Content+Technology ASIA - November-December 2022

FEATURES

04 NEWS+PEOPLE HK’s i-CABLE Unveils “HOY Infotainment” Channel; Singapore Host for Olympic Esports; Kuala Lumpur’s Media City Opens; TVU Streams 80 Hours of Non-Stop 4K from China; Thailand Demonstrates “Fastest Broadband in Asia”; Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and Edgio Enhance Streaming; Opinion - Expanding the AVOD Business Model.

09 CAMERAS & LIGHTING Bangladesh’s Somoy TV Upgrades to HD with Ikegami; Sony Expands Cinema Line; New FUJINON Broadcast Zoom Lens; Canon Releases EOS R6 Mark II and Boosts Broadcast and Filmmaking Line-Up; and more.

13

SPORTSCASTING Singtel Uses 5G Network Slicing for FIFA World Cup; FOX Sports Takes TAG to Qatar in World’s Largest SMPTE ST 2110 Flypack; Largest LiveU Deployment Ever for FIFA World Cup; TMC and TVU Cover FIFA Fans; Tackling the creative challenges of HDR; TRACAB’s Horse Tracking System.

17 NEWS OPERATIONS Nikkei Uses Blackmagic Workflow for In-House Production; Avid Technology’s Craig Wilson Talks News; LiveU Boosts Matrix IP Cloud Distribution Service; Cloud-Native Broadcast Graphics Production from disguise; EtereNunzio Newsroom Graphics Player.

20

POST-PRODUCTION Oz Film Replicates

Ray Tracing

23

MEDIA

IN

THE CLOUD

Indonesia’s Daai TV Picks Etere HSM for Multi-Platform Archive; ABS-CBN Film Restoration Brings Filipino Classics to Netflix; SGO Upgrades Mistika Workflows; Object Matrix and Resilio Optimise Content Collaboration; Cloud Storage Savings Calculator; SymplyTRANSPORTER On-Set Data Appliance; Sonnet Thunderbolt Reader for AJA PAK Media; and more.

26 AUDIO, RADIO, PODCASTING All

India

Radio Upgrades with AEQ; RØDE Launches Streaming and Gaming Division; Radio Module for Marquee Ad Instructions Platform; Driving In-Car Sound with Dolby, Apple, Universal and Mercedes-Benz; AEQ XPEAK Matrix-Free Intercom; Comrex BRIC-Link III IP Audio Codec; Sony Studio C-80 Condenser Mic.

29 CONTENT DELIVERY

Thailand’s Amarin TV Powers Playout with Imagine; PlayBox Neo Automates Time Delay for Thailand’s 3BB TV; Bitmovin Dives Into Green Streaming; 25G Uncompressed Video Transport via SMPTE-2110; Dante Brooklyn 3 AV Networking Module; Reports of the Death of Linear TV are Greatly Exaggerated.

The Attention Economy

By Phil Sandberg

DESCRIBED AS THE ANNUAL marquee event of the Asian video industry, the Asia Video Summit, returned in full swing at the end of October, hosting over 300 delegates in person and online as a hybrid conference.

While there was, naturally, discussion around content production, profitability, the opportunity presented by franchises, activation, distribution, and pricing, there was also a focus on the growth potential in the OTT and Connected TV (CTV) advertising space.

According to Alex Lowes, Vice President, Client Engagement and Growth, APAC, Finecast, both feature addressable premium broadcast quality content. According to Lowes, with addressable TV becoming part of an omnichannel strategy, addressable TV is the future.

Vignesh Narayanan, CEO, Airtel Ads, echoed Lowes with the prediction that the addressable opportunity in India over the next two years could be as much as USD$200M.

The comments come as Omnichannel sell-side advertising platform Magnite has released a study entitled “India Embraces the Streaming Era” which found ads on streaming platforms capture more attention than ads on social media.

Omnichannel sell-side advertising

platform Magnite recently released a study entitled “India Embraces the Streaming Era” which found ads on streaming platforms capture more attention than ads on social media.

According to the report, nearly two thirds of India’s streamers (64%) are more responsive to advertising on streaming platforms, with many stating they often search for the product (48%) and make a purchase (33%) after the fact.

The study also found that free or ad-supported content is preferred to paying for an ad-free experience. 80% of streamers prefer to watch ad-supported content versus subscribing to an ad-free platform for a monthly fee.

According to Gavin Buxton, Managing Director, Asia at Magnite, “One of the study’s key findings shows that OTT advertising outperforms other mediums like social media when it comes to attention and purchasing power. With three quarters of video viewers streaming more now than a year ago, advertisers should be actively exploring this channel to reach the right audiences.”

The study found that two thirds of streamers prefer to watch streaming services over traditional TV and streamers rank the quality of content, platform usability and content discovery as the

top factors driving their decision to stream.

The majority (75%) of streamers are streaming more video content than a year ago and 66% expect to stream more next year.

Additional key findings from Magnite’s study include:

• Mobile commands the majority of streamers’ time, and 88% of viewers reported a positive viewing experience on smartphones, comparable to the number that reported a positive viewing experience on TV screens.

• Mobile is the top streaming device, but time spent streaming on CTV is growing as smart TVs are introduced into Indian homes. 59% of streamers are now watching CTV and spending an average of 8 hours per week streaming content on a big screen.

• Live streaming is becoming mainstream. Nearly all streamers (86%) said they watch live content through streaming platforms, with streaming particularly prevalent across news, sports, and reality content. Streamers are more likely to watch live programming on streaming platforms than on traditional TV.

The results come at an interesting time, against the background of Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) experiencing an advertising downturn and slashing some 11,000 jobs (13% of its workforce), not to mention the chaotic vanity acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk which has resulted in half of its workforce (some 7,500) being made redundant. In the case of the latter, a culture war focus, rather than bringing advertisers and audiences together, has reportedly seen up to a third of the platform’s top clients pause their ad spend since the takeover. Frequent, and often childish, meme posting by the new CEO is unlikely to bring confidence back.

For more of Magnite’s report, visit https://www.magnite.com/ research/india-streaming-era/

Keep safe, thanks for reading, and look after each other, Phil Sandberg – Editor/Publisher papers@broadcastpapers.com +61(0)414671811

2023 C+T DEADLINES

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND EDITION

FEBRUARY 2023

Editorial Submissions: 23-01-23

Ad Bookings: 23-01-23

Ad Artwork: 31-01-23

ASIA EDITION

MARCH-APRIL 2023

Preview: ABU Digital Broadcast Symposium March 6-9, 2023, Kuala Lumpur

Editorial Submissions: 10-02-23

Ad Bookings: 07-02-23

Ad Artwork: 13-02-23

For more information www.content-technology.com +61-(0)414 671 811

Email: papers@broadcastpapers.com

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HK’s i-CABLE Unveils New Free-to-Air Channel “HOY Infotainment”

HONG KONG’S I-CABLE Communications Limited has launched HOY Infotainment (Channel 78), an all-new free-to-air news and infotainment channel. The new channel premiered on November 21, 2022 and, according to the company, the launch will lead the Hong Kong television industry “to a new chapter”.

The inauguration ceremony of HOY Infotainment (Channel 78), the news and infotainment channel, was officiated by The Hon C Y LEUNG, GBM, GBS, JP, ViceChairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; The Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen, GBM, GBS, JP, The President of the Legislative Council; The Hon CHEUNG Kwok-kwan, SBS, JP, Deputy Secretary for Justice; The Hon Kevin YEUNG Yun-hung, GBS, JP, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism; and Mr Patrick Tsang On-yip, i-CABLE Vice-Chairman and Executive Director. Representatives from the local and international media, academia and finance sectors also attended the ceremony and witnessed the key milestone of the establishment of HOY Infotainment.

Mr. TSANG On Yip (Patrick), Vice-chairman and Executive Director, i-CABLE Communications Limited expressed his appreciation for all guests at the inauguration ceremony and vision for HOY Infotainment to become the most trusted, credible and impactful news source in Hong Kong.

He said: “i-CABLE News has always been a trusted news platform among Hongkongers. The impartial and high-quality local news and financial news information to be aired in the new Channel 78 will be produced by the i-CABLE News editorial team based on

the most professional journalistic principle. Moving forward, ‘Spotlight On Hong Kong. Eye On The World’ will not just be the slogan and positioning of HOY Infotainment (Channel 78), but also the promise for our respected audience.”

Ms. Regina Kwan Wai-ling, i-CABLE Director of News and Infotainment and General Manager of i-CABLE News Limited said: “As the world changes rapidly, we have witnessed radical change in how audiences receive their information. i-CABLE and our team will continue to lead the trend by building a leadingedge omnichannel, one-stop media platform.”

i-Cable says the new HOY Infotainment channel will bring three unique features to audience. Firstly, under the positioning of “Spotlight On Hong Kong. Eye On The World”, HOY Infotainment will focus on first-hand local news, global financial updates, sports news, and infotainment. HOY Infotainment will also join hands with the reputable i-CABLE News team to provide the audience with quality local and international news, as well as financial updates. Thirdly, in line with the mission of “Serving the Needs of Audiences”, programmes by HOY Infotainment are produced from the perspectives of Hong Kong citizens, highlighting the latest social issues in the city. To create truly inclusive programmes for audiences with different needs, HOY Infotainment will also feature news reports with sign language.

In September, HOY TV and Hong Kong International Business Channel announced that its signal coverage of the Free-to-Air TV spectrum had reached approximately 99% of the Hong Kong population, providing more variety of information and entertainment

to a wider group of audience. With the official premiere of the new Channel 78 HOY Infotainment on November 21, 2022 (Monday), a brand-new range of diversified infotainment news programmes will also be launched.

Residents and viewers in Hong Kong can stay tuned to enjoy the programmes on channel 76, 77 and 78 by rescanning the TV programme channels.

i-CABLE Communications Vice-chairman and Executive Director Tsang concluded, “Free television broadcast has over 50 years of history in Hong Kong, while there are ups and downs during the last five decades, the only thing remains unchanged is the passion of the industry practitioners. Moving forward, all of our free television channels – HOY TV, HOY Infotainment, Hong Kong International Business Channel will continue to serve the needs of audience, producing TV programmes that are welcomed by citizens of Hong Kong, as we strive to become the most reliable entertainment and news source for the public.”

Visit http://www.i-cablecomm.com/

IOC Confirms Singapore Host for First Olympic Esports Week

THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC) has confirmed that its inaugural Olympic Esports Week will take place in Singapore between 22 and 25 June 2023.

In partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Committee (SNOC), the Olympic Esports Week will showcase the best of virtual sports – hybrid physical and simulated sports – with the four-day festival, including exhibiting the latest technologies, panel discussions, education sessions and show matches.

The highlight of the week will be the first in-person live finals of the Olympic Esports Series, a global virtual and simulated sports competition created in collaboration with the International Federations (IFs)

which builds on the successes of last year’s Olympic Virtual Series. The 2021 series attracted over 250,000 participants from across 100 countries to take part in competitions in virtual and simulated sports including baseball, motorsport, cycling, rowing and sailing.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “The first Olympic Esports Week marks an important milestone in our ambition to support the growth of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement. We believe the exciting new format of our virtual sports competition, with live finals to be staged for the first time, is an opportunity to collaborate further with esports players and to create new opportunities for players and fans alike. It is a perfect opportunity to be partnering with Singapore, which has a history of supporting innovation in the

Olympic Movement, hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010, so we are looking forward to working together closely.”

SNOC Board member and IOC Vice-President Ng Ser Miang said: “The Singapore NOC shares the Olympic Movement’s ambitions of exploring the development of virtual sports. Singapore has a track record of successfully hosting some of the biggest events in the virtual sports and esports calendar – we are honoured to be collaborating with the IOC to bring this shared vision to life.”

Details, including how to be part of the first Olympic Esports Week and Olympic Esports Series, will be revealed in early 2023.

Visit https://olympics.com

Hyperconvergence

Endless Production Possibilities

your shipping costs and everything else. Also, the more you can put into a single box, it simplifies maintenance and troubleshooting. It allows you more flexibility to get productions up and running more quickly.”

So, this approach suits the world of remote production or REMI?

“Yes. It’s been wildly successful in areas like that, but even in a fixed facility, it’s a good thing. When you go into a traditional equipment room and you have two or three rows of racks, if that can be streamlined down to one or two racks, there’s pretty substantial savings in day-to-day operations.”

What are the advantages of a Hyperconverged approach versus the cloud?

As versatile as a smartphone, Swiss Army Knife, or Batman’s utility belt, Ross Video’s one platform/endless configurations approach, Hyperconvergence, is not just changing facilities and workflows, but the way production professionals are evolving their businesses.

According to Todd Riggs, Ross Video’s Director of Product Management for Hyperconverged Solutions, “It’s basically combining what were formerly multiple independent products into a unified software-defined package that works together.

“An analogy we like to use is that of a smartphone. When you think about what you and I used to carry around on a business trip, you’d have your Garmin, Tom Tom GPS to get around, your laptop, maybe one or two cameras, etc. Now, most people just carry around a smartphone and it’s got everything you need in a single device and it’s unified in terms of a workflow, an ecosystem.

“What we’re doing at Ross Video is moving that type of thought and that type of workflow into the production area.”

Do production functions then become apps on a platform?

“That’s really what it is. What’s driving this for us is the components we are using are becoming more capable. The way we used to design, let’s say a multi-viewer, or signal processing for video and audio, the way you would build out those cards or platforms, there would be a lot of different chips that would get thrown down and a lot of different

ways we would build out the signal flow of that particular product.

“What’s happening now is some of the devices, the chips, whether it be FPGAs or CPUs, etc., they are actually becoming more and more integrated with what they can do. What that allows us to do is we can create products and they can be a lot of different things, or they can have features added to them because the components we’re using are a bit more powerful and a bit more flexible. So, we can use a common hardware platform to perform multiple functions and those functions can be done by adding software licenses or changing a firmware load or something of that nature.

Traditional functions that you would expect in a production environment - video and audio routing, signal processing, monitoring, some multi-viewers, switching, mixing, etc - can all be done from a common platform. It provides a tremendous amount of capability with a very simple form factor and gives users a lot of capability and flexibility.”

Could you call it a multifunction appliance approach?

“Yes, that is a good way to think about it. It can be as feature-rich or as limited as you may want. The pieces that we are building on give us the ability to change it, so over time, because of that, it can be something different. This is one of the core things that Ross, as a company, is really focused on. Instead of very specific applications, specific products, because these products can do different things, they can change as a business changes and if you are using it for one job now, it could be something different in the future.”

What range of functions are up and running now?

“Some of the traditional functions. We’ve got your video and audio routing systems, which are the core of a facility. We’ve got multi-viewers, all kinds of signal processing for video. We’ve added audio mixing recently. We’ve added production switchers as well. Those are the big blocks - and there’s more coming.”

What savings does this approach deliver?

“It’s pretty substantial. When you think about the high end, you’re talking about a dozen racks or more shrunk to less than a rack. You’re going from about 10,000 cables down to a couple of hundred. In terms of power, the power savings alone are massive. So, when you start to talk about cooling, weight, moving equipment around with trucks or flypacks etc., there’s a tremendous value. The less it weighs, the more efficient you are in terms of

“Well, they are not necessarily mutually exclusive. At Ross, we have different tracks of development we are working on. One is an on-prem product portfolio, and that’s really where Hyperconvergence fits. Obviously, there’s incredibly low latencies, there are a lot of efficiencies there. But, we are also very focused on cloud, and I think the right answer to this is that even going ground-to-cloud or cloud-to-ground, you are going to need an on-prem platform. You’ll need to get content in and out, to and from the cloud and that’s where these technologies can actually work in tandem. Because this platform can do so much, you’re really maximising the value of this on-prem hardware. Where we want to go, as a company, is a unified interface so these technologies can work together.”

You’ve already applied Hyperconvergence to Ross’ Ultrix Router.

“When we launched Ultrix, it had some of these features in it already, but over the last little bit we’ve started adding more things. You’ve seen, recently, the ability to have our mid and large production switchers - Acuity and Carbonite, for instance - integrated into the Ultrix platform. One of the nice things about the Ultrix platform is it’s all UHD native. So, when you start to think about adding more products, you’ve got a UHD platform that can handle multiple signal transports, whether it’s SDI, or SMPTE 2110, etc. You have access to multiple different transport types, and then you can add more of these functions into the box, which expands the Hyperconverged portfolio. So, Ultrix is key to it as we move forward.”

And, what is on the roadmap going forward?

“The roadmap is very full. When you think about where we are as an industry and what Ross makes, there’s a lot of things we do. There is a need for more and more processing, video and audio processing, specifically. There is a need for more transport types.

“Ross produces a wide range of solutions. Cameras aren’t going into something like this, there are a lot of other technologies in a production and playout environment that could provide real value as part of a hyperconverged platform and work as a single, unified system. There are real workflow benefits from this Hyperconverged approach where you’re not dealing with disparate products and I think it really has resonated within the industry.”

Visit https://www.rossvideo.com/

Kuala Lumpur’s Media City Opens

BUILT AT A REPORTED COST of RM860 million (US$182 million), Angkasapuri Kota Media, Malaysia’s new Media City, was recently opened by outgoing Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob.

Joining the Prime Minister at the ceremony were Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Deputy Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin and Communications and Multimedia Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek, as well as Director-general of Broadcasting Datuk Che Roslan Che Daud and Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Roslan Ariffin.

Located on 271,140m2 in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, the new centre includes an 18-floor office tower housing Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM ); a 5500m2 Auditorium; 4700m2 TV Studio; 1600m2 Music Studio; 3250m2 Archive area; 4300m2 Warehouse; a plaza

area; and 192,920m2 for future development.

In opening the new centre, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob said, “Development of Media City is one of the Kingdom’s strategic steps to stimulate the development and development of the broadcasting industry in this country.

“In the last 10 years, the development of broadcasting in this country has undergone various changes and reforms, especially related to the medium of information delivery. Conventional platforms in the field of broadcasting, i.e. radio and television (TV) also face fierce competition from new media platforms. At the same time, the number of private companies applying for Content Applications Service Providers ‘ (CASP) operating licences to operate activities as radio or TV broadcasting stations on a subscription or free basis also increased.

“Despite this increasingly rapid competition, the Malaysian Broadcasting Department or Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), remains a pioneer, forerunner and catalyst for the development of the country’s broadcasting industry.” The Prime Minister concluded by saying, “I hope that the

inauguration of Media City can ignite the spirit of RTM staff and the creative industry, especially broadcasting, to continue to produce high-impact work and raise the dignity of Malaysian content to a more outstanding level and successfully penetrate the international market.”

TVU Streams 80 Hours of Non-Stop 4K from China’s International Trade Fair

TVU NETWORKS has continued its streak of successful live transmissions, announcing its TVU Nano 5G router delivered a total of six days (80 hours) of non-stop, live 4K video from the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) held from August 31 to September 5 in Shougang Park, Beijing.

Organisers set up a 4K PTZ camera to provide live footage from the Trade Fair. Real-time coverage of caterpillar-to-butterfly transformations as well as panoramic shots of the area’s unique landscape were broadcast each day.

The compact router created a reliable, highbandwidth network for the transmission of the live 4K signals to the media. Over 80-hours of live 4K video were broadcast from Shougang

Park over China media platforms including CCTV News, Xinhua News Agency, BTV Beijing Satellite TV, and as well as social media sites.

Event producers deployed one TVU Nano 5G router at the site of the PTZ camera and one at the broadcast studio in China National Convention Center.

“Producers were able to aggregate multiple communication links from major providers using TVU Nano,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks.

“Showing viewers real-time video from around the Trade Fair was a very creative way to attract more attention to the event in a way that fit with the event’s environmental theme. We’re thrilled organisers chose TVU Nano for this application based on their highly successful experience with our technology.”

Using the TVU Nano 5G router, producers created their own public network in the cloud, which also enabled real-time, remote control of 4K cameras and the PTZ camera from the broadcast centre.

TVU Nano’s patented IS+ technology aggregates multiple communication links including 4G, 5G, LTE, cable, satellite, ethernet, and Wi-Fi to guarantee the highest bandwidth reliability under unreliable and extreme network environments. The compact TVU Nano aggregates and maximises up to six channels of bandwidth, including three 5G cellular networks, wi-fi and ethernet.

Visit https://www.tvunetworks.com

Singtel Partners to Build US$300M SE Asian Undersea Cable System

SINGTEL, TOGETHER WITH five regional carriers, has announced the signing of a US$300 million (SG$420.8 million) contract to build a 6000km submarine cable system known as the Asia Link Cable System (ALC). Targeted for completion by the third quarter of 2025, the ALC aims to support Southeast Asia’s economic growth by connecting Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, with the Philippines, Brunei and Hainan, China.

The consortium, co-led by Singtel and China Telecom Global Limited (CTG), comprises four other regional carriers – China Telecommunications Corporation (CTC), Globe Telecom, Inc. (Globe) and DITO Telecommunity Corporation (DITO) of the Philippines, and Unified National Networks Sdn Bhd (UNN) of Brunei.

Mr Bill Chang, Chief Executive Officer, Group Enterprise and Regional Data Centre Business, Singtel, said, “Southeast Asia is one of the world’s fastest growing economies, with rising digital demand from consumers and businesses, accelerated by the pandemic. Consumers and Businesses are increasingly relying on services and solutions that require higher-bandwidth and lower-latency connectivity for their work, studies or entertainment. The ALC will bring greater connectivity capacities to transform industries, unlock more opportunities for innovation, further enhancing the digital experiences of Southeast Asian consumers and supporting the growth ambitions of the region.”

Demand for high-bandwidth, low-latency,

and high-redundancy internet connectivity is burgeoning in Southeast Asia with the region’s digital economy forecast to expand to US$363 billion by 2025, fuelled by growth in e-commerce and increasingly digital populations. With eight fibre pairs in the system that can transmit up to 18 terabits per second (Tbps) per fibre pair, or the equivalent of downloading more than 2,500 hours of ultra high-definition video per second, the ALC will add more capacity and route diversity to existing networks, bolstering resilience for international internet traffic through Southeast Asia.

Visit https://www.singtel.com

Angkasapuri Kota Media, Malaysia’s new Media City (Source: GDP Architects).

Singapore Tourism and Warner Bros. Discovery in Content Partnership

THE SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD (STB) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), recently announced a threeyear partnership to collaborate on entertainment and lifestyle content, as well as joint marketing, to spotlight and inspire travel to destination Singapore.

The partnership leverages WBD’s expertise in storytelling and global distribution network to entertain audiences through reimagined perspectives of the city.

Both parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create new content, leveraging WBD’s extensive portfolio of brands and popular franchises. The partnership will present original localised stories spanning a variety of genres – from scripted formats like drama serials and animation, to reality-based productions such as mini-documentaries – to showcase Singapore globally. To

maximise viewership and introduce new audiences to destination Singapore, both parties will work on joint marketing activations and campaigns.

The partnership will kickstart with HBO Asia Originals series Food Affair with Mark Wiens, which takes audiences on a gastronomic journey through Singapore’s rich and diverse dining scene. Full details, including premiere dates, will be announced soon.

Mr Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with Warner Bros. Discovery and to tap on their deep expertise in creative storytelling to profile Singapore as a fun and vibrant city. This partnership will create more platforms to engage audiences around the world, which in turn will strengthen Singapore’s position as one of the best cities in the world for visitors and locals.”

Mr Clement Schwebig, President and MD, India, Southeast Asia and Korea, Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “Asia provides a rich tapestry for storytelling, and we are pleased to extend our commitment to this through a new strategic partnership with STB. Spanning multiple formats and genres, these original shows will bring to life the people, culture and spirit that make Singapore unique as a destination, delivering impactful stories to local and international audiences through the Warner Bros. Discovery network.”

Prior to the MoU, STB and WBD collaborated on international marketing for popular rom-com Crazy Rich Asians in 2018 and HBO’s Westworld Season 3 in Singapore in 2020.

Visit https://www.stb.gov.sg

Thailand Demonstrates “Fastest Broadband in Asia”

NOKIA AND THAILAND’S AIS Fibre recently conducted the first trial of a 25G PON solution in Asia. AIS Fibre trialled the technology using its existing optical line terminals (OLT), which had already been rolled out nationwide. The OLT was connected simultaneously to three end user devices with a combined speed of 37.5 Gb/s using a 25G PON optical network terminal (ONT) at 25Gb/s, an XGS-PON ONT at 10 Gb/s and a G PON ONT at 2.5Gb/s. All services can be served with the same, single fibre at the same time.

AIS Fibre was the first operator to offer 100

percent optical fibre broadband services in Thailand. With this successful trial concluded, the company is set to realise its ambition to build what it says is the most future-proofed fibre optic home Internet network in the country.

As new applications like virtual reality gaming and hologram calls enter the mainstream, AIS Fibre says it will be able to offer the services with super higher speeds and low latency.

Since AIS Fibre will be able to run GPON, XGSPON and 25G PON services on the same fibre line, it can offer customers a full choice of

speeds up to 25 Gb/s on the existing platform and without the need to dig up the street and lay new fibre.

25G PON also gives AIS Fibre the opportunity to offer enterprises a 10G + and lower latency replacement to Point to Point (P2P) connections which can be costly and are less scalable. The operator will also be able to use the technology for 5G backhaul, which will become increasingly important as it builds more cell sites required for higher frequency 5G.

Visit https://www.nokia.com

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and Edgio Enhance Streaming

INDOSAT OOREDOO HUTCHISON (IOH) has entered into a strategic Content Delivery Network (CDN) partnership with Edgio, Inc. (formerly Limelight Networks, Inc.) to provide its users with enhanced connectivity and streaming performance.

Indonesians consume more than 3.5 billion hours of over-the-top (OTT) content every month, thanks to widespread internet penetration and unfettered proliferation of online entertainment options over the past few years. While this growing appetite paints an extremely positive outlook, it also highlights a pressing technical consideration for industry players to start taking their content delivery strategies seriously.

Commenting on the partnership, Sanjeev Rawat, Chief Digital Officer of Indosat Ooredoo

Hutchison, said, “IOH is committed to deliver world-class digital experiences, connecting, and empowering every Indonesian. We are thrilled to extend our strategic partnership with global players, this time with Edgio. With their world-lowest latency CDN which is powered by over 300 global PoPs, a global capacity of more than 250Tbps, and a server that is monitored round the clock with built-in WAF, DDoS protections, TLS/SSL encryption, IOH users will not only be able to enjoy their content with minimal interruptions at the highest quality but also securely.”

Edgio says it will be working to further build on IOH’s CDN capabilities in Indonesia by opening up new Points of Presence (PoPs) in three of IOH’s data centres – located at Jakarta, Surabaya, and Medan. These hyperlocal PoPs will not only form part of Edgio’s existing

footprint of over 300 PoPs globally, but also further expand the telecom provider’s coverage as well as facilitate a leapfrog in performance. As a result of this partnership, IOH customers will enjoy faster loading speed with smooth, low-latency, and secure content streaming services, empowering the telecommunication provider to better serve its users amidst spiking online content consumption. This will also result in better experiences for IOH customers in accessing the different types of content through cellular or Fixed connectivity as well as content owners in providing various applications and content in the Cloud.

Visit https://www.ioh.co.id and https://edg.io/

Clement Schwebig, President & MD, India, Southeast Asia & Korea, Warner Bros. Discovery (left) and Mr Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board. Credit: Singapore Tourism Board.

Expanding the AVOD Business Model

By Oscar Gutierrez, VP Business Development, Switch Media

THERE’S CERTAINLY NO DOUBT that economies around the world are feeling the financial strain. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to soaring energy prices and is placing additional pressures on markets that were already feeling the pinch. As currencies continue to weaken against the strength of the dollar and central banks increase their interest rates, the cost-of-living crisis is affecting industries across the globe.

In the Asia pacific region, the UK’s Guardian newspaper reported, “Indonesia will reallocate 24.17 trillion rupiah ($1.6bn) of its fuel subsidy budget towards welfare spending, including cash handouts to 20.6 million households. The government will also instruct regional administrations to subsidise transport fares.” Also, “Malaysia is expected to spend a record 77.3bn ringgit ($17.25bn) in subsidies and cash aid this year to temper the effects of rising prices.”

With this in mind, one thing to ponder is how the Asia Pacific M&E market will be affected. Do vendors need to reconsider their traditional business models to help reduce the financial burden on consumers? And will consumers move away from SVOD to AVOD services?

In Magnite’s 21/22 OTT Is For Everyone Report (an in depth look at APAC’s diverse OTT audience) – published just before the war in Ukraine – it shows, “The adoption of AVOD is rapidly increasing as audiences are migrating away from linear TV. Free streaming video

has exceeded linear TV to be the most regularly watched platform among younger video viewers aged 16-34. For older viewers, free streamed video now rivals TV as the most regularly watched platform, while cable/ pay TV remains the least watched across both audiences.” The report also says, “Viewers prefer ad-supported content over ad-free content for video streaming services in the APAC markets across both younger and older OTT audiences. Ad-free streaming services no longer dominate the market, especially as viewers gravitate toward premium local content by regional and local providers in Southeast Asia.”

As a result, the streaming giants are now looking for a piece of the AVOD pie. In December, Disney is launching its less expensive Disney+ ad-supported subscription tier which is expected to help the company reach its target subscription base of more than 230 million by 2024. Similarly, Netflix says its global AVOD service is expected to launch early 2023. A recent Digital TV Research report quotes Simon Murray, Principal Analyst, saying, “The six major US-based platforms [Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+] will only control a quarter of Asia Pacific’s SVOD subscriptions by 2027 - much lower than in any other region in the world. These platforms will never gain access to China and India has plenty of local players.”

Telcos can easily provide SVOD and AVOD for consumers acting as an

Robert Shen Spearheads FOR-A Sales

VIDEO BROADCAST technology company FOR-A has appointed Robert Shen as regional sales manager for South-East Asia and Oceania. He joins from EVS Broadcast where he was responsible for the Axon product lines in control, monitoring, routing and video processing. Originally trained as a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer in radar and communications with the Republic of Singapore Air Force, he subsequently achieved a degree in computer science and an MBA from Curtin

umbrella of services for Netflix, Spotify, Disney+ etc., but it’s very difficult for content owners in Asia Pacific to launch their own OTT services and to monetize them with subscriptions (unless they have a huge catalogue of content). As such, companies are looking at alternative ways of partnering and AVOD is a good solution. In countries where there is a high population and lots of scope for advertisers to create revenue, there are more opportunities for different business models between vendors and content owners such as revenue share deals: instead of paying the vendor a licence fee for the use of the software, a percentage of the advertising revenue is paid instead. The consumer pays a small monthly fee (or no fee) for the AVOD service and has the option to purchase premium content such as movies that have just had their theatre release as and when required. AVOD services can also focus on local content, which is a huge value-add for consumers. In terms of the ads themselves, one thing to ask is what are the key requirements so that all parties are happy? The ‘OTT Is For Everyone’ report highlights that a relevant non-disruptive ad experience is preferred. “While OTT viewers are open to ads in exchange for free content, they appreciate less repetitive ads, and ad experiences that align with their preferences. Advertisers and media owners shouldn’t ignore the importance of a seamless ad experience, which is achievable on OTT where frequency capping and an intuitive user experience can contribute to better ad effectiveness.”

For many OTT providers in this region, targeted advertising isn’t a priority right now, but some services are looking at simple targeting such as north and south of the country. Even these small adaptations can have a huge impact and are an attractive prospect for brands. At Switch Media we can easily adapt to meet the customer’s advertising requirements. Our AdEase technology offers multi-screen dynamic ad insertion for both live and on demand content. Viewers benefit from a first-class TV-like experience with zero buffering. Seamlessly stitching ads into content results in a continuous video stream that makes it near impossible for end users to isolate and block ads, also eliminating buffering between ad and content transitions. AdEase is part of Switch Media’s award-winning MediaHQ online content publishing platform, which has a powerful workflow engine and houses an advanced suite of modular capabilities that are flexible, powerful and easy to integrate. Switch Media has installations across the world and is dedicated to delivering the highest quality content publishing platform to meet the requirements of customers and consumers now and in the future.

Visit https://www.switch.tv

University. Since then, he has spent two decades in the broadcast industry with a number of leading vendors and gaining expertise in IPTV and OTT, master control and newsroom automation, quality control and turnkey television installations.

“Robert brings not just a great understanding of modern broadcast technology, but a wellknown presence across South-East Asia,” said Kazuya Eguchi, senior manager for overseas sales and marketing at FOR-A. “Robert is a key

appointment for us.”

Robert said, “I have known FOR-A and its products for a long while, and I am excited to be able to talk to people across the region about how we can deliver value as they maintain the highest standards while modernising their technology. FOR-A is known for the quality of its designs and products, and I look forward to the challenges of expanding our presence here.”

Robert Shen will be based in Singapore

Visit https://www.for-a.com

CAMERAS & LIGHTING CAMERAS & LIGHTING

Bangladesh’s Somoy TV Upgrades to

BANGLADESH’S Somoy Television is a newsbased 24-hour television channel broadcasting nationwide in the Bengali language. The company has recently chosen Ikegami HD cameras and monitors for use at its studio headquarters in Dhaka. The investment forms part of the network’s transition from 576i SD to 1080i HD production and transmission.

Somoy TV (literally ‘Time TV’) has operated with Ikegami technology from the commencement of test transmissions ahead of its April 17th 2011 launch. An HL-65W SD camera became a core element of the studio’s production resources. Impressed by the quality and robustness of the equipment, plus the high standard of support provided by Ikegami and local distributor For-A India, the channel was fully confident in selecting Ikegami HD cameras and monitors.

The new purchase includes 10 Ikegami HDK-73 HD camera systems, 14 HLM1760WR HD monitors and two sets of HLM2460W HD monitors. Somoy TV’s new HD facilities are scheduled to go live from Q4 2022.

Ikegami’s HDK-73 is a dockable multi-role high-definition camera designed for standarddynamic-range and high-dynamic-range broadcast production. It is available as a complete system including CCU, connecting fibre, viewfinder and remote control. Image capture is to 2/3-inch 2.6 megapixel CMOS sensors, each capable of capturing full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution images with an extremely wide dynamic range of more than 600%, high sensitivity (F13 at 50 Hz) and high signal-to-noise ratio.

The HDK-73’s sensors natively support 1080i/59.94 and 1080i/50, as well as 720p/59.94 and 720p/50 scan formats. Major features

Sony Expands Cinema Line

SONY’S NEWEST ADDITION to the brand’s Cinema Line - the FX30 (model ILME-FX30) - is a entry-level 4K Super 35 compact cinema camera that offers many professional features of the Cinema Line, such as Dual Base ISO, Log shooting modes, and user-imported LUTs (Look Up Tables).

The FX30 features a new back-illuminated APS-C Exmor R CMOS sensor (Super 35 format) with a dual base ISO (800/2500) to deliver high sensitivity, low noise, and 14+ stops of latitude. The FX30 supports a variety of video recording codecs. It can shoot 4K Super 35 (16:9) by oversampling from 6K at up to 60fps. The FX30 also features the ability to shoot in high frame rates, including 4K at 120fps and full HD at 240fps. Both 16:9 recording modes can shoot at 10-bit 4:2:2 while an HDMI Type-A connector can be used to output 4K, 16-bit RAW to an external recorder.

The FX30 features Log shooting modes by enabling Cine El, Cine El Quick, and Flexible ISO modes for recording with the S-Log3 gamma curve, which allows more flexibility when colour grading. All three modes allow video shooting

include full digital signal processing, advanced digital detail correction with independent horizontal and vertical correction of red, green and blue signals, and optional anti-moiré filtering.

HD with Ikegami

Hybrid log gamma processing is operatorselectable for HDR picture origination, enabling highcontrast scenes to be televised with full picture detail across the entire brightness range from highlights to shaded areas. Full digital signal handling is performed by a processor operating at up to 38 bit depth.

The HDK-73’s dockable structure allows studio configuration with fibre base stations as well as self-contained operation with a camera adapter for wireless or onsite recording applications. A fibre adapter can be attached directly to the camera head without need for external cables. External devices such as wireless transmission or a solid state recorder can be attached for stand-alone operation, making the camera suitable for live sports, news gathering or field production.

The Ikegami HLM-1760WR is a 17-inch Full-HD video monitor with very narrow front-to-

while monitoring with an appropriate LUT to preview the final image. In addition, the FX30 includes a selection of built-in cinematic looks, such as Sony’s S-Cinetone. The camera offers advanced image processing capabilities with the BIONZ XR processing engine for natural gradations and realistic colour reproduction.

The FX30 also features Sony’s autofocus, with settings including: Real-time Eye AF (human, animal, or bird); Real-time Tracking; Detailed AF settings; and AF Assist.

A Focus Map makes it easy to visualise depth of field, and Breathing Compensation offers a stable angle of view when focusing. The camera also includes effective stabilisation for run and gun shoots using Active Mode thanks to the optical in-body 5-axis image stabilisation and time code sync.

The FX30 also incorporates: a customisable list-style main menu screen which provides quick access to frequently used items; a standby movie screen that provides an unobstructed view of the subject; Buttons and dials dedicated to movie shooting

back dimensions, light weight and low power consumption. It incorporates an LED-backlit 1920 x 1080 pixel LCD 450 candela per square metre high-brightness display panel with 10 bit processing depth, 1500:1 contrast ratio, wide viewing angle, fast motion response, and high quality colour reproduction. The monitor is equipped with a range of tools for use in broadcast production. Multi-format SDI, 3G-SDI, HDMI, Ethernet and VBS inputs are provided as standard.

The HLM-2460W incorporates a full 1920 x 1080 pixel high brightness and high contrast LCD panel. This has a wide viewing angle, fast motion response, and high-quality colour reproduction, achieving real pixel allocation without resizing. Visit https://www.somoynews.tv and https://www.ikegami.co.jp/en/

The FX30 also includes added functionality to assist with the creative workflow, such as postproduction editing using embedded LUT, and EI metadata.

The FX30 has a flat-top design with threaded accessory attachment points, making it easy to use for shooting handheld, capturing lowangle shots, mounting on a gimbal, or adding accessories. The FX30 also features an XLR handle unit, which can be used to capture low-angle shots and also allows filmmakers to capture crystal clear audio through various audio inputs, including two XLR audio inputs and a 3.5 mm stereo mini jack for 4-channel recording. External microphones can be connected directly to the camera via the Multi Interface Shoe or microphone jack. The FX30 also features an internal stereo microphone for audio recording.

The FX30 is also equipped with two memory card slots that are compatible with both CFexpress Type A cards and SDXC/SDHC cards. The FX30 is also compatible with the newly announced large capacity CFexpress Type A memory cards.

Visit https://pro.sony/en_hk/

FUJIFILM FUJINON HZK25-1000mm Broadcast Zoom Lens

FUJIFILM HAS ANNOUNCED the development of the FUJINON HZK25-1000mm (HZK251000mm) broadcast zoom lens, which the company says boasts the world’s highest 40x zoom and the world’s longest focal length of 1000mm.

The HZK25-1000mm is a boxtype broadcast zoom lens in the dual format, supporting two types of large image sensors. It can be mounted on cameras equipped with the Super 35mm sensor or the even larger sensor equivalent to 35mm full frame. The lens achieves optical performance which exceeds 4K. It also facilitates the use of cinema cameras which is becoming increasingly common in the broadcast industry, offering cinematic visual expressions such as shallow depth-of-field for beautiful bokeh in live coverage of sporting events and music concerts. The HZK251000mm is due to be released in the spring of 2023.

Today, in the broadcast industry, cinema cameras equipped with a sensor larger than the industry’s mainstream sensor are increasingly used in live coverage of sporting events and music concerts, amidst the growing needs for immersive cinematic

Marshall Integrates Zixi SDVP for IP Video

expressions involving the use of bokeh and high dynamic range. However, cinema camera lenses are optimised for shooting movies and TV commercials, and therefore have a smaller

supporting two types of large sensors. The lens normally works with the Super 35mm sensor, and also supports a sensor equivalent to 35mm full frame by way of activating the built-in expander to expand the image circle by 1.5 times. It offers the added benefit of maintaining the same angle of view in both sensors.

which is uncommon in the broadcast industry. For these reasons, there has been a demand for a high-magnification zoom that supports a large sensor and can be operated in the same way as box-type broadcast lenses.

The new HZK25-1000mm is a broadcast zoom lens that uses optical technology, nurtured over many years, to deliver the world’s highest 40x zoom and the world’s longest focal length of 1000mm. It is designed in the dual format,

On the wide-angle side, the lens provides F2.8 aperture, enabling cinematographic visual expressions with shallow depth-of-field and resulting beautiful bokeh. The use of large-diameter aspherical lens and fluorite lens controls various forms of aberration thoroughly to achieve optical performance which exceeds 4K. The lens maintains the operation of broadcast lenses involving zoom demand and focus demand even when mounted on a cinema camera. It can also be used with a variety of existing accessories. Furthermore, the lens features an imagestabilisation mechanism based on FUJIFILM’s unique “ceramic ball roller” system to accurately compensate for on-set vibrations and wind-induced movements for operation stability.

Visit https://holdings.fujifilm.com

Lowel Blender XL LED 3-Light Kit

ZIXI HAS ANNOUNCED a partnership with Marshall Electronics to integrate Zixi’s Software-Defined Video Platform (SDVP) into Marshall’s lineup of IP cameras. Zixi’s SDVP manages the delivery of live broadcast-quality video over any IP network.

Marshall cameras feature PTZ and zoom capability with extended zoom ranges of 20x and 30x optical range, resolutions up to 3840x2160p60 and HEVC video encoding while simultaneously supporting output to 12GSDI and up to three concurrent Zixi feeds over IP. Marshall cameras now include native support for full Zixi-enabled delivery with compatibility extending to all Marshall Broadcast and Pro AV-over-IP solutions.

All standard IP camera versions can be loaded with the Zixi-enabled firmware allowing existing Marshall operators to easily add Zixi support to their cameras, unlocking premium connectivity support and direct integration with the full suite of capabilities in the SDVP.

Supported IP camera models include CV355-30X, CV42030X, CV620, CV730 and the top level CV730-BHN/WHN platforms, allowing users to deliver live video utilising the performance, interoperability, resilience and security that the SDVP enables. Operations teams can flexibly deploy Zixi Broadcasters, which can ingest the Marshall Camera Zixi feed and provide real-time content quality analysis, live impairment detection, and low latency processing including live transcoding and protocol conversion. Zixi also enhances reliable transmission with support for bonded delivery over diverse networks such as 5G, LTE and unmanaged internet and hitless failover that reconstructs a single coherent transport stream from multiple time aligned sources.

Visit https://zixi.com and https://marshall-usa.com

LOWEL BLENDER XL LED softlights, known for their tunable narrow flood beam are now available in a complete three-light kit. Up to four times the brightness of traditional 1×1 panels – each compact 98 CRI/99 TLCI light may be dialled to an infinite choice of colour temperatures for diverse uses. The handy kit comes with stands, umbrellas, and switchable power in a single case, ready to go.

Each Blender light features 12 cool white/ daylight and 12 warm white/tungsten, LEDs with individual 45°optical lenses for pleasing output. Dual rotary knobs let users intuitively control cool (6000°K) and warm (3000°K) white channels to independently ‘blend’ colour temperature and full range dimming. For softer lighting with more spread, each fixture includes a professional drop-in Diffuser.

The Blender XL3 Light kit includes 3 Blender fixtures. For international power, included are 3 Switching (U.S. and EU) Power Supplies with a D-Tap power cable to operate anywhere using standard, high-capacity batteries for long run times. For support, included are 3 Uni-Dual Light Stands. Two included Tota-Brella Umbrellas (1 silver, 1 white) add more light control, and it all fits into the Slim Lightbag soft case.

Visit https://tiffen.com

Canon Expands Broadcast and Filmmaking Line-Up

CANON HAS STRENGTHENED its cinema and broadcast offering with a suite of products. This includes the CINE-SERVO 15-120mm T2.95-3.95 EF/PL (CN8x15 IAS S), Canon’s latest 8K CINESERVO lens for a broad range of productions; the EU-V3, a modular expansion unit for the EOS C500 Mark II and EOS C300 Mark III cameras; a Cinema EOS firmware update; and the DPV2730], a 27-inch 4K professional reference display that may seamlessly fit into workflows of broadcasters and filmmakers.

CINE-SERVO 15-120mm T2.95-3.95 EF/PL (CN8x15 IAS S)

The CINE-SERVO 15-120mm T2.95-3.95 EF/PL (CN8x15 IAS S) supports Super 35mm and FullFrame sensor cameras, making it suitable for a range of cinema and broadcast productions. With its versatile focal range from a wide 15mm, up to a telephoto range of 120mm, the lens can further extend up to 180mm via the built-in 1.5x extender. To support future productions, 8K optical performance can be maintained across the full focal length, providing consistently high image quality across the entire frame.

The CINE-SERVO 15-120mm T2.95-3.95 EF/ PL (CN8x15 IAS S) features Canon’s warm colour science, matching the existing range of Canon’s cinema lenses – and an 11-blade aperture, producing a beautiful, round bokeh. Offering outstanding optical performance – and breathtaking image quality for HDR, 4K, and 8K productions – the lens supports EF mount communication and advanced metadata capture with support for Cooke /i Technology. The PL mount version of the lens is also the first Canon CINE-SERVO lens to enable both ZEISS eXtended Data (XD) communication and Cooke /i Technology. Featuring the same 16-bit encoder found in Canon’s broadcast and existing CINE-SERVO lenses, which provides accurate lens position, zoom, focus, and iris metadata, the information and communication functions between the lens and camera are paramount for VFX, virtual, and cinema productions.

The high-end CINE-SERVO 15-120mm T2.95-3.95 EF/PL (CN8x15 IAS S) is available in both EF and PL mount, featuring a powerful and detachable servo motor drive unit.

EU-V3: Modular Expansion Unit for Live Production

For studio and live production use, the EU-V3 expansion module for both the EOS C500 Mark II and EOS C300 Mark III has a 4-pin XLR DC power input for constant power to both the expansion module and the camera body – no need for external batteries to power the devices.

The EU-V3 also offers an SDI return video feature, allowing real-time monitoring of a live broadcast feed from a production switcher. The return output destination can be selected from the VIDEO, EVF-V50, MON/HDMI, and SDI-OUT terminals. The EU-V3 also enables Tally support to alert the camera operator and the subject being captured. Both SDI Return video and Tally functions are essential for informing camera operators and their subjects of when their camera feed is live and the current status of the production.

The lens focus position can also be displayed onscreen when using the EU-V3 – with compatible

broadcast and CINE-SERVO lenses via 12-pin serial communication.

The Focus Position Meter, which users can choose to display along the top or right side of the screen, allows users to register multiple focus positions on a distance scale and highlights when the focus is achieved during manual operation – such as when selecting the finish line for a race.

The EU-V3 can be combined with the CINE-SERVO 15120mm T2.95-3.95 EF/ PL (CN8x15 IAS S) lens on the EOS C500 Mark II and EOS C300 Mark III cameras.

Cinema EOS Firmware Update

A new Cinema EOS Firmware update has also been introduced to strengthen the capabilities for the live production market for both the EOS C500 Mark II and EOS C300 Mark III cameras. Key updates include:

• Implementing XC protocol: integration into multi-camera solutions, supporting direct control via RC-IP100 remote camera controller (sold separately) and ethernet connections.

• Strengthening of AF features: 120p / 100p AF support, alongside face detection during Slow and Fast Shooting Mode.

• Audio 4ch display: the audio level display will show all four audio channels when this mode is selected.

• New accessory and lens support: allowing the EOS C500 Mark II and EOS C300 Mark III camera to work perfectly with both the CINESERVO 15-120mm T2.95-3.95 EF/PL (CN8x15 IAS S) lens and EU-V3, as well as support for the Flex Zoom series of lenses.

DP-V2730: 4K HDR Display

An advanced professional 4K HDR monitor, the DP-V2730, has a 4K UHD display engine and 1000 cd/m² full-screen peak brightness, with Canon’s local dimming technology giving an ultra-low black level of 0.001 cd/m². An option for both filmmakers and broadcasters, the DP-V2730 has a 27-inch screen that achieves high brightness with minimal noise, which is ideal for both on-set and post-production environments, and meets

Dolby Vision certification standards and EBU TECH3320 user requirements. The DP-V2730 features monitoring tools such as a waveform monitor, histogram, frame luminance monitor, RGB parade, and more.

The DP-V2730 has an HDMI input and 12G-SDI terminals (4x Inputs and 5x Outputs) capable of delivering 4K60P 4:2:2 10-bit or 4K30P 4:4:4 12-bit signals, for integration into multiple workflows. The DP-V2730 can also easily be linked to a compatible computer, tablet, or smartphone plus multiple Canon Displays (via a LAN connection) with the Remote Control Web UI. This touch-optimised interface provides live image viewing, detailed signal information and direct control over inputs, monitoring tools, and settings. A paid licence is required to activate this feature. Users can also access 4-way SDI input switching via a paid upgrade that supports various workflows, such as sending an output feed to a director’s monitor, external recorder, or live streaming solution.

Visit https://www.canon.com

EOS C300 Mark III with EU-V3 Modular Expansion Unit attached.

Canon’s CINE-SERVO 15-120mm T2.95-3.95 EF/PL (CN8x15 IAS S) 8K lens.

Canon EOS R6 Mark II

CANON HAS ANNOUNCED the launch of the EOS R6 Mark II, which it says is its fastest advanced fullframe mirrorless camera to date and expands the EOS R System – offering 40fps, low-light AF, 4K UHD movies and 6K RAW external device recording, all built on the RF Mount.

Using the same DIGIC X processor technology at the core of the EOS R5, EOS R6 and EOS-1D X Mark III, as well as the camera’s new 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, the EOS R6 Mark II supports Dual Pixel CMOS AF II.

The EOS R6 Mark II can track subjects keeping them sharp as they move through a scene. Using improved deep-learning artificial intelligence, it recognises people, vehicles and animals. The type of subject to be detected can be chosen in the menu, or using the new Auto option depending on the range of scenarios the photographer is shooting in. With advanced eye tracking, users can specify which eye (left or right) should be given focus priority, and when the eyes can’t be detected, the EOS R6 Mark II focuses on the face in shot instead. Even if a person turns away for a moment, their head continues to be tracked, and if the head isn’t visible the camera will go on to track the body. The EOS R6 Mark II boasts up to 8-stops of co-ordinated control image stabilisation. Using the combined IS, optical and in-body – it can shoot long exposures, handheld with extreme clarity and sharpness. Photographers can also capture the ambience in very low light conditions, focusing in light levels as low as -6.5EV, and the ability to shoot up to ISO 102,400.

shutter to be used to freeze fastmoving objects.

dditionally, the EOS R6 Mark II keeps pace with photographers’ needs, recording action before shooting starts, with 0.5 second pre-shooting in RAW Burst mode. The RAW Burst mode shoots continuously at 30fps for up to 191 frames, recording every image in a single CR3 file; all with AF tracking. Individual images can be extracted from this roll using Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software, or in camera, and saved as individual JPEG, HEIF or RAW files.

The EOS R6 Mark II can use the full width of the sensor to shoot 4K 60p UHD, with simultaneous Dual Pixel CMOS AF II focusing. All 4k footage is created by oversampling the sensor’s 6K output. The EOS R6 Mark II outputs 6K RAW via its HDMI output, which can be recorded on an Atomos Ninja V+ recorder in ProRes RAW. This provides more detail, as well as the ability to adjust parameters such as white balance in post-production.

Creators can activate movie prerecording mode of 3 or 5 seconds. When on, video is continuously streamed through the camera in standby enabling the capture of action even before you press record.

The EOS R6 Mark II features an improved circuit design allowing longer recording times, over 40 minutes of oversampled 4K 60p recording or up to 6 hours at 4k 30p (with the previous 29.59 maximum individual clip recording time removed).

The EOS R6 Mark II can output slow-motion footage with AF support using Full HD at up to 180fps. During movie shooting, False colour can be used as a guide to exposure adjustment, particularly useful in conditions that typically result in overexposed highlights. Users can also employ HDR support via PQ, as well as Canon’s Canon Log 3. When used with supported lenses, the EOS R6 Mark II also uses focus-breathing

With updated Bluetooth v.5 and Wi-Fi (5GHz), the EOS R6 Mark II can be easily connected to a smartphone and networks allowing high-speed file sharing and FTP/ FTPS/SFTP transfer. The camera can also be remotely controlled using the Camera Connect and EOS Utility apps, tethered to a PC, Mac or smartphone via Wi-Fi or highspeed USB-C. The EOS R6 Mark II also supports automatic transfer of image files from the device to the image.canon cloud platform to easily share and print images.

The EOS R6 Mark II can be used as a webcam on PC and Mac computers running video-call apps such as Skype, Zoom and Teams, without having to install additional software. This plug-and-play capability is powered by industrystandard USB Video Class (UVC) and USB Audio Class (UAC) drivers that are built into Windows and MacOS operating systems.

The EOS R6 Mark II features a multi-function shoe with a nextgeneration interface to enable a new series of Canon accessories to be used including the newly launched SPEEDLITE EL-5. These accessories can be used without the need for cables, and in some cases without batteries.

The camera’s high-resolution 3.69M

dot EVF offers a crystal clear view when taking photos or video, as it refreshes at 120fps – alongside this, EOS R6 Mark II has inherited the Optical ViewFinder view assist feature from the EOS R3, providing a natural-looking display retaining detail in shadows and highlights, with good visibility in dark areas and gradation.

The EOS R6 Mark II is also compatible with the same LP-E6NH batteries and BG-R10 battery grip as the EOS R6, but with the benefit of battery life being increased by approximately 50% when using the LCD screen.

Launched with EOS R6 Mark II is the RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM, a telephoto prime lens ideal for shooting portraits in low-light and the SPEEDLITE EL-5, a high-performance Speedlite for capturing weddings and events.

Visit https://www.canon.com

SPORTSCASTING SPORTSCASTING

Singtel Uses 5G Network Slicing for FIFA World Cup Delivery

IN AN EXCLUSIVE first for the screening of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Singapore, local telco Singtel is applying network slicing technology for subscribers of its video apps, CAST and Singtel TV GO. Singtel 5G subscribers will enjoy dedicated capacity for video streams via Singtel’s 5G SA network which has since achieved nationwide coverage. With network slicing on the Singtel 5G standalone network, Singtel says football fans can experience a more stable and superior viewing experience even in high-traffic areas.

Singtel will offer comprehensive live coverage of all 64 matches in full high definition through Singtel TV and CAST, its video streaming app, for customers to indulge in non-stop football action from 21 November to 18 December 2022.

Ms Anna Yip, Chief Executive Officer, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said, “Since we first brought the 2010 FIFA World Cup to Singapore, Singtel has sought to enhance the viewing experience of our customers, offering more ways to catch the football action, across our Singtel TV, Singtel TV GO and CAST apps. We are pleased to work with our broadcast partners to bring the action to our football fans over the 28 days. Our customers can expect a seamless and high-quality viewing experience powered by our ultra-fast broadband and 5G network, this time further boosted by network slicing technology, to deliver enhanced connectivity, speed, and capacity. With this year’s World Cup held in Qatar, we believe the favourable time difference will bring even more football fans together to share in the

US-BASED FOX Sports is taking TAG Video Systems to the world’s greatest sporting event in Qatar as its monitoring and visualisation provider. From Sunday, November 20 through Sunday, December 18, FOX Sports will present all 64 matches from the highly anticipated tournament live in the U.S. across FOX and FS1 with every match live streaming on the FOX Sports app and available for free on-demand as replays on Tubi. FOX Sports selected TAG’s 100% IP software platform for all of their control rooms and operations multiviewers, monitoring the integrity of over 1200 sources driving 150+ displays for the most widely viewed single sporting event in the world.

The TAG monitoring and visualisation platform is an integral part of a ground-breaking liveproduction system built in a totally different form factor. Built as two separate and redundant systems, FOX Sports’ joint event system is the world’s largest transportable SMPTE ST 2110 live production flypack, able to be quickly flown and set up between major events.

According to Kevin Callahan, VP, Field Operations and Engineering at FOX Sports, “The key is the monitoring, being able to see everything coming in and going out and being able to QC it – that’s really the goal of the IBC as the central hub. It connects to the studio location; it connects

excitement.”

Taking place for the first time in the Middle East, all World Cup 2022 matches will be telecast live on Singtel TV and Singtel TV GO channels 141 and 142, as well as on CAST. Customers can also catch matches via the video-on-demand features on their favourite Singtel platforms. A total of 32 nations will be competing for glory across five cities in Qatar, including the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. Competitors include host nation Qatar, Australia, Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea – and returning favourites such as Argentina, Brazil, Germany, as well as defending champion France from the 2018 tournament.

The opening match of the tournament will be between Qatar and Ecuador on 21 November 2022 at 12am (SGT).

As well as Singtel TV, Singtel TV GO (Channels 141 and 142) and CAST, matches will be made available on StarHub’s TV+ and IPTV platforms (Channels 251 and 252), and national broadcaster Mediacorp’s digital entertainment streaming service meWATCH. Singaporeans will also be able to catch nine key matches on free-to-air television via Mediacorp Channel 5. Visit https://singtel.com/worldcup

to all the venues; it connects to our Los Angeles broadcast facility as well as our Tempe broadcast facility.”

Leveraging IP and SMPTE ST 2110 technology, the system was able to move to all fibre, reducing the size and weight of the kit significantly. With a full control room, 40 tech core racks, and 10 venue racks, the system travels fully pre-wired and ready to go on arrival in Doha. The 8-foot-tall tech core racks were built on top of shockmounted aeroplane pallets. To fit in an aeroplane cargo hold, Kevin Callahan and Douglas McGee, Consulting Engineer for system design, came up with the idea to have custom racks that fold in half while fully wired to fit under the cargo hold height restrictions. This first-of-its-kind flypack system enables FOX Sports to bypass intermodal transport by container ships and quickly move the system from event to event.

The TAG multiviewer and monitoring platform enables FOX Sports operators to see everything in the ST-2110 IP workflow as well as JPEG-XS and UHD, the formats FOX Sports are using for transmission between the IBC and studio, venues and FOX Sports operations centres in Tempe and Los Angeles. In addition, the entire network will be managed by a remote IT team located remotely. As technology advances and new formats emerge, the system provides built-

in room for growth to allow FOX Sports to keep pace with rapid changes in the industry.

Added Peter Wharton: “FOX Sports tapped TAG for many reasons, not the least being our constantly evolving upgrades and improvements. Since this system was built, we’ve launched numerous new features including our Bridge Technology that removes the complexity of routing the same stream to multiple locations with an ultra-efficient architecture. With a pure software solution on commodity hardware, TAG enables FOX to change and add to the system as their business needs evolve while saving capacity, resources and costs in the future, all without changing hardware.

“We worked seamlessly with Diversified, EVS and a number of other vendors to ensure that every one of FOX Sports’ financial and operational goals were met. They wanted a highly portable system that could quickly be transported on commercial planes intact and fully wired for easy deployment at the next event. This innovative system will leave Doha after the last match on December 18th and be up and running shortly thereafter for the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona in February.”

Visit https://www.tagvs.com

Largest LiveU Deployment Ever for FIFA World Cup

WITH A RECORD NUMBER of bookings from global broadcasters, LiveU has shipped its largest deployment of solutions in Qatar to cover the world football tournament. Hundreds of LiveU 5G/4G field units have been booked by global broadcasters for 4K/HD quality live coverage of the tournament. Broadcasters are using LiveU’s solution for main feeds from the stadiums with the official CRA (Communications Regulatory Authority) tags. LiveU’s cloud-based services will also play a key role in the production workflows, notably the use of LiveU Matrix for IP video distribution of live feeds to global takers. LiveU’s crew is on-site to support customers and engage with the technical aspects directly involved in the broadcast of the games, using its innovative technology. LiveU will also be transmitting from the fan zones, enabling creative fan engagement for millions of sports fans all over the world.

LiveU’s service hub in central Doha is providing round-the-clock support and rental units with unlimited data plans, together with LiveU’s local partner, Resolution Hire. With a multinational support team, LiveU is providing on-site local support in multiple languages and across all competition venues.

Ronen Artman, VP Marketing, LiveU, said, “We’ve seen unprecedented demand for our solutions this year, most notably from the football-loving nations of Latin America, as well as from elsewhere around the world. Our goal is to give customers peace of mind with the most reliable, highest quality and flexible broadcast solutions so that they can deliver the best viewing experience to their viewers. Our customers

will be relying on our solutions for their 24/7 content. With fans eager to see every aspect of the games, LiveU technology will make sure that they enjoy the best viewing experience possible!”

Mexico’s Vívaro Video has 15 clients covering the tournament in Qatar, 50% of which are rights holders from Latin America. Vívaro Video brings together professionals from television and telecommunications with vast experience in services aimed at television broadcasts and signal transport in various countries, achieving global coverage in the delivery of its services and turnkey projects.

Rodrigo Peralta, CEO TVTEL, Vivaro Video, said, “We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of clients and LiveU units planned for Qatar over what we had at the tournament four years ago. The scale of the event, location, and press/ fan restrictions presented some challenges for our production team, but we are confident that the reliability, quality, and support that LiveU provides will help us bring unique coverage of the matches to viewers worldwide.”

Caracol Colombia, meanwhile, distributes content for its information, sports, and entertainment platforms, both on TV, radio, and its own digital media. Caracol has a wide range

of LiveU units, including the LU800 and LU300, and servers in Colombia and Qatar.

Juan Pablo Marino, Head of Caracol TV Technical Room, Colombia, said, “We spent three years planning the coverage and LiveU has been part of it from day one. We’ve deployed a technical team of 60 people in Qatar, including talent and crew; we have 100 people working remotely with them from Colombia – in total more than 200 people will process the live content produced from Qatar. With LiveU, we know that we have a major partner that supports us in everything and gives us the security to undertake challenging projects; we will have broadcasts from eight stadiums and all with LiveU units. Remote production with LU800 and H.265 makes our work easier. We just turn on the LU800 from any stadium and in seconds we have high-quality video in Colombia.”

Visit https://get.liveu.tv/qatar-2022/

HEADQUARTERED IN TURKEY, Total Media Cast (TMC) is one of the leading media service companies in the MENA region. Together with TVU Networks, TMC is providing live broadcasts of the Fan Zones of each of the 31 countries competing in Qatar. This will be TMC’s biggest live coverage event, providing access to realtime live celebrations and fan gatherings for use on all platforms. The partnership was the result of several meetings at IBC 2022 during which TVU offered TMC a full-redundant IP streaming solution over cloud and delivery of feeds to media outlets using TVU Grid. TVU Grid is an open platform for live and archived

rights-enabled video content from trusted media organisations around the world.

During the Qatar Football Competition, TMC is offering a variety of media services including live studios (DTL), news reporters, SNG and IP streaming, on-site engineering, and ready to air news packages.

“We are thrilled to partner with TVU Networks on this project, we believe that this collaboration will have a great impact on the viewing experience of the Qatar Competition for millions of viewers and TV channels all around the world,” said Mr. Issam Ayyad, Founder and General Director of TMC.

“This partnership with TMC will allow us to expand our global reach in an unprecedented way. We’re proud to help bring the excitement of the biggest sporting event in the world to a global audience. Being chosen by TMC for such an innovative project, helping media outlets bring simultaneously the fan zone experience from 31 countries to their viewers, with an easy cloud-based solution, where any live feed can be taken to digital or traditional SDI format in a click is a true testament to the innovation of this partnership,” said Mr. Paul Shen, CEO of TVU Networks.

Live feeds from TVU Grid are rights enabled for rebroadcast and

can be purchased for direct live broadcast or clipped in real-time. TVU Grid search engine allows customers to use speech, text, and facial recognition to locate the precise video needed – down to the very frame – in seconds rather than hours manually searching for feeds. Video clips are searchable by keyword and/or name. Users select the segments they want and can easily clip and download them in real-time for immediate sharing on social media or for story production. The raw video does not include any graphics or commentary so broadcasters can add their own comments and lower thirds.

Visit https://www.tvunetworks.

Aviator - the Way of the Future

OTT platform to monetization, Aviator has you covered.

“We even have a video ad server product called SureFire, which is pre-integrated with the Aviator ecosystem via open APIs, but can also be purchased separately.

SureFire brings broadcast-quality digital ad decisioning to the end-to-end Aviator platform, providing linear-like control and brand protection on OTT and CTV platforms. This enables media companies to sell and fulfill converged campaigns across their entire audience and deliver a consistent, quality experience for both viewers and advertisers.

to playout, dealing with asset and livestream acquisition, transcoding and automation. Now, with Aviator, it brings that history and expertise to content providers so they can access the flexibility of the cloud.

Aviator is Imagine Communications’ flexible all-in-one platform designed to help providers navigate through the cloud and make that perfect landing with both audiences and advertisers on board. Imagine helps simplify the key ingredients of their solution by defining its three core pillars: Aviator Plan TV, Aviator Make TV and Aviator Monetize TV.

According to Andy Warman, Senior VP for Product with Imagine Communications, “What Aviator does is bring all those elements together in the cloud, rather than thinking of them as discrete, individual products that you buy separately and then have to integrate into a system. It provides the platform to pull all the groundto-cloud and cloud-to-ground workflows, playout linear channels and all of the planning and monetization pieces together.

“Aviator enables you to look at linear channel delivery holistically – but only if you want to. We’re certainly not saying you must buy all those capabilities from us. You can still cherry-pick what makes sense for your needs.”

Those component pieces of Aviator have been strategic parts of the platform’s roadmap since it was first announced at NAB Show 2022 - a roadmap which continues to evolve along with the industry.

“What we launched in the first iteration was focused on the idea of how you Make TV,” says Warman, “In other words, how do you put together linear channels? That was our first step in creating potent playout workflows in the cloud.

“How we have arrived at the second stage is that you see how a linear channel gets linked to the planning process, so when you create a channel, you connect to the scheduling and campaign management pieces. It pulls all those parts together. This defines Aviator Plan TV. It also gives you linkage into decisioning – creating the underlying mechanism that will allow localization and dynamic ad insertion to be most effective.

“This means you have the ability to manage all your content rights management, planning and scheduling of channels, have control over channel creation, pulling in all of the media assets, the graphics, the captioning and segmentation information to create programs. You can easily deal with all of your live event switching needs and deliver the channel to the consumer in the form they want to consume it.

“We complete the solution by dealing with all the monetization aspects. Whether you’re running conventional broadcast workflows with traditional ad-runs and reconciliation, or you’re using the OTT-style service where you’re using an ad decision server with your

“We’ve been moving very aggressively on the Aviator roadmap as we promised when

“Aviator was designed from the ground up for the public cloud,” says Warman. “As the same time, it was very clear to us at the genesis of the Aviator project that our customers really wanted the user experience they have in the cloud to be the same one as they have on-prem. This includes things like a highly responsive user interface.

we released it. We have delivered on the three key pillars to allow our customers to plan, make and monetize TV.”

QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE

While many alternative platforms have evolved from a lower-end, almost prosumer base product, Imagine’s approach to Aviator has focused on high-quality output with a view to allowing users to deliver high-end broadcast experiences to their customers no matter what the end device.

“We started off by offering sophisticated channels right out of the gate,” says Warman. “You’ve got high-end, broadcastgrade channels – not just simple clips with a bit of graphics, but full-power, on-premgrade playout capabilities in the cloud right from the start.

“Now we’ve added the Essentials channel origination option with elegant HTML5based graphics, which focuses on simple clip playout – making it easy to understand and easy to operate. It maintains all the Aviator broadcast-quality goodness, but at a lower cost. In other words, it will be frame-accurate, and it will do the right thing with aspect ratio conversion and audio processing and all these other things that sometimes don’t make it all the way through the system in some solutions.

“With Aviator, we’re being very careful to make sure that the premium video viewing experience from the consumer point of view is just like television – just like the premium broadcast TV experience. We see that as the key to really setting ourselves apart, but also making sure that our customers get what they really want, which is the same great viewing experience on all screens.”

CONSISTENCY AND CHOICE

When it comes to key industry developments, Imagine Communications has a rich history. The company has been a driver in multiple areas from video processing – technologies such as MPEG, JPEG XS, SDI, CDI and SMPTE 2110 – to ad tech

“With Aviator, you get excellent confidence monitoring in the UI, and you wouldn’t know the difference from it being on-prem or in the cloud. When you skip an event or switch in or out of a live event, you expect to see the result of your action right away. We’ve been able to maintain that between the onprem systems and what we’re offering in the cloud. You don’t know the difference from an operational point of view.

“Likewise, the functionality is there, too. You’re not having to deal with a subset of features or completely different mode of operation. We give our customers powerful features and easy ways to exploit them to their full potential.

“There is a very fast moving and aggressive roadmap behind Aviator and our new capabilities. We’ve moved quickly in six months. We’re going to be adding a lot of things over the next 12-18 months. We believe these advances will significantly change the shape of cloud operations in the future.

“One of the great things about the cloud is that because it is so fluid and flexible, it can move with you. We have heard many differing views from our customer base. Some have said they are going all in on the cloud in all aspects of their business. Others are looking at it from the perspective of, there are some workflows we know are never going to leave on-prem. Those will stay there, but we need to leverage the cloud because we need functions like disaster recovery, pop-up channels, FAST channels, handling of sporting events, long duration events like tennis and various games, and we need a more agile mechanism for doing those things.

Either way, we can help you. We have a history of doing things like cloud-based disaster recovery and innovative workflows. Aviator simply makes it a whole lot easier.” Visit https://imagineaviator.com/

It’s scheduling, it’s rights, it’s content acquisition, it’s media supply chain management, playout and monetization.

Andy Warman, Senior VP for Product with Imagine Communications.

Tackling the creative challenges of HDR

By John Mailhot, CTO Networking & Infrastructure at Imagine Communications

AN INCREASING NUMBER OF European broadcasters are investing in HDR production and distribution. They recognise that, to audiences, it makes an obvious difference — HDR is a means of attracting and retaining viewers. Data shows that consumers see HDR as having a big impact: bigger, perhaps, than 4K. It may be that we will see the practical choice of 1080p/HDR as a dominant format — it is much more cost-effective than the jump all the way to 4K HDR, for basically the same audience impact.

HDR is already commonly used in cinema/drama production, where the concepts of colour management are well-established, and the standard edit software platforms are HDR-compatible. The challenge comes in live production — particularly live sports. This is the genre that always drives innovation in broadcasting, because of the stakes involved (expensive rights and giant audiences) and the existing technical challenges (e.g., camera shading for sunlight and shadows in the same scene).

Television production isn’t just about relaying the exact scene to the viewer. Producers and networks may also apply their

own specific “looks” — driving their unique brand value, while also showcasing the added dynamic range and colour gamut. Frequently, they will apply custom LUTs tuned to create the look they want.

The main cameras are routinely “shaded” by trained professionals to provide the matching and to supervise the output quality. But a large sport shoot will involve many other cameras, i.e., POVs, stump cameras in cricket, goalmouth cameras in football.

In HDR, the inter-mixing of these SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) sources into the HDR production is disruptive if not managed — these signals must be processed to match the look of the main signals as closely as possible.

On an outside broadcast, where desk space is limited, any additional colour shading must fit into the existing workspace and operator footprint. Imagine has worked on innovative solutions to address this issue — collaborating with Cyanview to enable their control surface for colour manipulation, as well as with many other operational control systems to support our SNP UHD/HDR processing engine.

Creating a consistent production

TRACAB Horse Tracking System

TRACAB, a Chyron brand, has announced the launch of its TRACAB Horse Tracking System (HTS) which uses advanced satellite tracking technology via GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and real-time radio communications systems to improve data quality, accuracy, and latency in delivering key metrics from live horse races.

TRACAB HTS improves upon existing radio frequency (RF)based systems by providing faster metrics, delivered with less than 150 ms latency and is scientifically proven to provide centimeter accuracy.

TRACAB HTS marks the next leap in the company’s continual innovation, taking its expertise developed in association football and professional soccer and applying it to the world of horse racing.

TRACAB HTS is a complete

tracking system built on three key components:

• Lightweight (100g) wearable transponder tags;

• Base stations that receive GNSS data from the tags; and

• The cloud-based TRACAB Gateway server that processes and outputs live, real-time data for broadcasting and betting.

• TRACAB HTS can be deployed quickly and easily at a track or venue to support races with as many as 40 horses per event.

Metrics captured and delivered by TRACAB HTS include:

• Timestamps for distance and sectionals

• Global coordinates (latitude, longitude, and height)

• Local coordinates (X, Y, and Z)

• Speed

Near future development will also see Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU) outputs including

from a large footprint of sources and delivering the artistic vision of the director in HDR are the primary objectives. But it is also critically important to translate that HDR look back into SDR — the way the vast majority of today’s viewers will see it. Responsibility for these translations is complex; the camera shaders and technical directors must consider how their fantastic HDR scenes will look in SDR, and the eventual translation downstream at the network hub must be done the same way it was “checked” on the truck.

Video processors and converters are found at many steps along the production pipeline, and as these productions shift into HDR, all these processors must be HDRcapable to preserve the signal fidelity — sometimes including custom LUTs and productionspecific adjustments. All while fitting into the rack space, power, and other operational requirements of what is already in place.

At Imagine, we have been working on HDR with broadcasters and production companies for years, delivering UHD/HDR capabilities to operations as diverse as QVC Japan and the NFL Network in the USA. That has meant many conversations about HDR and colour space conversion, even as

the production industry has been trying to standardise on how these HDR workflows should work. Flexibility is key, as there are many aspects of HDR production that are not yet settled or agreed among the production professionals, so our HDR processors must be able to adapt to the needs and wants of each user.

Major broadcasters are continuing to study how HDR affects viewership, with a focus on the practicalities of delivering productions at the right cost.

The next wave of broadcasters coming into HDR all benefit from this accumulated knowledge and experience.

With the right technical infrastructure enabling consistent HDR delivery even within established SDR workflows, the scene is set for increased deployment of HDR into more live event productions.

Visit https://www. imaginecommunications.com

factors such as acceleration and deceleration, as well as event detection including gallop indicators such as step counts and changes in step frequency. Broadcasters can leverage TRACAB HTS to present real-time metrics such as horse position, speed, and acceleration with modern graphics. Venues, tracks, and horse racing federations can use TRACAB HTS to drive

the adoption of automated production and robotic cameras. Betting companies can use highly accurate race data from the system to generate new ways to play. Finally, TRACAB HTS gives horse owners and trainers detailed reports including heat maps, speed, and performance with historical data as a reference.

Visit https://tracab.com

NEWS OPERATIONS NEWS OPERTAIONS

Nikkei Uses Blackmagic Workflow for In-House Production

NIKKEI INC., the publisher of the famous financial newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun, has adopted a video production workflow using a number of Blackmagic Design products for the company’s official video channel. The workflow includes ATEM Mini live production switchers, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera digital film cameras, Blackmagic Cloud Pod network storage solution, DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, grading, visual effects (VFX), audio post production software, and more.

Nikkei is a media company that owns titles such as the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the Financial Times, the UK’s leading economic newspaper, and The Nikkei. Some of the video content published on the company’s official channel is produced in house by a small video production team.

Haruki Yajima, a member of the team, explained: “The department I belong to is a sales department for advertisement, and basically most of what my team handles is sponsored content. We used to outsource all our productions, and I thought that was the norm. Then COVID 19 hit in 2020, and all the events we were working on were cancelled. It didn’t seem like things were going to get better anytime soon, so the three of us decided to create an easy way for ourselves to get our word out.”

“I had some technical knowledge as my hobby is drone shooting, so I took the lead in choosing the equipment and setting up the workflow for video production and streaming. What was important to me was to be able to stream and shoot from anywhere in the world with compact equipment and still produce quality content using the latest technology,” said Yajima.

Yajima uses the ATEM Mini Pro ISO and ATEM Mini Extreme ISO switchers, Video Assist 5-inch 12G HDR recorder and monitor, Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro cameras, Micro Converter BiDirectional SDI/ HDMI 12G, DaVinci Resolve Studio, DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor editing keyboard, HyperDeck Shuttle HD recorders and Blackmagic Cloud Pod. The ATEM Mini switchers form the hub of the productions.

Yajima explained: “All cameras are mostly set in fixed positions. For example, if we are shooting or streaming a talk, we will film each of the speakers and then add another camera to get a wide shot of the event. The more speakers, the more equipment we have to bring. Also,

we always bring a Micro Converter BiDirectional, converting between HDMI and SDI, because we sometimes need to extend the cable length. More recently, we stream events and international conferences held overseas, and in such cases, we bring our gear in suitcases as we don’t want to take a risk of shipping trouble. I’m very thankful for the compactness of Blackmagic Design products.”

When he first started in house production, Yajima used different cameras. He switched to Pocket Cinema Cameras to handle increased demands. “Back then, we were suffering from thermal shutdown of the old cameras. The workaround was to use USB fans attached to each camera, but they were bulky and cumbersome to charge. Then I started using the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, and the advantage of being able to record in 6K Blackmagic RAW was huge, along with it not dropping out after hours of shooting. Even if the settings are not perfect, as long as it’s in focus, it is easy to make adjustments and reframe shots in post production. It is a particularly strong ally for one person or small productions,” he said.

Yajima always uses the ATEM Mini switchers, whether for streaming or just recording. With DaVinci Resolve project files, he edits using the DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor for quick edits on the cut page. For more complex edits, he uses the edit page for multicam editing. “Shooting with Pocket Cinema Cameras, I can export my project in 4K, replacing proxy files with Blackmagic RAW files,” said Yajima.

When they are busy, editing is sometimes outsourced. To do this, they use the Blackmagic Cloud Pod for file sharing to streamline workflows. Yajima explained: “Connecting an SSD to the Cloud Pod, footage is automatically uploaded to Dropbox. The contractor edits with proxy files, then we replace it with Blackmagic RAW, and export it.”

Nikkei’s other departments also produce video content, but many productions done by those departments are also outsourced. Yajima’s team focuses on relatively costly projects.

“If we were to outsource a project that requires filming and streaming overseas, the budget would be enormous. By having our team take on such projects, we are able to reduce production costs significantly, and we are able to take on more projects that we want to do but otherwise couldn’t due to budget issues,” Yajima concluded.

Visit https://www.blackmagicdesign.com

Chyron’s PRIME VSAR 1.8 Simplifies Virtual Production

CHYRON’S VERSION 1.8 of PRIME VSAR merges the cutting-edge graphics of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4 with Chyron’s built-forbroadcast design, editorial, and live production capabilities to simplify virtual production. Enhancements in PRIME VSAR 1.8 offer simple, unfettered access to Unreal Engine 4.27 and its extensive design features, alongside new built-in production tools that reduce the time, skill, and effort required for key tasks such as chroma keying, trackless camera control, and virtual scene creation.

“PRIME VSAR is unique in its ability to simplify and de-skill the process of virtual production, and Version 1.8 continues that tradition of simplicity,” said Mathieu Yerle, senior vice president of strategy, Chyron. “This release offers simplified assets, control interfaces, and newsroom workflows that make it easy to bring graphics to life in a live production environment. Even more important, it constitutes a unique approach to Unreal-based virtual production. PRIME VSAR 1.8 provides an exceedingly intuitive driver’s seat and dashboard from which to drive the Unreal Engine to create stunning, lifelike graphics.”

Like previous versions, the 1.8 release builds upon PRIME VSAR’s easy-to-repurpose graphic assets, template-based workflows

optimised for producers and journalists, and straightforward control interfaces for live virtual production. Highlights of the new release include the following: PRIME VSAR 1.8 supports the latest and final release of the Unreal Engine 4 Series, ensuring access to all of the features and enhancements that Epic Games has implemented over the years. The 4.27 release includes valuable features for virtual production, such as optimizations to GPU Lightmass that allow users to bake in light sources and create photorealistically lit Unreal scenes faster and with less strain on hardware.

Cleanly bringing green-screen talent into an Unreal virtual scene is a notoriously difficult task. Chyron has enhanced PRIME VSAR 1.8 with a new API layer that powers a new chroma keyer interface for blending green-screen talent with a virtual scene. From this straightforward chroma keying interface, users can set chroma key values, refine and fine-tune key passes, monitor all components of chroma key outputs, and easily save and load presets for different environments. Users can access the interface on local in-studio systems or as an HTML-5 interface from anywhere via web browser, which in turn supports running VSAR productions in the cloud.

PRIME VSAR 1.8 brings the Mercury Trackless Camera control interface into the CAMIO MOS-integrated newsroom environment. Previously, CAMIO offered control over scene and graphic elements in PRIME VSAR. Now, from any newsroom computer system, whether local or online, producers can easily queue up all their virtual camera moves within a PRIME VSAR scene. With PRIME VSAR, producers can control the entire virtual production using the newsroom interface they are most comfortable with.

Chyron has added more easyto-repurpose scene elements to the PRIME VSAR 1.8 graphics library to give users more template-based design options in a scene. For instance, the new Billboard With Shadows effect for trackless camera shots within PRIME VSAR 1.8 makes it easy to create scenes with dynamic light and object shadows. Plus, a new

Teradek Expands Camera-to-Cloud Workflows

TERADEK HAS ANNOUNCED an alignment with Sony Corporation that will provide an integration between Sony’s Camera-ConnectCloud Portal (C3 Portal) and Teradek’s Prism Flex and Serv 4K. Sony’s C3 Portal, a camera-tocloud gateway service designed for professional news gathering and file-based production, now natively integrates with Teradek’s 4K HDR encoding solutions.

Any operator will be able to upload video files directly from Sony’s cameras on location to the edit suite using the C3 Portal through Teradek’s encoders. This opens the door for camera crews, editors, producers, and even clients to assist in creating content remotely and in real-time on the cloud.

With this new integration, journalists can effortlessly live stream breaking news to the

air, web, and social media simultaneously with sub-second latency. Planning metadata gives teams the assurance that the day’s stories are tagged properly when received by the station.

This marks the second integration between Sony and Teradek, following a file upload linkage from Teradek’s encoders to Sony’s Ci Media Cloud that enables film and broadcast teams to effortlessly review, edit, and deliver proxy files.

Another key feature in this integration is that Teradek devices will automatically detect when the camera is recording, triggering

AB Switch Wall Actor template offers straightforward creation of freeform wall meshes for presenting videos and images with simple AB switch playlist functionality.

Other key enhancements to PRIME VSAR 1.8 include an upgrade from Matrox HAL 9.6 to Matrox 10.2, with the latest driver offering native support for NDI signal connectivity. Additionally, the solution’s new API layer implementation lays the groundwork for simplified and custom control interfaces in future PRIME VSAR releases that further de-skill virtual production. Built on the gRPC protocol, the same foundation used across the PRIME Platform and Chyron LIVE to power simplified interfaces, this new API layer implementation brings Chyron solutions closer to a common content-control interface across all aspects of live production. Visit https://chyron.com

with Sony’s C3 Portal

a local recording on the encoder that will instantly be uploaded to Sony’s C3 Portal after the recording finishes.

Prism Flex is Teradek’s tabletop H.264/H.265 encoder/decoder that provides live and point-topoint streaming to any destination

in up to 4K HDR. Serv 4K is an all-in-one production streaming solution that unites next-gen hardware with simplified UI to easily manage and share 4K HDR image quality in real-time.

Visit https://www.teradek.com

LiveU Boosts Matrix IP Cloud Distribution Service

COMPLEMENTING ITS LiveU Matrix

IP cloud video distribution service, LiveU has unveiled its new Matrix Transceiver with up to four flexible in/out SDI feeds, designed for maximum versatility for switching between live video distribution and contribution. The new rackmount unit enables broadcasters and content producers to share and receive high-quality, low latency live feeds simultaneously to, and from, global destinations as part of a single workflow. With encoding and decoding combined in the same device, users can easily change from inputs to outputs on the fly.

Enhancing the LiveU Matrix functionality, the Transceiver rackmount device provides a highly flexible and cost-effective solution for existing and new LiveU customers. No pre-configuration is required, and everything can be managed remotely via software using the LiveU Central unified management platform. Power

consumption and carbon footprint are reduced by combining both the encoder and decoder into a single 1RU.

Trusted by leading broadcasters and content providers worldwide, the LiveU Matrix ensures missioncritical resiliency, leveraging the LiveU Reliable Transport (LRT) protocol for high-quality live video distribution – inside or outside the organisation. Customers can manage an exponential number of live feeds and share them with a global audience. With the LiveU Matrix Global Directory, users have access to over 5000 LiveU customers worldwide, growing their distribution capabilities.

Amir Kamzel, VP Product, LiveU said, “We’re constantly looking at innovative ways of optimising the workflow for news, sports and other markets while expanding our live video capabilities. Providing built-in flexibility, the LiveU Matrix Transceiver reduces the

need for multiple encoding and decoding devices with a dedicated distribution and contribution solution. Users can dynamically choose the optimal combination of sharing and receiving SDI channels, supporting up to four simultaneous feeds. We listened to our

Cloud-Native Broadcast Graphics Production

DISGUISE’S POLYGON LABS acquisition has delivered what the company is calling “the ultimate solution for broadcast graphics production”. Developed with Polygon Labs –which was acquired by disguise earlier this year – the solution is made up of the Porta 2.0 cloud app and px hardware. Together, they enable broadcasters to seamlessly create, control, and collaborate on real-time graphics directly from a web browser. Porta 2.0 and px will automatically match studio lighting conditions to graphics, manage tracking, control LEDs and more, all in one place.

“Porta’s real-time data-driven graphics workflow will significantly accelerate your xR and AR broadcast production,” says Grigory Mindlin, Broadcast General Manager at disguise. “That’s why we developed the new Porta and px. With them, anyone can work on an extended reality production collaboratively, making everyday Unreal Engine graphics a simple operation. Team members can edit dynamic content on

the fly, create playlists, and modify Unreal parameters, such as light values, as well as trigger d3 timeline cues to synchronise physical and virtual lights.”

With Porta 2.0 and px’s template features, creatives also have more flexibility. Users can easily build templates of Unreal Engine graphics including text, images, 3D objects and trigger commands – all without the need for blueprints or coding. Templated graphics only need to be created once to then be used across multiple projects. Templates can even be stacked into playlists so that all graphics appear at the right time.

Additional benefits for customers include:

• Stress-free remote working – No matter where they are, creative and operational teams can collaborate on virtual sets and 3D graphics production remotely with a webbased interface accessible on a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

New Etere Nunzio Newsroom Graphics Player

ETERE HAS INTRODUCED a brand new Etere Nunzio graphics player that plays content from both live and recorded video, with the option to insert graphics in the playout directly.

Etere Nunzio Graphics Player enables newsroom playout for live and recorded media. It integrates the option to insert graphics in the playout directly while the software supports live sources from SDI

and NDI sources, eliminating the complexities of multi-format deliveries.

News producers can insert graphics in the playout directly from the same interface, achieving a seamless performance and high efficiency. Media files can also be played on a secondary output, for instance, a monitor behind the anchorman.

Etere features an automated

customers and directly addressed their broadcast requirements with a multi-purpose solution, helping them to simplify their operations and widen their reach for their video content.”

Visit https://www.liveu.tv

• Real-time data integration – Porta 2.0 and px customers also have access to Ipsum, Polygon Labs’ centralised data aggregation, curation, and playout control platform, enabling integration with third-party APIs, databases and files for real-time graphics. Ipsum and Porta are connected so that you can use your data in Porta or directly in Unreal Engine.

• Built-in disguise support – Anyone using Porta 2.0 and px can easily connect their system into disguise’s augmented and extended reality solutions.

Porta 2.0 is available as a SaaS subscription. Visit https://www.disguise.one

start for live inputs that play immediately after a previous event and allows minimal manual interventions.

Key features include:

• Intuitive interface with presets

• Preview media files with graphics before playout

• Play from live sources, including SDI and NDI

• Automated start for live inputs

• Skip feature

• Edit and preview the EDL of graphics within a video asset

• Enable secondary output, for instance, send a media file to a monitor behind the anchor

Visit https://www.etere.com

Australian Film Replicates Real-Time Ray Tracing with Blackmagic

AUSTRALIAN FEATURE FILM “Don’t Go Below” tells the story of 12 year old Peter and his sister Verity, who are whisked off to the underground kingdom of the pangolins where a prophecy has declared that Peter is the king and he must go on a quest to save the realm from the mysterious Shroud.

“Don’t Go Below” was shot entirely using Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and Pocket Cinema Camera 6K digital film cameras. The family adventure film, which was shot in Sydney and recently screened at the Cannes Film Market, is the third film by Sydney filmmaker Matt Drummond who used Fusion Studio visual effects (VFX) and motion graphics software and DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, colour grading, VFX and audio post production software to complete the film.

In creating the film, Drummond replicated a real time ray tracing system by using ultra short throw projectors and ambient light rejecting screens. With the system, the first of its kind globally, he was able to dramatically improve VFX realism by copying the way light reflects and refracts in the real world. To control the light spill for the system, he used Pocket Cinema Cameras to shoot at a higher ISO, which allowed him to reduce light output and still get beautiful shots. The real time projection system gave the lead actors (aged 9 and 12) more direction for interacting with other characters within the fantasy world of the film.

Despite a tiny crew of just seven people and a small budget, the Pocket Cinema Cameras allowed Drummond to utilise a real time projection system for his filming. Blackmagic Design hardware and software meant he was able to execute a delicate dance of foreground lighting, real time CGI, high ISO and some

innovative use of DaVinci Resolve Studio to pull off the shots.

Drummond, who has worked in VFX for over 25 years, was also able to cut more than 300 days in post production for the film. “Using DaVinci Resolve as the hub for everything has meant we’ve had a fantastic workflow and overall experience. The latest update for DaVinci Resolve has also been a godsend,” he said. “Resolve was used as the central edit system and allowed editor Joseph Morris to cut each scene in its own timeline so we could cut the workload into manageable chunks. This gave us a lot of flexibility. Each of the scenes was then assembled into a master timeline for the full feature. The film has around 1600+ VFX shots involving full CGI characters and environments so organisation on a per scene basis was crucial,” Drummond said.

Using Fusion Studio, Drummond was able to create a master compositing macro that handled all manner of procedural compositing such as auto keying, fake image based lighting, plate relighting and standard integrations including defringing, light wraps, fogging, etc. “The integration of the VFX rendered in Unreal Engine was very simple, and the ability to effortlessly composite shots in full 32 bit

float at 6K was far and above what my previous workflow could handle,” Drummond added. Sound design was able to be done on a per scene basis rather than reverting to the old paradigm of reels. “This meant that we could do dialogue edit and track lay right in the editor without fear of reconform nightmares down the track,” Drummond said. “Colour grading has always been DaVinci’s forte, and so it goes without saying this process was very easy, but the ACES 1.3 integration with Dolby Vision made the process of creating HDR and SDR deliverables very easy.”

“Being able to use this real time projection system had major benefits for the film. It helped inform my decisions on set and helped my young cast imagine where they were. The interplay of the camera and the projection gave the CGI a really organic feel which looks great,” he said.

“Don’t Go Below” will be released globally in January 2023.

Visit https://www.blackmagicdesign.com

Netflix, AWS Help VFX Companies Onboard to the Cloud

CREATING STANDOUT imagery for Netflix-original content like “Stranger Things”, “Bridgerton”, “Slumberland”, “The Adam Project”, and others requires substantial artistic talent, for which the streaming company has acquired established VFX studios, including Scanline and Animal Logic, and built a global roster of vendors, big and small. As the scope and complexity of VFX work continues to grow, Netflix is supporting VFX companies to get up and running on the cloud for render workloads, a vital aspect of content production. To help accomplish this, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

has been tapped as a solutions provider, along with AWS Partner Conductor Technologies, which leverages AWS compute and supports AWS Thinkbox Deadline, for on-demand rendering.

As a solutions provider, AWS will offer VFX studios streamlined access to dedicated technical support and hands-on solutions architecture engagement. Once onboarded, mid-size and boutique VFX studios that Netflix works with can access AWS technical resources, support, and optimised pricing.

According to the official announcement on the Netflix

Techblog, the company has found that “when VFX teams dedicate more compute capacity to rendering, they are empowered to handle more projects, iterations, and schedule crunches while maintaining on-time deliveries. This ultimately results in more compelling entertainment for Netflix members.”

By offering the high-performance compute needed for VFX rendering with pay-as-you-go pricing, AWS allows studios to scale as much as projects require, and just as quickly spin back down to minimise costs. Studios can gain additional economic benefits

by leveraging Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) Spot Instances, which are available for a discount of up to 90 percent compared to On-Demand prices and are ideal for fault tolerant workloads.

For Netflix, the stated goal is to support a healthy VFX ecosystem, and helping VFX studios onboard to the cloud is a step towards that. It allows studios that work on Netflix productions have access to the technical resources they need to create amazing stories.

Visit https://aws.amazon.com/ and https://netflixtechblog.com/

New FX and Transitions for Continuum 2023

BORIS FX’S original flagship suite now features over three hundred effects, over forty transitions, and more than five thousand drag-and-drop presets to jumpstart creativity. Host applications include Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, Blackmagic Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Foundry Nuke, and VEGAS Pro.

New features include: The BCC+Atmospheric Glow effect delivers instant drama, mystery, or nostalgia on otherwise flat scenes. The multi-faceted glow effect produces photoreal results and includes automatic flicker, lens textures, rays, and smoke options.

The Transitions Unit adds 10 wipes, rolls, and swishes to give editors a rapidly expanding cutting toolkit. Includes BCC+FilmRoll, BCC+SwishPan, BCC+SwishPrism, BCC+SwishGlow, BCC+SwishWarp, BCC+LinearWipe, BCC+RadialWipe, BCC+RectangleWipe, BCC+VignetteWipe, and BCC+TextureWipe.

Particle Illusion features a significant performance boost with combined calculation and render speed increases of up to 50% depending on OS, hardware, and project specifics.

An upgraded interface provides a simplified user experience with easyto-understand property controls. Additional functionality includes improved 3D model handling.

Continuum’s popular BCC+FilmGlow effect adds a secondary glow option that enables users to generate multiple independent glows with full control over each element.

Title Studio adds support for Blackmagic Resolve on Mac and improved handling of missing fonts when moving titles and templates between platforms.

The BCC+Light effect, which includes over 800 presets, adds a seamless texture option with wrap and reflect properties.

Continuum 2023 adds 250+ presets to the

Maxon on Fire with Upgrades

MAXON, THE DEVELOPER of professional software solutions for editors, filmmakers, motion designers and visual effects artists, has announced several updates to the company’s product line.

Cinema 4D introduces a brand-new feature – Pyro allows artists to emit smoke, fire and explosions from any Cinema 4D object or spline and quickly simulate the effects on the GPU or CPU. Smoke density, fire temperature and more parameters can be controlled to art-direct the simulation.

Thanks to Pyro’s seamless integration with Cinema 4D’s Unified Simulation System, Cloth and Soft Bodies can be set ablaze and fan the flames.

Cinema 4D’s new integrated RS Camera makes it even easier to get the perfect shot, thanks to intuitive physical camera controls and Redshift effect settings. A new sensor fit option makes it easy to render with overscan or adapt compositions for various aspect ratios.

With the new Radial Symmetry artists can interactively model anything round by defining a number of slices and offset.

Viewport preview of Redshift materials was improved, with support for animated textures, ramps and colour correction nodes.

Support for procedural polygon selections and vertex maps on generators has been improved and now also includes support for field-based point and edge selections.

Forger continues to bring the comprehensive modelling capabilities of Cinema 4D to iPad with the addition of Symmetry modelling.

Mirror models in Forger with symmetry in this new release for a modelling experience on the iPad closer to what Cinema 4D offers on the desktop.

The latest version of VFX introduces the first full version of Real Lens Flares. With Schmutz and Diffraction, users can make a lens look grimy and add rippling effects to each lens flare reflection element.

Dozens of new presets as well as base lens prescriptions have been added to Real Lens Flares.

Schmutz makes a grimy lens sparkle in the light that is reflected off of the glass, letting the user

choose from multiple different textures. Diffraction happens as light bends around the edge of an aperture, adding a rippling effect in our reflections, while subtly softening the render.

Trapcode 2023.1 offers a completely refreshed and upgraded user interface for the Particular curves and colour gradients as well as new emitter block presets for Form behaviours and improved performance.

Particular’s new curve and colour gradient UIs make it easier than ever to control and art direct the look of particles. Strong inspiration was drawn from Cinema 4D so Maxon One users will feel right at home using them.

Four new Form behaviour presets were added to the Designer’s emitter block inside of Particular to speed up the creative process.

Several improvements have been added to the migration of older projects as well as improved Bounce physics.

Drastically enhanced interactivity with the Curve Pencil tool allows users to get desired results more quickly while having better control over your curve, thanks to Curve Multi-point selection, improved Curve Point Location controls and more.

Users can now save, load and share their own custom Curve and Gradient presets.

Redesigned Colour Gradients provide a more responsive experience, greater precision and flexibility in gradient creation.

Maxon continues to deliver valuable Capsule assets that subscribers can use as a creative kickstart. Artists can now easily compose a product shot with the new Backdrop Primitive.

A new Square Star Spline and FUI Ring Spline create a variety of crosshair and reticule shapes for FUI graphics.

An updated Cineware for Unreal integration now supports Cinema 4D 2023.1 and Unreal Engine 5.0.3. Easily import C4D files into Unreal and make changes without leaving the engine environment.

Visit https://www.maxon.net/en/

versatile plugin collection. The curated presets can be used as it or easily customised based on project needs.

BCC+ filters and transitions are GPUaccelerated on Apple M1, Intel, NVIDIA, and AMD graphics processors, and certain effects can see up to a 50% performance improvement over previous versions.

Visit https://borisfx.com

Adobe Photoshop & Premiere Elements 2023

ADOBE’S PHOTOSHOP Elements 2023 and Premiere Elements 2023 include all-new features designed to make creative photo and video editing simple for users at any skill level. The new releases incorporate new Adobe Sensei AI-powered features to enable intuitive, streamlined editing, and offer step-by-step Guided Edits that everyone from beginners to advanced users will appreciate. Going beyond the desktop app, Elements 2023 also offers a connected experience with new web and mobile companion apps (English-only beta) that ease on-the-go photo and video access, viewing and sharing.

Some of the new features in Elements 2023 include:

AI advancements for photos and videos let users add Moving Elements to photos then save in social-ready formats including MP4 (videos) and GIFs (animated photos); Artistic Effects inspired by popular art styles let users transform entire video clips with one click.

Updated creative content including new backgrounds, patterns and skies.

New collage and slideshow templates. The ability to add the illusion of depth in photosCreate with Peek-through Overlays.

100 new audio tracks in Premiere Elements. New mobile companion app (English-only beta) to upload to the cloud.

Use the new web companion app (Englishonly beta) to share and view edited photos and videos, and create photo collages and multimedia slideshows.

Visit https://www.adobe.com

DaVinci Resolve Tackles Social Media, AI for Audio, and iPads

BLACKMAGIC DESIGN HAS

ANNOUNCED DaVinci Resolve 18.1, a major new update that adds support for editing in vertical resolutions such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram TV, as well as automatic locking of individual timelines within bins for multi user collaboration.

The update also adds DaVinci Neural Engine enabled AI dialogue leveller and AI voice isolation tools to the cut, edit and Fairlight pages as well as vector keyframing for Fairlight automation curve editing. Fairlight grid support has also been added allowing customers to position clips on a grid based on timecode or musical tempo.

DaVinci Resolve 18.1 also makes projects imported from ATEM Mini ISO projects easier to edit for customers, with audio now attaching to the video clips.

DaVinci Resolve 18.1 lets customers produce, export and post work quickly and easily on TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook shorts, Instagram TV and more. With added support for social media vertical resolutions such as 1080 x 1920, customers can choose square and vertical resolutions directly in project settings making it faster to setup a timeline to produce videos. Collaboration with other editors at the same time is also easier with the new timeline locking operation. This automatic operation prevents two users selecting the same timeline by locking it to the first user without the need to lock the whole timeline bin. Multiple editors can now work on different timelines in the same bin at the same time.

For audio, DaVinci Resolve Studio 18.1 adds new AI based voice isolation track FX so customers can remove loud, undesirable sounds from voice recordings. By adding DaVinci Neural Engine enabled voice isolation to the cut, edit and Fairlight pages using a new DaVinci Neural Engine AI based core effects process, customers can isolate dialog from background sounds in a recording, eliminating everything else from moderate noise to aircraft and explosions leaving only the voice. Voice isolation is perfect for interviews and dialogue recordings from noisy locations.

The built in dialogue leveller track FX in the inspector processes and smoothes dialogue recordings without the need for tedious level adjustments on clip gain or automation curves. Controls include real time scrolling waveform display, focus presets and three process options which allow customers to easily achieve natural sounding results. With the new vector keyframing of Fairlight audio automation curves, customers now have the ability to graphically enter, edit, trim and nudge keyframes with standard tools. Plus, there’s a new automation editing view which allows for faster and simpler management of curves and keyframes. DaVinci Resolve 18.1 also adds Fairlight grid support so

customers can position clips on a grid based on timecode or musical tempo.

Editors now get a faster and smoother editing experience in this update with improved project importing when using ATEM Mini, so that audio is now attached to the video clips automatically making imported projects much easier to edit and helps improve workflows. DaVinci Resolve 18.1 adds DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor functionality to the edit page, including multicam switching, audio level, trim in, trim out and more! Plus, customers can use these functions in conjunction with the search dial for even more speed. There’s also support for subtitle track presets and per-track formatting rules. This means customers can now adjust individual settings for each subtitle caption, including font and style while retaining the track setting for size and background.

For Fusion users, customers can speed up their workflows with added support for magic mask in the Fusion page. The magic mask palette uses the DaVinci Neural Engine to detect animals, vehicles, people and objects, tracking their movement in a shot. Now customers can produce these clean travelling mattes directly in the Fusion page to add effects to characters or stylise the background. Plus, customers can now search for common keywords and categories for more than 200 tools. With this smart search functionality customers can filter the list without knowing the exact tool name to quickly find and apply tools to their visual effects.

DaVinci Resolve 18.1 also adds support for Dolby Vision 5.1.0 cinema trims, so customers can adjust the brightness levels of their high dynamic range images to optimise them for both cinema and television audiences. Customers can now also scale the DaVinci Resolve user interface incrementally to optimise the resolution for their specific Window or Linux display making it much easier to see the fonts on all aspects of the interface.

There are also significant performance improvements with multiple tools. Updates to

the internal processing result in up to 10x faster Text+, 5x faster stabilisation, face refinement tracking and analysis, 4x faster spatial noise reduction, better playback performance with large node graphs and improved Blackmagic RAW decoding on Apple silicon.

DaVinci Resolve 18.1 update is available now for download free of charge from the Blackmagic Design website.

DaVinci Resolve for iPad

DaVinci Resolve 18.1 follows the release of DaVinci Resolve for iPad. Optimised for MultiTouch technology and Apple Pencil, DaVinci Resolve for iPad features support for cut and colour pages providing access to DaVinci’s image technology, colour finishing tools and latest HDR workflows. And Blackmagic Cloud support allows creators to collaborate with multiple users around the world. DaVinci Resolve for iPad will be available in Q4 2022 from the Apple App Store as a free download, with an upgrade to DaVinci Resolve Studio for iPad also available as an inapp purchase.

With optimised performance for Apple Silicon, DaVinci Resolve delivers 4x faster Ultra HD ProRes render performance on the new iPad Pro with M2. HDR is also supported for customers using an 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the M1 chip.

Creators can send a clean feed grading monitor output to an Apple Studio Display, Pro Display XDR or an AirPlay compatible display. This lets customers use the external display to quickly create grades on set or colour correct clips in post production directly from their iPad.

The new DaVinci Resolve for iPad will open and create standard DaVinci Resolve project files which are compatible with the desktop version of DaVinci Resolve 18. Supported file formats include H.264, H.265, Apple ProRes and Blackmagic RAW, with clips able to be imported from the iPad Pro internal storage and Photos library, or externally connected iCloud and USB-C media disks.

Visit https://www.blackmagicdesign.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Indonesia’s Daai TV Picks Etere HSM for Multi-Platform Archive

INDONESIAN TELEVISION CHANNEL, Daai TV, has implemented Etere HSM for the complete end-to-end archive management simultaneously using three different technologies in the same archive: LTO, Disk, and Cloud.

For the project’s initial phase, Etere HSM manages Daai TV’s archive system of more than 400 LTO4 tapes online.

Subsequently, Etere Disklibrary was set up in the second phase for fast retrievals, managing more than 1 PB of information.

Additionally, a third phase of archiving to the cloud was set up to store essential media information and enhance production, playout, and distribution efficiencies. Etere HSM effectively manages all archives in a seamlessly integrated environment that can be upgraded and scaled easily in the face of dynamic business needs.

Etere HSM provides a centralised dashboard for managing all archives in a single integrated environment. Etere HSM supports a mix of proprietary and industry file systems, including Linear Tape-Open (LTO) storage, Sony Optical Disc Archive (ODA) storage, Disk Archive, Object Storage, and Cloud Storage. The integrated and

centralised dashboard provides all information for on-site archives across multiple geographic locations. The flexible characteristics of Etere HSM enable users to mix different archive technologies and manage them with a single software.

The project brings about faster retrieval capabilities, allowing Daai Tv to deliver content to market quickly.

Key features of Etere HSM include:

• Supports LTO9 and previous LTO generations

• Supports a mix of proprietary and industry file systems, including Linear Tape-Open (LTO) storage, Sony Optical Disc Archive (ODA) storage, Disk Archive, Object Storage, and Cloud Storage

• Archive high and low-resolution copies as well as Master and TX copies

• Store all metadata along with the video for an enhanced protection

• Carry out the backup copy of the database

• Auto-update the library status of files to prevent last-minute issues

• Optimise space according to the cost and reduce expensive media

ABS-CBN Film Restoration Brings Filipino Classics to Netflix

ABS-CBN FILM RESTORATION continuously makes Filipino cinematic classics accessible through various platforms for today’s audiences as it brings forth some of its digitally restored and remastered titles streaming on-demand via Netflix.

Up until the end of 2022, ABSCBN Film Restoration and its Sagip Pelikula initiative will introduce an array of restored Pinoy films of all genres on Netflix — from drama, romance, comedy, and horror.

The first title introduced is the digitally restored version of the revered 1982 war-drama classic “Oro, Plata, Mata” directed by Peque Gallaga and written by Jose Javier Reyes, starring Sandy Andolong, Liza Lorena, Ronnie Lazaro, Joel Torre, and late Cherie Gil.

More award-winning Filipino classics will make their way to the on-demand streaming platform, among them are Nora Aunor’s cinematic masterpiece “Himala” and one of Dolphy’s iconic films of all time, “Markova: Comfort Gay.”

Viewers can also watch the restored versions of Star

Cinema’s all-time romantic hits, such as “One More Chance,” “Now That I Have You,” “Dubai,” and “Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit.”

Comedy fans are also in for a treat with “Ang Cute Ng Ina Mo!” and the Judy Ann Santos-Ryan Agoncillo starrer “Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo,” while thrill-seekers can watch the digitally restored horror blockbuster “Feng Shui.”

Audiences can watch all these remastered classics from ABS-CBN Film Restoration on-demand via Netflix for subscribers in the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asian territories.

Also, Pinoy viewers can continue watching these restored films on https:// www.ktx.ph/ with special preshow interviews before every screening.

Now in its eleventh year since digitally restoring its first title, Sagip Pelikula continues to remaster films from directors and writers of note for today’s viewers to appreciate.

Follow ABS-CBN Film Restoration at https:// www.facebook.com/ filmrestorationabscb

• User-friendly interface combined with the display of tape content, even for offline tapes

• Capable of producing multiple copies of the tapes, up to three copies that can be held in the library or off the shelf for increased security

• Archiving of all the video files and management of both high and low resolution with increased protection

• Long-term archive management; the tape library is used to significantly expand the system capacity to allow permanent storage of data

• MS Windows based and can interface with all library or tape drives that are MS Windows compatible

• A single view of a multi-library environment; it can manage different libraries located in different places as a single logical entity Visit https://www.etere.com/

SGO Upgrades Mistika Workflows

SGO HAS RELEASED an upgrade of its Media Management, Transcoding and Delivery solution Mistika Workflows, adding several new features to further optimise content delivery processes and Metadata Management.

One of the major emphasis of the latest developments are intelligent functionalities facilitating end-to-end metadata integration in the trending post-production workflows. Maintaining relevant metadata throughout the whole post pipeline, or even modify and add the details to the metadata file, such as production team, scene or recording information. The ability to export the metadata to an XMP or CSV format, unlocks the communication with other post software, such as DaVinci Resolve or Silverstack.

As a complement to fully automated metadata management, a new token system has been added to the Name Convention. This smart tool enables the creation of dynamic name conventions and paths based on the file’s metadata. Users can select among several different tokens, such as resolution, colour space or framerate.

Media management is another big focus of this latest release, introducing new features that further facilitate delivery processes. With the new Smart Conform filtering, Mistika Workflows is now capable

of exclusively conforming the files that have been used in the final edit, filtering from XML, EDL or AAF files. Media can now also be classified by extension, with the ability to add/ remove the extensions by the user’s preference.

Additional features allowing the manipulation of media have also been added to Mistika Workflows.

3D LUTs can now be applied to your media automatically, being generated in Mistika Boutique or in any other program. With the framing node you’re now able to automatically apply any of the framing operations to your media, including resolution change, transform, re-scale and crop.

This version of Mistika Workflows also includes render farm integration, currently supporting Deadline. RND support has also been added, opening unlimited ways of its implementation and facilitating the automation of the repetitive tasks. For example –users can save a specific stitch they performed in Mistika VR or Boutique as an .rnd file and then batch apply it to as many files as needed. The same philosophy applies for the VFX, Color Management and other tasks.

Several new features for virtual production and immersive media workflows include automatic stitch refiner feature, STMaps application and 7th Sense integration.

Visit https://www.sgo.es/

Object Matrix and Resilio Optimise Content Collaboration

OBJECT MATRIX, a provider of object storage solutions to the broadcast and media industries, has partnered with Resilio, a data synchronisation and file delivery solutions provider for global enterprises and media companies.

The combination of Object Matrix with Resilio provides users with the ability to rapidly synchronise files whilst ensuring that access to their media assets is secure, efficient, and simple. This is a critical aspect for broadcast and media organisations who are operating in a fastmoving, highly competitive digital environment where every second counts.

Resilio Connect securely unifies the edge, core, and cloud, enabling IT to gain control of globally distributed assets, automate data management, and accelerate transfer performance by up to 20x over conventional tools, across any location and network. Resilio’s real-time P2P file replication is popular with post-production professionals as a solution to sync massive files – for example 4k and 8k videos, interactive media or video game developer builds and more – with partners and remote offices, plus empowers the new generation of dispersed remote-work teams.

Integrated with Object Matrix’s MatrixStore

object storage solution, users can access their content securely from anywhere, at any time.

With built-in security, analytics, and intuitive interfaces, MatrixStore delivers operational efficiencies, full digital content governance, and multiple media-based workflows.

The partnership provides organisations in the broadcast and media industry with the ability to automate, visualise, and accelerate file delivery 10x faster across any server environment, whilst benefiting from a secure way to store their media archive.

Mark Habberfield, Global Sales Engineer at Object Matrix commented: “Resllio adds great end user functionality to the MatrixStore Cloud S3 interface, providing fast, intelligent, media syncing to secure, feature rich MatrixStore. Having a similar customer focused mindset makes for easy collaboration between our teams.”

SymplyTRANSPORTER On-Set Data Appliance

DATACORE SOFTWARE has announced it has partnered with Symply, a developer of highspeed digital storage solutions, to create a new media-optimised, easily transportable on-set appliance. SymplyTRANSPORTER, powered by DataCore Perifery, is a highly scalable, flexible, and secure object storage platform, simplifies content capture, preprocessing, categorisation, searchability, and seamless content integration into a facility’s DataCore Swarm or SymplyPerifery, as well as movement of content to other archive systems or primary storage. Utilising the new appliance, organisations and users in the media and entertainment industry can quickly and securely capture and transport content from the field and on-set locations to their in-house facilities.

“SymplyTRANSPORTER is the answer to the growing demand for on-set and remote media workflow appliances that offer capabilities beyond portable RAID arrays,” said Abhijit Dey, Chief Product Officer at DataCore. “As media workflows continue to evolve and capacities grow, RAID rebuild times for re-preparing for field use and the inability to host applications on-set, hinders efficiency and greatly slows down production. Our solution enables faster, safer, and more efficient transport of media content with state-of-the-art data protection and exclusive capabilities such as categorisation and searchability.”

SymplyTRANSPORTER is ideal for content creators and owners, including post production facilities, independent producers, and studios that produce content remotely. The appliance allows users to safely store and transport content, add metadata, and seamlessly integrate assets into larger facility storage faster and easier than using common hard drive and SSD-based arrays, with no time

wasted in rebuilding and re-preparing RAID arrays. Automated pre-processing capabilities on the SymplyTRANSPORTER solution save users significant time and effort, eliminating the need for expensive, complex servers and other hardware.

The appliance includes the new DataCore Perifery Panel for Adobe Premiere Pro. The Perifery Panel streamlines content access for SymplyTRANSPORTER users on Adobe Premiere Pro. SymplyTRANSPORTER also leverages third-party software applications to automate key workflow tasks such as content preprocessing, categorisation, and provisioning, maximising on-set data collection.

“We’re excited to expand our partnership with DataCore,” said Keith Warburton, CEO at Symply. “Just like our SymplyPerifery media-optimised appliance for facilities, SymplyTRANSPORTER leverages the power of DataCore Perifery next-generation object storage to streamline the process of bringing content shot on-location back to the facility for editing, saving media organisations valuable time and money.”

The plug-and-play lightweight appliance is designed for portable operation and comes in a NANUK waterproof case, offering missioncritical protection, trouble-free transportation, and ease of use. The media appliance will be available in December 2022.

Visit https://www.datacore.com

Josh Sargent, Vice President of Partnerships at Resilio said: “Moving and syncing large media files is a daily challenge for creative and postproduction professionals. Object Matrix is an inspiring innovator in this ecosystem and has a reputation for delivering robust solutions for mission-critical data. We’re excited to integrate Resilio with Object Matrix to bring our ultra-fast and scalable peer-to-peer file synchronisation technology to the innovative MatrixStore platform.”

Visit https://object-matrix.com

Cloud Storage Savings Calculator

ATELIERE CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES, a developer of media supply chain solutions, has made available a free-to-use cloud storage savings calculator that allows content creators to visualise the potential cloud storage reduction and cost savings by deduplicating video using Ateliere’s technology. Many of today’s content creators produce multiple versions of media projects and titles to meet localisation, compliance and other distribution requirements. Storing the duplicate media can account for additional terabytes of unnecessary cloud storage expense. Ateliere’s cloudnative media supply chain solutions offer a deduplication feature that can reduce cloud storage footprints for most content creators by 70 percent or more, resulting in significant financial savings.

“At a time of record inflation, the cost of everyday expenses has gone up. In spite of this, our customers have been able to cut cloud storage costs significantly by using Ateliere to eliminate the duplicate media files stored in their content libraries and archives,” states Eric Carson, Chief Revenue Officer, Ateliere. “The cloud storage savings calculator gives content creators a way to accurately estimate and visualise their cost savings when they switch to Ateliere to manage their content.”

Users can break down storage figures by total hours of content, episodic and feature information, and number of alternate versions. Easily understandable bar charts clearly show cost savings by the AWS tier of storage used. For large media companies, savings could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

Visit https://ateliere.com/deduplication-calculator/

Dual-Slot 40Gbps Thunderbolt Reader for AJA PAK Media

SONNET TECHNOLOGIES RECENTLY announced the SF3 Series – AJA PAK Media Pro Card Reader, the latest model in its family of professional media readers. The SF3 Series –AJA PAK Media Pro Card Reader features dual card slots and a dual-port 40Gbps Thunderbolt interface, and ingests files captured to AJA PAK Media SSD cards, which were developed for use in the latest AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G, as well as the Ki Pro Ultra and Ki Pro Ultra Plus 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD file-based recorders and players. The Sonnet card reader is compatible with all Thunderbolt 4 computers; all M1, M2, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra Mac computers; and all Thunderbolt 3 Mac and Windows computers. “As project timelines across the production chain continue to tighten, the ability to quickly ingest files originating from AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G and other Ki Pro Ultra recorders is paramount to staying on schedule. The Sonnet SF3 Series – AJA PAK Media Pro Card Reader provides a unique dual-slot solution with Thunderbolt connectivity that gives professionals more flexibility and speed in the field,” said AJA President Nick Rashby. The SF3 Series – AJA PAK Media Pro Card Reader ingests footage from all PAK Media cards up to their maximum supported speeds. Designed for demanding workflows, Sonnet SF3 Series card readers are built with rugged

aluminium enclosures and dual 40Gbps Thunderbolt ports, enabling users to stack and connect as many as six readers in a daisy chain to their computers through a single cable and ingest footage from four, six, or more cards simultaneously.

AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G recorders enable up to four channels of simultaneous 1080p at 60 fps recording (or 4K at 60 fps recording in single-channel mode) while utilising codecs up to Apple ProRes 4444 XQ or Avid DNxHR HQX. One SF3 Series – AJA PAK Media Pro Card Reader can ingest files simultaneously from two cards at up to 1,030MB/s, cutting ingest times in half (or better) compared to any single-slot reader available. Because Sonnet PAK Media card readers utilise dual Thunderbolt ports to support daisy chain connections, users can connect three readers to their computer to exploit the 2,800MB/s of PCIe bandwidth Thunderbolt provides and ingest six PAK Media cards.

The Sonnet SF3 Series – AJA PAK Media Pro Card Reader is the only dual-slot PAK Media card reader available. Professionals working with multiple types of media or in a small

Fantom Drives’ VENOM8 NVMe SSD Drives

FANTOM DRIVES recently announced VENOM8, the company’s high-performance portfolio of NVMe solid state drives for high throughput gaming, virtual reality, 4K/8K video production, and business applications. The new drive models are available in 1, 2 and 4TB drive capacities and feature easy installation with PCIe, Gen 4, Gen3, Gen2, and Gen1 motherboards.

According to Fantom Drives, the VENOM8 Solid State Drive line with PCIe Gen4 x 4 interface is one of the fastest solid state drives available in the consumer market, with industry-leading read and write speeds. In addition to the above listed motherboard

compatibilities, VENOM8 models also offer plug-and-play compatibility with PlayStation 5 gaming consoles. Using the latest 3D TLC NAND technology, the VENOM8 line provides video/ audio professionals, gamers and business professionals with the highest performance solution possible to run the most intensive games and software.

Features of VENOM8 Drives Include:

• Hyper performance read/write speeds up to 45X faster than hard drives, 13X faster than SATA SSDs, and 2X faster than previous generation M.2 NVMe drives.

ATTO Support for macOS 13 Ventura

ATTO TECHNOLOGY has announced its hardware and software fully support the latest operating system from Apple, macOS 13 Ventura.

All ATTO adapters, software, and utilities have been tested with Apple devices that use both Apple and Intel silicon to verify compatibility and were subjected to thorough performance

evaluations to ensure they operate at the highest level with macOS 13. Data density and complexity typify most workflows. The same technology from ATTO that Hollywood studios rely upon is equally effective across all industries.

Products in the ATTO portfolio supporting macOS 13 Ventura

workspace can conveniently stack multiple SF3 Series – AJA PAK Media, SxS PRO X, CFexpress / XQD, RED MINI-MAG, and CFast 2.0 readers in the same footprint and connect them all to a computer through a single Thunderbolt cable, which is game-changing. Support for simultaneous multi-card ingest allows users to complete the process without swapping cards and in much less time with single-slot readers, and then return the cards to use for recording. For applications that require gear to be mounted in equipment racks, Sonnet SF3 Series readers include threaded mounting holes to support installation in a standard rack shelf, enabling side-by-side mounting of two readers in 1U of rack space. Visit https://www.sonnettech.com

• Simple installation and compatibility with PCIe, Gen4, Gen3, Gen2 and Gen 1 motherboards.

• Fast PC and console gaming load time performance with deep gaming library capacity. Load games faster than a stock PS5 SSD drive and store over 100 directly playable games with the 4TB VENOM8.

• Future-proof SSD storage integrated with 176-Layer 3D NAND technology and SK Hynix DDR4 DRAM Cache. VENOM8 is equipped with TRIM support, SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology), APST, and LDPC ECC algorithm.

include:

• ATTO Celerity 32Gb/s (Gen 7 and Gen 6), 16Gb/s (Gen 6) and 8Gb

Fibre Channel host bus adapters (HBAs) with ATTO MultiPath Director.

• ATTO ExpressSAS GT 12Gb SAS HBAs.

• Thunderbolt enabled ATTO ThunderLink adapters.

• High reliability with 3000 TBW endurance, 1.6 million hours of MTBF, and an extended 5-Year warranty.

• Military-grade data security with End-to-End Data Path Protection and AES 256-bit encryption.

Available VENOM8 models include:

• VM8X10: 1TB Drive – UPC: 749656173378

• VM8X20: 2TB Drive – UPC: 749656173385

• VM8X40: 4TB Drive – UPC: 749656173392

Visit https://www.fantomdrives.com

• ATTO FastFrame 10/25/40/50/100GbE SmartNICs.

• Software including ATTO 360 Tuning Software, ATTO Xtend SAN iSCSI Initiator, ATTO ConfigTool, XstreamVIEW, Express NAV and QuickNAV. Visit https://www.atto.com

All India Radio Upgrades with AEQ

AEQ AND ITS PARTNER In India, Falcon Technologies, have recently been supplying and installing 100 consoles for All India Radio. All India Radio (AIR), officially known since 1957 as Akashvani (literary meaning “Voice from the Sky”), is the national public radio broadcaster of India and is a division of Prasar Bharati. It was established in 1936.

AEQ has been awarded the project to supply digital consoles for three types of studios, all of them with IP connectivity based on Dante technology in more than 33 different cities throughout India. For such an important project AIR solicited proposals from all manufacturers worldwide as well as physical and online demos. After more than 3 months of evaluation process with the complications caused by the Covid19 pandemic situation and the logistical and mobility limitations that this entailed, AEQ technology was selected by AIR’s technical management.

First studio, the transmission one, was designed based on the CAPITOL IP 12 TT desktop console with Dante connectivity, with 12 faders, 4 microphones, 4 AES/EBU inputs and outputs, 12 analogue inputs and 8 outputs, control and paging monitoring and 16 Dante bidirectional channels. 35 consoles were supplied and installed and an additional one was supplied as a spare.

The second one, “Switching”, was developed based on the CAPITOL IP8 TT desktop console

with Dante connectivity, with 8 faders, 4 microphones, 4 AES/EBU inputs and outputs, 12 analogue inputs and 4 analogue outputs, control and paging monitoring and 16 Dante bidirectional channels. 32 consoles were supplied and installed and an additional one was supplied as a spare.

The third one, “Dubbing”, is based on the CAPITOL IP12 TT desktop console with Dante connectivity, with 12 faders, 4 microphones, 4 AES/EBU inputs and outputs, 12 analogue inputs and 8 outputs, control and paging monitoring and 16 bidirectional Dante channels. An AEQ Netbox 4MH AoIP terminal with capacity for 4 additional microphones and 4 stereo headphone outputs was added to each console. 32 consoles were supplied and installed and an additional one was supplied as a spare.

All the consoles were programmed from the AEQ factory with the configuration requested by the AIR technicians, which included special functions, programmable keys, and work modes where the console of one of the studios interacted with the consoles of the other two. Being able to create and test these configurations at the factory has greatly

Radio Module for Marquee Ad Instructions Platform

MARQUEE IS AN Australian-developed advertising instruction platform for the media industry. The company has recently announced the launch of a radio module, designed to manage the advertising instruction process for radio campaigns.

The radio module allows media agencies, advertisers, creatives, and media owners to communicate and apply client campaign instructions via an intuitive, integrated, realtime platform that provides visibility over every stage of the process.

The radio product follows the launch in 2021 of Marquee’s television module. According to the company, the television module has been a great success with leading agencies and prolific advertisers using the platform to communicate thousands of campaigns.

The Marquee platform fulfils the need for a critically important final step in the campaign management process between agencies, advertisers and media owners. Marquee provides a single source of truth, connecting all parties to de-risk and create substantial efficiencies for all parties, by up to 75% versus

the old labour-intensive process.

Marquee was established by former Network 10 Head of Ad Operations, Tracey Iskander, who saw first-hand costly campaign errors in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. She was joined at Marquee by co-founder and Commercial Director, Murray Burden, previously the Commercial Director of Adstream (now Extreme Reach), the creative logistics company.

“We decided to launch Marquee from our previous experience of witnessing the labour intensive, pressure cooker and cumbersome process of materials instructions. The volume of information is relentless, with many people to communicate with, many moving parts and significant margin for costly errors. Marquee is a digital transformation solution that improves the process for all parties,” Iskander said.

Murray Burden said: “Following the great success of our TV launch last year, we are excited to now launch radio, again allowing the industry to streamline a very complex process for radio campaigns with a seamless, centralised platform. We have big plans to

simplified the installation process on site and the training courses.

The development of the Project with the supply and installation of all the consoles, has taken place throughout 2021 and 2022, without any significant delay thanks to the important stock of components that AEQ’s central factory in Madrid has always had, and to the excellent technical and logistical services of Falcon Technologies in India.

The entire project has been led by AEQ’s sales manager for India, Mr. Antonio Pérez, in coordination with Falcon Technologies and AIR’s technical services.

Visit https://www.prasarbharati.gov.in/ homepage-air and https://www.aeq.eu

launch our solution in other media sectors and introduce further enhancements in the near future.”

According to Southern Cross Austereo Head of Revenue Operations, Donna Lennox, “The uniformity of Marquee’s radio product is really a great initiative. We receive various instructions from agencies and clients in various formats and, as a result, there is a lot of deciphering that needs to happen. Marquee provides our teams with the consistency and standardisation that is so helpful in this dynamic and fast-paced environment.”

Penny Gordon, Investment Director at ad agency Starcom, said: “At Starcom, we are always reviewing ways in which we can drive operational excellence and how we use technology to streamline workflow for our clients. We recognised that Marquee was leading the way in terms of being an innovative solution around automated material instructions. To date, our teams have had positive feedback in terms of process and time saving which ultimately benefits our clients.”

Visit https://www.marqueeio.com

Driving In-Car Sound with Dolby, Apple, Universal and Mercedes-Benz

IT IS NOW OVER A CENTURY since the first commercially available radio receivers for cars began to find their way into the horseless carriages of the day, and since that time both audio engineers and producers have checked their mixes against the in-car listening experience.

The latest development for “mobile boomboxes” is a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz, Apple Music and Universal Music Group (UMG) which builds upon the integration of Dolby Atmos immersive audio in the optional Burmester high-end 4D and 3D sound system offered in Mercedes-Benz vehicles with the latest MBUX generation.

With this new audio standard, UMG is enabling its recording artists to base their song approval process on how the final mix sounds in a Mercedes-Benz and introduce the seal “Approved in a Mercedes-Benz” as a gold standard of sound. UMG additionally plans to set up a studio environment in Sindelfingen, Germany, based on its Capitol

Studios’ Studio C, a major global reference music studio for Dolby Atmos mixing.

For the first time available natively in a non-Apple device, the native integration of Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos from Apple Music makes music available in Dolby Atmos easily accessible for customers of Mercedes-Benz and Apple Music alike.

While the Burmester Premium 3D sound system already offers a premium listening experience, the Burmester High-End 4D sound system uses speakerlike resonators featuring sound massage with surround speakers integrated into the seats.

The Burmester high-end 4D sound system includes: 31 speakers, including six 3D speakers that emit their sound from above, 4 near-ear speakers in the front seats, an 18.5-liter subwoofer; 8 sound transducers (two per seat); 2 amplifiers; and 1750 watts power.

Apple Music’s Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos now available natively in-vehicle for the first time

AEQ XPEAK Matrix-Free Intercom

AEQ XPEAK SUPPORTS up to 28 user terminals in different formats: desktop, rack, wired belt-pack, wireless belt-pack, and PC application. All terminals interconnect with maximum operational flexibility and without the need for a matrix.

XPEAK interconnectivity is very simple, even if the devices are in different locations, via WAN or Internet access. If a user panel is configured to work remotely, when switched on it will search and find the rest of the system’s user panels within the network, being ready to work in a few seconds.

Its wired user terminals have Bluetooth and USB connections, admitting all types of headsets (headphone/microphone combinations) with these interfaces and facilitating connection with smartphones and PCs.

Stationary user terminals have 8 keys and the belt-packs 4 keys. The keys are arranged on two pages, doubling the number of users or user groups each panel can interact with.

If not used in a XPEAK system, these units can work as user panels or terminals in large systems with

Comrex BRIC-Link III IP Audio Codec

COMREX’S BRIC-LINK III is a true codec, offering a full-duplex stereo encoder and decoder in each box. A jitter buffer manager is incorporated that automatically balances delay and stability, dynamically increasing and decreasing delay based on network performance. BRIC-link III offers a wide range of encoding algorithms including stereo and mono linear mode, FLAC modes, AAC/HE-AAC modes, Opus, G.722 and G.711.

BRIC-Link III features a new, more powerful processor for improved reliability. BRIC-Link III also features enhanced front panel

indicators, including four buttons which will trigger contact closures by default and configurable for auto-connections to other Comrex IP audio codecs.

BRIC-Link III is compatible with all other Comrex IP audio codecs, including the ACCESS codec line as well as older BRIC-Link models.

BRIC-Link III also works with Gagl, a new service now available for purchase for audio contribution. Gagl turns any Comrex IP audio codec into a hub for up to five remote participants.

Like other BRIC-Link codecs, BRICLink III includes CrossLock VPN

Mercedes-Benz drivers who are already subscribed to Apple Music will gain immediate access to an ever-growing selection of songs and albums available in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.

UMG actively encourages its artists and record labels to produce music mixed in Dolby Atmos immersive audio. As part of the agreement, Mercedes-Benz will provide UMG with vehicles equipped with the Burmester high-end

AEQ Conexia or Crossnet matrix. They can also be integrated into the simple AEQ Easynet Party-Line Systems.

Other features include:

• A Terminal can work in different locations and subscribe to different virtual networks, to participate in different remote productions.

• The system can be expanded temporarily or permanently via the cloud.

• It has the same operational flexibility as an AEQ matrix system working on a “peer to peer” basis, without a matrix.

sound system for creative and technical assurances, with the aim for UMG to ensure its music receives the seal “Approved in a Mercedes-Benz”.

Dolby Atmos will first be available in the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class as well as the EQE, EQE SUV, EQS and EQS SUV.

Visit https://www.dolby.com

• Supports 4-channel Party-Line operation to minimise setup effort.

• Stationary panels can be connected in the most convenient way, with an IP switch or in “Daisy Chain”.

• Users connected to a panel can be coordinated while receiving the audio of the production they are developing.

• Bluetooth connection with a smartphone or audio with a walkie-talkie system will allow coordination outside the system with remote users.

Visit https://aeq.es/xpeak

technology, Comrex’s proprietary suite of reliability tools. In addition to bonding technology, CrossLock also includes a Redundancy Mode for mission-critical applications. BRIC-Link III can take advantage of HotSwap, meaning that users can set a 4G/5G modem as a backup connection to only be engaged when the primary internet fails, providing an extra layer of reliability.

Customers can also choose to purchase an optional one-time licence per codec to utilise SwitchBoard, a private server that Comrex maintains which allows

for easy connections between IP codecs.

BRIC-Link III features a userfriendly HTML-5 based interface.

BRIC-Link III is also built with a compact chassis, so it’s easy to fit into a studio set-up. A dual rack kit accessory is also available.

BRIC-Link III is built for multiple modes of operation, including BRIC-Link normal (UDP), HTTP (Streaming Server, Icecast/ Shoutcast, Multistreaming), RTP, TCP, IP Multicast & EBU 3326/SIP mode for compatibility).

Visit https://www.comrex.com.

RØDE Launches Streaming and Gaming Division

AFTER WHAT THE COMPANY says has been more than three years in development, audio manufacturer RØDE has launched a streaming and gaming division, RØDE X, dedicated to developing high-performance audio solutions specifically for streamers and gamers.

According to the company, the new division employs a dedicated streaming and gaming R&D department appointed to developing a brand-new product line, of which the first three products are now available worldwide: UNIFY, a virtual mixing solution custom-designed for streaming and gaming, and two new professional USB microphones – the XDM100 dynamic USB microphone and XCM-50 condenser USB microphone.

“We are incredibly excited about the launch of RØDE X,” said RØDE CEO Damien Wilson.

“For more than three decades, RØDE has been the go-to audio brand for the world’s creators. We have made it our mission to provide professional audio solutions to musicians, filmmakers, podcasters and broadcasters.

Listening to and learning from creators is what we do and has led to the development of groundbreaking products like the VideoMic, RØDECaster Pro and Wireless GO. Now we’re doing the same for streamers and gamers.”

The hero of the RØDE X launch range is UNIFY. Designed to be the ultimate audio software for streaming and gaming, UNIFY consolidates functionality that would otherwise require multiple applications into one easy-to-use solution. This includes routing and mixing up to four USB microphones or other audio devices and up to six virtual audio sources (including game, chat, music and browser applications) in one intuitive interface; creating independent sub-mixes for different outputs, including your livestream, headphones and chat; adding studio-grade audio processing to your microphone channels; triggering on-the-fly sound effects; multitrack recording and more. The software comes free with all RØDE X products or is available for purchase as a monthly or yearly subscription for use with any other USB audio product.

Alongside UNIFY in the range are two brandnew microphones: the XDM-100 and XCM-50. The XDM-100 is a professional dynamic USB microphone that delivers rich, broadcast audio ideal for streaming and gaming. It features premium circuitry with RØDE’s ultra-lownoise, high-gain Revolution Preamp and high-resolution 24-bit/48 kHz analogue-digital conversion.

Its studio-grade dynamic capsule and tight cardioid polar pattern offer excellent clarity with superior rejection of room noise and keyboard or mouse clicks, and it comes with a high-quality pop shield and shock mount for mitigating unwanted pops, knocks and bumps. A high-power headphone output provides flawless zero-latency audio monitoring and playback, complete with hands-on level control and microphone mute functionality.

The XCM-50,meanwhile, is a professional condenser USB microphone also optimised for streaming and gaming. It delivers highly detailed voice reproduction with incredible warmth and presence thanks to its full frequency response. It, too, features a high-power headphone output complete with a level control and mute button, and an internal pop shield and capsule shock

mount provide protection from pops, knocks and bumps. The XCM-50 comes with a desktop tripod and features an integrated 360-degree swing mount for flexible mic positioning.

Both microphones feature powerful internal digital signal processing (DSP), which can be unlocked using UNIFY. This allows you to add advanced APHEX audio processing to your voice – including a compressor, noise gate, highpass filter, and the legendary Aural Exciter and Big Bottom effects – with full granular control over every parameter for crafting your own signature sound. Together, UNIFY and a RØDE X microphone offer a complete audio solution for streaming or gaming with the full capabilities of a professional broadcast studio.

These products are the first in the RØDE X range, with more slated for release in 2023 and beyond.

“The launch of RØDE X marks an exciting new era for RØDE,” said Damien Wilson. “In addition to these two incredible microphones and UNIFY, we have a suite of groundbreaking products currently in development that are going to shape the future of audio for streaming and gaming. This is just the beginning.”

Visit https://rodex.com/en

Sony Studio C-80 Condenser Mic

SONY ELECTRONICS’

Audio Division recently announced a new microphone for home studios, the C-80, a unidirectional condenser microphone ideal for vocal/ voice recording, instrumental recording, vlogging, webcasting and podcasting. This new product inherits the technology of Sony’s C-800G and C-100 microphones.

Utilising the microphone capsule derived from the C-100 and a two part metallic anti-vibrational body structure used in the C-800G, the C-80 inherits the essence of these two industry standard models.

Dual diaphragm configuration suppresses sonic changes with distance (proximity effect) and allows more

stability in the vocal recording process.

‘Noise Elimination Construction’ developed for the C-800G/C-100 prevents microphone body acoustic vibration, resulting in low noise and clear sound.

Sonic Characteristics of the C-80 include:

• Tight and rich mid-range capture provides a vocal sound with a clear core and presence, allowing vocals to stand out even when mixed with other instrumental sounds.

• Realistic reproduction of

the characteristics of an instrument, such as the sound of guitar strings and the resonance of the body.

• Natural and clear vocal recording is achieved by suppressing boomy low frequencies and noise when close to the microphone.

The C-80 joins Sony’s lineup of professional audio products including the MDR Series of headphones, wireless microphone systems, and portable field recorders.

Visit https://pro.sony

Thailand’s Amarin TV Powers Playout with Imagine Communications

AMARIN TV 34HD has implemented a new HD playout system from Imagine Communications at its headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand. Built on the widely deployed ADC automation and Nexio+ AMP media server, the installation enables Amarin TV to achieve real operational efficiency gains and high reliability, while integrating the new playout and asset management system with their current server and distribution architecture to respect existing capital investment.

Amarin TV 34HD, one of Thailand’s digital terrestrial television channels, has been on air since 2013. When its original playout system became obsolete, Amarin TV looked at the market for content management and delivery, and identified Imagine as offering solutions that could best meet their current and future needs. In particular, the Imagine proposal provided an end-to-end software-based solution that integrates seamlessly with the rest of Amarin TV’s SDI-based infrastructure.

“We had a clear idea of what we needed to achieve with our new playout automation network — both for our operations today, as we develop our workflows, and as a building block towards a more file-based future,” said Cheewapat Nathalang, CTO of Amarin TV.

Central to the new playout system is Imagine’s ADC automation — reliable and stable software used worldwide by media companies of all sizes. The ADC software tightly integrates with the Nexio+ AMP channel playout servers and Nexio Motion asset management software. Motion provides a dynamic link between the Nexio on-air network and Amarin TV’s existing shared storage. The new workflow reconciles all incoming SDI feeds ingested using the ADC Media Client before being handled as files and transferred to the intermediate and long-term

storage as appropriate.

The close integration of ADC, Nexio and Motion means that routine operations are highly automated. Transfers between Imagine’s IOX SAN storage pools are via watch folders, and ADC can interrogate the system for missing material based on playlists and purge content based on business rules. As all content is handled as files within the playout and asset management system, transfers are swift and secure and can be prioritized for urgent demands.

The new system was developed and implemented in cooperation with local systems integrator SWS Group Company Limited, whose GM, Pairoj Kittikulpaisal, commented, “Imagine Communications has always been a reliable brand, providing good support to our team for many years. We greatly trust Imagine’s products and solution, and this together with their ongoing help enables us to provide the best local support to all our customers.”

The complete system is fully redundant in a 1+1 configuration. ADC also manages the master control switcher, which supports graphics insertion, and Imagine’s Platinum VX SDI router for live feeds.

“Thailand is a very buoyant media market — and one where customers continue to build out facilities based on SDI infrastructure,” said Mathias Eckert, SVP & GM EMEA and APAC for Imagine Communications. “Amarin TV wanted a highly resilient, highly automated playout infrastructure that would seamlessly integrate into their existing SDI environment, and our wellestablished and proven ADC and Nexio products fitted the bill precisely. With strong local support from our Bangkok partners SWS Group Company Limited, we were able to tailor the system to Amarin TV’s precise requirements.

Visit https://www.imaginecommunications.com

PlayBox Neo Automates Time Delay for Thailand’s 3BB TV

A MULTI-ZONE multi-channel time delay system from PlayBox Neo, the provider of media playout solutions, has been chosen by Thailand-based IPTV service provider 3BB TV for integration into the engineering facilities at its Bangkok headquarters. The project was coordinated by O’Connor’s (Thailand) Company Limited which provides a wide range of broadcast media engineering services.

“We compared a range of solutions before identifying PlayBox Neo as the preferred partner for this project,” comments Kajohnsak Thanomjit, Senior Manager, Business Strategy, at 3BB TV. “The new solution was needed so that we could co-ordinate our overseas transmission schedules by adding a precisely adjustable amount of timing delay to some of our IPTV program channels. PlayBox Neo systems score very high in terms of performance, usability, durability and after-sales support.”

“3BB TV is one of Thailand’s most innovative telco companies,” says O’Connor’s (Thailand)

Sales Engineer Santhiti Silayaeng. “The solution were we asked to provide, integrate and commission is a 10-channel Neo TS Time Delay (https://playboxneo.com/time-delay) server. “It is configured to allow simultaneous or timeoffset playout of five primary plus five backup channels.”

“Neo TS Time Delay comes with full IP input and output connectivity and can be specified to allow for any desired amount of time delay,” adds Nut Deesamer, Director of PlayBox Neo’s Thailand branch. “Following installation and acceptance testing, O’Connor’s (Thailand) provided full onsite training to the 3BB TV presentation control staff.”

Designed for fully automated operation, Neo TS Time Delay can be scaled to support any required number of input channels and delayed outputs. It provides fully transparent time delay of transport streams such as DVB/ATSC MPEG while retaining the full original quality of the source content. Time delay can be preset to run

in fully hands-off mode or switched at any time to alternative offsets, including a zero delay output for each input.

All operating parameters in Neo TS Time Delay are easily adjusted via an integral web-based user interface, including channel-specific time offset in 15 second increments. Maximum delay depends on the stream input bitrate and storage capacity. Additional features include programme information display of MPEG-compliant transport streams plus automatic error logging. Connectivity features include UDP/RTP input/ output, unicast or multicast, via standard Gigabit Ethernet ports. Delay for UDP/RTP unicast/ multicast streams can be adjusted from a few seconds to a week or more.

Visit https://3bbtv-co-th https://www.oconnors.co.th https://www.playboxneo.com

The Imagine Communications-powered playout centre at Amarin TV 34HD headquarters.

Bitmovin Dives Into Green Streaming

BITMOVIN, THE PROVIDER OF video streaming infrastructure, and Austria’s University of Klagenfurt have announced they will collaborate on a two-year joint research project worth €3.3million to develop a climate-friendly adaptive video streaming platform called ‘GAIA’. The Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) will cofund the project, providing an initial €460,000 in funding for the first year.

The research project ‘GAIA’ will look to develop an adaptive video streaming platform that provides complete energy awareness and accountability, including energy consumption and GHG emissions, along the entire delivery chain. According to Stefan Lederer, CEO and Founder at Bitmovin, “With

quick action needed against climate change, our work on project GAIA with the University of Klagenfurt will pave the way for climate-friendly video streaming consumption. The funding received from FFG not only enables us to find a solution to the 306 million tons of CO2 that streaming and video processing generates and bears testament to the impactful research we have done in partnership with Klagenfurt previously.”

Previous project collaborations between the University of Klagenfurt and Bitmovin include: Evaluating the codec HEVC; Adaptive streaming over HTTP and emerging networked multimedia services; and Investigating potential new tools and

methodologies for encoding, transport and playback of live and on-demand video using the HTTP Adaptive Streaming protocol.

Project ‘GAIA’ aims to identify ways to improve sustainability and reduce energy consumption across the end-to-end video streaming chain by:

• Enabling energy awareness and accountability, including benchmarking and predicting energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions across the entire delivery chain, from content creation and server-side encoding to video transmission and client-side rendering.

25G Uncompressed Video Transport via SMPTE-2110

THIS YEAR’S IBC SHOW in Amsterdam saw IP infrastructure technology company ADVA and Cobalt Digital successfully demonstrate high-speed transport of uncompressed audio and video signals in an SMPTE-2110 environment.

Using ADVA’s Oscilloquartz timing technology, the trial network offered a simple, reliable and low-cost way to share broadcast streams in multiple digital formats at high quality. With ultra-compact, low-cost synchronisation delivered by OSA 5401 small form-factor pluggable (SFP) PTP grandmasters, the solution was demonstrated with Cobalt Digital’s high-density audio and video processing technology featuring native SMPTE-2110 support and multiple 25Gbit/s ethernet interfaces.

“This demo verifies the viability of an incredibly flexible technology for transporting video, audio and

broadcast data without the need for compression or reformatting. With Indigo, our next-generation platform, and ADVA’s unique timing plug, the trial solution delivers the highest levels of availability and quality and with an extremely small footprint,” said Suzana Brady, SVP of worldwide sales and marketing at Cobalt Digital. “ADVA’s pluggable Oscilloquartz timing device enables quick and simple deployment in a power-on and run environment. It removes the complexity of local network configurations and can support both GNSS-based and arbitrary time modes.”

Cobalt Digital’s Indigo 2110-DC01, a highly integrated factory option that includes dual 25Gbit/s ethernet interfaces and supports uncompressed 4K on the company’s 9904-UDX-4K openGear card. Support for ST 2022-7 seamless redundancy switching is incorporated for improved network

Dante Brooklyn 3 AV Networking Module

AUDINATE HAS ANNOUNCED that Dante Brooklyn 3 audio networking module is now shipping to customers. The new module is a pin-compatible replacement for Audinate’s Dante Brooklyn 2, which has been redesigned to ensure continuous availability while delivering support for current and future Dante features.

The Dante Brooklyn module family is the most widely deployed implementation of Dante, and is used in hundreds of products including mixing consoles, DSPs, and amplifiers. The new Dante Brooklyn 3 audio module is available in 8×8 to 64×64 channel SKUs, delivering ultra-low latency networked audio in a complete module supporting the complete suite of Dante audio features.

reliability as well as IS 04/IS-05 NMOS for automatic discovery and configuration. This included support enables devices to be auto-discovered by the network management and made available for interconnection. Indigo offers advanced processing with IP inputs and outputs and eliminates the need for any external gateways. When Indigo is combined with Cobalt’s 9904-UDX-4K card, a powerful and dense solution is created that is capable of natively processing HD, 3G-SDI and 4K IP streams without compromising quality. Key to the trial was submicrosecond synchronisation provided by ADVA’s accessSync OSA 5401 SyncPlug. The powerful and versatile time server with a built-in GNSS receiver is said to have the smallest footprint on the market. It complies with the latest PTP profiles for time, frequency and phase synchronisation in broadcast networks, including

• Reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions through advanced analytics and optimisations on all phases of the video delivery chain. Visit https://bitmovin.com

SMPTE 2059, for synchronising video and audio equipment over packet networks.

“Leveraging our most compact Oscilloquartz PTP timing technology, this demo shows how broadcast and media production network operators can achieve higher speeds while significantly improving efficiency. By processing natively over IP, Cobalt Digital’s platform removes complexity and significantly reduces cost,” commented Gil Biran, GM of Oscilloquartz, ADVA. “High-quality video and audio transmission rely on accurate and stable timing and our pluggable device was crucial to the success of this trial. The flexibility and simplicity of our accessSync OSA 5401 SyncPlug were key as well as its ability to distribute timing to many devices from a single SFP.”

Visit https://www.adva.com and https://www.cobaltdigital.com

“With the arrival of Brooklyn 3, we’re delivering a new design that will help original design manufacturers address supply chain constraints and maintain production while delivering a product to customers that will support future Dante features,” said Chris Ware, Audinate’s Senior Vice President of Product Development. “Because this new module is a direct

replacement for earlier versions, manufacturers can begin using them in production today.”

Dante Brooklyn 3 is compatible with all other Dante devices and can be routed, managed, secured and monitored using Dante Controller and Dante Domain Manager.

Visit https://www.audinate.com

Stefan Lederer, CEO and Founder, Bitmovin.

Reports of the Death of Linear TV are Greatly Exaggerated

By Peter Mayhead, CEO, Pebble.

NOT SO LONG AGO, it was thought that linear TV was increasingly a relic of a bygone era. Viewing patterns were changing across demographics worldwide as more and more people switched towards streaming services. However, increasingly it is looking like the reports of its demise have been premature. There are a huge number of individual surveys that give an equally huge number of differing results, but the metatrends of it all suggest a couple of things. First, the pandemic boosted streaming figures dramatically, even artificially, and second that the coming recession is making consumers rethink their choices when it comes to streaming services.

The result is that linear TV is not dead. In fact, if anything, it is having a bit of a renaissance.

The Media Nations 2022 report, recently published by UK regulator Ofcom, created massive headlines with its report that younger adults watch 7x less broadcast TV than those aged 65+ and that viewing across all broadcast content — that is linear channels, recordings, and on-demand — had fallen by 9% compared to 2020 and 4% compared to 2019.

“The long-term trend of decline in overall viewing of broadcasters’ content, seen over the past decade, has resumed,” it stated. There is undoubtedly a demographic fissure between different cohorts, though what is unknown is whether the ‘new’ consumption behavior of the younger generation (defined here as 16-34) evolves as they in turn grow older. Lifestyle changes caused primarily by starting families and establishing their own households tend to suggest that viewing time tends to coalesce around the large living room television once more as people age, and linear TV and its offshoots are very much a part of that experience, but there are unknowns. We lived with the model of linear TV for 60 years; Netflix has been streaming video for only 15.

The UK market is arguably the most technologically sophisticated television market in the world and is nothing if not volatile. The Ofcom report was generated from surveys that concluded in December 2021,

whereas newer research from consumer research platform Attest, estimates that the number of people watching terrestrial TV is trending up by 2.6% to reach 78.6%. Not only that, but people are watching live TV for longer, with a 1.4% increase in 4-hour-plus viewing sessions.

So what is going on here and why are we so confident that linear TV is very much a part of the future? A look at Netflix is a good place to start.

2022:

A Year of Transition

It has not been an easy year for the major SVOD players, with Netflix, in particular, having an annus horribilis of 2022 so far. It lost more subscribers, 970,000, in Q2 than it has at any time in its history, has laid off employees, and has had to put its foot down on password-sharing. It has also had to announce plans to launch an adsupported AVOD service in early 2023, with the hope that that will enable it to keep growing its user base — or at least halt the decline.

In contrast, rival Disney has experienced growth. Its combined reach (which folds in Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, and Starz) now stands at 221.1 million subscribers, just edging Netflix’s 220.7 million figure. However, not all is well there. It too finds itself having to launch an AVOD service (on 8 December) to maintain growth and reduce churn, and is raising prices at the same time. It also has to be pointed out that nearly 60 million of its subscribers are on comparatively low-cost plans in the Indian market, lowering its ARPU considerably across the company.

Elsewhere, Amazon, of course, famously does its own thing and treats video, even the astoundingly expensive Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series, as a loss leader for its retail business. And Apple TV’s quality over quantity approach is finally starting to bear fruit, but these are not easy times for SVOD. The audience is fragmented as new services launch constantly and is being forced to chop and change between providers to find the content they want to watch.

The coming economic headwinds are only going to make it worse. In October last year, analysts from the NPD Group listed cost as the

“Live events are at the top of the list. Sport in particular, but also increasingly event-driven live TV such as reality shows that can build huge, engaged audiences during extended runs, are still the preserve of linear TV. This is where water cooler TV first started, and the audiences and the cross-cultural phenomena that can be generated as a result can be huge.

#4 reason amongst consumers for canceling SVOD services. By April that had risen to #2. Unsurprising really that the fastest growing sector in streaming at the moment is FAST, Free-Ad Supported TV, and streaming channels that effectively replicate the linear TV experience albeit for narrower niche audiences.

Where linear TV still wins If anything these mushrooming FAST services serve as onramps to regular linear TV consumption for Gen Z audiences unaccustomed to the concept of a scheduled TV channel. But there are other reasons why linear TV still remains a draw for audiences and will remain so for some time to come. Live events are at the top of the list. Sport in particular, but also increasingly event-driven live TV such as reality shows that can build huge, engaged audiences during extended runs, are still

the preserve of linear TV. This is where water cooler TV first started, and the audiences and the cross-cultural phenomena that can be generated as a result can be huge. It is no accident that the world’s biggest brands are involved in sports sponsorship. News should not be discounted either, especially in times of crisis, and news is very much the preserve of traditional broadcast services.

Targeted advertising is another key advantage. While this technology is also powering AVOD services, the reach of linear TV remains exceptional and the connected ad-tech ecosystems of the major players across Europe, and also increasingly in the US, only serve to exacerbate this.

The combination of linear TV and targeted ad tech remains the best way to reach large, engaged audiences.

And then there is the brand of the providers themselves, Trust is an ephemeral concept when it comes to commerce, but the big public service broadcasters that have been delivering linear TV to their audiences since World War II and before are part of the fabric of their individual countries. They may not always be the first choice for day-to-day programming anymore, but for major events, they are still the button that most viewers will reach for on the remote.

The numbers are still massive Finally, even if the numbers of linear TV viewers are weakening in the long run it needs to be remembered they are still sizeable. Ofcom estimates that the average video viewing time in the UK in 2021 was 5 hours and 16 minutes per day, of which by far the largest amount, 144 minutes (46%), was spent with live TV, with the rest divided between SVOD, time-shift, DVD and so on.

In other words, linear TV remains the single biggest platform when it comes to video. It might not be the only game in town anymore, but it has long endured competition from a variety of sources over the years, from cinema to VHS and now SVOD, and chances are it will be a key part of broadcast strategies for many more years to come.

Visit https://www.pebble.tv/

Veset Cloud Playout Supports AWS CDI

VESET HAS ANNOUNCED that its cloud playout solutions will provide support for AWS Cloud Digital Interface (AWS CDI). The move to support AWS CDI will enable users of Veset’s playout solutions to distribute high quality uncompressed linear video content, drastically reducing latency, and improving the user experience for viewers.

AWS Cloud Digital Interface (AWS CDI) is a network technology that allows users to transport high-quality uncompressed video inside the AWS Cloud, with high reliability and network latency as low as 8 milliseconds. Video providers can use AWS CDI to build live video workflows that connect select AWS Media Services, products from AWS Partners, and offerings from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs).

With AWS CDI, users can build similar workloads across compute instances and services in the AWS Cloud by providing a reliable, high-performance, and interoperable

way of transporting uncompressed video.

David Thompson, Chief Product Officer, Veset, commented: “As the demand for high quality content shows no sign of slowing down, broadcasters are continually looking for ways to reliably transport live videos between applications, without compromising on quality. By supporting AWS CDI, Veset customers can use much higher quality uncompressed video on their linear

RIST Releases Spec for Source Adaption

THE VIDEO SERVICES FORUM (VSF) has released an ancillary feature that enhances the RIST specifications with source adaption. This feature, detailed in TR-06-4 Part 1, Source Adaptation, is the first in a series of ancillary features for the RIST Specifications.

One of the core RIST functions is packet loss recovery. However, if the network capacity falls below the stream rate, this situation cannot be handled by loss recovery – the source itself will need to react to keep the stream healthy. The options available to the stream

source are to either reduce the bit rate or re-route the stream (if possible). This new Specification defines a protocol for the stream receiver to provide feedback information to the source, so that such actions can be taken.

The RIST protocol is designed to reliably transport video over the Internet for any use case, but is typically used for professional media workflows such as news and sports contribution, remote production, affiliate distribution and primary distribution.

Dr. Ciro Noronha, President, the

channel with Veset’s playout solutions.” Visit www.veset.tv

RIST Forum, commented: “The RIST Profiles have been designed to transport live video content in a reliable way by identifying and recovering from any packet loss incurred. This update introduces a feature to further improve reliable delivery, enabling video providers to contribute content over the public internet even more seamlessly than before.”

Rick Ackermans, Co-Chair of the RIST Activity Group, added “The RIST Activity Group is continually working to develop additional RIST specifications and features. It is anticipated that the new source

MPEG Standard for Video Decoding in Immersive Media

One of the most distinctive features of immersive media compared to 2D media is that only a tiny portion of the content is presented to the user. Such a portion is interactively selected at the time of consumption. For example, a user may not see the same point cloud object’s front and back sides simultaneously. Thus, for efficiency reasons and depending on the users’ viewpoint, only the front or back sides need to be delivered, decoded, and presented. Similarly, parts of the

scene behind the observer may not need to be accessed.

At the recent 140th MPEG meeting, MPEG Systems (WG 3) reached the final milestone of the Video Decoding Interface for Immersive Media (VDI) standard (ISO/IEC 23090-13) by promoting the text to Final Draft International Standard (FDIS). The standard defines the basic framework and specific implementation of this framework for various video coding standards, including support for application programming interface (API)

standards that are widely used in practice, e.g., Vulkan by Khronos. The VDI standard allows for dynamic adaptation of video bitstreams to provide the decoded output pictures in such a way that the number of actual video decoders can be smaller than the number of the elementary video streams to be decoded. In other cases, virtual instances of video decoders can be associated with the portions of elementary streams required to be decoded. With this standard, the resource

adaption ancillary feature will make a real difference for contributing content over the public internet. As the Activity Group develops and releases further ancillary features in the series, the technical recommendations documents will also be made available for open access.”

Technical recommendations are freely available from the VSF website for all to download and to use.

Visit https://www.rist.tv and https://www.vsf.tv

requirements of a platform running multiple virtual video decoder instances can be further optimised by considering the specific decoded video regions to be presented to the users rather than considering only the number of video elementary streams in use. The first edition of the VDI standard includes support for the following video coding standards: High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Versatile Video Coding (VVC), and