BroadcastPro ME May 2018 by BroadcastPro ME

Issue 95 | MAY 2018

Publication licensed by Dubai Production City

virtual playground UAE creates history with live telecast of football in virtual reality

Evolving with you. G4 captures the magic with such ease, almost as if you had planned it for years. G4 is the leading choice amongst film-makers and journalists alike. The 100P Series has become the industry standard. The new 500P Series takes the evolution of wireless film sound further, thanks to its ease of use, versatility and reliability in any kind of environment. www.sennheiser.com/g4

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GROUP Managing Director Raz Islam raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 4 375 5471 Editorial Director Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 4 375 5472 EDITORIAL Editor Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 55 105 3787

Welcome

Assistant Editor Supriya Srinivas supriya.srinivas@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 4 375 5478 Sub Editor Aelred Doyle ADVERTISING Group Sales Director Sandip Virk sandip.virk@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 50 929 1845 +44 (0) 773 444 2526 DESIGN Art Director Simon Cobon MARKETIING Marketing Manager Sheena Sapsford sheena.sapsford@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0)4 375 5498 CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION Production Manager Vipin V. Vijay vipin.vijay@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0)4 375 5713 Circulation Manager Sunil Kumar sunil.kumar@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5476 DIGITAL SERVICES Mohammad Awais Sadiq Siddiqui

NAB CEO Gordon Smith’s speech at the opening ceremony got me thinking on how much of an influencer the organisation is, the respect it enjoys within the media’s creative and tech communities – and simultaneously, the power it wields with policy-makers. This entity does not just serve as an exhibition centre with an adjoining conference. Whether it is educating policymakers and broadcasters about moving to Next-Gen TV, which promises broadcasters some excellent benefits in terms of UHD TV, interactive features and customisable content; or trying to persuade the likes of Apple to activate the FM feature on handsets; working closely with automotive manufacturers on improving radio technology in cars; and even fighting record labels for trying to tax radio stations playing their music, NAB seems to be on top of it. With the new mandate in the US, where TV channels have a much smaller spectrum to work with, the migration to ATSC

3.0 seems inevitable and was therefore a hot topic at NAB. A lot of manufacturers and solution providers had come prepared to talk to broadcasters about this. I was just fascinated by how an organisation such as NAB has actively used its power to advance the interests of radio and TV within legislative and regulatory circles. We desperately require such an authority – one that does not just regulate us all the time, but stands on the side of the media and serves as a liaison between broadcasters and government authorities. We require a go-to entity that serves our interests, for the larger good of the broadcast community. At our anti-piracy conference on May 2, you’ll hear why this is crucial. See you there.

Vijaya Cherian, Editorial Director

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ISSUE 95 | MAY 2018

Publication licensed by Dubai Production City

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1 day / 1 evening / 4 panels 23 speakers / 19 awards 1 gala awards dinner 13 November 2018 BroadcastPro ME Summit & Awards is our annual flagship event to promote and celebrate excellence in the broadcast and satellite industry across the MENA region. Featuring extensive networking opportunities, seminars and awards presentations by key industry and government leaders.

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PROCONTENTS

Inside this issue 07 NEWS Sharjah Media Corp unveils Ramadan specials, OB vans from MAP and Roya TV, Starz Play tops in MENA, DIFF bombshell and Ideal Systems’ cutting-edge broadcast

May 2018 CyClINg touR IN ShaRjah - lIvE NEWS fRom aRouNd mENa

thE uaE'S fIRSt lIvE vR BRoadCaSt

16 vIP EXPERIENCE IN vR History scripted by UAE Pro League Committee, Etisalat and Mediapro

22 BBC StRatEgy IN mENa Natasha Hussain of BBC Worldwide outlines the ‘glocal’ strategy to cater to a diverse region

05 77

thE BRoadCaStER-tElCo EquatIoN

24 WhEN aI EmPoWERS Glodina Lostanlen of Imagine Communications writes that AI will free the industry to create engaging content

26 tElCoS & BRoadCaStERS A conversation with both parties on how to create a win-win relationship

32 hyBRId RoutE to IP Will Waters of NewTek maps out a viable migration path to IP

26 INNovatoRS at NaB 2018

36 NaB 2018 WRaP-uP

CoNNECtEChaSIa 2018: PREvIEW

On-site interviews with Rohde & Schwarz, Ross, Irdeto, Lawo, Calrec, GatesAir and more

44 CoNNECtEChaSIa 2018 Overview of the trends and technologies to be showcased at Asia’s premier broadcast event

48 goINg ultRa Ibrahim Al Akkad of Grass Valley outlines the way forward

44 May 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 5

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PROnews

MAP brings GV-equipped 4K OB van to UAE users be completed by June 2018. The systems integration for the project is being executed by MAP’s in-house technical team in conjunction with Dubai-based United The teams from MAP and Grass Valley. Broadcast & Media UAE production company Solutions (UBMS). MAP has purchased a Elaborating on Grass complete Grass Valley live Valley’s role, Regional Sales production solution for its Manager Mohammed Saadeh brand-new 4K, 18-camera said: “We provided a glassOB van. The van is slated to to-glass solution starting

from the camera all the way through to the video mixers and routers. Essentially, we have supplied the entire video chain for the OB van.” Speaking about UBMS’ role as systems integrator for the project, owner and GM of MAP Imad Bassil said: “Their decades of experience have allowed us to realise our vision of creating a top-of-the-line 4K OB van.” On completion, the OB van will be available on lease to the broadcast industry.

GSL Professional is Calrec's official ME distributor GSL has announced a new partnership with UK broadcast manufacturer Calrec to extend distribution and support across the Middle East, covering the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. GSL Professional will liaise between the customer and the manufacturer while also extending services in technical, sales support, marketing and business

NEwS IN PICTurES

development. Commenting on the partnership, GSL Professional MD Adrian Curtis said: “One of our missions here at GSL is to The teams from GSL continually expand Professional and Calrec. the breadth and depth of our offerings. Type-R radio system and Working with Calrec is its compact yet powerful a perfect example of Brio console, which is that, especially with the gaining real traction company’s dynamic new within the industry.”

Season three of B100Ragl (Be Yourself) has launched on Jordanheadquartered Kharabeesh, a platform for digital creators, and the B100Ragl Facebook page. The fictional series is the creation of The Womanity Foundation and its partners Lapis Communication and Kharabeesh, and aims to raise awareness and spark debate around issues relating to women’s roles and rights in the MENA.

DIFF now biennial, next edition in 2019 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has silenced rising speculation about the event by announcing that the 15th edition of the event will indeed take place but not in 2018 as originally expected. As part of a strategic shift, the festival’s organiser has announced that the event will take place every two years with the 15th edition scheduled for 2019.

CNBC opens regional HQ Business and financial news network CNBC has announced the opening of its new Middle East headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The network will broadcast Capital Connection, fronted by Middle East Anchor Hadley Gamble, from its new studios in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the UAE capital’s International Financial Centre.

Omantel launches YouTube Pass Omantel has launched its YouTube Pass, allowing customers to stream the platform for three hours for approximately 78 US cents.

May 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 7

PROnews

Starz Play tops Netflix in MENA market share Rami Abudyab.

Ipsos appoints new Country Manager for KSA Research company Ipsos has appointed Rami Abudyab as Country Manager of its office in Saudi Arabia. Based out of the Ipsos offices in Riyadh, Abudyab will be overseeing the business throughout the Kingdom. Abudyab has more than 17 years of experience in marketing, strategy, business development, market research and project management in different countries.

DISCOP promotes African women filmmakers The South Africa-based Ladima Foundation will present the 'Women of Influence Conversation', which will bring together relevant women in Africa’s entertainment and media industry at the inaugural DISCOP Zanzibar, which will take place 11-13 July at Hotel Verde. Additionally, Ladima will sponsor five women in the industry from East Africa for DISCOP Zanzibar 2018.

OTT streaming platform Starz Play is the leading service provider in the region, holding 26% of market share compared to Netflix’s share at 16% and icflix’s at 11%, according to a study by market research company IHS Markit. Starz Play also tops the region in terms of revenue, holding 28% of the share, followed by Netflix at 21%. Starz Play sees its subscribers split fairly equal between KSA and the rest of the GCC, with

Maaz Sheikh, CEO, Starz Play.

30% of sign-ups coming from the Kingdom. Speaking to BroadcastPro ME, Maaz Sheikh, CEO of Starz Play, attributed the success of the platform to a combination of factors:

“We are the only SVOD service to be available on the region’s IPTV networks. We are now available on Etisalat E-life and STC. Also in addition to credit card, we offer mobile payment and in-app. From Muscat to Marrakech, we work with more than 17 mobile operators, covering each country, to offer customers convenient payment through their mobile phone bills. No other OTT service has this reach or options in the region.”

Nagra’s myCinema to connect movie screens Nagra has unveiled myCinema, a service designed to reportedly transform the cinema experience. André Kudelski, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Kudelski Group, said: “By connecting movie theatre

screens, myCinema brings the agility of the internet age to cinemas. It enables diversified and flexible programming. Thanks to its AI-based analytics, myCinema identifies the unique fandoms active in a

cinema’s local community and recommends targeted content choices. myCinema also features an app-based loyalty programme tailored for each local cinema that allows consumers to express their programming wishes.”

Sharjah Media Corp marks ramadan with 83 new shows Sharjah Media Corporation has announced a total of 83 new shows spanning SMC’s TV and radio platforms for the holy month of Ramadan. These programmes will be based on Islam and heritage, and will feature shows dedicated to children and adults. The corporation’s TV and radio broadcast channels will compete on a regional

8 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

level, with 25 programmes presented on Sharjah TV, another 25 broadcast by Sharjah Radio, six programmes by Al Wousta channel from Al Dhaid and nine more by Al Sharqiya channel from Kalba. Additionally, Sharjah’s

Holy Quran Radio will air 16 programmes and the Sharjah Sports Channel will launch the third Sharjah Ramadan Football Championship, along with a Youth Football Championship featuring for the first time.

PROnews

twofour54 showcases backlot 30% rebate on production Behind-the-scenes spend on the sets of Bollywood film from Abu Tiger Zinda Hai. Dhabi Film Commission, as a huge attraction for global film productions. In addition, BroadcastPro ME toured twofour54 also serves as a twofour54â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backlot at Kizad, one-stop shop simplifying Abu Dhabi, spread over an visas for workforce and area of 70,000sqm including taking care of other facilities such as costume, production-related issues. makeup and dressing rooms, The largest set built on along with production offices. the backlot, which opened in Apart from the facilities 2016, was for the Bollywood and the availability of a pool box-office hit Tiger Zinda Hai of trained freelancers, the last year. The film required the twofour54 team underlined construction of a 20,000sqm the financial incentive of the set, with more than 150

people helping to build it over 102 days. twofour54 spokespersons said it was the largest set ever built for a film by the production company, Yash Raj Films. The backlot for an MBC Ramadan production, Al Asouf, was transformed into a 1970s neighbourhood in Riyadh. Speaking to the media, twofour54 spokespersons also highlighted the 300,000sqm backlot and studio complex under development at Mina Zayed. It will feature an outdoor film set, a permanent backlot and studios for productions of all sizes, from small projects to big-budget Hollywood and Bollywood films.

Emirati director works on first animated feature Production is under way at twofour54 on Catsaway, an animated feature-length film by Emirati director Fadel Saeed AlMuhairi. Produced by Tent Pictures Productions, in cooperation with Juice Studios in Poland, Catsaway is about a group of cats trying to make a home in Abu Dhabi as the city evolves around them.

Stunt legend shares experience One of Hollywoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top stunt directors, Tom Struthers, took time out from the sets of Bollywood film Race 3 to share his expertise with aspiring filmmakers at a twofour54 panel discussion.

May 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 9

PROnews

Dubai taps into eSports with first ME stadium Dubai Media Office and free zone operator TECOM Group have announced plans for the Middle East’s first eSports stadium. The facility, part of the government’s 10X initiative, is intended

to position Dubai as a global hub for hosting video gaming events. The cost of the stadium was not revealed, but Dubai Media Office said it is intended to tap into the $99.6bn global video game industry and a growing

eSports scene expected to be worth $1.5bn by 2020. An estimated 18% of the entire MENA population are considered gamers, and industry experts forecast that by 2020 the eSports fan base will reach 600 million globally.

OSN adopts Signiant filetransfer solutions

Sony brings Venice to MENA Regional filmmakers and production house representatives, among others, had their first look last month at Sony’s Venice CineAlta full-frame 6K sensor motion picture camera. Presented at IBC 2017, Sony’s new flagship camera is a cinema camera with a 36mm x 24mm sensor and an integrated eight-step mechanical glass ND system. Highlighting the challenges of bringing such a camera to the market, Aydin Tolan, Head of Broadcast at Sony Professional Solutions MEA, told BroadcastPro ME: “Understanding the

Aydin Tolan, Sony Professional Solutions MEA.

requirements and needs of the market and match-making with the existing technology is key. “The modular and intuitive design of the Venice supports efficient on-location operations.” The camera began shipping in February 2018.

10 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

MENA-based entertainment network OSN has adopted Signiant file transfer software solutions. Signiant revealed its roster of broadcast industry customers at the NAB show last month. Commenting on OSN’s partnership with Signiant, Mark Billinge, CTO at OSN, said: “We’ve known the team at Signiant for some time, so it’s great to now add them to the OSN list of partners. The need for safe, secure and cost-efficient file delivery is becoming more and more important for us. The solution enables us to share content safely and securely with partners and support functions anywhere in the world.”

Mark Billinge, CTO at OSN.

Turkish disti inks multi-film deal in Mexico Turkish distributor Inter Medya has done a multi-feature film deal with Mexican free-to-air (FTA) network Imagen TV, which will premiere three of its movies in Mexico. Mexican network Imagen TV will become the first broadcaster in Latin America to premiere Turkish movies in its network. The deal includes four titles: three from Taff Pictures and one from Avsar Film. The deal with Imagen TV comes on the heels of the deal announced by Cine Latino for the US, which also acquired six movies. The distributor will also kick off its deal with Tondero from Peru this year, for its new Turkish movies to premiere in theaters in Latin America.

IPL and BBC Earth find new MENA home Star India has awarded Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket television and digital rights to beIN, which will screen the 2018 VIVO IPL competition, together with the following four editions until 2022, under a five-year deal. In related news, BBC Worldwide announced that its global factual brand BBC Earth will launch as a linear channel across the MENA markets through the beIN DTH service.

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PROnews

Vox Cinemas to open 600 new screens in KSA Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim has announced plans to open 600 new Vox Cinema screens across Saudi Arabia over the next five years at an investment of $533m (SR2bn). Through its partnership with 20th Century Fox, the distribution arm of Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas will also be distributing Fox content exclusively to all cinemas across Saudi Arabia.

KSA makes Cannes debut

Saudi Arabia will make its Cannes Film Festival debut with a selection of nine short films by local filmmakers which will screen at the Short Film Corner on May 14 and 15. The Saudi Film Council, set up recently, will have an official pavilion at the annual festival.

Saudi Arabia opens first cinema in 35 years AMC Entertainment has been granted the first licence to operate cinemas, with Saudi state media reporting the US giant is expected to open 40 cinemas across 15 Saudi cities over the next five years. Marvel’s Black Panther premiere took place last month in AMC’s first KSA theatre in the King Abdullah financial district.

Saudi entities join hands with National Geographic Encounter National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey, an immersive entertainment experience that takes viewers on adventures across the ocean from the South Pacific to the coast of California, will be brought to Saudi Arabia in partnership with KSA-based partners KBW Ventures and the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia. The partnership will see the team develop and launch up to 10 new locations with Ocean Odyssey, with the first of these locations in Riyadh from 2019. Guests will get up close

Teams from KBW Ventures and National Geographic Encounter.

with dozens of species, including mischievous sea lions waiting for a playmate, sharks up to 20 feet long, a 50-foot humpback whale and a battle between two ferocious Humboldt squids which could have as many as 35,000 teeth each. On the partnership,

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed, founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, said: “When I first visited National Geographic Encounter and saw that the experience brings people around the globe into the natural world of wildlife, I knew that this was the future.”

Saudi Arabia's first female director joins cultural board

SBC launches drama channel

Minister of Culture and Information Dr Awwad Bin Saleh Al-Awwad has appointed a new board of directors for the Kingdom’s General Authority for Culture, which handles and oversees all cultural activities in the country. Among those appointed were three women, two of whom are theatre and film directors. Saudi Arabia’s first

Dawood Al Shoryan, President of Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), has announced the launch of a new channel for Ramadan, to cater to Saudi and Arab drama. SBC will be replacing the “r” culture channel, which has been cancelled, as per local media reports. SBC will feature stars such as Adel Imam, who will make his debut exclusively on the channel with his Ramadan series Awalem Khafeya (Invisible Worlds).

female director, Haifaa Al-Mansour, is among them. She is one of the country’s best-known and most controversial directors, with landmark movies such as Wajda to her credit. The other women are Mona Khazandar, the first Saudi woman to be appointed Director General of the Institut du Monde Arabe, and playwright Maysa Al-Sobehy.

Egypt’s first independent feature film comes to Cannes Abu Bakr Shawky’s first feature film, Yomeddin, is the first full-length independent Egyptian film to take part in the Cannes International Film Festival. It tells the coming-of-age tale of lifetime leprosarium inhabitant Beshay (rady Gamal).

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PROnews

iflix launches short-form video platform Video-streaming platform iflix has launched Studio2:15, a creative production business for short-form video content led by Craig Galvin, a digital media veteran. The studio will create short-form video content for the iflix platform, involving international, regional and local creative teams and talents. iflix will commission and produce collaborative projects for the studio. Commenting on the

Craig Galvin will head Studio2:15.

initiative, iflix Chief Content Officer Sean Carey said: “Mobile users represent the lion’s share of internet traffic in our markets, and when it comes to mobile users, short ‘snackable’ content is king.” Earlier last month, iflix partnered with Moroccan telco Inwi to offer OTT service to its subscribers. Moroccans can now receive a one-month free trial to the OTT platform. iflix is now available in 26 territories throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Ideal Systems successfully covers Sharjah cycling tour The Sharjah cycling tour.

Dubai-based systems integrator Ideal Systems was selected for the live sports production of the Sharjah International Tour for Cycling, which took place earlier this year. The race is part of the UCI global cycling event’s calendar, with over 130 cyclists taking part from all over the world. Set across four different stages, it required different set-ups each day for start and finish positions, covering a distance of approximately 400km. Ideal Systems was

awarded the communications. More than contract for all 16 cameras were placed the live content along each stage to capture of the races the start and finish line shots. over the four Multiple drones with cameras days in various covered various stages of the locations around race. There were OB trucks Sharjah, both and SNGs stationed at the on the ground start and finish lines. Onand in the air. screen graphics received live To achieve updates during the race and this, Ideal more than 55 crew members Systems worked on this production. mobilised a setSpeaking about the event, up that included Ayman Khatib, Regional a helicopter cameraman/ Director - MENAT, Ideal RF technician and pilot to Systems Dubai, said: “This take aerial shots of the race event shows how quickly using the Cineflex camera. and efficiently Ideal Systems Motorbikes with cameras and can pull together and equipped with RF transmitters successfully deliver complex followed cyclists live and took cutting-edge solutions.” direction from the director in the OB van. A beach craft plane was equipped with microwave Rx/Tx, linking the motorbikes and helicopter back Ayman Khatib (extreme to the OB van for right) of Ideal Systems. video and intercom

Viu originals target South Asian expats VOD provider Vuclip has announced its first original series targeting South Asian expats in the Middle East, titled Music Garage. It will be aired on Viu, its OTT video service, and simultaneously broadcast on Zee TV Middle East and TV Middle East. Music Garage, produced by Elite Films, is an eight-episode series that will feature singers from the UAE, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Turkey and Tajikistan, who will perform in Hindi and Urdu.

Dubai's Shock ME launches Hala 95.6 FM Shock Middle East, based in Dubai’s Media City, has launched its third radio station. Hala 95.6 FM is designed to cater to Arab youth in the UAE. It is the first Arabiclanguage brand in the company’s portfolio. The new station has two prime-time live shows Eesh Sabahak (6-11am) with Mohammed Enaba and Dardasha (3-8pm) with Reine Abour Jeily and plays contemporary Arabic music with conversation, local information and news bulletins from BBC World News Beat.

May 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 13

PROnews

Grass Valley kit at heart of Roya TV OB van Jordan-based Roya TV deployed in-house expertise to build an OB van with four HD LDX80 cameras from Grass Valley, expandable to six cameras, to cover local productions including live shows and small events. The project began in June 2017, and the van was commissioned by the end of January 2018. The Amman division of Broadcast and Studio Solutions reportedly helped the Roya TV team in the area of systems integration. Speaking to BroadcastPro ME, Fares Sayegh, GM at Roya TV, said: “As a local TV broadcaster with continuous stream of productions, we needed to have our own OB van built according to our specifications and requirements. To cover daily

Kit List • Camera: Grass Valley LDX80 cameras • Vision mixer: Ross Carbonite • Audio mixer: Digico S21 Glue from SAM • Router, playout/ recording T2 servers: Grass Valley • Lenses: Fujinon • Talkback: RTS

Interiors of the second OB van built by Roya TV.

news and live shows, it is vital to have such flexibility. “This is the second OB van that we have built in-house since we have the technical capabilities. It turns out to be much cheaper and more efficient. We had two engineers who managed this project, and they collaborated with an

external wiring team.” The challenge for Sayegh’s team during the three-month process was to build a professional OB van at a lower cost. A local company built the chassis for the Iveco van under the supervision of Roya TV engineers, to ensure “heat insulation and effective

air-conditioning within the vehicle”, said Sayegh. On lessons learned from the first OB van assembled in-house, Sayegh said: “We learned how to improve efficiency and design. We also worked on having similar equipment so we can share them between the two OB vans when needed.”

CMY

Grabyo partnership boosts Eurosport’s digital presence Eurosport has teamed up with cloud-based video specialist Grabyo to amplify its distribution of live streams and real-time highlights across social platforms. The partnership has included the use of Grabyo services throughout February’s Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. With Grabyo, Eurosport brought audiences key moments, highlights, storylines and reaction from across the games in real time across a broad range of

platforms and devices including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Eurosport.com and the Eurosport app. Discovery and Eurosport’s digital and social platforms reportedly reached a record 76 million users – more than doubling the average number and reaching new and younger audiences. Grabyo is now being used by Eurosport’s content teams across key European markets, and has so far been used to post over 18,000 clips and live streams.

14 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

Netflix announces EMEA originals Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix, has announced originals from EMEA at the See What’s Next Netflix event in Rome. A new Netflix original comedy series from the UK will star Idris Elba. The eight-part series is produced by Elba and Gary Reich. Netflix also released the global firstlook images from Cary Fukunaga’s series Maniac.

Africa secures 300 hours of content from BBC Studios BBC Studios has announced that Africa has secured more than 300 hours of programming from across its portfolio since the start of 2018, including a first-time deal with TV-on-the-go service DSTV Now. MultiChoice’s pay-TV platform DSTV Now’s first package deal with BBC Studios includes a mix of music and arts programming. Meanwhile, South Africa’s public service broadcaster SABC recently snapped up more than 80 hours of programming across natural history, factual and children’s. SVOD service iflix signed a second package deal since it launched last year, with more than 100 hours of drama and comedy programming for Sub-Saharan Africa.

PROCOVER

The event saw the historic debut of VR and the video assistant referee (VAR) system was deployed for the first time in the MENA region, along with the tracking and heatmap system.

16 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

PROCOVER

The VIP seaT in ViRTUAL REALiTY

Through a dedicated 600Mbps ‘pipe’, video feeds from camera rigs of up to five cameras were transported and stitched into a single 360-degree video in real time and distributed to viewers with near indiscernible latency. Supriya Srinivas gets a ringside view of VR history on March 29 in Al Ain, scripted by the UAE Pro League Committee, Mediapro and Etisalat As Mourad Batna, a striker for Abu Dhabi’s Al Wahda club, beat five Dubai's Al Wasl defenders and headed the winning goal past keeper Humaid Abdulla Ali, the 180-degree VR camera behind the goal captured the ball hurtling into the back of the net. Viewers of the world’s first live VR telecast of a football league competition to a mass audience, could then shift the view to midfield, as a 360-degree camera captured the celebrations on the Al Wahda players' bench. Along with a free mobile app, this priceless moment of audience engagement cost these viewers anywhere between $5 and $100 for suitable VR gear. VR is not new, but a live VR telecast of a football match is. And distribution on a mass scale is most definitely historic. The world’s first live VR telecast on a continous, weekly basis of a football competition, which premiered at the final of the UAE Arabian Gulf Cup at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, was achieved by Spanish broadcaster and producer Mediapro, UAE telco Etisalat and, most importantly, the UAE Pro League Committee (PLC), which oversees the football competitions in the UAE. On March 29, 2018, viewers who had downloaded Etisalat's AGL VR Seat Experience app for both Android and IOS platforms found themselves on virtual VIP seats soaking in the excitement of the match … even though they were in actual fact seated in their homes anywhere in the world. This was not a project for the faint-hearted.

Video feeds from camera rigs of up to five cameras had to be stitched into a single 360-degree video in real time and transported back to the viewer with unnoticeable latency. Ammar Hina, TV Broadcast and Production Director at PLC, recalls: “We at PLC launched our strategy two seasons ago. Part of this strategy was to work more intensively on technology to redefine the audience experience of live football. The idea for broadcasting in VR also came two seasons ago.” Two seasons ago roughly translates to August 2016. Hina’s team at PLC reached out to broadcast solutions provider Mediapro Middle East, which was already providing equipment and crew to LIVE HD, PLC’s official broadcast partner since 2007. Mario Bayarri, CEO of Mediapro Middle East, recounts: “We did the first VR pilot with Samsung during the Clásico (match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid) two years ago. It was limited to providing the feed to 100 people. Samsung invited their clients to Madrid and the match was being played in Barcelona, and the invited viewers experienced it as if they were in the stadium.” Bayarri says the project was part of the company’s commitment to the creation of virtual reality content, an investment driven by the company’s division dedicated to museum and exhibition space and video game content development. However, the journey from a limited pilot project to a live project with the UAE’s PLC on a mass level wasn’t

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straightforward. The challenge, surprisingly, wasn’t the VR technology. Bayarri explains: “The problem today is not about having the right camera or recording footage in VR. The problem is to make sure you are able to provide what you are producing to the audience in real time. We needed to standardise the solution to be able to stream it live and deliver on a large scale.” A team was constituted in August 2017 to design the workflow. Mediapro partnered with VR specialist Visyon to use the latter’s Vroadcaster platform to do real-time stitching and live streaming of the matches. Visyon also developed the app that Etisalat offers subscribers. One of the biggest roadblocks for live streaming is bandwidth, and for VR with multiple camera rigs and points of view, the ‘up’ requirement has to be multiplied by the number of rigs. This translates to very high bandwidth requirement. Etisalat, a long-time partner of PLC, offered dedicated bandwidth of a minimum of 600Mbps. Speaking at the launch of the VR app, Humaid Sahoo, CEO of E-Vision, the broadcasting arm of Etisalat, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Pro League Committee to unveil the region’s first virtual reality app to broadcast live football matches, enabling our consumers to experience the thrill of the games from the comfort of their homes.” Elaborating on the connectivity to the CDN in Barcelona, Jordi Alonso, Area Digital Head of XR (Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality/Mixed Reality) for Mediapro, says: “We use single-mode fibre optics from the cameras to the control centre at the stadium, and from there, we rely on guaranteed bandwidth reserved by Etisalat to reach our cloud transcoding platform on the way out. All workflow is 4K. Tier1 CDN is used for the final delivery, with live transcoding. At this moment, the service is given to Samsung GearVR, Cardboard Android, Cardboard iOS and to web

Broadcasting the Arabian Gulf Cup final Ammar Hina, TV Broadcast and Production Director at the UAE Pro League Committee (PLC), gives Broadcastpro ME a guided tour of Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain. We tour the OB vans at the OB compound outside the stadium, including those of the rights holders Abu Dhabi and Dubai Sports Channels, as well as the OB van for the host broadcaster LIVE HD, and walk by camera positions in the stadium as vociferous fans of Al Wahda and Al Wasl warm up for kick-off. On the innovations for the marquee event, Hina says: “Other than the historic debut of VR, we are also deploying the video assistant referee (VAR) system for the first time in the MENA region, along with the tracking and heatmap system. For the match, we also have a sky camera and a drone to capture the arrival of the teams by bus, among other moments. In terms of the broadcast solutions deployed, the set-up here adheres to the best standards in the world.” Explaining the scale of production, Hina explains: “We have 21 cameras. Two of them are used to collect rushes around the stadium, including

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Ensuring the highest on-air qual ity has increased viewership to more than nine million last season, says Ammar Hina, PLC .

behind-the-scenes footage of players' dressing rooms, and this is made part of the main feed. We have 19 live cameras, plus two of them are super slow-motion cameras. Since it is the cup final, it is one of the biggest events organised by PLC. And ensuring the highest on-air quality increased viewership which reached about nine million views last season, more than double the viewership for the season before.We are then able to sell sponsorship for the current as well as coming seasons.” In 2016, PLC contracted LIVE HD as its exclusive production company for the Arabian Gulf League, Arabian Gulf Cup and Arabian Gulf Super Cup for the next three years. Commenting on the challenges of running the broadcast operations, Hina says: “We don’t have

the same quality of connectivity in stadiums everywhere, so it is difficult to have a fixed production plan. As PLC, we work with many clubs and venues. The challenge is to maintain broadcast standards even in older stadiums. “This stadium in Al Ain has advanced patching facilities. We don’t run any cables. It was awarded the best stadium in the world in 2014. "At the end of every match, we have a full technical report from the production company as to which patch is not working. Every couple of weeks, we have a long sheet we share with clubs with items to rectify in their respective stadiums. “For such a critical event, we begin preparations at least three months in advance. And when the final whistle blows, we breathe a sigh of relief.”

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browsers through a WebGL app.” The roadblocks for the live VR telecast were not very different from those a traditional broadcaster faces, reveals Bayarri. “You have the local issues arising from changing the stadium every day, so typical questions are about where to position the camera and cables, do I need to patch and so on. Of course, with VR you have to make sure that all the positions have the same light and the same configuration, and sometimes you have to hide a pole, because this is not an imaginative VR experience. This is real, as if you were seated in the stadium.” Ammar Hina gives this writer a tour of the busy OB vans parked outside Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. In one of the smallest and least imposing of them, we meet Jose Maria Caro, Director of Content, Head of Production and Services – Mediapro Middle East. “These men are making history,” Caro says, indicating three men at the far end of a bare van seated in front of fairly nondescript monitors. “We have three 180-degree and two 360-degree VR cameras. Each camera has six to eight different cameras within, and we have three cameras with fisheye lens. Two 180-degree cameras are behind each

"If someone were to tell me you can sit on your couch and watch the goal from two metres away… I would love it," says Mario Bayarri of Mediapro Middle East.

“With VR you have to make sure that all the positions have the same light and the same configuration, and sometimes you have to hide a pole, because this is not an imaginative VR experience. This is real” Mario Bayarri, CEO Mediapro Middle East

"From monitoring the internet connection to ensuring our cameras remain safe on the field, there are all sorts of challenges," says Jose Maria Caro, Mediapro.

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goal and one 180-degree camera is in the middle of the pitch offering a full view. The two 360-degree cameras have been placed as if you are in a VIP seat with audience around you and a clear view of the pitch in front. “The app allows you to select the camera view you want to watch. We have also recorded previous matches, and those are stored on the cloud to ensure the app was content-rich even at the outset. “With live VR, you need broadband. We opted for 4K cameras because we did not want to lower the quality of the image. From monitoring the internet connection to ensuring our cameras remain safe on the field, there are all sorts of challenges.” Satellite and fibre distribution company Overon helped monitor the transportation of the feed and made sure the CDN in Barcelona was stable, adjusting the bitrates to ensure consistent feed delivery throughout the 90 minutes of the match. As we watch Ammar Hina, Jose and their teams work to ensure the perfect VR experience, we realise how difficult it must have been to arrive at this milestone. “It is about pioneering new technology,” stresses Ammar Hina. “The cost factor is not as important now as it is to redefine the viewing experience though futuristic technology. The teams from Etisalat, Mediapro and we at PLC want to be at the forefront of this phenomenon.” While the love for technology unites the men we meet, there is also an undeniable passion for the game. Bayarri expresses this: “I have not been able to watch matches in Barcelona since I moved to Dubai. If someone were to tell me you can sit on your couch and watch your team play, maybe even sit next to the coach or watch the goal from two metres away… I would love it. I have had the opportunity to watch matches on the ground along with the TV crew, and that is a privilege for me. Through VR, we are able

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“Such value-added services allow us to give our customers new experiences” In conversation with Humaid Sahoo, CEO, E-vision How did the initiative with PLC and Mediapro come about for the VR app for live football? Mediapro was commissioned by the PLC to build and develop the VR application and to deliver the live broadcast in VR. The process for this began back in Q2 of 2017 where the initial planning was discussed and the technical feasibility assessed to determine if the project could be launched. What was Etisalat’s role in the process? As the official sponsor of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) and the first VR experience worldwide for a live match, Etisalat worked closely with Mediapro to co-develop the Etisalat VR application. We were also heavily involved in supplying the connectivity needed to support the broadcast in relation to setting up dedicated high bandwidth IP links to the stadium and supplying the routers needed by Mediapro in order to use and broadcast the live game. What were the challenges in achieving the first live VR telecast

"We were heavily involved in supp lying the connectivity needed to support the broadcast [in VR]," says Humaid Sahoo, E-vis ion.

on March 29? As this had never been done in the region and as it was a first, there were many challenges that we faced from gaining access to the stadiums to doing the required testing, to ensuring that we were receiving the required feeds from servers in Frankfurt. We had to arrange the fibre connectivity to the stadium in a very short time and there were many teams from both Etisalat and Mediapro who dedicated many hours to run weekly testing at the stadiums to ensure the stability and constant quality of the feeds needed were there for an effective live broadcast. We had a very short time-frame to test and ensure the Quality of Service for the game.

Going forward, what is the potential for telcos such as Etisalat with such initiatives? The opportunity is huge when you consider that you now have a VR app that allows you to broadcast live events to a mass audience. Such value-added services allow us to give our customers new experiences and bundle the VR app with their existing postpaid mobile service or offer pay-as-you-go access to live events. More importantly it provides a new revenue stream where you can offer subscriptionbased offers or day passes to consumers to watch particular sporting, cinema and concert events live from the comfort of their home in VR.

to let fans immerse themselves in the game like never before.” But will VR go the way 3D did? “I don’t think it will happen,” Bayarri says emphatically. “The problem with 3D, apart from lack of content, was basically the audience had to take a big step to experience 3D in their homes – you needed to buy a 3D screen and in the case of VR, it is not about sitting in your home. The VR gadgets are very reasonably priced, and you could be sitting anywhere enjoying the experience. VR is a reality today not just in sports but in any type of theme parks and museums, among other places. Also, imagine VR in retail. You can watch a fashion show in Paris as if you are really there. The potential in the field of education and other sectors is endless. “Monetising is the next step. PLC will gain with an increase in its audience base, and for Etisalat, it opens up avenues in so many sectors beyond football, to stream in VR.” From the time the contract was signed in August 2017, the process has been a challenging learning curve for everyone concerned, Bayarri admits. “My understanding a year ago was – this seems easy to do. Now I see it is quite complicated to execute. But I also see tremendous potential. This is just the first step. We will soon move into 3D VR, mixed reality and so on. I see so many possibilities. The hardest aspect for us now is to determine the next step, because there are so many different paths we could take.” Beyond this landmark VR experiment, Bayarri spells out the next move. “While we know how many people downloaded the app and how much time they used it, we need to now understand what they value in the experience. Did they watch all 90 minutes, or just replays of goals, or did they watch catch-up TV after the match? We need to understand better how the consumer is experiencing the match.”

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BBC initiatives IN tHE MIddlE EAst In conversation with BroadcastPro ME, Natasha Hussain, GM & VP, Middle East and Mediterranean, BBC Worldwide, outlines a MENA strategy that recognises the diversity of the region and gives popular global programmes a local flavour How long have you been with the BBC, and which areas are part of your remit? I have been with BBC Worldwide for more than 13 years and I am the GM across all commercial activity in every area for the BBC, not just in MENA but also Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. Going by your recent initiatives, is it accurate to say you have been ramping up your efforts in the MENA region? That’s right. Last year, we did a big deal with E-vision for 200 hours of content that we have licensed to them across multiple genres. We have BBC First on OSN, and now we have CBeebies and BBC Earth on BeIN as well in the region. We have had MBC as long-term partners with Shahid. I was in Riyadh recently, where I was invited formally to meet with Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) to start some discussions on how to collaborate and take our partnerships to the next level. We are also talking about multiple areas of business with them. For the first time, we also had SBC’s CEO, Dawood Al Shoryan, come to the Showcase. He reached out to me to talk about how BBC could help and support SBC in their initiatives to reinvigorate and restart their programming. Etisalat and Turkcell also came to Showcase this year. We are also working closely with STC to see how to provide content for their new online platform. What a lot of broadcasters in the region tell us is that British content works in a public space or in a family environment, or even in that private space. This is why we have had several partnerships in MENA both in the linear and digital space.

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BBC also tends to lead the way, not just in terms of 4K production but in terms of the next innovation. When we launched Blue Planet II, for instance, several scientific papers and new discoveries were published for the first time. People, therefore, look to us as a powerhouse of innovation and creativity, and it’s wonderful to be partnering with companies across the world. You’ve also been doing a lot of live events in the region of late. That’s right. We have brought live events like BBC Earth, where we worked with Al Futtaim to bring the brand to audiences in new spaces. We see ourselves "We have teams that creating more VR content. research what really I attended the first Comic Con works for MENA that took place in Saudi Arabia audiences" says Natasha last year and we noticed a Hussain, BBC Worldwide. huge passion for Dr Who, and with us having announced the first female Dr Who, we believe everyone is interested. In addition, we have been doing focus groups across KSA, Egypt, Morocco and the UAE to really speak to the people and showcase BBC content, so as to learn what works and to understand what they want to see more of. What have you been doing with the focus groups? What trends have you noticed in this region? In North Africa, for instance, the long connections with France means that their exposure to international and European programming is stronger and there is a hunger there. We are working with 2M and looking to build this. We are also looking to develop the digital aspect. There is so

PROinteRview

much happening in this market already. STC is just in the process of launching an OTT platform, and obviously, when companies launch such platforms, they look to us for our multitude of premium content to drive more subscribers. We have long-standing partnerships with several of the MENA players, especially the telcos, who are looking to tell their own stories. Do you try to create bespoke versions for different territories, and do you produce local content? We are involved in co-productions and those versions are shown in the local regions, but we don’t shoot in foreign languages. If we say we are doing a film on natural history and so on, we are talking quite closely to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and we are looking to tell those stories. For instance, as this is the Year of Zayed, we look at

“BBC also tends to lead the way ... in terms of the next innovation. When we launched Blue Planet II, for instance, several scientific papers and new discoveries were published for the first time. People ... look to us as a powerhouse of innovation and creativity, and it’s wonderful to be partnering with companies across the world” Natasha Hussain, BBC Worldwide

what we have in our archives that we can potentially showcase. We do, however, tailor our content for local audiences. So we don’t just take channels that are programmed for the European mentality. We have teams that research what really works for the MENA audiences and work with focus groups to get feedback. That’s what has led to us filming across the region, whether it is Top Gear in Abu Dhabi or the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars in Lebanon, or filming in Saudi Arabia. When you look at our global formats, we have several versions. The Weakest Link, for instance, is making a comeback, with more than 40 international versions. We are seeing this whole media landscape evolve, which means there is also a lot of innovation in the mobile space, with there being a lot of appetite for BBC content on these digital platforms.

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NEW WAVE OF AI

New artificial intelligence capabilities will dig deeper into the decision-making realm freeing the industry to create engaging content, says Glodina Lostanlen of Imagine Communications

The media industry has traditionally been technology-driven. We still see this. Recently the talk has all been around IP connectivity. In truth, this is not a goal; it is not a technology that is interesting and important in itself. It is an enabler — it allows us to achieve exciting new things. It looks like 2018 is set to be the year of machine learning, or what many call artificial intelligence – AI. But again, we have to be careful not to get too obsessed with technology for its own sake. We need to look at what AI can enable. The primary aim of the media industry is to create interesting and engaging content, deliver it to consumers and earn a fair return on that content. If technology can help us do any part of that better – make more engaging programmes, increase revenues, connect in new ways – then it is worth pursuing. The core challenge facing the whole of the industry is that competition for revenues is fiercer than ever. But the cost of the raw material – programmes – is not going down. Indeed, demand for highquality content is such that costs are soaring. The first television drama to command a budget of

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USD1m an episode was Hill Street Blues in 1986. Given the rate of inflation since then, premium productions should be costing around $2.25m an hour. But according to industry sources, popular programmes like Game of Thrones have production budgets of around $12m; period dramas like The Crown $10m. Media companies are stretched, trying to sustain revenues at more or less constant levels, while paying more for new content. The only solution is to use technology to reduce operational costs. The much-hyped move to IP is in fact an enabler for the move to software-defined infrastructures. By implementing virtually all broadcast hardware as software applications running on standard computer hardware, the cost model is transformed. Traditional big box devices become virtualised software. Typically, these will run as microservices, small packets of code to do one precisely targeted function, and which can be combined in different ways to achieve many different tasks. A video noise reduction microservice, for example, could be part of an encoder at one moment and part of a distribution amplifier at the next. Any workflow can

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seamlessly call any microservice, from any source, to achieve precisely the required functionality. I am excited about AI because it fits perfectly into this microservices architecture. It can be part of the orchestration layer, or machine decision-making could be a microservice itself, determining how other services function. This is not a vision for the future. This is happening right now. By introducing machine learning into the content data flow, new and unique functionality can be added. This leads directly to a reduction in operating costs and the reassignment of personnel to more creative tasks, the end that everyone is seeking. AI and big data are already familiar in many media applications. Maximising audiences means knowing them, and big data systems which support subscriber management typically use AI to analyse trends and demographics. AI engines provide automated support for content logging, sifting through video and audio to create precise, rich metadata. This can then be used to drive recommendation engines, providing detailed information to sell a programme to an audience. Rich metadata also means more precise archiving and cataloguing, providing media companies with the ability to instantly locate sought-after footage for various production outputs. Machine learning is used to process social media responses to content, either for direct display on screen or to develop trend analysis to see what is working and what is not. Smart algorithms can readily tell genuine criticism from irony, to give genuine insight on audience reaction. What we will see in the coming months, though, is a new wave of AI. This will bring with it new capabilities that will dig deeper into

“Machine learning is used to process social media responses to content ... smart algorithms can readily tell genuine criticism from irony, to give genuine insight on audience reaction” Glodina Lostanlen, CMO, Imagine Communications the decision-making realm currently solely inhabited by humans. We are likely to see machines take a much bigger role in the creation of trailers and marketing campaigns, for example, particularly to eliminate the tedious task of creating all the different versions of a promo. While it is unlikely that a machine will ever replace the creative team on a high-concept show like Game of Thrones, in 2017 the BBC ran an experiment which used an AI system rather than a director on a comedy panel show. It first analysed thousands of similar shows, before making a reasonable job of directing what is, to be fair, a fairly formulaic genre. “We aren’t trying to replace TV directors,” Matthew Postgate, BBC CTO, is reported as saying. “But because we don’t have infinite resources, this could open up the number of events we can cover.” Some may protest that this is stepping too far over the line between machine learning and human creativity. But there are many situations where decisions need to be made on the fly, often at any time of day or night, where it is reasonable to use machine learning to provide reliable and fast reactive management. With the need to maximise revenues, another area where AI is already being implemented

is in advertising campaign management. The next-generation advertising management platform brings campaign planning across broadcast and on-demand platforms into a single system, allowing buyers to specify precisely the consumers they need to reach. Without machine learning, providing that defined reach accurately but with minimum use of inventory would be a hugely complex task. If it could be done manually, it would require so many man hours that any savings would be more than negated in additional costs. As we are proving with media companies worldwide, machine learning can allow accurately targeted campaigns to be created and implemented automatically. That is where AI can provide real benefits to our industry in the very near future. The media business is very much about people: it relies on creative talent and an instinct for connecting audiences. Machine learning systems should augment what they do. By eliminating manual and repetitive tasks, they should allow the people to be even better at what they do. As Manjunath Bhat, Research Director at Gartner, says: “Robots are not here to take away our jobs. They are here to give us a promotion – I think that is the way we should start looking at artificial intelligence.” PRO

Glodina Lostanlen is CMO at Imagine Communications.

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The besT fiT For tElcos ANd broAdcAstErs

From the production of live events to distribution issues to the end consumer, our conversations with a MENA-based broadcaster, a UAE-based telco and an international solutions provider highlight the work-in-progress equations underpinning the telcobroadcaster relationship We began the conversation on what makes for a healthy telco-broadcaster relationship two months ago when BroadcastPro ME travelled to Melbourne to learn first-hand how remote production solutions were deployed to broadcast the Australian Open. The team at Net Insight explained how working with telcos can be a win-win in such a demanding environment. We caught up with Olle Waktel, VP Sales for APAC and MEA at Net Insight, which specialises in media transport solutions, to ask him what it takes to build a successful telcobroadcaster relationship. He believes connectivity, typically seen as a cost, should turn into a cost-saver; and that remote production is just one of several good ways of ensuring a viable win-win relationship between telco and broadcaster. “If the Australian Open had been done the old way, then

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there would have been 140 people cramped in an expensive space near the venue and they would have done all the production in OB vans that would contain millions of dollars of equipment, and then backhaul the feed in a highly compressed manner over satellite with little or no revenue for the telco. “With remote production solutions deployed during the Australian Open, 85 channels’ feeds compressed with low latency JPEG2000 encoding went over telco fibre directly to the remote production site. Around 120 staff members had easy access, and the space was less expensive than downtown Melbourne. They paid for 20GB of redundant connection from the telco, instead of 6MB of satellite feed. So while the broadcasters and production companies typically save an average 50% on costs over traditional methods of production, the media and broadcast segments become much

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more interesting for the telcos.” Will telcos be as proactive with broadcasters in the MENA? We asked Abou Moustafa, Vice President of datamena, the data and digital content hub for du, one of the incumbent telcos in the UAE. The country is widely recognised as one of the MENA’s most advanced in terms of connectivity. Elaborating with reference to du solutions, Moustafa says: “Specifically, regarding occasional use and remote production, du is currently developing the next phase of its

existing dedicated video network that will support better occasional use and allow future initiatives around remote production. By developing industry-specific solutions, we aim to address pain points and provide solutions for obstacles like these. “For our broadcast services, our solutions support digital transformation in the media industry by providing broadcasters, content producers and other content providers across the Middle East with a flexible cloud solution for managing and delivering content.” The prohibitively high cost of cloud and of general connectivity, however, is a recurring theme across MENA-based industry conferences. Neil Martin, Chief Commercial Officer for MENA broadcaster OSN, believes telcos the world over have the advantage of high operating margins, explaining: “I think it is a challenge for any telco with margins of 60% or 70% to launch a whole new set of services where the margin is 10%. The natural inclination is you don’t want margin erosion. Why would you?” But since the time a senior engineer at Motorola made the world's first mobile phone call in 1973, disruption has been inevitable for telcos. Between 2012 and 2018, the telecommunications industry is estimated to have lost USD386bn from customers using OTT voice applications. In 2018 alone, lost revenue from voice will be a whopping $63bn. Martin observes: “Over time, voice will disappear, and it has to be replaced with something else that will be a collection of many solutions, where you make smaller margins.” He regards 5G as the big future disruptor, especially in the MENA, given the wide variation in quality of connectivity. “The market will change dramatically as networks improve. The level of content consumption on telco networks will grow

“[Telco] services need to be offered at prices that are attractive to broadcasters ... if you try to apply enterprise-based VPN price per megabit to broadcast services, you will not succeed” olle Waktel, VP sales for APAc and MEA at Net Insight exponentially, and the only reason to build 5G is video. While television remains an important part of the ecosystem, people watch a lot of content on the move. If you build a 5G network in a market where connectivity in fixed lines is poor, even TV will be viewed on 5G. It will reintroduce a new form of IPTV in the market without the need for a headend. You could have a full 100-linear-channel offering and thousands of movies on demand, and you can deliver it on 5G.” This transformation has been stark, with broadband infrastructure, the lifeline of fixed and mobile telcos, becoming a key asset in the new TV and video landscape. Moustafa of du underscores the profound content consumption changes across the MENA. “In the MENA region, nearly one third of smartphone users do most of their TV/video watching on demand, catch-up or online. In response to the region’s intense video consumption behaviour, many traditional TV providers have launched a digital component of their network. The rise in OTT video solutions is driven by the growth of live internet video around the world, which will account for 13% of internet video and will increase 15-fold from 2016 to 2021, according to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index.

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In the Middle East and Africa, live internet video is forecast to have a CAGR of 56% in the same time frame. “Interestingly, traditional TV (as opposed to OTT solutions) is still dominant, and the challenge is to adapt business models and technology infrastructure to the new demand while still catering to preexisting demand. According to PWC’s Entertainment and Media Outlook, TV subscriptions will grow at a 3.5% CAGR between 2014 and 2019, with global TV advertising seeing a 5% CAGR and TV advertising in the Middle East and Africa seeing a 12.1% CAGR in the same time frame.” Martin of OSN concedes that the picture emerging is a mixed one: “We are in the process of finalising a deal with a telco that will set up a traditional IPTV in Q3 of 2018. Another regional telco that has fibre network says they only want OTT. And with a product range that includes linear channels and OTT platforms, we are fine with whichever direction a telco takes.”

The larger MENA region, outside the relatively well connected GCC countries, presents challenges of varying degrees for broadcasters. Martin elaborates: “Some of the telcos in the wider region have a slightly ambivalent view of content. They are perfectly happy for customers to consume content on their networks, whether mobile or fixed, but they don’t care what that content is – free, paid, YouTube, short form, long form and so on. While many telcos are increasingly wanting to market content tactically, many are limited by legacy copper

“Perhaps some broadcasters’ dissatisfaction comes from the fact that they feel the challenges of migrating to IP in terms of investment and change of mindset” Abou Moustafa, Vice President, datamena

"By developing industry-specific solutions, we aim to address pain points and provide solutions for [remote production]," says Abou Moustafa, VP of datamena.

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networks, although constraints in terms of throughput and bandwidth towards delivering video content are being mitigated by technology such as adaptive bitrate, among others.” On the surge in video consumption, Martin says the initial excitement over data usage has settled and telcos are beginning to see the difference between video and premium video. He elaborates: “Rather than someone watching YouTube for 20 minutes a day, the viewer can watch Wavo, our online service for two hours a day, for instance. Telcos are increasingly seeing the opportunity with long-form video and how video consumption can grow exponentially on their platforms. They are beginning to grasp the potential of premium video.” With the MENA region presenting a widely diverse landscape in terms of connectivity, Moustafa believes much of the UAE broadcast industry’s dissatisfaction stems from technical issues. “The conversion from SDI to IP topologies is inevitable, and we’re making our network blueprint to be ready for this conversion. Still, we always adapt to our customers’ individual requirements, the kind of format, connection and technology that they prefer. Perhaps some broadcasters’ dissatisfaction comes from the fact that they feel the challenges of migrating to IP in terms of investment and change of mindset – as IP will revolutionise the way they operate internally.” Waktel of Net Insight believes telco infrastructure and an improved broadcast environment are interlinked. Building on international trends and role models, Waktel goes one step further and says: “In the old days you could only work within a campus environment because there was no wide area technology available at the right price. All you needed had to be within the campus. But modern media networks offer global reach and a bouquet of services tailored for the

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"We realised we needed to have a much stronger local layer of content to support the telcos,"says Neil Martin, Chief Commercial Officer, OSN.

broadcasters’ unique requirements. “We are moving away from static point-to-point service on long contracts and shifting to on-demand services with local, regional or global reach. Remote production, occasional use, outsourcing and collaboration, all of this represents new business opportunities for the telcos that proactively embrace the broadcasters’ needs and special requirements. It is a big win-win opportunity. In the future, the broadcasters will see WAN as a cost-saver. “We have been working with leading global carriers where networks are fully automated, and customers order services on-demand, not requiring a broadcaster to go through the sales department, exchange drawings over emails and undergo site visits by engineers, to receive an offer three months later for a service, only if the broadcaster commits to a two-to-three-year contract. One of our US-based customers automated their processes seven years ago, allowing them to be more competitive in pricing, and they have had a dramatic success with significant increase in new customers and revenue.” What’s stopping MENA telcos from doing this?

“There is an amount [customers] pay to telcos to access the network and our products, and the payment needs to be as frictionless as possible” Neil Martin, chief commercial officer, osN Waktel responds: “There is nothing stopping anyone. A modern media network can sit on top of the already existing telco infrastructure. But success comes from in-depth understanding of the segment and embracing the broadcast customers’ needs wholeheartedly. “In order to be successful with any customer segment, you need to fully understand how your customers work and operate and where their pain points are. A dedicated broadcast division or business unit is typically a very good idea. Trust them and allow them to define new media services. Also, the services need to be offered at prices that are attractive to broadcasters and the business will fly. If you try to apply enterprise-based VPN price per megabit to broadcast services, you will not succeed.”

Despite an estimated 75 telcos across the MENA, du is just one of three telcos or so with an IPTV/triple play offering. This is a shockingly small number that reflects the skewed nature of the state of technology across the region. Now telcos such as du have gone a step further, offering fixed voice, broadband, video services and mobile services as part of a ‘quad-play’ bundle. Moustafa of du elaborates on the evolving relationship with the broadcast industry: “It has definitely changed. The services have become diverse with regard to features, formats and mediums. We rarely give advice to broadcasters; all broadcasters know what they want and the direction that they’re heading in. Therefore, we try to listen and prepare our network to handle what’s coming. “du has a dedicated broadcast and media team, and at an enterprise level, our OTT video platform supports non-linear viewing. The platform acts as a critical link between broadcasters’ content and end users, no matter what device, platform or technology they are using.” Broadcasters typically seek three main elements from a telco: infrastructure for delivery, billing capability, and a brand and trusted relationship with subscribers. Many telcos are now introducing their own content platform, such as Etisalat with the E-vision initiative. Neil Martin of OSN surprisingly welcomes this move into what was hitherto broadcaster territory: “I would much rather work with a telco that has genuinely invested in content and understands content and how it is relevant to their audience. I hope more telcos invest in content, because it is easier to work with telcos that are keen on increasing their customer base through their own content offering, rather than with telcos that have no IPTV customers to convert.” The strategic question for telecom operators vis a vis the broadcast

May 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 29

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vertical value chain should then revolve around transforming them from traditional telcos to complete digital services providers. As one of the acknowledged MENA trail blazers, the team at du has a busy line-up of tasks. Moustafa says: “In 2018, our plans include expanding the capabilities of our multiscreen solutions with new partners and services; continuing to grow our high-definition DTH platforms to offer more capacity and more orbital positions; enhancing our dedicated video fibre solutions to offer new business opportunities in relation to live events; and continuing to add new services to our cloud offerings to help customers experience the benefits of the cloud.” Going forward, Waktel of Net Insight believes there is great potential for remote production workflows, among other similar cost-saving solutions in the region. With an appropriate media network overlay, the typical telco infrastructure can meet broadcast requirements of low latency, zero packet loss and compression requirements. The future, he believes, is about interconnectivity, so that broadcasters have a seamless global, not just local, solution. Waktel explains: “It is very similar to what the airline industry is doing. You can buy a ticket from A to B and pay once for the ticket even if two or more airlines are involved. And you can choose between Economy, Premium or Business classes — whatever suits your needs and wallet. The same goes for media services providers that work together. The technology is available for many years now and is easily implemented on top of existing telco infrastructure.” On the distribution side, the future is promising even in the larger MENA region, Martin of OSN stresses: “To a greater or lesser degree, telcos do not want to be seen as dumb pipes, because in theory they should know a lot about their customers

With an appropriate media network overlay, the typical telco infrastructure can meet broadcast requirements of low latency, zero packet loss and compression requirements, says Olle Waktel, VP Sales for APAC and MEA, Net Insight.

“We are moving away from static point-to-point service on long contracts and shifting to on-demand services with local, regional or global reach” olle Waktel, VP sales for APAc and MEA at Net Insight and they want to align their product offering in line with that data. “Conversations are more difficult in other markets in the MENA where content has not reached any kind of scale and they don’t necessarily have proficiency and processes in place.” As the OTT revolution takes hold, Martin says: “There is a huge amount of interest in our OTT products. We signed eight deals already MENAwide, and we have another 25 deals in the pipeline. We are talking to around nine telcos in North Africa, and two or three of them want to launch for Ramadan. They say it fits in with what they are doing as their customers are trading up from 3G to 4G connectivity. They also want to push customers to higher ARPU packs and from prepaid to post-paid where possible. “Our view is we have to think about the customer first. They want great content and they want to watch it

30 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

on as many devices as they can and it should cost as little as possible. There is an amount they pay to telcos to access the network and our products, and the payment needs to be as frictionless as possible. Alive to the marked differences in audiences in different parts of the MENA, localising content is part of the conversations Martin’s team at OSN is having with telcos. Martin explains: “We realised we needed to have a much stronger local layer of content to support the telcos. For instance, in Tunisia, when we approach Tunisia Telecom, Orange, Ooredoo and others, our content needs to incorporate French. We are going through the process of retranscoding so that the content has French audio files and French subtitles.” In the next five years, Martin predicts a closer relationship with telcos around linear TV. He also believes the trends in the US are telling for the region, in terms of people aggregating three or four OTT services. “That is the type of customer experience we will see,” he predicts. “And our goal as a broadcaster with both linear TV and OTT platforms is to be part of that decision-making process by the viewer.” PRO

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PROTECH

The hybrID TraNSITIoN To IP ProductIon Large investments in SDI core routers and other edge devices serve a legitimate function, argues NewTek's Will Waters, as he maps out a viable hybrid path towards IP-based workflows

It is an exciting time for broadcasters. Around the globe, broadcasters and video production professionals are navigating the transition to IP, perhaps the biggest change the video production industry has seen in the last halfcentury. Where once a tiny number of producers generated video, now almost anyone can make a show and broadly distribute it across IP networks and the internet. As a consequence, consumers of video now expect more content, in more places, and they want it on their own schedules. To be successful, broadcasters today must be able to quickly and easily produce content that is curated for many smaller groups of viewers, and do so while reducing costs. After all, the true end goal of the transition to

32 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

IP in broadcast is to gain the flexibility, efficiency and cost savings that the larger IT industry can provide. Recently, the ratification of major standards such as SMPTE 2110 has begun to paint a picture of how IP solutions will emerge. What this means for broadcasters is that video production over IP is no longer a future milestone, but a reality today. Other areas of the modern production facility have long been using networked IP infrastructure in their workflow. Software-driven applications within the live production space, like graphics generators and video playout servers, are already connected to the rest of the facility via the network for interface and control, leaving only the raw audio and video streams in an SDI format. The ratification and adoption of IP

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since the reality of the transition to IP is hybrid for the foreseeable future, this means there is a real economic reason to consider inexpensive and widely available network infrastructureâ&#x20AC;? Will Waters, Senior Director IP Workflow Strategy, NewTek

standards for moving high-quality, low-latency video suitable for live switching now brings the rest of the studio into the same fabric. Supporting SDI-based gear However, the need to support existing SDI-based gear is clearly apparent for a successful transition to IP, for several reasons. Large investments in SDI core routers and many edge devices serve a legitimate function, and there is little

reason to get rid of them quickly. The HD signal types commonly used are HD-SDI (1.5Gb/s) and 3G-SDI (2.97Gb/s in progressive format), and these uncompressed formats can be moved into 10Gb/s network routing easily. Higher resolution formats such as UHD1 (12 Gb/s) and UHD-2 (24Gb/s) require a different approach and are the topic of a different debate. Further complicating matters are various uncompressed IP formats introduced prior to the ratification of SMPTE 2110 and the introduction of 12G-SDI. As a result, some manufacturers are resisting putting IP-capable I/O on their equipment. This dictates that a proper transition to IP will require hybrid systems taking advantage of the best-of-breed devices, whether they are SDI- or IP-based. SDI conversion to and from IP is an important design consideration for engineers as they plan out the IP infrastructure. While it is a practical reality that conversion will be required in a hybrid facility, the amount of conversion should be weighed against the cost of full infrastructure switchover. Depending on the type and capabilities of the conversion products, there are hidden costs when dealing with multiple resolutions and formats. Additionally, lots of conversion usually comes with increased power consumption, adding to cost.

IP deployment impacts workflow With IP, all traffic in a facility can be on a single common infrastructure. However, transitioning to IP for the sake of using IP alone gains little benefit in both workflow and investment. If IP implementation does no more than provide a simple, unidirectional connection between devices, perhaps reducing expense, it may not justify the effort. Once studios are connected on the IP network, however, the normal physical restrictions that traditionally impact storytelling and content production go away. The studio itself is no longer limited to the distance between the video mixer, graphics and media playback systems, recording devices, camera controllers, audio desks and other necessary gear. Likewise, video routing for monitoring outside of the studio is much easier. If someone on one side of the building desires to view a source on the network, they can easily do so without touching a single cable. When each output required discrete physical hardware, this was an unavoidable requirement of system design and manufacture. For IP-connected devices, however, the number of channels a system handles is freed from such physical constraints. If there is no need to view a source, it does not have to transmit across the network. Consider a typical graphics system with 100 pages of prepared graphics ready to display. All 100 graphics pages run in parallel over IP, allowing users who wish to freely display any one or more of them at any time. Critics may point out that this example ignores a key fact, that even the most powerful current graphics systems are unlikely to be able to render 100 simultaneous channels of output at one time. However, this is where design considerations in the IP world come into play. A very important aspect of the IP world is the bi-directional

May 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 33

PROTECH

connection between devices. Going back to our graphics system example, the source can be alerted, effectively instantly, that a request has been made for connection to one of the 100 channels. Let’s consider the benefits of SMPTE 2110. SMPTE 2110 incorporates the concept of ‘essences’, where elementary streams for synchronisation, audio, video, metadata and control are all available to connected devices and can work with only the necessary part of the stream required. Moving uncompressed video, audio and data across the facility for specific needs is possible. Not only is this interesting to engineers from a cost-saving standpoint, compressed formats are required for fully virtualised softwaredriven production systems. Once signals are in the proper format, other design considerations exist. What kind and type of network should engineers invest in? This is yet another area of debate. If uncompressed video is required, then 10/40GbE or even 25/50/100GbE connectivity is necessary. Fully redundant systems double the infrastructure. The data bandwidth and networking protocols required for uncompressed transfer also usually involve separate logical networks for the elementary streams and timing protocol. These are not detrimental requirements; however, the heavy

“The HD signal types commonly used are HD-SDI (1.5Gb/s) and 3G-SDI (2.97Gb/s in progressive format), and these uncompressed formats can be moved into 10Gb/s network routing easily” Will Waters, Senior Director IP Workflow Strategy, NewTek up-front investment arguably defies the market pressure of creating more content and delivering to more places with no more cost. Fortunately, by using networks already in place or reasonably available to purchase, live production workflows based on IP can be realised to train staff and refine business models. Investing today does not limit the decisions in the future. The advantage of the IP studio is that the infrastructure is agnostic to the protocols that travel across it. From a network perspective, it becomes a matter of adding bandwidth and processing to reach the needs of the protocols on top of it. This is fundamentally different for the broadcast industry, as previous advances in resolution and format required wholesale infrastructure change. Since the reality of the transition to IP is hybrid for the foreseeable

34 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

future, there is a real economic reason to consider inexpensive and widely available network infrastructure. Operators may consider using gear that can operate on IP networks for new or smaller live production environments that can then be attached to the traditional facility infrastructure with conversion. This allows operators and engineers to experiment with IP as the new signal types, and lets producers create new and exciting shows with innovative workflows previously unavailable. Live production is a real-time art form, spontaneous by its very nature. The more availability to sources and content, the greater the creative options. The transition to IP is no longer a concept based in the future, but rather one that can be built on today, which is why it is an exciting time for broadcasters. PRO

Will Waters is Senior Director for IP Workflow Strategy at NewTek.

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PRONAB

NAB 2018: MArketplAce of innovAtion As broadcast visionaries from around the globe demonstrated content delivery to new screens in cost-effective ways, BroadcastPro ME engaged with innovators one-on-one to gain insight into the technological landscape for the coming months and years

36 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

PRONAB

Blackmagic unveils 4K Pocket Cinema Camera

Simon Westland with the 4K Pocket Cinema Camera. The much-awaited Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K was finally unveiled at NAB. It has a full 4/3 HDR sensor, dual native ISO up to 25,600 with low light performance and 13 stops of dynamic range. it features a unique USB-c expansion port, which allows customers to record using the internal SD/UHS-ii and cfast recorders, or directly to the same external disks used

for editing and colour correction. the design features a new lightweight carbon fibre polycarbonate composite material so the camera body has strength and rigidity to protect it from accidental knocks and drops. the company claims that the Blackmagic pocket cinema camera 4k lets customers shoot images that are better than DSlr cameras and better than professional digital film cameras costing tens of thousands of dollars more. it will be available from resellers worldwide later this year for $1,295.

On the go with Teradek's live streaming solution Teradek launched VidiU Go at NAB 2018. Built on Teradek’s Cube HEVC platform, VidiU Go streams to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and other online video platforms in 1080p60 video quality. VidiU Go begins shipping in May 2018 for $1,490. vidiU Go is a live streaming encoder for businesses, freelancers and enthusiasts. With H.264 and Hevc built-in, the release stated that the vidiU Go gives the user the flexibility of delivering live video in the widely accepted Avc format or taking advantage of the efficiency

of H.265 during bonded cellular broadcasts. the Go includes two USB ports designed for teradek’s new node for vidiU Go modems. vidiU Go offers users, both professional and amateur, integration with teradek’s Sharelink and core platforms, which provide remote encoder configuration and Hevc/Avc transcoding (core only).

Riedel smartens up with new SmartPanel

Thomas Riedel and team at the unveiling of the new SmartPanel. After the usual fanfare that we see at a Riedel press conference, Thomas Riedel and his team introduced the new 1200 series SmartPanel at NAB. The RSP-1232HL represents a quantum leap forward in workflow flexibility, power and connectivity. Featuring multiple fullcolour multitouch displays, 32 hybrid-lever keys, the ability to leverage apps for multifunctionality and the ability to adapt easily to various workflows in use today, this new panel is designed to allow users to work the way they always have while opening up new possibilities. two years of research and development have gone into the rSp-1232Hl panel. every aspect of existing panel technology was evaluated, from the spacing of components to their look and feel. the result is a 32-key user interface with each lever key having an integrated rotary encoder that provides control over parameters in the same location as the key. the levers have been designed to have

the perfect form, weight, comfort, responsiveness and anti-fatigue qualities, to effectively redefine the way an intercom panel should feel. the rSp-1232Hl has been designed to support varied workflows. Some comms users prefer talk & listen workflows where the user chooses what to listen to from an initially silent panel. others prefer a talk & Mute workflow where they start with a panel that broadcasts everything, with the users choosing which signals to turn off. Users decide which mode they prefer on a per-panel basis. riedel’s new logical Groups concept allows users to choose custom colours for either the key labels or the leD rings positioned around each key. other features include stereo, phase-accurate speakers; front-panel mic mute and sidetone adjustments; front/rear USB; Bluetooth and nfc connectivity; Gpio and four-wire ports; and a light sensor for auto-calibration of screen brightness.

May 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 37

PRONAB

GatesAir prepares engineers for ATSC 3.0

Rich Redmond, Chief Product Officer, GatesAir. GatesAir came to NAB well prepared to help broadcast engineers make the transition to an ATSC 3.0 future. The company demonstrated its over-the-air content delivery solutions for nextgeneration TV networks at NAB, including its IP-native Maxiva transmitters and exciters. GatesAir’s Maxiva solutions have been used in all experimental and commercial

ATSC 3.0 broadcasts to date in South Korea and the US, including the justannounced Phoenix Model Market project. the phoenix Model Market project is the first collaborative single-market effort to plan and implement an AtSc 3.0 transition. GatesAir supplied a Maxiva UAXte UHf air-cooled tv transmitter for the project.the Maxiva UAXte joins the UlXte UHf liquid-cooled and vAXte vHf air-cooled transmitters to form the industry’s youngest and broadest range of high-efficiency, solid-state tv transmitters.

SPOTTED AT NAB

Telestream's new CEO Scott Puopolo outlined the company's 2018 strategy.

Yvonne Monterroso, Director of Product Management at Dejero took us through some of the new launches at the booth.

Lawo promises greater IP confidence with smartDASH Lawo unveiled the new smartDASH System Monitoring and Realtime Telemetry at NAB. The vendor-agnostic enterprise software suite is designed to provide full network and media visibility across an all-IP, all-SDI or hybrid WAN/ LAN broadcast infrastructure. positioned to bridge the gap between it and video engineering, smartDASH addresses both sides of the operation to provide a comprehensive view of what a network is doing and how the media streams flowing through it are behaving. Based on a UniX oS, this software-defined networking solution uses a robust database to document and

Andreas Hilmer claims there is nothing like smartDASH in the industry to support engineers on IP systems. rapidly search any aspect of the network’s operation – from a simple cable iD number to the path of a multicast across a transnational multi-hop WAn. Additionally, by leveraging a vast library of hardware communication protocols,

38 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

the system automatically interrogates live and dormant path connections to create the most intuitive and datarich presentation layers of a cotS-hybrid infrastructure. smartDASH supports monitoring and decoding

of a wide range of media formats, from low-bitrate ott/ABr streams to uncompressed St2110 studio production flows, in addition to characterising the packet pacing off the delivery network. this approach provides a deep profile of operational visibility by unifying network telemetry and mixed media flow into a single-glass view. smartDASH users have a zero-footprint installation and a tool that can be deployed using Http accessibility from a browser or mobile device. A scalable enterprise software solution, smartDASH provides data and is able to document all aspects of the network and its supporting infrastructure.

26 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 28 June 2018 Level 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6, Suntec Singapore www.Broadcast-Asia.com

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Ericsson's MediaFirst UHD is an industry-first

Alex Borland, Head of Sales EMEA, at the booth. Ericsson Media Solutions’ MediaFirst end-to-end UHD solution made its global debut at NAB 2018. the company claims that it is the industry’s first software-based, multi-application media processing and encoding platform to deliver UHD content from camera to consumer, across the entire media delivery landscape. the new solution is designed from the groundup to enable contribution workflows using ericsson Media Solutions’ technology, leveraging high performance algorithms for encoding UHD content to be delivered across contribution networks, further delivered to consumers for an immersive experience across client interfaces. With the freedom to use HDr technology for a more natural and immersive consumer experience, as

well as a cloud-agnostic choice of private, public or hybrid clouds, the solution promises flexibility for formats and deployment. the Mediafirst end-toend UHD solution includes an Avp system encoder to provide a future-proof modular architecture that allows on-site upgrades with no hassle or interruption. Mediafirst content processing delivers a UHD tv decoder with high bitrate, low latency 4k Hevc decoding and future-proofing flexibility for current and evolving HDr standards. Mediafirst video processing packaging and encoding for on-demand and live enables the distribution, personalisation and monetisation of multiscreen high-quality UHD HDr video services, and supports the tone mapping conversion required for SDr displays.

40 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

Calrec embarks on new radio journey with Type R

Calrec debuted Type R, its new modular, expandable, IP-based radio system, at NAB. The system uses standard networking technology combined with configurable soft panels that can be tailored to operator needs. type r’s physical control system consists of three slimline panels: a fader panel, a large soft panel and a small soft panel. each is compatible with cotS hardware and powered over ethernet to keep cabling to a minimum. type r has a simple 2U core at its heart with

integrated i/o resources to get customers up and running immediately. A single core can power up to three independent mixing environments, with no sharing of DSp resources. the touchscreen soft panels are designed around simple and colourful control elements and can easily be customised as multi-function panels. type r is a resilient console system designed for reliable professional use, with all the requisite power, function and scalability to keep radio stations on-air for many years to come.

SPOTTED AT NAB

The EVS team spoke about how the launch of XTVIA will transform the live production market.

Jason Pruett of NewTek took us through a number of innovations including LiveGraphics and Connect Spark Pro.

PRONAB

SPOTTED AT NAB

Multiviewer perspective with Rohde & Schwarz

Anas Hantash, Regional Director of Imagine Communications for MESA spoke about how the company's IP solutions have evolved over the last two years.

TraceMark forensic watermarking from Irdeto Irdeto claims that its Irdeto TraceMark forensic watermarking is an industryfirst feature set. The new feature provides content owners with support for JPEG 2000 (J2K) in IMF exchange formats, to help prevent theft of premium 4K and HDR content. With irdeto traceMark

now supporting J2k in iMf, content owners are able to keep one master version of the content and send out individually watermarked versions on the fly with no delay to distributors. traceMark integrates distributor watermarking with Aspera’s fASp transfer technology.

At NAB 2018, Rohde & Schwarz showcased R&S Prismon, which helps customers by adding support for SMPTE 2110 and AMWA IS-04 to its latest software release. Additionally, the set of I/O interfaces has been extended up to 100 GE, and the platform R&S Prismon Ultra (1RU) has been added to the portfolio. r&S prismon, an innovative softwarebased solution, provides simultaneous multi-delivery monitoring for providers of broadcast and streaming media services

on a single, converged platform. other recent feature enhancements are certification for Dolby Digital/ Dolby Digital plus/Dolby e, enhanced root cause analysis via a new incident recording function, Scte-35 monitoring for MpeG-tS and ott streams, and the addition of cMAf to the already comprehensive protocol suite for ott monitoring.

Ross announces Ultrix IP Ross Video was in the Lower South Hall this year, rather than its usual place in the North Hall. Among several other launches, David Ross unveiled the new Ultrix IP platform at a keynote and reception in Vegas last month. Ultrix, launched in 2016, was initially positioned as a router but its versatility and powerful feature set made it possible for ross to look at it as a potential platform. Ultrix was initially available in either 1rU or 2rU configurations, and the 5rU 144×144 version was launched in January at cABSAt 2018. Ultrix’s feature set includes SD, HD and 3G routing offerings with

David Ross at the new booth with the Ultrix. 3072×3072 audio, embedded audio processing, clean/ quiet switching, patented internal gearboxing to integrate Quadlink/4k signals

into a native 12G workflow, and up to 24 independent Multiviewer heads in 5rU, each head supporting up to 100 unique pips.

Bringing ip i/o to Ultrix now opens up a number of different applications and uses for the product, such as a mid-size ipor hybrid core facility router, an ip to SDi processing gateway, an ip frame sync farm, as ip-connected Multiviewers, an ip clean switcher, ip audio processing engine or ip-SDi bridge. And, because it supports both 2022 and 2110, it’s an ip encapsulation converter as well. Ultrix reduces system cost, increases flexibility and simplifies system design. Ultrix ip is currently in development and ross video plans to ship before the end of 2018, with a firm date to be announced prior to iBc 2018.

May 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 41

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PRONAB

Brainstorm showcases Neuron

Dubai Studio City reaches out to US businesses

neuron, its pathway to broadcast graphics, traffic and branding management solution. neuron is an integrated, Miguel Churruca, Marketing and MoSCommunications Director, Brainstorm. compatible template-based system for 3D graphics and virtual complex graphics integration studio solutions provider not only in the newsroom but Brainstorm showcased a also in most of the common theatre presentation based broadcast workflows, on photorealistic virtual enhancing the newsroom sets, augmented reality with the support of continuity and broadcast applications, and broadcast traffic as well. where the synthetic images neuron supports Brainstorm’s cannot be distinguished Smarttemplates for easier data from the real ones. input and graphic updating. Brainstorm showcased

Dubai Studio City introduced exhibition provides us with an its services and facilities at ideal opportunity to engage NAB. A senior management with like-minded entities delegation from Dubai Studio and share best practices. City, led by MD Majed Al Suwaidi “Dubai Studio city is and Business Development currently home to more Manager Khadija Al Bastaki, than 300 companies in the participated at NAB to explore entertainment industry." collaboration prospects with there are more than 70 US US businesses seeking to companies in Dubai Media expand to the Middle East. city, Dubai Studio city and commenting on Dubai Studio Dubai production city. city’s participation, Al Suwaidi said: “our presence at the event reflects our ongoing efforts to reach out to relevant businesses operating within Majed Al Suwaidi, MD of Dubai Studio our region and City (second from right) at NAB. beyond. the

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connectechAsiA: DOing Business in A COnverging wOrlD The BroadcastAsia segment of ConnecTechAsia will shine a spotlight on the future of broadcasting, exploring how content consumption has changed, and the challenges and opportunities this creates for traditional broadcasters and OTT players 44 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

PROBROADCASTASIA

ConnecTechAsia, the new umbrella event encompassing CommunicAsia, BroadcastAsia and the new NXTAsia, will stage its 2018 edition from 26-28 June in Singapore. The event will cover the spectrum of communication, broadcast and enterprise technology and services. The aim is to present a holistic ecosystem of infrastructure, technology and services that businesses and governments in Asia need to do business in this new era. In the 2018 edition, there will be more than 75 new exhibitors, including Zoo Digital, Seagate, Kino-Mo, ContentArmor, BroadcastBionics, Tata Elxsi, Aver, IDX, Loud Technologies Asia and Chauvet, among others. “As Asia pursues digital transformation at an accelerated pace, it is critical that the event evolves alongside the dramatic shifts happening in the spaces we serve,” says Victor Wong, Project Director at UBM, the organiser of ConnecTechAsia. He added: “The new event reflects the pulse of Asia today, and is the only business platform covering the converging ecosystems of communications, broadcasting and emerging technologies connecting the physical and digital worlds.” The ConnecTechAsia Summit this year will centre on digital business transformation, covering the trends across ICT, broadcasting industries and enterprises to enable a digitised future. The three-day summit comprises three tracks – NetworkComms, BroadcastMedia and EmergingTech. Commenting on the scale of the event, Calvin Koh,

Assistant Project Director (Telecom, Media, Technology), UBM, organiser of BroadcastAsia says: “With the launch of ConnecTechAsia this year, participants can look forward to witnessing the intersection of telecommunications, broadcasting and emerging technologies under one roof. “BroadcastAsia in particular, will focus on business and technical strategies for growth for broadcasting media companies in this fast-changing era of digital transformation. The event will spotlight the latest industry developments made possible by emerging technologies including leveraging artificial intelligence for OTT, customer insights, content creation and media operations, blockchain-based OTT technology, and immersive videos with virtual reality and augmented reality, among others. Providing thoughtleadership and the solutions for the future of broadcasting, visitors will hear from industry experts and get to experience new technologies from global and upcoming brands from more than 630 companies from 41countries/regions.” The three-day summit for BroadcastAsia will bring together professionals within the pro-audio, film, digital media and broadcasting industries to discuss trends and technologies reshaping the broadcast value chain. The summit will open on 26 June with a look at the future of television, followed by a market outlook on the broadcasting and media industry. Presentations will tackle the all-important issue of broadcasters staying relevant in

May 2018 | www.broadcastprome.com | 45

PROBROADCASTASIA

The 2018 edition will host more than 75 new exhibitors, including Zoo Digital, Seagate, Kino-Mo, ContentArmor, BroadcastBionics, Tata Elxsi, Aver, IDX, Loud Technologies Asia and Chauvet, among others.

the digital age. Research analysts from S&P Global Market Intelligence will then outline how content is consumed and the emerging trends for the industry to be mindful about. The highlight for the morning of 27 June is a panel discussion: ‘Women In Broadcast: Break into the Media-tech Industry and Climb the Glass Ladder’. Statistics have shown that a diverse workforce is smarter, more innovative and more likely to be profitable. This panel will explore how the industry can promote gender diversity in the broadcast and media industry. The mid-morning session that day will focus on monetisation and how the migration from pay TV to OTT is changing the landscape of advertising. A panel discussion on the price war in the OTT arena will follow, focusing on how price points are determined for target audiences, including issues related to differentiating models. Case studies will further explore the OTT and VOD sectors, highlighting new formats of content, curation and technology, and how to maximise user experience design to solve many of the long-standing painpoints of home entertainment. Social media will take centre stage in the afternoon session, with presentations from Facebook and others on how social media players are stepping up their game to garner strong engagement. The technology track on 27 June at BroadcastAsia will feature

“The new event reflects the pulse of Asia today, and is the only business platform covering the converging ecosystems of communications, broadcasting and emerging technologies connecting the physical and digital worlds” victor wong, Project Director at uBM, the organiser of ConnecTechAsia presentations and case studies by IABM, Ross Video and Qvest Media that focus intensively on all aspects of IP broadcasting and the road map ahead. A panel discussion entitled ‘SDI to IP, When is the Time Right for You?’ will explore the ‘when’ question for terrestrial broadcasters. Among the questions the panellists will tackle are: Which is better and more costeffective, a hybrid model or COTS? Or is now the time to go IP all the way? The technology track at BroadcastAsia will then focus on next-gen broadcasting and the era of targeted TV. Attendees are promised a glimpse of how operators can launch a targeted TV strategy by leveraging artificial intelligence and cloud-based infrastructure, among other technologies.

46 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

On 28 June, the final day of the BroadcastAsia Summit, the commercial track will focus on understanding big data to increase profitability. This session will look into the impact of big data and analytics on the broadcasting industry and how these tools can be used to increase customer satisfaction, personalise content, reduce churn and enable broadcasters to effectively monetise services and content. A panel discussion on managed OTTs will then look at how broadcasters work with OTT while maintaining control and flexibility. Panellists will also look at the critical threat of piracy. The summit will conclude with a presentation on the roadblocks and bright spots for immersive videos as well as presentations on UHDTV and beyond, and an in-depth look at blockchain and how it can help create a broadcast content economy and OTT platforms. CommunicAsia, the industry event for the telecommunications sector, will focus on network infrastructure/FTTx, satellite communications and telecom software and services. The event will focus on the latest technologies to help companies and governments in Asia prepare for the coming of 5G and maintain a competitive edge. At NXTAsia, industry professionals will witness the newest innovations and attend thought-leadership presentations in areas such as AI, AR/VR, cyber security, IoT, robotics, cloud and data.

Speakers announced

2 May 2018 RITZ CARLTON DUBAI, JBR / DUBAI / UAE

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Managing Director Raz Islam | +971 50 451 8213 raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com

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PROGUEST

"Shipments of HDR TV sets are forecast to pass HD sets by 2020 and reach 245 million units in 2022"

IP and HDR push the UHD/ 4K envelope Broadcasters and production companies have always had one primary goal: to produce compelling content of the highest quality in a way that is economically viable. A highquality mastering format is key to enabling the highest quality viewing experience over any platform and on any device – and today that is UHD/4K. Until recently, HD coverage was the general requirement and UHD/4K production was only deployed for specific events – but this approach has now changed. We are gradually beginning to see UHD/4K make its way into other live production genres. Broadcasters and production companies are looking for easily scalable solutions that can support HD and UHD/4K productions of any size. The ability to transition to fully integrated UHD/4K in a live production environment, delivering the same functionality and speed as existing HD workflows, is also a key consideration with any new investment. Higher resolution brings higher bandwidth and distribution costs that have been the major reasons why many broadcasters restrict UHD/4K operations, or delay the decision to implement the technology. UHD/4K signals are 12Gbps uncompressed, so a large live production environment needs a significant amount of bandwidth – and IP is the generally accepted solution for this. With the SMPTE ST 2110 standard,

48 | www.broadcastprome.com | May 2018

and the publication of the first standards within SMPTE ST 2110 specifications, movement [towards IP] has started to pick up. With industrywide support for IP interoperability, customers can now select best-of-breed solutions from multiple vendors. Here in the Middle East, some still see 12G-SDI as the preferred migration path to UHD/4K, due to operational fears surrounding IP. However, we have already seen the impact of the SMPTE standards as customers now have more confidence in making the investment in IP. The number of RFPs being issued for IP infrastructure projects is increasing. Bandwidth will get increasingly cheaper as we move to COTS IP infrastructures. The move to higher bandwidth connections – such as 100G and the development of 200G and 400G – will also bring costs down. HDR is going live While consumers enjoy a much richer viewing experience in UHD/4K, the additional resolution alone is not enough, particularly when you consider the screen size most of us access content on. This is where HDR comes in. By combining UHD/4K and HDR, broadcasters can deliver the best images possible in the industry today and create truly immersive and lifelike experiences for viewers. HDR also enables more dependable results

under difficult shooting conditions. Consumer trends indicate that adding HDR is a good bet. With shipments of HDR TV sets forecast to surpass HD sets by 2020 and reach 245 million units in 2022, the appetite for HDR content is only going to rise. Upgrading to UHD/4K and HDR doesn’t come without cost implications, however, and for some broadcasters and media organisations, the cost is not worth the benefit to viewers. For many broadcasters, adding HDR to 1080p HD footage is an attractive alternative strategy. From a viewer perspective, there is still a stunning improvement in image quality, and disruption to existing workflows is minimal. Most workflows will have to support parallel SDR/HDR production workflows to cater to consumers without HDRready TV sets. Signals will need to be adapted with up/down mapping as required, to mix and match incoming content formats and output signals without compromising quality. We are expecting a rise in UHD/4K and HDR uptake across sports and entertainment production. In recent months, we have seen significant investment from broadcasters, production companies, OB and rental houses globally, and we expect this trend to extend to the Middle East market in the months ahead. Ibrahim Al Akkad is Regional Director for Grass Valley Middle East.

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