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The Rise of 5G ... page 3. REGULARS 02 EDITOR’S WELCOME 04 NEWS TVS Sarawak and Ideal Systems to Build World-First SDI/NDI News Studios; CCTV Sees in Year of the Ox with Ross; Thai Monastery Reaches Out with NewTek NDI; People on the Move.
FEATURES
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03 COVER STORY Broadcast Meets 5G. 08 ACQUISITION Tokyo’s Freedom Studio Infinity Livestreams with Blackmagic; SIGMA fp L Camera Ready for Atomos Ninja V; Frame IO Unveils Camera to the Cloud; Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro; Fujinon Premista 19-45mm Lens; and more.
11 SPORTSCASTING 2022 Games’ Host
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Broadcaster Picks EVS for Media Management; Jiangsu TV’s New IP-based 4K OB Truck Mixes Audio with Lawo; AVIWEST and CyanView Partner on Remote Camera Control; TAG Adds Monitoring for Sony HawkEye; Mo-Sys StarTracker Sports Studio; Grass Valley Switches in the Cloud; Sony Unveils XVS-G1 Live Production Switcher.
14 NEWS OPERATIONS Nine Headlines with New
Sydney Newsroom; Authenticity Tracing for Online Content; Quicklink Hybrid Switcher; Brainstorm Integrates AR Workflows with Sony BRC Cameras; Inception v15 from Ross; SDK for TVU Networks’ Anywhere App.
17 MEDIA IN THE CLOUD Telestream Acquires
26 CONTENT+TECHNOLOGY ISSN 1448-9554 PP:255003/06831 Broadcastpapers Pty Ltd (ABN 34 095 653 277) PO Box 165 Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia www.broadcastpapers.com PUBLISHER: Phil Sandberg Tel +61 (0)2 4368 4569 Mob +61 (0)414 671 811 papers@broadcastpapers.com
Masstech to Create MAM Powerhouse; AWS Launches Second Full Region in Japan; Microsoft’s First Datacenter Region in Indonesia; Kumulate Video Storage Management; LWKS QScan with HDR Measurement; Rohde & Schwarz Expands
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SpycerNode Family; Mediaproxy Adds Zixi and SRT Capability to LogServer; and more.
20 POST-PRODUCTION Netflix’s Remote
Workstations for the Discerning Artists; Tokyo’s Atelier Arte Goes 12G-SDI with AJA; China’s iQIYI Adopts Interoperable Master Format for 4K Production; Autodesk Accelerates Workflows Across Creative Tools.
23 AUDIO Song Zu Acquired by Music Licensing
Company Songtradr; PEARLBAY ‘Audio Super Hub’ Opens in Sri Lanka; Remote Audio Production with DirectOut and Vivivaldy; SSL UF8 DAW Controller; Wohler Adds Atmos Visualiser; RTS DBP Digital Beltpack; and more.
26 RADIO Radio Television Malaysia Takes
on IP with Calrec; ARN Dynamic Audio Ad Tech; Tieline Gateway-4 IP Codec; On-Hertz Cloud-based Production Studio; StreamGuys Simplifies Podcast Management; AEQ TALENT IP Audio Codec for Remote Production; Telos VX VoIP System Goes Virtual.
29 CONTENT DELIVERY Ideal’s‘Alice’ to Power
Playlist Automation in Encompass’ Altitude Media Cloud; Ad Platform Magnite’s New Singapore Datacentre; Encoding.com Brings Chunk Change to Cloud Media Processing; and more.
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
The Drama of Malicious Actors … By Phil Sandberg
THERE WAS A TIME when security for media organisations meant a high fence and a couple of guys in a guardhouse out the front. Nowadays, of course, it includes both physical and IP network security. While the sign in processes for physical security may have changed, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still centred around allowing or preventing an individual’s access to the premises.
According to Nine’s Chief Information & Technology Officer, Damian Cronan, “Our focus in the first 24 hours was on containment and we are confident our technology teams have isolated the attacker and the specific destructive activity that was initiated.”
According to Verizon, when it comes to dealing with DDoS, WAF, or bots, many of its survey group participants were looking to move to a cloud- or CDN-based solution to address their concerns. The reasons listed included: scalability to keep pace with ever-larger DDoS attacks; savings due to lower capital and operational costs; and extra reliability from built-in redundancy and failover features. With customer churn, competition from yet more players and increasing frequency/bandwidth issues, no media operator needs another reason to lie awake at night, but security, particularly cybersecurity, might be an avoidable addition to the list.
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Newly minted CEO Mike Sneesby described the attack as “significant in scale with high potential to disrupt our business”, but praised his teams for their readiness for such an event, thus allowing Nine to mitigate the immediate impact to the business and set it up to “manage the clean-up in a structured manner”.
At the time of writing, Nine was working on recovering the most critical aspects of service delivery (on-air and print operations, revenuedriven services, and other critical business services) and then assessing how to bring back controlled levels of connectivity into the network with an emphasis on service restoration, but as Damian Cronan stressed, “I want to be clear it will take time before all our systems are back up and running.” 22:00
Spare a thought for Australia’s Nine Entertainment – home to broadcast television and radio operations, free catch-up and subscription OTT services, and an online and print newspaper operation. No sooner had Nine settled into its new HQ in North Sydney, and announced a new CEO, than its corporate IT network was hit by a cyber-attack. 15:00
Yet despite the increased threat from cyber criminals whose attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, Verizon Media found that the majority of broadcasters surveyed in its report are ‘moderately prepared’ for these types of attack.
Nine’s containment strategy meant its corporate network had to be disconnected from the internet, and all internal networks separated from one another (e.g. Broadcast from Publishing, Sydney from Melbourne etc). Other upstream and downstream providers were also disconnected resulting in a significant impact on business-asusual processes across the organisation.
The same can’t be said of the IP world where breaches may inadvertently occur from within an organisation – don’t open that attachment – or come from organised and automated criminal, state or other actors.
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According to the report, “The reason OTT services are a prime target for cybercriminals is because OTT services are ripe with premium content and valuable personal data.”
In its recently released, “Protecting Your OTT Streaming Service from Cyberattacks”, U.S.-based Verizon Media reported that denial-of-service attacks, which are a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, service or network by overwhelming the target with a flood of Internet traffic, increased 151% between the first half of 2019 and 2020, while in 2018, there were 30 billion login attempts using stolen credentials.
“The fast response from 9Technology in the early hours of Sunday morning was quickly followed by a coordinated operational response that kept our live broadcast capability up and running and minimised impacts to our broader business,” said the Nine CEO.
Thanks for reading Phil Sandberg – Editor/Publisher papers@broadcastpapers.com +61(0)414671811
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COVER STORY 5G Dream Still Short of Reality
Rollouts will impact not only traditional media operators and newer OTT services, but also the production sector. We have already seen this in countries like South Korea as users of 4G bonded cellular platforms migrate to 5G for video contribution. Other parts of the creation chain set to benefit include drone-based production right through to “wireless” sound stages. However, it is in the delivery of content to consumers, via 5G Broadcast, where it is hoped new services will have the most impact, but where much work remains to be done. 5G Broadcast is a subset of the overall 5G specification, as laid out by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) which includes telecommunications standards organisations such as ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TSDSI, TTA, and TTC. The standard outlines use cases and requirements for a 5G Broadcast system, including: • Support of Free-to-Air (FTA) and Receive-Only Mode (ROM) services over 3GPP. • Network dedicated to linear television and radio broadcast, for example transmitted using supplemental downlink channels and spectrum. • Single Frequency Network (SFN) deployments with Inter-Site Distance (ISD) significantly larger than a typical ISD associated with typical cellular deployments. • Support for mobility scenarios including speeds of up to 250 km/h to support receivers in cars, with external omni-directional antennas. • Support for common streaming distribution formats such as Dynamic Streaming over HTTP (DASH), Common Media Application Format (CMAF) and HTTP Live Streaming (HLS).
• Support for IP-based services such as IPTV or ABR multicast. • Support for different file delivery services such as scheduled delivery or file carousels. “5G broadcast cannot replace DVB-T2 or ATSC 3.0 completely. However, this may change in the future,” says Dr Peter Siebert, industry consultant and former Head of Technology with the DVB Project. “It’s fair to say that 5G broadcast is basically a new DTT solution because 5G broadcast enables high power, high tower broadcast. So, you can build up really wide area SFN networks, like you can do with DVB-T2 or ATSC 3.0. “However, it is not as spectrally efficient as DVB-T2 and ATSC 3.0. You have to consider that the broadcast standards have been specifically developed for antenna rooftop reception, whereas 5G broadcast comes from as a heritage of a bi-directional communication system and important features like time and frequency interleaving are not supported. “It’s also worth pointing out that a service layer for 5G broadcast has not been specified by 3GPP - things like service discovery and selection, video and audio codecs, multiplexing service information, sub-titles, and so on. DVB has picked up the ball and is looking into specifying a 5G broadcast service layer. So, hopefully, at a certain point in time, we will have a service layer provided by DVB.”
PERFORMANCE
Dr Siebert also points to a lack of receivers on the market or in development. “Very often I hear voices saying that with 5G broadcast, you can reach handheld devices,” he says. “That is not 100% percent true. The performance of 5G broadcast for reaching handheld devices is not better, maybe even a little bit worse than compared to a DVB-T2 or ATSC 3.0 when you are using a high power, high tower network. “If you go to a network architecture which is more like a mobile network, like a medium power, medium tower network, and because the transmitters are much closer to the receivers, you will be able to reach handheld devices. But that not only applies to 5G broadcast. It also
applies to DVB-T2 or ATSC 3.0. “You can partly compensate for the lack of receiving capabilities by going to a robust mode. That’s, of course you have a lower data rate which may not end up in the positive use case.” “When it comes to availability of broadcast equipment. Yes, we now have some network equipment available. And I’m positive that more equipment will come into the future, but when it comes to receivers, we still have no receivers in sight. Another hurdle to be negotiated is spectrum. According to Dr Siebert, the 3GPP group has only recently begun work on adding the 6MHz, 7MHz and 8MHz bands for use in 5G broadcast.
any kind of mobile handset that is in the reception area of the transmitter. Basically, you can then watch 24/7 without using up the data in your mobile plan from your mobile network operator.” In essence, using broadcast network infrastructure, 5G Broadcast would provide a delivery path to mobile devices which would be parallel to that of existing digital television transmission. The advantage for 5G broadcast is that, because it is a subset of the overall 5G specification, it is more likely to be adopted by handset manufacturers than the mobile versions of DVB or ATSC which, to date, have not seen any meaningful adoption.
“For the time being,” he says. “you cannot use 5G broadcast in the classical broadcast UHF band, which is a severe disadvantage.
While the majority of services would be delivered via high power transmission, lower power scenarios such as in-venue broadcast would also be possible.
“Finally, the most relevant question is of cost. What does it cost to build up the 5G broadcast infrastructure? We know very well, how much it costs for DVB-T2, because we have a long experience of setting up networks based on DVB-T2. But, for the time being, I think nobody can really answer as a question how expensive it will be to set up a 5G broadcast network.”
In addition to linear video services, a broadcaster’s 5G Broadcast platform could also be used by their mobile operator partner as a means of “data offloading”. Suitable for tasks such as device updates, the use of a broadcaster’s infrastructure would free up mobile operator bandwidth to cope with the ever-growing list of 5G applications such as IoT (Internet of things).
THE BUSINESS CASE
A gateway such as the R&S BSCC 2.0 broadcast service and control centre would also permit network slicing to cover different localities/ applications, or even for distribution back to a mobile operator’s network.
According to Nils Ahrens, Broadcast Sales Manager Asia Pacific with Rohde & Schwarz, “The idea that we are following is to come up with a solution that allows video services to be delivered to mobile phones without it being dependent on mobile data from a mobile network operator.” Still linear in nature, basic 5G broadcast services would involve content pushed from a playout centre to a gateway (such as R&S’ BSCC 2.0 broadcast service and control center), then on to a transmitter and, from there, on to mobile devices using FeMBMS (Further evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service) transmission mode. “Basically, what we do today, a transport stream comes over from a playout vendor. It goes to a transmission site and we use our TV to select whatever programme we want to watch. The only difference in the future is that the gateway sitting in the core network will allow the deployment of different protocols to
“The interesting part,” says Nils Ahren, “is what we call Multicastas-a-Service. Today, we have pure unicast technology. Everything goes through the mobile network and affects everyone’s mobile data plans. “If we use multicast over purely unicast service, the same application can be run with a saving of up to 20 percent OPEX, so this significant if we look at how the amount of video data is going to rise over the next five years. “However, nobody can tell at this point what would be the best combination of using the two big network operators and which technologies will be used in terms of getting access to not only mobile devices, but also to home displays. “It is very difficult to predict which way it will go.”
COVER STORY
5G IS ON THE MOVE throughout the Asia-Pacific. According to industry body, the GSMA, countries such as South Korea, Japan and Australia can expect to see around half or more of their mobile connections move to 5G by 2025 while 5G connections in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia are tracking to make up 33% and 20% (respectively) of the overall technology mix.
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NEWS + PEOPLE
Malaysia to Expedite 5G, Establish RTM Media City
Nokia Powers M1/StarHub 5G Rollout
MALAYSIA IS TO SPEED UP its adoption of 5G infrastructure, bringing its rollout forward by 12 months to commence by the end of 2021 as part of the country’s Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) national digital infrastructure plan. Speaking during the recent online edition of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s Digital Broadcasting Symposium, Minister Abdullah said, “The idea is to connect everyone with 4G by next year, and by the end of this year, we will also be rolling out the first phase of our 5G communication infrastructure.
Malaysian Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Dato’ Saifuddin bin Abdullah.
“We have expedited the rolling out of 5G one year ahead. And the way we do it is to form a special purpose vehicle. It is going to be building a single highway for all of the telcos to ramp onto this highway. And this is important because it will result in two major elements. Number one, a faster connection to all of Malaysia, including the rural areas, and number two, we are hoping that this will also result in cheaper rate, or tariff to the consumers.” Minister Abdullah also highlighted the April 1st, 75th anniversary of the establishment of Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM). “Radio Televisyen Malaysia is now embarking on its transformation plan to improve its services,” he said. We have just launched a new TV channel, that is the sports channel. So, together with the six channels, plus the 54 radio stations broadcasting in 24 languages, RTM has joined the bandwagon in delivering programs on the new media platform, including the OTT services. “One of the things we are looking into at the moment is also to upgrade the RTM broadcasting complex into a ‘media city’, and this is in line with the rapid advancement of broadcasting technology and international digital broadcasting standards. The aim is to provide a high-tech state-of-the-art broadcasting infrastructure in line with the government’s aspiration to develop digital television broadcasting services, hybrid, broadcast, broadband, TV, cloud technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and remote production.”
RIGHTS
SCHEDULING
STORAGE
NOKIA HAS ANNOUNCED the first 5G standalone (“SA”) Radio Access Network (“RAN”) Sharing network in South East Asia. The company has been selected by Antina Pte. Ltd. (“Antina”), a joint venture formed by mobile network operators M1 and StarHub, following a competitive tender process, to deploy 5G SA networks across Singapore. The commercial deployment of a 5G SA network will introduce compelling new use cases and cater for the growing data demand in the country, putting Singapore at the forefront of 5G standalone technology in the region.
The partnership will enable Antina’s customers – M1, StarHub and other mobile service providers on wholesale arrangements – to benefit from an ultra-high speed, low-latency and secure 5G SA network. It will also enable new use cases across entertainment, cloud gaming, transportation, education and healthcare. Nokia will provide equipment from its AirScale portfolio and CloudRAN solution to build the Radio Access Network (RAN) for the 5G SA infrastructure, utilising the 3.5GHz spectrum band. Nokia will supply 5G base stations and its small cells solution for indoor coverage, as well as other radio access products. Nokia’s NetAct network management, CloudBand Application Manager and CloudBand Infrastructure Software will streamline operations and securely manage Antina’s networks. Visit www.nokia.com
EDITING
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Operaaons Orchestraaon Business Process Management Cloud Naave Plaaorm for Broadcasters
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ENCODING
TRANSCODING
PLATFORMS
IN BRIEF
Located in Singapore, Xavier has accumulated 15 years of experience in the Pay TV industry and held several customer-focused positions in APAC. Before joining iWedia, he successfully helped the regional expansion of Verimatrix, Brightcove, SeaChange and more recently iFeelSmart, where he served as VP of Sales, Accounts and Business Development. Visit www.iwedia.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE PHILIPPINES’ ABS-CBN Corporation has appointed Aldrin M. Cerrado as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of ABS-CBN Global Ltd., which oversees all of ABS-CBN’s international subsidiaries and manages its global flagship brand, The Filipino Channel (TFC). Cerrado succeeds Olivia De Jesus who has retired from the company in January, 2021. Prior to this appointment, Cerrado served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Compliance Officer of ABS-CBN Corporation and was immediate past CFO of ABS-CBN Global. Cerrado will is charged with growing the business in a highly challenging global economic environment and in fast-evolving regional Filipino markets overseas. Visit www.abs-cbn.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ALEX PERCHEVITCH, President of transmitter supplier Jampro, has announced the addition of Anil Bhardwaj as Sales Director for South Asia & Middle East to the Jampro/AlanDick Sales staff. Anil brings a thorough understanding of broadcast RF systems and applications including product expertise and with a wealth of industry and knowledge to his position at Jampro/ADBL. Anil, recipient of the CEO Award for Excellence & performance has more than 12 years of sales experience in the broadcast industry throughout South Asia & Middle East. His prior experience includes a position at Gatesair. Contact Anil at anil. bhardwaj@jampro.com Visit www.Jampro.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BISWAJIT CHOWDHURY has been appointed Deputy Manager (Radio Frequency) at Bangladesh-based Beximco Communications Limited. He comes to the role after serving as Senior Broadcast Engineer. Prior to that he was an Earth Station Engineer with Jamuna Television Ltd. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------LIU JUN has been named as China Sales Manager for EVS Broadcast Equipment, based in Beijing. His previous roles include Product Vice General Manager with New Digital Technology Holdings Limited, Brand Manager with RIEDEL Networks, and After-sales Manager for APAC with ClearCom. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DAVID LEE has taken on the role of Chief Executive Officer at Lyuno Media Group in Singapore. Lyuno is one of the largest media localisation companies in the world, providing full end-to-end media and language services for top tier video streaming services, broadcasters and content creators. Lee previously served as the company’s Executive Chairman. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MUHAMMAD ASHIR FAROOQ has been appointed as 2D Animator with Pakistan’s Innovative Solutions. His previous roles include Assistant Virtual Set Designer with HUM News, and Digital Compositor with ICE Animations Pvt. Ltd.. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------JONATHAN SITOMPUL has been appointed to IT Operation Center Support with Indonesia’s PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk. He was previously attached to the company’s Datacenter Operations, and also served in Presentation with PT. MNC Sky Vision.
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The transition from traditional baseband video infrastructure to an all IP media infrastructure brings many challenges to media companies. It’s important to partner with a company that prides itself on representing the best-of-breed media entertainment technology manufacturers and thoroughly understands the workflow requirements for the efficient creation and distribution of rich content.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SHIVANI PRIYADARSHINI has been appointed to the role of Customer Marketing - APJ at Akamai Technologies. Prior to that, she was Akamai’s Head of Field Marketing for South Asia (Asean & ANZ - Media), Field Marketing Manager - ASEAN & HKT, and Marketing Manager – ASEAN.
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NEWS + PEOPLE
IWEDIA, THE PROVIDER OF software solutions for TV devices, has announced the appointment of Xavier Marle as Director of Sales and Business Development in Asia Pacific.
empowering innovation sales@magnasys.tv www.magnasys.tv
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NEWS + PEOPLE
TVS Sarawak, Ideal Systems to Build World-First SDI/NDI News Studios TVS, THE FIRST SARAWAK STATE-OWNED TV channel in Malaysian Borneo, has selected cloud and broadcast systems integration company Ideal Systems to design and build its next generation News Studios and Newsroom Computer Systems (NRCS). In a first of its kind, the state-of-the-art News Studios and MCR (Master Control Room) will run on a redundant hybrid SDI/ NDI (IP) infrastructure designed by Ideal Systems as part of a larger system that will deliver TVS’ vision of creating a new digital media hub in Sarawak. The cloud enabled NDI infrastructure includes Newtek TC1 and TC2 Elite NDI integrated switchers for the news studio and multipurpose studio, with Kiloview NDI converters. The baseband infrastructure, signal processing and routing will utilise the latest state of art software defined Ultrix routing and multiviewing solution from Ross Video. On the cutting-edge solution design, Mr. Updesh Singh, Director of Technology at Ideal Systems said, “Our robust hybrid system architecture has an NDI signal for every signal baseband path. All signals are active, and TVS can use any signal they want when they want it. All signals can be used as stand-by to each other, or even for different purposes in the signal chain. The idea was to incorporate change management into the solution so engineers and operators who are used to SDI baseband can start using IP signals by actually understanding the differences and advantages of using either. Some unique workflows are being created that combine best of both worlds. Our hybrid SDI/NDI design is incredibly robust and creates a newfound confidence in operators who are free to unleash their creativity on the content without any fear as the system is highly flexible and offers unrivalled redundancy. The future roadmap will add Cloud based broadcast infrastructure and signal processing hence using NDI was a vital foundation for system futureproofing. This will allow TVS to quickly and easily add and manage more content, more signals, more channels, and new media platforms by leveraging the elasticity of their IP architecture.”
NEWS + PEOPLE
Originally, the station was to be based around SDI, but the decision was made to add a layer of NDI so that every SDI feed could be mirrored with an NDI equivalent. The configuration enables a level of redundancy in the station’s operations as well as adding some of the flexibility of NDI.
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“However, there are some specific reasons that we were not able to just have one technology running,” says Updesh Singh. “Although NDI is out there, and it’s a very low latency way to send video throughout a network, very easy for
anyone with a laptop to tap into, there are some limitations. “The other thing is you also have to have some dedicated network for NDI. So, for a large install, you cannot share your IT network to do NDI. You have to have a totally separate video network, which has to be tuned carefully for use with NDI. There are also some very manual workflows that you have to create in order to get NDI working properly. “If someone was doing something network intensive on that network where you have NDI, you can have NDI issues. If you plug into a network and you start doing heavy downloads, your network will be affected. “This does not happen on traditional SDI. SDI - either it’s there or it’s not. So, because there are situations where we cannot control how humans work and someone may plug in, that’s the reason for having both of them. There’s SDI underlying NDI. However, NDI does give massive flexibilities. “We can easily pull a signal any way we want, it’s automatic discovery. You put a new machine into the network, you can discover and immediately you can get it working. So, while there are flexibilities, there are some limitations and to cover the limitations, we also have SDI. They sort of shadow each other. And, by having both, we have the reliability of SDI and the flexibility of NDI, which gives the whole station a new way to operate. “Every station function on the SDI and every function on the NDI is available on both networks. “For example, if you look into the studio, there’s a camera. The camera is natively pumping out SDI. This is an Iekgami HD 99. It takes out SDI. We are converting that SDI at the camera level into a full bandwidth NDI as well. The SDI goes to a video router - we have the Ross video router for that - and NDI goes into the NDI network. Both these networks then are available on the switcher. So, for the switcher, we have a Tricaster that is able to get all the NDI feeds and the Tricaster also has SDI input.”
Chief Executive Officer of TVS, Mr. Suhaimi Sulaiman, “For TVS, the most important thing is the quality of our production. Of course, we also want glitch free broadcast and a reliable system.”
Management) PAM (Production Asset Management) Playout and automated quality control into seamless hybrid NDI workflows for the newsroom operators. The NRCS, MCR playout, Studio Playout, PAM systems are all software based and are provided by SI-Media to support over forty news journalists. The software runs on SI-Media’s latest YES platform which is a micro service architecture with docker applications running on HTML clients all of which can be cloud enabled.
‘Our robust hybrid system architecture has an NDI signal for every signal baseband path. All signals are active, and TVS can use any signal they want when they want it. All signals can be used as
The studios will be equipped with 4K-ready Ikegami cameras with HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) mode for highest quality HDR (High Dynamic Range) picture output. The studios will use VizRT’s advanced on-air computer graphics capabilities including VR (Virtual Reality) and camera tracking systems to support AR (Augmented Reality) for immersive storytelling and news coverage and are also NDI enabled.
Live news reports will be delivered over IP Cloud using Dejero Engo bonded mobile transmitters as well as Live Plus applications from Dejero for high reliably and high-quality live video from remote locations allowing for seamless live news reporting from anywhere in Malaysia or beyond and also supports remote news anchors during Covid-19.
The solution from Ideal will integrate the NRCS and key systems including MAM (Media Asset
Visit https://www.tvstv.my and www.idealsys.com
stand-by to each
other, or even for
different purposes
in the signal chain.
CCTV Sees in Year of the Ox with Ross FOLLOWING ITS USE OF Extended Reality (XR) during its December 31st New Year’s Eve broadcast, China’s national broadcaster CCTV again chose Augmented Reality (AR) solutions from Ross to underpin its recent Spring Festival Gala program welcoming the Chinese Year of the Ox. The CCTV broadcast has featured Augmented Reality as part of its format for the last nine years and Ross has served as technology partner, supporting CCTV as the scale and complexity of the shows have grown. This year’s broadcast featured more than twenty different scenes that were shot in 4K HDR using multiple cameras. Ross Video’s Voyager graphics rendering solution (based of the Unreal engine from Epic Games) was again at
the heart of the production as the audience was taken through a variety of different natural landscapes, including bamboo forests, mountains, deserts, the Great Wall and a spectacular martial arts sequence called ‘Heaven and Earth’. This segment was particularly impressive given the volume texture method used by the Voyager rendering solution to produce clouds that had highly realistic thickness and texture in the physical space. In each of the twenty scenes featuring AR, the augmented elements were vivid, dynamic and realistic, with Voyager effectively blurring the edges between the physical sets and the computer-generated graphics. Visit www.rossvideo.com
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Thai Monastery Reaches Out with NewTek NDI
While websites, mobile applications, and video content allowed for followers to quickly connect online, analogue systems for recording and broadcasting video had the monastery struggling with image quality. To repair that situation, Wat Na Pa Pong turned to NewTek and NDI. ICamplus Co., Ltd., NewTek’s partner in Thailand, worked collaboratively with the monastery to design a workflow based on the NewTek TriCaster TC1 and NDI PTZ cameras. TriCaster TC1 live production systems enable creators to switch, stream, and record in HD and 4K UHD 60p while offering native Skype integration – perfect for bringing remote callers into a video. It also enables dual-channel live streaming to Facebook Live, Microsoft Azure, Periscope, Twitch, YouTube Live, and more.
Meanwhile, NDI PTZ cameras require only a single Ethernet connection for setup, power, operation, and signal flow. The camera pairs with TriCaster for a configuration-free NDI experience. The NDI video-over-IP protocol ties the system together, with all video signals being sent between devices over the network. The monastery also utilises many free-to-use NDI Tools, which are downloadable from www. NDI.tv. Tools such as NDI Scan Converter, NDI Studio Monitor, and NDI Virtual Input allow for integration between the TriCaster and personal computers. The monastery uses the NDI-HX Capture app – which is available for iOS or Android devices – to allow live screen capture screen from mobile devices and the NDI-HX Camera app to quickly add additional, high quality video sources to a production. The full NDI setup allows Wat Na Pa Pong to stream content to three Facebook feeds, three YouTube channels, and one RTMP feed each day. Visit www.newtek.com
NEWS + PEOPLE
LEAD BY THE VENERABLE AJARN KUKRIT SOTHIPALO, Wat Na Pa Pong is a Theravada Buddhist monastery located northeast of Bangkok in Thailand’s Pathum Thani Province which uses many modern technologies to assist with outreach.
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ACQUISITION & LIGHTING www.content-technology.com/acquisition
Tokyo’s Freedom Studio Infinity Livestreams with Blackmagic FOUNDED IN 1976, Tokyo-based FREEDOM STUDIO INFINITY recently built a new studio that included a large workflow for live streaming. The studio allows customers to use high end audio equipment for musical recording while streaming video, giving artists the ability to pursue high quality sound for their streaming. The new A Studio at FREEDOM STUDIO INFINITY includes six Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4Ks, ATEM１M/E Production Studio 4K and ATEM 1M/E Advanced Panel, UltraStudio 4K Extreme, Smart Videohub 40 x 40, six HyperDeck Studio Minis, HyperDeck Extreme Control, Video Assist 7” 12G HDR, MultiView 4 and Mini Converter SDI Distribution 4K. The facility’s other new studios use four additional Micro Studio Camera 4Ks, ATEM 1M/E Production Studio 4K, six HyperDeck Studio Minis and a Video Assist 7” 12G HDR, all mounted in a mobile rack, along with a Smart Videohub 20 x 20 router and MultiView 4 in Studio B. Ryunosuke Ikoma, who has produced a number of famous musicians in Japan, coordinated the streaming build for the studio. Ikoma, who is also a sound engineer and sometimes shoots music videos, explained, “I did a stream for an artist I produced at FREEDOM STUDIO that included an ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K, URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2, Pocket Cinema Camera 6K and Micro Studio Camera 4K, which I owned myself to stream at the studio. The owner of the studio watched this stream and decided to install streaming gear in her studio as she thought video streaming would become a more common tool.” Ikoma said, “The merit of streaming at FREEDOM STUDIO is it allows high quality audio streaming using analogue recording equipment such as SSL, which is used for professional sound recording. The audio is mixed, then goes to a DAW system for plug ins and multi-channel recording, and is then sent to ATEM and embedded with video.” SDI ports were built into the studio’s walls to mount the Micro Studio Camera 4Ks. “For fixed cameras, we use those wall mount cameras and/or one on an
electric camera slider while using tripod dollies for cameras with operators. All cameras are controlled via ATEM camera control software,” said Ikoma. The Smart Videohub 40×40 serves as a hub to send all camera inputs to the ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K. Footage is then sent to the facility’s computers via UltraStudio 4K Extreme for streaming. Each camera feed is recorded with HyperDeck Studio Minis, controlled by the HyperDeck Extreme Control. During streaming, the MultiView 4 shows studio engineers four selected images on a large display installed in the control room for monitoring, while some images are sent to the ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K to handle four split screen streaming. Visit https://freedomstudioinfinity.wisteriaproject.com/camera and www.blackmagicdesign.com
SIGMA fp L and Atomos Ninja V Ready for 4Kp30, HDp120 ProRes RAW ATOMOS HAS ANNOUNCED that the new SIGMA Corporation fp L camera will be able to record Apple ProRes RAW over HDMI when combined with the Ninja V 5” HDR monitorrecorder. The Ninja V will record up to 4Kp30 12-bit ProRes RAW video from the 61-megapixel image sensor with an available 13 stops of dynamic range.
ACQUISITION
The new SIGMA fp L is touted as the world’s smallest and lightest large format camera. It comes with a robust and lightweight die-cast aluminium enclosure, weighing it at a mere 375g. Suitable for drone and gimbal shooting. It uses an L-Mount lens mount optimised for mirrorless cameras. This allows it to be used with various lenses offered by Leica, Panasonic and SIGMA themselves.
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The accurate 5” 1000nit HDR high brightness display of the Ninja V allows users to view the RAW signal in HDR in a choice of HLG and PQ (HDR10) formats. The monitor offers touchscreen access to tools like waveforms, magnify or engage peaking so users can check focus for each angle and make any adjustments to get the perfect HDR or SDR shot. The SIGMA fp L and Ninja V combine to form a
compact rig set-up for scenarios like handheld, placing in tight corners or mount onto gimbals, TV dramas, indie films, corporate productions, documentaries and even motion pictures, along with the ability to record ProRes RAW. Atomos and SIGMA say they are committed to presenting users with the full capabilities of the ProRes RAW format which means giving them maximum flexibility when it comes to editing the codec. SIGMA fp L will therefore fully support White Balance and ISO adjustment sliders in Final Cut Pro. ProRes RAW has continued to build momentum with over 30 cameras supporting the Atomos and ProRes RAW combination. ProRes RAW is fully supported in Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer along with a collection of other apps including ASSIMILATE SCRATCH, Colorfront, FilmLight Baselight and Grass Valley Edius. Meanwhile, Atomos has released AtomOS 10.63 for Ninja V, which enables ProRes RAW support to a number of different cameras, including the Sony Alpha 1, Sony FX3, Panasonic LUMIX BGH1, and SIGMA fp L.
Once the AtomOS 10.63 has been complete on the user’s camera of choice, they will also benefit from White Balance and ISO metadata for Final Cut Pro settings slider adjustments. Visit www.atomos.com
ACQUISITION & LIGHTING
Frame.io Unveils ‘Camera to Cloud’ LEADING CLOUD-BASED video review and approval platform, Frame.io, has announced Frame.io Camera to Cloud (C2C), a secure camera-to-cloud workflow that lets customers instantly upload and stream images from on-set cameras to creative post-production teams anywhere in the world. According to the company, “Frame.io C2C represents the largest change in film, television, news and commercial production workflows since the advent of digital filmmaking.”
The camera-to-cloud workflow requires a Frame.io C2C-certified device connected to compatible cameras from Arri, RED and Sony. Once authenticated, certified devices such as the Teradek CUBE 655 and Sound Devices 888 or Scorpio recorders will record, encode, and send timecode-accurate H.264 proxy files with matching filename metadata directly to Frame. io via an encrypted and secure connection using LTE, 5G or WiFi. This allows for near real-time delivery of editable proxy files to a producer, dailies facility, or editor anywhere in the world. “Frame.io C2C is disruptive technology that changes the traditionally linear filmmaking process, allowing both on-set production and remote post-production teams to work together at the same time,” said Michael Cioni, Global SVP of Innovation at Frame.io. “This level of collaboration brings creative teams together and allows them to work faster and more collaboratively than ever before.” In addition, Frame.io users with proper authentication credentials can view a live stream of footage while it’s being shot from the comfort of their computer, iPhone, or iPad— whether they are on set or halfway around the world. This lets collaborators instantly share ideas to help bring their creative vision to life, while everyone who needs to track production progress can stay informed. “In today’s socially distanced world - where remote work has become the norm and the number of people on-set is limited - Frame. io C2C is a game changer,” said Emery Wells, CEO of Frame.io. “Camera to Cloud gives film, television, and commercial productions a seamless new way for creative teams to do their best work, no matter where they are.”
Frame.io C2C features best-in-class security with full TPN and SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. Created by the MPAA and CDSA, TPN is the global, industry-wide initiative that defines requirements and best practices for protecting content. Combined with rigorous access controls, Frame.io C2C is an incredibly safe way to share media with authorized viewers and collaborators. Frame.io has also introduced the new Frame.io Cloud Devices API and C2C certification program enables hardware and software manufacturers to create their own C2C compatible products. Frame.io C2C is launching with three partner integrations from Teradek, Sound Devices, and Colorfront, making it compatible with more than a dozen professional camera systems from RED, Arri, and Sony. Teradek designs and manufactures highperformance video solutions for broadcast and cinema. A Frame.io authenticated CUBE 655 encoder delivers live streams and camera proxy files directly into Frame.io.
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With the exponential growth of media assets globally, media companies require innovative solutions to intelligently manage content storage. Magna partners with leaders in content management harnessing the latest technologies such as AI and cognitive services to transform asset movement across cloud and other storage tiers to ensure optimal operational efficiency for content creators, producers and distributors.
Sound Devices designs and manufactures the world’s leading production sound field recorders. The latest 888 and Scorpio recorders capture and transmit original audio files directly into Frame.io. Colorfront has developed the world’s first fully cloud dailies platform. Its Express Dailies integration with Frame.io allows labs to instantly access the video and audio assets to create dailies. Manufacturers interested in building Frame.io C2C Certified software and hardware can find details at developer.frame.io. C2C features are included at no additional charge for customers with a paid Frame.io account. Flexible, new monthly enterprise plans let customers and studios purchase the service they need for the duration of their production. Frame.io C2C is currently in beta and will ship in Q2 2021. Customers can apply to participate in a beta program at the Frame.io website. Live streaming features will be available later in 2021. Visit http://frame.io
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ACQUISITION
Frame.io C2C provides two services. First, C2C enables instant proxy uploads the moment cameras stop rolling so editorial can begin within seconds of calling “cut.” In addition, Frame.io C2C can live stream footage to an authorised user’s device on or off set, allowing customers to watch production as it’s happening. This is ideal for productions working during COVID, as it greatly reduces the number of people needed on set. Frame.io C2C lets editorial and other traditionally linear parts of the creative process happen in parallel while footage is still being shot.
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Blackmagic Unveils Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro BLACKMAGIC DESIGN has announced the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro which, the company says, is a more powerful model that includes features for high end digital film.
• Includes full DaVinci Resolve Studio for post-production.
• Designed from carbon fibre polycarbonate composite.
The camera’s multifunction handgrip comes with all controls for recording, ISO, WB and shutter angle.
• Compatible with a wide range of popular EF lenses. • Built in motorized 2, 4 and 6 stop ND filters. • Up to 25,600 ISO for low light performance. • Standard open file formats compatible with popular software. • Adjustable, HDR 1500 nit LCD screen. • Includes Blackmagic Generation 5 Colour Science. • Optional Blackmagic Pocket
Featuring a larger 6144 x 3456 Super 35 sensor and EF lens mount, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K lets operators use larger EF photographic lenses to create cinematic images with shallower depth of field, allowing creative defocussed backgrounds and gorgeous bokeh effects. The sensor is designed to reduce thermal noise allowing cleaner shadows and higher ISO. The large 5-inch LCD makes enables more accurate focusing at 4K and 6K resolutions. Whether users are shooting in bright sunlight or in almost no light at all, the 13 stops of dynamic range
with dual native ISO up to 25,600 provide high quality, low noise images in all lighting conditions. Plus the 6K models feature a larger Super 35 sensor that allows shooting with a shallow depth of field and anamorphic lenses. All models let customers shoot up to 60 fps in full resolution or 120 fps windowed. Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera records using standard open file formats so customers don’t have to waste time transcoding media. Recording works in industry standard 10-bit Apple ProRes files in all formats up to 4K or 12-bit Blackmagic RAW in all formats up to 6K. Developers can download and use the free Blackmagic RAW SDK to add support into their applications. Best of all media files work on all
operating systems plus customers can format media cards and disks in HFS+ for Mac and ExFAT for Windows. “With the new Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, we wanted to include all the high-end features from digital film cameras into a Pocket Cinema Camera design,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “This means you get an extremely portable digital film solution but with all the advanced features like the amazing ND filters, optional viewfinder and bright HDR touchscreen.” Visit www.blackmagicdesign.com
Sony and IMAGO Partner to Control Sharpness
FUJINON Premista 19-45mm Lens
SONY AND THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE of IMAGO – the International Federation of Cinematographers, have announced that control of sharpness for X-OCN and RAW materials is now available in the new version 3.5 of the Sony RAW viewer.
FUJIFILM HAS LAUNCHED the FUIJINON Premista 19-45mm T2.9” (Premista 19-45mm), a wide-angle zoom covering focal lengths from 19mm to 45mm. The new lens is the third model to join the Premista Series of cinema zoom lenses. The Premista 19-45mm supports Large-Format sensors (that measure 43.246.3mm diagonally) and delivers high resolution, natural bokeh and rich tonality with HDR (high dynamic range).
RAW Viewer is application software that allows users to view RAW/XOCN/XAVC/SStP files recorded using the F65/PMW-F55/PMW-F5/NEXFS700/MPC-3610 (VENICE/CineAltaV) unit or a combination of the unit and the SR-R4/AXS-R5 /AXS-R7 portable memory recorder. Users can view and perform basic colour grading on files transferred to a computer using an SRPC-5/SR-PC4 data transfer unit or files stored on memory cards inserted into an SR-D1/AXS-CR1/SBAC-US30/ AXS-AR1 drive unit. The new capabilities come after a “Request to Manufacturers” survey launched nearly two years ago by the Imago Technical Committee in which access to texture and especially sharpness parameters appeared to many professionals as a real need to master the artistic process.
ACQUISITION
• Larger NP-F570 battery, optional Blackmagic Pocket Camera Battery Pro Grip.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro Features include:
• 6144 x 3456 sensor with 13 stops and dual native ISO up to 25,600.
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Cinema Camera Pro EVF. • Professional mini XLR inputs with 48-volt phantom power.
The sharpness range is -300 to 500, and the default value is 0. For all cinematographers who want to use the F65, F55, F5 and VENICE cameras with high contrast lenses, but avoiding a clinical or overly sharp
appearance, as well as for colorists or post-production supervisors, access to this setting is seen as a great improvement for dramaturgy and the ease of special effects. The ITC also highlighted another new tool from Sony to enhance the creativity on set – the new .ART file system. According to the ITC, “LUTs are important for displaying the creative intent but with a generally very limited quality used on set in today’s cameras. The .ART (Advanced Rendering Transform) file system offers a serious optimisation to overcome these situations during on set monitoring. “In general, the ITC wants to give cinematographers and all other artists/technicians every opportunity to control texture-related parameters. “SDKs in post-production or sharpness parameters for internal codec recordings in the cameras as well as selected parameters of sharpness by RGB channels are the next steps in controlling the entire artistic process.” Visit https://bit.ly/37ZnTSn and http://bit.ly/2NCSEFr
The Premista 19-45mm effectively controls distortion to deliver natural images with little distortion across the entire zoom range. It offers a constant T-stop of 2.9 across its focal lengths from 19mm to 45mm. Featuring large-diameter aspherical lens elements and a unique zooming system, the lens achieves an astonishing level of edge-to-edge sharpness. Additionally, distortion is effectively reduced even at the widest focal lengths, delivering natural footage with minimal distortion across the entire zoom range. The use of proprietary optical simulation technology and mechanical design technology enables a compact, yet robust, lens body measuring 228mm and weighing 3.3kg. The new zoom lens can be used for handheld shooting using a Steadicam or high-angle shooting using a crane. Similar to the standard and telephoto zooms, the Premista 19-45mm supports “ZEISS eXtended Data”, which can record metadata when shooting, thereby reducing videoediting workload in post-production and facilitating efficient video production. The new lens measures 27mm long and weighs 500g, more compact and lightweight than Premista Series’ standard and telephoto zooms. It is also very robust, enabling video recording with Steadicam Visit: https://www.FUJIFILM.com.au
SPORTSCASTING Sport coverage worldwide
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2022 Games’ Host Broadcaster Picks EVS for Media Management EVS, THE PROVIDER OF live technology for broadcast and new media productions, has been selected by the host broadcaster of a global multi-sports event taking place in Asia in 2022 to provide solutions for the centralised ingest, management and distribution of its media content. EVS will also be responsible for a comprehensive media server infrastructure that will give operatives instant access to thousands of hours of material. These tools will enable the production crews located at the various venues and within a central international broadcast center (IBC) the possibility to create an unprecedented amount of compelling content.
distribution platform MediaHub. By using the platform’s web-based interface, production teams will be able to easily browse, review, select and deliver content from anywhere to anywhere.
Worldwide rights holders at the event will benefit from the host broadcaster’s decision to deploy EVS’ latest MediaCeption Sports solution, including the centralised video content
Commenting on the signing, Serge Van Herck, CEO of EVS said, “This event is an exciting milestone for EVS, as it gives us another opportunity to deploy our latest innovations
All workflow management and reporting will be handled through EVS’ VIA Flow, a central workflow engine, which enables users to exchange content between the IBC and multiple venues as well as monitor the flow of media throughout the EVS ecosystem. It offers full visibility from ingest to archive to help editorial teams keep track of their work, while facilitating collaborative workflows.
for the live coverage of a major sporting event that will be watched by billions of viewers.” Xavier De Vynck, SVP Major Events & Business Development at EVS added: “Our latest solutions enable content creators onsite, as well as from their home bases, to drive value with memorable stories of live events for the delight of sports fans across the globe.” EVS’ LiveCeption Signature solution will also be used by many of the facilities providers contracted to cover the multiple sports. As part of the solution, IP-based LSM-VIA systems will be deployed at the various venues for the creation of high-quality replays, slow-motion and highlights. Visit www.evs.com
Jiangsu TV’s New IP-based 4K OB Truck Mixes Audio with Lawo
The OB project was completed in only seven months by system integrator New Digital Technology (NDT), Lawo’s installation partner in China. “Jiangsu TV is starting off producing in UHD with this new OB truck, and we plan to extend this method of production to our studios and master control rooms step by step,” explains a Jiangsu TV official. “Nearly all the provincial and local TV stations have followed the trend of UHD based on 4K, and now we are also moving in this direction. Lawo was an easy choice, as three of our OB vans already use Lawo consoles. The performance, reliability, and intuitive operation of Lawo equipment topped all other options, making this an easy decision.” The OB truck hosts a 48-fader Lawo mc²56 audio production console as the main desk, its advanced processing and routing core providing 256 DSP channels, a capacity of 5120 x 5120 mono channels, 12 RAVENNA ports, 8 MADI ports and 32 AES inputs and outputs on both D-Sub and BNC connections. Compact, flexible and versatile, the mc²56 is optimized for today’s IP-video production environment, designed from the ground up for networking in complex production infrastructures. It has full native support for SMPTE 2110, AES67 / RAVENNA, DANTE and MADI audio streams, and incorporates Lawo’s LiveView technology to display thumbnail previews of associated video streams on the faders, enhancing user
accuracy in fastpaced production situations. The 12-fader ruby broadcast console is utilised as backup desk for the entire audio system. Two integrated stageboxes – an A_stage 64 with 32 Mic/Line-in and 16 Line out, plus 8 AES in/out and GPI in/ out, and MADI I/O, is paired with an A_ stage 48 stagebox that’s identical to the A__stage 64 but with 16 Mic/ Line-ins. This combination allows great flexibility in integrating signal communications. The ruby console’s adjacent touch screen allows operators to control various features of the ruby mixer using Lawo VisTool, an advanced vectorgraphic GUI that gives easy access to mixing, EQ & dynamics controls, and other software features via intuitive graphical controls. The ruby mixer controls a state-of-the-art Lawo Power Core mixing engine, a 1RU DSP devices with the ability to handle large amounts of analogue, digital and AES67 networked audio sources. He Fangming, Chief Representative in Lawo’s Representative Office in Beijing says that Lawo’s steady commitment to Jiangsu TV has resulted in a rewarding partnership. “With the experience gained from their previous OB vans, built in 2010, 2014 and 2016 and
fitted with mc²66 and mc²56 consoles, Lawo earned a lot of trust, so that Jiangsu TV was ready to take the next technological step with Lawo. Lawo’s RAVENNA-based state-of-the-art audio solutions fully support ST2110, allowing direct integration with the 4K video system that avoids the previous need to bridge AES audio between the audio and video systems using a COTS switch as central router.” According to He, “Building a true and elegant IP system by skipping a lot of cables and racks is a major benefit for the customer. This saves space in the OB van, but more importantly it merges the video system and audio system more closely by adopting the IP concept.” Visit www.lawo.com
SPORTSCASTING
CHINESE TV BROADCASTER Jiangsu TV, headquartered in Nanjing, has put the station’s first true-IP-based vehicle on the road – a new 4K TV OB truck that debuted in October 2020. Jiangsu TV chose IP audio infrastructure from Lawo, utilising the latest generation mc²56 audio production console (MKIII) and a ruby broadcast mixer.
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SPORTSCASTING
AVIWEST and CyanView Partner on Remote Camera Control AVIWEST, a leading provider of video contribution systems, has announced that its bonded cellular technology is now integrated with CyanView’s RCP multicamera control panel. Seamless integration between AVIWEST’s technology and CyanView RCP enables reliable, low-latency IP-based transmission of control signals from multiple camera types and brands to the control room for live production. CyanView’s RCP is designed to ensure seamless integration of specialty cameras into production environments, making it easier to capture any event from any angle while also reducing setup time, cabling, and clutter. With camera control (e.g., tally, pan-tilt head and gimbal control, motorised lenses, etc.), video correction, and video transport handled by a single system, users can remotely control all stages of the ecosystem from a unified interface. Integration with AVIWEST bonded cellular technology enables IP-based signal transport, putting these robust control capabilities at the fingertips of engineers working remotely in production or master control. “AVIWEST has been instrumental in creating the REMI-style at-home live production model,” said David Bourgeois, founder and CEO at CyanView. “With their experience in developing and deploying innovative live production solutions, AVIWEST provides our shared customers with valuable guidance and support in implementing more efficient, cost-effective, and robust solutions for live production. We have already
TAG Adds Monitoring for Sony Hawk-Eye Cameras
SPORTSCASTING
TAG VIDEO SYSTEMS has added visualisation and monitoring support for Sony’s Hawk-Eye, the high-performance camera used in sports applications with atypical output. According to TAG, the company is the first to offer support for Hawk-Eye on an IP, all-software Multiviewer.
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First used as a broadcast tool to analyse decisions in Cricket, HawkEye has now become an integral part of over 20 sports covering 20,000 games or events across 500+ stadiums in over 90 countries in a typical year. The solution provides the tracking and analytic tools required for ball tracking, watching goal lines, line calling and point detection. Hawk-Eye provides officiating, production, video management, broadcast and digital solutions that make games fairer, safer and more engaging for the viewer. It was not possible, however, to directly achieve visualisation and
worked together with PGA Tour Entertainment, and we look forward to future projects that support broadcasters in bringing dynamic live sports, news, and entertainment programming to air.” Remote production, the remote integration model (REMI), and at-home production workflows require flexible, affordable, robust, and remotely operable broadcast solutions. Leveraging SST (Safe Stream Transport) technology, AVIWEST’s solution maintains video genlock and lip sync across multiple cameras for wireless athome, remote integration and REMI live video production. This allows even the largest live productions to use CyanView’s RCP and AVIWEST technology for delivering feeds to video engineers and other technical staff members in master control. Enabling skilled staff members to work at home, this model eliminates traditional travel and lodging costs, increases the availability of technical staff for multiple productions, and enables socially distant work, if necessary. “We’re excited to partner with CyanView and showcase the powerful benefits of our
monitoring of Hawk-Eye camera output streams – which are not a typical 4K source – on an allsoftware IP Multiviewer until TAG integrated support into its IP-based MCM-9000. This new functionality provides full visualisation of the content along with all other sources for display on the Multiviewer mosaic output, which combined with TAG’s integrated probing and monitoring ensure signal quality, health and integrity prior to feeding the Hawk-Eye vision processing system. “Sony’s Hawk-Eye camera is immensely popular with Sports Broadcasters because of its optical tracking system and vision-processing technology that enable extremely accurate live ball and player tracking with full-field coverage,” explained Paul Briscoe, TAG’s Chief Architect. “Previously, however, there was no way to directly view the camera’s output stream on an IP Multiviewer, but TAG is happy to announce that our MCM-9000 Multiviewer can now display them along with other sources on the same Mosaic output.” Visit www.tagvs.com
integration for broadcasters,” said Ronan Poullaouec, chief technology officer at AVIWEST. “Recently, our solution was used by PGA Tour Entertainment as four of the world’s best professional golfers faced off in a charity event at Seminole Golf Club near West Palm Beach, Florida. Because of COVID-19, the event was very exclusive, only featuring four golfers, six hand-held cameras, and zero caddies, but it went a long way toward satiating the thirst for live professional sports. The event also showed that remote workflows are possible for golf, as it was produced out of PGA Tour Entertainment’s facility 250 miles away.” Visit www.aviwest.com and www.cyanview.com
Mo-Sys Launches StarTracker Sports Studio MO-SYS ENGINEERING, the developer of virtual production and image robotics technology, and HYPER Studios, a provider of cloud broadcast graphics, have created a virtual production system with data-driven sports graphics. StarTracker Sports Studio combines a complete virtual production system, based on Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, and is capable of generating moving camera virtual studios, augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (xR), with an HTML5 sports graphics system. An ever-increasing number of sports broadcasters use virtual studios and AR with data-driven graphics, where each graphic type is generated by two separate graphics systems. However, rather than simply keying standard overlay graphics on top of a virtual set, sports broadcasters are now able to integrate datadriven graphics inside the virtual studio, for example, making them appear inside a virtual monitor or synchronising them to an AR animation where the graphics need
to match the style and branding of the AR virtual graphics. StarTracker Sports Studio enables in-context design of photo-realistic virtual graphics with data-driven sports graphics, simplifying the creation and operation of this new approach to virtual sports graphic presentation. “We have engaged with many sports broadcasters in order to capture the full spectrum of graphics functionality and workflows that they need now and going forwards, in order to cover major events,” said Michael Geissler, CEO of Mo-Sys. “Working with HYPER Studios, we have designed a system that allows a sports broadcaster to create integrated and in-context virtual graphics content, and as a result produce more engaging and differentiated content for their viewers.” Visit www.hyperstudios.co.uk and www.mo-sys.com
SPORTSCASTING
Grass Valley Switches in the Cloud GRASS VALLEY HAS ANNOUNCED the next step in its cloud-first production solutions with the introduction of GV K-Frame on AMPP, Grass Valley’s application suite for its Agile Media Processing Platform. The solution delivers a SaaS version of the K-Frame switcher engine – running on AMPP. Kayenne, Karrera, Korona, and KSP control surfaces maintain their well-known performance regardless of whether they are tied to a physical frame or to GV K-Frame on AMPP. GV K-Frame on AMPP is the latest in a range of AMPPconnected solutions that provide a seamless transition to cloud-based video production while extending the flexibility of existing solutions. According to Marco Lopez, Grass Valley’s general manager for live production, “For those operating our switcher technology, such as technical directors (TDs), much of the switching is done by muscle memory. They know the panel so well that it’s like playing an instrument for them; their conscious attention can focus on the incoming video sources and cues to build a show, and the physical actions simply flow. Now, with GV K-Frame on AMPP, users can immediately transfer that intuitive knowledge - along with their existing show files - to cloud-based video production.” GV K-Frame on AMPP further expands the recently introduced GV Media Universe
ecosystem, providing operators with the creative resources needed for professional media production in the cloud. With three M/Es and four keyers with 2D DPM per M/E, the solution uses the same UI and control surfaces as any other K-Frame solution. Stills and animations with fill/ key including transparency also provide a polished production look that is easy to create, store and recall at the touch of a button from the hundreds of E-MEMs and Macros available. AMPP-connected solutions can scale to as many instances as required without upfront buildout and deliver flexible I/O with access to any source on the AMPP fabric. Users also benefit from highly responsive and frame-accurate cloudhosted performance – even when connected via typical residential Internet. With Grass Valley’s patented intelligent timing technology system operations are instantly responsive – even half a world away. The TD experience remains the same as users have come to expect from Grass Valley equipment. GV AMPP is the core technology powering GV Media Universe, a comprehensive ecosystem of cloud-based tools and services. The open ecosystem of connected devices, services, media content and applications give creatives familiar interfaces to comprehensive cloud-enabled
solutions. The operator experience is also standardised, with application user interfaces all organized into common dashboards and controls. The GV AMPP platform is cloud native and cloudagnostic, while supporting the secure processing of video/audio in the public cloud on any of the major platforms, in a private, on-premise data centre, or in hybrid topologies. This flexibility and power will bring about a significant paradigm shift in live content production, allowing shows to be produced on any engine from any location. GV AMPP offers pay-as-you-go pricing calculated on usage, rather than users, so resources can be shared among as many people as needed to accomplish the task. Automatic monthly caps limit hourly billing to a monthly maximum regardless of how much the system is used. Visit www.grassvalley.com
Sony Unveils XVS-G1 Live Production Switcher
“Sony’s switchers have a long history and reputation for their reliability and robustness,” said Takuma Wada, Head of Content Creation Solutions Marketing, Professional Solutions Company (PSAP), Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited. “The new XVS-G1 is built on that legacy in a small compact and modular form and adds some must-have future-proof features such as a clip player, HDR conversion and capability amongst many others.” One of the distinguishing features is its hybrid structure which pulls together a central processing unit (CPU), with a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA). This combination delivers both highest performance and reliability, with no compromise on visual processing enhancements. FPGA hardware enables real-time processing in high resolution 4K(UHD), wide colour gamut,
high-dynamic range (HDR) imaging and ultra-low latency. High-density, high-resolution video processing using the latest software technology provides versatility and expandability. These powerful specifications future proof the XVS-G1 system and boost creative possibilities. Key features include: • A creative and high-potential platform thanks to a modular software structure – The graphics processing engine enables multiple creative functions as it is enhanced with features like a built-in clip player and 3D digital multi-effects. The enhanced multi-viewer enables the display of multiple types of information such as the audio level meter, and multi-layer captions overlay. Multiple HDR format conversion options are available as well as compatibility with the Sony SR live workflow. • Built-in clip player – The XVS-G1 system comes with an optional clip player for the first time in a Sony live production switcher. Four channels are available in HD and two channels in 4K(UHD) with each channel having the ability to playback clips of up to 60 minutes in duration. Widely available AVC codec files in MOV or MP4 container format are supported and back-up storage of all clips is available on the internal SDD. Media files are easily and instantly loaded into the internal SSD storage device directly from a menu display on a PC or tablet device.
• News, Sports, and Entertainment-friendly program production – The user menu is based on a newly designed web application. Quick access to desired item is achieved by an optimised menu structure to reflect live operation workflow and setup. Wireless operation can be achieved via Wi-Fi and a PC or tablet device, and the structure allows quick access to the desired menu. A range of four control panels derived from Sony’s user-friendly ICP-X7000 series ensures simple, easy, and fast operation. The switcher inherits many features from Sony’s XVS highend switchers and shares the same benefit of system status recognition, confidence in button-push accuracy, and speed in missioncritical live production scenes. The XVS-G1 will be available in Asia Pacific from Q3 of calendar year 2021 onwards. Visit www.pro.sony
SPORTSCASTING
SONY HAS INTRODUCED the newest addition to its long-standing switcher family, the XVS-G1. This new entry-level compact live production switcher, developed as a nextgeneration platform, combines the power of a new video processing engine with a modern architecture design. Designed for live production needs including sports, news or entertainment programs, the XVS-G1 system is a perfect fit for small to mid-size studio, outside broadcast vehicle, and fly-away production units. With many options, this switcher offers its versatility to various production environments.
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NEWS OPERTAIONS OPERATIONS www.content-technology.com/newsoperations
Nine Headlines with New Sydney Newsroom ARGUABLY THE CENTREPIECE of Nine’s new North Sydney HQ, the newsroom is based on a hub and spoke model – as adopted by the BBC, MediaCorp and others. According to Nine Network Director of Broadcast Operations, Geoff Sparke, “The hub and spoke definitely comes from a trip I did to the UK about three years ago when the BBC actually did that. When we started looking at layouts, I shot a photo to Darren Wick [National Director of News & Current Affairs] who said, ‘Yep. That’s exactly what I want’. “Each spoke is a show - 6:00 PM news, morning news, radio, etc. They get to stay together within a group, but the people up here [in the hub] see everything that’s going on.” The screens within the hub are connected to an Exterity IPTV backbone. “We spent a lot of time getting that right,” says Sparke. “Whatever you can think of, we can get it in here. We can put it into multi-view, we can have it as a single, you bring it down and listen to it if you want to. It’s on our own internal, closed-loop system on our IP backbone which is very flexible.”
9News’ Sydney Hub and Spoke newsroom.
Adjacent to the Hub are the news ingest area and news editing suites. Throughout the building, Nine has around 36 dedicated craft editing suites and over 60 additional editors’ workstations equipped Avid Media Composer. Two production asset management systems (PAMs) are used for both, the news and postproduction departments. In order to deliver material from one system to the other and seamlessly use content from the other system and other departments, the PAM media is stored in an Avid NEXIS storage system. Cutters and editors can access the central media asset management system (MAM) from both the news and postproduction departments as it is integrated to both production environments.
NEWS OPERATIONS
For the new postproduction workflow, all nonsport content is ingested into the central MAM and subsequently forwarded on to the PAM in a second step. With the MAM as the central point of ingest, departmental production efficiencies improve: It saves storage and unnecessary media transfers between the systems.
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EVS technology is at the heart of the live production ecosystem. News ingest and studio production use interconnected EVS server technology, directly integrated into the Avid production environment for fast and secure production and turnaround. Sport, because it’s mostly live, will be ingesting most media directly into the EVS live production servers. Other sport ingest, camera cards, drone chips, etc. go into the PAM via Woody Technologies’ media processing platform. Files from external sources such as agency files are processed automatically where possible. Manual ingest is implemented via Woody in2it, an intelligent multi-format ingest and indexing tool. The lightweight Woody tools enhance and simplify the user operations and add easy to use functionality directly integrated into
9News Sydney ingest area.
the Avid system environment. The MAM is used for archiving purposes. A new newsroom concept is the HTML5-based Avid plugin for Avid MediaCentral | Cloud UX, with which MediaCentral can directly communicate with ENPS or any other newsroom software that supports HTML5. It is essentially a minimised version of MediaCentral | Cloud UX that operates from within ENPS and lets journalists browse and edit clips. A key functionality is the ability to create a placeholder in the ENPS rundown as a Media Object Server (MOS) item and send the sequence to the playout server. The Avid MediaCentral publisher app also enables fast and efficient publication to all of Channel Nine’s social media channels and to the VMS, allowing Nine Network to be online with breaking news in a very short time. As for content archiving, Nine Network is now able to store assets in two different ways: flattened assets saved into a single layer, or discrete assets. For sequences which may require
subsequent re-editing, video and audio tracks can be stored separately. GTV Melbourne, QTQ Brisbane, STW Perth and NWS Adelaide will remain on their existing systems, but they will access material in Sydney via Avid MediaCentral | Cloud UX. The new post-production and news workflows also improve Channel Nine’s collaboration capabilities. Channel Nine’s parliamentary office in Canberra, nearly 300km away, thus becomes a de facto part of the newsroom in Sydney. Editors in Canberra can now directly access and edit remotely all media content stored in Sydney via Avid MediaCentral | Cloud UX. This is because the Canberra bureau needs to retain its editorial independence in order to produce their own on-air clips. These clips are also ingested directly to Sydney and also broadcast from that location, and all baseband signals needed in Canberra are played out in Sydney and redirected to Canberra.
NEWS OPERATIONS
Coalition to Develop Authenticity Tracing for Online Content THE BBC, ADOBE, ARM, INTEL, MICROSOFT AND TRUEPIC have established a coalition to develop an end-to-end, open standard for tracing the origin and evolution of digital content. The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) is a Joint Development Foundation project established to address the prevalence of disinformation, misinformation and online content fraud through developing technical standards for certifying the source and history or provenance of media content. C2PA member organisations will work together to develop content provenance specifications for common asset types and formats to enable publishers, creators and consumers to trace the origin and evolution of a piece of media, including images, videos, audio and documents. These technical specifications will include defining what information is associated with each type of asset, how that information is presented and stored, and how evidence of tampering can be identified. The C2PA’s open standard will give platforms a method to preserve and read provenance-based digital content. Because an open standard can be adopted by any online platform, it is critical to scaling trust across the internet. In addition to the inclusion of varied media types at scale, C2PA is driving an end-to-end provenance
experience from the capturing device to the information consumer. Collaboration with chipmakers, news organizations, and software and platform companies is also seen as critical to facilitate a comprehensive provenance standard and drive broad adoption across the content ecosystem. The formation of the C2PA brings together founding members of the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) and the Microsoftand BBC-led Project Origin, unifying technical specifications under a single entity. The CAI is building a system to provide provenance and history for digital media, giving creators a tool to claim authorship and empowering consumers to evaluate whether what they are seeing is trustworthy. Project Origin has its roots in the production and distribution of news. The effort has focused on tackling disinformation in the digital news ecosystem by attaching signals to a piece of content to demonstrate its integrity and making this information available to those using it. With the foundation of the C2PA, technical standards will be unified while these two entities continue to pursue adoption, prototyping and education within their respective communities. The C2PA announcement builds on several recent advances in content provenance, including Project Origin’s efforts to develop a
pipeline for signalling, certification and tracking the history of news content; the CAI’s firstever end-to-end demonstration of provenance for captured media online; and Truepic’s development of the first native integration of hardware-secured photo capture smartphone technology. According to Jatin Aythora, Chief Architect, BBC, “It’s vital that news providers play a part in the battle against disinformation. We welcome the opportunity to participate in the C2PA provenance work, which has the potential to support audience confidence in news at a time when trusted sources of information are more important than ever.” Jeffrey McGregor, CEO of Truepic, adds, “Truepic was founded on the principle that provenancebased media authenticity is the only viable, scalable long-term solution to restoring trust in what we see online. We firmly believe that ecosystemwide adoption through an open standard is crucial to the long-term health of the internet. The C2PA will streamline the distribution of high-integrity digital content at scale, a vital step in restoring society’s shared sense of reality.” Companies interested in joining the C2PA can apply through membership@c2pa.org.
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NEWS OPERATIONS
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NEWS OPERATIONS
Quicklink Adds to Contribution Workflow with Hybrid Switcher QUICKLINK, THE PROVIDER of hardware and software solutions for video and audio contribution, has completed its professional contribution workflow with the launch of an all-in-one hybrid switcher: an easy to use, end-to-end broadcast-grade solution which combines the power of the cloud, and the costeffectiveness of a single hardware unit. The STS410 (Hybrid Switcher) combines three main elements to allow the user to achieve a full production workflow. A rack-mount server, an easy-to-use software which integrates all the tools needed to build, edit and customise your production and a cloud-based controller for scene and source selection. Quicklink’s STS410 complimented with the Quicklink Manager creates a complete end-to-
end workflow including tools such as conference and waiting/green rooms for multiple participants, automatic cloud mix-minus, the ability to stream to multiple concurrent services such as Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo Live or RTMP, and simultaneously record the discrete individual channels and program output for post-production flexibility. The cloudbased Controller enables control of scene and source selection from any location using any desktop, mobile, tablet device.
TVU NETWORKS, the provider of cloud and IP-based live video solutions, has announced the TVU Anywhere SDK, a free software development kit for the TVU Anywhere live IP video streaming app. With the new TVU Anywhere SDK, developers can add reliable, high-quality, low-latency live video transmission to an iOS or Android app, which makes it easy for reporters, viewers, and fans to contribute live video for programming. The TVU Anywhere SDK is ideal for developers involved in app creation for broadcasters, news outlets, sports teams, or any other organisation involved in live video production. It allows them to integrate TVU Anywhere into an existing app, which adds a robust live streaming element compatible with the TVU Networks ecosystem including TVU Receivers, TVU Grid, TVU Producer, and more. For example, a broadcaster can add TVU Anywhere into their app, allowing reporters and crews to stream live video of breaking news directly from the field without a separate camera or uplink equipment. Viewers can also become citizen journalists and serve as an extension of the station’s reporting force, using the app to provide exclusive footage of local breaking news or events. Beyond broadcast news, sports franchises can allow loyal fans to become part of the action by transmitting live footage through their app from home, social gatherings, or inside the venue for game-day scoreboard display or live programs. Live transmissions feed directly into the TVU ecosystem, providing compatibility with TVU Grid for IP video distribution. Plus, the live footage is compatible with TVU hardware devices, such as TVU Receivers and TVU Servers, as well as cloud-based solutions including TVU Producer, TVU MediaMind, and TVU Transcriber. The TVU Anywhere app features an intuitive user interface as well as robust features for professional results. With TVU’s patented IS+ protocol, TVU Anywhere provides reliable, low-latency transmission for live coverage, even in extreme conditions. It automatically bonds a mobile device’s available cellular and WiFi connections to provide maximum bandwidth and connection redundancy.
NEWS OPERATIONS
Visit www.quicklink.tv
According to Richard Rees, CEO of Quicklink, “The STS410 is designed to be simple and intuitive to use. We wanted to ensure that full control and customisation options are available allowing our customers to create a
Free SDK for TVU Networks’ Anywhere App
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professional-looking production. You are able to have full control over the design of your scenes with custom tiling options, graphic overlays and lower thirds. For ease of use, we have carefully developed pre-set templates.”
TVU Anywhere SDK is the newest member of the TVU family of APIs. Previous APIs for TVU MediaMind, TVU Transceiver, TVU Grid, and TVU IS+ allow integration with the TVU ecosystem of acquisition, production, transcoding, storage, management, analytics, and distribution solutions. The TVU Anywhere SDK, along with complete instructions, is available via www.tvunetworks.com/tvu-developer
Brainstorm Integrates AR Workflows with Sony BRC Cameras BRAINSTORM, THE DEVELOPER of real-time 3D graphics and virtual studio solutions, has announced the direct integration of its InfinitySet with Sony’s BRC camera line-up, including the BRC-H800, BRC-X400 and BRC-X1000. This integration provides Augmented Reality (AR) and virtual set applications with the combination of Brainstorm’s virtual set and AR experience with Sony’s cost-effective and easy-to-use PTZ cameras. InfinitySet can receive the video and tracking information from the Sony cameras and render the virtual scene or the AR objects in realtime, even using photorealistic rendering and Unreal Engine, which creates a stunning visual experience for the viewers, affordable at the same time for any kind of production facility or broadcaster. Brainstorm also allows the Sony camera remote control RM-IP500 to direct InfinitySet’s virtual cameras. In combination with InfinitySet, the BRC X400 and X1000 are a powerful solution for enhancing storytelling and providing in-context AR graphics from external data sources, due to the advanced features of InfintySet. The resulting workflow brings advanced AR to companies of any size and budget, by providing a PTZ tracking workflow that avoids the hassle of more complex tracking systems. According to Thierry Gonzalo, Brainstorm’s Product Manager, “Our seamless integration with the Sony BRC camera line-up provides companies of any size to accomplish projects involving virtual sets and AR requirements, by using the PTZ tracking data and exceptional image quality from such cameras. Also, our ability to allow the Sony camera control to command InfinitySet’s production mode permits live production operators with no experience in virtual environments to run any virtual or AR show with total ease.” Visit www.brainstorm3d.com
Inception v15 from Ross ROSS HAS ANNOUNCED that V15 of its Inception newsroom computer system (NRCS) and social media management tool is now available. This latest release includes a range of new features, with a focus on two key areas: • Assignment Manager Enhancements – Several new features have been added to the Assignment Manager to help improve planning, including the introduction of duration-based, all day and multi-day events. There is also improved visibility of timing information for content created in the Assignment Manager as well as increased search capabilities to allow for better planning and communication. • MOS Device Permissions – Version 15 adds the option to set user permissions by MOS device, meaning that some users may be able to create and modify MOS objects for all configured devices while other users can now be given more limited access. This allows for more granularity in workflows and is especially powerful in an Enterprise environment where multiple teams may be using the same Inception instance. Customers with an active software maintenance agreement should contact the Ross Technical Support team to schedule their upgrade to V15. Visit www.rossvideo.com
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM Telestream Acquires Masstech to Create MAM Powerhouse
TELESTREAM, THE DEVELOPER OF media workflow orchestration, media streaming and delivery technologies, and a portfolio company of Genstar Capital, has become the industry’s pre-eminent provider of media asset management solutions following its recently announced acquisition of Masstech, the provider of hybrid cloud-based storage and asset lifecycle management solutions.
The move marks Telestream’s 10th acquisition and comes shortly after its purchase of EcoDigital, the digital archiving company which had purchased Oracle’s Digital Media Solutions business and DIVA Content Storage Management product line. Oracle had previously acquired the DIVA Content Storage Management product line as part of its September 2014 acquisition of the developer of the platform, Front Porch Digital. According to Telestream, the combination of Masstech and Ecodigital within the company makes it a leading supplier to the content storage/ management segment of the M&E market with over 1000 active customer systems in operation worldwide. “Telestream has effectively rolled-up the archive management sector in less than six months through the acquisitions of DIVA and Masstech. The real winners are the customers since a company of Telestream’s scale is likely to bring stability to the archive management sector through greater investments in both R&D and enhanced service and support,” commented industry analyst Joe Zaller, Founder of Devoncroft Partners. All the resources of Masstech have been transferred to Telestream. The company’s engineering and product management functions are integrated within Telestream’s Content Management Business Unit, led by Geoff Tognetti who joined the company with the EcoDigital acquisition. The priority
for this team will be to combine the best intellectual property from Masstech and EcoDigital DIVA in one product. Masstech’s support team, sales and presales teams will join Telestream’s global customer sales and support network. “Following the EcoDigital acquisition, this investment decision made natural sense and it is strategic in its very nature,” commented Dan Castles, CEO and CoFounder of Telestream. “The knowledge base gained through the Masstech acquisition is complementary to what we have been doing and want to do in this area. “This transaction brings together nearly two Exabytes of M&E content under the management of Telestream products in over 1000 operational systems. With this market leadership comes a critical responsibility to work with our customers as they navigate a hybrid operating environment with assets on premise and in the cloud,” Castles concluded. Visit www.gencap.com, www.masstech.com and www.telestream.net
Telestream CEO Dan Castles, “This transaction brings together nearly two Exabytes of M&E content under the management of Telestream products in over 1000 operational systems.”
AWS Launches Second Full Region in Japan AMAZON WEB SERVICES has announced the launch of a second full region in Japan, the AWS Asia Pacific (Osaka) Region. The region is an expansion of the existing AWS Osaka Local Region, which opened to select customers in February 2018. The new region consists of three Availability Zones (AZs) and joins the existing 25 Availability Zones in eight AWS Regions across Asia Pacific in Beijing, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Ningxia, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo. Globally, AWS has 80 Availability Zones across 25 geographic regions, with plans to launch 15 more Availability Zones and five more AWS
Regions in Australia, India, Indonesia, Spain, and Switzerland.
we’re excited to deliver on those requests,”
Users can leverage the new AWS Asia Pacific (Osaka) Region to run their applications locally, serve end-users across Asia with lower latency, and access the broadest and deepest suite of services available in the cloud.
Global Infrastructure and Customer Support,
“We launched the AWS Osaka Local Region to help select customers run specific workloads in western Japan. Since then, customers have asked AWS to launch a second full region with multiple Availability Zones and broad service selection in the country, and today
ability to architect workloads across multiple
said Peter DeSantis, Senior Vice President of AWS. “Together with the AWS Asia Pacific (Tokyo) Region, the AWS Asia Pacific (Osaka) Region provides customers with even lower latency to end users in Japan, as well as the Availability Zones and multiple regions in Japan for even greater fault tolerance, resiliency, and availability.” https://amzn.to/2Pm5gBH
Microsoft to Establish First Datacenter Region in Indonesia “We’re proud to support Indonesian businesses and governments in their move to the trusted cloud with Microsoft. Over the last 26 years, we have been empowering industries across Indonesia and preparing Indonesians with future ready skills to improve their employability. This announcement validates our Berdayakan Ekonomi Digital Indonesia initiative, to empower every person and every organisation in Indonesia to achieve more. With more than 150 employees and 7000 partners across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands, Microsoft’s significant presence in Indonesia has actively supported the startup community and
ecosystem,” said Haris Izmee, President Director for Microsoft Indonesia. With the new datacenter region, Indonesia will join the world’s largest cloud infrastructure with over 60 datacenter regions announced to date. Businesses of all sizes and industries will have access to Microsoft Azure at launch. The new datacenter region will feature Azure Availability Zones, which are unique physical locations equipped with independent power, network and cooling for additional tolerance to datacenter failures. Visit www.microsoft.com
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM
MICROSOFT HAS ANNOUNCED its Berdayakan Ekonomi Digital Indonesia initiative, which it says marks a significant commitment to advancing growth and digital transformation for Indonesia. As part of the plan, Microsoft will establish its first datacenter region in Indonesia to deliver cloud services locally, with data security, privacy, and the ability to store data in country. Microsoft also announced plans to skill an additional 3 million Indonesians to achieve its goal of empowering over 24 million Indonesians by the end of 2021, through its skills programs designed to create inclusive economic opportunities in the digital era.
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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM
Masstech Enhances Kumulate Video Storage Management MASSTECH HAS UNVEILED the latest generation of its Kumulate video storage management platform which comes with a new set of features and enhanced modules that make video storage and content management simpler, more intuitive and cost effective. The next-gen Kumulate platform is underpinned with a new database and architectural structure, and features an enhanced REST API to improve communication between Kumulate modules, the Kumulate core platform and thhird-party services for seamless workflow creation. In addition, the containerised structure of Kumulate v2, along with microservices architecture will offer enhanced on-demand scalability, in whatever cloud or hybrid environment customers prefer, as their storage and content processing requirements dictate. Kumulate’s modular design lets users start with the core storage management functionality and add modules at their own pace, adapting to new revenue streams as required. The latest Workflow Orchestrator module has a revamped interface, with new drag-and-drop templates for quick workflow creation, including dedicated migration templates for those looking to move video assets and archives to new cloud environments.
New analytics and modelling modules improve reporting and planning and the recently released Kumulate Gateway and Kumulate Gallery modules improve automation and monetisation opportunities. In addition to improved storage & media management, Kumulate now supports hashing for cloud transfers, keeping content secure as it moves across storage tiers. Additional support is now included for transcode formats such as OpenEXR, as well as improved integrations with Avid MediaCentral and Adobe solutions. Kumulate v2 also features deeper integration with AI and Machine Learning solutions from cloud providers such as AWS and Azure, to allow integration of cognitive services including speech-to-text and facial recognition into standard workflows.
Kumulate users will also experience a refreshed next-generation interface, with intuitive details such as drag-and-drop functionality for easier platform configuration and storage location control. Masstech is also offering Kumulate customers capex and opex agility. The Kumulate platform is now available via subscription and SaaS models, allowing customers to add modules and services to adapt to new revenue streams. www.telestream.net
Uptick in LTO-Tape Use Expected with New Recording Method DESPITE CHALLENGING MARKET conditions, the usage of FUJIFILM LTO has grown steadily over the past year as the technology behind magnetic tapes has continued to improve and become more efficient. According to Professor Shin-ichi Ohkoshi of the University of Tokyo, the latest development in magnetic tape technology will see magnetic tapes with 10 times the current capacities within five to 10 years. Although they are slower to access than other storage devices, digital tapes have very high storage densities. More information can be kept on a tape than other devices of similar sizes, and they can also be more cost effective. Professor Shin-ichi Ohkoshi from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tokyo and his team have developed a magnetic material which, together with a special process to access it, can offer greater storage densities than ever. The robust nature of the material means that the data would last for longer than with other mediums,
and the novel process operates at low power. The system would also be very cheap to run. “Our new magnetic material is called epsilon iron oxide, it is particularly suitable for long-term digital storage,” said Ohkoshi. “When data is written to it, the magnetic states that represent bits become resistant to external stray magnetic fields that might otherwise interfere with the data. We say it has a strong magnetic anisotropy. Of course, this feature also means that it is harder to write the data in the first place; however, we have a novel approach to that part of the process too.” The recording process relies on high-frequency millimetre waves in the region of 30-300 gigahertz, or billions of cycles per second. These high frequency waves are directed at strips of epsilon iron oxide, which is an excellent absorber of such waves. When an external magnetic field is applied, the epsilon iron oxide allows its magnetic direction, which represents either a binary 1 or 0, to flip in the presence of the high-frequency
waves. Once the tape has passed by the recording head where this takes place, the data is then locked into the tape until it is overwritten. Epsilon iron oxide may also find uses beyond magnetic recording tape. The frequencies it absorbs well for recording purposes are also the frequencies that are intended for use in nextgeneration cellular communication technologies beyond 5G. “We knew early on that millimetre waves should theoretically be capable of flipping magnetic poles in epsilon iron oxide. But, since it’s a newly observed phenomenon, we had to try various methods before finding one that worked,” said Ohkoshi. “Although the experiments were very difficult and challenging, the sight of the first successful signals was incredibly moving. I anticipate we will see magnetic tapes based on our new technology with 10 times the current capacities within five to 10 years.” Visit https://www.fujifilm.com.au
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM
LWKS’ QScan with HDR Measurement
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LWKS Software Ltd has announced a new version of its QScan automated quality control software. QScan 2021 introduces advanced High Dynamic Range (HDR) measurements for the first time into the media compliance process, and also features a new, easier to use web-based GUI. QScan’s new Advanced HDR Measurements software offers users a more sophisticated quality control process by providing access to a higher level of analytical detail from their output. For the first time, users can now easily measure underlying video levels in HDR content, compare
different versions, and check IMF compliance or any user defined analysis parameters, all within the simplified QScan interface. The new intuitive GUI has been redesigned with ease of use, clarity and accessibility in mind. Technical and occasional users can access and move between QScan’s toolset and third-party applications in a faster and more streamlined fashion. Additionally, LWKS is making QScan 2021 available via a new cost-effective pay-as-you-go pricing model which enables content creators to access leading-edge quality control features according to
their project-by-project requirements. “This is the second major software release from LWKS within four months of our formation which proves our commitment to our rapidly growing community of creatives and content publishers,” said Peter Lambert, CEO, LWKS Software. “Following a similar pricing model to our Lightworks NLE, QScan is now available for free for entry level users, or via an attractively priced monthly, yearly or outright purchase plan.” QScan 2021 is available now, as a download, from www.lwks.com
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM
Rohde & Schwarz Expands SpycerNode Storage Family ROHDE & SCHWARZ has announced the introduction of a new member of its SpycerNode media storage family. Completely Ethernetbased, the R&S SpycerNode SC targets the storage requirements of both broadcast and post production workflows. SpycerNode SC is designed to fulfil the requirements of modern post production teams, where performance is a higher priority than redundancy, but reliability, compact design and affordability are key requirements. Based on the latest HPC technology SpycerNode SC is capable of delivering a data rate of up to 22GB/s within a single device. Rohde & Schwarz production asset management software, SpycerPAM, can run natively on SpycerNode SC eliminating the need for separate infrastructure or further interoperation. All SpycerNode products use 100 Gb ethernet connectivity to enable both SAN and NAS operation within a single system. Ease of set-up, ease of integration and ease of maintenance were key design goal to reduce IT complexity or intervention.
“Creative teams need to collaborate without fear of technology limitations dictating awkward workflows,” commented Andreas Loges, Vice President Media Technologies at Rohde & Schwarz. “The powerful, unique performance and redundancy features of SpycerNode SC ensures that talented content creators can access assets fast and work with confidence.” SpycerNode SC can accommodate up to 60 drives configurable in sets of 30 spinning or flash. Fully equipped the net capacity in a single unit is 800 TB spinning or 430 TB flash. SpycerNode SC can perform as a stand-alone
unit or configurable within larger clusters of a SpycerNode system. Using Rohde & Schwarz’s metro cluster technology, SpycerNodeSC can be used in environments with high redundancy requirements, such as broadcast production and playout workflows. Visit www.rohde-schwarz.com
Mediaproxy Adds Zixi and SRT Capability to LogServer MEDIAPROXY HAS UPGRADED its flagship logging and monitoring system to work with both the Zixi and SRT formats. This allows LogServer to be used by OTT service operators running low latency streams, an important feature for more efficient, fully interactive viewer experiences. Zixi is a software-defined live streaming platform designed to produce a broadcast-quality service over any IP network, protocol, cloud provider or edge device, with the added benefit of low latency. The company’s Software-Defined Video Platform (SDVP) is aimed at operators looking to launch digital OTT networks or migrate their workflows to the cloud. It can also be used in planning for satellite contract expiration, entering new markets, signing up new MPVDs (Multichannel Video Programming Distributors), providing new distribution paths to reach new audiences, expanding brand content and offering localised and mass customisation. SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) is an opensource video transport protocol based on UDP (User Datagram Protocol) technology. It is able to deliver high-quality, secure, low-latency video over the public internet by optimising streaming
performance across unpredictable networks using secure streams and easy firewall traversal. In this way SRT can account for packet loss, jitter and fluctuating bandwidth, while at the same time maintaining video integrity and quality. The protocol is developed and promoted by the SRT Alliance, which includes prominent broadcast and media companies such as Avid, Microsoft, Telestream, Evertz and Red Bee Media among its members. Mediaproxy recently joined the Alliance, which will give the company the opportunity to further develop its LogServer monitoring and analysis technology for low latency OTT applications. According to Mediaproxy chief technology officer, John O’Halloran, “Low latency streaming is becoming more important for live internet
sources. Having native support for both Zixi and SRT protocols in LogServers will allow customers to take advantage of our advanced toolsets for compliance, monitoring and analysis. We are also very pleased to now be a member of the SRT Alliance and hope we can make a contribution to the good work that has already been done in the development of low latency, open-source video transport systems.” Visit www.mediaproxy.com
Cloud-based Motion Compensated Standards Conversion
Dalet AmberFin Cloud Transcoder Service is a SaaS-based, high quality media processing service with robust media packaging and distribution capabilities for post-production and broadcast workflows. The solution includes every feature from the on-premises version of Dalet AmberFin, with tools beyond simple media conversions, ensuring media professionals have access to image scaling, standards conversions, cut/ splice, caption conversion, audio normalisation,
localization versioning, IMF creation and submission, and HDR conversions. Dalet AmberFin Cloud Transcoder Service can be accessed via a public cloud managed service environment or deployed as a scalable container-based service inside a customer’s existing private cloud infrastructure. Frame rate conversion is an essential requirement for any content owner wanting to monetise material domestically and internationally. A high quality, motion compensated standards converter is the only solution for handling the multiple formats and frame rates needed for content distribution. With integration of FrameFormer from InSync Technology, top quality, motion
compensated standards conversion is now available within the Dalet AmberFin SaaS solution. “FrameFormer is becoming a popular choice for on-demand standards conversion. Customers have told us that FrameFormer delivers superior results for all types of content, from sub-QCIF up to 8K and beyond,” said Managing Director of InSync Technology Paola Hobson. “Dalet finds that InSync’s FrameFormer technology provides best in class, motion compensated standards conversion for SD/HD/ UHD content at a price/performance ratio that is unmatched in the industry,” said Eric Carson, Director of Dalet AmberFin Product Strategy. Visit www.insync.tv
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM
InSync Technology and Dalet have announced a new service offering – FrameFormer motion compensated frame rate conversion on demand via the industry leading Dalet AmberFin Cloud Transcoder Service SaaS solution.
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POST PRODUCTION www.content-technology.com/postproduction
Tokyo’s Atelier Arte Goes 12G-SDI with AJA WHILE LEGACY 3G-SDI infrastructures are adequate for HD production and delivery, commercial post facilities like Tokyo-based ATELIER ARTE are seeking the latest 4K/ UltraHD and 12G-SDI solutions to futureproof workflows and scale to handle higher bandwidth content. ATELIER ARTE, the post-production arm of Japanese advertising creative services provider ADK Creative One, recently teamed with technology partner Visual Graphics Inc. (VGI) to overhaul its existing postproduction infrastructure with a new and robust system capable of handling 4K and HD content simultaneously with streamlined single-cable 12G-SDI transport. “We’ve never had 4K-compatible equipment in our editing rooms before, because 70% of our projects are currently television commercials for HD broadcast,” said Takeshi Yamamoto, Editor, ATELIER ARTE. “Our decision to build a hybrid 4K/HD production environment better positions our studio for bidding and accepting offers on higher-end 4K and HDR projects in the future.” Prior to the overhaul, the team relied on a primary 3G-SDI workflow for HD content. VGI was enlisted as a tech partner and systems integrator to develop and install a modern system that was customized to meet the requirements of the facility layout and creative tools used by the post-production staff. A critical requirement when designing the updated system was compatibility with Autodesk Flame, one of the studio’s main tools for compositing, editing, color correction and finishing. ATELIER ARTE’s upgraded post facility debuted in 2020, featuring a range of AJA 12G-SDI solutions to simplify routing, conversion and
transmission of high bandwidth 4K signals. Central to operations is AJA’s KUMO 1616-12G compact router, which powers routing and distribution of 12G-SDI input signals to multiple output destinations around the studio. KUMO 1616-12G enables editors to operate 12G-SDI signals intuitively, with simple control of both 4K and HD video sources using a single button or via a convenient web-browser UI. Each of the facility’s three Flame Premium editorial suites are outfitted with an AJA KONA 5 PCIe I/O card, which supports the highest fidelity HDR, HFR and 4K/UltraHD content via 12G-SDI. KONA 5 transmits the Flame’s output to the central KUMO 1616-12G router. For signal conversions and extending 12G-SDI signals over fiber, ADK Creative One incorporated a range of AJA’s robust and portable Mini-Converters into the upgraded facility infrastructure. AJA Hi5-12G converters were added to each of the six editorial rooms for converting 12G-SDI signals to HDMI, in order to display projects on 4K HDR monitors for review and client previews. A pair of AJA FiDO-T-12G
and two FiDO-R-12G converters were installed to transport 12G-SDI signals via fiber, used for sharing signals over long distances between editorial rooms and to an EIZO ColorEdge reference monitor for review purposes. “AJA gear has an excellent reputation for reliability, and in the event of failure, AJA offers full repair services to ensure minimal downtime to keep our operations stable and up-andrunning,” said Kosuke Yamada, Data Manager, ATELIER ARTE. ATELIER ARTE’s upgraded facilities enable editors to transition seamlessly between working with 4K and HD content, increasing overall productivity and removing workflow bottlenecks encountered with the previous system. Visit: www.aja.com/solutions/12g
China’s iQIYI Adopts Interoperable Master Format for 4K Production
CHINESE ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT service iQIYI Inc. has become the first Chinese streaming platform to use the Interoperable Master Format (IMF) for distribution of its new 4K drama series, To Be With You.
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According to the company, it delivered the 4K production-based series with the use of IMF, “… retaining the picture quality of 4K shooting and production as much as possible and thus delivering clearer and finer visual and aural experience”.
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Pioneering the use and promotion of IMF in China, iQIYI says it is leading the way in building a standard process system covering shooting, production, and delivery. The Company has also joined hands with film and television companies, production studios, and other partners to promote IMF use to enhance content delivery and accelerate the “industrialisation of domestic film and television production”.
Developed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) as an evolution of the Digital Cinema Package (DCP) architecture, IMF is a component-based media format that supports the encapsulation of multi-version and multi-format video and multi-lingual, multitrack audio. IMF standardises the master format and production process for the distribution and application of different contents in different fields. IMF ensures that the process of highquality content production, file interoperability, and version control is convenient and manageable, making it easier to reuse content and reducing the cost of manual labour and other resources. With IMF, content providers can provide efficient cross-platform and multidomain content exchange, distribution, and archiving. In terms of picture quality, IMF uses JPEG2000 for high-quality video encoding, and uncompressed audio to retain maximum detail
in sounds and pictures. At the same time, IMF not only fully supports available high-quality video and audio formats such as 4K, HDR, wide colour gamut (WCG), high frame rate, and immersive audio, but is also compatible with advanced formats that may emerge in the future. During the QC process of To Be With You, picture issues such as stains and flickering were detected. In contrast with the traditional method of outputting the whole video again, IMF allowed creation of a supplemental package with only corrected images included. The company says its adoption of IMF is “… in line with its ethos of using cutting-edge technology to deliver the ultimate experience to its users. Through this innovative approach, iQIYI has been able to cement its place as the leading online entertainment service in China.” Visit www.qiyi.com
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Remote Workstations for the Discerning Artists By Michelle Brenner, Senior Software Engineer, Studio Infrastructure, Netflix
Netflix Workstations are remote workstations that allow content creators to get to work wherever they are. As an engineer, I can work anywhere with a standard laptop as long as I have an IDE (integrated development environment) and access to Stack Overflow. However, the artists creating stunning visual effects and animations for Netflix Originals need more than that. They need specialised hardware, access to petabytes of images, and digital content creation applications with controlled licenses. Historically artists had these machines built for them at their desks and only had access to the data and applications when they were in the office. With global demand for talent skyrocketing, we want the flexibility to hire anyone, anywhere. One of our first partners for the Netflix Workstations is NetFX, a cloudbased VFX platform that enables artists and creators worldwide to collaborate on Netflix VFX content. Now that you know why, here is how we did it. Below is a broad technical overview of how to go from an AWS instance to a Netflix Workstation.
configurations and did not need maximum flexibility. Instead, we created a service to take the most popular configurations and cache them. Now, artists can get a new workstation in seconds.
Software Configuration: Salt Today, there are around 100 different packages that can configure a workstation, from installing software to editing a registry. How did we get here? We needed a system that could manage hundreds to one-day thousands of workstations. It needed to be extremely flexible while easy to jump in and create new packages. That is where SaltStack comes in. We use Salt to make operating system agnostic declarative statements about how to configure a workstation. It has many built-in modules, from installing a package to editing the registry. It also allows for logic statements to handle situations such as mount this storage in this environment only or only run this script if this file does not exist. This salt formula example is the equivalent of running a “yum install sis-lighting-10_1” in the terminal. centos7_lighting_install: pkg.installed:
- name: sis-lighting-10_1
Artist Experience We want the artists to be able to start their workday quickly. They simply select a previously created configuration, wait a few seconds to prepare, and jump right in via their browser.
Machine Configuration: Spinnaker
Starting at the left of the chart, Spinnaker is an open-source platform that controls the creation of workstation pools. Spinnaker uses “pipelines” as instructions for creating the pools. An API in conjunction with variables in the pipeline creates Workstation pools programmatically. Artists need many components to be customised. They could need a GPU when doing graphics-intensive work or extra-large storage to handle file management. Some artists needed Centos 7 to support their compositing software, while others required Windows to use their pre-visualisation software. To minimise lag, the workstations need to be as close to the artist as possible, so we support a growing list of regions and zones. Initially, we created big pools of workstations that only had the OS and a few internal tools. When the artist requested a workstation, all software was installed just-in-time. That led to long wait times and unhappy artists. Most artists were requesting a handful of standard
to provide observability into a workstation. Part of that is being able to track a workstation’s lifecycle. A gRPC Java Spring Boot control plane and a Golang agent manages and reports on the lifecycle. The lifecycle has many steps, but they fall into three main categories: before login, the artist is working, and the artist is done. Before login, we use Spinnaker & Salt to configure and have free rein to make all necessary changes. While the artist uses the workstation, we track the health but avoid making changes that could disrupt their work. We recommend that artists get new workstations frequently to have the latest updates, but we can use Salt to deploy quick fixes if necessary.
‘ Netflix Workstations are remote workstations that allow content creators to get to work wherever they are. As an engineer, I can work anywhere with a standard laptop as long as I have an IDE (integrated development environment) and access to Stack Overflow ’
Looking Ahead
While this is the quickest way to get started, there are a few remote display options. The artist can use the browser to see the desktop, or application streaming. Application streaming simplifies the experience to the single artist tool they need. They could also skip the browser and use a native client on their desktop. As with any new technology, the experience is not always bug-free. With our front-line support teams’ help, we are responsible for monitoring and quickly fixing any artists’ issues. We rely on our internal partner teams to support components installed on the workstation, such as storage and artist tools. They depend on us
We’ve made it easier for artists to create content remotely. However, we are only at the beginning of creating on-demand, secure, self-service remote workstations. We are looking to the future where Netflix Workstations are a platform for technical artists to make their own configurations. Where we can gather and analyse the usage data to create efficiencies and automation. Where an artist anywhere in the world can focus on their art and not on their commute. There is more work to be done, and if you want to be a part of it, we are growing! This article first appeared on Netflix Tech Blog, written by Michelle Brenner. Visit https://bit.ly/39JrFQD
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NETFLIX IS POISED to become the world’s most prolific producer of visual effects and original animated content. To meet that demand, we need to attract the world’s best artistic talent. Artists like to work at places where they can create ground-breaking entertainment instead of worrying about getting access to the software or source files they need. To meet this need, the Studio Infrastructure team has created Netflix Workstations.
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Autodesk Accelerates Workflows Across Creative Tools
AUTODESK HAS UNVEILED updates to Maya, 3ds Max, and MotionBuilder, bringing artists throughout the creative pipeline powerful new tools that accelerate and streamline their workflows.
Among these updates is the muchanticipated USD plugin for Maya. First announced at SIGGRAPH 2018 as a joint effort with Pixar, Animal Logic, Luma Pictures, and Blue Sky Studios, USD is now seamlessly integrated in Maya, enabling artists to load and edit massive datasets at lightning speed. Maya’s animation, modelling, and rendering toolsets also see significant updates, bringing even more power, flexibility, and creative freedom to the daily work of professional artists. With this update, Maya artists gain: Seamless USD Integration: Full USD integration allows artists to load multiple gigabytes of data within seconds and work directly with the data using Maya’s native tools. Robust referencing functionality, non-destructive data editing workflows, and support for complex variants on top of USD increase pipeline efficiency and collaboration and help teams scale for high-volume data workflows. Powerful Animation Tools: Animation tool updates help artists animate faster and in fewer clicks. A new Ghosting Editor allows artists to quickly see animation spacing over time, making it easier to pinpoint necessary edits and how poses work together in animations. Improvements to the Time Editor, including support for cached playback and additive animation clips, and new filters in the Graph Editor bring artists a smoother animation experience overall.
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Modern Rigging Workflows: This update introduces several procedural, topology-independent rigging workflows. Component Tags and Deformer Falloffs provide modern methods for defining membership and weighting, as well as seamlessly sharing that data between geometry and deformers. Maya’s extensive deformation toolset also gets bigger with new Solidify and Morph deformers.
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Community-Inspired Modelling Updates: A new Sweep Mesh tool enables artists to procedurally generate geometry and adjust attributes with a single click. Using the new Game Vertex Count plugin,
game artists are able to more accurately estimate how assets in Maya impact their in-game vertex count budgets before exporting them to game engines. Additional updates enhance the overall modelling experience and include pivot improvements; an upgraded extrude thickness tool; faster lasso selection; and match, translation, and scaling enhancements to provide artists with precise control over scene transforms. Fast and Flexible Rendering with Arnold 6.2: Standard in Maya, Arnold 6.2 introduces new imagers for light mixing, bloom effects, and denoising for an upgraded post-processing experience. Additional benefits include GPU improvements, enhanced USD support, and integration with OpenColorIO v2, enabling artists to take advantage of OCIO’s native implementation of ACES (Academy Color Encoding System) and processing improvements directly in Arnold.
Maya USD from Autodesk.
Python 3: Python 3 is the new default for Maya on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. Improved First Experience: A faster and more modern user experience offers reduced startup time and customisable preferences, splash screen improvements, and intuitive script editor enhancements that help artists work more efficiently and with greater control. The latest updates to 3ds Max optimize creative workflows with powerful new texture baking, modeling, and rendering capabilities as well as upgraded security features designed to protect scene integrity. Improved Protection Against Malicious Scripts: Security improvements powered by the Scene Security Tools plugin include Malware Removal that automatically detects and eliminates malicious scripts from scene files and startup scripts. Scene Script Execution offers further protection against malicious scripts embedded in 3ds Max scene files. Enhanced Workflow Efficiency: To help artists maximize time and productivity, new enhancements have been added to popular modeling tools, including the Relax Modifier, Smart Extrude, Slice Modifier, Extrude Modifier, Symmetry Modifier, and AutoSmooth tools. Arnold Rendering Upgrades:
Workflow improvements accelerate rendering processes, including a new render configuration window with faster QT-based UI; quicker and more responsive QT-based Quicksilver render settings; and the ability to sync Viewport bloom settings to Quicksilver settings. Working directly from the Arnold RenderView, artists can now relight images using light mixing, denoise images, and add bloom effects. Bake to Texture Improvements: Simplified navigation and selection of baked map types allow users to bake frequently used maps in a few clicks without requiring complex material setups. New Floating Viewport Features: All floating viewports can now be viewed full screen without a border using a simple hotkey shortcut. Finally, MotionBuilder gains a number of updates to help artists and developers work faster and more efficiently, without compromising creativity. Python 3: Python 3 is the new default for MotionBuilder on Windows and Linux. Developer-Focused Improvements: The MotionBuilder Python Command Line tool has
been significantly improved, opening the door to new capabilities like file processing and rendering from the Command Line. Additionally, the MotionBuilder API has been expanded based on developer feedback, it’s now easier to manage multiple script tabs in the Python Editor, and the startup experience can be customized to differentiate between different projects and tool versions. Workflow Enhancements: A slew of updates improve the overall animation experience and reduce the number of steps animators need to take to achieve the result they want. Among these updates is the ability to now visualize real Quaternion Rotation properties within the FCurve Editor, a new “Add to Body Part” property that simplifies the key framing process for character extensions, and time-saving updates in the Character Controls that reduce the number of actions required to expand IK auxiliaries when selecting individual effectors. Maya, 3ds Max, and MotionBuilder 2022 are available as standalone subscriptions or with the Autodesk Media & Entertainment Collection. Visit www.autodesk.com
AUDIO Digital soundwaves
www.content-technology.com/audio
Song Zu Acquired by Music Licensing Company Songtradr B2B MUSIC LICENSING MARKETPLACE Songtradr, has announced its acquisition of Song Zu, one of the most awarded music and sound design companies in the Asia Pacific. The multimillion dollar transaction marks Songtradr’s second major acquisition since completion of its Series C funding round in July 2020 where the company raised US$30M.
composition house and has such a rich history,” said Paul Wiltshire, CEO of Songtradr. “As we continue to expand into the APAC region, Song Zu is a natural fit and greatly complements our global music ecosystem.”
Song Zu was founded in 1977 by legendary Australian glam-rock guitarist Les Gock (of Hush fame). Since the business was sold by Gock in 2001, Song Zu has established studios in Sydney and Singapore, and works in all areas of sonic branding, including soundtracks for advertisements on TV and radio, online content, VR and installation spaces. In addition to working with Australia’s leading broadcasters, Song Zu works with renowned brands and media businesses from around the world including Netflix, HBO, Samsung, Coca-Cola, Google, Amazon, and Guinness, among others. It has repeatedly received international recognition for its work, garnering top awards such as the Gold Clios, Cannes Gold Lions, London International Awards (LIA) for Best Music and Sound Design Company of the Year, and more.
“We are well established in the APAC region and are looking forward to joining the Songtradr family, expanding our product offering and increasing our global footprint,” said Ian Lew, Managing Director and Partner of Song Zu. “Enhancing our initiatives with Songtradr’s technology is a truly exciting opportunity for us as our clients’ needs rapidly evolve.”
“Song Zu is the region’s leading custom music
“Bespoke music will always be at the heart of what we do,” said Ramesh Sathiah, Creative Director of Song Zu. “But having the resources of the Songtradr platform as well as the music licencing power of Big Sync, allows us to offer creative solutions with no boundaries.”
Song Zu will form part of Songtradr’s recently launched platform, ‘Vinyl by Songtradr’, alongside acquired companies, Big Sync Music and Cuesongs. ‘Vinyl by Songtradr’ is a techenhanced, human curated platform that gives users direct access to creative talent, commercial music licensing, as well as pre-cleared music, sonic branding, custom composition and more. Visit https://www.songzu.com and https://www.songtradr.com
PEARLBAY ‘Audio Super Hub’ Opens in Sri Lanka
Originally starting out as a standalone recording facility, Pearlbay Music Studio continues to offer a comprehensive, bespoke service tailored to the needs of the individual. Headed up by COO, musician and New York Institute of Audio Recording-trained audio engineer, Ranga Dasanayake, the studio quickly caught the attention of young, Sri Lankan artists. “We managed to create a concept, vibe and atmosphere that made them demand more,” says Chathura. The studio’s success among these creatives sparked the idea to develop the retail and education sides of the business. Pearlbay Studio customers wanted to continue making music at home using the same quality gear, and Pearlbay Music Store was born. Acting as agents for a number of leading professional audio brands (including Audient) a broad range of equipment is now available to buy.
Driven to inspire the next generation of producers, engineers and artists, Chathura opened Pearlbay Institute in December 2020. Rolling out an array of educational options for budding audio students, over 15 short courses are already on offer at certificate and diploma level.
Ranga Dasanaynake, Dean & COO of Pearlbay, with the company’s new Audient ASP8024-HE.
“We hope to introduce a Higher National Diploma within the first half of this year and the UK-accredited degree programs in Audio Engineering by September,” he explains, underlining the 12 students per class concept, ensuring every audio student gets the attention they need. “Pearlbay champions relevant and innovative training with our state-of-the-art facilities, expert staff, and professional opportunities. We want to equip students with the knowledge and skills to meet the demands of a perpetually evolving industry.” Each student has the chance to work at one of the 12 workstations (each with its own Audient iD4 audio interface) and, from an early stage in their training, even the main Audient desk. “All students from all courses – even at
beginners’ level – will get workshops and practical sessions on the ASP8024-HE. We want them to see the possibility regardless of their level of study,” says Chathura. Chathura has continued to work tirelessly to develop the complex into the ‘Audio Super Hub’ it is today. “We have managed to complete a beautiful, creative space packed with superior equipment, experts and a dynamic team. I hope this will be a turning point for the next generation,” he says. He is particularly proud to promote equal opportunities, highlighting the ‘Audient Scholarship for Women’ initiative to encourage more women into the audio industry. Visit www.pearlbaymusic.com and www.audient.com
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THE BRAINCHILD OF music enthusiast, microbiologist and entrepreneur Chathura Masinha, Pearlbay is Sri Lanka’s newest studio complex and creative hub. Providing recording and production services, education and equipment retail all under one roof, it is also home to the country’s first Audient ASP8024HE console. The British analogue desk serves at the heart of the commercial studio doubling up as a valuable educational tool and is heralded by Chathura as “a much-needed upgrade to our music industry.”
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Remote Audio Production DIRECTOUT AND VIVIVALDY have introduced “ViViD”, a customised service that permits audio professionals to easily setup remote productions using standard internet connections.
The increasing demand for remote interaction of artists and sound engineers has led the two companies to offer consultancy and turn-key packages to address these applications. “ViViD” packages include Vivivaldy VPN solutions combined with DirectOut products supporting RAVENNA, such as PRODIGY.MP and EXBOX. RAV. DirectOut’s RAVENNA implementation allows uncompressed real-time audio over IP transmission with ultra-low latency or with buffer times all the way up to 500ms. Vivivaldy is a hardware/software solution that allows real time syncing of audio transmissions with signals originated up to a huge distance from one another.
SSL UF8 Studio DAW Controller
DESCRIBED AS, “The culmination of 40 years of mastering studio ergonomics experience”, the new Solid State Logic UF8 controller is an expandable to a 32-channel control surface with integration for all major DAW platforms. It is suited to music creation, production and mixing, post-production and webcasting. The new SSL 360° control software manages multi-controller configurations, customised user keys, and DAW switching across multiple layers, allowing for seamless switching between numerous sessions.
Andy Jackson, SSL Studio Product Manager, comments, “UF8 is an obvious next step in SSL’s development in ergonomically designed studio tools for todays’ mixers, producers and creators. The layout and build quality are all about our
PRODIGY.MP is used in “ViViD” packages equipped with microphone pre-amplifier modules to collect analog audio signals at the artists’ locations while the headphone’s outputs serve for monitoring purposes. The built-in DSP also allows local equalisation and mixing at zero latency. The Vivivaldy infrastructure is capable of connecting distant locations and allows them to communicate at ultra-low latency of less than 15ms to enable live cross-monitoring. EXBOX.RAV, DirectOut’s new RAVENNA to MADI converter, is collecting broadcast feeds. The audio packets are sent through the network at higher latency to grant secure and reliable transmission, assured also by Vivivaldy’s re-transmission mechanism. With the control software globcon the entire setup can be managed remotely at any location on the network.
fixation with ‘human engineering’; creating products that keep you in the creative zone with high-speed access to every fader or control, without operator fatigue or discomfort.” Features include: • High-Quality 100 mm Touch Sensitive Faders. • High-Resolution Colour Displays. • Eight Endless Rotary Encoders. • Custom Workflows – five banks of eight user keys + three quick keys = 43 assignable keys per UF8. • Intelligent Multi-Purpose CHANNEL Encoder. • Mouse Scroll Emulation – Control of any plug-in parameter you hover the mouse over. • Integrates with All Major DAWs – Workflow ready templates.
Wohler Adds Atmos 3D Room Visualiser
WOHLER HAS RELEASED a free firmware upgrade for users of its flagship iAM-12G-SDI when purchased with Dolby Atmos option.
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Two new screens help the user visualise the location of each audio bed or dynamic channel for both actual and dynamic channels. The audio bed is the arrangement of speakers in the listening room; the sounds produced by the audio bed accurately simulate the locations of the dynamic objects, which are heard as sound sources from any location in the listening room.
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The first screen shows the listening room with a 3D front view, with a representation of the video program screen location shown in the centre as a white rectangle. The various objects are shown as named channels (in blue boxes) for the audio bed objects, or as numbered channels (in green circles) for the dynamic objects. Dynamic objects may move around through the 3D screen as they move in the
program material. These objects appear according to what is present in the Dolby ATMOS bitstream. A maximum number of 16 objects can be displayed simultaneously. The second screen shows the listening room with a 3D top view, looking down into it. The displays give a representation of the video program screen location, shown in the centre top (front wall) as a white rectangle. Also shown are audio bed objects, which are in fixed positions as speakers in the listening room. Either dynamic channel objects or audio bed objects can be shown in the Dolby ATMOS 3D Room Visualiser. A Metadata screen is also included, providing three sets of data, selected via tabs. It includes traditional Dolby Metadata, Loudness Data, and Presentation Data, which provides x-y-z coordinates for the position of objects in the 3D Room Visualiser. Visit www.wohler.com
Luca Giaroli, responsible for “ViViD” at DirectOut, says, “Before the spreading of Covid-19, the demand for internet remote productions was already there, but the pandemic has definitely increased it. In this evolving scenario ‘ViViD’ allows audio professionals to achieve this, no matter their IT knowledge.” “ViViD” packages can be purchased or rented. For more info contact DirectOut at vivid@directout.eu Visit http://www.tm-systems.com.au
• Switch Control Between Three Simultaneously Connected DAWs. • Powered by the SSL 360° Mac/PC Application. • Expandable System – Chain 4 UF8s for a 32-channel SSL control surface. • Includes SSL Native Vocalstrip 2 & Drumstrip plug-ins. Visit www.solidstatelogic.com/UF8 and www.ambertech.com.au
Digital Recorder/Lavalier Mic Combo TASCAM HAS ANNOUNCED several new features for the DR10L Micro Linear PCM Recorder. With its ultra-compact form factor and the included lavalier microphone, the DR-10L is suitable for videographers, filmmakers, event producers, and vloggers.
The DR-10L’s OLED backlit display provides clear, real time information about record levels, SD card status, and more. In addition to its support for 48kHz/24-bit BWF (Broadcast Wave Format), WAV format recording, the DR-10L also offers MP3 recording at both 128kbps and 192kbps. Also included is the DR-10L’s Poly file dual record capability with adjustable dB level that automatically makes a backup track to the SD card. Users can, for example, set the dB level of the backup track to -6dB or-12dB to ensure recordings that are free
from clipping or distortion. There is always a secondary track for worryfree “no second take” recording. Also notable, level meters are now active during both recording and playback. When combined with the included iZotope RX Elements software package for Mac or PC, users can ensure recordings are devoid of noise, air conditioning hum, fabric or other lavalier rustle noises. The TASCAM DR-10L uses a single AAA battery with 10 hours of operation from one alkaline battery or fifteen hours via a lithium battery. Other features include Auto Gain, a Limiter, and Low-Cut filter. The new features are included with all new DR-10L recorders, and previous units can easily be updated. Visit www.tascam.com
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RTS Introduces DBP Digital Beltpack
DBP is a four-channel/four-button wired beltpack that runs on PoE+ (Power over Ethernet 802.3af and 802.3at) and connects using OMNEO IP technology. Its unique hybrid design supports both digital partyline and matrix keypanel modes: for use as a digital partyline device, DBP connects to an OMS; for use as a portable keypanel, including functionality like point-to-point communication, DBP can be connected to any RTS digital/IP matrix product using OMNEO – including OMI cards in ADAM/ ADAM-M frames or OMNEO ports on ODIN frames. DBP automatically selects the correct mode of operation (digital partyline/OMS or keypanel/matrix) when connected and switched on. DBP’s PoE-driven design gives it an unmatched level of scalability and makes it easy to add new users. In and Out PoE ports (two etherCON locking RJ45 connectors) allow up to six DBP devices to be daisy-chained together from the same PoE switch port when used in partyline mode. Up to 40 DBPs can be connected to an OMS, allowing for the creation of an extensive digital partyline system – all in addition to the other wired and wireless devices OMS
supports. Depending on the matrix model/configuration, up to 64 DBPs can be connected to an OMI card for ADAM matrices, and up to 128 DBPs can be connected to one ODIN. Patent-pending design aesthetics make DBP comfortable and easy to use. Though lightweight and compact, the unit’s robust construction ensures it is ready for the toughest working environments. DBP’s over-molded ergonomic volume knobs and rubber enclosure detailing provide extra grip and drop resistance, and it is IP53 rated for protection against dust and water spray. While its control layout will be immediately familiar to partyline users, DBP’s intuitive icon-based menu navigation system is presented via a full-colour, sunlightreadable TFT display with anti-reflective lens, making configuration quick yet precise for users of all levels, in any light conditions. TALK and LISTEN capability for up to four simultaneously active partylines (i.e. access to a pool of up to 16 partylines) is controlled via four large backlit channel buttons, which can also be assigned for dedicated resources such as relay control.
available: 4-pin female, 4-pin male and 5-pin female (supporting stereo audio for different feeds on the left and right headphones). Incoming CALL notifications are via audible alerts or haptic vibration.
DBP’s digital audio technology provides increased fidelity and a lower noise floor in comparison to analog. Both 3.5 mm TRRS and XLR connectors are provided for connecting headsets, with three different XLR options
Visit https://rtsintercoms.com and www.magnasys.tv
Rupert Neve 5057 Orbit 16 x 2 Summing Mixer
RUPERT NEVE DESIGNS has announced the 5057 Orbit 16 x 2 Summing Mixer. Housed in a 1U chassis, the Orbit features the same summing architecture as its older siblings; all of which are direct descendants of the company’s flagship 5088 mixing console.
To shape the sound character, the company’s Silk Red and Blue circuitry provides full control over the amount of harmonic content and tone of the mix. While the Centerpiece and Satellite feature various options to control level, pan, inserts, and monitoring, the Orbit is designed for easy recall and seamless integration with a DAW-based workflow. Sixteen inputs are provided via DB25 connectors, the first eight of which can be precisely center-panned via front panel switches, and both sets of XLR outputs utilise Rupert Neve Designs’ own custom transformers. In addition to the Main outputs, the -6dB outputs – originally developed for the
DBP also supports Bluetooth audio connectivity to a headset, mobile phone or streaming device (via the recommended third-party dongles).
Creator Pack Pro from Audio-Technica
company’s Shelford Channel – are also simultaneously available, allowing the user to drive the Orbit’s mix buss harder into saturation without clipping the next device in the signal path.
FOLLOWING THE LAUNCHof its Creator Pack, Audio-Technica has released a Pro version. The Pack contains the ATH-M20X studio monitoring headphones, the AT2020USB+ cardioid condenser microphone and a boom arm.
and mix control that blends microphone and pre-recorded audio. Each Creator Pack Pro includes a USB-B to USB-A cable, a tripod desk stand and a faux -leather pouch for easy and safe transportation.
The Orbit offers precisely fixed channel levels and accurate mix buss attenuation via high-quality stepped switching, leading to low crosstalk, and channels matched to within +/- 0.1dB.
The most significant change is the upgrade to the AT2020USB+. The rugged, side-address condenser USB microphone is equipped with a low-mass diaphragm hand-punched in Tokyo and custom-engineered for extended frequency response and superior transient response. The mic’s cardioid polar pattern reduces pickup of sounds from the sides and rear, improving isolation of desired sound source. With a sampling rate of 16-bit, 44.1/48 kHz the built-in analogue-to-digital converter delivers high-quality audio ideal for recording vocals and instruments. Monitoring headphones can be plugged in at the back of the microphone. The front features the control wheels for monitoring volume
The ATH-M20X is part of AudioTechnica’s flagship M-Series studio monitoring headphone range. The closed-back model features 40mm drivers and comes with a frequency response of 15-20,000Hz. The 3m long cable and the 6.35mm adapter fit into any recording environment and setup.
To expand the channel count, multiple units can be combined via the Link I/O on the rear panel. The 5057 Orbit can also be used as a building block in an expandable summing system utilising the 5059 Satellite for flexible summing and routing, and the 5060 Centerpiece for additional mixing and monitoring features. Visit: http://rupertneve.com
The Creator pack Pro also features a c-clamp boom arm to ensure optimal positioning and minimise noise interference from vibrations. Visit www.audio-technica.com
AUDIO
RTS HAS ANNOUNCED the DBP (Digital Beltpack) – the latest addition to the brand’s portfolio of OMNEO IP intercom solutions. DBP also joins the recently launched OMS (OMNEO Main Station) as a member of a new product family: RTS Digital Partyline.
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RADIO The original broadcast media
www.content-technology.com/radio
Radio Television Malaysia Takes on IP with Calrec RADIO TELEVISION MALAYSIA has undertaken a major upgrade of its regional station, PerlisFM, located in the northern Perlis state of the country, installing six Calrec Type R for Radio consoles as part of a significant move to a modern studio and to implement a new IP audio network infrastructure. The facility is now the reference for all future upgrades to RTM’s other regional stations. PerlisFM has installed a complete radio system, including a full IP network and visual radio technology, which supports video streaming to social media and other online platforms. Calrec’s native IP Type R for Radio consoles are located in PerlisFM’s main Conty, Standby Conty, Edit (1 & 2), Ingest, News Depot Studios and Master Control Room respectively. At the main Conty Studio, the Type R console is integrated with RCS Zetta Radio Automation Software and Visual Radio’s MultiCAM system. With three PTZ cameras linked to the MultiCAM system plus the combination of Calrec’s Type R and the RCS Zetta software, the visual radio system works seamlessly and flawlessly.
RTM has welcomed the ease of use of the Type R for Radio console. It highlights its motorised fader capabilities and touch screen panels which provide clear, single touch operation by the stations DJs — as well as the high level of customisation, alongside its native IP structure. The project was completed and overseen by Calrec’s Malaysia distributor, JAA Systems, with VME Broadcast acting as the main contractor and Medialab Alliance as the system integrator. David Chan, Director at JAA Systems, said, “We are very honoured to be part of this transformation of RTM’s radio infrastructure, which places it at the cutting edge of modern radio. Calrec’s Type R for Radio is perfect for this installation. Perhaps the biggest challenge that we faced during this installation was adhering to strict Covid 19 rules. We knew that any infection at all could have meant shutting down the facility for sanitisation plus quarantining all personnel and that had to be avoided at all costs. We believe that this IP installation
points to the future of radio across Malaysia and beyond. We’d also like to say a big thank you to RTM for the trust in Calrec Audio and us at JAA Systems.”
Type R for Radio was designed
Robert Davidson, Regional Sales Manager, Calrec, said, “We are very excited that our technology has been installed as a key part of such an important and bold move.
interface is helping DJs to do their
to support this type of project, so we’re pleased that its simpleto-use and highly configurable job in a way that suits them.” Visit www.calrec.com and www. jaasys.com
ARN Unveils Next Generation of Dynamic Audio Ad Tech AUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK ARN) has further strengthened its commercial offering with the evolution of its Dynamic Audio proposition. According to the company, Dynamic Audio 2.0 gives brands premium access to ARN’s audio assets with industry-leading contextual integration, all backed by new, in-house neuroscientific research.
RADIO
ARN launched Dynamic Audio – a global-first in dynamic advertising technology – in May 2020 making it the first media business in the world to provide dynamically targeted advertising on AM, FM and DAB+ radio that could be measured in real time. The launch was part of ARN’s long-term strategy to diversify its commercial offering for clients.
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Dynamic Audio now gives brands access to dynamic sponsorship
of news, weather, sport, traffic plus fuel updates, entertainment and other highly sought-after content segments across ARN. Working with ARN, brands can tailor ads in real time to optimise performance, effectively achieving the personalisation of digital at the scale of broadcast radio. ARN’s Head of Audio Product & Innovation, Adam Williams said, “After delivering this worldfirst to the market last year, Dynamic Audio has already been a phenomenal success story for ARN’s business. The reaction from advertisers has been superb as it’s allowed us to deliver far superior connection to our client’s customers resulting in higher commercial returns for their businesses. This 2.0 evolution allows us to provide even more opportunities to integrate our clients on air with messages that
are contextually relevant to the audience at the moment they hear them.”
brain activity of people listening to Dynamic Audio content and a standard ad.
Testing the efficacy of Dynamic Audio has also been taking place in ARN’s Neuro Lab. ARN launched Neuro Lab in late 2020. This leading-edge investment to understand the role of audio and its influence on people, was developed to assist advertisers make informed choices about how they can best take advantage of audio.
Dr Bosshard said research has shown an individual’s brain recognises relevant content and increases attention accordingly. The current study showed areas of the brain responsible for attending to audio-based advertising were 109% more active during a Dynamic Audio ad format than during a standard ad.
Neuro Lab’s testing on the Dynamic Audio format shows brain activity that indicates increased attention and positive attitude when compared to standard advertising. Led by Research and Neuroscience Specialist, Dr Shannon Bosshard, and ARN’s Director of Research and Insights, Justin Stone, the study measured attention, engagement, attitude and memory by mapping
The study also split the ads into 10 millisecond windows and measured positive attitudes during each window. On average, there was a 10% uplift of positive attitude during each window of the Dynamic Audio ad with peaks being on average, 53% higher than when exposed to a standard ad. Visit www.arn.com.au
RADIO
Tieline Announces New Gateway-4 IP Codec The Gateway-4 is a powerful DSP-based 1RU IP codec designed for live remote broadcasting applications, as well as STL or SSL links. The Gateway-4 also includes support for AES67, ST 2110-30, AES3 and analog I/O as standard, and an optional WheatNet-IP card. The Gateway-4 supersedes and replaces the popular Merlin and Genie STL audio codecs. It supports 4 full-duplex audio channels in 1RU to expand channel density by one when compared with these codecs. The Gateway-4 codec supports 4 channels only and is not upgradable to support more channels. The Gateway-4 provides two stereo connections, or one stereo and two mono connections, or up to 4 mono full duplex connections. The Gateway-4 also supports multiple unicasting to up to 20 endpoints and multicasting.
For larger networks, the Gateway-4 is suitable for transmitter sites, remote trucks or rackmounted remote kits. For affiliates and smaller stations, it can be used to transport studio-to-studio links, or a stereo studio-to-transmitter link signal plus another stereo connection, or dual mono connections for remotes. The Gateway-4 seamlessly integrates with all Tieline IP codecs and delivers hitless packet switching using SmartStream PLUS redundant streaming, plus bandwidth aggregation using Fuse-IP technologies over internet connections. It features dual internal power supplies, dual LAN ports and dual AoIP ports. An optional Gateway Euro ISDN module can also be purchased for use with the Gateway-4. This allows the codec to integrate with legacy ISDN network infrastructure for primary or backup connections as required.
Its feature-rich and compact design is interoperable with all Tieline IP codecs and compatible over SIP with all EBU N/ACIP Tech 3326 and 3368 compliant codecs and devices. Gateway is configurable through an embedded HTML5 Toolbox Web-GUI interface and is also fully controllable using Tieline’s Cloud Codec Controller. The Gateway-4 supersedes Tieline’s Merlin and Genie STL codecs and the Gateway-8 and Gateway-16 codecs supersede the Merlin PLUS and Genie Distribution codecs. Production of the Merlin and Genie families of codecs has ceased. Tieline will continue to provide support and software updates for all Merlin and Genie codecs. Visit www.tieline.com/gateway-4
Cloud-Based Radio Production Studio
StreamGuys Simplifies Podcast Management
CLOUD-BASED RADIO Production Studio On-Hertz, virtual audio specialist for the broadcast and media industries, has unveiled Nubo, an all-in-one cloud-based radio production studio available as a service.
STREAMGUYS HAS UPGRADED its flagship SGrecast podcast management and live stream repurposing system. Highlights of version 4.0 include an improved user interface to speed and simplify operations; an expanded waveform editing toolset; and further enhancements to the solution’s automated publishing capabilities.
Designed to simplify a media house’s workflow while boosting productivity, cloud-native Nubo brings a fully integrated live radio studio to the fingertips of broadcasters no matter where they’re located. With just a web browser and a mic, users can sign in and be on-air in minutes from anywhere and at any time. Suitable for both large and small organisations, Nubo is easily scalable thanks to its Dockerbased architecture. The system offers reliable and secure connections and frees operators from unsecured, hard-to-expand remote desktop connections. Nubo integrates with existing workflows and is compatible with most automation software on the market. The unique solution packages all aspects of a radio studio – not only contribution – into an easily accessible service available via subscription. With onboard AoIP capabilities, and interconnections with systems like Dalet and Netia, users can import playlists directly into Nubo. With advanced features such as low latency contribution and monitoring, playout, mixing – including automixing, N-Minus,
talkback – and processing such as parametric EQs and dynamics, the easy-to-use SaaS suite manages up to six WebRTC contributors accessible from uniquely generated URL links, one VoIP Phone (SIP), one AoIP transmission codec (SIP/Opus) and up to 10 separate WebRTC monitoring/talkback feeds (for technicians and producers, etc.). In addition, all web contribution channels benefit from the same top-notch processing as well as a dedicated N-1 bus, even for contributions from smartphones or tablets. Moreover, thanks to Nubo’s comprehensive yet intuitive interface, any staffer – from a presenter to a technician or from a producer to a contributor – can easily operate the studio according to their requirements. This, combined with the fact that users can take control simultaneously from anywhere on the planet, guarantees stations never miss a beat in providing their audiences with the most enticing and up-to-the minute content. Visit https://www.on-hertz.com
New overlay windows enable users to quickly access and edit information about a particular item or task – such as the details of a particular podcast episode – while preserving their current place in the main interface and workflow. The result is faster and more intuitive operation. SGrecast’s integrated, browser-based Waveform Editor also sports an updated user interface and expanded functionality. New interstitial cutting capabilities enable operators to remove unwanted sections in the middle of recordings and recombine the remaining segments for republishing. This offers immediate benefits for content repurposing for example, removing ‘baked-in’ advertising to enable subsequent dynamic ad insertion. SGrecast’s enhanced AudioLogger recording feature offers the option of preserving mid-roll ad break metadata from the live stream, enabling subsequent dynamic ad insertion in the published podcast without requiring manual marker insertion. Combined with the ability to automatically trigger podcast publishing based on metadata in the live stream, this enables fully automated, metadata-driven
publishing workflows. Version 4.0 adds new functionality for publishing to Google Audio News, including support for the mRSS format required for advanced Google News features. Users can specify episodespecific intro and outro audio files in the mRSS feed, providing greater granularity than the global, publisherbased start and end clips available with generic RSS. The new update also expands the range of standard RSS fields supported by SGrecast, including linking to specific webpages related to particular episodes in a feed. A new Audit Log feature provides an integrated, historical log of automated or manual actions initiated by SGrecast or its users, valuable for tracking activities in organisations with multiple users. StreamGuys is bundling SGrecast’s optional Audio2Video and ENCOpowered automated captioning features for new and existing customers. Audio2Video enables users to turn on-demand audio content into compelling video clips for social media and other outlets, combining the aural content with graphics, custom text, visual waveforms, motion backgrounds and transitions. ENCO’s cloud-based enCaption technology enables users to automatically generate transcriptions of new or existing recordings, and to caption prerecorded, archived files for web and mobile streaming. Resulting captions can be exported as SRT, WebVTT or JSON files, while complete transcripts can be saved for later use. Visit www.streamguys.com
RADIO
CODEC MANUFACTURER Tieline has announced the addition of the new Gateway-4 IP audio codec to its range of professional IP audio codecs.
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RADIO
AEQ TALENT IP Audio Codec for Remote Production AEQ’S NEW TALENT IP audio codec provides connectivity for professional microphones and headphones for hosts or guests of a program, from home or anywhere. According to AEQ, with TALENT the audio quality of the remote user cannot be distinguished from those in the studio. The unit transmits high-quality, OPUS encoded audio, from a microphone to the studio console, and brings the feedback to the headphones. Other features include: An external Stereo audio source can be connected physically and through a high-quality Bluetooth connection. These sources are added to the microphone signal, allowing users to broadcast and comment on concerts, sports or other events, or broadcast individual audio files or play-lists from a phone or PC. If a Bluetooth connection is established with a phone, this can be used to carry out a phone interview, either through a conventional call or through applications such as Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom and others. Calls can be mixed to the program that is sent to the station. To send the audio to the station, a domestic internet connection can be used, ADSL, fibre, or a wireless 3G/4G/5G data connection through a simple router/modem with a SIM card. In situations where there is no IP connection it is possible to reach the Studio in high-definition voice quality (HD voice), using the Bluetooth connectivity of the smartphone. The controls on the TALENT front panel are simple and straightforward; microphone and headphone level adjustments, Off-hook-call / hang-up button, hang-up button, indicators
for incoming and outgoing signal levels, equipment and communication status. TALENT also has a “HELP” button. This is used to request attention or help from the station’s technician or operator. The TALENT does not require the user to control or operate any of the controls on its Front Panel. This can be done through two remote control applications: • If the user has the knowledge, there is a local app for smartphone, TALENT PILOT. In addition to controlling the equipment, this also allows to configure the TALENT and to establish the connection. • It is also possible to use the ControlPhoenix, remote control application. This allows for the full remote configuration and operation of single unit or a pool of TALENT and other AEQ stationary and portable audio codecs. TALENT can be delivered to the user preconfigured and ready for use, or it can be configured and controlled locally or remotely. Headphones and microphones can be freely chosen: TALENT supports low or high impedance headphones and dynamic and condenser microphones as it has a phantom power supply. It can be powered directly from the USB output of a PC, or from a voltage source between 5 and 12 volts, for example the battery socket of a
vehicle, or a power-bank. In addition, it is supplied with a power supply for the conventional grid. The user can choose to listen to the audio coming from the station, its own audio without delay, or a mix of both, and can output these returns in an independent and simultaneous mix through a line out connector and a stereo Bluetooth connection. Finally, if there are two or three people working at the same location, each one can have their own TALENT and connect them in cascade and contribute with their voice-overs and telephone interviews through a single codec connection to the station. Visit http://www.aeq.eu
Telos VX VoIP System Goes Virtual
TELOS ALLIANCE INTRODUCED broadcasters to the benefits of VoIP a decade ago with VX, the world’s first VoIP talkshow system, in a hardware appliance. Now, Telos Alliance has announced the launch of Telos VXs Virtual VoIP System. Broadcasters can deploy VXs on their servers in the rack room, on shared servers in the centralised data center, or in cloud instances. These deployment options deliver the benefits of virtualisation, such as easier facility-wide upgrades, cost-efficiency, and automated deployment without site visits. Broadcasters can scale VXs in size from a single studio to a facility-wide talkshow system to a multi-location system.
RADIO
Using VoIP, VXs combines modern networking with the power of digital signal processing developed by Telos over the past three decades. Every call gets fifth-generation audio processing, packed full of technology engineered to extract the cleanest, clearest caller audio from any phone line - even noisy cellular calls.
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VXs includes Smart AGC coupled with Telos’ three-band adaptive Digital Dynamic EQ, a threeband adaptive spectral processor, noise gating, and Acoustic Echo Cancellation. HD voice calls benefit from VX’s native support of the G.722
codec, instantly improving caller speech quality. Whether users are new to IP networking, integrating with an existing AoIP network, or plugging into a Livewire network, they can integrate VXs into their ecosystem. For those new to IP-Audio networking, VXs will work with all console brands, networked or not, using Telos Alliance xNodes. Installing a VX VoIP system in facilities already powered by Livewire+ AES67 networks is simple. The new VX system will plug right in, using automatic mix-minus from Axia consoles and existing phone modules for control. Support for AES67 gives broadcasters the capability of integrating VX into any AES67 or compatible SMPTE 2110-30 environments. Support for SAP advertisement means VX smoothly integrates alongside AES67-enabled Dante devices, as well. With plug-and-play connectivity, users can network multiple channels of audio with any manufacturer’s AES67-compliant hardware. When combined with Axia Pathfinder Core PRO Broadcast Controller, broadcasters can create touchscreen-friendly custom HTML-5 panels
to monitor and control every aspect of the VX system from any web browser. Communications managers and producers can use panels to manage all the IFB, contribution, and tech coordination lines in the facility. Gone are the days of reporters calling in to the wrong IFB and missing their live shot. With an HTML-5 control panel, producers can see the status and caller ID of each IFB line and even have the ability to call the reporter directly. VXs is available as a subscription or a buyout. TelosCare PLUS, for enhanced service and support, is included while a VXs subscription is active. With a one-time buyout, TelosCare PLUS is included for the first year and renewable yearly after that. Visit https://www.telosalliance.com
CONTENT DELIVERY Terrestrial, Mobile, Broadband
www.content-technology.com/transmission
Ideal’s ‘Alice’ to Power Playlist Automation in Encompass’ Altitude Media Cloud ENCOMPASS DIGITAL MEDIA, INC., the global managed services company that delivers endto-end video solutions to television networks, broadcasters, sport leagues and OTT service providers, has selected and successfully deployed ‘Alice’, the new broadcast cloud integration platform from Ideal Systems, to support over 1200 full-time channels globally. The newly launched Alice platform, developed by Ideal Systems Cloud Division, Ideal Media Works, is a cloud native Business Process Management (BPM), operations orchestration and integration framework. It allows for the logical integration and management of disparate business and technical functions of today’s broadcast and media operators. According to Ideal, as broadcast manufacturers around the world move their technology to cloud-based systems, operators are facing the task of integrating many of these different cloud-based products into their technical and business workflow, which is exactly the problem that Alice solves. Encompass selected Alice to unify schedule and playlist orchestration workflows for both on-premise playout solutions as well as services from its newly launched Altitude Media Cloud. Alice centralises schedule processing and enrichment from multiple traffic systems, enabling the replacement of hard-coded schedule translators. Alice also provides a self-service operations framework using Alice-Beehive BPMN orchestration module and Alice-Absolem’s module as a universal playlist editor, making it easy to manage. “The flexibility of the Alice Cloud Platform has been a big win for us,” states Jim Ewaskiew CIO of Encompass. “It not only provides an elegant experience for our globally distributed playout and operations teams but also significantly reduces the time and complexity of onboarding new services.” “Alice is the world’s first reactive cloud framework where we extended the BPM specification to offer decoupled event driven orchestration, allowing Alice to integrate and orchestrate any broadcast
[L-R] Han van ‘t Zand, Senior Project Manager Cloud & Broadcast Systems, Ideal Systems; Mark Wardle, VP Engineering & Operations, APAC at Encompass; Marc Bruce, Managing Director, APAC at Encompass; Fintan Mc Kiernan, CEO, Ideal Systems SEA; and Simon C. P. Wong, Director of Operations at Encompass APAC.
system and operations process,” explains James Taylor, head of Ideal’s Cloud Division, “Encompass’ Altitude Media Cloud is the perfect platform to bring Alice to market, enabling us to deploy a solution at scale for the most complex and demanding workflows the world has to offer.”
Encoding.com Joins Alice Offering Meanwhile, Ideal Systems has selected cloud media processing service Encoding.com to provide VOD transcoding and packaging as part of the Alice Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering. The partnership with Encoding.com is targeted primarily to media companies in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. By joining the Encoding. com platform with Alice, Ideal’s customers in Southeast Asia can now access Encoding.com’s Emmy Award-winning file-based VOD processing technology as part of a fully integrated cloudbased workflow (see story page 30). “Encoding.com pioneered cloud media processing more than a decade ago, so it was the logical first choice for providing our media and broadcast clients with world-class video-on-demand processing services,” says Fintan Mc Kiernan, CEO at Ideal Systems SEA. “Many of the world’s tier-one media companies rely on Encoding.com for transcoding their high-value VOD assets, and our APAC customers now have access to these same capabilities, enabling true one-stop job orchestration.
Encoding.com microservices include broad I/O format support, adaptive bitrate and CableLabs packaging, parallel chunk processing, Beamr content-adaptive bitrate (CABR) encoding, digital rights management, dynamic ad insertion, Nielsen watermarking, advanced audio, closed captioning and automated QC-as-a-service. Customers utilise an XML or JSON-based API to integrate the Encoding.com platform directly into their digital supply chain and gain access to content processing in many AWS and Azure cloud datacentres around the world. The Encoding. com service ultimately allows customers to dynamically scale their video applications, support all popular video formats and accelerate time to market while eliminating expensive video infrastructure investments. “Ideal System’s development of Alice, along with their growing team of media and cloud-savvy software engineers, is very exciting for media companies throughout Asia,” said Ben Morrell, director of Europe/Asia-Pacific sales at Encoding. com. “Coupled with Encoding.com’s marketleading media processing technology, Alice will allow our joint customers to leverage the benefits of a PaaS solution coupled with the bespoke features required to gain a competitive edge in the Asia VOD market.” Visit https://bit.ly/3cyvqtR, www.encoding.com and www.idealsys.com
INDEPENDENT SELL-SIDE advertising platform Magnite has announced a new data centre facility in Singapore, unifying its footprint for all media types in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. According to the company the investment is designed to support the rapid growth in digital advertising services across the region and reinforce Magnite’s position in CTV and omnichannel digital advertising by optimising Magnite’s technical infrastructure in the region. Co-locating Magnite’s DV+ and CTV platforms in Singapore will standardise the company’s operations and provide maximum efficiency for buyers and publishers. The investment also allows Magnite to provide the robust technical capabilities
necessary to support increased traffic. According to Magnite, the larger unified data centre in Singapore will enable it to better service clients across APAC from India to Australia and Japan. With this step, publishers can expect better performance and new monetisation opportunities, as well as increased capacity for inventory. Buyers will see better campaign performance and delivery and have increased access to new supply. “Preparing our technological infrastructure in APAC will give Magnite a clear competitive advantage in servicing our clients and ultimately improve results,” said Tom Kershaw, CTO of Magnite. “By unifying and standardising our omnichannel
platform, we’ll be more agile, proactive and efficient. Our tech stack needs to evolve with the demands of the industry, and we have greater flexibility to scale our infrastructure in real-time as the business scales.” Juliette Stead, Head of APAC at Magnite added, “Investing at scale to optimise our capabilities ensures we will be well-positioned to respond to change. We are also building out our AWS infrastructure in Singapore to further support CTV growth – including live streaming. Now more than ever, we intend to be at the forefront of the strongest segment of industry growth for the foreseeable future, and ensure our infrastructure is equipped to accommodate these developments.” Visit https://www.magnite.com
CONTENT DELIVERY
Ad Platform Magnite Invests in New Singapore Data Centre
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CONTENT DELIVERY
Encoding Com Brings “Chunk” Change to Cloud Media Processing
LAUNCHED BY GREGGORY HEIL IN 2007, Encoding.com was established with the aim of providing API-based video transcoding. Today, the company offers a suite of Cloud Media services, including high-volume transcoding, digital rights management (DRM), playout graphics and editing, adaptive bitrate packaging and video hosting. According to CEO Jeff Malkin, the company’s video workflow as a service model allows “… most of the companies on the planet that don’t have 200 video engineers on staff, like Netflix, to have access to a cutting edge, very mature, pretty powerful video and coding platform.
CONTENT DELIVERY
“We also maintain a team of experts who are not only experts in compression, but also workflows and opensource tools as well.”
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our platform running in the cloud,” says Jeff Malkin. “There are great efficiencies, both from a latency time perspective, as well as a cost perspective. The way it works is that customers integrate our API into their existing media asset management platform or CMS platform. You will send us a set of instructions via an API call in either JSON or XML and these instructions will ‘Encoding.com tell us where the source processed over a video is located. It can billion videos to in be located in the cloud in or Azure, or wherever 2019, says Malkin, S3, you’re storing. It can be ingesting around located on premise. In that API call, you’ll tell us 20 petabytes of all the ways you want us video content, to process your content, all the output, formats, and answering all the output packages about a trillion and all of the other bells API requests. and whistles. Then you Those metrics are tell us where you want us to deliver the output. It’s expected to be pretty simple. Then our dwarfed by 2020’s platform will be talking to your platform throughout stats given the the entire processing boom in demand workflow so that your system knows exactly the for streaming status of every job from services during ingest all the way through delivery. COVID-19
Encoding.com processed over a billion videos to in 2019, says Malkin, ingesting around 20 petabytes of video content, and answering about a “I should tell you that lockdowns’ trillion API requests. we only focus on VOD Those metrics are workflows. We find that expected to be dwarfed by 2020’s that’s challenging enough. So, stats given the boom in demand we don’t focus on live linear and for streaming services during we don’t focus on players or CMS COVID-19 lockdowns. platforms. We focus a hundred “As, as you would expect VOD has percent on VOD in encoding exploded this year,” he says. “but workflows. it’s not just for our premium media “Encoding.com is now running and entertainment companies, over 45 different pro-media we’ve seen tremendous growth processing engines underneath within customers who focus on churches and religion, or our API, some of them are open enterprise, lots of different source, some are commercial and verticals.” some are proprietary that we have built. These engines drive The company’s services are a growing suite of microservices located in most AWS data centers globally - including Singapore, like transcoding, supporting every Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul and Mumbai format coming into our platform, allowing the ingest and processing and producing any format that of content “locally”. you need for delivery to all these different devices, packaging for “You don’t have to send your content very far in order to reach adaptive bit-rate HLS and DASH,
and smooth streaming, or DRM encryption or quality control or subtitle conversions, etc. “This approach for having all these different engines allows us to very quickly add new features and capabilities as your requirements continue to change. And for you to take advantage of the new features is quite easy because you’ve integrated our API into your platform at that point.”
THE FILES ARE GETTING BIGGER For those in the content production and delivery chain, one requirement that continues to change is the ability to process ever increasing media file sizes. “When you’re preparing content for direct-to-consumer distribution, you’re working with large files and the files are getting larger,” says Jeff Malkin. “We’re talking about high bitrate, mezzanine files, 4K, HDR, etc., and working with the files of that size can be very challenging. You’re trying to maximize your viewers, meaning support the greatest number of devices, greatest number of languages using subtitles and whatnot, to maximise your revenue.” Malkin points to the rise of Dolby Vision as an example of this everchanging landscape. The Dolby Laboratories HDR format is set for a long lifespan as it accommodates 8K resolution, as well as colour space and brightness specs in excess of most current display technology. Apple’s iPhone 12 is a recent exception as it features native Dolby Vision compatibility. Dolby Vision can encode mastering display colourimetry information using static metadata (SMPTE ST 2086), as well as provide dynamic metadata (SMPTE ST 2094-10, Dolby format) for each scene. “We do work very closely with Dolby,” says the Encoding.com CEO. “It’s just gorgeous video. Now, the iPhone 12 that just came out has Dolby vision now, so we’re starting to see more of our customers starting to transcode and process using Dolby vision.
Encoding.com CEO Jeff Malkin.
“The source format that you would send to us needs to be a ProRes. mov file, or an MXF J2K, along with the Dolby vision metadata, and within Encoding.com, you can generate Dolby Vision version 5 or 8.1. “What’s great about 8.1 is that it also has the fallback version. So, if you create 8.1 and the end user, the consumer, has a device, a TV or whatnot, that doesn’t support the latest Dolby Vision, but does support HDR 10, it’ll automatically roll back and you’ll have that and it’ll be supported in HDR 10. As you would imagine, these are very heavy, very fat files, very computing intensive to process.” To meet the demand for processing of such large files, the company recently launched its “Ludicrous mode”, an ultra-fast parallel processing feature set. “Basically, it’s ideal for very large files – HD, UHD, 4K, HDR files and you can output to HLS DASH and MP4. “We ‘chunk’ the files into 10-minute segments. We process those chunks in parallel, and then we stitch it all back together at the end. So, we’re parallelising all those different chunks, which will significantly accelerate the overall processing time. “Let’s say you take a 90-minute movie that’s HD. If you’re processing that, typically you might see a one-to-one relation. It’ll take a little faster than 90 minutes to process that file. Using Ludicrous, we’ll process that in about 20 minutes, so you’re getting significantly accelerated processing times because we’re using so many instances in parallel. “And you don’t have to make any changes on your end when using the API. It’s just an API flag.” Visit www.encoding.com
CONTENT DELIVERY
DENSITRON, THE DEVELOPER of Human Machine Interaction (HMI) and display technology, has announced two new additions to its UReady range of control and monitoring solutions. Both designed for a wide array of broadcast and media applications, the new launches are the UReady 4RU 19” Rack Control and Monitoring Surface and the UReady 2RU Control Surface Powered with the X86 Platform. The 4RU 19” Rack Control and Monitoring Surface provides a 16.9” high resolution (1920 x 624) display, allowing multiple video picture monitor and audio level displays to be presented side-by-side. Incorporating a high-quality TFT display with capacitive touch allows the solution to be deployed as an interactive signal interface, with USB for touchscreen and Display Port, DVI and VGA for video signals. Developed to suit a myriad of broadcast applications, this major addition to the UReady range can be used for signal and picture monitoring, as a control system with multitouch PCT, or a combination of both. The 2RU Control Surface powered with X86 includes a display with 1920 x 285 pixels and an optically-bonded capacitive touchscreen. Wide-angle symmetric viewing capability makes the product suitable for numerous applications in broadcast, telecommunications, and other networked control and monitoring environments. Based on the Intel Apollo N4200 Quad Core processor, the embedded X86 architecture and software ecosystem supports rapid and pain-free implementation by customers. With a GPU based on Intel’s Gen9 architecture supporting DirectX12, the product has Ethernet connectivity and offers full support for Linux and Windows 10 operating systems. Visit https://www.densitron.com/insight and https://proaudiotv.com.au
Tria Express Duet Production Server from Ross
ROSS VIDEO HAS ANNOUNCED the launch of the new Tria Express Duet production server, a replacement for the current Tria Express product. Launched in 2016, Tria Express has been a production workhorse that has underpinned many important broadcasts and live events. Over these five years, Ross has systematically gathered customer feedback and input into the next generation solution, and we’re now very pleased to announce Tria Express Duet. Housed in a similar 2RU chassis and built on the same reliable video hardware as its predecessor, Tria Express Duet expands the number of possible video I/O configurations up to fifteen channels, providing even greater flexibility. Two software options are available with the hardware: • the TRIA-XD-2-SW enables two symmetrical record/playout channels. • the TRIA-XD-4-SW features these same two symmetrical record/ playout channels with two additional playout-only channels. Tria Express Duet also features a built-in MultiViewer. In addition, a twochannel Tria Express Duet can be upgraded in future to four-channels (two record/playout with two playout only) via a convenient software license. Michael Kljucaric, Associate Product Manager for Servers at Ross, is very pleased to announce the new solution. “We believe that Tria Express Duet meets the need for a compact video server with between two and four channels. Fifteen preset channel configurations allow Tria Express Duet to be quickly changed from one operational mode to another, and the added MultiViewer (which can be undocked and moved onto an extended desktop computer display) and highly intuitive user interface make it a delight to use. Combined with powerful standard features such as timecode chase and single-file architecture for fill/key and ISO-2 video content, the Tria Express Duet is the ideal solution for a wide variety of different workflows.” Visit https://www.rossvideo.com
TAG Video Adds Dolby Atmos
NewTek Enables 12G-SDI Over Ethernet
Rack Controller for LYNX Technik yellobrik Series
OTT BROADCASTERS now have the ability to monitor Dolby Atmos encoded audio with TAG Video Systems. TAGhas announced that its MCM-9000 Monitoring and Multi-viewer platform now supports Dolby Atmos. The enhancement allows broadcasters to verify, validate and ensure error-free video and audio content delivery for MPEG-TS and OTT sources. TAG’s MCM-9000 is now certified by Dolby to support Dolby Atmos, while also supporting Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus formats.
NEWTEK, the developer of IP-based video technology, and part of the Vizrt Group, has announced the NewTek Spark Plus IO 12G-SDI which encodes and decodes 12G-SDI sources to and from IP-friendly NDI at up to 2160p ultra high-definition for greater resolution, frame rates, and colour fidelity catering to the most demanding of media workflows.
LYNX TECHNIK, the provider of modular signal processing interfaces, has announced a new Rack Controller, designed to ease the process of controlling, configuring, and updating the popular yellobrik line of throw-down bricks.
The added support, certified by Dolby, enables TAG’s MCM-9000 to decode the Dolby Atmos stream for both MPEG-TS and OTT broadcasted content, allowing for full monitoring and audio bars visualization of the audio on all Dolby Surround and Atmos channels. The MCM-9000 monitors the Dolby Atmos stream in parallel with the video and regular audio allowing the broadcaster to ensure all structural aspects are correct and to detect any abnormalities. All channels can be decoded down to baseband audio with the Atmos information displayed on the Multiviewer. Visit http://www.tagvs.com and www.magnasys.tv
NewTek Spark Plus IO 12G-SDI offers a quick and easy solution to convert 12G-SDI UHD video into an IP-based media production workflow. It easily connects to 12G-SDI cameras or devices, converts the video signal to NDI and shares it with any compatible system, device, or application anywhere on the network including UHD screens, monitors, projectors, or video walls. It can also turn any legacy 12G-SDI-enabled output device like a screen or monitor into an NDI signal on the network by using the decode functionality. Setup requires just one Ethernet cable. A web-based interface allows easy configuration and monitoring from a desktop or mobile browser as well as tally support via NDI and the option to mount onto cameras. Visit https://www.newtek.com
The RCT 1012 is a first of its kind module allowing a facility to combine the control tasks for up to 12 yellobriks housed in a yellobrik rack. Using just a single slot as part of a yellobrik rack system, the RCT 1012 removes the time-consuming job of updating, configuring, and setting parameters of individual yellobrik modules one at a time, offering a bulk update method instead. Once the yellobrik rack controller is installed in a yellobrik rack, it automatically detects the USB-connected yellobrik modules, and displays them in the APPolo software. Via the rack controller’s ethernet port connection, a user can quickly and easily visualize, control and configure all the yellobriks connected to an IP network. While installed in a yellobrik rack frame (model: RFR 1000-1), the RCT 1012 also detects status information on primary and redundant power supplies. Visit https://www.lynx-technik.com and www.techtel.com.au
CONTENT DELIVERY
Densitron Expands Control Surface Range
31
CLASSIFIED + EVENTS BroadcastAsia, CommunAsia Now Anchor Events at Asia Tech X Singapore UMBRELLAS UNDER UMBRELLAS, ROOMS WITHIN ROOMS, RUSSIAN DOLLS … TECHNICAL INFORMA TECH, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) recently unveiled details of a new flagship tech event for Asia in 2021 – Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG). To be held from 13 – 16 July 2021 in a hybrid format, ATxSG will be hosted at the Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Expo. The event comprises the ATxSummit – an invite-only conference hosted by IMDA, ConnecTechAsia – Informa Tech’s leading B2B trade show in Asia, and Elevating Founders Asia and accelerateHer Asia – highlighting the startup ecosystem and diversity in tech respectively. ATxSG will also feature a host of fringe events to be announced in due time. Now, it may sound confusing, but BroadcastAsia is still on the 2021 event schedule (as part of ConnecTechAsia) and will be presented in a hybrid format - both online and physical. Through the hybrid model, the organisers are presenting a new stream of live content covering IoT in Broadcasting, IP Broadcasting, Livestreaming; and more. You can attend live in person if you are in Singapore, or remotely via your screen. Networking can now take place face-to-face (safely) or via your device as well. And, if your business is at the intersection of telecommunications and broadcasting, the CommunicAsia show (also under ConnecTechAsia) will also be staged in the hybrid format - with 5G, Broadband, AI and Edge Computing on the agenda. “As technology media and event specialists, we are keenly aware of how bringing together the technology ecosystem on a global platform to share their knowledge and talent can be a powerful tool to drive the change we want to see in the world. We are excited to tap into our international networks to bring tech leaders to Asia; facilitate conversations around the use of tech for good and share new insights on innovations that will make an impact in the region,” said Ms Carolyn Dawson, Managing Director, Informa Tech. “ATxSG is looking at delivering that uniquely Singaporean experience while bringing together government and digital leaders to discuss how the public and private sectors can converge and propel Asia’s digital economy to the top of the list. We look forward to engaging in face-to-face, ground-
breaking conversations on creative tech, talent and governance with the vision that ATxSG will shape the outcome of our region’s shared digital future,” said Mr Howie Lau, Assistant Chief Executive, Media & Innovation Group, Infocomm Media Development Authority. “We are delighted to partner IMDA and Informa Tech to launch ATxSG in Singapore, an event which takes full advantage of our position as a trusted Global-Asia hub. In a time of great disruption, Singapore’s vibrant knowledge economy and focus on innovation make us an ideal platform for like-minded people to exchange ideas and spark new possibilities in the digital space. We will continue to work closely with our industry partners to reimagine the future of MICE and set Singapore apart as the world’s leading destination for safe, trusted and innovative business events,” said Mr Yap Chin Siang, Deputy Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board. Visit the following websites www. asiatechxsg.com https://www.connectechasia.com/communic-asia/ https://www.connectechasia.com/broadcast-asia/
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01-02-21 05-02-21 08-02-21
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19-07-21 23-07-21 26-07-21
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14-08-21 17-08-21 25-08-21
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+ Show Previews: IBC September 10-14 NAB October 9-13 + C+T Webinar (Sponsorships Available)
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C+T ASIA FEATURES + DEADLINES 2021 ISSUE Mar-April
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05-03-21 05-03-21 11-03-21
PUBLICATION DATE
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EVENTS
PRODUCT ROUND-UP + HDTV & Beyond + Broadband & HbbTV + Multi-screen Delivery + NDI Solutions + Data Unification –Targeting, Privacy, Recommendation, Subscriptions + Remote Production Tools
+ Preview: Radiodays Asia 2021 March 24-26 + Preview: AVIA OTT Virtual Summit March 30-31 + Preview: ABU Digital Broadcast Symposium April 5-8
May-June
Editorial Submissions: Ad Bookings: Ad Artwork:
15-05-21 15-05-21 20-05-21
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+ Preview: BroadcastAsiaConnecTechAsia July 14-16 + C+T ASIA Awards
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Pre-Show Briefing: AVIA Asia Video Summit November 9-11 + Pre-Show Briefing: NAB Las Vegas Oct 9-13
PHIL SANDBERG
ADAM BUICK
LUCY SALMON
PUBLISHER/EDITOR
ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER
CO-FOUNDER
He has also produced the ABE2016, Sportscasting (2014-2016), and 3D-Day (2011) industry conferences.
Adam’s previous role as Manager of the SMPTE Australia Exhibition, along with strong family ties in Australia and SE Asia, has given him a unique perspective on the broadcast and content creation sector throughout the region.
Co-founder and Production co-ordinator Lucy Salmon has worked with Broadcastpapers.com since its inception. She also holds a PhD in the field of sports medicine.
Contact Phil via +61(0)414 671 811 or papers@broadcastpapers.com
You can contact Adam on +61(0)413 007 144 or adam@broadcastpapers.com
You can reach her via +61(0)412 479 662 or production@broadcastpapers.com
Phil Sandberg has spent 28 years reporting on technology issues across the Asia-Pacific. His credits include launching Content+Technology, Broadcastpapers.com, the SMPTE Australia Exhibition, Directory, and Cinema Technology Asia-Pacific.
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