BroadcastPro ME April 2023

+971 (0) 4 375 5471

Managing Partner

Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 4 375 5472

Director of Finance & Business Operations

Shiyas Kareem shiyas.kareem@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 4 375 5474

EDITORIAL Editor Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 55 105 3787

Sub Editor Aelred Doyle

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The talk of the town last month was OSN's big bash at the newly opened Aura Skypool at St. Regis, Dubai to announce its extended partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and the all-important news that it will continue to be the home of HBO content in MENA.

After losing the Disney+ content a while ago, this was that one other vital partnership that OSN could not afford to get wrong, and CEO Joe Kawkabani has redeemed himself with this deal. The St. Regis shindig and the very impressive drone show a few miles away to mark the partnership was not just another announcement; it signified how critical that deal was to maintain the broadcaster’s position in the MENA market.

& PRODUCTION Data & Production Manager

Phinson Mathew George phinson.george@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0)4 375 5476 DIGITAL SERVICES Abdul Baeis Umair Khan

In March, ahead of Ramadan, we carried scores of announcements on several such new content partnerships, with some streamers going so far as to fine tune their pricing strategies to lure more viewers to their platforms. The MENA Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry has become coveted ground for both regional and international players, and the content market especially is abuzz with new productions, emerging talent and stories designed for global viewing.

While things heat up on the content side, there’s a lot of excitement on the tech side too with NAB just around the corner and CABSAT in May. This year’s shows are likely to be the first to truly fill up like the pre-Covid days, and I can’t wait to see some of the new technologies that are going to be featured at the shows.

I am also truly excited to announce that BroadcastPro ME, in association with CABSAT, will host the BroadcastPro Manufacturer Awards on the second day of the MENA show, to celebrate some pioneering technologies and the companies behind them. But just to spice things up a bit and ensure that industry folk have a say in the technologies that you work with, we have decided to carry out an audience voting process to choose the winners for each category.

So it’s not up to us anymore; it’s up to you. I am certain each of you will take that onus very seriously by voting for the best of the new technologies out there.

But that’s not until May. For now, we are heading to Vegas. Look us up if you're there!

Inside this issue

05 NEWS

Last Cut Media chooses EditShare; OSN expands deal with Warner Bros. Discovery; Türk Telekom speeds video processing with Synamedia compression; MENA’s first digital native storytelling hub launches; PBC upgrades news studio with For-A; and more

12 CABSAT GEARS UP FOR 2023

EDITION WITH INTEGRATE ME

This year, CABSAT expects to attract more than 14,000 visitors, 340 exhibitors and 120 speakers to the show

14 COVER – END ZONE VISION

Israel Esteban, CTO at beIN Media Group, talks about the tech strategy that went into producing and broadcasting the 2022 World Cup

20 PLAYING TO WIN

StarzPlay scored a coup this Ramadan when it announced it will have the IPL on its platform. A chat with CEO Maaz Sheikh reveals why sport is important and what cricket will bring to the table

24 TURKEY GOES VIRTUAL Istanbul-based MGX Studio uses virtual production to create a TVC on Strepsils

28 REVISITING MONITORING

Today's monitoring solutions can do more than just compliance, says Mark Barkey

31 NAB PRODUCT LAUNCHES

A look at the newest offerings from manufacturers this year

36 GUEST COLUMN

Steve Reynolds on why FAST is going to see some pretty fast adoption

METAVERSE/XR STUDIO OPENS IN DUBAI LEADING BEIN TO TECH EXCELLENCE

STAYING AHEAD IN THE STREAMING WARS

NEW LAUNCHES AT NAB SHOW 2023

VIRTUAL PRODUCTION IN TURKEY

MAKING FAST PROGRESS

Last Cut Media consolidates storage and media management with EditShare

EditShare has implemented a comprehensive storage and media management platform for Abu Dhabi-based post-production facility Last Cut Media. The initial architecture for the system features a 160TB EFS shared storage node with the full functionality of the EditShare FLOW media management platform. This works in conjunction with a 240TB nearline store for disaster recovery as well as rapid access to content as projects require it. Long-term storage is on LTO-8 tapes, using EditShare ARK archiving software and hardware.

The system was implemented in conjunction with Advanced Media Trading,

EditShare’s distribution partner in the region.

Saad Duaibes, founder and Creative Director at Last Cut Media, said: “We provide stateof-the-art services to users across the Gulf region from our base in Abu Dhabi. The new workflow and storage system from EditShare allows us to be much more

flexible and productive. We also appreciate the way that EditShare is designed for remote access and multiple locations: we have bold plans for growth, including a facility in Saudi Arabia in the near future.”

Among the workflow improvements opened up by the EditShare system is the

OSN expands multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery

OSN has extended and expanded its partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery with multiple components, including an exclusive licensing agreement with HBO. The multi-year deal extends OSN’s rights to broadcast and stream content from HBO exclusively on OSNtv and OSN+. As part of the deal, OSN will continue to release HBO series in the MENA region at the same time as US premieres, and secures its rights for new seasons of ongoing series for the duration of the term.

Joe Kawkabani, CEO at OSN, said: “OSN is and

will continue to be the only place for HBO content in the region, and we are excited to expand on this long-term partnership with the studio and Warner Bros. Discovery.

On the back of successes such as House of the Dragon

and The Last of Us, alongside a range of other exclusive and premium series, it is clear that HBO is a leader in first-class experiences and we look forward to delivering these and other content pieces that have secured

capability of remote editing, allowing productions to access their files from wherever they are shooting and wherever the editor is working.

Last Cut Media covers the whole range of post from commercials to movies, drama serials and documentaries, so needs to be able to set workflows and functionality by project with complete security between clients.

Said Bacho, Chief Revenue Officer at EditShare, added: “Working with Advanced Media Trading, we showed Last Cut Media that we could provide solutions from a secure and orderly transfer of existing content, to longterm archiving strategies, to comprehensive training.”

OSN as a leading choice of platform in the region.”

The partnership also includes the extension of the distribution of Discovery Channels and involves renewed ties with Warner Bros. Studios, giving OSN access to recent WB blockbusters. In addition to OSN Showcase, its existing channel for brand-new HBO content, OSNtv will launch a new channel dedicated to classic HBO series. In 2024, OSN will expand its kids offering with the addition of Cartoon Network channels and programming across its platforms.

The system was implemented in conjunction with Advanced Media Trading.

Succession star Brian Cox flanked by OSN CEO Joe Kawkabani (l) and Roni Patel (r) of Warner Bros. International TV Distribution.

Türk Telekom speeds video processing with Synamedia compression

Türk Telekom has announced that it is consolidating video compression and processing across its TV and video platforms by deploying a virtual digital content manager (vDCM) from Synamedia. It has now gone live across all of its 170 channels, including 4K, on its Tivibu satellite, hybrid and streaming services. By consolidating workflows on a single platform, it will future proof its video processing for its 2.9m TV subscribers.

Türk Telekom’s decision to choose Synamedia was based on vDCM’s compression and processing capabilities, especially its codecs that optimise bandwidth and control costs while enhancing image quality. Using rate-

controlled variable bitrate compression for AVC and HEVC, it is already delivering cost savings through bandwidth optimisation on its OTT service.

On its direct-to-home (DTH) platform, Türk Telekom is using Synamedia’s latest statmux technology to optimise channel rates and take advantage of high service availability and redundancy support at the transport and service levels.

Ümit Barak, Broadcasting Systems Manager and Deputy General Manager of Technology at Türk Telekom, said: “We chose to partner with Synamedia because its solution ticked all of our boxes. Synamedia has demonstrable

leadership in compression and its technologies exceeded our availability and redundancy requirements for this critical infrastructure.

“We conducted extensive evaluations, including video quality benchmarking, and

we are now secure in the knowledge we have the most comprehensive solution on the market, giving us the scalability, versatility and best-in-class video quality to meet our future needs.”

Frank Van de Vyver, VP of Engineering, Video Network at Synamedia, commented: “By selecting our software-centric solutions, Türk Telekom is able to protect and manage its video workflows even at the massive scale needed to support its millions of subscribers. We look forward to working with Türk Telekom as it extends Synamedia processing across all its channels and reaps the benefits of using the latest compression technologies for this consolidation.”

Shahid partners with Paymob to enable VOD digital payment in Egypt

Shahid has signed a deal with Paymob, a major financial services enabler in MENA and Pakistan. The partnership enables Shahid customers in Egypt to pay for their subscriptions using electronic wallets processed via Paymob’s infrastructure. This agreement is reportedly an industry-first in Egypt. With the deal, Shahid – which previously only accepted credit card payments in Egypt – offers its subscribers e-wallet payment options. This API integration will enable Shahid subscribers to pay subscription fees securely

with any local e-wallet. With an estimated 25m e-wallet users in Egypt, the partnership with Paymob will expand Shahid’s potential customer base.

In Egypt, Paymob processes 87% of e-wallet

transaction volume and enables e-wallet users on its infrastructure railways.

Gillan Shaaban, Chief Commercial Officer at Paymob, said: “We are proud to be the first payments gateway to power

e-wallet payments for VOD subscriptions in Egypt. Our technology enables Shahid to lead the way in the industry, making SVOD more accessible to millions of people by expanding digital payments acceptance methods.”

Natasha MatosHemingway, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer (CCMO) at Shahid, added: “With Paymob’s expertise, we are confident that this partnership will enable us to provide more convenient and secure subscription options for Shahid.”

Frank Van de Vyver, VP of Engineering, Video Network at Synamedia.

From left: Natasha Matos-Hemingway of Shahid and Gillan Shaaban of Paymob.

MENA’s first digital native storytelling hub launches

MBC Media Solutions announces Shahid ad platform

Blinx, reportedly the first digital native storytelling hub in the MENA region, launched last month. The hub aims to elevate storytelling and offer new perspectives. It will target Gen Z and Millennials in the region and beyond. Headquartered in Dubai Media City, it will soon launch on multiple platforms, promising a “more story, less noise” approach by the youth and for the youth.

“Our purpose is to inspire the youth through honest, genuine and spectacular storytelling. By providing

news, entertainment and infotainment powered by the best tech and people available, we help build a better tomorrow,” said Nakhle Elhage, blinx GM. “Engaging the region's talented, bold and brave storytellers, our new digital hub aims to be the go-to destination for stories that connect young people in MENA to the world and like-minded communities.”

Blinx claims that it has the MENA region’s first metaverse/extended reality studios and production facilities, with visual effects

that transport viewers and users to places that surpass reality. Its control rooms in Dubai are equipped with the latest live production tools, including AI-enhanced tools that analyse videos and data. Apart from being on social media platforms and having an online portal, Blinx is expected to unveil its digital apps soon, bringing the live production experience into multiple smart devices and screens, offering personalised user experiences, and creating a holistic ondemand social ecosystem.

FOR-A strengthens Middle East presence with new appointment

FOR-A has appointed Roger Francis as a PreSales Support Engineer, based in its Dubai office. Francis has worked as a broadcast engineer for production companies and TV stations in the region, including MTV

Lebanon, 7Productions, Media Mania and Cubic Media, where he was responsible for numerous major live productions as well as designing and implementing key systems such as flyaway kits and outside broadcast trucks.

MBC Media Solutions (MMS) has launched its new self-serve platform, MMS Works, which will enable users to advertise on Shahid. Brands will be able to maximise their presence on Shahid AVOD easily and effectively. They will also be able to manage their own marketing campaigns on Shahid from start to finish, from choosing ad formats, target audience and target impressions to uploading ads, paying online and extracting campaign reports. Pause ads, native ads and in-stream ads are currently available for both display and video needs. In its second launch phase, the platform will expand its solutions and enhance its user experience, along with an Arabic interface. MMS said its new service arrives at a time when users typically spend three hours per session on Shahid during Ramadan, viewing an average of 10.2 ads. It will offer a welcome promo code to help kick-start its campaign on Shahid.

At the Blinx studio in Dubai Media City; and right, Nakhle Elhage, GM of the company.

Roger Francis is based in Dubai.

Intigral personalises OTT service with ThinkAnalytics

Intigral has selected ThinkAnalytics’s Think360 personalised content discovery and viewer engagement platform for its STC TV and Jawwy TV streaming services. It will enable Intigral to provide all the top entertainment to its users under one roof, as well as launch personalised user experiences that increase engagement on these services. In addition to launching personalised user experiences that increase engagement, Intigral’s entertainment

LBCI opts for Etere archive system

The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) has upgraded its archive system with Etere. Earlier this year, LBCI chose Etere as its preferred channel-in-a-box. After the rollout of a project, LBCI is back with another installation of Etere, this time to manage its archive. The project includes Etere HSM, Etere Media Asset Management, Etere Proxy Browsing, Etere Transcoding, Etere Broadcast Quality Player and Etere Subtitles for Closed Captions.

library will be aggregated with content from regional and international partners for a seamless experience across all devices in multiple languages. With a significant increase in stand-alone OTT video offerings, Intigral is looking to take advantage of its Master Aggregator business model to offer users an intuitive browsing and viewing experience, such as content discovery and personalised recommendations. ThinkAnalytics is offering a fully managed service running on AWS for Intigral, delivering personalised live TV, on-demand entertainment and sports content across multiple platforms and devices. Intigral will deploy the full suite of Think360 products available in the portfolio for both STC TV and Jawwy TV.

7awi Media Group and Rise Studios team up to produce original series

7awi Media Group has partnered with Rise Studios to produce an original 10-episode series, Madraset Banat Alyaum. The series, which follows three high school girls through their daily interactions, will be available on all 7awi social media platforms and will become a part of the library of social media videos of all shows.

Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation upgrades news studio with FOR-A

FOR-A has supplied an HVS-2000 3 M/E production switcher to the news studio of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC). As a result of this contract, the news studio now has the same switcher as the broadcaster’s three production studios, equipped in 2016. Following that, FOR-A delivered 15 flyaway kits including the HVS-100 switcher and ClassX graphics. Despite the old relationship, the requirement for the news studio was subject to an international tender, in which FOR-A succeeded by

offering a superior technical and commercial proposition.

Alnaser Albaba, Engineering GM at PBC, said: “The HVS-2000 switchers in

Amman International Film Festival invites submissions for 2023

Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) is now accepting films and projects for its fourth edition, scheduled for August 15-22. To qualify, films must have been released this year or last year and had their premiere in Jordan. Specific regulations apply to each category.

The AIFF dedicates its screens to firsttime directors, actors, screenwriters and editors, with four competitive categories that give distinctive awards – the Black Iris trophies – in addition to monetary awards to

all winners. As well as the four competitive sections, the festival will also host a special non-competitive section, Franco-Arab RendezVous, dedicated to French and Franco-Arab coproductions. Returning for the third year, it is organised in cooperation with the French Institute of Jordan. The Amman Film Industry Days (AFID) will take place on the sidelines of the festival, serving as the professional arm of the event.

Submissions for films and projects close on April 30.

our production studios have performed well over many years, and our operators are very comfortable with their layout and advanced

functionality. To be completely transparent we looked at all the suitable switchers on the market, and FOR-A was able to offer us the best deal for the best switcher.”

Mohammed Abu Ziyadeh, FOR-A Regional Manager for MEA, added: “We are really pleased to be able to continue our long working relationship with PBC. Despite the challenges they face, their facilities and operations are first-class and it is good that our switchers and other products sit at the heart of what they do.”

HOT commissions romantic drama from MoviePlus Productions

Banijay-owned production outfit MoviePlus Productions will produce new original series Corduroy for Israeli broadcaster HOT. Banijay acquired a majority stake in the company in November 2022. This series, created by Hadas Ben Aroya, turns a typical romance on its head by depicting a new generation of relationships through Danielle and Ido’s forbidden love.

Saudi Film Festival announces details of ninth edition

Saudi Film Festival (SFF), scheduled to take place May 4 to 11 at the Ithra Center, Dhahran, has announced that 698 participants will compete in five categories. SFF is organised by the Cinema Association in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), with the support

of the Film Commission of the Ministry of Culture. The festival will present 20 awards for film competitions, six awards for the unproduced script competition, and six grants for production market projects. In its ninth edition, the festival will honour renowned producer Saleh Al-Fawzan.

FOR-A supplied an HVS-2000 3 M/E production switcher to PBC.

CABSAT to take place next month, announces co-location with AV show

CABSAT 2023, the flagship event for the broadcast, satellite, content creation, production, distribution and digital media and entertainment industries, is set to attract more than 14,000 visitors, 340 exhibitors and 120 speakers, and have more than 120 countries represented, when it is held May 16-18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

With the Middle East media and entertainment market expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.79% from 2021 to 2026, the region remains one of the most appealing for the filmed content, broadcast and satellite industries. At present, it is rapidly transitioning from a content consumption market to a content creation hub. More regional productions are moving into the entertainment and distribution market, which is expected to be worth nearly $70bn by 2026.

The show will welcome back the Content Congress, which will celebrate and

engage with the creator economy, and the SATEXPO Summit, where leading industry experts can discuss how sustainable space exploitation can be spearheaded. Similarly, NextUp, which also returns, offers a platform for startup innovators in the media, entertainment and satellite industries, while NextGen Content features an exclusive

viewing area for the region’s biggest content buyers to witness the work of the region’s best content creators in innovative new formats. Another significant feature of the 2023 event is the co-location with Integrate Middle East, which is expected to become the major forum and sourcing platform for bringing together technology leaders

and integrated solution buyers in the pro-AV industry. The new event has already attracted industry leaders such as Epson, Provision AVL, Infiled and Christie who will be exhibiting and demonstrating their solutions, the organisers said. Abdulnassir Ali, Regional Sales Manager Visual Instruments and Professional Display, Epson Middle East, said: “The demand for pro display solutions is growing exponentially in the Middle East and Epson is proud to showcase our products, which have been deployed by some of the leading entertainment organisations in the region, during the first-ever edition of Integrate Middle East. From education and art galleries to digital signage and corporate events, our projectors are a smart and advanced

Snapshots from last year's show.

investment offering high quality, efficiency and reliability. Moreover, our sustainable solutions can help meet the ecocredentials of your business without compromising on the powerful and vivid images produced.”

Dubai-based AV devices and accessories distributor Provision AVL will also join the debut edition to showcase its solutions as one of the leading AV distribution companies in the Middle East. GM Kevin Boujikian commented: “The launch of Integrate Middle East creates a unique platform for the AV industry that is much needed in the region, and one that

everyone in the sector can benefit from. Provision AVL not only supplies worldrenowned AVL brands such as Chauvet Lighting, Prolyte, EXE Technology, Solid State Logic (SSL) and PMC Speakers, but uniquely focuses on two verticals, the recording studio market and the trussing/staging sectors, to meet the needs of an ever-growing market.”

“With our sales and distribution company based in Dubai, UAE, we are able to provide solutions to various entertainment and integration projects and applications around the GCC and MENA regions, and we look forward to presenting

these at the debut of the Integrate Middle East event.”

Seeing a consistent increase in demand for exhibition space after a successful CABSAT 2022, the need for positive and meaningful collaborations between integrators, consultants and technology buyers has been acknowledged through the co-location of Integrate Middle East. With market intelligence indicating that the global pro-AV market is thriving and set to reach $518.26bn by the end of 2027, more of these visitor groups are expected to attend the exhibition this year. Commenting on both

events, Riju George, Group Director, Exhibitions, DWTC, stated: “We are delighted to see CABSAT continuing to receive such positive feedback from the market. In addition to loyal partners gathered over an almost 30-year legacy, many new companies and startups from around the world will be participating in the upcoming edition of CABSAT. The co-location with the new launch of Integrate Middle East will increase the number of integrators and consultants attending and eager to meet faceto-face, creating a unique and unmissable synergy between both shows.”

KEEPING THEIR EYE ON THE BALL

Qatar's outstanding execution of the 2022 World Cup has forever raised the bar for future host countries, while beIN’s top-notch coverage captivated audiences across the world, resulting in a truly exceptional global spectacle. Israel Esteban, CTO at beIN Media Group, tells Vijaya Cherian about the tech strategy that went into producing and broadcasting the world event

Once you knew that the World Cup was going to take place in Qatar and beIN was to be the exclusive rights holder for MENA and France, how long did it take to get the tech preparations done?

Firstly, let me start by saying that it was a huge privilege to have been part of such an historic event and to have had the opportunity to showcase the expertise and talent of my colleagues at beIN in broadcasting to millions of fans, the beautiful game hosted for the first time in the Middle East and on our home turf in Qatar -- something we are all immensely proud of.

So to your question, how long have we been working on this? I guess you could say we’ve been working on it since the award to host the World Cup was announced back in 2010, but more specifically we became focused two years before kick-off on November 20, 2022.

I’m sure you had a long list of challenges.

Yes, our biggest focus was to make sure this tournament was covered in a manner that was unrivalled by any other. Firstly, we had to ensure we delivered the highest picture and sound quality to the widest audience in the most innovative way, across many platforms and so many different countries. But it was also extra important that we had the most resilient and redundant back-ups in place for all systems.

The eyes of the world would be on us, so we couldn’t afford even the smallest outage at any stage of the process. A lot of effort and planning went into our approach to disaster recovery, which included the deployment of fully redundant solutions for all main services and systems – broadcast and production systems, but also our business and subscriber management systems. We had to guarantee geographical redundancy as well. Some of these back-ups were deployed outside of Qatar, in countries like the UK, France, Spain and Turkey. We also

made sure the distribution channels were fully redundant – for example, adding four dedicated KU-band satellite transponders for the duration of the tournament, leaving nothing to chance.

The other key challenge was to ensure the expected interest and huge demand by subscribers, existing and new, to sign up for our World Cup coverage could be accommodated by scaling the capacity and throughput of all systems to unprecedented levels.

Another key challenge was to make sure we deployed the latest state-of-the-art antipiracy technologies and resources available to minimise the illegal and very damaging effects of piracy. It’s a great privilege to be the exclusive rights holder for such a prestigious event, so safeguarding it was our highest priority. I can’t stress how important protecting our rights is to our bottom line.

After all that was in place, our focus was targeted to ensuring we delivered the most comprehensive coverage of any tournament in beIN’s history. We were extremely proud of the immense effort and creativity that went into the coverage of the whole tournament both on and off the pitch. We had up to nine studios in production on any given day, and invested huge effort and care to ensure that Qatar took centre stage and was the backdrop to the entire production. To achieve this, we set up studio and presentation positions all across the country, reliably linked back to main HQ via IP and redundant fibre routes.

The final challenge was to make sure our audiences were served on every platform imaginable. It was really important to us that in addition to the main DTH linear broadcast channel, we also delivered a full 360 World Cup experience inside and outside the stadium to a global audience across our websites, apps and social media channels. And this was a huge success – in MENA alone, we recorded 1.1bn views on our official social media channels, not to mention the 5.4bn cumulative views throughout the month-long tournament on our flagship channels beIN Sports.

Could you elaborate on what these preparations entailed in terms of standards, formats (4K, IP), human resources, getting other local broadcasters involved, etc?

We delivered a total of nine channels in four different languages (Arabic, English, French and Spanish) dedicated to the World Cup in MENA, another two for France, and developed licensing agreements with other broadcasters in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

We delivered HD and 4K UHD signals with Dolby Atmos to our viewers across both our DTH and OTT platforms. This includes the TOD streaming platform that we launched at the start of 2022. In an ever-increasing mobile and remote world, and with the growing appetite to view content anywhere and on any device, providing our subscribers with on-demand/ streaming services has become an important strategy to attract an ever-growing legion of viewers.

In addition, we were determined to share the World

Cup story with as many people as possible globally and to showcase Qatar and the incredible atmosphere surrounding the tournament in the

region. For that, we worked collectively with all our Group’s entities and countries to create content and stories non-dependent on rights, so they could be broadcast across all our territories.

One other initiative worth mentioning, as part of our commitment to make the tournament accessible to everyone, is that we supported distributing beIN Sports channels across all 37 Qatar rail metro stations, which hosted more than 18m passengers across the tournament.

BeIN had more than 20 state-of-the-art studios positioned around the country, offering 18 hours of daily live coverage across each of its eight channels in four languages.

“In MENA alone, we recorded 1.1bn views on our official social media channels, not to mention the 5.4bn cumulative views throughout the ... tournament on our flagship channels”

Israel Esteban, CTO, beIN Media Group

The coveted World Cup trophy.

Did you need to get in any consultants or World Cup veterans to help on any front in terms of meeting certain specs and standards set out by the World Cup body? Did any specific solutions or vendors particularly help make this phase easier? No, this was the fourth World Cup beIN Sports was covering, in addition to many other FIFA competitions and world-class tournaments, so we are extremely well versed in what’s required and have the confidence that we are

On the day, were there any challenges you did not anticipate? We did our very best not to leave anything to chance and avoid as many surprises as possible, but obviously when you are undergoing an operation

of this scale and importance, you need to be on top of every detail and be able and capable to respond immediately to any unexpected challenge or required change that might come up. And the scale of our coverage was simply impressive. Our 120 analysts, presenters and reporters, ably supported by more than a thousand staff in Qatar and around the world, created and curated more than 7,500 hours of content over 29 days. On paper it was daunting, but when we finally put all our planning

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CTO Israel Esteban says 7,500 hours of content were created over 29 days by the broadcaster during the World Cup.

into practice, it was an incredible experience. Just on day one of the tournament, we had more than 540 individual DTLs/live stand-ups booked (just for the first day) for all our productions across Arabic, English and French studios. Those are levels none of us could ever have imagined. Just to put this into perspective, this is probably more than 30 times what we would usually do for a large tournament.

What are some of your biggest tech takeaways from

broadcasting such a show? If you had the chance to do it again, what would you do differently? It’s difficult to think of things we might have done differently because the event was such a success on all fronts, although there is always room for improvement. But I guess the greatest technical takeaway is that for such massive events, every effort on planning and securing the technology to support all areas of our business and operations is needed, and totally worth it. This ensures that throughout the event, you can have a smooth operation and still be able to cope with any last-minute challenge requirements that inevitably will always happen at such live operations scale. My biggest personal takeaway is probably the enormous pride I felt that beIN was central in sharing the story of the World Cup with our audiences far and wide. We pushed ourselves to new heights and succeeded in making good the promise we made before the tournament: that we would deliver the best coverage in beIN’s history. In addition, we also helped showcase the beauty and culture of Qatar and the Arab world.

“We continually push ourselves to raise the bar with every new event and are already planning what new immersive technologies and innovations we’ll bring to the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico in 2026”

Israel Esteban, CTO, beIN Media Group

BeIN's ultra-modern HQ in Doha.

BeIN's purpose-built studios were in operation across the host stadiums and at strategic locations overlooking some of Qatar’s most iconic landmarks.

BLITZ STRATEGY: PLAYING TO WIN

Just a few days into Ramadan, you have one of the most soughtafter sports assets on your platform. Can you elaborate on why the IPL deal is important?

This is our first year carrying the Indian Premier League (IPL), and we are really excited by it. Our journey with cricket started about a year ago. We've carried the Asia Cup, the T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Super League and we’ve also been carrying all of the India and Pakistan home series. So the only major event or tournament we were missing was the IPL, and now we have it.

It’s been a very competitive process, but we felt it was important for us to secure the IPL for several reasons. For one, the Indian diaspora in the UAE is a sizeable audience and most of them love cricket. And on top of that, the relevance and importance of the IPL has expanded beyond the South Asian expat base. Before, it used to only attract audiences across the subcontinent like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, but it has now become a relevant product for even expatriates from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. We were carrying all the other major cricket events, so the IPL sort of completes that circle.

This is running on multiple partner platforms such as Elife and Switch TV alongside StarzPlay. Given e& is a StarzPlay shareholder, are you concerned about product cannibalisation? How have you tried to differentiate your offering from theirs? I think it’s about giving customers more choice. If the customer would like to see it as part of their existing eLife subscription and they don't have a separate cricket package, then they may want to just watch it as part of that package. But if they are a sports buff and would like access to other sporting events as well, such as rugby, football, UFC, etc, then StarzPlay offers an expanded offering. It's more about offering choices to the consumer, and it's a good thing they are not forced to rely on one provider. For us there will be some overlap, but it would also give us more reach.

We also have some special differentiators. On top of the IPL feeds, we will be adding scores and analysis updates within our app, as well as linking that dynamically to our social media for engaging with our viewers. Essentially, we will have real-time updates on social

Over the last year, StarzPlay has beefed up its sports assets. The most recent addition is the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. In an exclusive interview with Vijaya Cherian , Maaz Sheikh, CEO and co-founder of StarzPlay, discloses why the streamer has gone after sports content and the value it brings to the platform

media. We’re using an AI-driven software solution that we have licensed for this. It takes the real-time scores and puts it on social media, but it also does some predictive scoring, and I think we can have some fun with that on social media with our fans.

We also have an EPG, where someone who logged in late into a game can simply rewind, say 20 minutes back, and start watching. Or if they're coming the following day and have missed the previous day, the matches will be available on demand for the entire tournament.

What is the subscription fee for StarzPlay’s cricket package?

Existing cricket subscribers do not pay anything, as it’s part of their package. For new subscribers, it’s AED 25 ($6.79) for a month.

What are some important trends you have noticed with sports subscribers?

On StarzPlay, over 60% of consumption happens on big screens. If you are a cricket fan, you can appreciate how small the ball is and how quickly it moves, so people probably want to watch that on a big screen. StarzPlay offers that feature.

It’s Ramadan and you already have a lot of new additions to your content. This could just see your subscriptions shoot up, I presume? We are expecting a similar spike to what we had when we announced the Asia Cup. Anyone who watched the Asia Cup with us is likely to come back for this. From our previous experience, two days leading up to the event is when most of the sign-ups happen. In the week leading up to the events, we usually see a 10x increase in sign-ins. Then two or three days leading up to the event, that volume peaks.

Evision, the media and entertainment arm of e& life, has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights for the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. The IPL will run from March 31 to May 28, 2023 on CricLife1, which will be available on eLife, Switch TV and StarzPlay.

The IPL is a men's T20 franchise cricket league founded in 2007 and the most attended cricket

league in the world. It is annually contested by ten teams based in seven cities and three states. The top four teams will compete in the play-offs, with the final taking place on 28 May.

All 74 matches are available on the StarzPlay app, alongside year-round cricket including ICC events, major T20 tournaments, tests, ODIs and the

T20I series, including all India and Pakistan home matches.

StarzPlay Sports is also home to premium international and regional tournaments such as Serie A, the Dutch Eredivisie, the UFC, All Elite Wrestling, EuroLeague and EuroCup basketball, World Championship Boxing and NBA League Pass.

There are two types of peaks. One is the total number of sign-ups, which we have to be ready to handle technically, because sometimes there are limitations on how quickly credit cards can be processed. So on the one hand, we need to be able to handle the total number of sign-ups. Secondly, leading up to the start of the first match, there’s a window of maybe two or three hours when everyone is trying to sign up. And so our systems really have to be ready for that three- to fourhour peak when concurrent sign-ups take place. And sometimes we have to handle thousands of concurrent sign-ups in the three-minute window leading up to the match. And that’s where the technical challenge comes, in making sure that those concurrent thousands of users that are trying to sign up for the service are all able to get in and do not get any errors.

We know that sports is a very different animal from other entertainment content. Could

“Our mantra here in the company now is “You come for sports and you stay for entertainment”. That’s what we are trying to do”

Maaz Sheikh, CEO and co-founder, StarzPlay

TATA IPL League available on eLife, Switch TV and StarzPlay

you explain some fundamental business differences?

Sports is a very different business from entertainment, especially from a marketing and awareness point of view. With sports assets, you don’t have to build awareness about the product. They already have a fan base. So unlike our horror original Khaboos, for instance, which we marketed two months before launch to create awareness about it, sport has greater global visibility. As everyone knows about it, marketing it is a lot more efficient. What we have to make sure, though, is that when people search for IPL, for instance, we come up on Google search and we are very visible on social media.

From that point of view, the acquisition cost of a sports customer is far lower than that of an entertainment customer. And therefore, a sports asset is a plus. But this audience is very event-driven, which means we must work really hard to retain them for entertainment. Our mantra here in the company now is “You come for sports and you stay for entertainment”. That’s what we are trying to do – to bring them in with a sports event and hopefully they will stay to watch the entertainment too.

On the tech side, what does the addition of sports assets entail and how is it different?

We have had a whole year and a half to build on our experience based on the previous cricket events we have streamed. We've optimised our technology since then to ensure

an awesome experience for our customers. But again, the technology is utilised very differently because shows can be watched at different times, but live sports events are usually watched at the same time. This concurrency demands a different architecture, and our infrastructure has had to scale to accommodate thousands of concurrent users on the same feed. That was new for us, but we've gradually built that up to a good level. Our first major sporting event where we saw over 20,000 concurrent

users was the World Cup qualifiers. So overall, it appears to be a very different business from entertainment. But the biggest advantage we have had is that it has allowed us to reach a completely different audience. One of the other challenges we have in this part of the world is that the audience is very fragmented and their interests are diverse. There are a few Hollywood shows perhaps that travel across all these segments. So you really need to develop a product for each of these segments if you're going to build scale. That’s what we have done. We started with Hollywood then expanded into anime, Turkish programmes, then Arabic, and gradually sports with the UFC, cricket, football, NBA and so on. And each time we add a new segment to our portfolio, we are able to draw in a new set of audience that we previously did not have.

At the MGX virtual production studio, powered by Disguise, in Turkey.

BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO ADVERTISING

Istanbul-based MGX Studio used virtual production to create ‘Strepsils Defence’, a TV commercial advertising lozenges to a national audience. BroadcastPro ME speaks to Project Manager Mete Mümtaz to learn how the ad was made in just three weeks

Advertising always calls for fresh ideas and innovation, but when working with a world-famous brand that’s been around for 65 years, your thinking needs to be on a whole new level. That was the case when MGX Studio began work on a new commercial for Strepsils, throat lozenges manufactured by Reckitt. To breathe new life into a classic brand and showcase the benefits of its product, the MGX team decided to shoot the entire commercial in its state-of-the-art virtual production studio powered by Disguise, reportedly the only one of its kind in the country.

Created for the Turkish market, the ‘Strepsils Defence’ ad tells two stories, one of a young man on a subway and the other of a young woman at a birthday party. Both are anxious about their health in these crowded environments, until a Strepsil relieves them of their worries. Traditionally, to make such a concept a reality MGX would need to shoot at two separate locations, each with its own cast acting in busy public spaces.

“Capturing the whole commercial in real locations would have increased the number of shooting days and required

extensive night shots,” says MGX Studio’s Mete Mümtaz, Project Manager on the commercial. “From early on, we aimed to use virtual production instead. With it, we would be able to shoot in just one day, avoid nights and prevent the team from working long hours.”

Luckily, both Reckitt and ad agency Havas Istanbul recognised the advantages of the virtual production workflow. Before long, MGX was given the green light.

To bring the commercial to life, the MGX team began by taking two weeks to pre-plan the production. This involved working with director Senem Bay and DP Arınç Arısoy to create mood boards and storyboards for each sequence. After consulting with the Strepsils brand, Murphy Cobb & Associates global production management services, Havas Istanbul and Istanbul production company Shortcut, the MGX Studio team then built two physical sets with foreground elements and LED backdrops: a subway and a party scene.

For the subway set, the team first built the physical foreground elements, including real-world seating, handrails and a subway car. Next, MGX’s in-

Image: MGX.

house artists used Unreal Engine to create a moving tunnel backdrop displayed on a flat Unilumin LED during the shoot. Meanwhile, for the party scene, the team built another physical set featuring a kitchen island backed by a 9600 x 1536-pixel curved Unilumin LED screen and LED ceiling. A photoreal 3D glasshouse or solarium environment was created by MGX’s team of in-house artists, using Unreal Engine. This was then displayed as the party scene’s backdrop.

For both the subway and the party, all backgrounds were fed into the LED screens in real time with the help of four disguise vx 1 and vx 2 media servers linked to four rx render nodes. Together with Mo-Sys StarTracker camera tracking technology, that

meant the team could edit the colour of the backdrops, change the weather or control the time of day in just a few clicks.

“Thanks to the disguise LED studio, we were able to present personalised final results to Reckitt,” says Mümtaz. “It’s one of the biggest advantages of virtual production technology. We can change the scene or modify backdrops based on what the director or brand wants during the project and see the results in real time on the LED screen. In the subway scene, for instance, we could change the speed, brightness and even the radius of the tunnel lights on the LED screen within minutes. That meant we saw all our options and were able to get the perfect shot every time.”

The LED workflow also helped MGX maintain a reduced carbon footprint, increasingly a priority for the studio. “At MGX Studio we pay great attention to important issues such as carbon footprint and energy consumption, and we keep this at the forefront when

“It was the perfect demonstration of the kind of immersion that virtual production is able to achieve”

Mete Mümtaz, Project Manager, MGX Studio

For the party scene, the team built a physical set featuring a kitchen island backed by a 9600 x 1536-pixel curved Unilumin LED screen and LED ceiling.

For the subway set, the team first built the physical foreground elements, including realworld seating, handrails and a subway car.

Image: MGX.

Image: MGX.

talking about the advantages of technology,” Mümtaz says. “When we compare the amount of electricity we typically use during a month of traditional shooting versus even the most extensive virtual productions, statistically I can say we use three times less electricity doing virtual production.”

Around three weeks after getting the go-ahead, the Strepsils commercial was complete and was regularly broadcast live across Turkish television channels. “This project was special to us because of the advantages and comfort that virtual production allowed,” says Mümtaz. “It was Shortcut’s first experience working with virtual production, so it was great that everything went as planned. Thanks to the LED technology, the result was so realistic that the on-set team and actors felt as if they were

attending the party and packed into the subway themselves. It was the perfect demonstration of the kind of immersion that virtual production is able to achieve.”

For Mümtaz, this commercial is one of the many achievements that show how virtual production technology is more in demand than ever before throughout Turkey. Over the course of two years, the MGX Studio team has already worked on 25 advertising, music video, television and movie projects with the technology, and he expects this

to increase on both a global and local level in the coming years.

“We are proud to be the first and only virtual production studio in Turkey,” he concludes. “We were able to introduce the technology and its advantages to both the region and our country in the best and most effective way. This created a curiosity and demand for technology and our studio, and I can say that these demands are increasing day by day.”

Image: MGX.

MONITORING SOLUTIONS TRANSITION TO ACTIVE MODE

The monitoring landscape within broadcast and OTT has been redefined to not just manage compliance and technical monitoring anymore, but to also accommodate post-broadcast requirements in one platform, says Mark Barkey

The landscape of compliance and monitoring solutions has evolved dramatically, and customers are now looking for a solution that takes a customer-centric approach rather than a product-centric one.

Traditionally, a compliance and monitoring solution has often been, and still often is, limited to complying with the media regulatory authorities’ requirements for recording, loudness, SCTE and closed caption/subtitles monitoring, as well as providing technical alerts on audio, video and metadata issues. A mandatory recording and monitoring solution can benefit customers by providing additional workflows and integrations. It should not only serve the engineering department but become a cross-organisation platform that for example helps the digital media team find an effective workflow for content re-purposing to social, or helps the ads sales teams to increase revenues, or helps track content piracy.

Your monitoring solution to strengthen your brand

How quickly your content is published to your social and OTT is key to strengthening your brand and increasing viewer engagement. Broadcasters prefer not to use legacy

editing systems or different MAM systems, which are complex solutions because they are expensive and require professional video editors and powerful workstations.

Innovative monitoring solutions include an advanced editing workflow for creating and publishing clips to new media, providing a simple interface and making more high-rated clips quickly, anytime from anywhere, and cost-effectively. When talking about social media, one of the major factors is the speed with which content is posted, often measured in seconds. This benefits from the fact that the video is already being recorded. Another advantage of having this workflow integrated with the recording system is using compliance metadata like As Run, EPG and CC/subtitles for clip automation and advanced searching. One example of an efficient use case that can be part of the compliance solution is a complete workflow for creating a VOD library automatically: ingesting video and audio, removing all ads and creating clean programs exported directly to the VOD library.

OTT quality monitoring becomes top priority

More and more broadcasters are expanding their distribution into OTT. While traditional broadcasters require a compliance

solution to comply with regulatory authorities’ requirements, OTT monitoring is a must regardless of any mandatory requirements. Content owners have no visibility on the quality of experience (QoE) they provide their viewers, who have minimum tolerance for audio and video issues and can easily find competitive services. The QoE is crucial for business success.

With OTT, one difference is that video is distributed through different CDNs in multiple renditions. OTT service providers need a control centre to monitor all renditions within variable bitrate streams that provide QoE and QoS assessment, transport stream statistics, current and historical evaluations, alarm status, SCTE

event tracking (showing actual SCTE message detail) and a list of ad-insert opportunities with alert notifications.

One problem the industry indicates regarding OTT monitoring options is the overflow of information on their OTT streams rather than focusing only on the significant ones. Central monitoring should allow operators to monitor the performance and technical aspects of the HLS stream through a rich dashboard, evaluate quality at the HTTP, manifest and content levels, and provide alerts on issues that genuinely impact the viewer experience without overloading the engineers with details that do not impact quality.

Automatic metadata generation, AI and automation

Metadata is key to searching and reusing content. AI and ML technologies are constantly developing, and their integration allows automatic metadata generation and automation. By using AI, the audio and video can be analysed from both technical and content perspectives.

When the number of TV, radio and internet channels increases, more content must be analysed and searched. Until recently this was done manually, which was inefficient, time-consuming, inaccurate and slow. By using speech to text and translation AI, users can receive keyword alerts on relevant topics, allowing fast response and awareness, or handle content sharing and repurposing immediately. Moreover, integrating AI with the advanced clipping workflow allows the relevant content to be automatically distributed and shared. This is one example out of many of using AI for automation.

How can your monitoring solution increase revenues?

Advanced fingerprinting technology allows tracking of any content, like movies or aired ads. The implementation of this technology is endless. For example, while a broadcaster can track ads based on the playout As Run files, this is impossible for competitive channels.

Automatic content detection can do this instead, showing whether competitive channels gain more ad airtime, meaning higher revenues. Moreover, it will detect ads aired only on competitive channels. This information is critical for analysing ad revenue and competitive analysis. Another example is using fingerprinting technology for anti-piracy purposes and detecting unauthorised aired content that will result in revenue loss.

Cloud versus on-premise and monitoring solutions – the trend is changing

Monitoring solutions, mainly for regulatory purposes and technical alerts, are mostly being used as an on-premise solution, though other solutions like MAM and playout are moving to the cloud. The reason is the unavailability of the feeds in the cloud, as well as the fact that processing power is still a costly cloud resource as we talk about 24x7 recording. With the transition to IP and having content available in different streaming formats like SRT and HLS, together with better pricing for cloud resources and implementation of cloud-based optimisation technologies, the number of VM and cloud-based installations is increasing. OTT monitoring is a classic cloud-based service.

Mark Barkey is Director of Sales, Middle East, Actus Digital.

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DFT to exhibit 8K film scanner and Smart Motion WetGate at NAB

DFT will be showing its newest 8K film scanner, DFT Polar HQ, alongside its brand-new Smart Motion WetGate at NAB Show, April 15-19. The former will demonstrate 35mm and 16mm film scanning capability into a high-quality 8K or Super 4K deliverable. DFT will unveil a prototype version of the latter, developed for DFT Polar HQ and planned for release in Q3 2023.

DFT Polar HQ, developed specifically for film archives, scans up to 9.3K resolution in native RGB. It has a modular

design which can flex and grow as user needs and technology change over time. Since its launch in September 2022, DFT has already delivered three scanners to an archive customer, with the new scanners connected to the archive’s central WetGate System, which currently serves three Scanity film scanners in its daily operations.

The new DFT Polar HQ complements DFT’s established range of film scanners, suitable for a wide range of uses:

EditShare technologies to boost connectivity and workflow

EditShare will debut its latest productivity and creativity enhancements at NAB Show, April 15-19. Its workflow solutions are driven by its EFS storage and FLOW media management, combined in FLEX for fast cloud implementations. By integrating storage onpremises, at multiple locations and in the cloud, connectivity is at the heart of the workflow and serves multiple market verticals and applications in broadcast, production, post, education, sports, news, corporate/enterprise and houses of worship.

Swift Sync gives users a way to share media across different EFS systems in the cloud, on-prem or in between. Users can select all or some of their media spaces in any location and bring it into their workspace, whether they are in a facility, working at a remote location or using cloud editing via a desktop emulator. FLOW provides

support for multiple streams of multiple codecs. In addition, the latest EFS release delivers as much as 60% increase in throughput for certain codecs/ configurations from the previous hardware/software. Editors use the tools of their choice because FLOW and FLEX integrate with software from

Adobe, Avid, BlackMagic and others without having to change screens. Collaborative teams can connect with each other using EditShare’s Universal Projects technology, providing a seamless means of exchanging projects between postproduction users and platforms. EditShare’s advanced set

the flagship Scanity HDR, the large format OXScan 14K, and Sondor Versa with Resonances for film audio capture.

DFT counts major archives and post-production facilities worldwide among its customers. A partial list of this customers includes the British Film Institute, the United States Library of Congress, Fotokem, Spectra Film and Video, the National Film Board of Canada, and the Packard Humanities Institute.

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of open APIs means it’s easy to integrate tools from partner companies and third-party vendors, whether that is capture software from Cinedeck, workflow orchestration from Helmut, cloud hosting from AWS, AI capabilities from Audimus and Mobius, or NRCS systems, many of which will be demonstrated at the show.

To ensure that mission-critical content flows like channel playout or fast turnaround editing are never compromised, users can now manage storage access bandwidth to guarantee the quality of service for each workstation, user or group with EditShare’s new Swift Control. The latest release also moves to streamline and simplify still further the new web user interface in FLOW, and to make FLEX Cloud Edit+ easier to deploy through intuitive user interfaces without the need for cloud specialists.

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Newsbridge offers new AI and cloud solutions

Newsbridge will showcase its new AI- and cloud-based solutions for media asset indexing and archiving at NAB.

Newsbridge's AI technology for media asset indexing offers new levels of precision, speed and scalability and enables users to index vast amounts of content in record time. It will introduce a new AI detection feature to its existing capabilities (people, logos, objects, patterns, speech, scenes). The new location-based search feature will enable producers,

Quicklink gets Cre8ive with AI

journalists and media managers to pull up the exact shots they need in less than two seconds.

Newsbridge’s Cloud Media Hub solution will be at the heart of the company’s tech demos at the show. Offering scalability, it enables broadcasters and sports rights holders to centralise, auto-index and work with media assets in the cloud without changing their existing ecosystem.

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Quicklink will demo the AI-enabled STS410 & Cre8, a next-gen video production platform available on-prem or in the cloud, incorporating NVIDIA AI technology.

The STS410 combines all the tools required to create professional productions. Cre8 helps engage with the audience and grow the community. Using NVIDIA Maxine, it includes NVIDIA’s AI and machine learning technology to increase production quality and improve

Evertz improves audio with Studer enhancements

With Studer Audio celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Evertz will use NAB to highlight the importance of enhanced audio in helping content creators produce more engaging live content.

Since acquiring Studer in 2021, it has focused on integrating the brand’s technology into its own live production workflows. This has resulted in major technological advances, with Studer Vista digital mixing consoles now supporting ST 2110, making them important additions to Evertz’s range of softwaredefined video networking (SDVN) solutions leading the industry’s transition to IP.

Evertz will introduce the Video PFL (Pre-Fade-Listen), a new feature for the Studer Vista console range that gives engineers enhanced capabilities, especially when working in a

live environment. Maximising the power of Evertz’ Magnum OS orchestration, monitoring and analysis software, Video PFL lets the audio operator select an input to pre-fade while

productivity by applying AIpowered filters to sources.

Cre8 helps capture and introduce an unlimited number of sources. One can apply AIpowered filters directly within the Cre8 interface, including auto framing, video noise removal, noise and echo cancellation, and eye contact simulation – this ensures guests are always looking directly at the camera, even when looking away or reading notes.

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listening to the audio and seeing the accompanying video for that channel on the multiviewer in the audio control room.

The Studer Vista range includes an expanded Vista control using the Evertz VUE Intelligent User Interface. Now offering over 2000 bidirectional controls, the combination of Vista and VUE has created a tool for remote productions.

In addition, Evertz has also brought the power of Studer Vista to its DreamCatcher Bravo Studio virtual production control suite, with the introduction of Vista BRAVO.

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Telestream to debut PRISM MPP at NAB

Telestream is introducing PRISM MPP, a new line of multi-format rasterisers purpose-built for post-production and remote workflows. The three new models, MPP 100, MPP 200 and MPP 300, extend the PRISM family of software-defined monitoring instruments to address post-production users requiring high-end production video formats like 12-bit RGB for 4K/UHD applications in both SDI and IP.

These instruments include measurement tools for colourists with HDR requirements, a complete set of QC tools for objective evaluation of highend video and audio content, and a remotely accessible user interface. Purpose-built for post-production, they’re

support a wide range of formats, provide new functionality designed to make colour gamut assessment and compliance easier than ever, and offer loop-through for reference monitors and analogue audio out for edit suite configurations.

The MPP models support local, remote and post-production applications up to 8K. They enable colour grading in SDR and HDR formats including wide-colour gamut, surround sound audio production up to 7.1.4, high-end post-production video formats including 4:4:4 and 12-bit RGB for 4k/UHD applications, dual

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display support, and all the operational SDI monitoring and outstanding IP analysis the PRISM family is known for.

The MPP software also includes a feature that makes it powerful for post-production colourists. Telestream has been offering the ability to apply a false colour overlay to the picture display, to indicate areas of an image outside a specified colour gamut. With the new software being released as part of the MPP instruments, it is now possible to determine how far from the Rec709 or DCI-P3 boundaries an out-

of-gamut colour is. The picture display is monochromatic for all colours within the gamut; the false colour overlay indicates colours that are near, but beyond, the Rec.709 or DCI-P3 boundary in one colour, and those close to the Rec-2020 boundary in another. Colourists can adjust the necessary colours until the highlights are eliminated, with the peace of mind to be confident that their entire image is compliant to the desired colour space.

The MPP line provides a ‘no penalty’ software upgrade path to add additional features as new developments take place. The PRISM MPP line is planned for worldwide availability in spring 2023.

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Barix introduces Reflector EVO cloud transport service

IP audio major Barix comes to NAB with Reflector EVO, its next-generation cloud service for audio contribution and distribution. Reflector EVO improves on the original Reflector service introduced in 2010 by adding guaranteed absolute audio delay, improved stream redundancy, browserbased confidence monitoring and OPUS audio support. Barix will also introduce a new broadcast-specific hardware codec at NAB to pair with the Reflector EVO service.

As with the original service, StreamGuys will provide virtual cloud hosting and 24/7 back-end support, providing broadcasters with an accessible service for unidirectional

STL connections, syndicated programme distribution and stream replication for rebroadcasts, retransmissions and other audio services. The result is a reliable, scalable and affordable alternative to satellite contribution and distribution, with best-of-class service hosting and technical support.

Ateme offers solution for sustainable streaming

Ateme will launch its end-toend audience-aware streaming solution to enable service providers to deliver more sustainable streaming. The combination of audience-aware encoding and audience-aware elastic CDN results in a tool for optimising resources to reduce energy consumption, and addresses two key concerns of the streaming industry: optimising quality of experience and minimising carbon emissions. Taking a global, end-to-end view of the streaming workflow,

the solution creates a feedback loop between the CDN and the encoders. Instead of locking wasteful power consumption into the streaming pipeline by creating the same set of numerous profiles for every type of content, the solution dynamically connects the CDN data with the encoder to adapt to viewing requirements and optimise the profiles, thereby reducing bitrate, saving resources and lowering total cost of ownership.

Stand W216-W218

Reflector was introduced 13 years ago, making it simple for broadcasters to connect an encoder and decoder over the public internet to move high-quality audio. It removed the network configuration challenges of fixed IP address and firewalls and brought tedious negotiations with

network administrators and ISPs to a halt.

OPUS audio is among those new features, giving broadcasters a high-quality, bandwidth-efficient alternative to the uncompressed PCM streaming and other compressed audio codecs that Barix continues to support in Reflector EVO. Barix also enables fixed end-to-end audio delay for the first time. Customers can manually configure encoding quality and desired audio delay (3-30 seconds) of the receiving decoder, with seamless communication between each device from any global location.

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Calrec to debut audio mixing control platform

Calrec’s Argo audio mixing control platform will be making its debut at NAB, with both the Argo Q and Argo S on show.

Argo is fully modular, with interchangeable hardware panels and Calrec’s time-served Assist UI at its core. Its modular panel system encourages broadcasters to adapt surface hardware to meet their requirements, with two mid-level rows of interchangeable panels on the larger Argo Q model and one mid-level row on the compact Argo S model.

Calrec has also introduced a comprehensive system of user templates to instantly change the hardware user interface to

meet changing requirements or user preferences. Argo’s physical control surface is also more streamlined, using optically bonded touchscreens to provide visual feedback and speed of access. Argo’s panels are also interchangeable and can be placed wherever they are needed.

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GatesAir expands outdoor transmitter series for VHF TV and DAB radio broadcasters

After unveiling its Maxiva PMTX-1 outdoor transmitter series for UHF broadcasters, GatesAir has now taken its innovation to VHF TV and DAB radio broadcasters, providing more customers with a versatile transmitter series built for challenging coverage areas and unusual install points.

As with its UHF predecessor, the Maxiva PMTX-1 integrates a low-power transmitter or transposer/translator to support a diverse array of VHF and DAB use cases, from filling coverage gaps to delivering focused broadcast content as a spot transmitter. Its rugged, telecom-grade enclosure makes the PMTX-1 impervious to weather elements, with adaptability to any climate or outdoor environment thanks to its sealed protective shell. The VHF

version covers channels 7-13 and is mainly marketed for use in North America and Asia-Pacific. In mixed-spectrum networks, broadcasters can take in a UHF signal and translate it to a VHF output, for example. The DAB version is viable for countries that have adopted

DAB/DAB+ as the digital radio standard in regions outside North America, with especially strong business opportunities in Europe and Asia-Pacific. In Europe, the PMTX-1 simplifies DAB broadcast service for tunnels, complex terrain that limits coverage, and areas shadowed by buildings and other obstacles.

In addition to pole-mount configurations, the PMTX-1 also mounts securely to building structures and traditional broadcast towers, providing broadcasters and network operators with seemingly endless outdoor installation scenarios. That makes it ideal for single-frequency network (SFN) configurations where multiple transmitters operate on the same frequency to maximise signal

NetOn.Live announces newest version of LiveOS production platform

At NAB, NetOn.Live, a major provider of live and remote IP production solutions, is showcasing the latest version of its LiveOS production platform for live IP-based media production.

It allows organisations to design, configure and quickly spin up multiple concurrent productions, such as drama, sports, news and entertainment, and can support any type of production, from a single recording studio to a multistudio facility with enterprise broadcast infrastructure.

Powerful and flexible, LiveOS enables organisations to intelligently harness private cloud production power between multiple simultaneous

productions and locations. It is a video-over-IP solution that leverages the advantages of SMPTE 2110 while providing

seamless switching in the IP switch without delays. Running on COTS (commercial off-theshelf) hardware, it is a new,

penetration. The PMTX-1 is also available for analogue TV networks (100W), with a field-upgradeable path to DTV (50W for ATSC, DVB-T, DVB-T2 and ISDB-Tb).

The PMTX-1 VHF and DAB version is almost identical to the UHF version in design characteristics and componentry, with the mask filter and power amplifier as the only exceptions. The PMTX-1’s optional RF receiver input supports flexible options for translator and transposer configurations and reliably regenerates content for very targeted coverage areas at low power levels. Broadcasters can add optional inputs to support DVB-S/S2 receivers and IP transport streams, and accept broadcast content and data from alternate sources.

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cost-effective approach to equipping production facilities for any type of program at the highest quality.

LiveOS allows organisations to perform comprehensive productions in a softwareonly IP world. External panels like video switchers, audio mixers, SloMo controllers and more can be easily added to the system if operators prefer tactile interfaces, and its flexibility allows services and capabilities to be added at any time. Organisations benefit from a more predictable and transparent Opex with shorter and lighter IT investment cycles.

Booth C1812

There’s been a lot of buzz around FAST – free, ad-supported streaming television. But why has it become such a hot topic in recent times? For an innovation to really take off, it needs two things: the enabler – the technology platform that underpins it – and the demand from the target market. These came together in FAST.

The enabler is high-quality video streaming over ubiquitous broadband. Those with video to share could deliver it direct to consumers, and all the big producers, syndicators and aggregators were developing strategies around it.

Demand was triggered by the Covid pandemic, when consumers were forced to stay at home and watch television. Getting your content in front of consumers was suddenly a big opportunity, but there was a need to move quickly. A long list of back-burner or field-trial projects got quickly moved to the front of the line.

If you have a substantial catalogue of content, what is the fastest, cheapest way of making it available to all these people who are now desperate for entertainment? The answer is FAST.

FAST channels are as simple as a broadcast operation can be. There are no live events or interventions: they are pre-planned playlists with some simple branding graphics. They are ideal for cloud implementation, which means you can stand up

Making FAST progress

multiple channels very quickly. If you already own the content, then you need very little capital investment: it is all OpEx, which you can tie to your income.

The nature of the channels is often very niche. On my Roku box at home in Colorado, there is a channel that is 24/7 reruns of The Carol Burnett Show. Another is wall-to-wall The Rockford Files. It may well be that there are hours in the day when the audience for these channels is zero, but they cost so little to run that provided there are some people to view the commercials at other times of the day, it is all worth it.

The key take-home message of FAST is that it proves there is still an incredible demand for free content. It also enables the consumer to try new programming. With SVOD, you are limited to what that service offers. With tough economic times, it’s also becoming difficult to justify the spend on subscriptions.

FAST is ad-supported, but by being direct to the consumer you cut out some of the middle men in the advertising chain. Startups can implement ad tech that relies heavily on automation to sell and place spots and integrates dynamic ad insertion in the common workflow.

That allows inventory to be sold in different ways. Big brands want affinity with the programmes – they want to be in NFL broadcasts or Chicago Med – and want to buy

spots. Others are simply shopping for impressions. Ad buying and selling will begin to support rules around brand protection and placement to deliver the broadcast premium experience across FAST and AVOD services. The next generation of FAST and AVOD platforms will allow publishers to deliver the same quality of advertising and experience that brands and consumers are accustomed to on linear channels, while still providing digital-style targeted advertising.

This brings me to converged television (CTV). FAST is CTV and offers the best of both worlds: whether you want to micro-manage your campaign or hand it all over to automation, you want to be able to buy and sell through the same automated portal. The next big thing in CTV is CTV 2.0, a fusion of the quick-to-market content we saw with the initial launches of FAST and AVOD and the more profitable and sustainable advertising quality that is the hallmark of linear TV.

FAST offers a new business model: direct to consumer, direct to advertiser, with minimum intervention and maximum automation. It requires multiplatform selling tools and ad servers that can support DAI with broadcastquality placement rules. But these too are now available as cloud services, wrapping it all up into a package that is, well, fast to implement.

Steve Reynolds is President at Imagine Communications

“If you have a substantial catalogue of content, what is the fastest, cheapest way of making it available to all these people who are now desperate for entertainment? The answer is FAST”