Content + Technology September 2011 issue by Content+Technology

PP: 255003/06831

VOLUME 8 ISSUE 5 SEPT/OCT 2011

MEDIA + PRODUCTION + MANAGEMENT + DELIVERY

www.content-technology.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Rugby World Cup

RadioFest2011

ISSN 1448-9554 8

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An evolution in technology. A revolution in business possibilities.

T he S e l e n i o Media Con vergen ce P lat f o r m TM

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VOLUME 8 ISSUE 5 SEPT/OCT 2011

Also see C+T in PDF at www.content-technology.com

Cover Story – Media in the Cloud

50 REGULARS 02 04

EDITOR’S WELCOME NEWS Lemac Telecine For National Archives, People Moves.

TAKING STOCK Broadcast Manufacturers Recover – IAMB; Karl Jansson’s Phone Interview Tips; Mergers and Acquisitions.

74 75 76

EVENTS CLASSIFIEDS OFF-AIR What Happened at SMPTE, Gets Printed Right Here!

TIME SHIFTER 30 Years of Mobile Phones.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD Sohonet Launches Cloud Center Downunder with Hitachi; Video-8 Brings Cloud to Production & Archiving; Charles Sevior Takes Broadcast to the Cloud; Avid Integrates the Media Enterprise; Cloud Graphics with Chyron; DAMsmart Digitises the Cloud; Hostworks Case Study.

TECHNICAL STANDARDS MPEG Flags Next Gen Codec.

FEATURES 18 24

SMPTE11 REPORT 3D – THE THIRD DIMENSION Park Road Confirms Mistika for 3D, ATSC to Work on 3D Broadcast Standard.

ACQUISITION Barrier Reef Takes on ‘Digital Dimensions’; Transvision Ramp Up with ARRI:; Sony’s F65 CineAlta - 20 Megapixel 8K CMOS Sensor.

SPORTSCASTING Rugby World Cup a Logistics Pressure Cooker; CCTV Signs Chinese Football Assoc Broadcast Deal; IOC Invites Athletes to London 2012; Ross the Boss for Surfing Graphics

CONTENT+TECHNOLOGY: ISSN 1448-9554 PP:255003/06831 Broadcastpapers Pty Ltd (ABN: 34 095 653 277) PO Box 259, Darlinghurst, NSW 1300 Australia www.broadcastpapers.com PUBLISHER: Phil Sandberg Tel: +61-(0)2-9332 2221 Fax: +61-(0)2-9332 2280 Mob: +61-(0)414-671-811 papers@broadcastpapers.com SUB-EDITOR: Peter White

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POST-PRODUCTION Sony OLED Monitors Provide Critical Vision; Kodak ‘Tick’ for Philippines’ SQ Film Lab; CINEMA 4D Simplifies Characters, Deadline Render Farm Management.

SALES & MARKETING MANAGER: Daniela Huelsen Tel: +61-(0)410 880 557 dh@broadcastpapers.com PRODUCTION MANAGER: Lucy Salmon Tel: +61-(0)29332 2221 production@broadcastpapers.com DESIGN & LAYOUT: Wide Open Media Tel: +61-2-9690 2835 info@wideopenmedia.com.au PRINTING: Whirlwind Print COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All material in Broadcastpapers’ Content+Technology Magazine is protected under

STORAGE & ASSET MANAGEMENT Mediasmiths: Forging a New Approach to MAM; DAMsmart Migrates Media with Digital Rapids; Playroom Hits Content with Baton.

RADIO Hong Kong on Track for DAB+ Launch; Digital Radio – It’s All Pluses, interview with CRA CEO; AVC Group Brings New Radio station to Kabul; BE Helps Radio Get Interactive; IP Audio Studio to Transmitter Installation.

TRANSMISSION EPG Data - a VAST Job

NEWS OPERATIONS Seven News Focuses on Fujinon; The Future of Digital Content - Opinion; iPhone or Video Camera with Stereo Sound?; Nine Network Gets Vislink Flyaways.

for SeaChange, Magna; T&M and Multi-View, Monitors with Australian Closed Captions; Thomson Transmitters Go Green at IBC; Quad-Split Multi-Viewer; Convergent TV from Thomson Video Networks.

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.

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EDITOR’S WELCOME

Is it the Cloud, or Just Smoke and Mirrors? By Phil Sandberg

WELCOME TO CONTENT+TECHNOLOGY’S SPECIAL ‘Media in the Cloud’ issue where we look at how cloud technology has and is set to impact various aspects of the content production and delivery industry. This is an exciting application of technology for me as it promises to deliver workflow and budgetary eﬃciencies that will allow content creators to be more creative in the way they produce content and in the ways they deliver it. Of course, we’ve heard all this talk before with the introduction of new, potentially ‘game-changing’ technologies that were going to turn the world upside down and have us all waist-deep in ‘rivers of gold’. But, the reality is that, rather than driving their predecessors to extinction, every new delivery platform of the last 25 years has simply become part of a wider media mix while new production technologies have enabled producers and broadcasters to do more with less and in a more compressed time frame. Part of the reason for not finding ourselves swept away by the ‘rivers of gold’ is the expectation created by the Internet that everything should be pretty much free - including content. This expectation has created a race to the bottom that has impacted margins right throughout the value chain. Many have desperately given away and, therefore, undervalued their assets simply to maintain or increase eyeballs. It is a devaluation that is reflected in the advertising inventory surrounding the content with rates being driven down and the expectations of advertisers in attracting consumers weighted more on the delivery platform than the eﬀectiveness of their own ad material or marketing execution. Of course, the other side of the Internet coin is that it has not only lowered the barriers to entry for content creators, but it also promises to lower capex for the more professional players. And, that’s where ‘the cloud’ comes in.

When it comes to streamlining production of this magazine, we recently turned to Box.Net, an online collaborative file sharing service. We use it to send InDesign files back and forth to our external design team. The system not only stores the files and alerts users when a new upload has occurred, also but tracks who the last upload came from and automatically annotates which version of the file it is. You can also leave notes for your collaborators, send them task instructions with due dates and email files as attachments via your gmail account. What sets Box.Net even further apart is they have opened up their API resulting in a community of developers springing up with solutions ranging from “posting” your file to a blog, LinkedIn or Twitter account to direct mail marketing and “printing in the cloud” with delivery to a user specified Kinkos store. And, the number of on-add apps continues to grow. In the broadcast sphere, companies such as ESPN and the San Francisco Giants baseball team use the service to transfer video to news stations, media outlets and internal stakeholders while 9th Floor Radio, a Californiabased Internet radio station uses Box to power its publically available online archive. Another service we use is that of Network Solutions web hosting - where the various C+T web sites live. More than dumb hosting, the company’s user interface allows users to launch blog sites, install e-commerce and project management platforms, wikis, and even marketing tools – all at the click of a mouse without the need for any programming skill. What can be done with web content today is also being done with audio and video content and there is, no doubt, more headed our way. For once, this is a case of where you need to get your head in the clouds

THE CLOUD – WHAT IS IT?

Thanks for reading

I’m going to draw a line in the fog here and say that what separates true cloud platforms and the merely misty are smarts, application smarts. To my mind, an application is truly cloud when it comes with a toolset, preferably an expandable toolset, all else is simply “connected outsourcing” or dumb storage.

content+technology+video Catch up on all the behind the scenes action from IBC 2011 and much more with C+TV online video on the C+T web site. EDITOR’S WELCOME

Also on the Site: + Whitepapers + News and product information from 27 C+T blog sites + Events

www.content-technology.com

Phil Sandberg Editor/Publisher papers@broadcastpapers.com T: +61-(0)2-9332 2221

2011/2012 C+T DEADLINES NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 VOL 8 ISSUE 6

Editorial/Advertising Bookings Ad Material

October 14, 2011 October 28

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012 VOL 9 ISSUE 1

Editorial/Advertising Bookings Ad Material

December 16, 2011 January 16, 2012

FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.content-technology.com +61-(0)2-9332 2221 or +61-(0)414 671 811. Email: papers@broadcastpapers.com Sales enquiries: papers@broadcastpapers.com +61-(0)2 9332 2221.

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

National Archive Taps Lemac for Archiving Telecine LEMAC FILM AND DIGITAL has installed a Debrie Telecine into the National Archives of Australia to digitise films susceptible to chemical deterioration. The Archives has one of the largest film archival collections in Australia comprising approximately 260,000 films, dating from early nitrate to modern polyester. The vast majority of the collection is 16mm, with colour film being amongst the most susceptible to chemical deterioration. With a very tight timeline for delivery and installation, Lemac was able to meet the requirements of the Archives. Lemac has a long 35 year history of technical excellence, supported by specialists in electronic, mechanical and optical engineering and this ensured the installation was a success. Caitlin Hickie, Acting Director of Record Services & Preservation at the Archives said, at completion of the installation,

that “Lemac’s professionalism and thoroughness was very much appreciated.” The Debrie Telecine, the FILMTRANSFER Data Cine 16/35 is able to handle badly warped film and with shrinkage of up to 4% (greater than 4% is available as an option). FILMTRANSFER is equipped with a colour-integration sphere located just above the film. The illumination of the film is diﬀuse rather than direct. This minimizes the appearance of scratches while maintaining a more uniform illumination of each film frame. With the FILMTRANSFER Data Cine 16/35 is the Kolibri software. The Kolibri controls the telecine and provides standard colour correction, gamma correction, gain and black level adjustment. These can be done on a scene by scene basis and the transfer then done in real time. The final file archive output is in MJPEG2000 in a lossless format.

While many in the industry know Lemac as being one of the leading suppliers of motion picture and broadcast digital camera equipment, they may not know that Lemac has a long post support history, also supplying Aaton Keylink technology to many of the leading post houses. Stuart Pointon, National Business Development Manager for Lemac, said “We were very proud to be able to supply the Debrie Telecine. It was a wonderful opportunity to be part of a project preserving the Nation’s film heritage. This was especially important in light of Lemac’s founding director, John Bowring ACS’s passion for the preservation of our film heritage and his support of the project prior to his sudden passing in April this year. He would be pleased that the Nation’s archives are being so well cared for.” Visit www.lemac.com.au

Wong Chyron VP Sales for APAC

Zhang Heads Biz-Dev for RTW

CHYRON HAS APPOINTED JONATHAN WONG as the company’s new vice president

provider Beehive Systems, where he was

RTW, the manufacturer and distributor of

of sales for the Asia Pacific region. Based in

Pacific business strategy, engaging with major

Singapore, Wong will lead enterprise-level

customers and establishing Beehive’s channel

engagements with major broadcast media

network for the region. Over the past ten years,

organizations and be responsible for expanding

his business development experience in the

business through existing distribution channels

region has included positions at Singapore-

and system integrators in the region.

based integrator S&I Systems as well as

Prior to joining Chyron, Wong was Asia Pacific

Avid Technology.

professional audio metering and control devices, has announced the appointment of Amanda Zhang as the company’s new director of business development. In her new role, Zhang will draw upon her background in information management and information systems to enhance and further grow the RTW brand, specifically in the AsiaPacific region. Prior to joining RTW, Zhang was a consultant for Citibank, in charge of senior sales.

regional manager for broadcast software

Visit www.chyron.com

Visit www.rtw.de

responsible for developing the company’s Asia

Grass Valley Adds New Talent

Sheppard Oversees Mistika

NEWS + PEOPLE

SGO HAS ANNOUNCED the appointment of GRASS VALLEY HAS ANNOUNCED the

Singapore.

appointment of Peter Bruce, as well as Andy Srinivasan, who will join the Grass Valley Asia Pacific team.

Meanwhile, Srinivasan will be responsible for developing the long-term growth plan for India. Srinivasan formerly served as CEO and as a Board member of Gavs Technologies, an IT services company that served delivery operations in Chennai, India – he also supported sales in the United States and U.K. Prior to that, he had been a senior manager of Sun Microsystems and StorageTek in Singapore.

In his new role, Director of Channel Management, Bruce will work closely with recognised leaders in the region to further strengthen Grass Valley’s existing sales and support channels there. Bruce is no stranger to Grass Valley, having worked for the company from 1995 to 2009. He left to join Integrated Microwave Technologies, based in

Visit www.grassvalley.com

Sam Sheppard as Product Application Specialist. Sam will work closely with the development team and play a key pre-sales specialist role, where he will present SGO’s Mistika workflow technologies, with particular emphasis on DI, 2D and Stereo 3D functionality. Sam joins SGO from Quantel where he was senior Post Production Application Specialist. Sam has also worked within the New Zealand film industry; first on set in lighting and camera departments, then moving into post at Park Road Post Production. Visit www.sgomistika.com

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NEWS + PEOPLE Maroun Takes Regional Sales for Wohler

Ching Takes Channel Marketing for Snell

Harrow Heads Image Systems Sales

WOHLER TECHNOLOGIES has announced that Jhonny Maroun has joined the company as regional sales manager for the Asia-Pacific region. In his new role, Maroun will be responsible for building the Wohler brand in the region by strengthening long-term relationships with customers and channel partners.

SNELL HAS ANNOUNCED the appointment of Vanessa Ching as vice president, channel marketing and communications, for the company’s Asia-Pacific and Middle East territories. Reporting directly to Naresh Subherwal, Snell’s president, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, Ching is based in Singapore and will manage all strategic marketing programs for the region with a focus on channel partner relationships.

IMAGE SYSTEMS, formerly known as Digital

Prior to joining Wohler, Maroun served as sales manager and business development engineer for IRT Electronics in Australia, where he oversaw all international sales and business development functions including new product development and rollouts, key account management, customer relationship development, contract negotiations, and order fulfilment. Visit www.wohler.com

Vision, has appointed Pete Harrow as its AsiaPacific Head of Sales. The appointment follows the retirement of Peter Charles. Harrow has worked as a colour and finishing specialist for Image Systems (Digital Vision) across the Asia Pacific region.

Ching comes to Snell from GlobeCast, where she led regional communication campaigns specialising in media management, playout, and broadcast transmission for major news and sports events. Prior to GlobeCast, Ching managed communications at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union.

Harrow developed his skills as an engineer and colourist in the fast-paced Soho post production environment. He recently served as a Dailies Colourist on The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader using Nucoda Film Master as the on-set tool to help streamline colour for the DI workflow at Walden Media.

Visit www.snellgroup.com

Visit www.imagesystems.tv

Maori TV Announces New Exec Team MAORI TELEVISION HAS ANNOUNCED two key appointments to its Executive team. Veteran television broadcaster Carol Hirschfeld (Ngati Porou) will be promoted to the newly created position of General Manager Production while former TVNZ Deputy Chief Executive Stephen Smith takes up the newly created position of General Manager Digital. The establishment of the two new positions are part

of a company-wide reorganisation that sees Maori Television move from a traditional broadcaster infrastructure to a more “fit-for-future” model. Both positions report to the Chief Executive. Carol Hirschfel has worked as a news reporter, presenter, director, producer and executive producer. Carol joined Maori Television two years ago as the Head of Programming for the Maori Television channel. Prior to her appointment, Carol was with TV3 for 11 years where she co-

presented 3 News and was an executive producer of Campbell Live. Stephen Smith rose to the position of Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Content at TVNZ after 16 years before leaving in 2006 to become Head of Media Entertainment for Vodafone. Stephen was then appointed Group Head of Digital for Fairfax Media. Visit www.maoritelevision.com

NEWS + PEOPLE

Ericsson is enabling content owners to maximize the value of content, and TV platform operators to create the most compelling and differentiated multi-screen consumer experiences. Visit us at IBC and share our vision for the hottest topics in the industry. Our goal? It’s simple – to be your trusted partner in Television. Talk the trends with Ericsson Televisionaries.Hall 1. D61

www.ericsson.com/televisionary

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NEWS + PEOPLE

Videocraft Adds Five

Quinto Expands Sales & Support

VIDEOCRAFT HAS MADE five new

QUINTO COMMUNICATIONS HAS EXPANDED

appointments, boosting the staﬀ in its Sydney and Canberra oﬃces.

its Sydney-based sales and support team. Jack Lloyd has been appointed as Technical Sales Executive looking after Quinto’s continuing expansion into corporate and government video facilities. Meanwhile, Dimko Kostoski has been appointed to the role of Customer Engineering Support Manager.

In Sydney the company has recruited ex-customer service executive Alison Van Der Kar as their new receptionist and Rebecca Oldroyd as their new Sales and Support Coordinator. Also recruited for the Sydney oﬃce are Adam Langham as Junior Broadcast Engineer and Glen Beaumont in the role of Systems Technician.

According to Quinto MD, Alan McIlwaine, “We are very fortunate to have secured the services of both Jack and Dimko. Both engineers are highly regarded and come to us with many years’ experience in their respective industry sectors. I am very confident they will be great assets to our company and customers.” Visit www.quinto.com.au

In Canberra, industry veteran Chris Webster has been brought in to head up the company’s sales and new business eﬀorts. Videocraft NSW State Manager Andy Liell said, “We have become far more of a systems integrator and solution provider than a box seller in recent years and this trend is continuing. Hiring the five new members for our team also means we can continue to oﬀer the highest quality service possible at the most competitive prices.” Visit www.videocraft.com.au

Jack Lloyd

Brown New BDM for Cutting Edge

Khan Patches, Spear Heads – into The Playroom

CUTTING EDGE DIGITAL has announced the appointment of a new Business Development Manager, Colin Brown. Brown’s previous stints include The Post Lounge, Big Fish Design and NZ’s Sauce. In addition to traditional portal, vertical, social networking and video sites, Brown’s expertise extends to integration across mobile apps and digital TV products like IPTV. Peter Laird, Cutting Edge Digital’s Director, mirrors the excitement of the rapidly growing team. “He’s a fantastic choice to drive growth for Cutting Edge Digital,” says Laird, “just the right person to form the kind of strategic partnerships that will keep us at the forefront.”

Dimko Kostoski

PATCH KHAN AND CORA SPEAR have joined The Playroom’s senior management team - Khan as Broadcast and Media Services Director and Spear as Business Development Director. Khan’s credits include TNT, Cartoon Network, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Showtime/Gulf DTH and Discovery Networks Asia Pacific. Khan has also consulted for blue-chip media companies including Paramount Comedy Channel, Flextech TV, BSkyB, Nickelodeon UK, Fox Sports, MGM International, Arqiva, Tiger Gate and Hewlett Packard. Cora Spear has over 15 years multi-platform experience having worked with Ogilvy, McCann Erickson, Beyond Film and TV and Hyro Limited. Visit www.theplayroom.tv

The Playroom senior management team of Patch Khan and Cora Spear.

Digistor Appoints Morris for Southern Region

Tisaj Takes on Arena

DIGISTOR, HAS APPOINTED WARWICK MORRIS as new Sales Account Manager working

FOXTEL HAS ANNOUNCED the appointment of

Visit www.cuttingedge.com.au

NEWS + PEOPLE

out of the company’s South Melbourne oﬃce. Morris expands the sales team for the company and will focus on accounts in the Southern Region, including Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.

Colin Brown.

Neradine Tisaj as Arena Channel Manager. Ms Tisaj has almost 20 years experience in the Australian and US media, working as a journalist, producer, publicist and marketing executive. She has held senior positions at Network Ten, Warner

Warwick has worked previously for Lako Pacific as Product Manager for the Pinnacle/Avid Liquid range in Australia providing sales and support to resellers and customers, product demonstrations and training. Most recently Warwick was lead quality assurance tester at Blackmagic Design.

Bros International Television and the Nine Network.

Visit www.digistor.com.au

Visit www.foxtel.com.au

“I am thrilled to be joining FOXTEL, I love the dynamic energy and culture of the organisation,” said Tisaj. “And, I’m excited to be working with the great team at Arena.”

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TAKING STOCK Moves in the business of content + technology

www.content-technology.com/mediabusiness

‘Converged’ HK Regulator Established THE GOVERNMENT of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has passed an Ordinance which will see the functions and powers of HK’s Broadcasting and Telecommunications Authorities combined into a new body, the Oﬃce of the Communications Authority, or OFCA. The Communications Authority Bill was passed

by the Legislative Council on June 30 2011 to reflect the increasing convergence between telecommunications and broadcasting. The Communications Authority “will be set up as a unified regulator under the Communications Authority Ordinance to modernise the regulatory regimes for the two sectors”.

OFCA will act as an independent body and consist of a Public Oﬃcer and between five and ten persons, all appointed by the HK SAR Chief Executive. These members will be complemented by a Director General. Visit www.gld.gov.hk

Foxtel Announces Solid Growth AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TV operator Foxtel has announced a 15.5% growth in earnings (EBITDA) to $551m for the year to 30 June 2011. Foxtel is owned by Telstra Corporation Ltd (50%), The News Corporation Ltd (25%) and Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (25%). Despite the challenging consumer environment, total Foxtel managed subscribers grew by 2.5% with total subscribers reaching over 1.65m. Foxtel’s revenue for the year ended 30 June 2011 was up by almost 6% to $2.142 billion driven largely by the continuation of strong growth in uptake of Foxtel’s iQ and High Definition services. Nearly 75% of subscribers now take the Foxtel iQ service with almost one-third of subscribers taking Foxtel’s High Definition services. Foxtel’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 15.5% to $551m (from $477m last year) while Profit Before Tax grew at 26% to just over $200m. Foxtel’s EBIT grew by 21% to just under $250m. Foxtel’s cashflow performance for the year was solid with in excess of $200m of free cash flow. After Partner distributions, Foxtel’s leverage at 30 June 2011 was just 1.3x EBITDA. The diﬃcult consumer environment continued

throughout the 2010/11 year with subscriber growth impacted by negative consumer confidence, increased savings rates and the ongoing impact of competition from the Freeview services and new online oﬀerings. Notwithstanding this, Foxtel’s direct subscriber base grew by 2.5% to 1.58m at 30 June 2011 (including the installation queue). Customer retention improved significantly over the prior year with full year churn of 12.5% in 2010/11, down from 13.5% in 2009/10 representing the best retention performance in 4 years. Total subscriber households, including wholesale, finished at 1.652m. Foxtel’s Chief Executive Mr Kim Williams AM acknowledged the diﬃcult environment saying, “While our financial performance for the year was solid, subscriber growth remains testing as a result of the ongoing reluctance of consumers to commit to new discretionary spend whilst the increased competition from Freeview and broadband delivered video entertainment services has exacerbated the acquisition challenge. Our existing subscribers continue to value our service highly as reflected through increased uptake of our iQ, High Definition and multi-room services while churning at a significantly lower rate than in recent years.

“We are very confident that our groundbreaking AFL deal, our continued innovation in content and technology and our unwavering focus on our service to customers will lead to refreshed growth in the year ahead.” Foxtel announced on 11 July it had entered into definitive transaction agreements with AUSTAR and Liberty Global to acquire the Austar business. The transaction agreements are subject to a number of conditions precedent including regulatory approvals, minority shareholder and court approvals. The ACCC released a Statement of Issues on 22 July, requesting further submissions by 11 August. Foxtel continues to engage constructively with the ACCC as part of its ongoing process. Foxtel remains confident that “the proposed transaction does not substantially lessen competition in any market. Merging the two companies will not have a negative impact on competition but will rather see Foxtel oﬀering a range of consumer benefits including an array of captivating new digital services to regional Australia whilst investing around $600 million a year in new and original Australian content and maintaining employment for thousands of people”. Visit www.foxtel.com.au

IABM Global Report Points to Recovery THE IABM (International Association of

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Broadcasting Manufacturers) has released the fourth edition of its “Broadcast and Media Technology: Global Market Valuation and Strategy to 2015” study. Based on original research commissioned from IHS Screen Digest, the study oﬀers unique insights into the recovery and growth of the worldwide broadcast industry. Key findings in the IABM report show a 6 percent growth of the global broadcast and media technology section from 2009 to 2010, and financial data within the report also indicate that the industry will be growing at about the same

rate as GDP by 2015, but there will be annual diﬀerences, including some years when it will be below. At this pace, the study suggests, the industry will return to its 2008 size in 2012. “Our industry, like all others, was badly hit by the recession, but it is encouraging to see how strongly it is recovering,” said Peter White, director general at the IABM. “While times have been very hard and all companies had to make tough decisions, there have been very few casualties in this diversified and specialised business. The industry is seeing a paradigm shift at present and London 2012 and the American political process will both drive this change forward.”

The IABM’s distinctive position enables the organisation to draw upon detailed financial returns prepared by a broad and representative sample of vendors. Built on this information, the global valuation report is able to scale the industry accurately and to provide detailed forecasts to 2015. The project itself is steered by a partnership group of leading industry vendors all of which are members of the IABM. “Broadcast and Media Technology: Global Market Valuation and Strategy to 2015” is available for purchase through the IABM website, www. theiabm.org/globalstudy.

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Phone Screening – When the Job Comes Calling Media staﬀ & strategy by Karl Jansson IN THE MAY-JUNE EDITION of Content & Technology, we briefly discussed interviewing techniques covering the traditional types to that of “Behavioural” interviews. From the requests I received whilst exhibiting at SMPTE 2011, we’ve decided to extend the content of interviewing into this article. It’s important to note that interviewing covers both the interviewer and interviewee and regardless of whether you are one or the other, it’s best to understand the process from the other perspective.

THE PHONE “SCREENING” INTERVIEW Ok, your first exposure to an interview could very well be a phone “screening” call from the advertiser/employer/agency/consultancy who received your application. This is the first impression that will either result in an invitation for a face-toface interview or else it could place you into a ‘Maybe’ holding pattern for consideration. So take advantage of this call and prepare to have the details of the job and research on the company (if known) on hand, at any time. If you have a smart phone, and you’re familiar with flipping through your ‘notes’ on your phone whilst speaking, then full credit to you. For the rest of us, I suggest a second small data device for your files. Not the norm I know, but you’ll sound more confident when you take a call as everything is at your fingertips. Remember, at this point you don’t have your handshake, dress code or mannerisms to help you through this interview, so best rely on how confident you sound through your voice. If background noise and clarity of signal are poor, then either party should reflect the importance of the call by re-scheduling with a sense of urgency. Also if your voicemail has a somewhat amusing message on it, place yourself in the caller’s position when calling to arrange an interview. Will it reflect the level of professionalism that you want for them to leave a message? Or, will they call back if they don’t leave a message? When you connect, and by the time the “screening” phone call ends, the interviewee shouldn’t be afraid to ask what would be the next step and anticipated time frame involved. Again, file some notes away with a date stamp for follow-up. Although the applicant needs to be prepared for a phone interview, the interviewer on the other hand should also be conscious of their preparation and phone manner. Remember, this is a two way conversation, not

at this point you don’t have your “Remember, handshake, dress code or mannerisms to help you through this interview, so best rely on how confident you sound through your voice.

”

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necessarily a one sided interview by the interviewer. In the absence of showcasing a possible plush oﬃce as well as impeccable personal grooming, the interviewer can easily be tempted to take the position of high ground in order to compensate, to the point of portraying arrogance. It’s therefore not uncommon for an applicant to withdraw their application at this point, and as a result of their portrayal of the company, breed potential negatives back into the market. Both parties should at all times be selling themselves in a conscious manner.

THE TYPE OF QUESTIONS ASKED? “If you were working in (…) and (…) happened. How would you manage that situation?” This type of question would normally be asked at an interview when attended in person to gauge body language and confidence levels. The types of questions that would likely be asked over the phone relate directly to the resume by the reader. Sometimes the resume may need clarification, or reflect missing content that should have been included. The questions raised from this call are worth noting because it gives feedback on the resume layout, which is important for future applications. Tailor your resume to each position you apply, with relevance to that position based upon your experience and knowledge. It’s important to note that the same resume should not be sent with all applications. The ideal resume for a position is one that is a blueprint for the job applied. Other questions may include, “Why are you currently looking to change jobs?”, “How familiar are you with (a key selection criteria)? Also, if you have less than two years at any job, repeated a few times in your career, be prepared to answer a question about “Why”. The current salary package may also be asked by the interviewer. This is done to ensure that it is within the ballpark of the position, and to test it again during a later interview if scheduled. If there is no consistency then potentially the applicant has up-sold their value at some stage. It’s unusual for an initial phone interview to be lengthy so the number of questions maybe few, but certainly straight to the point. If you’ve completed some initial research on the employer (if known) , drop a question in towards the end of the call as it shows some genuine interest in the company and position.

IN SUMMARY. Once the call has finished insert the caller’s number and details into your your phone - you will create a good impresssion if you receive their followup call and their details will be displayed so you can greet them directly. IIt’s important that the initial contact between applicant and interviewer is fluid, timely, and has a purpose that is outlined at the beginning of the call. At the conclusion of the call a clearly defined outcome, direction and time frame should be established. Karl Jansson owned and managed “J-Curve Broadcast Recruitment”. He has since merged his business within “Interlogic Placements” at North Sydney. Contact: karl@interlogic.com.au or 9922 2711 or 0408 274 413

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Technicolor Transforms Through Acquisitions

Briefs

THE LAST FEW YEARS have certainly been busy

Belo Corp TV Expands Ads with Yahoo!

for the board of Technicolor (Euronext Paris: TCH – formerly Thomson). Following its divestiture of Grass Valley and Thomson Video Networks, the company has not wasted time in completing the transformation to a mostly services operation. Technicolor recently announced the acquisition of U.S. west coast-based LaserPacific’s postproduction assets as part of its plans to grow its television (broadcast) and theatrical digital post production market position. The agreement reinforces Technicolor’s presence in broadcast post production with an increase of 40% in the number of total television series serviced; and will further enhance the company’s presence in theatrical, marketing (trailers) and library mastering. The transaction will also extend Technicolor’s reach and engagement with filmmakers through a first-class digital intermediate facility located in West Los Angeles. The acquisition follows an announcement by Technicolor that it has entered into an exclusive franchise licensing agreement with PostWorks for the use of the Technicolor brand and know-how in the New York market. As part of the agreement, Technicolor will sell its New York post production assets to PostWorks and will provide the company access to its proprietary colour science and post production workflows. Technicolor will continue to serve the New York industry through its MPC brand that delivers post production and visual eﬀects. Meanwhile, in the cinema exhibition space, Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. (NASDAQ: CIDM) and Technicolor have entered into a binding letter of intent for Technicolor to acquire the assets of Cinedigm’s physical and electronic distribution business, as well as to create a strategic software design partnership between the two companies. Technicolor will also become a strategic software design partner with Cinedigm, supporting the development of entertainment industry software products to leverage the opportunities created by global digital cinema conversion. On the delivery side, Technicolor will become the preferred content servicing partner for Cinedigm’s growing alternative content and independent film distribution business. Technicolor is expected to reach over 90% of digital cinema sites currently enabled with satellite connectivity for feature delivery in North America. And, in what can only be called co-ompetition, Technicolor announced a number of subcontracting agreements with Deluxe. In the area of 35mm release print manufacturing, the company signed:

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+ A subcontracting agreement from Technicolor to Deluxe in North America + A subcontracting agreement from Deluxe to Technicolor in Thailand + A subcontracting agreement from Deluxe to Technicolor for UK negative development. Visit www.technicolor.com

Belo Corp. (NYSE: BLC) one of the USA’s largest pure-play, publicly-traded television companies, has announced an agreement with Yahoo! to deliver advertising across Yahoo! sites in Belo’s 15 local television markets in the U.S. The deal marries Belo’s local sales capabilities and leading television station websites with Yahoo!’s market reach and display advertising leadership. This new initiative comes in addition to an agreement completed several years ago by which Belo stations supply select video content across Yahoo! sites. Visit www.belo.com and www.yahoo.com

Ofcom Publishes Market Reports UK regulator Ofcom has published its annual Communications Market Report into the UK’s TV, radio, broadband, telecoms and mobile industries. The 2011 report shows that there has been rapid growth in the take-up and use of smartphones, and that they are beginning to aﬀect social behaviour, particularly among teenagers. The report also looks at the rise and fall of communications technologies over the past decade, and how age aﬀects take-up and use of communications services. View the report at www.ofcom.org.uk/cmr.

AMX Forms Network Media Group AV solutions provider AMX has announced the creation of a Network Media Group to advance its line of IP-based media distribution and control solutions. At the outset, the Network Media Group will span the U.S. and U.K and bring together teams responsible for current AMX IP-media product families including, Vision2 IPTV systems, the Inspired Signage line and the Television Distribution System (TDS). Visit www.amx.com

ScheduALL has Record Q2 2011 ScheduALL, the provider of Enterprise Resource Management and collaboration software for the media and broadcast industry, has announced record financial results for the second quarter of 2011. Despite challenging economic conditions, the company says its revenues grew an unprecedented 34% over the same period last year, following on the heels of its overall 19% growth during the previous fiscal year. Visit www.scheduall.com

KIT Digital Q2 Results KIT digital, Inc., has reported second quarter results ending June 30, 2011. Although revenue was up 40 percent sequentially to record US$48.2 million and up 109 percent over the same year-ago quarter, the company reported a net loss of $19.8 million. The Q2 2011 revenue increase is attributed to both organic growth and the contribution of newly acquired companies. KIT digital expects revenues in Q3 2011 to exceed $61 million. For the full year of 2011, management reaﬃrms its revenue guidance of approximately $210 million, which would represent an increase over 2010 of more than 95 percent overall and more than 30 percent organically. Visit www.kitdigital.com

Pay TV Ad Revenues Up The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) has announced that advertising revenues for Australian subscription television (STV) grew by 7.4% from financial years 2010 to 2011. The Ernst & Young report compiled for ASTRA found net ad revenues of AUD$180,076,820 from 1 January 2011 to 30 June 2011, which is an increase of 3.4% from the previously corresponding period, and comprises a total of $385,921,612 in advertising revenue for STV in financial year 2011. Visit www.astra.org.au

Haivision Acquires KulaByte, MontiVision Haivision Network Video has acquired both KulaByte Corporation of San Marcos, Texas, and MontiVision Imaging Technologies based in Germany. The technologies of both companies, including advanced encoding, transcoding, cloud computing, and workflow solutions, will be combined to form Haivision’s new Internet Media Division. Haivision has now acquired four companies in just over two years, combining IP video distribution, digital signage, and now Internet streaming expertise with the company’s H.264 hardware technology. Visit www.haivision.com

Orad Takes IBIS Orad Hi-Tec Systems Limited has announced the signing of an investment agreement for 63.38% of Integrated Broadcast Information Systems Limited, (IBIS). As part of the deal Orad will invest US$2.11 million in cash with an option to increase its holdings to 100% within the next 54 months. Visit www.orad.tv

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TECHNICAL STANDARDS www.content-technology.com/standards

MPEG Targets Coding Standards At its 97th meeting held in Torino, Italy, the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) issued a Call for Proposals (CfP) for Internet Video Coding Technologies to develop a standard that could become the default video codec for internet applications because it will be in line with the expected usage models of the Internet.

+ The goal of the work item was achieved, that is to produce a single coding technology which is always at least as good as the better of the state-ofthe-art coders, namely HE-AACv2 and AMR-WB+, on any signal content type (speech, music and speech mixed with music).

It is also expected that patent owners are prepared to grant a free-of-charge license to make, use, and sell implementations of such a standard, i.e. the standard is expected to be “royalty free”. The new standard is intended to achieve better compression performance than that oﬀered by MPEG-2 and possibly comparable to that oﬀered by the AVC Baseline Profile.

+ In fact, when considering any of the three content types, and of course for all signal content types grouped together, USAC is always better than the best codec tailored for general audio or speech (i.e. HE-AACv2 and AMR-WB+). This holds true for the whole range of bit rates tested from 8 kbps mono to 96 kbps stereo. For most bit rates tested this performance advantage is large.

Proposals are due in October 2011 and will be evaluated at the 98th MPEG meeting in Geneva. MPEG expects the standard to be complete by July 2013.

+ USAC provides a much more consistent quality across all signal content types than the other systems tested.

Also at the meeting, the Group announced that ISO/IEC 23003-3, Unified Speech and Audio Coding, has progressed to the stage of final draft international standard. This standard builds upon technology developed in prior MPEG audio standards and adds to that speech source coding technology to create a single, unified coder with performance that is comparable to that of the best speech coders for speech signals and to that of the best music coders for music signals.

This new specification is expected to have application in any area in which low-bit-rate transmission or storage is necessary and audio content is an arbitrary mix of speech, speech plus music and music. It provides state-ofthe-art performance over an extremely wide range of bit rates, from the low rates for mono signals through higher rates for multi-channel signals. Visit http://mpeg.chiariglione.org/technologies.htm.

Digital TV Labs Launches ISDB-T Test Suite

Machine-Readable Metadata for Online News

DIGITAL TV LABS, which provides independent, specialised receiver

DRAFT VERSION 0.5 OF RNEWS, a standard model for embedding machine-readable metadata in online news, has been approved by the International Press Telecommunications Council.

conformance products and services, has announced that it has developed and shipped the first commercially available receiver test suite for digital terrestrial deployments of the ISDB-T standard, beginning with test services for South America. The company’s new ISDB-T Evora iSuite can directly test against the Brazilian receiver specification, providing manufacturers with a fast and technologically secure route to market. In addition, Digital TV Labs has spent considerable time and eﬀort working across South America, analysing the ISDB-T broadcasts across 30 cities. The company then incorporated the specification and regional variations into the Evora test suite, thus ensuring receiver interoperability in real broadcast environments. With hundreds of RF captures collected from a wide variety of locations, and in addition to its Brazilian receiver conformance tests, Digital TV Labs is now able to oﬀer comprehensive receiver RF test suites and testing services for Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

TECHNICAL STANDARDS

The Unified Speech and Audio Coding (USAC) Verification Test Report was made available at the meeting. The tests included speech, music and speech mixed with music, and covered a wide range of bit rates: from 8 kbps to 96 kbps as well as both mono and stereo operating points. Statistical analysis of the test data resulted in the following conclusions:

Keith Potter, CEO, Digital TV Labs, explains, “We responded to a strong market demand for ISDB-T Evora iSuite as there’s currently no other commercially available ISDB-T receiver test suite in the market. Our research has shown that South America is a similarly complex broadcasting environment to Europe, with a common base standard yet a wide range of specific profiles. By working with us, manufacturers can avoid unnecessary complications as they enter these markets.” Visit www.digitaltv-labs.com

The IPTC is a consortium of the world’s major news agencies, news publishers and news industry vendors. It develops and maintains technical standards for improved news exchange that are used by virtually every major news organisation in the world. This version of rNews clarifies, simplifies and expands the rNews model and incorporates much of the feedback that the IPTC has received about the first draft. The IPTC is also releasing the recommended RDFa implementation for rNews 0.5 and plans to provide mappings to other markup mechanisms, such as HTML5 microdata and JSON. This will give publishers a choice of how to implement the model, using the technologies that best meet their needs. “rNews unlocks the value of publishing metadata for online news by making it easy to apply in a standard way, using pure web technologies,” said Stuart Myles, Lead of the IPTC’s Semantic Web Working Group and Deputy Director of Schema Standards at the Associated Press. “The IPTC is happy to see the significant interest generated by the first draft of rNews. We pledge to bring the standard to production-readiness in the next few months.” The IPTC expects to release more draft versions in coming months and aims to approve the first production release in October 2011. Visit http://dev.iptc.org/rNews.

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SMPTE 11 PREVIEW

www.content-technology.com/smptedaily

SMPTE Shines Through IT WAS A RE-ENERGISED SMPTE Australia Conference & Exhibition which shone in July despite a week of wintery rain at the Sydney Convention Centre. WHILE THE NUMBER of trade shows continues to expand with the number of voices wanting less of them, SMPTE Australia Section, with its partner Expertise Events, put on a high quality show which improved on past eďŹ&#x20AC;orts and left no doubt that it is THE event for media technologists in Australia, New Zealand and beyond. According to Expertise Events, attendance from SMPTE registrations was 6879 and steady compared to 2009, with the co-located Entech show supplying a further 1300 (approximate) visitors. According to EE, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The impact of the co-location with Entech Intech was positive. Visitors with interest in both events saved time and the cost of travel. Overall there was a synergistic match between the events with good cross flow in both directions.

Steadicam display was the largest display of Steadicam rigs ever in the Southern Hemisphere.â&#x20AC;?

This visitor traďŹ&#x192;c followed a predictable pattern each day, with on floor traďŹ&#x192;c peaking at 1pm each day, Wednesday being the highest and Friday the lowest.

In all, Lemac had its largest display of cameras ever assembled for a SMPTE show with 13 cameras on tripods, eight cameras on Steadicams and a 3D rig from Sony.

According to Expertise Eventsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; polling attendees fell into the following camps:

While not well known for their post production capabilities, Lemac have their own post production unit. Sue Greeenshields, Managing Director of Lemac, said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;one of the very strong cornerstones to the Lemac business for our clients is that we put the gear that we sell through their paces everyday in our rentals and we post produce quite a bit of that material in our post department. Through this, we have extensive expertise and can provide a key link between our customers and their post production facilities. As part of this process, Lemac showed the workflow for various formats including P2 with AVID and ARRI RAW from the Astrodesign 2K recorder into DaVinci.â&#x20AC;?

+ Final Decision Maker - 42% + Recommender â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 40% + Researching â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10% + No Direct Influence on Technology Decisions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8% The Conference was located on the Exhibition floor in Hall 3. This initiative proved extremely valuable as it enabled delegates easy and convenient access directly onto the exhibition floor in between sessions. In addition, a number of free exhibition workshops were held by the likes of Digistor/ Adimex, Avid and Amber Technology in dedicated workshop areas. According to Nick Buchner, Senior Product Marketing Manager with the Professional Solutions Division of Sony Australia, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stand at SMPTE2011 saw a steady stream of traďŹ&#x192;c, with particularly keen interest in the OLED monitor display area. With a comparative demonstration of BVM CRT and LED Grade 1 monitors up against the very latest 25â&#x20AC;? BVM-E OLED model, there seemed to be strong consensus that the new standard for critical monitoring has finally arrived! â&#x20AC;&#x153;The F65 digital cinematography camera attracted a lot of attention from the production sector, despite the unit on show being a non-operating sample. This highly-anticipated true 4K camera will be released to the market in early 2012.

SMPTE 2011 PREVIEW

On the floor at SMPTE11, [L-R] Jerry Holway (Steadicam), Garrett Brown (Steadicam Inventor) and Scott Backhouse (Lemac National Sales Manager).

In a reflection of the anecdotal evidence provided to C+T by exhibitors, Expertise Events also said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;SMPTE11 delivered high quality visitors for exhibitors that resulted in positive sales results, with a large amount of exhibitors claiming higher quality of attendees over previous years.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The program in the standâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presentation area was also strongly attended, covering topics from 3D production to electronic cinematography, the ongoing evolution of the XDCAM format and development of new monitoring and camera technologies. Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SMPTE show was also expanded through camera and system displays with local dealer partners Videocraft and Lemac, as well as walk-through tours of Gearhouse Broadcastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sony-built HD1 outside broadcast vehicle.â&#x20AC;? SMPTE 2011 saw long-time Panasonic dealer and newly appointed Sony dealer Lemac Film and Digital double its floor space. Lemac also had on hand the inventor of Steadicam, Garrett Brown. Along with Garrett and the steadicam crew, they were busy putting rigs on the punters and demonstrating the new Tango Steadicam accessory for use with miniature HD cameras. According to Scott Backhouse, Lemac National Sales Manager, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the SMPTE

In this area, of particular interest was the new OLED Broadcast monitor from Sony. This CRT replacement monitor was a key display product for Lemac and they were very happy to announce the sale of two of the PVM series OLED monitors to FSM in Sydney. Meanwhile, in the area of radio technology, Karen Olliver of Innes Corporation was thankful the Sydney winter weather didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t detract from the quality of visitors at the show. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Innes Corporation stand kept very busy - especially on days two and three - and it was great to see so many of our local and interstate clients. We had the pleasure of hosting three international sales representatives â&#x20AC;&#x201C; John Abdnour from Nautel, Peter Lee from Orban and Eugene Novacek from ENCO. It was fantastic to have these guys on board for first hand meetings and demonstrations to clients. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our kit display had something for everyone from the ENCO playout system, to the unrivalled Orban processors to a live demonstration of the Nautel VS1 transmitter. Not to mention Innesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own product line of audio loggers, professional sound cards and radio capture cards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Post SMPTE sales are looking very promising and adding to a highly successful week. Thanks to everyone who came to visit us!â&#x20AC;? For those unable to attend the show, Charles Sturt University had a broadcast van onsite and students produced SMPTE Showcase, videos showing the latest and greatest technology direct from the show floor. Delivered each day of the event, it went straight to the floor and zoomed in on the action. You can see their videos at www.smpte.org.au The next SMPTE Conference & Exhibition will be held from 23-26 July, 2013. Visit www.smpte.com.au

C S

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IBC 11 PREVIEW Get Connected at IBC EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED at this year’s IBC with a focus on the impact IP, broadband and mobile distribution is having on the creation, management and delivery of ‘content everywhere.’ The ‘IBC Connected World’ brings together the IPTV and Mobile Zones under one roof in Hall 13. THE MOBILE ZONE oﬀers exhibitors the platform to interact with delegates and demonstrate the very latest advances in mobile technology and the IPTV Zone has been expanded to reflect the rapid market penetration of connected consumer devices, applications and ‘over-the-top’ services which are driving new content delivery business models. The IBC Connected World provides the opportunity to network with new prospects, potential business partners and decisions makers at the highest level and showcase the enormous potential that exists in this sector. For IBC2011 there will also be a Demonstration Area for 15-minute presentations on Connected TV, IPTV/OTT TV, 3D and New Platforms, and IT & Broadcast Systems. Visit www.ibc.org/ connectedworld. IBC PRODUCTION VILLAGE Meanwhile, the centrepiece of the IBC Production Village is a fully-equipped professional standard studio set designed to showcase the very latest stereoscopic 3D, DSLR and specialist camera technologies. Companies such as Nikon, PURE4C, FOR-A and Vision Research, invite visitors to compare, rate and get hands-on with equipment and to seek personal buying advice from experts. The IBC Production Village is also home to the IBC TV News, where daily programmes are shot, edited and broadcast across Amsterdam. For 2011, IBC has devised the Inside Knowledge area, an original way of showcasing the latest camera technology with case studies and presentations from, among others, Cinegy, Tiger Technologies, EVS, Forbidden Technology and Vidigo. Visit www.ibc.org/productionvillage.

IBC BIG SCREEN

IBC 2011 PREVIEW

IBC has built an enviable reputation for its free movie screenings, showcasing the very best in modern cinema technology in the D-cinema. To prove this point, an amazing Saturday night movie screening of Transformers 3: Dark of Moon – in stereoscopic Dolby 3D and Dolby 7.1 ‘Courtesy of Paramount Pictures International’ will be shown and this year’s Monday night showcase will include an amazing extended trailer of James Cameron’s Titanic 3D, Flying Monsters in 3D and the spectacular Royal Wedding in 3D. The IBC Big Screen state-of-the-art facilities encompass 2K, 4K and stereoscopic 3D digital projection, while audio is presented in Dolby 7.1 surround sound. Sessions with exhibitors such as Arri, Christie and P+S Technik will utilise the cutting edge facilities, as RED and Assmiliate demonstrate creative storytelling with RED 5k Epic cameras and Assmiliate’s Scratch. Visit www.ibc.org/bigscreen.

FUTURE ZONE Featuring R&D from around the world the Future Zone will include the latest in Super Hi-Vision from NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) and encompass the New Technology Campus with the best new ideas, concepts

and prototypes around. The New Technology Campus (NTC) is the place to witness the most cutting edge technology to be seen outside of the world’s research labs. Over the years it has hosted the first public showings of many ground-breaking technologies that have gone on to become mainstream. Among the fascinating products for this year visitors will find OmniCam, an array of 6 HD cameras which can film 180-degree panoramic images and a demonstration by the University of Warwick of the world’s first High Dynamic Range (HDR) acquisition to display pipeline. Other R&D highlights include a social TV app from KDDI which analyses the online opinions about broadcast programmes for display on mobile devices; a means of controlling a TV by tracking the user’s own gaze developed by ETRI; and DOTS, a new approach to storage media claimed to have a 100 year life span. Visit www.ibc.org/ futurezone.

IBC AWARDS One of the highlights of IBC, the prestigious IBC Awards recognise those who have made a real contribution to the industry and whose careers have had a positive impact on its future direction. The winner of the IBC2011 International Honour for Excellence is Sir David Attenborough, in recognition of his remarkable career in television and, in particular, natural history. His career spans almost 60 years, with his Atlantic Productions documentary Flying Monsters 3D with Sir David Attenborough one of the most acclaimed programmes commissioned by Sky 3D. The IBC Awards Ceremony, which will include a special tribute to Sir David Attenborough and a look at the latest stereoscopic 3D wildlife programmes presented by Atlantic Productions, is on Sunday 11 September. All visitors are invited to attend the ceremony, in the RAI Auditorium, which starts at 18:30 with doors opening at 18:15.

CERTIFIED TRAINING PROGRAMME IBC2011 also presents the chance to learn and become certified on Apple and Avid through its Certified Training Programme, with sessions geared for intermediate to advanced TV, video, film and motion graphics professionals and focused on digital video post-production techniques using Apple, Avid and Adobe creative software tools and produced by Future Media Concepts (FMC). With Silver Sponsor AJA, this year’s programme will be covering all the essentials of Editing and designing with Final Cut Studio, Avid Editing Workshop and Adobe Production Premium, with the full 2 day Apple, and Avid courses held on Thursday and Friday repeated on Saturday and Sunday. Specifically designed to be flexible, the programme oﬀers multiple combinations and options for full-day training or trio/single session packages. There is also the opportunity to take a short 1 hour exam in the Apple and/or Avid software to become fully certified. Visit www.ibc.org.

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IBC 11 PREVIEW

FREE IBC2011 Mobile App FOR THE SMARTPHONE-ENABLED attending this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IBC, you can download the IBC2011 Mobile App to view information on exhibitor listings, the IBC map, conference programme and more. To download on iPhone, visit www.ibc.org/iphone and this will take you straight to the download page on the App Store. To download on Android, go to www.ibc.org/ android. To download the IBC2011 Mobile App Onsite, IBC has provided Wi-Fi hot spots to allow you to download the App. Once at the hotspot, search for IBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wi-Fi network â&#x20AC;&#x153;IBC2011â&#x20AC;? in your phone settings, connect to the Wi-FI network using the password shown at the hotspot, goto www.ibc. org/mobileapp and select your type of phone.

IABM Activities and Events at IBC 2011 IABM Conference Session: Defining the New Media Supply Industry Friday, September 9th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8 am to 9:15 am Keynote Speaker: Peter White, Director General for the IABM The broadcast and electronic media industry has been on a roller coaster the past few years. Global recession has negatively aďŹ&#x20AC;ected business, and rapid technology advances are making profound changes to the way the public consumes media content. The economic situation may be improving, but will anything like the â&#x20AC;&#x153;good old daysâ&#x20AC;? ever return, or is the industry entering new territory? To answer questions such as this, the IABM, the trade association representing broadcasting manufacturers and service providers, consistently charts and analyses the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress and performance.

The IABM conference session at IBC2011 will outline the most significant new data revealed by the latest research. A subsequent panel discussion will feature leaders representing all sides of the industry. Experts including Francisco Partners/ Grass Valley CEO Alain Andreoli, Harris Broadcast CEO Harris Morris, and Harmonic CEO Patrick Harshman will dissect and discuss the changing landscape of the media supply industry, examine in detail the products and services that the industry is buying, and oďŹ&#x20AC;er predictions for the future. Meanwhile, the IABM Reception and Awards Presentation will be held Saturday, September 10th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 pm to 8 pm. The presentation of the IABM Peter Wayne Award and the IABM Awards for Excellence will take place in the Onyx Lounge, RAI. Visit www.theiabm.org

Free Business Briefings A TOPICAL HIGHLIGHT of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IBC show is a series of free Exhibition Business Briefings formulated to provide an understanding of the implications and possibilities of the IBC Connected World. Hosted in Rooms G012G103, above IBC Connected World in Hall 13, with these sessions, you will learn from the experiences of companies such as Cisco, Ericsson, IBM & TV Genius that are already building businesses at the intersection of broadcast and broadband.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 10:00 - 10:30 Content Consumers Are Now in Charge of Your Brand: Bringing Science to the Art of Marketing. Speaker: JeďŹ&#x20AC; Smith, VP of Communications Sector Solutions, IBM Software Group 10:30-11:30 The Networked Society will be Televised. Presented by Ericsson This one-hour session with senior Ericsson management will look at the Networked Society, what it means to consumers and to the TV industry. 12:00-13:00 Happily Ever After! A Tale of Two Friends, Broadcast and Broadband Narrated by a Smart Network. Presented by Ken Morse, CTO, Service Provider Video Technology Group, Cisco

How can the worlds of broadcast TV and online video better complement each other to create a better user experience? And, what kind of network-enabled architecture is necessary to deliver a consistent user experience across diďŹ&#x20AC;erent networks, devices, streaming technologies, and content rights systems?

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 12:00-13:00 Lessons Learned: Implementing New Business Models. Moderator: Everth Flores, director & general manager, Service Provider Video EMEA, Cisco. Speakers include: Steve Plunkett, director, Technology & Innovation, Red Bee Media Ltd. In this session, customers of Cisco, talk about how they are executing on B2B2C business models leveraging Videoscape architecture and solution portfolio.

16:30-17:30 Viewers â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Like Thisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: Measuring Engagement Through the Power of Social. Presented by TV Genius. Panellists include: Tom Weiss, CEO, TV Genius, Nick North, CMO, GfK Media Sector, Bart de Wijs, head of digital, Veronika. This session will examine the findings of a new research project undertaken to examine how television viewers are using social media tools to enhance the viewing experience, as well as looking at how broadcasters can harness the information aďŹ&#x20AC;orded to them via these tools to more accurately gauge opinion, ensure appropriate scheduling and understand what their viewers like and what they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 12

16:00-16:30 Managing Hybrid Infrastructures. Speaker: Glodina Connan-Lostanlen, Senior strategic marketing manager, Harris.

12:00 - 13:00 Consumer Experience Matters! What Service Providers Can Do to Create Competitive Advantage. Presented by Cisco. Speaker: Roland Kleeman, director, Service Provider Practice, Western Europe Internet Business Solutions Group

The challenge to broadcasters of eďŹ&#x192;ciently dealing with the new world of multiple content streams flowing through ingest, asset management systems, production workflows and subsequent repurposing for play-out to multiple connected devices.

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consumer is looking for new experiences across multiple screens, locations and content sources. This session will discuss how service providers can deliver new experiences and leverage them for a sustained market diďŹ&#x20AC;erentiation.

IBC 2011 PREVIEW

Leadership in a Digital Age: IBC Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summit

The leadership in digital media and debate will be led by the highly respected journalist, publisher, broadcaster and media owner Andrew Neil.

Director, (DTTL) Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT), Deloitte; Mike Darcey, coo, BSkyB; Chris Dedicoat, President, European Markets, Cisco; Erik Huggers, Vice President, General Manager Digital Home Group, Intel; Rich Riley, Senior Vice President and Managing Director EMEA, Yahoo!; William H. Roedy, former Chairman and Chief Executive, MTV Networks International

Electronics Association; Ed Shedd, Managing Partner, Global Media & Entertainment Practice, Deloitte; Joanna Shields, vice president & managing director EMEA, Facebook; Giorgio Stock, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Disney Channels, Music, Publishing, Gaming and Online, EMEA, Disney Channels Caroline Thomson, COO, BBC. There will also be a contribution from Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP Group.

Speakers include: Jolyon Barker, Managing

Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer

For details, visit www.ibc.org/page.cfm/link=388

Supported by Deloitte, the City of Amsterdam and AIB, the IBC Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summit (September 8-9, 2011) will aim to answer one key question â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what do leaders of business in our industry need to do to keep pace with their consumers whilst navigating the digital revolution?

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RAI Amsterdam Conference 8-13 September : Exhibition 9-13 September

The IBC Conference The IBC conference brings together industry experts who present, debate and learn about content related technical, business and creative issues. Founded in 1967 the conference is well respected for its peer reviewed technical papers and conference streams guided by industry experts. Whether it be content for broadcast, internet or mobile devices, today more than ever, the industry relies on successful interaction between technology, ideas, skills and business. Recognising this changing world of content, the IBC Conference presents a broad range of hot topic sessions across its six day, four stream, 60 session, 300 speaker event.

IBC2010 Keynote presenters included: â&#x20AC;˘ Gerhard Zeiler, chief executive ofďŹ cer, RTL, Germany â&#x20AC;˘ Manolo Romero, managing director, Olympic Broadcasting Services, Spain â&#x20AC;˘ Sir Michael Lyons, chairman, BBC Trust, UK â&#x20AC;˘ Yoshinori Imai, vice president, NHK, Japan â&#x20AC;˘ Ingrid Deltenre, director general, European Broadcasting Union, Switzerland

For more information please visit: We look forward to meeting you in Amsterdam at IBC2011 for what is set to be another exciting event.

IBC Fifth Floor International Press Centre 76 Shoe Lane London EC4A 3JB UK T +44 (0) 20 7832 4100 F +44 (0) 20 7832 4130 E info@ibc.org

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THE 3RD DIMENSION Stereoscopic production & exhibition

Park Road Confirms Mistika for 3D WITH PRODUCTION NOW IN MOTION on Peter Jackson’s two-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, SGO has confirmed that Oscar award-winning New Zealand-based facility, Park Road Post Production has selected its Mistika platform for the majority of Stereo and DI work for the production and post production workflows of the feature film. Mistika now forms the nucleus of Park Road’s stereo 3D infrastructure, placing Mistika at the heart of their stereo 3D workflow. Owing to Mistika’s open and configurable architecture, real-time capability, advanced toolsets and workflows, Mistika now plays an integral role throughout the entire stereo 3D production pipeline at Park Road, including producing dailies rushes for editorial, finishing and grading. Mistika plays a major role in the workflow process of all Park Road stereoscopic work, including rushes preparation, stereo adjustment, colour grading and EDL conforms for screening. Mistika Operator based at Park Road, Francisco Cubas said, “This is such an exciting time, Park Road is an amazing facility and we are working on one of the most important motion pictures being filmed right now in the world, and Mistika and SGO are part of it.”

THE 3RD DIMENSION

Park Road Post Production, which recently purchased an additional four SGO Mistika 4K systems earlier this year, including a Mistika Software License Agreement for the Weta Group, has enhanced its existing Mistikacentric stereoscopic 3D production pipeline to meet the high demands for this high-profile feature film project in stereo 3D. The facility

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currently hosts a total number of six Mistika 4K workstations. Weta Digital who have taken on the visual eﬀects for both films, also have a Mistika workstation. Dave Hollingsworth, Head of Picture at Park Road, says “We had some very specific and extremely diﬃcult challenges to overcome leading up to the beginning of The Hobbit principal photography. After seeing the Mistika last year and hearing about SGO and the development team, we decided to go down a path of using the Mistika as the hub for our new digital rushes workflow. There was no other system that could deal with turning around stereoscopic Red Epic high frame rate material in the timeframe and with the quality that we needed. “Working very closely with SGO along side developing our own proprietary software we have achieved something that is quite incredible and beyond cutting edge. SGO has been amazing, it has been a true collaboration, and it is only just the beginning!” “This is a very exciting time with Mistika playing an integral part of Park Road’s workflow and we are really proud SGO’s technology has been placed at the core of the facility. Park Road could have chosen any other available product on the market today, but the fact that they opted for SGO’s Mistika solution to support their outstanding quality work, is such an honour.We are absolutely thrilled to work with Park Road and delighted they have made Mistika their system of choice, which is now being used in amazing high profile projects,” stated the CEO of SGO, Miguel Angel Doncel. Visit www.parkroadpost.co.nz and www.sgo.es

Ted Schilowitz of RED with EPIC camera.

AS OUTLINED IN THE MAY-JUNE ISSUE of C+T, The Hobbit is being off-lined on Avid. While takes are captured using RED cameras, including the 5K capable EPIC, AJA Ki Pro Minis are used to simultaneously capture a ProRes version of the action to be used for off-line editing. A recent firmware update has streamlined this process further by enabling the RED Epic, RED One, and certain Canon XF cameras to pass metadata directly to Ki Pro Mini via a single SDI cable. With the new v2.6 software, Ki Pro Mini takes advantage of SDI ancillary metadata information including start/stop commands, timecode information, reel name, and clip name from the RED Epic and RED One cameras. This new feature provides another level of integration with RED cameras when compared to other digital video recorders. “The gear from AJA has been enabling and enhancing production and post workflows since the RED ONE began shipping a few years ago, and they continue that type of support for our newest camera, the EPIC,”said Ted Schilowitz of RED. “Their new Ki Pro Mini continues these benefits by now supporting direct high quality ProRes capture simultaneously while shooting cinema quality 5k on the EPIC. The Ki Pro Mini is small, lightweight and can mount as an extension to the EPIC camera body (via a Vlock connector from Element Technica) or anywhere nearby the camera. When you roll and cut the EPIC, the Ki Pro Mini rolls and cuts as well with full clip name and matching timecode, allowing instant offline editing and file viewing at broadcast quality. It’s a great benefit to the shooting process.”

AJA software v2.6 for Ki Pro Mini is currently available through AJA’s website. Visit www.aja.com

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THE 3RD DIMENSION

ATSC to Work on 3D Broadcast Standard US-BASED standards development organisation, the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has launched development of a threedimensional (3D) broadcast TV standard that will provide methods for transmission of 3D-TV content to both fixed and mobile devices. “The addition of 3D-TV over-the-air TV broadcast transmission is part of our ongoing eﬀort to

expand the capabilities of the ATSC suite of digital television standards,” said ATSC President Mark Richer.

channel to fixed receivers, with delivery of both views (left and right eye) in real-time, and; + 3D content delivered on one ATSC terrestrial

The work on the new 3D-TV broadcast standard builds on the extensive eﬀorts over the last year by the ATSC 3DTV Planning Team. This new standard, which could be completed in a year, will allow:

+ 3D content delivered in non-real-time.

+ 3D content delivered on one ATSC terrestrial

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channel to Mobile/Handheld receivers, and delivery of both views in real-time.

Panasonic Brings Storm Surfers 3D to Life PANASONIC’S 3D BROADCAST SOLUTIONS

quest for the world’s most awe-inspiring surf.

have been put to the test, capturing the world’s biggest waves for Storm Surfers 3D. Attendees of C+T’s 3D-Day in February were given a sneak peak of the feature which is film set for international release in early 2012.

“We have also been impressed with the ability of the solution to pick up and quickly dial in 3D parameters – it definitely gives us great bang for our buck!”

The 3D broadcast solutions will be integral in bringing the project to the big screen around the world, implementing a Panasonic AG-3DA1E 3D broadcast camera and a Panasonic BT-3DL2550E 25-inch professional quality 3D LCD monitor for field use. Storm Surfers 3D follows big-wave surfer Ross Clarke-Jones and two-time surfing World Champion Tom Carroll as they work with surfforecaster Ben Matson to track weather systems, hunt down waves and surf the most dangerous breaks around Australia and across the globe. Storm Surfers 3D stereographer, Rob Morton, said “We are thrilled with Panasonic’s generous support of this unique and exciting project. The speed, flexibility and reliability of the AG-3DA1E provides us with the ultimate all-in-one 3D solution we need to capture all the excitement and action as we follow these surfers in their

The AG-3DA1E has played a key role in capturing the project’s ‘hero shots’, having been used on the back of the jet-ski and also from boats close to the surf. Additionally, the 3D monitors have been implemented both in field and in the editing suite for alignment and volumetric viewing. According to Mathew Alexander, Product Marketing Manager for Broadcast, Panasonic Australia, global demand for 3D content is rapidly increasing, and Australian cinematographers are looking for a 3D solution that enables them to develop content quickly and aﬀordably. “Traditional 3D camera rigs are great but they are just too big and cumbersome to easily be taken out on a boat or jetski – the AG-3DA1E oﬀers high-quality 3D footage and flexibility for shooting on the fly that is ideal for this type of filming,” he said.

Panasonic Full HD 3D Home Projector

THE 3RD DIMENSION

PANASONIC ANNOUNCED the PT-AE7000U, its first Full HD 3D home theatre projector with a 1080p (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) resolution. The PTAE7000U is also the world’s first 3D projector to use transparent LCD panels driven at 480Hz that, combined with Panasonic’s original Overdrive Technology, realise a significantly low crosstalk. Thanks to the newly-developed optical engine, which produces a high contrast ratio (300,000:1) and brightness (2,000 lumens), the PT-AE7000U delivers both 2D images and immersive 3D viewing experience at home. The PT-AE7000U’s key 3D projection technologies were developed in collaboration with Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory engineers, who are heavily engaged in the creation of 3D Blu-ray discs. They have taken key roles in establishing the industry standards for 3D and bringing the experience from large screens to homes. Through this joint eﬀort, the PT-AE7000U has been redesigned from the ground up to achieve higher basic 2D performance and packed

with unique 3D features to deliver the studiograde 3D content to the consumer. “When we create our projectors, we aim to produce images that mirror movie directors’ artistic vision and intent” said Art Rankin, Director of Projectors and Higher Education Sector at Panasonic Solutions Company, provider of collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for government and commercial enterprises. The PT-AE7000U comes with features for those looking to customise their home theatres. Many Blu-ray discs and DVDs come in aspects that are even wider than the projector’s 16:9 aspect ratio to match the image size (2.35:1) seen at movie theatres. The projector’s Intelligent Lens Memory feature makes it possible for the user to easily program up to six diﬀerent zoom/focus positions. Automatic switching between 16:9 and 2.35:1 video content is also possible thanks to the signal aspect detection capability on the PT-AE7000U. Visit http://panasonic.net/avc/projector

By integrating the lenses, camera head and a dual memory card recorder into a single, lightweight body, Panasonic’s AG-3DA1E 3D broadcast camera allows handheld style shooting ideal for projects such as documentaries and live events. Together with the BT-3DL2550, the equipment provided by Panasonic helped the Storm Surfers 3D crew capture fast-paced action in stunning picture quality. The Panasonic products are part of Storm Surfers “3D Toolbox”. The AG-3DA1E cameras are being used in conjunction with Nanoflash recorders so that full 1920 x 1080 images with 4:2:2 colour space can be recorded while keeping the system lightweight and portable. Storm Surfers also use two traditional 3D rigs. One uses commonly available HD cameras with Fujinon lenses in a side-by-side configuration and the second rig uses smaller Silicon Imaging cameras in a customised beamsplitter. Go-Pro cameras are used on the surf boards for that in-close action. Filming is now underway across West Australia, Tasmania, Sydney and the New South Wales South Coast. Visit www.panasonic.com.au

MPEG Depth Estimation and View Synthesis Software At its 97th meeting, the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) decided to make publicly available, under the GNU General Public License, software that participating members have contributed as part of MPEG’s exploration on 3D video coding. Specifically, these software modules determine depth information from multiple input views and use this information to synthesize new viewpoints of the scene. Such operations could be used for advanced stereoscopic processing, for example, to adjust the perceived depth of a 3D scene, or to render the many views needed to drive an auto-stereoscopic display. The software package is expected to be available by mid-August 2011 at http://mpeg.chiariglione. org/working_documents.htm. MPEG also enriched the 3D graphics toolset of the ISO/IEC 14496-16) standard by promoting an amendment supporting the coding of 3D meshes utilising a multi-resolution approach

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Barrier Reef Takes on ‘Digital Dimensions’ DIGITAL DIMENSIONS, THE AWARD-WINNING MULTIMEDIA production house based in Cairns and Townsville, is co-producing a 3 x 1 hour series on the Great Barrier Reef together with the BBC, Discovery and Channel 9 Australia. The series is being filmed on a combination of HDCAM and Varicam with Fujinon lenses, both above and below the water. One of the directors of Digital Dimensions Richard Fitzpatrick is the Director of Photography for the series and is also the producer of one of the episodes. Commenting on their choice of Fujinon lenses for the series Fitzpatrick said, “Digital Dimensions is supplying all the high definition equipment for the production and has had a long standing relationship with Fujinon for over 13 years. We have Fujinon HD 4.5x14 and Fujinon 22x7.8 as well as Fujinon C mount lenses for our Iconix setups. Fujinon long lenses were rented in for the production as well.” With multiple crews working the length of the Great Barrier Reef, Digital Dimensions needed an additional wide lens which was supplied by Fujinon for the duration of the production. According to Fitzpatrick the choice of lenses used was dependent on the shot and conditions. Fitzpatrick continued, “Working in remote locations with the camera operator often on their own so they could be close to nature meant that only one lens would be taken at a time. Both the wide and the standard gave enough freedom in their range that we where able to compose the necessary shots to get a great sequence. The Fujinon HD wide was primarily used by the topside crew filming tropical rainforests, mangroves and the birds and turtles of the sand cays of the reef. Fitzpatrick and his crew had to deal with some of Australia’s most inhospitable climate conditions, another reason he gave for choosing Fujinon lenses. He said, “Fujinon lenses are robust and dependable. On the sand cays the temperatures were well over 38 degrees and we were facing a camera operator’s worst nightmare - salt water and sand. The lenses were also using inside custom built underwater housings down to 40 metres. On top of that we were in extremely remote areas. The boat trips to some locations would

take three days each way.” Filming over the series was conducted in the tropical rainforest, salt flats, mangroves, sea grass beds, extreme depths, coral gardens and out in the open ocean. Fitzpatrick added, “All the Fujinon lenses performed flawlessly. I have always used Fujinon lenses. As a natural history cameraman I have worked in the snowfields of Alaska, The jungles of the Amazon and all over the Great Barrier Reef. I have never had a problem with a Fujinon Lens. The underwater environment is not forgiving and when shooting nature there are often no second chances. We pride ourselves in delivering behavioural sequences never seen before. Fujinon lenses allow us to with a very high production value.” Visit www.fujifilm.com.au

Dalai Lama Calls Dragonfly for HD Coverage RECENTLY THE 14TH DALAI LAMA visited Australia for the eighth time. As part of his tour of Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Perth a full broadcast production crew followed the Dalai Lama and his entourage. In charge of shooting the live shows was Xander Collier of Dragonfly Productions.

ACQUISITION

According to Collier, “We needed to create a high quality production and shoot this tour in HD as all previous tours had been shot SD and varied widely in camera formats letting production down. It was clear I needed to put together a production kit that would tailor to the events in every state and that could be easily integrated into the venues. The kit would also have to provide excellent quality footage which we could web stream to viewers across the country, internationally and ultimately be used for the DVD production of box sets at the end of the tour. “As soon as I got the approval for this production my first call was to Nick Gleeson, Rentals Manager at Videocraft Sydney. The main elements for the kit consisted of the Videocraft ‘FlyAway Production Kit’ (Panasonic AV-HS400 vision mixer, monitoring and audio all in one box), XDCAM PDW700 and PDWF800 cameras and XDCAM workflow and storage solutions. The kit allowed us to record live to disk and simultaneously stream to the web.” Xander Collier’s mobile production solution consisted of the Videocraft FlyAway Production Kit, four Sony XDCAM 700 and 800 camera kits

with on board LCD monitors and zoom/ focus demands, Sony diversity radio receivers/transmitters, three Canon 40x tele lenses, one Canon 22x lens, two Sony Xander Collier of Dragonfly Productions. XDCAM EX3s, three Sony PDWHD1500 Professional disc recorders, a Panasonic AVHS400 vision switcher, Panasonic LCD monitors, Sony lipstick cameras with wide angle lenses, Go Pro cameras, Rode shotgun NTG3 mics, Dedos/Kinoflos, four Apple MacBook Pros, three 6TB RAID systems and 50Gb Sony optical discs. Collier and his crew recorded XDCAM HD straight to 50GB optical discs so they could transfer files straight into a portable edit suite. The crew were also providing program outputs from the kit for large screen systems, overspill and uplinking to Federation Square in Melbourne and live web streams for interstate and international audiences. Program audio was wireless directly from the audio desk mix to the Sony transmitter and received via the Sony receivers onboard the XDCAM cameras. Visit www.videocraft.com.au

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Introducing the next generation The GY-HM790E, everything that a broadcast camera should be.

Developed to address the needs of modern broadcast and production facilities by offering the highest level of HD picture quality in both 1080i and 720p formats. The GY-HM790E features full resolution, solid state recording, genlock, time code in/out and a modular design, offering complete studio configuration with versatile field operability.

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Featuring dual media hybrid recording, the GY-HM790E covers everything from Full HD to industry-standard SD recording, supporting a range of formats natively including MOV, MP4 and AVI, for broadcast quality performance in any news-gathering situation.

The capability of image capture using multi-camera operations is made possible. In addition, with the Telecast Copper Head, it's possible to expand your production over an even greater distance.

Copyright 2010 JVC Model picture is the GY-HM790U with optional Accessories. All trademarks and brand names are the property of their respective proprietors. Playback compatibility not guaranteed on different types of products due to variation on supported recording modes *2 MP4 is the compliant format used on the XD CAM EX * SxS is a flash memory card designed for professional video cameras with a high speed PCI Express Interface.

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Studio Create a highly robust studio camera setup by attaching the dedicated sled to your studio pedestal, complemented by JVC's high resolution VF-HP790G HD Viewfinder and teleprompter. To lower integration costs, existing 26-pin control cables can be used to connect studio essentials, such as remote control units.

JVC Australia 1300 728 225 www.jvcpro.com.au

1/09/11 12:16 PM

ACQUISITION

Transvision Ramp Up with ARRI Western Australia-based cinematographer Michael McDermott and his company Transvision recently made the move to the ARRI ALEXA camera and according to the experienced DoP he hasn’t looked back. Cinematographer Michael McDermott with new ALEXA camera.

MCDERMOTT EXPLAINED, “Having used ARRI film cameras for some time when I’d made the decision to acquire a digital format camera, the choice was clear. In fact, the decision to go with ARRI was really made well before the ALEXA was released and it was just a matter of waiting. “Here, in Western Australia, we are in many ways the bottom left hand corner of the world. Perth is one of the most isolated cities on the planet and reliability is paramount. Western Australia occupies a massive land area and is subject to high temperatures. You can expect to be shooting in remote locations prone to wind, dust and salt spray conditions. Temperamental equipment can easily take all the fun out of your day and is just too risky. My experience with ARRI’s pedigree and build quality meant I knew they would construct a camera that would cope with what a camera could be exposed to.” Whilst impressed with how far technology had come with digital capture cameras in a relatively short time, prior to the ALEXA’s release, McDermott had been left a little underwhelmed by the images being produced and was still very much committed to film. “After the ALEXA was released, I did extensive research on the camera’s performance and the aesthetic of the pictures it produced,” he said. “Here it was, a camera that had pretty well all the nuance and sensitivity of 35mm in a digital

format and it was like saddling up to a film camera in its operation and function. I purchased an ALEXA SxS Pro Set. The cameras have proven themselves, in a very short time, to be everything I expected producing outstanding images and giving faultless performance.” Commenting on the range and functionality of his ALEXAs McDermott was particularly impressed with the visuals he is able to achieve. He said, “What I like most about the ALEXA is the image it produces. The sensitivity and intrinsic image quality the sensor captures is just so pleasing. Naturally, quality of light and lens has a great deal to do with it but attention in those areas are richly rewarded by this camera. In saying that, I’ve also found myself turning lights oﬀ, such is the speed of the chip. The viewfinder is also outstanding, being gentle to your eye for an electronic breed. The menu layout is quick, simple and intuitive. And I love the feel of the camera to operate.” McDermott’s range of work is wide and varied, often calling on his many years of shooting in demanding conditions to get exactly the right footage. He added, “The nature of work here is all encompassing. The ALEXA goes on everything. You will find it on dollies and cranes, steadi-cams and remote heads, car rigs and helicopters, on shot bags, tripods and hand-held. We will use it

on TVCs, corporate documentaries, short films, drama series and features. We can have the cameras fully accessorised or stripped down to very little, such is the versatility of this camera system. The cameras are also exposed to all environments. In the summer, temperatures can reach 45 degrees Celsius with sea breezes of 25 knots or more pushing sand and salt spray through the atmosphere. Winters are milder than the northern hemisphere but it’ll still get down to 5 degrees C with a fair share of rain and storms. The north of the state is dry and dusty until the wet season hits bringing tropical deluges and suﬀocating humidity. Or we’re shooting in an air conditioned studio or house location.” For a company such as Transvision the quality and reliability of the cameras they use has been paramount in its continued growth and success. In addition comprehensive support from manufacturers has also been key and invaluable. McDermott concluded, “The cameras have performed flawlessly. Everyone loves using them. Directors love seeing their visions on screen. Clients and agencies love the pictures they’re getting. Grips and camera assistants love flying them and editors were astounded by how easy the workflow was. Their systems breathed in the files like air. Producers love everything about them.” Visit www.transvision.com.au & www.arri.com.au

ACQUISITION

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1/09/11 12:16 PM

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ACQUISITION

3ality Digital Acquires Element Technica 3ALITY DIGITAL, the developer of S3D production technology, has acquired Element Technica, a company long-known for its manufacturing expertise, accessories, and mechanical engineering of motorized S3D camera rigs. 3ality Digital is now 3ality Technica, and with its acquisition of Element Technica, 3ality Technica now provides all of the control, accuracy, breadth, automation, modularity, accessories, and design of both existing product lines. In acquiring Element Technica, 3ality gains an in house manufacturing and design capability, and the opportunity to further expand its already sizable R&D infrastructure. Physically, the companies will combine in an expansion to the 3ality Digital headquarters in Burbank, CA.

“As our primary competitor, we have always had great respect for Element Technica and their achievements. The complete compatibility and lack of redundancy between the companies has made this an ideal acquisition, strengthening the Company’s position to provide the most advanced and dependable S3D solutions to the market. Perhaps the greatest benefit of this acquisition will be to the motion picture and broadcast producers who will now have an unprecedented amount of tools and technology tailored to meet their specific needs,” said Steve Schklair, CEO of 3ality Technica. Element Technica is also well known for their line of both 2D and 3D accessories, and it is planned that this product line will continue under the existing Element Technica banner. Visit http://3alitytechnica.com

Camera with 20 Megapixel 8K CMOS Sensor CLAIMED TO BE the industry’s first camera with a groundbreaking 20 megapixel 8K sensor CMOS sensor, Sony’s F65 CineAlta camera delivers 4K resolution and beyond at the point of image capture. Sony’s unique 8K image sensor oﬀers higher image fidelity than any other camera. Sony’s newly developed 8K sensor, which will deliver HD, 2K, and true 4K resolution today - and will go far beyond 4K in the future, as industry needs evolve. The Sony imager is also the first to provide a dedicated green photosite for each pixel in the 4K output image. This is twice the amount of green resolution compared with traditional 4K Bayer pattern sensors, providing a significant improvement in image resolution that is ideal for VFX processing. The 8K CMOS sensor can run up to maximum 120Fps. This sensor performance combined with 16-bit RAW output makes the F65 the first image capture system designed from the ground up to support the Academy IIF-ACES, Image Interchange Framework, Academy Colour Encoding Specification. In addition, an optional mechanical rotary shutter will be available for

eliminating motion artifacts that are inherent with other CMOS sensor technology. A dockable SRMemory recorder SR-R4 attaches to the camera to enable ultra high-speed recording of 16-bit RAW data directly to a SRMemory card of up to 1TB with data security and sustained 5Gbps throughput. A 1TB memory card recording at 24fps will store 60 minutes of footage in 4K 16 bit RAW. Visit www.sony.com.au

Rotolight Through New Magic Australia THE ROTOLIGHT RL48-B is said to deliver 25 percent more light output than the previous model and also features performance enhancements including re-designed circuit boards, better connectors and switch assembly, whilst still retaining studio accurate colour temperatures. The output is quickly and accurately dimmable over a range of 1.5 aperture stops using any one of the contained Natural Density Filters created by LEE Filters. The RL48-B also requires less filtration than the RL48-A, requiring just a 1/16th CTO to achieve 5600K Daylight, instead of 1/8th CTO on the previous model. Rotolight can be mounted on any shotgun microphone natively, or using the optional Rotolight stand (included with some kits), mounted to any hot/accessory shoe, spare tripod, lighting/desk stand or rail support system. Following its first appearance at the SMPTE Show in Sydney this year, Rotolight has announced a new partnership with New Magic as its distributor for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Visit www.rotolight.com and www.newmagic.com.au

ACQUISITION

JVC Unveils Pro 3D Camcorder JVC’S RANGE of professional camcorders and monitors will be at IBC this year, along with advances in 3D and 4K technology. JVC’s prototype 4K camera uses a large-scale integration (LSI) chip for high-speed processing of high definition video. This technology will be an integral part of the next generation of JVC camcorders. Also on the JVC stand will be its first professional 3D camcorder – the GY-HMZ1E. This features an integrated 3D twin lens design, enabling

simultaneous recording of left and right images in full 1920 x 1080 resolution. Additional unveilings will include a 32” 3D display for medical and broadcast use, a 24” 3D production monitor and an upgraded IF-2D3D1E image processor, now with the ability to control both positive and negative parallax. There are also additions to the DT-V range of professional production monitors, with two new 17” and two new 21” monitors.

with simultaneous recording to two SDHC

JVC’s ProHD tapeless camcorder range includes the shoulder-mount GY-HM750E,

be-announced developments.

cards for backup or client copy, and the GYHM790E camera aimed at both studio and ENG applications. The GY-HM790E will also be shown with the FS-790E optical fibre solution; suitable for broadcast, OB and live events. JVC will also be demonstrating its TV-TOOLS digital signage software, along with further yet-toVisit: http://www.jvcpro-australia.com

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Panasonic’s exceptional new range of powerful handheld cameras are feature-heavy…with the advantage of being lightweight and ﬂexible. Employing Full-HD (1920x1080) recording, built in ND ﬁlters, either high-powered 22x HD zoom lens or interchangeable M43 lens mount and professional XLR microphone inputs, these diversely capable cameras let you deal with the every-day, while still being able to step up and take on the challenges of the most demanding shoot.

For more information go to www.panasonic-broadcast.com.au Panasonic Australia. Phone: (02) 9491 7400 Email: broadcastsales@panasonic.com.au *Lens shown is sold separately

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SPORTSCASTING Sport coverage worldwide

Rugby World Cup a Logistics Pressure Cooker By Peter Parnham

www.content-technology.com/sportscasting

“We supply commentary kits complete with microphones, headphones, a monitor for the world feed, plus a feed for a computer which has all the statistics. Commentators can see the game and be totally au fait with the statistics, whilst actually going to air via a feed to their own country.” Within New Zealand itself, the major subscriber broadcaster, Sky Network Television, is not only the host broadcaster but also holds live broadcast rights to the tournament, with some matches also licensed to a New Zealand free-toair consortium.

NO SHOO-IN

IN THE MEDIA BUILD-UP to the September-October Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, politicians bluster in defence of the latest cost overrun, while coaches practice inscrutability and give nothing away. But, over in Auckland’s Mt Wellington, Ray Standidge, the founder of OSB (On Site Broadcasting NZ Limited), appears pretty relaxed considering that while he may not be in the public eye, he is in one of the hot seats of the tournament. After all, if his team makes a hash of the outside broadcasts, three quarters of a billion television rugby fans will be mighty irritable. But two things are likely behind Standidge’s demeanour: experience and thorough planning. Standidge and his team have both in spades, even though the Rugby World Cup is the biggest host broadcast event the country has seen. According to Standidge the big diﬀerence between the Rugby World Cup and an ordinary test matches series is the compressed time frame and the diverse locations: 20 international teams playing 48 matches over 7 weeks. Many of the matches will be held in regional centres as far apart as Whangarei in the North and Invercargill in the South, some 1800 kilometres and a ferry voyage away. The missing venue is Christchurch, the South Island city whose games were transferred to other venues after the February earthquake devastated the city, damaged the AMI stadium and left the region’s enthusiastic rugby public with ticket refunds instead of entertainment. But according to Standidge the logistical pressure began earlier in the rugby season. “In the lead up to Rugby World Cup, ITM Cup rugby [New Zealand’s domestic competition] has been condensed so we’re doing 14 outside broadcasts every week at the moment,” he says. What’s more, surprising as it may be to fans of the national sport, other New Zealand sporting events won’t stop for the rugby. “During the cup we will be handling other normal third party work for other broadcasters, plus we’ll have some unilateral [customised broadcasts] for other world broadcasters,” says Standidge. “We’ve also got a studio down at the new Viaduct Events Centre on the Auckland waterfront. It is being used by Sky Network Television, and also South Africa, Japan, and Australia.”

SPORTSCASTING

The event also sees OSB build television operation centres for each venue. “We don’t need them under normal circumstances,” explains Standidge. “For a big Bledisloe Cup [Australia vs. New Zealand test match series] outside broadcast we’ll have two unilateral broadcasters and we normally have enough kit to just go in and do it. But at Eden Park for the Rugby World Cup opening, 12 or 13 commentary stations are required - although it diﬀers game by game.

With the complex detail that goes into host broadcasting an event of this size OSB may have a home ground logistic advantage when it came to bidding for the outside broadcast contract, but that didn’t make it a shoo-in, says Standidge. To win the contract Sky Network Television and OSB combined resources, a relationship cemented further when, Sky subsequently purchased OSB. “The International Rugby Board, through their agent IMG, looked closely at our ability to supply and compared that to actually bringing in all of the infrastructure and expertise from oﬀ-shore. We had to be able to prove our ability technically, our ability to have enough infrastructure on the ground, and enough crew,” says Standidge. “The crew is a big issue because from the freelance market and salaried employees we have enough crew for normal operation within New Zealand. We’ve had to bring in a lot of people from Australia and other parts of the world. “Under normal circumstances, and in the Rugby World Cup, Sky supplies all of the production crew. We supply all of the technical infrastructure, all cars, trucks, all the cameras, all of the equipment, the technical expertise, getting it all into position ahead of time, getting it all powered up and making sure that everything’s operational. Then they come in with their production team which is producer, director, cameramen, sound people, and they operate within the truck.

“Surprising as it may be to fans

of the national sport, other New Zealand sporting events won’t stop for the rugby.”

“Sky – quite rightfully – pride themselves on putting out world-class sports broadcasts. A lot of that is to do with their choice of camera people, and what camera position they put them on. So somebody might be a great cameraman on soccer, because he can read the game better than a rugby guy, and vice versa. It has a huge influence, and makes the game easier to cut for the director. The cameramen know roughly when the director’s going to cut to the camera, when the red light’s going to come on, because it’s a certain phase of the game. They get a feel for working together. “Broadcasters operate in lots of diﬀerent ways, sometimes we crew it, sometimes they crew it. But for Rugby World Cup Sky is handling all of the broadcast production crew and the logistics of planes, and hotels, and taxis, and all of that.”

RAMPING UP For OSB the detailed logistical planning kicked oﬀ when the host broadcaster contract was awarded back in April 2009 and has been ramping up in the last 12 months.

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SPORTSCASTING

OSB founder Ray Standidge.

Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, venue for the kick-oﬀ of RWC2011.

“We’ve had people working on it pretty much full-time for a year,” says Standidge, whose desk is tidy but whose briefcase is packed with thick folders of full documents packed with tables and schedules. Grabbing one, he leafs through deliverables and specifications. “There’s an A, B, and C category of match that denotes the number of cameras. That sets the size of the crew required for each of the games and each venue,” he says. “Category C has 13 cameras, category B has 17, and category A starts the round robin section with 24 cameras. In the quarters, semis and finals, there’s now up to about 30 cameras. A lot of those cameras are only used for replays, as opposed cut to live. They are the storytelling cameras for replay of a try [touchdown score] from other angles.” New to New Zealand is the Spidercam camera rig which was trialled at a recent Australian vs. New Zealand test match. According to Standidge the Spidercam rig wasn’t originally part of the deal, but is an add-on that will be used at Eden Park, at the opening ceremony, and for the quarters, semi’s and finals. It may be an add-on, but it’s not something you do at the last minute. The system suspends a stabilised camera from four cables running from synchronised computerised 300 kg winches located at the highest corners of the stands. A pilot, a cameraman and technician are required to operate the rig, which can fly the camera anywhere within the three dimensional space of the stadium pitch and stands at 8 m/sec. At the trial test match, the rig operators were positioned at ground level at one corner of the field and at one point eﬀortlessly and gently landed the camera on the nearby grass for a camera battery change. During play the Spidercam camera is kept some 20 m high above the pitch, well out of way of high kicks, but during a penalty kick, and injury huddle, or discussion with the referee the camera flies down for a closer look.

WORLD FEED The core deliverable for all this eﬀort is an HD live cut of the game into a ‘world feed’ with 5.1 surround sound and an English commentary.

“It leaves the ground either on fibre, or via satellite uplink, and there are standby uplinks and standby fibre should something untoward happen,” says Standidge. Countries also have an opportunity to get diﬀerent camera angles, via what is called unilateral cover. “Basically unilateral cover allows them a couple of other cameras within the field. So if their commentators are talking about their number seven player, their cameraman can be focussing on their number seven. They take the world feed at the ground and put it into their outside broadcast truck with their cameras also feeding in. They cut their cameras into the world feed, imbed their commentary into that, and send that out via their own link. To cater for the demands of the project OSB took delivery of a new 14.3 metre OB semi-trailer about three months ago, making a total of four HD trucks, plus their fleet of SD trucks, which are still in operation doing other work. The latest outside broadcast truck, like the previous units, was designed and built by Sony at its North Ryde facility in Sydney. Sony Professional Solutions Australia and New Zealand general manager, Garry Rhodin, says Sony designed and built the units to the turnkey brief supplied by Sky and OSB, and acted as system integrators for Sony and third party technology. “All of the trucks use the same template,” he says. “We also built a studio for Sky about two and half years ago and that also match the trucks for operator familiarity,” he says. At the heart of the truck is a Sony MVS800 G vision mixer with 68 inputs, four DVEs and a full animated store and the truck was supplied with Sony HDC 1500 Cameras, and Sony HDC 3300 Supa Slo cameras integrated by optic fibre to EVS XT2 servers. The audio consoles in the trucks are centred on Lawo mc266 audio mixers with 56 faders integrated with the audio router, four level AES and Dolby E. Lawo is supported in New Zealand by engineers from Protel, who say the flexibility and configurability of the consoles makes has led to a large installed base in New Zealand. The Sky and OSB approach of providing a seamless transition for operators transferring Continued page 37 XX

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SPORTSCASTING

Indian Cricket Goes Global with Alfacam, Grass Valley

CCTV Signs Chinese Football Assoc Broadcast Deal

ALFACAM, operators of one of the largest outside broadcast fleet in Europe, is continuing its global expansion with major sporting contracts in India. As with all of Alfacam’s projects, the coverage depends upon Grass Valley cameras, including the LDK 8000 Elite and LDK 8300 Live Super Slo-Mo HD cameras.

CFA TEAM CHINA will return to the screens of China Central Television (CCTV) after the state broadcaster signed a three-and-half year deal with the Chinese Football Association’s commercial partner China Football Industry Development Company/World Sport Group to broadcast games involving the National Teams at all levels. CCTV’s engagement with CFA Team China will begin with the FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying match against Laos in Kunming shown on the nationwide sports channel, CCTV 5, and will continue until the end of 2014. “It gives us great pleasure to see the matches of CFA Team China being broadcast on CCTV once again,” said Wei Di, general secretary of the Chinese Football Association. “We consider our National Teams to be the property of the entire country and, as such, it is imperative the teams’ sporting endeavours at home and abroad are available for the whole country.”

Alfacam has had several flypacks, operated by Alfacam, based in India since the last quarter of 2010, covering the international cricket tours including teams from Australia and New Zealand. The company is also responsible for much of the coverage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) competitions, for which it added a number of flypacks to its equipment roster in India. Alfacam recently signed a contract with local production company Nimbus Sport to cover almost 750 cricket matches over the next three years. Each game requires between 22 and 30 Grass Valley cameras. “The Indian audience is passionate about sport – more than 100 million people in India watch each IPL game plus international audiences as far away as the UK and Australia,” said Gabriel Fehervari, CEO of Alfacam. Alfacam is based near Antwerp in Belgium and has branches in France, Germany and Italy. Outside of Europe, Alfacam has a permanent base in Johannesburg and is developing its own operation in Brazil. Three huge OB vans fitted with Grass Valley equipment are based in Rio de Janeiro. Alfacam’s partnership with Nimbus Sport covers activities in the Middle East, South-East Asia and the Indian sub-continent. “Our congratulations go to Gabriel and his colleagues at Alfacam for winning this high profile contract,” said Jeﬀ Rosica, Executive Vice President at Grass Valley. “Alfacam has more than 300 HD cameras in use today and we really value their feedback on how we can continue to improve our products and remain the industry leader in imaging technology and innovation.”

“Having the state broadcaster on board is vital to further developing the deep links that already exist between CFA Team China and the Chinese people,” said Mould. “As we seek to help steer CFA Team China towards a new era, we are confident that our partnership with CCTV will be in the best interests of everyone who cares about the sport of football in China.” The deal with CCTV follows the signing of a four-year deal between World Sport Group and the China Football Industry Development Company (CFIDC) to develop new commercial and media opportunities for CFA Team China. Visit http://www.worldsportgroup.com

SPORTSCASTING

Visit www.grassvalley.com

“As the state broadcaster, it is natural that CCTV works closely with CFA Team China,” said Jiang Heping, Controller of CCTV5. “We are natural partners.” A high-class product such as CFA Team China should be presented on one platform throughout the country and that is what this deal will see happening.” Nick Mould, President-East Asia of World Sport Group, hailed the significance of the agreement.

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SPORTSCASTING WW Continued from page 35

between units extends to running exactly the same version of software updated on the same day, says Standidge. “It helps the operators, because they can just sit down in front of a desk which is the same configuration. The monitors are all in the same place, they know where to look, and they know where the buttons are,” says Standidge. Each outside broadcast truck is accompanied by a tender – a truck for of ancillary gear and cameras, and Standidge says there is a strict set up timetable required for the Rugby World Cup that requires the system to be set up pretty much 24 hours ahead. “All camera feeds are tested, and then the cameras are taken and put back in the truck overnight. It is a sort of a fail safe system because we know that every cable has been run, and that everything actually works. “A lot of the venues have a high percentage of permanent cabling in now, which we own, which we’ve chosen to put in over a period of time. For Rugby World Cup we’ve brought in a 40 foot container full of additional cable, and we’ve pre-cabled pretty much all of the stadiums. It’s a commonsense approach because there are lots of hospitality areas and everything that have been built and our normal cable runs just aren’t possible.” Standidge says power is also a big issue. “Because of the size of Rugby World Cup, we are not able to operate from stadium power, which we would normally do. We also have to work oﬀ one power source so as we don’t get interference between trucks, so we are bringing in generators, some from New Zealand, and others have been shipped from Australia.”

RISK Planning for a project like this would not be complete without risk assessment and mitigation, and Standidge says the risks are more on-road risks than on-field risks.

“We had to be able to prove our ability technically, our ability to have enough infrastructure on the ground, and enough crew.”

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“A truck in the water oﬀ the Kaikoura Coast, would be a disaster,” he says. “Our disaster recovery is that we have a spare truck, which is at all times sitting ready to go in Auckland, and that’s a choice that we’ve made, and it has been agreed. “Under normal circumstances we can get around the country pretty quickly, we’re used to doing it; we’ve been doing it for ten years. But while to lose a truck complete with all its components would be the greatest possible risk, it has never happened, our drivers are terrific, and there are no incentives for them to get there fast. They have plenty of time and it’s well planned.” That the whole thing is well planned project is the impression you are left with after a visit to OSB, although Standidge does joke about being less relaxed than he may first appear. Perhaps that is why, when this is over he already has another well planned project in the pipeline - a holiday booked somewhere quiet in some undisclosed place where he claims there will be no rugby, and no television.

Sydney Teleport Picks Ericsson for RWC2011 A POTENTIAL 25 MILLION RUGBY FANS across Oceania, and many more around the world, will enjoy live high definition coverage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup from New Zealand, following the deployment of the Ericsson Voyager II solution by Sydney Teleport Services. STS will use Ericsson’s recently launched Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) product for the live contribution of matches during the tournament, which begins on September 9 in Auckland, from the stadia to broadcasters in New Zealand and Australia, and further afield to international audiences. Throughout the tournament, which features the sport’s biggest names, fans will be able to watch high quality coverage of every match up from a number of venues around the country until the Final on October 23, back in Auckland.

“This is the very highest level for rugby fans and the most highly anticipated event within the sport, and with such a huge following around the world, it is imperative that we can reliably provide coverage of each match in the very highest quality possible,” said Scott Jenkins, Managing Director, Sydney Teleport Services. “A critically important event requires critically selected solutions, and having worked with the Ericsson team in the past, we were confident that it could provide us with the reliability we required for this important project. We have been impressed by the sheer quality and flexibility that the new Voyager II solution provides, and as a result are pleased to be able to provide broadcasters with the excellent standard of coverage that rugby fans will demand.” Visit www.ericsson.com/televisionary

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SPORTSCASTING

IOC Invites Athletes to London 2012 WITH LESS THAN ONE YEAR TO GO until the London 2012 Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has oﬃcially invited the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the world and their athletes to attend the London Games. IOC President Jacques Rogge formally invited the world’s NOCs during a public ceremony in London’s historic Trafalgar Square. In the presence of HRH the Princess Royal, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Mayor of London Boris Johnson, IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Denis Oswald and London 2012 Chair Sebastian Coe, as well as thousands of members of the public, the IOC President symbolically presented a number of NOCs with their invitations. The invitation ceremony also featured the first dive into the London 2012 Aquatics Centre pool, performed by British Olympian Tom Daley, and the unveiling of the London 2012 Olympic medals. The Aquatics Centre also saw the first swim take place earlier in the day under the watchful eyes of President Rogge and Chairman Oswald. Other recent firsts for 2012 Olympics venues include the first test event for the Olympic Games Mountain Bike venue in Essex and one of the first competitive Canoe Slalom events at the Lee Valley White Water Centre, the London 2012 Canoe Slalom venue which saw 175 elite athletes

ANTON/BAUER, a brand of The Vitec Group, and a leading provider of batteries, chargers, lighting and other mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video and film industries, has announced it will oﬀer around-the-clock on-site support for broadcasters throughout the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Company experts will be in London to provide customer service and support.

from 30 nations competing. Meanwhile, a series of test events began at other Olympic venues on July 4 to check for any issues regarding the operation of the Games. Trial runs will be held for all 26 of the 2012 Olympic competition events until next May.

London will host the Games of the XXX Olympiad from 27 July to 12 August 2012. Visit http://www.olympic.org

Visit www.antonbauer.com.

Panasonic has supplied products such as audio equipment, large display screens, and broadcasting cameras for use in these test events, including technical support and adjustments.

ESPN STAR SPORTS has announced the launch of ESPN HD & STAR Cricket HD, India’s first 24×7 High Definition sports channels. With the introduction of two new channels, ESPN STAR Sports has expanded its bouquet to five channels in India - ESPN, STAR Cricket, STAR Sports, ESPN HD and STAR Cricket HD.

SPORTSCASTING

ESPN HD showcased F1 action from the Hungarian Grand Prix, GP2 Series and other events such as the US Senior Open Golf and Major League Baseball to be followed by the 2011-2012 season of the Barclays Premier League. Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports, said, “The launch of ESPN HD & STAR Cricket HD is yet another milestone in sports broadcasting and demonstrates our commitment to continue serving the fans by oﬀering them the most enriching and engaging experience with the finest line-up of sports content in unparalleled image and sound quality. Fans want to be up close to the action and there’s no better way to experience the splendour than High Definition

Beginning one week prior to the opening ceremonies, Anton/Bauer staﬀ will hit the ground running in London. As part of this support infrastructure, company representatives will be stationed in and around the International Broadcast Center (IBC), supplying broadcasters with on-call, 24/7, access to products, repair, service and support. “We consider ourselves a part of our customers’ production teams and broadcasters around the world have come to rely on our legendary customer service and support,” says Shin Minowa, vice president of marketing and business development at Anton/Bauer. “As they prepare for one of the largest sporting events in the world, we couldn’t think of a better way to support them than to provide the expert personnel and equipment they’ve come to trust and rely on with us.”

ESPN STAR Sports Launches 24×7 HD Cricket

ESPN HD & STAR Cricket HD will showcase the exciting sports action in High Definition from ESPN STAR Sports’ stellar line-up of premier international sporting events including cricket, soccer, tennis, golf and motor sports among others. India’s cricket tour of England in July was the first event to be showcased LIVE on STAR Cricket HD to be followed by other premier events such as the Champions LeagueT20 and India’s tour of Australia.

Anton/Bauer On-Site Support at Olympics

Riedel Stagebox with Integrated WDM

RIEDEL COMMUNICATIONS celebrates the

Manu Sawhney, MD, ESPN STAR Sports, “We see huge potential for the HD channels in India.”

given the broader aspect ratio, higher resolution and enhanced audio. “We have received a very positive and encouraging response from advertisers and platform operators. We have a very exciting calendar of events ahead of us and with the launch of these two 24×7 High Definition sports networks, Indian sports fans can look forward to a completely new way of enjoying sports.”

MediorNet Compact Euro premiere. MediorNet Compact is the first 50 G multimedia stagebox with integrated WDM. It is the cost eﬀective entry into the Riedel MediorNet world of integrated media signal distribution and processing. It provides the flexibility of a true real-time media network, including integrated signal processing, at the cost of simple multiplexing point-to-point products. With a network bandwidth of 50 Gbit/s MediorNet Compact provides capacity for bidirectional transport of 12 HD-SDI signals, dozens of MADI streams or Gbit-Ethernet signals and hundreds of audio channels or intercom ports – ideal for streamlining the infrastructure of any mobile, studio or live event application.

ESPN HD and STAR Cricket HD are available on Videocon D2H platforms and STAR Cricket HD is available on TATA Sky.

Furthermore, Riedel will introduce a new intercom product at IBC and PLASA that it says will redefine the way wired communications are realised. More details about MediorNet Compact and Riedel’s step towards a new approach in intercom will be displayed at the IBC at stand A31 in hall 10, and on PLASA at stand 1-G46.

Visit http://www.espnstar.com

Visit www.riedel.net

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SPORTSCASTING

Ross the Boss for Surfing Graphics THE ROSS XPRESSION 2D/3D CG and Motion Graphics System was tapped to provide live graphics for coverage of the 2011 Nike U.S. Open of Surfing from Huntington Beach, CA, August 1-7. Produced by Transition Productions and carried on Fuel TV in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, and Europe, as well as streamed internationally on the web, the U.S. Open is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest professional surfing competition with over 700,000 attendees. Other events during the week-long event included skateboarding and BMX competitions, music concerts, and a fashion show. A key requirement for XPression was the ability to interface to live scoring data for over 70 hours of surf competition, for ten hours continuously at a time, provided by ASP sanctioned scorekeepers, BeachBytes, in addition to being operated manually. XPression allows an unlimited number of control points, so while some graphics were being called to air as part of the data interface, the operator could manually call graphics to another channel, or even to other layers on the same output. For non-interfaced events, links were created to Excel spread sheets for quick entry of results. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The industry-wide buzz about XPression and its recent success on Hollywoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest-profile award shows and top-rated reality programs was very intriguing to us,â&#x20AC;? said JeďŹ&#x20AC; Wilkov, Creative Consultant and Graphics Producer for the U.S. Open of Surfing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But, would XPression really be nimble enough for the unscripted drama and live urgency of broadcasting surfingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest contest? With the support of Ross Video behind it, XPression upped the ante with an intuitive, user-friendly GUI that has no equal. XPression allowed us to work smarter while increasing our

overall eďŹ&#x192;ciency in an extremely fast-paced environment, across three venues. Ross Video has delivered the next generation killer-app for character generators and consequently, action sports graphics for TV and the web will never be the same.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most people think that a surfing gig would be a laid back job, but from a production perspective, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually quite fast-paced,â&#x20AC;? said Melinda Gray, main graphics operator for the U.S. Open. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And frankly, in the past itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been hard to keep up at times. XPression has changed all that. The interface provided real-time scoring and allowed me to keep my head in the show, instead of buried in the stats. XPression was so logical and intuitive that I was designing and animating graphics in two days.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The U.S. Open was a good opportunity for us to show what XPression can do on a largescale event. We look forward to expanding our presence in the sports market by giving operators an easy-to-use platform that supports both 2D and 3D workflows,â&#x20AC;? said Brian Olson, Marketing Product Manager for XPression. â&#x20AC;&#x153;

World Cricket Business Forum

TRACE Sports HD has launched on the Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) 5 satellite. TRACE Sports HD is now be available to all distributors across APAC with a new sports celebrity news & entertainment channel

ACCORDING TO INFORMA SPORTS GROUP,

Among upcoming highlights, the channel will feature Rugby World Cup stars such as All Blackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fly half Dan Carter and behind the scenes interviews with the teams for 2012â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s London Olympics! The channel is broadcast in English with subtitles in Mandarin and Korean, and made available to cable, DTH, broadband and mobile platforms across Asia and Australasia.

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Visit www.rossvideo.comv

TRACE Sports HD Launches in Asia

August 1 saw TRACE Sports HD debut on Hong Kong Broadband Networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bbtv. The channel features factual and lifestyle entertainment content dedicated to sports celebrities.

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organisers of the World Cricket Business Forum, â&#x20AC;&#x153;a fundamental shift is underway in terms of the relationship between sports, broadcasters and brands. So is the case with cricket. With greater brand promotion, broadcasters bring in promises of greater and new audiences. Thus, it becomes a co-dependant relationship in which one relies on the other to flourish.â&#x20AC;? The World Cricket Business Forum takes place from 13-14 September at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London, and will bring together professionals from cricket associations, counties and clubs to meet with the decision makers from the brands, suppliers and agencies involved in the sport.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the ever increasing demand for sports news in the Asia Pacific region, TRACE Sports HD fills a niche,â&#x20AC;? said Olivier Laouchez, Chairman and CEO of TRACE.

The forum is endorsed by the International Cricket Council and will take place during an exciting week for world cricket which includes the prestigious LG ICC Awards and coincides with the climax of the ODI series between world champions, India and England.

Visit http://eng.trace.tv/

Visit www.iirme.com/wcbf/register

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NEWS OPERATIONS www.content-technology.com/newsoperations

Seven News Focuses on Fujinon FUJINON HAS ANNOUNCED that the Seven Network has signed an exclusive preferred supplier agreement with the company for the provision of all its high quality camera lenses over the next three years. Seven Network (Operations) Technical Services Manager, Melbourne Broadcast Centre, John Albiston said, “Seven recently upgraded its news fleet to Sony XDCAM and was seeking a preferred supplier for it lens requirements. After a comprehensive market assessment what resulted is a three year exclusive agreement with Fujinon to fulfill Seven’s news acquisition requirements.” The deal covers Fujinon HA23×7.6BERM and HA14×4.5BERM lenses and comprehensive service and support. Albiston continued, “The HA23×7.6BERM and

HA14×4.5BERM lenses were chosen for their performance in both long and wide applications. Their HD performance will also protect Seven’s investment well into the future. Seven’s relationship with Fujinon has been established over many years so the excellent performance of the kit comes as no surprise. Operators are familiar with it and its technical performance is outstanding.” As one of Australia’s most innovative free-to-air networks Seven has a wide range of technical and shooting requirements, something Albiston was sure the Fujinon lenses could cope with. He explained, “The lenses are required for use in the field by Seven’s news crews around the country. News operations are based in the five capital cities, Canberra and seven regional

oﬃces in Queensland. The lenses are used in far reaching environments with extremes in temperature, moisture and cleanliness. Key examples include snow, rain, beach and desert shooting conditions. This is ultimately why we chose Fujinon lenses because they are of the highest quality and reliability.” Visit www.fujifilm.com.au

TEN News ‘Loopy’ for Miranda Solid State Servers NETWORK TEN HAS UPGRADED its Sydney HD news studio with multiple Miranda HMP-1801 single card, solid-state media servers supplied by Magna Systems and Engineering. As Network TEN Engineer Leo Blanda explained, “We needed a device that could store and recall multiple animating seamless loops to integrate into the rebuild of our HD news studio. After consulting with David Clemesha and the team at Magna Systems we purchased four Densité HMP1801 single card, solid-state media servers, two for our studio rebuild and two more to supplement production from our existing HD studio.” The Densité HMP-1801 is a single card, solidstate media server, which can capture and playback HD and SD video sequences. The

HMP-1801 is aimed at playback of clips used repeatedly, such as full screen promos and animated apology sequences. The HMP-1801 can also fill side panels, introduced by up/ down conversion, with animated graphics to improve the on-air presentation and stereoscopic playback. Network Ten Technical Director, Ben Thomas added, “Our initial requirement of having looping background material was the justification for the Densité HMP-1801 as having a key channel was not necessary. We particularly like its capability for the seamless looping of clips and the instant recall via VDCP protocol with our Sony 8000G vision mixer.”

for the playback of multiple animating loops feeding the plasma screen behind Sydney TEN’s news broadcasts and in studio-based multi-cam live to air broadcasts.

At Network TEN the Densité HMP-1801 is used

Visit www.miranda.com and www.magnasys.tv

The Future of Digital Content Opinion By Michael Schüller, CEO, ANNOVA Systems. DIGITAL CONTENT HAS FLOURISHED

NEWS OPERATIONS

alongside media advancements in the broadcast industry. Newsroom systems helped to map out efficient workflows for this content. Covering the whole process from creating stories to final playout, state-of-the-art newsroom systems provide an all-in-one solution for multicasting. What are the future keywords in developing an all-in-one solution? Multichannel processing in order to be cost-efficient will be one leading market trend. Different types of media such as TV, radio and internet need to be treated equally in order to tap creative potential. Therefore ANNOVA Systems created a newsroom system, which

serves as a basic construct. Diﬀerent modules can be put together like bricks building a house. Each brick can be treated diﬀerently in order to achieve a multimedia workflow.

Newsroom System into their production systems. This allowed the team of Bel RTL not only to work with news scripts, but also with audio and video tools within a single environment.

To keep our newsroom system OpenMedia as flexible as possible, we’ve always put our focus on building a really strong network of technology partners. With this we can implement more than the usual standard gateways. OpenMedia gives you independence in distribution; it seamlessly merges into all types of media.

While Netia delivered the audio sided tool RadioAssist, EVS was responsible for the video tool Xedio. All of them use the MOS protocol standard to communicate seamlessly throughout the entire process.

The integration at the Belgian RTL Group is one example for this perfect match. Together with Netia and EVS, Annova integrated their OpenMedia

From story conception to broadcast playout – teaming up with partners ensure a truly multicast workflow. Visit www.annova.tv

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Come and see us @ SMPTE 2011, Stand H13. July 19-22, Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour

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1/09/11 12:16 PM

NEWS OPERATIONS

Panasonic Plasma Backs TEN News NETWORK TEN’S Melbourne News Studio is now breaking the news on the big screen thanks to the recent installation of a Panasonic 103-inch Full High Definition commercial Plasma display panel.

Cinegy Version 9 at IBC CINEGY WILL BE EXHIBITING its new version 9 Cinegy software IBC 2011 (Booth 7A30 and 7A41), with features including: + Type Integration featuring dynamic data and squeeze back.

Installed by InSight Systems, the new screen is located behind the newsreaders on the news set during the nightly live News broadcasts and The Bolt Report.

+ H.264 and AVC HD support including import and full resolution H.264.

Mike Lewis of Network Ten said, “The Network wanted to create a set that had high impact for the viewers that tune in to the evening news, and the 103-inch Plasma delivered the size and the visual quality needed to achieve this. The solution has certainly provided the modern, stylish and slick on-set look that we wanted.”

+ Integrated ‘live’ character generator and teleprompter.

After considering various options including the deployment of a 2 x 2 video wall with thin bezel panels, the technical team and producers decided on the Panasonic panel as this eliminated any cross hair cutting through the image. Content is able to be quickly and easily transmitted to the screen via the Network’s news control room, including live feeds and previously recorded material. “We were confident that the 103-inch panel’s energy-eﬃcient technology and crisp images, combined with the tempered front panel to protect the screen against damage in such a high-traﬃc area would satisfy the Network’s requirements,” Baldwin added. The 103-inch Plasma panel boasts a moving picture resolution of 1,080 lines and a contrast ratio of 40,000:1. Visit www.insightsystems.com.au and www.panasonic.com.au.

iPhone or Video Camera with Stereo Sound?

+ News story scripting and rundown creation/playout. + A new titling and graphics template editor. + Integration with Avid Interplay. Also showing will be Cinegy Air 9.1 featuring up to 16 playout channels on one PC, H.264 streaming output, subtitles support, and dynamic data sources in Cinegy Type templates. Alongside Cinegy Air 9.1 will be the launch of Streaming Suite 9.0 featuring H.264 support and new audio processing features. On Sunday 11th and Monday 12th September at 11.15am, Cinegy will be presenting in the Inside Knowledge Seminar Theatre in the Production Village. Alternatively, live demonstrations of Cinegy version 9 can be booked with the Cinegy Team. Visit www.cinegy.com

Live Video Conversion and Transmission MBCAST.COM IS AN INTEGRATED video conversion and transmission suite – capable of delivering live video if suﬃcient bandwidth is available. Even if this is not the case and the transmission might be delayed, thanks to H.264 encoding, the footage is sustained at its peak quality and can be downloaded in an editable format (MXF, Quicktime) to an editing environment. The server transcodes the video already during transfer, hence you get the best of both worlds: Small data volume during upload, and easily imported formats once you have the footage. The advantage of mbcast.com, being a software solution, is it can be downloaded for free and installed on consumer notebooks. For the first time, live or near-live broadcasting can be done in professional image quality without having to invest in hardware. At IBC2011 Booth 3.B21 viewers can get a glimpse of the system in action, as an outside broadcasting unit in Austria will join the mbcast. com hosts live at the IBC, using only a standard notebook and two 3G-modems to bridge the distance of more than 1000km. Visit www.mbcast.com

Streambox Goes Pro at IBC STREAMBOX LIVE PRO ENCODER will make its debut at IBC 2011

FOSTEX HAS UNVEILED THE AR-4I – a device which turns the iPhone4

NEWS OPERATIONS

into a handheld video camera with stereo sound recording. Everything required is in the box, including two plug in condenser microphones, a hand-grip, and two AAA batteries, which will power the unit for roughly eight hours of use. The AR-4i has three mic inputs, facilitating vertical or horizontal use, which feed the A/D. Monitor your work using the D/A through the inbuilt headphone out. An extensive amount of control is available using the dedicated iPhone App. The AR-4i also features standard threaded mounting points and a cold shoe to integrate with your existing video equipment. Visit www.fostexinternational.com and www.majormusic.com.au

(Booth 5.C45). This enhanced version of Streambox Live will give users the ability to take advantage of uncapped bandwidth, full D1 resolution, and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC). With emerging 4G cellular networks, Streambox Live Pro Encoder will utilise more available bandwidth on cellular networks to send professional quality video. Streambox Live Pro enables broadcasters to enhance breaking news stories with ad-hoc broadcasting content supplied by a variety of contributors including video journalists and stringers. At the front end is the Streambox Live Pro Encoder, which will be made available for download on laptops and desktops to contributors aﬃliated with broadcast groups and local television stations. Streambox Live Pro is a scalable service that allows broadcasters to capture video from their town, country, or anywhere around the world. At the back end, broadcasters subscribing to the Streambox Live Pro service are able to manage, track, and view unlimited amounts of video uploads from contributors. Visit www.streambox.com

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1/09/11 12:16 PM

Adverti

NEWS OPERATIONS

Nine Network Gets Vislink Flyaways NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA has purchased two new Vislink – Advent 1.2m Ku-Band Mantis Flyaways from Lumina Broadcast Systems with another on the way. The 1.2m Mantis systems are supplied with the new Vislink - Advent compact ½ Rack DVE5100 contribution electronic sub system which includes the DVE5000 Standard (Upgradable to HD) Definition L Band DVB-S/S2 Video Exciter-Encoder, ADM5000 L Band Modem, ASC5000 Systems Controller, APS5000 Protection Switch and ACU5000 Block KuBand Up converter Module. Nine Network also chose the Xicom 200W TWTA with Linearizer as the systems Power Amps. According to Charles Seviour, Nine’s Network Manager of Engineering and Broadcast Technology, “We made a decision to purchase new systems after the natural disasters over the summer period last year where we saw floods,

cyclones and earthquakes all within weeks of each other and found our resources across the network were stretched. “We had several options from other vendors, but the solution oﬀered by Lumina, Vislink – Advent and Xicom met our technical, operational and budget capex,” said Seviour. “With the new DVE5100 and ADM5000 we will be able to stream vision back at low bit rates over IP with the ADM5000 and go live with the Advent DVE5100 DVB-S2 Exciter/Encoder when we cross to our news services, maximising our use of the satellite transponder band width available to us,” said John Gilpin QTQ Brisbane. The decision was made by the network to included DVB-S/S2 Modulation which gives them the ability to use DVB-S/S2 modulation up to 16APSK for the system. Visit www.luminabsa.com

25 Years Takes Cueword Prompters from Downunder to Roof of the World AUSTRALIAN TELEPROMPTER MANUFACTURER CUEWORD is celebrating its 25th year of trading throughout 2011. Established in Sydney, Cueword has continued to enjoy a solid penetration into the top end prompter market both locally and overseas through a policy of service and innovation. According to Engineering Director, Mr Richard Formby, “Much of the innovation in product design is customer driven and over the years our end users have been invaluable in their contribution of ideas and recommendations for improvements and added features in the product line.”

And, in spite of the surging Australian dollar, Cueword continues to export its range of Teleprompters around the world. Recent shipments included supplies to Malaysia, China and even Kathmandu. Export sales constitute more than 85% of Cueword sales and according to Managing Director Frank Bird that trend is forecast to continue in spite of the increased value of the Australian dollar. “Fortunately our long standing reputation for quality and service is standing us in good stead, said Bird.” Visit www.cueword.com.au

NEWS OPERATIONS

He added that while other prompter companies have folded over the years, keeping in constant dialogue with the customer base has helped to ensure

a constant stream of business and looks forward to continued growth for the next 25 years.

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23/08/11 12:24 PM 1/09/11 12:16

POST PRODUCTION

www.content-technology.com/postproduction

Sony OLED Monitors Provide Critical Vision THE POST OP GROUP has taken delivery of

Scotting. “They’re looking for the quality as well, the sharpness, making sure that nothing’s soft, because it’s much more noticeable for clients and viewers at home especially when they’re looking at it on large monitors today.

the first Sony reference grade 25” Trimaster EL BVM-E250 OLED monitor in Australia. The flagship of Sony’s range of professional monitors, the BVM-E250 OLED has been installed in the Post Op Group’s high end digital colour grading suite in its facilities at the Australian Technology Park in Eveleigh, Sydney. The Post Op Group works closely with television, documentary, film and TVC clients, providing a range of services including editing, audio, graphics/design, facilities and camera hire. The company recently expanded its operations with the addition of a new Da Vinci Resolve colour grading suite managed and operated by Senior Producer Belinda Reynolds and Senior Colourist Danny Scotting. “When we were setting up the Resolve I went in search of a reference monitor and saw a demo of the Sony OELD screen and it just blew me away,” says Scotting. “I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was, especially in the blacks and the saturation. I’ve always used CRTs and the tubes have been as good as you could get but I was surprised at the difference between them and the OLED. There aren’t many tubes left now so the people that have them are hanging on to them but in my opinion OLED supersedes them completely. “It was very important for it to be a grade one reference monitor and I wanted the highest professional quality in as big a screen as possible. Sony also has the PVM series which are 10-bit rather than our 12-bit BVM and although the screen is the same, the electronics and the drivers behind it are slightly different. So the PVMs are really good for visual effects suites but for a colour reference the BVM is definitely the way to go.”

“Clients are paying an hourly rate to get the best possible images and don’t want to lose 10 percent of their picture – the Sony OLED let them see the whole picture,” said Scotting.

The Post Op Group’s Danny Scotting.

Scotting explains that Post Op Group clients can now see the full detail of images captured by the increasingly popular data cameras and they can leave his suite knowing the exact reference look of their finished projects. He believes that using a non-reference monitor results in guesswork. “Directors and DOPs sit with me and use the Sony OLED monitor as a reference for all their grading. The black and highlights levels can be easily assessed and you can see all the gradients in between which is really nice. Commercial clients traditionally don’t like to see too many crushed blacks unless the spot warrants it and they want to get as much information in the picture as possible - for example in car commercials they want to be able to see the detail in car tyres and under the wheel arches. They find the Sony OLED has the best picture with detail that they couldn’t see on LED and plasma screens. “We are now able to push colours the way clients imagined them to be pushed and they know that what they see on screen is what is actually happening to the picture,” details

The Post Op Group’s move to high end digital colour grading also aims to match the steady, industry-wide move away from standard definition shoots with drama and series work firmly in the company’s sights. According to Scotting, TVC crews are now comfortable with the new generation cameras but drama work involving multiple cameras often requires DOPs to consult with colourists and bring in test shots before principal shooting begins. For Jamie Ambrose, General Manager at Post Op Group, the business logic of the Sony OLED installation followed the philosophy behind the creation of the colour grading suite. “We were looking at our grading capabilities as a door-opener to other opportunities into the TVC market and getting a premium product was very important for our clients. Their biggest priority is the quality of the shots onscreen so we wanted to make sure we had the right people, equipment and environment. It was a very simple decision for us to invest in the Sony OLED monitor - this was a serious venture for us and it didn’t take a lot of research to know Sony is right up there and its OLED product came with the best warranty behind it,” said Ambrose. Visit www.sony.com.au and www.postopgroup.com.au

POST PRODUCTION

post-production company FSM has committed to replacing its grade 1 monitors with the Sony OLED range. Bernie Lloyd, FSM Head of Engineering, said: “With the agonisingly slow death of CRT monitors, we’ve not had an industry standard for some time. Precision monitoring is essential for accurate colour grading, VFX and compositing and it’s only now we feel comfortable with the options available.” The PVM-2541 OLED monitor, supplied by Lemac, delivers un-matched picture quality with highvalue performance features and functions. Sony’s 25-inch Super Top Emission OLED display panel benefits from superb black performance,

Rick Schweikert, FSM Managing Director said: “Consistency is the key here. While the professional market jumps between older CRTs, un-calibrated LCD and domestic plasmas, it’s often impossible to be assured of what our clients are looking at. “Top-end grading and finishing is fundamental to

G fo a

O C o

Y our business, we thrive on it. By establishing a room-by-room consistency using the Sony OLED we can feel confident what you see in one room is replicated in another. Not many in the industry can say that.” Visit http://www.fsm.com.au and http://www.pro.sony.com.au

Ado All

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A C

wide colour gamut, and quick response with virtually no motion blur. By combining the full HD, 10-bit driver and Sony’s OLED processing technologies, the monitor delivers groundbreaking picture quality. The PVM-2541 monitor employs a softwarebased white balance calibration function. Combined with a commercially available calibration tool, this function enables simple adjustment of the monitor’s white balance.

FSM Commits to Sony OLED Monitors AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, Australian

1/09/11 12:16 PM

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1/09/11 12:16 25/08/11 12:21 PM

POST PRODUCTION

Kodak ‘Tick’ for Philippines’ SQ Film Lab PHILIPPINES-BASED SQ Film Laboratories, Inc. has become the newest member of the Kodak Imagecare Program, a quality assurance plan for film laboratories initiated in 1996 by Kodak and present throughout 31 countries. SQ Laboratories, Inc. was recently accredited for its Camera Negative Processing operations, indicating to filmmakers that critical film handling and quality standards are being maintained by the facility. With over 40 years of industry experience, SQ Laboratories, Inc., employs a full-time staff of 30. “The Program has developed very specific efficiencies for the laboratory staff to follow,” says Angelo Santos, Managing Director of SQ. “These standards have built up our employee’s confidence, morale and the triple ‘I’s’: Intensity, Integrity and Intelligence. Simply put, the Kodak Imagecare Program processes are a continuous progression of learning and development for us. It is an honour for us to be included in the roster of accredited laboratories around the world.” Kodak created the Program to standardise motion picture processing. It identifies areas for improvement, provides a manual, training, and consultation in conjunction with on-site visits by Kodak technicians. “We’re delighted to welcome SQ Film Laboratories into the Kodak program,” says Diane Carroll-Yacoby, Worldwide Manager of the Kodak Imagecare Program. Visit: http://sqfilmlab.com.ph/ and http://www.kodak.com/go/imagecare

Engine, DDB Sweeten Tablet for Telstra SYDNEY POST-HOUSE ENGINE recently joined the battle of the mobile tablets by creating the latest Telstra ad for DDB Sydney promoting the Motorola Xoom device on the Telstra mobile network. As Creative Director Simon Robson (pictured left) explained, “The creatives at DDB wanted us to show the Telstra Motorola Xoom in a variety of different locations, emphasising the reach of the Telstra mobile network. It occurred to me that instead of just cutting from one location to the next, finding engaging ways of transitioning between locations could highlight the way the Xoom allows people to connect in many locations and ways with Telstra.” With time of the essence to the impending launch of the campaign, Robson and designer Josh Edwards presented agency DDB Sydney with a set of ideas based around the script’s core messages – “connectivity in different locations and at different times on Australia’s most reliable mobile network”. The original script had cuts between locations. Robson, however, was determined to add dynamism and engagement to his transitions. Robson added, “DDB liked our ideas and the client got them first time, so we were off and running. The main thread is that there are always a pair of hands on the Motorola Xoom tablet using a different rich media application each time. I designed a board where the tablet is seamlessly passed from one person to the next from scene to scene. The ad starts in a bus, moves through a bedroom to the back of a family car and finally arrives at a parkside café – all in 30 seconds, all in-camera with an apparent one-shot feel.” Robson and his team put particular emphasis on the scene transitions and paid close attention to detail for each environment within the commercial. The Engine team along with their production designers re-created a teenager’s bedroom complete with bespoke music posters,

(l-r Creative Director Simon Robson with cinematographer Peter Menzies Jr.

meticulously re-built the interior of an Australian bus, hacked up a car and built rigs so the sections could gracefully spin together in camera, resolving to a sliding exterior café. Engine Producer on the shoot, Amelia Peacocke added, “This is a wonderfully technical and clever spot to watch but a logistical headache, especially for our production designers Karen Harborow and Tony Campbell. We had to make sure the transitions appeared as real as possible whilst not detracting from the core message behind the ad, the tablet and the Telstra mobile network.” As the café deck slides into shot in the final scene the tablet demonstrates the Google Talk application between a mum and her daughter with a lunchtime environment in the background. Robson continued, “We wanted to fit as many diﬀerent locations into the ad as possible to highlight the extent of Telstra’s coverage. There’s also a high level of continuity between scenes and transitions that engage the viewer. ” Engine also employed the services of multi award-winning cinematographer Peter Menzies Jr. who spent a week with Robson, the Engine team and a full production crew. The commercial was shot in Sydney’s Centennial Park, at Down Under Studios and in Engine’s own studio.

Visit http://www.engine.net.au

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POST PRODUCTION

Endemol Deploys EditShare for Big Brother Jakarta every second is captured for our audiences.” EditShare adds a layer of automation to the fast-paced Big Brother production. Flow automates media ingest from the multiple cameras and microphones placed around the house direct to the XStream shared storage system. Recorded media can be viewed from a standard desktop system connected to the network — no edit suite necessary — allowing producers and editors to collectively view material. Purpose-built Flow production tools let editors get a jump on post by creating selects and sequences before going into the edit room. Once in post, the XStream shared storage system centralises all media and facilitates media sharing, enabling multiple Big Brother editors to work on footage concurrently.

EDITSHARE, the provider of cross-platform collaborative editing and shared media storage systems, has announced that media conglomerate Endemol has deployed EditShare Flow, XStream and Ark solutions to manage the new Big Brother Jakarta production. Endemol’s credits include international reality television blockbusters like Deal or No Deal, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Star Academy, The Money Drop, and Wipeout. “EditShare systems assist us in better managing the frenzied pace of Big Brother Jakarta’s production cycle,” says Claudia Vermeulen, Consulting Producer for Endemol International. “Reliability is extremely important to us. There are no second-takes in reality TV. There are multiple cameras recording footage 24-hours a day, and EditShare has been flawless in ensuring that

“EditShare does more than support the fast-paced workflow. It provides a structure in which the production team can take a step back and establish a timeline for the developing story well before it enters into post-production,” comments Paul Hayes, VP Sales and Marketing, EditShare Asia Pacific. “Several other Big Brother franchises have deployed the EditShare workflow with the same degree of progress. We have been successful by listening to market needs and developing the specific features requested by our clients. We are proud to have a solution for reality TV genres, but we have long term plans to extend these capabilities far beyond what we oﬀer now.” Ark bookends the workflow with media protection and archiving fully integrated with Flow and XStream, providing a tiered storage environment with full file restoration across disk and tape-based models. Media protection not only gives the production team peace of mind, it becomes an integral part of the workflow by moving media files to LTO-5 tapes. All editors can still access archived clips in Flow Browse via playable proxy video files. They can make clip selections, edit sequences with the proxy versions, and restore selected high-resolution material without the need for any additional engineering support. Visit http://www.editshare.com

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CINEMA 4D Simplifies Characters, Adds Stereo MAXON HAS LAUNCHED CINEMA 4D Release 13, the next generation of its 3D motion graphics, visual effects, painting, and rendering software application. Key Highlights of CINEMA 4D Release 13, include: + Physically-Accurate Rendering based on real camera properties, including 3D motion blur, depth of field and lens distortion based on the focal length, aperture and shutter speed of the camera. + A new and enhanced rendering engine with Efficient Subsurface Scattering which allows users to efficiently create translucent materials such as milk, skin and wax. + Shared Image Sampler which saves render time by combining sampling for multiple effects such as motion blur, depth of field, area shadows, ambient occlusion and blurry reflections. + New Anti-Aliasing Filters + Stereoscopic Camera Conversion + Stereo Image Workflow and Preview: Stereo images can be previewed directly in the 3D editor using Anaglyph, Interlaced, Shutter or Side-by-Side methods. + Stereo Rendering Options: Allows customers to easily render the merged stereoscopic image

or separate images for each individual camera to create a true 3D experience. + Picture Viewer Support: Review animated stereo renders, adjust parallax and export renderings as merged or individual stereoscopic files. + New Character Object: Includes an auto rigger, which simplifies the process of building a rig and applying it to a character. Technical directors are able to set up flexible rig templates that any user can easily apply to their characters. + New CMotion System: Allows users to create their own or apply preset parametric walk cycles based on cyclic motion. + New Muscle System which allows users to create custom-shaped muscles and anchor them to multiple joints within a rig. Includes deformer for skin stretching and sliding. + New Collision Deformer + Revamped Navigation System: New cursorbased navigation automatically sets the point of interest for rotation and dolly movements based on where the user clicks to begin navigation. This also ensures the speed of camera navigation is smooth and consistent, regardless of the distance to the point of interest - making it easy to pivot around any

portion of a model or scene. + Sticky Keys: Allows users to activate a tool only while its shortcut is pressed and immediately return to the previous tool. + New Spline Data User Interface + Location Indicator: Provides artists with a new indicator that hints at the location of selected objects outside the current view. + Surface Manipulation: Offers flexible options with a new Infinite Axis mode that lets users start manipulation from any point and easily snap surfaces to other objects in the scene. The rotation axis can now optionally display gimbal rotation, making it easy to visualise situations in which gimbal lock will occur, and can also transform multiple objects in a selection individually rather than as a group. Operational Efficiency: + Superior XRef Object: Improves artist efficiency with fully embedded XRef (External Reference) commands in R13. + Improved C.O.F.F.E.E. and Python Scripting Language Integration + Expanded File Format Support + After Effects Exchange Visit www.maxon.net

Tweaks for Image and Sequence Viewer TWEAK SOFTWARE has unveiled new features

through Javascript.

for its RV image and sequence viewer for VFX and animation artists.

Highlights of the new RV 3.12 release include:

RV 3.12 includes support for ARRI Alexa and RED formats, cost-eﬀective stereo reviews using 3D TVs and a host of other new features. According to Seth Rosenthal, co-founder of Tweak Software, “This release will have some great artist tools and will expand RV’s customisation options with Python and Javascript-based web integration.” Python will be added RV as a native scripting language (alongside Mu) and RV can now be integrated tightly with web based tools; web pages opened inside of RV can control RV

+ Presentation mode: Display a full screen view on one monitor while controlling playback from another. + Stereo 3D TV support for HDMI 1.4a and DVI: Use cost-eﬀective stereo TVs for stereo reviews with RV. + Javacript Web Integration: Integrate RV with web based tools using Javascript + ARRI Alexa ARRIRAW file support: High dynamic range, full colour support for ALEXA is now integrated into RVs tools for playback, dailies and transcoding. + RED RAW file support: V3.12 includes the first

level of RED file support integration. + ACES files and colour spaces: RV supports the Academy Colour Encoding Specification (IIF ACES) including the ability to write .aces files from RVIO. + CDL support: Colour Decision List values can now be specified in an RV session file. + Next-level integration: Nuke and Shotgun integration both include a host of updates and refinements. Tweak RV Version 3.12 is currently in Beta testing and planned for release in the Northern spring. Visit www.tweaksoftware.com

Deadline Render Farm Management

POST PRODUCTION

THINKBOX SOFTWARe has announced the public beta of Deadline 5.1, the newest version of the company’s render farm management solution for Windows, Linux and Mac OSX-based render farms. Deadline/Shotgun integration enables a seamless render and review data flow. When Deadline starts a render, a version is automatically created in Shotgun with key metadata. When the render is complete, Deadline updates Shotgun with a thumbnail image, paths to frames, render stats,

and playback links. Shotgun then dispatches targeted notifications with links back to the work. Studios can view versions in various contexts, create reports, and organise work into playlists for review sessions where they can quickly take notes with the Shotgun Note App. Deadline now comes bundled with a native installation of Python 2.6, and the new Python .Net integration allows Deadline to run native Python scripts and load CPython modules. Any existing IronPython script can be converted to a

Python .Net script, allowing studios to integrate their custom Python libraries with ease. Users can now launch and configure an arbitrary number of Slaves on a single machine. Each Slave instance can be given a unique name, and can be assigned its own list of pools and groups, which allows Slaves to work on separate jobs. Users can also now opt to store Deadline statistics in an existing Postgres database. Visit www.thinkboxsoftware.com

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4/7/11 1/09/117:22:17 12:16 PM PM

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD Sohonet Launches Cloud Service Down Under SOHOCENTRE is the new regional data centre operated by Sohonet’s Australian partner, Future Reality, out of the company’s purpose built facility in Lane Cove, Sydney. SOHONET IS THE NETWORK PROVIDER that began in 1995 when a group of London-based post-production facilities used high-speed connectivity to improve their workflows and throughput. The company has expanded to create one of the world’s largest independent media networks. Designed and built in to work with partners such as with Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), the Sydney operation joins existing Sohocentres in London and Los Angles that service post-production and broadcast clients. “Sohonet was established in Australia about five years ago and has established points of presence on the East coast and in New Zealand and we’re looking at spring-boarding into Asia from here,” said David Edgar, MD Future Reality. “Working with Sohonet has been very interesting because of their terrific relationship with the film community and how the network and services have evolved to handle file-based deliveries. We’ve seen people wanting to get out of video and get into file-based delivery and as soon as you start talking about delivering files you’ve got to store them somewhere and that’s opened up a whole range of interest in storage as a service or oﬀ-premises storage.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

“The Cloud term is confused as it’s distorted into a consumer product with Amazon and now Apple but it’s not really a new concept because we were doing this in the ‘80s as the mainframe model,” explained Edgar. “When businesses couldn’t afford to have a computer in their own facility they rented computer time from a mainframe centre and the cloud is exactly the same business model. It’s got a bit smarter these days and more cost effective to look at in terms of off-premises storage. As power and space has become a premium with many of our customers, they’re looking to move storage off-premises to get away from their own installation, integration, expansion and support costs. Instead they can work with a service provider so they effectively have a bottomless pit of storage that they just buy in chunks as they need it.” The move first found favour with large post houses but is now attracting broadcasters that have for some time been outsourcing everything from OB trucks to transmitters. At the same time ISPs, Telecos and other large IT companies are keenly promoting cloud-based services but Edgar maintains Sohocentre offers key differentiators for content creators while opening up collaborative opportunities.

“A great example is to look at archiving. Most facilities have a tape library which is bursting and the content isn’t always freely available to get at in a hurry and as new entertainment forms come on stream, like IPTV and more pay channels, people are looking to put more and more content online. So recycling content is becoming a real business opportunity - it’s called the long tail and having easy access to old content means you can monetise that content. The expression “digitise, organise and monetise” covers a great business opportunity for many people with their content libraries.” “Future Reality has always provided services to film and TV clients so we think in those terms and understand their needs while providing IT equipment. The other factor is that storage means nothing if you don’t have good access to it and this is where Sohonet becomes really valuable because being a media-savvy provider, and having a media-savvy network company, gives us a significant advantage in this space as we have a product that is much more closely aligned to the film and TV industry,” said Edgar. “And when you start to move resources to oﬀpremises locations, you open up collaboration and workgroups that don’t necessarily have to be in the same building any longer because they all have access to the remote facility. An example in broadcasting would be news departments working oﬀ a central archive of footage rather than having multiple copies all over various departments.” Pushing the need for bigger and better data storage has seen the broad move by production companies and broadcasters to shoot on data format cameras like Red and XDCAM. This has placed additional demands on workflows and left one remaining bastion of videotape in otherwise all file-based pipelines. As a result productions are looking for digital negative management solutions and content owners want to use file-based delivery to reduce the significant costs of the last tape barrier - dubbing, distributing, handling and storing videotapes for programme and TVC content. Sohonet aims to help eliminate videotape transfers so that data files are delivered directly to the broadcaster or the media outlet.

HITACHI PLATFORM “Choosing Hitachi as our initial partner oﬀered us a lot of advantages because it was a multitenanted platform, meaning that from one

single platform we can have multiple customers operating completely independent of each other and from an infrastructure point of view, that was a big bonus for us,” explains Edgar. “HDS has been involved in the delivery of multi-tenant content platforms for some time in many other industries so we were easily able to get leverage from their experience to adapt it to the media space and bring in additional elements that are unique to our world. For example, video ingest or play-out has been something that we wanted to be able to provide and that is not commonly discussed in IT circles. “Hitachi’s experience at the backend meant we didn’t have to worry about that and our experience at the customer end was valuable to them so combining our skill-sets and providing a network service between the customer premises and the datacentre with Sohonet, which looks like a piece of wire to the content platform, brings a very good combination of pieces together.” The Sohocentre solution consists of two parts. The on-premises component is an archive onramp ingest solution that can be tailored to work with a client’s existing storage system, such as a SAN, or it can include its own fast access storage. The second part is the content platform that lives in the Sohocentre with Sohonet linking the two. The ingest platform becomes the client gateway to the archive and moves files in and out so users can look into their local server and see the content platform which is oﬀ-premises. The software that makes up the content platform also allows expansion, upgrades and migration as new technology comes to bear so it doesn’t interrupt the service and can grow storage on demand.

DR SCENARIO Edgar detailed how Disaster Recovery (DR) is a significant business problem for most companies. “Even the smallest of post houses will often have an LTO tape library backing up their servers but that backup is still in their building,” he says. “If the building burnt down they would lose everything. So, a simple DR strategy is to move their tape library into a co-location facility or a datacentre and, because of our network, there’s no diﬀerence in speed or performance to that tape library, but now it’s in a secure location, independent of their business and any disaster.” Sohonet plans to oﬀer multisite disk and tape based protection using the three Sohocentes to synch across its network to provide customers with a very high level of protection if required. “The Sydney Sohocentre is built and we’re ready to deploy storage on customer demand. We are in the final stages with a number of prospects and will make a customer announcement in the very near future,” said Edgar. Visit www.future.com.au

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Video-8: from Outsourcing to Cloud Sourcing “THE IDEA THAT THE CLOUD is something new is new!” That’s the word from Gareth Collins, Managing Director of Sydney-based Video-8 whose company has evolved from tape-based dubbing house to a fully fledged digital asset management and archiving service. “The cloud is not new at all,” says Collins. “It’s an outsourced data centre, it’s computers managing stuff, it’s when you’re outsourcing the function of getting it done. That’s it.” And Collins should know. He has over 25 years experience in the development of new markets in the digital media space including stints with Cisco Systems and IBM Australia. “So, given that it’s just a reorganisation of how you might buy a service for hosting your data on, then what you really want to know is what services you get with an adequate price. So, what does it do for you? Is it cost efficient? Is it reliable and secure and redundant and do you really understand my business? Can you therefore add value to my business because you understand my business?” According to Collins, there’s not a great depth of understanding of what you can do with IT or where the pitfalls are around digital infrastructures in the film and television community. “You only have to go to the NAB show to see the amount of technologies of different types that are very complex and people are highly comfortable and competent with. The bit when it gets past the edit suite, that’s really IT stuff, all of a sudden the film and television industry sort of says ‘can we go back to talking about the fun stuff, that IT stuff looks like a lot of money I have to spend that comes out of my production budget. I get it, but I don’t really trust it that much, I’m going to avoid it for a little while. With a backend built and managed by the Somerville Group and a Daletbased asset management system available via web interface for a monthly subscription, Collins says not only does Video-8 bridge the film and TV/IT divide, but it also delivers savings on capital expenditure. “At the end of the day production companies can keep doing production and leave all the chunky IT stuff to us at the backend. “If a company wants to build it themselves, they have to be extraordinarily committed to it, so if you’re a production company you’re probably always going to find it easier to commit to a work flow change than building an infrastructure - and a work flow change. “If you look around, origination is happening on file based cameras. Duplication and distribution is still happening on tape and now increasingly with files. “On the production company side of things, there are cheaper, file-based cameras, but you’ll still need an infrastructure to service that on. “We can lower the cost for doing that, simply by using our platform. It also means that if they want to have a distribution platform, and are holding that media with us, they don’t need people pushing their tapes around.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

“You can justify the use of digital infrastructures just based on cost savings. You’ve got to go to digital anyway because that’s just where the world’s going, you have to spend that money. If you go with us we’re already attached to everyone, and you can get into it a whole lot faster.” Away from the world of digital production, Video-8 also oversees the ‘rescue’ of media assets before they are eventually digitised and available for reuse.

MD of Video-8, Gareth Collins, it’s “easier to commit to a work flow change than building an infrastructure - and a work flow change.”

thing. So, the idea is that the triage happens, we work out a price. Once the customer agrees to go ahead with it, we amortise the cost of the tape ingest and the data hosting over the life of the contract, so it’s a simple cost. “From the moment that they say yes, we go in and get those tapes and they get catalogued. The customer can then can see them on either of [the Preferred Media or Iron Mountain] systems. They can see those tapes on those systems moving to the ingest, they see the ingest happening, then they can see the digital assets on the system. “Once the assets are in the system, we’ll ‘white label’ the interface or present the native interface depending on what the customer wants and the service they buy. “Once the tapes are ingested, they see the tapes moving oﬀ to whatever they’ve agreed is the next storage mechanism.” And, once that material is digitised, content owners can realise savings through bulk, rather than individual storage of the physical media. For the future, Video-8 is examining ways in which their system can be used in a production setting to enable speedier post-production access to material. “The proposal at the moment in production workflows is using it to manage media as it comes oﬀ the floor, depending on the production location. If it’s a studio and it’s always in use, we can install a connection to it, we can take the media straight out of whatever appropriate point - digitally out of their desk, or mixer, or whatever it is. “If it’s not in a studio setting, then we’d move appropriate portable storage to them as part of the deal, and having that moving to our data centre probably a couple of times a day, although it depends on how they shoot.” Once material is in the system, editors can start making cuts via proxies. “It’s pretty easy to do it from the proxies and you’d natively integrate our Dalet system into your final Avid work flow, so it looks like a media bin.”

“We’re working with Preferred Media and Iron Mountain - the first people that go into an old film or video archive there aren’t us. They go in, they do the ‘triage’ of the tapes and give us an estimate of how long it will take to get them catalogued into a system.

According to Collins, Video-8 is “... further down this track than most others. I think we connect to the world much more broadly in film and television production than the other companies I see around the place. I expect that people will know us as the highly technical organisation who can take care of all of the bulk IT things for them so that they can stick to what they do, which is film and television production.”

“Then the customer gives us an opportunity to price it as part of the whole

Visit www.video-8.com

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Taking Broadcast Media Infrastructure to the Cloud By Charles Seviour Media Technologist CONTENT PRODUCERS, aggregators and distributors in the fields of broadcast and subscription television, post production and the movie and entertainment industries have long relied on very high-end state of the art AV and IT infrastructure. Media technology professionals spend most of their working days building, maintaining and upgrading a very complex array of specialised equipment designed to manage and process real-time and nonreal-time content. How will this change as we encounter the IT Cloud?

WHAT IS THE CLOUD? A much-used term and certainly over-hyped right now! It first appeared on our IT network diagrams to describe “a Network” (typically The Internet), but today really means a virtual collection of resource commodities (e.g. infrastructure, software, storage, delivery networks) that allows a business to service some or all of its IT requirements without owning or managing any physical assets. A less-trendy name that has been around for a few years is “web services”. Gartner’s definition is succinct; “Cloud computing is a style of computing where scalable and elastic IT-enabled capabilities are delivered as a service to external customers using Internet technologies.” Gartner have also listed private cloud computing at the “Peak Of Inflated Expectations” on their recently released 2011 Hype Cycle Special Report. This is one step before the “Trough Of Disappointment”, where cloud / web platforms are currently listed. The promises of cloud computing include reduced costs, replacement of procurement activities with provisioning activities, and the ability to launch new services in hours not weeks. As serious players evolve and mature, now is a great time to learn, prepare for and commence the migration to extract the future benefits of this major technology game-changer.

WHO ARE THE BIG PLAYERS? Amazon Web Service AWS have grown to become the dominant provider of cloud-based IT services, with a total of 5 global datacentres (each consisting of 2-4 diverse sites) and 18 Edge points-of-presence. There are none in Australia yet, but expect that to change soon.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

After building one of the world’s largest online retail businesses and then starting to leverage that infrastructure investment to provide similar services to other companies, Amazon drank their own cordial and virtualised themselves out of existence as such in late 2010.

The hosted service agreement offers 99.9% uptime (i.e. service not available for less than 8 hours per year – a pretty good stat for office applications). However if you need to run some bespoke software that is specific to your business (e.g. MYOB or a sales and traffic system) you will need another solution (or wait for a Google App equivalent). Microsoft, the worldwide leader in software, services, and solutions is not about to sit back and let Google take over. They have launched Office 365, available in web-hosted small business versions and enterprise licensed versions starting at just over $7 per user per month (plus GST). Microsoft offer application familiarity plus the ability to work locally (software installed on your PC) without a constant connection to the internet – pretty important at times. Matching Google, they offer a service guarantee of 99.9% uptime. They also offer Windows Azure and SQL Azure, providing cloud-based hosting of applications in Microsoft Datacentres with no long-term commitment. Microsoft’s own datacentres are very impressive - hosting global services like Bing and XBOX Live – and boast some of the best PUE (power usage efficiency) values around. One of the leading providers of data storage solutions, EMC now describes its mission as “enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service”. They have a close collaboration in place with Cisco and VMware to provide qualified and pre-configured IT building blocks for virtualising services into a private cloud. Their catchphrase is “Big Data”, and their recent acquisition of Isilon Systems, vendors of a scale-out NAS system favoured by post-production houses and broadcasters has brought them to the attention of the media & entertainment industry. In our region, Telstra are investing heavily to provide cloud computing services. By leveraging their extensive physical network, they have a greater reach and capacity capability than other players. Starting up, they are retailing Office 365 services, but have announced a plan to invest $800m over 5 years in cloud computing. Of course there are MANY Cloud service providers, and many more joining the industry. The level of investment and valuation is increasing substantially year-on-year. It seems that if you don’t have a cloud-offering, you are becoming old-hat.

WHAT SERVICES ARE MIGRATING THERE?

Amazon now provides Cloud Computing services to its own retail business and hundreds of thousands of others, and is rapidly expanding. Fees charged to customers are dropping as the scale and savings increase. Recently they have launched Direct Connect and Virtual Private Cloud, enabling corporations to access the resource securely, independently and with no dependence on The Internet for reliable operations.

There are many success stories of IT companies hosting substantial business applications using 3rd party web-services (or “Cloud Computing”). Using the cloud as a low-cost archive repository and to access a broader web-based content distribution network (CDN) is becoming commonplace.

Data storage reliability is quoted at 99.9999999% (eleven 9’s) as standard, or 99.99% for a reduced fee. So if you stored 10,000 video clips, you would expect to lose 1 per year at the reduced fee, or 1 every 10 million years at the standard fee. I’d be happy to lose (only) 1 file per year!

In order to get the benefits of the revolution sweeping the IT industry, you first have to become part of it. The more content, information and management interfaces is enabled and rendered into common IT standards, the more organically you can tap into the connected world.

Google

Today, media facilities already have a substantial range of IT equipment supporting the business operations. But often these systems are bespoke, provided for specific applications and using private interface and data formats. Migrating to industry-standard open platforms, allows development into a fully virtualised server environment with optimal and scalable disk pools, a unified codec and wrapper format and a naming convention.

Google’s goal is quite simple; World Domination. Google Apps for Business will provide all of the standard oﬃce, communication and collaboration software you need, fully hosted, backed-up and connected to the world for about $5 per user per month. Since you don’t need to own any computer hardware, they will even rent you a Google Chromebook for $30 per month. If you lose it or it gets stolen, just pick up another one. A few revolutionary concepts arise – simultaneous editors collaborating on a document, no more email attachments (they become links to the items which stay in the cloud), no more anti-virus, OS patches or software upgrades and integrated presence and rich messaging.

HOW CAN MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT USE THE CLOUD?

An enterprise-wide content management, archive management and rights management system is on the to-do list of most facility managers and CTOs. Obviously sizes and complexity vary, but a typical media facility today has a rack room or larger data centre holding the key components; baseband facility router, video & audio processors, encoders and decoders, PC

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD servers hosting graphics systems, edit controllers, transcoders, FTP hosts, disk arrays, video servers, networking switches and routers, DA’s, glue etc. Usually located in edit bays and control areas are a range of professional and domestic VTRs, audio and vision mixers, monitoring equipment etc. This infrastructure needs to be appropriately housed, documented, maintained, updated, and refreshed periodically.

WHAT CAN BE EXTERNALISED? Having the current media library stored in the cloud provides low-cost content security (eleven 9’s), and also places it “close” to consumers in the rapidly growing connected-media segment, for subsequent transcoding and streaming. A pre-requisite is obviously a suitable content management system, a standardised common media wrapper / essence format, and comprehensive standardised metadata. Cloud-based “pay on demand” compute facilities are ideal for softwarebased file transcoding. As a customer requests media for his/her iPad or connected TV, the transcode can be made on-the-fly. Alternatively, use low-cost spot pricing to transcode all media to the common subset, and store these copies in lower cost reduced reliability (four 9’s) data stores. Companies like Sorenson Media are already oﬀering services such as Sorenson 360, providing transcoding, streaming and white-label player applications “in the Cloud”. Render Rocket provide cloud-based rendering capacity on-demand (standard fee is 70 cents per core hour, or an 8-core render workstation for 4 hours for about $22). This provides a simple bolt-on for 3DS Max, Maya and a range of other applications. If you get an urgent job, rather than hassling IT for more horsepower, you can put the cost on your EP’s credit card! Axceleon have also launched cloud-based rendering capabilities integrated back into popular 3D animation packages. Using Amazon for CPU resources, Axceleon weld their own GPU-intensive render farms into the cloud to oﬀer a more specialised capability. They have trademarked the term “elastic rendering”.

HOW DO WE GET THERE? Your data and application servers have to live somewhere and be managed by someone. Even when virtualised, replicated and encrypted, your content has to be reconstituted and offered back with great reliability. You can choose a large global provider, a more local large provider with specific capabilities to suit your business, or you can choose to keep it in-house. Moving to a private cloud infrastructure gives media businesses advantages in optimising utilisation of hardware, greater fault tolerance, and improved agility. Keeping the infrastructure in-house gives you control and that warm fuzzy feeling of knowing where your revenue source is. If you don’t want to own IT hardware, data centres, backup power and the like, then you will need high-bandwidth redundant IP (fibre) trunks to a service provider’s facility. There will be a new growth opportunity for companies to provide “bespoke cloud services” – enabling specific capabilities to be offered back to customers as a service, but gaining the benefits of scale by providing the same services to multiple customers. As reliable high-bandwidth private IP circuits become more affordable (via dark fibre or even the NBN), the economics become viable to enable these start-ups. When considering a small-scale or large scale cloud-based service provider, I would consider the following key criteria. Does the provider have (or will soon develop) sufficient scale to make the provision of the services substantially cheaper than an in-source solution? Scale also implies that the provider has SLA obligations to many customers, and is more likely to provide a professional service. Do you know them (either through past relationships or by industry reputation)? A Service Level Agreement isn’t worth much if you don’t have a relationship of trust.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR After heading up Nine Network Australia’s Broadcast Technology team, Charles Sevior has moved on to explore new opportunities and growth areas in developing media technologies. csevior@gmail.com

IBC 2011 9TH TO 13TH SEPTEMBER RAI AMSTERDAM

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Visit us on Stands 7.G41 (main ) and 13.293 ( Connected World )

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Benefits of the Private Cloud

Media Composer and NewsCutter editor.

By Sam Bogoch, Director, Worldwide Enterprise Sales Programs, Avid Technology

PUBLIC CLOUD technologies and services oﬀer a range of capabilities that would appear to be very attractive to content creators and broadcasters worldwide. However, two main impediments exist - the large bandwidths required to transfer HD media files and security concerns regarding use of public resources for what are often valuable proprietary assets. Many problems that broadcasters face can be solved immediately by use of a closely related technology - the private cloud. Private clouds harness the power of the Internet and fast wide area connectivity. Unlike the public cloud, private clouds can be constructed entirely within the security firewalls of broadcasters and content developers. They can deliver many of the workflow benefits of the public cloud, without most of the disadvantages. I would like to present three such workflows. While these examples all involve the use of Avid’s Interplay technology suite, some of the concepts can clearly be applied using products from other vendors. Avid calls this future vision the Integrated Media Enterprise. A large US broadcast network had used Avid’s Interplay Production and ISIS technology suites to generate significant production economies at eight of its news bureaus around the USA and in London. However, these bureaus were only collaborating occasionally, using guesswork, relationships and brute force transfers of media. In late 2009, Avid introduced an aﬀordable WAN browse module that could be added to one or more Interplay Production systems to provide remote access for users on standard Mac and PC laptops, within the security of the corporate wide area network (WAN). Interplay WAN browse can only be accessed by users with security authorisation on a broadcaster’s VPN (virtual private network). After the success of an initial pilot project connecting Los Angeles and New York, the network to rolled out the system across all eight of its Interplay-equipped bureaus, and is now considering further deployments worldwide.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Journalists at any bureau or remote site can simultaneously be logged in to all eight bureaus and find relevant material with a single search. They can create shot-lists and mark in-out points so that only the media they have requested will be transferred in SD or HD resolution. The network now reports quicker time-to-air, reduced network transfer costs (based on more selective use of bandwidth), and better quality shows since each producer can intelligently leverage content originating from all the bureaus each day. A Canadian broadcaster had a large central Interplay Production deployment with a centralised archive, and was rolling out Interplay Production at many of its remote sites. The goal was similar to that of the US network, except that it followed more of a hub and spoke model, with remote sites being able to contribute to as well as

search the central production archive. The goal was to reduce the labour costs of archivists and media librarians at the central location. Interplay WAN browse proved to be a viable and cost-eﬀective solution. The remote sites are now granted full access to the central archive, with all connections via a secure VPN. Users at the remote locations can use the central database for metadata searches on keywords, browse QuickTime-streamed H.263 and H.264 proxy media, and select portions of the material for retrieval in SD or HD formats. Sites with their own Interplay Production systems are able to trigger selective transfers of media and this media is accompanied by full metadata and compositional information so that a show’s elements can be archived and restored resulting in the finished show being rebuilt via a simple relink in Avid’s

A Nordic broadcaster had a number of workflows which they needed to implement across multiple sites. Their existing workforce rules and production silos needed to be reinvented across the organisation, and they needed workflows such as multi-track audio dubbing, review and approval and external interfaces for file-based ingest and web-based publishing. They had already deployed three large Interplay Production systems for their news division, central broadcast facility and postproduction group. A high-level enterprise backbone built around Avid’s Interplay MAM software implements a number of workflows which cut across these three facilities, as well as 12 regional broadcast locations. The multi-year implementation of Interplay MAM was a transformational exercise for the company, as it has been able to develop substantial new eﬃciencies, redeploy its workforce in optimised ways, and develop new business capabilities as part of the deployment. These new capabilities included instant dubbing across all the media assets in the system, review/ approval of video and audio materials, a journalist portal for TV reviewers, and interfacing with and coordinating a wide range of 3rd party application and storage systems All three of these solutions, were achieved with variations of a private cloud – Interplay software that has been deployed within the firewall and VPN (virtual private network) of these broadcasters. For more info, email ren.middleton@avid.com

Customer 1 (USA): multi-site newsgathering and content creation station

station HQ

station

Customer 2 (Canada): distributed access to a large shared content archive from multiple remote sites station

station station

station

Customer 3 (Nordics): highly scripted workflows across a far-flung broadcast organization

station

HQ b’cast

station

HQ news

station

HQ post

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Chyron Axis – Cloud-Based Production for the Broadcast Market By William Hendler, Chyron Corporation DURING THE EARLY PART OF 2007, the Chyron technical management team faced a complicated set of choices. Trend-spotting is challenging at best, and we try to make informed decisions in the face of potentially disruptive technologies and changing market demands. It is very easy in the broadcast equipment business to become the next generation of buggy whip manufacturers. IT WAS CLEAR TO US that the traditional capital-intensive, high-fixed-cost model for professional media production would be increasingly difficult for our customers to sustain in the face of changing revenue streams and competing media distribution platforms. Demand had risen for tools that allow journalists and producers to create and manage content, often from remote sites. TV production had become increasingly distributed, with remote users requiring access to pooled resources, often across group ownership boundaries. The typically staff-intensive production of routine and specialty graphics, with significant duplication of effort among properties, had become increasingly difficult for our customers to justify. In the general technology space, hosted cloud computing was clearly the gorilla in the room. In the consumer and non-professional media world, hosted content platforms had become dominant. Large and small companies alike had established the value of the software as a service (SAAS) business model. We at Chyron migrated our CRM system to the popular Salesforce SAAS platform, with significantly reduced costs and better business intelligence when compared with our previous locally installed system. We realised that we ignored this trend at our peril. Ironically, the professional media business was much more reticent to embrace hosted SAAS production technologies. Our exploratory probes showed that the barriers were not just based on tradition, but also involved legitimate concerns with respect to content protection, security, connectivity failures, and bandwidth costs, to name a few! Armed and cautioned accordingly, we felt strongly that broadcast graphics production offered an excellent first use case for hosted content creation and sharing in the professional television industry.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Applications of Chyron systems in the broadcast market traditionally have been focused on the live production news and sports environment. Graphics need to be fulfilled and ready for air quickly, often in seconds. Specialty items such as over-the-shoulder and full-screen graphics with topical images, maps, charts, etc. usually have been handled by special order from the producer to the Art Department. The fulfilment of these orders, however, can be quite slow and personnel-intensive. Incorporation of third-party commercial image libraries, mapping software, and financial data is often ad hoc, with lots of manual fiddling. We felt that a cloud-based, Internet-connected graphics production platform would be ideally suited to address the need for producers to share and repurpose graphics. It was also clear that a hosted platform would be well suited as a portal for various third-party image libraries and data sources. The parallel requirement for fast self-serve specialty graphics presented a greater technical and business challenge. Cloud-based production applications were emerging, and we decided that oﬀering hosted graphics-

creation tools targeted to a live production environment would be an ideal real-world project. It was also apparent that a successful implementation would afford us the ability to offer graphics content creation with a SAAS business model, offering flexible costs to our customers, with little or no end-user capital investment. It’s worth noting that this approach required substantial upfront capital and operating investment on our part! Big gulps were evident at our senior management and board of directors meetings. At this time, AXIS Graphics, a small company in New York City in the SAAS graphics market, was deploying a platform for hosted broadcast map creation, with prototype applications for a broader range of content creation and sharing. Chyron elected to purchase this emerging company and the acquisition was completed in early 2008. With the purchase of AXIS, we inherited an installation of equipment at an excellent “tier 0” hosting facility in Manhattan. The installed gear was of scattered vintage, and no disaster recovery facility was provided. We immediately entered into an aggressive program to replace and update the installed hardware, ensuring redundancy throughout, and to provision a second mirror-image disaster recovery site, with constant data replication from the main site, in an active/passive configuration. We have employed server virtualization extensively, with two notable exceptions. Our hosted graphics rendering is GPU-based, and GPU virtualization would charitably be described as being in its infancy. Understanding this, we also have employed a physical render farm throughout. All of our online databases are SQL, and we elected to use physical rather than virtual SQL clustering. As we assessed this implementation, we learned an important lesson about cloud computing consultants. Every consultant we employ provides diametrically opposite advice in a completely authoritative manner. This was the case in respect to SQL cluster virtualization, and we decided that physical clustering was safest.

and cautioned accordingly, we felt “Armed strongly that broadcast graphics production oﬀered an excellent first use case for hosted content creation and sharing in the professional television industry.

”

Our most significant efforts and costs to date have been associated with re-architecting the AXIS code base for increased scalability and to refresh the software underpinnings and application framework. Our first large enterprise AXIS customer was a television station group with more than 20 stations. We deployed modules for news graphics, maps, charts, and financial quotes across all the stations, and they rapidly moved to a state in which a very high percent of on-air graphics were entirely producer-served, with minimal daily load on the pre-existing graphics hub. This group used no Chyron hardware for graphics, and AXIS was integrated with the existing ground-based equipment, delivering generic graphics and animation file formats. In parallel, we immediately launched a development effort for a more seamless automated delivery and fulfilment architecture using our own graphics hardware and newsroom infrastructure. We provided native support for AXIS interaction in our ActiveX newsroom plug-ins and implemented a fast-turnaround agent- based cloud-to-ground file-delivery structure. Our installations to date use FTP as a transport mechanism. The locally installed agents reach out through the firewall via polling. Assuring that all transactions originate from within the production LAN has been an important security consideration. This mechanism has been very reliable, but polling intervals have to be kept very short to minimize turnaround times, resulting in a very “chatty” network. FTP latencies are variable across Internet hops, and we experienced some early slowdowns from routes that had multiple handoffs between providers. Although these latencies have been mitigated via better routing, we intend to migrate to a managed UPD-based transport layer, with behind-the-firewall local agents reaching out via long-poll HTTP.

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD Our first installation of the more tightly integrated cloud-ground infrastructure was with a second station group, also with more than 20 stations. It is worth noting that these rollout schedules have typically become very aggressive, and we have made a significant investment in training, both on-site and (increasingly) remote. These first two rollouts relied heavily on integration with AP GraphicsBank. AXIS serves as a portal through which producers access AP topical graphics content directly, with a constant file exchange between AP and Chyron servers. Similar support has been extended to other image libraries as additional stations groups have come on board. In all cases, a manual emergency workflow has been identified so that graphics operation can continue in case of an Internet outage. All graphics templates in the cloud also reside locally, and all delivered images are locally cached, as well. Fortunately, the need to fall back on this workflow has been almost entirely theoretical. We have seen a few instances of file-delivery latencies that were ascribed to delays between ISP to corporate MPLS POPs, as well as the variable Internet routing hops mentioned previously. In some groups, stations also maintain “back door” emergency Internet access via cable modem or DSL. In general, if there is an Internet outage, the newsroom tends to get very hectic in a hurry for other reasons. It has become apparent that television journalism relies very heavily on the Internet as an information resource! Our next two station group installations incorporated an additional cloudbased component. Prior to our AXIS acquisition, we developed a graphics order management and fulfilment layer to interface with our existing newsroom graphics workflow tools. This was a component that was ideally suited to be incorporated in a hosted enterprise SAAS layer, and incorporate we did.

Several heavy tweaks later, we broadened the scope of the order management layer accordingly, and it has now become a significant component in the sales and promotions workflow in a little more than half of our broadcast user base. These same customers also mentioned a strong desire to integrate Web ad creation with the existing AXIS hosted content creation suite. This kicked oﬀ a new round of development to provide support for an Adobe Flash plug-in to allow native SWF upload, templating, and publishing within the AXIS hosted environment. In the event that we didn’t have enough to do, it became obvious early on that AXIS integration was required with third-party ground- and cloud-based video editing systems. This triggered a major development eﬀort and added a significant chunk of work to our roadmap The requirement for an application framework for third-party partner integration was evident from the outset. AXIS is a multi-tenant hosted platform, with an extensive hierarchical user-management and rights layer. Initially, this too was ad hoc, and it needed to evolve to support standardsbased user authentication and exchange, both within our own application suite and with third parties. We chose LDAP as a protocol going forward, as it appears to be broadly accepted. The first major AXIS installations were US-based but its being unveiled in Europe at IBC 2011 and plans for an APAC roll-out are in the early stages. Visit www.chyron.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Our assumption was that this layer would be primarily used by producers to order news graphics from a local or remote art department. We were quickly

informed by one broadcast group that a major business goal was minimizing producer load on the art department! On the other hand, station sales staﬀ really wanted a tool with which they could order and manage salesrelated assets from Flash banner ads to print campaigns, and marketing and promotions staﬀ members were very interested in a management layer for their assets.

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Is Cloud ‘Pie in the Sky’ for Tape Libraries? By Adam Hodgkinson, Business Manager, DAMsmart!

THE TERM ‘CLOUD’ IS NOW UBIQUITOUS; everybody is talking about it and seem to be moving to it. But is it a real option for those stuck with a physical tape library? All this talk of ‘cloud’ conjures up images of fast pipes leading to a world of fluffy white machines with infinite storage and power that float somewhere in the ether. While this image is not entirely accurate, the benefits to organisations of this network of anonymous servers and cost effective ‘grunt’ does in many ways live up to this fairy tale image. Cloud offers a variety of advantages to organisations, from reduced technology and infrastructure costs, near infinite storage and 24/7 access from virtually anywhere in the world. However, the sticking point for those organisations with physical audiovisual libraries has been how to economically digitise their tape libraries to take that leap into the cloud and reap these rewards. For many such organisations, a major deterrent of digitising physical videotape and film media has been the infrastructure required, both hardware and applications, to store and manage a digital collection. Few digitisation agencies are able to deliver the suite of services needed to move an organisations physical collection cost-effectively into the cloud. Australia’s leading digitisation agency, DAMsmart, has emerged as one of the few agencies that have the specialist skills and technology solutions to deliver such a model. From its inception in 2007, DAMsmart recognised the growing need for an enterprise digital asset management (DAM) model that would provide content owners the flexibility and immediacy of a cloud DAM service. DAMsmart’s idea was not to burden organisations with the large implementation and maintenance costs that were associated with enterprise DAM systems. As such, DAMsmart created Australia’s first cloud DAM service – a highly flexible and scalable solution with wide-ranging applications from short-term interim storage for newly digitised content to long-term secure and accessible archiving. Partnering with Dalet, DAMsmart was the first organisation globally to take Dalet’s Enterprise Digital Asset Management system into the cloud. Built on an enterprise-grade IBM server infrastructure, the software behind DAMsmart’s cloud service is the same system used by some of the world’s largest and most valuable media collections, including France Télévisions and Fox.

can be tagged with relevant metadata that becomes the foundation for the intelligent search functions and/or users can build sequences on-the-fly to be forwarded to production units for action. Cloud access to the collection means it can be opened up to a variety of users to curate content without the restraints of a physical location. Security and durability is another key component of the service. The organisation that owns the collection retains total access control and the overarching user permission structure, which means the collection owner controls the integrity of the collection. And the organisation can now digitise its collections to mitigate the risk of loss. Digital content can be stored in a safely managed cloud environment, and can then repatriate the collection inhouse if an asset management system is implemented at a later date without complication. Another standout aspect of the service is that DAMsmart creates digital files in a non-proprietary format, which underscores its commitment to deliver open standard solutions, as well as proprietary ones. This means that the service has viable application for both Government and private clients. The DAMsmart workflow is ‘no fuss’ – digitise, archive, cloud access. The client supplies an audiovisual and DAMsmart migrates the content from a comprehensive range of analogue film and video carriers into a predefined digital format. The digital files are archived to LTO. A copy of the new digital archive is sent to the client while DAMsmart maintains a second copy. The collection is published online as the clips are digitised. As needed, clips can be viewed and selected online. An automated file request is initiated and the production ready rendition of the file is delivered to the person requesting the file via the requested medium (i.e. physical delivery or FTP). Many organisations with physical tape libraries have imperfect knowledge about what is stored on their carriers. Previously, organisations struggled to decide what and how much to digitise, given the uncertainty about what they are actually holding. Trying to review all content directly from the tapes or film and decide what to digitise is labour intensive and expensive. DAMsmart’s cloud service has made this decision much easier by providing a more eﬃcient and practical option for reviewing and managing the content. DAMsmart’s cloud platform is a proven service and has working with a leading Australian broadcaster to evolve its physical archive into cloud. Visit http://www.damsmart.com.au/digital-asset-management

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

“This is a unique use of the Dalet Enterprise system, the first in the world, and one of which we are proud to be a part”, said Arnaud Elnecave, Director APAC. “We supply systems for big corporations around the globe, however, the unique way in which the system has been adopted by DAMsmart demonstrates the flexibility the system delivers.” With all the inherent benefits of cloud, DAMsmart oﬀers the complete range of enterprise-grade functionality to meet the needs of all organisations, from broadcasters to schools. The platform enables users to perform a range of content functions including search, preview, retrieve, log and shortlist. One of the highlights of the cloud DAM service is the ease with which content can be viewed and managed. Content

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Hostworks: Using HP’s Cloud to Power the Stream

AS A MARKET LEADER in solutions for the online and digital media industry in Australia, Hostworks specialises in the provision of high transaction websites, video streaming, complex web hosting and demand management. The company services all the major online and digital media market leaders in Australia including ninemsn, Network TEN, ABC, Prime, Ticketek, Carsales, Seek, realestate.com.au and AHL. The company employs 100 people across Australia and operates multiple data centres with two core facilities housed in New South Wales and South Australia. Focused on delivering to the rapidly changing demands of the media sector, Hostworks invests heavily in new technology and services – such as content distribution, cloud-computing, application performance monitoring and automation.

Adrian Britton, Hostworks GM of Technology, Strategy & Innovation.

“Hostworks is committed to delivering a highly flexible service with a low tolerance for downtime,” explains Adrian Britton, Hostworks general manager Technology, Strategy & Innovation. “The Hostworks infrastructure is tightly engineered and proven to handle record peak loads and maximum security, using global best practice standards.”

“Our first Elastic customer was the broadcaster SBS, who asked us to underpin its hosting platform for the delivery of the World Game site in association with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the time, SBS was unsure of the predicted traﬃc to the site, which tracks matches, provides up-to-the-minute news and information on results and games. Elastic Compute Infrastructure was a cost-eﬀective solution. It provided 100 per cent availability for the World Game site – catering for 1.5 million unique visitors, recording 25-30 million page impressions and 2 million video views.”

Britton says, “We realised we needed automation to stay on top of the technology curve. We had addressed our hardware requirements, so we knew software was next. We identified some repetitive tasks in our core business processes that would benefit from being automated, as they weren’t adding any value to our client-facing services. By automating these tasks, we knew we could maximise our resources while increasing the quality and auditability of our processes. “As a result, we went to market and sought a suite of automation solutions. We settled on the HP Cloud Service Automation software and HP Network Automation Cloud Service, as these proved to be a good fit for our requirements.” One of the unique ways in which Hostworks has benefited from CloudSystem is with the launch and delivery of its cloud computing ondemand platform that supports the requirements of the company’s online and enterprise customers. HP CloudSystem is the world’s first offering that enables clients to build, package and provision cloud services to users through a unified service catalogue. It provides: + Single services view across hybrid cloud + Multi-hypervisor, multi-OS, heterogeneous infrastructure + Intelligent automation and orchestration + Rapid application and infrastructure deployment As Britton explains, “Traditionally large online platforms are delivered through a farm of dedicated hardware, which can be time consuming to deploy, very expensive and offer limited capacity. To counter these barriers, we created a cost-effective solution called Elastic Compute Infrastructure that can rapidly scale up and down without affecting resources. By leveraging HP CloudSystem, Elastic negates the need for capital outlay, as the customer pays only for what they use.

Enforcing standard processes and bringing servers/networks into compliance with regulatory standards was once a labour-intensive and complex task at Hostworks. Today, HP Operations Orchestration automates incident resolution, change orchestration and routine maintenance tasks that are standardised and documented in a manner that meets industry regulations and leaves an auditable trail. HP Network Automation also helps meet compliance standards through a network compliance model that maps device information, including configurations and run-time diagnostics, as well as policies and user roles. And on the server side, HP Server Automation facilitates the creation, sharing and enforcement of policies across distributed environments. “The media industry carries significant regulations that we have to comply with,” explains Britton. “HP provides a compliance model across its automation solutions that enables us to map server, operation and network information into a normalised structure that promotes compliance. It also gives us the visibility and control we need over globally distributed elements of our infrastructure so we can be notified of planned, unplanned or unauthorised changes. “Another benefit of having such a high level of auditability is that we have good governance. It means we can trace any transaction or task and can ensure that critical data is automatically captured and communicated. For our customers, this means peace of mind, because the risk of downtime or operator errors is reduced, as our processes are standardised, automated and auditable.” Britton says the most important benefit achieved by implementing HP software is service excellence. “Our whole company lives and breathes Service Level Agreements (SLAs),” he says. “However, we find that there are varied definitions of SLAs in the industry. We define ours very clearly and very precisely – it’s what we’re known for. We don’t measure the actual availability of the technology or the system per se – we measure it in terms of the user experience. That way, we can align Hostworks’ service delivery with service excellence at the user level.” Visit www.hostworks.com.au and www.hp.com.au.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

A few years ago, Hostworks embarked on a Future Service Delivery (FSD) strategy to streamline business processes and gain eﬃciencies, as well as speed. The company partnered with HP to harness the power of automation and adopted an HP CloudSystem Solution for Service Providers. This integrated software and hardware solution includes HP Cloud Service Automation software (including HP Operations Orchestration), HP Network Automation and a Converged Infrastructure based on HP BladeSystem Matrix with HP ProLiant server blades.

“Elastic caters for unprecedented demand for hosting by having the ability to rapidly deploy additional environments as demand grows and scale back as needed. The HP solution helps us automate much of the system management and keep tight control of the computing environment.

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STORAGE + ASSET MANAGEMENT www.content-technology.com/mediamanagement

Mediasmiths: Forging a New Approach to MAM By Phil Sandberg ESTABLISHED IN 2007, MEDIASMITHS was formed by a group of ex-IBM colleagues with the aim of solving higher problems in media technology focused around broadcast and media management. The company recently opened an Australian office, headed by Greg Doyle, a veteran of companies such as Ardendo and SGI. According to Mediasmiths’ MD Niall Duffy, the group wanted to act as technical intermediaries, in contrast to a traditional systems integration role, and take an alternative approach starting with the premise that there is no point in coming up with lists and lists of customer requirements because “people don’t know what they want”. “Fundamentally, we’re talking about a new way of working. We pushed an approach which is very much about thinking of your future work flows. Start there, think of what technologies you need to implement that, find them and then do an implementation in an agile way - which is get your users right at the beginning with your technology people and start coming up with user cases. “We tended to find, particularly with larger broadcasters, they were getting consultants to write the requirements for them. Sometimes, they’re not always sure how clever they are, so they tend to write every single possible requirement you could possibly get.” To Duffy, this approach takes time, even years, at the end of which the selected technology platforms could be outmoded before they’re even implemented. “Our suggested approach was to speak to the users and start delivering as quickly as you possibly can,” he says. “You prioritise those features. Our first big customer in the UK, Sky, basically bought into that approach. The second thing we did was to say that ‘if you’re going to implement the media asset management system, try and keep areas as small as possible and extract a lot of the processes into a separate work flow engine’. “Essentially, that’s taking things like your task management, so doing ingest control, if you’re orchestrating a process, once the material has come in, goes through a PC, spawns a number of different post production activities and they get it ready for multi-platform distribution. “All of those activities, which you can begin to automate, just put them in a separate work flow engine based on standard IT technology. If you’re going to change something, you can either have the capability in-house or you could tap into a local IT provider who will have, in our case, Java skills - rather than have to go back to a vendor and get a relatively expensive resource to do it for you.”

STORAGE + ASSET MANAGEMENT

While much of the Asia-Pacific is yet to embrace file-based workflow, Duffy says countries like Australia are becoming more file-based orientated, making it an ideal launch-pad for the Mediasmiths in the region. “We find a universal interest in the sort of ‘we need some help’ scenario that most people have, which typically is not their day job. They’re trying frantically to expand, networks are adding their different individual channels, and people like Foxtel are continuing to increase their roll-out to the nontraditional outputs, the iPad or iPhone, Xbox. “Singapore is the next place where we’ve got a lot of interest,” says the Mediasmiths MD, “and perhaps not surprisingly because it’s a place where they’ve had some initial experiences using file based work flows. They’re beginning to see the challenges of a video-centric work flow in a file based work flow.” With traditionally differing definitions of what constitutes Quality–of-Service, Duffy says there is much distrust of IT-based companies in the broadcast space. “Too many of the IT companies just focus on processing,” he says. “It’s all about the speed of transactions. Broadcast isn’t like that, media isn’t like that. It’s

about delivering quality at an cost pressure, and keeping things on air. “On the multi-platform side, for example, the one thing which we’ve seen in Europe is the pressure now is not just to get content on new platforms, but there’s a recognition that there isn’t necessarily the pot of gold that we thought was there in new media. “So, you just can’t afford to build up these duplicated production processes, to get something on the iPad. “Broadcasters are in this position where they don’t know where the money’s going to come from. The one thing that they do know is that they have to be there. And, it may well be a case for many of them that it’s just to keep viewers watching their channel. And, there the motivation is then to deliver the highest quality, the highest breadth but at the least cost.” Another area, says Duffy, where expected returns have not matched reality is the monetisation of archived material. With an IT background, the Mediasmith’s team is steeped in the intricacies of archiving and storage. But, according to the company’s MD, there are archives and then there are archives. “A large part of our heritage in previous companies has been in archiving,” says Duffy. “There was a flurry of activity about 10 years ago about how we can monetise archives - none of which really bore much fruit because I think people value ‘new’ and it’s only archives which are genuinely rich and

“One of the challenges we’ve seen in file

based production is who inputs metadata. When you’re shooting rushes, who actually goes through it and does it properly?

”

have a rich heritage value where you would be able to actually do sensible monetisation. “I do think there’s an existing business of posterity archiving that will still continue as material which hasn’t been transferred to newer devices begins to get to the point where it’s either going to corrode, be destroyed, or there aren’t enough heads left to read two inch tapes.” An essential part of that process is the creation of metadata and the quality of that information. “We’ve seen one organisation,” says Duffy, “who put the right information in the file title, based on the assumption that the users know what it means which is fine until a user who doesn’t know what it means gets access to it. “One of the challenges we’ve seen in file based production is who inputs metadata. When you’re shooting rushes, who actually goes through it and does it properly? “People very often get a runner to do it because it’s fundamentally not valued. Despite the fact that, done well, it’s what makes the value of the content. “I think the industry is beginning to wake up to the idea that there is a need to do this and it would be better if there were some industry standards and templates that help people do this. “We’re seeing things like Lacey drives being used as a medium for exchange! At least with a tape you could write on it. And the problem is, once stuff starts going on a drive and the file title is whatever you got off your XD

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STORAGE + ASSET MANAGEMENT camera, you’re not going to find it.”

mechanical equipment.

For Mediasmiths, however, one of the most pressing issues in the file-based world is not the technological, it’s the human aspect.

“Then, on some of the more client based tools, it was the production guys who used the web based tools who just didn’t like it, because they’re not skilled enough to use Final Cut, and they saw the more client based tool as being too complicated for them. What we were pointing out is that if you get a freelancer in, who’s going to train them to use these?

“Traditionally, we’re in an industry where either we expected people to learn how to do stuﬀ themselves, or they were given very structured training,” says Niall Duﬀy. “What we’ve seen with file based work flows, it’s become more end to end connected - neither of those two approaches work anymore. So, what we see is a greater need to come up with new ways of training people on how to use these systems - and also to encourage the application vendors to think more about user experience in the applications. “What we found is that with the more web based tools, production guys got it really quickly because they’re all used to Facebook, whereas the guys who worked in operations struggled because they’re more used to using almost

“I hate the expression, but it’s the ‘change management’ bit which I think is actually one of the problems. Our approach is practical and pragmatic which is get people in, use the system, give them good operational guidelines and manuals and documents, and construct new ways of delivering training. It’s got to be much more hands on and innovative in terms of getting people to understand new ways of working.” Visit www.mediasmiths.com

DAMsmart Migrates Media with Digital Rapids AUSTRALIAN MEDIA DIGITISATION SPECIALIST DAMSMART is leveraging the integration between Digital Rapids encoding solutions and Front Porch Digital’s SAMMAsolo film and videotape migration platform to provide superior-quality, automated, multi-format archiving services to its discerning clientele. SAMMAsolo is a migration system designed to provide archive-quality migration of film and videotape content to multiple file formats, including JPEG2000, in one single pass. This automated method of migrating analogue and digital content to digital files preserves the legacy of archives and brings content out of retirement. When designing SAMMAsolo to cater to the increasingly broad and demanding formats required by archivists and broadcasters, SAMMA Systems selected Digital Rapids’ encoding cards and software for integration into the system. Initially incorporating Digital Rapids’ DRC-1400 hardware with the accompanying Digital Rapids Stream software, Front Porch Digital has recently moved to Digital Rapids’ newer Flux hardware for the latest generation of SAMMAsolo. “We chose Digital Rapids because they offered the most comprehensive SDK for our integration, and their codec support was the widest available by far,” said Chi-Long Tsang, VP of Engineering, SAMMA Products at Front Porch Digital. “We integrated the Digital Rapids solutions into SAMMAsolo with the most useful codecs and wrapper formats for our users, including Adobe Flash, QuickTime, Windows Media, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, IMX and MXF.” One such user is Australasian provider of audiovisual digitisation services, DAMsmart. DAMsmart’s custom workflow and production capacity affords the business the ability to migrate large amounts of content quickly and efficiently – exemplified recently in the company’s digitisation of over 55,000 hours of digital content in 12 months for the Australian Parliament. In addition to digitisation services, DAMsmart provides customers with a hosted Digital Asset Management (DAM) service, offering secure digital archiving of audio-visual collections via web access, incorporating full search, view, shotlist, transcode, output and delivery functionality. DAMsmart is an advocate of open standards and the use of JPEG2000 for preservation.

DAMsmart is currently running 16 SAMMAsolo systems incorporating Digital Rapids cards and software. Seven of the systems are running continuously 24×7 in a SAMMArobot deployment, an automated high throughput migration robotic system that provides up to 1000 hours a week of videotape content conversion, encoding from Betacam SX tapes to the IEC DV format in an MXF wrapper. Nine standalone, semi-automated SAMMAsolo systems are configured to encode in the varying formats requested by DAMsmart’s clients, such as 25Mbs MPEG-2 Elementary Streams for The National Library of Australia, or DV files in optimized MOV wrappers for Prime Television Australia. Video streams are constantly monitored and checked through the SAMMAsolo software, multi-viewer screens, and DAMsmart’s in-house file quality checks. Files are written to Uncompressed TAR on LTO4, transferred to NAS for delivery to the customer, or hosted in DAMsmart’s digital archive. Digital Rapids reseller Quinto Communications, as well as Front Porch Digital, have supplied Digital Rapids hardware and software to DAMsmart. “The Digital Rapids encoding solutions play a critical role in our migration workflow, encoding the digitised video stream into high quality, standards based files,” said Managing Director Ron Anderson. “Multiple output files are created simultaneously, from uncompressed archive masters, mezzanine level production elements, through to streaming proxies ready for the Web. We have complete input and output flexibility. Composite, S-video, component and SDI inputs to SAMMAsolo are encoded through the Digital Rapids technology to formats including IEC DV or IMX in MXF, 50Mbps I-frame MPEG-2, uncompressed MOV and AVI, H.264 in MP4, DV in MOV, WMV and more. In addition to using the Stream software interface for configuring format profiles to our customers’ specific needs, we also use it for video processing including de-interlacing, watermarking, timecode overlay and cropping.” “The Digital Rapids encoding hardware and software give us the high quality, 24×7 reliability and format flexibility we need to meet our top-tier clients’ requirements,” concluded Anderson. Visit www.damsmart.com.au, www.digital-rapids.com and www.quinto.com.au

INTERRA SYSTEMS HAS ANNOUNCED that Australian-based The Playroom, the digital media services division of Omnilab Media, has adopted Baton Automated Content Verification as its content verification solution. The Playroom enables the commercialisation of video IP across multiple broadcast and IPTV platforms. Baton is a quality control (QC) or Automated Content Verification system for file-based SD, HD, and mixed workflows. Baton is used in production by leading broadcasters, post-production houses, IPTV, satellite and archiving companies. The Baton Content Readiness solution provides file-based QC with a large range of formats support, comprehensive quality checks, and verification eﬃciency to handle large, high-volume content across all stages of content lifecycle.

“Content QC is a critical part of our production operations. We verify both internal and external content across various stages of our content lifecycle. The volume of content that we receive and the diversity of its sources make it important for us to have a comprehensive QC solution in place,” stated Craig Armsworth, Technology Director at The Playroom. “Interra’s Baton software supports all our QC requirements across various formats, quality checks, workflow stages, and infrastructure integrations. Baton enables us to increase our operational eﬃciency through its consistent, automated content verification.” Visit http://theplayroom.tv/ and www.interrasystems.com/dms

STORAGE + ASSET MANAGEMENT

Playroom Hits Content with Baton

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RADIO The original broadcast media

Hong Kong on Track for DAB+ Launch HONG KONG IS SET for a November launch of DAB+ services which will feature 18 channels from public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), and three new licensees; Metro Broadcast Corporation Limited, Phoenix U Radio Limited and Digital Broadcasting Corporation Hong Kong Limited. The four broadcasters have in total pledged an investment of nearly HK$1 billion for the first six years of operation, and will provide round-the-clock DAB+ services in Hong Kong. Hong Kong will join the ranks of DAB+ services globally, including Germany, UK, Switzerland, Australia, Denmark, Norway and Singapore. Receiver manufacturer Frontier Silicon recently announced the addition of a Chinese user interface option to its range of digital radio platforms to coincide with the launch of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+) services in Hong Kong. The newly released localised solution from Frontier implements a rich character set consisting of 16000 Chinese characters. The UI allows end-users to navigate through station names, radio menus, and view DLS messages in the Chinese language ensuring that digital radio is accessible to all consumers in the SAR. “We are delighted that Frontier Silicon, the company that has shipped more than 13 million DAB/DAB+ solutions, has evolved its technology with the addition of the Chinese character set,” said Simon Heung from DBC. “With Frontier providing the Venus2i-C, we broadcasters can be sure listeners of Hong Kong’s exciting new digital radio services will be able to enjoy them through highly dependable radios.” Visit www.digitalradio.gov.hk

Oz Digital Radio Sales on Increase AS THE RADIO INDUSTRY marks two years on air of full power digital radio services, oﬃcial data relating to digital radio broadcasts in Australia was released by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA), showing there are 940,000 people listening to digital radio in the five state metropolitan capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide and 508,462 digital radios have been sold. According to the GFK Marketscope Q2 2011 report, 71,233 additional digital radios were sold in the 2011 Mother’s Day quarter during which the commercial radio industry ran a specific Mother’s Day on air campaign. This is up from Q1, 2011 when 53,996 were sold. This increase brings the total number of digital radios sold since launch in August 2009 to over half a million. Oﬃcial Nielsen radio survey results for metropolitan Survey 5 2011 show that the number of people listening to digital radio is moving towards the 1 million mark.

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7.6 percent of listening to radio is now via a DAB+ digital radio device in the five state metropolitan capitals with Time Spent Listening (TSL) to radio via a DAB+ digital radio device also continuing to grow, reaching 11 hours and 28 minutes. TSL to digital has once again outstripped TSL to radio via the internet which is at 5 hours and 40 minutes. The radio industry continues to work with the Federal Government and the ACMA to plan the rollout of DAB+ digital radio throughout regional Australia. Visit www.digitalradioplus.com.au

www.content-technology.com/radio

National DAB+ Launches in Germany AUGUST 1 SAW THE THE SWITCH-ON of the new national DAB/ DAB+ network in Germany. Twenty-seven transmitters covering 40 million consumers were switched on by Media Broadcast, and listeners across the country are now presented with the opportunity to listen to an array of exciting new radio services all delivered with crystal clear digital technology. The new digital services include a variety of music, talk, sport and news services. Alongside the launch of the national commercial and Deutschland Radio services, the regional ARD stations are also in the process of launching a number of new services that will complement the strong national oﬀering. Further value-added data services will be provided in the national and regional broadcasts. These data services include advanced text information (DL Plus), slideshow, Electronic Program Guide and TPEG services. According to Helmut Bauer, CEO of DRD, “With the new transmitters turned on, the stage is set for German consumers to benefit from new radio content, vastly expanding the choice of listening available right across the country.” “Football in Germany has a new home on digital radio” said Christoph Kruse, CEO of REGIOCAST DIGITAL, the broadcaster of 90elf. “Germany is a footballloving country, and we are delighted to be able to provide football fans with a new way to absorb the action and passion of the Bundesliga on the national DAB+ platform.” «ARD is strongly committed to moving radio into the digital age. ARD does have a hybrid strategy allowing both the reception of a radio service via terrestrial broadcast, and also via the Internet, which finally oﬀers a new, modern and service-focussed user experience on digital radio. The start of the soft launch of ARD on August 1st is an important step on the way towards the radio of the future,» says Joachim Kraus, ARD coordinator for Digitalradio.

Harris Supports Global Radio at IBC HARRIS CORPORATION (Booth 7.G20) will introduce a range of radio broadcast transmitters to IBC audiences that address global transmission standardsand improve efficiencies in the air chain and transmission infrastructure. Alongside the Harris Flexiva range of air-cooled solid-state transmitters is the IBC debut of the Harris PR&E Oasis, a standalone on-air and production console that enables radio broadcasters to easily and affordably convert to digital at their convenience. Flexiva solid-state transmitters provide radio broadcasters with a single platform to support analogue and global digital standards. Quad-mode operation supports FM, FM+HD Radio, HD Radio-only or DRM+ digital broadcasting, while the transmitter incorporates Harris Real-Time Adaptive Correction (RTAC) technology to optimize power and minimize adjacent-channel interference. The Oasis analogue on-air console is built for radio broadcast studios of any size and budget, and is available in 8- or 12-channel versions that offer a clear digital migration path. Oasis incorporates analogue and digital outputs and provides multiple connections for microphones, CD players, monitors and a direct PC automation channel (no sound card requirements). Visit www.harris.com.

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Digital Radio – It’s All Pluses IN THE LEAD-UP TO RADIOFEST2011, Peter White talks to Joan Warner, CEO of Commercial Radio Australia about all things digital. With the local rollout of DAB+ already underway in the five capital cities and over half a million receivers sold by retailers, CRA is happy with the latest figures revealing close to a million listeners tuning into radio via DAB+.

“It’s a pretty impressive debut for a technology that is going to take some time for people to migrate their five devices, on average, per household over to a new DAB+ radio. Part of the success is due to the new services that all commercial and ABC, SBS broadcasters are oﬀering - there’s more choice, more diversity, and also a better sound for AM listeners. All those broadcasters are promoting the digital radio technology to their listeners and that’s been a key factor in the uptake by our listeners of digital radio technology in the five cities.”

URBAN & RURAL ROLLOUT With a further hundred more radio licence areas to make provision for, CRA and its partners are sure that each market can’t be approached with a cookie cutter methodology. Every area has its own issues - some are challenged geographically while others need to deal with extreme environmental and weather conditions. Australia’s regional rollout is in a planning phase with CRA part of a formal group made up of the regulator, TV broadcasters and tower operators that are planning the spectrum allocation for digital radio in regional areas. “In the cities, DAB+ was launched with one high power transmitter that will now be supported by low powered on-channel repeaters to address identified black spots. But, we’re not convinced that one high-powered transmitter and three or four low powered on-channel repeaters will be the answer for every single radio licence area. “Regional, we’ve already agreed, there will be a radio sub-band, what we’re calling a digital radio sub-band of Channel 9 and Channel 9A across the country, but we need to wait in the majority of areas until analogue television switches oﬀ so that we can start services at a reasonable power,” detailed Warner. CRA aims to approach Government in April 2012 for funding of regional commercial radio infrastructure to reflect similar funding of the commercial television digital rollout.

LOCAL INNOVATION, INTERNATIONAL PROFILE CRA’s DAB+ push has taken a firm international approach as the organisation has seen the practical and tactical advantages to championing the format to other countries and liaising directly with global manufacturers. Historically, CRA first looked to the UK for inspiration but were put oﬀ by poor policy and inferior technology. “The UK had a very unattractive business model where third parties

held the licence for the spectrum and we were very adamant that that would not happen here in Australia. Here, broadcasters - as joint venture companies - hold the spectrum licence so it’s not held by a third party which dictates how much spectrum you can have. The UK was also using the old DAB format and had only planned for mobile coverage. Now, the head of the BBC Radio, Tim Davies, is on the record as saying that was a mistake and they will need to re-plan for indoor coverage. “So, we had to be trailblazers and plan for good indoor and good mobile coverage (urban and rural) as well. One of the challenges will be making sure that all the major roads are covered in regional markets. Just as now if you drive from Sydney to the Central Coast, as you get close to Gosford you can pick up the Gosford stations on the main highways, we want to be replicate that in the digital world as well. “We also are leading the world in the development of the on-channel repeater approach and we’re getting interest from Hong Kong. We understand they’re planning a big consumer launch for Chinese New Year and they’re very interested in what we’ve done because they have the same sort of black-spot problem in Hong Kong with canyons of buildings and shielding so we are leading the way.” CRA has also recently announced it is working with the Beijing Jolon, the first Chinese DBA+ operator on push radio, a file casting system about to go on trial in Brisbane. Described as podcasting over the airwaves it will allow listeners to register to have their favourite DAB+ shows to be sent over the air to their receivers instead of having to go online or use an app to get their podcast. “We’re waiting for the receivers to come from China and we’ll tell people what happens with it even if it’s not something that we wish to use here because it’s still an example of the innovation that DAB+ lets you experiment with,” explained Warner.

IMPROVED RECEPTION FROM MANUFACTURERS After doggedly pushing manufacturers to improve their oﬀerings, Warner says retail models are now available in two flavours. Basic digital radio receivers with a single line of DLS and limited text/graphic capabilities are now available at lower prices which encourage people to access digital radio and then move on to the more functional receivers. Advanced functional receivers including new Revo and Grundig models are also on sale with screens and a capability to display superior text, graphics, logos and product pictures. “We were saying as far back as 2003 that having multi-media capability in a digital radio would also be key in order to give our listeners ‘glanceability in terms of information or phone numbers,” said Warner. “And some radios are coming in now with a back channel - we’re working with the world standards body on what we call radio DNS or radio tagging, Continued Page 66 XX

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“That’s far outstripping listening to radio on the internet by about 2 to 1 in terms of time spent listening,” said Warner. “It’s well over 11 hours listening to radio via a DAB+ device compared to the usual five hours for listening to radio via the internet.

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WW Continued From Page 65 where in the future people can press a button on their radio to tag the information that they want to keep or to be able to buy the song they were listening to.”

The mobile phone front is slow moving as well but Nokia is now oﬀering a digital radio headset receiver that plugs it into a compatible Nokia smart phone to convert it to a DAB+ radio receiver complete with slideshow and graphics.

As an illustration of providing more information and “sexing up” radio Warner points to football mad Germany where a commercial German language Internet radio station is expanding into DAB+.

On the Apple front is the Australian company Lingo Limited whose AB GO!, App can control FM, digital radio, internet radio and other functions from its iRis and iMini products for iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad.

90elf (90 minutes, the length of a football game: elf, German for eleven, the number of players in a football team) have the rights to most German games. 90elf fills an important gap for football fans as no games are currently broadcast live and in full on existing radio.

To achieve its aims, CRA has also had to go it alone to prove itself technically in the face of determined naysayers. “We think we are leading the world and have done some very interesting things here that have not or had not been done in other areas of the world,” detailed Warner. “We were the first country to place a digital radio broadcast between two high powered analogue broadcasters and we were told even here ‘it’ll never work, you’ll never be able to have high enough power.’ Instead we’ve proven you can operate successfully between other high powered broadcasters without interfering with them.”

“They have one million unique internet listeners a week and they need to broadcast free to air radio to expand their reach so they are now broadcasting free to air DAB+ and they’re splitting their signal on a Saturday into five diﬀerent games. They’re also selling 90elf branded radios for the football fans as a marketing ploy. “The more countries that pick up the technology and promote it actively, the cheaper the receivers will get and the more functional receivers we will get here. Manufacturers are very co-operative now but it’s taken them a while to understand that we mean what we say, that our broadcasters are all broadcasting slideshows and they want those sort of capable receivers. Italy is going to switch on next year and then there’s a jurisdiction in China that’s interested in DAB+ that it has 100 million people. We do a lot of work with those jurisdictions, helping them with engineering, giving them our marketing plans, showing them how we launched as an industry with government and commercial broadcasters working together with retailers.”

SLOW ROAD TO MOBILE DAB+ is not making great leaps in the mobile stakes with car and phone manufacturers responding slowly to the call. In May, BMW Australia announced that it would be the first in Australia to offer DAB+ as a $900+ option for its current 5 and 7 Series and upcoming new 6 Series. Germany’s launch of DAB+ should result in new models from Audi, BMW and Mercedes, etc., offering installation as a factory fit option but Australian car makers are in wait and see mode. Instead, the car market is opening with specialist in-car offerings from Pure and Directed Electronics.

THE FUTURE With RadioFest2011 and the Australian Commercial Radio Awards being held in October, Warner sees a tough, but bright future for radio in the increasingly crowded media mix. “We’ve got to pursue the DAB+ option as a free to air broadcast option, but we’ve also got to do what we’ve been doing, and that is look at all the new platforms and not say ‘oh no, this is a threat!’ We have to say, as we have been doing, ‘podcast - fantastic, we can use that. Internet, fantastic, we can use that. Mobile app streaming, fantastic, we can make use of that’. And, I think that’s why radio will survive, because it’s onto things first before other media get onto it. It’s ready to adapt and willing to adapt, and willing to say how do I get close to my audience? “Yes, the mass audience will still listen free to air broadcasting for many years to come. But, wow, we can use the internet to get to people at work, we can use apps until we get our DAB+ chips in mobile phones, we can use apps to get them listening to radio on their way to work or while they’re walking, or while they’re exercising. “So, I think the future’s bright, but I think it’s going to take a lot of mercurial activity, a lot of thinking, a lot of lateral thinking, a lot of flexibility and being willing to allow the medium to evolve, whilst maintaining the strengths.” Visit www.commercialradio.com.au

AVC Group Brings New Radio station to Kabul AVC RECENTLY COMPLETED the installation of a new studio facility in Kabul Afghanistan.Arakozia FM, operated by Moby Media, one of Afghanistan’s largest media companies, is a USAID backed project that provides talkback radio as a medium for discussion about Afghan life and culture in the Pashto language.AVC also provided transmission equipment to this project and Arakozia FM will transmit from 9 transmission sites across Afghanistan using RVR Transmitters, Tandberg satellite receivers, and Omnia FM processors. AVC staﬀ installed the Arakozia FM studios at Moby Medias facility in Kabul.

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“This was a truly turnkey project as every nut, bolt, cable, tool, and consumable needing to be shipped from AVCs Salzburg logistics hub directly to Kabul,” said Simon Jackson from AVC Auckland who was one of the AVC team that carried out the installation. “Working in Afghanistan was challenging, If we didn’t bring it with us the chances were we would need to wait for it to be couriered from outside the country which could add weeks to the installation.” The new fully digital station is built around Telos Corporations award winning Livewire Audio over IP Technology. Axia Element consoles paired with Axia Powerstation studio engines have been installed in the Studios with editing workstations in the newsroom operating on virtual mixing surfaces via Axia Pathfinder Panels and touchscreen monitors. AVC supplied the IT infrastructure from shielded CAT6 cabling to servers, UPS, and workstations. A Telos VX Studio Hybrid system able to support over 30 simultaneous

SIP based lines allows studios and editing stations to independently make and receive calls as well as act as screening stations for live programmes. The speed and eﬃciency provided by using Livewire and Axia enabled AVC to complete the physical installation over just 20 days on site.While the installation team worked in Kabul, AVC engineers in New Zealand and Fiji worked remotely on the high level configuration and programming of the Axia routing control system. “This project needed the simplicity of a single Ethernet cable capable of carrying 256 uncompressed stereo channels which is what Livewire oﬀers,” said Jackson.“Axia goes in fast but it’s still an incredibly powerful matrix routing system.Having the team back home carry out configuration and programming of the complex routing and automation while we plugged in equipment meant we kept time on site to a minimum.Something that was high on all our priorities!” Visit www.avc-group.eu

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BE Helps Radio Get Interactive

Logitek ROCs IP Audio

BROADCAST ELECTRONICS has introduced new studio tools for song

AVAILABLE IN SIX, 12, 18 and 24 fader configurations, the Logitek ROC console is housed in a desktop or tabletop enclosure allowing easy integration into permanent or temporary studios. The control surface includes high quality 100 millimetre long-throw Penny & Giles faders, OLED source indicators and meters, and a suite of controls to maximise the power of Logitek’s JetStream audio over IP platform.

voting, text marketing and interacting with today’s mobile listener. Included are BE’s CrowdControl ‘crowdsourcing’ tools for listener song polling, its DJ Wall application for interacting with listeners through a wide variety of social networking channels, and SMS Campaign Manager tools for creating mobile text ad campaigns. Developed in partnership with software company LocalMedia, BE’s interactive web tools are designed specifically for the broadcast studio and integrate into the station’s existing website to provide listener participation in three main areas: song voting, listener interaction and text ad campaign management. For song voting, BE’s CrowdControl presents in a web interface songs or selection options from the station’s playlist that listeners can vote for or against. Listeners can pick songs to air now or later, plus view voting status and comments by others on a station chat “wall” moderated by station talent through the DJ Wall module. Similar to a Facebook wall, only for radio use, DJ Wall aggregates for the station operator all listener feedback from various social networks and integrates local SMS and voice-enabled phone numbers into the social networking experience. Listeners authenticate through Twitter, Facebook or other social media from a PC or Android, iPhone or other mobile device. CrowdControl can be set up for hourly or day-parted voting blocks, or for 24/7 listenership control. On the back end, CrowdControl dynamically tracks the top-voted songs and feeds the information to the studio automation system in real-time for immediate or future playback. CrowdControl also provides supporting tools so listeners can sample songs they’re not familiar with or purchase their favourite songs from Amazon or iTunes.

ROC fader modules include user-definable 16-character source labels on bright wide-angle displays. The labels support Unicode characters including Chinese and Kanji. Bus buttons assign programme plus three auxiliary sends per fader. Each fader has a change button and cue button plus a softkey button that can be used for talkback or intercom. The console includes a built-in cue speaker and front-rail headphone monitor jacks (standard and miniature). The ROC’s monitor control module has a central selector for accessing sources, compression settings and EQ. Three assignable knobs are available for use with the included vScreen PC application for VGA meter bridges. 12 configurable softkeys can be used to assign quick routes or any other function. Control buttons can be set to any of 256 colours via software. Preset buttons for headphones, control room, or guest/studio monitoring enable operators to switch quickly between four sources. An unlimited number of sources can be monitored using the change button and select knob. Timer control buttons, talkback return and cue level knobs are also incorporated.

SMS Campaign Manager oﬀers broadcasters emergent revenue-generating opportunities through mobile text marketing.

An optional meter bridge displays programme levels and switched source levels with dual OLED screens for timers, clock, profanity delay indication or user-defined text. A tri-colour stereo LED bargraph meter simultaneously displays peak and average metering. TFT screens on each side of the LED bargraph can display auxillary buses, studio monitors, inputs, or any other mix. Two tally LEDs are also provided, one to indicate that the studio is on air and the other to show that the microphone is on or that the programme is live in the adjacent studio.

Visit www.bdcast.com

Visit www.logitekaudio.com

WTS

Lumina Broadcast Systems are proud to represent these world leaders in broadcast equipment.

Lumina Broadcast Systems Australia Pty Ltd, P.O. Box 1693, Lane Cove NSW 1595 Phone: +61 2 9113 0720. Fax: +61 2 8572 5285. Email: sales@luminabsa.com www.luminabroadcast.com.au

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WILL- BURT

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IP Audio Studio to Transmitter Installation IN THIS 2011 ACRA Engineering Excellence Award entry, Greg Hateley, Matt Shields and Darren Hateley of Fairfax Radio Network’s 6NOW (96fm), Perth, detail the system design and installation of a full IP Audio system from the studio microphone to the transmitter site. 96FM HAS DELIVERED an innovative change in the engineering of radio broadcast studio design. Every audio item from the microphone (encoders), studio play-out system and phone system is IP audio based. This philosophy extends all the way to the transmitter site. The first radio broadcast facility in Australia to deliver audio from the studio to transmitter site using complete IP audio from end to end. The 96fm Engineering department has demonstrated the ability to take on cutting edge (and somewhat unproven technology) and deliver a highly reliable feature rich system into a commercial radio environment.

+ The first commercial station use IP Audio delay machine in the transmission chain; + The first commercial station to have IP audio all the way from the Studio microphones, Telstra Lines, and computer playout system to the transmitter site; and + Fully integrated IP Talkback system. IP audio is the future of broadcasting technology in Australia and 96fm has paved the way and we see all broadcasting facilities adopting this (IP) technology irrespective of what manufacture is chosen. 96fm’s bold, but carefully investigated studio and MCR solution has given the industry a whole new view on the possibilities open to engineers and what works.

UNIQUENESS The 96fm design and installation is unique in that it is the only commercial radio station in Australia to have designed and installed such a high end IP audio system encapsulating the following features: + IP studios, MCR using dual path redundancy at each stage; + Use of telephone IP audio from the Telstra delivery to studio, to transmitter; + Fully redundant MCR including redundant IP Audio (Cisco) switch core; + Use of IP audio delay machines; + IP based processing and routing; and + IP STL links (Native G4)

Even though it was clear that IP audio in the broadcast environment was an emerging and new technology, it was important not to put the operation of the broadcast facility at risk and identify the right IP product that will deliver all the functionality (and more) of all existing Analogue and Digital systems available. Detailed planning and execution of a complete studio and MCR retrofit over a three-day weekend went faultlessly and by Monday morning breakfast, 96fm was on air in the IP Audio realm.

BENEFITS, EFFICIENCIES 96fm has demonstrated that IP Audio systems are viable for any commercial broadcasting operation in Australia. We have pioneered and proven a high end, studio to transmitter IP audio system using the very latest technology available to the industry. Thanks to 96fm Engineering department, IP audio systems has “come of age” in the commercial radio environment. IP systems are based on IT infrastructure, and hence cheaper, easier to maintain and easier to configure. The cost savings compared to other systems are as follows. Cheaper to install: + Based on LAN cabling that can be done by any contractor; + Configuration and “script” writing can be done in-house by engineers; and

Studio RCS Playout Computer: Blue LAN Cable is the normal LAN cable connected to the RCS audio server. The RED cable is the Playout System IP Audio and remote control to RCS MC. No audio cables and no control cables, and or relay cards are required.

+ IP equipment costs are cheaper than other technologies. + Cheaper to maintain: + Any faults are managed by in-house engineering staﬀ; + The system is “software” based, so any updates are installed by technical staﬀ; + Extra feature requirements are done by “scripts” written in house; + IP systems are modular and hence, easy to replace faulty boxes and reconfigure; and + IP systems are scaleable with only minor re-configuration Adoption of these full end to end IP audio products will lead to a 40% reduction in capital costs, lower maintenance, and almost no external support costs. Even though ‘Audio Over IP’ Studios is not new to Australia, we believe that 96fm has achieved a high end installation and also comes a number of “firsts” for the industry:

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+ The first commercial station to use Telstra connected IP gateways into a fully IP based studio phone hybrid system; + The first commercial station to design central redundant transmitter path delegation;

96fm Transmitter Site: Here are the IP audio streams appearing at the transmitter site. This is the same IP audio flowing from the studio playout computer above. This is IP all the way from studio computer, studio mixer, MCR IP based TX delegation, IP delay machines, IP processing, IP STL Links.

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Studio IP Phone system: This is the entry point of the Telstra lines. Once the phone lines are converted to IP audio by these gateways, the audio is then managed by IP based phone hybrid and appear in the studio as IP audio.

Transmitter Site: Note the solid dishes on the right side. These are the IP STL links and have direct connection to the IP audio LAN cables. The AM transmitter site serves as diversity path site. We also use the same IP links for feeding the AM site audio streams for 6PR.

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Transmitter Site: Shows the double hop switch at the AM site. All audio stays in the IP realm on the way to the FM site.

Producer stations: This is a photo of the Producers workstation just outside the studio. There are no phones in the 96fm studio, or in the Producer’s area. We have used a studio Talk Back unit for the producers to answer calls and screen. All phone audio is Audio Over IP, so phones are not required.

MCR: What we see here is the main transmission “Path A” and “Path B” chain. Dual (IP) delegation switchers, Dual (IP) delay machines, dual return monitoring processing, Dual (IP) Outside Broadcast switching system. Combined with (not shown) are two “stacked” Cisco core switches with dual Power Supply backup system. All of this is a very redundant failover system that is designed for staying on air even if any one critical component fails.

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TRANSMISSION Signal distribution, test & measurement

www.content-technology.com/transmission

EPG Data - a VAST Job for SeaChange, Magna MAGNA SYSTEMS AND ENGINEERING have provided SeaChange (formerly eventIS) metadata management systems – consisting of the STAGIS/ CASIS product suite and SPECTRIS monitoring – to Optus Telecommunications for the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) satellite network. The STAGIS product extracts and aggregates into a central database schedule data (EIT) and service descriptions (SDT) from the incoming streams. The extracted data is then re-used and re-organised by the CASIS product to generate the DVB-SI tables and descriptors for the VAST platform. These tables and descriptors allow the VAST receivers to find their programs, display service information

like channel names and numbers, local time, and most of all, to populate the Electronic Program Guide with the program start times, genres and parental rating. The system is prepared for PVRspecific signalling, like series linking and repeats. To make the most of available bandwidth, the system provides the means to tweak the playout of schedule data in such a way that an optimum is reached between bit-rate used and available information. That way a full eight-day EPG for all transponders can be oﬀered on a homing transponder versus a limited, sliding 24 hour EPG window on all other transponders.

SPECTRIS offers monitoring of the SeaChange system as well as third party systems. It offers several different views, starting from a geographical overview, down to individual system events. SPECTRIS, in addition, provides a web-based view on the schedule held in the STAGIS database, allowing instant access to this data via a web browser.

The VAST platform is transmitted all over Australia

Visit www.magnasys.tv

Broadcast ONE, Clearbox Form Partnership. BROADCAST ONE PTY LTD and Clearbox Systems Pty Ltd recently announced an oﬃcial partnership. Darren Kirsop-Frearson, Managing Director of Broadcast ONE remarked, “Broadcast ONE and Clearbox Systems already have a long and successful working history in the broadcast industry, and I believe together we oﬀer the industry an integrated solution that is unparalleled in the market place.” “In today’s technology environment, the

broadcast industry is demanding that their suppliers provide complete system solutions that are engineered to meet their needs,” said Paul Solomon, Clearbox Systems Managing Director. “Through this partnership the industry is provided with a single source for integrated, cost eﬀective solutions that are fully supported throughout the life of the system. This removes the risk and finger pointing associated with issuing multivendor contracts.” Visit www.broadcastONE.com.au and www.clearboxsystems.com.au

Studio Signal Management, IT-based playout MIRANDA TECHNOLOGIES will be highlighting its strengthened production studio signal management and monitoring systems at IBC 2011 (Hall 8, stand D41), as well as its integrated IT-based playout solutions, which combine the iTX automation and playout with advanced graphics and monitoring systems.

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To simplify monitoring and signal management in production studios and trucks, Miranda has enhanced the integration between its NVISION 8500 Hybrid routers with audio processing and its Kaleido multi-viewers, as well as with third party production switchers. These combined multi-viewer and router systems behave like a single solution to reduce studio complexity, and also increase system flexibility, redundancy and scalability. This level of router/ multi-viewer integration also provides advanced source tracing from the router across multiple studios, along with tally capabilities. The NVISION 8500 Hybrid 3Gbps/HD routers at the core of these studio systems provide built-in, embedded audio processing to save space and

and special signalling is required to make sure the correct content is available in each region. Again the CASIS product takes care of this together with the Conditional Access (CA) system, by means of bouquets, availability descriptors and special descriptors specific to the CA system.

costs, while also streamlining source control and cabling. This audio processing avoids signal timing issues associated with the use of external de-embedders/embedders in studios. For playout facilities, Miranda will also exhibit its IT-based content delivery solution, which tightly integrates the iTX automation and playout with its graphics workflow tools and facility monitoring. This system also incorporates multiple broadcast infrastructure elements, including intelligent switching and loudness management. The playout system’s monitoring capabilities are provided by Kaleido family multi-viewers and iControl Playout Manager facility monitoring, which are integrated with the iTX automated playout. For instance, the multi-viewers highlight the next event information from the automation, and the facility monitoring shows the health of the overall playout system, including the IT servers and IP network. Visit www.miranda.com

T&M and Multi-View

HAMLET’S DIGISCOPE DS900 test-measurement, monitoring and multi-viewer is now shipping for a range of applications from broadcast, editing, OB, remote control monitoring sites and educational environments. DigiScope DS900 is a 1RU, half-rack enclosure, with the capacity to provide simultaneous monitoring of up to four channels of 3G, HD or SD SDI inputs, with EYE pattern if required. Analogue video measurement and monitoring and 1080p to analogue test signal pattern generation modules are also due soon. Four modules can be packed into the half width 1RU cabinet, performing multiple tests on four independent signals. The motherboard includes a multi-view processor, putting up to 16 windows on a DVI or XVGA monitor. The modular structure means that the applications can be tailored to the precise requirements of the application, with diﬀerent capabilities on each input of the unit. Modules are available for analogue and digital inputs, SD/ HD/3G with and without eye pattern testing and a test signal generator. Confidence monitoring and audio de-multiplexing is available on any input. In use the unit is simple to set up, using iScope on three touch-sensitive displays. Traces can be moved at the touch of a finger. Alternatively, it can be controlled as part of a managed system over IP. Hamlet will be showing oﬀ the system at IBC 2011: Stand 9.D10 Visit www.hamlet.co.uk and www.avgroup.com.au

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Monitors with Australian Closed Captions TVLOGIC, TOGETHER WITH LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR TECHTEL, has announced that the implementation of the Free TV Australia Operational Practice OP-42 is now available on TVLogic’s LVM-173 and LVM-243 broadcast monitors. Compatibility with OP-42 enables the decoding of closed captions from base-band SDI 625, 50i. With an absence of teletext decoding platforms in development, TVLogic committed to this unique standard to provide Australian broadcasters with a method of decoding closed captions without the need for expensive test and measurement gear or more specialised equipment. “OP-42 is in fact more diﬃcult to develop than OP-47 (High Definition Captions) because the captioning data is within the analogue waveform of the Standard Definition video signal as opposed to High Definition where the signal is already a bit-stream of data within the vertical ancillary data of High Definition video. This is part of what lead us to develop OP-47 before OP-42,” said TVLogic Chief Executive, Sung Il Cho. “We’ve worked very closely with Techtel on this and are proud to have developed this feature to oﬀer the Australian broadcast community who represent one of our most loyal markets.”

Latest Products Fibre Optic DDT-4690 & DDR-4690 8 Channel Fibre Link - Takes up to 8 SD-SDI or ASI over a single fibre.

DDT-4624 & DDR-4624 3G/HD/SD Quad Fibre Link - 4 Independent Fibre links on the one card. - Each link takes either 3G-SDI, HD-SDI, SD-SDI or ASI.

DDT-4620 & DDR-4620 3G/HD/SD Single Fibre Link - Takes either 3G-SDI, HD-SDI, SD-SDI or ASI.

TVLogic broadcast monitors supporting OP-42 are available for immediate shipping. Visit www.techtel.com.au

Sichuan TV Installs Harmonic Omneon HARMONIC INC recently announced Sichuan TV (SCTV), one of China’s largest broadcasters, has installed Omneon media servers and storage systems in its new broadcast center to support ingest and playout. SCTV will use the Omneon platform to broadcast 13 channels across the Sichuan province, which has a population of 8.75 million, and to play out a satellite channel reaching the entire Chinese mainland. SCTV relies on Omneon MediaDeck server systems, supplied by Cybersolutions, for ingest and playout. Content first is ingested and previewed either through the MediaDeck systems or the broadcast center’s Dayang Technology Development media asset management (MAM) system, then transferred to an Omneon MediaGrid active storage system supplied by Dayang. The Omneon MediaGrid provides mirrored 16TB of highperformance nearline storage, making content immediately available to the MediaDeck system for playout. Dayang MAM and automation manage media transfers between the two systems and subsequent playout. Visit www.harmonicinc.com

Philippines’ TV5 Goes HD, IPTV KIT DIGITAL, INC. has been selected by Philippines’ broadcast network TV5 to help it become the country’s first fully automated, IP-based digital and HD-enabled facility. The upgrade to TV5’s Technical Operations Center (TOC) includes significant enhancements to its production and post-production capabilities to support the network’s effort to produce more premium content, including the recently launched all-news channel AksyonTV 41 and the primetime sports block AKTV on IBC Channel 13. TV5 is migrating all three of its major channels to HD, and is in the process of building a new facility in Mandaluyong City. KIT digital staff will be on the ground in Manila to train and work with TV5’s project management team to support the upgrade of the facilities, the implementation of the KIT Platform, and create efficient ongoing workflow processes and platform training. Project partners and their respective products include: + EVS Video Servers for Production

Network Adapters MMM-4682/PC & MMX-4682/PC 4 ASI to STM-1 Combiner/Decombiner with optical - Maintains original ASI rate, packet size and coding. - Suitable for Single Frequency Network use.

MMM-4730 & MMX-4730 4 ASI to ASI & G.703 Combiner and Decombiner - Suitable for combining ASI signals on either ASI, E3 or DS3 links.

MEM-4552 Ethernet over ASI adapter - Ethernet port automatically set for either 100 Base-T or 1000 Base-T operation. - Selectable ASI rates from 1 Mb/s to 213 Mb/s.

Distribution & Protection Switching DDA-4009 3G/HD/SD/ASI/STM-1 Dual 1 In, 4 Out (1 In, 8 Out) Reclocking/Non-Reclocking Distribution Amplifier - Selectable for either 3G/HD/SD-SDI/ASI or STM-1 operation. - Independent dual or single operation. - Optional bypass relay of one of inputs to one of outputs on loss of power.

DDA-4320 ASI/SDI/STM-1 Path Protection Switch and DA - Selectable for either ASI/SDI or STM-1 operation. - Can be used as a distribution amplifier on its own, or as a protection switch when paired with a 2nd unit.

OFS-4020 5 x 1 Optical Switch - Cascadable to create a larger switcher.

+ DataDirect Networks Central Storage + Grade 1 broadcast monitors from Ikegami

Ph: +61 (0)2 9439 3744

+ Omneon Video Servers for play-out + Waveform Rasterizers from Tektronix Visit www.kitd.com

Electronics

www.irtelectronics.com

TRANSMISSION

+ Snell Routers, Glue and Automation

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TRANSMISSION

Thomson Transmitters Go Green at IBC AT IBC2011, Thomson Broadcast (Stand 5.A17) will showcase its line of energy eﬃcient solutions for the deployment of environmentally friendly terrestrial transmission networks. The company will also unveil a new television transmission solution during the show. Products on show will include: * Elite 100 GreenPower Transmitter Line. Thomson’s GreenPower transmitters are enhanced with the medium-power range Elite 100 GreenPower series. The Elite 100 GreenPower lineage oﬀers low CO2, low-OPEX operation in initial digital deployments, or to extend coverage in tandem with high-power Elite 1000 GreenPower transmitters.

* Elite 10 Repeater – Multichannel Version. Designed for rapid deployment for indoor or outdoor operation, the Elite 10 ISO frequency repeater is switchable in transposer mode and oﬀers a two-level digital echo canceller. It features active RF demultiplexing for high sensitivity input.

* Elite 1000 GreenPower Transmitter Line. The high performance UHF transmitter features 50 V LDMOS technology and boasts an output power of up to 9.6 kW DVB per unit with an energy consumption savings of up to 15 percent over the previous Elite transmitter series. Utilising Thomson real-time Digital Adaptive Precorrection (DAP), the Elite 1000 GreenPower line provides DTV transmission eﬃciency and high redundancy.

* FM Rebroadcasting With DRM. An alternative to satellite or telecom links is now available using DRM technology that produces a strong high-quality DRM shortwave signal that can be used for FM rebroadcasting. With this technology, the broadcaster is no longer dependent on third parties for distributing program to low power FM/ AM transmitters.

Axon to Launch Synapse-based Routing

Apantac Multiviewer Mouse, Keyboard Control

AT IBC 2011, Axon Digital Design will be exhibiting SynCross, a Synapse based expandable video routing system capable of switching 3Gb/s, HD and SD SDI signals, as well as compressed domain signals such as ASI/ DVB and SSI/SMPTE-310. The SynCross routing system can populate the frames from one slot with eight inputs and outputs – up to five slots for a 40×40 routing solution – both in electrical, fibre, or a mix of either. The system can be controlled over Ethernet, Cortex control panels or Cortex. ACP and a RS422 port are available for control with automation systems. The unit is also a video router solution for small applications, monitoring and master control applications with the Synapse HDK-series. Visit www.axon.tv

TRANSMISSION

* The DVB-T2 exciter is for broadcasters migration to DVB-T2, or for digital providers wanting to upgrade to DVB-T2 for greater bandwidth eﬃciency. The Elite exciter also supports the ISDB-Tb system, which is used for digital television broadcast in South America. An embedded SNMP agent and a web server are included to monitor the equipment.

Visit www.thomson-broadcast.com

TAHOMA CYNERGY is a software option that lets users control all computer inputs on one or multiple Tahoma Multiviewers with a single mouse and keyboard. Users can move the mouse across all windows on single display or multiple displays, as well as copy and paste information between connected computers. Cynergy can be used with the Tahoma-DE ‘Universal’ and TahomaDL ‘Hybrid’ lines of Multiviewers. Tahoma Cynergy is backwards compatible, meaning all existing installed Tahoma-DL or DE Multiviewers can be upgraded. The software option removes the requirement for a standalone

KVM hardware interface, therefore users no longer have to press a button to change the input/window focus on the display – simply move the mouse to the edge of the input/window. The mouse can also be locked to an individual window. Cynergy is based on GNU GPL (General Public License) and is compatible with Windows XP/ Vista/7, Mac OS X, Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and Red Hat). Cynergy requires an existing ethernet connection in order to communicate with Tahoma Multiviewers. Visit www.apantac.com

LYNX Technik Transceivers

Waveform Rasterizer

LYNX TECHNIK IS EXPANDING its yellobrik series with the launch of Serial/GPI Fibre Transceivers at IBC 2011. Two models are available; ODT 1510 (up to 10km) and ODT 1540 (up to 40km).

OMNITEK HAS ANNOUNCED its OTR 1001 waveform rasterizer. In addition to high-resolution waveform, vector and colour gamut displays, the OTR 1001 now oﬀers an advanced stereo-3D monitoring and analysis option. This includes a wide range of L/R camera colorimetry-balancing features, plus advanced 3D depth-mapping displays to instantly demonstrate the range of object positions in the source image. These displays can immediately demonstrate toe-in geometry problems plus a range of other depth parameters that are essential to monitor in any live 3D production.

The modules allow both serial data communications and GPI I/O to be extended over the same fibre link. They enable broadcast and production facilities to migrate a variety of signal types onto fibre utilising a single set of modules. The transceivers support mixing and matching of serial port connectivity, with setup via integrated dip-switches on the local and remote modules. The ODT 1540 model is also CWDM compatible with 18 wavelengths selections for multiplexed fiber installations. As with all yellobriks, these modules are plug-and-play, require no software to operate and all instructions and are printed directly on the module. Axon’s SynCross expandable video routing system.

The energy eﬃcient Elite100 GreenPower transmitter.

Visit www.lynx-technik.com

The OTR 1001 also creates log files including the results of the real-time 3D analysis, for QC and ingest monitoring purposes. The 3D analysis option is a software upgrade available on the OTM 1000, OTR 1001, and OTR 1003 waveform monitoring and signal generation equipment. Visit www.quinto.com.au

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TRANSMISSION

THE NUCOMM NEWSCODER 4 from

ASI transport stream.

Integrated Microwave Technologies is a compact, low power, HD/SD, video/audio encoder with AES Encryption. Newscoder 4 delivers MPEG-4 H.264 SD and HD encoding, enabling broadcasters to transmit HD content over the same infrastructure used to transmit standard definition content.

In addition, the encoder has one stereo or two mono audio inputs, and supports both linelevel inputs and microphone-level inputs. Each mode supports independent gain selection ranging from 12dB of attenuation to +50dB and embedded audio.

“The Newscoder 4 defines the next level of video compression,” says Integrated Microwave Technologies President, Stephen Shpock. “With an additional 30% bit-rate reduction, low delays and video quality improvement over a baseline encoder, the MPEG-4 enabled encoder allows broadcasters to transmit HD content eﬃciently. Another advantage of the Newscoder 4 is its ability to support full main profile.”

Featuring two RS232 ports, one for remote control and a second for user data, the Newscoder 4 also employs AES encryption preventing unauthorised viewing of the signal. An incorporated video test pattern generator can be controlled externally through the preset switch or programmed to be automatically enabled when the video input is lost. The encoder has an ASI input and output providing the ability to stack or multiplex multiple units.

The Newscoder 4 input accepts either a composite (NTSC or PAL), SD-SDI or HD-SDI inputs. The encoder automatically detects the video input format, digitises and passes it to a H.264/AVC MP@L4 video encoder, where the video is compressed. The resulting output is an

For advanced functions, such as AES encryption keys or unit naming, an administration software package is supplied allowing the user to configure up to eight custom presets. Visit www.imt-broadcast.com

Quad-Split Multi-Viewer MIRANDA TECHNOLOGIES will be launching its standalone Kaleido-XQUAD quad-split multiviewer for truck and studio monitoring at IBC (Hall 8, Stand D41). Kaleido-XQUAD is an ultra-compact, super-silent processor which is ready to go straight out of the box, without the hassle of assembling modules or configuring options. Cost-eﬀective large monitor walls can be achieved using multiple individual quads with inexpensive displays, whilst oﬀering the assurance of a very small failure block at just four inputs. The quad-split operates with the same software as the larger Kaleido family multi-viewers and, because of Miranda’s cluster feature, the Kaleido-XQUAD can be linked to more quad split processors for large monitor wall quad views and operated seamlessly as one system.

The Kaleido-XQUAD processors also oﬀer integration with NVISION and third party routers, with source control and centralised mnemonic database access, along with integration with third party production switchers, with tally support via direct serial interface. Kaleido-XQUAD is available in two versions: Kaleido-XQUAD features four 3Gbps/HD inputs and a single multi-viewer output (HDMI/HD-SDI), and Kaleido-XQUAD-DUAL oﬀers eight 3Gbps/HD inputs and two multi-viewer outputs. To simplify signal management and avoid signal timing problems during live production monitoring, the quad-split also provides ultra-fast processing, which avoids the need for complex audio delay compensation. Visit www.miranda.com

Observer Mobile from Volicon

The ViBE EM4000 Multichannel HD Encoder.

THOMSON VIDEO NETWORKS will debut a range of new products at IBC (Stand 5.A17), including the new ViBE VS7000 Video System. The ViBE VS7000 is a fully integrated IP video solution for convergent applications such as Web TV and over-the-top services delivery, traditional IPTV, and IP/cable delivery. It combines all major audio/video codecs, the latest adaptive streaming formats, and a resilient IT platform for native redundancy and scalability. Also new is the ViBE EM4000 Multichannel HD Encoder which incorporates an evolved and powerful version of Thomson’s Mustang compression engine. The ViBE EM4000 is designed to deliver operational cost savings through better use of satellite or terrestrial bandwidth. Also on show will be the ViBE EM1000/EM2000 MPEG-2/4 SD real-time encoders which support all interfaces in a single unit to deliver legacy MPEG-2 SD at a 20 percent lower bit rate with no quality loss, reducing disparity with HD channels. The ViBE EM1000 and ViBE EM2000 now feature processing of MPEG-2/MPEG-4 compressed sources in addition to baseband signals, additional MPEG-1 Layer II audio encoders for multichannel units, forward error correction generation for primary distribution or IPTV applications, and new filters for processing pre-coded MPEG-2 sources on the ViBE EM2000. For those looking at DVB-T2 Headend Solutions, the NetProcessor 9030/40 Video Processor now includes a DVB-T2 interface for a more than 30 percent bandwidth enhancement, as well as MPEG-2/H.264 enhancements for splicing from a national feed to a regional program in a statistical multiplex without requiring rateshaping. Combined with the Sapphire MPEG broadcast server, it provides a comprehensive ad insertion solution.

to play, pause, search, and create logged content on demand using smart devices will provide broadcasters with instant access to the final broadcast product to ensure quality, compliance, and communication within the media enterprise.

The Sapphire MPEG Broadcast Server provides a “channel-in-a-box” solution with advanced capture, playout, and regionalisation capabilities, operating frame-accurately in the compressed domain. Sapphire provides all the functions needed to ingest, process, brand, and generate TV channels ready for air. New features include frame-accurate clip editing enhancements, advanced logo insertion features (support for H.264, new scheduling capabilities), and BXF support. These new features improve the flexibility of the video server, in particular when used with external automation or traﬃc systems.

Visit www.volicon.com

Visit www.thomson-networks.com

VOLICON RECENTLY ANNOUNCED the introduction of Observer Mobile - a newly streamlined web-based interface that supports H.264 on Apple iOS devices using the Safari web browser with native support for iPad, iPhone, and other mobile devices. Designed specifically for media executives on the go, Observer Mobile provides greater flexibility, portability, and the added convenience of accessing live Observer streaming along with back navigation of previously recorded content from both local and remote locations. The ability

Convergent TV from Thomson Video Networks

TRANSMISSION

HD Over SD Infrastructure

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CONFERENCES, EXHIBITIONS + ROADSHOWS www.content-technology.com/events

SMPTE Technical Conference & Exposition THE SOCIETY OF Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE), the worldwide body for motion-imaging standards and education, has announced an early look at a strong lineup of presentations to be given by global experts its annual Technical Conference & Exposition to be held 24 – 27 October 2011 at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel & Spa in Hollywood, Calif.

the SMPTE Symposium, will focus on large-sensor imaging, including the fundamental diﬀerences between three- and single-sensor systems, with an emphasis on the practical implications, benefits, and limitations of the two approaches. It is being produced in cooperation with the American Society of Cinematographers.

SMPTE oﬃcials cited an exceptionally strong class of submissions for this year’s conference, including those on cloud-computing production solutions; new approaches to 3D acquisition, production, and distribution, including the potential for set-top boxes to serve as 3D rendering platforms and a look at 3D mobile device displays; new multi-platform distribution schemes, including next-generation watermarking; and new and more eﬃcient ways of managing file-based workflows and, importantly, locating digital media.

3D CONFERENCE DRAWS HIGH PRAISE

Conference attendees will also hear findings from key a survey on technology use trends, from production through distribution; and on the evolution of storage technologies amid the move to 3D and higher-resolution content. The conference will also feature a 3D standards update.

“People are still talking about the unique, highquality content at our stereoscopic 3D conference in June; they’ll be saying the same thing about the October conference,” said SMPTE president Pete Ludé.

As well, a special SMPTE pre-conference event,

Held earlier this year, the second annual SMPTE International Conference on Stereoscopic 3D for Media & Entertainment drew high praise from its attendees. A major component of the conference was quantitative human-factors research from the University of California – Berkeley, as well as the latest market research on 3D, practical advice on 3D live-event production, and discussions of 3D and mobile technologies.

Visit www.smpte.org/events/smpte_2011_ annual_tech_conf/

CASBAA Convention – TV365: Watch Closely! THE CASBAA flagship annual meeting, The CASBAA Convention, will be staged at the Grand Hyatt hotel, Hong Kong Oct 31st- Nov 3, 2011. Themed TV365: Watch Closely, the programme for 2011 explores television in the myriad ways it can be experienced - 365 days a year…in more than 365 million multichannel TV homes throughout Asia…on a full 360° range of platforms and devices. “This year’s theme truly reflects the evolution of the multichannel TV industry in Asia – a fitting topic especially during this year, CASBAA’s 20th Anniversary.,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO, CASBAA. “This year’s Convention programme promises to be better than ever with a comprehensive line-up of compelling industry keynote speakers.” The four-day CASBAA Convention 2011 will bring together operators, content providers, satellite services, technology, carriers and ad agencies from across Asia and the world in lively debate and exchange of information through Keynote addresses, In Conversation sessions and panel discussions. Visit http://www.casbaaconvention.com.

what’s on SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

MAXIMISING THE CREATIVE PIPELINE WITH AUTODESK & DIGISTOR

RADIOFEST2011

9 September Time: 10:00am to 12am Venue: VCA School of Film and Television (Building 861), Grant Street, Southbank 3006 www.digistor.com.au/Events/ AutodeskDigitalEntertainmentCreation.aspx

CONFERENCES, EXHIBITIONS + ROADSHOWS

IBC2011 - RAI AMSTERDAM Conference September 8 - 13 Exhibition September 9 - 13 www.ibc.org

APSCC 2011 September 27 – 29, 2011. Bali, Indonesia www.apscc.or.kr/apscc2011.html

BROADBAND WORLD FORUM 2011 27-29 September, 2011 CNIT, La Defense, Paris, France www.broadbandworldforum.com

14-15 October Jupiters Casino Gold Coast Queensland, Australia www.commercialradio.com.au

STREAMING MEDIA EUROPE 2011 18 & 19 October Olympia Conference Centre, London www.streamingmedia.com/europe

SMPTE 2011 ANNUAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 25 - 27 October 2011: Conference & Exposition 24 October 2011: Special Pre-Conference Symposium - Large-Sensor Imaging Revolution Hollywood Renaissance Hotel & Spa, Hollywood, USA www.smpte.org

THE CASBAA CONVENTION

INTERNET SHOW SYDNEY

31st October to 3rd November Grand Hyatt Hong Kong www.casbaaconvention.com

27-28 October, 2011 Sydney Convention Centre www.terrapinn.com/2011/sydney

NOVEMBER

NEW YORK POST PRODUCTION CONFERENCE Oct. 11-13, 2011. Jacob K. Javits Center, New York City www.nypostconference.com

MULTIPLATFORM TV WORKSHOP 12 - 14 October 2011, Singapore Call June Tan at (+65) 6305 9639 or email june.tan@terrapinn.com

2011 SPAA CONFERENCE November 13 - 16 2011 Hilton, Sydney www.spaa.org.au/conference

INTERBEE 2011 November 16-18, 2011 Makuhari Messe, Japan www.inter-bee.com/en4-17

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CLASSIFIEDS

POSITIONS VACANT Broadcast Technical Manager – NT CAAMA Productions is proudly Australia’s largest Indigenous production house. An opportunity exists for an energetic Technical Manager to join the growing team in Alice Springs. You will be responsible for the support of their Radio, Video, and radio services. Your background will include radio broadcasting, audio, video and rigging experience as you will be required to travel to remote areas to service broadcasting installations.

RESPONSIBILITIES + Manage day to day operations of the Technical Department + Maintain ongoing technical capability of CAAMA including installation, operation and maintenance of video, radio broadcasting, audio and computer equipment to optimal standards + Develop, implement and maintain documentation in regard to work schedules performed and maintenance records including maintenance procedures, schedules, records & reports + Represent CAAMA in its technical relationships with external bodies or stakeholders as required + Eﬀectively manage a work environment which respects and promotes cultural diversity

FANTASTIC BENEFITS + Great salary package + Re-location assistance to Alice Springs; + Fully maintained company vehicle + Mobile phone Indigenous applicants are encouraged to apply.

APPLY CV and cover letter to be sent to info@entertainmentpersonnel.com. au with the subject marked ‘Technical Manager NT’ A position description is also available. Visit www.caama.org.au for information on the organisation. Inquiries also welcomed, phone Linda at Entertainment Personnel on (02) 9383 4520.

Amber .............................................15 Annova Systems ..........................43 ARRI Australia ............................. IBC Blackmagic Design ........................ 5 BroadcastONE...............................21

Lateral Linking Broadcast International .................................75 Lemac Digital ............................ OBC

Executive Producer – Vietnam

Linear Acoustic .............................11

COMPANY Our client – Sudest Productions is a dynamic, award-winning TVC

Lumina Broadcast Systems.......67

Broadcast Summit .......................27

Magna Systems & Engineering.........................19,30

Chyron ............................................51

OB group ........................................75

Digistor ...........................................45

On Air Solutions ...........................41

Digital Rapids Corporation Ltd.55

Panasonic .......................................33

Ericsson Australia Pty Ltd............ 7

Powermedia Systems .................47

Eureka Pacific................................49

Production Audio Services .......69

Fuji Film ...................................76-79

Quantel ...........................................53

Gencom Technology ...................13 Grass Valley Singapore ..............25 Hagemeyer (JVC) .........................29

Closing Date: 26-09-2011. Expressions of interest or for a confidential conversation call Patricia Powell-Hughes on +61 2 9383 4520

Quinto ............................................... 9 Riedel Communications........... 35, 37, 39 Ross Video Asia ............................36

Harmonic Inc. .................................. 3

Storm FX .........................................46

Harris ..............................................IFC

Techtel ............................................17

IBC ....................................................23

Video-8 ...........................................57

IRT Electronics ..............................71

Videocraft ......................................31

production company experiencing growth and prosperity. They are looking for an experienced Executive Producer to join their Vietnam-based business.

POSITION OVERVIEW Reporting directly to the CEO, the Executive Producer will lead the Production Department of the company and be responsible for ensuring its on-going growth in a competitive and developing market. This includes overseeing the production process - from initial concept through to delivery and client satisfaction. You will manage a team to define the overall vision of projects and are responsible for negotiating final deployment of this vision. The Executive Producer is required to identify, initiate and support opportunities with new clients as well as extend potential within existing accounts.

REWARD Attractive salary package oﬀered. Relocation assistance oﬀered. TIMELINES Interviews will be held in Sydney in late Oct 2011. Show reels for TVC’s worked on will be required. This position is to commence in Ho Chi Min City in early January 2012 with a 2 week handover. APPLY Call Patricia Powell-Hughes on 02 9383 4520 for a confidential discussion, or email application to pph@entertainmentpersonnel.com.au www.entertainmentpersonnel.com.au

CLASSIFIEDS

Advertiser Index

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SMPTE Gala Dinner

002

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TIME shifter Australia Rings in 30th Anniversary of First Mobile Phone Call IN THE 1980S no-one thought they’d use the phone to watch TV, take photos, send email (whatever that was) and it was titter not Twitter back then. August 9, 2011, marked 30 years since the inaugural phone call was made on Australia’s first public mobile network built by Telstra, then Telecom, forever changing the way Australians connect. This call was made on a car phone system weighing 14 kilograms with a 45cm handset and costing nearly $5000 (or $17,000 in today’s terms). Phone coverage was limited to the greater Melbourne area – a far cry from today’s Next G network which covers more than 2.1 million square kilometers. Today’s mobile phones are more intelligent than the largest, most expensive computer made a generation ago, and weigh an average of 200 grams. This 1981 phone could store just 16 numbers, was installed in the car and alerted owners of an incoming call with a honking horn or flashing headlights.

Commemorating the anniversary, Telstra revealed consumer survey findings showing how Australians use their mobiles to connect. It found: + 50 per cent of Australians feel panic stricken within five minutes when they think they lost their mobile phone; 25 per cent panic after less than a minute. + Nearly one third of Gen Y checks their mobile phones in the mornings before they use the bathroom, have breakfast, or go online. + Nearly half of Australians rank mobile phones as the innovation they value the most, more than the desktop computer to laptop and the oven to microwave. Visit www.telstra.com.au

Telstra’s Executive Director of Networks and Access Technologies, Mike Wright, was a graduate engineer in 1981 and oversaw installation of the first mobile network exchange in Brisbane. “Back in 1981 I never imagined there would be more mobile devices in Australia than people, and that they could be used to watch live TV, someday feature 3D content and become a critical way to how we connect,” Mr Wright said. “We called the first Telstra network the 007 Network because that was the number range it used and while in today’s terms it was more like a ’Zero-G’ network, it was the foundation of Australia’s modern mobile phone industry. In just 30 years we’re now building a 4G network, that’s five generations of mobile evolution so far in my career.” In 30 years, the mobile phone has become ubiquitous: + Coverage – in August 1981 the mobile network was limited to greater Melbourne (the service launched in Sydney in December 1981, Brisbane in 1983 and reached all Australian capital cities by 1985) – and today the Telstra mobile network covers 2.1 million square kilometers and reaches more than 99 per cent of the population. + Customers – approximately 1300 customers in Sydney and Melbourne used the mobile network in its first year, compared to today where there are an estimated 22 million mobile phone services in Australia[1]. In 2010/11 Telstra connected more than one million mobile services in just nine months[2]. + Texts – in 1981 no one had heard of ’texting’ whereas in 2009/10 Telstra customers sent 9.4 billion text messages. + Mobile internet – in 1981 using a mobile network for internet access wasn’t even imagined, now Telstra’s mobile broadband network supports over 10 million internet capable phones, tablets and data cards

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+ Base stations – in 1981 there were three base stations in Melbourne and five base stations in Sydney, today there are more than 7,400 base stations across Australia. + Costs – in 1981 it cost $4995 plus a $350 installation fee to purchase a mobile phone compared to today where a customer can buy a phone from Telstra for less than $35 outright.

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