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September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
3
Welcome
EDITORIAL Content Director and Editor-in-Chief: James McKeown jmckeown@nbmedia.com Deputy Editor: Holly Ashford hashford@nbmedia.com Staff Writer: James Groves jgroves@nbmedia.com Group Managing Editor: Joanne Ruddock jruddock@nbmedia.com Contributors: Michael Burns, David Davies, George Jarrett, Adrian Pennington, Philip Stevens, Catherine Wright Sales Manager: Peter McCarthy pmccarthy@nbmedia.com +44 207 354 6025 Account Manager: Richard Carr rcarr@nbmedia.com +44 207 354 6000
Transformation in the digital age IBC2016’s refreshed conference programme will shine some much need light on the change in our marketplace
I
f there’s one noticeable thing about
issue. Another area of fascination at the
this year’s conference programme at
RAI will be VR, and we have entrusted
IBC, it’s that it appears more serious;
Adrian Pennington to dig a little deeper
of greater substance; more pointed
into this disruptive technology in the
towards the tangible operational
main feature for this issue. We also begin
Digital Director: Diane Oliver
challenges businesses in our line of work
a series of essays on sustainability from
Human Resources and Office Manager: Lianne Davey
face. Not that previous programmes
BAFTA’s Aaron Matthews, as he spells out
Designer: Kelly Sambridge
have been lacking in this area, but
how the industry can better engage with
Head of Production: Alistair Taylor
there is a noticeable sense of advance
Sales Director: Mark Rankine
in the plotting of ‘who will be discussing what’ in
Managing Director: Mark Burton
Amsterdam. One need only dart a glance at the
have a new category devoted to Sustainability. The
US Sales: Michael Mitchell mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv +1 (631) 673 0072
keynote speakers to find some emphasis here: an
awards is our annual chance to throw a big knees-
impressive bunch spearheaded by Sir Martin Sorrell,
up for the sector, and in doing so recognise those
with a supporting cast that includes Academy
projects, businesses, and people who are making an
Award-winning director, Ang Lee and the revered
indelible footprint of their own in the market. Tickets
Lord Puttnam, CBE.
and tables are available at www.tvb-awards.com/
Japan and Korea Sales: Sho Harihara sho@yukarimedia.com +81 6 4790 2222 Circulation Free subscriptions tvbe.subscriptions@c-cms.com Subscriptions Tel +44 1580 883848
They are joined by business leaders such as Erik Huggers, president and CEO of Vevo; Shahrzad Rafati, founder and CEO of Broadband TV;
TVBEurope is published 12 times a year by The Emerson Building, 4-8 Emerson street, London, SE1 9DU England +44 207 354 6002
improving their environmental footprints. This leads me to the TVBAwards, at which we
buy tickets, so get booking and join the fun as we pay homage to all that is great about our industry. I hope you have enjoyed your summer, and I
and Christopher Whiteley, EMEA VP of business
hope you enjoy this issue, enjoy IBC, and enjoy the
development for Netflix. It’s a pretty comprehensive,
IBC Daily, which I am also overseeing this year. n
striking list, and you’ll be able to read all about the
James McKeown
insight and inspiration they serve up in our October
Editor-in-Chief
SECTION EDITORS
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Philip Stevens Production editor
Michael Burns Post production editor
George Jarrett Business editor
David Davies Audio editor
26/08/2016 15:32
4 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
In this issue
6
Opinion and Analysis
In the first of a new series on sustainability in the broadcast industry, BATFA’s Aaron Matthews highlights what we can do to tackle the global temperature rise
38
16
Feature
It’s still early days for virtual reality. Adrian Pennington traces the breakthroughs and hurdles for the disruptive technology
55
Business George Jarrett reports from the HPA Technology Retreat in Oxfordshire, the first such event to be staged outside the US
Post Production
61 Audio
64 TVBEverywhere
Michael Burns offers an overview of the post production kit on show at this month’s IBC
Cologne-based RTW celebrates 50 years in the audio metering business
Futuresource’s Carl Hibbert shares findings from the company’s latest Virtual Reality Report
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Opinion and Analysis
Planet placement success here,” suggests Winterwatch exec Tim
failed to produce environmental action plans
Scoones, “will not be worthy green programming,
that address the root of the issue. Considering
but bringing sustainability into the mainstream
what is at stake, it is simply not good enough.
and making it culturally normal. We’ll make that
albert seeks to lead the industry to a carbon
A
a reality with open industry-wide discussion.”
friendly future. The initiative has been well
By Aaron Matthews, industry sustainability manager, BAFTA s my colleagues and friends will attest,
On carbon reduction, the industry has broadly
received by some industry observers; “It is very
I am an upbeat person. I am, however,
sought to identify the footprints of individual
good indeed to know that there is a project
unable to describe the severity of the
productions whilst paying little attention to
preserving our resources, those which would
issues climate change will create for us without
the overall impact of our buildings and supply
otherwise have been replaced by yet more
using expletives.
chain. For me, this lack of oversight of the
depredations on the natural world,” says
So instead, I will describe the challenges we can expect before the end of the century: A global temperature rise between 2-6 degrees, bringing severe food shortages, extreme weather, mass extinction and global climate refugees estimated to number 200 million
legendary broadcaster and environmentalist
‘This is not polar bears - it is the only way to do business if we seek to preserve human culture and society’
by 2050. Damn! This almost certain destiny is
Our industry’s response to the above must be twofold. We must reduce our carbon footprint and we must also decide the role we want to
Part of albert’s aim is to identify green suppliers, another is to encourage a realistic conversation about the challenges we must address as an industry. Supported by an army of production managers, we have done some
unavoidable without the kind of effort so far proven to be beyond our capabilities.
David Attenborough.
great stuff on production. Our track record of broader agenda is the elephant in the room.
creating a more strategic approach at senior
We are not going to be able to recycle our way
levels, however, has been far from fruitful. Diary
out of this one!
cancellations have been frequent and industry
Credit where credit is due, some broadcasters
players have been hesitant to contribute modest
play in making sustainability a societal norm.
are really stepping up to the plate on carbon
To date, a handful of editorial pioneers have
reduction. Sky smashed its 25 per cent reduction
sums of money to support the work.
shown us what cultural leadership can look
target and I have every confidence it will reach
been handed a ‘get out of jail free’ card. The
like but broadly speaking, our output does little
a new ambitious 50 per cent goal. Conversely,
Paris Climate talks concluded with a partially
to promote a low carbon lifestyle.“The trick to
other broadcasters and many film studios have
legal binding framework, tasking each national
Quite remarkably however, it seems we’ve
www.MultiDyne.com
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TVBEurope
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
7
Opinion and Analysis over-deliver on a reduction strategy to be
editorial cultural leadership we would like to
our corporate sustainability objectives,” adds Bal
reviewed every five years. An international
show our audiences
Samra, managing director of BBC Television, “The
agreement of this kind has never been
Having recently surveyed the industry, gaining
wheels towards an environmentally responsible
reached before and will pave the way to
responses from CEOs and PMs alike, it is clear
BBC are in motion.”
international rescue. However well executed,
that individuals across the industry want action.
the plan won’t outline a suggested role of each sector - it is our responsibility to interpret and act on that ourselves. I believe we must collaborate and take the next steps, which are actually achievable: As individuals, we must state publically that
‘I believe that climate injustice is the greatest wrong of our time, we must think of it as we do slavery and suffrage’
whatever it takes, we all want a world where
productions, we will literally report ourselves into the grave. If we fail to inspire audiences to laugh, cry, gawk, and at the very least, understand climate change, then we will have let slip what is the nation’s largest hope at mounting an appropriate response. This is not polar bears
warming is kept below 2 degrees (or less) We must come together and look at the full
If, however, we continue to solely focus on mapping the carbon footprint of our
- it is the only way to do business if we seek to Ninety-seven per cent of our survey respondents
preserve human culture and society.
value chain of content production, distribution
want more action, citing access to green energy
and consumption, assess what is possible and
and a change to editorial portrayal of climate
more then you are not alone. We have collected
what our priorities should be. Moving the whole
change as priorities. Intention must translate into
signatures from our most senior industry peers
industry to 100 per cent renewable power is an
action. Talking about this inertia is ‘green dragon’
who recognise the need for change. They’ve
absolute priority
Deborah Meaden, “People shouldn’t feel tasked
pledged their support, but action must follow.
We must improve our carbon literacy rather
with behaving well, they need to be supported
If you, like me, feel that we could be doing
Climate injustice is the greatest wrong of our
than refusing to engage for fear of uncovering
in understanding the obstacles we are all facing
time. We must think of it as we do slavery
inconvenient environmental truths in our
and then get on and do it. The reality is that
and suffrage. These atrocities were overcome
professional and personal lives
those who don’t will risk feeling irrelevant.”
not by governments, but by grass roots
“We are looking for our suppliers to support us in
movements, and this gives me great hope. n
Crucially, we must decide the kind of
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Opinion and Analysis
The next gen goes live: Are we ready? By Michel Bais, managing director, Mobile Viewpoint
I
t was a while ago when I read The Circle, the
everyone is being live streamed 24 hours a day.
operators we are now capable of sending HD
When Dave Eggers wrote the novel only three or
signals reliably. In our WMT transmitter backpack
four years ago, he could not imagine how close
we used to have six to eight SIM cards to make
he was to reality.
sure that an HD signal of a cameraman in the
Smartphones are capable now of filming in
field will make it to the news studio. But with the
novel by Dave Eggers. For the readers that are
clear and crisp 4K and the modern 4G networks
excellent 4G or LTE coverage available in a lot of
not familiar with this Orwellian bestseller: in the
transport the video streams to social media
countries, we now only need two to get an even
era in which the story is set, practically everything
platforms easily, to be viewed by millions.
better picture.
that happens in the world of The Circle can be
Consumers in 2016 expect instant live video
viewed on any device. In the story, millions of
when Coldplay performs at their local stadium,
with new processors, transmitters and encoders
small cameras make sure that everything and
a factory is on fire or a politician resigns. Not on
can be built in tiny cameras, just like those used
their TV, but on their smartphone or tablet. The television set is now the second screen for
With 5G arriving in only a few years combined
in The Circle. And with super fast 5G networks, fibre and satellites are no longer needed to get
consumers and is being watched less and less. Of course, linear television will remain the mass medium for the big events: news, sports and entertainment like The Voice and the Eurovision Song Contest. But what will be the effects of the improved technology and 4G networks on the
‘The costs of live broadcast will drop rapidly, and will be affordable or even free of use for new players’
ratings of daytime programming, talk shows, music programmes etc? Networks worldwide are already experiencing great difficulty in keeping their audience, let
from A to B in 4K quality with low latency. The
alone finding new, younger viewers. Content will
way we transport live entertainment, sports and
reach its audience via the internet more and
news gathering will change, once and for all.
more, and television will be old school.
It goes without saying that the costs of live
User generated content has evolved to vlogs,
broadcast and connections will drop rapidly,
now watched by millions on YouTube. These
and will be affordable or even free of use for
programmes made for YouTube, Facebook and
new players. The Periscopers of today will be the
other social media will be the next generation of
broadcasters of tomorrow and bonding 3G, 4G
entertainment for the masses, and therefore of
and 5G to broadcast will be commonplace.
interest to broadcasters. To reach the masses the
It is our vision that our industry should embrace
public internet will become the most important
the YouTube generation and proactively help
infrastructure, for viewers and for broadcasters.
them turn their creative, niche content into
The public internet and mobile
high-end content for the masses. The millenials or
infrastructure have been used by broadcasters
generation X know how to reach their pals and followers, we know how to create better content
around the world for
for them. We know that a smartphone still needs
many years now.
a good microphone, additional lights and a rig
With the 3G networks of the telco
to make steady shots, not to mention the battery life required to film or stream 4K. We know how to broadcast, how to distribute content and how to use the internet in an efficient way. We should improve and customise the tools of the next generation and learn from them as well. Combining our knowledge will benefit us all. n
08 TVBE TVBE Sep Viewpoint Opinion_v3 final.indd 10
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Opinion and Analysis
The virtual path to broadcast playout By Don Ash, president, PlayBox Technology
T
has been reinvented, largely by telco
remote playout system can be located at the
service companies offering a wide choice of
broadcaster’s choice of remote playout centre,
programme channels bundled together with
typically a 24/7 service provider in whichever
telephone and broadband internet.
town, city, country or continent the broadcaster prefers. Management of programme schedules,
he introduction of direct-to-home satellite
Virtual playout
ad sales, media management and monitoring
transmission revolutionised the broadcast
The media industry today faces a further phase
can then be all performed in the usual
industry by opening up the airwaves to far
of transformation with the growing level of
way on the broadcaster’s premises, usually
more channels than were ever able to co-exist
interest in virtual broadcast playout: so-called
at its headquarters.
in the days of terrestrial analogue delivery. In the
‘cloud playout’.
US, this process stemmed from cable television
Virtual playout frees broadcasters from the
An easier route to air
operators who were already using satellites to
need to possess, operate and maintain their
A key advantage of virtual playout is set-up
send content to remote headends. Early direct-
own hardware. The savings in space and staff
speed. An efficient broadcast playout service provider using a universal television playout
to-home channels used lower power satellites which needed a large downlink dish. In Europe, the Astra 1A satellite was the first to provide medium power coverage across Western Europe, allowing reception via a dish of less than 1m in diameter. That was 1988.
‘Virtual playout frees broadcasters from the need to possess, operate and maintain their own hardware’
and streaming system, capable of continuous unattended operation, can make a 24/7 channel live in far less time than is needed for traditional server-plus-software or dedicated hardware systems. The actual time to put a new channel on air is reduced from months or
Nearly three decades on, television viewers
weeks to a matter of hours. Once a broadcaster
can today choose between a very wide range of programme channels and an unprecedented
overheads can be substantial, especially for a
is settled into this mode of operation, a new
number of content providers: digital terrestrial,
channel located in the centre of a major city.
channel can be activated within minutes. This
digital satellite and online. Cable television
Virtual playout is technically very elegant. A
level of flexibility also makes virtual playout an
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September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
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Opinion and Analysis ideal basis for transient content streams such
processing electronics or other hardware to
operational expense service, virtual playout frees
as ‘red button’ channels created to provide
be available on the cloud server. A totally
a channel owner’s investment capital to meet
supplementary information during a specific
software-centric approach, however, allows
the overheads of originating, acquiring or refining
programme series or outside broadcast event.
for the provision of full-scale playout with
content. It additionally offers broadcasters a
graphics on any enterprise-class blade, rack or
basis for very cost-effective, space-efficient and
tower server. When funded by the client as an
reliable disaster-recovery. n
Until just a few years ago, the majority of programmes and commercials were delivered to site on video tape. This was slow, expensive and required ingest staff to maintain a variety of playback decks able to handle the various competing tape formats. With the almost global
‘With the almost global rollout of optical fibre networking, an increasing amount of content travels as data files’
HALL 10 B12
rollout of optical fibre networking, an increasing amount of content now travels as data files via an IP link from producer to broadcaster. Virtual delivery has thus become a core element of the virtual playout model.
The template model Operational simplicity is a vital aspect of broadcast network management. A properly designed virtual playout system enables television channels to conduct their entire operation (from content acquisition, refining and archiving, right through to playout) via a single highly-reliable media platform which can be accessed and managed from practically any location, at any time. An essential element of this model is the provision of templates which customers can preconfigure to match their requirements, eliminating any need for subsequent manual interference. Flexibility is equally vital. Every clip in a playout schedule, except the one which is currently playing, needs to be accessible for trimming, editing or repositioning. Operators need the freedom to change playlist order on the fly using commands such as skip-to-next or jump. Changes must be achievable seamlessly without stopping the current playout session. Most important of all is the need to accommodate live production. Multichannel broadcasters need to be able to schedule channels with local programming and advertising for specific single or multiple regions, rather than using multiple satellite feeds with ad insertion.
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10 11 TVBE sep Playbox Opinion_v6_final.indd 11
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Opinion and Analysis
A smooth transition to an IP-based workflow By Bryce Button, product marketing manager, AJA Video Systems
of connectivity in your network infrastructure,
initial confusion and streamline the transition,
increased scalability and channel density,
making it even easier for facilities to upgrade
increased flexibility for working remotely, rich
their workflows.
future metadata possibilities, cost savings from
One common misconception is that shifting to
T
being able to keep more of your crew in one
an IP-based workflow requires huge, disruptive
he broadcast industry is in the midst of a
central location, and a larger world already
infrastructure changes. However, industry leaders
significant technological shift: the transition
attuned to IP interactions. Early adoption
are working together to achieve large-scale
from SDI to IP-based workflows. The
is underway, and recent advancements
interoperability and set industry standards and
benefits of switching to an IP-based workflow
from industry leaders, as well as collective
agreed upon roadmaps, thereby ensuring a
are readily apparent: an unprecedented level
approaches, are serving to further eliminate
more straightforward and efficient transition
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Opinion and Analysis than may have been the case otherwise. One
industry’s genes. Moving forward requires wide
workflows that require SMPTE 2022-6 with discrete
example is the Alliance for IP Media Solutions
adoption of standards to give broadcasters the
audio. VFS TR-03 will ultimately be implemented
(AIMS), which over the past year has aligned
comfort and assurance that the vendors they
as a standard down the line and improves
both broadcasters and technology vendors to
rely upon will be moving forward to support
on TR-04 by packetising video, audio and
promote open standards for IP-based systems.
these new ways of working. SMPTE and the Video
metadata into separate IP streams. This method
By maximising hardware and software interoperability and setting IP broadcast standards, facilities of all sizes now more than ever have a clear-cut, practical path for upgrading to IP and other technologies such as cloud-based production and distribution. Similar
will simplify the embed/de-embed path for
‘The broadcast world has something real to offer the IP space: respect for image fidelity and guaranteed delivery at low latency’
forward-thinking initiatives such as the ASPEN
In the real world, this transition will unfold gradually, but at an ever-increasing pace as the larger market forces that are already engaged in
the amount of network traffic generated by uncompressed video. We’re following this recommended path suggested by AIMS, with current support for SMPTE 2022-6, and upcoming support for TR-03
Community, Sony IP Live, and the Joint Task Force on Networked Media (JT-NM) are also in place.
audio and SDI signals, in the end reducing
and TR-04 coming down the line via firmware Services Forum (VSF) have come together to
updates to existing IP hardware. This year
develop a roadmap that details the three-step
at IBC, AJA, along with many other broadcast
path towards adoption of IP workflows.
technology vendors, will underscore a
Today, as broadcasters consider transitioning
solid commitment to the promise of an IP
IP connectivity are not sitting idly by. For the most
to IP technology, the most widely used standard
future with early demonstrations of next
part, IP is already a reality for broadcast delivery;
is SMPTE 2022-6. SMPTE 2022-6 supports hybrid
phase AES 67 support.
it’s in everyone’s interest to move the production
IP/SDI systems and delivers the first step in a
process forward on this front while minimising
practical way forward.
interoperability obstacles. The broadcast world has something real to
VSF TR-04 is the next recommended standard
With broadcasters, hardware vendors and software vendors working together to back IP, now is the time to seriously evaluate the switch.
that uses SMPTE 2022-6 for video with embedded
Solutions from almost all major vendors are widely
offer the IP space: respect for image fidelity and
audio, and AES67 for separate IP addressable
compatible thanks to cooperation and foresight.
guaranteed delivery at low latency. It’s in the
audio streams. As such, TR-04 is ideal for
So go ahead and embrace IP - it’s here to stay. n
www.asperasoft.com moving the world’s data at maximum speed
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Feature
MTV EMEA Awards 2016 Image courtesy of Mativision
Streaming the best seat in the house VR experimentation is turning to monetisation, with potential for pay-TV take off, writes Adrian Pennington
2017 by cinema motion-seat developer D-Box
2018. Facebook arguably kicked off the current
and The Virtual Reality Company, a producer
surge with its $2 billion purchase of Oculus Rift in
which counts Steven Spielberg as a shareholder.
2014. Since then, both Facebook and Google
Google is developing a cinematic quality camera with IMAX, which will use content
have developed an ecosystem for VR from camera rigs to distribution channels.
created on it to fuel a series of VR cinemas
In April, Google launched live-streamed
t’s still very early days for virtual reality
and other spaces it is launching this year, in
panoramic videos on YouTube, together with
(VR), and the breathless predictions for its
tandem with Swedish VR development company
a mobile app. Anyone owning a compatible
disruptive impact on everything from filmed
Starbreeze. VR’s breakthrough, however,
360-degree camera can now broadcast on
entertainment to journalism need reining
could lie in live events. Tests are focused on
Google’s platform. By the end of the year,
in. There is, though, undoubted excitement
overcoming technical hurdles like stitching and
Google will launch Daydream, an advanced
at the prospect of the new medium, with
latency while broadcasters work out how much
operating system for Android which will put its
experimentation taking place in many industry
to invest in live productions as the VR market
DIY VR experiment Cardboard into the shade.
verticals this year.
scales up.
Google says that Daydream-ready phones, as
I
While video games remain the big initial
Deloitte Global predicts that VR will have its first
well as a VR viewer and motion controller, will be
content draw for consumer VR, likely given
billion dollar year in 2016, comprising $700 million
a boost when Sony debuts Playstation VR in
in hardware sales and $300 million from content.
October, movie studios and filmmakers are
Worldwide shipments of VR hardware should
360-video. It has its own camera design pending
extending their ambition from short marketing
generate revenues of approximately $2.3 billion
and is working with VR camera makers like
promos to longer-form stories. A first feature-
this year, reckons IDC. CCS Insight forecasts that
Nikon to add Facebook buttons to cameras for
length VR action movie is planned for release in
24 million devices will be in consumer hands by
one click posting. There are rival VR streaming
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TVBEurope
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
17
Feature platforms too. Start-up LittlStar, backed by Disney, wants to be the Netflix of VR and has accumulated a library of professional content from Discovery, Showtime, online gaming giant Wargaming.net and fashion brand DKNY.
Monetisation While we can expect a deluge of usergenerated VR, pure play online platforms like YouTube and traditional pay-TV operators are more likely to use VR, initially at least, to build audiences and/or channel eyeballs to premium properties. Sky is a case in point. Although yet to announce its commercial intentions for VR, one can draw the dots between its dedicated VR Studio, which has serially trialled sports including boxing and a David Beckham interview with
Deloitte Global predicts that 2.5 million VR headsets will be sold this year
VR developers Jaunt and LiveLike. Sky has also made F1 VR experiences with Formula One
Nation to broadcast “hundreds” of live musical
lounge so that users could choose to watch
Management and, since it owns UK F1 rights, it
performances in VR. NextVR will test both
the normal directed coverage or dip into an
would be no surprise to see it launch VR streams
subscription and single view pay-per-view models
immersive VR angle.
of F1 races next season.
this year, mostly for Live Nation properties.
“If we were to release a commercial live
The Netherlands’ VR producer Scopic has
“Most broadcasters don’t have an appropriate, ready-to-air platform for this
stream VR platform tomorrow just for the UK
launched a live broadcasting division called VBR.
technology so we are assessing how we might
market I’ve no doubt we’d get over 10,000
It has live streamed DJ Hardwell performing in
bring VR to market,” explained Deltatre’s chief
subscribers,” reveals LiveLike founder and CEO
Miami claiming the first-ever EDM VR livestream.
product and marketing officer, Carlo De Marchis.
Andre Lorenceau. LiveLike offers a white label
“VR is exploding,” says Scopic’s Leon Horbach.
VR platform including acquisition solution and
“If you have a good solution you can sell out
like pause and rewind, and also features user
mobile app. “Our data shows at least 50 per cent
your stadium 100 times offering VR as a premium
choice of POV angles and curated feed. It
of users are willing to pay for a VR app.”
seat in a concert hall.”
supplied services to Olympic Broadcasting
NextVR’s platform includes PVR functionality
Services (OBS) in Rio to stream three 360-video
He believes, though, that pay-TV operators will use VR as a “sweetener” to entice subscribers to
Production issues
views. This followed a first Olympic test at the
other pay packages, rather than as a separate
Live streamed VR trials at sports events have
Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Games.
revenue stream.
tended to offer a number of 360-video streams
In the US, production outfit NextVR has been prolific. As part of a five-year deal with Fox
Arguably the biggest production challenge
for users to toggle between at will, and an
is stitching the camera views together. When
integrated or directed VR feed.
stitching is performed manually on recorded
This was the case during the Euros, where UEFA
content, it usually leads to several hours, if not
at events including the US Open golf and at
employed Nokia OZOs in a closed test managed
days, of laborious processing. Cinema style VR
the Kentucky Derby horse race for NBC Sports.
by Deltatre. An app combined a 2D standard
creation reportedly costs $10,000 per finished
It also has a pact with events company Live
feed and VR 3D video bracketed in a virtual
minute including compositing and rotoscoping.
Sports, it has trialled multi-rig, multi-camera VR
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16 17 18 20 TVBE SEP VR Feature_V3_final.indd 55
when audio matters 05.08.16 15:38
25/08/2016 12:01
18 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Feature
London-based company Mativision is behind the VR live stream of Muse live in concert Image courtesy of Mativision
That’s not feasible for broadcast, which is why
technology [Compound-Entropy Stereoscopic
difficult it will be to produce an engaging VR
VR producers have tended to devise their own
Encoder] and we combine that with view
experience,” suggests Karydis. “VR is good
technique. “We take advantage of the fact that
dependent streaming [also patented],” says
where there is action and interest all around. It
the cameras we use are not off the shelf but fully
Cole. “This allows us to send a low fidelity version
will be of little use in events where the action is
calibrated industrial units,” says Anthony Karydis,
of a full 360 environment and a high fidelity
concentrated in a restricted area. The rest of the
CEO, Mativision, a London-based company
version based on where the user is looking at
‘sphere’ will be pointless.”
behind the VR live stream of the MTV Europe
any one time. This technique greatly reduces the
Awards, and Muse and Sigur Ros concerts.
redundant information [outside of a person’s field
Distribution headache
of view at any time] which means we can get the
Aside from production challenges, there’s the
connected concurrent viewers is a problem
payload down.” However, bandwidth limitation
distribution conundrum of how to deliver the
facing all internet streamers which the data
is one reason why most sports productions
same content to different devices, whether
intensive nature of VR can exacerbate. NextVR,
have employed a 180-degree field of view.
head mounted displays (HMDs), 360-video sites,
for instance, captures 4K video from an eight-
“180-degrees defeats the purpose of VR video,”
or the burgeoning number of mobile apps. There
camera rig at 24,000 pixels horizontally and 6,000
argues Ben Duffey, CEO and founder Greenfish
are no VR standards. “One of the biggest issues is
pixels vertically at 60fps. This totals 6TB a second
Labs. “Some [sports VR tests] are only using 1-2
finding an encoder that encodes 360-video and
of raw data, yet NextVR claims its average
cameras and the rest of the space is just masked.
formats the streams correctly to be able to view
delivery to end-users is just 4-8Mbps.
It’s not true VR if you’re not fully immersed.”
it on multiple devices,” says Duffey. “Our tests
Delivering a reliable and constant stream to
“A typical Netflix [HD] stream is 8Mbps and we
LiveLike’s main application is a 180-degree
are all about finding the optimum resolution and
can deliver full 360 broadcast quality stereo video
field of view from a fish-eye lens attached
bitrate for distribution. We can create the feeds
at less than that,” claims Cole.
to a conventional broadcast camera with a
but it’s no good if the end user can’t see it.”
The firm achieves this, while circumnavigating
computer generated ‘VIP lounge’ rounding
Some VR streamers have devised their own end-
the real-time stitching issue, with its compression
out the viewer’s experience. It also offers full
to-end platform to get around this. “Developing
algorithm, first devised to broadcast stereo 3D.
360-video angles for viewers as part of the
our own players ensures total control right to the
“Our stereo compression is based on a patented
package. “The bigger the field, the more
delivery stage,” explains Karydis. “Our players are
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16 17 18 20 TVBE SEP VR Feature_V3_final.indd 56
25/08/2016 12:01
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20 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Feature very mature and rich in features; there is simply
usually consisting of multiple GoPros jury-rigged
with 360-media. Toward the high end, GoPro’s
no comparison with anything else in the market
together often with a tangle of wires, leading to
$15,000 16-camera Odyssey, co-developed with
today.” NextVR content, including for Fox Sports,
complicated setups and little mobility.
Google, is available for rent. Jaunt and Nokia
is only available over its own portal, which is
Sleeker versions are emerging from major
have technology aimed at filmmakers, the latter’s
available on most HMDs, but not Facebook
brands including, at the budget end, 360 action
OZO a $60,000 piece of kit with live broadcasting
or YouTube.
cameras like Samsung Gear 360, Ricoh Theta and
capability. Scopic’s Horbach says the OZO
Nikon Keymission 360. The $500 ALLie Cam was
produces “beautiful” images but its “render
business and technical reasons,” Cole explains.
the first to enable live streamed 360-video
times are horrible.” He understands Nokia is
“We can’t guarantee the compression efficacy
on YouTube.
working to address this.
“We don’t syndicate to other networks for both
or quality of our service on other platforms, and certainly not on YouTube or Facebook.”
GoPro’s six-camera Omni rig complete with
Facebook is planning Facebook Surround 360.
video stitching and live streaming software is
This 17-camera array (14 wide-angle cameras
available for $5,000 and the firm also has its own
plus a fish-eye lens on top and two more on the
Making VR social
“broadcast-quality” live-streaming system, LiveVR,
bottom) comes with software for live stitching.
VR may provide the ‘best seat in the house’, but
reportedly trialled at racing competitions MotoGP
The cameras use a global shutter and it will
it will be a fail for live sports if the experience of
and MotoAmerica. VideoStitch, which markets
apparently export video in resolutions up to 8K.
being there can’t be shared. The ability to share VR socially is reportedly key to Facebook’s R&D and is also seen as vital to other solutions. “We focus on the interactive element to give you the impression that you are there with friends,” says LiveLike’s Lorenceau. Later this year it
‘JPMorgan Securities forecast VR to be a $13.5 billion industry, shipping 89.3 million units, by 2020’
will enhance its platform with a live sharing
Applications YouTube and Facebook’s 360-video platforms will offer new channels for immersive ads. “VR opens up new opportunities in advertising on multiple fronts,” says Ampere analyst Andrew White. “An entire industry is growing around
component, which will feature an avatar as a
promotional VR experiences. Due to its
physical embodiment of another VR user sitting
a stitching tool for live 360-video, has devised
immersive nature, VR offers the opportunity
on the couch watching the game with you.
a small 4K imager costing $3,600. The Orah 4i
for brands to touch consumers in ways which
consists of four fish-eye lenses attached to a Sony
were previously unthinkable.”
“The avatar will be head and shoulders and eventually hands but it’s not intended to be
Exmor image sensor, a standard tripod mount
Away from the consumer space there’s a
hyper-real,” says Lorenceau. “What’s more
and four ambisonic mics. An Intel CPU, Nvidia
whole host of verticals which are set to benefit
important is localised audio. If you turn your head
GPU, and a 120GB SSD are used for processing
from VR. These range from military simulation
a friend will appear a couple of feet away and
via a ‘stitching box,’ connected to the camera
to architectural or tourism fly-throughs. The use
they can chat to you [via HMD mic] as if they
by Ethernet.
of VR for education and training crosses many
were in front of you. Turn to watch the game and
The portable Eyse is a kickstarter-funded
continue to chat and the audio will simulate their
project due for release in October. It features two
direction to your left.”
110-degree cameras for capturing stereoscopic
sectors and will be especially strong in academia, energy and health. On 14 April, the first live broadcast by VR of a
video. It also has bi-directional audio and can be
surgical operation was streamed from St Bart’s
social network in September and also has a plan,
mounted to a body harness or a drone. There’s a
central London hospital online via the website
in beta, to integrate APIs from gaming platforms
Wi-Fi connection for live streaming. Prices range
of Medical Realities, a company that uses VR,
like the PS4 into its platform. “It makes more sense
from $699 to $1,499 with 64GB of storage.
3D, and 360-videos for medical training. The two
NextVR will announce a partnership with a
Other production and post accessories include
360-cameras were provided by Mativision.
ability to port it to our platform than to have start
a Teradek links device for wirelessly streaming and
A one-minute delay was incorporated into
from scratch each time,” says Cole.
monitoring 360-video and an enhancement to
the broadcast in case of any complications
Adobe Premier making it easier for users to work
in the surgery. n
for users to create one avatar and have the
Gaming platform VReal is in beta with an attempt to enable any number of viewers to experience gameplay in VR from any angle, including that of the streamer’s point of view. “The future of gaming is VR and the future of VR is social,” says CEO Todd Hooper. “The core of what VReal does is to re-render games in real time on each specific machine. That enables a viewer to feel that they are inside the game.” He says it is technically not possible to do this with live action video.
Camera tech There are a myriad of VR capture rigs on the market with the newest exhibiting a step forward in design. VR capture 1.0 was typically unwieldy,
16 17 18 20 TVBE SEP VR Feature_V3_final2.indd 20
Bandwidth limitation is one reason why most sports productions have employed a 180-degree field of view
26/08/2016 12:48
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25/08/2016 16:11
22 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Production
Size doesn’t matter Philip Stevens continues his mini-series about broadcasters working within a limited geographical area
in Switzerland. Being available in parts of neighbouring Switzerland means a further 13,000 households can be reached. There is also a potential global audience through the internet. “We are probably the smallest national television
T
station in the world,” states Peter Kölbel, head
2008 from studio facilities in Schaan, a town 3.5km
Overcoming competition
“important occasions”, the team will leave the
from Vaduz, the capital of the small principality.
Located in the heart of Europe, 1FLTV faces
studio for the appropriate location.
competition from all the German-language
“Our main daily programme is the 60-minute
he tiny Alpine microstate of Liechtenstein,
of programming, and one of the channel’s
located between Austria and Switzerland,
presenters. “In all, there are just six of us involved
was the last country in Europe to get its own
in the production side of the operation.”
television station. 1FLTV went on air on 15 August
Broadcasting to the population of 37,000 in the
of the programmes are produced in 1FLTV’s single studio, but for what Kölbel describes as
German language, the station is licensed by the
channels in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
topical production Liechtenstein Live,” says
Lichtenstein government, but owned by Austrian
Those channels are all part of the same basic
Kölbel. “This is then repeated several times during
businesswoman Beatrix Schartl.
cable package and available for free for viewers
the day to reach different audiences. In addition,
in Liechtenstein.
we have a full daily schedule of programming,
Initially transmitting for just one hour a day, the station now operates a 24-hour schedule.
Kölbel continues, “Our private television station
including 20 minutes of news, 20 minutes of
Programming is carried on the cable networks
represents independence and we make sure
talk, and 20 minutes of reportage, all of which
of Telecom Liechtenstein and TV-Com, as well
that the population of our country is able to hear
cover issues that affect Liechtenstein. That’s a
as on the Rii-Seez-Net Group cable network
about current regional and local issues.” Most
great deal for such a small team. The size of our
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22 23 TVBE sep lichtenstein Production_v4_final.indd 54
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25/08/2016 12:04
TVBEurope
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
23
Production Control vision switcher in the control room.
days per week in Liechtenstein and two days
This provides an inexpensive solution for us.”
in Langenthal, where Schweiz5 is located,”
According to Simon Westland, head of sales
explains Kölbel. “We exchange our programmes
and marketing, EMEA, Blackmagic Design ATEM
and graphics by server. The graphic designer in
production switchers offer professional, broadcast
Switzerland can access our server system back in
grade production for live television programming.
our broadcast facility and create the necessary
“The ATEM CCU can be used across the range of switchers and means that broadcasters are Peter Kölbel conducts an annual interview with Hans Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
components for our productions.” Programmes at 1FLTV are played out using a
able to handle multi-cam studio productions,
PlayBox Technology Airbox Streamer. This is an
even when working with a smaller production
all-in-one playout automation, server and DVB
team, with no compromise on quality,” he said.
encoder in a single unit. It comes configured
The ATEM Software Control panel is designed
either with a UDP streaming port or with a DVB/ASI
operation means that everyone needs to be able
with separate tabs, enabling the operator to
to carry out many functions, both in the studio
easily locate the functions needed for switching.
and on location.
For example, the switcher tab includes palettes
Making TV
“For our news and documentary stories, we use
for adjusting keys, transitions, media players
Beyond the television operation, Kölbel is able to
the video journalist system, and that works well
and so on. A dedicated tab for the audio mixer
reveal that the broadcaster has plans to launch a
for us. When it comes to the editing process,
control includes faders and meters for every input
local radio station before the end of 2016.
we have opted for Adobe Premiere, and we
and master level control. The settings tab allows
have been able to adopt a totally tapeless
the multi-view to be customised, while the media
challenge facing his channel? “With a limited
environment for the station.”
pool tab manages graphics.
size of population and businesses, the challenges
port, ready for DVB transmission.
On the subject of graphics, the Liechtenstein
So, what does Kölbel see as the biggest
are to make enough money by advertising,
Equipment fit for purpose
station has an arrangement with a sister
and dealing with customers who have no
He continues, “We use four Sony PMW cameras
broadcaster, Switzerland 5 (Schweiz5), for the
commercials. Despite our size, we are able to
in the studio and a Blackmagic ATEM Software
production of such material. “I spend two
fulfil our slogan, ‘We make television!’ n
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22 23 TVBE sep lichtenstein Production_v4_final.indd 55
IBC 2016 / Stand: 3.B67
25/08/2016 12:04
24 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Production
The secrets of self-shooting Philip Stevens talks to those involved with combining two or more positions on a single camera shoot
T
here was a time when having a director or producer actually operate a camera on his or her own production would have been unthinkable. Apart from anything else, unions would have
taken a dim view of such practices. But things have changed, and now self-shooting has become a vital part of many directors’, producers’ and researchers’ CVs. So, with that in mind, what is the secret of success?
Matt Pelly has been a selfshooter since 2008
24 25 26 TVBE Sep 2016 Production_v2_final.indd 54
“For me, it would have to be adequate and thorough preparation,” states Mark Reeson, the trainer who runs self-
25/08/2016 14:29
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
ber 9 – 13 Septem D30 Hall 10, Booth shooting courses at London based
DSLRs using prime lenses or zooms
Pro-Motion Hire. “You must ensure
designed for stills systems - rather
you have all the right kit, a definite
than an all-in-one camcorder - as this
plan for the schedule and a clear
actually makes some aspects of self-
understanding of exactly what
shooting more challenging.”
footage is required from the shoot.” David Hipkin, a self-shooting
The kit
producer and director with ten
Talking of cameras, and other
years’ experience, agrees. “Ideally,
equipment generally, what are the
it’s having a good plan so you know
most popular choices? “It really
what you need and what you want
depends on the project,” believes
to get. Sometimes you have to
Hipkin. “I’ve been using the Canon
improvise and work with the situation
C100 and C300 on quite a few things
as you find it. With that in mind,
recently. That’s because I appreciate
“It’s a highly prized skill in a world where mixing the technical with the personal is highly valued” Matt Pelly always have what is almost a set of
that they are designed as video
templates that you know will work for
cameras. That means you’ve access
different situations.”
to all the things you need right there,
Matt Pelly has been employed as
with well-placed buttons for zebra,
a self-shooting director since 2008. His
focus assist, and XLR inputs that
principle credits include 999 What’s
eliminates the need for separate
Your Emergency, Kid Criminals and
audio. With good lenses you have
Hunted, all for Channel 4, and Route
a nice 35mm sensor look with a
Masters for BBC2.
practical camera, and for quick
“I believe the secret of success is
turnaround the default colour profiles
to become technically proficient
look nice without too much work.”
enough so the camera skills become
with Pelly. “This is my preference
focus, white balance, framing and
because it was the first affordable
coverage,” Pelly says. “That means
large chip ‘filmic’ camera available
you can concentrate on often subtler,
to self-shooters. It’s also small and
more complicated skills of contributor
unobtrusive, which is great for
management, such as relationship
sensitive filming and interviews.
building and interviewing.” In order
I would consider the FS7, as
to be successful, clearly there are
ergonomically many prefer it.”
biggest is managing expectations of exactly what is actually possible to
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second nature, including exposure,
challenges to be met. For Reeson, the
Our robots in motion make your visions move
According to Reeson, there is an increasing trend towards both Sony FS7 and the C300 as the self-
achieve as a self-shooter. Hipkin goes further. “When it comes to challenges, I believe the
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across all areas of the role. But beyond that, the greater demand for multi-skilled selfshooters, alongside a shift to large sensor cameras and
24 25 26 TVBE Sep 2016 Production_v2_final.indd 55
Many self-shooting directors are opting for the Sony FS7
25/08/2016 14:29
26 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Production shooters choice. “However, I still think the Canon
useful to the self-shooter.” Reeson concurs.
getting experience and knowledge that will
XF305 and Sony PMW200 are well established.”
“Good directing is good directing. The thing
address those inadequacies.”
Reeson believes the modular cameras can
that changes with self-shooting is the amount
overcomplicate matters. “When you’re juggling
of pressure put on the director.” Pelly adds a
experience. “Get proficient technically by
many different roles, it’s less of a headache to
different perspective. “I find it can be a more
practicing on short films and just getting time
have a completely self-contained camcorder.”
intimate relationship without a cameraman. You
behind the camera in pressurised situations. It’s
can also work quicker and more efficiently.”
one thing doing a sit-down interview, and quite
“The thing that changes with self-shooting is the amount of pressure put on the director” Mark Reeson
Pelly equally believes there is nothing like
another thinking about changing lenses whilst
Standards
chasing a policeman.”
With the increase in the use of self-shooting, does
to become a good self-shooter. It’s not rocket
still see the same common mistakes crop up
science, but many people are scared off by
regularly. Most noticeably poor sound. That’s why
the technical aspects. Bite the bullet and learn
I would always recommend using a separate
it. It will always hold you in good stead, even
sound recordist, as welll as out-of-focus He continues, “When it comes to choosing a
and over-exposed shots. However, it
tripod I prefer a heavier model, like a Sachtler
does appear that there’s a levelling of
18. I find that the heavier tripods are much more
the standard of skills, as more and more
stable, and the level of adjustment is far superior
experience is gained in the field by the
with them when compared to the smaller, lighter
self-shooters that seem to be doing the
versions. However, it really depends on the nature
rounds currently.”
available, although he maintains that Sachtlers
when directing other cameramen, as they really appreciate that you understand light and lenses. So do it! It’s a highly prized skill in a world where mixing the technical with the personal is highly valued.” n
Pelly agrees. “I really believe that the
of the work that you’re involved in shooting.” Pelly says he is happy to use whatever tripod is
He adds, “the best advice I ever got was
Reeson think the standards have improved? “I
quality of self-shooters is improving; that’s been the trend over recent years.”
always work extremely well. “I don’t tend to use a tripod a huge amount except for GVs,
Good advice
but a lightweight model is always useful for
Based on their experiences and observations
observational documentaries.”
of the current state of the technology and the market, what advice should be given to those
Different techniques?
planning a self-shooting career?
Whatever camera and other equipment is being
Hipkin says, “Don’t get absorbed in the
used, the technology must not get in the way
challenge of self-shooting and ignore
of the self-shooters primary role: directing. With
the other aspects of your role.”
that in mind, apart from the obvious fact that the
Reeson adds, “My advice would be
director is behind the camera, does a self-shooter
to pace yourself. You’ll be burnt out
direct the on-screen talent any differently?
quickly if you simply hop from one
“Not really,” says Hipkin. “It’s important to
project to another without allowing yourself time to rest and recharge. The
focus and attention and step out or at least
other thing I’d say is to build your skill from a
peer around from behind the camera. This is
solid foundation: avoid bluffing your way through
another reason why smaller, lighter set-ups are
obvious gaps in your skills, and concentrate on
2016
ensure you give the talent enough of your
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Business Innovation Business Transformation Business Efficiency
www.tedial.com
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What do you believe in? E U R O P E · U S · M E A · L ATA M · A PA C
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Feature
IBC is here! We continue our look at what to expect at the show, speaking to a number of analysts and exhibitors before they arrived in Amsterdam
IBC focus
IBC is upon us! We continue our look at what to expect at the show, and spoke to a number of analysts and exhibitors before their arrival in Amsterdam
How will cloud adoption impact IBC exhibitors? By Joshua Stinehour, principal analyst, Devoncroft Partners
I
n advance of IBC, Devoncroft Partners
adoption is not technical. Respondents to
models will depress recognised revenue given
published the 2016 Big Broadcast Survey
the 2016 BBS frequently cited frustrations with
the spread of sales over the subscription or
(BBS) Industry Global Trend Index. This annual
the inability of technology vendors to offer
usage term.
index reflects the most important technology
transactional purchase models allowing them to
The contrast in revenue models will mirror
trends in the broadcast sector cited by the
take advantage of the capabilities of virtualised
the realignment of vendor business operations.
global respondents to Devoncroft’s survey of
infrastructure. Much of the business value of
Amazon Web Services (AWS) refers to the
industry professionals, including many readers of
virtualisation rests in the opportunity to align
efficiency of its cloud platform as removing the
TVBEurope (thank you).
spend with technology usage.
‘undifferentiated heavy lifting’ for users. In taking
The index is a preview of the technology
The slow progress of technology vendors
advantage of the AWS platform or alternative
topics to feature prominently at IBC2016, and
to embrace new revenue models is
cloud platforms, a broadcast technology vendor
the implications of these trends for exhibitors
understandable. Transactional revenue models
will need to remove the ‘undifferentiated heavy
extend far beyond technology considerations. A
are a radical departure from traditional capital
lifting’ from its product offerings and business.
prominent example is the realignment of vendor
expenditure models.
This often translates to a meaningful restructuring
business models to deliver virtualised solutions in either public or private cloud implementations. Cloud computing/virtualisation again ranked
There is a limited comparison to the earlier transition from hardware to software running
of operations. Speaking at the Media Technology Business
on COTS hardware. The software transition put
Summit at the recent NAB Show, Ulf Ewaldsson
among the top five trends in Devoncroft’s
pressure on prices, as observed in the price
group CTO at Ericsson, outlined how Ericsson
BBS Index. While adoption rates are low, the
declines of post production solutions over the
transformed its operations over the past decade
ability to operate products in a virtualised
past decade. However, selling blended on-
to better align with market developments. In
environment was cited by BBS respondents as
premise solutions still preserved the substance of
each of 2014 and 2015 alone, Ericsson changed
critically important in the purchase decision
existing capital expenditure models.
out over 15 per cent of its workforce.
across several product categories. Meaning,
Even the units of revenue differ with
Transitions are often challenging. Though
although obstacles remain in deploying
virtualisation. One example is the encoding
the process is painful, virtualisation is worth the
virtualised solutions today, the flexibility to
segment, where emerging purchase models such
effort since it will lead to more predictable and
move to virtualised environments in the future
as per hour of encoded content foreshadow
profitable revenue streams for IBC exhibitors. I
is a factor in the current purchase decision.
a future transactional model based on per
look forward to reviewing the progress of the
One of the largest obstacles for further cloud
pixel encoded. In the short term, new revenue
vendor community. n
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Feature
Top trends for IBC By Rags Gupta, general manager EMEA, Ooyala
I
f the pace of change in this industry is
audiences within the constraints of existing
any indication, the top trends at IBC2016
investments and legacy systems. Expect to see
may have emerged before the show.
cost-effective, media logistics solutions that
Notwithstanding the dynamism of the market,
work across systems and technologies within
there are a few patterns that we believe will be
current production operations. Further, expect
top themes in Amsterdam this year.
to see data-driven insights and analytics find a
Digital transformation including the journey from tape to IP based production workflows, leveraging cloud, on-prem and hybrid infrastructure continues to be a challenge for broadcasters and operators. Their disparate systems, siloed teams, lack of visibility and
The growth for AVoD services is accredited to
‘Expect to see a proliferation of services tackling the complexities of live streaming’ Rags Gupta, Ooyala
control, manual and inefficient processes has
media buyers increasingly shifting TV ad dollars online, even as SVoD has contributed the lion’s share of OTT’s growth thus far. Set your IBC expectations to see solutions that let everyone, from broadcasters to publishers to niche startups, launch their own OTT, app-first
introduced risk into their digital supply chain.
experiences to reach targeted, niche audiences,
Moreover, the content boom has created waves
welcome home in production, bringing big data
in production teams in terms of complexity and
into the new territory in the context of the media
the requirements.
value chain. With the adoption of a media
months when it comes to the adoption of live
From Netflix expecting to surpass its $6 billion
with beautiful UIs that don’t break the bank. There has been a sea change in the past six
logistics solution, production companies can get
programming by publishers of all stripes. Whether
original content budget, to Amazon doubling
content to market faster, improve syndication
it’s simulcasting linear feeds to streaming sporting
its production budget while tripling its original
workflows and have a single source of truth
events to ‘micro-casting’ via Periscope or
content, the pressure is on to produce, produce,
across entire operations.
Facebook, there is demand for programming
produce. Expect IBC to provide answers to
The shift to OTT is being experienced
like never before. Expect to see a proliferation of
these challenges, especially as production
throughout the world: Digital TV Research
products and services tackling the complexities
teams are between a rock and a hard place,
expects global OTT revenues to reach $65 billion
of live streaming. And there will surely be live
having to meet the demands of content-craving
by 2021, up 120 per cent from $29 billion in 2015.
streams of the show itself. n
Data is the new frontier By Guy Bisson, research director, Ampere Analysis
I
BC has long been a reflection of TV’s
business future awaiting full immersion into a VR
In many ways, data is the new frontier in the
immediate future. And there’s a lot going
world. That’s quite a list.
TV industry. It’s not something that this people-
on in the TV business right now. SVoD players
There is one thing that links all of these
driven business has been used to dealing with,
are disrupting traditional pay-TV business and
changes. The trouble is, it’s not sexy, it’s not
or comfortable relying on. Yes, it’s accepted
rights models globally; advertising is getting
exciting, and few companies have yet to act on
that new players like Netflix make use of closely-
more targeted and more automated; channels and platforms are beginning to migrate to cloud distribution; social media platforms are getting into content distribution and, in some cases, acquisition; and in the TV production space, there is a widely-held belief that we are
guarded consumption patterns to target their
‘Many of the established players have been strangely silent on the use of big data’ Guy Bisson, Ampere Analysis
witnessing another ‘golden age’ of drama
out of tech-driven Silicon Valley, not Hollywood. But many of the established players have been strangely silent on the use of big data. With a few exceptions such as Sky’s AdSmart, the old guard have yet to grasp the opportunities of mining
and reality TV. On top of these business changes, technology
own-production strategy. Netflix, after all, came
their own users’ data for strategic development. its potential for pushing the TV industry forward.
When they do, they may well find that staring
is leaping ever forward with the roll-out of UHD
It’s data. Data links all of these developments
them right in the face have been the answers
and the growing appreciation of the importance
because players all along the value chain
to questions like: Netflix, friend or foe? Skinny
of high dynamic range (HDR) to quality
are sitting on an unprecedented volume of
bundles, good or evil? Social media integration,
perception. And then there is the question of the
information on what their customers want.
now or never? And a lot more besides. n
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Feature
Taking TV quality to the next level By Phil Layton, head of broadcast and connected systems, BBC R&D
T
hroughout IBC2016, there will be more HDR
perfect example of this. But we’re getting nearer
we’ve ever seen. The HLG specification
content on display than ever before. Those
to the resolution limit of the human eye. The
makes it relatively straightforward for major TV
of you attending will have the opportunity
original UHD standard acknowledged this and,
broadcasters to adopt HDR productions into their
to attend demonstrations such as ‘Better pixels
alongside introducing superior colour compared
existing infrastructure and workflows.
and more’, by the EBU and see the pioneering
to HD, it left the door open for improvements in
work of organisations around the globe to bring
the dynamic range of the images.
this technology to audiences. It doesn’t feel that long ago that I was similarly
HDR can take advantage of a TV’s capability to show pictures in far higher contrast, meaning
At the BBC we distribute content to a range of devices, though our traditional TV channels, and to connected devices through our online services like BBC iPlayer.
enthused about HD. Advances in picture
pictures can give a better impression of
quality can be subtle yet profound, and when
sharpness, more natural brighter highlights and
considerable cost and complexity, so a new
I was working on the BBC’s first HD broadcast
mirror-like reflections extended detail in shadows
standard needs to be deployed as simply as
for the 2006 World Cup, I didn’t realise quite
and dark parts of the picture. HDR doesn’t give
possible. BBC R&D and NHK’s approach helped
how impressed I was at first. It was clearly an
you more pixels - it gives you better pixels.
guard against needless inefficiencies creeping
improvement on my trusty TV at home, but it was
In July, the International Telecommunications
Root and branch changes would add
into future HDR production. For example,
only after I’d grown accustomed to it that its
Union (ITU) took a huge step forward in making
because HLG uses characteristics similar or
importance struck me. When the time came to
this a reality with a new standard for HDR TV,
closely matched to current television, it ensures
return the prototype I was working with, I knew
known as the ITU-R Recommendation BT.2100.
future HDR programmes will also be compatible
that watching in standard definition would never
The standard includes two approaches: Dolby’s
with non-HDR UHD televisions. They are also
be the same. There was no going back for me.
Perceptual Quantization, and Hybrid Log-
straightforward to convert for distribution over our
I needed an HD TV. The move to HD saw TV sets
Gamma (HLG) developed by BBC R&D and NHK.
existing SD, HD and online networks.
jump from around 702 pixels wide to 1920 pixels,
HLG was developed to specifically address
and now many people are looking forward to a
the needs of TV broadcasters. It can help take
major milestone, and the inclusion of HLG means
similar shift in quality with UHD and a jump to 3840
TV quality to the next level, complementing
we can continue working with the industry to turn
pixels. Increasing the number of pixels in a TV set
the advances made in TV resolution to deliver
the potential of HDR into reality and, ultimately,
can improve quality for viewers, and UHD is a
the most life-like and atmospheric programmes
make TV even more real. n
The HDR-TV standard published by the ITU is a
Don’t worry, we can fix it in post By Alan Wheable FISTC, MITOL senior technical author, Omnitek
W
ith so many choices for 4K/UHD
easily into existing infrastructures/workflow and
Perceptual Quantizer (PQ) and Dolby Vision dual-
content capture and delivery, getting
does not need to support additional metadata.
layer transmission which is already supported by
everything right from beginning to end
Significantly, only one version of a programme
consumer displays with Dolby Vision built in. This
is challenging. Will this be another golden era
needs to be made/broadcast, and this is
goes hand in hand with the next generation of
for post production, with the HDR choices of ST
backwards compatible with existing installations.
Blu-ray players, which will support Dolby Vision
2084 or Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), colour space choices of BT.709, BT.2020, DCI-P3, ten-bit versus 12-bit? With the post workflow already quite well established, the ways of producing the picture that the viewer wants from the jigsaw of pieces provided have already been found.
and PQ 2084.
‘Will this be another golden era for post production?’ Alan Wheable, Omnitek
These days, content is captured using different
With the myriad of directions available in the industry today, the road ahead appears a little bit challenging. Hopefully IBC will be the opportunity for equipment manufacturers to demonstrate practical ‘glass to glass’ solutions. At IBC2016 Omnitek is showcasing its new Ultra
devices that only offer limited HDR choices. If
XR, which provides a solution for 4K/UHD content
you know the target delivery format and route to
Cable and satellite broadcasters may need
monitoring, colour grading and program QC.
the viewer, you can set up and capture content
to adopt a similar approach until the number
Ultra XR’s picture monitor, 4K waveform
appropriately. If you don’t know, or the camera
of viewers with 4K televisions supporting HDR
monitor, vectorscope, BT.709/BT.2020 CIE
doesn’t support it, you need to capture as ‘raw’
increases. OTT providers, who are not constrained
gamut charts, video timing, audio meters and
to allow the decision to be made later. Terrestrial
by traditional broadcast infrastructure, are
video/audio status instruments allow SD to 4K
broadcasters are favouring HLG as it fits more
favouring ST 2084 because it provides the
analysis as standard. n
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tvbeurope_august2016.ai 1 04/08/2016 18:16:29
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UHDTV test and measurement By Paul Nicholls, director, PHABRIX
I
BC is always an important show for us. As the
instruments applicable to the needs of today’s
industry continues to shift, particularly with the
broadcast engineers, which remain easy to use,
emergence of UHDTV and IP infrastructures,
we have a welcome chance for a lot of interaction, providing feedback on current trends in the industry. It is important to remain current and applicable to the many customer markets we support, be it broadcast engineering,
‘It is important to remain current and applicable to the many customer markets we support’ Paul Nicholls, PHABRIX
MCR, OB facilities and importantly broadcast manufacturers. We are constantly asked to offer a lead in the understanding and presentation
focussed and cost effective. At IBC this year we
of new formats that enter broadcast so
are introducing a new product, the PHABRIX
understanding over 1,000 new formats
Qx designed to meet the need for compliance
introduced to support UHDTV and IP is certainly
verification for UHDTV and IP standards.
a challenge.
With many broadcast manufacturers
Users need instruments that can present
developing solutions and introducing state of the
information easily and clearly with tools no more
art equipment, the Qx has a combined suite of
than two button presses away from the main
tools for both analysis and generation. n
menu. Organisations should design and provide
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IBC2016 BOOTH #8B90
15/03/16 14:45 25/08/2016 14:35
IT’S WHAT’S BEHIND THAT KEEPS US AHEAD
LEADING THE WAY IN DIGITAL KVM
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G&D’s KVM systems have a proven reputation for long lasting usability and reliability. But that’s not all that keeps us ahead. Because G&D don’t just provide systems, we deliver solutions. KVM solutions that are tailor-made to meet your specific needs. Our broad portfolio allows us to combine products and systems to cover any application. Our expertise in all areas ensures your G&D solution is right for you
in every way – from design to planning, from installation to technical support. Versatility also plays its part in keeping us in front. For instance, we offer systems for a wide range of different video standards – digital or analog – with bandwidths up to 4K (incl. Full HD, 2K and Ultra HD). The power to deliver the perfect KVM solution. That’s G&D.
G&D AT IBC STAND 1.B10
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Feature
Device dilemma: consumption patterns create challenges for the industry
G
By Rita Quigley, associate director, media and entertainment, GfK
fK’s recent international ViewScape
content on a larger screen is obviously a more
with greater ease. Viewers are being given
study noted that mobile devices are
enjoyable and rewarding experience and if the
more opportunities to influence the content
chosen more frequently by 18-24 year-
TV set isn’t an available option, then a laptop/PC
that is produced, as illustrated by Amazon
screen serves as a satisfactory alternative.
asking viewers to vote on which pilots go on to
olds in the UK than older age groups as a means of watching video content (24 per cent vs 15
The prominence of laptop/PC consumption
production of a full series.
per cent). However, it is in the use of laptops and
among the 18-24 cohort in particular creates
desktop PCs where the real distinction lies, with
challenges for both exhibitors and visitors to IBC,
late-teens and early-twenties continue to be
far more 18-24s consuming content via these
not least in the transmission of advertising to this
manifested as these young consumers age?
devices, compared to the wider population.
hard-to-reach and high-value audience, but also
Will later life stages and the impact of families,
With fewer young adults owning a TV set,
in maximising opportunities to engage with them
combined with more ownership of TVs and
and those who do own one more likely to be
in ways which the industry may not have had the
control over what’s watched, lead to the current
sharing it and therefore less likely to have total
opportunity to in the past.
18-24 age group changing their consumption
‘control of the remote’, it’s not surprising that
Producers and distributors are able to broaden
Will consumption patterns established in the
behaviour to a more traditional model? Or will
they choose the next-largest screen to watch
the range of content available and cater for
they continue to be heavy users of PCs and
their chosen content, especially as 73 per cent
niche interests as well as mass audience appeal,
laptops for on-demand services, and in this
of the material they watch in that way consists
while also allowing this group of viewers to
eventuality, how will the industry adapt and grow
of TV programmes and movies. Watching such
discover, select and curate their viewing portfolio
to meet this trend? n
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25/08/2016 14:36
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September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
37
Feature
Multiscreen playing catch-up By Giles Cottle, customer product and analytics director, Genius Digital
T
here is an irony to data and TV being both
operators who claim: ‘We have the data, now
valuable insights about their customers. Perhaps
greatly undefined areas, but also having
help us understand what to do with it’. Some
the most interesting conversations we hope to
considerable hygiene factors. When Genius
of those key needs, acquisition, retention and
have, at a show that is ostensibly focused on
Digital began, a need for collecting set-top
upsell, aren’t new, but perhaps the need to
technology, are the ones which are not about
box data appeared on numerous RPSs. Now,
address them is. After all, the news that Netflix
technology. We hear more and more about
it is something that the majority of operators
is expanding its coverage globally means
operators wanting to better instigate a data
are doing themselves. But what is separating
that there are a lot of operators with a big
culture into their business; how to get the business
the runners from the riders? Collection from
competitive threat in their market.
actually using data effectively, as opposed
multiscreen devices is the key. We still see large
We also see operators looking beyond
to simply talking about in in presentations and
operators using different systems to collect
this into the more advanced uses of data:
from numerous devices and STBs, and there are
double blind matching, integrating return-path
inherent technical and operational challenges
data with DMPs/DSPs, viewer ascription models
this year’s show about our big passion of the
around that. To get any operator serious about
that take household viewing to individual-level
moment: why companies should hire ‘data
using big data, it is vital to have a holistic view
viewing, etc.
artists’ rather than ‘data scientists’. Data scientist
of the customer, typically achieved via a single
What these kinds of conversations go to
management slides. We hope to be able to talk to operators at
may be the job title de-jour, but there’s an
system, rather than a number of disparate,
show is the continued level of ambition that
awful lot of art that goes with the science. At
cobbled-together options.
operators have when it comes to utilising data,
the centre of any data-based decision making
The type of conversations we expect to be
the varied directions that operators want to
is a human being, and all the viewpoints, bias,
having more of at IBC will mostly be focused on
go in when it comes to generating real and
experiences and personality that make us tick. n
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Post Production
Storage features large in Amsterdam A
Michael Burns offers an overview of the post kit on show at IBC2016
ll eyes are on Amsterdam as IBC2016
UHD and HDR, it’s no great surprise to find that
selection of clips, restoring for edit, integration
storage is much in evidence, but there’s also
with Avid and Adobe editing systems, and
room for plenty of cloud-connected apps and
comprehensive approval criteria within a
post workflow solutions.
framework of controlled user access rights.
TMD is showcasing OnPoint, a cloud-based
It can handle large volumes of content,
kicks off, and we’ve got a taste here of
production asset management application
offering creation and fulfilment of wish and make
what’s on show at the RAI for the post
designed specifically for creative services firms
lists, while access control allows facilities to work
and post facilities. It supports the browsing and
quickly with sensitive material, said the company.
production market. Given the industry focus on
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Post Production A combination of Flow and Vidcheck’s Vidchecker file-based quality assurance solution will be introduced by EditShare. Full integration of the QA tool from Vidcheck with the Flow production asset management platform will create a system which can process, inspect and, where necessary, repair 4K, HD and SD content. EditShare is also showcasing its Flow Story remote editor, based on the engine of EditShare’s Lightworks editor. The company claimed that unlike traditional NLEs, Flow Story provides remote and secure access to on-premise stored media directly through any internet connection. It offers users the ability to package content for finishing, delivery or playout, and includes integration with Audio Network, which allows users to browse and add MP3 audio files directly to their sequence. The company is also showing new options for the XStream EFS distributed shared storage platform. The newly desgined XStream EFS
EditShare is also showcasing its Flow Story remote editor
SSD comes in 8TB, 16TB and 24TB chassis
Marquis Broadcast is launching Parking V5.
the addition of Avid workspace synchronisation,
configurations, scaling from single servers to
Designed to aid Avid edit storage, Project Parking
which allows workspaces or selected folders
multi-node clusters, capable of providing a large
can archive, move and restore Avid projects,
on a source Avid system to be synchronised to
number of Petabytes of capacity, according
and analyse and manage media to optimise edit
workspaces in a second location, as part of
to the company. Elsewhere in the halls of IBC,
storage. New functionality in Parking V5 includes
disaster recovery preparations.
Viewers are Listening.™
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Post Production There’s sure to be a buzz around Avid’s MediaCentral Premiere Pro Connector
Avid itself wasn’t giving much away before
formats such as 4K, said the company. Also on
an elegant dashboard that further simplifies
IBC, but there’s sure to be a buzz around the
show is the AWS Cloud Connector Plug-in which
archive procedures with sophisticated tools for
MediaCentral Premiere Pro Connector, a panel
enables Amazon S3 or Glacier storage to be
archive and restore functionality, system health,
within Adobe Premiere Pro CC. The panel
used like an on-premise array. It enables AWS
monitoring, analysis and more.
enables a roundtrip workflow with Avid’s asset
Glacier to be used as a low cost and scalable
management systems by connecting a Premiere
alternative to LTO, said Blue Lucy.
Pro editor to Avid Interplay. Using the panel,
Primestream is demonstrating the latest
FlashNet now also supports DPX-format assets, a standard format for cinema-oriented media, while the latest version of the FlashNet API now
Premiere Pro editors have access to production
features of its dynamic media management
supports REST. Also new is FlashNet’s ability to
assets and associated metadata across Interplay
solutions including VR/360 workflows,
allow users to allocate a pre-defined number of
Production and Interplay MAM systems using MediaCentral UX. They can import and edit Interplay basic and advanced sequences in a variety of Adobe supported formats directly from Avid shared-storage workspaces. Premiere
‘Given the industry focus on UHD, HDR it’s no great surprise to find that storage is much in evidence’
Pro editors can also export the active sequence
drives within their library for a specific role, such as archiving Avid jobs only, or restoring/archiving material at a certain time of day. SGL is also using IBC to introduce FlashNet Lite, its new entrylevel software solution. FlashNet Lite provides the full FlashNet solution but is restricted to a single
from Adobe Premiere to Interplay Production or
server node.
Interplay MAM in the format and resolution of
enhancements to 4K, MXF workflows, metadata
the user’s choice.
logging and enhanced integration with Adobe,
of storage workflow systems, including Project
HDR and VR editing tools are already
Tiger Technology is demonstrating a full range
Avid and Apple NLEs. FORK v5.5 and Xchange
Serve, a stand-alone workflow controller that the
in evidence in the Creative Cloud suite of
v5.0 demos will highlight tools for edit-while-
company claimed will turn any NAS into an ISIS
applications from Adobe, so expect more of
capture workflows with XDCAM, ProRes and AVC-
or XSan. The company’s Tiger Project Series offers
the same during its previews of the next set
Intra, as well as archival workflows with object-
full Avid file system emulation with bin locking
of updates for Premiere Pro, After Effects and
based storage solutions to support sports, news,
and dynamic volume size, as well as support for
Media Encoder. The company is also showcasing
entertainment, and corporate video operations.
third party creative apps.
updates to audio tool Audition, as well as Adobe Stock, Anywhere and Adobe Primetime. The Blue Lucy team is demonstrating its BLAM
A new version of content storage management
Still on shared storage solutions, Facilis is
system FlashNet is the central focus for SGL.
showcasing its Flash/SSD technology, which it has
Designed to integrate seamlessly with MAM
incorporated within the TerraBlock Hybrid24 and
Core MAM product, as well as a range of more
or automation control systems to provide
SSD8 products. The company said it significantly
than 30 plug-ins that enable operators to build
improvements to workflow efficiency, FlashNet
increases the available shared bandwidth
a customised platform. One such is the Adobe
now supports reading and restoring from
for heavy 4K+ production. Storage capacity
Premiere Plug-in, which enables access to all the
SMPTE’s Archive eXchange Format (AXF). This is
increases have also been announced across
core asset and workflow management features
being demonstrated for the first time in Europe,
the model line, while high bandwidth
of BLAM from within the Adobe NLE. The plug-in
as is the new Infinity user interface, which is
connectivity options being shown include
also enables a hi-res/low-res workflow to allow
being incrementally rolled out over the next six
32Gbps Fibre Channel and 40Gig Ethernet,
flexible operations, particularly for large file
months. SGL said the UI provides customers with
as well as internal 12Gbps SAS controllers, all
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ow ava i
lab
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Celebrating the success stories in the production, management, and delivery of media content
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Peter McCarthy, Sales Manager +44 (0)20 7354 6000 Email: pmccarthy@nbmedia.com
Richard Carr, Account Manager +44 (0)20 7354 6000 Email: rcarr@nbmedia.com
TICKET SALES James Reay, Delegate Sales +44 (0)207 354 6010 Email: jreay@nbmedia.com
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www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Post Production of which will deliver increased speed and
support workflows beyond video editing, such as
800 port, one Gigabit Ethernet port, two 3.5-mm
performance, claimed the company.
animation, rendering, compositing, finishing and
audio inputs, two 3.5-mm audio outputs, and
colouring, said the company.
two Thunder-bolt 2 interfaces, plus the space,
Facilis is also showing the FastTracker application, designed for cataloguing, searching
Sonnet is going for speed in the storage stakes,
and viewing many media types within Facilis
with its new Fusion Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Flash Drive.
Shared Storage, including all major QuickTime,
The pocket-sized solid-state storage device in
MP4 and MXF codecs, along with DPX and
a fanless aluminium enclosure is capable of
TARGA image sequences. Facilis is also featuring advanced workflow-enabling technologies, including shared VR/360 video workflows using Adobe Premiere Pro CC. Additionally, the SyncBlock Archive suite is shown with LTO7 support and automated Cloud backup to
mounting support, and 6Gbps interfaces for one or two internal SATA drives. Toshiba is demonstrating several new products, including a system with SAS SSD of 4GB/s bandwidth and 16TB+ capacity in a small
‘Cinegy is previewing 8K-capable versions of its products that it said would enable early adopters to start trials now’
Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, or Dropbox.
desktop PC form factor. The company claimed this would offer quiet, low-power operation, and would be ideal for 4K-RAW content post production in an office or studio environment. Toshiba is showcasing systems with the new PCI-Express NVMe SSDs connected. With this
More storage is available at Quantum (Stand
technology, storage is directly connected to the
7.B26), where it will be demonstrating its Xcellis-
transferring data at speeds of over 2,100MBps,
CPU, opening up a whole new world of editing
based solution that includes combined hybrid
and is equipped with 512GB of flash storage.
and post production performance, according to
flash and disk storage to meet requirements of
Sonnet is also unveiling the first product in a
the company.
animation and VFX workflows. The company
new series of Thunderbolt 3 pro media readers.
said it was taking advantage of flash technology
The SF3 Series - CFast 2.0 Card Reader features
is previewing 8K-capable versions of its products
to deliver the performance needed for
a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interface and dual
that it said would enable early adopters to start
frame-based animation workloads while also
CFast 2.0 card slots. These features enable the
8K trials now. The ‘core’ of Cinegy’s 8K IBC demo
providing - on the same storage platform, the
reader to ingest from both cards simultaneously
is the company’s Daniel2 GPU video codec,
connectivity and access essential to stream-
at concurrent data transfer speeds up to
designed for recording from camera sources,
based editorial processes. Quantum claimed
1,100MBps, claimed Sonnet. There’s also a new
editing, post production, and playout. Being
that Xcellis optimises the way storage works so
configuration option for the company’s docking
totally GPU-based, Cinegy claimed Daniel2 has
that performance is high for both large and
station for computers with Thunderbolt ports. The
no dependence on legacy codec architectures
small files, and is not limited to large sequential
Echo 15+ Thunderbolt 2 Dock features four USB
and can decode up to 1100fps in 8K, using an
files. The enhanced capability enables Xcellis to
3.0 ports, two 6Gbps eSATA ports, one FireWire
off-the-shelf, sub-€1,000 PC. n
Stepping over all the buzz around 4K, Cinegy
VR editing tools are already in evidence in the Creative Cloud suite of applications from Adobe
38 40 42 44 TVBE Sep 2016 IBC Post Production_v3_final.indd 44
25/08/2016 15:32
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Feature Panel: How market conditions are shaping longterm business strategy
Experimentation is needed The afternoon of the second annual TVBEurope 2020 conference promised further innovative insight on all things broadcast, and it didn’t disappoint, reports James Groves
need, how many cross points - to one where you know how many users you’ve got, but what is your peak load? How much processing power do you need? It’s a major new challenge.” Taking a look from the clients’ perspective,
F
ollowing a lunch break came the second panel of the day, moderated by conference chairman John Ive:
‘Broadcasting in the software-defined age’. He was joined by Bogdan Frusina, founder and
“We need a blend of the understanding of industry and the flexibility of IT” Mark Wilson-Dunn, BT
CEO, Dejero; George Boath, vice president,
Wilson-Dunn added, “Software-defined networks are not new. We’ve been building them since 2004. Clients want their networks to be cheaper, but they want to do more with them, and it’s a minefield because the standards are only just emerging. We need a blend of the
international sales, Telestream; Mark Wilson-Dunn,
understanding of the industry and the flexibility of
vice president, BT Media and Broadcast; Ali
the IP transition has changed the outlook of
Shah, Technical Group member, DPP; and
the industry. Boath explained, “The transition
IT, and neither should be denigrating the other.”
Sylvain Thevenot, managing director, Netgem.
is coming from a system where it’s very easy
the telco industry’s transition to MPLS networks,
The panel opened with a reflection on how
to know your figures - how many hours do you
pondering if there were any lessons to be learnt
Ive looked to Wilson-Dunn for an insight into
OPEN
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Conference 8 – 12 September : Exhibition 9 – 13 September RAI, Amsterdam
IBC2016 Conference Speakers Announced Transformation in the Digital Era Keynotes:
Sir Martin Sorrell CEO, WPP
Ang Lee Film Director
Shahrzad Rafati Founder and CEO, BroadbandTV
Other Speakers Include:
David Puttnam CBE President Film Distributors’ Association
Alex Mahon The Foundry Content and Production
Dominique Delport Havas Media Group Keynote
Kevin Baillie Atomic Fiction IBC Big Screen Experience
Spencer Stephens Sony Pictures Entertainment Business Transformations
Hendrick McDermott NBC Universal International Platform Futures
Erik Huggers Vevo Keynote
Upgrade to a conference pass now for access to these sessions!
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Feature for broadcast. Wilson-Dunn stated, “Take a
happening in ways that the content creators or
Following a question from the floor regarding
deep breath and do it. If we hadn’t done that,
consumers don’t even realise. We need to really
whether Facebook Live and Periscope qualify as
we wouldn’t have had the revolution in MPLS
help those decision-makers in our organisations
‘broadcast’, Frusina wrapped up a productive
networks, which really kind of runs the data
understand what is the right choice to make at
session: “ It’s going to provide different mediums,
industry now.
the right time.”
and as broadcasters, we would be foolish not to
Shah then pointed out that despite the title
Ive moved onto the subject of the cloud,
take advantage. It’s another audience that we
of the session, the panel had covered many
questioning whether recent developments are
don’t have today, so that’s another viewer. It’s
different aspects of what the industry is currently
simply a ‘stepping stone’ to adding more to
up to the business folks to figure out to monetise
going through, rebranding it ‘Broadcasting
the cloud. Frusina took what he called a ‘weird
that I think it’s an opportunity rather than a
in the internet-defined age’. He explained,
definition’ of the cloud, stating, “The cloud is a
challenge. Change will happen. You have to
“The developments in the internet have really
more effective way of using CPU, storage and
embrace it, and if you
transformed the relationship between the
bandwidth. More people use it, but if they don’t
refuse, why bother?”
content creator and the content consumer.
use at the same time, it delivers different peak
What we shouldn’t forget in all of this is that that transformation is often
times, which allows for more efficient use of that same CPU.”
Panel: Does new media technology deliver an acceptable ROI to broadcasters?
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TVBEurope
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
49
Feature Next came a presentation, delivered by Andy
Russell Grute, managing partner, Broadcast
by other broadcasters – can we license a linear
Beale, chief engineer at BT Sport: ‘Does UHD
Innovation; Simon Frost, head of media
broadcast channel that might go online in a
provide the complete picture?’
marketing and communications Ericsson; Neil
couple years time – the breadth of what you
Maycock, EVP and general manager, media
mean by an agile software licenses is quite broad
Analysing the necessity of UHD content across all devices, Beale stated that, despite bringing
if you start considering those other shifts.”
“For broadcasters, it’s now an age to get your share” Russell Grute, Broadcast Innovation
the ‘very best quality sport’ to customers with large screens, a major benefit of UHD, yet to be seen in broadcast, is small screens. He said, “The first thing people say when they watch certain content on their phones is ‘wow, that’s poor quality’. We need 4K video for more than just broadcast TV. “
Looking at the development of content engagement and delivery as a whole, Whistler explained that the industry has moved ‘well beyond’ the delivery of anytime, anywhere content, and that, instead of ‘putting content on a platform and waiting for customers to come’ the current model of engagement means that
Summarising the outlook on the future of UHD, Beale responded to concerns that UHD
software solutions, SAM; and Michael Harrit, head
potential customers have access to media
of market, media solutions, Sony.
24/7, and the question is, “How does a media
could be another 3D, saying, “Companies are
Whistler kicked things off, commenting that
now launching UHD services everywhere. That
businesses need to “move to a more software
the point at the right moment, rather than just
answers the question for me. TV prices have
and services-centric model.” He explained that
passively putting it out there and hoping that
plummeted to the point where you can’t really
companies are suffering from a financial hit by
they find you?”
buy a large screen TV now that isn’t 4K. The
building commoditised IT systems, in terms of
technology is already out there in the market.”
source materials and the ever-falling need to
insightful debut, added, “The challenge now
deliver hardware.
is that everybody is trying to cover everybody
John Ive again took to the stage to moderate the third panel of the summit: ‘How market
Maycock expanded on Whistler’s point,
conditions are shaping long term business
noting BBC Three’s migration to online as a prime
strategy’. Contributing to the panel were Martin
example. He said, “It’s a high level of software
Whistler, and entertainment 1lead, EY; IBC Dailymedia ad ContentAgent.qxp_Layout 05/08/2016 12:42 licensing Page 1 agility. We were asked the question
company actively engage with a person at
Grute, returning to TVBEurope 2020 after an
else’s business model. For broadcasters, it’s now an age to get your share.” The summit moved on to it’s penultimate session of the day, delivered by NEP Netherlands’
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50 TVBEurope
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Feature help me to flex?” Taylor then chipped in on the struggles of such a major industry transition, and its effects on ROI: “Change is a cultural barrier. Nobody likes change, and the biggest problem in all of these projects is not the technology. It’s the people. One of the biggest statements you will hear when deploying a project – on the operational side – is ‘well, we’ve always done it that way’. That barrier needs fostering. Unless you bring people on board to start with, you don’t get that ROI you need.” Asked about Ericsson’s outlook on the change, Plunkett explained that, in broadcast, the vendor community creates a single type of product, which is bought by a broadcaster, allowing companies like Ericsson to “act as a proxy” for that broadcast. In the telco industry, however, he said “There are two categories: enterprise products and service provider products. It makes Peter Bruggink, NEP
Russelll Grute, Broadcast Innovation
ROI that little bit more complicated.” Griffiths expanded on Plunkett’s point from
CTO Peter Bruggink: ‘IP-based live production: a
Plunkett, CTO, broadcast and media services,
an industry-wide point of view, stating that
working example’.
Ericsson; Tom Griffiths, director of broadcast and
the move from bespoke hardware solutions to
distribution technology, ITV; Tony Taylor, founder
what is ultimately “software running on quality
an infrastructure where we could centralise a lot
and CEO, TMD; Sinead Greenaway, director
hardware” has “fundamentally changed” the
of the resources and use those either locally or at
of operations and technology, UKTV; and Ben
way that the industry works. He explained that,
a sport or event location.”
Davenport, director of marketing, Dalet.
in the past, a relationship with a supplier wasn’t
Bruggink explained that NEP “wanted to build
Bruggink went on to say that NEP’s Cloud
Grute got the discussion started by asking
necessary, as “what the hardware was going to
Production offers a more sustainable environment
the panel what should be considered when
do was fairly static, but software doesn’t work
in which large trucks and crew vans are no
looking to build a strong ROI. Greenaway
like that.”
longer needed, where there is “complete
explained UKTV’s outlook, stating, “We ask very
control” over the production processes.
simple questions. Does it grow SOCI? Does it help
second annual TVBEurope 2020 conference,
The infrastructure is monitored by NEP’s
It was then time to draw the curtain on the
us to grow our VoD footprint? Does it underpin
with chairman John Ive concluding,
software monitoring tool GrandCentral, and,
our IP growth strategy? She stated that she
“Experimentation is needed. We’re moving into
using this, NEP Netherlands can process HD 1080i,
was “very engaged” with the opportunity of IP
unchartered territory and words like ‘agility’ and
1080p and UHD, as well as future formats such as
and virtualisation because it’s “not about
‘collaboration’ must be taken to heart. It’s been
HFR and HDR.
straight ROI”.
said many a time but I think it really applies here:
The final panel of the day, moderated by
She explained that it’s no longer about
sometimes we overestimate the rate of change,
Russell Grute, asked the question: Does new
spending more or less money, that it is “actually
and underestimate the impact. The impact
media technology deliver an acceptable ROI
about us looking at our portfolio and thinking, if I
will be great, but there are some fantastic
to broadcasters? Grute was joined by Steve
did more, or less, could I have arrangements that
opportunities for those who embrace it.” n
New technologies in RF distribution
Satellite Operators
Broadcasters
Telecoms Operators
Government / Military
Marine
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TVBEurope
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
51
Opinion & Analysis Opinion and
Asset management, workflows and scalability TVBEurope chatted asset management with Paul Wilkins, director of solutions, marketing, TMD Is asset management now a stable, proven sector of the market? It is continuing to change dramatically to match the seismic shifts in the industry. Asset management was an unfortunate necessity. Once we stopped storing content on tapes and film cans and put it onto servers and archives, then we needed to know where everything was. To help us find the content, we added some descriptive metadata to make searching for content more powerful. Then we added some technical metadata, so we knew whether we could use the content straight away or if we had to process it. Essentially, the first generation of asset management systems were simply databases. Today, that is certainly not the case.
How has asset management developed? The leap forward was the realisation that
Paul Wilkins, TMD
metadata could be used not just to inform,
metadata, made decisions on what it found,
to know if it has passed the quality control stage.
but to control.
and updated the metadata when a process
Before an automated workflow can move the
was completed.
content to another process, it needs to query the
As the technological platform became more connected and software-oriented, it became possible to develop workflows that queried the
51 52 54 TVBE Sep TMD Opinion_v6_final.indd 10
To give a very simple example, when a new piece of content arrives in a system, you need
metadata, asking if it has passed QC, to which there are three possible answers: it has not been
01/09/2016 12:00
52 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Opinion and Analysis to QC; it has been to QC and passed; or it has
processing by discrete pieces of equipment:
better done by a machine. If it can be described
been to QC and failed. As a result of this query,
for the first time the user is in charge, not
in metadata, then it can be automated. This
the workflow will branch in one of three ways.
the hardware.
allows very sophisticated workflows indeed to
In a software-defined architecture, these
Broadcasters and content companies should
be created, for instance, querying the rights
decisions can be made without the need for
be looking to automated workflows to improve
management system to discover which platforms
operator intervention.
operational productivity, through automating
a piece of content can be published on, with
repetitive tasks and thereby releasing staff to
perhaps a priority system to push content
perform creative and fulfilling work.
through transcoding farms to get popular
Is that the role of the workflow engine? Many talk about workflow engines, but there is no need to think of it as a separate layer. Automated workflows are all about intelligently reacting to, and creating, metadata, so it is absolutely logical to put the workflows where
content online faster.
‘The leap forward was the realisation that metadata could be used not just to inform, but to control’
you have the metadata – in the asset
A broadcaster might want its main evening news packaged and online within a few minutes of its live transmission. Automated workflows would need to check if all the content can be put online. The workflow from broadcast to online has lots of decision making points.
management system.
What is the significance of automated workflows?
Can automated workflows take over complex decision making?
Are the systems becoming more complex in order to support these rich, sophisticated workflows?
Software-defined workflows allow broadcasters
You can look at decision making in two ways:
In one way, yes they are. The metadata schema
to state what is required in terms of outputs,
those questions that can be answered by
has to be extremely flexible, in order to be sure
letting the underlying technology do what is
facts, and those answered by opinions. If it is
you have captured all the information.
necessary to achieve it. There is no need for
an opinion, it is an engaging and stimulating
broadcast workflows to be defined by sequential
job for a human operator. If it is a fact, then it is
51 52 54 TVBE Sep TMD Opinion_v6_final.indd 11
We can now implement very sophisticated functionality in a way that is simpler to maintain,
01/09/2016 12:00
Summary
The IBC Daily Executive Summary is now a firmly established addition to the Preview and five live show editions of The IBC Daily. Corporate advertising in this year’s Executive Summary gives you exposure to the most senior and influential broadcast and media professionals post IBC. The Executive Summary Issue reflects and continues the thought leadership generated at IBC. We will interview some of the world’s most influential media business thinkers and publish that insightful content in both digital and print formats in 2016. This issue will provide a unique vehicle that captures the most innovative and provocative discussions from the international ‘brain trust’ gathering in Amsterdam in early September. This will be sent out to all VIPs from the IBC Leaders’ Summit in an exclusive preview mailing before being sent to 5,000 further hand-picked VIPs from the 2016 visitor database. It will also be sent as a digital magazine to all our IBC attendees post show. For advertising opportunities contact: Peter McCarthy pmccarthy@nbmedia.com +44 (0) 207 354 6000 Richard Carr rcarr@nbmedia.com +44 (0) 207 354 6000 Nicola Pett npett@nbmedia.com +44 (0) 207 354 6000 Michael J Mitchell mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv +1 631 673 0072
IBC Exec FP advert 220x290.indd 1
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54 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Opinion and Analysis more resilient and faster in operation. The
on comprehensive metadata, so the asset
though, we have moved to a more IT industry-
modern way of developing rich functionality is
management system is inherently the best host
wide standard, AMQP, the advanced message
to break the totality down into small elements. Developers talk in terms of micro-services and containers. It’s now a powerful development tool and essential if you want to be truly cloud native.
How do micro-services work in practice?
queuing protocol. AMQP is an open standard for
‘We can now implement very sophisticated functionality in a way that is simpler to maintain, more resilient and faster in operation’
It breaks the full functionality of a computer
passing business messages between applications or organisations. Broadcast infrastructures are increasingly becoming software-defined architectures running on COTS hardware, and we should take the benefit of robust and readily-scaled protocols like AMQP.
system down into a series of small, clearly defined tasks. The data is passed from one micro-service
for the SOA, and a micro-services architecture
to another in a standardised form. It means
like UMS is the best technical underpinning
What are your final thoughts on the future of asset management?
that each micro-service is complete and self-
for the SOA.
Efficiency and productivity depend upon
contained, so the whole platform becomes
automation at every level, and that in turn depends upon accurate metadata, collected
Yes. It is a two layer system in the classic
SOA needs a common language. Is FIMS (Framework for Interoperability of Media Services) having an impact here?
SOA format of commands in a standardised
FIMS was a remarkable achievement in opening
to maximise their use and their revenue potential.
language going around a media message bus,
up the concept of SOA and standardised
With the capability of tight integration into an
sometimes called an enterprise service bus (ESB,
messaging buses. We continue to monitor
enterprise resource planning system, the asset
calling up functionality as required.
the work of FIMS, and we continue to support
management should be regarded as a key
Large-scale automated workflows depend
it if that is what our users require. In general,
commercial tool. n
much more resilient.
Is this a service-oriented architecture?
51 52 54 TVBE Sep TMD Opinion_v6_final.indd 54
and curated to ensure the consistent application of workflows. Scalable, flexible and cost-effective systems will protect the assets and make it easy
26/08/2016 15:26
TVBEurope
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
55
Business
HPA lauds a great new toolbox George Jarrett reviews the first HPA Technology Retreat to be staged outside the US. Everything film and TV professionals know and love was shaken by the immense potential of VR and AR
T
expensive to create, and that there
Measurable milestones is one
are major differences between 360
thing we are going to instigate,
video and true VR. Due to being
and we are advancing a much
so big at the box office, the stars of
more rigorous training programme
the show were Dory and Mowgli,
for committee chairs, so they
and the HPA knows that a good
understand the process better.”
he Hollywood Professional
VFX monsters, and the enormity
toolbox is the end purpose of all the
Alliance (HPA) brought
of Netflix were matched to the
technology it musters.
its legendary technology
important background influences of
One of the biggest issues facing the industry is finding young talent. “Currently we have a basic relationship with universities, mostly
VR, and the fact that Netflix applies
SMPTE plans pipeline for new talent
hardened professionals could
180 automated inspections to any
Barbara Lange, executive director
technical people to join SMPTE.
spout, question, listen and verify
file it receives.
of SMPTE and the HPA, explained
What we need to do, and we have
how they interrelate: “HPA is a
an initiative at board level,
retreat to remotest Oxfordshire and
ACES and IMF, the raw potency of
created a giant bubble in which
to their hearts content. Evidence
Every time someone in the
about encouraging young talented
that the HPA is a truly class act
innovation zone (exhibitors) said
subsidiary of SMPTE, but only for
is to do much more in the areas
came with the fact that Pixar had
‘HDR is a game changer’ people
legal purposes. SMPTE is designated
of internship and mentoring,”
as 501C3, which is an educational
says Lange.
“In future, there will still be the need for TV channels if they are delivered like BBC Three” Peter Wilson, HDDC
not-for-profit organisation, whereas association like NAB. There are
BBC Three is the online model to follow
benefits for both versions, so we
Peter Wilson commented first on the
have kept two legal entities.”
ITU HDR standard matching of PQ
HPA is 501C6 - a not-for-profit trade
Standards bodies have come under pressure to accelerate due
and HLG technologies. “It looks like there will be at least
been unable to find a hi-brightness
around nodded sagely. They then
processes. “There are things that
the two fundamental systems
capable screen in the US to deliver
worried about sensitivity issues with
we need to change and adjust.
going around; one being pushed
Finding Dory at full potential, but
cameras: higher frame rates mean
Obviously we want to follow the
towards packaged media, and the
they managed to at the end of
less integration time and higher
due process because it is the whole
other towards live and TV channel
15 B roads. Then there were the 26
resolution means smaller
benefit of a standards operation,”
production,” he said. “We hear
surround speakers and seven sub
photo sites.
said Lange.
that everything is going to be on
woofers. The enormity of the now
The issues raised also included
“We really don’t have great
the internet, and that’s true, but it is
finite Game of Thrones and wonder
the notion that VR is isolationist,
metrics in measuring the process
moving very slowly, and it is not true
of its green screen shoots and
that digital actors remain too
and how long a standard takes.
for millions of people who don’t get
55 56 59 60 TVBE sep 2016 Business_v7_final.indd 55
25/08/2016 16:38
56 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Business a big enough bandwidth. “In future,
other challenge technologically is
there will still be the need for TV
the set construction. Building digital
channels if they are delivered like
actors is too expensive to even try
BBC Three,” he added.
it. There are 80 digital Mowgli shots
The back compatibility aspect of the BBC HLG system was one of the many reasons Wilson is producing
in the movie, and they are mostly stunt work.” Pre-lighting was shown to be the
a UHD primer. He explained, “Most
backbone of the movie. How did
people have no clue about how
Valdez rate 48fps and HDR? “We
these things work and interrelate
tested 48 and are not fans. It feels
in real life. There is a whole lot of
like America’s Funniest Videos. But
stuffing out there which has been
HDR is a game changer. When I
based on heavy marketing for
see something 24fps with HDR, I see
certain technologies.”
beautiful movement of the camera,
One area is 4K cameras and the 4K raster. “The Arri 65 may break the mould, but that is a big budget
MPC’s Adam Valdez talked about the kinematic wonder of Disney’s Jungle Book
I have a visual experience that is incredibly immersive,” he said. “We had to think about that
movie camera, not a TV camera.
from the beginning. The very basic
There are very few cameras that
issue is I had to light before we
get near to filling up the energy
shoot the kid: I had to know where
spectrum of 4K, so it will be possible
he is,” he added.
to do the old Snell & Wilcox trick
Using a clip, he said, “This is the
and upgrade from a low spatial
moment when he walks from down
resolution,” said Wilson.
the light out into the sun. That’s a lighting cue effectively, so spatially
Putting audiences in the real outdoors
it has to be correct when I shoot it.
MPC VFX supervisor Adam Valdez
doing beforehand - how do I get
talked about the kinematic wonder
a DP to engage? Most don’t know
of Disney’s stereo movie Jungle
exactly how to work with CG.”
It means I need to know what I’m
Book, for which he oversaw the over 2,000 hours of data and 240
The octopus that nearly broke Pixar
million render hours. MPC needed
Cynthia Slavens, director of studio
800 people on the project, and
mastering and operations, told the
deployed 500 at peak times.
story behind Pixar’s high brightness
production of 1,200 shots requiring
The aim in shooting tons of
“It is important for us to recognise that the lines are getting blurred. The dynamics of the film industry are squeezing down” Adam Valdez, MPC
3D movie Finding Dory. This was
blue-screen with the live actor
another example of the ‘luxurious
Finding Dory is full of animation
UHD means to content makers.
playing Mowgli, was to put cinema
timelines’ Pixar has used to create
advances, one being an ocean
Moderator Richard Welsh asked
audiences in the real outdoors.
its 17 releases. “We have four to five
exhibit in which 16,000 fish are the
his speakers if there is a consumer
“You have VFX so you can see
year production timelines for each
perfect way to mix crowd and
demand for UHD.
what the movie is, then you have
project,” said Slavens. “It is 13 years
individual animation. On the issue
the editing and you have a studio
since Nemo was released, and the
of how Pixar handles consumer
“We have somewhat abused the
director. In 20 months, you don’t
technology is much more robust.
demand, which works at less
privilege of the consumers’ good
have a lot of time if you compare
One of the new characters is Hank
than four to five minutes, Slavens
nature over time to such a degree
it to many animated feature
the seven-tentacled Octopus.
said, “We are engaged in a bit
they might now be slightly sceptical
schedules. It is important for all of
He has 4,000 articulation points,
of a pseudo arms race between
about what they are being offered,
us involved in post to recognise
which was such an extraordinary
theatrical and home. People are
and may be dubious about making
that the lines are getting blurred.
challenge for our animation team
buying for home and for their
the investment,” she said.
The dynamics of the film industry
that the eventual Blu-ray release
pockets, so we are simplifying the
are squeezing down,” he said. “This
will have the element ‘The octopus
processes and pipelines around
new technologies and reap the
was one of the very first films we
that nearly broke Pixar’.
these new delivery channels.”
benefits as much as they add
worked on for Disney. For CG fur we
“Many sequences in the film
Slavens was first to respond:
“We are going to employ these
plusses to the story telling. If they are lacking in that respect we are
we were able to make: depth in 3D
We only have so much bandwidth
cracked yet, but we may see
space and the 14-foot candles of
A session called ‘Ultra everything’
adopted 4K as part of our pipeline
something new with Dory, and the
increased brightness,” she added.
was designed to explore what
because, for the past decade, we
tested some tools. Water simulation
benefit from both creative choices
is still something nobody has totally
55 56 59 60 TVBE sep 2016 Business_v7_final.indd 56
not going to do it; we have not yet
25/08/2016 16:38
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Connect with the key players from the Professional Audio industry Over 60% of ISE visitors are responsible for purchasing audio systems
The presence of professional audio at ISE represents a success story within the wider context of the show’s year-on-year growth. ISE is now the world’s largest AV systems integration show, with over 65,000 visitors participating. It is a key destination for those interested in the latest audio technologies, audio training and education opportunities.
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TVBEurope
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
59
Business have been testing consistently and the content does not require it.” Steve Beres, vice president of media and production operations with HBO, said, “We only have so much bandwidth to do anything. It is vitally important to understand if a technology is a benefit to our content creators.” Kate Wendleboe, head of business strategy with BT Media, talked about the group’s heavy investment in 4K. “We really have to be able to plug everything together because there are so many moving pieces, especially when you are dealing with live content. UHD has been technically driven to start with, but we are now seeing a consumer demand pulling it out again,” she said. “We believe in the worth of our investment, but that’s where standards come in and interoperability is crucial to making sure we can throw it all together.” Andy Quested, head of technology
“We have somewhat abused the privilege of the consumers’ good nature over time to such a degree they might now be slightly sceptical about making the investment” Cynthia Slavens, Pixar
ticket,” he said. “We try to fit with the cultures of different sports, from F1 to football, and 360 is ideal for goal replay.” Callum Rex-Reid, head of
for BBC UHD and 3D, played a
strategy, M-, said, “360-video is
huge role in giving the world the ITU
about rotational freedom and it
HDR standard. Pondering whether
is, do we need a new production
Jeremy Lanier, offers what he called
is brilliant for social group sharing.
specs are helping or hindering, he
language? Richard Nockles,
an authentic, ‘at the stadium’,
The cutting edge of VR gives much
answered, “It is right that standards
creative director of Sky’s VR
stating that LiveLike’s 180-degree
more: you can move forward,
are really well researched. Some
Studio, said, “It started very much
view and 3D suite processing does
back, left, right and underneath. It’s
technologies get pushed too early.
in the gaming industry, and when
more than putting a viewer inside
about being able to translate that
Now we have drip changes like
Facebook bought Oculus, the
a 360 video. “You have the golden
absolute freedom of movement.”
apps, and we have to get the
whole industry went crazy.”
balance right. A stable framework
VR is a new and totally different
is well discussed. We need much
way of engaging with audiences
faster standardisation, but the
– a new genre. Nockles showed
changes in technology are difficult
some of his own work and VR
to keep up with.”
coverage of sporting success
Beres added, “The idea of a current filmmaker creating the next state of the art film in VR is probably
achieved by boxer Anthony Joshua and cyclist Chris Froome. He went through a host of
less likely than someone who has
camera options and the use of
never made a film before, because
zip wires, explaining that having a
the technology and ambition is so
straight horizon is key to keeping
radically different.”
people from reaching for sick bags. Most interesting was the notion that
Another way of engaging
cameras can be hidden, and the
A fabulous session on emerging
very capable stitching software he
media technology was a refreshing
uses to stretch six images around a
escape from talking about what
virtual sphere.
we know. Fronted by Simon Gauntlet of the
Let’s optimize multiplatform scheduling Stand 3.C59 – Hall 3
Book a demo or appointment at mediagenix.tv/IBC2016
“I can adjust the cameras and adjust the horizon. The algorithms
DTG, it started with the suggestion
also allow me to grade and colour
that horror and porn have rushed
correct. There are no rules with
into VR and AR. The big question
VR,” he said. CEO of LiveLike VR,
55 56 59 60 TVBE sep 2016 Business_v7_final.indd 59
THE FUTURE IS CONTENT-CENTRIC
SCHEDULING THE FUTURE TOGETHER
25/08/2016 16:39
60 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Business A Retreat attendee trials Dell’s VR technology in the Innovation Zone
media is fantastic’. I am hooked
facilities. It is a significant impact
on the Google Paint Program,” he
on their delivery costs. “We were
said. “There are so many tools that
following the studios’ work (already
need to be developed to make this
standardised by SMPTE), and saw
end of the world work. Those will
they had the same problem.
come quickly because there is so
They had to deliver different
much development cash being fed
master versions.”
into the VR world.”
The problems arise around the codec (IMF is locked to JPEG 2000
TV to borrow from Hollywood
as it stands) and the metadata
The EBU is pushing hard to establish
into a plug-in system that enables
a TV industry version of the
the carriage of different types of
Hollywood studios’ integral master
metadata schemers, including
format IMF, but problems have
archiving functions.
to be overcome. “Every time you
schema, which needs to morph
Explaining that automation, QC,
generate a new outlet version, it
system integration and transcoding
Steve Schklair, CEO of 3ality, put
confused with the content. You
is a new master struck. It is a new
requirements will also be discussed
some brakes on the enthusiastic
put a headphone on somebody
representation of a certain piece
at an upcoming plug-fest based on
start to the discussion: he had
and after 60 seconds they remove
of content,” said EBU programme
a prototype codec implementation
prospered through the three years
the headset and say it was the
manger Hans Hoffmann.
(AVC-1) and EBU Core Metadata,
during which 3D was the next best
coolest experience ever. If it was
thing for TV. “
that incredible, why not watch the
with broadcasters who are
to meet the needs of the broadcast
full thing? I have seen some things
not getting any more money
community IMF has great potential,
through headsets and I go ‘this
for production and technical
but we need more flexibility.” n
I come at VR from a sceptical viewpoint. The medium has been
55 56 59 60 TVBE sep 2016 Business_v7_final.indd 60
“This has a substantial impact
Hoffman said, “As a potential spec
01/09/2016 12:02
TVBEurope
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com In association with
61
Audio
Audio metering past, present and future As Cologne-based audio metering giant RTW’s 50th anniversary year draws to a close, CEO Andreas Tweitmann and head of product management Michael Kahsnitz talk to David Davies about landmark products, technological trends and future plans It’s a tough ask, but if you had to select three milestone products that, to a greater or lesser extent, have defined RTW, what would they be?
done with the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) and ITU to implement the loudness regulation in the broadcast domain.
have to be the initial Peakmeter,
To what extent would you say the core vision of RTW has changed over time?
which was made available in
Tweitmann: I can only speak for
1971 and really marked the start
the period since 2007 when I took
of the professional recording and
over the company, but I would
broadcast business for RTW.
say the core vision, which is to
Kahsnitz: The first one would
“We have had a great 50th anniversary year, but now we are firmly focussed on the future and we are looking forward to the next 50 years” Andreas Tweitmann, RTW
be the leading company in the
COMPLEX RIGHTS RULE THE CONTENT LIFECYCLE
the BroadcastMonitor series, which
audio metering world, remains
Let’s not leave money on the table
included AES/EBU inputs and digital
unchanged.
After that I think I would highlight
outputs, and was really a big step forward for us. More recently, the introduction
What has definitely developed over the last few years is the whole software side of the business.
in 2000 of the Surround Sound
For more than 40 years we were
Analyzer was significant as the
basically a hardware developer,
industry began to embrace
but in recent times we have moved
5.1. In addition, I would highlight
into software development and
the ongoing work that we have
into processing as well.
61 62 63 TVBE Sep 16 Audio_v2_final2.indd 54
Stand 3.C59 – Hall 3
Book a demo or appointment at mediagenix.tv/IBC2016
SCHEDULING THE FUTURE TOGETHER
26/08/2016 15:29
62 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Audio RTW now has extensive support for 5.1 workflows, but what do you think is likely to be the future for surround and immersive audio in more general terms?
In association with
Andreas Tweitmann, CEO, RTW
Michael Kahsnitz, head of product management, RTW
Tweitmann: It is clear that we are in a period of transition where no one is quite sure what the future will be. I think there is an obvious trend towards [the immersive technologies], but there are a number of options - NHK with 22.2, Dolby Atmos, 3D audio – and no one is quite sure which ones are going to be widely adopted. So the challenge for us as a metering company is to try and stay one step ahead of the changes. Kahsnitz: Ultimately, it comes down to where the consumer industry is going. The demand for immersive audio will be driven by consumers and how many people are in a position to have the equipment in of the distribution chains, making
of course you have the well-
How would you assess the current state of play with regard to the issue of loudness control and the implementation of the EBU R 128 Loudness Recommendation?
documented issues relating to
Kahsnitz: For us as a company,
different operating circumstances,
compression and distribution. One
it led to the development of a
so the perfection of that system
thing with 4K is that it might have
whole new generation of metering
was undoubtedly a landmark moment for us.
their homes. And for that to happen
are still going through important
people must feel that it offers a
early phases. With IP audio, for
definite improvement in terms of
example, there are a lot of different
sound and effect.
technologies for people to choose from. With 4K, the core standards
it easy to control the dynamics for whatever content you are delivering or whichever device it is being distributed to. It was
What impact do you think emerging areas of developments such as IP audio and 4K will have on the market over the next few years?
are still being established and
less resonance with younger people
products, commencing with
Tweitmann: Well, they are definitely
as they are now watching so much
the CLC (Continuous Loudness
More generally, R 128 was
fast-moving areas and they are
content on their mobiles where
Controller). What we tried to do
obviously a big step forward for
going to have an impact, but
the benefit [of higher-resolution
with that product was to provide
the broadcast industry, but as a
again, it could be argued that they
formats] is going to be limited.
the best dynamic structure to each
member of the EBU PLOUD group
61 62 63 TVBE Sep 16 Audio_v2_final.indd 55
a great challenge to maintain that dynamic structure through
25/08/2016 15:45
TVBEurope
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com In association with
Audio
I can confirm that the work is very
CLC01 provides the first OEM
much ongoing. Earlier this year the
hardware for the CLC algorithm
EBU released a supplement to R 128
that RTW developed in cooperation
called s1 version 2-0 that specifies a
with the German Institut für
special set of loudness parameters
Rundfunktechnik (IRT). The CLC
for short-form content such as
signal processing algorithm allows
advertisements, promos and other
users to constantly control and
audio programme segments of
regulate to a given programme-
short duration. The V2.0 of the
loudness value and definable
regulation also puts an emphasis on
loudness range with minimal
the permitted maximum short-term
obstacles for unknown, live content.
loudness and no longer includes the
We will show for the first time a
“I can only speak for the period since 2007 when I took over the company, but I would say the core vision – to be the leading company in the audio metering world – remains unchanged” Andreas Tweitmann use of the maximum momentary
loudness meter designed for the
loudness limit. There are also
music industry market called
almost brand new distribution and
MM3, and will also be introducing
reproduction guidelines (EBU Tech
a new software version (4.0) for
3344) version 2-0 that are
our Loudness Tools and Mastering
now available.
Tools software, as well as the new version (1.5) for TM3-Primus and
Finally, what can you tell us about your plans for IBC2016?
USB Connect. Finally, we will draw
Tweitmann: We will be showcasing
series products.
our full range of monitoring and
63
attention to our TouchMonitor instruments and SurroundControl We have had a great 50th
metering software and hardware
anniversary year and it’s been a
devices, as well as our new audio
welcome opportunity to take stock,
processor hardware, APRO-CLC01,
but now we are firmly focused on
for Continuous Loudness Control
the future and are looking forward
(CLC). The combination APRO-
to the next 50 years! n
Audio at IBC NEWS of new product launches gracing the halls of IBC2016 continued to flow in as this issue of TVBEurope went to press. From Wisycom comes the MPR50-IEM receiver, which was specifically designed for professional in-ear monitoring applications and includes a user-friendly interface featuring popular components favoured by established Wisycom users. Fresh elements for this receiver include a new ENS compander that caters to live and music shows and broadcasts by ‘significantly increasing’ the quality of audio transmission during the transfer of complex data, such as high dynamic audio inputs. It promises to be a particularly significant show for CoachComm professional products division Pliant Technologies, with the introduction of the first Pliant product since the division was announced. The wireless intercom system CrewCom is based on a new technology platform that is said to offer ‘the industry’s highest user density, unparalleled range, and scalability.’ Features include compact professional full-duplex wireless radio packs and multiple simultaneous frequency bands. Wohler Technologies is among the many companies responding to the increasing demand for IP-based solutions with the launch of the iAM-MIX multichannel audio monitor and mixer, and the iAM-AUDIO audio monitor. A
platform for eight- or 16-level control out of the box, audio-only monitoring, iAM-MIX integrates with popular A/V router solutions to push and pull channelname data. The iAM-AUDIO introduces touch-panel interfaces to allow intuitive command and control of the unit and new I/O options, including Dante and Ravenna. Sound Devices meanwhile is showcasing its 688 mixer/recorder with MixAssist and Dugan automixing capabilities. The inclusion of these features is said to be in line with Sound Devices’ commitment to ‘giving production sound mixers the tools they need to help them mix in increasingly complex production settings’, with the intention being to make the 688 the ‘go to’ automixing tool for field production applications. Finally for this round-up, DPA Microphones, which is exhibiting in conjunction with Dutch distributor Amptec, is showcasing its ability to provide microphones that can support all manner of broadcast applications, ranging from studio and OB van to the lone journalist working in the field. Specific products available to demo at the show include the d:screet Miniature Microphone, the d:fine Headset Microphones, the d:dicate Recording Microphones, the d:facto Interview Microphones, and the mobile d:mension Surround Solution.
VOD IS THE NEW LINEAR Let’s unify the workflow
Stand 3.C59 – Hall 3
Book a demo or appointment at mediagenix.tv/IBC2016
SCHEDULING THE FUTURE TOGETHER
61 62 63 TVBE Sep 16 Audio_v2_final.indd 55
25/08/2016 15:45
64 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
TVBEverywhere
Mainstream VR - virtually a reality? Carl Hibbert, associate director, entertainment content and delivery at Futuresource, reveals insights from the company’s latest Virtual Reality Report and shares its vision of where the potential opportunities lie for the technology
and it doesn’t become a novelty feature. One aspect of this has been the curation of episodic content, in some cases attracting major industry names. Jaunt’s six-part series Invisible counts
Bourne Identity director Doug Liman and Oscar
V
irtual reality is still in its infancy but is
one again been diverted to hardware. Although
nominated screen write Melisa Wallack among
already attracting significant investment
understandable, this hardware is not going to last
the production team.
from major tech players including
long without an ever-rising amount of compelling
Google, Facebook and Samsung. This big spend
content to view. Thankfully, the past few months
is matched by big ideas as Zuckerberg, along with others in Silicon Valley and beyond, seek to utilise VR and AR to create the computing platforms of the future. The vision and potential opportunity is much wider than just watching
‘A major focus must be on ensuring consumers keep returning to VR and it doesn’t become a novelty feature’
a video or playing a game: it’s social, it’s
There are counter arguments to potential success of VR which must be considered and addressed. One of the most important is monetisation of content. Currently, content is mainly free to the consumer (and rightly so) as the industry seeks to drive awareness and secure consumer buy in. Advertising is currently the main source of income, bringing revenue back into
communication, it’s productive, it’s creative and
the industry for reinvestment.
much more besides, most of which has not even
have seen a rising number of investments and an
been thought out yet.
array of big hitters venturing into VR content.
Alongside a growing range of applications is a
Major content producers including Disney, Fox
Getting consumers to pay for content will add further stimulus to make content, and therein lies another risk - content being made
broad spectrum of available headsets, from £10
and Discovery are taking initial steps into utilising
for making’s sake. Poor quality content, as well
cardboard boxes that turn your smartphone into
VR as a promotional tool for traditional content
as user experience on first trial, jeopardises VR’s
a headset through to the £700 fully immersive
and also experimenting with monetisation.
longevity and consumer potential for returning to
VR headsets requiring thousands of pounds
Pay-TV platform Sky has invested over £1 million
the technology.
worth of PC processing power to function.
into US-based VR pioneer Jaunt, and in March
There is more than just user hype behind
Low-cost options offer the ability to attract and
this year announced the launch of its own Sky
VR, and considering the potential beyond just
familiarise the mass consumer, high-cost solutions
VR production facilities. When added to recent
entertainment and the opportunities presented
supply the early adopter segment and bring
announcements that Spielberg is venturing into
by AR (just consider the overnight success
revenues into the industry for further curation
VR, along with Star Wars (both in video and
of Pokémon Go!) the technology looks to
and development.
gaming), people are getting excited.
have longevity. All of this, however, will hinge
To date, much of the investment has centred
VR should not be considered a replacement
on continued investment from the industry
on equipment and hardware. In the top 20 VR
for traditional TV and video. It’s a new platform, a
in ensuring that the proposition continues to
related Kickstarter projects (the original launch
new opportunity for consumer engagement and
evolve with lighter, less intrusive headsets and
pad for Oculus), 17 are hardware related and,
should be treated as such. It’s also not a platform
increasingly compelling content to grab and
of the $4 billion plus being invested, much has
for all genres, but where it works, it can provide
maintain the consumer’s attention. n
Projected global VR revenues (USD Bn) Games/Video
innovative, creative genres are key in the near-
What do they want to do?
term; short films, music videos, documentaries
Hardware
will all work extremely well, if done correctly.
8
Playing Video Games
42%
Watch Movies
42%
As much as immersive feature length films would/will be a fantastic experience, there are still many issues to resolve, both from a
6
© 2016 Futuresource Consulting Ltd
10
a compelling and immersive experience. Short,
production perspective and the consumer hardware limitations of wearing a heavy bulky device over a long period. But let’s remember
4
Watch TV Shows/ Music Videos
36%
this is first generation - there’s a huge amount of development and innovation to take place
Watch Sports
32%
in camera technology and creative techniques
2
in addition to new generation headsets on the horizon from Google, Samsung and others. 0 2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
28%
For the industry as a whole, a major focus must be on ensuring consumers keep returning to VR
Games (PC/console/mobile) and video advertising will be an early catalyst to VR-associated content growth High-end headsets, combined with rising availability of smartphone powered headsets will sustain hardware revenues
64 TVBE Sep2016 TVBEverywhere_v2_final.indd 32
Watch Adult Content
Series 1
Futuresource ‘Living with Digital’ Consumer Research, Dec16 Base: USA, those aware of VR (1,038)
25/08/2016 16:08
TVBEurope
September 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
65
Data Centre
VR and the Future of Experience By John Watton, EMEA marketing director, Adobe
interviews with technology experts and
W
UK adults.
engage with and how they engage with them.
extraordinary and the scope for technologies like
In order to stand out, there is an ever-increasing
VR to play a leading role in this transformation is
need for brands in all industries to create
absolutely enormous.
quantitative research online with over 2,000
ith digital change accelerating,
What we found was truly remarkable:
consumers are now more selective
the appetite for people to have deeper,
than ever about the brands they
more meaningful experiences with brands is
compelling experiences that enable them to engage with their audiences more meaningfully and personally. Adobe and Goldmiths University recently set out to investigate how emerging digital technologies are impacting customer
Our findings identified five fundamental rules
‘Brands need to ensure they not only create immersive experiences, but also socially meaningful content’
of engagement which brands and businesses should consider when it comes to creating customer experiences in an increasingly digital world: empathy, serendipity, privacy, reciprocity, and adaptability.
experiences, and how brands can harness
Empathy refers to the need for digital
these technologies to further improve their
experiences to be meaningful, and to connect
engagement with customers and stay relevant in
technologies: virtual reality, artificial intelligence,
with people emotionally and more broadly,
this new world.
wearables, augmented reality and the internet
with the capacity for technology to ‘achieve
of things. The study employed a mix of research
a social good’. Thirty-two per cent of research
methods, including workshops with consumers,
respondents said that a great experience is one
We focused our research, ‘The Future of Experiences’, on five important emerging
2016 will see an even greater commitment from TVBEurope to cover more of the pressing areas of concern, challenge, and opportunity within our burgeoning marketplace. The biggest change for this year will be the introduction of new sections to enable us to provide greater coverage to specific business areas. Our Workflow section will now be divided into two new sections: Production, and Post Production. We will also be introducing a new Business section to follow the increasing acquisition and investment activity permeating the sector, and are also introducing a dedicated Audio section to bring regular insights and updates from an often overlooked strand of our industry. These new sections will be manned by a team of section editors.
EDITORIAL PLANNER 2016 Issue
Feature
Editorial Close date
Advertising close date
• Audio for broadcast • IBC Best of Show Winners • IP technology
23rd September
16th September
November
• Post-IBC acquisition focus • Remote production
21st October
13th October
December
• Media Asset Management • M&A business review
11th November
4th December
October
Exhibitions present at •TVBAwards
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Richard Carr: +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 rcarr@nbmedia.com
Nicola Pett +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 npett@nbmedia.com
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66 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com September 2016
Data Centre Connecting to others and to yourself
In terms of privacy, over half (52 per cent) of those surveyed agreed that a good digital experience empowers them to use technology to not only connect to the world, but disconnect from it to enjoy private moments and exploration. Wihen is came to reciprocity, our research found that people were willing to accept artificial intelligence into their lives, providing the applications provided helpful, practical, personal and progressive experiences. On adaptability, it was found that brands must adapt to provide seamless, integrated
52%
experiences across products and services.
say good digital experience empowers people to use technology to not only connect to the world, but disconnect from it too around them. This shift in perspective is
one that was personal.
an essential element of empathy. connections between people, comes down to
anywhere else, which was often recognised
the content that is displayed or engaged within a
by the research respondents. As one of them
VR setting. This is where brands have the biggest
put it: “My hope would be that out of the
opportunity: They need to ensure they not only
myriad possibilities enabled by VR, we see the
create immersive experiences, but also socially
emergence and flourishing of applications that
meaningful content that enables connections
achieve social good. If, through this technology,
between people. Understanding this difference
people could more easily experience and come
between an immersive experience and an
to understand what others are experiencing,
empathetic one is key.
tolerant and empathetic place.” VR’s ability to enable empathy is fundamentally
the preference. We hope these findings fills you with courage
Its other main element, the ability to enable
VR to influence experiences is greater than
perhaps the world could become a more
revealed that face-to-face transactions, in lieu of say, computed-generated service, still remains
that is meaningful, with 19 per cent stating it was Empathy is an area where the potential for
That being said, 35 per cent of respondents
and hope for the Future of Experience and what this means for the consumer market. n
“
The next rule of engagement, serendipity, refers to the massive potential the technology has in terms of harnessing discovery and surprise.
linked to its ability to shift technology users from
This was hugely reflected in our survey, with 64
simply staring and swiping screens to having
per cent of respondents confirming that a good
new experiences that enable them to exercise a
digital experience is one which allows them to
greater sense of personal agency on the world
discover new and unexpected things.
Seamless experiences
Our research shows people want experiences facilitated by technologies that enhance the flow and meaning in everyday life. The call-to-action is for experiences that are empathetic, learning, and adaptive. Emerging technologies are opening windows into previously unimaginable experiences where the machines and code have as much responsibility as people in promoting and amplifying the best qualities of our humanity
Dr Chris Brauer, head of innovation at Goldsmiths, University of London, who led the research study
85%
switch devices during online tasks
6.1 connected devices
on average in Europe
65 66 TVBE Sep Adobe Data Centre_v5_final.indd 47
40%
say companies do a good job at providing consistent and personalised experiences across platforms
26/08/2016 15:30
Our systems team has built over 65 Outside Broadcast vehicles since 2009. #justsaying
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