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ASIA MAY/JUNE 2015
MEDIA + PRODUCTION + MANAGEMENT + DELIVERY
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ALL ANGLES ALL DEVICES
PREVIEW ISSUE
ISSN 1448-9554
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VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1 MAY/JUNE 2015
Also see C+T in PDF at www.content-technology.com
Cover Story – SEA Games - Multi-Cam Goes Mobile
24 REGULARS 02 EDITOR’S WELCOME 04 NEWS 4K Goes Off Like a Rocket for Blackmagic, Harmonic Powers Janam TV India, MediaCorp Appoints Head of Digital, Magna Supplies PCCW HK with OASYS
48 FEATURES AND DEADLINES
18 FEATURES 10 BROADCASTASIA PREVIEW Conference Preview
18 ACQUISITION VTV5: Always on the Go with Sony, New Blackmagic Cameras, Ikegami Handheld 8K Camera System
22 SPORTSCASTING TWMR Accelerates its
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Workflow with XDCAM, J.League Installs ChyronHego TRACAB, Nevion Powers 4K Cricket World Cup
26 NEWS OPERATIONS Derana Selects Enterprise sQ, AVIWEST Enhances Video Delivery with Hughes, MediaCorp Selects EVS
29 POST-PRODUCTION GoodJob Selects Baselight, Quantum StorNext Provides 4K Workflow for Chinese NAIP, Park Road Relies on Mistika for The Hobbit
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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 Email: papers@broadcastpapers.com
33 MEDIA IN THE CLOUD NDTV Chooses AMAGI Storm, thePlatform Selected for Stan, Malvertising and Watering Holes, Top 5 Tips for Your 4K Transition
36 AUDIO TVRI Goes Digital with LAWO, Symetrix Used in Korea’s Musistance, Calrec Broadens Hydra2 Connectivity, Clear-Com Enhances V-Series
42 RADIO Nova Radio Monitors TV Broadcasts with Mediaproxy, Telos Alliance Debuts Z/IPStream, Omnia Releases New Processors
44 CONTENT DELIVERY Why KVM is Important in the Broadcast and Post Production Industries, Village Island Powers Pope’s Live Broadcast for 6 Million Filipinos
PICTURE LEFT: Smaug, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, in the fantasy adventure “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), released by Warner Bros. Pictures and MGM.
SUB-EDITOR: Keith Ford Mob: +61 (0)430 432 437 Email: papers@broadcastpapers.com PRODUCTION MANAGER: Lucy Salmon Tel: +61 (0)2 9211 8205 production@broadcastpapers.com DESIGN & LAYOUT: Wide Open Media Tel: +61-2-9282 9359 info@wideopenmedia.com.au PRINTING: Lindsay Yates 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
Declarations on the Death of Traditional Media are Still Premature By Phil Sandberg
Caught up in recent cyclonic storms to hit Australia’s East Coast, my home and office were without power for four days and, therefore, without (mainspowered) phone, ADSL Internet and television. Added to this, the local cellphone tower had been rendered inoperative – no voice, no mobile Internet.
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And, the local AM radio station, 2GO, did a great job of doing just that. Cutting into their networked, server-fed programming, station staff provided interviews with rescue and Government authorities as well as regular updates on road blockages, downed power lines, school closures, weather forecasts and one overriding gem of advice – “if you don’t have to go out, don’t”. 16:00
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While a stable gas connection allowed us to spend the first two days cooking and eating every rapidly warming item of food in the refrigerator, it was the humble Philips Magnavox AM/FM radio, powered by two D-sized batteries, that kept us in touch with the outside world and what was happening with the storm recovery effort in our area.
Conversely, as long as the power is on and the studio and transmitter are intact, it’s possible for a single operator with a microphone at a radio station to continue delivery of information during a time of crisis. I know what I’d bet my safety on. Thanks for Reading Phil Sandberg - Editor/Publisher papers@broadcastpapers.com - T: +61-(0)414671811 03:00
But this isn’t necessarily so.
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As media has become digitised, as it has become more enmeshed with the Internet and tailored for delivery to more devices, the louder has been the chorus declaring the death of “traditional” media – particularly print, television and radio.
It is interesting to note that while digital or “new” media employs increasingly more efficient technologies to individualise delivery of content, it also relies on much more complex ecosystems to maintain those delivery channels compared to “traditional” media. In short, there are more points of failure – power supply, servers, software, connectivity, end device configuration, etc., etc.
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at the mercy of the elements. Flood, fire, famine … tremors, tempests, tidal waves … the natural world is often the great equaliser for humanity and its works – and this includes media.
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DESPITE MILLENNIA OF TRYING TO TAME NATURE, people still remain
Contrast with groups of people hovering around powerboards provided by a local shopping centre for the purpose of recharging mobile phones, or the public library squeezed to capacity with telecommuters jostling for capacity on the free Wi-Fi, radio proved that a cheap, analogue, one-to-many broadcast medium was more than a match for its “competitors” in a time of crisis.
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NEWS + PEOPLE For the latest news visit www.content-technology.com
4K Goes Off Like a Rocket for Blackmagic BLACKMAGIC DESIGN products were recently used for live broadcasting and filming of the launch of HAYABUSA 2, a Japanese asteroid surveying spacecraft. Blackmagic Design products used included ATEM 1M/E Production Studio 4K, HyperDeck Studio Pro, Teranex Express and a number of Mini Converters. The project was promoted by JVC Kenwood, VideoTec and Japan Cablecast and aired on Channel 4K. Shooting and live streaming was done by Gokuraku Eizo and Video Service. According to Kei Nozawa, president and DoP of Japanese production company Gokuraku Eizoa, “We decided to shoot in 4K and up convert the footage to 8K for showing in a dome theatre. As we also planned a live broadcast of the launch of HAYABUSA 2, we had to find a switcher which would allow us to switch 4K feeds without any stress. We found the Blackmagic ATEM 1M/E Production Studio 4K, and decided it was the one to use.” Japanese rental company, VIDEO Service, joined Gokurazu Eizo for this HAYABUSA 2 project and dealt with selecting the equipment. Yoshinori Nakano, from the tech department of VIDEO Service said, “We had to use many cameras for the project, and we needed enough inputs to cover all of those camera feeds. We chose the ATEM because it supports 4K, has 10 inputs, and is capable of picture in picture.”
Nakano said, “Recording and checking the edited content from the HyperDeck was easy and could be done right away.”
Multiple HyperDeck Studio Pros were also used for recording backups for the live broadcast as well as playback decks for insert footage. “We recorded the program output from ATEM for a backup. One with titles
Visit www.blackmagicdesign.com
HARMONIC HAS PROVIDED Janam TV with an end-to-end solution for its new news and entertainment channel in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of India’s Kerala state. Supporting operations from contribution and ingest through production and playout, the Harmonic infrastructure enables Janam TV to realise a streamlined workflow with local support from Harmonic distributor RGB Broadcasting. The broadcaster relies on the Harmonic Spectrum MediaCenter media server with integrated storage for ingest of content, including a number of bureau feeds acquired using the Harmonic Ellipse 3100 contribution encoder and ProView 7100 integrated receiver-decoder (IRD), stream processor and transcoder. While the modular MediaCenter server provides file-system and communication management, the Ellipse and ProView systems serve as scalable, high-density and bandwidthefficient video contribution solutions. In production, the Harmonic MediaGrid shared storage system makes content readily available to editors working with both Apple’s Final Cut Pro and Adobe editing software. Finished content is played out via the MediaCenter server and storage system under the control of Pebble Beach automation. Visit www.harmonicinc.com
NEWS + PEOPLE
Teranex Express was used to colour correct each signal from the satellite feed and ensure it was synced up. Blackmagic Mini Converter SDI Multiplex 4Ks were connected to each camera’s output, which had four 1.5G SDI connections for UltraHD 4K output, to convert to 6G SDI. Extra converters were required on the ATEM program output to convert back to 4 HD-SDI for compatibility with the broadcast system, resulting in a total of seven Mini Converter SDI Multiplex 4K converters used for the project. DaVinci Resolve was also used for editing on site. The footage edited using Resolve was recorded on to a SSD by a HyperDeck Studio and played back from HyperDecks as insert footage.
Nakano continued, “When live broadcasting, any video material for insert was sent from a HyperDeck. That footage sometimes needed to be down scaled by the DVE to fit in the live footage, and ATEM easily handled it. Also, still graphics could be displayed using the ATEM’s keyers.”
Harmonic Powers Janam TV India
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and another without titles, so we introduced two HyperDeck Studio Pros. We had also recorded the launch of ALOS-2 and Himawari 8 before as a test shoot, so we used the material as insert footage for live broadcasting of the HAYABUSA 2 launching project. We used three HyperDecks for playback of that footage,” said Nakano.
RTHK DTT Connects to Cable TV HONG KONG PUBLIC BROADCASTER RTHK has been working with i-CABLE Communications’ CABLE TV network to enable delivery of RTHK’s three trial DMB-T DTT channels to CABLE TV subscribers. The two organisations recently signed an agreement to feed RTHK’s DTT signals to CABLE TV’s optical fibre system, and then, progressively to transmit the signals to the residential estates that are currently connected to CABLE TV. The trial transmission of the three Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) digital terrestrial television channels (TV31, 32 and 33) has been going on since mid-January last year and now boasts signal coverage of about 75% of the Hong Kong population. To date, if viewers wanted to watch RTHK’s DTT channels, they have had to replace or upgrade their residential antenna system. When the public antenna in a building has been upgraded for the purpose of receiving RTHK’s DTT signals, tenants connected to the public antenna of the building are also able to watch the channels. RTHK has been working closely with CABLE TV since last year to work out the technical issues and administrative arrangements of directly feeding RTHK’s DTT signals to CABLE TV’s transmission system in individual residential estates via DTT signals interconnection. Vist http://rthk.hk/index_eng.htm
See Page 31 for More Details
NEWS + PEOPLE
ASIA NEWS KAZAKHSTAN TVC, A LITHUANIAN systems integrator specialising in TV integration, has delivered 12 Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) vehicles to news production company Khabar in Kazakhstan. Six more units are currently undergoing final fit-out and will be delivered to Khabar over the next three months. The DSNG GAZ 27057 (4×4) vehicles are all fitted with Vislink’s compact and motorised Advent NewSwift CF 1.5m Ku antennas and Advent 5000 series encoders and decoders. Visit www.vislink.com
NEPAL ITU HAS DEPLOYED emergency telecommunication equipment in Nepal following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the country on 25 April 2015. The emergency equipment includes 35 satellite mobile phones and 10 satellite Broadband Global Area Network terminals along with solar panels and laptops to support relief coordination efforts. Visit www.itu.int
INDIA AMAGI, a leader in targeted TV advertising and cloud-based broadcast infrastructure, has announced that NDTV 24×7 will use its STORM regionalisation platform to insert regional Ads in the Middle East on the channel’s Asia-pacific satellite feed. Visit www.pace.com
THAILAND GDC TECHNOLOGY has announced that it performed another deployment for Major Cineplex, the largest circuit in Thailand, in the first quarter of 2015. Solutions provided to the exhibitor included digital cinema servers, projectors, 3D solutions and Theatre Management Systems (TMS). Visit www.gdc-tech.com
CAMBODIA VIETTEL (CAMBODIA) Pte. Ltd. (Metfone) announced that it has reached an agreement for the purchase of Sotelco Ltd. (Beeline Cambodia) assets and telecom licenses including but not limited to its 2G, 3G and 4G frequency licenses. As part of its business strategy for Cambodia, Viettel will look at enhancing and developing the country’s telecommunications infrastructure with the addition of 4G and 5G services in the future.
NEWS + PEOPLE
Visit www.viettelglobal.vn
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JAPAN
CHINA IMAX CORPORATION has announced an agreement with Shanghai Film Corporation (SFC) for two IMAX theatres to be located in China. The theatres will be added to new construction projects in the cities of Shanghai and Beijing. The deal builds on the parties’ November 2014 agreement for 19 IMAX theatres in China and brings to 25 theatres the exhibitor’s total IMAX commitment.
SGL, A PROVIDER OF content archive and storage management software for media and entertainment, has announced a major sale of its FlashNet content management system to an established TV and radio broadcaster in Japan. FlashNet will provide an end-to-end digital archive workflow for drama content production. The installation sees SGL FlashNet fully integrated with the broadcaster’s Avid Interplay | Production workflow. Visit www.sglbroadcast.com
Visit www.imax.com
MALAYSIA UTUSAN STUDIOS (Malaysia) has announced an exclusive partnership for distribution of new and original content worldwide. Hub Media (Singapore) will be representing Utusan Studios’ documentaries and factual content, with subjects ranging from lifestyle to sports. This partnership kicks off with two premium documentaries, “The Malaysian Fish Hunters” and “Tongkat Ali: Rise of the Miracle Herb”. Visit www.utusanstudios.com and www.hubmediagroup.com
INDONESIA SINGAPORE-BASED media company MediaCorp and KapanLagi Network (KLN), an Indonesian digital media company, announced that MediaCorp has invested in a 52 per cent equity stake in the KLN Group, which owns several of Indonesia’s most successful web portals including www.kapanlagi.com. Visit www.mediacorp.sg
NEW ZEALAND
MEDIACORP has created a native advertising unit offering its customers the opportunity to tell more compelling brand stories across multiple platforms, focusing on content that is useful to users. Called Brand Studio, the unit will collaborate with advertisers to create high-quality original multimedia content that engages their target audience across MediaCorp’s digital products, and extending that reach across the full range of the company’s media platforms, social media and celebrity influencers.
TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND (TVNZ) wished to upgrade its legacy weather camera and infra-red links in NZ’s four main centres – Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin – with more current and reliable technology. The Bridge Network (TBN) proposed 23GHz licenced spectrum Edge microwave links from Aviat Networks, along with installation services provided by a TBN engineer. Licence engineering was included as part of the proposal.
Visit www.mediacorp.sg
Visit www.thebridgenetworks.com
NEWS + PEOPLE
SINGAPORE
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NEWS + PEOPLE
MediaCorp Appoints Shane Mitchell to Head of Digital SINGAPORE’S MEDIACORP has announced the appointment of Shane Mitchell to accelerate the growth of its digital business. In the newly created position of Head, Digital, Mr Mitchell will be responsible for driving a unified digital strategy across MediaCorp’s online and mobile
properties, commercialising business lines, improving user experience and working on strategic partnerships.
media companies to implement disruptive digital services as an agency, it’s great to get back to leading change from the inside.”
Mr Mitchell will also focus on strengthening digital expertise across the organisation, underscoring MediaCorp’s commitment to staying relevant in a changing media landscape.
Mr Mitchell was previously CEO of Sydneybased Reddo Media Services, which specialises in app development and marketing, as well as providing commercial and branded content strategy for businesses. Prior to that he worked for Haymarket Media Group and YAHOO! in Sydney and in the UK.
Mr Mitchell said, “I’m delighted to be joining MediaCorp at this crucial moment in its transformation. It is an incredibly diverse company with enormous impact, resource and ambition. After several years working with
Visit www.mediacorp.sg
Harmonic Names Xiaojun Dou MD of China Sales HARMONIC, a provider of video delivery infrastructure, has announced the appointment of Xiaojun Dou as managing director of China sales. In his new role, Xiaojun will provide strategic direction for Harmonic’s business in China and lead the company’s China sales team in executing strategies key to meeting regional business goals and objectives.
years of sales and management experience in China’s broadcast and media industries,” said Dario Choi, regional vice president of sales, Asia-Pacific, at Harmonic. “With experience in all three areas of the technology industry’s value chain — working with the end user, system integrator/reseller, and vendor — Xiaojun has gained valuable insight and developed highly effective sales skills that will serve our Asia-Pacific sales team very well.”
“Xiaojun comes to Harmonic with a strong set of knowledge, skills, and abilities from his 25
Prior to joining Harmonic, Xiaojun was with Avid as country manager for Greater China,
Telestream Appoints Jean-Pierre Bousquet for SE Asia TELESTREAM, a provider of video transcoding and workflow automation solutions, has announced the appointment of Jean-Pierre Bousquet as Regional Sales Manager, Enterprise Products, managing sales in the ASEAN countries, plus Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. Located in Singapore, Bousquet brings over 15 years of highly relevant technical and commercial experience, having worked in the Asia region for AmberFin, Pixelmetrix, and Avid.
Visit www.harmonicinc.com
Clear-Com Names APAC Director of Sales
Magna Systems Supplies PCCW HK with OASYS
CLEAR-COM, a leader in critical voice communication systems, has appointed Ann Williams as its new Director of Sales Asia Pacific, effective immediately. In addition to the Southeast Asia region, Williams will have supervisory responsibility for the China and India markets as well as Japan, Korea, Australia, and NZ.
RECENTLY PCCW, one of Hong Kong’s leading pay-TV operators carrying more than 180 channels, wanted to find a replacement solution for their existing ad channels and simple playout channels platform. PCCW’s requirements included eight channels of HD/SD ad insertion with four channels of backup (N+M) and eight channels of HD/SD playback channels with four channels of backup (N+M).
Williams commented, “I am extremely pleased to be part of the Clear-Com team, to continue to advance our position in the Broadcast, Live Performance, Live Events, and Pro-AV markets.”
In total, PCCW purchased and installed OASYS ad insertion and playout functionality that included OASYS ad insertion modules that feature incoming signals with a GPI signal trigger for local ad insertion and OASYS multi-channel playout modules offering logo graphics capabilities.
Visit www.clearcom.com
Visit www.magnasys.tv
NEWS + PEOPLE
Visit www.telestream.net
a role in which he oversaw overall business operations in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. Xiaojun earlier held various senior leadership positions within the digital media industry.
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PREVIEW The 19th International Digital Multimedia & Entertainment Technology & Conference
www.broadcast-asia.com
BroadcastAsia Meets Demand On-demand consumption of media has become the modus operandi for consumers today, bringing about the trend of ‘TV Everywhere’. The broadcasting landscape has changed significantly with the advent of social media and increased mobility of consumers brought about by the Internet of Things (IoT). More than just the delivery of content, with high-definition and 3D now made readily available in the comfort of consumers’ homes, the TV experience has become critical for the broadcasting industry. VISITORS TO BROADCASTASIA2015 can expect to see broadcasting technologies and innovations impacting on consumers’ experience of visual, audio and more, in the following arenas:
shared. Exhibitors include Canon, Cine Equipment, Jebsen, Kino Flo, Matthews, Panther, Red Digital Camera, Rosco, The Media Village and more.
The Creative Content Production Conference will host some of industry’s most creative minds and emerging content developers. Together they will examine the evolving market landscape and discuss effective strategies to succeed in Asia’s film and TV arena. Conference topics include fostering collaborations and co-productions, monetising a successful transmedia strategy, financing and distribution best practices, and alternative financing options among others.
TV Everywhere! Zone (NEW): From smartphones, tablets or Smart TVs, media and TV consumption are now everywhere. This year’s new TV Everywhere! Zone promises an experiential showcase of solutions from authentication, monetisation, network & device management, OTT, security, storage and more. Exhibitors include major players from across the world and region, such as Accedo, ALi Corp, Arris, Aveco, Brightcove, Ericsson, Limelight, Montage Tech, Quick Play, Rovi, Seachange and Vimond among others. ProfessionalAudioTechnology2015: The ProfessionalAudioTechnology zone will showcase latest technologies and expertise on pro audio with exhibitors including AEQ, Calrec, CDA, Digigram, Lawo, Mier, Percon, RCS, Roland, Sonifex, Stagetec, Telos Alliance, Winmedia, Wohler, XN3 and Yamaha and more. The Cinematography/Film/Production Zone: The thrill of a movie can be determined by techniques employed by production teams and houses. To stay ahead and provide audiences with a visual feast and unforgettable experience, latest trends, developments and innovative technologies will be
BROADCASTASIA2015 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Recognising that non-linear viewing options are eclipsing traditional TV viewing habits, broadcasters, channels and networks need to innovate their services in order to secure their foothold in the new broadcasting environment. With this in mind, BroadcastAsia2015 International Conference is specially designed to tackle the commercial and technical challenges stakeholders have to overcome to achieve a profitable TV everywhere service. Conference topics include OTT expansion into new territories, innovating TV
BROADCAST ASIA
Sony Focusing on High Frame Rate
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SONY WILL BE EXHIBITING at BroadcastAsia 2015 (booth 5B4-01) to the theme of “Beyond Definition”. Sony’s focus at BroadcastAsia 2015 will be to share with customers that Sony 4K is now within their reach. New technologies are available for 4K and beyond implementation, along with the latest developments in high frame rate, IP, high dynamic range and wireless streaming solutions. The opportunities are even greater than before for broadcast, production and B2B applications. Visitors to Sony’s booth will get to experience Sony’s latest HDC-4300 4K/HFR system camera with three 2/3-inch 4K image sensors, high dynamic range demonstrations using Sony’s BVM-X300 4K OLED master monitor, the well-
service with intelligent analytics tools, immersive TV technologies, cloud distribution and network virtualisation, and digital broadcasting standards and technologies.
received PXW-FS7 4K camcorder, the MVS-7000X multi-format switcher featuring a new ICP-X7000 panel, the PWS-100RX1 Network RX Station for XDCAM camcorders live streaming over 4G/LTE and Wi-Fi , the PMW-PZ1 4K SxS Memory player, and more. At BroadcastAsia 2015, visitors to Sony’s sportsthemed booth will get to enjoy dynamic sports performances and participate in lucky draws to win exciting prizes such as Sony’s HDR-AS200VR Action Cam. Sony will also be hosting stage presentations throughout each day from 2nd – 4th June 2015 at the Sony stand (5B4-01)., led by renowned cinematographers Alister Chapman and Mark Zdunnek. Visit http://pro.sony-asia.com
BroadcastAsia2015 Exhibition Incorporating: ProfessionalAudioTechnology2015 Date: 2-5 June 2015, Tuesday – Friday Venue: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, Levels 4 & 5 Opening Hours: 2-4 June 2015: 10:30 am – 6:00 pm 5 June 2015: 10:30 am – 4:00 pm Website: www.broadcast-asia.com BroadcastAsia2015 International Conference & Creative Content Production Conference Venue: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, Level 3 Date: 2-5 June 2015, Tuesday – Friday Admission: Registered delegates only Website: http://www.broadcast-asia.com/ conference/conference-highlights
Cobham Shows PRORXD AT BROADCAST ASIA 2015, Cobham (Stand 5E3-08), the RF specialist company, will feature its PRORXD receiver platform, which includes 1080p60 4:2:2 10-bit decoding capabilities. The PRORXD’s decoding algorithm has been specially engineered by Cobham to ensure full compatibility with all leading encoders, and each configuration can decode separate HD signals, including MPEG2 HD if required.. A core benefit of the PRORXD system is that its bit rate encoding capacity is automatically adjusts to compensate for various rates of contention on IP networks. Visit www.cobham.com
www.asperasoft.com moving the world’s data at maximum speed
PREVIEW
Aspera Delivers Major Advances in FASP ASPERA, AN IBM COMPANY, will be unveiling the next generation of its unique FASP software platform for moving Big Data and media at maximum speed and scale regardless of size, distance or network conditions, at BroadcastAsia 2015. Multiple breakthrough new capabilities and advanced features allow enterprises of all sizes to meet variable data movement demands in real time with speed, control, security and ease, and all capabilities are designed to move data directly to cloud and on premise storage. ascp4 is the next-generation Aspera file transfer binary introducing a new architecture for ultra high-speed transfer of small files in addition to large data sets. The architecture transfers up to one million files per minute for even the smallest file sizes (e.g. <10KB) and achieves > 5Gbps transfer rates for global RTT and packet loss conditions (200ms / 2%). FASPStream transport expands Aspera’s FASP transport technology for “live” and “near live” data streaming. Aspera FASP is a patented transport protocol for achieving highly efficient bulk data transfer over IP networks, independent of distance and quality (round-trip latency and packet loss).
FASPstream expands this capability to provide a fully reliable streaming protocol for in-order data delivery over Internet WANs with excellent quality and negligible start up delay. Aspera Direct-to-Cloud Storage transfer capability moves even the largest (4K) media formats from source directly to object storage destination with native I/O for all major cloud storage providers: IBM SoftLayer Swift, AWS S3, Microsoft Azure Blob, Akamai NetStorage, Limelight Orchestrate Cloud Storage, Google Cloud Storage, and HDFS (beta). The solution outperforms other cloud storage “acceleration” solutions for large files and sets of small files in sustained transfer speed, aggregate throughput, number of concurrent transfers and CPU/memory efficiency. Aspera co-founder and CEO Michelle Munson will share her expertise in a conference session titled “End-to-End Live Streaming for Second Screen Combining Multi-Camera Capture, High Speed Transport, and Cloud Video Processing”, on Thursday June 4, 3.50pm. Visit www.asperasoft.com
Quantum Presenting 4K Workshop SKIP LEVENS, director of Media and Entertainment Technical Marketing at Quantum, will present a workshop titled “Enhancing Efficiencies in Your Data-Intensive 4K Workflow” at BroadcastAsia 2015. This technical session will identify the common challenges when handling 4K content and provide practical steps to help navigate the road to successful 4K production and broadcast. The workshop will take place June 5 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Quantum will showcase the StorNext high-performance shared storage architecture that includes online storage, extended online storage, and tape and cloud archives — all powered by StorNext 5, the industry’s fastest collaborative streaming file system. The company will also highlight StorNext Connect, a new management and monitoring console developed for the StorNext platform with an elegant new user interface that provides an at-a-glance dashboard of the entire StorNext environment. Quantum Q-Cloud Archive extends StorNext end-to-end workflow capabilities to the cloud, allowing StorNext environments to fully leverage cloud storage with no additional hardware, separate applications or programming, while maintaining full compatibility with existing software applications. Quantum has extended its line of StorNext Pro Solutions with StorNext Pro Foundation, a complete, low-cost, integrated shared storage solution designed specifically for new users or new deployments in the post,
Argosy Exhibits at BroadcastAsia 2015 ARGOSY, INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIER OF HD broadcast cables and studio infrastructure products, is once again demonstrating its commitment to the region through a presence at Broadcast Asia 2015. In collaboration with its joint venture partner, Argosy Broadcast Asia Sdn Bhd (ABA), the Argosy team will be available in Singapore to demonstrate key products and services on offer to the region.
BROADCAST ASIA
Argosy specialises in holding an expansive stock of broadcast infrastructure products and providing a responsive service to its worldwide customers. As a one-stop shop, Argosy provides complete turnkey solutions in areas such as KVM switching, managed power switching and network and data cabling.
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Earlier in 2015 Argosy became part of IEWC Global Solutions. IEWC is a leading global supplier of connectivity solutions across all the data and communications industries. Argosy remains an independent brand within IEWC. Visit www.argosycable.com
broadcast, corporate and government video sectors. StorNext Pro Foundation gives small to mid-sized production workgroups a powerful and attractively priced solution for managing assets from ingest to delivery to archive at any scale. The underlying StorNext 5 platform ensures that the solution can adapt as workflows evolve, enabling users to ingest more content from multiple camera sources, create more content and deliver it on time while preserving owned content for future monetisation. Quantum extended online storage seamlessly extends storage and workflow operations onto a low-latency, massively scalable Lattus object storage system. Extended online storage creates a parallel workflow for non real-time operations by using IP connections to separate their network traffic from that of streaming real-time operations. During BroadcastAsia2015, Quantum will feature the new StorNext QXS5600, a high-capacity, high-density disk array that provides extremely cost-effective storage for customers managing an increasing number of large files containing high-resolution video, images or other rich content. The StorNext QXS-5600 provides up to 336TB of raw capacity in 4U — as much as twice the storage capacity per rack unit of smaller disk arrays. Visit www.stornext.com
LiveU Shows LU200 for First Time in APAC LIVEU, A LEADER in IP-based live video services and broadcast solutions for acquisition, management and distribution, will present a complete range of broadcast video devices and workflow solutions at BroadcastAsia2015. The recently launched LU200 ultra-small transmission device is being presented for the first time in APAC. The LU200 new live coverage opportunities, enabling every field camera to be equipped with a bonding uplink unit. Weighing just over 500g, the LU200 is available in a pouch or camera-mount configuration, providing two built-in modems with powerful integrated antennas in a bonded solution suitable for any video professional. MultiPoint is LiveU’s second-generation internal and cross-organisational IP video distribution service. The cloud-based service is integrated into LiveU Central, LiveU’s cloud-based management and video distribution platform which enables fleets of units to be centrally controlled using geo-location. Also showing will be the latest stage of LiveU’s collaboration with Panasonic, a cloud-based integrated camera and live video uplink solution for P2 HD camcorders that connects directly to the LiveU Central management platform. Visit www.liveu.tv
PREVIEW
Ideal Systems Integrating SoftCast and Dejero THE IDEAL SYSTEMS SoftCast Booth at BroadcastAsia 2015 (5F2.04) will feature a number of SoftCast demonstrations in conjunction with Dejero. Ideal Systems will also be co-exhibiting with Astec Solutions showcasing iBroadcast Network Management System on Booth 5E1-02.
program without affecting the news broadcast. The editor can remove, blur or cut any video or audio content that is not fit to air. SC-Censor functions include “Follow my action” blur and video replace from a list of fillers and promos.
The full live sports & news production booth demo will feature an integrated live SoftCast News Room System with a live camera feed using Dejero’s new LIVE+ EnGo compact mobile transmitter which provides an IP signal into SoftCast’s SC Censor for life feed content control, then to the SoftCast News NRCS system for broadcast.
SC-Censor runs on a single Dell server form factor and the software supports either HD or SD operations, Graphics and logo overlay, on live pass through channels. SC-Censor supports 1+1 and N+M Backup as required for resiliency.
For the first time in Asia at BroadcastAsia, Ideal will show Dejero’s new LIVE+ EnGo transmitter. Recently launched at NAB, Dejero’s LIVE+ EnGo is a compact camera-mounted or wearable transmitter for remote video acquisition. LIVE+ EnGo encodes H.264 video and transmits it over multiple IP networks to deliver exceptional picture quality with extremely low latency. Its modular design enables the attachment of swappable wireless modules to customise LIVE+ EnGo to the locally available wireless network infrastructure, and for use around the world. Camera-mounted or body-worn, the LIVE+ EnGo frees the operator from worrying about cables to trip over, making it fast and easy to move to different locations. The unit can be connected to any SDI or HDMI camera, and with the push of a single button, the system immediately detects video input and format, as well as available network connections, enabling the operator to go live quickly. Its intuitive touch screen interface provides confidence monitoring, status information, and easy operation, and it facilitates separate initiation of live and record functions. The LIVE+ EnGo can bond up to eight network connections including 3G/4G/ LTE, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and portable satellite. The system’s high-performance wireless modules and dual-band MIMO integrated Wi-Fi capabilities ensure fast broadband connectivity. Additional features include internal storage for up to 40 hours of HD recording, a display port video output, integrated Bluetooth connectivity, and external USB ports. The LIVE+ EnGo is powered from a single Gold Mount or V-mount video camera battery. It also includes an internal battery to power the camera and accessories, allowing the operator to hot swap the external battery. Dejero’s newly introduced LIVE+ Control cloud management tool gives studio technicians the ability to geolocate, monitor performance, and remotely control a fleet of LIVE+ EnGo transmitters from any Web browser. They can also preview incoming feeds and route both live and recorded content to on-air playout and online distribution workflows. The on-booth demonstration will connect the live feed from the camera via Dejero’s LIVE+ EnGo to the SoftCast SC-Censor. The SoftCast SC-Censor solution allows for live feed content control and editing to ensure that no offensive or illegal content is accidentally brought to air during live news casts. The editor can predefine a delay, and make changes to the incoming
SC-Censor can also manage scheduled regional ad-insertion to control the switch from advertising breaks on the incoming program to the regional advertising. Ideal will also be showcasing SoftCast’s SC-AutoPlayIP application for MPEG-1, MPEG-2 or H.264 IP Playout and Automation for reliable, and cost effective multichannel streaming Playout with the capability to provide graphic overlays. SC-AutoPlayIP was designed for high-performance mixed workflows. SC-AutoPlayIP not only supports DVB-IP input and output. It can support the SDI input with DVB-IP output or vice versa. This incredibly provides the flexibility, and easy transition from baseband to IP source playout and easily additional options such as built in closed caption subtitling and the ability to feed the signal directly to encoders without having any baseband processing. This solution can even be run as a virtual machine including facilitating cloud playout. iBroadcast is a comprehensive, end to end, multi-vendor Network Management System for broadcast platforms, enabling operations teams to take rapid action in response to any issues that might affect uptime. It provides a single, consolidated operational dashboard and aggregates data from any device or system from any vendor through an extensive library of free drivers already developed for a wide variety of broadcast equipment. Providing real-time equipment status and alarms, the system offers root cause analysis, trending, alarm correlation and equipment control. It enables web-based reporting, off-air service monitoring and also extend to uplinks, transmitters, IT infrastructure and building management systems. A unique feature of the iBroadcast Network Management System is the ability for end-users to maintain control of their systems and future expansion of their operations, greatly reducing the overall total cost of ownership. We recognise that broadcast operations are extremely dynamic and equipment and systems are in a constant state of flux and it is our aim to empower our customers by providing a solution that can meet their needs now and into the future in the most cost-effective way. Chris Barlow, Technical Director of Astec and Product Manager for iBroadcast will come to Singapore from the UK and will be demonstrating a fullyoperational iBroadcast system. Visit www.idealsys.com
Asia Launch of SGL Asset Migration Service SGL’S FLASHNET content management solution is designed to
BROADCAST ASIA
integrate with MAM or automation control systems to provide significant improvements to workflow efficiency without intruding on the users’ familiar desktop. SGL’s Open System Architecture provides broadcasters, post production facilities, and news/sport organisations with reliable, scalable solutions with substantial cost and workflow benefits.
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The migration of tape assets from one platform to another, or from one generation to another is a costly and time-consuming process. The FlashNet Migration Service enables a whole migration to be set up as a single background task that optimises the use of available archiving equipment and speeds up processes, reducing migration times by half. At BroadcastAsia 2015, SGL will explain how it’s providing customers with a full archive integrated with GV STRATUS. A highly intuitive
solution, GV STRATUS includes search, archive and restore integrated directly with FlashNet. The new version of FlashNet, which was launched in April 2015, brings to fruition SGL’s new integration with Aspera. Using FlashNet, broadcasters and content owners can transfer media to the cloud at a guaranteed speed providing an additional means of storage and disaster recovery workflows. The latest version of FlashWeb includes enhanced search capabilities and simplified navigation allowing broadcasters and content owners to easily archive and restore material to any configured FlashNet disk or tape group. This can be achieved without the need for a controlling MAM or automation system. Visit www.sglbroadcast.com
PREVIEW
Imagine Communications Showcases Latest Solutions
Magna Presenting Next-Gen Solutions
IMAGINE COMMUNICATIONS, a leader in video infrastructure, advertising
MAGNA SYSTEMS AND ENGINEERING will present an array of next generation solutions from a range of their key principals at this year’s BroadcastAsia show on stand 5C2-01.
systems and workflow management solutions, will showcase it latest technological innovations at BroadcastAsia 2015. Making its debut in Southeast Asia is the newly designed Platinum VX digital video router. From high-density utility video routers to enterprise routers that scale to over 2Kx2K, Imagine Communications’ Platinum line is designed to meet current requirements and provide a path to an IP routing future. Supporting matrix sizes up to 288×288, the Platinum VX small to midsized router provides category-leading density, reliability and fully redundant HD/ SDI routing up to 3 Gb/s, at a competitive price point. The recently announced CloudXtream cloud video platform for multiscreen video distribution and monetisation, will be showcased at BroadcastAsia for the first time. CloudXtream helps meet the growing and complex array of video distribution requirements, including live video, video on demand (VOD), cDVR, DAI, packaging, encoding, transcoding, storage management and cloud orchestration. The industry’s first fully IP-enabled, software-based, integrated cloud playout platform running on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) IT platforms, VersioCloud simplifies the creation and management of new channels. A demonstration of VersioCloud, as well as local, virtualised playout from a private data centre, will be shown – along with examples of how these playout technologies can be used to easily add additional channels, reduce risk and support disaster recovery. Also on display will be solutions based on the Selenio platform for video delivery in multiple resolutions, formats and streams simultaneously. The SelenioNext high-density solution for bulk content providers and CDNs, and the SelenioFlex low-density solution for content owners and broadcasters, both provide high performance adaptive bitrate transcoding for crossplatform delivery. The company will also showcase TelurioEdge, its adaptive streaming solutions to manage the interface between client device and content stores for a host of streaming services.
Telestream products range from desktop components and cross-platform applications to fully-automated, enterprise-class digital media transcoding and workflow systems. General Dynamics Mediaware is an Australian technology company supplying high-quality compressed domain digital video processing products. TAG Video Systems specialises in broadcast monitoring and delivery products, the company develops innovative, cost effective solutions. Oracle – Front Porch Digital is a leading provider of content storage management solutions that help companies migrate, manage, and monetise large-scale media assets. GB Labs are the innovators behind the Space tier 1 network attached storage system, which is easily capable of supporting multiple concurrent HD editors. XOR Media develops high-performance, open, IT storage, specialised for media applications and private cloud data centres. Tedial is a leading independent Media Asset Management (MAM) software developer and Media IT solutions integrator. TVU Networks current product highlights include the new TVU One, TVUPack, TVU Grid, TVU MLink, and TVUMe. The FileCatalyst platform eliminates slow file transfers enabling files of any size or format to be sent at speeds of up to 10 Gbps across global networks. Bridge Technologies’ main focus is the area between the broadcast and telecommunications spheres. Visit www.magnasys.tv
Imagine will also showcase Zenium, Magellan SDN, Nexio Ingest Suite, Nexio Channelbrand, and Selenio X100. Visit www.imaginecommunications.com
Miller Highlights Cinematographic and Broadcast Solutions MILLER CAMERA SUPPORT EQUIPMENT, a leader in the production of innovating camera support solutions, showcases a diverse group of tripod systems, including the new Cineline 70 Tripod System and robust Air Tripod System, suitable for an array of applications at BroadcastAsia 2015 (Stand 5L6-05).
Alternatively, Miller’s Air Tripod Systems are the ideal, lightweight travel companions for professionals who are shooting both videos and photos in rugged, outdoor conditions. Both are compact, adaptable and durable. Each system consists of an Air fluid head, offering professionals authentic Miller fluid head pan and tilt technology, and a variant of the Solo 75 2-Stage tripod. Both systems have the ability to support payloads ranging from two kilograms (4.4 pounds) to five kilograms (11 pounds). Visit www.millertripods.com
BROADCAST ASIA
Ideal for cinematographers, the complete Cineline 70 Tripod System includes a new heavy-duty (HD) Mitchell Base 1-Stage alloy tripod and HD alloy ground spreader to complement the Cineline 70 fluid head. The tripod boasts a fast and easy setup, with features that include a high-capacity leg-lock system, deploying turn-lock levers with rapid lock/release action, as well as a heavy duty Mitchell Base with a built-in bubble level. Additionally, the sturdy ground spreader, designed for rapid setup and pull-down, easily attaches to the tripod and is optimal for use on flat surfaces.
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PREVIEW
DPA Showcases a Microphone For Every Application DPA MICROPHONES is consolidating its sales success in the Asia and Pacific regions by showing a full range of high quality microphones on booth 5A8-04 at BroadcastAsia 2015.
microphones. With its special interference tube technology, exceptional directivity and off-axis rejection, this microphone is ideal for speech applications, even in poor acoustic environments.
For the first time ever at BroadcastAsia, DPA is launching two new products that are targeted squarely at the high-end broadcast market. These include the d:facto Interview Microphone, which features the new d:facto 2006V omnidirectional capsule and gives presenters and reporters all the voice clarity, linearity and low noise characteristics they could desire, and especially an exceptional insensitivity to wind. Also new is the d:fine In-Ear Broadcast Headset Microphone, which combines the sound quality of a DPA microphone with a state of the art broadcast In-Ear monitoring solution.
DPA is also showing its full range of body worn microphones consisting of the d:screet Miniature Microphones mainly used as lavalier and the d:fine Headset Microphones.
DPA’s d:screet Miniature Podium Microphone provides the installation market with an elegant, directional microphone based on DPA’s renowned miniature
The d:screet Miniature Microphone range includes the d:screet Omnidirectional Miniature Necklace Microphone – a cleverly designed mic that houses the legendary d:screet 4061 Omnidirectional Miniature Capsule in a soft rubber necklace that can be mounted by non-technical people repeatedly. Visit www.dpamicrophones.com
Hitachi Showcases New OB-BOX Concept & 4K UHDTV Cameras AT BROADCAST ASIA, Hitachi Kokusai Electric Turkey (Booth 1B3-07) will showcase the company’s new OB-BOX concept, which it claims offers new levels of outside broadcast (OB) operational flexibility, cost-efficiency and technical performance right up to ultra-HDTV capabilities. Newly developed at Hitachi’s Istanbul-based design and engineering facility, OB-BOX is a fully featured modular OB facility, which is delivered to the customer and then mounted onto a vehicle’s chassis using a proprietary fixing kit. This approach significantly reduces the manufacture and delivery time in any market worldwide since it removes the need to source and ship an appropriate vehicle for each customer. The OB-BOX comes in three different configurations, which support four, eight, and 12 production cameras. The option of a booth side extension adds further flexibility to unit sizing. In addition, an ability to connect two OB-BOX units in a cascade configuration adds more versatility and facilitates many different sizes of OB unit up to 20 camera mobile facilities. The unit provides all of the video, audio, transmission, and infrastructure capabilities needed to create a stand-alone outside broadcast facility. The technical specification of the unit is such that it will support any broadcast signal from serial digital to HD and even 4K. Alongside satellite and fibre connectivity, the units integrate powerful Ethernet connectivity, which provides the production team with internet facilities on site. At the same
Media Links Unveils Expanded Product Line Up MEDIA LINKS AU PTY LTD Vice President, Kengo Moto, will be showing the MDX-2040 media core switch, the MDP-3010 edge device and the H.264 compression codec at CommunicAsia in Singapore. These new products complement existing MD8000 networks and are also suitable for distribution networks and monitoring applications.
BROADCAST ASIA
The MDX-2040 non-blocking switching platform offers lower cost highdensity port count with ultra low latency. The Layer 2/Layer 3 switch supports four 40GbE ports in addition to forty-four 10GbE ports. The 2RU chassis is developed for high availability and rapid provisioning of mission critical media services.
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time, OB-BOX features sophisticated Cloud capabilities, which enable the users to send 4K content back to the broadcaster’s production centre quickly and easily. Visit www.hitachi-kokusai.com.tr
Digigram Showing Full IQOYA Range DIGIGRAM WILL HIGHLIGHT a complete range of products designed to address the performance and cost requirements of all IP audio and video applications at BroadcastAsia 2015. Digigram’s IQOYA *SERV/LINK incorporates multiple distribution codec instances and the company’s advanced FluidIP technology on a single processing hardware platform to simplify the transport of multiple audio programs (mono, stereo, multichannel) over IP networks in a high-density format. Digigram will present the full release of the company’s new IQOYA *CLOUD at BroadcastAsia2015. The Web-based application enables structured management and seamless operation of all deployed audio-over-IP (AoIP) remote live contribution codecs.
The MDP-3010 is a compact, self-contained edge device with in-band management to output video from SMPTE-2022 5/6 ip packets. It has a 1GbE network interface and supports JPEG2000.
The LX-IP RAVENNA PCIe sound card, the first RAVENNA/AES67-enabled product developed by Digigram, features ultra-low latency and up to 256 RAVENNA I/O channels from multiple RAVENNA/AES67 streams.
H.264 compression is now available for the Universal Series of video modules. A high quality video is attained with the use of relatively low bit rates. The codec is suitable for distribution applications.
Digigram’s new AQORD HEVC encoder helps production operations to reduce the cost of high-volume data transport by encoding in real time either one UHD signal or multiple HD raw video signals using the new HEVC video compression standard.
Visit www.medialinks.com
Visit www.digigram.com
PREVIEW
Mediaproxy Announces Several Logserver Updates MEDIAPROXY PTY. LTD., a leader for broadcast compliance logging, content monitoring, and transport stream analysis, will introduce a comprehensive update to its LogServer suite of products at Broadcast Asia 2015, including the new LogServer Access product, brand new SDI platform, optical character recognition, ASI Streamer, and numerous enhancements across the entire product range and user interfaces. A new addition to the LogServer suite of products, LogServer Access offers customers a cost-effective product for disaster recovery, remote backup as well as access to all recorded media content and meta-data via the leading edge LogPlayer user interface. Scalable to hundreds of channels on a single server, LogServer Access provides transparent access to assets from other LogServers systems.
Also now shipping is Mediaproxy’s brand new ultra high-density 21 input HD-SDI server platform in a single 2RU form factor. The new highly power efficient platform offers unprecedented scalability for HD-SDI based LogServer systems. A total of 21 inputs are now supported in a single 2RU LogServer platform, drastically reducing cost for expanding environments. The new platform is shipping now and available for all LogServer Baseband systems. Mediaproxy will also be showcasing the latest version of TSAnalyzer including the new ASI Streamer feature. The addition of the new ASI Streamer feature offers seamless forward of transport streams based on entire muxes or selected program services. Visit www.mediaproxy.com
Riedel to Showcase New Media Distribution Network Devices RIEDEL WILL BE SHOWING MediorNet MicroN, RSP-2318 Smartpanel,
character set; and 18 keys in just 1 RU.
Tango TNG-200, and STX-200 at BroadcastAsia 2015.
The Tango TNG-200 represents Riedel’s first network-based platform supporting RAVENNA/AES67 and AVB standards. With its own dedicated intercom application, the platform can be turned into a flexible, cutting-edge solution for a variety of communications scenarios.
Making its Asia-Pacific debut, MicroN is an 80G media distribution network device for the company’s MediorNet line of media transport and management solutions. MicroN is a high-density signal interface with a complete array of audio, video, and data inputs and outputs, including 24 SD/HD/3G-SDI I/Os, two MADI optical digital audio ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, two sync reference I/Os, and eight 10G SFP+ high-speed ports. The new RSP-2318 Smartpanel is the world’s first control panel designed to serve as a powerful multifunctional user interface. The Riedel device boasts a unique feature set that includes three high-resolution, sunlight-readable, multitouch colour displays; premium-quality stereo audio; a multilingual
The STX-200 professional broadcast-grade interface brings any Skype user worldwide into the professional broadcast environment. Licensed by Microsoft, the new Riedel product meets broadcasters’ increasing need for a reliable single-box solution that enables them to bring live contributions from both reporters and viewers into live programming. Visit www.riedel.net
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BROADCAST ASIA
• Fast turnaround • Standard assemblies • Customized rugged solutions • High quantity termination
08/05/2015 16:13
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ACQUISITION www.content-technology.com/acquisition
VTV5: Always on the Go with Sony PART OF VIETNAM TELEVISION, VTV5 is a dedicated channel that caters to 54 ethnic dialects across Vietnam. Like VTV, VTV5 has embraced High Definition (HD), but having a large viewership based in rural parts of Vietnam means that it still has to offer Standard Definition programming. It has however, not stopped VTV5 from investing in the future. While it continues to invest in HD technology, one area that has seen a significant investment is VTV5’s Outside Broadcast (OB) infrastructure. To reach its diverse audience, VTV5 operates very much like a mobile broadcast unit. In fact, in just two years VTV5 has increased its fleet of OB vehicles. With its latest acquisition of 2 new OB vehicles to be added this year, it will have a total of 8 OB vehicles. Perfect for flexibility, scalability and speed of set up and breakdown, OB vehicles have become increasingly popular with many broadcasters who understand and appreciate the importance of delivering content fast, no matter where the location. To ensure that its OB vehicles are ‘future-proof’, VTV5 worked closely with Sony. Understanding VTV5’s varied needs for both a SD and HD solution, the Sony team proposed a range of dual-format cameras and switchers. In the first phase of the upgrading exercise, VTV acquired 16 units of Sony HSC-300R. A robust field and studio camera, the HSC-300R offers excellent picture quality over digital triax and also features a built-in Neutral Density (ND) and Colour Correction (CC) filters. This was followed up quickly in the second phase with the acquisition of 6 units of Sony HDC-1700. It teamed up the HDC-1700 with the highly regarded MVS-3000A switcher – making it the first OB vehicle in Vietnam to offer this powerful configuration. The HDC-1700 was a natural choice for VTV5 due to its portability and superb specifications. It gave VTV5 the flexibility to switch from SD to HD, and also to take it from studio to OB effortlessly. Likewise for the MVS-3000A Multiformat switcher: compact and welldesigned, it is a mainstay of many production houses, stadiums and OB
vehicles. The MVS-3000A offers sophisticated capabilities and a choice of 4, 10 or 16 tile layouts, saving space on additional monitors, and enabling a reduction in the total system cost. Explains Le Hong Minh, Deputy Director of Minority Channel, VTV5, “Cost was an important factor when it came to choosing our equipment. Like the HSC-300R, the HDC-1700 and MVS-3000A offered excellent cost efficiency that did not compromise on quality.” The ability to use equipment in the studio as well as in an OB vehicle was another key factor. Minh adds, “VTV5 does a lot of field work, yet we wanted the flexibility to switch to a studio environment when the opportunity arises.” The investment on OB vehicles also signals a strong push by VTV5 to streamline their workflow by embracing file-based solutions – an essential element for broadcasters to distribute content across multiple devices. Concludes Minh, “Our OB vehicles with the new Sony equipment on board not only gives us the mobility and flexibility to engage our audiences, but also the versatility to keep pace with the future of broadcasting.” Visit http://pro.sony-asia.com
Jebsen Industrial Establishes New Service Centre AS THE LARGEST DISTRIBUTOR of cinematic lenses and film equipment in Greater China, Jebsen Industrial has officially announced the establishment of a Cinematic & Broadcasting (C&B) Service Centre to further enhance its services and solutions to the media and film industry. Through Jebsen Industrial C&B Service Centre, the company is effectively extending its portfolio from industry solutions to encompass technical services as well. Established in Beijing and Shanghai, the C&B Service Centre serves both professional and semi-professional industry players, including equipment rental companies, production companies, film crew and academic institutions.
ACQUISITION
Jebsen Industrial C&B Service Centre is staffed exclusively with service technicians who are accredited and officially trained by original manufacturers—including lens brands like Angenieux, Carl Zeiss, Cooke, Schneider, and Leica, as well as notable equipment makers like ARRI, Convergent Design, O’Connor, Panther, and Steadicam, among others.
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“The establishment of Jebsen Industrial C&B Service Centre is exciting news for us. We view this as an opportunity to better serve the local media and film industry, and to strengthen our presence in the market. We are delighted to further our partnership with Jebsen Industrial in bringing world-class lens maintenance services to China,” said Mr Michel Barria, Head of Customer Services, Thales Angenieux.
In addition to lens and filming equipment repair services, Jebsen Industrial’s servicing team will also offer other technical services, including regular equipment maintenance services as well as comprehensive training programmes that cover the use and maintenance of filming equipment, on-set safety, lens care and maintenance. Jebsen Industrial C&B Service Centre is fully equipped with manufacturerapproved testing equipment and imported facilities, including automatic calibrators, state-of-the-art projectors and ultra-clean working benches, which are on par with manufacturers’ factories. The centre also maintains its own warehouse of genuine, commonly used spare parts for speedier servicing, and provides a three-month warranty on all replaced parts. “At Jebsen Industrial, we have dedicated over 50 years to equipping Greater China’s media and film industry with end-to-end workflow solutions. In our role as the industry’s trusted, one-stop business partner, we are constantly seeking to deliver greater value by enhancing our brand portfolio and developing innovative ways to serve our customers. Jebsen Industrial C&B Service Centre is a new channel through which we hope to share our expertise with both professional industry players as well as the semi-professional community,” said Mr Philbert Chin, Head of Cinematic & Broadcasting Solutions, Jebsen Industrial. Visit www.jebsenindustrial.com
Cineline 70 System was awarded the best of show product in itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s category at NAB 2015.
ACQUISITION
Blackmagic Design Announces New Cameras
New Super-Wide Anamorphic Zoom from ARRI
BLACKMAGIC DESIGN HAS ANNOUNCED the Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K, Micro Cinema Camera, and URSA Mini, at NAB 2015. The Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and features broadcast grade Ultra HD sensor that shoots with amazing clarity so customers can see more texture and detail in their images than ever before. The new Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K can be used for both HD and Ultra HD production and features a built in colour corrector, talkback, tally indicator, PTZ control output, B4 lens control output, and an extremely flexible MFT lens mount that is easily converted to other lens mounts via third party adapters. The camera also features 6G-SDI output and a program return input that allows it to be controlled remotely from a switcher using Blackmagic’s SDI control protocol. The Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera is a miniaturised Super 16mm professional digital film camera with a new expansion port that lets customers use PWM and S.Bus model airplane remote controls to operate the camera wirelessly for capturing action anywhere. The expansion port also includes composite video out with overlays so the customer can use the same low cost video transmitters to get real time feedback from the camera for framing, confirming camera settings and to see the state of recording. The expansion connector includes 4 PWM channels for using all brands of control gear, or custom wiring, as well as a single S.Bus connection, which can accept up to 18 channels of control using the single cable. The miniaturised design of the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera features a body that is not much larger than the Micro Four Thirds lens mount, making it as small as a camera with a professional lens can be. Its core is made out of a lightweight and strong magnesium alloy so it’s durable enough to use anywhere, from the ocean floor to the stratosphere or beyond. Blackmagic URSA Mini is designed to be used on feature films, television shows, commercials, indies, documentaries, music videos, and more. The quality of its 4.6K sensor with 15 stops of dynamic range lets customers capture epic cinematic shots, while its compact size is perfect for solo shoots or smaller crews. URSA Mini features multiple mounting points so it can be easily accessorised with high quality cinema lenses, rails, matte boxes, and more. Blackmagic URSA Mini includes built in histograms, focus assist, audio level meters, dual RAW and ProRes recorders, high quality stereo microphones and a 5 inch fold out screen that can be used as an on set monitor.
ACQUISITION
Blackmagic URSA Mini’s 4.6K sensor captures 4608 x 2592 pixels and features a global shutter for shooting up to 30 frames per second and up to a super wide 15 stops of dynamic range that delivers more latitude than traditional motion picture film. Blackmagic URSA Mini can also shoot up to 60 frames per second with rolling shutter for customers that need to work at higher frame rates.
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THE NEW ARRI Anamorphic Ultra Wide Zoom AUWZ 19-36/T4.2 is a unique lens that perfectly complements the ARRI/ZEISS Master Anamorphic lenses by extending the range to cover extreme wide-angle focal lengths between 19 mm and 36 mm, without sacrificing image quality. The telecentric optical design of the AUWZ means that it has highly uniform field illumination, from the centre to the very corners of the image. With the anamorphic elements positioned at the rear of the lens, focus breathing is virtually non-existent, distortion is kept to an absolute minimum and straight lines stay straight, even at close focus. The patented, cutting-edge lens technologies built into the AUWZ render an inverted image at the sensor plane – a side-effect of the unique design that is overcome with the simple press of a button on most high-end digital cinema cameras. With a minimum object distance just beyond the front lens element, the AUWZ allows dramatic and highly emotive close-ups that simply haven’t been possible with Cinemascope before. Flares, which are very well controlled by the multilayer, anti-reflective lens coating, generate a creaminess around highlights that gives night shots an ethereal and magic quality. The AUWZ significantly extends the reach of ARRI’s anamorphic lens system, which currently comprises seven Master Anamorphic focal lengths ranging from 35 mm to 135 mm and their corresponding Master Anamorphic Flare Sets. Visit www.arri.com
RED Digital Cinema Unveils WEAPON RED DIGITAL CINEMA has unveiled the newest member of the 6K DRAGON family – WEAPON. WEAPON combines the optimal colour science and dynamic range of the 19 megapixel RED DRAGON sensor with all new built-in functionality and intuitive design. Interchangeable I/O expanders enable you to configure your rig to fit every production type. WEAPON’s inherent usability frees you from cables by incorporating peripherals with integrated circuitry, including top handle and LCD display options that connect directly to the DSMC BRAIN. Onboard wireless connectivity allows for remote camera control using iOS or Android mobile devices.
The Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder features a high resolution 1920 x 1080 colour OLED display and glass based optics that’s incredibly accurate and sharp so customers get a viewfinder that allows perfect focusing and operates just like an optical viewfinder.
The 19 megapixel RED DRAGON sensor can capture 6K motion and stills at up to 100 frames per second. The redesigned BRAIN infrastructure enabled RED to make a number of enhancements like automatic black shade calibrations, improved low light sensor performance, and implement a new intelligent OLPF system. WEAPON BRAINs are also equipped to support 1D and 3D LUTs – giving colourists and post-production teams more control than ever before.
Visit www.blackmagicdesign.com
Visit www.red.com
ACQUISITION
SONY’S EXHIBITION AT NAB 2015 featured demonstrations of High Dynamic Range (HDR) technologies and workflows, which open up new possibilities for creative expression and viewing experiences. “As the industry pursues resolutions of 4K and beyond, the impact of dynamic range on the overall image quality is often understated,” said Anthony Kable, Senior Product Manager, Sony Australia. “The pictures speak for themselves, highlighting High Dynamic Range’s ability to create superior colour and imagery. HDR is becoming a more visible technology, recreating stunning images in true colours, previously only captured by the human eye.” Sony’s HDR mastering process consists of a combination of high brightness, high contrast, wide colour gamut, and high resolution that requires video from a top-quality camera, together with a master monitor capable of faithfully reproducing High Dynamic Range images. Sony’s F65 and PMW-F55 CineAlta cameras deliver a colour gamut wider than that of print film, and a wide dynamic range (14 stops) that faithfully captures light and dark areas with minimal white clip and black crush. Now, for the first time, there is also a monitor available that can fully display the outstanding capabilities of such cameras – Sony’s new BVM-X300 4K OLED master monitor. It uses a unique wide colour gamut OLED panel and an original colour management system to deliver truly high brightness, high contrast, and a wide colour gamut – all at 4K (4096 × 2160) resolution. HDR imaging opens the way to highlights that go beyond the limits of broadcast standards, while significantly expanding the colour gamut. Bright areas that are typically saturated in conventional Standard Dynamic Range now retain their true colours in High Dynamic Range, giving video producers access to a broader creative range and new levels of realism and expressiveness. Furthermore, HDR reproduction can also be applied to existing F65 and PMW-F55 RAW image assets – affording these images a new lease of life, and adding new value. Bringing high-dynamic-range content into the home is another important goal. Sony is planning to launch household televisions with high dynamic range capabilities within 2015. Visit http://pro.sony-asia.com
Support for 4K 60fps AJA Raw on Shogun AJA VIDEO SYSTEMS and Atomos have announced that the Shogun portable recorder will support external recording of AJA Raw files captured by the CION professional production camera. “We are very pleased to welcome the AJA CION to the Shogun family, our goal is to sit on top of the best image producing devices in the world, CION’s unique design and pristine image quality have captured the attention of Shogun users and we simply had to support it,” said Jeromy Young, Atomos CEO. “Shogun is an established player in portable recorders, with support for many compressed codecs, and now it will offer CION customers an excellent solution for recording pristine AJA Raw,” said AJA President Nick Rashby. ”We’re pleased to bring AJA customers an integrated workflow with CION and Shogun to easily record CION’s uncompressed 4K Raw format.” Atomos Shogun users will now be able to record CION’s AJA Raw at 4K and UltraHD resolutions, at up to 60fps. The AJA Raw format offers simple post production workflow options as it is processed into a common DNG file wrapper supported by major content creation, editing and finishing tools, including new ingest/playout support in AJAs 4K Desktop products. Visit www.aja.com and www.atomos.com
Ikegami Announces Hand-Held 8K UHDTV Camera System IKEGAMI TSUSHINKI CO., LTD. has collaborated with Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) to develop an 8K ultra high-definition television (UHDTV) camera. Designed for live studio and field production, the SHK-810 camera head is compact and weighs less than 9 kg. It can be operated in the same way as the existing Ikegami broadcast camera systems. The Ikegami SHK-810 camera employs a single 33 million-pixel Super 35 CMOS sensor, achieving 4,000 TVL horizontal and vertical resolution. The colour filter on the sensor employs a dual-green SHV colour arrangement and achieves a high level of modulation depth. The System Expander enables the use of large viewfinders and full studio lenses, converting the portable camera into a full-facility studio/field camera. A viewfinder detail (VF DTL) function allows the camera operator to increase the detail edges to the viewfinder and picture monitor video for easy focusing. A lens aberration correction function and communication features (tally, intercom, etc.) are also available for conventional HDTV camera operation. The PL-Lens mount allows the operator to use the camera with 8K lenses, cine lenses, 4K lenses, and custom-designed zoom lenses for single-chip SHV cameras. A flange-back adjustment system is built-in, enabling back focus adjustment of PL-mount lenses without shims. Visit www.ikegami.co.jp
JVC Demonstrates New 4KCAM Camcorders JVC PROFESSIONAL VIDEO has showcased its new 4KCAM product line at NAB 2015. The three new models – the GY-LS300 Super 35mm camcorder, GYHM200 streaming camcorder, and GY-HM170 compact camcorder – accommodate a variety of workflows with the latest advancements in 4K imaging and efficient encoding for seamless workflow integration The flagship camera for the 4KCAM product line, the GY-LS300, is designed for cinematographers, documentarians, and broadcast production departments. It features JVC’s 4K Super 35 CMOS sensor and an industry standard Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens mount. JVC’s unique Variable Scan Mapping technology electronically adapts the active area of the Super 35 sensor to provide native support of PL and EF mount lenses, among many others. Both the GY-LS300 and GY-HM200 include a built-in HD streaming engine with Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity that allows live HD transmission directly to hardware decoders, the Wowza Streaming Engine, and the ProHD Broadcaster server powered by Zixi. JVC’s GY-HM200 features a 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS chip and built-in 12x zoom lens (24x dynamic zoom in HD mode) with optical image stabiliser. It delivers 4K Ultra HD, 4:2:2 Full HD (50Mbps), and SD imagery. The GY-HM200 and the GY-LS300 also include dual XLR audio inputs that are mic/line switchable with built-in phantom power, an integrated handle with hot shoe and dedicated microphone mount, and SDI and HDMI video outputs Compact but powerful; the GY-HM170 features a heavy duty body with comprehensive video profile settings and controls for professional use. It records 4K Ultra HD as H.264 files, and can record HD and SD footage in a variety of resolutions and frame rates. Visit http://pro.jvc.com
ACQUISITION
Sony Showcases High Dynamic Range
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TWMR Accelerates its Workflow with XDCAM SAFE AIM MUTUAL (SAM), and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Two Wheels Motor Racing (TWMR), are motorsports events organisers and promoters based in Malaysia. SAM conceptualised and introduced the Malaysian Cub Prix Championship in 1994. Back then, it was the first competitive event where motorcycles of different makes were raced together on a level playing field. Today, Cub Prix features a 10-leg nationwide tour that makes it the largest national motorcycle racing championship in Malaysia. TWMR came into existence two years later, established to handle the organisation and promotions of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC). 2015 marks the 20th season of the ARRC and it is still the only Asian-wide regional motorcycle racing championship with riders participating from 11 Asian countries and a 6-leg race season that covers Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and Qatar. The increasing demands for live telecast led to the ultimate creation of TWTV, the television division of the group, to cater to the needs of both championships. The Malaysian Cub Prix Championship telecasts live on Malaysia’s national terrestrial station TV1 while the Asia Road Racing Championship is beamed live on Fox Sports 3. To upgrade its High Definition (HD) recording at the racetracks as well as implement a unified workflow from acquisition to playback, TWMR recently acquired Sony’s first professional XDCAM HD422 camcorder – the Sony PMW-500. Built for speed, flexibility and a file-based workflow, the PMW-500 supports full-HD 422 50-Mbps MXF record and playback based on highly developed MPEG-2 Long GOP compression technology – which is also the main production file format used at TWMR. The acquisition of the PMW-500 was an inspired choice on several fronts. “The PMW-500 delivers great HD footage every time,” explained Paulynne Cheng, Head of Communications for the Safe Aim group.
And when combined with a Sony CA-FB70 camera adaptor, the PMW-500 has added advantages: flexibility and an expanded range of up to 250 metres. “Using a single mode optical fibre on the PMW-500 via the camera adaptor, we are able to assign the camera further away from the production control station. This flexibility is crucial as the layouts of individual race tracks are all different, and allows us to handle all types of geographical challenges,” said Paulynne. To get more mileage out of the PMW-500, SAM also acquired 2 units of Sony XDS-PD1000 XDCAM Deck/IT Server. The XDCAM station was a perfect complement to the PMW-500 as it offers up to 30 hours of recording with 50MBps clips, and up to 200Mbps of bandwidth for file transfers. “Motorsports is all about speed and things move at a very fast pace both on the track and in the production centre. This is where the long recording time and fast playback of the PD1000 comes handy,” said Paulynne. In a high-octane industry like motorsports, where speed is everything, Sony has helped TWMR rev up its workflow and ensure that it is ready for the next lap. Paulynne Concluded, “Sony is a trailblazer in more ways than one. Combined with their excellent aftersales service, they have helped us give winning performances.” Visit http://pro.sony-asia.com
J.League Installs ChyronHego TRACAB CHYRONHEGO HAS ANNOUNCED that the J.League, the top division of the
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Japan Professional Football League, has rolled out the ChyronHego TRACAB system to provide advanced player tracking capabilities for all 18 J.League teams and venues. TRACAB will cover more than 300 J.League matches during the current Japanese football season, which launched March 3.
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A joint project of the J.League, J.League Media Promotion, and Japanese sports data collection and analysis firm Data Stadium, the TRACAB deployment uses ChyronHego’s patented image processing technology to identify the position and speed of all moving objects on the pitch, including players, officials, and the ball. An array of portable optical cameras installed at the pitch captures live and highly accurate X, Y, and Z coordinates of each viewable object at up to 25 times each second. Data Stadium supplies this data to J.League teams to help them analyse player speed, ball movement, distance between players, and other key factors that can help improve player and overall team performance. The data can also be used to enhance the viewing experience for fans in the stadium, as well as broadcast and online audiences, enabling real-time animation that precisely recreates player movements for “instant virtual replays”. “After the success of our early deployments at select J.League venues, we’ve concluded that ChyronHego’s TRACAB is the industry’s most comprehensive and non-intrusive real-time player tracking system. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to roll this system out to the entire J.League ecosystem,”
said Takao Konishi, president of J.League Media Promotion. “The TRACAB installation presents an exciting new revenue opportunity for the J.League as new groups of stakeholders — such as sponsors, broadcasters, and other media — discover the data’s potential for enhancing fans’ experience. Plus, the player tracking data is invaluable for football clubs and coaches looking to boost their own team performance and gain insight into their competing teams, as well as player scouting activities, both here in Japan and internationally.” In addition to the J.League, TRACAB is installed in over 125 arenas and is used in more than 2,000 matches per year by the Swedish Premier Football League, English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga, and many more sports federations around the world. “Our TRACAB technology spans almost a decade of continued development and deployment in some of the world’s most demanding live sports environments,” said Ian Wray, sports industry director, ChyronHego. “The J.League deployment illustrates just how versatile TRACAB can be, not only for providing performance data to sports clubs but also as a potential new revenue stream for a variety of stakeholders. It’s exciting to watch this technology mature and grow as the defining standard in live sports tracking worldwide.” Visit www.chyronhego.com
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Timecode Systems Collaborates on NHL Goal Post Camera TIMECODE SYSTEMS LTD., a pioneer in wireless technologies for sharing timecode and metadata, has announced its role in a new integrated wireless goal post camera solution for the NHL. The NHL project is a collaboration with GoPro, providing the camera systems, and Vislink, providing the wireless video transport in a solution called HEROCast. Timecode Systems is providing the wireless timecode solution, and the complete integration was delivered in time for this season’s Stanley Cup playoffs. “We’re making a continual effort to broaden the range of applications for our long-range wireless sync and metadata exchange technology,” said Paul Scurrell, managing director at Timecode Systems. “We were delighted that the NHL invited us to be part of this exciting project following the league’s successful trial of the Timecode Buddy :mini trx/rx system.” HEROCast not only delivers unique camera angles for the viewer, but also provides valuable pre-timecoded camera feeds to the NHL’s “situation room”
Nevion Equipment Powers 4K UHD Live-Coverage of Cricket World Cup NEVION, A LEADER IN TRANSPORTING MEDIA from the camera to the home, has announced that BT Media & Broadcast used Nevion’s media gateways and monitoring probes to deliver to Star Sports India live 4K UHD coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup that took place in Australia. BT was chosen by Star Sports India to provide the complete 4K UHD production and transmission solution to their Direct to Home (DTH) playout affiliates in India for the first-ever broadcast of live cricket in 4K UHD. BT Media & Broadcast used Nevion’s VS902 media gateways to provide IP encapsulation of the compressed 4K UHD signal and protection for the global transmission to three affiliate DTH sites in New Delhi and Star’s HQ in Mumbai. BT also used Nevion’s FCS1000 Plus to perform proactive network and remote 4K UHD signal monitoring in BT Tower in London, UK.
in Toronto, where operators monitor up to 16 simultaneous feeds of NHL games. Whenever a goal is scored or a contentious scoring play occurs, the NHL situation room uses its in-house instant replay camera/server system to provide a quick analysis. For each of the equipped NHL arenas, HEROCast uses a Timecode Buddy :mini trx ultra compact timecode and genlock generator and transceiver in TX mode, locked to the stadium’s “house” timecode. Integrated into each goal post is a stripped-down GoPro camera and a Timecode Buddy :mini rx unit in RX mode. Timecode Systems has delivered 40 :mini rx units and 20 :mini trx units for HEROCast systems that have been installed in the 20 arenas that host the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There are four cameras (two at each goal), four video links, and three Timecode Buddy systems per arena. Visit www.timecodebuddy.com
Ericsson Compresses Production of Mayweather-Pacquiao ERICSSON WAS SELECTED to provide an additional level of support for PSSI Global Services, LLC and its on-site satellite truck content delivery of the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd 2015. The installation comprised 13 PSSI fully operational satellite trucks, which were equipped with Ericsson’s AVP 3000 Voyager Video Processors and RX8200 Advanced Modular Receivers. Ericsson also provided a team of engineers to assist with the installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting during the broadcast. The Ericsson AVP 3000 Voyager is a DSNG platform designed for live news, sports and entertainment, delivering multi-codec, multi-format and multi-channel operations that meet the demands of today’s TV Anywhere audience. Offering high performance, scalability and efficiency, the platform includes a hot-swappable modular architecture that supports MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC and JPEG 2000 video compression over satellite and IP networks. In addition, the Ericsson RX8200 receivers offer operational flexibility by providing the capability to decode all video formats and connectivity for all transmission mediums.
Media Links Drives Video Over IP Innovation
“This project shows that, with the right equipment and know-how, it is possible to take live sports events filmed in 4K UHD on one continent and transport them over IP to passionate fans on another continent, while monitoring the signals from even further away on a completely different continent,” says Nick Pywell, VP Sales, UK, EMEA at Nevion. Visit www.nevion.com and www.btplc.com
Visit www.ericsson.com
HIGH DENSITY NON-BLOCKING CORE SWITCH Media Links Drives Video Over IP Innovation
COMPACT, IN-BAND MANAGED EDGE DECODER
HIGH DENSITY NON-BLOCKING CORE SWITCH
H.264 COMPRESSION
COMPACT, IN-BAND MANAGED EDGE DECODER
BOOTH: BOOTH: 1D4-06 1D4-06
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H.264 COMPRESSION
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The 28th SEA Games – All Angles, All Devices SEA Games’ iPad app giving viewers the ability to choose the camera angles of their favourite events. To be held in Singapore from 5 to 16 June 2015, the 28th Southeast Asian Games will feature over 7000 of the finest athletes from 11 countries in Southeast Asia competing in 36 sports across 402 events. ORGANISERS OF the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games have unveiled several different digital platforms for the Games which, they say, promise to offer a comprehensive digital experience for all fans no matter where they are, be it at home, on the move or at the games venues itself. The digital platforms allow the organisers to go beyond venue capacity and geographical boundaries and to reach out to the entire region. “Making the games accessible to as many people as possible has always been a priority for SINGSOC. I am very excited to see how the public will react to being able to watch and interact with the SEA Games in an entirely new and immersive way through digital devices,” says Mr Lim Teck Yin, EXCO Chairman, Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC). “The growth in our social fanbase and digital traffic has been very encouraging. We want to keep them updated and excited about the Games, no matter where they live”. The 28th SEA Games TV mobile application, a first in SEA Games history, can be accessed from any smart mobile device or tablet for iOS and Android. This second screen app is a new addition to the SEA Games’ digital arsenal and will be the first interactive multi-camera coverage app developed for any multi-sport competition. The multi-camera experience will utilize up to 16 cameras to showcase eight sports and offer an immersive viewing experience. SEA Games TV is available for free public download. According to Harbans J Singh, 2IC of Digital, SINGSOC, “From conceptualistion to where we have arrived today, the journey has been an extraordinary one in making this Games the most digitally innovative in SEA Games history. In the last three years over 500 people have been engaged
and involved in developing and fine tuning all the different aspects of this remarkable digital experience. We are thankful to all our sponsors and vendors who were in this journey to make this happen. Now, it is for our people in Singapore and our neighbours in Southeast Asia to experience and celebrate the extraordinary with us through these easily available 28th SEA Games digital assets.” The official SEA Games website, SEAGames2015.com, will feature an all new 28th SEA Games Social Wall where bite-sized content, photos and videos created primarily by volunteer reporters from Team NILA will be showcased. With over 100 volunteers covering the events across all 31 venues, everyone can will be able to experience the games experience in a up close and personal manner through the eyes of everyday Singaporeans contributing to the games. Tagged according to sports, countries and venues, users can conveniently search and customise the content they consume. The SEA Games will also be streamed live via the official SEA Games YouTube channel, showcasing 17 different sports as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. Over 600 hours of sports competition will be streamed live. Post event highlights and highlights of daily golden moments will also be available on the YouTube channel for those that may have missed the live event.
NEP and BT Partner for World First Live 4K Cricket BROADCASTING AND international cricket history were made at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on 29 March with the culmination of the world’s first live cricket broadcasts in 4K ultra high definition.
NEP, BT, and Star Sports India undertook thorough proof of concept testing prior to the events, culminating with a live run at the Australia v England One Day International in January.
NEP Australia and BT Media and Broadcast teamed up to deliver seven key live-to-air 4K matches in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup for host broadcaster Star Sports India and its direct-to-home (DTH) partners.
NEP Australia Project Director, Andrew Quinn, said, “When three companies with the experience and calibre of Star Sports, BT, and NEP come together with the goal of being the first to deliver live 4K TV coverage of cricket into people’s homes in India, each and every person on the project was committed to it being a success. I would like to thank the teams at Star and BT who embraced this first-time concept and made it fly. With the NEP worldwide network’s ongoing investment in 4K this style of 4K production and delivery can be offered to all of NEP’s clients.”
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The series spanned February 8 – March 29 from Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne and comprised two warm-up events; India’s four pool matches; one quarter final; one semi- final; and the final.
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NEP undertook all facilitation, production and direction services for the seven live 4K broadcasts. BT provided its international fibre services to deliver the HD world feed for international distribution as well as the 4K fibre circuits between the Australian venues and India. NEP and BT devised a hybrid 4K-HD technical and production solution, which allowed the Star India network to offer its world feed to DTH subscribers in both high definition and 4K. The tandem 4K-HD production meant material captured by 4K cameras could be integrated with the world feed production, eliminating the need for additional cameras.
Sanjay Bhat, Head of Sales, Asia Pac, BT Media & Broadcast, said, “It’s been great to work with NEP and Star TV to provide this service. Broadcasting the cricket live in ultra-high definition 4K was a real success and brilliant for all the fans of the sport.” NEP Australia’s latest-generation fully-4K super trucks, HD11 and HD12, launch in July and December 2015, respectively. Visit www.globaltv.com.au and www.btplc.com
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Social interaction is also a key part of the 28th SEA Games with the NILA’s Quest digital game (NILA is the mascot of the Games). Participants from around Southeast Asia have already collected over 700,000 digital flames since its launch in March, earning themselves a chance to win weekly prizes such as SAMSUNG tablets, smartphones, smart watches and cameras. The NILA’s Quest game seeks to involve more people from the region to help NILA collect ‘flames’ and contribute to the lighting of the 28th SEA Games Torch on 4 June’s Torch Parade at Marina Bay.
28TH SEA GAMES ON MEDIACORP With a sponsorship deal to the tune of over SGD$14.6 million of cash and value-in-kind, Host Broadcaster and Media Partner, MediaCorp will provide the largest sporting event coverage ever undertaken of any event in the history of Singapore. “As Host Broadcaster and Media Partner, we will draw inspiration from the Games to ‘Celebrate the Extraordinary’ with our audiences,” said Mr Chang Long Jong, Deputy CEO, MediaCorp. “We will bring the Games to audiences in new and innovative ways across our multiple platforms, taking audiences to the actions behind the scenes, in addition to the exciting coverage of the Games.” Television viewers will enjoy the Games on okto, a dedicated HD channel for SEA Games while viewers on the move will catch even more sporting action via live feeds on Toggle, MediaCorp’s over-the-top internet video service powered by the Tvinci/Kaltura platform. Catch-Up videos will be available on Toggle while News platforms such as Channel NewsAsia, TODAY, Radio stations and online platforms will provide extensive coverage including the latest scores, daily games updates and background stories. Opened from 25 May 2015, the Main Press Centre (MPC) for the Games will be located in the recently opened, new National Stadium at the Sports Hub which will be one of the main competition venues during the 28th SEA Games. The MPC will be able to accommodate over 200 reporters and photojournalists at any one time with working spaces, media conference rooms, and support services. Working as production partner of MediaCorp, HBS will cover production, the IBC, venue operations, booking and broadcast information distribution. The Games officially begin on 5 June with an Opening Ceremony hosted at the Singapore National Stadium, and run until the Closing Ceremony on 16 June – although several events will begin their programme at venues around Singapore before the Opening Ceremony. In total there are 36 sports and disciplines included in the 28th SEA
Games. These are: Aquatics (Diving, Swimming, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo), Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Boxing, Canoeing, Cue Sports, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Floorball, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Netball, Petanque, Pencak Silat, Rowing, Rugby 7’s, Sailing, Sepaktakraw, Shooting, Softball, Squash, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Traditional Boat Race, Triathlon, Volleyball, Waterski, and Wushu. On the production side of the project, live production – or extended highlights – will be provided for 16 of the 36 disciplines included in the competition schedule. The remainder will be covered by ENG teams and incorporated into daily highlights programming. An overall SEA Games event highlights show will also be produced at the end of the event. Furthermore, vignettes showcasing Singapore’s culture, life and sporting facilities will be produced before the event for promotional purposes while on-screen graphics and opening and closing title sequences will be prepared in advance of the competition. In all, there will be 402 events across the 36 sports as well as Opening and Closing Ceremonies, nine venues with live coverage or extended highlights, a 6-16 camera plan per sport and two city beauty shot positions available. The International Broadcast Centre (IBC) will be located a short walking distance from the Sports Hub cluster of venues and HBS’ construction team has overseen the allocation and construction of Rights Holding Broadcasters’ unilateral facilities as well as multilateral areas such as the Contibution, Distribution and Transmission Room (CDT), Central Equipment Room (CER) and the Central Information Counter (CIC). Events covered live, or with extended highlights, at selected competition venues will have unilateral venue services available and managed by HBS at those locations. Broadcast Venue Managers (BVMs) will handle all broadcast activities at venues, multilateral and unilateral, while access to bookable services such as stand-up and mixed zone positions and unilateral camera positions will be managed by HBS venue staff. In addition to MediaCorp, broadcasters covering the event will include Radio Televisyen Brunei/Kristal-Astro; Radio and Television of Cambodia; Surya Citra Media/TVRI; Laos National Radio and Television; Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad/Astro; Myanmar Radio and Television; Thailand’s National Television 3, Thailand National Television 5, Thailand National Television 7, Thailand National Television 9, National Broadcasting Services of Thailand Television and Thai Public Broadcasting Service; RTTL of Timor Leste; and Vietnam’s VTV. Visit www.seagames2015.com, www.youtube.com/user/SingaporeSports and Seagames2015.com/mobileapps
EVS Tackles Live Production and Content Management at BroadcastAsia 2015
At EVS’ in-booth “LSM Cockpit,” attendees will see first-hand how operators can access best-in-class tools within a unified LSM environment for flexible multi-angle content access and control and quick highlight creation. New tools include EpsioReveal, part of the FX live graphics module, that allows editors to integrate synchronized data - including biometric sensor information - into replays for more informative and compelling action.
EVS’ Live production asset management (PAM) tools enable efficient live and fast-turnaround news productions. Answering customers’ requests for simplified content ingest, the Ingest Funnel is a unique portal and single interface that transforms, legalizes and masters all ingest formats and content, for ready-to-air, archive and post-production. EVS’ IPLink plug-in extension panel for Adobe Premiere Pro CC gives editors new collaborative editing capabilities through high-speed access to live content while content is still being ingested, and new Octopus cross-platform NRCS integration provides a single UI to manage the newsroom, including mobile and tablet applications and social media integration. Designed for a future of IT production technologies, EVS’ DYVI solution offers flexible, creative resources and layering while bringing high-end functions to familiar switcher-like operational interfaces. Its fully scalable, distributed IP architecture, makes DYVI ideal for studios with multiple control rooms and multi-venue campuses. Visit www.evs.tv
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EVS, THE LEADING PROVIDER of live video production systems, will demonstrate enhanced live production capabilities for sports, news and entertainment at BroadcastAsia 2015, booth 5K3-04. With the newest Multicam software engine, EVS unlocks new capabilities for live sports and studio production operations, offering more channel density (up to 12 HD live recording/playout channels) and unique flexibility for high speed and supermotion camera configurations (up to two SuperMotion 6X camera recordings with two additional recording and playout channels available). The XT3/XS server with flexible extended UHD-4K capabilities combines live replay support and extended collaboration with post-production systems.
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NEWS OPERATIONS www.content-technology.com/newsoperations
Derana Selects Enterprise sQ for News Production LEADING SRI LANKA free-to-air broadcaster, Derana, has purchased a Quantel Enterprise sQ fast-turnaround news and sports production system to produce hourly news bulletins. Based in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, Derana broadcasts two Sinhalese-language channels; TV Derana and Adaderana 24×7. Derana’s Quantel system consists of around 300 hours of storage with file ingest handled by sQ Load. Journalists can review and select shots via five sQ Cut workstations. In addition, craft editing is handled by five sQ Edit desktop editors and two high-end Qube editors, with playout supported by Quantel’s sQ Play application. The system was installed and on air in less than three weeks. Executive Director and COO at Derana, Madhawa Madawala, said, “The transition to Quantel Enterprise sQ has been very smooth and we are very happy with the system, especially with the fantastic support we
have received from Quantel’s training and installation teams. Enterprise sQ gives our editors a simple to use and consistent user interface; after just a few days training on the new system, our editors were already up to speed and creating news packages ready for air. “I would also like to mention the fantastic support we have received from Quantel’s Julien James. We had heard that Quantel systems are way beyond the reach of smaller nations like ours, but Julien has recommended the right products and workflow that is not only affordable, but the perfect fast-turnaround news production solution for Derana.” Quantel and Snell CEO, Tim Thorsteinson, said, “Enterprise sQ is the perfect system choice for Derana TV, providing the team with the fastest and most efficient broadcast workflow in the industry.” Visit www.quantel.com
TVT to Provide VoD BBC World News Content to Hulu Japan TVT, A LEADING INDEPENDENT media services and post-production house, has announced a deal to provide BBC World News video on Demand (VoD) content to Hulu Japan, a popular VoD service offering users more than 13,000 assets available on more than 90 million devices. The new agreement follows a long-standing relationship with the channel, where TVT has assisted in the delivery of regional Japanese content for 21 years. Providing a complete media management service, TVT is currently responsible for subtitling and dubbing documentary and current affairs programmes as well as providing a closed caption service for hard of hearing viewers. As one of only a handful of Western media companies with established operations in Tokyo, TVT also runs a daily, real-time news translation service for the channel, operating 18 hours a day with teams based in both London and Tokyo. TVT will be starting its work as VoD provider for Hulu Japan with the fast turnaround of local content. TVT will be responsible for repackaging and translating content and captioning into both English and Japanese, as well as managing all the related metadata for some of BBC
World News’ popular programme strands including Hardtalk, The Travel Show, Click, and Our World. “Our experience of working within Japan and with the BBC is what truly makes this a great fit. VoD providers such as Hulu expect high quality and consistent content which conforms to their strict criteria for video encoding and metadata and our knowledge of the market and the requirements of VoD platforms means we are able to deliver exactly that,” said Kim Thesiger of TVT. “We also pride ourselves on our tailored, bespoke approach to media management – it is something we really excel at. The new agreement with BBC World News complements the work we already do with them. We look forward to kick-starting our work for Hulu Japan, and helping to deliver great, local content.” Hulu joins a host of other VoD platforms that TVT deliver content to including Netflix, Comcast, UPC, Mediaset, Multichoice and Canal and which covers providers in the U.S., Western & Eastern Europe, the Middle East and now Asia making TVT one of the World’s most experienced VoD content management specialists. Visit www.tvt.biz
MediaCorp Selects EVS for HD News Production
NEWS OPERATIONS
EVS, A LEADING PROVIDER OF live video production systems, announced that MediaCorp, Singapore’s leading media company with platforms spanning television, radio, newspapers, magazines, movies, digital and out-of-home media, has selected a full end-to-end news production solution from EVS for their new facilities in Mediapolis, which are now under construction.
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“The size and scope of this installation is impressive,” said Jerome Wauthoz, EVS market manager for broadcast centre solutions. “But critically important in the live environment is the reliability of EVS solutions and the unsurpassed speed for breaking news. The workflow will also provide the instant access to all content so essential to productivity and ultimately to the quality of MediaCorp’s programming.” When fully implemented later this year, the EVS News PAM system will
provide infrastructure for 56 HD-SDI channels, 500TB of central storage equivalent to 12,000 hours of HD content (plus 20,000 hours of low resolution), and over 500 journalist editing stations. The integrated solution from EVS will facilitate all aspects of state-of-theart news production, from recording to playout, including central shared storage and archiving, high- and low-resolution client browsing, onsite and remote editing, playout and NRCS integration. “MediaCorp has selected award-winning live news production solutions from EVS already in use by major broadcasting networks across the globe,” added Stephane Jauroyou, EVS APAC VP Sales. “We look forward to working together to make News @ Mediapolis facility among the best in the world.” Visit www.evs.com
NEWS OPERATIONS
New Orad Maestro Release Integrates MAM and Social Media THE NEW ORAD MAESTRO enterprise graphics suite 6.9 release
production workflow to enrich the story with visually engaging and
offers full integration with the Orad iFind media asset management and Orad Social Media Hub solutions. The release also integrates the Orad WorldMapper 3D map templates within the Maestro graphics production workflow. Other new capabilities include enhanced third-party integrations with Avid, Imagine and EVS production products.
sophisticated maps. Thanks to the integration with Orad’s Social Media
Seamless integration with Orad iFind lets broadcasters take advantage of iFind’s advanced workflow management tools within the Maestro graphics environment to better manage, search and browse media assets. Easy-to-use map templates can be used seamlessly in the Maestro
Hub, Maestro can receive and publish social media content and graphics. Maestro 6.9 offers integration with Avid MediaCentral |UX as well as enhanced integration with Avid iNews Command enabling advanced control of Maestro. The new release also supports import of Imagine D-Series playlists into Maestro; integration with EVS’ Xedio for real-time playout of graphics over edited video, and much more. Visit www.orad.tv
AVIWEST Enhances Video Delivery Over Mobile Satellite with Hughes AVIWEST, A GLOBAL PROVIDER OF video contribution systems, has announced a new collaboration with Hughes Network Systems, LLC, a leading provider of broadband satellite networks and services, to improve delivery of video signals over Inmarsat’s BGAN mobile satellite network. “Today’s consumers demand crystal-clear video quality on a wide range of devices, which can be a challenging feat for broadcasters when they’re covering a breaking news story or live event,” said Ronan Poullaouec, CTO of AVIWEST. “By combining our DMNG PRO advanced video uplink system with the Hughes 9211-HDR BGAN satellite terminal, we offer a compact, lightweight, and reliable solution for delivering highquality video over Inmarsat’s BGAN network, enabling broadcasters to effectively meet consumer demand for superior quality of service.” Operating on Inmarsat’s BGAN HDR service network, the Hughes
9211-HDR transmits information in real-time over an adaptive channel, allowing the available satellite bit rate to increase above the minimum committed information rate level. This allows the DMNG PRO to compress video content based on the current network conditions to deliver optimal video quality. The integrated solution is ideally suited for environments where there is no Internet connection or poor 3G/4G cellular wireless network connections. Rugged and lightweight, the Hughes 9211-HDR terminal features a hardened and compact design that makes it easy to use in remote newsgathering environments. Through the BGAN terminal, users can connect to Inmarsat’s HDR service at streaming broadband speeds of over 650 kbps to quickly transmit video and other critical data. Visit www.aviwest.com
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NEWS OPERATIONS
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NEWS OPERATIONS
CNN Top International News Brand in APAC THE LATEST IPSOS AFFLUENT SURVEY once again confirms CNN as the number one international news brand in Asia Pacific, reaching an unrivalled one in three upscale consumers (34%) and more than one in two (53%) C-Level Executives every month. The independent survey also reveals significant audience growth for CNN on both its TV and digital platforms. On TV, CNN is the most watched international news brand in Asia-Pacific in daily, weekly and monthly reach. CNN has 47% more viewers each month than the next placed news channel and 125% more viewers than the leading business & finance news channel. In digital, CNN’s monthly reach is 51% higher than the next largest brand. CNN’s lead is even more clear-cut in key target groups with an 80% advantage with Top Management and 64% with Business Decision Makers.
CNN also recorded substantial growth in TV and digital consumption. In TV, there was strong growth in daily (+13%), weekly (+11%) and monthly (+6%) audience numbers. These numbers surge when it comes to International Travellers (+49% weekly) and Luxury Spenders (+29% weekly). In digital, the monthly digital reach increased by 11% and was most significant in the key target groups of International Business Travellers (+72%) and International Leisure Travellers (+57%). Vice President of CNN International Advertising Sales for Asia Pacific, Sunita Rajan, said, “This is a spectacular result for CNN and a testament to the commitment we made to our audience – to provide first-class content across multiple platforms.” Visit www.ipsos.com
Dejero and Aeryon Labs in Exclusive Partnership DEJERO, an innovator in the remote acquisition, cloud management, and multiscreen distribution of professional live video over IP, has announced a strategic technology partnership with small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) manufacturer Aeryon Labs. The partnership will enable secure, real-time distribution of HD video captured by Aeryon sUAS through the Dejero LIVE+ platform. This will enable broadcasters to integrate live video captured with drone technology into their newsgathering, sports coverage, and video productions. “There is significant and growing interest from broadcasters — especially newsgathering organisations — in drone technology because it brings a unique perspective and closer, more intimate live content, while providing greater context to news stories,” said Brian Cram, CEO of Dejero. “For dronebased video to work in a live broadcast situation, broadcasters need lowlatency, broadcast-quality video from a highly reliable drone system that’s easy to use, quick to deploy, and proven in the field. That is what the Aeryon drone system gives them. Thanks to this partnership, incorporating live, drone-based video into newscasts is a practical reality for broadcasters.” The Dejero Aeryon solution combines Dejero LIVE+ transmitters and cloud services with the imagery captured by the Aeryon SkyRanger sUAS. Dejero’s line of compact, modular, and rugged LIVE+ mobile transmitters intelligently manage and bond cellular, Wi-Fi, and portable satellite connections to deliver exceptional picture quality, even in challenging network conditions. Live video feeds are previewed and managed from
Dejero’s LIVE+ Control Web portal. “Our partnership with Dejero delivers on our commitment to offer end-toend solutions to customers in key industries, such as public safety and law enforcement, infrastructure inspection, and newsgathering,” said Dave Kroetsch, president and CEO of Aeryon Labs. “It also underscores our strategic focus on software and services as a critical component of our product offering.” The Aeryon SkyRanger is a sUAS that is rugged and dependable in demanding weather conditions when other systems cannot fly. It offers long flight times of over 50 minutes, and its folding design makes it highly portable and fast to deploy. Its intuitive touchscreen interface simplifies navigation and camera operation. With the Dejero and Aeryon products working together, broadcast-quality HD video captured by the drone can be transmitted from the field, previewed with Dejero’s LIVE+ Control cloud-based management system, and routed to broadcast facilities around the globe for live on-air playout. It can also be routed to cloud servers that enable delivery to Web and mobile devices, or to Dejero’s LIVE+ Multipoint video-sharing network for simultaneous distribution to multiple locations. Visit www.dejero.com and www.aeryon.com
Reuters-TIMA Provides Location Services to Over 25 Broadcasters SINCE LAUNCHING IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, Reuters-TIMA has
Services form a vast news and editorial network.
provided global Location Services to over 25 clients across four continents. CNN, Nippon TV, Euronews, and Seven Network are among the first broadcasters to have used the new service.
From New York to Moscow and Rio to Singapore, plus a network of Middle Eastern offices, including TIMA’s facilities in Tehran, Reuters-TIMA Location Services has been set up to help broadcasters cover every major world event, from elections to summits, sports to national celebrations and breaking news such as war, natural disasters and militant attacks, providing every aspect of newsgathering facilities and support services.
NEWS OPERATIONS
Reuters-TIMA Location Services provides every aspect of newsgathering facilities and support services on the ground during breaking news stories. Recent stories covered include the Germanwings crash, the Tunisia museum shooting, border unrest between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, as well as migrant boat disasters in the Mediterranean.
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The partnership between Reuters and TIMA, which launched at the 87th Academy Awards, also provides coverage of key global events and unprecedented access, as well as providing logistical and editorial services. In the last two months Reuters-TIMA have made 132 transmissions from five events. Reuters-TIMA Location Services was created in response to the increased demand for live content in a shifting media landscape. Combining Reuters’ unparalleled global editorial content, seen by over a billion people every day, with TIMA’s cutting-edge technology and considerable experience of service delivery for the international media industry, Reuters-TIMA Location
Tim Santhouse, Reuters’ Global Head of Video Products, says, “We’re delighted that such a broad range of broadcasters – large and small, public and commercial – have taken up the service, letting them focus on covering the story while we take care of the operational side, including technical and local knowledge.” Alla Salehian, CEO of TIMA, says, “With strategically placed broadcast and satellite resources in regional hubs around the world, we’re able to respond quickly to breaking news. Since our partnership launch, the last two months have been exciting and fast-paced, responding to important global stories and working with key broadcasters.” Visit www.reuters-tima.com
POST PRODUCTION www.content-technology.com/postproduction
GoodJob Selects Baselight as First Grading System GOODJOB, a post house with multiple editing suites in Osaka and Tokyo, announced that it is expanding its facility with FilmLight’s grading and finishing system, Baselight, and the post-production media server, FLUX Store. To help meet future demands for 4K production, GoodJob is investing in the FilmLight solution at its Osaka facility. It already has a workflow capable of 4K/60p production and has been simultaneously expanding its range of equipment to include the Sony CineAlta F65RS and PMW-F55 4K cameras. With Baselight, the facility will complete its end-to-end 4K production pipeline. In February this year, GoodJob held its first open house since its establishment in 1993 to introduce its equipment and solutions for 4K production. The facility used the event to gauge the demand for 4K and UHD from the clients who visited and found that there are plenty of 4K and UHD
projects, not only for TV programs but also for movies and other productions. FilmLight demonstrated Baselight at this event to show the future expansion in action. Hironori Kobayashi, owner and artist at GoodJob, said, “There are people who say there is no 4K in Osaka. However, when I talked to many guests at the open house, I found there must be many projects originated in Osaka but most of them are completed in Tokyo. If we have a total 4K system here, we’ll get those clients to stay here. To be honest, when we started discussion in the company, some of our staff were not keen about a new grading system. I spent days and days to convince them that we should have the best system available in order to gain more 4K work. Now everybody is happy to go for the FilmLight solutions so that we can take things to the next level.” GoodJob plans to open the new grading suite in July 2015. Visit www.filmlight.ltd.uk
Quantum StorNext Provides 4K Workflow for Chinese NAIP QUANTUM CORP. has announced that China’s National Animation Industry Park (NAIP) in Tianjin, the country’s largest animation centre, is using Quantum StorNext shared storage as the foundation for its 4K postproduction workflows. The animation park turned to Quantum when its legacy system was unable to handle the performance and capacity requirements of its new 4K projects, and the StorNext solution has enabled NAIP to increase the efficiency of its workflows by 60 to 80 percent. “After researching different solutions for meeting 4K demands, we chose the StorNext platform because it not only provides high-performance collaboration but also is highly scalable and cost-effective,” said Liu Yuqi,
deputy director of the technical centre at NAIP. “With StorNext, we are now able to work with Hollywood filmmakers on 4K remastering, which we could not do previously.” NAIP’s StorNext storage solution — which encompasses a metadata appliance, a gateway appliance and disk storage — allows all of the facility’s creative professionals to work on content simultaneously in a high-performance, high-capacity environment. They can now handle 4K content with 48MB of data volume per frame and replay an entire film at a rate of 24 frames per second, native, when performing quality control. Visit www.stornext.com
Park Road Relied on Mistika in “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” NEW ZEALAND FACILITY PARK ROAD once again used Mistika for the post production of “The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies”, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), the third film in “The Hobbit Trilogy” directed by Peter Jackson. Park Road’s grading theatres are based around the world’s largest installs of Mistika 4K and S3D master systems. Very large shared storage provides high-speed efficiency between online editors, stereographers and colourists. Dolby Atmos equipped mix theatres, foley and sound edit facilities complement the picture offering, and all work can be delivered to their inhouse 176-seat cinema, capable of projecting all major formats, film/24/3D and higher frame rates.
Neither the facility, nor the platform, has stood still since the first film. A novel and highly efficient approach to VFX workflows was deployed for the latest instalment – using wrapped OpenEXR version 2 files – a world’s first. “The team at SGO really helped us prove and integrate this new approach, and we hope to see this released into the open source file format and libraries. Of course SGO’s clients now have it built-in,” Pratt says. Visit www.parkroad.co.nz and www.sgo.es
Park Road are at the forefront in the development of High Frame Rate filmmaking, from on-set digital acquisition, support for offline editorial, final online, through to HFR deliverables. It took Park Road, together with SGO, years of research, development, testing and refinement to create the unique workflow for The Hobbit Films. Workflow Architect Anthony Pratt played a pivotal role in the development and is part of the lead team that designed the world’s first HFR-3D workflow.
Smaug, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, in the fantasy adventure “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” a production of New Line Cinema and MetroGoldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), released by Warner Bros. Pictures and MGM.
POST PRODUCTION
The Mistika 3D tools were driven at full throttle in the third film of the Trilogy. “Mistika’s real-time immediacy again enabled interactivity with the grade and stereo where we could screen any formats in 2D or 3D,” Senior Stereographer, Meetal Gokul, explained.
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POST PRODUCTION
Thinkbox Software Unveils Deadline v7.1 THINKBOX SOFTWARE has unveiled Deadline 7.1, the latest version of its flexible high-volume compute management system for Windows-, Linux-, and Mac OS X-based render farms. In addition to built-in cloud support and integration with the latest 3D animation tools, Deadline 7.1 now also supports leading architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) applications such as Autodesk AutoCAD, VRED, and VREDCluster; CSI’s CSiBridge, ETABS, SAFE, and SAP2000; EnergyPlus; and Bentley MicroStation. Deadline 7.1 builds on recently introduced built-in VMX (Virtual Machine Extension) support to allow both VFX and AEC users to leverage public and private cloud resources for on-demand compute. It also includes updated Slave metrics and statistics, enhancements to balanced/weighted job scheduling, expanded font synchronisation, and more. Also new in Deadline 7.1 is an updated version of Draft, a lightweight compositing and video processing plugin. Visit www.thinkboxsoftware.com
Silverdraft Unleashes Next-Gen Supercomputing Systems SILVERDRAFT HAS UNLEASHED the next-generation of its solutions “For Creation To Play” during NAB 2015. Devils are scalable, supercomputing systems that deliver virtually unlimited compute power to performance-hungry applications in environments such as 3D, VFX, VR or science and engineering. Now 20% faster, each Gen 2 Devil system features over 400 Intel E5 v3 CPU cores in 12 nodes, connected via a lightning-fast InfiniBand backbone. Combined with Micron DDR4 RAM and storage, this virtually latency-free design delivers huge gains in performance over previous models. Demons are highly-tuned desktop workstations that are optimised for specific applications. The new Demon systems include single and multiprocessor configurations in both a standard desktop form-factor, with eight PCIE slots (four of them x16), and a compact form factor that delivers the same performance as the previous generation – but in half the footprint. Visit www.silverdraft.com
Blackmagic Design’s Fusion 8 on Mac OS X and Linux
POST PRODUCTION
AFRAME IS USHERING IN THE ERA of true broadcast-grade cloud editing with Adobe Anywhere, the collaborative workflow platform that enables teams to work together and create productions from virtually any location where there is network connectivity. By running Adobe Anywhere within Aframe’s cloud platform, teams can collaborate without limits. The “one-to-many” model enabled by the cloud ensures universal access to the correct media by all team members. Access is easily controlled, disaster recovery is automatic and capital expenses are all but eliminated. With this model, productions can inherit the power of traditional broadcast infrastructure all via the browser, on a per-project basis, assured that assets are safe but also easily accessible. Aframe provides the central hub for the storage and management of original native video content, with Adobe Anywhere providing stream-based editing capabilities. The workflow enables content producers to browse cloudhosted content stored in their Aframe projects and sync selected assets with an Adobe Anywhere Production, search across projects for clips with descriptive metadata matching specific keywords and preview media to pick out the best takes or pieces of footage. Visit http://aframe.com
Shotgun Software Announces Shotgun 6 and RV 6 AT NAB 2015, Shotgun Software unveiled Shotgun 6 and RV 6, which now work together without any required end-user configuration. Shotgun is the cloud-based production tracking, review and asset management software for film, TV and games, recently expanded via acquisition with RV, the widely adopted desktop image and sequence player. Shotgun 6 will now include direct access to RV 6 at no extra cost to users, with the latest releases of both Shotgun 6 and RV 6 also offering new features to boost production efficiency. “Just months after bringing our friends from Tweak on board and announcing a new pricing model, we’ve built some really great new functionality into both Shotgun and RV that helps artists and supervisors collaborate around their work much faster,” said Don Parker, co-founder of Shotgun and Autodesk senior director. Visit www.shotgunsoftware.com
Blackmagic Design Announces DaVinci Resolve 12
visual effects and motion graphics software, will be released on Mac OS X and Linux. Until now, Fusion has been a Windows only product, and with this new Fusion 8 release, it will now be available on all popular operating systems.
BLACKMAGIC DESIGN has announced DaVinci Resolve 12, a major upgrade with over 80 new features for professional editing and colour grading. This new update includes a new modern interface, multi-cam editing, powerful new media management tools, an entirely new professional audio engine with support for VST/AU plug-ins, shot matching, 3D keyer, new 3D perspective tracker, enhanced curve editing and much more.
By bringing Fusion to Mac and Linux, Fusion will be available to even more users than ever, opening the door to millions of motion graphic artists, broadcast designers, video editors, visual effects compositors, and 3D animators.
The new multi-camera editing feature of DaVinci Resolve 12 lets editors cut programs from multiple sources in real time. DaVinci Resolve 12 can synchronise camera angles based on timecode, audio waveforms, or in/out points.
Fusion 7 and Fusion 7 Studio are currently available for Windows, while the new Fusion 8 and Fusion 8 Studio will be available in Q3 for Windows, Mac and Linux. Current Fusion 7 Studio customers will be able to use their dongles on the Mac and Linux versions, and projects created with Fusion 8 will be compatible across all three platforms.
DaVinci Resolve 12 also includes an entirely new, high performance audio engine that offers higher sampling rates and greatly improved realtime audio playback performance, including reverse playback and tape style slow motion scrubbing during dynamic JKL trimming. Both VST and AU audio plugins, along with their custom interfaces, are now supported and can be used on individual clips or entire tracks.
BLACKMAGIC DESIGN HAS ANNOUNCED Fusion 8, the advanced
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Aframe Unveils True Cloud Editing
Visit www.blackmagicdesign.com
Visit www.blackmagicdesign.com
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For Your Trial Subscription, Visit www.chinameiti.biz THE TEAM NANCY YAN WANG Nancy is a graduate of the Communication University of China and holds a Bachelor Degree in Audio Engineering. Her technical thesis was published in Chinese national broadcast magazine, CATV Technology. Following social practice with China Central TV Network (CCTV) and Zhejiang Satellite TV Network, Nancy worked with Fujian Satellite TV Network for five years as an Audio Engineer. In 2005, Nancy took on the role of Marketing Coordinator in the International Marketing Department of manufacturer Miller Camera Support where she built strong relationships with dealers and broadcast professionals alike and travelled extensively to visit Chinese customers and help extend Miller’s business in the China market.
PHIL SANDBERG Phil Sandberg has spent over 25 years reporting on technology and policy issues affecting the TV, radio and recording industries throughout Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. He is the founder of Content+Technology magazine and Broadcastpapers.com
She currently divides her time between Australia and China.
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You can reach him via papers@broadcastpapers.com
In 2010, she completed a Business Marketing course with TAFE NSW and graduated with Distinction. She has also undertaken online marketing for the SMPTE Australia Section.
POST PRODUCTION
Avid Announces Connectivity Partner Innovations AVID HAS ANNOUNCED a range of new and upcoming innovations for the Avid MediaCentral Platform, developed by Avid partners using the Avid Connectivity Toolkit. As leading technology companies create solutions integrated into the Avid MediaCentral Platform, the momentum of Avid Everywhere continues to build in the media industry. “The Avid Connectivity Partner Program delivers on the openness of Avid Everywhere and gives media professionals the flexibility to more easily integrate third-party products into their workflow,” said Chris Gahagan, senior vice president of Products and Technology at Avid. The Avid Connectivity Partner Program gives developers access to the resources, documentation, certification, and services they need to create products and solutions that integrate with the Avid MediaCentral Platform ecosystem and sell them in the Avid Marketplace. Visit www.avid.com
Autodesk Updates Media & Entertainment Software THIS YEAR, the 2016 3D animation portfolio from Autodesk has significant updates to Maya and 3ds Max. Each release includes new features and improvements to boost performance, collaboration and simplify operations. Maya 2016 features supercharged animation performance with a parallel evaluation system takes advantage of the CPU and GPU to increase the speed of both playback and character rig manipulation. An all new look and feel, and the updated hypershade, showcases improved ease of use. 3ds Max 2016 features new Max Creation Graph: a new node-based content and tool creation toolkit integrated by user request. Empowers users to extend 3ds Max with geometric objects and modifiers. Users can package graphs and share them with other users. The 2016 Entertainment Creation Suite includes all the new features and updates to Maya 2016 and 3ds Max 2016, in addition to updates and enhancements in Mudbox 2016 and MotionBuilder 2016 that help improve the daily work of artists, developers, directors and cinematographers. Visit www.autodesk.com
Light Illusion Reveals Next-Gen Colour Mathematics for LightSpace CMS LIGHT ILLUSION, a leader for critical colour management within the Film, Post-Production and Broadcast industries, has released Next Generation Colour Mathematics for its advanced Colour Engine, which is at the heart of the calibration accuracy of LightSpace CMS.
POST PRODUCTION
After over 6 man-months of work the algorithms and mathematics that are at the core of the LightSpace Colour Engine have been totally re-written and enhanced, with visible and measurable improvements in final calibration results.
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In running their own test Flanders Scientific looked at the minimum profiling requirements for their new range of OLED displays. Normally, accurate calibration requires many individual colour patches – often counted in thousands. With the inherent linear response of the FSI OLED displays LightSpace CMS was able to generate very accurate calibration results with just 24 patches, in a matter of seconds. Visit www.lightillusion.com
MOG Technologies Announces Adobe Premiere Pro CC Integration AT NAB 2015, MOG Technologies, a developer of IT-based broadcast solutions, showcased how it integrates with Adobe Premiere Pro CC, enabling editors to have direct access to specific ingest tasks, right inside the Adobe Premiere Pro interface. With mxfSPEEDRAIL Adobe Premiere Pro custom panel, editors will increase the performance of their editing and production workflows, converting saved time into further creative tasks. mxfSPEEDRAIL integration with Adobe delivers direct access to ingest and capture tasks inside a customised panel that perfectly integrate both core systems, supporting rich metadata for content repurposing. The editor will immediately see the ingest streaming running in the Adobe Premiere Pro interface itself, directly jogging and shuttling into the required media and easily identifying the audio levels. The user can simultaneously control and preview 2 mxfSPEEDRAIL ingesting feeds through mxfSPEEDRAIL built-In VTR Player and directly perform crash record, time code break, capture and batch capture. In addition, the panel can easily be shown or hidden from the Adobe Premiere Pro CC menu. Visit www.mog-technologies.com and www.adobe.com
NTP Technology releases Pro | Mon Monitor Control Option NTP TECHNOLOGY, a Connectivity Partner of Avid Technology, Inc., has debuted its Pro | Mon monitor control for the Avid Pro Tools | S6 control surface and other Avid EUCON 3 enabled control surfaces. Pro | Mon integrates closely with the NTP Technology DAD AX32 ultrahigh-quality analogue/digital audio converter and the DAD DX32 router units, allowing both to be managed via EUCON 3 enabled DADman 4.2 control software. The combination provides a versatile input/output platform and switching matrix with up to 48 analogue inputs or outputs, 16 AES/EBU I/O and 64 to 192 MADI I/O on up-to three MADI ports. Also accessible are a 64 channel interface for Avid Pro Tools HD, HDX and HD Native as well as SDI-embedded audio. Visit www.ntp.dk
Boris FX and Imagineer Systems Team Up BORIS FX, a leading developer in VFX and workflow solutions for film and video, and Imagineer Systems, the developer of mocha Planar Tracking tools, previewed the newest versions of flagship products, Boris Continuum Complete and mocha Pro, at the NAB Show. Building upon the success of version 9, the soon-to-be-released Boris Continuum Complete 10 offers greater integration with mocha, new 3D titling tools, import of Cinema 4D models, new image restoration filters, new transitions, and added host support. “mocha Pro 5 addresses key feature requests that our users have asked for,” comments Ross Shain, Chief Marketing Officer of Boris FX/Imagineer. “For years users have looked for tighter mocha integration with their host timeline and media. With the new ability to launch directly as a plug-in, we are providing a much smoother experience for Avid, Premiere, and Resolve users, as well as our core base of After Effects and NUKE artists. Additionally the new effects filters built in collaboration with Boris FX bring indispensable features directly to mocha Pro such as an integrated keyer that will improve roto-masking and sharpen and grain tools that improve the already powerful object remove and image restoration capabilities.” Visit www.borisfx.com and www.imagineersystems.com
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM
NDTV Chooses Amagi STORM Platform to Localise Advertising AMAGI, A LEADER IN TARGETED TV ADVERTISING and cloud-based broadcast infrastructure, has announced that NDTV 24×7 will use its STORM regionalisation platform to insert regional Ads in the Middle East on the channel’s Asia-pacific satellite feed. “NDTV, who are India’s premier English news channel, are expanding its viewership base amongst the vast expatriate population in the Middle East,” explains Dinesh Singh, CTO of NDTV, “We were looking for ways to provide local advertisers in the region access to our clearly segmented viewership. Post evaluation of multiple vendor platforms, Amagi’s Ad-insertion solution emerged as the perfect choice as it allowed us to regionalise our channel in the Middle East without creating new, expensive satellite feeds”. KA Srinivasan, co-founder of Amagi, added, “Content regionalisation and monetisation have been a growing need for TV networks globally. Amagi’s STORM IRD series integrates Ad and content insertion capability
with traditional IRD functionality thereby making it easy for TV networks to regionalise their satellite feeds. Amagi’s STORM platform is deployed across more than 4,000 headends and is a time-tested and reliable solution. We are excited to have India’s leading news network, NDTV on board as our valued client.” For NDTV, Amagi inserts unique content watermarks on advertisements that need to be replaced in the Middle East. These watermarked content assets are transmitted over the satellite as per the channel playlist. The local Ads that need to be played out only in the Middle East region and associated local playlists are transmitted through a trickle satellite bandwidth to be stored in Amagi’s STORMLite IRDs deployed at NDTV’s headends in the region. When the STORMLite IRD receives the watermarked content assets, basis the local playlists, it replaces the watermarked content with local Ads which are already stored in the device. Visit www.amagi.com
thePlatform Selected as Central Video Management System for Stan THEPLATFORM, a leading white-label video publishing company and independent subsidiary of Comcast, has announced that it has been selected by Stan, the subscription video-on-demand service (SVOD) joint venture between Nine Entertainment Co. and Fairfax Media Limited, to provide backend video services.
“thePlatform has an impressive track record of managing large-scale video subscription services worldwide,” said Mike Sneesby, Chief Executive Officer of Stan. “mpx enables us to centralise our video publishing efforts and provide our subscribers with an abundance of world class content, on their device of choice, for just $10 per month.”
Under the agreement, thePlatform’s cloud-based mpx video publishing system will manage Stan’s TV services to support viewers on PCs, smartphones, tablets, and TVs via Google’s Chromecast or Airplay via Apple TV. thePlatform’s mpx video management system provides several key functions for Stan. Specifically, mpx provides easy workflow management of metadata management; purchasing support through a payment gateway; subscriber management and viewing rights enforcement; and automated publishing across devices and video players.
“Stan is changing the way Australians watch their favourite TV shows and movies, with unlimited access to a massive library of first-run and awardwinning content, at an affordable price,” said Marty Roberts, co-CEO, thePlatform. “We are excited to help manage Stan’s TV services by providing efficient and scalable video publishing across PCs, smartphones, tablets, and connected TVs, with enterprise-grade reliability.” Visit www.theplatform.com
SGL Provides Thailand’s TNN 24 with Scalable Archive
TNN 24’s fully integrated digital workflow sees ingested feeds sent to an Imagine Communications SAN. Selected content is then sent via FTP to a Harmonic disk storage system. Under the control of Avid Interplay, SGL FlashNet archives and restores content to and from LTO-6 tapes stored on a Quantum Scalar i6000 library. SGL FlashNet, integrated with Avid Interplay, provides TNN 24 with a fully scalable archive designed to address the instant access, short-term rapid retrieval and longer term storage requirements that are unique to news environments. It also provides TNN 24 with a disaster recovery strategy by providing a FlashNet tape duplication feature creating a second copy of
the original material. Donald Li, SGL’s Director of Sales APAC, explains, “SGL’s Open System architecture makes FlashNet the most accessible content archive storage management system available to the video industry. We’re very excited to announce this sale to TNN 24, Asia is a key territory for SGL and we look forward to making further customer announcements in the coming weeks.” It follows on the heels of an installation at a major unnamed Japanese broadcaster. The installation sees SGL FlashNet fully integrated with the broadcaster’s Avid Interplay | Production workflow. Under the control of Avid Interplay | Production, SGL FlashNet archives and restores material to and from Avid ISIS | 7500 online storage and Avid ISIS | 2500 nearline storage devices. Operators have the additional capability to utilise an SGL FlashNet watch folder to archive material shot on Sony’s HD SR (444) format. Visit www.sglbroadcast.com
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM
SGL, A LEADING PROVIDER of content archive and storage management software for media and entertainment, has announced a key sale of its FlashNet archive system to TNN 24, a 24/7 digital news channel, owned and operated by Thailand’s leading cable and satellite TV operator TrueVisions.
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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM
Malvertising and Watering Holes: Cyber Attacks in a New Age of Crime By John Ellis, Chief Strategist, Cyber Security for Asia Pacific and Japan at Akamai Cybercrime and cyber attacks are without a doubt, serious threats impacting almost everyone in this day and age with attacks growing in sophistication, frequency and intensity. Cybercrime is expected to increase as more devices become connected to the Internet; creating more attack vectors for savvy cyber criminals to compromise. John Ellis, Akamai
THIS IS PARTICULARLY CONCERNING in
the group performing the attack.
today’s hyperconnected world, where the vast majority of us rely on the Internet to create, consume and do business. With no industry immune, the gaming, software and technology sectors have faced the brute force of cyber attacks over the last quarter. However, it’s the media and entertainment sector, which continues to be the top target for cyber criminals, receiving 10 per cent of all Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks during Q4 2014.
DDoS attacks continue to be one of the biggest threats to the media segment. If hacktivist groups or nation-state attackers are not happy with the way a media house is covering a certain issue or story, the attackers may engage in a DDoS attack through making a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users. Attacks of this nature are typically directly related to current events, such as an election or protest, and can have a significant impact on media houses.
The media industry has long suffered from cybercrimes as individuals and groups carried out attacks to make a stance against a certain issue. This threat increases as more attackers find new and innovative ways to defeat security measures.
The human element is most often the weakest link in the cyber security defensive chain, and it is this weakness that many cybercriminals and hacktivists continue to target. The most popular attack against the human element are phishing attacks. This typically involves attackers sending targets a carefully crafted email, masquerading as a trustworthy entity so as to entice the user to ‘click’ on the link, or ‘open’ the attachment. Attackers are able to harvest a lot of information about media house employees from social media and easily accessible sources, making their phishing emails appear very legitimate. This personalisation increases the probability of the employee clicking the link or opening the attachment, and ultimately infecting their machine with malware, which then leads to further compromise, and the attacker a step closer to achieving their objective.
MEANS, OPPORTUNITY AND MOTIVES While the means of and opportunity for attacks may follow a similar pattern regardless of the industry being targeted, the motivation behind attacks is often the differentiating factor. Within the media industry, there is a strong motive to use cyber attacks to spread fear and propaganda through politically or socially motivated attacks. This coupled with the media’s ability to generate widespread coverage on successful attacks makes the sector a very attractive target to attackers. Attackers of the media industry typically fall into one of the following groups – all of which have clear motives for their attacks: ¡ Nation-state attackers – attackers from a particular nation that disagree with a story or the way a certain issue/s are being conveyed in the media outlet
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM
¡ Hacktivist groups – attackers looking to promote a political or social agenda
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¡ Cyber criminals – attackers looking to gain intellectual property, confidential information and / or financial revenue. So what types of attacks should media companies be wary of and how can they best protect themselves?
THE ATTACK METHODS In the past year alone there has been countless number of attacks against media houses. From defacing Web sites to stealing confidential information, cyber criminals continue to use the media to pursue their own agenda. The attack methods used to carry out these malicious attacks often vary depending on the motive and
Further to these, is malvertising (malicious advertising), which is also becoming an increasingly common attack method. Cyber criminals behind malvertising attacks infect advertisements on media sites to trick users to click on a malicious link, which may either redirect users to another Web site, that may be promoting a political or social agenda, or infect the users device with some form of malware. Attackers are also exploiting vulnerabilities within advertising networks to take over an account to repurpose it for their own needs. Watering hole attacks also continue to increase. Like the hunter waits at the watering hole for its prey to come and drink, the cyber criminal (or nation state) infects the media houses website with malware that will target its readers, and patiently waits for the users to come to the site and be infected. This is a very popular technique for targeting specific types of users, perhaps certain demographics or geographies. Regardless of the attack method used, attacks against the media industry are often seasonal and
related to major current world events. In addition, whether the group or individuals are defacing a website, inserting malicious malware or stealing confidential information, the motivation is a key driver for performing attacks within the media sector.
THE SYRIAN ELECTRONIC ARMY The Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) has become a known leader in these types of cyber attacks against media houses. The group is a loosely organised group of hactivists, or hackers with an ideological motive that distributed propaganda to support the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.. In 2012 and 2013, the Syrian Electronic Army garnered attention for hijacking Twitter accounts affiliated with the Associated Press and Reuters among others and for compromising the online properties of popular news media outlets including the New York Times and Forbes. By taking advantage of vulnerabilities in the info security of these and other well-known organisations, they succeeded in gaining publicity for themselves, recruiting and educating sympathisers, while illustrating the pervasive threat of and the potential damage, which can be inflicted by cyber attacks.
STAYING PROTECTED In today’s security environment, cyber attackers are developing new attack methods every week. We are now faced with an arms race between attackers and defenders, with no clear end in sight. Consequently, for media companies, it’s critical for organisations to take an end-to-end approach to security by developing a multilayered defence system that can not only detect and deflect cyber attacks as close to the source as possible but also scale to absorb massivescale threats. Importantly, given the nature of the content delivered by media companies, organisations are often challenged to protect websites and infrastructure without sacrificing performance for security. This needs to be a key consideration when implementing security solutions. While there is no silver bullet to defending against cyber attacks, the media industry needs to stand at the forefront of security. With a multilayer defence system in place, organisations have a better chance at winning the war against attackers.
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM
Top 5 Tips for Your 4K Transition by Geoff Stedman, Senior Vice President, StorNext Solutions at Quantum Video production is entering yet another major transition – the move to 4K. Much like the move to high definition (HD) several years ago, the new ultrahigh definition (UHD) 4K-resolution formats have the potential to disrupt workflows, strain existing infrastructure and require costly unplanned upgrades. Those who remember how bumpy the change from SD to HD was are understandably nervous about what this looming 4K transition will bring. Geoff Stedman
The following five key tips will help you to make a smooth transition to full 4K production. Understand your format requirements. You have many options today for capturing 4K images and working on them in post-production. The codec and bitrate you choose will have a direct impact on the infrastructure you will need to support your workflow. Just a single uncompressed 4K stream at 24 frames per second (FPS) can demand more than 1 gigabyte per second of data throughput. These demands only get higher if you happen to be working with stereoscopy and higher frame rates. Knowing your format requirements will enable you to design an infrastructure that will effectively support the work you need to do, without requiring time-consuming format conversion steps. Match your tools to your workflow. Most content producers want to produce their work at the highest possible quality level, and so it is important that the production tools being used are capable of working with 4K material. Likewise, most production environments are becoming
Securing Your Social Media Account IN THE WAKE of the ISIS hackings of media and even U.S. Government social media accounts, Social News Desk recommends securing your social feeds to avoid sharing passwords. The method used by SocialNewsDesk is essentially 2 step. First, the social feeds are secured by their normal password systems via an administrator in the SocialNewsDesk software. This administrator then sets up users on the SocialNewsDesk application with their own 2 step authorisation, which also includes access control to individual social feeds. Those users only have to remember one log in for their own account, which is their gateway to the feeds that can be controlled and monitored. Each user is also required to answer a security question in addition to their password each time they log on. Download the whitepaper from www.socialnewsdesk.com
more collaborative, with teams of people (often geographically dispersed) sharing production tasks on stored content. An extremely important part of getting ready for 4K is understanding what kind of workflow you want and what applications your teams will work with, and then making sure that your underlying infrastructure can support those tools within your desired workflow. It also makes sense to ensure that your workflow system can grow as the tools change. The last thing you want is to be locked in by your production platform. Make sure your storage is ready. With 4K, there is a lot more data in every frame, and the performance needs of your infrastructure are greater. This makes it important that you have the right storage ready to support your workflow. Storing all of this extra data on expensive fast storage can be cost-prohibitive. The best way to keep costs under control is to steer the right content to the right storage tier, but not all storage systems are designed to do this. The ideal storage system allows you to mix highperformance and high-capacity disk and to move content between them in a way that is transparent to the creative team. Transition gradually. Just because you’re moving to 4K doesn’t mean you need to make an overnight switch. The industry kept analog infrastructure live and in place while broadcasting digitally, and it did the same for the transition
from SD to HD. For the smoothest 4K transition, operate new 4K workflows alongside existing HD workflows in the same facilities. Start by standing up new environments for the projects that require 4K today. Then, as you retire older equipment, replace it with 4K-capable components that can be used for both 4K and HD projects. Don’t forget the archive. Everyone knows that content lives forever, and in today’s on-demand society, content must always accessible. The move to 4K means larger files, which put more strain on already stuffed content archives. Users need a way to hold more data, make it available for re-use and protect it for future monetization. Doing it cost-effectively means taking advantage of tape archives that can be accessed as if it were disk storage, so be sure that your storage environment supports that option. Finally, making the transition to 4K will likely raise questions about technology capabilities, workflow considerations and where the industry is headed in the future. Vendors and integrators with proven track records in open-system workflows have weathered this transition before, and can help you avoid the pitfalls. Partner with these companies, choosing those that have established relationships with other vendors whose tools you rely on. With the right team, your transition to 4K can be painlessly nondisruptive. Visit www.quantum.com
Ross Video Unveils Streamline ROSS VIDEO HAS SHOWN their recently launched asset management solution, Streamline, at NAB 2015 – including new workflows designed specifically to improve news production, and asset lifecycle management. In addition to Streamline’s established order management, reporting, ingest, and searching capabilities, v2 adds support for video proxy and thumbnail generation, as well as an endto-end MOS workflow supporting placeholders, status, and an HTML5-based plugin for browsing assets directly from the newsroom. "Version 2.0 takes the next step with the addition of a wealth of new features designed specifically to extend Streamline into news clip production,” said Shawn Snider, Marketing
Product Manager for Inception, Streamline and EZPrompt. Streamline increases the speed and efficiency of teams by giving reporters and producers direct access to browse and search assets, and easily link them to story content in a simple drag and drop interface. Streamline provides new asset lifecycle management capabilities, with the ability to dynamically move assets from its database onto playout servers, switchers, graphics, or master control by simply linking an asset to a story in the newsroom. Once a production is completed, any expired assets from the playout devices once no longer required are automatically cleaned up by Streamline. Visit www.rossvideo.com
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM
WITH LESSONS LEARNED from the past, the industry is ready to make the change from HD to 4K. The technology has evolved, the tools have evolved and workflows have evolved. The challenge, however, is to make sense of all this change and put the right pieces together to enable a successful transition.
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AUDIO Digital soundwaves
www.content-technology.com/audio
TVRI Jakarta Goes Digital with Lawo WITH REGIONAL STATIONS COVERING the whole of the country, Indonesia’s state broadcaster TVRI undertook a pilot project designed to improve the audio production quality in the performance auditorium at its Jakarta headquarters by going fully digital. After careful consideration, TVRI Jakarta selected Lawo audio equipment for this major upgrade, including two mc²56 MKII broadcast and production mixing consoles. The mixing desks that have been installed in both the control room and the auditorium FOH are of identical configuration, each equipped with 48 faders and a stagebox with 48 mic/line inputs, eight line in and 16 line out. Installation was completed by the end of
Dan Dugan Sound Design Appoints Exclusive Chinese Distributor DAN DUGAN SOUND DESIGN, Inc. has appointed Sound Works & Supplies, Ltd. (SWS) as the company’s exclusive distributor for Hong Kong, China and Macau. Based in Hong Kong with additional offices in Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Wuhan, SWS is a project-based company focused on high end audio. The company’s client base includes television stations, theatres, exhibition and convention centres, performance venues, rental companies, and more. Other highend audio products carried by SWS include d&b audiotechnnik, the Shure DIS DDS 5900 Digital Discussion System, Yamaha Digital Mixing Consoles, and products from LAWO, Neumann, Timax, Countryman, and Sennheiser. “We are glad that SWS became the exclusive distributor of Dan Dugan Sound Design, Inc. in Greater China region,” Daniel Chan, executive president from SWS, commented. “With Dugan’s innovative technology, especially the automatic microphone mixer, SWS can widely introduce the high-end pro audio products to broadcasters, rental companies, and theatres or in conferencing applications.”
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“We are thrilled to be working with Daniel Chan and his excellent team throughout China,” said Dan Dugan, CEO of Dan Dugan Sound Design. “With their advanced knowledge of live venues and installed sound, SWS is perfectly suited to represent Dugan Automatic Microphone Mixing in the country.”
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Visit www.dandugan.com
December 2014, with final testing and customisation, and training for technical and sound engineers undertaken in January 2015. As this was their first use of digital audio technology, most of the operators were initially apprehensive about the project. However, the easy setup and intuitive operation, as well as greater efficiency and flexibility of workflows immediately won them over. It did not take long for them to master the new production procedures – clearly showing that the mixers are intensely user friendly. “With the flexibility and the renowned stability and quality of our mixers, it gives TVRI full confidence in the new workflows with Lawo
equipment. We are confident that the partnership will grow and develop even further in the coming years,” states Tan Boon Siong, Lawo’s International Sales and Project Manager who supervised the project. Visit www.lawo.com
Symetrix Delivers Studio-Quality Sound at South Korea’s Musistance K-POP IS PERHAPS the most internationally well-known product of a South Korean music scene that has become increasingly diverse and dynamic during the last few decades. The South Korean Government has been keen to support the growth of their independent music industry, and in this spirit has recently co-sponsored a new recording and rehearsal facility geared towards up-and-coming acts that employs a Symetrix SymNet Radius 12×8 open architecture Dante-scalable DSP for audio processing and routing. AV distributor and installer Sound Solution was enlisted to work on the project, which was completed during 2014. In addition to working on elements including the safety and communication systems, Sound Solution furnished Musistance (whose name is a compound created from ‘Music’ and ‘Resistance’) with core audio components and a Dante-based network infrastructure. “Utilising Symetrix’ superior support for the Dante media networking technology was a key solution for this project, as there was a need to transport audio across multiple spaces and process it centrally,” explains Lisa Lee, marketing manager at Sound Solution. “A single SymNet Radius 12×8 DSP supports a Dante network that covers five individual private studios and a main general recording room. The result is that signals can be shared quickly and easily between the different spaces – affording maximum flexibility for the musicians, producers and engineers working there.” The Symetrix products and SymNet Radius 12×8’s ability to adjust to future requirements
through the use of SymNet xIn and SymNet xOut expanders helped inform the selection of DSP. Klark Teknik network bridges allow conversion between Dante and MADI realms, while Sound Solution also supplied beyerdynamic microphones, Denon pre-amplifiers and CD players, Midas consoles, RCF loudspeakers and Sommer cables. “It’s an extremely well-specified studio and the owners are very satisfied with the fact that this DSP allows clients to share their works in an efficient and stable manner,” says Lee. Located in a remodelled underground walkway beneath a six-lane boulevard in the Mapo District of Seoul, Musistance incorporates five private music studios, general recording spaces, two band practice rooms and more. In addition to music recording and rehearsal, Musistance is also regularly hired out for small-scale live performances and musical instrument lessons. Visit www.symetrix.co and www.sscom.com
SUMMA. THE WORLD AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL. Inspired by the simplicity and intuitiveness of tablet technology, Summa is designed for a broad range of operator levels, with an easy-touse touchscreen interface which uses established finger gestures to navigate the system.
Leading-edge Bluefin2 DSP and the same high-performance Hydra2 router technology featured on the Apollo and Artemis consoles means Summa is fully integrated with the wider broadcast community. Lean, refined and simple â&#x20AC;&#x201C; more reasons why the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most successful broadcasters rely on Calrec.
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calrec.com
Designed for live broadcast applications, with a focus on instinctive operation, Summa simplifies even complex workflow tasks with common procedures that are just a touch away.
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Calrec Broadens Hydra2 Connectivity AT THE 2015 NAB SHOW, Calrec announced two compact aluminium expansion units that can be used to expand and distribute a Hydra2 network. The new Fieldbox range of small-format I/O units brings the advantages of Calrec’s Hydra2 stagebox to rugged environments and areas where rack space is at a premium. These 1U half-rack units are ideally suited for work in outside broadcast environments where I/O need to be spread over a large area, such as at a golf course. Fieldboxes can be located and distributed exactly where they are needed using just two high-capacity network cables for full redundancy. This setup allows for significant savings on rigging time and cabling costs, and it also reduces cable storage and transport. The locational flexibility goes even further, as the units can be powered not only by an AC feed, but also by an industry-standard battery pack. Minimising the distance that analogue cable mic level signals are carried reduces the noise and interference picked up, improving overall audio performance. To add even further distribution flexibility to a Hydra2 network, Calrec has also developed the H2Hub. Like the Fieldbox, the H2Hub uses the same compact form factor to provide a hub or switch point for a Hydra2 network. A single connection from the router can then be switched via the H2Hub to multiple I/O units, or to multiple H2Hubs if further I/O distribution is required. The H2Hub’s connection and distribution options make them ideal for forming ad hoc networks, especially when combined
DiGiCo consoles can now integrate onto the Hydra2 network via DiGiCo’s brand-new “anything in, anything out” Orange Box equipped with Calrec’s new Hydra2 interface card. The Orange Box takes a variety of DiGiCo Multichannel Interface (DMI) cards that easily convert audio from one transport protocol to another. Calrec has developed an interface card that allows third-party manufacturers to integrate Hyrda2 into their equipment. In this instance, the Calrec card sits on DiGiCo’s Hydra2 DMI card in the Orange Box and redundantly connects into a Hydra2 router via fibre or copper like any other Hydra2 I/O connection. A MADI DMI card also sits in the Orange Box, which in turn connects to any DiGiCo console. Visit http://calrec.com
Sennheiser and Apogee Launch Digital Clip-On Mics
LAWO, MANUFACTURER OF INNOVATIVE AUDIO, video and networking equipment, and Neumann, globally known for its wide range of quality microphones and studio monitors, have integrated Neumann’s DMI8 digital microphone interface utilising RAVENNA audio-over-IP technology.
CLIPMIC DIGITAL and MKE 2 digital combine Apogee’s A/D conversion expertise with Sennheiser’s microphone design knowledge to give users optimum sound quality for their recordings. Especially designed for iOS devices, both microphones feature a Lightning connector to directly connect to iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, thus creating high-quality, ultra-portable solutions for recording speech.
The completely integrated digital workflow that results from using digital microphones takes the dynamic range and signal fidelity to an exciting new level and production tasks like line check can be executed in just a few seconds. Visit www.lawo.com
RTW Presents Mastering Tools Plug-In
Analogue clip-on microphones require a mic pre-amp and audio interface to be able to record the signal. While all iOS devices are equipped with a built-in analogue input and mic pre-amp, they are optimised for telephone calls and not for professional quality audio recording. Apogee’s mic pre-amp and A/D conversion circuitry are built into ClipMic digital and MKE 2 digital. This special circuitry gives you maximum gain with minimal noise. The A/D converter provides a resolution of up to 24bit/96kHz. As the Sennheiser/Apogee digital clip-on microphones plug directly into the Lightning adaptor on the iOS device, the headset socket can be used to monitor the audio that is being recorded.
has displayed its new Mastering Tools plug-in for loudness, level, audio analysis, and mono-to-7.1 measurement at NAB. The second plug-in in RTW’s Masterclass PlugIns series of software-based metering solutions, the Mastering Tools are ideal for post production, TV, radio and cinema.
The perfect companion to ClipMic digital and MKE 2 digital, Apogee’s MetaRecorder is the first audio recording app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to offer intuitive multi-take recording, tagging and file organisation for any field recording scenario. MetaRecorder features 24 bit/96kHz recording quality plus software control of the mic input level and recording presets.
Designed for simple, intuitive operation by a broader user base, the new Mastering Tools plug-in brings extensive analysis and display functions for mastering, metering and loudness measurement for single- and up to eightchannel applications. Available as a standard-format plug-in for Windows and Mac OS platforms, it also offers a wide range of PPM scales, displays and TruePPM measurements.
The industry-standard MKE 2 is at the heart of this package. Featuring a high maximum sound pressure level and superior signal-to-noise ratio, this clip-on microphone is fitted with Sennheiser’s Umbrella diaphragm. In this proven design, an acoustically inactive membrane stretches across the active acoustical diaphragm, impeding moisture ingress into the high-performing acoustics of the capsule.
Visit www.rtw.com
Visit www.sennheiser.com
RTW, A LEADER IN VISUAL AUDIO METERS and monitoring devices,
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Calrec has also announced the first technology release developed in conjunction with DiGiCo since the formation of the pro audio group in August 2014.
Lawo mc² Desks Integrate Neumann Digital Microphones
The DMI-8 supports eight digital AES42 microphones and is operated via the Neumann RCS remote control software that is integrated into the mc² series consoles, allowing adjustment of Gain, Pre Attenuation, Polar Patterns, Low Cut filter settings and others. The DMI-8 converts the AES42 data format supplied by the microphone into a RAVENNA/AES67 signal. When a large number of microphones are used, several DMI-8’s can be cascaded and each digital microphone interface can be addressed individually.
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with Fieldboxes and other Calrec I/O infrastructure.
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Clear-Com Unveils Agent-IC App for Eclipse HX Users CLEAR-COM, a leader in wired, wireless and IP communication solution, has unveiled Agent-IC, a new mobile app that enables users of Eclipse-HX Matrix intercom systems to remote access from an iPhone or iPad over 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi / IP networks. The app provides a simple but highly effective intercom panel to connect studio staff and OB teams in remote locations, or crew spread across wide areas for live events, using their portable handheld devices. It is a virtual intercom panel that fits in the pocket and connects users from virtually anywhere in the world. The Agent-IC app is both cost effective and easy to deploy, providing global access to a host Eclipse-HX matrix intercom system. Users of iPhones or iPads running iOS 8.0 or later can install the app directly from the App Store. Accessing the app requires proper authorisation and system preconfiguration from the broadcaster’s system administrator using EHX. “Agent-IC adds a completely new dimension to the Eclipse-HX system, extending the reach of the system to provide global, on-demand access to Eclipse resources,” said Peter Stallard Senior Product Manager, Clear-Com.
“Clear-Com already offers a breadth of hardware control key panels, integrated wireless beltpack and IP-based PC client panels. Now any authorised mobile user can enjoy high quality, full featured access to their Eclipse-HX system from anywhere in the world using their smartphone or tablet.” Managed under central administration control from the host Eclipse-HX system, the Agent-IC app is fully featured with point to point calling, point to multi-point group calling, partyline, PTT, local cross-point audio level control and notification functions. Access to the host Eclipse-HX matrix is secure, using UserID/password and audio encryption. Visit www.clearcom.com
Sennheiser Launches AVX Wireless Mic Systems
AVX comes in ready-to-use systems that contain everything required to immediately go live. Alternatively, tailor-made systems can be put together from a wide choice of individual components.
system always uses the power that is required to maintain a reliable connection between the microphone and the camera receiver. This not only ensures a stable link, it also reduces battery power consumption – as does the automatic on/off function. For DSLRs with a jack audio input, the AVX systems include an XLR-3/minijack adapter cable and the mounting accessories needed to attach the receiver to the camera hotshoe.
The system immediately sets the correct audio level, perfectly matching it to the camera’s input sensitivity, selects a free frequency – and is ready for the job at hand. If a source of interference appears, AVX will inaudibly shift to a new frequency.
AVX is available in three different sets: with a handheld transmitter (evolution microphone head), with a bodypack transmitter and ME 2 clip-on microphone and in a special professional version with a bodypack transmitter and an MKE 2 clip-on microphone, the benchmark product for film and TV productions.
AVX is equipped with adaptive transmitting power, meaning that the
Visit www.sennheiser.com
CEDAR Audio Shows Studio 7 Suite THIS YEAR AT THE NAB SHOW, CEDAR Audio has exhibited the new CEDAR Studio 7 suite of processes for AAX and VST platforms. This includes the latest DNS One with LEARN, Retouch 7, and a new standalone version of Retouch 7, which has been requested by audio professionals worldwide. At first glance, DNS One with LEARN appears to be identical with previous versions of DNS One, but the secret of the latest version is revealed by the LEARN button that has appeared to the left of the control panel. A further development of the algorithm contained within the DNS 8 Live dialogue noise suppressor, LEARN allows DNS One to calculate an adapting estimate of the background noise level and determine suitable noise attenuations at each frequency for optimum suppression. With its slick new user interface and enhanced processing capabilities, Retouch 7 stands alone as the spectral editor of choice for anyone who needs to be able to identify, isolate and manipulate individual sounds within an audio file. Two powerful new processes – Cleanse and Revert – are added, and the simplified GUI makes it possible to obtain optimum results more easily and more quickly than ever before. Retouch 7 is available as a 64-bit process for Pro Tools and, since VST does not support the Retouch architecture, CEDAR Audio have created a standalone version for both the Mac and the PC. Now, with no workstation or other host required, Retouch is available for everyone. Visit www.cedaraudio.com
HARMAN’s Studer Demonstrates Broadcast Audio Systems AT NAB 2015, HARMAN’s Studer has showcased an array of solutions designed to streamline workflow, maximise efficiency, and simplify system operation and management. Studer showed its Vista X and Vista V digital consoles, whose Infinity Core CPU-based processors provide huge numbers of DSP channels for large-scale, high-resolution audio processing and mixing. Infinity Core provides a scalable system, faster development of new signal processing designs, huge channel counts, full system redundancy without a single point of failure, and the possibility of running thirdparty algorithms. A-Link, a fibre-based interface that uses a 3Gb data rate to offer 1,536 audio channels per connection, makes the Infinity processing core possible by connecting the huge number of audio channels into and out of Infinity Core. A new PCI express card has been designed to fit into the Vista X and Vista V consoles’ server board, and the card is fitted with 12 A-Link interfaces capable of over 10,000 inputs and 10,000 outputs. The A-Link interface also provides direct connection to the Riedel MediorNet distributed router, allowing many Infinity systems to be connected together with router capacities of 10,000 square or more. Visit www.harman.com
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SENNHEISER HAS INTRODUCED its AVX wireless microphone systems for video cameras that ensure stress-free audio capture. The compact AVX receiver plugs directly into the XLR of a camera, where it automatically pairs with the microphone and switches on when the camera does. The system automatically adjusts the correct audio levels and transmits using a specially protected link in the license-free 1.9 GHz range. Setting up and recording high-quality audio for video has never been faster or more convenient.
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Clear-Com Enhances V-Series Panels CLEAR-COM HAS DEMONSTRATED the all new features available with all V-Series user panels now available through the Eclipse HX v8.0 software upgrade at NAB 2015. As part of the Eclipse HX v8.0 configuration software upgrade, all standard IP-connected V-Series panels may operate both as fully functional intercom user panels and as multi-channel audio gateways. No additional hardware or software licenses are required. This software feature extends the Eclipse HX’s existing capability to provide remote matrix intercom connectivity over diverse IP infrastructure, making audio and intercom connectivity for applications such as sports broadcasts and live events simpler and more cost effective. V-Series operator panels become multi-functional, 2-in-1 devices for IP communications, firstly as an intercom panel with a built-in IP interface and secondly as an IP audio gateway, routing two additional audio channels to/from its Eclipse-HX Matrix. It reduces direct equipment costs as a single unit, provides both intercom and audio distribution, and simplifies installation and operation since only one device needs to be set up and configured. Each panel supports up to 3x audio channels, typically 1x Intercom with 2x Auxiliary audio channels per panel. All channels are G.722 encoded to provide 7 KHz audio bandwidth audio, and are fully integrated into the V-Series Audio mixer. All channels deliver Clear-Com’s full range of intercom functions including VOX signaling and gating, I/O level adjustment, IFB and Logic Control, while both auxiliary channels have associated GPIO’s for control and 2-way radio interfacing. Visit www.clearcom.com
Studio Technologies Releases New Dante-Compatible Interfaces STUDIO TECHNOLOGIES has unveiled a range of new Dante-enabled products designed for broadcast, production, and systems-integration applications. They include portable and rack-mounted units that support mic/line input, line output, and talent cueing functions with highly-targeted application-specific configurations. The Model 5205 is a general-purpose audio input device for use in Dante Audio-over-Ethernet applications. The rugged, compact, portable unit is Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) powered and features two mic/line inputs with adjustable gain, P48 phantom power and level metering. The 5205 provides excellent audio performance with rapid setup and ease of use. The Model 5330 features a unique combination of analogue audio inputs, outputs and monitor features that allow it to excel in a wide range of applications. It is especially well suited for use in stadium, educational and corporate facilities that are being upgraded to Dante Audio-over-Ethernet media networking technology. The Model 5414 is a high-performance audio input/output unit, suitable for applications including broadcast ‘booth kits;’ corporate, government and stadium media rooms; and as a front-end interface for press feed systems. Features include four mic/line inputs on the front panel with adjustable gain, P48 phantom power, high-pass filtering and level metering.
AUDIO
The Model 43D is a specialised audio interface designed for broadcast and related IFB and talent cue applications. Two independent, 2-channel powered IFB outputs provide audio and 28 Vdc for supporting connection of portable listen-only user beltpack devices. Two transformer-balanced “-10” line-level analogue outputs are provided for connection to devices such as wireless IFB transmitters, battery-powered user beltpacks and amplified loudspeakers.
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Visit www.studio-tech.com
Telos Debuts Zephyr iPort PLUS RADIO NETWORK OPERATORS and broadcast professionals in search of a way to distribute multiple high quality channels of audio via IP are embracing the Telos Zephyr iPort PLUS, a flexible networked 2RU codec tailored to the needs of program distribution and long-distance audio sharing between separate studio facilities. iPort PLUS’ efficient use of high-density Livewire I/O combined with multiple codecs in a single 2RU device results in a low cost per channel, especially when compared to the cost of multiple single-channel codecs. Using Zephyr iPort PLUS, broadcasters can transport multiple channels of stereo audio across IP networks with guaranteed QoS, such as VPNs, satellite links, Ethernet radio systems, and Telco or ISPprovided QoS-controlled IP services. The debut of Zephyr iPort PLUS marks the addition of Content Delay to a device that already contains 16 stereo codecs in a bulletproof, fanless 2RU rack device. These 16 codecs may be configured either as 8 bi-directional codecs, 16 “encode” codecs, or 16 “decode” codecs. Content Delay is perfect for program distribution to large networks that span several time zones, allowing daypart-sensitive programming to be received and stored locally, ready to air automatically at the proper time in each location. Standard iPort coding includes genuine Fraunhofer MPEG Layer 2, Layer 3, AAC and AAC-HE choices, plus low-delay AAC-LD, with special error resilience protection that conceals low levels of random packet loss. Zephyr iPort also includes AAC-HE v2 (High Efficiency + Parametric Stereo), the most bit-efficient codec available today. Uncompressed transmission is also supported using a linear coding mode that’s ideal for bit-perfect audio where higher bandwidth is available. Visit www.telosalliance.com
Minnetonka Audio’s New Tools for Vantage THE MINNETONKA AUDIO SOFTWARE AudioTools Connector integrates within the Telestream Vantage file-based framework to support fundamental loudness control workflows and custom, predefined workflows for broadcasters. The AudioTools Connector allows Vantage to drive audio processing workflows and jobs directly from the Vantage workflow designer. New for Telestream Vantage are AudioTools FOCUS and AudioTools FOCUS Server for Loudness Control. AudioTools FOCUS supports PCM, MXF, and QuickTime containers up to 8 channels. AudioTools FOCUS supports one concurrent job through WatchFolders, and does not require the Vantage Connector to operate. For more advanced loudness management solutions, AudioTools FOCUS Server expands the supported track count to 16 and with up to 4 concurrent jobs, integrated via WatchFolders, or through the AudioTools Connector for Telestream Vantage. “For Telestream Customers that require world class, integrated loudness control, but do not need the full capabilities of an AudioTools Server, FOCUS and FOCUS Server afford broadcasters a solid solution, scaled to their requirements and budgets,” says Markus Hintz, VP of Sales & Global Business Development. “We are excited to offer three unique ways of adding our audio expertise to any Vantage equipped facility.” AudioTools Server v4.0 now provides enhanced license scalability for facilities that need the full power of the AudioTools platform, but do not have demanding throughput requirements. AudioTools Server now offers an affordable entry-level configuration, scaled to meet any enterprise requirement and budget. AudioTools Cloud is an advanced audio processing solution for audio, video, and broadcast professionals that provides loudness control, encoding, decoding, channel management, frame rate conversion, quality control, and container management from an easy-to-use user interface designed for the Amazon AWS Marketplace. AudioTools Cloud is based on Minnetonka’s AudioTools Server – a platform that delivers interoperable, scalable, filebased audio automation. Visit www.minnetonkaaudio.com
Persistence of Vision 100 YEARS OF SMPTE
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RADIO The original broadcast media
www.content-technology.com/radio
Nova Radio Monitors TV Broadcasts with Mediaproxy KEEPING ITS RADIO STATIONS up to date with breaking and recorded transmissions on TV, Australia’s NOVA Entertainment has selected LogServer ASI for its TV content monitoring requirements. A total of 40 off-air and Foxtel channels will be recorded and monitored with the Mediaproxy’s system. LogServer will provide seamless and intuitive access to all broadcast content and metadata across the network. NOVA Entertainment comprises eight FM radio stations and one AM station. NOVA Entertainment’s brands include the established Nova stations; Nova 96.9 Sydney, Nova 100 Melbourne, Nova 106.9 Brisbane, Nova 919 Adelaide and Nova 937 Perth; and smoothfm 95.3 in Sydney and smoothfm 91.5 in Melbourne. In addition, NOVA Entertainment
operates Adelaide’s FIVEaa and Star 104.5 on the NSW Central Coast, just north of Sydney, and the digital stations smoothfm, Koffee and Coles Radio (for the Coles supermarket chain). The LogServer platform provides continuous multi-channel recording and live monitoring of video, audio and real-time data sources as well as fully integrated content matching. Mediaproxy’s leading edge LogPlayer user interface includes extensive search, export and content retrieval across multiple distributed servers from various devices and platforms. John Pearce, NOVA Entertainment Technology Manager said, “LogServer simplifies access to all recorded and live TV broadcasts. It enables us to quickly find or even be notified of specific content and extract audio-only media and
ENCO Amplifies DAD Automation Functionality for Music Formats
interface, which allows operators to control shows from console faders and bus keys. “We designed the new Multi-Play mode based on input from many music stations that wanted more control and flexibility in their on-air interface,” said Ken Frommert, GM, ENCO. “DAD version 15 with Multi-Play Presenter incorporates those demands and further enhances our software package to exceed the demands of the market.” Visit www.enco.com
DAB+ Heading for Batam
RADIO
THE INDONESIAN ISLAND OF BATAM is on
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Mediaproxy’s LogPlayer user interface allows for extensive search, export and content retrieval across multiple distributed servers. In addition to traditional baseband sources, the unique LogServer core engine also supports transport stream sources via ASI and IP, providing powerful options to record H.264 and HLS proxy media and native MPEG formats in parallel. Visit www.mediaproxy.com
BroadcastAsia Tackles Radio in the Online Age casting, and for a long time now, pundits have been predicting the death of radio. Although radio is still alive to date, it faces tough competition against new sources of music, news and traffic updates.
Play mode, a new feature available in the latest DAD radio automation software suite that greatly enhances Live-Assist functionality within the onair workflow for music station formats.
Multi-Play Presenter ramps up workflow efficiency by simplifying how operators air music segues with multiple shotgun liners, or mix music beds with multiple voiceovers on the fly. MultiPlay Presenter also adds an intelligent console
“LogServer’s flexible architecture adds value well beyond traditional compliance applications”, says Erik Otto, CEO at Mediaproxy. “We are delighted to be working with NOVA’s team and continue to provide extended functionalities for radio broadcasters.”
RADIO IS ONE OF the oldest forms of broad-
ENCO HAS ANNOUNCED the release of Multi-
At its core, Multi-Play mode enables more intuitive console integration and seamless manipulation of audio assets. The Live-Assist Presenter module, when configured with MultiPlay mode, effectively displays to the operator exactly what is playing during segues and makes layering audio effortless. This integration results in Multi-Play Presenter.
provides flexibility to efficiently review and monitor multiple channels concurrently.”
the path to DAB+ broadcasts with the issue of a tender by public broadcaster RRI for procurement and installation of 2500 DAB+ Watt transmitter. Valued at approximately USD$376,000, the tender also includes training.
the top of the RRI headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, using channel 12D VHF on Band III. The first stage of the DAB+ trial will cover the Jakarta area and in the future RRI plans to develop coverage and number of programmes covered by the trial.
Radio Republik Indonesia has been operating a DAB+ trial since August 2013, powered by a 2.5 KW transmitter and antenna located at
In September 2014, RRI with support from MCIT planned to do an evaluation of the trial, with the aim of optimising the trial results.
Day 3 of this year’s BroadcastAsia conference (4 June 2015) will analyse how radio as we know it has disappeared, and what the radio has transformed into today. With accompanying websites, mobile apps, and social pages, radio broadcasters are looking to gain a foothold in the ever competitive multimedia disruption landscape. It will also spotlight new monetisation strategies in an environment where radio advertising budgets are shrinking, and how radio broadcasters are leveraging new platforms to reach and retain viewers and listeners. Speakers include: Mike Powell, Senior Vice President, International Operations, RCS, Chief Compliance Officer, Media Monitors; Kurt Hanson, Chief Executive Officer, AccuRadio, Publisher, Radio And Internet News (RAIN); Peter Musngi, Head, Manila Radio, ABS-CBN; N. Kumaresan, Deputy General Manager, SAFRA Radio; Martin Andanar, Senior Manager and Project Director, TV5 Philippines; K. Padmakumar, Programming and Marketing Consultant, Manipal Media Network; Jimmy Buckland, Director of Strategy, UTV Media; and Les Sabel, Managing Director, S-Comm Technologies, Member, WorldDMB Technical Committee. Visit www.broadcast-asia.com
RADIO
THE INTERNET is the newest stage upon which the battle for the hearts, minds and ears of listeners is being waged. To help broadcasters win that battle, The Telos Alliance introduces Z/IPStream, a family of streaming audio processing+encoding tools that enable radio programmers and Webcasters to send clean, dynamic streams to digital listeners on any platform — with minimal setup. Z/IPStream X/2 and Z/IPStream 9X/2 are Telos’ third-generation of audio streaming software, with audio processing tools from Omnia developed to precisely condition audio for bit-reduction. Z/IPStream X/2 runs on a standard Windows PC, simultaneously processing and encoding multiple Web streams. Z/IPStream X/2 comes with a number of expertly-tuned processing presets that give amazing results without tweaking, but power users can take advantage of the built-in, adjustable wide-band AGC, three-band compressor/limiter, EQ and precision look-ahead final limiter to craft a signature sound that matches the station’s over-the-air signal. After processing, Z/IPStream Adaptive Streaming support simultaneously encodes audio at multiple bitrates; the listener’s player automatically chooses the best one for their available bandwidth, and even seamlessly switching bitrates if network conditions change. Z/ IPStream X/2 and Z/IPStream 9X/2 support both Microsoft Smooth Streaming and Apple HLS technologies, encoding the same stream at multiple bitrates and keeping audio packets sample-aligned. Z/IPStream 9X/2 gives users even more potent audio processing power by including Omnia.9 audio processing by Leif Claesson. Its extensive audio-shaping toolkit includes exclusive “Undo” technology and “Solar Plexus, as well as 6-band parametric EQ. A variety of audio analysis tools are also included, such as oscilloscopes, real-time analysers, Fast Fourier transforms, full-spectrum analysers, and more. For those who prefer a hardware-based streaming solution, there’s Z/ IPStream R/1, a fanless 1RU rackmount device with a friendly, intuitive front-panel interface (and web-based remote UI). Setup is intuitive, via front-panel controls or any standard Web browser. Like its software cousins, Z/IPStream R/1 conditions audio with genuine Omnia processing tools, including wideband AGC, a 3-band combined compressor/limiter, high-frequency equalisation, an adjustablebandwidth low-pass filter, and a final Look-Ahead limiter. A variety of audio processing presets get users started streaming quickly; full processing controls allow finer tweaks. After processing, genuine MPEG encoding algorithms from FhG ensure the most artifact-free sound quality at the chosen bitrate, encoding MP3 or MPEG-AAC (AAC-LC, HEAAC or HE-AAC v2) streams at bit rates from 14 kbps to 320 kbps. Z/IPStream.S4 cards are the world’s first multi-channel PC cards for processing and streaming multiple Internet audio channels directly from Windows-based PCs — allowing direct streaming output from radio automation or playout software. Two models are available: Z/IPStream. S4 x4, with the ability to simultaneously process and encode up to four discrete streaming channels (each with as many as six different Adaptive Streaming bitrates per channel), and , and Z/IPStream.S4 x8, which doubles the stream capacity from four to eight streams. Visit www.telosalliance.com
Omnia Releases New Processors UNTIL NOW, radio broadcasters have been forced to choose between the ultimate capabilities in processing power, and a cost-effective price point. Featuring technology from the acclaimed Omnia.9 processor, the Omnia.7 breaks new ground in price versus performance. This 2 RU package includes Omnia’s exclusive “Undo” technology, which restores peaks and dynamic range to heavily mastered recordings. A psychoacoustic controlled distortion-masking clipper takes into account the perceptual characteristics of distortion and allows increased loudness without additional distortion. Finally, the complete set of tools introduced in the Omnia.9 such as oscilloscopes, FFT, RTA, and loudness metering are also available in Omnia.7 along with a full remote control interface. RDS generator, HD processing, and stream encoder with processing are available as options. Whether it’s an active morning show or just a demanding DJ, microphone processing poses its own unique set of challenges. Multiple mics, multiple hosts, and multiple shows have made the typical “set and forget” approach to analogue microphone processing less than ideal. The Voco 8 is a digital microphone processor capable of handing up to 8 microphones per unit. Full store and recall are available for host settings per channel, or show settings for the entire unit. In some installations, the FM stereo generator needs to be installed in a location separate from the main audio processor. This could include discrete STL paths where the audio processor lives at the studios, or a satellite network where one audio processor feeds multiple sites. The Omnia.9sg features the same stereo generator technology from the Omnia.9 including a psychoacoustic distortion masking clipper, “Auto Pilot” which automatically switches off the stereo pilot during mono programming, allowing up to a 12 dB increase in signal to noise, and selectable SSB (single sideband) stereo encoding. Visit www.telosalliance.com
Belar Enhances Remote IP Connectivity for Flagship Monitors BELAR ELECTRONICS HAS ENHANCED its WizWin software for its AM, FM and HD Radio modulation monitors. The new advanced features capture modulation activity associated with analogue and digital radio broadcasts over a specific time period, enabling broadcasters to leverage historical data to more effectively identify and solve air chain problems. Using the IP connectivity of WizWin software, users can remotely tap into Belar’s flagship FMHD-1 and FMCS-1 units – as well as other leading Belar modulation monitors – and study trends through a series of graphics and displays that offer more detail than simple meters. Users can quickly confirm if their signals are over-modulated, and more effectively adjust their processors to maintain top quality over-the-air sound. Visit www.belar.com
25-Seven Systems Releases Voltair IT HAS BEEN SAID that ratings are a competitive game of inches. In the age of portable people meters (PPM), many stations’ ratings are directly tied to their revenue streams. PPM is potentially a much more accurate system than paper diaries, but program material and listening environment can both play roles in a station being “heard” by the panelist’s meter. How can stations be sure that they are actually getting credit for each PPM listener? Voltair is the first and only product that actively monitors and displays PPM encoding quality based on program material, enabling programmers to simulate decoding quality in various listener environments and actively process the signal to optimise PPM encoding based on adjustable parameters. Never before has such detailed insight into this critical process, or the ability to dynamically optimise it, been available to stations. Visit www.telosalliance.com
RADIO
Telos Alliance Debuts Z/IPStream Audio Streaming Tools
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CONTENT DELIVERY Terrestrial, Mobile, Broadband
www.content-technology.com/delivery
NAGRA Enables Multiscreen and On-Demand for Link Net First Media NAGRA, A KUDELSKI GROUP digital TV business and a leading provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, and PT Link Net Tbk, Indonesia’s largest cable and broadband operator, announced the launch of a new TV everywhere offering for the operator’s brand-new platform. Powered by NAGRA’s end-to-end multiscreen solution, MediaLive, and under Link Net’s “First Media” brand, the new service allows subscribers to enjoy content through advanced set-top box capabilities–such as catch-up, personal video recording, videoon-demand, video streaming and games–and offers some of the same features in a complete multiscreen TV experience for anywhere and any device viewing. “Demand for Internet-connected services in Indonesia is growing as consumers want to be able to enjoy content in a way that fits their lifestyle – as a result, the ability to deliver a robust multiscreen TV offering is a key differentiator for us,” said Richard Kartawijaya, Chief Executive Officer of Link Net. “We chose NAGRA to help us in this endeavour because of
NAGRA MediaLive provides Link Net with a scalable, end-to-end solution to manage, secure and operate, from a single platform, a wide range of media services across multiple delivery networks, multiple devices and multiple content types. As part of the solution, the NAGRA MediaLive Secure Player extends the TV experience to open consumer electronic devices (PCs, tablets, smartphones) and enables service provider to safely distribute high-value content beyond the set-top box thanks to NAGRA anyCAST PRM, NAGRA’s Hollywood-approved DRM solution. Visit http://dtv.nagra.com
Metro TV Upgrades with Magna
ASIA’S LEADING SATELLITE OPERATOR Asia Satellite Telecommunications
METRO TV, Indonesia’s first 24-hour news channel based in West Jakarta, recently added and upgraded channels with the help of locally-based SI Magna Systems and Engineering. As part of the upgrade Magna Systems helped Metro TV go from one channel to three channels and migrate to HD.
These services are being distributed in C-band on AsiaSat 5 from the orbital location of 100.5ºE to BBC’s short and medium-wave transmitter sites, as well as to FM partners and re-broadcasters in Asia and Australasia. The services, which are tailored to the region, constitute an essential part of BBC’s global distribution service. Mark Wilson-Dunn, Vice President BT Media & Broadcast, said, “Our successful partnership with AsiaSat enhances our distribution services to BBC in terms of service performance and audience reach in Asia. We look forward to growing our business with AsiaSat.”
The upgrade saw Magna Systems supply and install Axon Cerebrum software, an Axon main 40×40 router, a 16×16 bypass router, an Axon HMC Master Control System, Axon Audio Video Gears, FOR-A Framesync, a Nevion facility router, Nevion fibre optic interfaces, SDI EO, OE, LBAND OE and EO and a Miranda Kaleido X-7 multiviewer. Magna Systems Sales Manager, Awan Setiawan, explained, “Magna Systems were able to fulfil Metro TV’s requirements by offering an integrated solution that we were able to monitor centrally using Axon Cerebrum software.”
Visit www.asiasat.com and www.btplc.com
Visit www.magnasys.tv
Globecast Oz Expands Fibre Into Asia
Hong Kong Communications Authority to Withdraw ATV Frequencies
GLOBECAST AUSTRALIA has announced expansion of its international
CONTENT DELIVERY
“We thank Link Net for entrusting us with this latest launch and are excited to partner with them in bringing advanced multiscreen services to their subscribers through another successful delivery of our end-to-end MediaLive solution,” said Jean-Luc Jezouin, SVP Sales APAC at NAGRA.
BT Delivers BBC on AsiaSat 5 Company Limited (AsiaSat) has reached an agreement with BT to deliver BBC World Service Asia feed of 33 radio channels in 21 languages.
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their ability to deliver solutions that could integrate seamlessly within our current environment and, of course, for their longstanding digital TV expertise.”
fibre network, with connectivity into Asia. With an existing fibre network connecting Globecast Australia to the world, the company says this direct path into Asia presents exciting new possibilities for bi-directional content contribution and distribution. The path will carry premium content for customers, including Disney Channels and others who desire a managed service solution media partner.
FOLLOWING THE DECISION of the Chief Executive in Council announced on 1 April 2015 not to renew the domestic free television programme service licence of Asia Television Limited (ATV) and to extend the term of ATV’s current licence to 1 April 2016, the Hong Kong Communications Authority (CA) will withdraw of all the frequencies assigned to ATV following expiry of its free TV licence.
The expansion sees a bi-directional, geographically diverse and redundant fibre circuit, connecting Globecast Australia’s Sydney Broadcast Centre with two independently located POP’s in Singapore.
ATV is issued a fixed carrier licence (FCL) and is assigned the frequencies to provide its free TV service. ATV’s FCL and free TV licence will expire on 30 November 2018 and 30 November 2015 respectively.
Company CEO, Simon Farnsworth, said, “Connecting Globecast Australia directly with Asia through Singapore is a milestone which presents a world of opportunities for moving content globally.”
As the frequencies are assigned to ATV to enable ATV to broadcast its free TV service, the CA is of the view that there are public interest reasons for the CA to withdraw the frequencies from ATV.
Visit www.globecast.com.au
Visit www.coms-auth.hk
CONTENT DELIVERY
Why KVM is Important in the Broadcast and Post Production Industries IHSE HAS JUST CELEBRATED its 30th year of operation. From its base near Lake Constance in Germany, the company has grown to become a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced KVM extenders and switches that are used throughout the world. They are deployed extensively in a range of industries, in missioncritical installations, from utility control rooms to government and military command centres, commercial enterprises and air traffic control towers. Over the past five years, the broadcast industry has embraced KVM technology and especially KVM matrix switches in a big way. The industry has experienced a major shift toward file-based video strategies for content storage, post production and playout, which has resulted in an inevitable need to serve, manage and distribute file-based content at all stages of the broadcast workflow. KVM matrix switches provide the central switching capability that enables dynamic communication between remotely-located servers and user workstations. They permit centralised, secure processing and storage with instant switching between sources and near-zero latency of signals. This means that the actual applications and video content can be stored securely in central comms rooms but accessed by users wherever they are on their local workstation – as though the content was right there. A KVM matrix switch can be easily integrated into the broadcast environment and controlled with the same broadcast system control software as the rest of the studio. So it can be seamlessly integrated into the workflow. A major benefit to broadcasters lies in the ability to access the programs and content that users need from any workstation that comprises simply a screen, keyboard and mouse. Production teams can change from studio to studio and instantly configure the workstations to their own preference, allowing studios to be multi-purpose rather than dedicated to a
particular program style or type of broadcast operation. It makes the engineers’ tasks easier too, particularly in space-restricted outside broadcast vehicles. Operators at individual positions can connect to all available PCs and servers, so devices can be accessed and controlled anywhere, leading to Jonathan Wales, CEO of Sonic Magic Studios – “Using a KVM switch total flexibility within the gives us a level of collaboration, security and flexibility we hadn’t even vehicle. Equipment such imagined. It does exactly what it is supposed to do, all the time.” as EVS servers can then be operated from any switches are ideal for post-production studios. convenient location, rather They provide major benefits: application than requiring a dedicated control desk. programs can be held and deployed as needed KVM switches deliver enhanced flexibility to the so expensive licences for editing tools and broadcast industry. They can be installed with other systems can be shared amongst users almost unlimited input and output ports and rather than provided to each one; saving cost allow the broadcast operator to structure, and and increasing flexibility. Equipment and run, their system in precisely the way they want, studios can then be deployed in the most with instant control that meets the specific efficient manner, as and when needed and staff requirements of the teams that will use it. have the convenience of being able to work With ever-increasing demands on space and where and when they want. facilities within expensive post production and Content can be more easily managed and editing suites, owners and operators constantly secured: access to files can be restricted to seek new ways to increase the effectiveness editing use only, making it impossible to and efficiency of their facilities. One way that download files to portable, insecure, devices this can be achieved is through the use of KVM such as USB memory devices. Version control technology and especially KVM matrix switches. and backup of valuable files is made more The user, sitting at their workstation, which efficient and secure when all data files are held comprises just a video screen, keyboard and centrally. mouse, can access and operate a remote Multi-format switching is also possible through computer and manipulate content held on a a KVM switch, enabling tools such as the Avid central file storage system. Users are totally suite of software to be used. Parallel switching unaware of the switch system and continue to of computer signals and HDSDI permits the work as though the computer was located right normal operation of these types of editing by their desk. programs. Future-proofing is inherent with the Together with the shift toward file-based video ability to handle 4K UHDTV and above. strategies, the need for maximum security of data and assets has meant that KVM matrix
Visit www.ihse.com
CONTENT DELIVERY
Matrox Unveils Monarch HDX Broadcast H.264 Encoder
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MATROX VIDEO has demonstrated the Matrox Monarch HDX, a compact, easy-to-use, dualchannel H.264 encoding appliance, at NAB 2015. Designed for complete workflow flexibility, Monarch HDX features 3G-SDI and HDMI inputs with frame synchronisation to compensate for unstable sources. Two independent H.264 encoders provide redundancy or can be set to stream and/or record using individual settings. Monarch HDX is packed with features that make it ideal for broadcasters, event producers, medical facilities, CDNs, educational institutions, houses of worship, corporate communicators and legal
videographers. From any SDI or HDMI input source such as a camera or switcher, Matrox Monarch HDX generates two H.264-encoded video streams at bitrates from 200 Kbps to 30 Mbps. Powerful scaling, deinterlacing and noise reduction engines ensure only pristine images are sent to the encoders. For streaming purposes, the encoders use either RTMP or RTSP protocol to deliver live streams to local media servers or cloud-based CDNs. In recording applications, the encoders write MP4 or MOV files to local USB drives, SD cards or network-mapped drives for post-event editing or archiving. An additional, dedicated H.264 encoder provides remote
preview of the input. “With two encoders in a single device, Monarch HDX can tackle any job — streaming to two different locations, recording proxy-quality and mastering-quality files simultaneously, or streaming while recording a higher quality version for VOD download,” said Dan Maloney, technical marketing manager, Matrox Video. “Monarch HDX is an encoding workhorse that can integrate seamlessly into virtually any SD and HD installation to deliver video content for live or file-based workflows.” Visit www.matrox.com
CONTENT DELIVERY
Village Island Powers Pope’s Live Broadcast for 6 Million Filipinos When the Catholic Church’s Pope Francis visited the Philippines from January 15th to 19th, his hectic schedule concluded with a Mass at Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park, Manila, attended by six million people. Ensuring all present could see and hear the Pontiff, the Mass was powered by Village Island’s live broadcasting system.
According to Village Island President, Michael Van Dorpe, “It was necessary to reach displays some 1.5 km away and the topology of the terrain was quite complex due to the presence of numerous obstacles, large trees, monuments, and undesirable interference. Also a one seg (QPSK modulation) would have been easy to cope with the situation, but it would have only allowed mobile-type low resolution video resolution and not the High-Definition required for this project. Therefore, it was decided to configure a DekTec DTA-2111 output modulator with 13-segments of robust reception parameters such as Guard Interval of 1/4, 16QAM modulation and Code Rate of 3/4, giving apprimately 10.9Mbps. With those modulation parameters, 25dB of MER was required for quality reception, but with the Led Display Wall on one particular street, it was impossible to get that reception level due to the fact there was no direct line of sight. After consultation with the government authorities, it was decided to authorise the installation of an
RF reception antenna on the top of the National Library nearby wired with a 200 m coax cable. The 3U VillageFlow system acquired by Stagecraft (the event main contractor and stage coordinator) empowered the live broadcasting by offering combined function of HD H.264 encoding at 8Mbps from an HD-SDI input, ISDB-T remultiplexing with custom Table and Service definition and insertion and OFDM RF modulation thanks to the embedded DTA-2111 DekTec OFDM modulator output board. On the top of Quirino Grandstand was placed a DX Antenna RF amplifying and transmitting ISDB-T system while each LED display was equipped with terrestrial reception antenna. Each LED display system also had powerful speakers and received video and audio through HDMI from an EWD terrestrial STB. Through the whole day, various show and performances happened on the stage, involving classical orchestra performance with more than 500 musician and singers. Because of the high expectations in term of audio quality, audio was compressed at high bit-rate of 384Kbps in AAC LC. “The audio delays over the whole area had to be carefully considered due to several parameters,” said Michael Van Dorpe. “First, the OFDM Terrestrial video and audio broadcast system has a general delay of 1.5 sec but propagating at light speed. Second, the sound from the main stage propagates at sound speed of approximately 300 m per sec. This meant that displays very close to
the stage had to receive their sound and video directly wired from the stage system (signals before being broadcast) and that some displays a little further but still receiving a fair volume of sound from the main stage were showing video only but no audio from the STB to prevent “echo”like weird effect for the audience nearby. Third, displays further than 450 metres away were all receiving and playing video and audio with a fixed delay and limited volume to address their nearby area.” “Key reasons why the terrestrial broadcast was selected against overall direct wiring, including optical fiber, aside the obvious reason of higher costing of complete wiring, were many worries of unpredictable events due to the millions of people invading such a small area – such as abnormal pressure on objects, stepping on cables, sudden crowd movement or panic – but also the desire to prevent situations where cables are cut.” To prevent any issue, a VillageFlow back-up system was built on a laptop with DekTec DTU-351 HD-SDI USB input, and a DTU-215 Terrestrial USB modulator output. The DTU-215 offered an RF output with high MER enable such use. The back-up set-up was possible thanks to Village Island’s VillageFlow TS processing platform. Although Van Dorpe says it is always recommended to use a PCIe card rather than USB device that can be unplugged easily by pulling the cable. The back-up system showed satisfactory result with quality reception on all displays. “In conclusion,” says Michael Van Dorpe, “this was the first time that ISDB-T Terrestrial Digital transmission was used for such large scale live event. The VillageFlow empowers highly-reliable, high-quality and flexible solution for encoding and transmission through complex topology area. Although the broadcast transmission overall delay can be an issue for short distance live transmissions, it is shown to be appropriate for large area coverage and can be addressed properly thanks to a good synchronisation between video and audio experts.” Visit www.village-island.com/en/
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THROUGH A WIDE AREA of more than 36 hectares covering Manila’s Rizal Park and surroundings, fourteen twelve square metre large LED wall displays were placed in addition to the ones at main stage of Quirino Grandstand to permit the six million people attending the event to receive in live High-Definition video and audio feed through terrestrial digital broadcast (ISDB-T) transmission.
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