodesk-flamefamily/overview MadMapper: www.madmapper.com Equipment List: Replay System: Apple Mac Mini Matrox TripleHead2Go Projection: 3 x Sony VPL-SW125

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FEATURE

Wanna Bet? Staking the Sportsbet farm on the move to IPTV. Text:/ Andy Ciddor Images:/ Jarrod Bell

Bookmaking has always been a pure information business, where knowing the form, knowing the weather, knowing the spread of the odds and knowing everything else possible about the circumstances of the wager is hugely important in offering punters the most attractive (yet most profitable) odds. Sportsbet offers the opportunity to place an online bet on the outcome of events ranging from almost any sporting fixture on the planet, to the name of the next Pope, or the gender (male, female or transgender – seriously) of the next winner of Big Brother. While it’s amusing to able to bet on the next monarch to rule Australia, it’s a bit disappointing that you can’t make a wager on the longevity of the remaining Mars rovers.

ALWAYS AT ODDS

To offer this astounding range of betting opportunities requires the teams at Sportsbet to be able to research almost everything that’s likely to be happening anywhere in the solar system, formulate an appropriate wager, track the factors affecting that wager and set appropriate odds, then track the outcome of the event before paying out on the wager. Clearly this takes more research than whipping out a smartphone and Googling the average time required for a pair of flies to crawl up a wall. The Sportsbet researchers, statisticians, actuaries and bookmakers need continuous access to pretty much everything that’s happening in the known universe, with

a special emphasis on contests of all kinds whose outcomes may be of interest to punters and their bookmakers. Fortunately for 21stcentury bookmakers, they no longer have to invest in their own teams of observers and information runners at the site of every event, nor do they need fleets of surveillance satellites to track what’s happening across the globe. There’s already an insatiable worldwide demand for this very information from legions of highly-trained and extremely discerning armchair sports participants in clubs, sports bars, casinos, lounges and lunch-rooms all across the planet. To meet this demand, trillions of dollars have been invested in the most sophisticated outside broadcast facilities, digital scoreboards, communications

FEATURE

infrastructure, performance analytics, computer-assisted expert commentary, and data storage and retrieval systems, to ensure that no bunch of school kids anywhere on earth can engage in a game of French Cricket without being observed, commented on and replayed in super-slow-mo. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Sportsbet's trading floor is the nerve centre of their online betting operations.

This of course is exactly the information required by punters and bookmakers alike, but the challenge for Sportsbet is being able to access this continuous deluge of information and filter out and digest the relevant information needed to offer instantaneous assessment and responses to changes in circumstances or the outcomes of events. To achieve this each of Sportsbet’s gaming room and trading operators are provided with multiple screens, each with access to the entire panoply of Australian television media. The sources available include every possible news and sports channel from an RF Foxtel feed and an off-air MATV feed of DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcast - Terrestrial) services which provides, ABC services (ABC1, ABC2, ABC3 and ABC News24), Seven network services (Seven, 7Two and 7Mate), Nine network services (Nine, Go! and Gem), Ten network services (Ten, Eleven and One) and SBS services (SBS, SBS2, SBS3 and NITV). The shopping channels are not included in the distribution. MATV IN THE BLOOD

“Sportsbet's researchers and bookmakers need continuous access to pretty much everything that’s happening in the known universe”

When Sportsbet moved into their 367 Collins Street, Melbourne, premises in 2009, DRM Audio Visual was engaged to provide the original AV fitout which included delivery of all of the above services via an MATV (Master Antenna Television) broadband RF network, delivered over low-loss coaxial cable via signal combiners, distribution amplifiers and splitters to a set-top tuner/decoder at every screen. High frequency broadband RF over coax is a slightly capricious beast that can be degraded by quite minor mishaps with cabling and connectors, and requires care and constant vigilance to keep it working at its very best. It’s a more than good-enough solution for a mix of predominantly standard definition signals, and was indeed the best-tested and most proven reliable system available at the time. After the investment in Sportsbet by the Irish

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Paddy Power bookmaking group in 2009, the company continued to grow dramatically up until 2012, with DRM AV continuing to add more MATV workstations, more meeting room installations and video conferencing facilities, while continuing to provide maintenance and support for the entire operation. During this time DRM were making the case to Sportsbet for IPTV as an alternative to MATV for the feeds to its every-increasing number of screens. IPTV FUTURE

In early 2013 DRM was approached by builders FDC Construction & Fitout to undertake the AV component of a significant expansion of Sportsbet’s facilities over a further five floors of 367 Collins street. This 8000sqm fitout incorporated a new reception area, boardrooms and meeting rooms, open plan workspaces for the gaming room and the trading floor, storage, utilities, a staff café and inter-tenancy stairs. Designed and specified by consultants Cardno ITC, the AV elements of the project entailed some 2500 hours of on-site work over four months. The project included the installation of a new head-end system feeding both MATV and IPTV signal distribution, 200 LCD screens, 64 IPTV workstations, 12 projection systems, nine video conference facilities and 25 AMX control systems. Some of the systems on the new trading floor were migrated from the older facility and continue to operate on RF/MATV feeds, albeit from the new head-end, which now includes DVB-T feeds. All the new trading stations operate entirely on IPTV, while the vast majority of the screens public areas such as reception, staff areas and the café are fed from the IPTV network. The sources available at each screen include the aforementioned Foxtel and free-to-air digital terrestrial services, plus two digital signage channels originating as HDMI feeds from a pair of PCs mounted in the head-end racks alongside the Foxtel and DVB-T decoders. Public screens are programmed to default back to these corporate digital signage feeds after being used to view other sources. The Foxtel section of the head-end system consists of a signal from an RF receiver split off to 17 independent Foxtel decoders. The audio and video the outputs of each decoder are split

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through a Kramer VM-2N distribution amp to feed both the RF and IPTV systems. All Foxtel streams support HDCP copy protection as required under the terms of their licence. The DVB-T signal is collected by a master antenna and split via an IKUSI UDU-813 to feed both the RF and IPTV systems. On the IPTV side, the DVB-T signal is processed by Omniscreen OMM-1400 headend decoders to produce the IP streams for each channel, while Omnistream MPEG2 and H.264 encoders generate IP streams from the decoded Foxtel AV signals. An Omniscreen IPTV server is used for control and monitoring of IP streams, bandwidth control, electronic program guide creation, channel allocation, zoning and control of set top boxes. DISPLAYS FOR A WIN

Over on legacy RF side, each Foxtel AV signal is then fed via daisy-chained Ikusi MCP-811 RF modulators into an Ikusi AMX-400 RF combiner where it’s mixed with the DVB-T RF feed for building-wide distribution. At each workstation the MATV feed is split by an Ikusi UDU-612 to feed four Toshiba 24W2300A (24-inch, full HD) LCD televisions. Display panels fed by IPTV each have a small IPTV ‘set-top box’ located at the back of, or adjacent to, the screen, which outputs stereo audio, composite video and a full HDMI 1.3A compatible multimedia stream at resolutions up to 1080p (HD). The set-top box includes an IR remote capability and can also be remotely controlled by the IPTV management system. SEAMLESS SWITCH

The only moment of tension in the whole fitout was the overnight relocation of some existing trading stations from the old trading area to the new trading floor, but the stations were up and running again in their new home in time for the start of trading the next morning. DRM AV have developed a relationship of confidence and trust with Sportsbet over the years which enabled them to influence Sportsbet’s thinking about taking a small, but critical punt in the planning of the substantial video distribution network in their new facilities. Sportsbet responded by recommending DRV as contractors for the supply, installation and maintenance of this critical asset for Sportsbet’s business. Does anyone want have a small wager with me on whether the next round of expansion at Sportsbet will include more IPTV? 

FEATURE

TUTORIAL

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Haven’t Got The Foggiest? A guided tour of atmospheric effects Text:/ Marcus Pugh

Q: Why don’t we do gigs on the moon? A: There’s no atmosphere. This may be a corny gag, but atmosphere and atmospherics are the all-toooften overlooked elements of the entertainment game. Well, what exactly are atmospherics? I like to think of them as the family of effects that occur in the air around the performers and the audience. These can be broken down into three basic groups: Haze, Smoke/Fog, and Low Fog. Before all the special effects specialists out there throw down their magazines and take to the internet to abuse me [the writer can be found on Twitter @poodawgma – Ed.], there are indeed plenty of other atmospheric effects, but in this article we’ll concentrate on these three main classes of effect, where they are most effective. SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE?

Throughout the millennia mankind has used the by-product of fire (smoke) as a form of communication in spiritual rituals and to help create a sense of atmosphere. Later in history as

theatre came to prevalence, smoke started to be integrated into performances with reports of it being used as far back as the late sixteenth century in the Globe Theatre, London. As chemistry and our understanding of materials advanced, so did our ability to generate smoke without actually setting something alight. While methods of making ‘smoke’ were initially developed and refined to create smoke, haze and low fog for theatre, the effects were soon appropriated for motion pictures, television, and indeed anywhere the appearance of low lying fog was required or the illusion of fire, or even just where the lighting needed to look cooler. Atmospheric effects can now be found in every facet of entertainment including nightclubs, theme parks, arena spectaculars and cruise ships. Some of these technologies have even made their way outside the entertainment sphere to be employed in such areas as the construction industry, air conditioning, security, military applications and emergency services training.

HAZY THOUGHTS

We’ll start our tour with haze, which, while not being the earliest-used effect, is certainly now the one most commonly used in entertainment. Haze refers to an unobtrusive, and for the most part, invisible cloud made by finely dividing a material and dispersing it widely throughout the air. It can be used to create a sense of mood, and more importantly, to give a defined form to lighting effects. Haze is a must for having beams or fingers of light on rock shows and also when lasers are in use. By providing a mostly-transparent medium in the air, haze defines these beams through the air above the audience and stage. Rock ‘n’ roll lighting designers are often overheard to say: “when there’s no haze there’s no light”. Haze gives the lighting or laser designer another plane to work on. There are two main families of hazers: those that utilise a glycol and water-based fluid and those that crack a mineral oil-based fluid. Each

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of these fluids has their own advantages and drawbacks. Traditionally, oil-based hazers (usually known as crackers) atomise or ‘crack’ the fluid into microscopic particles light enough to be suspended in the air. The smaller this particle size, the smoother the haze, and the less likely it is to ‘clump’. An oil-based haze can be made as simply as by pushing bubbles of high pressure air through a mineral oil. This lifts the smallest particles out of the oil, suspending them as an aerosol which can then be blown out into the performance area. As air compressors are inherently noisy, the high-pressure gas can also be supplied from cylinders. Some more advanced oil-based hazers put the oil through a heatexchanger then force the fluid through a tightlyconstricted nozzle which mechanically shatters the particles to a super small size. The problem with an oil-based haze is, given enough volume used over long periods, it settles and the oil condenses, leaving an oily residue on surfaces like

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TUTORIAL

EFFECT

HAZE

SMOKE MACHINES

LOW FOG

TECHNOLOGY

PROS

CONS

Cracker

Simple machines Instant effect (no heat up time)

Oily residue after days/weeks usage Often noisy requiring an air compressor Relatively short ‘hang time’

Glycol Hazer

No oily residue Relatively quiet

Use a lot of haze fluid Takes time to heat up Haze can appear lumpy Short ‘hang time’

Oil-based CO² driven hazer

Very smooth, even haze Long ‘hang time’ Quiet machines

Safety handling and transporting issues associated with high pressure CO² Machines and CO² can be expensive

Glycol-based mist/fog/smoke (Nothing is actually burned)

Machines and fluid are often cheap. Smoke can be used in many different ways with fans, ducting, etc. Can create a visual barrier Disperses quickly Machine can be teamed with a chiller to create a low fog

Leaves a slick residue in front of the machine Takes time to heat up Uses a lot of smoke fluid Over-use can create an unwanted visual barrier

Pea Souper (Dry ice & hot water)

Great thick floor hugging effect Machine can be built at home with parts from a hardware store

Resulting effect can pool and become lethal Hard to sustain the effect Safety handling and transporting issues associated with dry ice

Refrigerated low fogger

The effect is sustainable for long periods The safest of the low fog effects Ability to control the temperature means it can be used as a smoke machine as well

Machine can be noisy Uses a lot of heavy fog fluid Resulting effect can be kicked up as people move through it

Cryogenically-cooled low fogger

Relatively quiet method The effect is sustainable for long periods in large volumes

Safety handling and transporting issues associated with very cold and pressurised liquids Based on expensive fixed infrastructure Consumes expensive cryogenic liquids

Jem's Ready 365 CO2-driven hazer.

Antari's Fazer 310Pro fan-driven hazer

the tops of lighting bars and the optical systems of luminaires and projectors. This can also lead to problems with air conditioning systems and have been banned in some venues. OILS AIN’T OILS

Glycol-based hazers, which are relatively new in the market place, have risen in popularity because they are generally quieter machines and do not leave the same oily residue. They create their effect in a similar way to smoke machines. The fluid is pumped through a heat exchanger then through an ultra-fine nozzle before being dispersed into the performance space by a fan or blower. By adjusting the pump pressure and fan level remotely (via DMX512) you can adjust the volume, density and area it covers. The main issue with glycol-based hazers has been that due to its larger particles, the haze is neither as uniform (smooth) as the oil-based version nor does it hang in the air as long. Recently, we’ve begun seeing

MDG's ATMe gas-driven hazer.

Atari's DNG 200 refrigerator-chilled low fogger.

the arrival of non-oil-based products which challenge these perceptions. No matter which way you choose to make your haze, or from what fluid, a hazed venue will always take light better. A well-hazed room can make an average lighting rig look great. As with any of these effects always make sure the venue is aware that you’re using atmospherics (avoid using the actual word ‘Smoke’ as it tends to freak out the uninitiated) and make sure the proper procedures have been followed to ensure you don’t have a surprise visit from your local fire brigade, because ‘smoke’ detectors are actually particle detectors, and they have a tendency to be a bit too literal. SMOG

Smoke or fog refers to effects that create a dense cloud, which unlike haze, is engineered to disperse relatively quickly. These effects are generally used to give the impression of a fire

ADJ's Mister Kool ice-chilled low fogger.

or to obscure the vision. The modern fog effect is produced by running a glycol-based fluid through a heating block which vaporises the fluid into a thick cloud. The resulting smoke is pumped out through a nozzle. The fog can be adapted into many different ‘looks’ with the use of fans, ducting or a smoke curtain tube. The disadvantages of smoke or fog is that it takes a deft hand to get the mix right between making a small puff and creating a giant rolling fog that completely obscures vision of the stage. For all atmospheric effects, even slight air flow and temperature changes can dramatically affect the result. A smoke cue that works beautifully one night can completely go awry the next because the air conditioner is running harder due to more audience in the auditorium, or because someone has left an auditorium door slightly ajar. As the fog machine technology has improved other industries have adopted them. The construction industry often uses fog machines to

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034

TUTORIAL

Try to imagine this scene from the 2013 Essence Festival in New Orleans without the haze. Image courtesy Clay Paky.

test water pipe joints for leaks before pressurising them, in addition to the obvious use of testing smoke alarms. The military has used largescale fog machines for training, obscuring troop movements and even to test the air-tightness of submarines in dry dock. There are even security systems that utilise fog machines to fill a compromised area in a building with fog to terrify and disorient intruders.

Antari's Z3000 MkII glycol-based fogger.

Atmospheric effects have given birth to an entire industry of dispersion fans.

GETTING THE LOW DOWN

Low fog is the most spectacular of the atmospheric effects but is also the hardest to achieve and even harder to perfect. The traditional way to achieve a floor-hugging fog effect has been to introduce dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide, temperature -78.2°C) to boiling water in a machine known as a ‘pea souper’ (a product name still used by manufacturers). The vapour from the boiling water condenses around the cold CO² gas, which is denser than air, producing a low lying cloud of steam. This method has a number of drawbacks. The fog accumulates in low-lying areas (such as the orchestra pit, the under-stage and even the stalls seating) displacing the breathable air and causing asphyxiation, which can result in a loss of consciousness or even death. This method is also hard to sustain for long sequences, as the dry ice chills the boiling water and thus reduces the output of fog. Venues that use a lot of CO² effects are now being fitted with monitoring systems to prevent accidents. There are also issues with handling and transporting dry ice. I once nearly passed out because I was driving around in a compact car with a back seat full of eskies of dry ice on a hot day. The dry ice sublimated and the car slowly filled with CO². Luckily I noticed it was getting hard to breath and cracked a window. [And I

once detuned the entire string section of a large pit orchestra with the water vapour from a very slightly heavy-handed fog cue – Ed]. Always ask for advice and know the rules and risks when it comes to working with atmospherics. Another variation on this process, which has been ramped up to industrial scale for big, long-running productions, is to use a commercial boiler (under the stage or outside the venue) for the steam, and liquid nitrogen (-196°C, stored in big industrial cryogenic tanks, under the stage or outside the venue) as the denser-than-air coolant to condense the steam and keep the fog cool and low. The effect is the same as the old pea-souper, but the output can be sustained indefinitely at high levels (ie. until the cryogenic gas tanks are empty). Cold nitrogen gas also displaces the warmer oxygen-bearing air, producing slightlylower risks of asphyxiation in low-lying areas. High pressure steam boilers and cryogenic storage and materials handling are areas requiring expertise not usually found on show production teams. LEAVING THE AGE OF STEAM

Over the last couple of decades, modern fogmaking technology has enabled the development of low foggers that have alleviated many of

these issues. Many of these machines produce their fog using fairly standard glycol-based high-volume fog/smoke technology and a longpersistence fog fluid. This is transformed into low fog by chilling the output to make it denser than the surrounding air. Chilling methods include pumping the fog through an industrial refrigeration unit (air conditioning chiller) or through a heat-exchanging chamber filled with either dry ice, or if you need a long duration effect, liquid nitrogen or liquid CO². All of these methods have their problems, refrigeration plants are, heavy, noisy and power hungry, while transporting and storing cryogenic liquid is quite hazardous, and liquid CO² (which only exists at pressures exceeding five times atmospheric) can be more troublesome than in its frozen state. Smoke machines, hazers, crackers, pea soupers and low foggers come in all different shapes and sizes to meet your atmospheric needs. While each as their advantages and disadvantages my advice would be to do your research, test, then test again until you get it right, but expect to be surprised because atmospherics are a capricious beast. 

BACK IN 2014 The Audio Visual Industry Awards are back again this year. Last year’s ceremony was a real highlight of the AV industry calendar and we’re back at Integrate in 2014, bigger, better and brighter. Submissions will be soon be invited for projects completed in 2013, with a return of the categories Commercial/Government, Exhibition/Display, Production and Education. Again, the focus is on excellence and innovation — bigger isn’t always better. So if your company has what it takes, get involved!

www.avias.com.au

ALIA

036

TUTORIAL

WTF is RDM? What is it? Do I need it? Why aren’t we using it? Text:/ Paul Collison

I got to thinking a while ago, that RDM is something I don’t use. It’s just not on my radar, I haven’t considered making it a requirement on my projects and to date, no one has ever said to me, “Hey we should use RDM on this project to make our lives easier”. So I thought that I’d try and make my last tour RDMcompliant. I asked the lighting crew chief from a respectable upstanding lighting rental house in North America, if all the touring gear could be RDM compliant so I could have a play with it. His reply: “What is RDM? That’s that feedback thing yeah?” Which made me think even more – is RDM even worth the hassle if no one knows what it is? To start, I guess we have to answer my colleagues’ question, what is it? MANAGEMENT BUSINESS

RDM stands for Remote Device Management. It is a lighting protocol developed by the same standards group that looks after DMX512, so it coexists with the existing DMX world. In fact, it works on the same DMX cables you use every day. However, unlike DMX, which simply broadcasts streams of data from a controller to a bunch of passive listening devices, RDM is bi-directional – exchanging small packets of information between enabled devices (usually lights and dimmers) and a controller (usually a lighting console or a computer). RDM packets are sent back and forth between DMX data packets, so as not to interrupt the much more important show data. It communicates over the two existing active wires in a standard DMX cable. Back when DMX was devised in the early ’80s, it was thought that some additional protocol (like RDM or a second universe of DMX) might be carried on the unassigned fourth and fifth pins of the DMX connector. Unfortunately the prevalence of three-pin XLR connectors on some cheaper fixtures, and the Wild-West land rush of incompatible proprietary uses for Pins 4 and 5, where they were present, meant the only real solution for RDM was to cohabit with DMX on Pins 2 and 3.

YOU’RE SOAKING IN IT!

Most recently-made data splitters and DMX paraphernalia are likely to be RDM compliant. Although many come with the option of disabling the RDM functions, it would be no surprise if the average lighting company or venue already had RDM-capable equipment. You may find enough bits and pieces to make your next lighting system fully RDM compatible. Of course don’t just think that RDM is restricted to DMX-controlled luminaires – anything from smoke machines, media servers and automation systems to environmental controls and remote PTZ cameras have the potential to be managed by RDM. The idea of RDM is an elegant one. From a convenient location you can access the features of individual devices remotely. You can change the mode, the DMX address, inhibit features or invert channels. Anything that can be modified on a device’s interface should be accessible via RDM. Then there is the error reporting aspect. Your fixture can report directly back to your interface with lamp failures, calibration errors and even power loss. So the lighting technician may indeed be made aware of a blown lamp or other fault, well before the LD. In theory, a production house need not bother with doing a DMX patch prior to the job. They can throw luminaires up all over the place and then the operator can just address and manage the fixtures as they come online. Sounds great… or is it? Let’s look at the practicality of a few of the main selling points of RDM. Firstly, I don’t know of a production house that would send a serious lighting system out where all fixtures aren’t first prepared individually and addressed. Giving a luminaire a DMX address in the shop is not time consuming, and is just part of a normal prep. So the idea of sending a fleet of fixtures out that have no specific physical position just screams inefficiency to me. I can see people on site chasing cases all over a venue. Secondly, do we really need notifications of problems when the light thinks there is a problem, or should we just rely on observation? If the washlights

DMX RDM upstage never change colour during the show, do I care that there is a colour calibration issue in one of those fixtures? Will I be sending a tech to fix a problem that I would never have known about? Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Luddite. I’d like to embrace RDM, as I like the idea of being able to change the mode of a light, or the DMX address if there is cause to do so. I’d like to be notified that a lamp has gone offline at some point. I can see real benefits of such a system. Part of the lack of my uptake is the fact that manufacturers of both lighting devices and controllers are yet to arrive at a collaborative approach. There appears to be no real consistency to the type of information garnered, or how it’s presented to either a technician, or a console operator. WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD

ELC is one company which has embraced RDM to a reasonable extent. Its dmXLAN software has some really great features. So long as you are using its nodes, you have the ability to print out daily reports for maintenance and get live error reports on the run. DmXLAN even has a graphical layout

TUTORIAL

037

“There appears to be no real consistency to the type of information garnered, or how it’s presented to either a technician, or a console operator”

ELC's dmXLAN network control software (v4)

of your lighting system for testing and reporting. The software works in parallel with your lighting control system. Robe has a proprietary box called RDM Communicator. It is a funky little batteryoperated box that allows the user to change user options and report fixture status across multiple fixtures. Of course it only works on Robe fixtures and is designed as a maintenance tool and not for use with an active lighting system. Martin has one of the better ecosystems for RDM from its M Series of controllers, allowing for reporting and interaction directly from the console surface. Again however, it is primarily designed to work with Martin fixtures directly attached to the console. MA have a rather rudimentary RDM interface that works with any RDM-enabled fixture. However this area of the software is still underdeveloped and waiting for the lighting community to stamp their feet and demand a bigger RDM feature set. Then of course there was Infotrace, from the late, lamented Wybron, which won innovation awards at the PLASA and LDI shows way back in 2006. So collectively, we seem to be dabbling in RDM, but most companies seem to have a wait and see approach rather than driving innovation the way they have in other areas. PRE-HISTORIC RDM

It’s worth noting that bi-directional feedback is far from revolutionary in the lighting control world (think back to when hipster beards were cool for the first time). Bytecraft, AVAB and ETC control systems found in all the TV studios

and prominent venues had control system status monitoring and feedback. Although the systems were only communicating with dimmer racks, there were still capabilities for DMX channel assignment, dimmer curve allocation and warnings of overloads and circuit breaker status. What’s interesting is that when all of these organisations traded up to newer and more fancy control systems, the majority of these bidirectional feedback systems disappeared. Here we are, some 20-odd years down the track, talking about bringing these features back. Albeit in a bigger, better, faster way. THE CHALLENGES ON THE ROAD AHEAD

This may shock you, but there are still some cheaper fixtures out there that do not fully follow the DMX standard with their start code data. So enabling RDM on your DMX network may cause unprecedented mayhem and bring your control network to a screaming halt. It becomes very obvious very quickly that certain fixtures and brands will just not work with RDM. So make sure you test your system thoroughly in the shop or between productions before heading out to your next show with you RDM guidebook in hand. One of the main problems facing RDM is that the protocol, while being clear on the network communication aspects, is less than so when it comes to just what content and parameters the consoles and fixtures will exchange, and how that information is delivered to the users. Back in the mid-’80s, DMX512 was introduced into a landscape that had little or no other options for

digital data communications. By contrast, RDM must compete with proprietary systems from a range of manufacturers and rely on co-operation between companies that traditionally are in a sales war and are actually relishing the opportunity to bring back the pre-DMX proprietary lock-in. I believe when RDM finally becomes integrated properly in to lighting control systems, we’ll have a truly powerful tool ELECTRIC DREAMS

So you can see that RDM is starting to gain a toehold. However, the real power of RDM will be when the protocol is delivered directly back into the console and interacts with your show data. Imagine a cue list that warns that in cue 20, you’re missing one of the lights that are programed in that scene. Or the colour error on fixture 12 is going to affect your look in cue 45. Maybe even that your smoke machine fluid level is running low and therefore the smoke cues in your list may not be completed by the end of the show. I’d like to scan my fixture list and see if all fixtures are online or if one is missing, without having to go looking for that information in an obscure menu. When reporting like that comes along, in an integrated and instantaneous way, then we may see a rapid increase in its uptake. Until then, I fear that RDM will languish in the corner, and be “that feedback thing yeah?” 

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NEWS

039

InfoComm News

News from the Oceania Region

MEET THE NEWEST CTS LEADERS

The InfoComm International Certification Committee appointed Chuck Espinoza, CTS-D, CTS-I, AV Project Operations Manager, National Capitol Contracting, as the new chair. Also, CTS holders elected six candidates to the InfoComm International Certification Committee. • Matthew J. LeFeber, CTS, The Sextant Group • Adam Walton, CTS, SVSi • Heather Callaway, CTS-D • Christopher Neal, CTS-D, CTS-I, One Workplace • Alec Graham, CTS-D, CTS-I, Corporate Initiatives Australia • Rich Kowalske, CTS-D, CTS-I, Technical Innovation Over 9000 AV professionals hold the CTS credential – more than ever before. UPCOMING NETWORKED AV SYSTEMS TRAINING

InfoComm is partnering with AMX Australia to provide networked audiovisual systems training to AV professionals in Australia and New Zealand. AMX is generously offering this popular class several times throughout 2014. Our second quarter sessions include: 2-4 April, 2014, Auckland 7-9 April, 2014, Melbourne 28-30 May, 2014, Gold Coast To enrol, contact InfoComm Regional Director Jonathan Seller at oceania@infocomm.org. AV SYSTEM PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION STANDARD RELEASED

InfoComm International’s latest standard, ANSI/ INFOCOMM 10-2013, Audiovisual Systems Performance Verification, has been approved

by ANSI, a private, nonprofit organisation that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardisation and conformity assessment systems. ANSI/INFOCOMM 10-2013, Audiovisual Systems Performance Verification provides a comprehensive, systematic, and practical approach to verifying performance of AV systems. This standard will provide practitioners the ability to produce a verifiable evaluation of the audiovisual system based on quality assurance, testing and acceptance, and will ensure the system conforms to the owners’ operational needs, as established in the system/ project documentation. A one-page overview can be found at infocomm.org/standards. InfoComm thanks the following subject matter experts for their leadership in developing this standard: • Matthew Silverman, CTS, PMP, George Mason University, Moderator • John Bailey, CTS-D, CTS-I, Whitlock • Jason Brameld, BSc (Hons) ARCS, MInstSCE, PTS Consulting, LLP • Greg Bronson, CTS-D, Cornell University • Paul Depperschmidt, CTS, Cisco • Richard Derbyshire, CTS, Shen Milsom & Wilke, LLCDan Doolen, MS, ISF-C, CQT, University of Illinois • Tristan Gfrerer, Google, CTS, BEng (Hons) • Mike Izatt, CTS-D, Spectrum Engineers, Inc. • Thomas Kopin, CTS, ISF-C, Kramer Electronics USA • Richard Morrison, CTS, Prince2, CPEng, BE (Computer Systems), Norman Disney & Young • Mike Quinn, BEng, CEng, MIET, CTS-D

MAKE THE TRIP TO INFOCOMM 2014 TO SEE MICROSOFT SOLUTIONS

Microsoft will be a new exhibitor at InfoComm 2014, the world's largest audiovisual trade show. Microsoft will be a platinum show sponsor occupying significant exhibit space in the Las Vegas Convention Center June 18-20, 2014. “InfoComm has long been considered the ideal venue to showcase companies and products in the audiovisual and information communications space, and Microsoft’s considerable commitment to our event marks an important milestone in the show's history,” said David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD, Executive Director and CEO, InfoComm International. “The decade-long conversation about the convergence of AV and IT technology has been realised, with the presence of a bluechip company like Microsoft at InfoComm 2014 underscoring the importance of the show to companies of all sizes looking to do business in today’s information communications marketplace.” InfoComm 2014 registration opens 18 February, at infocommshow.org.

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041

TUTORIAL

How Data is Encoded & Transported This is the second of two excerpts from the InfoComm University course Networking Technology Online on this topic. The first part appeared in AV Issue 36. It is a prerequisite for the classroom course Networked Audiovisual Systems, which is being offered in Australia and New Zealand throughout 2014. Communication Modes

There are three basic modes of operation for network communication: simplex, half-duplex, and duplex. These modes are characterised by the flow of data to and from the source.

GLOSSARY: HALF DUPLEX

Half-duplex is a form of data transmission in which only one network node at a time sends data. Note that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) uses this term to refer to simplex communications. The original Ethernet standard, IEEE 802.3, used a half-duplex communication scheme. Because the network media was shared, only one node at a time could transmit data. This was before the concept of switched networks.

GLOSSARY: SIMPLEX

GLOSSARY: FULL DUPLEX

As defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), simplex is a form of data transmission wherein communication is available in only one direction. Data is sent from one node to others, but the other nodes cannot respond. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) uses the term ‘half-duplex’ to refer to this type of data transmission. Simplex communications are like broadcasts from a radio station. Transmissions are broadcast to receivers, but the receivers can’t respond. Actually, all networks use broadcast. A broadcast message is a message sent by one node to all the other nodes on the same network. Any node on a network can send a broadcast message by addressing the message to a special broadcast address. These messages are a form of simplex communication. Multicast messages are another form of simplex communication. In multicast communication, instead of sending the message to every node on the network the sending node sends the message to a pre-defined group of “listeners”. Like broadcast messages, multicast messages are sent to a special multicast address. Only the nodes which subscribe to that address receive the communication.

Full duplex communication is a form of bidirectional data transmission in which multiple messages may travel on the same medium simultaneously. Modern Ethernet networks operate in full duplex mode by default. Modern LAN technology can still support half-duplex communication if it needs to – ie. when legacy components which aren’t capable of full-duplex must be integrated into the network.

Duplex Communication

Half-duplex is essentially bidirectional simplex communication. Half-duplex works like a walkietalkie. You can send information from either device, but only one device at a time can transmit.

Introduction to the OSI Model

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model provides a mental map for the transfer of data across a network. It was created in early days of digital networking to present a common language for the technology designers and manufacturers. The OSI model can be used to describe the functions of any networking hardware or software, regardless of equipment, vendor, or application. As the field has matured, it has become harder to fit networking technologies into the strict categories of the OSI model. Many operate at several different layers. Still, the OSI model provides useful shorthand for discussing networking software and devices.

GLOSSARY: OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Model

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is a reference model developed by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) in 1984, as a conceptual framework of standards for communication in the network across different equipment and applications by different vendors. Network communication protocols fall into seven categories, or ‘layers’. Each layer builds upon the next. The OSI model uses a stack of layers to communicate or transmit a file from one computer to the next. Layers 1-3, known as the Media Layers, define hardware-oriented functions like routing, switching, and cable specifications. Layers 4-7, the Host Layers, define the software that implements network services. Each layer contains a broad set of protocols and standards that regulate a defined portion of the data transfer process. A data transfer on any given network likely uses several different protocols at each layer in order to communicate. The OSI model is often used to describe the purpose or functionality of networking protocols, software, or devices. Knowing the OSI layer(s) at which a technology operates can be useful in several ways. The OSI model can: • Tell you what a technology does, and when those events occur in the data transfer process. For instance, Application Layer error checking occurs at the host, and may be aware of the kinds of errors that really matter to the software application. Transport layer error checking has no awareness of the application; it just looks for any missing packets. • Provide a roadmap for troubleshooting data transfer errors. The OSI model describes the signal flow of networked data. Just as you would use a signal flow diagram to troubleshoot a display system in a conference room, checking at each point in the path, you can troubleshoot a network by observing the data transfer process one layer at a time. • Indicate which service provider(s) are responsible for each stage of data transfer. Layers of the OSI model often represent a service provider handoff. For instance, an AV technology manager may be responsible for Layer 1 and 2 devices and Layer 5-7 software, while the network manager controls all Layer 3 and 4 technology.

042

HUMOUR?

Termination A little something about the next big thing. Text:/ Graeme Hague

I’m not impressed. I can’t even muster up a half-hearted Homer Simpson-like ‘woo-hoo’. I’m supposed to be blown away by bigger and better pictures, louder and clearer audio – the next big things for sale in Hardly Normals and Retroversions that I simply must have, if I want the latest audiovisual experience, but it’s all a bit underwhelming. The problem is, I can’t see or hear what I’m supposed to be impressed about anymore. Okay, that’s not entirely true (I’m not about to shoot myself in the professional foot), because I can hear the difference afforded by higher-quality audio recordings – given the right monitoring equipment – and I can see the improvement in a higher-definition picture, again, given the right gear to watch it on. But lately it’s like the benefits offered by the newest, über-definition home entertainment systems are negligible at best, maybe only to be really appreciated by audiophiles and... umm, videophiles... and it should be remembered it’s too often dependent on the skills of the production team behind the source material, rather than the media it’s delivered on anyway – which isn’t guaranteed either. Does your average TV buyer know just how few programs are actually broadcast in HD? GENERATIONAL TO INCREMENTAL

Wander into any showroom and the televisions are (yawn) a little bigger than last month, the picture a little more sharp and colourful. The surround audio (lazy armpit scratch) is now available in 18.1 with dozens of satellite speakers the size of a matchbox – promising to perform like the Rolling Stone’s touring PA rig – but where the hell are you going to put them

all? Besides, is it really worth the money and effort? The switch from vinyl and cassette tape to compact disc — now that was impressive. Vinyl records have been enjoying a renaissance, but as someone who invested... oh, about a million dollars on all manner of record-cleaning gadgets, anti-static guns and sprays, and one of those little brushes that sit in front of the stylus head (it seemed like a good idea at the time) all in the name of eradicating that infuriating pop and crackle of playing records... you know what I reckon you can do with your precious vinyl? Listening to a compact disc for the first time was a revelation. I probably even said ‘woohoo’, even though Homer Simpson wasn’t even a glint in Matt Groening’s eye, which is unthinkable for an entire generation. The first time I saw Blu-ray played on a large, digital screen was mind-blowingly impressive, too. The clarity was gobsmacking. 3D DISASTER MOVIE

Then the wheels fell off the industry. The next big thing that should have made us wet our collective pants with excitement was 3D television, but it’s turned out the only really impressive thing here is how spectacularly 3D has failed. Some time back, at a tradeshow, I practically watched all of James Cameron’s Avatar in 3D simply by walking laps of the exhibition floor over two days (as you do), because it was the only 3D movie available. At least in 2014 you can now watch... ah, Avatar. What else? Okay, and a remake of Titanic (spoiler alert, the ship still sinks). All right, to be fair quite a lot of 3D content has been produced, but it hasn’t helped. We’re over

it. Watching 3D television is hard work. You’ve got to wear nerdy glasses, never move your head and be prepared to vomit regularly. At the last CES show TV giant Vizio announced it won’t be releasing any new 3D televisions in 2014. That’s 3D game over, folks. But wait, don’t despair. Now 4K televisions are available, which allow you to watch your favourite shows in four times the resolution of the current 1080p (Full) HD standard, much more fun than crappy 3D anyway. Even better, if you have a super-large 84-inch screen (coincidentally, four times larger than a 42-inch, which is considered the bog-standard of HD TV sizes) you don’t need to stand at the end of your driveway to watch it – that’s the real beauty of UltraHD 4K resolution. 4K OKAY?

Imagine watching the chariot race from Ben Hur in 4K! Awesome. Hang on – in fact, you will have to imagine it, because it will never be up-scaled or re-shot in 4K. What about the footy grand final? Nope, are you insane? The bandwidth required to transmit television in 4K would be roughly equivalent to teleporting a rather chubby William Shatner up to the Enterprise, which the University of Leicester recently figured out involved 2.6 x 1042 bits of data and needed 4.85 x 1015 years to complete – one hell of an upload. So just what can we watch on our new UltraHD 4K televisions actually in 4K resolution? The answer is... nothing. At best, nothing yet. In reality, nothing decent for a very long time. At least that’s impressive, in an annoying kind of way. 

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