TVBE Dec 2013 digital edition

www.tvbeurope.com

Europe’s Television Technology Business Magazine

December 2013

Finders keepers: our MAM and storage issue

The OB world without SIS Live

Leveraging External recorders legacy content

TVBEurope 3

December 2013 www.tvbeurope.com

News & Contents

Beyond HD Masters 2014 registration is now open

By Neal Romanek TVBEUROPE’S BEYOND HD Masters 2014 conference has officially launched.

Taking place on Tuesday 3 June, 2014 at BAFTA in London, Beyond HD Masters follows the successful series of HD and 3D Masters conferences from TVBEurope that helped to chart and forecast the maturation of HD in the broadcast market.

Beyond HD Masters 2014 asks the questions: What’s next on the horizon for European broadcast TV? If high definition is the new standard definition, then what’s beyond HD? Is it

going to be a 4K future? An 8K future? Or do we even deserve HD? And is 3D dead or only sleeping? Where do big screens fit in a small screen world? How will future formats be delivered?

Satellite? Fibre? IP? And what is going to drive the European television technology industry

into the future? These and other vital issues will be explored in a full day of presentations, discussions and demonstrations at TVBEurope’s Beyond HD Masters 2014.

Delegate places are now open for booking. Register now to attend next year’s Beyond HD

Masters conference at BAFTA to take advantage of the special early bird price of just ÂŁ149 (plus VAT). By booking your early bird ticket now, you save ÂŁ100 off the standard ticket price.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available through Steve.Connolly@intentmedia.co.uk, Ben.Ewles@intentmedia.co.uk or Richard.Carr@intentmedia.co.uk on +44 (0) 207 354 6000. For more information about Beyond HD Masters 2014 attendance or venue, please contact our event manager Sarah.Harris@ intentmedia.co.uk, or call +44 (0) 207 354 6001. www.beyondhdmasters.com

dB Broadcast creates new signing studios

By Holly Ashford BROADCAST SYSTEMS integrator dB Broadcast has completed the commissioning of two new automated signing studios for a broadcast media management company. The facility provides in-vision sign language captioning for hearing impaired viewers for both live and pre-recorded programmes.

The signers communicate using a combination of mouth, hand and finger movements.

The two one-camera studios with blue, green and black Chroma key screens each allow a single non-technical deaf signer to prepare their studio for operation without local assistance. The two studio floors were located in one building with the control rooms and technical staff situated

five miles away. The aim of this approach was to provide greater flexibility, lower operational costs and enhance operational efficiency.

The new studios are joined to the control rooms with remote control connectivity and video feeds, and the signer can access monitoring and on-air tally information in live or recorded mode through the supplied reverse picture feeds. “We are delighted to have been able to provide this stateof-the-art facility�, commented Tom Swan, sales and marketing director at dB Broadcast. “Our independent status and extensive experience meant we could deploy the best equipment for this SD and HD facility and get it up and running reliably in the shortest time.�

VB288 OBJECTIVE QoE CONTENT EXTRACTOR performs objective video and audio measurements of MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 streams and offers remote video-wall capability.

Contents 1-15 News & Analysis Legacy content: the past is the future Guest opinion from Matt Bowman, commercial director of RRsat Europe 4 Learning at the cutting edge Neal Romanek looks inside Gearhouse Broadcast’s new HD facility for Dublin students 6 16-22 MAM Forum Philip Stevens leads an investigation into Media Asset Management systems, with contributions from industry leaders 16 24-30 Archiving Storage Forum In this month’s second Forum, Philip Stevensc delves into the importance of archiving and storage for both preservation and monetisation 24 Storage on Demand A look at British Telecom’s BT TV platform

30

33-49 The Workflow Subtitling and closed caption management Benoit FĂŠvrier, SVP at EVS Media, provides a guide to the words behind the picture 33 The rise of the recorder A guide to the latest external recording solutions, by David Fox 34

Tom Swan, sales and marketing director at dB Broadcast The studios are fitted with ARRI L7-T low energy LED lighting, Sony PMW-EX3 camera, Autoscript prompter and Telemetrics robotics pedestals, and the control rooms feature a

Sony MVS-7000X mixer and Miranda Kaleido multiviewer. dB Broadcast used an IP-based display and control system for communication between areas. www.dbbroadcast.co.uk

Great Deal for Bristol Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios has been transformed from an industrial warehouse into a purpose-built studio and post facility. Holly Ashford goes behind the scenes 40 50 News Review A round-up of this month’s most interesting stories from the broadcast technology industry 50

4 TVBEurope

Opinion

www.tvbeurope.com December 2013

Research has shown that by watching re-runs people gain insight into themselves and their own growth, the re-run being subconsciously used as a measuring stick for how their own lives have changed

Legacy content: The past is the future Matt Bowman has overseen the restoration of everything from Trainspotting to Thunderbirds.

The commercial director of RRsat Europe gives his take on the bright future of legacy content WALLACE AND GROMIT first hit our screens in 1989, Prime Suspect in 1991 and Friends in 1994 — so why are these aged classics still frequenting our screens? The dramatic evolution of TV has created an entirely new experience for consumers whereby they are now able to choose what they want to watch whenever they like. Series are no longer singularly played out, but rather repeated regularly over time and in some cases continuously throughout the day. With so much repeated content, the question that must be asked is why? Do we enjoy watching the same thing over and over? Or do production companies simply not generate enough content?

Modern platforms such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer and SkyGo allow consumers to watch series at any time and on any device.

The change even in recent months represents a dramatic watershed in a rapid shift in online viewing habits. Only a year ago smartphones and tablets accounted for 25% of viewing compared to 27% on PCs. The ability to reach multiple audiences is at an all-time high, and the choice they are offered is significantly greater than ever before.

Producing timeless content With the astonishing evolution of multi-platform content, the question then must be asked as to why series that have already ‘had their day’ are being

Shows such as Wallace and Gromit have generated timeless content

the re-run being subconsciously used as a measuring stick for how their own lives have changed.

When is too much?

Although the benefits of repurposing series are seemingly endless, the downfalls of repeated series must also be considered.

With any business, whatever line of work you’re in, money will always play a significant factor in any decision made. When re-purposing a series, steps must be completed to ensure it is of sufficient quality.

Restoration and digitisation are two possible external costs that production companies may not have accounted for and cannot complete internally.

Prime Suspect was recently restored and digitised for ITV

“Although the benefits of repurposing series are seemingly endless, the downfalls of repeated series must also be considered” Matt Bowman, RRsat Europe repeatedly played and watched.

The answer, quite simply, is that good content stands the test of time. Wallace and Gromit for example digitised their archived episodes in 2009 for download on iTunes. Shows such as Wallace and Gromit have generated timeless content that not only appeals to their original audience, but also new and varied others. The award winning Prime Suspect, recently restored and digitised for ITV was watched by 4.9 million viewers on average per episode.

Another very simple explanation for repurposing series is a production company’s ability to generate content at low cost/high profit. Series that have yet to be digitised, and possibly restored, offer a profitable option for broadcasters looking for proven quality content. Similarly, content with high production values retains the resolution for HD and in the future even 4K when it is revisited, allowing repeat programming to actually offer a new experience to the viewer without qualitative compromise. Truly successful television shows and films are syndicated throughout the world and invariably repeated due to their entertainment value.

Along with the monetary and ‘safe bet’ benefits that are fairly obvious for production companies, one must also consider more in depth the consumer demand for re-runs.

‘Re-consumption’ as it has been named is known as a somewhat cumulative behavioural trait demonstrated by many. Research has shown that by watching re-runs people gain insight into themselves and their own growth,

Similarly, production companies must seriously consider when is too much. New content is what drives a business and, more importantly, attracts new viewers. Repeated content, whilst appealing to new audiences, may make many veteran viewers switch off. Generating a balance between repeated and new content is vital for the survival of a broadcasting business that many may struggle to find.

The Telegraph recently reported that 63% of series on all BBC channels have previously been shown before. This seemingly elevated number highlights just how much repurposed material is being broadcast on a day-to-day basis, a reflection of consumer demand. The Good Life was recently repeated on the BBC (originally aired from 1975-1978), which almost certainly ensured exposure to an entirely new audience and generated new revenue. So broadcasters should think twice before throwing away repeated series — consumers value familiarity and quality content, no matter how old it is. www.rrsat.com

EDITORIAL Acting Editor Neal Romanek neal.romanek@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer Holly Ashford holly.ashford@intentmedia.co.uk Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, England +44 207 354 6002 Editorial Consultant Adrian Pennington Associate Editor David Fox USA Correspondent Carolyn Giardina Contributors Mike Clark, David Davies, Richard Dean, Chris Forrester, Mark Hill, Dick Hobbs, John Ive, George Jarrett, Heather McLean, Bob Pank, Nick Radlo, Philip Stevens, Reinhard E Wagner Digital Content Manager Tim Frost Office Manager Lianne Davey Head of Design & Production Adam Butler Editorial Production Manager Dawn Boultwood Senior Production Executive Alistair Taylor Publisher Steve Connolly steve.connolly@intentmedia.co.uk +44 207 354 6000 Sales Manager Ben Ewles ben.ewles@intentmedia.co.uk +44 207 354 6000 Sales Executive Richard Carr richard.carr@intentmedia.co.uk +44 207 354 6000 Managing Director Stuart Dinsey US SALES Michael Mitchell Broadcast Media International, PO Box 44, Greenlawn, New York, NY 11740 mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv +1 (631) 673 0072 JAPAN AND KOREA SALES Sho Harihara Sales & Project, Yukari Media Incorporated sho@yukarimedia.com +81 6 4790 2222 Fax: +81 6 4793 0800 CIRCULATION Intent Media, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough LE16 9EF, UK FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS tvbe.subscriptions@c-cms.com Subscriptions Tel +44 1580 883848

TVBEurope is published 12 times a year by Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London, N1 8LN, England Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Association

© Intent Media 2013. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the copyright owners. TVB Europe is mailed to qualified persons residing on the European continent. Subscription rates £64/€96/$120.

Allow 8 weeks for new subscriptions and change of address delivery. Send subscription inquiries to: Subscription Dept, Intent Media, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough LE16 7BR, England.

ISSN 1461-4197 Printing by Pensord Press, Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood NP12 2YA

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www.tvbeurope.com December 2013

This is only the second full-fibre high definition facility in Ireland. And the only one of its kind in any educational environment.

News

Learning at the cutting edge Gearhouse Broadcast built a new TV studio for the students at Dublin’s Institute of Art, Design and Technology that rivals any other HD studio in the country. Neal Romanek looks inside WHEN MOST film schools need an upgrade in technology, they might decide to buy a camera or two or splurge on a new audio desk. Dublin’s Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) pulled out all the stops and employed broadcast services company Gearhouse to install a full HD studio that is the top facility of its kind in the country.

Opened in a ceremony last month, Gearhouse announced the project at IBC2013 in September. Working with an educational institution presented challenges very different from working with a seasoned broadcaster. The facility had been six years in the planning.

One of IADT’s stated goals was that the new studios be useable in downtime for actual live HD television productions, so that in addition to providing facilities

for students, the space could be rented to production companies.

“In the original specification, IADT were looking for a lot of bang for their buck,” says Gearhouse sales manager Kevin Fitzgerald. “The key focus was to make the system useable in both a real, live environment and also be able to facilitate education as well. That in itself provided quite a big challenge.”

IADT’s facility was purposebuilt, put together by Gearhouse from the ground up. There are two studios — Studio One is the larger of the two, Studio Two features a full virtual studio with greenscreen area. The studio workflow also had to interface effectively with some of the school’s already existing equipment. The school had two radio studios that were relocated to be in the same building as the new TV studios,

The two HD studios at IADT can be rented out to broadcasters

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which Gearhouse also helped to incorporate.

The entire installation, from beginning to the November opening, took only10 weeks.

The two studios were equipped with five Hitachi SK-HD1200 multi-format 1080p/3G HDTV broadcast cameras channels, with with Fujinon HA23 x 7.3BERD HD studio lenses.

The smaller Studio Two features a FOR-A VRCAM2 Sensor-less Virtual Studio System, including an HVS-390HS 2 M/E mixer with the option of accepting data from a Vinten 430i and Quattro SE encoded head and pedestal.

The production gallery consists of a Sony MVS 6520 2 ME Vision Mixer, a Grass Valley K2 Dyno Replay System, Harris routing and Glue, and multi-viewers. The audio control area houses a Studer Vista 1, 32 channel audio mixer and an edit station utilising Avid Nitris DX. “A lot of these students aren’t overly technical,” explains Gearhouse systems engineer, Paul Sykes, “It’s not like a regular studio where you would employ cameramen who you would expect to know a lot of technical aspects of what they’re operating. A lot of these students are straight out of college and have never seen this kit before. As far as simplicity and flexibility, the Hitachi cameras are a great system to get them working with.”

The Hitachi cameras made operation much simpler in the facility’s virtual Studio Two. “One of the things that’s always been an issue when I’ve worked

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Studio Two features a full virtual studio on virtual reality studios is having lots of bits hanging off the side of the camera — for data and so forth — to make the virtual side work,” says Sykes, “But the Hitachi actually gives out relatively simply 240V on the side of the camera, which means we don’t have to run lots of other things attached to the cables lying on the floor. It makes life so much easier for training and for moving it around simply.”

The facility has been built to be flexible and ready for future upgrades, though the IADT isn’t likely to see a pressing need for that in the near future.

Though under the roof of an educational institution, the new

studios are housing the forward edge of broadcast equipment.

“This is only the second full-fibre high definition facility in Ireland,” Gearhouse’s Fitzgerald notes, “And the only one of its kind in any educational environment. The national film school is very highly respected and has been running many courses there for many years, so the system had to be highly flexible.”

And how have the students responded to the upgrade?

“They are like kids in a candy shop,” says Sykes, “They’ve gone from most basic SD equipment to a full 1080p HD studio in one hit.”

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8 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com December 2013

People on the move

By Holly Ashford

Senior post hires at dock10

SMPTE members join AMPAS Science and Technology Council THE ACADEMY of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has invited four members of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) to join its Science and Technology Council. Wendy Aylsworth, Douglas Greenfield, Rob Hummel and Beverly Pasterczyk have all accepted invitations. The Sci-Tech Council focusses on research projects, preserving the history of motion picture technology and educating the public about the role of technology in movie making. “SMPTE members have played an invaluable role in shaping the industry we know today, and they are among the technology and thought leaders who will guide continued development of the motion-imaging field,” said SMPTE executive director Barbara Lange.

Artel Video Systems has hired Philip Dubs as its director of broadcast sales. Dubs joins Artel with more than 30 years of experience in sales, operational and management roles in the broadcast industry.

Andy Page has joined Axon Digital Design as UK area sales manager. He will be responsible for supporting key UK accounts and developing new business in the region. Page will report to Adrian Richmond, who recently became regional sales director at Axon UK. BBC Worldwide has appointed Liam Keelan as director of scripted for the company’s content business. He joined BBC Worldwide in April as global editorial

Wendy Aylsworth, SMPTE

Jon Nunn, dock10

Mark Briscoe, dock10

DOCK10 HAS appointed sound mixer Mark Briscoe to the newly created role of head of audio. Jon Nunn has also joined as post producer. Briscoe has 17 years’ experience at ITV and at dock10 will work alongside Mark Stewart on dramas,

documentaries, childrens’ programmes and other genres.

Nunn commented: “dock10 has quickly become established as one of the major players in post production, so to be a part of their team is a fantastic opportunity for me.”

Andy Page

Liam Keelan

Brian Boring

Richard Welsh

Chem Assayag

Axon Digital Design

BBC Worldwide

Forbidden Technologies

SMPTE

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director and prior to this he was controller for BBC Daytime. Helen Jackson, BBC Worldwide’s chief content officer, said: “This is a crucial role for BBC Worldwide

given the genres it oversees and the international role it provides for both the BBC and our indie partners. I’m really pleased that Liam has agreed to take on

the challenge as his experience is second to none — and he’s itching to get started!”

Brian Boring has joined Forbidden Technologies as its general manager of

North American sales and strategic partnerships. He has expertise in technical workflow implementation consulting, sales management, business strategy, operations leadership, and enterprise technology solutions.

Prodigious, the recently-launched production platform of the Publicis Groupe, has added senior flame artists Jamie Russelland Ben East to its VFX team. Both will be based at the revamped central London location in Whitfield Street.

SMPTE has elected a number of new officers and governors who will take office on 1 January.

Alan Lambshead will serve as the Society’s standards vice president; Matthew Goldman will again serve as finance vice president, and Paul Stechly will continue his service as membership vice president.

Other appointments include Richard Welsh as the governor for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America.

Appointments for US regions include John Ferder, Dan Burnett, Mark Narveson, and Paul R Chapman.

Herb Ricco has joined the sales team at Versatile Distribution Services as an account manager. He will be responsible for the company’s network of Avid, Adobe, Assimilate and Grass Valley resellers.

Viacess-Orca has named Chem Assayag as its new EVP, sales.

He previously worked at OpenTV, managing operations in Europe and the Middle East. He also led the worldwide sales, marketing, and business development functions for the MediaHighway product line at NDS. Stuart Neate has been hired by rental company VMI as the new rental desk manager. He has been with VMI since 2008, and in his new role will work with customers in film, drama and television production.

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www.tvbeurope.com December 2013

News NEWS IN BRIEF Vizrt to acquire Mosart Medialab TV 2 Gruppen AS, parent company of Mosart Medialab has entered into a nonbinding term sheet with Vizrt, by which Vizrt will acquire all issued shares of Mosart. The acquisition will bring the Mosart automation system, which aims to simplify control tasks within the news production chain, into the Vizrt product portfolio. “Mosart technology brings unique functionality to Vizrt’s offering of workflow solutions, and our products already are very well integrated, thanks to past collaborative work to meet the specific requirements of our shared customers,” said John Kjellevold, MD at Mosart Medialab.

The Mosart system takes input from the newsroom computer system, controls systems and devices, and allows the operator to maintain control of both regular broadcasts and breaking news events.

Eyeheight’s plug-in legaliser for Adobe now available Eyeheight has announced that its new BroadcastSafePP plug-in legaliser for Adobe’s Premiere Pro is now available. BroadcastSafePP is a plugin legaliser, safe-area generator and graphic measurement toolset desiged for use with Apple desktop and laptop computers running OS X (Snow Leopard and later versions).

BroadcastSafePP allows users to verify and conform their content prior to submission to any file-based quality control system from within the Premiere Pro graphic interface. It can perform composite, RGB, RGB-plus-Y and simultaneous composite-plusRGB legalising, with user-adjustable soft clipping at high and low thresholds. Chroma-space conversion and accurate limiting ensure compliance. Compatible with video source files used for broadcast content production, BroadcastSafePP supports any combination of file formats and source chroma-space available in Premiere Pro. It is part of the Adobe Creative Suite of graphic design, video editing and web development software.

TTC Ostankino upgrades with Calrec Television Technical Center Ostankino (TTC) has purchased four Apollo consoles and four Artemis Light consoles from Calrec Audio.

The additions are part of a two-year upgrade in all 11 studios in the company’s Moscow facility. The new Calrec technology will enable TTC broadcasters to produce programmes in 5.1 format, control audio remotely from third-party routers, share I/O and signals among studios, and reconfigure consoles between programmes.

Canford caters for growing demand

By Holly Ashford AN INCREASED demand for bespoke cables and other own brand manufactured products such as MDUs, Tecpro, EMO and Panamic boom poles, has led to Canford making significant improvements in its manufacturing facility. The combined effect of the changes has increased production capacity and seen the company’s production scheduling maintain a 100% completion rate for over four months.

A Rapid Response Cable Cell was developed to allow both custom and non-stock cable assemblies to be quickly produced, reducing customer waiting times. A Kanban scheduling system of ‘just in time’ production was implemented, meaning that the top 80% of most commonly used components are always available. To further aid production, the work areas adhere to the ‘five S’ methodologies (Sorting, Straightening, Systematic Cleaning, Standardisation and Sustaining) which is monitored and scored on a daily basis.

Depending on cable type, cable assemblies can be produced, packed and ready for shipping

The MDU cell has increased average unit production from 21 units to 38 units per cell, per day within 20 minutes of the Cable Cell receiving a picking list generated by Canford’s Master Scheduling Team.

Similar cells have now been introduced for other product lines which have benefited from increased output and reliability.

The MDU (mains distribution unit) cell has increased average unit production from 21 units to 38 units per cell, per day. Other cells include Tecpro and EMO with further cells currently in the planning phase. ‘’We pride ourselves in offering our operators a structured and

consistent working environment, with production support readily available at all times,’’ said Kerry Storey, production manager at Canford.

Canford has a standard two year warranty on all of its products, and improvements in output must not impact on reputation. To ensure quality is maintained, a Production Support Team has been created consisting of qualified engineers who can help train production staff if they encounter any issues. Production operators are IPC qualified and two of the

production team leaders are fully qualified IPC trainers.

Other initiatives include the creation of a Looming Station, where all internal wiring components are prepared and tested in advance of build-up, an upgrade to the planning system and the introduction of a Master Scheduling department.

John Slider, CEO, commented, “Customers have driven these changes by increasingly relying on Canford as their preferred supplier and it is gratifying to see our hard work pay off.” www.canford.co.uk

Core Post incorporates FORscene cloud platform into workflow

platform because of its ability to integrate into Avid Unity, ISIS and EditShare storage environments, making it a versatile option should Core Post make changes to its storage systems within the facility. In addition, once a project is set up, administration tasks are minimal and FORscene’s YouTube channel gives clients who are new to the platform step-by-step instructions on how to use it.

“As the broadcast and production industry in the north of England grows, so too does FORscene’s presence,” commented Stephen Streater, Forbidden CEO. “The fact that Core Post has included FORscene in its technical offering from the outset shows that the company recognises the platform’s ability to help it attract more clients, particularly when it comes to high-shoot-ratio projects.” www.forscene.co.uk

By Holly Ashford NEW POST production house Core Post has built Forbidden Technology’s cloud video platform FORscene into its workflow, with the aim of making processes more flexible and efficient, particularly for large-scale projects. Core Post opened in October near Salford’s MediaCityUK and was founded by former Sumners department heads Tony Greenwood, Matt Brown and Kate Mather.

The company wanted its team to be able to manipulate rushes both inside and outside the facility. FORscene allows producers to log in from

anywhere to view rushes before the edit starts. Uploading material to FORscene during the ingest process allows producers to view, log and edit sequences before arriving in the edit suite. Rough cuts created off site can be imported into Core Post’s Avid editing environment.

“We wanted a system that would eliminate the need to create DVDs of rushes and would offer clients an easy way to view and work with their rushes and the associated metadata all in one place, and FORscene does just that,” said Lucy Swann, facility manager at Core Post. “The second a media file hits our storage, it is already

transcoding to the cloud, allowing production personnel to view material sooner than ever before.”

Using FORscene, loggers can work on the footage as it is ingested, no matter where they are, ensuring clients and staff have immediate access to metadata such as timecode, clip naming and disk labelling. Core Post has already begun using FORscene for the BBC production Junior Paramedics — Your Life in Their Hands.

FORscene can integrate with Avid Unity, ISIS, and EditShare storage environments.

Core Post also chose FORscene’s cloud video

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News & Analysis

Supporting TV Vinten tripods and camera support have been a permanent fixture at ITV’s London Studios for 40 years. Elsie Crampton takes a look at this long relationship AS THE UK’s biggest production company, distributing and selling more than 40,000 hours of television around the globe, ITV Studios needs no introduction. Based on London’s South Bank, ITV London Studios is renowned for creating a huge range of entertainment shows, not just for ITV, but for other channels including BBC, Channel 4 and Sky. The complex has six studios which transmit more than seven hours of live programming each day in addition to several more hours of shows across all UK broadcasters. The schedule means the equipment used on these live and prerecorded productions is pushed to its limits.

Camera support company Vinten has had a strong working relationship with ITV Studios spanning more than 40 years, and today thousands of television productions are filmed every year using cameras supported by Vinten pan and tilt heads, pedestals and tripods.

Chris Owen, head of cameras and sound for The London Studios, is only too

The London Studios’ South Bank complex features six studios

“Some of the oldest equipment, such as the earliest pedestals, are so solid we have been able to make modifications and use them as a stable tracking base” Chris Owen, The London Studios

The studios currently has 15 Autoscript prompting solutions

aware of the importance of selecting the right equipment, working and supervising camera operators across all of ITV’s daytime programmes.

“When it comes to the products we use, reliability is my core requirement because the equipment is in constant use and much of it is being used for live work,” says Owen. “It is essential that it is well engineered, there is a good availability of spares, and crucially, it is easy to maintain.”

ITV Studios UK uses a range of Vinten pedestals and tripods, dating back to the first HP 7 pedestals. The entire facility currently employs around 35 of the larger studio pedestals, including Quattros and Fulmers, as well as a range of Vector heads such as the Vector 750.

Owen explains: “Some of the oldest equipment, such as the earliest pedestals, are so solid we have been able to make

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The ITV Studios complex has six studios which transmit more than seven hours of live programming each day. Vinten has provided the support

News & Analysis

Segments of This Morning frequently go outside to film on the South Bank modifications and use them as a stable tracking base. In terms of performance, the studios are very big and there is a really fast turnaround of programmes.

The Vinten peds have the weight and stability required, they smooth out any nicks and chips on the studio floor, and as we have seen from the length of time they have lasted, they are extremely reliable.”

Darren Bramley is head of cameras at ITV Breakfast, where he has been since before the launch of the first programme in 1992. He has worked in

A range of Vinten pedestals and tripods are used, dating back to the first HP 7 pedestals

“I can’t really fault the performance of Vinten’s products. They are intuitive, easy to use and the service they offer is second to none as their knowledge base is brilliant” Darren Bramley, ITV Breakfast breakfast television for more than 20 years and now occupies a senior role managing the studio crew, operating on the show every day in the studio, on PSC and OBs. Breakfast’s flagship programmes, Daybreak and

Lorraine, are currently filmed in studio three at ITV Studios, which has four Vinten pedestals in use throughout the daily live shows.

“I got my first Vinten tripod back in 1987 when I was at the Beeb and its still going strong

now,” Bramley explains. “I can’t really fault the performance of Vinten’s products. They are intuitive, easy to use and the service they offer is second to none as their knowledge base is brilliant.”

The studio is rigged with six Vinten pedestals, including an Osprey Plus Studio three is used for the live breakfast programmes for three hours five days a week, and in addition to the pedestals it is also equipped with a range of pan and tilt heads including the company’s Vision 11, Vision 100 and Vision 250.

Down the corridor studio eight is the home of ITV’s live daytime TV flagship This Morning. The studio is rigged with six Vinten pedestals, including two Quattro pedestals, three Hawks and one Osprey Plus, and five Vector 700 heads, all part of the equipment overseen by Steven Hulbert, camera supervisor for This Morning.

As well as being in use inside the studio, segments of the This Morning production frequently go outside to film on the Southbank or the nearby grassy areas. Hulbert often puts tracking wheels on to his Osprey Plus, to give it stability and greater ground clearance for outside broadcast applications.

Hulbert says: “The equipment is very robust, it doesn’t need much looking after. On the rare occasions that there are problems, it is very easy to maintain. Vinten is actually all I’ve ever known, as it has always been ITV’s in house equipment.” www.vinten.com

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News & Analysis

Doctor Who episode sets global simulcast record Doctor Who, the BBC’s longestrunning television series

By Holly Ashford DOCTOR WHO’S 50th Anniversary episode, Day Of The Doctor, was broadcast on TV and cinemas in the world’s largest simulcast of a TV drama.

The long-running BBC series was transmitted in 94 countries – including the UK, US, Canada, Latin America, Russia, Scandinavia and Germany – and projected in 3D in 1500 cinemas, selling over half a million tickets.

The world’s longest-running series received the Guinness World Record as a result.

A large, dedicated fan base encompassing a wide age demographic has fuelled the success of the simulcast. In Sweden and Norway where the programme has no client broadcaster, fans successfully petitioned to get local cinemas to screen the episode. Similarly, fans in Argentina pushed a major cinema chain into showing the special. In the US, an initial 10,000 cinema tickets sold out in 28 minutes without any marketing or advertising, and in Germany, Cinemaxx, one of the largest cinema chains reported that the special had been the fastest nonmovie pre-sale in their history.

Tim Davie, CEO of BBC Worldwide said, “We knew we were attempting something unprecedented in broadcast history, not only because Doctor Who is a drama, unlike a live feed event such as a World Cup football match or a Royal Wedding, but because we had to deliver the episode in advance to the four corners of the world so that it could be dubbed and subtitled into 15 different languages.”

The award was presented by Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of

Guinness World Records to the show’s executive producer and head writer Steven Moffat at the Doctor Who Celebration, a special three-day event spanning the anniversary weekend at London’s ExCel. Cast members Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman were also in attendance along with thousands of fans from across the world.

“Who else but the time-twisting Doctor could appear in 94 countries at once?!” commented Glenday. “This outstanding

achievement is testament to the fact that the longest running sci-fi TV show in history is not just a well-loved UK institution but a truly global success adored by millions of people.”

Since 1963, Doctor Who, has been one of Britain’s most successful drama exports, with over 10 million in DVD sales.

BBC worldwide distributes the show to over 200 territories across the world. The show is also the number one BBC show on iTunes in the UK.

NEWS IN BRIEF FilmLight offers Baselight PLUS FilmLight has introduced a new integrated colour grading option for facilities with Baselight PLUS. Baselight PLUS is supplied as a complete package including installation if required, with options for editors and with hardware and software support. Baselight software is capable of 4K realtime grading and the software is bundled with the Supermicro tower, including 24TB of internal RAID storage and 2TB of SSD for fast non-linear access. “What we are doing with Baselight PLUS is making it simple for post houses to add comprehensive and sophisticated colour grading,” said Wolfgang Lempp, co-founder of FilmLight.

Miranda presents Axino-400 Miranda Technologies has introduced Axino-400, a new addition to its Axino IP-based loudness processing platform. The product offers a loudness processing option for multichannel broadcasters that already distribute content in the MPEG format. As with the original Axino-410, the Axino-400 is a highchannel count solution for cable and satellite television operators, but uses a scaled-down server that addresses a reduced channel count. It enables broadcasters to monitor up to 40 channels from one device that will find and repair loudness irregularities using Miranda’s Automatic Loudness Control to ensure compliance with established loudness control mandates.

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MAM Forum 2013

Managing the unmanageable Broadcasters are awash in a sea of assets, some essential for creation of content, some with real potential for monetisation, and some with no known use...yet. But without proper management, the asset sea can become a swamp. In the first of our two Forums this month, Philip Stevens leads an investigation into MAM systems.

FILE BASED WORKFLOWS are widespread throughout the industry, and there continues to be an abundance of providers of MAM systems to organise that data. But do users get the most from such systems? Are mini-MAMs viable? What questions should a potential customer ask to ensure the right package is purchased?

We convened a new Forum to explore the issues in further detail.

Participating (in alphabetical order) are Warren Arenstein, SVP business development, Primestream Corporation; Brian Campanotti, chief technology officer at Front Porch Digital; Ed Casaccia, Grass Valley’s senior director, Solutions Marketing; Raoul Cospen, Dalet’s director of marketing and business development; Craig Dwyer, senior director, of Avid’s global centre of excellence; Petter Ole Jakobsen, chief technical officer at Vizrt; Karl Mehring, senior product manager, Snell; Pavel Potuzak, managing director, Aveco; Patrice Rosay, Netia Solutions architect and bid manager; Mike Shaw, managing director IBIS MAM, Orad Hi Tec Systems, and Julian Wright, co-founder and general manager, Blue Lucy Media.

How does a MAM help improve quality of broadcast output?

Arenstein: It helps in so many ways throughout a production workflow that it is not easily quantifiable. But to put it in its most basic terms, having access to content and relevant descriptive metadata allows producers to make more informed choices and tell better stories. All users benefit from being able to find the right shot at the right time.

Campanotti: The ability to access, browse, and query Warren Arenstein, Primestream file-based archives easily via a simple, unified desktop interface can better manage, easily enhances the overall creative repurpose, and truly drive the process. It does this by nonlinear creation process. minimising the complexities of Casaccia: A MAM system, underlying formats and highconsidered separately from resolution file storage locations, actual production tools, can and provides a multitude of certainly contribute to the ways to search and locate quality of broadcast output content easily. Most MAM since it is the means by which systems allow direct desktop the best and most compelling shot list creation, and some audio and video involved in the facilitate simple, frame-accurate production can be ascertained cut editing by leveraging the and accessed. functionality of the backend Cospen: With direct access to content storage management content from production and or archive solution. With this archives, users can easily and desktop access, creative staff quickly find entire media

spaces and archives, selecting the most compelling material.

And because it is easier and faster for users to locate the best possible material, the organisation as a whole has more time to assemble a higher quality finished package for air.

Dwyer: MAM can improve broadcast output in many ways.

For example, having a consistent way to describe assets makes them easier to find, and leads to greater reuse opportunities which, in turn, can release budgets for new material.

A MAM system can reduce or remove many manual tasks often eliminating time consuming and repetitive housekeeping activities. This improves a media organisation’s operational efficiencies by freeing up staff to concentrate on creating more valuable and inspiring creative content.

Jakobsen: In general, filebased workflows also make it easier to introduce new tools or codecs — which allows more aggressive use of the latest technology. Quality comes from

consistency — and here a MAM allows implementing fine-grained control into the production process to improve consistency and thereby quality.

Mehring: MAM has the ability to improve both quality and variety of broadcast output by ensuring that potentially complex workflows can be automated in an elegant and repeatable manner, minimising the chance for errors introduced by otherwise manual processes.

Rosay: If a MAM is to improve the quality of the broadcast output, it must be at the heart of the information system. Deployed as a central part of the broadcast system, the MAM solution serves as a backbone that enables greater efficiency in producing content.

Offering a straightforward and ergonomic GUI, the MAM system simplifies the tracking, management, and optimisation of content life cycles, enabling greater productivity and delivery of a better end product.

What efficiency savings are possible through the use of a MAM? Arenstein: Efficiencies are immediately found when content is ingested and/or digitised once — then made available to all users everywhere for immediate editing and distribution, instead of making multiple copies of material.

Tape should no longer be a major operational cost.

Efficiencies can be increased by adding an automation engine to the MAM, like automatic input

of descriptive metadata – or conditional actions based on metadata entry.

Cospen: MAM offers efficiencies across the entire workflow, but there are a few key capabilities that stand out with regards to efficiency. The ‘while’ scenario — example, the ability to edit while recording — is a must for fast-paced productions. Asset-centric production is another.

Jakobsen: The main efficiency saving is via simpler tools.

This means more staff can do more types of jobs. A typical example is getting producers and journalists to do more rough cutting or pre-editing themselves. With simple tools from your desktop, you don’t need to reserve a specialised seat and you don’t have to run back and forth in your facility as much.

Potuzak: A tapeless environment eliminates the cost of physical storage of tape, cost of tape itself, cost of erasing and recycling tapes, etc. A MAM usually includes a workflow manager to automate many day-to-day activities such as transcoding a file into multiple formats and distributing content.

This can all be automated with a checkbox rather than manually by one or more people.

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A quality MAM solution is tailored to the specific needs of an installation in order to provide users with tools that are specific to the production workflow — yet ready to grow as needed” — Warren Arenstein, Primestream

MAM Forum 2013

Is a MAM system an ‘off-the-shelf’ purchase or a tailor-made solution?

Brian Campanotti, Front Porch Digital

Ed Casaccia, Grass Valley

Arenstein: It’s important that a MAM be built to evolve with the workflow demands in news, sports and entertainment.

Each installation has needs that are very specific and, in the most part, unique.

An off-the-shelf purchase will not serve the needs of these customers. A quality MAM solution is tailored to the specific needs of an installation in order to provide users with tools that are specific to the production workflow — yet ready to grow as needed.

Casaccia: It is both.

In general, the long-term support outlook for a fully productised off-the-shelf is far more secure than a bespoke project MAM. However, the off-the-shelf product must offer sufficient flexibility and configurability so that it can be matched to the individual customer’s needs.

Cospen: MAM projects are becoming less and less tailor-made. We often come across existing integrations.

Our BPM workflow engine makes it possible to work with these existing integrations — configure workflows and gain agility. We are even taking this concept of off-the-shelf a step further by offering a packaged MAM solution which is very

similar to our solutions for News and Sports.

Dwyer: At Avid we have come to the conclusion that the market wants both models. We offer an off-the-shelf solution called Avid Interplay MAM ‘foundation’, which covers everything required to get up and running. It includes the fully functional system, import and archive workflows, and third party systems. It also includes installation, training and one year of support.

Additionally we offer a tailormade approach for clients who have more complex requirements and want the flexibility of building specific integration, workflow or using a custom data model.

Mehring: A MAM system should be an off-the-shelf purchase which allows users to modify metadata schemas and workflows without the need to contact the manufacturer.

All the flexibility should be inherent in the product, as should various interface standards such as BXF, WSDL APIs and even simple drop folders to allow interoperability with many and various other business systems.

Potuzak: Aveco offers an off-the-shelf product that is customised to the customer’s

requirements. Any software that is custom built these days should raise big red flags for management — they usually end up being expensive disasters and very difficult to update and maintain. Aveco’s approach is to offer a flexible database product where metadata can be easily made specific to the customer’s workflow and a workflow engine that can be programmed to automate day-to-day activities without making it ‘custom’. Upgrades to the system are easy as the ‘custom’ aspect of the product is in config files and not the core software itself.

Rosay: A MAM system must integrate smoothly into a wide ecosystem and address different business processes — marketing, production, archives, post production — within the broadcast environment.

While all of these areas share concepts in common, most of them must deal with specific processes and their own workflow. Therefore, a MAM system must be open, scalable, and flexible enough to interface with any third-party system and to accommodate a broad spectrum of activities. The best solution would be one that reduces implementation cost

and simplifies installation procedures with a system that can easily integrate, adapt, and fit in with the existing broadcast environment and business processes. The Netia MAM offers a system that is compatible with most existing broadcast models and that also provides simple tools for creating and personalising the interface according to users’ specific workflow requirements.

Shaw: Historically, MAM has a reputation for resulting in an expensive, long-running, custom project. Orad iFind, however, is modular and scales from small specific workflows to multi-site enterprise-level implementations. In particular, broadcast workflows can be handled using the standard iFind product with customer specific configuration. This puts the customer in control of the evolution of the system and reduces costs.

Wright: There is now a broad view amongst broadcasters, production companies and content owners that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all MAM. Off-the-shelf offerings which are positioned as ‘highly configurable’ are never quite configurable enough to suit all operational needs.

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MAM Forum 2013 Does a MAM need to cover all file-based activities, or is it viable to have a mini MAM for selected functions?

Casaccia: It is highly unlikely that any one MAM system will provide the ideal solution for every given use. An example of this might be sports logging which is generally accomplished using highly specialised software tools — this could be considered a mini-MAM in the sense of this question.

Dwyer: It’s totally feasible to have a ‘mini MAM’ for some clients who are just entering this new workflow – starting small and focused can help educate the organisation on the language, and challenges faced when implementing a MAM system. In fact, we often see multiple ‘mini-MAM’ disconnected from each other with impact on efficiency and throughput. One of the major business benefits of adding a MAM is bringing together multiple content repositories, different departments and manual activity to enable a more efficient overall operation.

Jakobsen: The mini-MAM is quite useful. There are some aspects of production that need an end-to-end cover from a MAM system, like programme delivery, and there are others where a more ‘island’ approach

Petter Ole Jakobsen, VIZ

or mini-MAM is best, like for playout. The Viz Media Engine Clip Store is an example of a mini-MAM that manages clips for tools like Viz Content Pilot and Viz Trio.

Mehring: To realise their full potential, MAM systems must cover all file-based activities. Synchronisation between multiple mini MAM systems can cause headaches as some may not be as flexible or extensible as others. A MAM should not be focussed on

“To realise their full potential, MAM systems must cover all file-based Karl Mehring activities” tasks relating to a vendor’s own equipment in isolation.

Potuzak: To best leverage the advantages of a MAM it should cover all activities — but it is not absolutely necessary. For

example, one could implement a MAM in news, but not master control. Also, a low risk way for a customer to get into file-based workflows with a MAM is to incrementally convert specific

functions over time rather than do the whole facility at once.

Maybe start with ingest for news, but keep the current workflow as is until that task works as expected, and then move on. This gives people time to adjust to a new way of working without major risk to the whole operation.

Shaw: MAM should be modular and scalable and deployable both for specific tasks or complete workflows.

A key part of an iFind implementation is the interfacing to other business systems and processes, allowing it to be an integrated part of an operation whatever the scale.

Wright: MAM is demanding careful consideration as an operational or business strategy rather than as a product from a vendor. Trying to implement a single MAM to cover all broadcaster activities from acquisition to delivery is likely to be a protracted and expensive task, with a poor cost/benefit return. A MAM strategy should complement the needs of the business operation and bring otherwise disparate processing and management systems together.

What questions should a potential customer ask of a MAM supplier to ensure the right package is purchased?

Arenstein: Enquire about flexibility, scalability, configurability and be clear with the expected deliverable. I feel it is more important for the vendor — who has proven experience and knowledge of the product — to ask the potential customer the right questions. This leaves it up to the vendor to comprehend the workflow and design a solution that works best for the customer.

Campanotti: It is important to focus on key objectives and lay out a pragmatic and staged implementation plan. This approach will lead to a much more cost-effective solution and allow time for the customer to think more carefully about the inner workings of the facilities and staff. It also allows a more agile reaction to workflow changes, technical challenges, and human factors.

Raoul Cospen, Dalet Cospen: MAM is a vast subject. There are many possible workflows, many possible formats, integrations with third-party systems, and so on. We advise our customers

to have a top-down approach of their requirements. First, think about the business objectives, and what the future needs will be, before getting into the workflow details, then

the technical requirements.

A lot of those questions are usually answered during the pre-sales phase, along with system architects and workflow consultants.

Mehring: How flexible and extensible is the product out of the box? What level of statistical reporting is available?

How easy is it to visualise and modify file-based workflows by the user?

Shaw: Potential customers need to make it clear what they want to achieve and then look for the supplier to detail how the proposed solution would work in their specific environment. Focus on workflows first, technology second — it is the user that will ultimately be the judge!

Wright: The stock answer of having ‘a well-documented API’ isn’t enough. Customers should satisfy themselves that any interfaces do indeed give them the access to required data or functions and the vendor is willing, at accepted rates, to carry out integration works.

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“For MAM solutions, large and small, the integration to the surrounding business systems is critical” — Mike Shaw, Orad

Can a MAM add revenue streams to a user’s portfolio?

Campanotti: Leveraging MAM and a digital asset repository will allow the creative process to focus on creativity rather than technical challenges, format compatibility, migration, etc.

This more intense focus on creativity can allow new avenues for revenue generation to evolve more quickly.

Further, allowing the ‘testing’ of these new revenue opportunities without having to make a large investment in infrastructure or staff can make the organisation more agile and better able to start and stop these initiatives based on results.

Casaccia: Unfortunately, the answer to this question is probably no, at least not in the direct fashion. A MAM system must generally be considered a ‘cost of doing business’ — similar to inventory management in any other industry. Differentiation among the valuation of MAM systems is found in how they minimise this cost. Finding new revenue streams such as web or video-on-demand simply allows this cost to be recouped more thoroughly.

Cospen: Typically, our customers leverage the productivity gains from MAM to launch new distribution or broadcast channels, which can have a direct — and positive — impact on revenue. For instance, Mediaset in Italy is able to distribute 10 times more content with the Dalet MAM and hence, more revenue stream opportunities.

Jakobsen: The most common approach is that you add more channels. With a file-based workflow or MAM adding channels is easier and less expensive. The other approach is to sell in-house media for which you have rights to other businesses.

The MAM lets you exploit business opportunities much more quickly and efficiently. As the saying goes, ‘luck is when opportunity meets preparation.’

Potuzak: Yes. Revenues come from a business model of reusing their most important asset — their content. If you can’t find it, you can’t use it

Patrice Rosay, Netia

Julian Wright, Blue Lucy Media and you cannot sell it. That is the problem with manual tape-based systems, finding the right content quickly. It also enables customers to mark their content so if they sell it for rebroadcast by others, they can verify if it is legal.

Rosay: The automated handling and distribution of content allows MAM system users to process media in less time and to complete a higher volume of processing tasks in that time. A MAM system enables users to optimise ROI, not only by monitoring production costs, but also by enhancing the quality of the content being produced.

Wright: Certainly. A content owner who has an asset catalogue that is well indexed and readily retrievable is able to rapidly and inexpensively exploit new business models as they develop. We see the MAM and properly catalogued material as core to monetising content archives.

MAM Forum 2013

What steps are needed to ensure Metadata is preserved accurately throughout the media management process?

Campanotti: Metadata accuracy through the entire content lifecycle is key to any enterprise MAM system. Enrichment of technical metadata during capture, migration, and ingest should be married with programme and contextual metadata as it flows through the production, transmission, and online chains.

Each consumption mechanism will have its own specific requirements. It is also imperative that the MAM be able to map, translate, extract, and publish metadata from the growing repository over time in order to feed these consumption and monetisation paths accurately.

Casaccia: Since the structure of metadata that is associated with incoming content, as well as that which must be associated with content being placed in multiple delivery systems, can vary wildly from each other, the MAM system must provide a robust and easily implemented metadata exchange interface.

XML has emerged as the clear choice mechanism to do this.

Dwyer: One approach Avid recommends is building integration between the MAM

Craig Dwyer, Avid repository. This choice should be based on the selected system having highly extensible and flexible metadata schema(s). In the case of assets with embedded metadata, all chosen parts of the system should preserve this and/or modify this metadata as appropriate.

Potuzak: First, a facility wide metadata schema needs to be defined that works for all departments. Not everyone will use all the metadata, but the MAM must accommodate its breadth. Certain metadata

technology and policy to protect that data and revenue streams.

Technical solutions include secure storage, backup and even disaster recovery sites with full or partial broadcasting capability. Policy solutions include procedures for maintaining data backups, synchronising data between sites and most importantly frequent training for the staff on how to implement these procedures for restoration or switching to a backup site.

Rosay: A good architecture is simple, using the least number of gateways between functional islands. Sharing a central metadata repository all along the process, from ingest, preparation, editing, and production up to the delivery or broadcast, is an ideal approach, and a detailed flow analysis is essential. However, because organisational and operational needs change and mistakes do occur, the MAM must be capable of handling meta model evolutions. The updating of metadata is crucial to the effective description of content. In fact, the added value of media depends on this capability. However operations

“A facility wide metadata schema needs to be defined that works for all departments. Not everyone will use all the metadata, but the MAM must accommodate its breadth” Pavel Potuzak, Aveco and the resource and programme planning systems. By joining up these key components the metadata flows across the systems, and can be used to keep track of every element involved in the programme. Some clients have taken this further and even put metadata on the physical camera cards that go out on location. Once the cards are returned to the central import desk, they are imported and the MAM automatically moves the files to the archive for backup and to the correct production environment for post production.

Mehring: In order to ensure metadata integrity, it is essential to select a master metadata

fields must be protected from unauthorised editing. The most critical step is ingest. The ingest operator must enter and verify all the metadata at this stage. As a clip proceeds throughout the workflow, journalists or others will add metadata, again with the proper permissions. The MAM system also needs to be open with a way to import and export metadata using standard formats like XML. This lets it interact with other databases in the facility such as in production or sales.

Also, customers need to think about how they stay in business in case of an emergency. As the MAM becomes the heart of their operation, they must use both

evolve, metadata must not only be preserved, but always linked to the appropriate asset.

Even when processing a file for export or transcoding media for distribution to different target platforms, the MAM system must keep track of the metadata attached to the file.

Shaw: For MAM solutions, large and small, the integration to the surrounding business systems is critical. Metadata should be exchanged via interfaces between systems, minimising re-keying and maximising benefits. iFind can be supplied with standard web service-based interfaces, making integration a simple and straightforward process.

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Allowing consumers to search topics related to the show and browse content from vast media archives will absolutely enrich the overall viewing experience — Brian Campanotti

MAM Forum 2013

Is a MAM the key to an effective second (or multi) screen environment?

Pavel Potuzak, Aveco

Karl Mehring, Snell

Arenstein: Yes — there is no way to manage large amounts of content for delivery to one screen, let alone multiple screens, without a properly configured MAM that can handle making content available to multiple users.

Campanotti: MAM systems tie together asset metadata with the content stored in the CSM system. These are both key elements in feeding secondscreen pathways as well as multiscreen transmission.

Allowing consumers to search topics related to the show and browse content from vast media archives will absolutely enrich the overall viewing experience.

Casaccia: Data that is typically input into the MAM system, notably descriptive metadata, is often critical if the automated processes place audio/video content into nonbroadcast delivery platforms.

Therefore the MAM system can

Mike Shaw, Orad be considered the indispensable entry point for such data.

Dwyer: It’s certainly a very valuable element. A MAM system can make it easier to find, and prepare and publish files to new media systems quickly and efficiently. A comprehensive media asset management strategy can provide a great deal of operational agility, and be a competitive advantage in the fast changing online and social media market.

Jakobsen: The MAM handles a significant portion of a workflow, and adding a second (or multi) screen is just that – an addition. Once the MAM infrastructure is in place, file-based second and VoD multi-screen is simple. With live multi screen there are some benefits, but it’s not as significant.

Mehring: In order to effectively satisfy the ever growing number of distribution methods for content without increasing operational cost to a point where operations are non-viable a MAM system must be employed. A MAM provides orchestration of all the processes needed to deliver content in an enriched and appropriate format for the multitude of platforms.

Potuzak: It is key to doing it efficiently. Once the workflow is defined, the workflow engine will automatically convert and put content on a second screen

by an operator or journalist clicking on a check box.

Rosay: To adapt to multiplechannel distribution via platforms such as IPTV and mobile services, users must be able to handle multiple formats and a huge volume of files while performing a wide variety of processing tasks. The MAM system makes this possible.

Shaw: Providing the ability to effectively search and discover specific content makes MAM a fundamental part of content exploitation in second and multi-screen environments. www.aveco.com www.avid.com www.bluelucymedia.com www.dalet.com www.fpdigital.com www.grassvalley.com www.netia.com www.orad.tv www.primestream.com www.snellgroup.com www.vizrt.com

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Broadcasters who don’t organise and manage their data well could be leaving money on the table. A well-designed MAM is key

MAM Forum 2013

The MAM is just the

beginning Two products by Nexidia, QC and Dialogue Search, were chosen for our Best Of IBC2013. KJ Kandell, Nexidia senior director, media and entertainment division, explains how a poorly managed MAM system is as good as no MAM system at all FOR BROADCASTERS, the volume of digital media in their libraries never stops growing.

Broadcasters are producing new digital content every day. And those that have progressed to the point of digitising their legacy audio and video assets, sometimes decades’ worth, could be dealing with hundreds of thousands of hours of content — and counting. That’s a daunting amount of data to organise and manage. It becomes even more daunting when you consider that broadcasters who don’t organise and manage their data well could be leaving money on the table.

Why? Because the point, of course, is to repurpose the assets.

Whether the aim is to reach new audiences, serve the second (or third) screens, create completely new programming, prove compliance, or some combination of those, the ultimate goal for many broadcasters is to monetise the assets that would otherwise languish in their media libraries.

To do it, many broadcasters have chosen to use a media asset

management (MAM) system.

After all, if you can’t find it, then you don’t have it, and the purpose of a MAM system is to make sure you can always find it.

There are many MAM systems to choose from at a range of price points and features, and the process of choosing the right one can take a lot of research and consideration. Once the MAM application is in place, it’s tempting to think that the process is over and that discovery problems are solved, but for many media managers, the MAM is just the beginning.

A good MAM system is a critical part of any file-based media operation, to be sure, but it’s only as good as the metadata that goes into it. Without rich, descriptive metadata, a MAM system can be a black hole where media goes in and never comes out. How do you get your assets into the MAM in a way that makes them findable and, ultimately, monetisable?

More metadata is better metadata Assets usually get ingested into a MAM system with basic information such as filename, file type, date, timecode, and duration information.

It might also include ratings, descriptions, or relevant

“If you can’t find it, then you don’t have it, and the purpose of a MAM system is to make sure you can always find it”

Nexidia’s Dialogue Search allows for phonetic searching of dialogue across a library

KJ Kandell, Nexidia keywords. Unfortunately for many broadcasters, that’s where the metadata stops…and the search problems begin.

When it comes to metadata, the more you have, usually the better your chances of finding exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s hard to find what you’re looking for based on simple file attributes alone. It takes additional metadata that describes the content within a given media file, which usually must be entered manually using a logging application. It’s a laborious process that requires someone to watch the video and make notes about it in the logging application, and most media operations simply don’t have the appetite to spend the money and resources it takes to

Nexidia’s KJ Kandell: “Without rich, descriptive metadata, a MAM system can be a black hole where media goes in and never comes out”

do it regularly and thoroughly. The result: the files in the MAM system often don’t contain enough descriptive metadata for the MAM to be useful. And so they sit unused and, sometimes, forgotten.

Finding the right words Nexidia’s Dialogue Search is based on patented technology that doesn’t rely on descriptive metadata. Instead, the software works by creating a phonetic index of a media library, a process that results in a searchable index based not on the information that has been typed into the metadata fields, but on what is actually spoken on the audio tracks.

When an asset or library is selected for indexing, Dialogue Search analyses the audio tracks and creates a searchable index of the dialogue. Once that index is created, descriptive metadata is no longer required to search for an asset, and searches are almost instantaneous.

Dialogue Search finds any spoken word or phrase across massive media libraries in seconds. It uncovers assets that basic, file-based metadata — even keywords — could never expose. Users type any combination of words or phrases into the Dialogue Search interface, and the application will find any media clip in the system where those words or phrases are spoken.

Users can preview results in a video player without having to scroll through numerous clips to find a specific sound bite.

After factoring in the time and cost of properly logging assets in order to make them searchable — and the potential for assets to go unmonetised without the right metadata — the value of a language-based solution becomes clear. It also explains why the MAM is only the beginning of an integrated workflow that helps users to be more creative and, at the same time, more efficient. www.nexidia.com

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Archiving & Storage

Forum

The story of storage In the second of this month’s Forums, Philip Stevens looks at the growing importance of archiving and storing material, for both preservation and monetisation STORAGE OF film and videotape takes up a great deal of expensive real estate. Today, file based workflows mean that a huge amount of content can be stored in a small space. That often means financial savings – but what are the considerations when it comes to archiving all that precious material on a disk or in the cloud? How do you control the quality of mass digitisation to an archive medium?

We posed these and other questions to a selection of providers of archive and storage systems for the broadcast industry. These are (in alphabetical order)

Huw Dymond, media and workflow specialist, Harris Broadcast; Laurent Fanichet, senior product manager, Big Data EMEA/APAC at Quantum; Benoit Février, SVP of EVS media division; Peter Gallen, product marketing manager, Tedial; Jeff Herzog, Ark product manager, EditShare; Alan Hoggarth, director Disk Archive Corporation; Nick Pearce, co-founder Object Matrix; Matthew Rehrer, product manager, Harmonic; Tony Taylor, chairman and CEO, TMD; Bernie Walsh, SGL’s worldwide sales director and joint MD and Jan Weigner, managing director, Cinegy.

What is best — an off-the-shelf IT solution tailored for broadcast or a custom designed system?

Has there been a discernable trend towards investment in high-end digital archiving solutions?

Dymond: Broadcasters and service providers in established markets are currently undergoing a number of second or third generation archive migration projects. This is often driven by the natural technology lifecycle of the chosen storage medium, but is also being seen as an opportunity for assets to undergo additional processing during this process.

Fanichet: At Quantum, we agree that there is definitely a trend towards digital assets preservation across all key big data verticals, even more so in the media and entertainment market. One of the key drivers is linked to the fact these companies are

Laurent Fanichet, Quantum

increasingly looking at ways to generate additional revenues by repurposing existing digital assets.

Février: Yes, definitely.

Broadcasters and content owners are increasingly seeing good reason to set up comprehensive archive solutions. With the proliferation

Huw Dymond, Harris

“I believe that the media industry has to embrace IT solutions. I also believe that the media industry needs to stop re-inventing technology when a perfectly capable solution is available” Tony Taylor, TMD of the second screen and OTT services, they’re realising the many ways that they can re-use and therefore monetise their content.

Gallen: Yes in Europe, but the potential projects are taking a long time to come to fruition.

Herzog: The last big round of investment in the media and entertainment industry was to convert facilities from standard definition- to high definitionbased workflows. The current round is to convert to tapeless acquisition and delivery, which is producing a corresponding

archives to enable increased access to content that has traditionally been available to a select few.

Walsh: Content owners have always known the importance of their assets, but now more than ever they need to be able to access this content in order to produce the versions and variants needed for international growth.

Weigner: No, not more than ten years ago. Most broadcasters cannot differentiate between MAM and Archive.

need to invest in robust archive and storage systems.

Hoggarth: For around three years we have seen European customers minimising investment in archive solutions, while at the same time there has been a steady upward trend in Asia. However, in the last few months investment in archiving is increasing in Europe. Renewal of ageing systems can only be postponed for so long before reliability of older systems begins to have an impact.

Pearce: High end in functionality for sure and a

move to fully integrated solutions that enable organisations to get hold of their assets when they need them.

Taylor: Yes. As the rate of content consumption and distribution channels increases, then the need for broadcast, media and archive organisations to invest in the entire content management infrastructure has increased.

There is also a significant boost in investment in the digitisation of audio-visual cultural and heritage

Février: The honest answer is somewhere in between! There are some necessary modules like a flexible database, an efficient workflow manager and good HSM partners, that should come ‘off-the-shelf’. But when we look at our EVS customers’ implementations, we see that each of them has their own unique needs. The most important thing is for the archive solution to be seamlessly integrated within a wider IT infrastructure.

Hoggarth: The temptation to go for generic IT storage may be attractive and deals abound in tough times, but remember that simple RAID is not secure enough for a media archive and think carefully about the true total cost of ownership in terms of the power consumption keeping all those disks spinning - and wearing out. Optimised solutions can offer a massive saving for “infrequently accessed” media assets.

Rehrer: Neither really is best.

In our experience, the best solution for archiving media is a

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Archiving & Storage

Forum What QC processes are in place to ensure digitisation (including the metadata) from tape has been successful?

Benoit Février, EVS media-aware storage solution.

The key is that the system can accommodate requirements specific to handling media. Partial transfers, for example, are a valuable and frequently used capability of media-aware systems that save time, space, and money.

Likewise, the ability to find whole media assets or subsections is a valuable capability. Systems that are aware of mastering formats are also important as they allow for efficient storage of assets that may be delivered in many versions.

Taylor: There is no simple answer to this, and we certainly should not be looking at these as mutually exclusive. What is important is that you start by evaluating the needs of each media business. I believe that the media industry has to embrace IT solutions. I also believe that the media industry needs to stop re-inventing technology when a perfectly capable solution is available.

Walsh: A combination of off the shelf IT hardware with specialist software developed for the particular needs of a video workflow is in our view the most cost effective and reliable solution.

Should archiving and storage be a standalone function — or a part of a wider MAM solution?

Dymond: The business function of archiving material can provide users with availability to content along with wide ranging metadata indexing and search capabilities. Advanced users can really benefit from concise

search tools based around deep asset and time based index points for locating material down to a shot/frame level.

Fanichet: We are seeing both configurations – it really depends on the DNA of the companies we are dealing with, as well as the volume of the digital content assets. However, companies handling large volumes of digital assets tend to rely on leading MAM packages that Quantum supports as part of StorNext.

Gallen: Without a MAM in the centre of such a solution the true value of content is unlikely to be realised. The MAM aggregates information — metadata — from many sources and attaches it to content items making them more easily discovered using a search engine.

Hoggarth: Even within a single company there are likely to be classes of users with very different requirements. The choice of a separate archive with a DAM or archive manager, or a MAM with integrated storage management, can only be based on the needs of the business.

Both have their places.

Pearce: Can be both. We advise an incremental approach to storage and workflows. Start with stand alone options and then move to a wider more integrated MAM approach as and when the business requires. An important consideration is to choose platforms that can be integrated at a later date. Choosing archive platforms with APIs is advisable.

Rehrer: Storage and archiving must be part of a wider MAM solution. While storage can provide the necessary performance and sometimes tools such as partial-restore, the powerful search capabilities, and more robust application interface functionality truly are the domain of the MAM system. What’s more, these capabilities are largely what make a solution mediaaware. Thus, a broadcaster should look at vendors that offer ingest, playout, storage and MAM solutions.

Weigner: No MAM, no hope.

Février: There are different approaches to this. We see customers who want to check their baseband SDI video signal before digitisation, especially when the tapes are very old.

Others want to check the file after it has been ingested.

The use of eyes and ears seems to remain a required step in the file QC process, often complemented by an automatic file QC before moving to longterm storage. Also checking the integrity of content with checksum generation and preservation has become crucial.

Peter Gallen, Tedial

a workflow that tracks the progress of a clip through different QC stages. For instance, once a clip has been captured, email can be automatically generated to notify QC staff that it is in the queue. Then, once QC marks a clip approved, that can trigger other e-mails as well as transcode actions to create different deliverables. These triggers give you the ability to track very powerful and complex batch workflows.

Hoggarth: The essence of a good solution is not only to detect and quantify every possible defect, but to present the mass of available data in a way that can be interpreted by users to get the job done. From the perspective of an archive storage specialist, the QC process is typically a separate upstream or downstream process, but there can be advantages to performing QC process within the archive storage platform itself.

“While storage can provide the necessary performance and sometimes tools such as partial-restore, the powerful search capabilities, and more robust application interface functionality truly are the domain of the MAM system” Matthew Rehrer, Harmonic Gallen: For digitising workflows we support automated QC from Baton, Cerify and others as well as having the capability to do a manual check on content quality. Another benefit of a having a workflow manager is that existing metadata is displayed for operators to check UIDs, names and other metadata as part of the ingest or import tasks.

Herzog: EditShare sells SDI-based ingest products that can capture from tape sources. At every step (during capture, editing, archiving, etc), there are opportunities to add required metadata to the captured clip.

And with EditShare Flow’s new Automation application, you can create triggers that cause certain actions to happen based on the status of a clip, creating

EditShare enterprise: The Enterprise Multimedia Centre is an EditShare installation for storage

Has the increase in multi-screen activities had any impact on archive and storage demands?

Dymond: Many broadcasters and service providers are still struggling with manual processes and heavily resource intensive operations surrounding non-linear content distribution.

This can be as simple as creation of video assets with specific transcode profiles, but as complex as customised versioning with metadata packaging. The number of manual processes means that there are often currently huge numbers of manual touches on content which increase the user serving bandwidth requirements for storage.

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Archiving & Storage

Forum

Matthew Rehrer, Harmonic Fanichet: Indeed, multi-screen is all about transcoding content in multiple formats from TV, cable TV, video-on-demand to tablets and phones. This means more files, more versions, more assets to be stored and managed over time.

Février: Definitely. You have to be able instantly to generate a lot of different file resolutions when you retrieve your content from archive to deliver it to as many screens as possible.

The speed of the process is also important.

Herzog: In general, the proliferation of low-cost displays has meant that our customers are producing more and more content to fill those displays. This drives a voracious appetite for more and more storage capacity. Luckily, drive sizes are increasing to support this appetite, with 4TB drives now producing over 50 TB of RAID-6 protected space in a single 16 drive RAID array.

Hoggarth: Any new version of a media file that has to be stored rather than regenerated will have some impact on the overall storage requirements, but in practice it has relatively little impact on the archive. The streams tend to be relatively small in data terms, and are usually located on specific storage tiers on separate systems. A far greater impact has resulted from the use of higher resolution production and distribution formats.

Rehrer: A lot of customers have seen the future and realised that with the right storage and archive system, they can repeatedly monetise their large content libraries.

Through multiscreen services, content gains new life, and the archive is the place in which the media company can find valuable material, transcode it, and deliver it to new paying customers.

and user facing content delivery caches — where seek time becomes more critical.

Fanichet: We are pretty agnostic in terms of technology used by our customers to store digital content. However, another

key trend is that customers are mixing the type of technology used in their digital workflows.

This is true for storage technologies, for instance, Raidbased disks, flash or SSDs, cloud or LTO/LTFS tape. This is also

What is more popular — spinning disk technology or solid-state flash memory?

Dymond: Spinning platters are still the strongest storage disk based media for broadcasters and for the majority of file based movement and access requirements. The usage of solid state flash memory is increasing in the database layers of organisations due to the additional read/write overheads of non-continuous data packets

Jan Weigner, Cinegy

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Archiving & Storage

Forum true for network topologies where customers tend to mix different one like SAN/Fibre Channel, IP/NAS or Infiniband.

Gallen: My impression is that spinning disk is still more popular.

Herzog: By far, spinning disk has remained king to date within the majority of shared storage systems. While there are limited applications where SSD raids can make sense, such as high stream count audio editing from shared storage, it’s hard to beat the

solid-state memory, but the smartest vendors and customers are finding targeted uses within a large system. Here, solid-state memory can be used to accelerate some tasks while the bulk of storage remains spinning disk. In this way, they realise the best balance of performance and cost.

Taylor: In the operations that we are currently dealing with spinning disk is by far the predominant technology. As

“In our experience, cloud storage related to archive is still a promise not a reality” Benoit Février, EVS price/capacity/performance ratio of traditional spinning disks for media storage.

Hoggarth: We focus on the cost per terabyte and in this respect, spinning disk technology still has a big advantage. When it comes to sheer capacity we believe that disks will prevail for many years.

Rehrer: Everyone likes the performance implications of

capacity increases and cost reduces it will continue to be a major element in the storage environment. However, solidstate memory will inevitably reduce in price so will become more popular for high performance needs over the coming years.

Weigner: Both. Spinning disks for the bulk, SSDs for caching and the index as well DB files.

Has the cloud influenced storage solutions?

Février: In our experience, cloud storage related to archive is still a promise not a reality. OPEX vs CAPEX business models make sense for customers, but the quality of service and security of exchange are still challenges that need to be tackled. Some customers already have their own ‘cloud’ infrastructure, but still need to think about redundant storage.

Gallen: Clients are beginning to recognise the flexibility and simplicity of cloud storage. But security and cost are still issues for long term preservation.

Herzog: Though it is still not very practical to store and edit with full resolution media files on the cloud, customers do want cloud access to proxy versions of their content.

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Hoggarth: Cloud storage is extremely effective for storing very large numbers of very small files, so for media companies, cloud storage is not a universal panacea, but it has its place.

Pearce: Yes. Initially the finance departments inside large organisations saw the cloud as a quick way to get kit off the

books. Increasingly, they are realising their core value lies in digital assets and are turning to a mixture of local storage and remote hosted storage.

Many of our clients are creating ‘private’ clouds using MatrixStore technology.

Taylor: I think that the cloud is influencing thinking around storage. I am not convinced that it is currently influencing

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Archiving & Storage

Forum workflows. Quantum StorNext seamlessly and automatically migrates digital content from primary storage to nearline storage, then to active archive/deep archive for long term preservation.

Février: Sure there are, provided you have enough money to afford all three.

Online is usually smaller and so you can afford more expansive but powerful technologies. With nearline and offline you lose bandwidth, but the cost per GB decreases.

Hoggarth: The software to manage storage tiers has become much more affordable and a multi-tiered solution is certainly the most cost effective way to manage the burgeoning volumes of storage that media companies need to retain.

Pearce: Yes. One size does not fit all. Many vendors and organisations have tried and failed to reach the nirvana that is one storage platform serving

Quantum: Archive systems are becoming a regular feature at most broadcasting centres IT consolidation at large broadcasters and media companies. I do not see any serious broadcaster using Amazon, Microsoft or other public cloud offerings to hold their archive.

Nick Pearce, Object Matrix the major decision making for implementing storage solutions in the broadcast business. I do believe that it will have an impact over the coming years by providing another tier of storage for broadcast and media organisations, especially those that have multiple geographically dispersed operation centres, Walsh: I feel I need to ask what you mean by the cloud. A cloud can be a store in the next room as much as it can be something miles away. DR archiving systems have always embraced a ‘cloud’ philosophy — take what I own and store it somewhere distant.

Weigner: In some peoples’ mind it has, but in reality not yet. Thanks to the NSA a lot of thunder here has also been lost, especially for American vendors. But the private cloud still makes sense and will drive

Are there benefits from operating three types of storage — online, nearline and offline?

Dymond: The benefits of separating storage types are that the specific demands of each can ensure that the final cost benefits are optimised based upon the performance and scaling requirements. The realtime nature of channel playout, when compared to occasional usage of tape-based archives, does not coexist in a single economical storage media. Therefore online, near line and offline will exist for a while yet.

Fanichet: In the light of ever-growing content and the fact that organisations tend to retain all assets created for future repurposing, there are definitely benefits to put in place a solution that offers storage tiering capabilities throughout the different steps of the digital

end, offline storage assures that content is being preserved, though no one is accessing it in an active way.

Taylor: With the rise in the volume of media content and the need to create more packages for more delivery channels there are increasing benefits from operating three layers of storage.

It’s all about maximising the use of relevant technology for individual business use cases. For example, an editor creating an HD package for a digital service will require high speed, low latency storage for in-place editing, but having all the organisation’s content on this storage would be far too expensive. So moving content that is not immediately required to nearline and offline storage makes it commercially viable.

Walsh: Yes. There are economies of scale to be earned from examining the workflow and choosing the correct ‘place’ to hold material. Less expensive

“Offline is stupid. Stupid.

Stupid. Why buy an archive/ MAM solution if you can’t afford to keep it online or nearline?”

Jan Weigner, Cinegy every workflow. So long as the tiers of storage are fully integrated then get the best solution to serve the job in hand.

Rehrer: Absolutely. For a large archive, many companies end up with ‘horses for courses’, meaning that they identify separate cost and performance profiles for the three tiers of storage. On one end, online storage offers the highest cost per capacity and highest performance, and on the other

Jeff Herzog, EditShare

hardware can be used for deeper level storage with more costly, agile storage to give more immediate access to fast turnaround material.

Weigner: No. Offline is stupid.

Stupid. Stupid. Why buy an archive/MAM solution if you can’t afford to keep it online or nearline? You could have kept it on tape where it was in a shelf somewhere. But now it is on a LTO tape, on a shelf...somewhere.

Bernie Walsh, SGL

What is the next biggest innovation relating to archive and storage?

Fanichet: Technology is driving sophisticated data capture tools.

In turn, this is increasing the appetite for high-quality, rich data sources. At the same time, increased computing capabilities and analysis techniques are driving additional value out of historical data. Together this means that organisations seeking to gain more value out of their data need to collect and store it for longer periods.

Many traditional management solutions, including data protection and archive platforms, need to be revisited to ensure the increased accessibility and capacity demands grow.

Some new technologies — including object and cloud storage — can provide scalable data management solutions exceeding the limits of traditional storage, but bring new operational and functional constraints.

Herzog: There are many evolving technologies and innovations right now, but EditShare is particularly excited about the emergence of 40Gb Ethernet. As the first to show video editing over 10Gb Ethernet at NAB 2005, EditShare has been committed to this technology from the beginning. We’re now testing various 40Gb switch and

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Forum â&#x20AC;&#x153;When organisations each have exabytes of content the processing of that content will need to be done at the storage levelâ&#x20AC;?

Nick Pearce, Object Matrix anyone? Dead, dead, dead. www.cinegy.com www.diskarchive.com

www.editshare.com www.evs.com www.harmonicinc.com

www.harrisbroadcast.com www.object-matrix.com www.quantum.com

www.sglbroadcast.com www.tedial.com www.tmd.tv

Alan Hoggarth, Disk Archive Corporation network cards, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really excited about the ability of this technology to support resolutions beyond HD, as well as high frame rate and high bit rate 3D and DI work.

Hoggarth: We get excited about the prospect of even bigger capacity disk drives coming to market which will make disk archives even better value than they are today. Not just the 5TB and 6TB disks that will be available in the next 12-18 months, but a completely new generation of heat assisted disks which will use the heat of a laser rather than a magnetic head to write data onto the disk platters.

Pearce: As disk densities increase and the ability to hold more data online also increases the question will not be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;how do I store all this data?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; but â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;what do we do with this data now we have it?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; When organisations each have exabytes of content the processing of that content will need to be done at the storage level. Clustered storage solutions like MatrixStore have the ability to perform processing of content where the data lives.

Rehrer: What would be ideal is a system that makes the tiering of storage truly transparent. This would allow users to implement different vendorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hardware without the pain of manually moving content between tiers or having to consider it at all. Today, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to imagine getting to a perfect system, but I think that the Harmonic MAS is a step toward being able to mix multiple and different systems and maintain the ability to view or search the contents of all of those file systems.

Walsh: LTFS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; allowing real transportability and openness of archive material.

Weigner: SSDs bringing up throughput even further, Ethernet becoming absolutely ubiquitous. HDDs and SSDs being directly Ethernet connected without HBA or another form of controller, for example Seagate. Cheap Object Oriented Storage in the LAN. FC is dead, SAN is dead, LTO is dead. Partial restore from tape

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Archiving & Storage

The built-in database can support many searches per second across hundreds of millions of database entries

Forum NEWS IN BRIEF Blackmagic shipping DaVinci Resolve Blackmagic Design has announced the release of DaVinci Resolve 10, available for download free of charge for existing DaVinci Resolve customers. The latest upgrade includes on set tools, new editing features and support for OpenFX plug-ins. DaVinci Resolve 10 allows timelines to be moved into and out of DaVinci Resolve and other edit software such as Final Cut Pro, Avid and Premiere Pro. Da Vinci Resolve Lite for Mac OS X and Windows is also available for download. This includes the addition of Ultra HD resolutions and additional GPU support. Enhanced editing features mean that multiple users can submit scenes from different applications, and DaVinci Resolve 10 can finish online from the original camera RAW files. Editing features also include full multitrack editing with 16 channels of audio per clip and unlimited video and audio tracks in the timeline.

LOVEFiLM releases app for iPhone Amazon’s streaming platform LOVEFiLM has launched its new app for iPhone and iPod touch in the UK. The updated app, LOVEFiLM instant, is already available on iPad and will allow users to stream video and find titles they have added from other LOVEFiLM compatible platforms.

AirPlay support has also been introduced, allowing film and TV fans to wirelessly stream entertainment from their mobile devices to a television, using Apple TV. Customers then have the option to minimise the app while they continue playback via Airplay.

The LOVEFiLM app also features a Watchlist and IMDb integration.

Members can access information available from IMDb throughout the app. Recommended videos based on what other customers have viewed are also included.

Storage on Demand BT TV content finds a home in MatrixStore, a system designed to ensure petabytes of content are available.

By Philip Stevens BRITISH TELECOM’s BT TV platform provides videoon-demand to its broadband customers across the UK. Content, which is ingested from various networks, is required both to be protected and available for transcoding into a number of formats for future delivery to customers.

Until recently, VoD content was protected in a large LTO tape robot, but this made access to the material slow and cumbersome. As a result, BT needed an upgrade that could provide instant access to the content and re-purpose while requiring little or no administrative management.

But the upgrade criteria didn’t end there. The nonproprietary solution needed to integrate with existing MAM solutions/ systems and future workflows. In addition, it needed to be secure from accidental or malicious deletion, be scalable, and be future proof from hardware obsolescence.

BT’s intense scrutiny of the market revealed MatrixStore from Object Matrix offered the best solution. The package was supplied and supported by the company’s reseller, Root6.

“MatrixStore is designed to ensure petabytes of digital content are available online with minimal effort,” explains

BT TV’s MAM solution manages the ingest of content into MatrixStore for long-term protection

“BT TV media is fully accounted for, safe and secure” Peter Baker, BT Nick Pearce, co-founder and sales director, Object Matrix.

“This makes it perfectly suited to video on demand or distribution workflows.”

He continues, “By working for several years on the BT TV platform, Object Matrix has proven its ability to grow live installations and incorporate new technology without causing disruption to service.”

The existing MAM solution manages the ingest of high resolution content into MatrixStore for long-term protection. That content is then transcoded and protected in a MatrixStore vault for future delivery via playout servers or other platforms.

Pearce continues, “MatrixStore is specifically designed for applications where there is an increasing focus on internal and external compliance requirements around data protection, authenticity and access.”

The MatrixStore technology ensures that data cannot be deleted before its time — not even with administrator access.

Also, data stored as fixed content cannot be modified. It provides an audit log that tracks all operations, both administrative and data. The digest is calculated during data storage,

and the system ensures that the data is bitwise exactly the same when played out. Periodic validation of the content also provides a guarantee. The built-in database can support many searches per second across hundreds of millions of database entries. Data entered into the store is referenced with numerous keywords to enable web style search.

“MatrixStore’s API has allowed us to fully integrate with our wider MAM environment, thereby avoiding content management via the traditional file system approach.

Replication has allowed us to effortlessly back-up our most valued assets, and plug-and-play scalability has really delivered on its promise to allow us to expand seamlessly. In short, BT TV media is fully accounted for, safe and secure,” concludes Peter Baker, head of operations, Digital Media, BT.

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TVBEurope 31

December 2013 www.tvbeurope.com

News & Analysis

John Lennon Educational Bus uses LiveU for streaming content

By Holly Ashford THE NON-PROFIT John Lennon Educational Tour Bus has chosen LiveU to deliver live stream productions known as @lennonbus. The shows are being streamed live using LiveU’s beltclip LU40-S cellular transmission technology as well as its backpack LU70 to deliver live content.

The Bus is a professional audio and HD video recording and production facility aiming to provide young people with access to state-of-the-art production studios. It aims to provide young people in Europe with hands-on opportunities to produce original music, video, photo, game app and broadcast projects reflective of their ideas, values, and creativity.

The John Lennon Bus chose LiveU to help broaden its streaming possibilities. Jeff Sobel, chief engineer with the John Lennon Bus said, “In the United States our bus is equipped with a roof-mounted satellite dish. While the dish is

The John Lennon Bus chose LiveU to broaden its streaming possibilities excellent technology, we found that we frequently wanted to produce live streams from locations away from the bus: outdoor concerts, events inside schools or conferences,

or moving from location to location. LiveU allows us to live stream from more locations, and cover different types of events than we have had open to us before.”

The Bus makes stops at schools, colleges, concerts, festivals and professional trade shows providing free tours and workshops. The LiveU technology onboard has

Sky News in historic court camera installation

By Holly Ashford THE BRITISH High Court has opened to video broadcast for the first time, and Sky News has installed multiple PTZ cameras in the Courts of Justice, using IntraTec and Teradek wireless technology. A wireless, cable-free infrastructure was created by Sky News to capture the events in court while avoiding lengths of cable, manned camera positions and multiple power sockets.

Using WiFi to control cameras and wireless SDI senders to transmit full HD pictures, live television is now produced in the courtroom using a single operator.

As a result of cabling and space restrictions in court, George Davies, head of cameras at Sky News, used IntraTec Bridge Duo Remote PTZ kits to allow for multi-cam pictures to be recorded. These remote units include connectors that power

the camera, WiFi sender and video transmitter.

“Listed buildings don’t take kindly to mounts being fixed to walls or cables being secured to ancient oak paneling,” said Richard Payne of distributor Holdan. “Going wireless with IntraTec and Teradek was a great solution for Sky News, delivering all-day HD filming with no compromise.”

The solution uses a combination of its new IntraTec

Bridge Duo and Bridge units for wireless control, a Teradek Bolt for wireless video, and a Panasonic HE120 camera.

This allowed a PTZ camera to be wireless for control, power and picture transmission.

Broadcasters can locate cameras in any position for extended shoots, with no consideration for cabling, control cables or power supplies. This is suitable for venues and locations where equipment cannot be

already been used to present live streams featuring Yoko Ono and recording artist Adel Tawil in Berlin, as well as a series of music education forums in association with the NAMM Foundation.

“We’re working more and more with LiveU and we’re very pleased with the events that we’ve produced with the technology,” added Sobel.

“Anyone interested in new music, video production, or learning new ways to be creative and inspired will want to tune in to the John Lennon Bus’ live streams and we’re looking forward to expanding our usage.”

Ronen Artman, LiveU’s VP marketing, commented, “It’s a genuine pleasure to be involved in such an inspiring and philanthropic venture. Our technology is designed to provide mobility and ease of deployment which we’re pleased to see the John Lennon Bus taking advantage of. We hope that it helps inspire creativity across the U.S. and Europe.” www.liveu.tv permanently installed either because of time or logistical constraints.

The IntraTec Bridge Duo 2 units and miniaturised IntraTec Bridge 2 units are designed for maximum WiFi range, in excess of 250m. Both provide a way to connect any video equipment that features network connections over large distances using WiFi. Video signals from the PTZ were transmitted uncompressed and with zero latency by Teradek’s Bolt, and were received by a Bolt receiver which passes the video into the live production desk.

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WHO SHOULD ATTEND Chief Technology Officer, Director of Technology, Media Manager, Head of Production Resources, Director of Engineering, Chief Information Officer, Head of Post Production, Technical Operations Manager Platinum Sponsor

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PREVIOUS ATTENDEES INCLUDED: Supporters

Follow us on Twitter @ITBworkflow For more information on delegate bookings contact: Sara Mather +44 (0) 20 7354 6001 sara.mather@intentmedia.co.uk

UTV, BBC, HBO, Channel 4, ESPN, TV2 Norway, DELL, GSTQ Consulting, Yleis Radio, ITV, Encompass, ARTE, Associated Press, Broadcast Center Europe, Broadcast Innovation, BVE, Canal Sur, Canal+, Council of the European Union, Channel 4, Deluxe Laboratories, Discovery Communications Europe, Disney Channels, eMotion Systems, Formula One Management, Global Broadcast Summit, IABM, IBC, IMD Media, IMS Ltd, ITN Source, IveTech, Kleinhofen, Lime Pictures, MTV Networks North, NBC Universal, NRK Norway, Production Village Ltd, ProTV, Reuters Television, Radio Suisse International, root6, Sanoma Entertainment Finland, SBS Broadcasting Networks, Screen Digest, Siemens, Sound Network, TATA Consultancy, Technology and Production Center Zurich, The Audio Suite, TV4 Group Sweden, TVI, TVM Ireland, RTE, Cologne Broadcasting centre, DPP, News International, TFO, UEFA

If you are interested in sponsorship and speaking opportunities contact: Ben Ewles +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 Richard Carr +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 ben.ewles@intentmedia.co.uk richard.carr@intentmedia.co.uk Steve Connolly +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 steve.connolly@intentmedia.co.uk

TVBEurope 33

December 2013 www.tvbeurope.com

It’s important the entire subtitle management process has been fully integrated into the workflow design from the start

The Workflow

Subtitling and closed caption management A subtitle can go through a long, uncertain journey before it arrives at its onscreen destination. Benoit Février, SVP at EVS Media, provides us with a roadmap AS THEY aim to reach as wide an audience as possible, broadcasters and content owners are looking toward multi-region distribution. At the same time, legislation from the EU requiring television programmes to include closed captions and subtitling means this is now a key element of the content delivery process.

Ideally, this is something that broadcasters have to ensure is done right from the moment content is ingested - however, in today’s complex, multi-channel, multi-format production environments, this is sometimes easier said than done.

Throughout its lifecycle within a file-based workflow, subtitling has to be considered – whether it’s where to put the subtitle or what process it needs to go through. What format the original AV file is in as well as the type of encoder used to generate that file will

Benoit Février, SVP, EVS Media

“Within a file-based workflow subtitling and closed captioning data is as crucial to the final output as audio and video” Benoit Février, EVS Media also impact the level of complexity involved in processing it. In SD workflows, subtitles are usually transported in VBI inactive lines, whereas in HD they’re carried in the ANC data, requiring different processing.

In the production environment, subtitles are transported within the baseband SDI signal to the ancillary essence layer. They are then reconciled with the rest of the AV content at the playout stage. In the case of tape-to-file archive migration, the decision of whether to leave the subtitle within the video signal needs to be addressed.

Similarly, users need to decide how practical this is in the long-term - due to dependence on the codec technology.

The winding path of a subtitling file At the ingest stage there are two options when it comes to subtitling. They can either remain as a RAW VANC, then wrapped in an MXF S436M track before they progress further through the workflow.

Or, they become a separate text file (eg, .SCC or .MCC). The MXF file wrapper has only recently been put forward as a viable option for handling timed text, but at the moment this isn’t widely adopted except within DCP workflows.

Technology developments from companies like EVS mean that users can handle many of these options for subtitling and closed caption management.

They can keep ANC data – along with subtitles and closed

caption – in the MXF file as a S436M track, or make use of a .SCC/.MCC sidecar file which is

generated alongside the MXF AV file and follows it through the entire production process.

Once an AV file is ingested into the workflow, it becomes increasingly easy to lose track of the subtitling data contained within it. If you’ve assigned the subtitling data to remain as a RAW VANC file, which is then wrapped in an MXF S436M track, it can be difficult to locate. You have to first identify if a file actually has a S436M track and then look to see whether it carries subtitles. If it does, how do you make sure they’re in the right format, or if the subtitles are displayed correctly and are in sync?

Once converted to a text file, a subtitle follows a different path through the production workflow to one wrapped in an MXF S436M track. If the workflow involves MOV files rather than MXF, having a sidecar text file hitched to your main AV content, which follows it through the various steps in the production process, really makes a lot of sense. Although the AV and subtitling get reunited prior to playout, it’s essential to check that all subtitling/closed captions are synchronised with the MXF video and audio content.

What’s really needed is an easy way to decode the subtitle and closed caption data from

the S436M track — or sidecar file — and check it’s burned into the correct frame.

Talking about file conversion Regardless of the format of a subtitling file and whatever its path through the workflow, one thing is certain: it will need to be converted at several points along the way. This will usually be from a subtitling text file to one wrapped in an MXF S436M track and then unwrapped again at the other end of the production chain. This wrapping/un-wrapping process is time consuming and inefficient.

With the right technology, users can bridge the gap between an MXF 436M VANC track and .SCC files at each step. Within a file-based workflow subtitling and closed captioning data is as crucial to the final output as audio and video. It’s key to maintain the integrity of audio and video throughout the production process, and the same holds true for subtitling and closed captioning.

The finished article When it comes to outputting the finished content the accurate management of your subtitles and closed captioning data, along with your MXF production file makes the whole process a lot less complicated.

To ensure that subtitles and closed captions can be efficiently managed, tracked and synced, it’s important the entire subtitle management process has been fully integrated into the workflow design from the start.

What causes headaches and needless complication is when this part of the workflow is treated as a cumbersome and complex afterthought. www.evs.com

“Throughout its lifecycle within a file-based workflow, subtitling has to be considered”

34 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com December 2013

The Workflow

The rise of the recorder External recording used to mean a line out to a tape deck. Now it involves a host of peripheral options that are as integral to the shot as the camera itself. David Fox examines some of the top external recording solutions and their implications for the future of image capture SALES OF external recorders have rocketed over the past few years, as they have become smaller, lighter and more capable. Atomos, the market leader, has now sold more than 30,000 units across all of its products. Its low prices are a major factor in this success, making its recorders a musthave for DSLR users, but the appeal of the on/off-camera recorder is much wider than this.

The market for its HDMIbased Ninja 2 is currently 60% DSLR users, 20% buying it for new cameras and 20% using it to upgrade old cameras, while the SDI-based Samurai Blade is 30% DSLR (it can do HDMI via a convertor), 40% new, 20% older, and 10% switchers.

Some 4K cameras need external recorders to cope with the high resolution, such as Canon’s C500, or Sony’s PMW-F5 (which uses Sony’s own AXS-R5 RAW Recorder to record RAW 4K at up to 120fps).

“I think the real revolution is the external device being capable of more than the camera is,” says Atomos’ CEO, Jeromy Young. “This is a simple equation: cameras have a lot of heat. The more the data the more the heat. Separating recording from the sensor and making it external means we can pipe more data and record higher quality than the internals of the camera, resulting in better image quality from your camera.

“It’s also about the use of commodity computer storage as media, something that not only

Button: “4K will have a huge impact on the external recorder market”

“I hate calling them recorders because actually it’s only a quarter of what they do” Jeromy Young, Atomos

Young: “The real revolution is the external device being capable of more than the camera is”

saves money but allows for a tapelike ‘keep the original’ workflow that we all loved about tape,” he adds. “Computers solved high data rates and large storage years ago and that lends itself to recording

computer friendly codecs like Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD.”

Why go external?

“No one simply shoots with a camera any more. We use camera systems and we need to be aware of the post paths for the finishing of our projects.

A proper recorder is flexible enough both to capture from the

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different cameras one might use as well as output the different formats post may require,” says Mitch Gross, director of communications, Convergent Design. “It is not enough for a tool to serve a single function.

Cameras seem to have more devices and contraptions hanging off them everyday.

A high-end recorder that also functions as a reference-grade monitor and is still small and light and power-friendly enough to be mounted on a camera serves to help a cinematographer in his work, not hinder it.”

“I hate calling them recorders because actually it’s only a quarter of what they do,” adds Young. “It’s not just the recording, but also the monitor and deck functionality.” It was only when Atomos addressed all of the functions required by cameramen (including peaking and waveform monitoring) that the sales really took off. “Audio monitors are also important and we have truly gone to town on the accuracy and functionality,” he claims. “However in essence these devices are a bridge from production to post production so the real value actually happens after the camera, and in our case on the set with cut editing. It’s all about the increased speed and quality of workflow and that’s what our customers understand.”

Codex VP for Market Development, Sarah Priestnall, says reliability, size and workflow are the key drivers for external recorders: “Recorded data is the equivalent of a film

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December 2013 www.tvbeurope.com

The Workflow

One of the biggest reasons for turning to external recorders is the proliferation of formats

negative so any recording device must be extremely reliable,” as must the recording media.

“Any recording device must be small so as not to overly increase the size of the camera package.”

And “the recorder is just the beginning of a workflow that goes from production through post to the ultimate distribution of the product. Having a simple, robust workflow is key, including the implementation of industry standards like ACES,” she says.

“Key market drivers for powerful and flexible external recorders continue to be the proliferation of new cameras and the multi-format on-set and delivery demands of today’s productions,” says Bryce Button, product marketing manager, AJA Video Systems. Its new Ki Pro Quad supports multiple monitoring options from 4K SDI to dedicated downconversion, with both HD-SDI out and HDMI, which he says turns it into a 4K/UHD processing hub on set.

“One of the key drivers for Cinedeck is format flexibility, and Cinedecks deliver virtually every file format required for any production workflow across episodic TV, live, OB, post production and archiving applications,” claims Suzette Ferguson, Cinedeck senior VP of Worldwide Sales. Its units can also deliver the required format, written to the most appropriate destination, eliminating copying and moving media. “In general, many facilities are still in transition to a fully file-based production chain and recording appliances like Cinedeck fill the need for SDI sources to go direct to file storage.”

One of the biggest reasons for turning to external recorders is the proliferation of formats, adds Ferguson. “Cinedecks deliver hundreds of the most commonly used combinations with more being added on a

Run to record: The latest in external recorders AJA’s Ki Pro Quad records 4K, UHD, 2K and HD in 10-bit 4:4:4 and 10-bit 4:2:2 and can output to attached DIT workstations via Thunderbolt, while debayering and encoding to Apple ProRes files on inserted AJA solidstate Pak Disks for ready-to-edit files.

It includes an uncompressed and debayered 4K monitoring output plus HD monitoring via SDI and HDMI. ARRI recently introduced the Alexa XT camera, which uses an in-camera ARRIRAW module developed by Codex, recording at up to 120fps (16:9). It uses Codex Capture Drives inside the Alexa, saving space and the need for cables. “Bringing recording inside the camera has proven a huge success, although Codex Onboard S and Onboard M recorders continue to be used on major feature films, television shows and commercials,” says Priestnall. SanDisk’s new CFast 2.0 CompactFlash card format, developed with ARRI, allows higherspeed, higher resolution capture, and is one reason the Amira (the first camera to use it) can record 200fps.

“It has a write speed of 350MBps and reads at 450MBps and will also be usable on the Alexa XT and XR via a Codex adaptor” (CFast is also supported for post via Codex Vault), said Susan Park, director of retail product marketing, SanDisk.

Files are closed

Solid-state of the art: AJA’s 4K Ki Pro Quad

continuously, so accidentally removing the card or suffering a power loss during recording results in a readable, uncorrupted file.

Atomos has upgraded its Samurai Blade with new software, and also introduced a new €149 calibration device, the Spyder, that can calibrate the Blade’s 1280x720 monitor to Rec. 709 or 6500K white point automatically in about a minute.

“When you add the waveform, vectorscope and calibration, you really know what you are recording. It means you save time in post and you can be more creative,” says Young.

Blackmagic Design’s new $995 HyperDeck Studio 2 (HD recorder) and $1995 HyperDeck Studio Pro 2 (for 4K) are the latest versions of its rack-mounted uncompressed, ProRes and DNxHD disk and SSD recorders. The Pro 2 supports 6G-SDI and HDMI 4K connections for Ultra HD, with 4-channel SDI I/O, Thunderbolt, HDMI, XLR and analogue ports. Blackmagic hasn’t announced plans to add 4K to its more portable Shuttle recorder, but the Pro 2 indicates the direction it is taking.

Cinedeck now allows full Ultra HD and 4K RAW recording with simultaneous HD master, and Proxy editorial/deliverable files, with uniform and flexiblefile naming and metadata.

There is also support for simultaneous streamable H.264 to the web, via a streaming server, for remote review and approval, and for growing files, so that content can be edited/reviewed before a file is closed.

Convergent Design’s new Odyssey7 and its Odyssey7Q (due January) both have a 7.7-inch 1280x800 touchscreen OLED monitor offering a reference-grade Rec. 709 or DCI-P3 image plus exposure tools (waveform, histogram,

When everyone needs a copy: Koitsalu with LGZ’s new USB Recorder

Media matters: Park shows off the new high-speed CFast 2.0 card used in the Amira

Focus FS-H50, FS-H60 and FS-H70 portable recorders

36 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com December 2013

The Workflow with auto-conform to finish without having to ingest all the rushes. “This is a great saving in ingest/editing time, material investment, etc,” says Bernard.

“4K means a LOT of data, perhaps far more than people realise. It means an exponential growth in recording media, computing power, storage and transfer and encoding times,” adds Gross.

Young sees 4K, RAW and 120fps HD as the next big developments, but predicts that this will be over HDMI initially “as 3G SDI doesn’t cut it and 6G is too slow for the real deal,

Format flexibility foremost: The Cinedeck MX 4-channel recorder

regular basis. There is no end in sight for this growth because there is effectively no ‘End of Life’ for a file, and codec technology is constantly advancing.”

There are two key needs in the market, according to Vitec product manager, Richard Bernard. One is driven by ease of editing with the main non-linear editing software, for which ProRes/DNxHD recorders are best suited, but with the downside of large file sizes, while the other is a need for small file sizes, where more efficient video codecs are required, something that he feels “will become even more crucial” with 4K. “Also, more and more, recorders are or will be connected to the network for sharing, collaborative work, direct transfer to online video platform (YouTube, Vimeo, etc).

All our recorders at Vitec have such capabilities and users are starting to embrace this new way of working on video clips.”

Beyond the DSLR DSLRs may still be a large market for external recorders, but their appeal is much broader now. For Cinedeck, “leveraging older cameras into newer file formats is still a factor.

Cinedecks are commonly used in multi-camera environments where tape machines used to be king. Additionally, Cinedecks remove the restriction of single or limited format recorders allowing recording quality and format to be selected at production time,” says Ferguson.

AJA has the small HDMIequipped Ki Pro Mini for DSLRs, which supports the CF Cards used by most high-end stills cameras, but its live event customers generally choose the 1RU Ki Pro Rack, which fits easily in a flight case and allows gang recording across units for

cannot be provided using this interface (proprietary solutions exist however), you end up with a non-viable solution again,” he adds. A 12G SDI interface specification is coming, which would allow 4K60 with only one SDI cable. “This is more practical and will help the adoption. But it may come with limitations and more specifically with a limited maximal cable length between the camera/video source and receiver: that may be a showstopper for some applications,” he says, wondering if it is time to break with SDI and move to fibre.

“4K will have a huge impact on the external recorder market, and we’re already seeing that impact with the popularity of our Ki Pro Quad recorder” Bryce Button, AJA Video Systems

Gross: “Much of the separate recorder market is in keeping alive old cameras or boosting the capabilities of modest cameras” multiple cameras with shared timecode. Its very long record times with DNxHD or ProRes makes it a favourite for long concerts and conferences.

“Much of the separate recorder market is in keeping alive old cameras or boosting the capabilities of modest cameras,” says Gross. “There is also the need to record proxies or duplicate files. But we tend to focus on higher-level functionality. Our product’s about taking the outputs from some of the highest-level cameras available and raising them beyond their internal capabilities. RAW recording is available on very few cameras, as is 4K capture. We also add an interface with our touchscreen panel that fundamentally changes the way one interacts with the cameras themselves.

We like to think that we deliver a more complete integrated camera solution.”

Gross believes that 4K is a particularly interesting area for external recorders because so little has been agreed on standards for delivery. “There are some cameras and there are some displays, and then there’s a whole lot of open space in between them. We believe that

for 4K to become increasingly adopted this space must be filled with all sorts of hardware and software.” Manufacturers are already creating competing 4K formats, so “an external recorder capable of capturing and/or outputting to these various flavours will become valuable,” he says.

“4K will have a huge impact on the external recorder market, and we’re already seeing that impact with the popularity of our Ki Pro Quad recorder,” adds Button. “People want to invest in technology that will work for them today, but also meet their needs in the future.”

Codex has been recording 4K for many years, going back to the use of its studio recorders with the Dalsa camera on films like Quantum Of Solace.

“Currently, our Onboard S recorder is able to record 4K at up to 120fps with the Canon C500 camera,” says Priestnall.

Vitec’s approach now for 4K is using a proxy workflow based around its FS-H70 recorder, with the RAW 4K/8K clips recorded in camera, resulting in huge files that are difficult to deal with. The FS-H70 stores a proxy clip in 1080p H.264 at 8Mbps (or less) for easy editing,

only doing 4:2:2 4K at 24p and QHD up to 30p. 4:4:4 60p 4K can not be done until 12G is a reality, which is probably IBC next year for products.

“We will make the 4K unit available when there are more cameras and that is probably the end of 2014 depending on take up,” he adds.

“To take advantage of the larger 4K screen, I strongly believe that 4K resolutions require 60fps to have a smooth rendering,” says Bernard.

However, today 4K60p baseband video requires two 6G-SDI or four 3G-SDI connections, which he doesn’t think is a viable solution. “HDMI 2.0 for 4K60 display is available, but this is not a lockable connector.

Adding to the fact that timecode

4K workflow One of the problems with working with 4K is that each camera manufacturer has a different approach.

For Codex, “it’s really a case of which companies will allow partners to develop recording solutions (ARRI, Canon) and which would rather keep recording proprietary (Sony). However, even for Sony, while we can’t make recorders that work with the F55 and F5, we do offer a workflow solution using Codex Vault to clone, archive, review and make deliverables from camera original data recorded to Sony’s media,” explains Priestnall.

“If a manufacturer chooses to restrict access to their image

Plug and go: The Codex replacement recording module in the ARRI Alexa

TVBEurope 37

December 2013 www.tvbeurope.com

The Workflow data stream, that makes working with their product difficult. Beyond that it really is a matter of horse power,â&#x20AC;? adds Ferguson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You need to be able to handle both RAW workflows and baseband,â&#x20AC;? says Button. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Ki Pro Quad provides this with debayering for the Canon C500 as well as baseband support for a camera like the Sony F55.â&#x20AC;?

Gross believes there will be many 4Kworkflows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For some it will mean more powerful machines. For others it will mean working with more heavily compressed file formats. For others still it will mean using smaller proxy files until they have to go back to the 4K material to finish a project. None of this is new, but people tend to forget that we had the same struggles just a few years ago when we were dealing with HD and less powerful computers.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;4K generally means more data to move around, particularly if uncompressed.

Any 4K workflow must be

able to clone and verify data as quickly as possible so that the original camera media can be recycled back to set.

4K playback and visual QC are also vital. Codex Vault enables the cloning and archiving of media from various cameras (such as ARRI, Sony, Canon, Red) plus the creation of dailies.

The Review module allows for playback and visual QC of material. This can be in an on-set or near-set environment or even in a remote location as Vault can run off a battery,â&#x20AC;? says Priestnall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Different cameras are being used on productions so Codex Vault provides a simple, unified workflow no matter what camera is used.â&#x20AC;? www.aja.com www.arri.com www.atomos.com www.blackmagicdesign.com www.cinedeck.com www.codexdigital.com www.convergent-design.com www.lgztech.com www.sandisk.com www.vitecmm.com

vectorscope, false colour mode and zebra), focus tools and basic LUT control. They record to two 2.5-inch SSDs, with SDI and HDMI I/O with conversion between both.

The Odyssey7Q can record uncompressed DPX video as well as compressed formats, plus ARRIRAW, Canon RAW, and Sony RAW, for 4K recording. It can also take in up to four HD inputs, with multi-viewing, and record all four, or record three plus a programme feed (with the monitor being used as a live switcher with EDL output).

The USB Recorder from LGZ Broadcasting Technology is a new way to supply immediate and distributable copies of the recorded events, particularly suited to an OB truck. â&#x20AC;&#x153;DVDs have long fitted the bill, but these take up lots of space, offer low video quality and are quite expensive. We therefore have developed a unique solution (from what we know the only one worldwide) that records an audio video signal (HD-SDI) live on to eight USB sticks simultaneously,â&#x20AC;? says its CEO, Joachim Koitsalu. It only takes 10 seconds until eight copies on USB

Welcome to a world of

Four in one: The new Odyssey7Q can record 4K or four HD cameras

sticks (or drives) can be distributed, with standard H.264 HD files. It costs â&#x201A;Ź2100 including a Blackmagic Design DeckLink SDI interface.

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38 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com December 2013

The Workflow

Adder’s Post Production Survey: Results

By Neal Romanek EARLIER THIS year, Adder Technology, in partnership with TVBEurope, conducted a survey of the UK post production industry. The survey was an attempt to analyse the state of the UK post world and answer some key questions - specifically about its relationship to London.

Much of the UK post production sector is clustered around Soho, some of the most expensive rental property in the country, where room for physical expansion is extremely limited.

Is the UK likely to see more post houses migrating out of Soho or does the amount of investment already ploughed into these sites make that impractical? If a move is unfeasible, how are post houses planning to get the most value out of their existing facilities? Using the results of the survey Adder hoped to gain insight into how the industry is likely to develop.

The bulk of respondents to the survey were from the TV

industry, with only 14% identifying themselves as film companies. “Other” respondents included, archives, corporate video, and even a theme park.

Over half of the respondents indicated that their facility’s primary offering was video editing services. With sound editing services being the second most frequently listed facility type. Others included sound effects/foley services, grading, CGI/animation, and VFX. Surprising answers came to the questio, “Are you likely to move your facility from your current location within the next 10 years?” 25% of respondents said they will definitely be moving. And almost as surprising was that 40% of respondents said – despite the uncertainties of the market – that they would definitely not be moving in the next ten years. The level of ambivalence about relocation seems fairly low – facilities are either staying or going with relatively little

waffling in between. The primary reason for moving listed was property rental coasts, followed by property maintenance costs, resourcing issues (such as finding/keeping talent), and client access.

Respondents were asked to rate the broad challenges they faced in future-proofing their facilities. Inhouse collaboration issues came out on top, followed by security and access control, followed by space and scalability, costs, and finally capital expenditures.

IT infrastructure and how to expand and plan for it is a topic of conversation throughout the industry. Asked “What are your most pressing priorities for IT procurement?”, respondents chose “updating specialist broadcast technologies” as their first priority. Tied for second priorities were making facilities more flexible and centralising assets, followed by building in greater resilience and back-ups, cloud technologies and enabling greater collaboration.

Hitachi Hitachi Broadcast B oadcast Br Camera S Camera Systems ystems f ro m Ge e a r hou s e from Gearhouse B roadcast Broadcast View View oour ur rrange ange ooff H Hitachi itachi Broadcast Broadcast Camera Camera Systems S ys tems ttoo ppurchase urcha se and and rent rent at: at: w www.gearhousebroadcast.com w w.gearhousebroaadcast.com

+ +44 44 ((0)845 0)8 4 5 8 820 20 0 0000 000 sales@gearhousebroadcast.com sales@gearhousebroadcast .com hiredesk@gearhousebroadcast.com hiredesk@gearhousebroadcast .com www.gearhousebroadcast.com w w w.g e a r h o u se b ro r a dc as t . com Equipment Equipment Rental Rent al I Equipment Equipment Sales Sales I Outside Out side Broadcast Br oadca s t PProject r ojec t S Solutions olutions I Systems S ys tems IIntegration n teg r at ion

Delving further into IT issues, to the question “Do you manage workflows across standard IP infrastructure or use bespoke technologies?”, almost half said they use solely Standard IP, while only 15% said they use bespoke technologies. The remainder use a combination of the two. Most of infrastructures were fairly new, with 25% of respondents having them in

25% of respondents said they will be moving in the next 10 years place for 12 months or less and almost 50% having had them for one to five years. Bespoke system users’ major concerns about switching to standard IP were the cost of upgrading their facilities and bandwidth limitations.

Jamie Shepperd, group marketing manager at Adder, said of the results: “The industry, in line

with other markets, is gearing up towards a more co-operative working environment and already we can see that collaboration is a key influence in determining the future functionality of post suites.

In order to remain competitive and profitable, these facilities must remain relevant and continue to deliver increased capabilities and efficiencies. With the emergence of high performance IP-based technologies, flexible and more effective facilities will be one of the ways in which these aims are achieved, a trend underscored by the desire, highlighted by the survey, for centralised assets and increased functionality. The ability of post production houses to easily adjust to the needs of its customers and offer a high level of adaptability will be vital to future success.”

The survey was developed by Adder’s group marketing manager Jamie Shepperd, product manager John Halksworth, UK commercial manager Jamie Adkin, and company director Simon Clew.

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40 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com December 2013

The Workflow

Gearhouse Broadcast provides the equipment for the show, with eight Hitachi HD broadcast cameras used on set

Great Deal for Bristol with the facility project since 2009 and “seen it through all its phases and all the difficult decisions the council have had to make.” In its different incarnations, the site produced Casualty and has been the home of such productions as Five Daughters, Inside Men and Trollied, as well as live broadcasts. The local council are very much on board, with Bristol’s mayor a staunch supporter, says Francombe. With the council’s support, funding is “pretty much guaranteed for at least three years, maybe longer”.

And there are three other build spaces available and as “they’re all dotted around, not cheek by jowl, all the spaces are completely individual,” leaving a lot of scope for new businesses to move in.

There is hope that this expansion will begin by 2015, when the site’s main tenant, drinks wholesaler Matthew Clark, is scheduled to leave. Francombe

Bristol’s first airport, then a winery and bottling plant for 50 years, the 300,000sqft site in the south of the city is now home to Bottle Yard Studios, BBC S&PP’s purpose-built facility for Endemol and post production partners The Farm. Holly Ashford visited and took a look behind of the scenes of Channel 4 TV series Deal or No Deal THE BOTTLE Yard Studios opened in 2010, an area owned by Bristol City Council and part of the Hengrove Park investment as a venture to attract more media companies to the area. BBC Studios and Post Production (BBC S&PP) occupies part of the main warehouse and this summer contracted Magna to convert the space into the bespoke facility it is today. “It was very much a handson move,” explains Tim Deane, BBC S&PP studios manager.

Builders started work at the beginning of June, with the set for Endemol’s Deal or No Deal established mid-September and production moving in at the end of the same month.

Once a warehouse containing over three million litres of alcohol, the plant was gutted and the set from Deal or No Deal moved in from Bristol’s Paintworks, its home for over seven years. The series’ new studio has been redesigned for a slightly different feel and to allow a twist in the gameplay — all to be revealed when the show airs on 30 December.

The old and the new A mezzanine with a green room, audience holding area and production office occupy an upstairs area, whilst the control room, edit suites and post production all occur around

Noel Edmonds, presenter of Deal or No Deal which has recently relocated to The Bottle Yard Studios

the studio space. This work is contracted out to Channel 4 and all completed by The Farm.

“Everyone works so well with everyone else,” says Deane, “The site helps a lot with this — before everything was separate.”

Contestant and audience bookings are done at Bottle Yard too, with even show websites run from the production office.

The Deal or No Deal studio has a floor space of around 700sqm, seating an audience of

approximately 100. The studio has been carefully integrated into the original infrastructure of the bottling plant: substantial pillars, for example, are virtually invisible in the new space, with the audience seating nestled in between to create an “amphitheatre feel”. Gearhouse Broadcast provides all of the technical equipment for Deal or No Deal, with eight Hitachi HD broadcast camera chains used on set. Seven use Hitachi SKHD1200 multi-format 1080p/3G

“Everyone works so well with everyone else.

The site helps a lot with this — before everything was separate”

HDTV production cameras with Canon lenses, with a further Hitachi DKH100 multi-purpose HDTV box type camera for POV shots.

Behind the scenes in post, there are six edits running at any one time, with the media coming straight to the MCR, ingested and backed up to LTO tape. There are seven offline suites. “For each show they get about three-and-a-half days to edit,” says Deane, “And that’s from beginning to end including track laying. At any one time there are about 30 shows sat in edit, at various stages of being done.”

Recording happens from October through to May, so output is huge.

Backstage, “the largest whiteboard we could find” displays detailed information of everything that’s in edit at any one time.

Tim Deane, BBC S&PP Studios Manager

Scope for new business

Once a warehouse containing over three million litres of alcohol, the plant was gutted and the set from Deal or No Deal moved in

The Bottle Yard Studios is far more than just a home for Deal or No Deal, explains Fiona Francombe, client liaison and site manager. She has been involved

foresees that “some of the local companies who struggle a little bit for activity…may move from elsewhere in Bristol onto the site.”

Expansion could be huge at the Bottle Yard in 2015, but there is plenty of activity at the studios closer to the horizon.

“Next year we’ve got four drama productions starting each week in January,” reveals Francombe, including “two long-running ones which will be here for about nine months.”

Drinks may have stopped flowing from The Bottle Yard Studio but production output and ideas for development certainly are. www.bbcstudiosandpost production.com www.gearhousebroadcast.com www.thebottleyard.com

TVBEurope 41

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SIS LIVE’s loss is others’ gain The outside broadcast supply pack has been reshuffled, with SIS LIVE losing its hand, and others picking up trumps. Adrian Pennington reports on a fluctuating end of season IT WAS always on the cards that SIS LIVE, incumbent of BBC Sport contracts since 2008, would shed some work as a result of the broadcaster’s recent tender renewal, but few anticipated it would be sidelined entirely, least of all SIS LIVE itself which seemed not to have contemplated an outcome in which it was not even placed on the list of companies awarded framework agreements to pitch for future BBC work.

Since BBC Sport contributed the majority of business for SIS’ OB division, and with all other major contracts sewn up, the firm had little choice, it seems, but to fold the unit from March, affecting 240 jobs.

In a letter to customers explaining the decision commercial director Phil Aspden said, “More and more, it has become a commodity marketplace, driven by ‘spot’ contracts, where price is the dominant factor.”

While rival suppliers recognise this situation, they say it is hardly new and that SIS failed to adapt. “Cost has always been a factor,” says Brian Clark, commercial and technical projects director at NEP Visions.

“Clients are keen to get the best value for money and will pay a premium for expertise, scale and reputation.”

“All OB companies at some point have wanted to buy the odd contract by pricing at close

SIS LIVE’s Phil Aspden

TVBEurope is the proven European market leader in television broadcasting technology analysis. Through our monthly magazine, electronic newsletters and constant news presence at www.tvbeurope.com we publish more original, journalist-written content every month than all our competitors combined.

TVBEurope leads the market in discussion of digital workflows for acquisition, operations, post, playout and delivery – with a business-led approach that is insightful, readable and relevant.

In addition to the Issue Specials outlined, in every issue our three established core sections anchor TVBEurope’s reporting of the television broadcast workflow. News & Analysis delivers headlines, context and explanation of the big stories. The Workflow is our bedrock coverage of end-user moves to HD, tapeless operation, an IT infrastructure and multi-platform delivery. And The Business Case is still unique to TVBEurope: every issue, an examination of a vendor’s business and how it impacts the European marketplace.

to break even,” suggests Arena chief, Richard Yeowart. “This also applies to SIS though, as they also tried to build market share by being aggressive at times. The most polite way of dumping your ‘OB date’ is to tell them they were beaten on price, but perhaps things are not always that clear-cut.”

Less competition, less quality?

The sudden withdrawal of SIS LIVE leaves the market with even fewer main players, although those left standing deny that this will result in less competition, or lesser quality.

“It will provide greater job security for the remaining operators as the market

balances and it will allow one or two of the smaller companies to find their feet and grow organically,” says Yeowart. “The market always finds its own balance and this will happen quite quickly with the OB sector.

“From a numbers point of view, having an added slice of turnover will allow the remaining players to offer better economies of scale across their business,” he adds.

“The negative aspect is that 200+ staff will be made redundant, but many will resurface as freelancers or as staff elsewhere.”

Arena was so concentrated on signing with Sunset+Vine to cover all BT Sport’s football played in England and Wales until 2017, that it didn’t in fact have capacity to land any BBC strands.

EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2014 JANUARY

Channel in a Box Debate

Acquisition Focus: Camera Lenses

FEBRUARY

Broadcast Video Expo Issue

Cloud Services for Broadcast

MARCH

NAB Product Preview

Systems Integrators Forum

APRIL

NAB Show Issue Broadcast Video Expo Wrap-Up

MAY

NAB Wrap-Up

Audio For Broadcast Special

Satellite TV Focus

JUNE

Beyond HD Masters Issue

Summer of Sports OB Focus

Acquisition Focus: Lighting for TV

JULY

IT Broadcast Workflow Issue

Beyond HD Masters Wrap-Up

Broadcast Graphics Forum

AUGUST

IBC Product Preview

IT Broadcast Workflow Wrap-Up

IP Networks to Replace SDI Loudness Control Roundtable Beyond HD: 4K Challenges

Channel in a Box Forum 2

SEPTEMBER IBC Show Issue

Quality Control in TV Forum

OCTOBER

Best of IBC Awards

Satellite TV Focus

NOVEMBER

IBC Wrap-Up

Acquisition Focus: New Cameras

Acquisition Focus: Camera Support

DECEMBER

Media Asset Management

Broadcast Archiving & Storage

Tapeless Video: External Recorders

Technologies for OTT Multiscreen Audio For Broadcast Special

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42 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com December 2013

The Workflow

The closing of SIS LIVE’s OB division will cost 240 jobs

four) specifically to cater for BBC work.

“We took a strategic view and concluded that we have a substantial fleet of trucks and that flypacks will give us greater flexibility,” says Clark. Its Wimbledon 2013 support for ESPN and the BBC, for example, was a mix of flypack and truck, although it is driving and ferrying trucks to aid NBC’s Sochi coverage this Winter.

The difference between truck and flypack, according to Clark?

“Wheels,” he says. “You can outfit a flypack for 35 cameras for events requiring three to four cameras. That takes longer to build than a truck [on site] and you need a physical location to put a pack into, but there are occasions where you can’t park a truck and of course you can’t put one on a plane.”

Yeowart reveals Arena is planning “an unprecedented growth” of four OB trucks in the next 12-18 months to meet demand which will see it send facilities to the Commonwealth Games, Brazil 2014 and the Rugby World Cup. Since OB11 entered service in December 2012 the company has focussed on investments in Sony cameras, Canon lenses, bespoke radio cameras and EVS XT[3]s.

Telegenic, which landed BT Sport’s Aviva Premiership Rugby matchday coverage and continues to produce Sky Premiership soccer in 3D,

SIS LIVE’s fleet of 14 HD OB trucks will be put up for sale

That bonanza is being meted out to NEP Visions which takes on athletics, tennis and Wimbledon coverage; CTV, which will support the Boat Race, football and the London Marathon; Presteigne Charter which will work on the broadcaster’s Formula 1 output and Telegenic, which will supply the BBC’s rugby league and rugby union coverage.

The tenders for The Open Golf Championship, the FA Cup, BBC Sports Personality of the Year and the BBC’s Winter

Olympics presentation have yet to be awarded.

BT Sport’s dramatic late scoop of Champions League soccer from ITV and Sky from 2015 will see new OB supply bids courted in the new year, with existing Champions League soccer suppliers Visions and Arena seemingly in pole position.

Trucks for sale SIS LIVE’s fleet of 14 HD OB trucks will be put up for sale.

Yeowart says Arena’s preference

CTV, part of the giant Euromedia group, has also pledged to launch a 4K-ready vehicle timed for around May after discussions with BSkyB about its roadmap for Ultra-HD which would seem to be a question of when not whether.

4K decisions All OB suppliers are testing 4K signals and circuits, with most trucks requiring relatively minimal investment in routing and switchers to be labelled 4K-ready. The camera channels though are arguably the biggest missing piece “The issue we are considering carefully is what camera technology will future proof all of our content,” says Clark.

“If we take the plunge on one type of camera, will it suffice for 1080p 60p as well as Ultra HD? I know other companies have got 4K trucks, but where I struggle is having an integrated 4K system in which you can be confident of the future.”

At heart is nailing the frame rate, which by most accounts would require at least 120fps for 4K sports acquisition to be viable.

What is divisible by 50 and 60? poses Clark. “You get to 300, While I don’t think that is achievable, a sensible decision has to be made as to what the frame rate is going to be in the camera that works for HD today

“More and more, it has become a commodity marketplace, driven by ‘spot’ contracts, where price is the dominant factor” Phil Aspden, SIS LIVE is to build trucks “that meet our methodology rather than try and adapt another solution to our needs”, while Visions has earmarked a multi-million pound investment in six flypacks (added to its existing

already has a 4K-ready truck outfitted with Sony F55 cameras which will be one of, perhaps the only, truck recording 4K for FIFA at the World Cup come June.

and higher resolutions. We expect to be involved in multiple 4K test events next year and, just as we developed HD, I’m sure people will come up with standards around 4K.”

TVBEurope 43

December 2013 www.tvbeurope.com

The Workflow

Consumers are already conditioned by the mobile market to perceive value in higher resolution screens, with marketing such as Apple’s Retina Display branding the experience, and ABI sees this halo carrying over to 4K TVs. They expect that as new products that support 4K hit the market, such as the next generation gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony or some Qualcomm Snapdragon 800-based mobile devices, consumer awareness will continue to expand.

“China is the biggest market for 4K right now, and that’s not expected to change anytime soon,” Inouye told TVBEurope.

This is mainly because there is a wider range of lower-cost UHD sets available in China, with models as small as 39 inches, whereas in Europe and the US, 55-inch or 60-inch sets are generally the smallest size available in 4K. “Visually, many people say that 55 inches is the lowest you can go and still get the benefit

of 4K, depending on how close you sit, but certainly 40 inches really would be the minimum,” he said.

Practice director Sam Rosen added: “Unlike 3D, which required awkward glasses, 4K has the legs to become an industry norm. This isn’t a sprint, however, and it will take time for the necessary infrastructure, installed base of devices, and content to come together before 4K becomes an integral part of how the typical TV household consumes video content. We expect this could start to happen as early as 2018 in some regions. In the meantime, many consumers will have 4K panels without 4K content, or 4K game consoles without a 4K display, and will claim a superior 4K experience even though the technical merits are not quantifiable.”

ABI’s report (UltraHD TV, 4K STB and HEVC STB Adoption) discusses the current market conditions for 4K from both content and device perspectives and evaluates the potential for 4K TVs and service provider set-top boxes, looking at what broadcasters and operators are doing in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, and the implications of different technologies, with regional and global forecasts for shipments and market penetration from 2013 to 2018.

and Avid editing suites. The deliverables were managed using BTV Post’s Eclipse.

“HCW was a production that was logistically and technically challenging,” commented post supervisor, Chris Gallani.

“Rushes were couriered from location to our post facility operating round-the-clock for immediate ingest. We needed a workflow which allowed for the footage to be accessible ASAP by the editors who were eager to start, as well as tailoring for the multiple media types coming

from the different cameras we used on the shoots.”

“HCW required a well-planned workflow to be conceived within a relatively short space of time before filming. Luckily, our experience of working on major stereoscopic 3D productions helped us deliver a workflow that merged seamlessly with production. It was great to see it flourish into full, glorious 3D and 5.1 surround. The team were very happy with its delivery and look forward to seeing it on TV.” www.btvpost.com

UHD to have 6% of Euro market in 2018

By David Fox SALES OF 4K TV sets will remain low for the next few years, but should begin to take off in 2018, according to new research.

The technology is being adopted most quickly in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China, although ABI Research predicts that the North American market will be the first region to eclipse 5% (in 2017) and 10% (by end of 2018) of TV households with UHD TVs. “By 2018, more than 6% of households in Western Europe will have 4K sets,” said Michael Inouye, senior analyst (pictured).

Despite limited 4K content, a decrease in the price of 4K sets will facilitate the expansion of the installed base through normal upgrade cycles. The report predicts that 4K TVs will account for just over 11% of total flat panel TV shipments in 2018.

“Despite a very limited installed base there have already been a number of 4K trials from broadcasters, pay TV operators, and satellite

Inouye: “There probably won’t be much 4K broadcast for another two years. There just aren’t really enough television sets” operators. While many point to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and Sochi Winter Olympics as highlights for 4K, these events will have a minimal impact on 4K adoption — it’s simply too early,” he predicted.

Supporting technologies like HEVC and HDMI 2.0 will also need time to establish solid footholds in the market.

While there are trials by various European broadcasters, such as Sky Deutschland (which he expects will launch a 4K channel in 2014 or 2015), Sky Italia, Eutelsat, Russia’s NTV+ (which will probably have a UHD demonstration during the Winter Olympics), Hispasat in Spain, and various others shooting 4K content, such as the BBC Natural History Unit and Sky Sports, “there probably won’t be much 4K broadcast for another two years. There just aren’t really enough TV sets.”

While price will be the most critical factor for 4K TV adoption, the advent of OTT services (such as Sony’s Video Unlimited 4K service and Netflix’s newly announced support for 4K in the US), and display features such as upscaling will enable early adopters to bridge the content gap and raise consumers’ valuation of 4K as a TV feature.

BTV Post provides full visuals for How Cities Work

By Holly Ashford BTV POST worked with Electric Sky Productions to provide full post production for the TV series How Cities Work, commissioned

by Discovery. Shot in 3D, the series visits iconic cities

around the globe, following the technological achievements, planning and engineering works in each location.

BTV Post colourists and online editors, Ian Grey and George Dutton completed the picture post for the five-episode

series with audio by Jon Gray, dubbing mixer for BTV Post.

The series was filmed earlier this year using a range of cameras including the Sony TD-300, with the media transferred via BTV Post’s fast data connection for online and mastering on Mistika

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44 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com December 2013

The Workflow Global Production’s 30-camera HD OB truck Infinity

To Infinity and beyond Turin company Global Production recently took its new 30-camera truck, Infinity, on its first outings, covering the World Cycling Championship in Florence and the Ferrari Challenge at the Mugello circuit. Mike Clark took a look inside Italy’s largest HD OB truck INFINITY IS the fourth HDTV OB production truck currently fielded by Global Production, whose high profile sports coverage in recent years has included the 2006 Winter Olympics, Beijing Olympics and the World Alpine Ski Championships.

Global Production’s Infinity is pulled by an Iveco Stralis 480 tractor, has four expansions and measures 46x8.3ft closed and

49x17.5ft when fully deployed, with an impressive 70sqm of comfortable stylish workspace.

The Infinity truck is the world’s first based round the powerful 4K-ready Harris Platinum IP3 576x1024 multiformat 3G matrix (351x240 HD SDI 3G, 32x32 analogue video, 128x128 analogue audio and 128x128 AES audio) and, as far as scalability is concerned, has the largest capacity on the

market. The impressive system also features six HView SX PRO 64x6 multi-display management modules and 32 Magellan Router Control Panels (24 LCD, four RCP-48LCD and four RCP-64 LCD).

Glue includes seven Harris 8900 mainframes, 40 HD/SDI/3G DA-DHR 6804 distribution amplifiers, 14 HMX 6803 HD/SDI/3G video embedders, 10 HDX 6803 de-embedders, 20

VEA6800+ analogue video DAs and 20 ARG6800+ audio remote gain Das.

Setting the bar high On the reason behind investing in such an impressive project in a period in which the economic pinch is pretty widespread, Davide Furlan, Global Production’s business manager and one of the company’s founding partners, explains: “When there is a big

shrinkage in the market, there’s obviously more supply than demand, so we decided it was best to set the bar high – we’ve always had innovation at the core of our corporate strategy and for years have invested all the company profit on machines and human resources.”

The high profile rig (most of which is 4K ready) includes a 96-input GV Kayak HD300 4.5ME vision mixer while audio is mixed on a Digico D5 Live console and Dolby E processing facility. Intercom is courtesy of a Riedel Artist 128 matrix with 24 LCD-panels and 92 4-wire ports.

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The Workflow

The truck is world’s first based round the powerful 4K-ready Harris Platinum IP3 576x1024 multi-format 3G matrix

With the exception of 10 Sony PMV 1741 OLED monitors, all others are LG LCD models

Left to right: Global Production’s technical director, Gilberto Stecazzini, CEO Stefano Bianco, and business manager Davide Furlan

After installation by CRV Sistemi, system integrator Nicola Dall’Asta programmed the equipment. He explains, “The revolutionary aspect of this project is that the OB-VAN doesn’t need a PC to set different parameters on cards, patch cords to route audio/video signals or panels and specific systems to handle alarms and configurations. Everything can be carried out via any matrix panel installed on the OB-VAN in a clear, simple and rapid manner. After the programming, the Global technicians and I were astonished by how easy, intuitive and fast it was to control such a large system — from when it’s switched on, the van is up and running in just four minutes.

Furlan enthuses, “We were the first to install the new Harris IP 3 matrix on an OB van with the new HView SX PRO modules, which ensure maximum quality and only 20 milliseconds delay, along with a NanoLED monitor set-up, which guarantees the production team spectacular realistic viewing. We opted for all-Harris glue (video distributors, embedders, de-embedders, cross-converters, frame sync, etc) which, combined with the CCS Navigator control software, enables configurations to be set or changed very rapidly, with just a few clicks, and video and audio flow to be controlled in realtime.”

A sporting future

With the exception of 10 Sony PVM 1741 OLED monitors in the engineering area, all others are LG LCD models: six 55-inch (Main Production Area), four 47-inch (Sub Production Area) and 16 32-inch (slo-mo area) units.

Furlan continues, “Apart from the unequalled combination of the powerful matrix and multi-viewer system, combined with thirty cameras HD/3G, 10EVS six-channel and a vision mixer with 4.5M/E. Other key features of Infinity are not strictly speaking broadcast gear, but ensure the truck’s secure operation, such as the (totally redundant) cooling system and back-up batteries enabling the set-up to run for 20 minutes in the event of a power failure.”

The truck’s Harris Selenio media convergence platform

features 10 Frame Synchronisers with Colour Corrector, 18 HD/SD Cross Converters with Frame Synchroniser. The WSG–4MTG system includes two WSG-4 MTG Master Timing Generators with GPS Antenna Receiver and a

Network and the 10 recorders are a combination of HDW 2000P HDCAM and XDS-PD1000 and PDW-HD1500 XDCAM. There are also two BlackMagic Hyperdeck Studio Pro 4K.

control ops, 10 EVS ops, three sound engineers, two mixer video mixer ops, two directors, four production assistants, two producers and a graphic operator, each with his or her own workspace.

“We’ve always had innovation at the core of our corporate strategy and for years have invested all the company profit on machines and human resources” Davide Furlan, Global Production WSX-11-3G multi-format sync changeover unit. A Videotek TVM 9100 PKG video and audio analyser, three Videotek CMN 91 multi-format analysers and two Harris DL-870 2-CH Legalisers are also on-board.

The slo-mo system comprises 10 EVS XT[2] with EVS

Easy, intuitive and fast Camera-wise the truck currently fields up to 30 GVG LDK 6000/8000 and although the onboard technical team obviously varies according to the type of production at maximum capacity the truck is able to host a chief technician, four camera

CRV Sistemi, of Limbiate (Monza/Brianza) was responsible for the integration of the Infinity’s broadcast system, the realisation of the electrical system for the project (with over 100km of cable), as well as supplying all the passive components.

The OB production market in Italy has shrunk considerably and with the exception of a few music and entertainment events, the only ones standing up to the current situation, justifying large-scale live coverage and financial outlay are sports, so Global Production studied the on-board areas and chose the technology according to what would be the most frequent type of use, which in fact has resulted in space for a completely independent twin production set-up. Large live events with on-board integration will therefore be the truck’s staple diet.

Furlan concludes, “We’re a young, sound and dynamic small/medium company - we know and respect our Italian and international competitors, but it would be stupid to hide our intention to export our technical facilities and expertise to satisfy foreign producers’ needs.” www.globalproduction.it

Date: Tuesday, June 3rd 2014 Venue: BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London

Next in the series of Beyond HD Masters events for TVBEurope If high definition is the new standard definition, then what’s beyond HD? Is 4K the next target for high-end TV production, broadcast and display - or 8K? What is going to drive the European television technology industry into the future?

WHO SHOULD ATTEND Directors of Technology, Heads of Production at independent production companies, Directors of equipment rental or hire, Heads of Outside Broadcasts, Production Managers, Senior Directors, Heads of Cameras, Chief Engineers, Programme Operations Managers, Stereographers, Producers, Directors of Broadcasting, Studio Directors, Technical Consultants, Research Engineers TARGET AUDIENCE ORGANISATION Public broadcaster, commercial broadcaster, production company, niche channel provider, playout provider, post production and facilities, rental and hire, outside broadcast and events service, freelance professional, business television, broadcast equipment vendor, broadcast equipment channel provider

SAVE £10th0e !

by booking d rate ly bir incredible ear

£149 plus VAT

WHY ATTEND? Discover the media eco-chain for ultra-HD Hear from the world standardisation leaders Case studies from high-profile production trials Find out the future for 3D TV in Europe Tech insights into frame rates, codecs, formats Meet the key market influencers and vendors Network with technology & production colleagues Know what the Beyond HD roadmap looks like PREVIOUS ATTENDEES INCLUDE Orange, ITV, Sony Pictures, Arqiva, 20th Century Fox, Telenor, Panavision Europe, BBC, S4C, Discovery Networks Europe, Sky, Pro TV, Siemens, MTV International, Dolby, EDU, Digital TV Group, Deluxe, Cambridge Research Systems Ltd, BKSTS, Bath University, Atlantic Productions, Finnish Broadcasting Co.,Fountain Studios, France Telecom/Orange Labs A TVBEurope event

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@BeyondHDMasters

To book your tickets visit: www.beyondhdmasters.com or call Sarah Harris on +44 (0)207 354 6001 For details on sponsorship opportunities, please contact: Ben Ewles on +44 (0)207 354 6000 or ben.ewles@intentmedia.co.uk Steve Connolly on +44 (0)207 354 6000 or steve.connolly@intentmedia.co.uk Richard Carr on +44 (0)207 354 6000 or richard.carr@intentmedia.co.uk

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The Workflow

across the two programmes.

The key effects scene in the Robbers drama involved rebuilding a period version of Euston Station from scratch with a steam train added. The team also created complete CG versions of the crucial railway signals that were tampered with by the robbers, as well as digital removing April snow from what was supposed to be an August day.

The Coppers drama features a continuous circular shot of the courtroom, created with around 11 plates and green screens used to fully populate the room using a limited number of extras. The team also created an effects transition from a café to a Tube

station, with a key character looking at a painting that morphs into a Tube map. Other shots in the piece include green screen car windows with period cars composited in.

LipSync’s graphics team created two very different title designs for each film. For A Robber’s Tale, the title sequence needed to set the style of the period and hint that the criminals, imagined themselves as a cool ‘rat-pack’. The sequence introduces the key players with a montage of heavily colour graded shots, with a mixture of original and archive material. A Copper’s Tale took a more traditional approach with a full-frame cut sequence to introduce the film, with titles integrated into each scene and effects transitions between the shots.

Art direction and design were

by Howard Watkins with additional design, animation and comping by Simon Edwards and Julia Hall.

Producer Julia Stannard, who previously worked with LipSync on United and Falcón, said, “LipSync has once again done an incredible job, on time and on budget, to help bring to life this key event in British history.”

LipSync Post is located across two sites on London’s Wardour Street. Recent credits include film projects Starred Up, The Invisible Woman, Byzantium, and Broken. Projects for TV include Death Comes To Pemberley, Dancing on the Edge, The Sparticle Mysteries, Falcón, Leonardo and Hidden. www.lipsyncpost.co.uk

“Currently, 3D and design are on different floors and the intention is for a complete integration of all departments,” he added.

“We will reset the standard in terms of technology and will take some big steps to change how we use the kit. We intend to build a fully tapeless workflow and to design an infrastructure which will challenge the norms and conventions of how post has worked in the past. The layout will enable us to tailor teams of specialists with great flexibility and truly allow those artists to express themselves on a project.”

The facility is testing a number of systems and will make a decision on its final specifications in about three months. Dark fibre will be run between the two buildings during migration.

“Our aspiration is not simply to find a bigger building, but to continue to do the best creative work possible,” O’Kelly explained.

The Mill currently has a film scanning facility, but O’Kelly says that more than 90% of the material the company takes in is not shot on negative. “Our view is that, though we love film, it is not going to be a significant part of the future,” he said.

“Arguably post is more influential than ever, but the biggest single shift in recent times has been early stage engagement,” he added. “This means boarding projects early on to help creatives realise their vision. We have a whole team of artists, designers and illustrators at Mill+ who can help clients understand a brave idea by producing tests and CG visualisations.” www.themill.com

A Robber’s Tale features a digitally rebuilt Euston Station, circa 1963

LipSync Post plays Coppers and Robbers

By Neal Romanek LIPSYNC POST provided full post services, including visual effects, for BBC One’s pair of Great Train Robbery dramas marking the 50th anniversary of the notorious heist. The first, A Robber’s Tale, directed

by Julian Jarrold (The Girl, Appropriate Adult), follows the story of gang leader, Bruce Reynolds. The second, A Copper’s Tale, directed by Broadchurch’s James Strong, follows DCI Tommy Butler and his quest to bring the robbers to justice.

LipSync’s visual effects team, led by VFX supervisors Ben Shepherd and Leo Neelands, completed around 40 shots

The continuous courtroom shot in A Copper’s Tale combines 11 plates

16K put through The Mill as it reimagines post

By Adrian Pennington LEADING LONDON postproduction facility The Mill is intent on resetting the bar on client-artist experience with a tapeless infrastructure capable of handling ingest, DI and master of resolution at 4K and above. Recently, The Mill has also completed a project at 16K resolution, although details about this have been kept under wraps.

It plans to move to a purposedesigned 30,000sqft (2787sqm)

studio at Windmill Street, Fitzrovia by next summer.

Established 24 years ago at Great Marlborough Street as arguably the capital’s first digital video effects facility, The Mill subsequently branched out into New York and LA (and latterly Chicago). Both main US operations have expanded to 140+ staff and been relocated at least once to accommodate the growth.

High time then that The Mill, consistently voted the UK’s best, refreshed its London HQ.

“A number of things provided us with a new impetus to change the way we work with clients,” said managing director, Darren O’Kelly. “The Mill is still heavily concentrated on VFX for commercials, but it is also experimenting with technology and media across digital, gaming, directed design and animation. We distilled this into Mill+, which is a powerful way for us to originate new types of content but in a manner that lends itself to a different studio working environment.

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Rackspace: StockRoom London goes digital StockRoom London has archived film, tapes and hard drives for broadcasters, post houses and production companies.

Neal Romanek talks with company director Peter Godden about its new DataRoom, which offers clients new possibilities for data storage and digital infrastructure

Peter Godden, director of StockRoom London CANNON HOUSE is a building not even an aerial bombardment could flatten.

Located in the Royal Arsenal area of Woolwich, in London, the StockRoom London has housed its archive services there since 2011, after expanding from its south London location in the Old Kent Road. Once a cannon factory and munition storage for Queen Victoria’s navies, with brick walls four feet thick, the building was bombed during World War II. Although the back of it was blown out, the bulk of the structure remained.

The building was fully restored and put back into service, serving as secure archiving and book storage for the British Library prior to the StockRoom’s arrival.

StockRoom London archives film, tape, documents, hard drives, and even props and equipment, for productions, film, tv and commercial

expand again, this time into the digital realm.

DataRoom is the name of StockRoom London’s next offering. The brainchild of company director Peter Godden, the DataRoom will offer data storage and server space to clients for a variety of uses. “When we moved into Cannon House, we had the space to try other ventures,” says Godden, “The StockRoom had been taking on more data storage. Instead of film cans and tapes, we were getting more drives coming in to put on the shelves. We foresaw quite a few years back that we were going to have more and more data and we had to address that.”

StockRoom had considered starting a data centre when they were still entirely housed at the Old Kent Road, but despite its London location, there weren’t any suitable networks in the area from which the company could easily access a fibre connection.

The DataRoom at Woolwich is connected to Telehouse West by a dark fibre network installed by telecoms company Geo Networks through the London sewer network and out to the world via Level 3.

There are currently 12 fibre pairs going into the building, with each fibre pair capable of carrying 80 10GB connections.

“We foresaw quite a few years back that we were going to have more and more data and we had to address that”

production companies from around Britain.

Their clients have included Handmade Films, Halo Post and the British University Film and Video Council. They also handle storage for major ad agencies like Ogilvy and TBWA and institutions like the Royal Opera House and BAFTA. Movement to the Woolwich location was a natural evolution.

As clients’ storage requirements expanded, a bigger location became imperative. With Soho real estate among some of the most expensive in Britain, and StockRoom’s business demanding a surplus of physical space, Woolwich came into focus as a viable, high secure, alternative.

Safe and secure storage is only one half of any archiving

Godden sees the StockRoom’s DataRoom offering as being the digital equivalent of renting out factory floor space to clients, offering rack space, and 120,000sqft of brick-and-mortar space, for companies who want to install their own IT infrastructure. Users could use DataRoom’s servers or install their own computing, editing, ingest and VFX rendering equipment onsite. Managing the network themselves will allow the company more freedom to configure the DataRoom according to client requirements.

The DataRoom is an especially attractive proposition for companies looking to digitise content. “They have the space in the building to house their archives, but they also have the connectivity, so they

Peter Godden, StockRoom London system, the other is easy and immediate access. StockRoom’s storage is far from a footage graveyard. The company’s vans make deliveries in and out of London, and to other facilities around the country, all day, every day.

Despite the Woolwich location’s vast space (the interior of the location recalls the last shot from Raiders Of The Lost Ark), industry demand has pushed the StockRoom to

StockRoom London archives film, tape, documents, hard drives, and even props and equipment

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The Workflow

How does a film and tape archive stay ahead in a digital world? It gets a fibre connection

The company’s vans make deliveries in and out of London, all day, every day

NPTV’s technology delivers interactive video to any internet-connected device

NPTV launches its interactive cloud TV

By Holly Ashford

The future: the DataRoom has 12 fibre pairs, each capable of carrying 80 10GB connections can digitise the content and send it to their main location over a network. Under one roof they can have archives, ingest and networking capabilities.”

Serving the post industry, broadcasters, and archive owners, the DataRoom can offer the necessary power, space and connectivity to a company that doesn’t need to house its staff and kit in locations, like Soho, where space is at a premium.

“The technology now is such that you can remotely locate a lot of the equipment you are using,” says Godden, “Why have it on prime real estate, when it could be co-located on cheaper real estate? Then the prime real estate that you release at your head office or your production facility can be reutilised to become revenue-generating space. If companies are looking to expand, they don’t necessarily

need to move offices. They can look at what equipment they’ve got currently in their office and see if that can be co-located at places like the DataRoom.”

Godden has already been negotiating with potential DataRoom clients. “We can help companies co-locate operations.

It’s not just rackspace - a company can put a whole remote operation or machine room in.

Or if companies want to build their own cloud platform and run it themselves, they can do that in our space. They can build their own private structures, rather than going out to a public cloud, which some clients have concern about. Disaster recovery is also an area of increasing importance to the media sector.”

While StockRoom London preserves the past, Godden’s DataRoom is certainly looking toward the future.

LAST MONTH, NPTV launched its interactive cloud TV platform at an event in London, where the company will soon open its UK office.

First showcased at IBC in September, NPTV’s product renders multi-sourced video in the cloud in realtime, delivering interactive video to any internetconnected device in a single stream, offering, claims Kenneth Lampinen, COO NPTV, an “enriched experience”.

At the event Lampinen explained how NPTV’s technology allows the audience to be an active participant in viewing content, and that its cloud platform is part of “the future of broadcasting.”

Broadcasters will be able to deliver content to viewers with a variety of components, including video, social streams, apps and advertising sitting in the cloud.

This allows broadcasters to deliver all this content over one video stream. “There is a lot of applicability for this technology,” explained Lampinen, including sports, live events such as music concerts, reality TV and dramatic content.

The company worked in conjunction with Eurosport WTCC Racing to develop the new technology and deliver a range of features for racing coverage, which were demoed at the London event. Different camera perspectives can be accessed, including those from drivers’ cars and helicopter shots.

Driver stats can be viewed, in addition to vehicle and track information and key race events.

The simple UI over the screen aims to put the end-user in the director’s chair, providing a “what I want, when I want, how I want” viewer experience.

Harri Kopenen, NPTV CEO, was also at the event and described how the technology is the culmination of two and a half years of work, begun by NPTV’s technical team in Moscow.

However, he emphasised that the innovation is an “international technology driven by an international team”. The company seems to be stretching its international presence even further, with its UK office opening in London in this month. Why London? “The future is created in the big cities,” said Lampinen.

“The future of broadcast has arrived and it will be based here

in London.” Kopinen added.

“By tapping into the vast technological and creative talent in London, we expect our new UK office to help us continue to innovate and to disrupt the broadcasting world.”

One benefit of NPTV’s technology is that is does not require a smart device, only one which is internetconnected. TV programming and video can be viewed on any device including a set top box, (without the need for an upgrade), smart TV, smartphone, tablet and PC, without losing full HD quality.

There is also flexibility regarding how companies wish to take the product to the market. Video advertisers, for example, will be able to insert interactive ads if that’s what clients want for their customers.

Advertisements can be targeted for specific types of viewer, with the possibility of purchasing straight from TV ads.

NPTV announced that the technology is to become available in Q2 of next year and that its launch spells “the direction the industry is going.

This is what users want.” www.nptv.com

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News Review

By Holly Ashford

SIS LIVE and partners in live broadcast first: SIS LIVE has worked with the Red Bull Music Academy, Channel 4 and You Tube to deliver a unique project which saw 30 music gigs from the EDF Energy London Eye broadcast live and streamed online. Thirty of the 32 ferris wheel capsules played host to a different club night, with over 100 DJs and artists involved. SIS LIVE produced live multi-camera feeds from the 31 moving capsules, which were broadcast in realtime on channel4.com in the UK and via YouTube for the rest of the world. A RouteCase system was used in each of the 30 capsules to produce the video and audio feeds which were then transmitted to the production unit. www.sislive.tv

Panavision unveils Primo V

Milk has been creating VFX for Doctor Who since 2005

Milk delivers 3D VFX for Doctor Who 5 special Milk Visual Effects has worked with the BBC to create the visual effects for the corporation’s 75-minute special Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode, The Day of The Doctor. Milk created a series of large-scale CG environments, action and CG spacecraft in stereoscopic 3D for the episode, which was broadcast on BBC One on 23 November and simulcast in a record-breaking 94 countries and more than 1500 cinemas worldwide. Milk created 129 visual effects shots and constructed a large scale 3D environment with fly-through, taking advantage of the depth that stereoscopic 3D allows. The team at Milk has been creating the visual effects for Doctor Who since its TV comeback in 2005.

The programme has won a number of accolades including a BAFTA, a VES (Visual Effects Society) Award and an RTS Award for their VFX work. www.milk-vfx.com

Panavision has introduced a new line of Primo lenses, the Primo V series, designed for highresolution 35mm digital cameras. The Primo V uses the lens elements from existing Primo lenses and aims to maximise digital image quality, bringing the look and feel of Panavision Primos to digital cinematography. Patent pending modifications of the Primo V lenses eliminate the coma, astigmatism and other aberrations introduced by the additional glass between the lens and sensor, while preserving image characteristics of the Primo optics. The Primo V lenses are compatible with any digital camera equipped with PL or Panavision 35 mount systems. www.panavision.co.uk

Primo V

ADVERTISER INDEX 37 ....................................Adder 12........................................AJA 5 ..............................Blackmagic 3 ................Bridge Technologies 13, 15, 17 ..........................Cinegy

IFC .......................Digital Rapids 7.............................Disc Archive 51.....................................Evertz 6.........................................EVS 38 .............................Gearhouse

Finnish Idols is celebrating its 10th anniversary

Tiger Aspect uses Aframe for BBC’s Ripper Street: Tiger Aspect Productions chose Aframe’s secure cloud service for BBC series Ripper Street, to make dailies and rough cuts accessible and easily available online, on iPads and laptops. Aframe was used to upload content quickly and store it securely in the cloud ready for easy distribution.

Recipients can choose to view content online or download locally to iPad or laptop whilst reviewing the production’s process. “Now, by using a secure cloud approach to store and share content, we’ve dramatically improved the speed of review, and made the entire process painless yet secure,” said Will Gould, head of drama at Tiger Aspect. www.aframe.com

Robe lights up Finnish Idols Thirty-six Robe Pointe moving lights have been used in the seventh season of TV series Finnish Idols, as part of the set design created by lighting and visuals designer Mikki Kunttu.

The programme is produced by FreemantleMedia Entertainment Finland and is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The 36 Pointes are supplied to the show by Akuntehdas and are distributed between three pods in the ceiling, with some positioned on the floor. The Idols 2013 lighting set up comprises two rear trusses for back-lighting positions, three upstage pods, two side pods which are slightly larger and rigged with different fixtures to the rear ones for contrast and a front truss.

“They have real punch and I love the zoom and the colour system,” Kunttu said of the Pointes adding that he intends to use them in his upcoming work. www.robe.cz

14 ..................................Gra Vue 1.......................................Harris 29......................................HHB 26..............................Infortrend 11 ....................................Matrox 20....................................Metus

Sony 4K workflow for French Masters: Euro Media France spent three days in October creating a multi-camera live production in Ultra HD for the French Tennis Federation, providing coverage of the BNP Paribas Masters de Paris-Bercy tennis tournament. The production was supported by a number of companies including Sony, which provided the F55 cameras, the MVS 8000X switcher, the HDCAM S R-R1000 recorders and 4K monitors. Euro Media France created a complete solution, from the four camera coverage to the delivery of broadcast-ready files with 3840x2160 pixel resolution. The signal was broadcast on site at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, on 65-inch 4K TV screens provided by tournament sponsor Panasonic. www.euromedia-france.com

27.................................Miranda 21 ......................................Netia 35, 42, 52 .....................Playbox 34............................Pro Consult 9 ........................................Snell 30 .......................................SSL

43 ..................................Stryme 31.........................TC Electronics 23 ....................Telekom Austria 8..................................TV Logic