Content+Technology Asia May-June 2017 by Content+Technology

PP: 255003/06831

ASIA MAY/JUNE 2017

MEDIA + PRODUCTION + MANAGEMENT + DELIVERY

POST PRODUCTION AUDIO

ACQUISITION RADIO

www.content-technology.com

SHOW PREVIEW

Your future is in safe hands

Some say that the future is uncertain. But with Magna, it couldn’t be clearer. For almost 50 years, Magna has been Asia Pacific’s leading systems integrator for Broadcast Media, Pay TV and Service Providers. With Magna, you’ll always know what’s beyond the horizon. We’ll get you there securely – we owe it to our reputation. Contact your local Magna office for more information and a free consultation today. Auckland +64 9520 1582 Hong Kong +852 2563 4453 Jakarta +62 8181 43923 Singapore +65 6282 3613 Sydney +61 2 9417 1111 sales@magnasys.tv www.magnasys.tv

Visit Magna Systems & Engineering at Broadcast Asia 2017 on booth 4S3-05

MAY/JUNE 2017

Sportscasting, page 20. REGULARS 02 EDITOR’S WELCOME

47 PICTURE CUT – THE SOCIAL PAGES

04 NEWS Blink Now Philippines Taps Ooyala, Mediacorp CEO Steps Down, Netflix Launches Localised Thai Service, MX1 Opens Korea Office, People on the Move.

16 FEATURES 12 BROADCASTASIA2017 PREVIEW 16 ACQUISITION Blackmagic Fuels Hit Japanese Film and Singapore School Show. New Cameras from Blackmagic and Grass Valley, and more.

20 SPORTSCASTING Ideal Systems Scores

at Sevens Rugby with 4K 360° 3D Virtual Reality, Commonwealth Games 2018 – the Gold Coast Diaries.

40 RADIO Logitek Establishes Asia Operations and Australian R&D Centre, Mediacorp Takes Tieline’s Merlin Codecs, Frontier Silicon Launches DAB+ Mini Module, plus Radio at NAB.

44 CONTENT DELIVERY OTT on the Rise with Tonton and iFLix, Delivery Solutions at BroadcastAsia.

24 NEWS OPERATIONS The Weather Company – a Different Type of Cloud, News Ops updates from NAB2017.

28 MEDIA IN THE CLOUD Empowering Content with the Blockchain, Managing Media at NAB.

32 POST-PRODUCTION Black is Back Grading LEGO Batman, Meet the Colourist: Yoomin Lee, Post at NAB.

36 AUDIO Korean UHD Launch Puts MPEG-H

on Sound Footing, Australian Grand Prix – Under the Hood with Riedel, Audio on the Floor at NAB. SUBSCRIBE FREE

CONTENT+TECHNOLOGY: ISSN 1448-9554 PP:255003/06831 Broadcastpapers Pty Ltd (ABN 34 095 653 277) PO Box 259, Darlinghurst, NSW 1300 Australia www.broadcastpapers.com PUBLISHER: Phil Sandberg Tel +61 (0)2 4368 4569 Mob +61 (0)414 671 811 papers@broadcastpapers.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Adam Buick Mob +61 (0)413 007 144 adam@broadcastpapers.com PRODUCTION MANAGER: Lucy Salmon Mob +61(0)412 479 662 production@broadcastpapers.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Wide Open Media Mob +61 (0)419 225 348 info@wideopenmedia.com.au PRINTING: DAI Rubicon, Singapore COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All material in Broadcastpapers’ Content+Technology Magazine is protected under

Australian Commonwealth Copyright Laws. No material may be reproduced in part or whole in any manner without prior consent of the Publisher and/or copyright holder. DISCLAIMER: Broadcastpapers Pty Ltd accepts no responsibility for omissions or mistakes made within, claims made or information provided by advertisers.

EDITOR’S WELCOME

Singapore – Where Technology Shines By Phil Sandberg WHILE THESE MAY BE uncertain times, it is certainly time again for the content production and delivery industry’s annual pilgrimage to Singapore for the annual BroadcastAsia show. The technology promises of previous years are showing signs of maturing and there will be a spotlight on areas of ongoing disruption such as drones, virtual and augmented reality, and connected media. By far the most significant disruptor in content technology this year will be that of maturing and increasingly standardised IP-based solutions. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced the results of a recent survey conducted of its members. The survey reveals that many AIMS members are moving quickly to bring products to market that are compliant with the SMPTE suite of standards for Professional Media over IP Networks (SMPTE ST 2110) by the end of 2017. SMPTE ST 2110 is currently in final draft stage, and builds on work undertaken in formulating the SMPTE 2022-6 standard which describes how to transport high bit-rate media signals over IP networks. SMPTE 2110, the next standard in the category, has been in development for the past year or so, and is designed to specify a separate set of standards for IP media networking with separate

According to AIMS board chair, Michael Cronk, "These survey results reveal that 03:00

02:00

01:00

SMPTE video-over-IP standards and are working diligently to supply full-fledged

whom are major vendors to the broadcast and media industry — 72 percent

products that cover a wide swath of the broadcast workflow. Ultimately, that

said they will begin shipping final-draft SMPTE ST 2110 standards-compliant

brings the entire industry closer to the goal of a unified IP-based infrastructure."

products this year.

For those of you who are attending BroadcastAsia2017, don’t forget to visit us

Those surveyed were asked to identify product categories that would be

at the Suntec centre on booth 4T4-05.

generally available beyond alpha, beta, or proof-of-concept merchandise. Respondents mentioned products spanning 25 categories, including routers, line cards, video servers, switchers, encoders, audio and video processors, cameras,

ersburg

our members are investing heavily in technology that's compliant with the latest

00:00

Meanwhile, of the AIMS members who responded to the survey — many of

24:00

23:00

22:00

SMPTE 2110 as its audio element.

21:00

20:00

19:00

18:00

17:00

16:00

15:00

essence flows. Indeed, the AES67 audio-over-IP standard has been included in

multiviewers, and integrated playout.

Thanks for reading Phil Sandberg – Editor/Publisher papers@broadcastpapers.com +61(0)414671811

Moscow

16:00

17:00

18:00

19:00

20:00

21:00

22:00

23:00

24:0

Beijing

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND EDITION

Seoul

MAY-JUNE 2017

Tokyo

Tehran Shanghai

Hong Kong Mumbai

Bangkok

2017 C+T DEADLINES

‘ASIAPAC’

Editorial Submissions:

09-05-17

Ad Bookings:

16-05-17

Ad Artwork:

31-05-17

ASIA EDITION AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2017

25-07-17

Ad Bookings:

01-08-17

Ad Artwork:

08-08-17

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

Email: papers@broadcastpapers.com

The C+T (Time) Zone.

Editorial Submissions:

For more information Sydney

EDITOR’S WELCOME

ASIA

Jakarta

NEWS + PEOPLE For the latest news visit www.content-technology.com

Blink Now Taps Ooyala for Video Ads, Live Streaming and Analytics OOYALA, THE PROVIDER OF video monetisation technology and services, is powering the complete video business of Blink Now, an OTT provider in the Philippines. With Ooyala, Blink Now is maximising its business potential across three separate OTT properties with a single provider, powering ad operations, video delivery, data-driven insights and live streaming to more than 180,000 users nationwide.

“Supporting multiple TV-monetisation models demands rich data to guide decisions. Ooyala’s analytics ties our business decisions to our audience’s desires, giving us the confidence to know what we build is what they want most,” said SMLEI Assistant Vice President of Digital Media and Head, Francis Gerard R. Tupaz. He added, “When considering our options in the market, Ooyala stood out as they are the only video solutions provider with a comprehensive set of modernday technologies. Backed by a local team for support and services, Ooyala immediately solved multiple challenges from reliable live streaming, audience measurement, premium content delivery and holistic ad-campaign management.” With Ooyala IQ, Blink Now has access to up-to-the minute analytics to see what content is trending at any given time, allowing them to feature well-performing content to attract even higher viewership. Real-time multi-dimensional reports

gives Blink Now granular insights to track engagement over any period of time across all properties or even individual videos. The data helps ensure they are reinvesting in highly-profitable content for the business based on its audience’s’ viewing behaviours. Using Ooyala Pulse, the customer can see how ad-loads affect drop-off and completion rates against varying content lengths. This allows them to tailor the right amount of ads to every piece of content to maximise monetisation without sacrificing user experience. “Blink Now is great example of a modern entertainment customer in need of Integrated Video Platform solutions. With our technologies, they can grow in tandem with its audience’s appetite for video and with the industry,” said Ooyala General Manager of Asia-Pacific, Steve Davis. “And with our analytics, they now have the insights to see how audiences watch Hollywood titles versus globallyrecognised TV episodes differently, what content is driving them the most money and how their audiences prefer to pay for and access content across devices.” Visit www.ooyala.com and https://blink-now.com

NEWS + PEOPLE

A part of SM Lifestyle Entertainment, SMLEI, the entertainment arm and subsidiary of the Philippines largest property developer, SM Prime Holdings, Blink Now is the OTT division focused on providing the best entertainment content and customer experience. The company required a sophisticated video technology provider with a powerful analytics solution to help them understand their audience’s habits across its subscription-based (SVOD), transaction-based (TVOD) and ad-supported video services (AVOD).

NEWS + PEOPLE Ericsson Expands Chinese Access to its Unified Delivery Network ERICSSON IS EXPANDING its Unified Delivery Network (UDN) solution in China through a deeper integration into operators’ networks including China Telecom and China Unicom, which combined carry 90 percent of Chinese Internet traffic. UDN is a global Content Delivery Network (CDN) which connects content providers all over the world with the last mile reach of network operators. Tianlai, a popular online karaoke service provider with more than 180 million registered subscribers, is the latest content provider to join the UDN ecosystem which also includes NewTV and China International Broadcasting Network (CIBN). Hao Jie, Chief Operating Officer, Tianlai, says, “Tianlai is always looking for new and innovative ways to expand our reach and meet the demands of consumers who want to enjoy and experience our services. Ericsson’s UDN ecosystem opens doors across borders to serve the Chinese market both at home and abroad, and the compatibility of its CDN with our products is a perfect match to reach these audiences.” Ericsson’s UDN resides at the service providers’ network edge, resulting in better performance and user experience. For the first time, content providers, big and small, can equally benefit from the optimized service delivery of over-the-top (OTT) services and high-quality video content.

and big data service provider, have forged a multi-year strategic partnership to deliver innovative TV services at web speed to China. Ericsson and Inspur will collaborate to develop a best-of-breed, cloud enabled TV platform for operators in the Chinese market using Ericsson’s end-to-end MediaFirst solution suite. Shandong Cable Network, the largest operator in the Asia Pacific region and one of the largest in the world, will be the first to deploy the new TV platform in China. The new service will deliver live and on-demand TV content to 20 million subscribers in 17 cities across the Shandong Province. Huang Ping, CTO, Shandong Cable Network says, “Our customers have access to an unprecedented amount of choice and content through their mobile devices. The increasing demand for round-the-clock, personalized video services that are easy to discover, engage with and enjoy is at an all-time high. We needed an intelligent, market relevant solution that can enable web speed transformation and cutting-edge innovations and help us to stay ahead of the curve in China’s dynamic TV market. Ericsson and Inspur meet these needs and will provide us with a world-class TV platform to deliver the next generation TV experiences that our subscribers want and deserve.”

Diomedes Kastanis, Vice President, Global Head of Innovation, Ericsson, says, “With UDN live in China, we are seeing steady growth of the solution to deliver unique content to Chinese audiences. Through partnerships with key operators such as China Unicom and China Telecom, we will continue to grow the UDN ecosystem and meet the demands of Chinese audiences around the world.”

As part of the agreement, Inspur will integrate Ericsson’s end-to-end MediaFirst solution suite within its media portfolio. It will deploy Ericsson MediaFirst TV Platform on Inspur’s advanced set top box and home gateway solution, and Ericsson MediaFirst Video Storage and Processing Platform (VSPP) on Inspur’s market leading hardware solution. This will enable Inspur and Ericsson to deliver cost-effective, high performance solutions to customers that leverages both companies’ best-of-breed software and hardware. Ericsson and Inspur also intend to roll out additional TV and media solutions to operators across China in the future.

Meanwhile, Ericsson and Inspur Software Group, a leading cloud computing

Visit www.ericsson.com

The ability to deliver a cross-border CDN service with superior performance and high-quality user experience is essential and Ericsson’s UDN allows service providers to be a conduit for both inbound and outbound content traffic for China.

Ostmodern Delivers BBC Player to SE Asia BBC PLAYER LAUNCHED RECENTLY, built using the Skylark content

management methods. Together, this gives channel partners the tools

management system from broadcast and VOD specialist, Ostmodern. The new authenticated multi-genre SVOD service, now available to StarHub and TM Net subscribers in Singapore and Malaysia respectively, offers a range of curated content from six BBC global brands: BBC Earth, BBC Lifestyle, BBC First, CBeebies, BBC World News, and BBC Brit. The launch of BBC Player marks the first time this content is available in Asia.

to deliver a personalised experience for their subscribers to drive content

In addition to providing the framework for quickly and effectively rolling out on-demand access to BBC content, the Skylark platform offers a host of additional benefits. It’s built from the ground up to support an editorial-led approach to content recommendations and includes advanced workflow

discovery. “We are delighted to be working with BBC Worldwide on this new service. It demonstrates the power of Skylark as an integration framework, while also showcasing the powerful content curation and editorial workflow tools in the CMS,” said Tom Williams, CEO at Ostmodern. At launch the authenticated app will be available on iOS and Android, and also online. Visit www.ostmodern.co.uk

NEWS + PEOPLE

Streamline your broadcast workflow

IHSE GmbH - Headquarters Maybachstrasse 11 88094 Oberteuringen  Germany

See the whole range of Draco tera KVM systems at Booth 6F3-01

IHSE GmbH Asia Pacific Pte Ltd 158 Kallang Way  #07-13A Singapore 349245

IHSE USA LLC 1 Corporate Drive Cranbury, NJ 08512  USA

ihse.com  info@ihse.com

EXPERIENCE MORE New Solutions from AJA HDR, Broadcast IP, and Multi-Channel Recording Stay on the leading edge with this year’s NAB line up from the company that defines quality, reliability and support.

Powerful Tools for HDR

Ki Pro Ultra Plus

Broadcast IP

AJA extends your HDR creative range.

Introducing Ki Pro® Ultra Plus.

The IP revolution continues its steady march.

Realtime Conversions: The new FS-HDR in partnership with Colorfront, converts between Camera/HDR formats, such as Slog3 to HLG, or SDR to HLG BT.2020. Desktop I/O: KONA® 4 and Io® 4K for HDR 10 and HLG needs. Mini-Converters: Hi5-4K-Plus and HA5-4K for HDR 10 display and analysis to and from HDMI.

The new multi-channel HD and single channel 4K 60p recorder from AJA.

KONA IP now offers TR-01 support for JPEG 2000 over IP workflows and 2110 support around the corner. The new IPT-1G-SDI and IPT-1G-HDMI baseband to IP bridge Mini-Converters join their sibling receivers for the transport of JPEG 2000 streams over IP, wherever you need it.

With up to 4-Channels of HD 60p recording in ProRes® with rollover support, single channel 4K 60p recording, full HDMI 2.0 input and output, plus 16 embedded channels of audio.

HDR 10 HLG

Logotype and How to use it for Partners

MXF

第 1 版 2016 年 8 月 1 日

For more information Visit AJA at Booth #SL2505 or online at www.aja.com

ソニー株式会社プロフェッショナル・ソリューション＆サービス本部メディアセグメント事業部門ビジネス戦略部 Phone: 050-3141-1776 Fax: 050-3809-1399

confidential

NEWS + PEOPLE

Mediacorp CEO Shaun Seow Steps Down SHAUN SEOW, CEO OF SINGAPORE’S MEDIACORP, will be leaving the company to join its parent, Temasek. The board of Mediacorp has commenced a search for Mr Seow’s successor. Mr Seow will continue with his duties as CEO and assist in the transition till 30 September 2017. Shaun Seow was appointed to his current role in July 2011 after holding various leadership roles across the company’s TV, radio, print and digital businesses. He was part of the core team that started Channel NewsAsia in 1999. As CEO, Mr Seow has reshaped Mediacorp in the face of audiences and advertising dollars shifting to digital platforms. He steered the launch and growth of Toggle and Mediacorp’s digital-first news, focusing on user experience and leveraging social media to drive engagement. Under his leadership, the company’s Digital Group was started to accelerate audience growth and monetisation. A consumer insights and analytics unit was also established to drive data-based decisions in product development and revenue generation. Beyond Singapore, Mediacorp has invested

Mr Seow will be joining Temasek’s Telecom, Media & Technology investment team, which includes Mediacorp in its portfolio. Visit www.mediacorp.sg

MX1 Expands into APAC with Korea Office

EUROVISION, the operational arm of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat), have announced an expansion of their partnership for use of multiple C-band transponders on AsiaSat 5 and a teleport service from AsiaSat’s Tai Po Earth Station in Hong Kong.

MEDIA SERVICES PROVIDER MX1, a wholly-owned subsidiary of satellite company SES, has opened an office in Seoul, South Korea, in a move designed to strengthen the company’s presence and customer support in the Asia-Pacific region. MX1 offers a full range of content management, delivery and value-added digital media services.

Eurovision and AsiaSat have partnered together since 1999 to deliver sports events to broadcasters holding the rights in the Asia-Pacific region, including major football leagues and tournaments. The collaboration has recently expanded to 4K transmissions of major events successfully delivered to the international broadcasting community. Over the years, AsiaSat’s space and ground facilities have been a key part of the Eurovision Global Network. Connecting AsiaSat’s Tai Po Earth Station in Hong Kong to the Eurovision FiNE (fibre network) allows Eurovision to provide enhanced value-added services, including equipment hosting, turnaround and uplink services to EBU Members and customers. Visit www.asiasat.com and www.eurovision.net

Netflix Launches Localised Thai Service NETFLIX HAS UNVEILED a fully localised Thai user interface complete with Thai subtitles and dubbing for thousands of hours of TV shows and films, including Netflix acclaimed original programming. 20170501_VICO_4K_AD_ANZ(190_60)修Page 1 17.5.1 2:17:48 PM The move by the Internet-based network follows an agreement with Thai telecommunications partner, mobile provider AIS.

“We are delighted to offer a more local Netflix experience in Thailand where members can enjoy a variety of TV shows and movies – everything from

NEWS + PEOPLE

Mr Seow said, “It’s been an exhilarating ride and I’m grateful for all the opportunities given me, capped by the privilege of leading Mediacorp as its CEO. Having completed its move to Mediacorp Campus, its new home in Mediapolis, as well as a major business review this year, Mediacorp is about to write its next chapter. I know it’s in good hands under Chairman Ernest Wong, someone I respect deeply. I’ll miss my talented colleagues, to whom I owe a debt of gratitude for their steadfast commitment to our work. Still, I’ll never be too far away in my new role at Temasek. I, too, will be writing my next chapter, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Eurovision, AsiaSat Extend APAC Partnership

The C-band transponders will be used for occasional live sports and news transmissions in the AsiaPacific region. They will also support permanent TV channel distribution in Asia for EBU Members and customers.

in a digital publisher in Indonesia, where digital adoption is taking off exponentially.

Brendon Woo, Managing Director, Korea, will oversee MX1’s Seoul office with the aim to drive business growth, as well as respond to the needs of Korean customers that are using MX1 360, the company’s cloud-based media services platform for content management and delivery. “Korea is a well-developed country for IT, media, broadcasting, and content production. Korean imports of foreign channels and exports of rich media content to global markets are increasing, and we recognised an opportunity to expand business through local support to new and existing customers,” said Woo. “Having an office in Seoul will allow us to communicate with customers in the local language and meet face to face, which is very important to us. As the world’s first media globaliser, we support content owners and TV channels, allowing them to deliver content anywhere and to every device. Our comprehensive service includes content management, playout, and various options for effective content distribution.” The new office is located at: Room 506, 5F, Excon Venture Tower, 3, Eunhaeng-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu in Seoul. Visit www.mx1.com globally popular Netflix original series to anime, kids content to Korean drama,” said Jessica Lee, Vice President, Communications, Asia.“Thailand knows great entertainment and now it’s even easier to watch the world’s favourite shows on Netflix anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected device and at the same time as the rest of the world.” Apart from the language localisation, members will also have access to exclusive series and films in Ultra HD 4K and HDR. Netflix can now be accessed on over 1000 types of Internet-connected devices. Visit www.netflix.com/th

NEWS + PEOPLE

NEWS + PEOPLE Discovery’s Yuko Suguro Joins TVT Japan DIGITAL MEDIA SERVICES PROVIDER, TVT, has announced the appointment of Yuko Suguro as Head of Operations in Japan. Suguro joins from Discovery where she was one of the team that launched the channel in the region, and brings to the new role over twenty years’ experience of operational and technical management. Suguro joined Discovery in 1996 and has held senior operations management roles within the business over the last two decades, most recently as Manager, Operations where she oversaw satellite network and domestic delivery operations. This included managing post-production, live

show, playout and delivery, all within a bilingual environment. Her new role at TVT will take her expertise in broadcast operations, putting her in charge of engineering and operations. Her technical leadership will bolster TVT’s business in Japan, which supports international providers in delivering their content in the region. Yuko Suguro said, “TVT are proven experts in helping many leading international broadcasters to efficiently deliver their content to the Japanese market. It is one of the few businesses in this field to offer a truly international service that supports a twenty-four-hour turnaround, enabling broadcasters and content owners to reach and engage Japanese audiences. I am thrilled to join the team at an exciting time for the business.” Visit www.tvt.biz

CW Sonderoptic Appoints Tsukada for APAC, Po for China CW SONDEROPTIC, designer and manufacturer of Leica cine lenses, has announced new additions to its international sales team for Leica cine lenses. As Regional Sales Manager, Asia Pacific, Osamu Tsukada is responsible for the Asia Pacific region, which includes East and South Asia, and Australia. Prior to joining CW Sonderoptic, Osamu worked in Business Development for Codex Digital in the Asia Pacific region where his focus was on client support and service, trade shows and events. Before that he worked in Business Development for ARRI Asia. Osamu also has on-set experience having worked as a camera assistant and Camera/Steadicam operator in numerous commercials, short films and music videos throughout Japan. Osamu earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from J.F. Oberlin University in Tokyo. “I am extremely excited to take part in expanding the recognition and appreciation of Leica cine products as wonderful, image-making tools, to every corner of the world,” said Osamu. Meanwhile, Po Liu has been appointed Regional Sales Manager for the Greater China area for CW Sonderoptic. With more than a decade of experience in the equipment rental business, Po was previously the Technical Marketing Manager for Salon Films in Hong Kong where he was responsible for technical marketing support, workflow consultation and market development. Po earned a bachelor’s degree in Cultural

Po Liu.

Osamu Tsukada.

Studies from Lingnan University in Hong Kong. According to Po, “Working at CW Sonderoptic is like a dream come true. Being a fan of Leica for so many years, I’m excited to be a part of the team to introduce a new choice of fantastic optics to the Greater China market.” Visit http://cw-sonderoptic.com

Iflix Appoints Sean Carey Chief Content Officer IFLIX, THE SUBSCRIPTION VIDEO ON DEMAND (SVoD) service for emerging markets has announced that Sean Carey has joined the company as Chief Content Officer of iflix Group. Carey brings more than two decades of experience in digital media, content acquisition and distribution, and strategic planning to the role. He most recently served as Vice President, Global Television at Netflix, where he was responsible for all licensed television series, kids and family content, and co-productions for the Netflix service in all territories. Prior to Netflix, Carey held executive roles in strategic content, digital distribution and corporate development at Sony Corporation and its filmed entertainment subsidiary,

Sony Pictures Entertainment. iflix Group Co-founder and CEO Mark Britt commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Sean, one of the world’s foremost content experts and strategists to the iflix family. His proven track record in leading international content operations and setting global standards will be a key driver as we continue to consolidate iflix’s leadership position and rapid growth globally.” James Bridges, who previously served as Chief Content Officer, will continue to lead iflix’s content acquisitions in his new role as Global Head of Content Partnerships, reporting to Carey. Visit www.iflix.com

Village Island Releases 4K Over 3G-SDI Appliance VILLAGE ISLAND, THE APAC video equipment supplier and integrator headquartered in Japan, has announced VICO-4, a new encoder/decoder appliance enabling UHD smart transport over SDI. VICO-4 is powered by TICO, the highefficiency compression engine from intoPIX.

NEWS + PEOPLE

The new VICO-4 appliance allows transport of 4K base-band video over a single 3G-SDI, without losing any noticeable video quality and with zero-frame delay. The VICO-4 Encoder takes in 4K as 4x 3G-SDI or 1x 3G-SDI and converts it into a single 3G-SDI. The VICO unit can be easily switched between Encoder and Decoder.

The VICO is powered by TICO, the high-efficiency compression engine from intoPIX enabling 4:1 Visually Lossless compression with a total delay (encoder plus decoder) of only a few video lines (less than 1ms). The VICO-4 is designed to enable: • Broadcasters moving towards 4K to make a use of their current SDI

facilities. The resulting 3G-SDI code-stream signal can be interfaced with

3G-SDI uncompressed traditional devices such as Distribution Amplifiers, Storage/Playout system, Optical Transmitters, Matrix-Switchers and Routers, etc. • Broadcasters transport the 4K video as raw data (or equivalent to raw

quality) and with near-to-zero delay. • Use of SDI connections when IP is not an option or when the existing IP

network brings with it inadequate constraints or complexity. • Resolution of 4K SDI cabling issues related to limitation of space and of

distance between devices. The VICO handles 4K video as 4x 3G-SDI in both 2SI (2 Sample Interleave) and SQD (SQuare Division) modes, in Level A and B. It also supports 12G-SDI which makes it a suitable gateway for new 12G-SDI devices.The SDI transport of TICO video data is done according to the SMPTE RDD 35 specifications. Visit http://village-island.com/en/villageisland/hardware/vico-4/

MEDIA STORAGE

MADE SIMPLE Create, Manage, and Deliver Media Content Edge to Core to Cloud

Find out more at: emergingtechsolutions.com/media-entertainment isilonapj@emc.com

NEWS + PEOPLE

Visit us at Broadcast Asia, booth #42Q-05 and suite #311

NEWS + PEOPLE Heina Karina Abdul Wahid Joins TMD TMD, THE PROVIDER OF asset management systems for digital and physical assets, has recruited Heina Karina Abdul Wahid to its South-East Asia operations, based in the company’s offices in Kuala Lumpur. Her appointment is in response to TMD’s successful implementations and continued projects with customers such as leading satellite broadcaster Astro in Malaysia and Singapore-based Asian Film Archive (AFA).

and will provide in-depth local assistance for the growing user base in the region,” Nathan said. “Her addition to the team means we now have a strong local technical presence in the region that can only enhance our already first-class support operation.”

Heina holds a degree in IT from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Prior to joining TMD, she worked at the Multimedia Development Corporation, part of the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation. She joins TMD’s growing APAC team, headed by T Vimalanathan (Nathan), who was recently appointed as regional manager.

Carlton Smith, CEO, TMD, added “South-East Asia is a very important and growing market Heina Karina Abdul Wahid. for us. We have a long and proud track record of responsive service around the world. We are delighted to welcome Heina Karina to the team.”

“Heina Karina is an experienced business analyst and systems support engineer,

Visit www.tmd.tv

Brief Moves YUSOF AHMAD has started a new position as Sales Manager, SEA + Korea at Bose Corporation. He was previously Regional Sales Manager – Tour Sound at Harman International.

MUHAMMAD NOOR AZMAN TEMIN has started a new position as Senior Engineer, OTT Delivery at Astro. He was previously Senior Engineer, Broadcast at MYTV Broadcasting Sdn. Bhd

RAMARATHINAM V has started a new position as Regional Manager at Benchmark Broadcast Systems. He was previously Asst. Bid Manager at MediaGuru.

MELVIN CHEN has started a new position as Solutions Architect at Grass Valley APAC. He was previously at WSQ Creative Industries - Media Workgroup with Singapore Workforce Development Agency.

JAMES TAYLOR has started a new position as SVP Head of Cloud Solutions at IDEAL Systems Group. He was previously Director of Technology at Turner International Asia Pacific

DAVID CAO has started a new position as Regional Sales Manager at Rohde & Schwarz. He was previously Sales Director at KIT digital.

BALA MURALI Subramaney has started a new position as Honorary Treasurer of Commercial Radio Malaysia at Commercial Radio Malaysia. He was previously Vice President/General Manager at Astro Radio Sdn Bhd. GAMBON NUGROHO has started a new position as Producer at iNewsTV. He was previously News Producer at CNN Indonesia.

JASON SIBAL has started a new position as Engineering Manager at Elevate Broadcast Pte Ltd. He was previously Solution Architect at Grass Valley. POCHOLO GONZALES has started a new position as Founding Chairman and CEO at Dubbing Booth Company. He was previously Radio Program Producer at 8 TriMedia Broadcasting Network. Visit www.content-technology.com/peopleasia

DE S I GN| C ONS UL T I NG| E QUI P ME NTS UP P L Y

NEWS + PEOPLE

“ Wef o c u so ni mp l e me n t a t i o nr a t h e r t h a nt h e o r y , p r o b l e ms o l v i n gi n s t e a do f me r ed i a g n o s i s , a n da c h i e v i n go u t c o me sr a t h e r t h a na d mi n i s t e r i n gp r o c e s s e s . ”

s a l e s @e l e v a t e br o a dc a s t . c o m

www. e l e v a t e br o a dc a s t . c o m

+6 56 8 7 143 5 2

NEP Group Mourns Loss of Keith Andrews NEP AUSTRALIA, the international NEP Group and wider broadcasting industry are mourning the loss of colleague and friend, Keith Andrews.

“It was this passion which saw

Keith passed away suddenly early Saturday April 22nd from a heart attack while at home in Australia for the Easter holidays. He had been part of the NEP family for seven years – joining as CEO of the Australian business and, most recently, was President and Chief Operating Officer of the global NEP Group.

Chief Operating Officer of the

him promoted to President and global NEP Group, based in the US, in 2015.

NEP Group CEO Kevin Rabbitt paid tribute to Keith, saying: “Keith was one of the key architects in building the NEP Worldwide Network. He will be missed by our entire team.

“Keith was also a visionary and

“Beyond being a great leader, Keith was a great person, living his life with passion and a will to win that was infectious. He and I were strong business partners but even stronger friends.

revolutionary new contract with

“Like many others, I am better for having known him and will continue to emulate the qualities he lived every day.”

outside broadcasting needs, a

NEP Australia President Soames Treffry added, “Keith was an extraordinary leader and friend. His unwavering positivity, support and belief in the team both drove the business and inspired so many colleagues to grow and excel. “Keith mentored, advised and cared deeply for us all. His death is as unfathomable as his contribution to us professionally and personally was immense. “Our hearts and deepest sympathies are with Keith’s wife Frances, his son Edward, his daughter Eloise and son-in-law in this impossibly sad time.” Fox Sports Australia Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Delany, also paid tribute to Mr Andrews. “All of us at Fox Sports are deeply saddened by news of Keith’s passing,” Mr Delany said. “Keith has been a true friend of the Fox Sports Australia family for many years. He has been a valuable and constant partner behind the scenes as Fox Sports has evolved to become the leader of Australian sports broadcasting. “Originally as head of Global Television, which was subsequently acquired by NEP, Keith oversaw the outside broadcasting services for Fox Sports’ coverage of AFL and NRL helping us push the boundaries to evolve and improve the level of coverage offered to Australian viewers and subscribers.

one of the key architects of Fox Sports’ recently announced NEP Australia to provide a new fibre based hub solution for our world first. “As a man, Keith was both a friend professionally and personally to many of our executives, a constant and collaborative supporter and most of all a true gentleman of the industry who will leave a legacy for many years to come. “Our thoughts are with his family, wife Frances, daughter Eloise and son Edward.” Keith Andrews forged an extensive international career, primarily in technologyrelated businesses. His various executive roles spanned publicly listed and private sector companies in the US, Australia and Asia. Keith’s expertise as a nonexecutive director was also highly sought-after: he was an accredited facilitator, a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and member of the Queensland University of Technology Business School’s CEO Advisory Board. Keith was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of NEP Broadcasting in April of 2015, upon which he relocated to Pittsburgh, PA, from Sydney. Before that he spent five years as Chief Executive Officer of Global Television (now NEP Australia). Visit www.nepinc.com/welcome/nep_australia

Celestial Tiger Ramps Up OTT Presence Across Asia

The new carriage deals include CTE’s first OTT launch in Taiwan and OTT carriage agreements in Hong Kong and Singapore. “We are moving rapidly to address the growing demand for Over-The- Top services of our channels. All six of our main channel brands are available as OTT services and these carriage deals are just the beginning of our OTT expansion. We look forward to working with our affiliate partners as well as new platforms to build their OTT offering. From Chinese and Asian movies to action and horror content, our channel brands extend beyond the linearviewing experience to offer consumers and subscribers specifically-curated content they can’t see anywhere else,” said Todd Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Celestial Tiger Entertainment.

• Singapore – CATCHPLAY, a film distributor and co-producer headquartered in Taiwan, now carries a CM branded SVOD service on its OTT serviceCATCHPLAY On Demand. The same content is also available for StarHub customers through its CATCHPLAY Unlimited HD add-on channel. • Taiwan – FTV, one of the leading free-to- air broadcasters and largest OTT content aggregators in Taiwan, will carry CCM on its OTT service, Four Seasons. Through FTV, Taiwan’ mobile operator Asia Pacific Telecom, also carries CCM on its OTT service, Gt TV. LiTV, another OTT service provider in Taiwan, carries CCM. LiTV offers nearly 100 local and international TV channels and is the subsidiary of TGC Taiwan Inc, a leading digital technology and entertainment service producer in Taiwan. Beyond OTT launches, CTE also recently signed traditional linear carriage

The deals cover the following CTE channels: Celestial Movies (CM), a 24-hour first-run Chinese movie channel; the Celestial Classic Movies (CCM) Chinese movie channel; the KIX action channel; and the Thrill horror, thriller and suspense movie channel.

agreements with a number of Southeast Asian platforms and distributors.

The new carriage deals are as follows:

TTT Networks, a leading Thai cable channel distributor, to distribute CTE’s

• Hong Kong – myTV SUPER, free-to- air broadcaster TVB’s OTT service, now carries CCM, KIX and Thrill. KIX and Thrill will be offered both as linearstreaming channels and as branded on-demand services, while CCM will be offered as a linear streaming channel only. All three channels are available under the Action Thriller Movie Entertainment Pack.

channels to local cable operators across Thailand. TTT Networks first deal

Thrill launched on Nexmedia, one of the leading digital terrestrial-based pay-TV platforms in Indonesia. In Thailand, the company closed a deal with

for CTE is a carriage agreement for KIX and Thrill with Charoen TV, the biggest cable operator available in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. Visit www.celestialtiger.com

NEWS + PEOPLE

ADDRESSING A GROWING DEMAND for Over-The- Top services, Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), operator of the largest bouquet of pan-Asian channels dedicated to Asian entertainment, has announced four new carriage deals for OTT services of its existing channel brands across Asia.

PREVIEW Broadcast Asia 2017, 23-25 May, Level 3-6, Suntec, Singapore

www.broadcast-asia.com

BroadcastAsia Returns Front and Centre BACK AT SINGAPORE’S SUNTEC CENTRE, BroadcastAsia will be housed on expanded purpose-built exhibition grounds spanning 20,000 square metres across three levels from 23 – 25 May 2017. The TV Everywhere! Zone, back for its third showing, is expected to grow by 50 per cent and act as a major focal point of BroadcastAsia2017. Brand new clusters for drones and virtual reality will also make their debut, rounding up the event’s immersive showcase of game-changing products for next-generation broadcasting and the latest end-to-end solutions needed to stay ahead of the curve. “New technologies are expanding the broadcasting ecosystem and bringing forth exciting new possibilities to create and consume content, especially within Asia. We are therefore thrilled to be launching these new clusters to allow attendees to get first-hand experience using these technologies,” said Calvin Koh, Assistant Project Director of BroadcastAsia2017 from organiser Singapore Exhibition Services. BroadcastAsia stalwarts – the Cinematography/Film/Production Technology Zone and ProfessionalAudioTechnology – will also be back to showcase technologies for the audio ecosystem and a comprehensive range of production/ post-production equipment and services. Beyond the exhibition, the BroadcastAsia2017 International Conference will bring together an unprecedented portfolio of top broadcast experts and industry influencers to discuss evolving industry trends, debate the best business and

commercial strategies, and showcase breakthrough technologies. Key trending themes will include OTT 2.0 and monetisation, optimising content and branding strategies, maximising experience on all screens, IP in broadcasting, UHD vs 1080p, HDR delivery for the future, broadcast standards, HBBTV 2.0.1 and hybrid delivery, workflow and automation, subtitling and captioning technology, and sportscasting and newscasting. The CommunicAsia2017 and EnterpriseIT2017 exhibition and summit will be held at the same time as BroadcastAsia2017 at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Shuttle buses will take visitors between the Marina Bay Sands and Suntec so they can easily visit both shows. Register at www.broadcast-asia.com

Dell EMC Brings Scale-Out NAS and the Elastic Cloud DELL EMC HAS ANNOUNCED it will showcase, for the first time in Asia, a comprehensive suite of storage solutions, including the New Generation of Isilon Scale-Out NAS and Elastic Cloud Storage (ECS) file and object platforms for television broadcasters, content creators and content delivery providers, at BCA 2017. Dell EMC will be exhibiting at Broadcast Asia 2017 in booth #42Q-05 on Level 4 of the Suntec Convention Centre. Dell EMC is also hosting meetings and workshops in their hospitality suite #311 on Level 3, and providing storage, network and workstation technology for the Broadcast IP Interop Lab on Level 6. A joint workshop with Grass Valley and Dell EMC will be held on Wed May, 24 at 11.30am at suite #311. According to Charles Sevior, CTO of Storage Division (APJ), Dell EMC, “As the media industry faces significant changes in business models, viewer preferences and competition, we are excited to showcase our highperforming IT foundation for media and entertainment workflows so that our customers can create, manage and deliver their best work. We look forward to collaborating with our partners and media organizations to help them realise new opportunities for media monetization and growing market share.” “Broadcasters are under growing pressure to be more agile and respond

more quickly in order to attract and keep viewers,” adds Richard Jones, Regional Sales Director - ASEAN, Grass Valley, a Belden Brand. “As a result, they are increasingly leveraging compute resources such as the cloud and virtualization, which provide flexibility, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. We have collaborated for many years with Dell EMC to integrate our products with its Isilon storage solutions, which offer our joint customers a scalable and reliable storage infrastructure that effectively supports applications such as playout and news production.” As new media technologies such as 4K / UHD are being introduced or planned in Asia, underlying storage infrastructures must effectively scale to keep up with expanding performance requirements. Further, the broadcast and media industries are under pressure to manage the exponential growth of content, demand for multiplatform content delivery, rigorous global production schedules and transition to all-IP media operations. In related news, Dell recently unveiled the latest additions to its innovative, industry-leading monitor portfolio, including the company’s first UHD Alliancecertified for HDR10 display. Visit http://emergingtechsolutions.com/media-entertainment

BroadcastAsia2017: Top 5 Tech Trends THIS YEAR’S BROADCASTASIA exhibition will showcase top technologies from across the broadcast spectrum. Some of the must-see trends at BroadcastAsia2017 include: VIRTUAL REALITY (VR)

BROADCAST ASIA

Besides a dedicated Virtual Reality Zone at BCA, there will also be an “X-periencing Virtual Reality @ Innovation Hub” for visitors to check out demos on VR for consumers, technical challenges, and the latest developments in Audio VR.

MOBILE VIEWING TV Everywhere! Zone At the dedicated TV Everywhere! Zone at BroadcastAsia, visitors can explore the latest technologies from our exhibitors, including archive management, content delivery networks, and interactive TV apps.

CINEMATOGRAPHY At the dedicated Cinematography/Film/Production zone, visitors can view the latest innovations in animation, cameras and lenses, editing and motion graphics, among many more. VIDEO ANALYTICS See how video analytics will affect the entire broadcasting ecosystem and the latest innovations that revolve around it by joining BroadcastAsia’s Themed Guided Technology Tours or Customised Self-Guided Trails. IP BROADCASTING IP broadcasting is redefining the broadcasting industry, providing more operational flexibility and a higher capacity, making it easier to create and deliver interesting content. The IP Inter-Op Lab at BroadcastAsia will include a live broadcast studio, content editing and distribution to OTT, all IP in real time. Visit www.broadcast-asia.com

Imagine Communications Showcases Next-Generation Solutions IMAGINE COMMUNICATIONS will be demonstrating a range of softwaredefined solutions at BroadcastAsia2017. Highlights will include IP-connected systems for live production, content management, playout and advertising management solutions, and multiscreen delivery. As this functionality is increasingly implemented in software on standard IT platforms, the emphasis is on virtualisation and the cloud to provide cost-effective productive platforms.

The demonstrations will also show ultra-low latency encoding for IP-based production in Ultra HD/4K and high dynamic range (HDR) image quality.

Imagine Communications assisted in the transition to commercial off the shelf hardware and IP connectivity through its own projects, early participation in the Alliance for IP Media Systems (AIMS), and by forging partnerships with key players from the IT industry. An example is the partnership with Siemens Convergence Creators; this aligns its Smart Video Engine modular online video platform with Imagine’s multiscreen media and advertising delivery solution.

LandmarkÔ, Imagine’s sales and scheduling solution, will also be on show. Built to help manage, connect, deliver and optimise advertising revenue, this open modular platform ensures media companies can build tailored solutions for sales, scheduling and analytics, both for linear and nonlinear content delivery.

Live production is now embracing IP connectivity thanks to the open architecture initiatives of AIMS. At BroadcastAsia, Imagine will demonstrate hybrid SDIIP solutions for production architectures, showing how broadcasters can move into new architectures without putting current investments at risk.

The company will also be demonstrating content management, branding and playout for HD and UHD, the cloud, as well as on-premises solutions. This will be the first chance for broadcasters from the region to see the new user interface and advanced automation for the VersioÔ playout system.

Imagine will also showcase its multiscreen delivery capabilities with its highdensity transcoding and output devices, again capable of implementation in the machine room, data centre or in the cloud. The demonstration will include the latest implementation of the HEVC codec and will feature the Siemens middleware and user apps including dynamic advertising insertion. Visit www.imaginecommunications.com

New Omniscreen Products at CommunicAsia COMBITEL GROUP will be at CommunicAsia exhibiting at the Australian Victorian Government area (stands BM2-01 – BM2-07). CombiTel Group will exhibit two solutions from the Omniscreen range: Omniscreen Pilot, an enterprise TV and digital signage application server. This is a managed TV and signage delivery solution which can be customised to enterprise requirements, including government/corporate offices, broadcast and AV studios, public venues, hospitals and aged care facilities, hotels/ resorts, cruise ships, airlines and railways, and other locations. It differs from

traditional hospitality solutions due to its integration flexibility and strong security features. Omniscreen Radio, an appliance for streaming AM, FM and DAB+ radio stations over corporate or campus LANs. Apart from corporate and hospitality customers, it is aimed toward broadcasters to monitor radio stations over in-house networks as with TV channels. Omniscreen’s latest edition supports programme guide for DAB+ radio stations. Visit www.omniscreen.tv and www.combitel.com.au

Are You a Media Technology Vendor/Developer with Existing or Planned Business Interests in China?

Are You a Media Technology Vendor/Developer with Existing

Are You Looking to Import China-made or Planned BusinessProducts Interestsor inOutsource China? Manufacturing? Want to Tap Into the World’s Biggest Media Market?

Are You Looking to Import China-made Products or Outsource Manufacturing? Keep Up on the Background to Technology Trends Across Greater China

Want to Tap Into the World’s Biggest Media Market?

Keep Up on the Background to Technology Trends Across Greater China

China Market News Translated from Original Government & Private Sources *Putonhua for Media, pronounced ‘Matey’

¡ Original

Articles & Interviews with Chinese Technology Decision Makers

¡¡ Current China News TranslatedCoverage from Original Government & Private Sources Summaries of Market Editorial & Advertising in Chinese-language publications

Interviews¡ with Chineseand Technology Decision Makers Tradeshow Dealer Advice from China Veterans

¡¡ Regulatory Moves Summaries of Editorial ¡ Market

Snapshots

¡ Dealer/Manufacturer Directory and more & Advertising Coverage in Chinese-language publications

¡ Tradeshow

and Dealer Advice from China Veterans

For Your Trial Subscription, Visit www.chinameiti.biz ¡ Moves Dealer/Manufacturer Directory and more

¡ Regulatory

THE TEAM

For Your Trial Subscription, Visit www.chinameiti.biz

BROADCAST ASIA

¡¡ Original Articles & Market Snapshots

Interra Systems Ensures Quality for Streaming Providers VIDEO STREAMING is complex and service providers must support a wide and

ORION Content Monitor for OTT Workflow

ever-changing range of standards, formats, device types, and video production and

At BroadcastAsia2017, Interra Systems will highlight ORION-OTT, one of the industry’s first software-based over-the-top (OTT) solutions for real-time monitoring of adaptive bitrate (ABR) content for multiscreen service delivery. Leveraging proven audio and video quality analysis technologies, ORION-OTT enables OTT service/equipment and CDN providers to monitor online video delivery for quality and compliance.

delivery approaches. What’s more, consumers expect high-quality video on every device. To be successful, service providers need quality control (QC) and monitoring solutions at every stage of the production workflow for both live and video-ondemand content. At BroadcastAsia2017, Interra Systems will showcase its approach to QC and monitoring (stand 4U2-04). Interra Systems’ enterprise-class solutions enable the delivery of video on every device, in an efficient and cost-effective manner possible. BATON – Next-Generation Hybrid QC for File-Based Workflow Interra Systems’ BATON QC solution now supports a combination of automated and manual QC checks. With a hybrid QC solution operators can detect certain issues, such as with lip sync, which automated QC solutions alone cannot identify. The solution also features a new powerful BATON Media Player, which shows a list of manual QC checks enabled in the test plan, and allows users to add necessary errors, as well as mark each manual task as being reviewed.

ORION Real-Time Content Monitor Interra Systems’ ORION real-time content monitoring and video analysis system will also be exhibited during BroadcastAsia2017. ORION is software-based, providing users with a powerful yet economical monitoring solution that runs on standard industry hardware. The latest version of ORION real-time content monitoring solution features major performance improvements in terms of the number of services that can be monitored on a single machine and performance scaling on multi-CPU systems. New enterprise features include REST APIs for exporting closed captions, EBP and IGMP data in XML format, system control and configuration. VEGA Media Analysers

features for BATON+ allow users to effectively track trends and anomalies in the

Interra Systems VEGA media analysis solution for standards compliance, debug, and interoperability of encoded streams has been enhanced to include support for Windows 10, the latest HEVC HM reference code, ABR streams, HEVC interlaced streams, VP9 streams (4:2:2, 4:4:4), PCAP streams, Dolby AC-4 audio, and AVS Plus video.

media content, optimising decision-making and QC operations.

Visit www.interrasystems.com

Interra Systems’ BATON+ QC and analysis solution will also be demonstrated at BroadcastAsia2017. BATON+ optimises the QC process by allowing users to define workflows based on how media content flows in a facility. New data analysis

ADVERTISE WITH US

TARGETED CUSTOM EMAILS

Average Open Rate

CONTACT Adam Buick adam@broadcastpapers.com or +61(0)413 007 144

75%

25%

OPEN RATE BY DEVICE

䈀爀漀愀搀挀愀猀琀圀愀瘀攀昀漀爀洀刀愀猀琀攀爀椀稀攀爀昀爀漀洀伀洀渀椀琀攀欀猀甀瀀瀀漀爀琀椀渀最戀爀漀愀搀挀愀猀琀瀀爀漀搀甀挀琀椀漀渀 Ⰰ 攀渀最椀渀攀攀爀椀渀最 Ⰰ 伀䈀 Ⰰ 漀瀀攀爀愀琀椀漀渀猀愀渀搀挀漀渀琀爀漀氀爀漀漀洀猀吀栀攀唀氀琀爀愀吀儀椀猀琀栀攀渀攀砀琀最攀渀攀爀愀琀椀漀渀戀爀漀愀搀挀愀猀琀眀愀瘀攀昀漀爀洀洀漀渀椀琀漀爀戀愀猀攀搀漀渀琀栀攀栀椀最栀氀礀猀甀挀挀攀猀猀昀甀氀唀氀琀爀愀㐀䬀吀漀漀氀䈀漀砀愀渀搀唀氀琀爀愀堀刀琀攀挀栀渀漀氀漀最礀 ⸀ 吀栀攀唀氀琀爀愀吀儀挀漀洀攀猀眀椀琀栀愀氀氀漀昀琀栀攀琀漀漀氀猀攀砀瀀攀挀琀攀搀愀猀愀最攀渀攀爀愀氀戀爀漀愀搀挀愀猀琀眀愀瘀攀昀漀爀洀洀漀渀椀琀漀爀猀甀挀栀愀猀倀椀挀琀甀爀攀 Ⰰ 圀愀瘀攀昀漀爀洀洀漀渀椀琀漀爀 Ⰰ 瘀攀挀琀漀爀猀挀漀瀀攀 Ⰰ 瘀椀搀攀漀猀琀愀琀甀猀 Ⰰ 瘀椀搀攀漀琀椀洀椀渀最 Ⰰ 漀洀攀愀甀搀椀琀攀爀猀 Ⰰ 愀甀搀椀漀猀琀愀琀甀猀 Ⰰ 琀椀洀攀挀漀搀攀氀漀最最椀渀最 Ⰰ 戀愀猀椀挀氀椀渀攀琀攀猀琀瀀愀琀琀攀爀渀最攀渀攀爀愀琀漀爀 Ⰰ 攀琀挀愀氀氀眀漀爀欀椀渀最眀椀琀栀愀猀椀渀最氀攀挀栀愀渀渀攀氀漀昀匀䐀ⴀ 匀䐀䤀 Ⰰ 䠀䐀ⴀ 匀䐀䤀漀爀㌀䜀ⴀ 匀䐀䤀愀猀猀琀愀渀搀愀爀搀 ⸀ 吀栀攀猀攀琀漀漀氀猀挀愀渀戀攀猀甀瀀瀀氀攀洀攀渀琀攀搀戀礀愀搀搀椀琀椀漀渀愀氀漀瀀琀椀漀渀猀琀漀瀀爀漀瘀椀搀攀愀渀愀氀氀 ⴀ 攀渀挀漀洀瀀愀猀猀椀渀最戀爀漀愀搀挀愀猀琀猀漀氀甀琀椀漀渀 ⸀

BROADCAST ASIA

쬥 䘀甀氀氀儀䌀椀渀猀琀爀甀洀攀渀琀猀攀琀 쬥 䄀甀搀椀漀 ☀ 氀漀甀搀渀攀猀猀 쬥 伀倀㐀㜀 Ⰰ 㘀㠀 ☀ 㜀㠀䌀䌀 쬥 吀䌀 ⴀ 戀愀猀攀搀攀瘀攀渀琀䰀漀最最椀渀最 쬥 䰀椀渀攀瀀愀琀琀攀爀渀最攀渀攀爀愀琀漀爀 쬥 匀䐀 ⴀ ㌀䜀ⴀ 匀䐀䤀愀猀猀琀愀渀搀愀爀搀

쬥 倀䠀夀漀瀀琀椀漀渀 쬥 䐀愀琀愀愀渀愀氀礀猀椀猀漀瀀琀椀漀渀 쬥 䠀䐀刀漀瀀琀椀漀渀 쬥 䄀搀瘀愀渀挀攀搀挀漀氀漀甀爀漀瀀琀椀漀渀 쬥 唀瀀最爀愀搀攀愀戀氀攀琀漀唀䠀䐀

䴀䄀夀㈀㌀ ⴀ ㈀㔀 Ⰰ 匀唀一吀䔀䌀 Ⰰ 匀䤀一䜀䄀倀伀刀䔀 ⴀ 吀攀挀栀琀攀氀匀琀愀渀搀㐀吀㌀ ⴀ ㄀

眀眀眀⸀ 漀洀渀椀琀攀欀 ⸀ 琀瘀

Cathay Photo Store to Exhibit Manfrotto Nitrotech Video Head CATHAY PHOTO STORE will be exhibiting Manfrotto’s new Nitrotech Video Head – a head that combines the most successful features of Manfrotto’s Video Heads range with the unique-to-the-market Nitrogen piston mechanism that guarantees continuous counterbalance. The Nitrotech N8 Video Head securely supports a load up to 8kg. The new head features a precise, continuous counterbalance system that effortlessly and safely holds and operates a wide array of video camera models – in a variety of sizes. The variable fluidity function on both pan and tilt allows smooth, judder-free movement. It also features a 3/8-inch ‘Easy Link’ equipped with an anti-rotation function that enables an external monitor or other accessories to be fitted. This new video head also features a side-lock sliding plate mechanism that allows safe, quick and easy camera attachment. The Nitrotech head has a flat base mount with a standard 3/8-inch thread that is highly versatile for different support combinations (tripod, slider, rig or crane). Manfrotto’s N8 Nitrotech Video Head makes a strong impression at first sight through its distinctive, impactful design, which emphasises this core breakthrough technology. See Manfrotto and others at booth 6G2-01 to check out the latest and hottest video equipment this year. Visit www.cathayphoto.com.sg

Tedial Brings Virtualised STorage TEDIAL WILL SHOWCASE Tedial Augmented STorage, a new concept in storage virtualisation systems at BroadcastAsia on booth 4S3-05. Launched in April 2017, this is the first time that AST has been demonstrated to the Asia market. AST recently won an IABM Game Changer Award 2017 in the Storage category. Tedial Augmented STorage (AST) Tedial’s Evolution Augmented STorage (AST) is a new concept in storage virtualisation systems that expands and extends the classical paradigm of hierarchical storage management (HSM). AST provides a heterogeneous ecosystem to handle any type of multimedia content regardless of its physical location, and facilitates media operations such as editing based on timecode or efficient management of large UHD or low/lossless compression files across multiple sites around the globe. Treating content as an object, which includes an innovative minimum metadata packet, allows storage to operate independent of MAM solutions, able to archive and publish content and easily integrate with third-party systems maximising simplicity and efficiency. AST virtualises file locations enabling multi-site operations, cloud workflows or hybrid scenarios. For those customers managing a multi-site distributed operation, AST can transparently manage the same content in multiple locations, automating task assignment and data transfer across multiple sites as needed.

the highest security and content protection by requiring authentication. Different groups are assigned different access levels, and retention policies can be easily defined to protect the content and limit the access. Visit www.tedial.com

BROADCAST ASIA

The platform is built on vastly resilient and scalable architecture and provides

ACQUISITION

www.content-technology.com/acquisition

Blackmagic Fuels Hit Japanese Film BLACKMAGIC DESIGN RECENTLY ANNOUNCED that URSA Mini 4K EF was used for shooting visual effects (VFX) shots for popular Japanese filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki’s latest film, ‘Fueled: A Man Called Pirate’ (Kaizoku to Yobareta Otoko). The RAW footage from the URSA Mini was de-bayered using DaVinci Resolve Studio and then used for compositing. ‘Fueled: A Man Called Pirate’ is the latest film by production company SHIROGUMI INC.’s VFX team, who has made a number of hit movies, such as ‘ALWAYS: Sunset on Third Street’ and ‘The Eternal Zero’. The new film, based on the popular novel by Naoki Hyakuta, is loosely based on the story of the founder of a Japanese oil company. For the film, the production team used Blackmagic Design’s URSA Mini 4K to shoot background shots to match the film’s green screen shots. “The challenge was to capture VFX footage which compares favourably with other footage,” said Eisin Okubo, VFX designer at SHIROGUMI. To shoot additional footage for VFX shots, Eisin’s team specified a camera that was easy to use, had internal recording, 4K resolution and RAW support, and could produce footage that could be easily handled throughout post-production. “Masayuki Hosoyama from our shooting division needed to shoot additional footage for VFX shots after all other shooting was done. It was his first time to use the URSA Mini 4K, and he had only one day to prepare for the shoot and understand the characteristics of the camera, yet he was able to figure out how to use the camera easily and the shooting went well. Professional equipment is usually very complicated, which could mean making mistakes if you are not familiar with it. However, the URSA Mini 4K’s settings are simple so as long as you have basic knowledge as a cameraman,” said Eisin. The shooting was carried out on a nearby beach. “The film’s other camera requires an external recorder and a camera assistant, which means we needed a bigger camera crew. On the other hand, the URSA Mini 4K is capable of internal recording, allowing us to carry out the shoot with minimal crew. It was a big advantage that we could check the footage right after we shot something. Also, we could use lenses we already own as it was EF mount model,” continued Eisin. From a post-production point of view, 4K and RAW support were important factors in choosing the camera. “We needed to be able to trim shots and use specific areas of the picture we wanted during the VFX process, so we needed a bigger resolution than 2K,

which was the film’s delivery size. Also, CG shots were rendered in 16bit half floating point, so footage for composite shots needed a wide dynamic range of 12 stops. It was also important that we could debayer the footage ourselves correctly,” said Eisin. Eisin’s team used ACES OpenColor IO for colour management and delivered a 2K DCI-P3 master to post production. Data files sent to the VFX team had to be colour managed, too. Characteristically for VFX, all shots had to have data for information such as colour space, gamma and dynamic range. “One of the reasons we used the URSA Mini 4K was because we could easily convert the camera’s RAW data to ACES using DaVinci Resolve Studio’s colour management feature. Since both the URSA Mini 4K and DaVinci Resolve Studio are made by Blackmagic Design, they know the colour profile deeply and we can output perfectly correct colour without any hassle,” said Eisin. Eisin’s team used a colour checker in the colour match tool in DaVinci Resolve Studio to output Linear ACES .EXR data. Through this process, they were able to efficiently bring all data to a film lab for grading. By doing so, each department could see the shots with the exact same colour,” Eisin concluded. Visit www.blackmagicdesign.com

Singapore “Schooled” in URSA Mini 4.6K BLACKMAGIC DESIGN RECENTLY announced that URSA Mini 4.6K camera was used by Singapore based Camp Up Studio to shoot ‘Be Schooled’, a Singapore TV show that won Silver for Best Opening Titles for a Program at PromaxBDA Asia 2016. ‘Be Schooled’ is about two hosts (Singaporean pop band, The Sam Willows’ Sandra Riley Tang) going to a new school every week to pit the alumni against the school’s current day students, i.e. Team Alumni vs Team Rookie. Every week this show features a new sport, a new school and new competitors.

ACQUISITION

“We chose the URSA Mini 4.6K because it produces beautiful high frame rate footage,” said Kenneth Cheong, Executive Producer at Camp Up Studio. “In sports, a lot of things happen in a split second, and we used the URSA Mini 4.6K to shoot athletes performing fast actions at 100 and 150fps for slow motion shots, without compromising quality.”

‘Be Schooled’ is a weekly half-hour episode in which 500 to 600 shots are filmed for each episode. The team spends two days shooting the slow-motion footage, and one day each with the rookies and the alumni. “The URSA Mini could be quickly set up on a stabiliser and then stripped down to put on legs

in the shortest possible time, which was helpful in the production on a tight schedule,” said Cheong. With the show intended to be broadcast via a local TV network, the footage was recorded in ProRes HQ 422 at 1920 x 1080, which gave the crew as much quality as possible without slowing down or adding bulk to the postproduction processes, according to Cheong. ‘Be Schooled’ was graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio by Junbin Chen, a colourist at Singapore’s boutique digital film lab Mocha Chai Laboratories. “Working with the URSA Mini RAE footage was great in post. The dynamic range and colour depth helped me craft the carefully nuanced look that Kenneth liked, and enabled me to perform colour isolation easily. The sharpness was also easily enhanced with the Midtone Detail function in Resolve, giving the image a gritty and professional polish. This example is best seen in the slow-motion shots from the water polo episode – each droplet of water was crystal clear, and the blue hues of both the water and architecture were a joy to isolate and enhance,” she said. Visit www.blackmagicdesign.com

ACQUISITION

Miller Camera Support Lets Fly with arrowFX Fluid Heads MILLER CAMERA SUPPORT is now shipping its new range of arrowFX Fluid

a tilt resolution of 491,520 counts per 180°. It also features Miller’s CB PLUS,

Heads. The series, including the arrowFX 3, arrowFX 5 and arrowFX 7, is an

a sequential counterbalance design that takes traditional counterbalancing a

extension of Miller’s arrowX line of fluid heads, providing a solution for high-

step forward, resulting in repeatable, accurate and rapid setup. CB Plus makes

definition live television productions where augmented reality effects are inserted into the picture. The arrowFX Fluid Heads feature robust, high-resolution magnetic encoders integrated into the fluid head. The arrowFX can precisely monitor and

the new arrowFX Series suitable for any broadcast where frequent and fast rigging is required. The arrowFX 3 is designed for lighter cameras and boasts a payload range of

communicate, with zero latency, the exact position of the fluid head in real

1-19kg, 16 positions of counterbalance and 5+0 pan-and-tilt drag positions.

time.

The arrowFX 5 is suited toward larger rigs with longer lenses where more

The arrowFX also features an Augmented Reality Interface (ARI) box, which

drag is required. It has a wide payload range from 2-21kg, 16 positions of

interfaces between the arrowFX fluid heads and real-time graphics engines

counterbalance and 7+0 pan-and-tilt drag positions. The arrowFX 7 is best

such as Vizrt, Orad and others. This provides real-time pan, tilt, zoom and

suited for heavier rigs, including in-studio and OB applications, and has a

focus data, as well as lens geometry information to create life-like precision

payload range from 6-25kg, 16 positions of counterbalance and 7+0 pan-

augmented productions. “In today’s world, we must evolve our product offerings to satisfy the latest production trends, including adapting to augmented reality effects in realtime,” said Charles Montesin, Global Sales and Marketing Manager, Miller

and-tilt drag positions. Each arrowFX model comes with a 120mm sliding travel plate to help rebalance changing camera payloads. In addition, it is designed with

Camera Support. “The arrowFX range allows our customers to achieve higher

illuminated controls that allow users to work regardless of lighting or

quality, more realistic and attractive digital effects.”

environmental conditions.

The arrowFX line features a pan resolution of 1,589,246 counts per 360°, and

Visit www.millertripods.com

Shotoku Tracked Camera Cranes SHOTOKU BROADCAST SYSTEMS has revealed a series of manual virtual/

Highlights will include:

augmented reality tracked camera cranes at NAB 2017. The series is the

SmartPed Robotic Pedestal – Shotoku’s SmartPed is a robotic XY pedestal. The

result of a partnership with crane manufacturer, CamMate. The company also

three wheel smooth-steer pedestal features a new height column, multi-zone

highlighted its SmartPed a fully robotic XY pedestal, and Free-d2 next-gen

collision avoidance and detection systems, and precision-engineered, electro-

tracking system.

mechanical steer/drive system. SmartPed offers instant switchover between

Graphica – The Graphica Series is the fusion of Shotoku VR technology and

local/remote operation. No re-reference or calibration is required when switching

engineering know-how of crane maker, CamMate. The result is a range of manual

between these modes and a pan-bar mounted local joystick enables control from

virtual/augmented reality tracked camera cranes with tracking capabilities in

the studio floor.

a package that is portable, scalable, stable and repeatable. Graphica calculates

Free-d2 Absolute Tracking System – The Company’s Free-d2 is a next generation

positional data output from embedded physical rotary encoders designed for VR

tracking system that does not require physical encoder devices attached to

applications.

the camera support’s moving axes. The Free-d2 system uses advanced video

The SPi-Touch origin reset and 2-Point calibration function adds another level

processing algorithms and simple ceiling markers to determine the position and

of convenience and high production flexibility. A true set-and-forget system,

orientation of the camera. No concept of a home or reference point exists for

complete calibration is needed only once and can be achieved in 20 seconds. SPi-

Free-d2 – wherever the camera is positioned is immediately known.

Touch comes standard on every model.

Visit www.shotoku.tv/uk

Ikegami Unicam Series Ready AT NAB 2017,Ikegami exhibited a range of cameras including the HDK-73,

television (UHDTV) camera, co-developed with Japan Broadcast Corporation

the latest in its Unicam HD series. The HDK-73 features F12 high-sensitivity,

(NHK), which represents a significant size reduction, lightweight design, and

2/3-inch CMOS sensors, and 1080i or 720p picture quality as well as Quick EZ

operation comparable to current broadcast cameras. It employs a 33 million-

Focus assist, CAC chromatic aberration correction, and HLG hybrid log gamma

pixel Super 35mm CMOS sensor with PL lens mount, achieving a limiting

for HDR picture origination.

horizontal resolution of 4000 TV lines which can be viewed on an Ikegami

Ikegami also displayed the UHK-430 4K camera from its Unicam XE series.

55-inch full 8K resolution (prototype) LCD monitor.

features three 2/3-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) CMOS sensors with RGB prism optics for ‘Real 4K’ resolution from 24 million pixels (eight million per sensor). The UHK-430 is also switchable between 4K and 2K formats, and can output 4K and 2K simultaneously with a 2K cutout from the 4K-picture. A

The company’s HDK-95C HD portable digital, 4K-ready Unicam HD camera, now with optional HDR compatibility also has a spot reserved. The 4K Super Resolution Converter provides a simultaneous 4K output when the camera is operating in a 1080p format, such as 1080p/59.94Hz, and Ultra HD band

plug-in output module allows for flexible 4K signal formats including Quad

image enhancement is provided for the 4K signal.

3G, 12G, and IP.There will also be the SHK-810 8K ultra high-definition

Visit www.ikegami.com

ACQUISITION

Designed for studio or field use, the UHK-430 provides true 4K-imagery. It

ACQUISITION

Blackmagic Announces URSA Mini Pro 4.6K Camera BLACKMAGIC DESIGN HAS ANNOUNCED the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K, a new professional camera that combines high-end digital film quality with the ergonomics and features of a traditional broadcast camera. URSA Mini Pro features tactile control buttons, switches and dials, built-in optical ND filters, a new interchangeable lens mount, dual CFAST 2.0 and dual SD/UHSII card recorders, and more. URSA Mini Pro comes in a compact, durable and light, handheld magnesium alloy body. There is an external high visibility LCD status display for viewing critical shooting information; a foldout touch screen for reviewing shots without needing an extra on-set monitor; professional connections such as 12G-SDI, XLR audio; and built-in high quality stereo microphones. Every control on the camera features redundancy, including the power, so if anything should go wrong in the field, the camera can still be used. URSA Mini Pro features a custom 4.6K image sensor that captures up to 4608 x 2592 pixels with 15 stops of dynamic range and a wide colour gamut. Third generation Blackmagic Design colour science is used to process the raw sensor data, enabling rich skin tones, natural colour response and an enormous amount of dynamic range. URSA Mini Pro is suitable for everything from standard rec. 709 broadcast HD to the latest rec. 2020 high dynamic range digital film production. URSA Mini Pro also features neutral density (ND) filters with IR compensation for quickly reducing the amount of light that enters the camera. The 2, 4 and 6 stop filters are specifically designed to match the colourimetry of the camera and provide additional latitude, even under harsh lighting conditions. That means operators can use different combinations of aperture and shutter angle to achieve shallower depth of field, or specific levels of motion blur, in a wider range of situations. The IR filters evenly compensate for both far red and infrared wave lengths to eliminate IR contamination. The ND filters are true optical filters with a precision mechanism that quickly moves them into place when the ND filter dial is turned. The broadcast camera ergonomics of URSA Mini Pro put powerful tactile control buttons, switches, knobs and dials on the outside of the camera, giving operators direct access to the most important camera settings. The controls are laid out in a logical order that makes them easy to remember so cinematographers can operate the camera without having to look at the buttons, hunt through menus, or take their eye off of the action. URSA Mini Pro also features a high visibility status screen that displays important information such as timecode, shutter and lens settings, battery, recording

status, and audio levels. The status display features a backlight and is designed to be clearly visible in both dimly lit studios and outside in direct sunlight. URSA Mini Pro has a new interchangeable lens mount that makes it compatible with virtually all professional lenses so cinematographers can choose exactly the right lens for the job. Included standard is an EF mount for working with high quality photographic lenses. If the camera is being used on a high-end feature or commercial shoot that calls for large cinematic lenses, simply remove the EF mount and replace it with the PL mount. There’s even a B4 broadcast lens mount for working with broadcast HD lenses. URSA Mini Pro also includes a standard 12 pin Hirose lens control connector. URSA Mini Pro comes with an EF mount and customers can purchase the optional PL and B4 lens mounts separately. Featuring both dual C-Fast 2.0 recorders and dual SD/UHS-II card recorders, customers can choose the media that works best for their projects. C-Fast cards are suitable for full resolution RAW recording, while UHS-II SD cards are inexpensive and commonly available, making them perfect for recording ProRes Ultra HD files or RAW HD files. Simply choose the media type, insert the cards and start shooting. With dual slots for each media type, the camera never has to stop recording because when the first card is full, it automatically continues onto the next card. Full cards can be swapped for empty ones, all without stopping the camera. URSA Mini Pro can record lossless 12-bit CinemaDNG RAW files for the highest possible quality, or 10bit ProRes files for easy post production workflows with minimum storage requirements. URSA Mini Pro is shipping with Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve Studio post-production software. Visit www.blackmagicdesign.com

ACQUISITION

Grass Valley Debuts LDX 82 Series Camera

GRASS VALLEY HAS ANNOUNCED the new LDX 82 Series of native

LDX 82 WorldCam

HD-only cameras which offer an extended colour gamut and native high dynamic range operation with a full 15 F-stops

is suitable for any

Each model in the LDX 82 series fature high sensitivity in all HD formats, including 1080p, a wide colour gamut and Grass Valley’s XDR (Extended Dynamic Range) operations.

any condition,

The four LDX 82 camera models are designed to suit a broad range of production needs:

LDX 82 Elite plus

LDX 82 Flex is the entry-level model for single format 1080i or 720p acquisition, where minimal artistic modification is required.

without huge investments in additional lighting or major compromise to

LDX 82 Première can switch between 1080i and 720p, and features the Contour Equalizer which allows for alterations to the crispness in the shadows, mid-tones and highlights independently.

GV-eLicense upgrade from any other LDX 82 Series camera, with single or

LDX 82 Elite is designed as a workhorse for live HD production – from live sports to scripted productions. The LDX 82 Elite can switch between 1080i, 720p and 1080PsF. It also features PowerCurves for shooting under challenging conditions and Colour Protect to help correct lighting issues.

production, under incorporating all the features of the 1080p. It enables 1080p productions that used to be impossible to cover image quality. The LDX 82 WorldCam is available as a 7-day or a perpetual multiple licenses. Each LDX 82 camera model leverages the patented Xensium-FT CMOS imager which allows for better sensitivity, higher resolution and extended dynamic range. Visit www.grassvalley.com

See Everything.

ACQUISITION

Cooke Optics to Unveil First Panchro/i Classic Lenses COOKE OPTICS WILL UNVEIL the first lenses from its Panchro/i

lenses, like all contemporary Cooke lenses, have modern ergonomics and

Classic range on booth C5414 during NAB 2017. The new range is a modern redesign achieving the same look and feel as the original Speed Panchros, with newly designed housing and PL mounts. Cooke will also present its second front Anamorphic/i zoom lens for the first time, delivering on schedule following its announcement at NAB 2016. The company will also unveil a new, as-yet-unannounced product at the show. Regular visitors should note that the Cooke Optics booth has moved from its regular spot – the new booth C5414 is near the Grand Lobby/North Hall exit, opposite JVCKENWOOD and adjacent to For-A.

/i technology for frame-by-frame film and digital data capture. The new front Anamorphic/i zoom lens has preliminary specifications featuring 9x zoom front anamorphic, 45-405mm T4.5-22, 1.8m MOD from image plane, and 1.2m close focus from the front of the lens. The colour and contrast will match the rest of the series. In addition, visitors to the Cooke booth will see the Anamorphic/i SF lens range. Complementary to the Anamorphic/i series, the SF lenses feature a coating that gives cinematographers even more options for anamorphic

The original Cooke Speed Panchros combined a relative aperture as wide Broadcast SAM’s integrated, external oval bokeh. as f2.0, with an angular field of view and definition previously impossible Asia and IPsmaller multiviewers bring new Cooke will also present the 35-140mm Anamorphic/i zoom and the Sony with much apertures. The new Panchro/i Classic lenses are E and micro 4/3 mounts for miniS4/i and Panchro/i Classic lenses. functionality to suitable multi-channel lightweight, making them for handheld, drone, and Steadicam #6M2-01 Visit http://cookeoptics.com work. While retaining the classicsimple look of thequad original Speed Panchro, these monitoring. From split, to 4K enterprise monitoring Miller Camera to Showcase solutions, SAMSupport has a multiviewer to arrowFX t every application. The arrowFX line features a pan resolution of 1,589,246 counts per MILLER CAMERA SUPPORT will commence shipping its new range of character with enhanced flares and other aberrations while retaining the

arrowFX Fluid Heads at NAB 2017 (booth C7920). The series, including the arrowFX 3, arrowFX 5 and arrowFX 7, is an extension of Miller’s arrowX Don’t miss a thing, check out line of fluid heads, providing a solution for high-definition live television www.s-a-m.com/multiviewers productions where augmented reality effects are inserted into the picture. The arrowFX Fluid Heads feature robust, high-resolution magnetic encoders integrated into the fluid head. The arrowFX can precisely monitor and communicate, with zero latency, the exact position of the fluid head in real time.

360°, and a tilt resolution of 491,520 counts per 180°. It also features Miller’s CB PLUS, a sequential counterbalance design that takes traditional counterbalancing a step forward, resulting in repeatable, accurate and rapid setup. CB Plus makes the new arrowFX Series suitable for any broadcast where frequent and fast rigging is required.

The arrowFX also features an Augmented Reality Interface (ARI) box, which interfaces between the arrowFX fluid heads and real-time graphics engines such as Vizrt, Orad and others. This provides real-time pan, tilt, zoom and focus data, as well as lens geometry information to create life-like precision augmented productions.

The arrowFX 3 is designed for lighter cameras and boasts a payload range of 1-19kg, 16 positions of counterbalance and 5+0 pan-and-tilt drag positions. The arrowFX 5 is suited toward larger rigs with longer lenses where more drag is required. It has a wide payload range from 2-21kg, 16 positions of counterbalance and 7+0 pan-and-tilt drag positions. The arrowFX 7 is best suited for heavier rigs, including in-studio and Withrange integrated OB applications, and has a payload from 6-25kg, 16 positions of counterbalance and 7+0 pan-and-tilt drag positions. control and

“In today’s world, we must evolve our product offerings to satisfy the latest production trends, including adapting to augmented reality effects in real-time,” said Charles Montesin, Global Sales and Marketing Manager, Miller Camera Support. “The arrowFX range allows our customers to achieve higher quality, more realistic and attractive digital effects.”

Visit www.millertripods.com

Each arrowFX model comesmonitoring with a 120mm sliding fortravel theplate to help rebalance changing camera payloads. In addition, it is designed with ultimate in monitoring illuminated controls that allow users to work regardless of lighting or by exception environmental conditions.

Outsight to Demonstrate LED Lighting Technology OUTSIGHT WILL BE DEMONSTRATING its range of LED technology

Outsight will also exhibit the Creamsource Sky. This full spectrum soft

lighting solutions at NAB 2017 on stand C10842, including the

source combines the latest LED technology with sophisticated colour

Creamsource+ range and Creamsource Sky. A new addition to the

management and compact design to deliver a wide and even beam. It has

Outsight range will also be announced nearer to the show.

an array of six LED engines cooled by a silent heat-pipe system.

The Creamsource+ range was launched at NAB 2016, and features a

Outsight’s Creamsource Sky has recently been used on Lucasfilm’s

fourth-generation LED light engine offering greater than 90 CRI/TLCI.

‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ with Greig Fraser ASC ACS relying on the

The versatility of the ‘panel PAR’ provides a spot function that can

Creamsource Sky ability to be used in all weather conditions, finding

soft-boxes. Creamsource+ is available in two sizes: the Doppio+ and the Mini+. The large flat panel array of the Doppio+ creates a flexible fixture that lets the user control how the light is shaped and moulded. The Creamsource Mini+ comes with all the same features as the Creamsource

it especially useful for the raining stage shots. Creamsource Sky was also used on UKTV’s comedy-fantasy series ‘Zapped’ with DoP Pete Rowe praising the flexible lighting solution as they were able to make adjustments to the lighting quickly and easily for each shot during

MV-8 Series IP MV-8 Series MV-8 Series MV-Flex MV-8 DT production. Doppio+ in a 1×1 form factor,Router making it suitable Standalone for location or outside Multiviewers Modular Desktop Visit https://outsight.com.au broadcast work. Integrated Multiviewers Multiviewers Expansion Multiviewers

ACQUISITION

be softened with traditional techniques such as diffusion, lenses and

SPORTSCASTING Sport coverage worldwide

www.content-technology.com/sportscasting

SPORTSCASTING

PCCW & Ideal Systems Deliver HK Rugby Sevens in 360° Virtual Reality PCCW GLOBAL, the international operating division of Hong Kong telecommunications provider, HKT, and systems integrator Ideal Systems recently delivered the world’s first live 360° and 3D multi-camera coverage of the 2017 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens with the support of Now TV, the official host broadcaster of the event, providing viewers with a totally immersive virtual reality (VR) viewing experience. PCCW Global’s expertise in live mega event management and new media technology delivery, together with Ideal Systems’ broadcast solutions and virtual reality expertise, enabled the team to deliver this complex solution in less than six weeks from project initiation. The collaboration involved Ideal Systems delivering the content acquisition using a number of pitch-side Nokia OZO 360° cameras. These cameras provided a UHD IP signal which was delivered over HKT fibre to Nokia servers in the control room, to facilitate live stitching from each of the cameras’ eight 2K lenses to create multiple stitched 3D UHD streams. “This is part of Ideal System’s Ideal Live and our Ideal Live is the rental and live production division of Ideal Systems and we’re bringing these 360 cameras out for live events,” says Fintan Mc Kiernan, CEO of Ideal Systems S.E.A. “We have a Nokia OZO camera on the south side of the pitch, we have one here in the middle of the pitch and we’ve got one on the north side of the pitch all facing out with their 3D view because they’re 360 cameras but on their forwardfacing axis it actually is a binocular 360 which gives the real VR, virtual reality, experience for viewers as well as 360 surround sound as well. “This is quite an immersive experience. It’s a first in the world for rugby, live coverage. It’s the first in Asia for any sort of major international sports event to be done in 360 and Ideal Systems are very proud here in Hong Kong at the Rugby Sevens to bring this absolute cutting edge technology into the sport of rugby and to provide this new ‘ideal viewpoint’, excuse the pun, for viewers at the side of the pitch that you can have a virtual seat on the touch line in Hong Kong stadium.”

SPORTSCASTING

According to Marcus Lanxinger, Head of Customer Relations, Asia, for Nokia OZO, “When we were creating the OZO, we’re talking about virtual reality. So, how do you replicate reality?

“First it has to be 360 degrees, but it also needs to be dimensional because it’s the way we see stereoscopic. Based on that, we designed a camera that is not only able to capture just a 360-degree image, but a dimensional 360-degree image, a stereoscopic 360-degree image. I think it’s a really, really crucial thing to point out because when we talk about virtual reality the word reality in it implies those sort of attributes, right? We hear a lot about 360 and VR. There’s a lot of difference and I’d like to point out 360 video is not VR. I would say this

is one of the first full-on VR live experiences that have been done because the app hasn’t been published before using our Play SDK which enables the full experience so I think that’s what makes this really unique. “I think especially for sports and rugby you need that three-dimensionality to get the full experience because they’re big guys, there’s a lot of action, they’re crashing into each other. It’s a sport that you just can’t convey if you’re watching it on a flat surface and I think that’s one of the biggest thing to us to point out, that 360 does not mean VR. The Nokia OZO camera features eight lenses, as well as eight microphones. “Not only do we capture 360-degree 3D image but we also capture threedimensional sound which is also very important,” says Marcus Lanxinger. “Each of these lenses have a 2K by 2K image. We compress that signal through a fibre cable at the back. It’s actually using something called an SFP adaptor, which is an industry standard. We are getting the 2K by 2K in a raw signal, so it’s in a Bauer pattern RAW format. It’s getting packaged into the fibre line and getting decoded on a live stitching server on the other side. “Generally speaking, the way we can connect to the camera, there’s two ways. We can connect to it wirelessly but in this case what we did, we actually enabled so we can network the camera and actually provide remote control over the web browser so we can adjust exposure remotely because we were 500 metres away somewhere in the bottom of the stadium so we wanted to make sure we can control the camera as well. “It actually converts the USB ports through a Raspberry Pi which is very inexpensive and then acts a router, goes out into a fibre, basically taking the fibre and going back to Ethernet and then we get a web page control. Not only do we have full control on the live stitching parameters in the live parameters but we can, of course, also control parameters like shutter, colour temperature, etcetera, which dynamically adjust throughout the day.” The 360° audio and video streams were switched and passed through to Harmonic Electra VS encoders for delivery to the PCCW Global media delivery network. The Electra VS compression platform enabled PCCW Global to distribute UHD VR content to consumers on a variety of devices, including PCs, smartphones and Samsung Gear VR head-mounted devices (HMDs). According to Darren Breeze of Ideal Systems, “What we do is we take the output in 4K from the vision switcher and we pass it through to two harmonic encoders and out of that we’re creating seven out-streams at the moment for the rugby. We’re doing a DASH stream at 4K, a DASH stream at multi-resolution from HD down. That is used for the heads-up display visors. Also, we’re just creating a number of HLS feeds as well, one in 4K, one in multi-rate. That is used for web Continues p23 >

SPORTSCASTING

The Gold Coast Diaries – Chapter 3 Behind the scenes of NEP Australia’s broadcast preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. By Jeff Coleman* 8.10AM, 20 FEBRUARY 2017, HOST BROADCAST HQ, BUNDALL, QLD I arrive at the office on a steamy morning with the temperature already at 28°C. Despite my usual swim and then shower at Broadwater I’m ready to jump back in the water. Though it’s not possible for the humidity to exceed 100 per cent, it certainly feels that way. It’s been full steam ahead inside Host Broadcast HQ as well, as the team picked up in mid-January right where we left off just before Christmas. Our priority has been to lock down third party supplier contracts and we’ve been providing them the latest production requirements so they can produce final quotes. These include the four-point overhead camera system, specialist aquatics cameras and other specialty cameras, helicopters and radio frequency (RF) equipment. As the pace intensifies so does the size of our team. New staff include Jane Caswell, our third Coordinating Producer, and also our third Coordinating Broadcast Venue Manager, John Downie. With the benefit of more than 30 years working in domestic and international sports broadcasting, Jane’s Gold Coast 2018 portfolio includes Netball, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Table Tennis and Squash.

SPORTSCASTING

John will take on venue planning at Coomera Sports Centre, spanning Gymnastics (Artistic and Rhythmic) and the Netball finals; the Gold Coast Convention Centre: Netball preliminaries and Basketball finals; Queensland State Velodrome (Track Cycling); Belmont Shooting Centre (all Shooting disciplines); and the Oxenford venues: Boxing, Table Tennis and Squash.

NEP Host Broadcast Coordinating Venue Technical Manager, Mark Corser instructs students from University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Jake West and Kayla Strange, and Alisha Marfatia from Bond University during CCU workshop. NEP Broadcast Engineer, Neil Smith, can be seen on the monitor flying his drone for CCU practice.

its effect on camera picture. They also learned how to build a camera chain from box to operation, the role of camera control unit (CCU) and the technical director, as well how vital a cohesive outside broadcast team environment is to a successful project. For hands-on experience of what shading is all about, each student performed a basic camera line-up procedure – from white balance, black balance to grey scale tracking, assisted by NEP Queensland-based staff: Peter Collins, Facilities Coordinator, and Broadcast Engineer Neil Smith. Neil provided

On the way to my first meeting of the day I catch the latest on the Queen’s Baton Relay. It will leave Buckingham Palace on March 13th and will be the longest and most accessible relay in Commonwealth Games history – an epic 388-day journey through 71 Commonwealth nations and territories. While our team won’t be involved, the launch brings back fond memories for me, as I was the venue technical manager based at The Mall during the London 2012 Olympic Games. It’s also another reminder of how quickly the time between now and April 2018 is passing.

a program high point and real CCU work for the trainees as he flew his drone

After clearing email and a couple calls to the team in Sydney, I head to a working session to review the world rights holding broadcasters’ (RHBs) proposals for what they plan to build at the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC). Now that the layouts and room design for the Host Broadcast section are final, we know exactly what space is available to RHBs. As our rate card detailing the cost of provided services is essentially final, that has helped the broadcasters settle their own plans. It’s good to have hit these milestones ahead of the next world broadcasters meeting, just before Easter, at which time we’ll provide all the information they need to plan their Games coverage.

We also continue to rework broadcast compound designs as the parameters

Also well on track is our Host Broadcast Training Program, through which we are working with local universities and TAFE students to help develop Queensland’s next generation of skilled television technical operators, and will be our legacy after the Games. Last week, led by Head of the training program, Gerry O’Leary, we held a two-day workshop for students from Griffith University, the University of Southern Queensland, Bond University and TAFE Queensland, Gold Coast Coomera. We took over a section of NEP’s warehouse at Brisbane’s Carole Park and ‘borrowed’ the company’s HD1 high definition ‘supertruck’ while Coordinating Venue Technical Manager, Mark Corser, and Coordinating Producer Mario Silvestri put the trainees through their paces, teaching them about lenses and how to frame shots. Students developed an understanding of basic colorimetry, colour temperature and

cameras on the building roof to show off the spectacular Gold Coast during

high in the sky for them to follow and expose. Away from the Gold Coast, various members of the team and I have made trips to remote venues including Cairns – where the preliminary basketball competition will be played – and the Nerang State Forest, where we are still working on production plans for the mountain bike event as we await the final course design. continue to be fluid to meet all of the venue operations. It’s now nearly 5pm and so Coordinating Producer Shane Street and I head over to the apartment building where our fly-in-and-out staff stay during their time here. We recently relocated from the old to new Meriton in Southport, which offers much better views of Broadwater and, depending on the room, breathtaking perspective of Surfers Paradise, the western hinterland and northern coast. We are looking to place one of our four beauty Games time, and Shane and I will be heading up there to look at the sunset shot. But not before a quick stop at Bar150, just a short stroll from the Host Broadcast offices, to talk through tomorrow’s plans, as it will be another busy day. * Jeff Coleman is Head of Engineering and Technical Operations for NEP Australia, Host Broadcaster of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Visit http://www.nepinc.com/welcome/nep_australia

SPORTSCASTING Continued from p20

properties. Our client will take it out and put it on their website. Further to that, we’re also sending RTMP streams out to Facebook and to You Tube as well so they’ve have You Tube live. Coupled with that also, for You Tube publishing, we appear on the 360 channel in Google Cardboard. The platforms we’re dealing with are the Oculus products, so it’s the Gear VR from Samsung. We’re also servicing the Vive from HTC. They’re the 4K platforms. Underneath that we’ve got the website outputs from our client to run it on their web property. They’re doing sit down at your PC and scroll around-type VR. “We also have two publishing servers, so there’s two ways of delivering to the CDNs. We’re doing push to a number of CDNs. We basically publish on two publishing servers that are put together by us and then there’s a number of CDNs coming in and picking up from our file system and then republishing on the CDN. Also for you Tube and Facebook, we actually push straight from the encoders through via RTMP through the firewall, so we also provide the network security. The backhaul to the internet is done via two fibre 1 gig links. So, we have main and backup, main and backup, everything is dual path and redundant. We’re basically publishing a couple of versions of this program in different resolutions to a CDN which is then used for the main distribution for the 4K and the subsequent – the lower resolution as well and that’s DASH streaming as well. We’re doing DASH, we’re doing HLS, we’re doing RTMP all out of one process on the Harmonic encoder and then we distribute it through the various publishing platforms. The 360-degree VR workflow also featured Nokia OZO VR cameras integrated with Adobe Premiere for postproduction, the Harmonic Electra VS system for UHD compression, and Ideal Live 360, a solution co-developed by Ideal Systems that includes a VR application for Gear VR headsets and a cloud-based VR analytic backend service. Using the Electra VS system, PCCW Global was able to encode live video into multiple profiles and formats, including DASH UHD ABR, AVC and HEVC, ensuring that viewers of the Hong Kong Sevens tournament enjoyed stunning 360-degree, VR visuals on any device. Six streams were routed from the stadium for live distribution by Now TV to consumers’ mobile devices, PCs and VR headsets, including Samsung Gear VR,

HTC Vive, Zeiss VR One Plus and Google Cardboard via YouTube 360. The challenges of real-time live VR streaming compared to traditional TV revolve around the complexity of dealing with data rates which are significantly larger and more demanding on the delivery networks – with close to 6Gbps of uncompressed video coming from each OZO Live Server. By way of comparison, reports from Broadband Forum suggest that even basic VR video requires 17 times the bandwidth of normal HD video. From Ideal Systems’ side, the project involved its live production teams for the on-site set up and live “stitching and switching” production. It also involved Ideal Systems’ software development department, which developed and published the downloadable apps utilizing the Nokia OZO API for the VR headsets and provided onsite network security and publishing platforms. According to Alex Berriman, Product Specialist, Mobility, Security and Digital Solutions at PCCW Global, “PCCW Global is expanding its media delivery capabilities and part of that, we see VR has a big future in media delivery. Our speciality is in the network delivery and connectivity and we believe that bandwidth is going to be a huge part of delivering live VR. So, PCCW Global has partnered up with Idea Systems to deliver this source-to-screen VR project. Ideal Systems has provided all the VR production skills and expertise while PCCW Global has contributed on the connectivity and media delivery. Together, that brings a source-to-screen solution for the Hong Kong Sevens. “It’s been great working with Ideal and bringing this new technology and the new capabilities to the PCCW Global media portfolio. Ideal’s been great to work with. They are VR specialists. They brought the equipment, the technology, the production crew behind it and it’s really been a good partnership between PCCW Global and Ideal. You can view Ideal System’s behind the scenes video at https://youtu.be/pLlZtmfAFZY 360 Degtree footage from the Opening Ceremony can be viewed at https://youtu.be/SiUQDreRefQ Visit www.pccwglobal.com and www.idealsys.com

NOW Y OUKNOW WHOT OCONT ACT

SPORTSCASTING

WANTT ODOOTTL I VEBROADCAS TI N4K360°3DVR?

NEWS OPERATIONS www.content-technology.com/newsoperations

Cloudy with a Chance of Monetisation By Phil Sandberg THERE ARE CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON, COGNITIVE CLOUDS. That’s the word from recent IBM acquisition, The Weather Company, and its Asia-Pacific Leader Hitesh Upadhyay. “IBM as a company is transforming like many other tech firms,” says Upadhyay. “Historically, we’ve been known for our software and hardware, but now we want to become a cognitive cloud company. One thing that we are absolutely sure of is the future is cognitive. Some of the competitors say its AI, artificial intelligence, but the way we look at cognition is not just a machine running an AI, it’s about how do you build a platform that’s learning on a daily basis. “The last few years, we have built a platform, we have built the technologies but we have realised that the data is the key natural resource in technology without which you can’t do anything meaningful. If we have a lot of noise in the datasets, the outputs and the outcomes are not really that powerful. “There are very few datasets out there that impact almost every industry, every geography and it’s data that you can publicly use with clients and scale where your app can be. “The Weather Company has mapped the atmosphere over the last 15 years and one thing they can do which nobody else can do is any precise location in the world at a 500-metre resolution, we can give you clean, historical weather data going back 20 years. We can give you current conditions and we can forecast all the way up to six months for that point in the world.” With a more than 90% market share, and customers such as Fox, NBC and CNN, The Weather Company is the leader in the US media market. In APAC, the company works with the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD) providing media solutions to the Malaysian broadcast stations. Vietnam TV has been a long-time customer and the company’s datasets are leveraged by big broadcasters in China. According to Hitesh Upadhyay, it is now easier than ever for media companies to leverage this global reach. “If a broadcaster that is very regional wants to pull content in that’s more global, a serious weather event happening in another part of the world which they want

to broadcast, right now it’s very manual, there’s a lot of effort they need to do to bring that content in. We make that seamless. We can literally pull any location, any geography, get the feeds, both video and the data site, into the workflow in real time and publish that content so your TV station can become a global TV station right away. And it’s not limited to weather content. It’s something that a broadcaster can pull in real time into a graphical interface that they can supplement with real-time video that may be capturing from the field along with other content. “One of the other media solutions we have is around augmented reality. We have something called Max Sky where you can do 3D imaging for any location in the world including terrains, buildings, cities and portray real time weather for that location. It’s all about immersive video, immersive media, immersive graphics. “We have a solution called WEATHERfx. The beauty of the WEATHERfx is that we give the broadcaster different options. They can take our property, our apps and so forth, and we can co-label with the broadcaster. WEATHERfx is all about taking consumer location information and laying the weather events along with the purchase behaviour and the background of the propensity to spend and use that to monetise from an advertising perspective. If a broadcaster, first of all, wants to go social and wants to go digital, we can have them do that but we can help with the ad platform side as well because we have a lot of experience. “Traditional broadcasters have a digital strategy but it’s not integrated into the current operations. We can help them automate the workflow and the end-user, the producer or the news director, in real time with the one screenshot, with the one screen and one workflow can figure which elements to push where and that’s something that’s very hard to do in a broadcasting world today. That’s where IBM is bringing these technologies together so that the analytics, the insights are all there and they can choose what makes sense at what point of time and get all the content together as they desire.” Visit www.theweathercompany.com

LiveU Showcases HEVC Pro Card at BroadcastAsia FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ASIA, LiveU will show its LU600 portable transmission solution with the HEVC Pro card. Integrating the LU600 with the new 4K HEVC/H.265 hardware-based encoder allows broadcasters and content creators to benefit from unparalleled video performance with extreme bandwidth efficiency The LU600 delivers the highest video quality and bitrate in the market, and is set to offer the fastest file transfer, lowest delay and 100Mbps high-speed bonded internet connection. LiveU will also demonstrate its plug-and-play live streaming device for the online media market, LiveU Solo, built on LiveU’s proven bonding technology. Solo is the streaming solution of choice for major online media companies and affordable and easy enough for anyone to use. LiveU will be showcasing its Solo cloud production suite of services for cloud graphics insertion providing customers with the ability to send a stream and blend graphics in real-time in the cloud. Solo allows users to live-stream directly to Facebook Live, Twitter, YouTube Live and other popular social media and online video providers. Solo is simple to manage and control remotely via a web interface or smart device.

NEWS OPERATIONS

LiveU recently announced a new deployment of the Solo solution in China with over a hundred units to be used initially by Mudu, the country’s largest live video platform service provider for the enterprise market. Mudu will offer its customers a dedicated Solo portal, building on its existing support for

China’s top social media and online video platforms, such as Youku, WeChat, Weibo, and DingDing. LiveU will present its full range of live video acquisition, management and distribution solutions over IP, including:

• LiveU’s LU200 ultra-small portable transmission unit and LU200e, enabling

streaming for web distribution, point to point, and point to multi-point for a fraction of the cost of other solutions. • LiveU’s next generation LU710 4K/p60 rack-mountable 1U encoder. Combined with the Xtender transmission device (LiveU’s external antenna with six modems, delivering video rates of up to 40Mbps) and LiveU’s enhanced server with 4K output, the LU710 encoder transforms any SNG truck into a fully mobile hybrid cellular/satellite solution for transmitting 4K/HD video with improved efficiency. • LiveU Central, cloud-based management and video distribution system, enabling fleets of units to be centrally controlled using geo-location capabilities. • LiveU’s MultiPoint, internal and cross-organisational professional video distribution service, enabling the sharing of high-quality live video between multiple broadcast facilities over the public internet. • LU-Smart mobile app, bringing bonded transmission to mobile phones and tablets. Full product demonstrations will be available at stand 6N4-01. Visit www.liveu.tv

NEWS OPERATIONS

ChyronHego’s CAMIO Universe LAUNCHED ONLY A YEAR AGO, ChyronHego’s CAMIO Universe is transforming news operations as broadcasters continue to migrate to all-software environments and standard off-the-shelf IT technologies, including virtualised server environments. At the recent 2017 NAB Show, ChyronHego showcased the latest product developments driving global adoption of the CAMIO Universe – including the newest version of LyricX, the Prime Graphics Ecosystem, Metacast weather graphics, and the company’s solutions for augmented graphics and virtual sets – all under the control of playout automation. Building on the acquisition of Click Effects in 2016, ChyronHego also showed its solutions for arena production and in-venue experience technology, all in a software-based, unified workflow running in a standard IT infrastructure. CAMIO UNIVERSE UPDATES

AN ECOSYSTEM FOR SCALABLE, MODULAR GRAPHICS PRODUCTION ChyronHego have introduced PRIME 2.5, a new high-performance update of the company’s PRIME Graphics Ecosystem. PRIME 2.5 is a resolution-agnostic software-based solution that leverages advanced 64-bit GPU- and CPU-based technologies for maximum power in rendering graphics and effects. With the ability to output multiple channels of graphics and clips from a single system that formerly required multiple solutions, customers gain more functionality and features at a lower cost. PRIME 2.5 news includes multiple new design features and a brand-new Touch Graphics Module. ROBUST AND EFFORTLESS TICKER BRANDING During the 2017 NAB Show, ChyronHego also unveiled version 5 of NewsTicker, one of the broadcast industry’s most widely used ticker branding solution. NewsTicker is a web-based platform for managing all content (automated, manual, and viewer-generated) and broadcast automation. With version 5, NewsTicker has been completely re-engineered with a new user interface. Also, NewsTicker 5 is now optimised for all modern browsers and platforms including mobile devices and tablets.

END-TO-END STADIUM PRODUCTION ChyronHego also showcased an end-to-end workflow for stadium production based on the company’s Click Effects family, working in tandem with ChyronHego’s Live Compositor, PRIME, and LyricX graphics solutions to deliver a live in-venue entertainment experience. When paired with the graphics, playout, and real-time data management solutions in Live Compositor, PRIME, and LyricX, the Click Effects products offer a full solution in an end-to-end broadcast content creation, management, and delivery workflow. SPORTS PRODUCTION For live sports broadcasting, ChyronHego showed a 4K production workflow based on the Paint telestration and analysis solution and LyricX. In addition, the company showed a new generation of ChyronHego’s Virtual Placement family of products, including the latest release of Virtual 1st. NEXT-GENERATION GRAPHICS CREATION AND PLAYOUT Also at the 2017 NAB Show, ChyronHego highlighted the latest version of the company’s LyricX graphics creation and playout solution. LyricX adds powerful usability enhancements, a variety of new design features, and even greater performance than prior versions of the company’s graphics platform. LyricX allows users to move between SDI and IP, and between 4K and HD video, all within the same graphics platform. In addition, LyricX provides native support for powering large video walls using built-in video matrix technology. Visit http://chyronhego.com

Sapphire Low Delay HEVC/4K Codec – a Gem from BWS

Whiteways Showcases News Production System

BROADCAST WIRELESS SYSTEMS was founded to provide specialist provision and support of wireless systems to the world-wide Broadcast industry.

Optional low power consumption power amplifiers are also available for greater range capability.

THIS YEAR’S BROADCAST ASIA EXHIBITION will see Whiteways showing a prototype of an integrated, automated news production system. The prototype will consist of: • A Business management system with traffic and billing. • A mini studio. • An ingest video server. • Central storage. • Newsroom systems (NRCS). • Full frame 3D graphics system. • Playout system. • Archival system. According to Whiteways, the idea is to provide a hands-on look at a real digital, automated, file based news production system. Whiteways believes this is the only complete system prototype of its kind in the entire exhibition. Journalists, news producers, and broadcasters will be able to witness the inter-operability, the resulting workflow and the ease with which news can be produced. Along with the newsroom system, Whiteways will showcase a fibre-based electronic news gathering system. To see the system, visit booth 6G3-04 on Level 6, Suntec City, Singapore. To book a demo in advance, send an email at to yash@whiteways.sg

Visit www.broadcastwirelesssystems.com

Visit http://whiteways.sg

At BroadcastAsia Broadcast Wireless Systems will be launching its Sapphire ultra-low delay HEVC/4K codec platform – enabling practical 4K wireless camera operation to be realised for the first time. The Sapphire codec can compress a single 4K UHD or up to four simultaneous HD inputs making it suitable for super slo-mo, aerial relay as well as multi-camera on-boards. Available in different hardware formats, and when combined with bracket options, you can make use of existing COFDM transmitters, even converting legacy SD systems into HEVC HD/4K operation. Alongside the Sapphire, Broadcast Wireless Systems will be showing the NanoPRO MPEG-4 COFDM HD transmitter, a slim profile unit with an integrated control panel as well as power, video lock and RF on indicators. The small size, light-weight and ultra-low power consumption of the NanoPRO make it suitable for PoV and UAV/Drone applications as well as for more traditional camera mounting use.

NEWS OPERATIONS

ChyronHego’s CAMIO Universe is a software-based newsroom production ecosystem that enables a producer-driven approach to news content creation and playout. At NAB, ChyronHego introduced its newest innovations for the CAMIO Universe, including an improved template-creation workflow and the ability to run the solutions inside a virtualised IT server environment for substantially lowered total cost of ownership and the ability to perform on-demand scaling. In addition, there is a new web edition of the LUCI interface and new features for Axis World Graphics, the company’s hosted graphics-creation solution. Improvements to Axis World Graphics include a local order-delivery feature and the debut of a new Axis Maps user interface.

NEWS OPERATIONS

Grass Valley Upgrades Solutions at NAB BREAKING NEWS becomes old news faster than ever as broadcasters

Even breaking news programs require editing before broadcast. EDIUS Pro

strive to keep up with each other, the 24-hour news cycle and social media journalists. Grass Valley understands that as the news environment changes, broadcast equipment must adapt to mobile studios, new media platforms including digital and social, and the growing use of usergenerated content (UGC). The upgraded GV STRATUS 5.7, EDIUS 8.5 and Ignite v10 are designed to meet these shifting customer needs.

and EDIUS Workgroup are now faster than ever and able to export, decode

“If you picture a news broadcast 25 years ago you probably imagine one reporter sitting at a desk, reading to a camera on the five o’clock program. In a very short time news has exploded from a half hour broadcast to 24-hour coverage on TV, digital and social, including up-to-the-minute data and real-time graphics.” said Neerav Shah, Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Grass Valley. As news breaks, broadcasters require flexible, collaborative solutions to keep up with the pace and create quality programming. The latest upgrade to GV STRATUS adds powerful transcoding options to the video and workflow orchestration platform. The XRE Transcoder is now integrated into GV STRATUS, enabling broadcasters to ingest a wide range of UGC, leveraging the concept of ‘edit anything’. GV STRATUS 5.7 also introduces a new web application for desktop and mobile.

and add metadata in more formats than before. Among other usability improvements, the editing platform now includes ‘PQ Gamma’ support of Primary Colour Collection video filter for High Dynamic Range (HDR) editing. EDIUS 8.5’s companion personal content management tool, Mync, has also been enhanced to feature more storyboard export options. Ignite v10 brings more flexibility where breaking and unscripted productions are concerned and now supports a completely customisable UI, letting users configure a unique layout for every show. Additionally, Ignite PT (Persistent Templates) allow operators to make last minute changes to production events directly inside the Ignite rundown, removing the need to go to the NRCS for changing live broadcasts. The Ignite playlist has been redesigned with speed in mind, featuring lightning-fast playlist updates – less than one second regardless of rundown size. The combination of these and other version 10 enhancements means that Ignite can handle scripted, unscripted, and chaotic productions where change is a constant. Visit www.grassvalley.com

Dejero Unveils Remote Broadcasting and Fast Data Transfer DEJERO USED THIS YEAR’S NAB show to showcase its latest

Dejero also showcased recent enhancements to its LIVE+ Multipoint cloud

developments in the field of IP connectivity for electronic newsgathering and

service. Broadcasters and media organisations can now share live HD content

remote broadcasting.

simultaneously across multiple locations and between different entities

Making its official debut at NAB, the LIVE+ Gateway solution enables news

anywhere in the world. New capabilities include multichannel audio and closed

crews to access media assets, research stories, and transfer large files by

captioning. Group and single event point-to-multipoint packages are now

providing fast, reliable, and secure access to public internet and private networks. Leveraging patented network bonding technologies, the solution creates a virtual network of multiple IP connections to enable bi-directional data transfers

available in addition to a fully customised, unlimited use package for multipointto-multipoint content sharing scenarios.

from newsroom and production systems. The complete Gateway solution

Visitors to Dejero’s booth also saw a demonstration of new capabilities of

includes in-vehicle equipment, cellular connectivity services, cloud management

Dejero’s LIVE+ Control cloud-based management system. LIVE+ Control enables

and support.

management of transmitters, gateway devices, servers, and content from web

New capabilities of Dejero’s LIVE+ EnGo mobile transmitter were also

browsers. Users can geolocate and remotely control transmitters, configure

showcased. EnGo can be camera mounted or carried in a sling bag or the new ergonomic backpack. Key features include a user-accessible SIM module, global roaming packages, and the ability to transmit multichannel audio. EnGo encodes high-quality video and transmits it over multiple IP networks to deliver with extremely low latency in challenging cellular network environments.

broadcast and cloud servers, view performance data and detailed analytics, preview low-latency feeds, and route live or recorded content to playout and online delivery workflows.

Visit www.dejero.com

NEWS OPERATIONS

OCTOPUS 8 Newsroom in Vegas

OCTOPUS NEWSROOM demonstrated the full feature set of its Octopus

YouTube, send breaking news to Twitter and post teasers on Facebook.

8 newsroom solution at NAB 2017.

The Octopus 8 Social Media Hub tracks the feedback from social media

Available for Windows, OS X and Linux operating systems, Octopus can also

followers. It also allows content to be uploaded from the rundown to

be accessed via tablets and mobile phones. That takes efficiency to a new

websites via a integration with CMS such as Joomla, WordPress and Drupal.

level especially for reporters covering large scale events where they need

Compatible with Octopus 8 and Octopus 7, the Octopus Mobile app offers

to concentrate on the story rather than be hindered by hardware issues.

journalists news production capabilities on tablets and mobile phones

Octopus 8 can ingest all incoming source material such as agency wires,

running Apple iOS or Google Android. Reporters and editors working

RSS feeds, emails and SMS messaging. It can also source from, and output to, popular social media platforms. Operators can search and browse content posted in accounts such as YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. They

remotely gain instant access to all wires, rundowns and assignments. They can also edit stories within a rundown, preview prompter text, as well as create wires and reports in the field. Octopus Mobile supports both

can also follow specific hashtags or channels and have a streamlined view

Octopus 8 and recent versions of Octopus 7.

organised for immediate reference. Newsroom staff can upload videos to

Visit www.octopus-news.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE

THIS

PE N NG

PATE N

BOLERO WIRELESS INTERCOM • • • • • • • • • • •

Up to 10 beltpacks per antenna 100 antenna, 100 beltpack system capacity Best-in-class voice clarity “Touch&Go” beltpack registration 6-channel beltpack plus dedicated REPLY button Built-in microphone and speaker for Walkie-Talkie mode Smartphone integration via Bluetooth Ergonomic, robust beltpack design Sunlight-readable display with Gorilla Glass™ Decentralized AES67 IP networked antennas Seamless integration into RIEDEL‘S ARTIST intercom matrix

www.riedel.net

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MEDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT

IS STATE-OF-THE-ART WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM Blockchained Melodies By Phil Sandberg Blockchain, posited as early as 1991, is a fundamental ingredient of the online digital currency Bitcoin. Now it promises to deliver greater control to content creators over royalty payments, contracts and more. A BLOCKCHAIN IS, ESSENTIALLY, a decentralised database maintaining an ever-growing list of records (blocks). Each block features a timestamp and a link to a previous block. Blockchains resist tampering or modification and, via the use of a peer-to-peer network and distributed timestamping server, will run autonomously. They can also be used to record contracts and automatically trigger transactions when certain conditions are met. One of the earliest segments of the content creation sector to undergo digital disruption, the music industry is now seen as a potential beneficiary of blockchain technology.

Mohammed Jalloh, Co-Founder of digital music platform Zimrii – “We’re looking to increase the efficiency of the way the transfer of value happens between artists and their fans.”

Sydney-based start-up Zimrii Music is one company to identify that potential. According to Co-Founder, Mohammed Jalloh, Zimrii is aimed at “… independent music artists looking to have a platform that supports their running of a music business in a more effective way”. For a monthly user fee, musicians will be able to not only manage payments for downloads, but also royalties, and fund raising for recording projects. This is achieved via the use of “Smart Contracts” which are an extension to the blockchain. “When an action or an event such as sale of music or digital asset occurs, then Smart Contract executes,” says Jalloh. “The actual payment system would be in a different platform, but it’s the actual translation of that information to say, ‘yes, that Smart Contract is executed’, therefore you can execute the payment to the parties.” In the case of crowd-funding, Jalloh says the blockchain-linked Smart Contracts can be used to encourage investment in a music project based on the incentive of a return on sales. “If the song does really well, and the artist does really well, then the fans are also rewarded equally as well,” says the Zimrii Co-Founder. “They have a vested interest in not only initially committing to the crowd-funding proposition, but also to promote the band and the artist. The fans do well as well through the rights to the songs.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM

“That’s all done automatically through the blockchain and everyone gets paid through the blockchain and through the Smart Contract as opposed to waiting, at the moment, every quarter to receive copyright proceeds which are held by different parties and different bodies in different countries.

With a scheduled beta launch this August and full commercial release in September, Zimrii is currently working with a number of artists to fine-tune the platform. “We’re going to be working with a few interested parties and bands. A few have expressed interest in exploring this area,” says Mohammed Jalloh. “So, we’re looking to work with those guys to help us to shape the platform and get a product market going.

“APRA AMCOS is a body that holds the copyright information on behalf of the artists and other bodies in the process and then they also administer the copyright payments according to the plays of the songs, etc. So, they hold the information.

“We have also got a website. We’ve people who have subscribed to our mailing list where we’re keeping people informed of progress and news. I think a lot of music artists would perhaps not know what blockchain is. There’s some out there who do know what it is about and they’re quite excited by the potential of it.

“The blockchain looks to try and move away from central bodies holding information, so it is a method of information distribution. We’re not saying that our platform of blockchain will do away with these bodies, but we’re looking to increase the efficiency of the way the transfer of value happens between artists and their fans in a different mechanism.

“We have foreign investors in the UK. We will have opportunities to talk to music artists in the UK and reach out to users who want to use the platform. And then, obviously, over time as we grow we can look to expand and have offices overseas to actually generate a more focussed community landing platform in those regions.

“It could be a body like APRA AMCOS uses the elements of the platform to actually increase efficiencies in their processes, but we’re looking to artists to actually field it through the mechanisms of distribution of information, whether it can all be done via different parties, different bands, co-collaborators, composers, music artists, etc., without the need for APRA AMCOS, and other global bodies as well.

“The investors from the UK gave us some good impetus in terms of validation of the idea and I think now, even though BlockChain is still an emerging technology, people are still finding their feet with the technology. In the case of actually starting and putting it out there to people, we have the right attitude, but there’s a lot more talk around BlockChain and its potential. So, I think people are keen to see what it can do and how it can work in a platform, and software and service products.”

“I don’t think that will happen overnight. That’s something that I think the industry will come to terms with as blockchain matures.”

Visit www.zimrii.com

Explore the possibilities at Broadcast Asia Booth 6Q1-06

Software-based IP solutions for compliance, monitoring and analysis mediaproxy.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MEDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM

Wazee Gets to the Core of DAM DURING NAB 2017, WAZEE DIGITAL highlightedWazee Digital Core, the company’s digital asset management solution – built from the ground up to operate in the cloud. Core is the centre of the Wazee Digital content management system, the foundation for all of the company’s services and capabilities. Core manages the complex tasks of video content acquisition, effective workflow, universal access, metadata management, and automated delivery to any affiliate or any screen. Core integrates powerful multiscreen video logistics with workflow intelligence to give content owners maximum operational efficiencies and control. Furthermore, Core offers secure cloud storage that scales with the size of the digital library. At the show, Wazee Digital will demonstrate new features such as YouTube publishing, YouTube claiming, enhanced search, and controlled vocabulary. Also highlighted at the 2017 NAB Show was Wazee Digital’s Live Event Services, the company’s solution for capturing, amplifying, and monetising sports and live events. Once captured, these moments live forever, offering value to sports and entertainment properties and their rights holders. Wazee Digital’s Live Event Services include content capture, management, and access, highlights production and publishing, an interview and highlights newswire, sponsor activation, and dynamic ingest and licensing.

Part of what makes Live Event Services possible is Wazee Digital Media Hub, a centralised, web-based system that allows host broadcasters to capture live moments and make them immediately available for global highlights, publishing, and syndication as the event is happening. Unlike FTP sites, file-hosting services, and ‘sneaker-net’ workarounds such as hard-drives or thumb-drives, the Digital Media Hub web portal gives broadcasters administration and permissioning capabilities, while stakeholders get immediate access to broadcast-quality content, enhanced, searchable metadata, preview capabilities, and accelerated, one-click downloading all from one central location. Lastly, Wazee Digital Commerce is a portal designed to help rights holders maximise the value of their premium content by connecting with customers who need video. Buyers such as filmmakers, broadcasters, and advertising agencies go to Commerce to search for and purchase clips to use in their projects. Commerce is set for a major overhaul and will be reintroduced to the industry in May. Visitors to the 2017 NAB Show will get a sneak peek at the new and improved Commerce portal.

Visit www.wazeedigital.com

Vintage Cloud Brings Intelligence to Film Archive Digitisation HAVING RECENTLY ACQUIRED renowned film editing table manufacturer Steenbeck and created what it says is the world’s fastest film archive digitisation system, Vintage Cloud has now made it “the most intelligent”. Using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology and machine learning, Vintage Cloud’s Smart Indexing brings speed and accessibility to metadata – transforming the value of the asset.

The Smart Indexing process

Smart Indexing is available integrated within the Vintage Cloud Steenbeck digitiser, or as a standalone solution that can import and enhance metadata from archives that have already been digitised.

an advanced speech-to-

Using a keyframe every three seconds, Smart Indexing is capable of delivering a tagging result in a fraction of a second. AI allows Smart Indexing to automatically recognise over 11,000 objects, scenes and events with an accuracy that is equal to, or better, than that of a human. More than that, it can even recognise faces (including the emotions portrayed by those faces). Smart Indexing can distinguish ‘known’ faces, or the user can add names to faces and those faces, with their associated data, are added to the Smart Indexing database such that they are automatically recognisable in other assets. “Smart indexing makes it possible to find your clip using simple free text search on our search engine,” said Peter Englesson, CEO of Vintage Cloud. “It’s as easy as that. You just search what you’re looking for – and we find the clip for you.”

also automatically searches for a Wikipedia file related to the film title and links to it. In addition, it includes text capability, providing an immediate transcript of the audio which becomes part of the asset’s new searchable metadata. The Vintage Cloud Steenbeck can analyse the picture quality of a scanned film master or proxy to check for out of focus, dust/ dirt level and film grain noise level. It is also capable of digitising separate image and audio at the same time at up to 4K resolution and up to 60 fps.

Visit www.vintagecloud.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM

Signiant Unveils Major Innovations

DURING NAB, Signiant unveiled a new transport architecture that brings the company’s acceleration technology to standard HTTP(S) transfers. Designed for a cloud-centric, standards-focused world, the recently patented scale-out architecture is capable of delivering data to cloud object storage at multiple gigabits per second. This standards-based approach allows customers to accelerate transfers via familiar interfaces such as web browsers or CLIs and SDKs from cloud vendors. A further benefit is the ability to optimise delivery of either file-based content or live video feeds over the same link, ensuring speed, reliability and security for all media transfers – as well as compatibility with emerging IP production environments. For the broadest possible access to content, Signiant is introducing functionality that enables authorised users access to their files from anywhere, on any device, without any special software on the user’s computer. While most users engage with Signiant systems via an installed application or browser plug-in to take advantage of accelerated transport, there are some situations

where this is impractical. By accommodating users who want to use a mobile device or are unable to install software, Signiant enables adoption across the entire media ecosystem. System administrators can maintain full control and visibility of every transfer, while all end users enjoy a simple, uniform experience. As storage choices continue to proliferate, Signiant says it remains committed to the notion of storage independence. Media enterprises have long relied on the company’s software to access assets stored in traditional on-premises file systems, and its cloud-native offerings set the standard for accelerated transport to public cloud services such as Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure. With local (on-premises) object storage gaining traction due to its scalability and compatibility with cloud architectures, Signiant now offers support for S3-compatible object storage offerings from vendors such as EMC, NetApp, and Quantum. Visit www.signiant.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM

Masstech Launches Disaster Recovery Platform MASSTECH LAUNCHED a new disaster recovery (DR) solution for playout environments at the recent 2017 NAB Show. Designed to address the growing risks and consequences faced by today’s broadcasters and media organisations, Masstech’s easy and cost-effective DR platform helps customers protect their revenues, minimise channel downtime and maximise long-term viewer retention if primary playout operations are disrupted.

spots and playlists from the primary playout facility, continually keeping the

Masstech’s comprehensive DR solution provides broadcasters, programmers and MVPDs with a fully-automated content replication and playout platform for their secondary playout site. The package includes the powerful MassStore software for communication and synchronisation with the primary playout facility, a reliable, fully-integrated automation and playout system, and terabytes of dedicated, near-line storage to keep multiple days’ worth of content ready for playback.

can be automatically inserted into playlists as a last resort to replace content

While rudimentary DR solutions depend on replays of generic, ‘evergreen’ content to keep channels on-air or online, such approaches fail to meet stations’ obligations to their advertisers and content license holders, and such programming will not hold viewers’ attention. In contrast, the Masstech DR system automatically synchronises the latest program content, advertising

minimising channel downtime. Meanwhile, a centralised management option

XDT Updates Catapult File Transfer Software XDT HAS RELEASED a new updated version of its popular free Catapult high-speed file transfer software. The latest version now includes 50Mbits of free bandwidth, several new features including watch folders and a web-based mobile friendly dashboard. Catapult delivers an easy to use, high-speed point-to-point data transfer application available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux platforms. Catapult enables companies to efficiently utilise any internet and VPN connection via its built-in TCP and UDP accelerated transfer protocol. Providing a free alternative to existing FTP servers, Catapult allows broadcasters, studios, post- production facilities and content creators to significantly reduce file

backup playout environment as up-to-date as possible. MassStore’s integrated transcoding engine can optionally reduce the bit rates of media files, enabling programs and ads to be replicated faster and more efficiently even on bandwidth-constrained network links. Evergreen material that wasn’t yet transferred to the alternate site, and for news-producing channels, the solution can automatically play an archive of the most recent news broadcast if an outage occurs during a live newscast. Always active even when the station’s primary signal is fine, the Masstech DR solution is immediately ready to go to air with no startup time required, enables broadcast groups to host an alternate control site for one or multiple stations. Visit http://info.masstech.com

transfer times and manage data via a simple to use and familiar user interface. Employing the power of both TCP and UDP Catapult offers an optimal path for any network, regardless of latency or packet loss. New features include: • Now 50Mbits bandwidth included in free version. • Control HTML5/mobile dashboard for monitoring traffic on one or more Catapult servers and advanced transfer reporting. • Watch folders with forward syncing functionality. • Several user interface enhancements and server management updates. Catapult is now available for free download via the catapultsoft.com website. Visit www.catapultsoft.com

Mediaproxy Showcases Unified Software Solutions multiviewer software, offers advanced dataatmonitoring panels for real-time MEDIAPROXY WILL BE SHOWCASING its suite of software for unifying monitoring, analysis and compliance functions BroadcastAsia 2017. monitoring, analysis and compliance functions at BroadcastAsia 2017.

analysis and monitoring of TS sections, ETR290 ASI priority events, OTT

With mobile viewing consumption rapidly increasing across Asia, LogServer integrates analysis and confidence monitoring of traditional linear TV and OTT sources through SDI and TSoIP inputs as well as ABR stream. Supported television formats include SD, HD, and 4K UHD encoded in MPEG-2, H.264, and HEVC. LogServer can also be used to record live streams for archiving and compliance reviews via its HTML5-based LogPlayer multi-channel player.

streams, DVB subtitles, SCTE-35 and SCTE-104 digital program insertion Mediaproxy will also be showcasing the next version of its Aircheck mobile app, which supports live multiview monitoring for viewing master control panels on smartphones and tablets. Aircheck is available free for existing Mediaproxy proxy customers via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. See Mediaproxy at BroadcastAsia on booth 6Q1-06. Visit www.mediaproxy.com

SGL has an established history serving the archive needs of broadcast facilities around the world.

SGL’s scalable, cost-effective archive solutions continuously evolve and grow alongside your business.

Discover FlashNet Infinity, FlashNet Lite, our cloud archiving solutions including Amazon S3 and more at at Broadcast Asia.

T: +61 415088619 | E: sales@sglbroadcast.com | W: sglbroadcast.com

Global leaders in Archive & Storage Management

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM

With TSAnalyzer, CDN ingest and edge server egress streams can be monitored and analysed simultaneously in real-time to check and compare OTT stream bandwidth usage across all ABR profiles. Monwall, Mediaproxy’s

triggers as well as loudness.

POST PRODUCTION www.content-technology.com/postproduction

Black is Back - Grading LEGO Batman

seat in the grading theatre, and also a Baselight ONE to do some supplementary grading as well as handling much of the stereo 3D work.

AFTER THE 2014 SUCCESS of The LEGO Movie, Sydney-based VFX house Animal Logic and Warner Bros. began working on a spin-off, resulting in The LEGO Batman Movie.

“We needed a massive amount of storage – the EXR images were between 50 and 150 megabytes a frame – but the FLUX Store sorted that out for us. In fact, we worked with the same data on both on the FLUX Store and the Baselight TWO, because that gave us added security and the ability to switch between machines almost instantly if anything went down.”

“For this all-animated feature, we acted less as post-production and more as part of the production team,” said Sam Chynoweth, Colourist at Animal Logic. “Where we might normally get four weeks to grade a live action movie, here we were embedded in the production process for a year. From near the beginning of the project we were working with production designer, Grant Freckelton, to develop looks and we essentially became an extension of the lighting, compositing and output departments rather than just waiting for finished shots to be delivered to us. “The process began with Grant and Chris [McKay, the director] where we would work a lot to get exactly the right feel. At one stage, we were dark and gritty and very Batman – very early on they had some ideas where they wanted elements of a 70’s film so we had to work out how we could incorporate those but keep it feeling modern – and then we lifted it up a little to get a bit of fun happening. “One thing which is commonly misunderstood in animated features is the expectation that shots will come to us already balanced. On LEGO Batman, we had about 300 artists working on scenes throughout the movie, and shot-to-shot you can have different compositors putting in their own nuances, so there is still quite a lot of basic balancing needed to bring it into line. “From there we did a lot of secondaries. Working alongside production gave us the opportunity for massive attention to detail. We had a heavily multi-channel EXR set-up delivering us a series of passes from lighting, so we were really able to get in there and manipulate things to the nth degree. “For every frame of the movie we got a single EXR file which had three views: the standard left and right stereo 3D channels and we would often have a mono camera as well to maintain symmetry.

POST PRODUCTION

“Packed into each EXR file we would have a breakdown of mattes for characters, body parts, camera and world position, and so on. One of the most important layers we used was a surface colour pass, which gives the base, non-reflective colour of the scene. If we found events where maybe things had too much reflection we could multiply that pass back to bring the reflection down. It not only restored natural colour to the characters, but it also helped to control that crazy, saturated look.

“So, we were basically using Baselight like a very fast compositor to combine all these layers. And although we did not need to use keying a huge amount as we had all the mattes in the EXR files, we used a lot of shape mattes to do subtle re-lighting. It was much quicker for us to accent things than to send it back to production for relighting. Bram Tulloch, Editorial and DI Engineer at Animal Logic commented, “The power and flexibility of the Baselight grading system and the cloud network architecture enabled us to work this way relatively easily. We have a Baselight TWO as our hero

According to Sam Chynoweth, Baselight’s feature set also helped achieve the desired look for the movie. “The generalised colour spaces allowed us to work in a much more flexible way than we would ever have been able to do in the past,” he says. “We could switch in and out of colour spaces non-destructively to get the most out of our images. Sometimes you need a big gamut, but sometimes that big gamut starts hampering things when you are trying to fine tune the grade. “We were working primarily in ACEScc with some custom tweaks, but we would switch in and out of different spaces as we needed them for different tools. That allowed us to stretch the image in such a way that we could get the most out of it: we could push sections while still maintaining key colours, like Batman’s eyes or Robin’s cape. Even when we were pushing our crazy apocalypse colours we had to keep those catch colours in there so people could easily recognise the characters. “A scene I particularly enjoyed to work on is a dog-fight sequence at the climax of the film, and here the whole ‘more is more’ ethos came into play. We scaled the saturation and the dynamic range up to the maximum, but we used a lot of fast tracking for key characters. There were a lot of important things you needed to be following, but at the same time we wanted to present a spectacle you could just sit back and watch. That was by far the most challenging sequence.”

Creating the HDR Master Grade According to Sam Chynoweth, Animal Logic took its standard dynamic range, digital grade master over to Dolby in LA and found that it slotted in very easily to the HDR world. “There was some re-balancing needed for the inherent new contrast in the HDR system,” he says, “but no real surprises. We’d done some ‘mock HDR’ tests early on – to make sure that we didn’t have any clamped shots or highlights which had been artificially sat down – making the image darker by shifting the black level down – and once we’d set our key mid-tone, essentially skin tone, at a level which we felt looked right in the HDR scene we then let the highlights move around as needed. “Depending on the production, if it was possible I think it would be better to grade the master in HDR wide gamut and then step back down for the deliverables. There are ‘gotchas’ in live action – things like outside details through windows you can now see in HDR which no-one on set thought about – for example, there may be a lighting stand in shot which they didn’t think you’d be able to see. So, it’s better to start in HDR where you can see those problems and make creative choices at that point, continues p35>

POST PRODUCTION

Avid Powers Workflows with the Cloud AT NAB2017, AVID ANNOUNCED a strategic alliance agreement with Microsoft Corp. to cooperatively develop and market cloud-based solutions and cloud services aimed at the media and entertainment industry. As part of the agreement, Avid has chosen Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud hosting platform, and will develop and launch a range of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings powered by the Avid MediaCentral Platform.

As part of the commercial cooperation, Avid will offer Microsoft Azure hosting and media services exclusively as an integral part of its own portfolio of cloudbased solutions and cloud services. In addition, the companies will work in close cooperation on the overall go-to-market approach, which will help clients migrate to the cloud easily and more cost-effectively, and allow them to work with both companies seamlessly. Azure provides flexible deployment options between public-cloud, privatecloud or on-premise datacenter. The alliance between the companies is expected to deliver a continuous stream of hosting and services offerings over the next 18 months, with the first wave of offerings slated for a phased release during the second half of 2017.

MediaCentral Avid announced new cloud innovations for the Avid MediaCentral Platform and its suite of tools and workflow solutions. The Avid MediaCentral Platform is now cloud-enabled, and can be deployed on premises, in a private data center, or the public cloud, providing users with the ability to create, distribute, and manage content more efficiently and profitably using one common platform. The move also enables several of the company’s comprehensive set of creative tools and workflow solutions to be deployed in the cloud along with the Avid MediaCentral Platform. Core Components of Avid MediaCentral in the Cloud include: • Hosted Applications—With cloud-enabled Avid client applications, software can be licensed to run on premises, in a private cloud data center, and in the public cloud for deployment flexibility and increased utilization. • Avid MediaCentral | Cloud UX— This new web-based application offers a completely redesigned and highly responsive user experience for the MediaCentral Platform, making it super-fast and intuitive for anyone to search, browse, access, edit, collaborate, and publish content from any workstation, laptop, or mobile device. • Cloud-enabled Media Suite—Avid Media Suite applications, including Interplay | Production, Interplay | MAM, iNEWS, and Social Media Hub, as well as Maestro and 4Designer, are being cloud-enabled with license options to run on-premises, in a private data center, and in the public cloud. • Cloud Media Services—To give MediaCentral Platform users even greater efficiency, Avid is introducing new media services, including:

• Flexible Licensing Options—For greater business agility, Avid is now offering Enterprise Agreements with flexible Enterprise Licensing, enabling media organizations to enjoy economies of scale by aggregating spend across departments and sites. Avid MediaCentral Platform is currently available for certain cloud-based deployments, with further solutions to broaden and simplify cloud deployments coming in late 2017.

SD to 4K Interface Avid also announced the availability of Avid Artist | DNxIQ, a new hardware interface that delivers extensive format support, from SD to 4K. Built in partnership with Blackmagic Design, Avid Artist | DNxIQ is compatible with any Avid Artist Suite solution and many third-party creative tools — including Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve, Apple Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, and more. Avid Artist | DNxIQ’s Universal Mastering feature complements Avid’s Media Composer | Symphony Option, providing real-time format and frame-rate conversion on output and playback. The new interface supports SD, HD, 2K, UHD and 4K ingest, monitoring and output. As well as supporting all major NLEs, it also supports Thunderbolt 3 and PCIe for Mac and PC. The new Avid Artist | DNxIQ video interface is available now.

Pro Tools The forthcoming release of the Avid Pro Tools digital audio workstation will feature a comprehensive suite of Dolby Atmos workflows to enable audio post professionals to work more fluidly in the multi-channel and object-based audio format. New features will include built-in Dolby Atmos panning, deep Avid pro mixing control surface integration, advanced automation with the Dolby Rendering and Mastering Unit (RMU), and more. Pro Tools enhancements include support for Dolby Atmos 7.1.2 audio stems with built-in fold-down logic. There is also on-the-fly switching and automation between surround and object outputs. Pro Tools also synchronizes audio and automation punches between input and playback modes in conjunction with the Dolby RMU. And, support for ADM BWAV files, containing object metadata, makes remixing more efficient and economical for repurposing content. Pro Tools with native Dolby Atmos mixing will be available in Q2 2017. Avid Pro Tools is now qualified on Avid NEXIS media storage environment, enabling audio creative teams to can share projects on a centralised pool of media storage. Major new features in the upcoming version of Avid NEXIS include:

• Unified Avid Dialogue Search service uses exclusive phonetic indexing technology to enable keyword searches that span diverse libraries of content

• High-performance storage groups, with each media pack capable of data rates up to 50% faster at 600MB/s, providing the performance needed for high-volume 4K/UHD, HD, and bandwidth-intensive media workflows.

• Avid Illuminate automatically verifies captions, video description, and languages in content for fast and accurate broadcast compliance and quality assurance

• Capacity to play back over 215 streams of DNxHR-encoded 4K media at high quality, or almost 1,400 streams of DNxHR-encoded 4K media at standard quality.

• Infrastructure on Demand—The new MediaCentral Infrastructure Management Layer enables organizations to scale resources, add new capabilities, and optimize their storage, computing power, and bandwidth across their entire enterprise.

• Scalability enhancements that double the capacity of Avid NEXIS | Enterprise systems to support up to 48 media packs across a single scale-out networked system. Customers can mix and match a combination of Avid NEXIS | E5, E4, and/or E2 engines, providing nearly 3PB of storage capacity and 28GB/s of high-performance bandwidth.

• Cloud-enabled Connectivity Toolkit—With its open architecture and Connectivity Toolkit APIs, MediaCentral makes it easy to connect thirdparty Alliance Partner tools, technologies, and services to the platform to streamline workflows.

The Pro Tools software version, which adds optimised workflows for Avid NEXIS, will be available late Q2. The new version of Avid NEXIS is available in Q2. Visit www.avid.com

POST PRODUCTION

The foundation of the alliance is a comprehensive, multi-year strategic agreement in which both companies will make significant mutual commitments and investments in technology, product development and go-to-market efforts. Under the technology and product development cooperation elements of the agreement, to support Avid’s product development efforts and investments, Microsoft will invest additional resources and funding to help accelerate time-to-market for targeted cloud-based solutions and specific Azure-based cloud services for the media and entertainment industry.

POST PRODUCTION

Meet the Colourist: Yoomin Lee IN A CAREER SPANNING OVER 15 YEARS, Yoomin Lee has worked for the likes of Australian companies Frame Set & Match, The Lab Sydney, and Cutting Edge. In September 2016, she was appointed to the position of Senior Colourist with London-based Jogger Studios. Yoomin, how did you make your start in colour? “After studying film and working on a film production, I got a job as a runner through a friend who was a 3D animator at Frame, Set & Match, a post house in Sydney. “I was fascinated with all the machinery. We had ITK Millennium Telecine, Da Vinci 2K and Baselight, and I got to know about colour grading. I used

Senior Colourist at Jogger Studios, Yoomin Lee.

to monitor in the tape room what colourists did to the images and I was fascinated by it. It was like the process of painting - creating light, contrast, mood and texture. “I asked one of the senior colourists, Scott Maclean, if it was OK to sit with him and I started to learn from lacing up film. Then I got promoted to a telecine assistant and I learned a lot from two great colourists - Scott as well as Christine Trodd. “After that, I moved to several major post houses in Sydney and recently joined Jogger Studios in London.” You’ve been a colourist in Sydney, London and many other cities. Has your work changed across those countries? “It is very interesting to observe how people use colour differently in different cities. One thing I noticed since I moved to London is that people tend to be

Depeche Mode ‘Where’s the Revolution’ music video.

less obsessed with blue sky.” Over the last decade, you have pulled together an expansive portfolio of work, particularly in high profile campaigns. What draws you to these projects? “I have been pretty lucky to have opportunities to work with very talented and passionate people. It takes time to build relationships with your clients and once you understand each other well, it makes the whole process a lot easier. I was lucky to have regular clients who let me be a part of their projects.” Are some projects easier to grade than others? “Obviously, if they are well lit and shot in the way they are intended to look, its easier to grade. But, I feel most of the time, grading is more about communicating. Colour is such a subjective thing, you never know if the other A still from Cadbury UK’s #Cadvent campaign.

person is seeing what you’re seeing, so it’s easier to grade with clients who I can communicate with well.

What advice would you give to people interested in becoming a colourist?

“I personally enjoy any project that allows me to give my input, and push

“The environment has been changed massively since I started.

myself further. I like working with people who have aesthetically similar views, too.” Can you name a few recent and upcoming projects, and tell us what’s special about them? “I recently graded a Depeche Mode music video directed by Anton Corbijn.

post houses with any entry level position. It is very valuable to learn from experienced colourists, and you get to learn a lot while you assist.” Who is your inspiration?

great vision as a director and photographer.

“There are so many inspiring people around me. I get inspired by people who

“We also recently graded a Cadbury Christmas campaign. There were so many

have great craftsmanship.”

us meet the deadline.” What do you like most about Baselight? “It’s hard to pick just one feature. To me, Baselight is by far the best grading

POST PRODUCTION

with accessible software. However, I would strongly recommend getting into

It was black and white, and I totally enjoyed working with Anton who has a

versions with a quick turnaround, and using Baselight was beneficial to help

“These days there are many ways that you can train yourself as a grader

What's your favorite TV series and/or films? “The Kingdom (Lars von Trier), A Clockwork Orange, Seven, Happiness (Todd Solondz), Fargo, Memories of Murder, Nobody Knows.”

system out of all the systems that I have used. To achieve the same thing, I

What do you like to do outside the colour suite?

can save a lot more time using Baselight with its great functions. Its good to

“I find myself enjoying woodworking, going to galleries. Being away from

not feel limited or compromised within limited time - especially with TVCs. “In general, you can push so much with Baselight without breaking the image. It’s very subtle and intuitive in enhancing colours. And tracking is superb.”

television. Actually, I haven’t had a TV for many years.” Visit www.filmlight.ltd.uk

POST PRODUCTION continued from p32 then when you come back down to a smaller dynamic range it’s still going to work ok. Grading a movie on an HDR monitor is a little bit contentious though as the HDR you see on a monitor is different to HDR you would see in a cinema.” According to Sam, “The Compress Gamut tool in the upcoming Baselight Version 5.0 is a life-saver, particularly when we came to create the Rec. 709 pass. We were able to get all those colours from the big-screen version into the 709 deliverable with minimal compromise. The Compress Gamut tool just revolutionises the way you do it. Not only is it quicker, but you are getting a much better representation. Given Baselight’s render speeds, we were able to do all our deliverables directly from Baselight. “Looking to the future, we are very excited by many of the new tools coming in

Baselight 5.0, such as the world-space matte feature and GL shaders, which will save us a lot of time and allow us to write specific tools for production. One of our next big projects [Peter Rabbit] is a hybrid film, and the new screen keyer and perspective tracker will also be huge for us. “Baselight has allowed us to push the grading process right back to where we have become a key part of production, not just post. As well as sending DNxHDs to our Avids we are looking at comp pipelines using BLGs – once we have matte support in them we’ll have a lot more of a two-way road and will become even more a part of production than we are now, especially with the early look development. Visit www.filmlight.ltd.uk and www.animallogic.com

Boris FX Plugs Into 360 and Virtual Reality BORIS FX HAS ANNOUNCED major new versions of its premier plug-in packages, Continuum and Sapphire, along with its new 360/VR tool, Mocha VR. Technology advancements in keying, motion tracking, and 360 video optimisation drive new features into the Boris FX family of products. Flagship plug-in package Sapphire 11 will be updated to include integrated Academy Award-winning Mocha tracking and masking technology for creative effects isolation. A license agreement with Photron will bring Primatte chroma keying to all Boris FX products, and development in 360/VR workflows has made Mocha VR a huge success in the emerging cinematic VR market. Boris FX has licensed Primatte, the Academy Award-nominated chroma keying technology developed by Photron. Primatte’s keying algorithm delivers green/ blue screen compositing tools and will be released for Avid, Apple, Adobe, and OFX hosts. Under the licensing agreement, all Boris FX products will benefit from the technology. Sapphire, Continuum, and Mocha will all support RLM (Reprise License Manager) floating license services for enterprise customers – allowing administrators to share all Boris FX licenses and background render capabilities across a facility. The Boris FX Suite is a new bundle product making Boris’ three most popular plug-in packages (Sapphire, Continuum and Mocha Pro) available together on one license with cost effective pricing. The Boris FX Suite will be available as a permanent license or as an annual subscription for Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Blackmagic Design, and other host applications.

Sapphire 11 will integrate Mocha’s tracking and masking tools directly into all its filters bringing new workflows for Sapphire users. Integrated masking inside the legendary Sapphire toolset, particularly the lighting and glow effects, will open new doors for Sapphire users. For the first time in Sapphire’s 20+ year history, the Sapphire toolset will be offered as nine individual Sapphire Units. Sapphire Units break down the most popular filters into needful categories, allowing for greater pricing flexibility. Boris Continuum 11 adds new tools for VFX, motion graphics, and finishing including Primatte’s chromakeyer. New Title Studio features include a realtime 3D particle engine and improved UI for motion graphics and title design, and a new 360/VR Unit based on Mocha VR technology for 360 video finishing includes Reorient, 360 optimised blurs and sharpening, and a Insert 2D 360 filter. Mocha VR brings visual effects workflows to the world of 360 video content creators. Mocha VR is the first plug-in to bring native 360 optimised tracking, masking, object removal, and horizon stabilisation tools to host applications such as Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Adobe After Effects CC, Avid Media Composer, The Foundry’s NUKE, and Blackmagic Design Fusion. Mocha VR is available as a plug-in or as standalone application for macOS, Windows, and Linux operating systems. Visit https://borisfx.com

Vimond Enhances Audio for Cloud-Based Video Editing

VImond IO is a frame-accurate, multi-user storytelling tool for journalists and video professionals, which lets users quickly put stories and clips together using a wide range of source material, while completing the video in the cloud by rendering for a variety of broadcast and social media environments. The audio enhancements build upon existing feature sets. Already compliant with US and European standards of frame accuracy, IO now enables editors to use rubber banding – the manipulation of elastic markers – to change volume on audio key frames. The application also now expands and collapses the multiple audio tracks that are typically found on broadcast cameras, allowing for advanced editing on single tracks. In a related development, solo and mute functionality allows editors to isolate sound to improve production value. In order to create smooth transitions between videos stitched together in IO, one can also apply audio cross fades. Browser-based, IO provides rapid search tools for finding content stored in the Vimond Online Video Platform, or in the customer’s own MAM system. It leverages the cloud to process and host large video files and, on the client side, gives users a low-resolution proxy file in a familiar layout, with a wide range of audio and video editing functionalities. Since rendering happens in the background while you edit, the story is ready for publishing immediately. IO can publish to a CMS, social media sites, or online newspapers. Editors can use IO anywhere they have a computer and an Internet connection. Voiceovers are the only thing they may need to upload. Highly responsive and collaborative by design, IO is a fully functioning editing tool with all the features

that online video editors need to make a complete story. Vimond Media Solutions is also launching an improved version of its Rights Manager. Vimond’s Rights Manager organises the cumbersome and fragmented domain of contracts management into a tightly integrated, automated workflow. With Rights Manager, contract managers can track a contract through its full lifecycle. The module’s user interface allows rights managers to stay on top of the multitude of publishing regions, countries and technical platforms. Based on the contractual rights, the license windows can be exported directly to the Content Manager, and the content and metadata ingest process can also be fully automated. New features include simplifying the management of geographic regions in order to control global rights, and allowing synchronisation of all content for a given region via the interface.. An improved content rights scheduling workflow visualises when content is made available, and ensures it is in line with contract restrictions. Finally, the updated content management workflow makes it easy to reuse the same content in other contracts. The Rights Manager module provides a new workflow which simplifies content acquisition. Until now, many broadcasters have managed their content rights in external systems, which are not integrated with the video CMS. This results in manual copying of complex data between systems, which is prone to manual error. In addition, it is difficult for rights managers to maintain a full overview over multiple dimensions such as region, country, and technical viewing platform. Visit www.vimond.com

POST PRODUCTION

VIMOND MEDIA SOLUTIONS has announced that it has enhanced its cloudbased video editing application, Vimond IO, with advanced audio features including rubber-banding, collapsed/expanded audio and solo/mute monitoring.

AUDIO Digital soundwaves

www.content-technology.com/audio

Korean UHD Launch Puts MPEG-H on Sound Footing MAY 31ST, 2017, will not only mark the launch date for regular Ultra-High Definition (UHD-TV) broadcasts in the Seoul metropolitan area (using ATSC 3.0 transmission), but also the beginning of the first large scale use of the MPEG-H audio standard. MPEG-H Audio is part of the ATSC 3.0 standard, and of the DVB A/V codec specification. It is the audio codec selected for ATSC 3.0 broadcasting in Korea and will be the first next-generation audio system used on-the-air when broadcasts begin in South Korea. The MPEG-H system allows for Scene-, Objects- and Channel-based audio formats to be transmitted simultaneously, eliminating the need for multiple mix formats (such as stereo, 5.1, 7.1 or 7.1.4 surround sound). Scene-based audio is a loudspeaker agnostic format that is designed to adapt to the local loudspeaker geometry and acoustic landscape to offer optimal immersive sound playback in any location. MPEG-H Scene-based audio can deliver 3D sound to a variety of devices such as smartphones, tablets, STBs, speaker bars, smart TVs, AV receivers, and more. Scene-based audio is said to work well for live recording because it captures a representation of the entire sound scene without requiring a human sound mixer. The scene-based audio format allows listeners to interact with and personalise their audio experience. Listeners can combine audio objects like dialogue and multi-lingual commentary with scene-based audio or manipulate the audio point of view. Object-based audio, meanwhile, allows content creators to nominate “objects” within a mix – individual sounds such as cars, gunshots, aircraft, etc. – and specify where those sound objects should originate and how they should move. Dolby Atmos is an example of an object-based audio scheme. MPEG-H works for both live capture and for recorded content. In planning for UHD rollout, the Korea Communications Commission, the state media regulator established a preparation committee for starting ultra-high definition broadcasting throughout the country. The committee consisted of 14 members from government agencies, TV makers, research institutes, and academia, including the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Samsung Electronics, and LG Electronics. In December 2016, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) aired its first broadcast in the ATSC 3.0 UHD standard. The sporting event – a world cup short track speed skating race – was terrestrially broadcast from the transmitter station on Kwanak Mountain where Rohde & Schwarz installed a liquid-cooled R&S THU9 transmitter system. It was the first transmitter to go on air using the ATSC 3.0 standard. The countrywide network will be expanded by adding stations on Namsan, Yongmoon and Gwanggyo Mountains. SBS plans to use Rohde & Schwarz technology to set up a terrestrial TV network and broadcast the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in UHD.

AUDIO

Using five 30MHz channels in the 700MHz Frequency Band, the rollout will start with the Seoul Metropolitan and expand to major cities during 2017 and, ultimately, nationwide by 2021. Channels in the HDTV band will be reassigned for UHD broadcasting. HDTV channels will be replaced by UHD ones by 2027.

The number of tools and devices with MPEG-H support is also on the increase. The first MPEG-H capable TV sets are now on the market from Korean manufacturers. At January’s CES 2017 in Las Vegas, LG Electronics introduced its first ATSC 3.0-enabled 4K Ultra HD TVs. In advance of the 2018 Winter Olympics – new 2017 models of LG 4K Ultra HD TVs and large-screen LG smart TVs sold in Korea will have both ATSC 3.0 and ATSC 1.0 tuners At NAB 2017, Fraunhofer IIS showcased its Authoring Tool, a stand-alone application developed by Fraunhofer for authoring of MPEG-H audio content. It provides monitoring and rendering of channels, objects and higher-order ambisonics content including the import and export of MPEG-H metadata. For post-production professionals, new tools and DAW plugins are becoming available from Tom Ammermann (Spatial Audio Designer) and DSpatial, while authoring and monitoring hardware/software for Live production is available from Jünger (AMAU) and Linear Acoustic (AMS) The new Linear Acoustic AMSTM Authoring and Monitoring System is a comprehensive solution for real-time authoring, rendering, and monitoring of immersive audio programs while fully supporting MPEG-H Audio. One of the first professional broadcast encoders from Kai Media that supports MPEG-H Audio was also demonstrated at NAB in a 4K live broadcast chain. Fraunhofer has also launched Cingo which brings immersive audio to VR devices and applications. Cingo renders 3D audio content over headphones by incorporating head movements and, as a result, sound sources can be perceived from anywhere in the 3D space around the listener. A truly immersive soundscape is of utmost importance in any VR experience and serves as a determining factor in the success of the illusion. Fraunhofer says the MPEG-H audio standard is the ideal companion for Cingo 3D audio rendering with the ability to deliver immersive 3D sound for virtual

The terrestrial UHD services will add to existing satellite, cable and IPTV UHD channels which were launched between 2014-15.

environments to mobile devices at bitrates used today for delivery of 2D

A driving force behind the MPEG-H Audio Alliance, Germany’s Fraunhofer IIS organisation has been supporting the Korean networks, manufacturers, broadcasters and the creative community with the installation of a modern demo and mixing facility in Seoul’s Digital Media City.

and higher-order ambisonics signals. This capability makes it the ideal VR

Officially opened on May 15th, the demo facility will also be used as an educational centre to train sound engineers from broadcasters and the engineering schools in the methods to create next-generation audio experiences with immersive and interactive audio.

surround sound. Fraunhofer says MPEG-H can carry channels, audio objects audio codec for user generated and Cinematic VR content. Cingo has already been integrated into Google’s Nexus and Pixel family of devices, as well as Samsung’s first generation of Gear VR, LG’s 360 VR headset, Alcatel´s VISION and the Hulu VR app for mobile and tethered experience. Visit https://www.iis.fraunhofer.de

AUDIO

calrec.com

AUDIO

Jünger Audio Gets Smart with Audio JJÜNGER’S ‘SMART AUDIO’ encompasses high quality and automated audio production, particularly in live broadcast and production environments. ‘Smart Audio’ implies investing in complementary, reliable and future-proofed equipment that can deliver audio content amongst automated as well as nonautomated workflows, while maintaining high quality. The concept has already been adopted by broadcasters including Input Media in London, Germany’s ARD Tagesschau, and Sky Sports. Alongside intelligent and adaptive processing algorithms, the introduction of Smart Audio also allows broadcasters to choose devices that are interoperable with others and can seamlessly integrate with both playout automation systems and logging and monitoring processes.

a collection of adaptive processing algorithms. They also employ the industry standard Ember+ remote protocol that enables integration with an increasingly wide range of compatible equipment. The range includes natural sounding products for loudness control, audio monitoring, audio conditioning and metadata management, and Dolby decoding, encoding and transcoding. Among them are the D*AP8 MAP EDITION surround monitoring audio processor; the D*AP8 CODEC EDITION processor that provides a replacement for discontinued legacy Dolby hardware processors, the D*AP4 VAP EDITION two-channel voice audio processor and the D*AP8 TAP EDITION television audio processor, which ensures consistency of loudness and sonic ‘character’ across multiple programme sources.

Jünger Audio also has a full range of D*AP products, all of which incorporate

Visit www.junger-audio.com

Studio Technologies Expands Dante Belt-pack Range NAB 2017 SAW STUDIO TECHNOLOGIES introduce its new Model 371 Intercom Beltpack. The unit combines the features offered by broadcast-style, two-channel party-line intercom user devices with a single-channel listen output and a four-pin male XLR headset connector. The unit allows production crews to use their existing inventory of headsets such as models from Clear-Com and Telex. The flexibility of Dante and its inherent support of standard IP networks mean multiple Model 371 units can be used in PL intercom applications with help from audio matrix units such as the Studio Technologies Model 5422 Dante Intercom Audio Engines. Model 371 units can also be directly interfaced with ports on compatible matrix intercom systems. A highlight of the unit is its ability to be configured for specific applications. Switches allow control of the microphone preamplifier gain and talk button

Nugen Audio’s Halo Downmix AT THE 2017 NAB SHOW, Nugen Audio demonstrated new downmixing technology for creating stereo mixes from original surround audio sources. The company will also showcase its post-production and broadcast audio tools for loudness, upmixing, and batch processing, and a range of products for creative sound design, enhancement, and sound-stage correction. Nugen Audio is set to unveil Halo Downmix – for downmixing of feature-film or 5.1 mixes to stereo. Halo Downmix gives the engineer hands-on control over relative levels, timing, and direct/ambient sound balance within the downmix process.

operation. Each button can be configured for push to talk or push to talk/tap to latch operation. An integrated call function allows Model 371 users to send and receive channel-specific visual alert signals. Additional features include integrated sidetone, remote microphone off, and firmware updating via USB. Model 371 units interface with twisted-pair ethernet local-area-networks using standard RJ45 patch cables. This LAN connection provides both power-overethernet and bidirectional digital audio signals. Using a low-noise, wide dynamic-range microphone preamp and a VCA-based dynamics controller input, audio quality is preserved and the chance of overload is minimised. The resulting signal is routed to an analogue-to-digital conversion section supporting 48kHz/24-bit. The digital audio signal routes through a processor and on to a Dante interface section where it is packaged for transport over ethernet. Visit www.studio-tech.com Nugen also demonstrated its latest update to Halo Upmix, the company’s solution for upmixing stereo audio to 5.1, 7.1, and 9.1 surround. The update includes algorithmic improvements designed to enhance multichannel-tomultichannel mix and upmix adjustments using the Halo Upmix technologies to further enhance existing surround recordings. In addition, AMB is a new solution that expands on the concept of Nugen’s loudness management batch-processing technology for high-speed audio loudness measurement and correction. AMB enables post-production facilities to accelerate workflows and reduce delivery times, with separate modules available for upmixing and loudness management. Visit www.nugenaudio.com

Calrec RP1 for Centre Stage CALREC EXHIBITED at this year’s NAB, with the recent RP1 taking centre-stage alongside the company’s compact Brio console. The RP1 remote production unit is a live-broadcast product that addresses increasingly prevalent requirements for high-quality content from remote locations. The RP1 remote production engine is a 2RU core that contains integrated FPGA-based DSP, which enables a console surface at another facility to control all mixing functionality. The RP1 core manages all the processing for IFB routing and remote monitor mixes, and it does so locally with no latency. This level of integration and remote control makes it simple for any remote mix engineer to set up IFB mixes and eradicates any delay for remote listeners and presenters.

AUDIO

The RP1 core embeds audio into existing video-transport mechanisms, while its modular I/O backbone accepts any of Calrec’s I/O cards. This means the RP1 can connect via analogue, AES, MADI, SDI, and the latest AoIP solutions from AES67, Ravenna, Dante, and SMPTE 2022.

Visit http://calrec.com

AUDIO

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX – UNDER THE HOOD WITH RIEDEL By Brad Watts

Not only are there requirements for global broadcasting, there’s also oodles of communications requirements. Comms are the life-blood throughout each and every F1 circuit. From Jean Todt, the current FIA president, through to the teams responsible for getting the cars on the track and keeping them there. Since 1993, this formidable undertaking has been expertly orchestrated by Riedel Communications. So, what does it take to keep an entire Formula One switched on and in touch? Taking me behind the scenes is General Manager of Riedel Communications Australia, John Bell. Brad Watts: So, John, how much does Riedel cater to the comms for an event like the Formula One? John Bell: “Riedel do comms to all the vehicles, from the vehicles, and then from there to race control as they have to be able to listen to everything that's going on at a team level. Race Control is the regulatory body. They literally oversee everything, so they want to hear anything and everything that’s going on.” What is Race Control listening for? “If there's an incident they certainly have to hear that – but it's also about keeping everything equal and sticking to the F1 rules. This year, each driver can hear the other drivers, but only one way, they can only hear what the drivers are saying, not what the teams are saying to the drivers. Race Control need to hear what’s going on with those conversations, too. So, every team member has a Riedel intercom panel, what you call a multifunctional smart panel, Then, they've got the guys out on the pit wall all with the same thing, so they're all communicating with each other and the team manager. It's as complex as an Olympics and in many ways more complex because all this stuff moving at very high speeds.” The team members themselves are using comms units also? “The teams all communicate among themselves, and between teams, then there’s members in the pits. Every team member has a Riedel intercom panel with what is a multifunctional smart panel, then there’s the guys out on the pit wall with the same thing.” Out in the pit lane and alongside the pit wall are control centres for each team. Here a team manager can connect anyone in the pit crew to anywhere else using Riedel’s Artist Digital Matrix Intercom systems. This constantly feeds the team managers and chief engineers updates on race time, weather, along with telemetry from both car and driver. Dedicated Artist nodes address alternate feeds to groups such as the pit crew, managers, Race Control, factory support engineers, and to the FIA.

providing support from overseas. We've got our own international pipe, they're all getting that same feed in real time so they can conference with each other, do the analysis and feed it back here. We're also handling telemetry from the car, so all the vital signs, engine temperature, track humidity, how the driver is, all that stuff is through our network. We’re picking up about five to 8000 telemetry sensors per team. “On the pure radio side, we've got 2000 radios deployed. It's a TETRA network, which is Motorola, technology – we're running that through our system as well. We're handling video, audio and data, plus we've got the CCTV cameras in the pit for Race Control purposes. We also do some switching of video signals for the broadcasters through our network. The infrastructure, can that be the venue’s own system? “No. We bring our own network to every race. We have two kits of fibre cables, with approximately 10km that we’re laying across every racetrack. We know we can fully rely on it. So, we prefer to take everything with us and set it up - usually one and a half weeks before the race. We're using two different types of cables and Neutrik connectors. In general, we use two different types of cables and connectors. On one hand, we have Neutrik opticalCON QUAD which is a four-core fibre with a Neutrik connector on it and a real ruggedised cable, and also MTP which contains 12 cores of fibre with a single connector.” Riedel also provides an entire IT hub to each race. The hub is a transportable airfreight container brimming with technology. Air-conditioned and very slight on space, the IT hub provides a command centre and central hub to the kilometres of fibre traversing the race track. John took me through some of what the control centre is monitoring. “We have data connections to all the teams. Here we’re able to catch the connections from the garages, for example, to the pit wall, or to our network for Race Control. The teams are using our MPLS to get to get back to their relevant factories. They have engineers back at their factories worldwide – those engineers support the engineers on track. So, they get live data, live communications back in the factory – the engineers in the factory see the same data as those on track. “Everything is of course covered by UPS systems. We’ve got about 12,000 watts in here, up to 15,000 watts at times, so that has to be compensated for in the case of power loss. Everything has redundancy fail-safes, if one module or section dies we can quickly revert to the backup systems. “We've also got about 100 cameras around the track, and they’re sent to this drive array which has about 200 terabytes in total space. All footage is then used mainly for FIA purposes. So, in the steward's office, for instance, you can playback and review incidents and examine them in slow motion.

How many are in each team, and how many intercoms and radios are in use?

“Last season we were able to hold the whole season onsite, so you could quickly go back to Abu Dhabi for example and review some situations from that race. But we also have storage here for the FIA, so the most critical scenes are stored here and also transported to Geneva or Paris.”

“There can be up to 50 on a track team, but they have up to 200-300 people

Visit www.riedel.net

AUDIO

NOTHING IN THE WORLD OF MOTOR SPORT comes close to the FIA Formula One World Championship. Commonly known as the Grand Prix (French, of course, for ‘grand prizes’), the championship tours the world racing across 20 purpose-built circuits and public roads. The cars are restricted to a mere 15000rpm, but this hardly stops them reaching speeds of up to 375km/h.

RADIO The original broadcast media

www.content-technology.com/radio

Logitek Forms R&D Centre in Australia LOGITEK ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS has partnered with its long-term Australian distributor, Logitek Australia, to open a new research and development facility. The facility is based inside Logitek Australia’s Sydney office, which has dedicated spaces for development, support, equipment testing and demonstration. The new engineering centre will initially focus on software and applications, having already commenced a ground-up rewrite of Logitek’s suite using the latest software development tools. Led by Paul Dengate, Managing Director of Logitek Australia, the team includes software and application designers with years of experience in broadcast audio. Max Healey has joined the Logitek Australia research and development team as System Architect, heading up all software development and documentation. Healey has been writing software and web applications for radio and satellite syndication since the 1990s. His solutions have won him three Australian Commercial Radio Awards for Engineering Excellence. Phil Hertenberger, meanwhile, has been promoted from within Logitek Australia to take on an Application Developer role. Phil was previously responsible for writing configurations and scripts for Logitek Australia’s ABC regional roll-out. For Managing Director, Paul Dengate, the association with Logitek has been a long one, beginning as a user in the early 2000s at Sydney’s 2UE, to system consulting, the first roll-out of Logitek technology to ABC regional radio, to the establishment - following talks in 2007 - of Logitek Australia. “This NAB is the sort of 10-year anniversary of Logitek Australia’s existence,” says Dengate. “And that was the start of the deeper partnership with Tag

Logitek, they really know the hardware and the DSP really well. So, it’s a great

in the Australia and New Zealand market and have local support going on in the

combination.”

time zone here, be able to do local repairs and, for the customer, just have one

In terms of products and software, is there a firm sort of road map? What

point to go to.

are the priorities?

“They didn’t really need to go back to the manufacturer for anything. And that

“So, the priorities for NAB, we can’t talk too much about exactly what we’re

ABC, which is sort of testament to how well it’s worked for them in their regional areas. The fact that they’re prepared to put it in again and modernise it really speaks for itself.” So, how did the R&D agreement come about? ““There are two target products that are going to move Logitek in a very touchenabled direction. So, our focus is touch-enabled devices. There’s going to more screen-based control and more flexible screen-based control. I had a lot of

releasing, but there is a are two target products that we should have at the show that are going to move Logitek in a very touch-enabled direction. So, our focus for this show is touch-enabled devices. There’s going to more screenbased control and more flexible screen based control. “The way the radio studio is going is changing a lot, so the presenters and operators have less time available to be thinking about pressing the buttons and controlling consoles. They’re really focused on what their content is and now

ideas for what I wanted to do with the product. Craig Wilson, who is the General

delivering it out to multiple platforms. The workload on the people in the studio

Manager of the Logitek Australia division here, he’s got a lot of ideas for what

is becoming greater and greater all the time and the industry worldwide. The

he’d like to see in the product and what other things it could do. So, we really

focus is on people who are delivering content. They’re not being employed for

started talking over the last couple of years to Logitek about what can we do

their technical skills, they’re being employed for their ability to engage with an

together, and we decided last year to keep it fairly simple. We won’t go through

audience. So, the technical level of skill has naturally fallen over many decades

any sort of complex changes in ownership or anything like that. We’ll just get

to the point where I don’t think the console is the big focus of the studio like it

together and we’ll start developing some products together.

once would have been.

“We sat down and worked out what products did we need to make, what

“And that’s also happening where studios are becoming more multi-media driven

resources do we need, what skills do we have that we can bring to the table, what’s the special thing that Logitek have that we can free more of their time up to focus in those areas? What it pretty much came to is we’re now doing more of the software side of the products, and that allows Logitek more time to focus on the hardware development, so the physical stuff, and the embedded firmware,

RADIO

detail. We saw our benefit was we’re getting really good at software, and for

Borland, the President of Logitek. The goal was really to have a better presence

was very successful for us. We’re now doing a second rollout of Logitek to the

New R&D and APAC focus: Paul Dengate, Managing Director, Logitek Australia.

as well, so radio studios will have cameras in them. They might be just doing clips and pieces or what is becoming more common is actually doing a full web stream of a show. We’ve really seen those changes in the market, and we’re looking to release products that help the customers meet those challenges.

the DSP.

“They still need a way to control audio, so the need to control audio in the studio

“The real key to being an audio manufacturer is that whatever your software

hasn’t gone away, but I guess the way in which people are trying to do it is

suite looks like, you’ve still got to have some complex DSP going on under the

starting to change, and that’s where we see the console sort of being pushed to

hood. And, there’s not very many people that really understand that in great

the side a little bit and more of these features will be automatic.” continues p42>

RADIO

Lawo Upgrades R3LAY Virtual Radio Mixer Software BROADCASTERS USING LAWO’S R3LAY virtual radio mixer software now have access to a new software release which is available for immediate download. R3LAY is a suite of software that virtualises broadcast studio tools. Using R3LAY, broadcast professionals can move traditional hardware-based studio tools, such as mixing consoles, multi-channel sound cards, and patch bays, into the virtual domain using today’s COTS computing platforms. All R3LAY software is AES67 / RAVENNA AoIP compliant, and multi-touch optimised for easy, intuitive use on touchscreen PCs and laptops. This collection of virtual broadcast tools includes: • R3LAY VRX8 8-fader and VRX4 4-fader Virtual Radio Mixer software.

with routines that help maintain Unicast connections and report broken links. There are also program enhancements which decrease the CPU load of host PCs, as well as the inclusion of Microsoft-signed network and WDM drivers for broadcasters using R3LAY on Windows 10 computers. R3LAY VRX mixing software is aimed toward in-studio use, where its AES67 compliance allows operators to mix local or networked audio streams and send out a ready-for-air program stream. Installed on a laptop and paired with a Lawo OnAir 4 audio interface, R3LAY VRX makes a perfect grab-and-go mobile broadcast kit, complete with VST-based EQ, dynamics and other processing tools. Lawo has also welcomed Modulation Index as a R3LAY Virtual Radio Partner.

• R3LAY VSC Virtual Sound Card software.

The first Modulation Index product to be sold through the R3LAY.com web store is nCode, a version of the StreamS Live Encoder package featuring HLS/MPEG-DASH streaming with adaptive multiple bit rates, and available only to R3LAY clients.

New features found in R3LAY v3.0.0.102 include support for Unicast streaming,

Visit R3LAY.com and www.lawo.com

• R3LAY VPB Virtual Patch Bay software.

Orban Streamlines Optimod Line ORBAN HAS REVAMPED its FM processing product line to incorporate

The FM processor line now includes the following models:

customers’ most-requested features into a select number of products.

• 5500i – now with a full-featured RDS / RBDS generator with PS scrolling.

David Day, Orban’s President, said the streamlined product line was the result of extensive communication with dealers and customers. “We looked at what our customers wanted for features in FM processors, and how to best address those requirements,” said Day. “It became evident that there were too many Optimods in our FM product line, and many models did not fully address the needs of our customers. In the end, we eliminated a few models while at the same time improving the feature set of the most popular models. This makes the choice of processor easier for customers and better serves our dealers and end users.”

• 5700i – now with full-featured RDS / RBDS generator with PS scrolling, as well as FM and HD outputs. • 8600Si – now with standard with FM and HD outputs. • 8600 FM/HD – now with both FM and HD outputs. • 8700i – to be introduced at NAB 2017 with a processed low-latency headphone output, Dante AoIP (AES 67) and Orban’s newly patented Xponential Loudness algorithm. Visit www.orban.com

Frontier Silicon Launches DAB+ Mini Module launch of Siena, its smallest-ever module for DAB+ radios. The Siena module measures 21 x 21 mm and is a low power, cost-optimised solution designed for both entry-level price point DAB+ radios, and consumer audio devices which offer DAB radio as one of several functions.

customer audio systems, the module can be incorporated as a slave digital radio system driven by a host MCU. The Siena module went into mass production at the end of February 2017 and was awarded the European Digital Radio Tick in March.

In addition to enabling reduced system cost, Siena introduces a host of state-ofthe-art technologies to optimize power consumption, RF and audio performance.

Anthony Sethill, CEO, Frontier Silicon, said, “As international demand for DAB radio accelerates and the first countries start to switch-off FM signals, it is essential that we provide a solution to serve the fast-growing entry level price point segment of the market. The Siena module - with its smaller footprint, reduced power consumption and lower cost - will address this segment and help drive market growth.”

For entry price point devices, Siena operates as the master processor. For

Visit www.frontier-silicon.com

Australian Digital Radio Coverage to Expand

ABC has also announced its intention to commence new services in Darwin and

Siena is based on Frontier Silicon's new Kino 4-Lite silicon, a single integrated chip, which combines a multi-band RF tuner, digital baseband, and application processor. Using surface mount technology (SMT), the module can be fixed directly to a DAB radio system board without the need to include a connector.

DIGITAL RADIO SERVICES are expanding across Australia with trials in Canberra and Darwin to transition to permanent services, and digital radio to be added to Hobart in Tasmania and Queensland’s Gold Coast over the next two to three years. The Australian Communications and Media Authority, in consultation with the

Hobart.” The ACMA is facilitating the digital radio rollout by preparing digital radio channel plans for Canberra, Darwin, Hobart and the Gold Coast. These plans will make frequencies available to broadcasters wishing to provide ongoing digital radio services in those areas. Details of the timing of commencement of digital radio in these markets will be determined by the broadcasters. The Australian Government has asked the ACMA to facilitate the rollout of digital

Digital Radio Planning Committee, has prepared a package of planning papers for

radio in regional areas where licensees make the commercial decision that they

the future development of DAB+ digital radio across Australia.

wish to offer the service.

“The commercial radio industry has indicated there are a significant number of

“Agreeing to the planning principles and settling the initial rollout markets

regional licensees that have expressed interest in offering digital radio services

represents a significant milestone in the work of the committee. It’s a credit to

in the next three to five years,” said acting ACMA Chairman, Richard Bean. “The

the members who have worked collaboratively to resolve complex technical,

RADIO

FRONTIER SILICON, the provider of digital radio solutions, has announced the

RADIO continued from p40 As well as the R&D activities, you also have an expanded APAC role. What does that entail?

with importing, depending on where things are made as well, so I think they’re

“For Logitek Asia, the concept is that we can build on what we did in Australia in terms of support and local service. We want to build on what we’ve done here, which is our deep understanding of the product and how to put it together and how to make it work best for the customer, offer more of that into the Asian markets, but still have room for the local dealers and integrators in various Asian countries to do what they do best. They’re obviously in touch with the customers and they know the opportunities coming up. But, like with any sort of complex video or audio routing system, you often need the manufacturer to come to the table with some pre-sales support and a bit of system design and integration ideas.

everywhere is both customers and system integrators are not wanting to have to

“That’s the role we see we’ll fill for the Asian market, still in the office here in Sydney, so it’s in the right time zone for emails, calls, Skype, whatever. Then having more of a presence at the shows, so Broadcast Asia being the first one, and that’s really a, going to be an opportunity for us to meet existing dealers in the market as well as talk to new ones who may not have thought of Logitek or may not have been interested because there’s no-one available in their local area to be able to assist them.

where it is, there’s pressure on costs, there’s looking for ways to do things more

You mentioned changes in studio workflow. Are those sorts of issues common throughout different markets? “It certainly does depend on the market. If you look at what some of the US customers are doing, they often have some quite traditional needs in the studio in terms of having a consult with an operator or a jock. The US guys have been very focused on keeping their installation costs down, so that’s where audioover-IP has really come into the forefront in the US, because it’s a way to have less cabling and therefore less cable labour in a system going. “In Australia, we probably haven’t seen as much of that necessarily in the commercial market. In more of the commercial and smaller stations any way you can save money and effort on installation is thought of favourably from customers. In the Asian region, I know there’s probably lower labour costs and I guess they’re probably a little bit more focused on what the actual equipment costs, and there’s quite a variance in the way of their sort of trade arrangements

very focused on what the actual upfront cost is. But, I think what we see go to great lengths and efforts just to get a system going. They want to be able to plug it in out of the box, have things kind of get up and running and they don’t mind doing some configuration and some bits and pieces to it, but they don’t want it to be this big tortuous type of project. “That’s what we’ve really got in mind with all of our R&D efforts, is taking what we do well, making it easier, making it so you get something out of the box and you can just get it up and running. Generally speaking, for media, no matter efficiently. It doesn’t mean they’re not spending money but they’re certainly looking for the value in what they spend. And I think the big rebuilds you might have had in the last decade or so are probably going to pave the way for people doing smaller projects, so they’ll be looking for equipment and assistance to integrate with what they have rather than just say ‘yep, we’re going to rebuild that entire, we’re going to move and rebuild that entire station from the ground up’.” Visit http://logitekaudio.com

Omnia VOLT Audio Processor THE TELOS ALLIANCE has announced a new broadcast audio processor, the Omnia VOLT, featuring high-performance Omnia sound in just one rack unit. Omnia VOLT features include: The Omnia VOLT audio processor has a next-gen clipper designed by Frank Foti and dynamics design from Omnia Chief Engineer, Cornelius Gould, along with a slew of features that create impeccable audio from only one rack unit. These include six separate AGC sections (one wide-band, five multiband); five time-aligned limiter sections; deep bass, warmth, and stereo enhancers. Omnia VOLT's new QuickTweak system distills years of processing knowledge and proven approaches from Omnia processing pros into a simple set of controls that can turn anyone into an expert. Users can nail their signature sound in minutes whether using Omnia's advanced presets or their own settings, right from the VOLT’s front panel or a PC. Using DSP|Core firmware, broadcasters can alter the functionality of VOLT

Meetusa t Communi cAs i a St a ndBM207

to fit their changing needs and applications, whether it's FM, AM, HD/ DRM, or Studio processing. VOLT can even be used as a standalone stereo generator. DSP|Cores aren't extra cost add-ons. Users simply download the functionality they need for free, install the DSP|Core firmware package

RADIO

from a connected computer, and reboot.

Visit TelosAlliance.com.

RADIO

Comrex Poised on IP Path COMREX HAS INTRODUCED ACCESS NX, the latest portable audio IP codec in its ACCESS line. ACCESS NX builds on the ten-year legacy of the original ACCESS Portable, but adds an audio channel, a larger touch screen, and a digital mixing stage.

ACCESS NX includes CrossLock, Comrex’s custom reliability layer that enables both powerful error correction and network bonding. CrossLock intelligently monitors network connections and adjusts data allotment in real-time. Other features include: • Two USB jacks for 3G/4G and Wi-Fi connectivity, ethernet port, and compatibility with POTS modem (sold separately). • Two stereo headphone outputs with individual control. • Digital mixing and headphone busses. • Digital peak limiting.

New features include a five-inch capacitive touch screen that doesn’t require a stylus, which simplifies set up and operation. ACCESS NX includes a dedicated stereo line input in addition to a pair of XLR switchable audio inputs. ACCESS NX will also be compatible with an ACCESS clip-on channel mixer – a new accessory which adds four mic/line inputs and headphone outputs.

• Field-changeable internal lithium battery with built-in charger (five hours of power). • Serial data and four contact closures. Comrex has also released Opal, a new IP audio gateway. Opal allows remote guests to deliver ‘studio quality’ sound, without the need for any special equipment on their end. Opal is ideal for hosts who need to coordinate call-ins with non-technical remote guests – guests can simply click a link, and connect instantly. Opal establishes the link using the Opus encoder. Visit www.comrex.com

Mediacorp Takes Tieline’s Merlin Codecs for STLs TIELINE REPORTS that Mediacorp, Singapore, has installed 56 of its Merlin IP audio codecs in the new Mediacorp Campus facilities in Mediapolis and at its Bukit Batok Transmitter site. The codecs carry 12 radio channels which are broadcast in four languages to Singapore’s multilingual audience.

“Mediacorp has selected Merlin IP Audio codecs for their studio-to-transmitter

“The size and scope of the Mediacorp installation at their new facility at Mediapolis is impressive,” said Charlie Gawley, Tieline’s VP Sales APAC/EMEA. “Critically important with live content is the reliability of Tieline’s SmartStream PLUS in delivering over 100,000 hours of unsurpassed audio quality to its

Tieline’s Singapore distributor, Telesto Broadcast Solutions, delivered and

audience each year.”

Visit www.tieline.com.au and www.telestobroadcast.com

links as they are equipped with multiple layers of redundancy and are already used by major broadcasting networks across the globe,” added Gawley.

supported the installation and commissioning of the 56 Merlin codecs used for main and redundant studio transmitter links.

Logitek

RADIO

ASIA

CONTENT DELIVERY Terrestrial, Mobile, Broadband

www.content-technology.com/delivery

iflix: Over-The-Top and Over Again By Phil Sandberg WITH INCREASES IN BANDWIDTH and decreases in subscription costs, OverThe-Top Television is riding a growing wave. And while pioneering service Netflix continues its relentless march, other more agile, more localised operators are carving out new and, potentially, more lucrative markets. Malaysia-headquartered iflix is leading the pack with availability in 10 markets across Southeast Asia, with recent launches in Pakistan, Vietnam and Myanmar. It has also announced a Joint Venture with Zain, iflix Arabia, to make its service available in the MENA region. A new round of funding was also recently announced to the tune of over US$90 million to support its further international expansion. The financing includes new investors – Liberty Global plc, major distributor of TV entertainment, sports and other programming, Zain, a leading mobile and data services operator in the Middle East and Africa, and a privately held investment management firm that invests in consumer businesses across Africa. Additional capital also came from existing shareholders Sky PLC, Catcha Group and Los Angeles-based Evolution Media. The service is delivered via platforms such as Chromecast box and set-top boxes working with a number of telco partners around the region. Download and play offline options are also available in some markets. According to iflix CIO Tim Parsons, “Iflix’s vision was always, and will remain, is to redefine TV for a billion people. We want to lead that online entertainment revolution in emerging markets. The key point is the value-play, a price for all, we want to be priced for the ‘other 80%’, but with the same features that we get for our Netflix-type experience. In fact, even better.” Part of the iflix strategy for achieving this goal is not only working with local telco partners, but providing them with alternative, more bandwidth and costefficient technology more suited to local infrastructure and device eco-systems. “Our average streaming bandwidth is also quite low,” says Parsons “Netflix’s peak streams are like 8 megabits per second, our peak stream’s 1.5 megabits per second and average is around 700-800 kilobits per second. We produce our own CDAs - Content Distribution Appliances. So, we have a set of open source hardware that we configure and we can put inside a telco to take the place of Akamai’s. So, we cache, instead of people having to have Akamai boxes. “So, what we do with our CDAs is we say, ‘Well, here’s your own CDA and we’ll pre-positon Iflix content in that box’ and, in fact, we’ll be pre-positioning our content at a time when the rest of your networks are actually quite quiet, outside of office hours. So, we improve the asset utilisation in a telco term, infrastructure utilisation. On the basis of that, we’ve had a lot of success with getting lots and lots of telco partnerships and launching with them. Sometimes, in complex organisations with lots of infrastructure – we’ll turn up in a country and just launch and then, after we’ve proven the range of content and the value proposition, they come and talk to us, and then we get to do a deal with them.

“Our technical teams will bust through the layers of account management to work directly with the technical teams at telcos, so we can do these integrations. So, we integrate with every partner that we have around the world and we work really hard, even in Sri Lanka, even in markets like Brunei, which is a very small market, we had a team going there and making sure we do good integration with them so that the journey is really simple.” These technical efforts are backed up by the iflix content team in engaging with local audiences. “We do lots of social media stuff,” says Parsons, “because people, we’ve found, in emerging markets are very active in social media. We use lots of programmatic ads. We’re just starting to make sure that we don’t just use programmatic ads to drive acquisition, we also use programmatic to drive engagement of our current subscribers. “So, somebody might be a fan or we might have seen that they like watching this particular season and they’ve binge-watched the whole thing. A new one’s going to come and we want to alert them to that, so not only the interruptive annoying in-app notification, but we might also start showing them a few ads and we’re doing lots of experiments around that. “One of the key discovering mechanisms we’re experimenting right now, is every single market we have about forty key influencers who’ve all curated a playlist. And so, these people are active on social media, they’re active in events and then, they’re also people you can engage with and follow inside Iflix. So, that’s something else that we’re trying that’s given us more reach and more influence in all the networks that we’re using today. That cuts right across famous TV personalities, right through to sporting heroes and so forth. So, we’ve got solid, repeat business.” Visit www.iflix.com

Malaysia’s Media Prima Goes on Air with Marina

CONTENT DELIVERY

PEBBLE BEACH SYSTEMS has announced that Malaysia’s Media Prima Television Network, has transitioned its legacy automation systems to a new infrastructure based on Dolphin, Pebble’s compact and integrated channel device, and Marina, the company’s centralised ingest, content management and multi-channel automation solution.

Media Prima’s four leading channels including TV3, Malaysia’s most watched channel, TV9, 8TV and ntv7, went on air at the end of December following the transition to Marina and Dolphin. The new infrastructure, which was implemented with the assistance of Malaysian systems integrator, Tiara Vision Sdn Bhd, controls the playout of four channels with complete redundancy. The Dolphin integrated channel devices deliver video playout, graphics and subtitles for Media Prima’s TV3, TV9, 8TV and ntv7 free-to-air channels. The system features redundancy options with mirrored playlists, creating a

main and backup program output that can be switched between, in case of on air problems. This provides redundancy for all of Dolphin’s functionality including video playout and subtitles. The new system includes 14 clients, five of which are used for playout, and nine for scheduling. Multiple user access rights can be configured according to different operator privileges, giving users the ability to view and edit playlists, to view media on Dolphin servers, or to access the Marina configuration, depending their level of authorisation. The system interfaces with a Dalet MAM system and a customised IBS traffic system, with Dolphin providing simple Flash graphics and more complex graphics provided by Vizrt devices. Visit www.pebble.tv

CONTENT DELIVERY

Magna Focuses on IP Production, Workflow and Distribution at BroadcastAsia2017 AT THIS YEAR’S Broadcast Asia exhibition, the Magna Systems and Engineering stand (#4S3-05) will focus squarely on IP production, workflow and distribution. As a result, their stand (4S3-05) will house demonstrations from some of Magna and the industry’s key players in the IP space. Magna Systems and Engineering Director – Asia Operations Patrick So explained, “Magna’s booth this year covers all aspects of IP production, workflow and distribution. Amongst others you will see Tedial and Telestream providing the workflow management solutions needed to adapt to the changing end platform. There will also be other cutting edge solutions from Bridge Technologies, Crystal, FileCatalyst, GB Labs, Mediaware, Nevion, TAG Video Systems and TVU Networks.” Some of the main areas of emphasis on the Magna stand include delivering media to new platforms and thus redefining the workflow to suit. UHD solutions will also be highlighted as will those that involve delivering to content to social media, OTT and SVOD.

Crystal technology is built for complex, mission-critical environments. Crystal knows that failures – by hardware, software and humans – are unavoidable. On Magna’s stand the company will be demonstrating Crystal Control which predicts, detects and reacts to problems, and then guides operators and engineers toward analysis, diagnosis and repair. The Network Management System (NMS) sits at the heart of Crystal Control, centralising, tracking, and visualising how signals flow through entire video, satellite, and data network systems. Customised for every installation to enhance workflow, NMS connects all equipment, regardless of type, vendor, or age. FileCatalyst will be demonstrating how to eliminate slow file transfers with the FileCatalyst platform, enabling files of any size or format to be sent at blazing speeds of up to 10 Gbps across global networks. Being immune to packet loss and latency, FileCatalyst solutions achieve transfer speeds hundreds of times faster than FTP while ensuring the reliable and secure delivery of files with sizes into the terabytes. The FileCatalyst software-only approach to file transfer also simplifies international collaboration, quickly sharing big data between cities, countries, and even continents. GB Labs will be demonstrating their Space solution. Space is the true successor to SAN, designed to be used directly across the network with an abundance of sustained reliable performance and comprehensive workflow tools. The Space version 3.5 that will be demonstrated on the Magna stand also features new, comprehensive analytics. They will also be demonstrating their groundbreaking shared storage range FastNAS which seamlessly combines the benefits of hard disk drive (HDD) and Solid State Drive (SSD) in one box and Easy LTO. Lossless MPEG long GOP editing, advertising insertion and program splicing solutions is where Mediaware has built a strong reputation within media and broadcast sectors. Mediaware provides professional and customer support services which are designed to meet the stringent operational and critical uptime requirements of its customers and is committed to providing broadcasters and content aggregators with high quality, cost effective alternatives to typical baseband systems. In a first for the Magna stand, Nevion will be demonstrating Virtuoso, their latest generation of Media Node platform fulfilling the highest requirements of broadcasters and service providers. Virtuoso is designed to meet the challenges of an IP-based live production environment where the distinction between facilities and contribution is blurring, and where virtualisation will play an increasing role, leading to faster time-to-production and greater costeffectiveness.

Magna Systems and Engineering Director – Asia Operations, Patrick So.

Alongside Nevion will be broadcast monitoring specialists, TAG Video Systems. The company develops innovative, cost effective solutions and will be demonstrating their MCM-9000 software-based IP monitoring solution combined with a state of the art IP Multiviewer for all transmission layers from the encoded video quality down to the TS packet level. There’s also an HD video mosaic output of the monitored services with rich data and overlaid alerts, viewable from anywhere including on mobile devices and over 200 preset errors and events, full ETR 290 & ATSC, SNMP traps, syslog, email alerts with detailed event information and various notification types displayed on multiple mosaic layouts. Tedial, the Media Asset Management (MAM) software developer and Media IT solutions integrator, will be demonstrating their unique, next generation Evolution Media IT solutions that manage entire media workflows and costeffectively reach new audiences on every screen. Tedial’s solutions significantly increase both creativity and efficiency by combining multi-site media management with business-driven media workflows. The company’s proven track record enables its customers to rapidly take full advantage of file-based workflows, cloud computing and other emerging media technologies. Tedial’s solutions are both vendor and hardware agnostic. Telestream will have two main product demonstrations. The first is Vantage, their powerful, scalable, software-enabled media processing platform that manages all media services from the camera to the point of distribution. Vantage allows content owners, producers, and distributors to quickly, easily, and costeffectively ingest, edit, transcode, QC, package, monetise, and distribute their media. Alongside Vantage will be Lightspeed Live Stream for live multi-screen encoding, packaging and distribution with access to the Vantage workflow. Telestream Lightspeed® Live Stream delivers enterprise-class live streaming for media and entertainment companies, corporations, government agencies and educational facilities. It can be deployed as a stand-alone solution for live multiscreen services or combined with the Vantage Media Processing Platform via the optional Lightspeed Live Capture product. In the mobile newsgathering space TVU Networks will be demonstrating their new TVU One Mobile Uplink Solution with HEVC which sets a new bar with just 0.5 second latency and greater efficiency through less bandwidth use. The new TVU One with HEVC mobile IP newsgathering transmitter supports the H.265/ HEVC video compression standard and uses TVU’s patented Inverse Statmux Plus (IS+) transmission algorithm – which transmits HD quality video with halfa-second latency. TVU One with HEVC is available with embedded modems and can transmit simultaneously over multiple connections, including cellular, microwave, satellite, BGAN, WiFi, and Ethernet. Visit www.magnasys.tv

CONTENT DELIVERY

To that end, Bridge Technologies will be demonstrating NOMAD, their unique, innovative and affordable tool for anyone tasked with managing, supporting and optimising IP networks and hybrid networks with RF signals. A highly portable, self-contained and versatile network probe, NOMAD covers all the monitoring requirements of hybrid IP multicast, OTT and RF networks, and provides every conceivable interface for media signal monitoring and analysis with Gigabit Ethernet, ASI In/Out, DVB-C QAM cable, DVB-T/T2 COFDM terrestrial, DVB-S/ S2 satellite signals with even advanced external 1PPS GPS time-reference. It is specifically designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of those who do not have an in-depth understanding of moving content over IP.

CONTENT DELIVERY

Artel Brings IP-based Solutions to BroadcastAsia2017 AT BROADCASTASIA2017, Artel will showcase new IP features and functionality in its InfinityLink broadcast media transport platform including greater port density for transporting 3G/HD/SD-SDI and ASI, as well as high-speed data transport over 10 Gigabit ethernet (10GbE) interfaces supporting SMPTE 2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching. Artel’s IP solutions also support SMPTE 2022-1/2/5/6 IP encapsulation and optional forward error correction (FEC) algorithms for flexible configurations that maximise reliable performance and minimise latency. Artel’s IP-based capabilities are available in the new InfinityLink broadcast media transport solution and the company’s NEBS Level 3 Certified DigiLink platforms. Artel will also showcase its DLC510, a dual-port L-band demodulator and satellite scanner that adds fully automatic L-band satellite-scanning functionality to the company’s media transport solutions. Using Artel’s flexible HTTP- and SNMPv2-based element management systems, the DLC510 provides essential RF information, modulation data, and other key metrics used in daily operations in an easy-to-read list. Operators can then select from the list to choose a specific satellite transponder and send the demodulated signal to the ASI output for transport by other InfinityLink or DigiLink modules, or by FiberLink products over IP and fibre networks. Also, the DLC510 supports carrier ID monitoring per ETSI TS 103 129. The InfinityLink platform provides transport of video, audio, and data over IP- and

Artel’s InfinityLink media transport platform.

fibre-based networks for 3G/HD/SD-SDI, DVB-ASI, and Ethernet and is ideal for broadcast, sports, higher education, government, and related applications. Artel will showcase IP- and fibre-based capabilities in its new fully integrated InfinityLink IL6000, a 1RU, four-slot chassis with active routing and an SNMP management system. Meanwhile, Artel’s FiberLink 3500 Series transmits 4K/UHD video at up to 60 frames per second one way. Supporting nearly every type of video, audio, and data signal, FiberLink products are suitable for broadcast or corporate studios, OB vans, point-of-view cameras, and more. Visit www.artel.com

WORK Microwave Highlights DVB-S2X Wideband AT COMMUNICASIA 2017, WORK Microwave will demonstrate one of the industry’s first solutions for wideband transmission and reception. Using the DVBS2X wideband solution, satellite operators can run links with less back off and higher power, boost statmux efficiency, and maximise throughput. WORK Microwave’s wideband solution includes the A-Series AT-80 wideband broadcast modulator and AR-80 wideband demodulator. Singlecarrier operation mode for both units is based on the DVB-S2X standard, allowing the most efficient statistical multiplexing of different services and transmission over high-throughput satellite transponders with guaranteed power efficiency. Ideal for next-generation, high-speed IP-based broadcast and broadband access applications in Ka-, Ku-, Q-, and V-band satellite systems, WORK Microwave’s end-to-end wideband solution enables symbol rates of up to 500Mbps. WORK Microwave will also display its A-Series AX-60 IP Modem, AR-60 IP Demodulator, and AT-60 IP Modulator high-performance platforms for

IP trunking and IP network infrastructure applications. Customisable and scalable, the A-Series can be adapted to any throughput, data analysis method, and other waveforms beyond DVB-S2X. Using the A-Series, operators can transmit and receive DVB-S2X signals with the efficiency and ease of operation. Optimal use cases include high-speed network links (i.e., 100, 200, or 300 Mbps) over satellite, IP-based satellite newsgathering, IP-based contribution and distribution links, connection to and from LEO for earth observation, and reception and analysis of satellite communication. At CommunicAsia 2017, WORK Microwave will also unveil its new DVB Satellite Modulator OEM Module SDMO, a cost-effective, high-performance OEM solution that offers easy integration into any platform. Fully compliant with the next-generation DVB-S2X standard, the board includes advanced features like carrier ID and symbol rates up to 80 Mbps to mitigate satellite interference and strengthen signal integrity. Visit https://work-microwave.com

Vimond to Showcase Modular OTT Solutions ACCORDING TO MIGUEL SILVA, CCO, Vimond Media Solutions, “Vimond is excited to be in Singapore for BroadcastAsia 2017. Supported by our new office in Sydney, our work in the region continues with new customers in the Philippines and Australia – PLDT and Fox Sports, as well as with existing customers, like iflix and Optus. At the show, we will be demonstrating the modular design of our cloud-based OTT tools, which enables service providers to deploy interoperable solutions in order to achieve greater customisation and control.”

automates program scheduling, for greater efficiency and fewer errors.

New Products for the 2017 BroadcastAsia Show include:

Vimond Content Curator - Vimond Content Curator allows user to promote featured content in their customer portal and organise content in carousels, menus and featured lists. Designed for content managers, editors and curators, this tool features a user-friendly interface and advanced search options that make lists easy to create and straightforward to manage. Bookmark favourite playlists to make regular adjustments even easier.

Vimond Live Channel Planner - Live Channel Planner makes it easier to schedule and monitor a large number of live channels. It lets users define channels, set up encoder sources and monitor inbound live feeds. It also imports EPGs (electronic program guides) to create programs, which can be viewed together with channels in the timeline view. Furthermore, it marks programs to be saved permanently as VOD assets, or saved temporarily for catch-up TV. Lastly, it

Vimond Rights Manager - Vimond Rights Manager makes managing content rights efficient and uncomplicated. Contract managers, publishers and content managers now have an easy way to track complete content life-cycles. With Vimond Rights Manager, users can define contracts and regions, trigger the creation of associated assets in Content Manager and ingest videos, and share contract data via export or the API.

Visit www.vimond.com

CONTENT DELIVERY

Advertiser Index

AJA Video Systems....................................05

Elevate Broadcast.....................................10

Logitek Asia...................................................41

Quantum ................................................... .OBC

Brainstorm Multimedia...........................24

EMC.......................................................................09

Magna Systems & Engineering.......IFC

Riedel Communications.........................27

GatesAir.............................................................03

Mediaproxy......................................................29

Ross Video......................................................11

Ideal Systems................................................23

Netia.......................................................................5

SGL Broadcast..............................................31

Combitel......................................................... 42

IHSE......................................................................04

Omnitek.............................................................14

Snell Advanced Media (SAM).............19

Comrex.............................................................. 41

Imagine Communications.....................07

Ooyala.................................................................21

Village Island..................................................06

BroadcastAsia2017................................IBC Calrec...................................................................37 ChinaMeiti.biz.............................................. 13

PICTURE CUT

t u C e r u t Pidiycou make the cut? D

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

002

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

005

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

006

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

007

>> ABU DBS 2017>>

008

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

009

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

010

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

011

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

012

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

013

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

014

>> HK FILMART 2017 >>

003

015

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

>> HK FILMART 2017 >>

004 >> ABU DBS 2017

SCAN ME!

PICTURE CUT

001

PICTURE CUT

016

>> IABM ENGINEERING>>

020 001>> IABM ABUENGINEERING DBS 2017 >> >> >>

PICTURE CUT

024

>> ABU DBS 2017 >>

017

>> IABM ENGINEERING >>

021 002 ABUENGINEERING DBS 2017 >>>> >>>>IABM

025

>> IABM ENGINEERING >>

028

>> NAB 2017 >>

029

>> NAB 2017 >>

032

>> NAB 2017 >>

033

>> NAB 2017 >>

018

>> IABM ENGINEERING >>

022 003 IABM ABUENGINEERING DBS 2017 >>>> >>>>

026

>> IABM ENGINEERING>>

030

>> NAB 2017 >>

019>> IABM ENGINEERING>

023 004 ABUENGINEERING DBS 2017 >> >>>>IABM >>

027

>> IABM ENGINEERING >>

031

>> NAB 2017 >>

LEVEL 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6, SUNTEC SINGAPORE T U E S D AY - T H U R S D AY

NEW VENUE

www.Broadcast-Asia.com

Bigger and Better! Network with over 600 international brand owners and solutions provider

Pre-register your visit online before

Discover over 200 product launches

15 May 2017!

:V\YJL LÉ&#x2030;JPLU[S` MYVT key thematic zones Gain insights from 80+ renowned speakers at the Conference Participate in free fringe activities PR

DUCER C O N N E CT

Check out the website for the full information. www.Broadcast-Asia.com

Hop onto the free shuttle service to also visit CommunicAsia at Marina Bay Sands.

Organised by:

Held concurrently with:

www.CommunicAsia.com @ Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

SES A part of:

Hosted by:

#BroadcastAsia2017

CommunicAsia & EnterpriseIT incorporate:

www.EnterpriseIT-Asia.com @ Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Endorsed:

www.Satcomm-Asia.com

Supported by:

Held in: