Digital Studio - July 2010 by ITP Business Publishing

FLAME 2011 A close look at the latest version of the visual effects and 3D design software

NOT ALL HD IS THE SAME

SPECIAL: REPORTS OB VAN

An ITP Business Publication 1 Licensed by Dubai Media City

Which version of HD should you opt for when upgrading infrastructure?

IMAGE RESTORATION How to go about the restoration and re-mastering of archive material

Vol. 12 Issue 7 July 2010

JUlY 2010 VOLUME 12 ISSUE 07 CONTENTS

ONLINE

FLAME 2011

SPECIAL REPORT: OB VANS

HD INFRASTRUCTURE

IMAGE RESTORATION

PRODUCTS

HISTORY NOTES

www.digitalproductionme.com

Broadcasters face HD upgrade dilemna / Digital Vision introduces mid-market products / Imagenation invests in internship programme / Alhurra goes live with OmniBus iTX / Affordable 3D cinema format wins support / Rubicon and Turner sign agreement / Movers & shakers / Consumer tech giants ramp up the 3D hype / Saudi TV drops further ‘commercialisation’ hints / Sony offers affordable way to do 3D trials / Al Aan reaches out to Arab females.

NEWS

A roundup of what’s happening in the world of broadcasting at digitalproductionme.com, including the story of Al Jazeera’s World Cup broadcasting woes and reader feedback on the whole aﬀair.

A close look at the latest version of the visual eﬀects and 3D design software, with feedback from users of the package.

Investment in OB vans is booming as broadcasters seek to accommodate consumer demand for more and better live events coverage. This 16-page special report includes an interview with Mark Grinyer, Sony’s head of sports business development; case studies from Riedel, SSL and Harris; and practical hints and tips on how to build an OB van from Megahertz Broadcast Systems.

As studios begin to upgrade their ﬁxed and OB infrastructure to HD, they are increasingly asking the question: Which HD is best? Adrian Pennington investigates.

Dr. Tim Harris, senior software engineer at Digital Vision, looks at how to go about the restoration of archive material.

New products from Riedel, TV One, VSN, Wohler, Broadcast Pix and others.

Digital Studio looks at 10 big moments in the history of 3D entertainment technology.

JULY 2010

COMMENT JULY 2010

I’LL KEEP MY CATHODE RAY TV, THANKS ‘Forced obsolescence’ is a term that has long been used in the IT industry to describe the endless cycle of processor and operating system upgrades. Buy a PC today and you know that within two years it will be unable to run the latest games and most web sites. After more than one hundred years of the cathode ray tube television, the home entertainment industry is now trying to force obsolescence upon us. A lot of you will now have got round to buying a high deﬁnition television. But if you’ve already bought a 720p (also known as ‘HD Ready’) television, you might now be wondering whether or not you should have got a 1080p (or ‘Full HD’) model instead. As if that wasn’t enough to occupy your mind, you’re no doubt wondering whether or not you made a mistake buying that HD TV, whether ‘Ready’ or ‘Full’, at all. Now, all you’ll ever hear about is 3D and how it is ‘The Future’ of broadcasting. Believe me though, it won’t stop there. Within ﬁve years (a wild guess on my part) and probably before 3D hype has even died down, manufacturers (perhaps aided by the media) will be telling you that HD and 3D are old hat and the only way to watch TV is in something called ‘Ultra HD’. Maybe there will also be something called Ultra HD 3D. Before all that happens, there is the inevitable release of 3D TVs that won’t require you to wear silly glasses. Confused? The upshot is that consumer electronics companies are now trying to force obsolescence upon TV owners in the same way that

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PC companies always have. Besides the terrible amount of landfill this is going to create, it gives broadcasters a major headache. If you’re upgrading your studio from SD to HD now, should you go for 720p infrastructure, 1080i or the most expensive option of 1080p? In the event that 3D does take off, should you be planning for it now when upgrading your infrastructure, or risk having to spend more later to catch up? Ambition and budget are the two factors that will most influence these decisions, but they are going to be tough calls to make. Broadcasters will also be making these choices in the knowledge that any technology they implement now may have been superceded in five years. It makes you wonder: Who’d want to be a broadcaster?

Advertising Commercial Director, Broadcast & Media Fred Dubery Tel: +971 4 210 8381 email: fred@itp.com N.American Advertisement Director Michael J. Mitchell Tel: +1 631 673 3199 email: mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv Japan Representative Mikio Tsuchiya Tel: + 81 354 568230 email: ua9m-tcy@asahi-net.or.jp Studio Group Art Editor Daniel Prescott Art Editor Nadia Puma Photography Director of Photography Sevag Davidian Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Jovana Obradovic Staff Photographers Isidora Bojovic, George Dipin, Murrindie Frew, Lyubov Galushko, Shruti Jagdesh, Mosh Lafuente, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav Production & Distribution Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Matthew Grant Production Co-ordinator Nelly Pereira Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Image Editor Emmalyn Robles Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami Circulation Head of Circulation and Database Gaurav Gulati Marketing Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Marketing Manager Annie Chinoy ITP Digital Director Peter Conmy

On the subject of Al Jazeera’s World Cup transmission problems, I don’t have much to add to what I wrote last month. Commenting on the broadcaster’s muddled distribution policy, my closing statement then was, ‘While the region increasingly produces great content, perhaps we still have plenty to learn about customer service.’

ITP Group Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K.M. Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 286 8559 Certain images in this issue are available for purchase. Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visit www.itpimages.com Printed by Color Lines Press Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances.

ON THIS MONTH’S COVER

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Digital Studio puts the latest edition of Flame through its paces and ﬁnds out what end users think. Read the full story on page 16. BPA Worldwide Audited Average Qualified Circulation 5,972 (July - Dec 2009)

To subscribe please visit: www.itp.com/subscriptions 2 JULY 2010

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NEWS REGIONAL UPDATE

BROADCASTERS FACE HD UPGRADE DILEMNA Broadcasters faced with upgrading their analogue or SD facilities to HD face a dilemna: Whether to go for 720p, 1080i or the most expensive option, 1080p. Although 720p may seem the most sensible approach, from a cost versus quality perspective, the emergence of 3D programming is making the decision more diﬃcult. “What has made 1080p discussions even more important are the 3D stereo plans for many broadcasters,” said Said Bacho, regional director for Harris Steve Nunney: 3G comes at a price.

Broadcast. “Customers realise that any discussion about 3D involves upgrading their routing and glue infrastructure to 3G [Gbit/s].” While broadcasters might not see the need for a 3Gbit/s backbone infrastructure today, manufacturers will argue that while upgrading from SD directly to 1080p and 3Gbit/s might seem premature, it will save a lot of money and time a few years from now. “If you know that you need to upgrade your infrastructure from SD to HD today, doesn’t it make more sense to upgrade to the newest format that you may find yourself having to support in a few years?,” said Peter Hoffmann, director, market development, routing & signal management at Grass Valley. Such discussions are also taking place at a time when budgets are still constrained by the economic downturn. “3G still comes at a price – as much as 50-100% more than standard HD kit,” said Steve Nunney, who runs test and measurement equipment vendor Hamlet. “With budgets under pressure, broadcasters and facilities will have to decide when 1080p/50 will be a real requirement.” Hoffman suggests a phased approach, where bits and pieces of a fixed installation are upgraded to 3G gradually. “For example, a facility might need a new router today, so it would make sense for that router to be 3G-capable, with cabling coming later as 3G becomes more widespread,” he said.

IN BRIEF PARTNERSHIP OFFERS SIMPLER STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL Marquis Broadcast, a specialist in workflow software, and Object Matrix, a developer of archiving systems, have joined forces to offer solutions for broadcast and post-production workflows. The joint offering will combine Marquis’ Parking archiving & retrieval software and Object Matrix’s MatrixStore near-line archive system. According to a statement, users will be able to move entire sequences, including edit decisions, subclips and metadata, from dedicated Avid or Final Cut Pro storage to the MatrixStore environment with a single click. Archiving is made easier as Parking wraps sequence elements and metadata into a standard TAR file as they are transferred to MatrixStore. Parking also eliminates the need to re-ingest and conform media before editing work can begin. “We believe that the Parking/MatrixStore solution will improve workflow efficiency by simplifying the storage and retrieval of content,” said Granby Patrick, technology director, Marquis.

DIGITAL VISION INTRODUCES MID-MARKET PRODUCTS; DROPS PRICE OF FLAGSHIP PLATFORM said Martin Bennett, Digital Vision’s VP of marketing. “We are releasDigital Vision has introduced a range of new products, based on its ing powerful solutions and opening up our product line to a wide Nucoda and Phoenix lines, in an effort to address the mid-market. range of users.” Amongst the new launches are Nucoda Fuse, a grading solution, The company has also dropped the and Nucoda Compose, an ingest, conform and editing system, price of its flagship grading product, both aimed at the budget-conNucoda Film Master, to US $90,000. scious user. To boost the performance of its Other new offerings are Phoenix software, Digital Vision has developed Refine, positioned as a mid-range several new technologies. Turbine introtoolset for image restoration and duces distributed background rendering enhancement, and Phoenix Touch, for Phoenix and Nucoda solutions; DVO which offers an entry-level solution Clarity is a new noise and grain reducfor image clean-up and retouch. tion technology; and DVO Fix automati“We consider these announcecally repairs imperfections in degraded ments to be a significant milestone Digital Vision has introduced mid-market and budget versions of its products. film and images. for our company and the industry,”

www.digitalproductionme.com

JULY 2010 5

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NEWS REGIONAL UPDATE

AFFORDABLE 3D CINEMA FORMAT WINS SUPPORT Technicolor has secured support from a number of studios for the international release of ďŹ lms in the Technicolor 3D format. Technicolor 3D allows cinemas to start showing ďŹ lms in 3D without having to shell out on expensive new projectors. The system uses a new patent-pending lense that ďŹ ts onto existing projection machines. Technicolor says that the technology was developed because of the slow pace of digital cinema rollout. It is not, it asserts, trying to compete with Shrek receives the Technicolor 3D treatment.

Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Gett y Images

digital 3D. Studios supporting the format internationally are DreamWorks Animation, Universal, Paramount, Weinstein and Warner Bros. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are a number of exhibitors around the world that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t currently have access to the capital required to convert to digital,â&#x20AC;? explained Ann Daly, COO, DreamWorks Animation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Until digital conversion is possible for these exhibitors overseas, we believe Technicolor 3D provides a valuable service in enabling certain theatres to show our movies in a high quality manner to audiences who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to experience them in the theatre in 3D.â&#x20AC;? The ďŹ rst international release in Technicolor 3D will be Shrek Forever After in Germany. Other countries included in the international launch of Technicolor 3D are the UK, Spain, Italy, and Japan. Technicolor 3D has so far been installed on around 200 screens in North America. More than 20 3D titles will be released in 2010, including Shrek Forever After; The Last Airbender; and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1.

IN BRIEF RUBICON AND TURNER DEAL Jordan-based Rubicon Group and Turner have signed an agreement covering content and merchandising. Under the agreement, Rubiconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Ben & Izzy and Tareq wa Shireen animated series will be shown on Cartoon Network in MENA beginning in October 2010, and in additional regions thereafter. Rubicon and Cartoon Network will collaborate on the development of MENA merchandising programs to coincide with the launch of the two new series. They will also explore opportunities to create content based on intellectual properties in the companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; libraries. Ben & Izzy is an English/Arabic comedy and adventure series. Tareq Wa Shireen is an Arabic language production designed to stimulate youngstersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; interest in regional culture and history.

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JULY 2010 7

NEWS REGIONAL UPDATE

IN BRIEF BLACKMAGIC DRIVES DOWN ROUTER CONTROL COSTS Blackmagic Design’s Videohub Smart Control is now available from all Blackmagic Design distributors worldwide. Videohub Smart Control is a new router control panel that’s designed to be lower cost and to distribute router control throughout television facilities for faster workflow. Videohub Smart Control retails for $495. According to Blackmagic, traditional hardware router control panels cost thousands of dollars and are limited to being installed in small numbers and then shared by all router users. Videohub Smart Control is low cost, and features 40 YRGB illuminated crystal look buttons that can be set to any router output. Videohub Smart Control can be installed under each deck and monitor in a facility, so the router output to that monitor can be set with a single button press. For example, if a Videohub Smart Control is installed under a monitor, then the router output connected to that monitor can be set to a different router source with each button press. Videohub Smart Control includes a USB connection and Mac and Windows software to set each button. Buttons are illuminated in brilliant white. Videohub Smart Control can also be used with multiple destinations, and customers can opt to have a single destination for the whole control panel, or multiple destinations. “We have been asked for a router control panel for our popular Videohub routers, and we think we have a fantastic solution that will make all our customers extremely happy,” said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design, “Now every device in our facility has buttons underneath so we can just select its input with a single button press. You have to see this working to really understand how fast that makes router control.”

8 JULY 2010

IMAGENATION INVESTS IN INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME Imagenation Abu Dhabi, in association with the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, has launched Mawaheb, an internship program focused on developing local film talent in the UAE. The aim of Mawaheb (‘talents’ in English) is to provide Emirati students with an opportunity to gain hands-on filmmaking experience abroad. Support will be provided by Imagenation Abu Dhabi’s international partners, including Participant Media, National Geographic Films and Hyde Park Entertainment. Internships will include appointments at joint venture offices in Los Angeles and New York City, and placements on the sets of productions in US and India. “The key to developing a sustainable film industry in the UAE is to nurture our homegrown talent,” said Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, chairman of Imagenation Abu Dhabi. “We have a generation of creative and gifted young Emiratis whose careers can only benefit from exposure to the best in the international film business. Our hope is that through our internship program, we can identify high potential talent that can play a role in the future of film in this region.” Internships at joint ventures will last between one and three months, and will provide practical insight into the day-to-day business of filmmaking. Candidates should be current students or recent

Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei speaks to Emirati director, Nawaf Al-Janahi.

graduates of business, film or broadcasting, or young professionals in the media sector. On-set internships are aimed at Emiratis interested in the creative side of filmmaking and will provide insights into line production, camera work, costume design, makeup and technical field work. Candidates should currently be working in the film or broadcast industry, or be recently graduated from a relevant course. The application process opened on July 1; details are online at: www. imagenation.ae.

ALHURRA GOES LIVE WITH OMNIBUS ITX Allhurra has gone live with OmniBus Systems’ iTX broadcast automation and playout platform. Alhurra migrated to OmniBus iTX to achieve better integration of its master control infrastructure and greater workflow efficiency. Alhurra’s iTX implementation is configured for three SD channels with four ingest and four preview channels. The platform is integrated with Alhurra’s BroadView traffic system and BitCentral asset management system through a file-based BXF interface. It supports SD and HD formats and is designed to integrate with third-party systems. “Alhurra’s implementation of iTX provides the core of an extremely efficient and agile broadcasting operation,” said Mike Oldham, OmniBus Systems’ CEO. “Because of the

responsiveness of the iTX platform, combined with its state-of-the-art automation and ready integration with external systems, Alhurra has been able to achieve a far greater level of productivity, while delivering a more compelling service to its viewers.”

Omnibus iTX supports SD and HD and is designed to integrate with third-party systems.

www.digitalproductionme.com

NEWS REGIONAL UPDATE

MOVERS & SHAKERS CAMERA CORPS Ca Camera Corps has appointed Tim Reynolds p as a sales & project co-ordinator. He arrives c with w over 20 years of film and television industry experience, i including stints at the i BBC B and Axis Films. Camera Corps provides support services for reality programmes and large-scale sports events, such as the World Cup. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portfolio includes high-level cranes, HD and SD motorised tracking cameras, underwater cameras, bullseye-mounted archery target cameras and fire-proofed hightemperature cameras. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tim has an ideal background for this role,â&#x20AC;? said Laurie Frost, managing director. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As well as understanding the operational side of the business, he has direct experience of the level of support customers expect from their suppliers.â&#x20AC;?

HARRIS Harris Corporation has named Brad Turner to the new position of vice president of strategy and marketing for its Broadcast Communications business. His teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary job will be to develop strategies, tactics and programs that generate demand for Harris products and solutions through various channels worldwide. Turner previously worked in private equity. He holds a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in finance from the University of Virginia and a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in marketing and finance from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. PILAT MEDIA Pilat Media, a supplier of business management software, has appointed Tanya Yankelevich as VP, software delivery. In this new position, Yankelevich will ensure the timely and high-quality delivery of new releases of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship Integrated Broadcast Management System (IBMS). Yankelevich has more than 20 years of experience in the development and implementation of software systems. She previously served as VP of professional services for Pontis, a developer of marketing software.

MARQUIS Marquis Broadcast has appointed John Woodhouse as product manager. Woodhouse will help map out the future development of Media Highway Technology, which forms the underlying architecture for the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Medway media transfer and format conversion software. Medway enables the movement of media files between a range of editing, media asset management, broadcast automation, playout and archive systems. The productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s metadata management facilities also help customers repurpose content. Woodhouse was previously head of operations at Softel and held several positions with Quantel.

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JULY 2010 9

NEWS REGIONAL UPDATE

IN BRIEF MOROCCO’S LUXE RADIO TAKES TO THE AIR WITH NETIA PLATFORM Luxe Radio, a Morocco-based radio startup, has deployed Netia’s RadioAssist™ 8 suite of digital audio automation software. The software will help the station to manage workflow and automate the streaming of content to its official Internet portal, anaka.ma. “As we strive to deliver the best of Moroccan and international life, NETIA’s Radio-Assist 8 software suite provides a complete, intuitive, and efficient platform that ensures the quality and continuity of our radio and Internet broadcasts,” said Abdessamad Aboulghali, president of Luxe Radio. This project was implemented in partnership with systems integration company AVTM - EUROCOM Morocco, based in Casablanca, which ensured the integration and technical implementation of the project. The Netia installation in Casablanca includes 15 workstations configured for journalists and technicians, with two dedicated to playout and a backup used to provide redundancy. The workstations cover the entire production workflow, providing tools for schedule and playlist creation. Two servers run Netia’s DBShare, which manages database content. A media logging module records everything that is broadcast, a key legal requirement. “Equipped with a broad range of tools for end-to-end multimedia workflows, Radio-Assist 8 allows broadcasters to optimise the efficiency of their operations, from ingest through to delivery on multiple platforms,” said Christophe Carniel, president and CEO at Netia. “The installation at Luxe Radio demonstrates the Radio-Assist 8 software suite’s ability to support both traditional and online productions and broadcasting from one comprehensive yet easy-to-use interface.”

10 JULY 2010

CONSUMER TECH GIANTS RAMP UP THE 3D HYPE The arrival of the football World Cup saw a renewed eﬀort by consumer electronics giants to tout the virtues of 3D in the home. A total of 25 games were broadcast in 3D, with Al Jazeera showing them regionally through a dedicated channel. In a statement, Samsung predicted that live sports, such as the World Cup, will push 3D into the consumer mainstream, in the same way that sport promoted the uptake of HD television. “Professional sports have the opportunity to drive 3D adoption in much the same way they drove HD adoption,” said Ram Modak, general manager, digital media business, Samsung Gulf. “With wide, sweeping shots that can often feel far away, the immersive experience of 3D can allow viewers to feel closer to the action, and more able to see the angles and movements that the players see. The World Cup in 3D will continue the wave of other major sports experimenting with Samsung: Sport will drive uptake of 3D TVs (William West/AFP/Getty Images.

3D, which will lead to a wealth of new 3D content in 2010 and beyond.” Samsung now offers a range of 3D-capable TVs, including the flagship C9000, which offers screen sizes up to 60 inches. Sony, meanwhile, began the worldwide rollout of its first 3D consumer TVs in June and announced the July launch of a 3D-capable Blu-Ray player. Sony will launch a total of 19 3D-capable televisions in the next few months. Some support 3D out of the box, while others require the addition of a 3D sync transmitter at an additional cost. Sony’s 3D Blu-Ray player, the BDP-S770, ships in June for around $300. Two existing players can be upgraded to play 3D films with a free online firmware update. “3D is revolutionising the entertainment industry and only Sony is involved in every stage of the ecosystem,” claimed Chris Fawcett, vice president of Sony’s television business. The number people of people that saw the World Cup in 3D is, as yet, unknown. Given how new 3D television is, though, it is likely that most of those who did will have watched the games at cinemas. Research firm, iSuppli, predicts that 4.2 million 3DTV sets will be sold worldwide this year and 12.9 million next year. The number of people watching 3D content on their TV sets is another matter. Informa Telecoms & Media predicts that only 12% of 3D TV owners will watch any 3D content this year.

SAUDI TV DROPS FURTHER ‘COMMERCIALISATION’ HINTS The quality of Saudi TV would improve after com- because it complies with government rules on advertising. Similar comments were made last mercialisation, according to an official from the year by Dr Riyadh Najm, assistant deputy minister, Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture and Information engineering, MOCI. MOCI). “I think that turning Saudi e Dr Riyadh Najm: Keen to “Nothing is finalised yet. We are TV and radio station into private ‘commercialise’ Saudi TV. still institutions would free this s holding talks with key government entities about possibly comsector from lots of restrictions,” m mercialising Saudi TV,” said Dr. Najm. said Eng. Saleh Al Mughaileth, m “We want to run the organisation assistant deputy minister of more efficiently and profitably. Of information for television affairs. m course, it will continue to be a part Al Mughaileth also added c of that Saudi TV currently faces a o the government and abide by local number of bureaucratic, fiscal c customs. However, there will be greater efforts to make it profitable.” and administrative challenges g

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SONY OFFERS AFFORDABLE WAY TO DO 3D TRIALS Sony has a solution for broadcasters who want to do trials with 3D, but aren’t ready to invest in permanent infrastructure. Mark Grinyer, Sony’s head of sports business development, told Digital Studio that the company can help put a temporary 3D ‘layer’ on top of existing HD OB vans. This would allow broadcasters to test consumer reaction to an individual event in 3D, such as a sports game, without having to make a big upfront investment. “From the point of view of an OB truck, if you want to have a go but aren’t sure if you have a market, you can hire in a platform,” said Grinyer.

Grinyer: World Cup shows 3D outside broadcasts can be done affordably.

Sony recently did exactly that for a broadcaster in Russia that wanted to test audience reaction to ballet in 3D. “I think there’s more of that planned. It’s not difficult to take a system and put it over a truck that exists and do some testing and do some trial events so that you can see if the audience likes it and your consumer is into it.” Sony recently added 3D functionality to two 1080i OB trucks for the World Cup in South Africa. According to Grinyer, the job of converting the trucks was quick and cost effective, and proved that 3D outside broadcasts can be done affordably. “We’ve managed to create a workflow that would mean 3D should be more attainable for sports broadcasting,” said Grinyer. “That was one of our targets, to try to drive out some of the high cost of doing 3D.” A total of 25 World Cup games will be broadcast in 3D, through dedicated TV channels and a number of cinemas worldwide. With the experiment deemed a success, Sony is hoping that more broadcasters will now try covering events in 3D. “I think the important thing for 3D going forward is access to content,” said Grinyer. “Sky is shooting a large number of Premier League matches and we’re shooting a large number of matches at the World Cup, but it would be a shame if other leagues in other countries can’t start to do some of this for their consumers as well.” Please turn to page 22 for an account of how Sony provided 3D World Cup coverage.

AL AAN REACHES OUT TO ARAB FEMALES Al Aan TV is claiming considerable success in its eﬀorts to reach its key target audience of Arab females. Citing Ipsos Stat ﬁgures from Saudi Arabia, the channel’s reach in April amongst Arab females increased by 1204% compared to the same month last year. In the UAE, its reach increased by 32% year on year in April amongst Arab female viewers. The channel is now ranked the 7th in UAE among Arab female audiences and 12th in KSA. “This is a very exciting moment for us,” said Maya

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Kerbage, corporate communications manager at Al Aan TV. “Our audience has clearly demonstrated their love of our original programming and a especially the new shows that Kerbage: These are exciting we w have introduced through the times for Al Aan. past p year.” Earlier this year, Al Aan TV launched a new season of ‘Al l Saudiyyat Gheir’ (Saudi women S are a diﬀerent) in a new format anchored by the Saudi presenter a Maha Al Shalabi. The channel also M introduced new celebrity, ﬁtness i and a morning shows.

IN BRIEF NUMBER OF FREE CHANNELS GROWS, BUT PACE SLOWS Here’s something to be thankful for: Growth in the number of free Arab satellite channels slowed between March 2009 and April 2010. Growth was still 2.7%, however, and the number of free channels available on Arabsat, Nilesat and Noorsat stood at a hefty 487 in April 2010, according to research by Arab Advisors Group. The number of free channels added between March 2009 and April 2010 was 13, compared to the 104 channels added between August 2007 and March 2009. Only 448 of the channels were described by Arab Advisors as ‘fully launched and operational’. The number of private channels far exceeded the number of government channels and a surprisingly high 16.5% of the operational channels were based in Saudi Arabia. “In line with the liberalisation of the audio visual sectors in the region, the number of private satellite channels exceeds the number of government owned channels: 69.9% of the fully launched and operational FTA channels are privately owned while 29% are government owned,” said Danya Nusseir, senior research analyst, Arab Advisors Group. “In terms of the types of channels, general private sector channels have the highest share (19.6%) amongst the total fully launched and operational FTA satellite channels, followed by the general government sector channels at 12.7%.” At least all those channels are fighting for their share of a growing market. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC’s) latest Global Entertainment and Media Outlook report, the TV advertising market in the pan-Arab region will grow by an annual average of 9% between 2010 and 2014. This figure is far ahead of Europe and North America.

JULY 2010 13

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IN PICTURES: AL JAZEERA’S WORLD CUP WOES It all looked good late last year when Al Jazeera picked up the rights to broadcast the World Cup in the Middle East. But in the weeks running up to the tournament, it all seems to have gone wrong. From the confusion over its distribution policy to the

uproar over lost signals, Al Jazeera’s coverage of the World Cup has been beset by problems. digitalproductionme.com tells the story of Al Jazeera’s World Cup coverage woes. www.digitalproductionme.com/in-pictures/

World Cup broadcasters take on the vuvuzela

Technicolor develops cheap way to show 3D films

Abu Dhabi in pole position to host UFC finale

IBC Innovation Awards shortlist announced

Arabsat unveils plans for satellite broadband

EDITOR’S CHOICES IN PICTURES

NEWS

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

DUBAI ‘FIRMLY ON GLOBAL MAP’ AS FILMING LOCATION

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Dubai Studio City chief praises location services department.

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SPOT POLL What should be done about Al Jazeera’s World Cup coverage problems?

60.0%

FIFA should somehow ensure all the matches are free to air across the Middle Eas.

40.0%

It doesn’t make any diﬀerence; no-one has a clue about customer service

0.0%

FIFA should sell the rights for the next World Cup to another commercial broadcaster

0.0%

Al Jazeera should keep the rights for the next World Cup

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READER COMMENTS COMMENTS ON: ‘Al Jazeera blames others for WC coverage woes’ They are very quick to blame others for this lack of a signal. The fact is, if their systems were resilient and redundant this would have been overcome. From my point of view, [it] looks like Al Jazeera haven’t fixed anything and this after 520 calls to their helpline to get it activated in the first place. The picture quality is very poor. HD my foot! JULY 2010 15

REVIEW FLAME 2011

16 JULY 2010

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REVIEW FLAME 2011

FANNING THE FLAME Amit Chitnis and Rohan Rego, Flame artists at Pixion Studios and Tata Elxsi VCL, take Chesta Shah Sengupta through the new features of Flame 2011

Whether you work in film, video and television post, or broadcast design, the Flame software can help you take full advantage of your creativity and optimise your efficiency. The 2011 release of this visual effects and 3D design software delivers a wide-ranging feature set, combining high-speed performance with artist-driven tools and flexible, productive workflows. Autodesk Flame 2011 delivers HD and 2K performance to provide artists with high-speed 2D and 3D compositing, advanced graphics production, and client-driven interaction for high quality delivery. Amit Chitnis, Flame artist with Pixion Studios, has previously worked extensively with Quantel’s HAL. On Flame, he has done a lot of work for television channels such as MTV and VH1. He has also executed several commercials for leading brands, Hippo and Axe being some of the latest commercials he has worked on. He prefers the Flame as a compositing tool as he says it is easy to use and is node based. He does not deny that it took him a while to get around the timeline introduced in the earlier versions, but now with 2011, it has become more efficient and allows him more flexibility to cater to minor editing corrections that the client may want at the eleventh hour. His first reaction to the latest Flame release is the enhanced 3D options and preset textures. “It’s a lot more fun now to work with ‘normals’ that interact with lighting and other tools in a similar fashion as if one had actually created them, “ he says. Other features he points out are the file management system, better support for RED footage, presets for displacement and the normal mapping mode. “Right up till 2010,” he says, “there was a need to transcode RED media to give out DPX files. In 2011, there is no need for that any more,” says Chitnis. The open GL support for hardware acceleration is a sting in the tail, as it allows one to view

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Amit Chitnis says Flame 2011, “is a lot more fun”.

Rohan Rego says Flame 2011 excels at stereoscopic 3D.

composites in high quality and in real-time without rendering. In all, Chitnis finds the 2011 visually appealing, cleaner and better for 3D objects with enhanced stereo outputs and user friendly. The only thing he wishes for are presets for particle manipulation as well. His verdict: He would definitely recommend an upgrade. Elsewhere, Rohan Rego, senior Flame artist at Tata Elxsi’s VCL, has worked on a recently concluded 3D stereoscopic film using the Flame 2011. Having worked as a Flame artist in facilities across the world, Rego is of the opinion that the 2011 is the biggest release to date because of the superior tools for 3D stereoscopy (S3D). “It’s at the top end of finishing products for S3D,” he says and definitely his choice for post work. He lists his observations of the Flame 2011 thus: a powerful time line that works well for stereo; it has a built in left and right eye and can lock both for stereo editing. The VFX compositing tools are all S3D ready. He also thinks that the texture mapping and shading tools help to create backgrounds

and textures instantly and are very useful for achieving different looks for promo packaging. “There is a huge productivity turnaround with 2011,” he says. “When you do creative work, you need to see things on the fly–the speed of output has to match your creative thoughts,” says Rego. “When you have an impatient director sitting next to you, you need to get your look quick,” adds Rego. Another valuable tool is the multiple output tool, which enables an output of the final files with individual layers, some of which include the Z depth pass, multiples alphas, normal maps etc. The FBX import function allows for stereo camera inputs from Maya as well. All plug-ins are stereo capable. The speed of 2011, according, to Rego is 4X faster than the 2007 release. Overall, Rego feels that Flame 2011 is a big leap forward for 3D post production work with some really handy features such as multiple outputs, presets for texture mapping, shaders and open EXR. On the flip side, it is still “a little buggy” and although you can access a wide range of external drives, the files sometimes appear non viewable and that needs to be fixed.

JULY 2010 17

INTERVIEW FLAME ARTIST

LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME Double Emmy winner Angus Wilson tells Nikita Banerjee how to make the most of Flame Tell us about yourself I have been in the television industry for 20 years now. I have always been a post production person. I was an editor for a while then switched to becoming a Henry artist and then a Flame artist.

How did you get started on Flame? I was in London on a project where the post production was equally divided between Flame and Henry. I noticed that most of the good stuﬀ was being done on the Flame and that’s when I made the switch. I am self-taught. For me, it has always been that way in almost everything.

What is the scope of work that Flame allows you to do in comparison to working on any other post system? It is the ﬂexibility. On Flame, the toolset is huge. It has options/tools for scripting as well. Therefore, all sorts of designers and editors can use it in diﬀerent ways. Flame is a very versatile package – you can do simple composites to editing and even 3D on Flame.

What projects have you worked on that required a lot of work on Flame? For a lot of high-end television work, I have used Maya and Flame extensively. I have executed vast amounts of 3D compositing on Flame, particularly a lot of pipeline related work. Some of the works include a commercial for a [health] department and Leggo’s Rhapsody in Red. The former required a very realistic demonstration of the weight that the main protagonist in the advertisement would gain over a period of time. Secondly, the commercial needed to illustrate how the protagonist was attached to his daughter and had to contend with life, not realising the manner in which his obesity would impact his family’s

18 JULY 2010

tion of the shoot was crucial. We needed to go over the map as the shooting time was limited. Moreover, we devised a method for rendering a lot of tomatoes as it required extensive liquid simulations. We had to figure out what could Rhapsody in Red: An advert created for a be done in Flame. We had to experitomato paste brand with the help of Flame. ment with how far we could push the 3D before we could use it on Flame. well-being in the long-term. The The main challenge was to figure out how commercial required the person’s image to to balance the live action footage with 3D. be gradually morphed to illustrate how he The brief was to choreograph the tomarealises that it wasn’t too late to change his toes which, as you could imagine, would lifestyle in order to provide for and protect be incredibly difficult to achieve in camera. his family in the long-term. Initially, the client was hesitant to make use As the main character had to gain weight of large proportions of CG as they wanted it as he aged over the course of the commerto be very real. But when we ran some tests cial, it required a long seamless shot so that and showed them the results, they agreed the change was very subtle. It just had to that it looked good. So we went ahead and happen very gradually before the viewer. It proceeded to map out each of the shots for was really difficult, as the choreography of the entire 45 second commercial. This was a the commercial and the tracking had to be memorable project indeed. seamless and synchronised. We supervised the shoot of the commerWhat are the different Flame cial. It helped to chalk out the kind of work modules that you have made that we would need to do on it. use of? Leggo’s Rhapsody in Red was a commerI have basically used the live-in batch and I cial for Leggo’s tomato paste. It begins with am working at it. The best part of working on juicy tomatoes placed in rows. The setting Flame is that you get to experiment with a is in a sound studio. A person in the studios lot of possibilities. At the end of the day, what plays Verdi’s La Donna e mobile – which is matters is how you work on it, whether as a well known Italian operatic Aria and also a batch editor or as a desktop editor. I have Leggo’s signature tune. always been a batch editor. I rely a lot on the When the sound is played, the tomatoes 3D. I use the 3D space with all the creative placed in the studio start to vibrate. First they cameras coordinated and with all the existing vibrate a little, and then go on, increasing to cameras in Maya. Then, I can easily do the a point where the tomatoes start to bounce compositing with the information and this and dance. As sound builds up within the helps to avoid tracking and the traditional room, the tomatoes collide within each other methods of compositing because you are and explode, splashing red paste all over. It’s actually working in a 3D environment. this paste that is then bottled and sealed by Leggo’s, capturing the passion and energy of How has Flame changed over the music in the sauce. the years from the time you It needed a lot of pre-visualisation followed started work on it? by work on Maya and Flame. The conceptuIt has indeed improved considerably. When I alisation of the story and thereafter coordina- started, its biggest constraint was the resolu-

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REVIEW FLAME 2011

Angus Wilson.

tion. Now you can do a lot with colour and 3D on it. The 3D style on Flame has changed remarkably although it remains very true to its core architecture and I guess that was the action node for 3D.

What are some of the tips and tricks of using Flame? I would say get familiar with 3D and ﬁnally

one must keep practicing the software. A two times Emmy winner for outstanding visual eﬀects, Wilson was recently in India for a master session to share his experiences on Autodesk’s Flame. Having worked in the ﬁlm & TV industry for over 20 years, Wilson has handled several roles: as a linear digital editor, Henry artist and VFX supervisor. He has also worked on compositing development across renowned

facilities like APV in Malaysia, Framestore CFC in London, and Animal Logic in LA and Sydney. He currently supervises commercial eﬀects production and works closely with developers on Pipeline and Workﬂow.

FLAME STORYBOARD

Raw, basic on-set look.

Sky correction, tree size reduced, over cool temperature to match foreground.

Snow added on the foreground wall and building colour corrected to look cool.

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Subject colour correction; warm to cool temperature.

Snow added on terrace of mid ground building.

Courtesy: Bling Imaging/Ten-four Pictures

More snow added on the foreground wall to complete the final composite look.

JULY 2010 19

REVIEW FLAME 2011

FEATURES OF FLAME 2011 At the heart of the new release are advanced 3D capabilities and 3D compositing enhancements that support multiple outputs in Action: occlusions (Z-depth channel, multiple mattes, normal mapping, and stereo left and right eye); new support for diffuse, parallax, reflection and specular mapping; a new GPU-based pixel shader rendering pipeline that helps improve the quality of rendered results and enables support for new texture mapping and lighting effects; a substance procedural texture library with at least 100 near photorealistic textures that can be applied to 3D objects; native in-application support for Cross-product support for the Autod esk FBX

RED RAW media and H.264 QuickTime; and support for individual rendering layers when soft importing OpenEXR media files. This version also offers support for the Autodesk FBX interchange format and allows bi-directional exchange of metadata with certain 3D applications such as Autodesk Maya software. When building 3D composites in Flame, artists can import geometry, cameras, textures and animations, and interactively modify 3D composites in post. With an identical camera model to Maya, camera exchanges via FBX are more straightforward and provide more freedom. A new GPU-based pixel shader rendering pipeline replaces legacy open GL rendering pi to radically improve the quality of rendered results and enable support for new texture re mapping and lighting effects. m

stereoscopic 3D camera rig.

3D compositing enhancements for diffuse, parallax, reflection and specular mapping.

New stereoscopic camera rig and object support in Action, FFeaturing t i new PParallax, ll SSpecular, l andd EEmissive i i maps, the Autodesk Flame 3D compositing environment. The Flame 2011 enables artists to more quickly add realistic software helps to bring the stereoscopic Autodesk FBX 3D details to surfaces and geometries. When working with camera from Autodesk Maya software into the Action 3D multi-channel OpenEXR renders, artists can take advantage compositing environment. Moving from 2D to of these passes as they build realistic 3D composites in Flame. stereoscopic 3D compositing is now as simple New Substance procedural texture library as changing camera types. In addition, Action for 3D objects, 3D text or surfaces. contains new tools that allow artists to more easily mix flat 2D layers, true 3D geometry and 3D text, and dual-layer (left- and right-eye) clips within a single stereoscopic composite. ort multiple outputs in Action

3D compositing enhancements supp

20 JULY 2010

and H.264 QuickTime.

New format support in f AAutodesk Flame 2011 software enables in-application ssupport for RED RAW and multi-channel OpenEXR media files as well as H.264 Apple QuickTime files. m When working with multichannel OpenEXR files, artists W ccan choose to import an entire layered file or individual render passes. re

New GPU-based pixel shader rendering pipeline .

A new pixel shader architecture provides better light integration in 3D composites. The software supports up to 64 functioning lights in the Action scene and reduces legacy tessellation issues. A new light profile editor lets artists customise the bevel curve or each light, creating unique lighting effects.

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Courtesy: McRay

New GPU-based pixel shader improves quality of rendered results.

The new Substance procedural texture library has a new pixel shader rendering pipeline. With a library of over 100 photorealistic textures that can be applied to 3D objects, 3D text or surfaces, substance presets range from organic to material textures and many include emissive, specular, parallax and normal maps to help create dramatic visual effects. There are numerous enhancements to Flameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3D compositing workflow. Action now features exportrt of multiple passes including z-depth, normal mapss and multiple matte outputs including support for occlusion passes.

Native in-application support for RED RAW media

OB VANS

A special report on the latest in outside broadcast technology

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COMMENT JULY 2010

OB VANS START TO COME INTO THEIR OWN Registered at Dubai Media City PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: 00 971 4 210 8000, Fax: 00 971 4 210 8080 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Dubai & London ITP Business Publishing CEO Walid Akawi Managing Director Neil Davies Managing Director Karam Awad Deputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell Editorial Director David Ingham Publishing Director Diarmuid O’Malley Editorial Editorial Director David Ingham Tel: +971 4 210 8312 email: vijaya.cherian@itp.com Senior Group Editor Robeel Haq Advertising Commercial Director, Broadcast & Media Fred Dubery Tel: +971 4 210 8381 email: fred@itp.com N.American Advertisement Director Michael J. Mitchell Tel: +1 631 673 3199 email: mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv Japan Representative Mikio Tsuchiya Tel: + 81 354 568230 email: ua9m-tcy@asahi-net.or.jp Studio Group Art Editor Daniel Prescott Art Editor Nadia Puma Photography Director of Photography Sevag Davidian Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Jovana Obradovic Staff Photographers Isidora Bojovic, George Dipin, Murrindie Frew, Lyubov Galushko, Shruti Jagdesh, Mosh Lafuente, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav

The general push towards new technology and an increasing number of live events has made OB vans a hot topic in the Middle East. Early this year, Dubai Media covered the opening of Burj Khalifa in HD and SD using OB vans, and the company has recently ramped up its coverage of live horse racing from the new Meydan complex. To help it do the job, the broadcaster invested in two new OB trucks, equipped with the latest HD equipment. In Saudi Arabia, the oﬃcial broadcaster, Saudi TV, has invested in a number of new HD vans. A dual-format SD/HD van was also shipped to a major broadcaster in Qatar last year. As broadcasters begin to realise the

Production & Distribution

CONTENTS

Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Matthew Grant Production Co-ordinator Nelly Pereira Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Image Editor Emmalyn Robles Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami Circulation Head of Circulation and Database Gaurav Gulati Marketing Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Marketing Manager Annie Chinoy

beneﬁts of their new HD vans, new factors may drive further investment. The launch of new channels and the broadcast of World Cup games in 3D is bringing the question of 3D to the fore. Supporters of 3D, including some of the major equipment suppliers, believe it brings a new level of enjoyment to live sports games. Broadcasters will now be considering how to incorporate 3D into their OB workﬂow. Should they add 3D functionality to existing vans, revisit planned investments, or simply wait for the next upgrade cycle before embracing 3D? In this special report, through a combination of case studies, interviews and reports, we aim to bring you a comprehensive overview of the current OB landscape.

ITP Digital Director Peter Conmy

Sony helps make 3D World Cup games reality

ARET’s Dr. Eng. Umberto Asti answers questions on OB technology.

SIS Live unveils UK’s largest OB truck / MHz delivers DSNG to AP Television News

Harris supports Saudi TV HD push / Dubai Media opts for Solid State Logic consoles

30 32 34

Riedel wins two OB World Cup jobs

Printed by Color Lines Press Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

BPA Worldwide Audited Average Qualified Circulation 5,972 (July - Dec 2009)

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BSkyB brings Premier League to life in 3D

Megahertz Broadcast oﬀers advice on how to design OBs for sport

To subscribe please visit: www.itp.com/subscriptions JULY 2010 21

OB VANS SONY

SONY HELPS BRING 3D WORLD CUP GAMES TO LIFE Sony sets out to prove that an outside event can be covered in 3D at a reasonable cost

Sony Professional has played a key role in making 3D World Cup games possible. Working with a number of partners, the company has added 3D capability to two outside broadcast (OB) trucks originally built for HD operations. A total of 25 World Cup games will be broadcast in 3D, on channels such as ESPN and in around 500 cinemas in 16 countries worldwide. One of the key goals of the 3D World Cup project, according to Mark Grinyer, Sony’s head of sports business development, was to prove that an outside event could be covered in 3D at a reasonable cost. “As a project, working with HBS, Telegenic and AMP, we’ve managed to create a workﬂow that would mean 3D should be more attainable for sports broadcasting,” Grinyer told Digital Studio. “That was one of our targets, to try to drive out some of the high cost of doing 3D.” The key to making 3D production aﬀordable was to take two existing OB vans and convert them, rather than constructing new 3D-capable vehicles from scratch. “Both the trucks were designed as highend HD vehicles and we’ve added the additional wiring and cabling, the additional equipment that means those trucks can operate in 3D mode,” Grinyer explained. “They’re the best of both worlds because they can operate in 2D and in 3D.” The conversion process took around one week and Grinyer says that in most cases, an HD to 3D van conversion can be done in two weeks. This requires putting in 3D processors

22 JULY 2010

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OB VANS SONY

Sony worked with a number of partners to add 3D capability to two existing HD vans.

for alignment of left and right streams; updating ﬁrmware; potentially changing RCPs; and adding a private network link for the 3D processors and cameras. Besides cost, another beneﬁt of converting existing vans was that the vehicles had seen live action before. “Both the trucks are well-built; they’ve been used for a number of events prior to being selected for the World Cup,” Grinyer explained. “That’s why we’ve used known, good 2D trucks, rather than brand new trucks from anywhere. We knew the aircon would work and the all the infrastructure was pre-tested and working, and well known by the engineering crews, which is a key thing – we’re adding another lair of complexity on top of the engineering guys’ jobs.” Using existing, converted trucks means that the 3D games are being broadcast in 1080i 50, rather than the optimum 1080p 50. Grinyer feels this is entirely appropriate given that Sony is trying to produce an image that can be viewed at home and on cinema screens. “We are producing for television for ESPN and [other] broadcasters, but we’re also using that same signal to go to cinemas,” said Grinyer. “We do have to compromise a bit on the depth of the 3D to make sure that we don’t make a picture in the cinema that is going to upset people. The amount of 3D that your eyes can take is related to the size of screen. Between February and June, we

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We’ve managed to create a workflow that would mean 3D should be more attainable for sports broadcasting — Mark Grinyer Grinyer: “We’ve been very careful to shoot it as a 3D, rather than 2D, production.”

ran nine test events, which included uplinking to cinemas and testing that exact issue, to make sure we could produce it once and it was useful for both deliveries.” The entire 3D World Cup project is very much a learning exercise for all involved. One key element of the project is learning how to best film a game in 3D. “We’ve been very careful to shoot it as a 3D, rather than 2D, production,” Grinyer explained. That means taking care not to cut and pan too quickly and placing cameras differently than in a standard 2D broadcast. “We’ve got eight camera pairs, but we’ve placed them differently to make sure that we get the maximum benefit for the 3D audience – we have four cameras at pitch level,” he said. As for what the viewers think, no official audience feedback data is yet available,

though Grinyer said feedback from cinema operators has been positive. A 300-seat 3D cinema that has been set up at the international broadcasting centre in South Africa is also full for most games. Grinyer, who is a football fan, said he ﬁnds games, “a lot more watchable in 3D”. For broadcasters that want to dabble with 3D, but aren’t sure yet if a van upgrade is worth it, a solution is available. “From the point of view of an OB truck, if you want to have a go but aren’t sure if you have a market, you can hire in a platform,” said Grinyer. Sony recently did exactly that for a broadcaster in Russia that wanted to test audience reaction to ballet in 3D. “I think there’s more of that planned. It’s not diﬃcult to take a system and put it over a truck that exists and do some testing and do some trial events so that you can see if the audience likes it and your consumer is into it.” Sony will be hoping that more and more broadcasters decide to take the plunge.

JULY 2010 23

At Harris, we’re delivering the future today. For nearly a century, Harris has pioneered the technologies that drive the world’s leading television and radio broadcast operations. Today, Harris is the industry’s total communications leader — uniquely merging traditional broadcast and IT systems with powerful media software to streamline your current workﬂow and unlock all-new markets such as 3DTV, Mobile DTV, digital radio and out-of-home advertising. Where are we headed tomorrow? Wherever you and your audience want to go.

To learn more, please visit us at www.broadcast.harris.com. Europe +44 118 964 8200 Sales.Europe@Harris.com

UK, Israel, Africa +44 118 964 8200 Sales.Europe@Harris.com

Southern Europe +33 1 42 87 09 09 Sales.Europe@Harris.com

North, Central, Eastern Europe +49 89 149 049 0 Sales.Europe@Harris.com

Middle East +971 4 433 8250 Sales.MiddleEast@Harris.com

OB VANS ARET

ARET INNOVATES IN OB VAN INTEGRATION ARET is a provider of broadcast facilities, turnkey video and audio integrated systems for broadcast, cable, satellite, production/post production and mobile television. Turnkey services include consultancy, architecture, engineering, system design and integration, program and project management, testing and commissioning, training and technical assistance. ARET’s areas of activity include: turnkey and rack ready ENG/EFP OB vehicles and radio vans; turnkey systems integration for TV production, post-production and radio; system expanding and updating; broadcast furniture; custom electrics and electronics. ARET’s strength comes from its complete flexibility and custom design approach, as well as its imagination, creativity, and care for the smallest detail. This helps us create solutions that meet our clients’ needs now and in the future. As a distributor of major brands, ARET can provide different solutions for different needs, always offering a complete solution that includes training and technical assistance. After delivering Full HD OB vans to broadcasters in countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and Tunis in 2009, the beginning of 2010 saw ARET’s engineers again demonstrating their experience and passion for innovation. ARET was awarded two particularly important projects: the first one included several HD OB vans for news; the second one was a large trailer for sports broadcasting. “In both cases, it was ARET design that helped us succeed, offering several innovations that convinced the customer to choose us,” says Dr. Eng Umberto Asti, VP of sales at ARET video and audio engineering. An interview with Dr. Eng. Asti follows.

What are the key words that describe an OB news van? Nowadays, technology oﬀers several diﬀerent solutions that simplify production, post-production, compression and connectivity. This is making things easier and easier, but the OB van itself must be ready for all the challenges that may come up. In a few words, ARET

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stands for: connectivity, multiple standards, compactness, speed and autonomy.

What are the guidelines you use when building your latest OB vans? We have developed a van that is not much longer than a station wagon, equipped with a power generator and UPS system. Great effort was made to define a layout that accommodates all the necessary equipment and allows ease of operation. As the van must comply with road safety regulations, be easy and safe to drive, and be highly manoeuvrable, we made wide use of composite materials and aluminium. It is the first time that aeronautical technology has entered the world of OB vans and, of course, we are very proud of this. This choice was compulsory to cope with the variety of equipment to be hosted inside. The basis of our design for the OB van is a double redundant DSNG chain, with a beacon receiver for easier set up. The van is able to produce analogue or digital, through the use of a small but powerful vision mixer where all the inputs are synchronised. Also, the OB van can interface with a number of sources, like camcorders, through fibre or radio links. In fact, the van is equipped with a lightbox and tactical fibre optic cable for easy exchange of 2 x HD-SDI, 8 x audio and data through fibre optics. A COFDM link completes the OB van’s connectivity. On board, you can find several popular formats for recording and IEEE1394 transport. The connectivity is completed through a satellite router and a hybrid intercom system that allows communications with wireless beltpacks. The OB van is integrated into the studio intercom through VOIP communication using the satellite LAN. Other accessories like radio microphones and an LED lighting system complete this OB van, which is ready for every kind of eventuality.

Are these unique features? What is unique is the concept, the fact that at ARET all the project is conceived in only one

OB van builders must make optimum use of space.

process and the result is outstanding for mechanics, electronics and broadcasting. This is possible only because of our experience with 400 OB vans delivered to customers

Tell us about the new HD trailer for sports? This brand new trailer offers some revolutionary concepts, starting right from its conception. First of all, the trailer is conceived to be completely independent. As the destination country’s road regulations allow wider dimensions than in Europe, this OB van has a lot of room for storage and a full set of cable drums on the back. The build quality is another step beyond what we are accustomed to, with even more care in thermal and acoustic insulation. We call this technique AR-4 to distinguish from AR-3, the previous generation. The air conditioning system offers another step forward in user comfort. Following ARET’s tradition in low fan and low noise air conditioning systems, our designers have added an additional ‘fresh air effect’. The monitor wall will be in a sphere segment shape. The OB van side is fully expandable through ARET’s unique expansion technique, giving internal dimensions that are far beyond normal dimensions.

JULY 2010 25

OB VANS GEARHOUSE

GEARHOUSE: GLOBAL APPROACH, INDIVIDUAL SOLUTIONS Gearhouse Broadcast specialises in the provision of project solutions, systems integration, equipment sales and equipment rental. Established in 1993, the company operates globally from its headquarters in the UK and offices in the USA, Australia, Qatar and India. Gearhouse has carried out Doordarshan chose Gearhouse to high definition installations help it make its investments in HD. for studios, outside broadcast facilities and venues across the globe. The company’s expertise lies in the high definition technology, it was only natural provision of solutions for studios, outside for it to choose Gearhouse Broadcast. The broadcast facilities, transmission and automa- kit chosen for this project included Ikegami tion, tapeless workflow, master control rooms cameras, Snell production switcher, Marshall and broadcast cabling. monitors, Pixel Power graphics, an EVS server, Gearhouse Broadcast systems integraHarris video router, Crystal Vision glue and tion clients in the region include The Aspire Trilogy communications. This selection of Academy for Sports Excellence, Qatar Nakit demonstrates that Gearhouse Broadcast tional Olympic Committee and Al Jazeera. Its can tailor the design to a specific market and worldwide clients include the BBC, ITV, ESPN, budget according to the customer’s needs. Doordarshan (India), EBS, HBS, UEFA, SKY, ATP The van, which is being used for sporting Media and Channel 7 in Australia. The comand news programming, formed part of a pany has completed numerous HD outside major investment in HD by Doordarshan. broadcast truck builds, servicing the UK and Built by Gearhouse Broadcast, the project was international market. carried out in conjunction with leading Indian “As system integrators, it is our job to help broadcast reseller AGIV India Pvt. Ltd. customers choose the right and most cost A Tata chassis was shipped to the UK for effective solutions for their project,” said Dave coach building by specialists JS Frasers. The Gill, Gearhouse Broadcast’s senior systems invan was then sent to Gearhouse Broadcast’s tegration engineer. “We have a first class repu- headquarters in Watford for the systems intetation as a broadcast system integrator; with gration to be carried out by its team of spea wealth of on the job experience, we offer cialist engineers and technicians. Ten weeks some of the best engineers in the broadcast later, the van was shipped back to India for industry. We are completely independent, so final works and testing before delivery. Doordour advice on the best use of products and arshan was consulted throughout the whole new technology is unbiased.” process, which was carefully project managed Gearhouse Broadcast’s portfolio of HD by AGIV India and Gearhouse Broadcast. projects includes the integration of India’s first The HD van was fitted with four Ikegami outside broadcast truck for Doordarshan and cameras expandable to six, a number of Canthe integration of a triple expanding HD outon box lenses, a multi-format Snell Kahuna side broadcast truck for M-Net in South Africa. vision mixer, Marshall/Barco monitors, Harris M-Net used its new outside broadcast truck at Router, Crystal Vision glue, and other equipkey games in this summer’s Wold Cup. ment from EVS and Trilogy Communications. When Doordarshan was looking for a Eamonn Dowdall, Gearhouse Broadcast’s partner to make its major investments into managing director, said: “I believe Gearhouse

26 JULY 2010

Broadcast was selected by Doordarshan for our proven and demonstrable experience in the provision of high definition outside broadcast installations. Doordarshan’s HD OB van raises the bar for standards in Indian broadcasting and sets a benchmark for others to follow.” South African Broadcaster M-NET approached Gearhouse Broadcast when it was looking for an outside broadcast facility. Gearhouse Broadcast was able to offer the systems integration of a custom built, multi-format vehicle. The truck was a triple expanding HD outside broadcast unit which provided up to 28 high definition cameras and up to 3 versions of 5.1 Dolby surround sound. The unit’s lateral production area is large, spacious and air conditioned with three tiered desks which seat up to 12 production staff. The front desk houses a 4ME vision mixer and space for 84 monitors. The second desk provides 16 monitors and comprehensive communications. The third desk provides 32 monitors and comprehensive comms and monitoring facilities. The unit is fully air conditioned to temperatures of 45 C°. The third expand provides room for a second desk in the VTR area to provide space for up to 11 operators and a co-ordinator. The unit is wired for up to 12 EVS/ 14VTR. In the vision area, there is control for up to 28 Cameras by seven operators, plus an engineering test position. The vision router is 576 x 576 and the audio router is 256 x 256 AES and analogue. The unit was engineered with a large input/output capability making it ideal for major events. Andre Venter, head, M-Net Broadcast Services Africa, said: “We were looking for a solution to our outside broadcast requirement and as Gearhouse Broadcast supplied us with three flyaways in the past, which were delivered on time and to budget, we turned to them to assist us with a highly specified, time sensitive requirement for a 28 camera HD OB vehicle. The vehicle was again delivered to South Africa well within the specified time frame and budget.”

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OB VANS SSL LIVE/MHZ

SIS LIVE UNVEILS UK’S LARGEST OB TRUCK SIS Live has unveiled its latest ‘super-sized’ outside broadcast vehicle, the OB 1. The 24-camera, 14.6m x 5.65m truck is, according to SIS Live, the largest OB vehicle in the UK. The van is fully high definition (HD) throughout and 3G capable. Its first job was to cover Match of the Day for BBC Sport, after which it quickly moved on to two more big events, the Boat Race and the 2010 John Smith Grand National. “SIS Live is delighted to launch OB 1, the company’s biggest OB vehicle ever and the most innovative and advanced in Europe. OB 1 has been designed in close consultation with our customers and offers a huge amount of flexibility and advanced engineering features for major sports and other outside broadcast events,” said David Meynell, managing director, SIS Live. The modular design of OB 1’s interior gives producers the flexibility to set up the vehicle to best suit their needs. Julian Boden, head of engineering, SIS LIVE,

explained: “OB 1 is an extremely powerful OB. We have packed in as much of the very latest technological equipment as possible. We have designed the truck with major events in mind, such as the Wimbledon Championships and Open Golf. “It also works seamlessly with our other new-generation vehicles, OB 3 and OB 7, offering the most powerful OB combination in Europe. The flexibility and scale that OB1 can offer our customers we would hope will appeal to a broad base and will enhance any broadcaster’s production.” OB 1 operates up to 24 Sony HDC-1500R multi-format cameras plus radio cameras as required. The 14.6 metre long vehicle has triple expanding sides which open out along the entire length, giving a 5.65 metre width when extended. There are two production control rooms, which can become one single space for the largest production jobs. This is combined with two separate audio mixing areas, a large VT production control room, a VT slow

motion area featuring nine EVS hard disk recorders and eight HDCAM SR recorders. There is also a separate Final Cut Pro edit suite. OB 1 is based around a 576 inputs x 1152 outputs Evertz EQX matrix with embedded audio, featuring a Sony MVS-8000G video switcher and Calrec Alpha and Omega Blueﬁn digital audio mixers, which deliver 5.1 surround sound. The EQX matrix also powers the multiviewer technology in the production areas, which allows a producer to set up the monitoring precisely for individual events. A total of 28 x 23-inch displays are each able to display up to four pictures, giving a total of 112 diﬀerent sources if required, plus 3 x 26 inch single display monitors for transmission. OB 1, like OB 7 and OB 3, is completely HD throughout and 3G capable. This means it can both handle 1080i/50 pictures as well as being future-proofed for 1080p/50 for progressive transmissions. The double capacity 3G infrastructure also makes the OB vehicle capable of 3D signal processing.

MHZ DELIVERS DSNG TO AP TELEVISION Megahertz (MHz), an independent international systems integrator, has delivered an HD-ready digital aatellite news gathering (DSNG) truck to AP Television News in London. The vehicle is in South Africa covering live news events from around the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The vehicle, part of the AP Television News DSNG ﬂeet based in London, was originally designed and built by MHz as a standarddeﬁnition vehicle. The recent refurbishments have included the addition of a new VW Transporter chassis and the overhaul and upgrade of the RF equipment. Furthermore, new production equipment was installed, at the heart of which is a completely new baseband infrastructure, a Harris Panacea router, a For-A HD vision mixer, a Soundcraft audio mixer. The signal

28 JULY 2010

is routed via an Ericsson encoder, Newtec modulator, Xicom high-power amplifier and uplinked via a SWE-DISH antenna — the latter is based on existing equipment that was completely stripped down, repainted before being rebuilt and reinstated on the roof of the new vehicle. To meet the growing demands for 16x9 widescreen coverage, a Harris aspect ratio converter is also installed. Furthermore a Courtyard Electronics TSG test pattern generator, Hamlet waveform monitoring, 2 x 15” Oxygen DCT LCD monitors and a 3 x 5.7” monitor unit are also incorporated to ensure first-rate accurate signal monitoring. Sources to the system include a Gigawave wireless camera, an HD-compatible Telecast fibre optic system, a VTR and several analogue and digital feeds. The new truck has an on-board 8kVA Fischer Panda diesel generator provid-

ing a highly efficient mobile power source. “Megahertz has a keen understanding of the operational needs of live news production given the wealth of experience it has gained from designing and building DSNG vehicles for news organisations around the world,” said Frances Jarvis, managing director of Megahertz. “We worked closely with AP Television News’s engineering team to define the technical specifications, operational design and configuration of this DSNG truck to meet the specific demands of their live news production needs.” “In choosing to refurbish the RF system and replace the vehicle and production infrastructure, our client was able to minimise the overall downtime for their vehicles while ensuring a successful implementation that will drive genuine return on investment well into the future.”

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OB VANS HARRIS/SSL

HARRIS SUPPORTS SAUDI TV HD PUSH Harris has installed HD equipment Harris Corporation for two new Saudi TV OB vans. has been awarded several contracts by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) for products spanning its HD portfolio. As part of this raft of deals, Harris has installed HD equipment for two new Saudi TV satellite news gathering/outside broadcast vans. The equipment installed in the mobile units includes Videotek TVM test and measurement products, Inscriber G-Series graphics, core processing infrastructure solutions and distribution amplifiers. systems integrator First Gulf Company (FGC) Harris has also been contracted to supto install a wide range of broadcast equipport the build-out of three new Saudi TV HD ment for a new Saudi TV HD studio in the OB vans in the coming months. The OB vans Riyadh TV centre (for the broadcast of a finanwill feature an end-to-end range of highcial channel) and two new high-definition definition technology including routers, studios in the new Dammam TV centre. servers, handheld test and measurement Contracts have been signed for the devices and multiviewers. provision of equipment for three new highThese contracts complement the comdefinition studios located in the cities of Hail, pany’s work with Riyadh-based dealer and Jizan and Tabouk, a new HD studio for Makkah

Town TV and an additional HD studio in the Riyadh TV centre. “Harris and FGC have been working closely with the MOCI to support their countrywide HD initiative and to ensure the success of this rollout,” said Richard Scott, senior vice president, global sales and services, Harris Broadcast Communications. “Our equipment is proving time and time again to be an ideal solution for supporting HD workflows at Saudi TV.” The Ministry of Culture and Information is the owner of the official Saudi TV and Radio Network. Currently, it has nine TV channels (operating in both terrestrial and via satellite) and four radio channels (operating in FM and AM frequency bands). In order to cover the whole country terrestrially, the ministry has about 20 medium-wave transmission stations, as well as about 130 TV and FM transmission stations of different power levels.

DUBAI MEDIA OPTS FOR SSL CONSOLES Dubai Media recently installed two Solid State Logic C100 HDS consoles in two new OB vans. The installation will support the station’s live coverage of horse racing at Meydan and its broader push into live sports. “The [OB] trucks were outfitted with the latest generation, high end HD equipment, so we needed consoles to match that quality,” said John Fee, outside broadcast manager for Dubai Media, Inc. “The C100 HDS consoles were the right size, offering us great system flexibility and an easy learning curve.” The station chose the consoles after a positive experience using a C100 HD in its main studio. “We expect the SSL C100 HDS consoles to run audio for the over 1400 programming days planned for this year, covering all types

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John Fee: Dubai Media

needed of sporting events,” Fee conconsoles worthy of an HD OB van. tinued. “The sound quality the C100 HDS delivers is, in a word, perfect, which helps us capture the excitement for live broadcast. “As we have Dolby encoding in both vans, the SSL consoles are surround ready [for] when we move into full surround broadcasting of the sporting events.” Dubai Media’s OB capabilities were also put to the test at the opening of Burj Khalifa in January. which 20 were HD, and had eight generators The Dubai government broadcaster used two on site to provide power. Dubai Media pulled HD and two SD vans to generate live coverage oﬀ its coverage of the event, despite security of the opening of the world’s tallest tower. measures that limited the amount of time alDMI installed 40 cameras at the event, of lowed for troubleshooting and testing.

JULY 2010 29

OB VANS RIEDEL

RIEDEL WINS OB WORLD CUP JOBS Alfacam equipped five HD OB trucks used for the World Cup with Riedel’s MediorNet.

Riedel Communications won two contracts related to the use of OB trucks at the football World Cup. Belgium-based truck provider Alfacam equipped five HD OB trucks used for the World Cup with Riedel’s MediorNet. MediorNet is a fibre-based real-time signal distribution and routing solution for HD/SD video, audio, intercom and data that also includes software based processing features. Alfacam is in charge of the world feed production at the venues in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Port Elizabeth. It is also responsible for the unilateral signal for ARD/ ZDF, the German public broadcaster. The MediorNet mainframes link Alfacam’s trucks with the technical operation centres (TOC) in the stadiums, delivering 16 HD-SDI signals including the world feed to the trucks and four back from the OB van to the TOCs. MediorNet’s integrated CWDM multiplexing transports all HD signals bi-directionally via one single mode dual fibre link. MediorNet’s integrated embedding/deEmbedding feature de-embeds the audio and delivers the signals via MADI to the trucks’ LAWO audio consoles. As the video and audio streams come from various asynchronous sources Alfacam also makes use of MediorNet’s Framestore feature, which synchronises the video signals to the truck’s internal clock, while the audio signals are synchronised via MediorNet’s Sample Rate Converter (SRC). After editing, the final HD video and audio

30 JULY 2010

stream is sent back to the TOC, from where it is forwarded to the IBC for the world broadcast of the event. “With our task, to process the stadium’s cameras, the world feed of the games and to provide the feed for the German broadcast of the event, it is important that we can absolutely rely on the technology we use. MediorNet gives us all we need for this exciting broadcast operation while saving a lot of equipment such as de-embedders, framestores and such, which we would have needed with other solutions,” said Rene Alles, Project Manager at Alfacam Deutschland. Seprately, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) chose Riedel digital Artist matrix intercom technology for its four new HD outside broadcast vans. Responsible for the installation was Inala Technologies with help from Sony UK. All four OBs are equipped identically. Weighting 30 tonnes, they each feature 15 HD cameras three super slow HD cameras. Two of the units were finished by the summer of 2009 and were utilised for the broadcast of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. The third truck was finished in time to do the FIFA World Cup Official Draw in December and the fourth truck was delivered in March 2010. All trucks feature one Artist 32 and one Artist 128 mainframe to provide the needed amount of intercom ports. If needed, Riedel Artist can be expanded to up to 1024 x 1024 ports in a non-blocking matrix. Both

mainframes are equipped with redundant power supplies and CPU cards to provide maximum reliability. “Integration of various technologies was one of our major demands while designing the trucks. With such a high-class event as the [World Cup] and many other large events, it’s important that everything works together as smoothly as possible. Riedel’s Artist intercom solution not only provides us with the reliability we need but also glues such important parts as intercom, commentator audio and audio routing together into one integrated network,” said Nic Bonthuys, general manager of outside broadcasts, SABC TV. MADI client cards integrate the Lawo mc²56 console into the intercom system. Artist’s digital broadcast quality audio enables commentator audio directly via the control panels. In total, 32 Artist 1000 series rack-mount and desktop control panels are installed in each of the HD OB vans. Riedel fibre modules provide fibre connection for the Artist intercom in all four trucks. The fibre modules are used to connect Artist intercom matrix, even over greater distances. This way, the trucks can form one great integrated digital intercom matrix. Artist Connect Solo and Duo integrate POTS and ISDN telephones into the communications matrix. In addition, control panels can be remotely controlled through ISDN con,nections with Connect Duo interfaces expanding the flexibility even further.

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OB VANS SKY

BSKYB BRINGS PREMIER LEAGUE TO LIFE IN 3D Telegenic hires Sony to help it build one of the world’s first 3D OB trucks for BSkyB With help from Telegenic and Sony Professional Europe, BSkyB recently became the proud owner of one of the world’s first dedicated 3D outside broadcast (OB) trucks. Back at the start of the year, Telegenic and Sony were given a brief to develop an outside broadcast vehicle that would allow the production of live content in 3D. The truck was ready in time for the April transmission of a Chelsea vs. Manchester United football match in 3D. “When we started this project, Sony was our natural choice as we trust the team, their technology and their ability to work with us to develop new methods of broadcasting,” explained Peter Bates, managing director, Telegenic. “Our team has worked exceptionally hard to revolutionise the live production process and due to the depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding offered by Sony it is in a unique position to ensure that each device within the production workflow supports the features required by the overall 3D process.” The 3D outside broadcast truck was designed from the ground up by Telegenic’s Engineering team supported by Sony’s Professional Services division. It delivers a truck capable of live 3D, using Sony’s existing product portfolio, including the HDC-1500R cameras with a T-block option used on 3D camera rigs to capture content. Driving the solution is the MVS-8000G Vision Mixer, which handles dual stream stereo signals, as if they were a single source, to deliver a reliable production workflow. Sky’s 3D trials started back in May 2008 when Sky captured the Ricky Hatton versus

32 JULY 2010

A London publican prepares for the launch of Sky’s 3D channel in April this year (Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Sky).

Juan Lazcano boxing match in Manchester in 3D and later transmitted it over the network’s existing infrastructure. In November 2009, Sony supported Sky in covering the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena. Sony’s part of the trials used predominantly established production technology along with the recently developed ‘3D Processor Box’ to acquire live corrected and aligned stereo images. Sky uses the same transmission scheme and largely the same workflow as its current 2D offering, so these tests required no change to the consumer’s Sky+HD set-top box. During the trials, the Sony Professional team worked with the technical experts at Sky and Telegenic to find the right solutions to resolve many of the issues linked to capturing live content in 3D. Part of this process has included the creation of the 3D processor box, designed to reduce the complexity of

monitoring and correcting live signals in the truck. Sky’s 3D TV service will oﬀer a broad selection of 3D programming, including movies, entertainment, drama, sport and arts. The service will be broadcast across Sky’s existing high deﬁnition (HD) infrastructure and be available via the current generation of Sky+HD set-top boxes. To watch 3D, customers will also require a new ‘3D Ready’ TV, with a range of models hitting the UK this year. Telegenic has a long-standing relationship with Sky and Sony Professional; this will be the second OB truck Sony Professional has built for Telegenic in the last two years. David Bush, marketing director at Sony Professional Europe, explained: “Our Professional Services team has a strong track record in delivering solutions to customers and this latest announcement reinforces our leadership position within the outside broadcast market.”

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OB VANS MEGAHERTZ

DESIGNING OBs FOR SPORT Stephen Burgess, Megahertz technical director, looks at the special challenges of designing outside broadcast vehicles for sports production

With the ever-increasing number of television channels, many of them devoted to sport, there is an equal increase in the requirement for outside broadcast units to capture the action. As one of the leading systems integrators working in OBs, Megahertz Broadcast Systems has developed a good understanding of the special challenges in building trucks, and what follows are just some thoughts on the questions to be asked and the problems to be solved.

Size matters The ﬁrst question, inevitably, is size and, while biggest might seem to be best, it is not always the right answer. Where will the truck be used? If it is exclusively for sport then a full length, double or triple expanding trailer will probably not be a practical problem, even though it might be too big for some applications. But if it is likely to be used for other applications then its size might be an issue. Several OB contractors work as much in music and theatre as in sport, and parking a triple expanding truck outside, say, the Royal Opera House in London or La Scala in Milan is simply not possible. And of course using a 30 camera capable truck covering a sport – snooker, say – which does not require more than six cameras is not a cost-eﬀective use of resources. Better to start with the practical requirements and that will, in many cases determine both the nature of the unit and its layout. Most OBs are now owned by specialist companies who rent them to broadcasters or producers on a day by day, event by event

34 JULY 2010

The best way to achieve a successful result is through collaboration.

An OB truck under construction.

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OB VANS MEGAHERTZ

Steve Burgess, technical director, Megahertz Broadcast.

Megahertz has now built six large trucks for SIS LIVE.

Focus first on the people when designing a truck.

basis. That sets certain requirements and expectations.

Design The cosmetic design of the production area gets a lot of attention, because that is where the client sits and the contractor would like the client to be happy. Excellent ﬁnishing and comfortable chairs are important, of course, but there is also the need to set it apart, which might bring that customer back regularly. We have now built six large trucks for SIS LIVE – the most recent, OB1, went into service at this year’s University Boat Race – and one of the most striking design features

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(as with the previous two trucks) is the extensive use of sound-proofed external windows, allowing natural light into the production area. No-one had thought to do this before: it was felt to be too diﬃcult to maintain acoustic isolation and to keep distracting reﬂections from the monitor stack. But SIS LIVE is absolutely convinced it is a worthwhile addition to the comfort level, reducing stress in a live event, and we were happy to develop the solution. It is particularly appreciated by the operators during rigging and de-rigging.

Layout OB operators may have a clear idea of layout, but my strong advice would be to think of the people first and we will fit the equipment around them. How many people do you need in each operational area? Where do they need to sit relative to each other? What monitors do they need to see? Which other people do they need in their eyeline? What controls do they need to access? Finding space for all the technical equipment in a truck is always a nightmare jigsaw puzzle. But there is no point even attempting to solve it if the working environment does not make producers want to work in the space. So focus first on the people.

Few subjects in our industry arouse quite so much passion as user preferences for audio consoles

We can give a degree of flexibility and add to the comfort once the core layout is defined. Monitor stacks can be hinged, allowing for wings to wrap in or high level monitors to tilt forward. Multi-viewers of course mean that monitor layouts can be instantly changed as required, with set-ups stored for instant recall later, on the same truck or one with a compatible design. The availability of very high quality, affordable displays from the IT industry means that screens can be added to help operators. We have used the Apple 23” Cinema Display extensively in trucks, for instance. Many jobs require the truck to do much more than cut the event live and send it off to the broadcaster. Sports viewers now expect multiple replays of key points of the action, some in live slow motion and one or two events in ultra-slow motion. So the truck has to be capable of supporting multiple record and replay channels. The traditions of the business mean that we still call these VTR areas, even though in most

JULY 2010 35

OB VANS MEGAHERTZ

Once the equipment layout is established, cabling has to be considered. cases they actually rely on video servers. Live replay areas tend to be noisy, with operators shouting what they have available, so they are normally in separate, isolated areas. Some operators prefer separate trucks, and this is certainly the best approach where there are a lot of live replay channels. At the same time, there may be a requirement for rapid turnaround editing on board. Many broadcasters call for a highlights package the moment the final whistle blows for half time or the end of the football or rugby match, or immediately a cricketer reaches his century. So linked to the replay area, and with access to all the server content, will be an edit work-station. An increasing requirement is for a second production area within the truck. This might be for local and multi-lateral feeds, for on-air and in-stadium versions, or for completely independent outputs, perhaps for broadcast and online coverage. In some cases this can be – but physically fitting it into the truck layout achieved with a second, plug-in can be very demanding. panel for the main production switcher and some additions to the monitoring, but in a recent large truck we built the customer Equipment specified a second, independent production Having decided what the truck should do control room. and who will sit where, the remaining space Associated with that was a second audio can be given over to equipment. Even that room. Audio has compounded the comis not quite as simple as it seems, as there plexity of building trucks since the coming are important design constraints which limit of HD, because of the expectation of good the layout. quality 5.1 surround sound processing and Ventilation is critical. A director charged monitoring, and the need to provide at least with bringing all the excitement of a major the capability of 5.1 feeds to other parts of sporting event to an audience measured the truck. in hundreds of millions, maybe billions, will Few subjects in our industry arouse quite have enough to worry about. It is entirely reaso much passion as user preferences for sonable that the air conditioning should keep audio consoles. Some customers insist on the director and team cool, without irritating specifying traditional audio consoles with a whirring fans. Which means equipment in fader per channel – on the entirely reasongeneral needs to be in an environmentally able basis that it gives the operator immediisolated space wherever possible. ate, intuitive, tactile control under pressure The next challenge for the designer is what

36 JULY 2010

happens when the vehicle is on the move. If the equipment is conﬁned to one part of the truck does this mean it is unbalanced? Will the vehicle be diﬃcult to drive because all the weight is on one side? Once the equipment layout is established, cabling has to be considered. The idea of two audio rooms has already been mentioned: linking the tailboard to first one and then a second audio desk with 80 or 100 individual twin and screen audio cables adds a huge amount of weight, not to mention bigger cable ducts than can readily be provided. Where practical the systems integrator has to specify audio multiplexing. The team will also work with cable suppliers to get the lightest possible co-ax cable which will provide the required HD performance. Some equipment may be routinely added or removed from the truck. Larger operators will have a core stock of cameras and CCUs, VTRs, server channels and drives, and graphics and edit workstations, which will be loaded onto a truck as required. The balance of the requirement will be rented in as necessary. The location of this equipment has to be readily accessible, from both front and back of the rack, to allow this to be done quickly.

In conclusion This has just been a ﬂavour of some of the perhaps less obvious issues involved in specifying, designing and building an OB truck, particularly at the bigger end of the scale and aimed at the sports market. All of these challenges can be resolved – we have happy customers who can testify to that – but I hope it is clear that the best way to achieve a successful result is through collaboration, and by starting not with some standardised technical blueprint but with an understanding of the operational requirements.

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INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADING TO HD

Is it enough to upgrade from SD to 720p or 1080i, or should broadcasters go all the way and opt for 1080p/50?

WHICH HD IS BEST? Ever since the technology to transmit progressively scanned images in HD became available, broadcasters have been faced with the dilemma of whether to upgrade or stick with the interlaced system. But decisions are moving on apace with the introduction of 3D stereo programming. “As the number of thematic channels increases, HD production is booming,” reports Said Bacho, regional director for Harris Broadcast. “The region is transitioning from analogue to digital HD in one bound. Some broadcasters, like Saudi TV, have adopted

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720p, others have adopted 1080i. It’s now clear that the future is 1080p and 3G discussions have really been a hot topic over the last 12 months. “We have been at the forefront of these discussions, able to supply many customers with a wide range of 3G-ready products.” Although an upgrade from SD to HD is the logical next step in a broadcaster’s evolution, there’s been a long standing debate about whether what broadcasters transmit as HD is actually the best quality HD available. The debate centres on the broadcast of interlaced, or progressively scanned images.

Until relatively recently, it was academic because the technology to facilitate the highest form of progressive images didn’t exist. In 2007, that debate reopened when standards body Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) ratiﬁed a new 3Gbit/s (3G) standard for routing 1080p video from the camera head into outside broadcast trucks and around broadcast facilities. As manufacturers rushed to bring out 3G-capable equipment, discussions ensued among broadcasters, playout facilities and post producers about whether the beneﬁts of full HD outweigh the cost and complica-

JULY 2010 37

INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADING TO HD

tion of an upgrade. “What has made 1080p discussions even more important are the 3D stereo plans for many broadcasters,” explains Bacho. Although it’s is not essential to broadcast 3D with 3G, in order to best utilise a broadcaster’s resources the core infrastructure should ideally be capable of routing twice the standard HD bandwidth – which is what 3G provides. “Customers realise that any discussion about 3D involves upgrading their routing and glue infrastructure to 3G,” Bacho says. Al Jazeera Sport broadcast the World Cup in South Africa in 3D having built two 3G studios designed to facilitate better transmission of HD 1080p and 3D signals. The sports network recently purchased the rights to several premium sports broadcasts from ART. Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC), which recently won English Premiership League and Formula One broadcast rights, is building a new sports presentation, production and playout facility with Harris infrastructure at its heart. “They plan to launch a 3D channel soon,” reveals Bacho, who says that broadcasters with other 3D sports or entertainment channel plans include Orbit Showtime Network Steve Nunney, Hamlet.

and Saudi-based media groups Rotana and MBC. E-Vision, Etisalat’s cable TV unit, became the first regional broadcaster to offer 3D TV to customers in June, closely followed by rival UAE subscription-based operator Du. Both networks offered Al Jazeera Sports’ FIFA World Cup 3D feed to customers. Even if customers are not planning on buying 3D TVs, the majority of broadcasters are already buying into HD or HD-ready equipment. “The build out of HD is certainly the main trend in our industry over the last couple of years,” confirms Avid sales manager Mounzer Bechara. “At the very least, broadcasters are specifying routing, cabling and video processing infrastructure as 3G-ready.” To date, most HD investment has fallen on the production side with limited installations for HD transmission. The rollout of HD-ready displays is slower than most European territories, and the willingness to pay a premium for HD channels remains a relatively untested business model. Harris, however, says it has equipped many state broadcasters with HD production equipment as well as 3G-ready routing matrices, video production switchers and multi-viewers. These include ADMC, Kuwait TV, Saudi TV, Al-Rayyan in Qatar, Cairo-headquartered Rotana and ERTU as well as OSN. “Even smaller broadcasters are buying into HD because it’s become a standard and cost-effective for them,” says Bacho. This is nothing out of the ordinary. “Just as it has been with other regions

3G still comes at a price – as much as 50-100% more than standard HD kit — Steve Nunney

38 JULY 2010

Said Bacho, Harris.

The region is transitioning from analogue to digital HD in one bound — Said Bacho

around the world that have gone through or are going through these SD to HD transitions, the Middle East’s pace is fairly normal,” observes Peter Hoffmann, director, market development, routing & signal management at Grass Valley. Interlaced pictures are very difficult to compress, whereas compression technologies (like MPEG4) have advanced to a degree that progressive images are far easier to compress. In a multichannel world where bandwidth is at a premium, this allows you to get more for your money. “What’s more, the 1080p picture quality is best viewed on the flat panel displays, which is what most people will view content on at home,” says Steve Nunney who runs test and measurement equipment vendor Hamlet.

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INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADING TO HD

Mounzer Bechara, Avid.

At the very least, broadcasters are specifying routing, cabling and video processing infrastructure as 3G-ready — Mounzer Bechara

Flat-screen displays have refresh rates up to 100Hz, which allows the viewer to see more detail, whereas interlaced pictures tend to smear on ﬂat screens. However, since the 1080p format uses higher frame rates with twice as many lines per frame, it doubles the amount of data (from 1.485Gbit/s to 3Gbit/s). Introducing it requires a whole new range of studio equipment, including cameras, vision mixers, storage and edit and contribution links, not to mention cabling. “3G still comes at a price – as much as 50-100% more than standard HD kit,” says Nunney. “With budgets under pressure, broadcasters and facilities will have to decide

40 JULY 2010

when 1080p/50 will be a real requirement.” When broadcasters shop for new technology, they look to depreciate the cost over a certain time. When buying SD, kit most budgeted for a seven-year period to recoup investment. The lifecycle of current HD kit has been shortened because something new is always coming in. “Infrastructure equipment, whether SD, HD, or 3G, does not usually have a definitive ROI as the equipment involved plays more of a supporting role in an organisation,” says o Hoffman. “While a production switcher or H sserver can have billable or ‘accrued’ hours, tthe infrastructure to support that equipment has to be there — you typically don’t m ssee a router or other terminal equipment on a rate card. And that’s the same reasoning as to why the infrastructure should be the best tthat it can be.” It seems inevitable that production and transmission will move to progressive scantr ning as equipment becomes more widely n available and reduces in price. “The main question is at what cost and in what timeframe broadcasters will migrate,” says Nunney. “The demand will be driven by the consumer and their desire for a better quality picture. From that, broadcasters will derive a business model.” While broadcasters might not see the need for a 3G infrastructure today, manufacturers like Grass Valley and Harris will argue that while upgrading from SD directly to 3G might seem premature, it will save a lot of money and time a few years from now. “If you know that you need to upgrade your infrastructure from SD to HD today, doesn’t it make more sense to upgrade to the newest format that you may find yourself having to support in a few years?,” says Hoffman. Many of the OB trucks that are currently being built in the region are going to be 3G-capable (in terms of wiring, routing and production) and the reason for the adoption is simple: building trucks is expensive. “Trucks are being built 3G-capable so they won’t have to be re-built and upgraded in a few years,” explains Hoffman. “In fixed facilities, 3G will take hold in different ways, primarily based on the current design of the existing facility. For example, a facility

might need a new router today, so it would make sense for that router to be 3G-capable, with cabling coming later as 3G becomes more widespread.” As with the first generation of HD, the driver for 1080p is content that will deliver a noticeable improvement to consumers’ viewing experience. Sport is the obvious genre and fortunately, a progressive format and higher frame rate is optimal for reproducing fast action and especially slow-motion detail. Of course, 1080p is unlikely to be the last word in high definition as anyone who has seen demonstrations of Super HiVision (or Ultra HD) will testify: SHV has a minimum of 16 times the resolution of 1080p and although home broadcasts aren’t expected before the end of the decade in Japan, remember that it was the Japanese who first introduced the world to HD.

THE HD GOLD STANDARD Interlace scanning splits the transmitted picture in half and effectively throws away half of the picture’s resolution, transmitting the odd lines, then all the even lines, interlacing them together in the TV set. Progressive scanning transmits all the lines at the same time. In the progressive format, the complete image updates every 1/50th of a second while in the interlaced format, only half of the image updates every 1/50th of a second. An alternative standard is 720p/50, where 720 refers to the number of lines per frame, the ‘p’ stands for progressively scanned and 50 is the number of frames per second (Herz), or the rate at which the picture is refreshed. In practice, progressively scanned 720 line images provide a more stable picture than interlaced ones, and subjectively picture quality is at least as good as 1080i. The gold standard for HD is a combination of the two – 1080p/50. Optical formats such as Blu-Ray DVD, on which premium content like movies and console games are distributed, support progressive imaging. 1080p/50 is an attractive production format for sport because it offers the superior motion of progressive scanning combined with the superior resolution of 1080 lines. Production at 1080p/50 also means that lesser versions like 1080i/25 and 720p/50 can be easily derived.

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TECHNOLOGY IMAGE RESTORATION

AUTOMATING RESTORATION Dr. Tim Harris, senior software engineer at Digital Vision, looks at how to go about the restoration of archive material

Film archives and content owners are today faced with the issue of how best to preserve and potentially monetise their ﬁlm and tapebased assets. With restoration and re-mastering technologies, broadcasters and ﬁlm archivists can breathe new life into archives and repurpose material for digital cinema, HDTV and DVD/Blu-ray platforms. Restoration of archive material is, however, a time consuming manual process that requires both retouching and quality assurance conducted by an expert operator. Manufacturers are looking at ways to simplify this process and it will soon be possible for content owners to use intelligent software algorithms to analyse material and make repairs automatically. The restoration market is stuck as a cottage industry due to the fundamental economics

42 JULY 2010

of the processes involved in restoration. TV programmes and movies created and stored in an archive can be given a new lease of life through restoration, but since restoration isn’t free, ROI calculations need to be undertaken when evaluating whether material can be restored. With very popular film material, significant time and effort can go into painstakingly restoring the content. With less popular material, or material which is longer in duration, less time and effort may be available to restore the content. With very obscure material, the ROI calculations do not tally and the material cannot be restored economically. One way to evaluate the efficiency of a restoration workflow is to look at its throughput. For a film like Blade Runner, over ten seconds was spent restoring each frame of the movie, whereas for content for an old TV series the

restoration throughput would be in the region of ten frames per second. The workflow required for both restorations is similar, so the difference resides in the amount of time spent on each stage. It is also worth noting that the workflow for audio and video are very similar as well, though the workload

It will soon be possible for content owners to use intelligent software algorithms to analyse material and make repairs automatically

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TECHNOLOGY IMAGE RESTORATION

Digital Vision’s Phoenix products are widely used for film and video restoration.

If we can reduce the cost of restoring a piece of material, then more material becomes available for restoration

MEETING THE CHALLENGES

split between the two is dependent on the project being undertaken. If we can reduce the cost of restoring a piece of material, then more material becomes available for restoration. By combining the audio and video pipeline, adding automation, and improving the throughput of each stage, we can make restoration accessible to a much broader range of content.

HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE? When designing a restoration system, an important choice is whether to use external hardware or a software-only system. Hardware tools provide a guaranteed throughput and industry-leading algorithms, but are updated rarely and require highly skilled

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operators to use. These hardware tools are well-suited to environments with large amounts of SDI infrastructure and workflows that involve VTRs. Video and audio restoration both benefit from a software infrastructure. Audio restoration in hardware, like video restoration in hardware, involves real-time audio playout through AES/EBU using hardware boxes with fixed parameter settings for declicking and decrackling. In a file-based workflow, there are a number of disadvantages to using custom hardware. The extra playout and ingest hardware required comes with a cost overhead and a significant reliability hit. If there is a problem partway through the processing, a hardware system will require a complete replay as the

The issues outlined in this feature are being addressed by Digital Vision as part of an EU-funded project (VideoStar) in conjunction with Studio Hamburg and Cube-Tec. The VideoStar project will see Digital Vision develop an automatic audio and video solution that will enable content owners to create a clean digital file for every asset in their archive. As well as the cleaned file, which will contain all the metadata related to changes made, the digital archive will also contain the ingested RAW media and metadata on the source, processes applied and information from the QC analysis. VideoStar will use MXF, JPEG 2000, Broadcast Wave and XML file formats, and new workflows combined with improved restoration algorithms and technologies. Digital Vision and Cube-Tec are working together to develop two new products that aim to fill the gap between completely manual restoration and fully automated, operator-less working. Digital Vision will be demonstrating elements of the project later in the year.

JULY 2010 43

TECHNOLOGY IMAGE RESTORATION

result is non-repeatable. As such, to achieve a consistent look throughout a clip, the entire clip would need to be reprocessed after a single frame-drop. Hardware solutions tend not to be portable, and require specialist maintenance, unlike commodity computing hardware, which is much more widely deployed. The biggest drawback though with hardware-only systems is the lack of metadata and logging output on the processing of a job. The work done to a piece of material and the settings used during processing are untraceable without a significant effort by the human operator. Following the Hollywood trend, many European broadcasters are

looking towards JPEG 2000 as their archive codec of choice for high value assets. JPEG 2000 allows parallel processing of the audio, video and metadata components and delivery in a standard structure that can interface with MAMs, content servers and archive systems. There has been wider adoption of JPEG 2000 in MXF including PrestoSpace, EDCINE, US Library of Congress, and SAMMA Systems. The existing commercial implementations from SAMMA have led the way in the adoption of JPEG 2000 in MXF. Restoration and archiving is not well served by the existing MXF applicationspeciﬁc standards. Customising an existing

standard within its own framework would be a pragmatic technique to ensure greater ﬂexibility and lower costs to archive and restoration customers. Improved algorithms for detecting and removing tape and compression artefacts are required. Distributed, or cloud-based, processing of material can enable dynamic scaling of a restoration infrastructure to meet the client’s needs quickly. Digital Vision was founded in 1988 in response to the need for a high-quality grain and noise reducer for telecine applications. Its Phoenix range of products is widely used for ﬁlm and video restoration.

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PRODUCTS WHAT’S HOT

BOINX RELEASES FOTOMAGICO UPDATE Boinx Software has released version 3.5 of FotoMagico, a software package used to animate still images. Using Noise Industries’ FxFactory technology, v3.5 offers plug-in support for Apple Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express, Motion and Adobe After Effects. The native plug-in integration allows videographers and motion graphic artists to animate still images and render the results within the host applications. “By partnering with our friends at Noise Industries, we can offer seamless integration with host applications and let videographers animate still images within the Final Cut, Motion and After Effects environment ,” says Oliver Breidenbach, CEO, Boinx Software. “Not only is this a tremendous timesaver, it is a huge creative workflow enhancement. FotoMagico’s extensive features give artists much more control over the image animation and ultimately a better finished product.” FotoMagico was designed to enable videographers to turn their still images into intros and animated backgrounds. Users do not need to key-frame or step out of the host application.

FotoMagico controls let users adjust slide position and color, animation start and end point. It supports multiple audio tracks and automatic ducking for music, sound eﬀects and narration. www.boinx.com/fotomagico

BROADCAST PIX UNVEILS NEW PRODUCT LINES Broadcast Pix showcased three key new product lines at last month’s InfoComm trade event. Granite, the company’s new flagship platform, is an HD, 1080p-ready live video production system. iPixPanel is an application that allows an Apple iPad to control any Broadcast Pix video production system. Slate Portable has been designed to provide the productivity of a control room in a briefcase-sized package. Granite combines a new 1080p-ready HD Granite switcher with an HD Granite server running the company’s Fluent workflow software. The Granite Switcher provides simultaneous multi-definition SDI I/O for 1080i, 720p, and SD sources and is upgradeable to 1080p. It offers 11 HD/SD-SDI video inputs, plus the equivalent of 14 more inputs, including a clip channel, two animation channels, and four graphic channels. The companion Granite Server runs Fluent

46 JULY 2010

workflow software, which provides up to 120 hours of clip store, a graphics system with a new Inscriber CG, a multi-view that displays video and file sources, watch-folders that streamline file import from editing systems, and macros for file-based effects. The server also offers optional software to control other studio devices such as audio mixers, streaming appliances and video servers. The iPixPanel allows control of a video production from an iPad, including functions such as switching cameras, adding graphics and clips, controlling robotic cameras, and creating basic effects. The control panel includes auto transition and cut buttons. Slate Portable provides the features of a Slate production system in a compact unit. It includes an HD/SD production switcher, multi-view monitoring, five channels of graphics, an Inscriber CG, Fluent workflow software, two channels of clip store with up to 200 hours of clips, and format and aspect conversion for 1080i, 720p, SD and analogue. www.broadcastpix.com

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CHROSZIEL UNVEILS ALADIN FOR 3D RIGS Chrosziel has presented a prototype of the 8-motor remote control Aladin Mark II for 3D Rigs. The Aladin MK II features feedback on display. The reliable transmission of data has been retained and completed by a spectrum analyser that indicates ﬁeld intensity of the selected channel and reveals possible interfering signals in the complete transmission range. Aladin MK II is an open system with a USB interface; values of distance and/or angles between the cameras on a 3D rig will be tracked automatically when the focus is changed. Availability is projected for autumn. Chrosziel’s new MatteBox 456 Academy Double with 2 rotating ﬁlterstages for PL lenses with up to 12 mm focal length is ready for delivery. In time for the delivery of the Sony HXRNX5, Chrosziel has developed its LightWeight Support 401-424. www.chrosziel.com

WOHLER MANAGES AUDIO MONITORING Wohler marked last month’s InfoComm show with a demonstration of products for audio monitoring in digital and HD broadcast environments. New on display was the AMP2-16V modular audio/video processing monitor, a new dual 4.3-inch OLED version of the company’s AMP2-16 Series modular audio monitor. According to the company, dedicated video monitoring, loudness metering and control, audio mixing and routing, and Dolby Zoom functions make the AMP2-16V one of the most comprehensive 3G/HD/SD-SDI audio/ video monitors available. The system allows simultaneous colour and scale adjustable metering of up to 16 channels of audio from a choice of input and output cards including 3G/HD/SD-SDI, AES, and analogue. With the new version, front-panel hotkeys can be assigned to not only solo or mute groups of channels and recall system-wide presets,

48 JULY 2010

but also to activate Dolby Zoom on a target source or instantly apply a saved mix setup. Additionally, Wohler showcased the ﬁrst releases in its new Rockridge video monitor line with 3G/HD/SD-SDI support and MPEG-4 decoding capability. Features include in-picture level metering, waveform, and vectorscope display. Multiscreen models allow operators to view either four separate images or a mix of images and monitoring tools such as waveform, vectorscope, or the PID table. Connectivity options for the new monitor line include 3G, SDI, component, composite, DVI, and GPI inputs, as well as dual-input SDI with loop-through for each. www.wohler.com.

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HALL DWELLERS New Abu Dhabi venue touts for business p08 PALME PILOTS The best images from this year’s show p10 EYE ON ECLIPSE Dubai production house showcases top kit p12

STAGE STARS

TOP TRENDS IN STAGING TECH IN THE FRAME

LOUD AND PROUD

InHouse Productions reveals its international growth plans

Our buyer’s guide to the latest loudspeakers on the market

Vol: 4 Issue: 6 Ju Jun ne 2010

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Providing industry news, technical insights and expert business advice, Sound & Stage Middle East aims to provide readers with the technical and business know how they require to run more successful businesses.

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PRODUCTS WHAT’S HOT

COOKE OPTICS CHANGES ITS LENSES Cooke Optics, a manufacturer of precision lenses, has added new functions to its /i Technology protocol for users of Cooke 5i prime lenses. The new functions allow data to transfer from third party external equipment to the lens, as well as from the lens to the camera, for recording with other metadata information. The combined data stream of information, which can then be stored in the camera or on an External Data Source Unit (EDSU), can provide a wide array of relevant data, such as 3D encoder information, details from electronic slates or metadata from wireless devices such as iPhones. The new functions are available immediately within new and existing Cooke 5i lenses. A manual that details the new functions is available for download from the Cooke web site. www.cookeoptics.com

PPC ENHANCES CABLE RANGE PPC has introduced the PPC PRO line of connectors and cables. PPC’s latest oﬀering features compression connectors for XLR; ¼-inch mono and ¼-inch stereo/balanced connectors; and RCA, BNC, and F-type connectors, allowing for solderless, customised cable lengths. The PPC PRO lineup also includes specially designed cables and installation tools for use with PPC PRO connectors. PPC also oﬀers the Perfect Path RCA Locking Cable, built to eliminate the problem of loose RCA cables. PPC’s locking RCA connector features a design that allows the

50 JULY 2010

outer body to turn. When turned clockwise, an active wedge inside the connector causes the outer ground shield to lock down on the port for increased retention. This allows for a secure connection on RCA ports of any size with only a quarter turn. The locking RCA connector eliminates the need for soldering, making it easily removable by turning it counter clockwise, and also offers true 75-ohm performance through the port. The Perfect Flex line has been designed to offer a range of cost-effective, high-performance coaxial cable products. The Perfect Flex coaxial cable offers electrical performance of up to 3 GHz and features microcrack resistance and advanced corrosion inhibitors. www.perfectpath.com

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PRODUCTS WHAT’S HOT

SACHTLER BOOSTS PERFORMANCE THROUGH MODULAR DESIGN APPROACH

SAMSUNG LAUNCHES UPDATED OUTDOOR DISPLAY SYSTEMS Samsung Electronics now claims to offer the most diverse range of large-format digital information displays (DIDs) on the market. It has recently strengthened its lineup with ultra-slim bezel displays designed for video walls, digital signage and outdoor advertising. According to the company, it has now sold one million since it first introduced DID solutions in 2006. According to market research firm DisplaySearch, the overall market for DIDs is forecast to expand from 2.23 million units in 2010 to 9.09 million units in 2016. The company sees further opportunity to develop the market for large video walls, which combine multiple DIDs. Its ultra-slim bezel panels have a frame of just 7.3 mm, helping to reduce the break between displays in video walls. Samsung is also pursuing the mass production of 4:1 aspect ratio ‘super-wide’ panels, offering an alternative to conventional proportions of 4:3 or 16:9. www.samsung.com

Sachtler, a brand of the Vitec Group, has unleashed a new camera stabiliser system, the artemis Cine HD Pro. Cine HD Pro is a completely revised system, which combines the traditional functions of the previous Cine and Cine HD systems with the modern equipment of the artemis EFP HD Special Edition. The product has dual video processing, which means that HD SDI and SD vVideo signals can be used simultaneously. A hot-swap feature means that during a battery change, electrical power is supplied continuously and there is no need to shut down the camera, monitor and radio channels. Monitor brackets and existing accessories based on a 1.5” diameter can be used with the new system. The Cine HD Pro can also be expanded with modules. www.sachtler.com

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JULY 2010 51

PRODUCTS WHAT’S HOT

VIEW MULTIPLE WINDOWS WITH TV ONE

TV One has released the CORIOview C2-6104A 4-Window Video Processor, which accepts composite video, component video, RGB and DVI inputs to place up to four sizeable windows on a single DVI output. Each window is powered by a separate CORIO2 scaling engine to provide full picture-in-picture flexibility. The new multiviewer has five DVI-U inputs, which work like a DVI-I connection along with the ability to accept composite video signals using a BNC to DVI adapter. The fifth input is available for use as a background to the four windows or as a cascade input from another CORIOview product. Coloured borders and source labelling are provided for each window and 50 user defined presets (controllable directly from

the front panel as well as externally) allow for the quick recall of customised settings for various applications. Non-volatile memory ensures that all settings stored by the user are retained when the power is switched oﬀ. Four still image stores are built into the C26104A, which can display one of ten user loadable images, stored in ﬂash memory, in place of an input. DVI-D resolutions up to 1920x1200@60Hz and 1080p are supported along with DVI-A (RGBHV/YUV/YPbPr/CV via optional HD-15 or BNC breakout adaptor) resolutions up to 2048x2048 at virtually any refresh rate. YUV, YPbPr and CV sources such as 525i, 625i, 720p, 1080i and 1080p are compatible. www.tvone.com

HP PAINTS A BILLION COLOURS HP Middle East has introduced its ﬁrst 30-inch monitor that can display one billion colours. The HP ZR30w S-IPS LCD is pitched at professionals in animation, game development, broadcast, design and graphic arts environments. The new display provides 30-bits per pixel colour resolution and 1.07 billion displayable colours, compared to 16.7 million colours on most LCD panels. It has a wide gamut panel that covers 100% of sRGB and 99% of Adobe RGB. The HP ZR30w features 4.1 million pixels and supports a resolution of 2560 x 1600 in a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 3000:1 dynamic contrast

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ratio. The monitor is equipped with DisplayPort and DVI-D inputs, an integrated 4-port USB hub and a 6-way adjustable stand that provides tilt, swivel and height adaptability. It boasts a brushed aluminium industrial design in keeping with HP’s Z series Workstations and uses a minimum of 25% post-consumer recycled resin. The HP ZR30w is available locally starting at AED 5510 (US $1500). www.hp.com

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PRODUCTS WHAT’S HOT

ANTON/BAUER BOOSTS BATTERY CAPACITY Anton/Bauer, a brand of The Vitec Group, showcased its new Dionic HCX batter and Tandem 150 modular power system at June’s Cine Gear Expo 2010. The Dionic HCX offers a 120 watt-hour capacity, a motion detection sensor and a deep sleep capability that reduces the battery’s rate of self-discharge when not in use. The company also offers the Tandem 150 modular power system, which allows the user to simultaneously charge a battery and power a camera. The system features a solar panel to charge any battery in the Anton/Bauer product line via the sun’s available light. The Tandem 150 can rely on a car’s dependable vehicle power outlet. Anton/Bauer specialises in batteries, chargers, lighting and other key mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video and film industries. www.antonbauer.com

VSN BOOSTS CONTENT MANAGEMENT VSN has launched its new archiving and document management software, vsnarchive4. According to VSN, the two main innovations in this version are the integration of the on-line (sharer) and near-line (archive) content management in a single tool and the compatibility with MacOS and Windows (multiplatform). It offers advanced digital asset management capabilities covering every ingest and cataloguing process as well as online (high/ low-res), nearline and offline storage management (HSM). Both document specialists and search clients (local or remote) can use a viewer to select the different segments to be catalogued or partially restore them regardless of the media type. The tool can be used independently or within the complete set of VSN solutions and it can be integrated with different non-linear editing software in the market. VSN has also announces a special migration offer to the new version for all vsnarchive users. www.vsn.es

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RIEDEL INTRODUCES ARTIST 1100 SERIES CONTROL PANEL Riedel has introduced the Artist 1100 Series OLED control panel, its control key panel for Artist digital matrix intercoms. Building on the company’s concept of integrated displays in the panel keys, the 1100 series features new high-resolution colour OLEDs. With 65,000 colours and a resolution of 140 dpi, these new displays boost readability and are able to show up to eight detailed characters of up to 24x24 pixels. Deﬁnable marker colours for the keys complete the labelling options and provide instant function identiﬁcation and signalisation. The panel provides individual rotary encoders to adjust the listen level of every talk key. All 1100 Series control key-panels provide 5 dedicated function keys, a builtin high-power loudspeaker with improved audio quality with higher volume, an XLR headset connector and a removable gooseneck microphone. Three GPIs and three GPOs are available for system-wide programming as standard. Two sets of balanced line level audio inputs and outputs are also provided as standard. An expansion slot prepares the control panel for future developments. For digital connection to the matrix via AES, the panel provides BNC and CAT-5 connectors as standard. According to Riedel, the panel consumes 50% less power than the 1000 Series. www.riedel.net

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HISTORY NOTES 3D CINEMA

10 BIG MOMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF 3D ﬁlm runs for over a decade and is re-introduced at several Disney venues following the death of Michael Jackson.

'Creature' marked the heyday of 3D in the 50s.

1890: William Friese Greene, a British inventor, files a patent for technology used to create 3D films. Two images of the same object are projected side by side on screen and the viewer uses a stereoscope to merge the two images into one 3D image. Sir Charles Wheatstone is credited with first describing the process of stereopsis in 1838.

2004: The Polar Express, featuring Tom Hanks, is released. Both 2D and 3D versions of the animated ﬁlm, famous for its use of motion capture technology, are distributed. Receipts for the 3D version surpass expectations. In the following years, more and more kids’ animations are released in both 2D and 3D versions.

disappoint and critics warn that ‘bad’ 3D could kill audience interest in the genre. Referring to Clash of the Titans’ tackedon 3D eﬀects, Jeﬀrey Katzenberg famously says: “You cannot do anything that is of a lower grade and a lower quality than what has just been done on Clash of the Titans.”

Jeffrey Katzenberg didn't really like Clash of the Titans’ 3D version (Kevin Winter/Getty Images).

The Polar Express was a smash hit in 3D.

1922: The Power of Love, the world’s first 3D feature film, is screened in Los Angeles. No known copies survive and it will take another 30 years for 3D to take off in the cinema.

1954: Creature from the Black Lagoon is released. This is the best known of several 3D films released in the early 50s; it is also famous for featuring a very young Clint Eastwood. Despite the success of Creature, the popularity of 3D films soon begins to wane as the novelty wears off, people complain of headaches and cinema operators decide it’s all just too much hassle.

1986: Captain Eo, a 3D sci-ﬁ short produced by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Michael Jackson, is introduced in Disney theme parks. The marketing people use the term ‘4-D’ to describe the ﬁlm, a reference to the lasers, smoke clouds and vibrating seats that are used to enhance the viewer’s level of ‘immersion’. The budget is over US $30 million for just 17 minutes of action. The

Michael Jackson in Captian Eo.

56 JULY 2010

WipEout HD: One of the first 3D Playstation games.

How to Train Your Dra gon continued Dreamworks' recent run of 3D success.

EARLY 2009:

2010: Samsung and others launch first stereoscopic 3D TVs for consumers. Samsung is first out of the blocks, quickly followed by Panasonic, in the first quarter. Critics point out that there is nothing to watch in 3D apart from a few children’s animations. Sony launches 3D Bravia models in June to coincide with the launch of 3D Playstation games (and the football World Cup).

Dreamworks Animation announces that all its productions will now be made in 3D using InTru3D, an animation technology developed in partnership with Intel. The first film made with InTru3D is Monsters vs. Aliens, released in March 2009. In early 2010, CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg berates Warner Bros over its decision to convert Clash of the Titans to 3D and release it close to How to Train Your Dragon. He fears that Dragon will be pushed off the limited number of 3D screens available. He needn’t worry as Dragon goes on to be a massive success.

JUNE 2010: Sony releases the first 3D games for Playstation 3. WipEout HD, Super Stardust HD, PAIN and a single-level 3D demo of MotorStorm: Pacific Rift are made available as downloads from the Playstation Network. Gamers require a stereoscopic 3D TV and accompanying silly glasses to enjoy the 3D effect.

LATE 2009: Amidst massive expecta-

JUNE-JULY 2010: World Cup 2010 is

tion, James Cameron’s Avatar is released and even cynics are overwhelmed by how good it looks. 3D eﬀects are hastily added to two major ﬁlms in post production: Alice in Wonderland and Clash of the Titans. The results

broadcast in 3D. As few people have 3D TVs, deals are signed with cinemas worldwide to show games in 3D. As is now the norm, cinemagoers have to pay $5-10 more than they would for a normal ‘2D ticket’.