TV Technology 496 - April 2024

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The standard press release doesn’t adequately sum up the contributions Winston Caldwell—recipient of the 2024 NAB TV Engineering Achievement Award—has made to the broadcast industry over the past several decades. His leadership on the development of the AS3A security protocol for NextGen TV is just the tip of the iceberg when summarizing his accomplishments.

Compared to previous recipients of the award, Winston—who grew up in Nashville—is a relative newbie, having begun his career in television with News Corp. in 2000, working as an engineer for its Research & Development group, known at that time as News Technology Group. In addition to his work maximizing DTV operations for Fox stations in the transition to ATSC 1.0, he also managed engineering efforts to transition Fox stations to 3.0 and has also served as chairman of the NAB Next Generation Broadcast Platform Task Force.

But it was an incident nearly a decade ago that opened Winston’s eyes to the impending threat posed by the demand for more RF spectrum, prompted by the rapid increase of cellular technology and bandwidth demands imposed by media-hungry mobile devices.

Winston had already been working on RF issues, a subject he had taken interest in during his early years studying for his Masters while working a day job at Boeing. At Fox, he worked with the network to protect C-Band spectrum broadcasters have used for decades for network transmissions while also gaining expertise at navigating the FCC’s filing processes.

While attending a preparatory meeting for the Radio World Conference in Geneva about a decade ago, Winston—who was there representing the North American Broadcasters Association to advocate protecting C-Band spectrum—happened upon a meeting among regulators from around the world, including the U.S., and industry representatives discussing the increasing worldwide pressure to reallocate the upper portion of the TV Bands in UHF spectrum. Although some European broadcasters were present and participating in the discussions, there were no North American broadcasters.

“What became clear to me is that it wasn’t just the C-Band spectrum that was under attack,” he said. “[It was] all sorts of bands that broadcasters use, including the television bands that are used for over the air, digital terrestrial television, VHF and primarily upper band UHF.”

When he returned, his report was among the first to sound the alarm for U.S. broadcasters that their spectrum allocation could be under threat and ensuing events proved him right.

Winston’s work on the A3SA security protocols for ATSC 3.0 touches upon an often discussed aspect of the transition to NextGen TV: content protection management. Early adopters have filled internet forums with complaints about 3.0 devices not supporting an ability to record encrypted content, although there are now several consumer boxes carrying the NextGen TV logo that are helping to alleviate some of those concerns and the A3SA recently announced new specifications that assure CE companies developing new 3.0 recording devices for home networks such use would not be restricted for simulcasted 3.0 broadcasts.

Winston, though, is nothing if not patient, taking the long view on the transition, believing that such wrinkles will eventually be resolved.

“The reality is it’s still just early days,” he said. “You can point at the security aspects, but it’s only one item; there are fundamental aspects of the system that are still not mature yet.“

After our chat, I was impressed by how Winston was more interested in talking about his work and his colleagues than himself. It’s that kind of modesty that reminded me that it’s often the people whose diligence and persistence on the kind of work that doesn’t often get the proper acknowledgment—but often has the most impact—is the best reason why Winston is so deserving of the recognition.

Winston will receive the award on Tuesday morning, April 16 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas.

FCC, DirecTV, NBC Among 2024 Tech Emmy Award Recipients

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has unveiled the recipients of the 2024 Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards. The ceremony honoring the recipients will take place at the NAB New York media and technology convention in October at the Javits Center, New York.

The Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards (aka “Tech Emmys”) are awarded to a living individual, a company, or a scientific or technical organization for developments

Pioneering Development of Inexpensive Video Technology for Animation: Lyon Lamb (Bruce Lyon and John Lamb)

Large Scale Deployment of Smart TV

Operating Systems: Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Panasonic

Creation and Implementation of HDR

Static LUT, Single-Stream Live Production: BBC and NBC

Pioneering Technologies Enabling High Performance Communications Over Cable

TV Systems: Broadcom, General Instrument (CommScope), LANcity (CommScope), 3COM (HP)

Pioneering Development of Manifest-based Playout for FAST: Amagi, Pluto TV, Turner

Targeted Ad Messages Delivered Across Paused Media: DirecTV

and/or standardization involved in engineering technologies that either represent so extensive an improvement on existing methods or are so innovative in nature that they materially have affected television.

2024 honorees include:

Pioneering Development of IP Address Geolocation Technologies to Protect Content Rights: MLB, Quova Development of Stream Switching Technology between Satellite Broadcast and Internet to Improve Signal Reliability: DirecTV

Design and Deployment of Efficient Hardware Video Accelerators for Cloud: Netint, AMD, Google, Meta Spectrum Auction Design: FCC and Auctionomics

TV Pioneers – Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT): Karl Ferdinand Braun, Boris Lvovich Rosing, Alan Archibald Campbell Swinton

TV Pioneers – Development of lighting, ventilation, and lens-coating technologies: Hertha Ayrton, Katharine Burr Blodgett

Jennifer Hudson to Receive 2024 Television Chairman’s Award

NAB has named award-winning talk show host, actor, producer and recording artist Jennifer Hudson the recipient of the 2024 Television Chairman’s Award. Hudson will be honored on the Main Stage at NAB Show during the “We Are Broadcasters” session, Tuesday, April 16 at 9:30 a.m.

The NAB TV Chairman’s Award recognizes individuals for groundbreaking work in one or more

specific art disciplines in television. The award was first presented in 2009 to four-time Emmy and twotime Golden Globe-winning actor Kelsey Grammar. Past recipients include “This Is Us” and “Black Panther” star Sterling K. Brown, television and film actress Kristen Bell, award-winning actor and activist Terry Crews and Emmy-winning host Mario Lopez.

George Winslow

AI Expert Dr. Hao Li to Keynote Broadcast Engineering and IT Conference

Leading AI and computer-vision researcher Dr. Hao Li will dive into the cutting-edge world of generative AI during his keynote presentation

“Generative AI for Content Production: From Storytelling to Visual Effects, AI Lip Sync, and Beyond” on Saturday, April 13 at 10 a.m. at the NAB BEIT Conference Opening Session during the 2024 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The NAB Show runs April 14-17; BEIT takes place April 13-16.

“Dr. Li’s insights into how AI is shaping the future of content delivery will be invaluable to conference attendees,” said John Clark, senior vice president, NAB Emerging Technology and executive director, PILOT. “This high-energy conference kickoff lays the groundwork for over 70 presentations and panels that will explore the rapidly changing media technology landscape.”

Dr. Li is the CEO and co-founder of Pinscreen, a Los Angeles-based startup that builds the world’s most advanced AI-driven virtual avatars, as well as associate professor of computer vision at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi. In his presentation, Dr. Li will peel back the layers of generative AI for production—including the latest advancements in AI lip sync technology, face swap and deaging, as well as the future potential of AI technology.

Tom Butts

Credit: Getty Images/Gilbert Flores/Contributor/Variety

Nikon to Acquire RED Broadcast Positioning System Offers Alternative to

"Redundancy is ambiguous because it seems like a waste if nothing unusual happens. Except that something unusual happens—usually.” – Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering

Imagine some day in the future you kiss your young grandchildren and daughter goodbye as they head to downtown Houston in their new self-driving car. An hour later, you hear on the radio there’s been a massive wireless service outage. You fight back that tinge of nausea in the pit of your stomach as your mind immediately flashes to your family whizzing down I-45. No network connection. No navigation. No traffic data.

GPS and More

What about the communications redundancy needed to maintain safe operation of self-driving vehicles in the future? The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking into the matter—in particular, into finding an alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS). NAB is heading up the broadcast effort to pitch ATSC 3.0’s Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) to the Transportation Department as an effective terrestrial GPS alternative. Not only does GPS deliver critical positioning info but also accurate timing data upon which everything from modern power generation to stock trading depends. So having a backup simply makes sense.

Nikon is acquiring digital cinema camera manufacturer RED.com LLC for an undisclosed amount.

Launched in 2005 by Oakley Founder Jim Jannard, RED has introduced a number of industry-defining products such as the original RED ONE 4K to the cutting-edge V-RAPTOR [X] with its proprietary RAW compression technology. RED’s contributions to the film industry have earned it an Academy Award, making it the camera of choice for numerous Hollywood productions, the company said.

You’re left to hope the onboard safety systems designed for such circumstances function as promised.

Back to the present. AT&T network customers in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas and New York City—more than 70,000 in total—were affected by an outage Feb. 21. About one out of two AT&T customers reported having trouble with their cell phones, and another 40% lost signal entirely, according to a Time online story.

Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&T, had problems, too. About 13,500 Cricket customers reported outages, and Verizon and T-Mobile customers had problems trying to reach customers of affected carriers. AT&T attributed its outage to a “process error,” according to an NBC News online story.

The point, especially in the context of a potentially life-threatening situation like the future self-driving car scenario, is the importance of redundancy, especially when it comes to communications systems.

Look no further than the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack. Many may recall that the multi-layered broadcast infrastructure serving New York City was bent but did not break when the TV tower atop World Trade Center Tower 1 came down. TV broadcasters on other towers, radio stations, cable TV and satellite TV seamlessly kept the public informed.

The department’s effort may have taken on added urgency as the White House said in mid-February that Russia is developing a weapon that could one day threaten satellites.

If this is a legitimate threat to the nation’s security, one could envision a scenario in which the Department of Defense gets involved, throws around a few billion dollars to make 3.0 BPS a reality and in the process solves the NextGen-TV-voluntary-transition-jampacked-3.0-lighthouse challenge the industry currently faces. Stay tuned.

“This agreement was reached as a result of the mutual desires of Nikon and RED to meet the customers’ needs and offer exceptional user experiences that exceed expectations, merging the strengths of both companies,” Nikon said in a statement. “Nikon’s expertise in product development, exceptional reliability, and know-how in image processing, as well as optical technology and user interface along with RED’s knowledge in cinema cameras, including unique image compression technology and color science, will enable the development of distinctive products in the professional digital cinema camera market.”

At the NAB Show, RED is expected to showcase the new V-RAPTOR [X] 8K VV and V-RAPTOR XL [X] 8K VV cameras with RED Global Vision. The V-RAPTOR [X] introduces RED Global Vision, which includes an all new 8K VV global shutter sensor, enabling innovative features including Extended Highlights and Phantom Track. Additionally, the V-RAPTOR [X] and V-RAPTOR XL [X] systems offer increased exposure times, a further optimized optical cavity and improved audio performance, the company said.

Tom Butts

Phil Kurz

Legacy TV Split Over Implications of Sports Streaming

How will broadcasters navigate the changing market?

By Fred Dawson

Amid much commentary about the negative impact high-valued sports streaming initiatives could have on local TV stations and MVPDs there’s another much more optimistic view emerging from the ranks of several publicly traded station groups.In sharp contrast to those who feel threatened by sports rights owners’ surging embrace of streaming, these station owners contend they are making significant headway with opportunistic adjustments to the new reality. Even in the case of “Spulu,”—the unofficial name of the mega sports streaming joint venture between ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery scheduled to launch later this year—there’s a big split between those who are shrugging it off and the entities ringing alarm bells. According to a report in the Wall St.

Journal, the service—which promises to offer feeds from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS and truTV—could cost up to $50 per month.

A skeptic might see recent “what-meworry?” sports-related stances taken by big station groups like Nexstar, Gray, Tegna, Sinclair and E.W. Scripps as posturing meant to allay Wall Street concerns. After all, there’s plenty of fuel for apprehension in the raw statistics surrounding the surge in sports streaming.

UNLEVEL PLAYING FIELD

In the U.S., 80% of sports fans, including 76% who watch NFL games and 89% of the soccer fan base, sometimes or regularly view the action online, according to Nielsen Fan Insights. As for sports rights revenues flowing to sports producers from streamers, research by Ampere Analysis found the global

total jumped 64% to hit $8.5 billion in 2023, representing 21% of all sports rights revenues compared to 13% the year before.

Nonetheless, there’s a widening gap between station groups and Tier 1 multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) who can turn developments to their advantage and other station owners and smaller pay-TV systems who feel they’re trapped on an unlevel playing field. It makes for a cacophony of messages hitting regulators and investors at a moment when everyone is looking for a more coherent, predictable business environment to work and invest in.

“If you could figure out whether there’s one unified voice from either the broadcast side or the cable side, I’d love to read your article,” says Grant Spellmeyer, president of ACA Connects, the lobbying organization representing smaller cable companies. “It is fractured all over the place.”

Brian Lawler, president of Scripps Sports, offers several reasons for his company’s upbeat perspective on the role sports will continue to play in drawing audiences not only to its stations but, in some respects, to most other local broadcasters as well. “Even though some stuff has moved to streaming, most premier sports remain on linear television,” Lawler says.

As an example of how major sports leagues are adapting to the changing sports TV environment, WFAA, Tegna’s Dallas-Ft. Worth WFAA, has partnered with the Dallas Mavericks to bring 13 regular season NBC games to WFAA’s broadcast lineup.

Streaming may bring some additional revenue to rights owners, but discussions with teams and leagues reveal “they’re all concerned about reach and their ability to put games in front of fans,” Lawlor adds. “At the end of the day, local broadcast continues to reach 100% of households.”

Indeed, as Lawler and other station group executives note, free over-the-air exposure has become even more important to sports producers in light of the reversal in regional sports network (RSN) fortunes, including most prominently those of Diamond Sports Group, which is pursuing a Chapter 11 restructuring deal that would give Amazon Prime streaming rights to its sports partners’ games. “A decade ago, a lot of us had partnerships with RSNs reaching 80 percent of their markets, and now it’s down to just 35 or 40 percent,” Lawler says.

Scripps, like other station groups, is capitalizing on sports teams’ desires to maintain broad local coverage, in this case with new deals involving the NHL’s Las Vegas Golden Knights and Phoenix Coyotes. Other recent high-profile local station sports partnerships include Tegna’s with the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks, and Gray Television’s with that league’s Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, and New Orleans Pelicans.

Credit: Getty Images; Glenn James; National Basketball Association

MARKET OVERREACTION?

Along with citing such deals to quell Wall Street anxieties, some station group executives have been addressing what Nexstar President/CEO Mike Biard recently referred to as “a significant misinterpretation in market overreaction” to the proposed JV streaming service.

During the company’s Q4 2023 report to investors in late February, Biard said, “We have confirmation that it will function in the same manner as other vMVPDs that distribute over Fox and ABC affiliated stations,” meaning he expects the new service to join other online providers of MVPD-like lineups in payment of what amounts to retransmission consent fees.

Interestingly, the question of legally mandating retransmission payments from “virtual” MVPDs (i.e., YouTube TV, Hulu Live+, Sling TV), remains outstanding in an unresolved FCC notice of proposed rulemaking first issued in 2014, which the NAB has been pressing the commission to address since late last year. vMVPDs’ willingness to pay

“At the end of the day, local broadcast continues to reach 100% of households.”

BRIAN LAWLOR, SCRIPPS SPORTS

voluntarily while joining forces with the big four broadcast networks to oppose FCC action serves as another demonstration of market clout wielded by some station groups.

During their own Q4 conferences, Sinclair President/CEO Christopher Ripley and Scripps President/CEO Adam Symson agreed with Biard that the sports JV doesn’t look so bad, assuming it survives to generate payments to stations affiliated with broadcast networks carrying sports targeted by the JV. But as Ripley sees it, that’s a “big if.”

Citing missing Olympics and incomplete NFL and March Madness coverage, he said, “If this is all about attracting the sports fanatic, it’s hard to say it’s a slam dunk.” Instead, the JV “will be yet another virtual MVPD in an already crowded and somewhat established marketplace…competing with and likely cannibalizing other streaming products from the very same companies that make up the partnership.”

Such sanguinity is a far cry from the responses emanating from other sources.

NextGen TV Could Bring Sports Coverage

‘On Par’ With Streamers

Beyond the debate over the immediate impact of sports streaming there’s another story to be told that’s opening a new chapter on broadcast stations’ plays in sports programming. With ATSC 3.0 (aka NextGen TV), leaping to 75% market coverage over the past year on a trajectory to near blanket coverage by year’s end, NextGen TV will give stations an opportunity to greatly enhance sports viewing experiences as well as to bring more local sports coverage to their audiences.

As explained by Anne Schelle, managing director of the Pearl TV consortium of eight large station groups operating 820 TV stations nationwide, Pearl TV affiliated stations and others rolling out NextGen TV services are putting a lot of stock in the appeal of what they can do with sports programming. Indeed, she notes, sports broadcasting is a big focus of the ATSC 3.0 exhibit at this month’s NAB Show.

One big aspect to what can be done with NextGen TV has to do with enabling 4K UHD with HDR when games are broadcast in 4K along with HDR enhancements to HD when technology supporting upscaling to HDR from SDR is in play. With 20 million households in reach of HDR-enabled signals at the start of the year, the goal is to hit 50 million this spring, 80 million by the Summer Olympics, “and then it becomes pretty ubiquitous by year’s end,” Schelle says.

Another sports-related advancement involves setting up a “virtual TV station” to stream the contents of a sports-rich station not equipped for ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. Schelle notes this allows these stations to deliver sports programming to connected TVs and personal devices with the full benefits of NextGen TV sports viewing experiences.

ATSC 3.0 support for HTML5 overlays that can be synched for display on OTA

channels delivered to connected TVs adds still another dimension to sports viewing experience. Schelle says Pearl TV has partnered with Run3TV to use its platform as an abstraction layer that allows Pearl members’ HTML5 NextGen TV apps to run on all the operating systems used by their OEM partners.

“NextGen TV brings broadcasters on par with innovations we see on streaming services,” Schelle adds. She notes the ATSC 3.0 display at this month’s NAB Show includes demonstrations of joint efforts of Run3TV and Play Anywhere, a rights clearinghouse that facilitates interactive apps for advertising, betting, e-commerce and much else by ensuring all rights holders tied to a given app get the share due them from revenues generated by the app.

Critically, the HTML5 feed can also be used to bring complete coverage of sports events to CTV screens. “It allows broadcasters to do pop-up channels covering lots of things they couldn’t do on air in the past,” Schelle says. Pop-up tie-ins with stations’ EPGs can expose options to viewing local college and high school sports, enabling an unprecedented level of localized TV engagement. “There’s so much power in local sports coverage,” she notes.

Mentioning efforts along these lines by Pearl TV members’ Gray Television and Scripps, Schelle adds, “They’re recognizing it. Their ratings are super high with local audiences that have an affinity for these teams. This is helping them to pull in ‘Z-generation’ viewers.”

Fred Dawson

NextGen TV will give stations an opportunity to greatly enhance sports viewing experiences as well as to bring more local sports coverage to their audiences.

Along with crying foul over what they see as the JV’s antitrust implications, they assert high-profile exclusive pro sports deals like those cut by Amazon, Apple, and Comcast’s Peacock service are the tip of an unchecked spear coming right at them.

INITIAL OPPOSITION

Opinions vary as to which business model constitutes the larger threat.

Unlike the big exclusive streaming deals, “Spulu’s” plans face court and Justice Department scrutiny. Coming to light in mid-February were the antitrust suit filed in New York by sports streamer FuboTV and an as-yet-unconfirmed investigation Bloomberg reported was getting underway at the DOJ.

ACA Connects’ Spellmeyer echoes widely held sentiments expressed by skeptics. Looking at what little is known about the partners’ plans as a “continuing deterioration of the linear programming model,” Spellmeyer says the JV is especially notable as a harbinger of what could be in store.

“This is a bigger deal than the movement of one baseball playoff game to Peacock or

even moving Thursday Night NFL games to Amazon,” Spellmeyer says. The JV is doing this “to further exploit their market power and put it together collectively and leverage it.”

But a source voicing the concerns of a large station group owner says the amounts big

streamers are willing to pay for sports rights represent an even bigger anticompetitive threat to broadcasters, MVPDs and even Silicon Valley vMVPDs.

“They are all in the same sinking boat with the great white Amazon shark circling,” the person said. “These big tech streamers are willing to spend stupid amounts of money to take rights away from the broadcast networks and broadcast stations—when it comes to sports—are at the mercy of the networks.”

In addition to the courts, observers are also keeping an eye on Congress, which has cast a skeptical eye on sports streaming, and in particular, garnering swift criticism from politicians when NBC broadcast an NFL playoff game exclusively on Peacock in January.

“I think our job here is to protect the American consumer to ensure that they’re able to easily access the content that they pay for,” said Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), during a Congressional hearing on the subject in February. Referring to professional sports and media (with no pun intended), she said “I just think it’s a racket. It’s a racket.” l

Former Apple and Hulu exec Pete Distad has been tapped to lead the new joint venture sports streaming service to be launched by ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, code-named “Spulu.”

Will Tech Advances Attract More Baseball Fans?

Amid a resurgence in popularity, streamers roll out new features

By Fred Dawson

As Major League Baseball enters a new season on a wave of resurgent popularity, live game streaming could soon play a bigger role than ever in drawing fans to the game.

Looking back, the biggest changes in 2023 were the new rules created to shorten the average length of an MLB regular season game, which had grown to a record 3 hours, 11 minutes in 2021. The new rule changes in 2023 reduced the average length of a MLB game down to only 2 hours and 42 minutes.

The shorter games, however, have not changed the fact that the upheaval in regional sports network coverage in particular, has drawn attention to team owners’ efforts to maintain TV exposure, with some streaming services rolling out new technologies that could soon be impacting fan engagement on a much broader scale.

How fast that impact will spread depends in part on what happens next in the unfolding saga that is consuming regional sports networks, but new demonstrations of what can be done to attract online viewers are not likely to be ignored no matter who ends up with individual teams’ broadcast and streaming rights.

THE RSN MESS

For the most part, it looks like traditional TV coverage, primarily through team affiliations with RSNs and national TV network broadcasts from MLB Network, ESPN, TBS and others, will continue. But where things go with many teams after 2024—especially the 12 clubs broadcasting through Diamond Sports Group’s RSNs—remains to be seen.

Diamond, rescued from bankruptcy by $450 million in debt financing, $495 million in a suit settlement with owner Sinclair Broadcast, and $115 million from sale of a minority equity stake to Amazon, will cover 12 teams in 2024. Presumably, with its commitment to ongoing operations, it will seek to stay the course with at least some of those teams in the years ahead.

Elsewhere, the defending Texas Rangers,

along with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners, have set up pay TV broadcasting deals in the wake of Warner Bros. Discovery’s termination of AT&T Sportsnet last year, leaving the Colorado Rockies without a TV deal after working out support for a streaming service supported by the MLB.TV platform. The 14 other MLB teams’ RSN affiliations remain intact.

An important factor in what comes next for baseball on TV will be the approach to securing rights taken by broadcast station groups, which, as reported in our cover story this month, have capitalized on sports team owners’ preference for free TV’s reach over the diminishing viewership registered by RSNs.

teams have

route, and it’s likely broadcasters will want to bid competitively for MLB team rights as well in light of the sport’s renewed popularity.

The improvement was confirmed in recent consumer surveys by the polling company Ipsos and sports marketer Playfly Sports, both of which ranked baseball second only to football among pro sports in the U.S. in terms of popularity. Baseball stadium attendance surged 9.5% in 2023, the largest spike in 30 years, according to ESPN, which attributes some of that increase to the shorter games.

On the streaming side, Diamond RSN games will be available at a premium to Amazon Prime subscribers, and the other RSNs will continue their streaming services, most of which, like Diamond, use the MLB.TV platform. With streaming now the default source for 73% of American adults, according to Adtaxi, the experience of viewing baseball is about to become much more engaging.

MLB.TV INNOVATIONS

The most pervasive availability of new enhancements to baseball streaming is coming by way of the MLB.TV platform. The MLB.TV streaming service supports access to all teams at $149.99 annually while the regional RSN’ streaming services focus on single teams at much lower costs.

MLB has long been at the forefront of streaming innovation. And Apple TV+ with the streaming component of its $9.99-per-

Nathaniel Lowe #30 of the Texas Rangers bats during Game

5 of the 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks

Credit: Daniel Shirey/Getty Images

Matt Duarte, vice president of strategy and business development at YES Network

Several NBA

taken this

month Friday Night Baseball package built on the MLB.TV platform is adding some bells and whistles related to other options available through its app store.

Much of what’s new this year is related to enhancements of popular features from last year, including expanded availability of Catch-up viewing of live game highlights to Xbox and Roku and simultaneous viewing of up to four games on supported Apple TV, Fire TV and Google TV devices.

Also, MLB tells us, “We continue to add tailored VOD to the MLB.TV home screen based on the user’s favorite team, going beyond the top highlights and into home runs, minor league highlights, defensive highlights, data visualizations, longer-form features, and vault and archive content.”

Mirroring the MLB Network’s TV programming, streaming subscribers will again be able to access the live “lookins” to games around the league and other highlights. And, once again, they’ll have access to 7,000 streamed minor league games from affiliates of all MLB clubs.

MLB broadcasts and streaming will also make more use of dynamically inserted digital ads appearing virtually behind home plate. “EVI [electronic visual insertions] technology dynamically overlays those ads without changing any of the physical signs in stadiums,” MLB says.

YES AND MSG ARE GAME

Unrelated to any reliance on the MLB. TV platform, an even more cutting-edge perspective on what’s doable in the streaming domain is coming from YES Network, broadcast home to the New York Yankees. Now in its third year, the YES App—with its support for an impressive range of features and interactivity—is setting a new benchmark in baseball streaming.

It’s one that other providers may soon find is easier to reach, if things go as planned with a new business created by YES Network and another regional sports broadcaster, MSG Network. They say they’re putting their streaming expertise to work through a joint venture they’re calling Gotham Advanced Media & Entertainment (GAME). Along with collaborating to further enhance their own streaming services, the partners will be developing a turnkey platform service designed to provide customizable support for other parties’ locally branded streaming services.

The YES App, which also streams games from the NBA’s Brooklyn, plus the New York WNBA and MLS franchises, is better known

for its enhancements to user experiences than MSG’s streaming service MSGSN, which covers the NBA’s New York Knicks as well as the New York City area and Buffalo Sabres NHL teams, and, on occasion, the NFL’s New York Giants and Buffalo Bills. Last year the YES App was named “Best Fan Engagement Tool” in the Cynopsis Sports Media Awards competition and won two gold awards as D2C platform of the year and best in fan engagement at the global SportsPro OTT Summit Awards.

Parties to the Gotham JV declined to discuss their plans, but just judging from what’s already on offer from YES App, GAMEsupported services could end up expanding user experiences with baseball and other streamed sports in multiple directions.

As described by Matt Duarte, vice president of strategy and business development at YES Network, the refinements YES has introduced on its streaming app going into this year’s Yankee season are incremental but significant improvements to major advancements the network has been implementing since the app launched in 2021.

JUST LIKE OPENING DAY

One aspect to what YES is doing with Yankee streaming this year has to do with “revamping the look and feel” of the YES Watch Party feature “at or close to opening day,” Duarte says. The app allows any user to text an invitation to one or two other users to join in the video chat, where each user is given independent control over the volume balance between their comments and the game audio.

The YES iteration of watch parties with backend support from two U.K.-based suppliers—Evertz subsidiary Eaves Live and start-up Sceenic—is designed to bring the

Apple will expand on MLB.TV’s Multiview options by including games from other sports in the simultaneous view mix.

video chat element of shared viewing directly into the app as a tightly synchronized firstscreen experience rather than running as a second-screen complement to the primary game feed. Synchronized reception of notoriously out-of-sync live unicast streams is an innovation that obviates reliance on alternative video conferencing infrastructures like those supported by the WebRTC protocol.

“No matter what platform, Android, iOS, or web, you’re on, we synchronize the video reception so there are no spoilers from other participants,” Duarte says. Synchronized stream reception also plays a role in other interactive aspects of the YES App, he adds.

Amid these advances in streaming experiences, it’s clear there’s much more to come. For example, last year MLB experimented with a virtual ballpark experience tied to its Gameday 3D application in conjunction with a September 20 AngelsRays game at Tropicana Park.

It remains to be seen whether and when MLB will bring such experiences back into play, but they point to the types of features that can now be supported with virtual technology. Using any type of connected personal 2D display device, users appearing onscreen as avatars could navigate the 3D environment via hand swipes or cursors and audibly interact and play games with other visitors.

They could tap into a live game feed as would be seen from different locations in the stands or watch the game on virtual jumbotrons as they moved around the virtual stadium. These capabilities were enabled in part by technology supplied by U.K. based Improbable, which uses location coordinates and other data collected by each game camera to recreate a three-dimensional animated video rendition of the entire space. l

Looking for 5G Broadcast at the 2024 NAB Show

Will the format be a communications gamechanger?

By James E. O’Neal

5G Broadcast is based on the use of wireless broadband network technology for distribution of media to consumers on mobile devices. However, this version of 5G is not based on the current one-to-one (unicast) distribution for streaming, but rather a one-tomany (broadcast) dissemination scheme using the “high-tower/high-power” approach that conventional broadcasters rely on.

Another big difference is that 5G Broadcast primarily targets mobile devices, instead of TVs as the current ATSC 3.0 transmission does. 5G Broadcast and conventional broadcast do have something in common though: use of UHF TV broadcast spectrum.

LEARN MORE

Although the jury is still out as to the ultimate future of 5G Broadcast, it behooves broadcasters to learn about it, as it could be a gamechanger in the broadcast industry.

“5G has promised to revolutionize the mobile telecommunications world, offering unprecedented speed, capacity and reliability,” says Sam Matheny, NAB CTO. “5G Broadcast technology is a subset aimed at enhancing live streaming mobile TV services.”

The NAB Show will feature opportunities for an up close and personal look at 5G Broadcast, beginning with a demonstration of the technology in a special booth where “5G Broadcast is spoken.”

Frank Copsidas, the CEO of XGen Network, an advocacy organization for 5G Broadcast will be in the West Hall (W3849) promoting 5G Broadcast. “We’ll be showing new exciters and transmitter equipment, as well as receivers,” he said. “And we will have a demo on the floor for directly receiving 5G Broadcast transmissions.”

XGen Network launched the first U.S. experimental 5G broadcast operation in 2023 at Boston DMA WWOO-LD, operating on TV Ch. 28, and has applied for two additional 5G Broadcast experimental licenses in Connecticut.

One of the big advantages of 5G Broadcast— aside from offloading content with high viewership levels from the conventional

cellular “one-to-one” infrastructure—is that it operates on a direct-to-mobile basis, Copsidas said. “The beauty of 5G Broadcast is that it goes from a standard broadcast tower straight to a user’s smartphone,” said Copsidas. “There’s no SIM card, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth needed.”

And while one-to-many dissemination of entertainment programming is definitely part of the grand plan for 5G Broadcast, Copsidas says that’s not the main focus right now.

“Our number one priority in the U.S. for 5G Broadcast is first responder and emergency alerts,” he said. “We can put out emergency alerts in the 17 languages that the FCC wants within one-half second. We do plan to show some solutions for first responders at NAB. We can put out streams of data (directed to first responders) to smartphones; all you need is an app on the phone.

“Qualcomm, which is one of our partners, has also developed a CPE [customer premises equipment] box for 5G Broadcast, which we’ll have at the show,” he added. “Qualcomm has been a phenomenal partner. They keep coming up with 5G Broadcast ideas for us and we keep coming up with ideas for them.”

Although there are yet no commerciallymarketed products (smartphones) specifically designed for receiving 5G Broadcasts, Copsidas says this is not really a problem.

“I can buy a phone directly from the OnePlus 11 internet website,” said Copsidas. “When we get it here, we have Qualcomm software that can access the phone’s chip and open up our frequency. There are 5G, satellite and 5G Broadcast, along with other services in

Frank Copsidas, president XGEN Network

that chip, and they are all independent of one another.”

In addition to the demos and exhibits, the LPTV Broadcasters Association’s annual meeting during the show (Rm. W1202 in the West Hall, April 14), will include a 5G Broadcast monetization session.

INDUSTRY EXPERTS WEIGH IN

While no one knows for certain where 5G Broadcast’s footprint will land in the broadcasting ecosphere, it could augment ATSC 3.0 broadcasting to reach both big screen TVs in the home and handheld mobile devices.

Jordi Giménez, head of technology at the 5G Media Action Group (5G-MAG), an international non-profit group established to encourage collaboration in connection with mobile media services, strongly encourages broadcasters to learn as much as possible about the new transmission modality.

“I believe it is time to pay more attention to the technology from the service and application point of view,” said Giménez. “5G Broadcast is a 3GPP technology, meant to operate in the mainstream device market, and

aligned with streaming workflows.

“With the blooming of streaming apps for video/TV and audio/radio, it is time to play with them,” Giménez added. “Broadcast works; it has worked for a century. But this time service providers and operators have the opportunity to embed it in streaming applications with a protocol stack aligned with the internet and with a technology that works in the 3GPP ecosystem of devices, operating systems and apps.

“Support for 5G Broadcast has grown significantly over the last few years, and our historic accomplishment further exemplifies the broad interest and growth,” said Lorenzo Casaccia, vice president of technical

standards and IP at Qualcomm Technologies. “The collaboration between Ateme, WWOOLD, and Qualcomm Technologies is a major step forward in how content can be delivered to a wide array of devices.”

With the support of proponents such as Qualcomm and XGEN, 5G Broadcast could well become the favored way of delivering content to the masses, especially to those wanting to consume it on mobile devices. Only time will tell.

One thing is certain however—if 5G Broadcast does wind up in a dominant position, those primed with as much knowledge about it as possible will definitely have the ball in their court.

“For broadcasters, understanding the nuances of the various facets of 5G technology and how they will integrate into current infrastructures is vital,” said the NAB’s Matheny. “The 2024 NAB Show (will serve) as an essential gathering place for industry leaders to delve into 5G broadcast’s innovations, challenges and the potential opportunities it presents for augmenting content delivery and viewer experiences.” l

Sam Matheny, NAB CTO

lighting technology

What’s the Best Color Temperature for Lighting TV Studios?

Today we can choose which color temperature we want based on what’s better for the subjects

Back in the age of incandescent lights we only had one color temperature to choose for studio production. Until fairly recently, studio lighting was almost exclusively incandescent. There were a few exceptions—if you didn’t mind lousy color quality, blistering UV, open flame, smoke, or neurotoxic waste, but incandescent was simply the choice. If you could overlook its lousy efficiency and enough waste heat to grill a steak, heating a piece of tungsten until it glows white-hot is a pretty good way to make broad-spectrum light.

EXPERTISE

BRUCE ALEKSANDER

And yet there was something sublime about a light source that is the physical embodiment of a theoretical blackbody radiator, upon which Lord Kelvin based the Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) scale. Whatever the shade, skin tones look great under the warm glow of incandescent. That positive quality is still worth pursuing today.

Before the BBC settled on their standard for high definition color, they polled the public to find out what they liked best. All else being equal, most people preferred warmer colors that were well-saturated. That preference has been baked into our DNA since we discovered life was better around the hearth.

WHY STUDIOS CHOSE 5600K FOR LED

The comforting glow of a fire and candle light notwithstanding, why did we abandon the warmth of incandescent for “daylight”

fixtures in our studios? The change was driven by twin technological advances in LED lighting fixtures and flat panel video displays.

LEDs have a large efficiency advantage over tungsten, but it was the daylight (5600K) versions that became the dominant choice in studio lighting. This was due to the superior output and color quality of the early daylight LEDs as compared to incandescent (3200K) ones. As LED technology has advanced, the performance advantage of 5600K over 3200K LEDs has mostly disappeared.

Another important advantage of 5600K LEDs was their ability to closely match the default color temperature of video displays that were becoming popular on studio sets. This contributed to daylight-balanced LED lights becoming our new choice of one.

IS 5600K STILL OUR BEST OPTION?

Today’s LED lights provide high-output and excellent color accuracy across the spectrum. They’re not only nearly a perfect match for incandescent or daylight—they can also produce the color temperatures in-between (provided they can hold the Planckian Locus, which is another topic). And where fixture selection used to be either daylight or incandescent, bi-color and full-color fixtures are rapidly becoming the industry norm.

Now that it’s no longer an “either/ or” choice, we can choose which color

temperature we want based on what’s better for the subjects—and that’s something new.

CHOOSING A BALANCE THAT COMPLIMENTS SKIN TONES

Color visibility depends on the light source containing the colors we want to see reflected. High quality “white” light contains all colors, but it’s the balance of red that has the greatest impact on skin tone. Here’s why.

All skin tones have similar undertone reflectance past 600 nanometers because that’s the spectral profile for blood. The bright red part of the spectrum, represented by the R9 chip of the extended Color Rendering Index (CRI), is essential for good skin tone reproduction. And although red is present in all CCTs, its relative amount varies depending on which color temperature is used.

Every color temperature has its own Spectral Power Distribution (SPD) profile. As you can see in Fig. 1, LED daylight (5600K) is more heavily weighted towards blue, while the “incandescent” LED (3200K) is weighted towards reds. But note that the 4400K SPD shows a relatively neutral balance that’s between daylight and incandescent. “White” will look nominally the same, but individual colors will track somewhat differently depending on the color bias of the particular SPD profiles being used. We can use this to our advantage.

That raises the question of why, other than LED development history and its legacy equipment, are we still choosing 5600K for new installations?

Our understanding and use of warm colors

Fig. 1: Spectral Power Distribution from the same full-color LED fixture adjusted to (top to bottom) 5600K "Daylight;" 4400K "Neutral White;" and 3200K "Incandescent.”

to enhance skin tones isn’t new, but we’re still discovering how to apply this information in the age of variable CCT lighting. A number of manufacturers are already incorporating this color science to their light fixtures.

Some companies, such as Creamsource, ETC, and Rosco DMG Lighting, are building fixtures that incorporate deep red LED emitters and broad range phosphor-converted red LEDs to improve how people look under their lights. To use an audio analogy, including deep red spectrum light for skin tones is like adding a tweeter to a speaker system for improved high frequency sound.

If red is the point, why not return to 3200K? Because there’s more at play.

LED video walls and monitors have their own distinct CCT requirements. They don’t currently do well at 3200K, particularly in the brightness range that matches today’s studio lighting levels. With a default white-point of 6500K, their bit depth suffers at low intensity settings. Yet there is still room for some adjustment. It turns out that 4400K provides for additional skin-tone-friendly warmer light, while not straying too far off the default color temperature of video screens.

A “Goldilocks” compromise of 4400K? “Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right!”

It turns out that 4400K brings back into play some of the warmth we used to have with incandescent while avoiding the muddiness in the blue/green range that can be associated with lower color temperatures. Best of all, 4400K still plays friendly with the video screens.

Another advantage of this approach is that using 4400K “neutral white” employs both sets of the bi-color LED emitters, leveling out their respective wear over the fixture’s life.

Bi-color and variable color temperature

LED lights are rapidly becoming the industry standard. And with that advent, mid-CCT options are now feasible. That opens up new options to choose whichever CCT is most useful in presenting our stories and characters. And with that new capability, we finally have more color temperature options for our studio lighting. l

Photo by Justin Piccari, courtesy of Rosco

Bruce Aleksander invites comments and topic suggestions from those interested in lighting at TVLightingguy@hotmail.com.

An example of how warmer lighting impacts skin tone.

Protecting the Future with DNA Data Storage

Exploring the intersection of information technology and molecular biology

In our current information/ data age, the storage and protection of data is an extremely important part of any business venture. The degree of digital data being produced, globally, has long been outpacing the amount of storage available— irrespective of the medium onto which that data is stored.

Cloud, obviously, is currently taking first place on the storage agenda given its flexibility and user expectations, however, there is a relatively new means for data storage that arrived several years ago and is now taking on some very different new perspectives.

We’re speaking of “DNA data storage”—yes “DNA” or more formally known as deoxyribonucleic acid—that tongue-twisting, nearly impossible to write term we learned back in highschool physics classes. That is, this storage concept is the enabling of molecular-level data

storage into DNA molecules that leverages biotechnology advances in synthesizing, manipulating and sequencing DNA to develop archival storage.

The next few paragraphs will take a very basic overview of the chemical make-up of elements in molecular science. You don’t necessarily need to be a biochemist to fully understand this section, but you can quickly see how this leads into the LOCO coding structure and error detection properties which are essential for DNA data storage.

The term “LOCO,” or in this case D-LOCO (for DNA-LOCO) means Lexicographically-Ordered Constrained Codes, which are “line codes that make it possible to mitigate interference, prevent short pulses, and will generate streams of bipolar signals with direct-current (DC) powered content” through the “employment of balancing.” These prin-

ciples are found in magnetic-recording (MR) devices, in Flash devices, in optical recording, and in certain computer standards.

TEN TERABYTES

ON A PINHEAD?

Exploring the intersection of information technology and molecular biology has created a scientific means for the storage of over 10 terabytes of data in the space of a faint smear less than the space of 0.25 x 0.25 inches (0.0625 sq-inches). Comparatively, from American theoretical physicist Richard P. Feynman’s dissertation (December 1959), he theorized how to manipulate, manufacture, and control things on a micro-level (small) scale.

From a coding perspective, this micro/nano technology practice dates back to work in 1948 whereby the density of data is increased through the use of such “constrained codes” which resulted in increased storage density in MR (i.e., magnetic recording). Such practices are still widely in use today which mitigate interference in today’s twodimensional MR systems.

FUNCTIONAL ARTIFICIAL OBJECTS

The science of this DNA storage remains somewhat experimental and is very much an ongoing research project of well recognized coding and by biochemistry experts throughout the world.

For example, using in-silico (i.e., experimentation performed by computer) and wet lab experiments, the Molecular Information Systems Lab (MISL) at the University of Washington (UW) in partnership with UW Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Microsoft Research, have brought together faculty, students and research scientists with expertise in computer architecture, programming languages, synthetic biology, and biochemistry to enable the use of DNA as a high-density, durable and easy-to-manipulate storage medium.

Historically, the idea for DNA digital data storage began around 1959 when Feynman (see sidebar) outlined—at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society at the California Institute of Technology—the prospects of artificial objects of the microcosm and biological microcosms having similar or even more extensive capabilities in his paper “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom.”

Another book worthy of further understanding is by Ed Regis (April 1996) called “Nano: The Emerging Science of Nanotechnology.” Nano tells the gripping story of how K. Eric Drexler and other scientists pioneered this emerging science. It explores what molecular nanotechnology could mean

Karl Paulsen

Fig. 1: Diagrammatic differences in RNA (left) and DNA (middle) with the CG-content pair on the right inset (portions courtesy of Technology Networks).

for our future as it was presented to scientists and congressional representatives on June 26, 1952. These concepts were further recognized by future Vice President Al Gore, who presided over the presentations to the panel in 1996.

BIOCHEMICAL DNA & RNA

Functionality wise, DNA digital data storage is a process that encodes and decodes binary data to and from synthesized strands of DNA. Arguably, there is enormous potential resulting from its high storage density, but the practical use of DNA data storage is (currently) “severely limited” due to its high cost and very slow read and write times.

In biochemistry, the depth of this topic is ginormous and well beyond the details presented in this article. However, the basics of what composes the DNA-elements include some of the following micro-biological concepts and principles:

A nucleoside is comprised of a nucleobase (which function as the fundamental units of the genetic code and five-carbon sugar (ribose or 2-deoxyribose). Nucleobases are nitrogencontaining biological compounds that form nucleosides, which, in turn, are components of nucleotides, with all of these monomers formulate (i.e., the constitute) the basic building blocks of nucleic acids.

A nucleotide is “a compound consisting of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group.” The nucleotide is the molecular building block of nucleic acids, RNA and DNA, both of which are essential biomolecules within all lifeforms on Earth. The four bases used in DNA are adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T). In RNA, the base uracil (U) takes the place of thymine (T).

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a molecule that is present in the majority of living organisms and viruses. Like DNA, it too is made up of nucleotides—which are ribose sugars attached to nitrogenous bases and phosphate groups. This is a nucleic acid is found in all living cells that have structural similarities to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

In Fig. 1 the makeup of RNA (left) and DNA (middle) present in most living organisms on our planet and referenced to those 4-ary (i.e., a group or set of four [quad/quadary] data elements—in this case the “nucleobases”), are used in the coding of DNA/RNA for storage. The CG-content is depicted in the smaller diagram (far right).

From the theoretic information perspective, strands of DNA serve as a storage medium for 4-ary data over the alphabet {A, T, G, C}. The “alphabet” referenced here aligns with the four components of the DNA

nucleobases mentioned in the biochemical descriptions above and as shown in the diagram of Fig. 1.

COLD DATA

DNA is part of the next-generation technology that can support storing mass “cold-data” (i.e., “archival”) or information which does not require regular or continuous access. Pools of synthetic DNA are being proposed as a potential medium aimed at archival (long term) storage purposes. Through the use of coding and data processing, errors are prevented during the biochemical processing proceeding the development of the DNA strands.

For long term storage, all of the data sequences must contain limited runs of identical symbols and a balanced ratio (percentage) of A-to-T (Adenine to Thymine) and G-to-C (Guanine to Cytosine) nucleotides. These compositions are referred to as “constrained codes,” which are a class of nonlinear codes that by proper processing, eliminate a chosen set of “forbidden patterns” from the codeword sets.

Fig. 2: A brief summary comparison of RNA vs. DNA

of proteins because of energy cost. A brief summary comparison of RNA vs. DNA are shown in Fig 2 (noting the CG-content in blue).

PROMISES AND ENCUMBRANCES

DNA data storage promises formidable information density, long-term durability, and ease of replicability. However, information in this intriguing storage technology might also become corrupted. Experiments have revealed that DNA sequences with long homopolymers and/or with lower guanine-cytosine (i.e., “GCcontent,” see inset of Fig. 1) are notably more subject to errors upon or when moved into DNA-storage.

Guanine-cytosine content is the percentage of nitrogenous bases in DNA or RNA molecules which are either guanine (G) or cytosine (C). A higher GC-content level indicates a higher melting temperature. GC-content should be in the 30%-80% range, with 50-55% being ideal; and the GC content influences the evolution

One probably never realized the complexities in storage beyond how magnetic areal density or how the fluctuation of magnetic energy relates to the pickup head of a spinning magnetic (hard) disk drive; but storage density will always need to increase if we’re going to sustain this ever-growing thirst for digital data.

When or if DNA data storage becomes prominent is still a vision into the future, but it is being promoted by companies including American companies Illumina, Microsoft, Iridia, Twist Bioscience, Catalog and Thermo Fisher Scientific. According to Markets and Markets, the DNA data storage market is projected to grow from $76 million in 2024 to $3.3 billion—growing at a CAGR of 87.7%—by 2030. l

Karl Paulsen is a frequent TV Tech contributor who has been writing about storage, the cloud and media solution technologies for the past three decades. He can be reached at karl@ivideoserver.tv.

eye on tech | products and services

Pixotope

Pixotope Pocket

Initially introduced as an exclusive offering for Pixotope Education Program partners, Pixotope Pocket mobile is now available as a free app and is designed to democratize the creation of immersive content by providing easy, unfettered access to augmented reality (AR) and virtual studio (VS) tools and workflows. Users only need a smartphone running iOS, a PC with Windows system, and Pixotope Graphics license to embark on virtual productions.

Fujifilm North America

Fujinon Duvo Zoom Lens

Fujifilm North America Corporation’s Optical Devices Division has announced the availability of its new Fujinon Duvo HZK24-300mm Portable PL Mount Zoom Lens. This native PLmount, dual format lens supports two types of large image sensors and specializes in shallow depth of field that produces a beautiful cinematic bokeh while maintaining ease of broadcast lens operation.

Pixotope Pocket requires no broadcast camera or tracking software and hardware. Creatives can use their mobile phone camera to shoot footage while Pixotope Pocket performs camera tracking by combining device motion tracking, camera scene capture, and advanced scene processing. Video and tracking data are transmitted via SRT stream through a local network to the local machine that has Pixotope Graphics installed. z www.pixotope.com

Grass Valley Maverick X

Grass Valley will showcase its new Maverik X software-based switcher, powered by AMPP, at its booth (C2308) at the 2024 NAB Show. Available to run on local, hybrid or cloud compute, the Maverik X supports combined uncompressed and compressed inputs and outputs, with full 10-bit UHD HDR workflows, automatic up/down/cross conversion and HDR LUT mapping. Maverik X can be controlled from both fully customizable HTML5 user interfaces operated from PC and tablet devices, in addition to Grass Valley’s modular Maverik switcher panel, providing a familiar operator experience while allowing unprecedented freedom in panel design.

The Maverik X is designed to scale with a client’s production needs, allowing users to define the number of inputs/outputs, M/Es, keyers, DVEs, and replay wipes with ease for any size of event. z www.grassvalley.com

Lightricks

LTX Studio

Lightricks, an Israeli-based developer of photo and video editing apps has launched LTX Studio, which the company says is a “first-of-its-kind” generative AI-driven editing platform for video production and filmmaking. With the recent emergence of generative video services from the likes of OpenAI and Google, Lightricks claims that its AI-first status and experience in building its AI photo and video editing apps Facetune, Photoleap, and Videoleap will give it an advantage and that its browser-based LTX Studio will allow filmmakers, advertising/marketing agencies, content creators and others to streamline the entire video production process, from scripting to editing, into a single, intuitive interface. LTX Studio offers idea visualization; storyboarding and scene planning; advanced control and customization, allowing creators to choose, change, or customize characters, camera angles, backgrounds, audio and voice effects, and more for faster pre-production, rough cuts and real-time feedback and adjustments.

z www.lightricks.com

The portable lens can be used with a tripod, shoulder-mounted with a Steadicam2, or for high-angle shooting, using a crane. The shallow depth of field allows for cinematic image expression with beautiful bokeh effect, making it ideal for bringing the desired cine look to sporting events, live concerts, HoW, reality shows, and other live broadcasts. It complements the previously released FUJINON Duvo HZK25-1000mm F2.8-F5.0 PL Mount Cinema Box Lens. z www.fujinon.com

Dielectric OptiLoad

At the 2024 NAB Show, Dielectric (W3333) will unveil OptiLoad, a new green, cost-reducing load solution featuring a closed-loop cooling system, protecting RF System components from failures that can cause extensive harm to the transmission system and shelter. OptiLoad uses programmable logic controls (PLCs) to sense rising RF power and temperature levels, awakening the system to take action. OptiLoad’s PLCs also monitor the health of the demand-driven circulator pumps and fans that are activated to address RF flow and temperature rises.

The OptiLoad design includes a water column load that Dielectric has offered for two decades, with more than 5,000 units shipped worldwide. Using the water column load as a building block, Dielectric has added a built-in heat exchanger responsive to PLC activations. The water column load can run without coolant flow or fans activated with powers up to 5kW. This ensures plenty of headroom when RF is detected, and the coolant and fans start to operate prior to the load seeing 5kW. z www.dielectric.com

Leader Instruments ZEN Series

Leader Instruments (C5521) plans to showcase three new additions to the feature set of its ZEN range of test and measurement tools at the 2024 NAB Show. Leader’s ZEN Series comprises the LV5600 UHD/HD/SD SDI/IP waveform monitor and LV7600 equivalent rasterizer, LV5300A portable 12G/3G/HD/SD-SDI waveform monitor with eye-pattern and jitter measurement, plus the LV5350 waveform monitor and the LV7300 rasterizer.

New for the Leader ZEN Series is an integral bidirectional conversion tool which allows HDR content to be viewed in SDR and vice versa.

Processing is based on the desired 3D color lookup table which can be imported via plug-in USB memory. The new 3D LUT capabilities will simplify live production workflows by integrating HDR/SDR conversion for applications such as camera shading and HDR supervision.

z www.leader.co.jp/en

Telestream DIVA 9

DIVA 9 is the latest update to Telestream’s middleware system for media management, access, and archiving. Targeting the complexities of long-term video asset storage, DIVA 9 introduces critical enhancements to bolster the accessibility, reliability, and efficiency of digital video archives, adding that the new version simplifies archiving with smart media storage policies, advanced Elasticsearch search functions, and comprehensive cloud integration, ensuring secure, scalable, and adaptable solutions.

DIVA 9 includes a new Proxy player integrated with Telestream Vantage, simplifying clip identification, segment marking, and partial restore processes, offering unprecedented ease in handling video data. DIVA 9 is easier to deploy in cloud environments with support for Postgres open source database, and compatibility with major cloud storage options, catering to both hybrid and native cloud setups. DIVA 9 features nearly 100 updates from its predecessor, focusing on improving system reliability, user experience, and operational efficiency, according to the company. z www.telestream.net

Avid MediaCentral

New features for Avid’s MediaCentral media production platform include Blueprint Builder in Avid’s newsroom-planning, content-sharing, and project-tracking tool MediaCentral | Collaborate. The new feature allows newsroom teams to tailor their planning and approval workflows with the specific attributes they require for their productions— allowing them to share and track content faster, saving time and money.

Also new is a Collections app that speeds up workflows between apps on the MediaCentral platform, enabling users to gather content for their stories more quickly. Working like a clipboard, the app makes it simple for users to collect material, saving time and speeding up the creative process. In addition, the Send To Playback capabilities now allow users to transfer incomplete feeds to FastServe | Playout servers, replacing the need for teams to edit a feed into a timeline before transferring. z www.avid.com

Witbe

Ad Monitoring and Matching

At the 2024 NAB Show, Witbe (W2053) will demo its new Ad Monitoring and Matching technology, which monitors dynamically inserted ads in video streams and analyzes their performance and availability in real time. Witbe’s Ad Monitoring and Matching technology helps providers identify and resolve streaming errors caused by dynamic ad insertion. The company tests and monitors real, physical devices to measure the true ad performance that viewers receive, as well as identify issues that cannot be detected through other monitoring approaches. Service providers receive accurate reports on the most important key performance indicators (KPI) for their service, including crucial and common ad errors like blank slates, audio cuts, crashed streams, buffering, and issues when returning to the main content. z www.witbe.net

Net Insight

Nimbra Connect IT

At the 2024 NAB Show, Net Insight (W2421) will launch Nimbra Connect iT, a new version of its Nimbra platform designed to transform live internet transport workflows for small to medium networks. Nimbra Connect iT provides an effortlessly integrated, scalable, and low-maintenance live media solution, enabling content creators, rights holders and broadcasters to focus on producing compelling content, according to the company. With the addition of Connect iT, Net Insight is expanding its cloud transport offering currently incorporating Nimbra Edge, to cater to both small-scale and large-scale networks.

Nimbra Connect iT is engineered for ease of deployment and simplified maintenance, ensuring that users can quickly integrate the platform into their existing infrastructure and start managing content delivery effectively. The solution allows for an easy entry into the cloud market, starting with as few as two modules. This simplicity, coupled with an inherently scalable architecture, allows media companies to expand their capabilities as they grow, without the traditional complexities associated with scaling up. z www.netinsight.net

SDVI Rally

At the 2024 NAB Show SDVI (W2313) will demo enhancements to its Rally media supply chain management platform that enables media companies to optimize media operation productivity. Designed to support every step of their supply chains from content receipt to delivery, Rally helps media organizations achieve business agility, accelerate operational efficiency and gain new intelligence about their media operations.

SDVI will highlight its recently introduced Rally Access Workstation, a new way to use Adobe Premiere Pro in the cloud as part of a fully managed end-to-end, cloud-based media supply chain. The company will also demonstrate the media applications available via the Rally platform. More than 60 applications are available through Rally, and SDVI adds more every month. Overall, SDVI will showcase many of the almost 150 new features for Rally released since the last NAB Show. z www.sdvi.com

Ateme Server Side Ad Insertion

Ateme (W1721)

will highlight

new developments in its ad insertion platform at the 2024 NAB Show, including the fact that Server Side Ad Insertion solution now supports the latest Apple HLS Intersitials specification. This development of the Ateme NEA solution for targeted advertising ensures a superior viewing experience while enabling content and service providers to increase revenue streams through wider reach and more effective ad targeting. Implemented initially for a leading content and service provider in Europe, the solution is one of the first SSAI solutions in the market to include support for HLS Interstitials, offering seamless transitions from content to ads and back to content, despite differences in codec parameters and audio tracks. It also has the ability to enhance or restrict player control actions during ad breaks as well as the ability to reverse or change inserted ads after initial decisions.

z www.ateme.com

Capturing Precision Shots With Vinten Osprey Pedestals

By James Cemlyn-Jones Broadcast Camera Operator

BRISTOL, U.K.—I have worked on snooker (billiards) television outside broadcasts as a cameraman since 2003—and in that time, have seen an incredible evolution in television production, a big rise in snooker’s global viewing figures, and a growing interest in the sport.

Cutting-edge technology and craft allow us to analyze every part of the game. For example, high-speed shutter cameras show bouncing balls and kicks that are imperceptible to the naked eye, really bringing a new dimension to the skills of the players.

Filming snooker is challenging and enjoyable for the camera operator, and the length of the day and high production values test the reliability and quality of the equipment to the maximum. Where else would you film an unscripted drama combined with a top sporting event live on network television for such long periods of time?

NIMBLE DEPLOYMENT

To shoot snooker, I have found the Vinten Osprey to be an ideal tool; its lightweight design allows nimble repositioning and subtle adjustments in a confined working space. It really does draw on a unique skill set with pedestal operation and the ability to read a snooker table inexorably intertwined.

In snooker, you have to think quickly, as there is only a small window to prepare for the next shot and be in position so that the flow is uninterrupted. There is no other environment where you are literally so close to elite sportsmen—it is almost a choreographed dance between the snooker player, referee, and cameraman.

Thanks to the Vinten Osprey Pedestals, we can maximize our creative output by using everything the Osprey has to offer. For instance, at the beginning of a frame, we might ped down from the maximum to minimum height, tracking around the trophy, enabling us to build the event with foreground and background interest; we are limited only by our own imaginations.

The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield is named

aptly for the white-hot tension that the World Championships create. John Virgo, the legendary commentator, describes “being able to play as if it means everything and nothing”—in other words, to be able to bring your practice game to this incredible stage, to be relaxed yet fully focused.

OSPREY’S FOOTPRINT

The Vinten Osprey, cameramen, and players alike have to deliver, and we’ve been very fortunate to work with equipment that is reliable and lets us express our creativity. The other crucial factor is the small footprint of the Osprey—space is at a premium at most venues, and in ergonomics, the compact Vinten design ticks all the boxes.

The smooth column is another great asset; by changing the height, we can add drama to the simplest of shots. For instance, at the end of Mark Selby’s 147 at last year’s World Championships, by using a gentle ped-up as the black is potted, we could then include the crowd and really make the viewer feel as if they were at the venue. For this move, the smoothness of the Osprey was essential.

I also like the fact that I can adjust the legs of the Osprey to narrow its footprint during transport, enabling access through small doorways; this helps with the rig and de-rig, which often take place through crowded backstage rat runs.

To sum up, the Vinten Osprey is an essential part of our camera equipment as our craft has evolved to new levels. Snooker, more than any other television broadcast, pushes the Osprey to its limits, and it delivers. l

James Cemlyn-Jones is a broadcast camera operator with over three decades of experience. He studied at Ravensbourne College, London, from 1985 to 1987 before working as a staff cameraman at HTV Bristol from 1987 to 1991.

Since then, he has has a successful freelance career, filming events from Pakistan to Patagonia. His work has encompassed everything from royal funerals to Olympic Games capturing notable sports figures from Shane Warne to Ronnie O’Sullivan. He can be reached at jimcj@mac.com

More information is available at www.vinten.com.

Viten Osprey Pedestals are the perfect fit for capturing the drama of snooker because its lightweight design allows nimble repositioning and subtle adjustments in a confined working space.

Litepanel’s Hard Light Deftly Handles Fast-Paced Field Production

By Geoff Nelson PDP & Lighting Cameraman Full Nelson Video

SEATTLE—As a seasoned broadcast and news cameraman, my workday can take me anywhere from pitch-side reporting for the NFL to corporate interviews and everything in between. In a fast-paced environment where things can change in an instant, having reliable and versatile equipment is essential.

I think the most challenging thing about being a broadcast and news cameraman is having all your ducks in a row in order to work quickly and anticipate what the client expects. On one hand, you have to interface with the client, subjects, and people involved with the production and story as a human being, but you also have to be deliberate in order to achieve what you want to accomplish.

You have to clear the list quickly, whether it’s talent lighting, making sure your camera’s set perfectly, accounting for variables in the background and ambient lighting. There’s lots to consider in limited time and you have to understand what needs to happen in a certain order.

THE RIGHT TOOLS

I’m always interested in the build quality of my lighting instruments and the Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Hard is built for the field. It’s a solid panel, with easy controls, that punches out daylight and tungsten temperatures that are as close to natural as you’ll find. I also need something that’s easy to

use, that doesn’t demand a lot of external ballasting or lots of cables running here and there. I want a light that’s self-contained, easy to pull out of a case, pop on a stand, add a battery or AC and I’m off and running. But most important is light quality.

I like going into a shoot, knowing the Gemini 1×1 Hard will give me a punch-through quality. The fact that you can add diffusion, remove diffusion whether it’s on the light itself, or shoot through a softbox or other addon diffuser, provides flexibility. You’re going into any situation knowing you have the power of an HMI in an LED source.

Covering news and sports can be challenging in many ways for a TV cameraman; space, ambient light, and the availability of power all play into it. The Gemini Hard fixture gives me the punch to tackle any ambient light condition, usually with power to spare.

EASY TO USE LED

The number one thing I found after going 100% LED and ditching my HMIs, was the ease of use. For almost any situation, with RGB LED panels, the speed, and convenience with which you can dial in the color is amazing. Depending on the event, the footprint of your setup can be limited by other crews right next

to you. The ability to power the Gemini 1×1 Hard with battery power—and retain the same output—is a massive plus on location. This wasn’t always an option with HMIs where I was always worried about power draw and if I had enough battery power for live shots.

These days we’re being asked to shoot more interviews—even single person interviews— with multiple cameras…a wide shot, a tight shot, another camera on a slider, perhaps. In my case, I use matching cameras and I want the light to look the same from all angles. There’s no time to deal with color issues coming out of light fixtures. With Litepanels I know that when you set the temperature that you want, you’re going to get it.

The Gemini Hard is just as at home pitch side with the NFL as it is inside doing a corporate interview. It’s just a great light, either as a harder source or through diffusion, to create that soft look. It’s a great fixture. l

Geoff Nelson is an Emmy-winning freelance DP and lighting cameraman based in Seattle and has covered broadcast, sports, corporate, documentary, and entertainment for over 23 years. He can be reached at seattletvcrew@comcast.net

More information is available at www.litepanels.com/.

Geoff Nelson (L) reports that the Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Hard light overcomes the challenges of sports coverage by providing the punch to tackle any ambient light condition, usually with power to spare.

Doc DP Relies on Sachtler to Tame ‘Wilderness’

By Jonathan Young Documentary DoP and Lighting Cameraman

LONDON—This year is my 20th anniversary working with the most intrepid explorer on modern TV today, Simon Reeve. Over the time we have worked together, we have crossed Arctic tundra, crisscrossed countless mountains, spent time in hostile environments with military and police units, and spent countless hours traveling in all manner of transport. From canoes to cargo ships, light planes to 3km long trains and more 4x4’s than I ever thought conceivable. And filming all the way whilst doing it.

For as long as I have had an active choice, since the 1990s, I have made Sachtler tripods the only choice for supporting all my cameras. I recently undertook my latest adventure with Simon Reeve for the BBC 2 series “Wilderness,” where we traveled into the dense jungles at the heart of the Congo Basin.

TRIPODS FOR THE WILDERNESS

Previous jungle experience had taught me this was going to be a tough trip so we prepared hard and left nothing to chance. This calculation included the weight of tripods and batteries to be carried. Every piece had to be carried by hand to the forward research base deep in the jungle. From the camp, we set out each day in the search of the elusive Bonobo monkey. We carried our filming equipment through dense undergrowth and I often found myself waist deep in rivers and stuck in muddy peat bogs.

Not once did my trusty Sachtler aktiv tripod disappoint. Light enough to be carried through the vines and thick foliage, it never got stuck in mud when I had to deploy it quickly when we first heard the sound of the Bonobos. We were using long zooms—well over 200mm—so I had to be sure when I finally did see our “TV treasure,” the shot would be steady. The beautifully compact and lightweight aktiv tripod head and flowtech legs performed as well as many heavier tripods I have owned.

Sahtler’s aktiv is faster, and in documentary television production, seconds matter. In the

past, I’ve lost shots because I was still leveling or something moved and I had to rebuild the tripod. aktiv’s setup is seconds faster and sometimes those seconds can make all the difference between getting the shot or not.

THE TRUST FACTOR

I’m often asked by colleagues, “why do you use Sachtler tripods? They cost more.” In today’s cost-conscious production environments, many look towards alternatives. I understand why, but it’s an argument I will counter: It’s very simple, you can’t buy trust. Trust must be earned. Trust takes years to build and seconds to evaporate and disappear.

Having used most manufacturers’ equipment at some point over the years and having

pushed that equipment to the edge, I found my camera work journey circling back to the same products, time and time again. It’s no accident that Videndum is the owner of most of the camera kit accessories I use on a daily basis—mainly Sachtler tripods, Anton/Bauer batteries and Small HD monitors. Every time I click an Anton/Bauer on my camera or lock my camera onto my Sachtler tripods, I know that these parts of my kit do the exacting job I require.

The trips in the heart of the Congo Basin are right at the top of my lists of filming experiences. It’s a life-affirming moment to come face to face with some of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. The results on screen for these chance moments were made more possible by choosing the best tools for the shoot and a good dose of luck from the filming gods. l

Jonathan Young is a highly regarded documentary DP with 30 years of experience shooting for all the major U.K. and U.S. broadcasters, as well as independent production companies. He has shot content in over 121 countries around the globe. He has won many accolades for his work including RTS & BAFTA nominations and numerous awards from The Guild of Television Camera Professionals in the U.K. He can be reached at jonathanyoung101@gmail.com.

More information is available at www.sachtler.com.

Jonathan Young relied exclusively on Sachtler tripods for supporting for his cameras during a trip deep into the jungles of the Congo basin for the BBC 2 series “Wilderness.”

KAKE Selects CueScript Teleprompters for New Studio

to include the very latest and most reliable teleprompter technology available.

By Bob Pectelidis Corporate Chief Engineer Lockwood Broadcast Group

WICHITA, KAN –ABC affiliate KAKE Television, owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group, went on-air in 1954 from a facility here in Wichita, Kan. The station serves as the flagship of KAKEland Television Network (KTN) which comprises eight stations that relay ABC shows and other programming provided by KAKE. Central to our success is our popular locally produced newscasts that reach homes across central and western Kansas and stretch as far as counties in Colorado and Oklahoma. This year marks a milestone for KAKE as we celebrate our 70th anniversary by launching a totally redesigned state-of-the-art studio. We wanted only the very latest cutting-edge technology to provide our viewers with a superior visual experience. The project included an updated camera system, new LED lighting and an advanced motion graphics package. We also knew that this major upgrade had

NEW STUDIO, NEW TECH

As corporate chief engineer of the Lockwood Broadcast Television Stations Group, I oversee growth initiatives for the group and am involved in all technical operations.  As such, I was determined that each equipment choice represented the latest technologies, met our requirements, and was interoperable.

I was introduced to CueScript at several industry events and came to know the company as a forward-thinking organization. Michael Accardi, CueScript’s founder and president, was a terrific ambassador for the brand, always available and always paying close attention to our requirements and priorities. I knew both support and performance would be top notch.

IP-BASED TELEPROMPTERS

We installed six IP-based CueScript teleprompters which are a combination of the hardware framework, and the software that run the scripts. We use Juniper switchers in the studio that are connected by fiber to our

Juniper core IP infrastructure. Connectivity is only as good as the network and using IP connectivity made setup fast and easy.

The actual installation was also a breeze and very intuitive. KAKE Chief Engineer Mark Jenkins— who was on set daily—said the process was effortless and the smoothest part of the installation. The prompters pointed at our MOS system, connected, and started pulling scripts immediately. We didn’t need any real training either, just a short remote session and we were up and running.

CueScript prompters offer a choice of handheld remotes or very sturdy foot pedals. So far, our talent seems to prefer the remotes, but it’s nice to have the choice. Looking forward, if we have a need to increase our prompter family, I will call CueScript. l

For 22 years Bob Pectelidis has been the corporate chief engineer of the Lockwood Broadcast Television Stations Group, a Richmond, Va.-based television, digital and advertising company. He can be reached at Bob@lockwoodbroadcast.com

More information is available at www.cuescript.tv/

Bob Pectelidis’ tech team installed six CueScript teleprompters for a new studio at KAKE Television.

equipment guide | camera support, lighting & batteries

buyers briefs

Autoscript Voice

Autoscript Voice for WinPlus-IP revolutionizes prompting with advanced speech recognition technology. Voice advances the script as the presenter speaks the words, pausing for ad-libs and resuming scrolling when they return to the script.

The intelligent control system handles various script and show formats, supports multiple presenters, and understands regional accents. Using IP, Voice handles the complexities of live broadcasting, combining speech recognition and advanced algorithms for a seamless, in-sync experience. As part of the Intelligent Prompting workflow, Autoscript Voice enhances dynamic automated production environments, allowing redeployment of resources to areas of greater value.

www.autoscript.tv

Autocue

The Autocue Pioneer Series includes customizable prompting solutions designed around the principles of speed, simplicity, and sustainability. Teleprompters feature an adjustable mounting kit to make setting up and balancing the prompter faster and easier, and a monitor brightness that will outperform any lighting situation to keep your presenter on-script. All Autocue monitors have a strong metal housing ready to take years of hard work and a choice of inputs to suit. Broadcast setups can be customized with a full range of accessories for tally, time and talent feedback.

The monitors include a selection of video inputs, including SDI. Pioneer Software can output NDI for slick IP integration, and if you need the script from a MOS newsroom system, you can connect as standard. www.autocue.com

Shotoku TR-XT Control System

Shotoku’s TR-XT studio robotics control system offers all the resiliency, reliability and unique redundancy of previous systems. However, it has moved to a Windows 11 operating system with more of the distributed front-end/back-end architecture and fully supported virtualized remote database support. Its fresh, easier-on-the-eye style of command buttons and color scheme makes navigating the system easier than ever.

The StudioView shot-planning capability has more powerful multicamera tools so camera positions are easily understood within a scaled real-studio layout image, and fully-updated AutoFrame face tracking technology has been implemented. It features database handling and data shadowing for seamless shared operation for simultaneous control positions and full shadowing should a server connection be lost. www.shotoku.co.uk

Manfrotto 645 Fast Twin Leg Alu Tripod

The 645 FTT Fast Twin Alu Tripod features a double tubing and FAST Lever Lock technology for the most robust support ever. The tripod is provided with a “2 in 1” bowl: a standard 100mm bowl along with a 75mm adapter to enable the use of a wider range of video heads. It also features a middle spreader lock. However, the 3-angle selectors make the use of a spreader a matter of optional preference.

This range was developed to makie video shooting easier by reducing setup times and maintenance. The synchronized closure mechanisms between the upper and lower locks enable videographers to control the entire leg with a single lock and get to work in record time. The new light weight tripod provides maximum versatility, supporting the use of a broad choice of heads, and ensuring the utmost rigidity.

www.manfrotto.com/uk-en

OConnor OConnor 2560

A lightweight alternative to the OConnor 2575, the OConnor 2560 has been engineered to support smaller digital cinema cameras. Crafted for cine-style shooting, the design of the 2560 delivers cine ma standard positioning of controls, including brakes and rosettes, for easy and intuitive use. The fluid head also includes OConnor’s patented sinusoidal counterbalance system for true, accurate balance at any point in the tilt range. Each head comes with a carbon fiber cover for improved stiffness and maximum durability in extreme conditions.

Weighing less than 18 lbs., the 2560 can support camera payloads up to 66 lbs. at a six-inch center of gravity above the platform. OConnor Ultimate heads have been used on almost every Hollywood movie feature and episodic TV drama since the early 1990’s and OConnor heads in general have been heavily utilized in the industry since 1949.

www.ocon.com

Cartoni LIFTO 25 PTZ

Cartoni has automated the LIFTO 25 PTZ motorized elevation column by adding the ability to of its control system to communicate through the studio’s ethernet. The software dongle easily loads to any OS computer, connecting LIFTO 25 to the PTZ automation system with no distance limitation. The software can handle up to 5 PTZ & 5 LIFTO 25 simultaneously and is compatible with most high-end PTZ systems from Panasonic, Canon, Sony, etc. Operations can be performed by the PTZ controller (Panasonic, Skaarhoj, etc.) or conveyed to a footswitch or any gamepad via USB.

This PTZ System comes equipped with a built-in spreader and rubber feet, a quick release camera attachment for PTZ cameras and a safety ring to secure the camera. It can be mounted on the Cartoni lightweight dolly for easy traveling on the studio floor.

www.cartoni.com

Anton/Bauer Powers Reliable Broadcast Sports Production

By Steve Cole Broadcast Camera Operator

IPSWICH, U.K.—As a freelance broadcast camera operator, I find myself covering all sorts of events and scenarios across the country, mainly sports. It has been commonly said that the U.K. can experience all four seasons in a day, which means my kit needs to easily withstand all of them.

Before I made the switch to Anton/Bauer, my least favorite season was winter. This is because batteries—all batteries—hate the cold. However, some deal with this issue better than others.

One of the mainstays of my work is EFL football, the majority of which is covered by four camera remote broadcasts using owner operators linking to a director and replay op based at IMG in London. The bulk of U.K. football is played in the colder months which can wreak havoc on power solutions.

POWERFUL PROBLEMS

Until I switched to Anton/Bauer Titon batteries, power was always a problem. I used to do FACS checks on one battery, warmups on another, first half on yet another and then a final battery change at halftime because I just could not trust my old batteries. In addition to how rapidly they would decline, the power indicators were completely arbitrary, looking almost full for most of the time, then suddenly dropping.

Since making the switch, this problem has become a thing of the past. I ended up getting two Titon 150’s and two Titon 240’s and I can do all of the above on one Titon 240 battery with no changes. And if I do start to worry, all I need to do is check the accurate time remaining display on the side of the battery to see exactly how much time I have left.

Most camera positions in a stadium do not have power unless they are on the main gantry; even then, the power can be unreliable, so a good set of batteries is essential. I used to carry upwards of 10 batteries on some shoots, now I just carry four.

I also do a lot of work using the OB company’s kit, and some of these regular jobs use RF cameras.

Often the batteries provided are not particularly high quality and I can end up doing a battery change every half hour to an hour, which can frustrate and prevent me from fully focusing on the job. Not only that, but weight becomes a huge issue when shouldering an RF camera, and batteries can be very heavy.

LESS STRESS

Therefore, I started bringing my Titons to these jobs just to make my life easier, and it’s been a game changer. The Titon 150 and 240 batteries are both considerably lighter than other batteries I have used and more powerful. I can run an RF link, camera, my Litepanels Brick (powered by the D-tap on the battery) and various other bits for over 2-3 hours on a 150 and almost five hours with a 240, making work far less stressful.

The Titon batteries have another added benefit for me, a USB A connector that allows me to charge USB devices while simultaneously powering my kit, which is

Since making the switch to Anton/Bauer Titon batteries, Steve Cole found they lowered the weight he had to carry, were much more reliable and lasted longer, thus reducing the stress of broadcast sports production.

so convenient. This is particularly useful as I use an action camera to record behindthe-scenes content for Instagram and other social media, and my action camera has a tiny battery. This extends to other handy things like being able to charge my phone, which has been especially useful when comms go down and my phone is the only link to the director. l

For more than 14 years Steve Cole has been enjoying life in live broadcast, starting as a camera operator and shortly after, adding PTZ/ remote camera operation, RF/handheld ENG camera, lighting camera and racks operator to his skill set.

He covers music festivals and large concerts, FIFA World Cup, Premier League and Championship Football, Olympic and Wimbledon, touring cars, British GT, horse racing, news, etc. Steve works with reputable OB companies and broadcasters such as NEP, Gravity Media, Cloudbass, ITV, BBC, and Sky Sports. He can be reached at www.thesailingcameraman.com and steve@thesailingcameraman.com

More information is available at www.antonbauer.com.

Frezzi Batteries Give Veteran DP ‘Peace of Mind’

By Rick Smosky Director of Photography Rick Smosky Inc.

NEW YORK—As a freelance cameraman and director of photography for more than 35 years, I know how important it is to have reliable equipment. No matter what the shoot is or where it takes place, you must have a dependable way to power your equipment.

For the past several years, I have been using Frezzi FB-150 and FB-240 batteries to power my cameras and lights. From below freezing temperatures in blizzard conditions to blistering heat waves, the Frezzi batteries have never let me down. In the past I have used other brands of batteries that would lose much of their capacity in the extreme cold or sometimes refuse to charge after shooting in the hot sun. Conditions like these don’t seem to have any effect on the Frezzi batteries. There are enough things to keep on top of while shooting without needing to worry about my batteries.

POWER-HUNGRY CAMERAS

I have all my cameras and lights set up with gold mounts—this way I can use the same batteries on my cameras and lighting equipment without needing to carry around many different types. The FB-150 and FB-240 batteries provide a great balance between size and weight, while still having the capacity to power the latest generation of power hungry 4K cameras. This becomes even more important when adding on accessories such as camera lights, extra monitors and a microwave transmitter or LiveU unit.

The addition of a USB port on the battery is also handy for powering things like IFB transmitters or charging a cellphone. The placement of the D-Tap on the side and USB port on top works great and really demonstrates the thought that went into designing these batteries.

The FB batteries’ built-in LEDs show how much power is left with five segments that illuminate when the button is pressed. When

the last segment on the battery is blinking, I know that I have about 10 minutes to change batteries. It’s nice that the FB-240 battery can provide its rated output current of 15 amps right up until the battery is fully discharged.

Another handy feature is that the battery capacity display isn’t on unless the button is pressed, so it is not using any current when no one is looking at it. It also has a feature where if the battery is not used for a few weeks, it turns off all the internal circuitry to prevent any self-discharge. This provides peace of mind when I return from a long trip and don’t have to worry about my batteries being discharged or having to leave them on a charger unattended while I’m away.

LONG-LASTING

The Frezzi batteries have enough output to run the latest generation of LED lights for hours on end and have held up for many years of use. If I use a Frezzi battery that is several years old or a new one, I can be assured that they will both work the same, and the battery

capacity display will be accurate.

When shooting on location, it’s possible to have the latest and greatest cameras and lights, but without a dependable way to power them, you won’t be able to capture the moment. Batteries are the type of equipment where you really get what you pay for—a cheap battery may work fine for a little while but after many cycles in various conditions, it may let you down when you need it the most.

As a freelancer, I have worked hard for many years to earn a good reputation and it’s not worth the risk of missing an important shot or losing a live shot just to save a few bucks. The piece of mind that comes from having a battery system that you can rely on is worth the investment. l

Rick Smosky is a freelance cameraman and director of photography for Rick Smosky Inc. located in the New York metro area and can be reached at ricksmosky@gmail.com.

More information is available at www.frezzi.com.

Rick Smosky relies on Frezzi FB-150 and FB-240 batteries to power his cameras, lights and accessories.

ENCO Rushworks PTX Model 3 Pro

The ENCO Rushworks PTX Model 3 Pro is a whisper-quiet robotic pan/tilt head designed for larger payloads, providing the torque to position cameras and lenses. It features passthrough connections for SDI, HDMI, USB, DC camera power and networking, and any joystick controllers supporting VISCA over IP protocol can be used. The PTX Model 3 Pro positions multiple pass-through connections for cameras and lenses between the base and moving arm, minimizing cable strain and stress. Constructed of aluminum and steel, the PTX Model 3 PRO works with most video cameras. This design combines the best features of the previous models into a sleek, powerful, precision robotic head that’s a great platform for any camera. www.rushworks.tv

Miller Camera Support SKYFX 9

Miller Camera Support will debut its new SkyFX 9 at the 2024 NAB Show (Booth C6925). The SkyFX 9, a derivative of Miller’s SkyX 8, comes equipped with pan and tilt positioning encoders to satisfy customers’ requests for a larger capacity live VR fluid head that can accommodate larger lenses and cameras. The SkyFX 9’s 40kg (88 lbs.) capacity head boasts 16 positions of counterbalance and 7 +0 positions of drag. It is fitted with an ARRI style side loading camera plate capable of 150mm travel.

The SkyFX 9 is designed for live broadcasts, including VR applications and employs non-contact high-resolution magnetic encoders with pan resolution of 2.1 million and tilt resolution of 1.05 million. Each SkyFX 9 comes with a full Gold three-year factory warranty.

www.millertripods.com/en

Lupo DayledPRO 300

The DayledPRO 3000—the latest model in Lupo’s DayledPRO series is a high-powered LED fresnel with a full sized 12-inch glass fresnel lens. Available in dual color and full color versions, these lights are equal to or brighter than any other LED Fresnels and are designed to work well in a studio environment, being a fully integrated unit, rather than an open face lamp with a fresnel attachment on the front and an external power supply, as has become common with many such offerings.

The Full Color models in the range all have six primary RGBACL light engines which allow the most accurate tracking of color temperature when adjusting between tungsten and daylight color temperatures. www.lupo.it/en

ARRI

SkyPanel X

The ARRI SkyPanel X is the latest edition to the ARRI SkyPanel family. Introduced as a modular system and configurable into different sizes (X21, X22, X23), SkyPanel X offers native soft and hard light technology, setting a new bar not only in terms of dimming and color science, but also in light output and beam quality for medium to long throws.

With up to 4,800 lux at 10 meters/32.8 feet and eight pixels per panel; dynamic CCT range of 1,500 K to 20,000 K; RGBACL full-spectrum color engine; wireless CRMX control; integrated power supply; advanced networking possibilities; and an IP66 rating, the SkyPanel X is an all-weather lighting solution tailored to existing workflows. www.arri.com/en

people on the move

For possible inclusion, send information to tvtechnology@futurenet.com with People News in the subject line.

GEMMA GARCIA

Noticias Telemundo

Noticias Telemundo has appointed Gemma Garcia executive vice president, heading up Telemundo’s news division. Garcia, a seasoned newsroom executive with more than 30 years of experience in broadcast and digital news, will be responsible for the network’s news programming across all platforms and will oversee Noticias Telemundo’s news programming, editorial units, digital news properties, newsgathering and bureaus in the U.S. and Latin America.

MARK GARDNER Grass Valley

Mark Gardner has been appointed VP of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region for Grass Valley. A 25-year media industry veteran, Gardner has established a well-regarded track record of managing high-performance teams from engineering to product management and sale leadership, working for Vistek, Pro-Bel, Snell, SAM, Grass Valley and more recently Ross Video. Gardner will be responsible for driving GV’s growth throughout the EMEA region.

DAN LANZANO

Nexstar Media Group

Nexstar Media Group has appointed Dan Lanzano senior vice president of in the newly created position of national advertising sales where he will oversee national advertising sales across Nexstar’s national media portfolio, including The CW Network, NewsNation, Antenna TV, Rewind TV, and The Hill. He will also manage agency and client relationships for Nexstar’s sports, direct response and paid programming businesses. He was most recently VP of advertising sales for WBD.

JOHALI CARMONA

Telemundo Las Vegas

Telemundo Las Vegas (KBLR) has promoted executive producer Johali Carmona to news director, Carmona, an award-winning professional with more than 15 years of experience in local media, has been an integral part of Telemundo Las Vegas since 2016. In her new capacity, she will oversee the station’s news content and operations, Carmona is a former news producer at KBLR, executive producer/managing editor at Telemundo Colorado.

JOSH WIGGINS ThinkAnalytics

ThinkAnalytics has appointed Josh Wiggins to the position of senior vice president for business development, strategy and partnerships. Wiggins was the former global industry sales leader for the M&E Business Unit at AWS. In his new role, Wiggins will spearhead ThinkAnalytics’ go-to-market strategy and business development across both direct business and partnerships. Wiggins has more than 25 years of experience across the M&E ecosystem.

EVAN SLAVITT Corp. for Public Broadcasting

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has named Evan Slavitt its new Senior Vice President and General Counsel. As CPB’s chief legal officer, he will promote and defend the company’s legal interests, monitor compliance with federal and D.C. law, and ensure adherence to the highest standards of ethical conduct in CPB’s administration of the federal appropriation for public broadcasting. Slavitt began his legal career in the U.S. Department of Justice,

TOM COX Tegna

Tom Cox has been promoted to the newly created position of chief growth officer for Tegna, reporting to president and CEO Dave Lougee. Cox will be responsible for leading efforts to accelerate Tegna’s existing digital businesses as well as identify new opportunities. He will also lead Tegna’s technology and digital product divisions. Previously, Cox was president of Premion and SVP, business development at Tegna. Cox joined Tegna in 2011,

JIM DOTY Sinclair

Sinclair has named Jim Doty vice president and general manager of WCYB (NBC/CW) and WEMT (Fox) in the Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia. Doty was most recently VP/GM of 23ABC in Bakersfield, Calif. Prior to 23ABC, he was the GM at WJAC-TV, Sinclair’s station in Johnstown, Pa. Doty has held several leadership positions, including general sales manager of KPTM and KXVO in Omaha, Neb., director of sales at WCIA and WCFN in Champaign, Ill.