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BROADCAST • PRODUCTION • BROADBAND • SATELLITE • MOBILE £3.80 I Volume 32 I Issue 2 I April 2014

SHOW PREVIEW

Multiscreen Competitor or Complementary?

SharpShooter Sponsored by

Josh White’s Variety

Buyers Guide on Fibre, Cable & Connectors; Test & Measure

T2 Lite: Along for the Ride

CONTENTS /// A Sport Paradigm Shift EDITORIAL

Editor Mark Hallinger Tel: 1 301 467 1695 Email: mhallinger@nbmedia.com Tech Editor Craig Norris Contributing Editor James Careless Contributors Ann-Marie Corvin, Kevin Hilton, Phil Reed NEWBAY MEDIA LLC CORPORATE President and CEO Steve Palm Chief Financial Officer Paul Mastronardi Controller Jack Liedke Group Circulation Director Denise Robbins Vice President of Web Development Joe Ferrick PUBLISHER Steve Connolly Tel: +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 Email: steve.connolly@intentmedia.co.uk ADVERTISING Sales Executive Sharifa Marshall Tel: +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 Email: sharifa.marshall@intentmedia.co.uk European Sales Director Graham Kirk Tel: +44 (0)1223 911224 Email: g.kirk@audiomedia.com U.S. Midwest, New England & Canada Vytas Urbonas Email: vurbonas@nbmedia.com U.S. West Pete Sembler Email: psembler@nbmedia.com U.S. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, US Classifieds & Product Showcase Michele Inderrieden Email: minderrieden@nbmedia.com Hong Kong, China, Asia/Pacific Wengong Wang Email: wwg@imaschina.com Italy Raffaella Calabrese Email: rcalabrese@broadcast.it Latin America Susana Saibene Email: susana.saibene@gmail.com TV Technology Europe ISSN 2053-6674 (Print) ISSN 2053-6682 (Online) is published seven times annually by Intent Media. ©2013 by Intent Media. All rights reserved.

In an era of time-shifted and on-demand viewing, live and near-live sport production has become increasingly important. This year two big events---February’s Winter Olympics from Sochi and the upcoming FIFA World Cup from Rio----will showcase how new production methods and technologies are bringing amazing coverage to a wider range of viewers than ever before.

Anyone involved in big event sport production over the last 20 years has lived through very real technical improvements. Many of these improvements have allowed the home viewing experience to rival and in many ways surpass the ‘live’ stadium experience. Consider amazing slow motion replays, specialty camera shots from positions unimaginable before, 5.1 Surround audio, and now the availability of clip-based and live programming on multiple screens.

Moving forward, 4K may in the medium term up the ante in terms of raw image quality, while new softwares could allow home viewers to call up cameras for home viewing as if they were a TD. At a more basic engineering level , infrastructures have evolved from SD analogue to SD-SDI, and onwards to HD-SDI. IP connectivity is the latest improvement that is becoming ubiquitous in most broadcast infrastructures at Big Events. Remote productions relying on file-based transfers and trunked communications between continents have become quite common, and the availability of every hour of a multi-day event, instantly and logged for easy searching, cannot be understated.

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PRODUCTION Production Director Davis White Group Head of Design & Production Adam Butler Email: adam.butler@intentmedia.co.uk

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TECH NEWS: T2-LITE

Davide Moro was along for the ride on a recent test of the impressive mobile video technology

EXHIBITIONS: NAB

Production Executive Jason Dowie Jason.dowie@intentmedia.co.uk Designer Jat Garcha jat.garcha@intentmedia.co.uk

MarkHallinger Editor & Associate Publisher

Cover image courtesy of Craig Norris.

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Mark Hallinger on how a host companion screen service made this Winter Olympics complete

Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London, N18LN, England Free subscriptions are available to professional broadcasting and audio visual equipment users.

Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome for review – send to Mark Hallinger at the feedback address.

SPECIAL REPORT: MULTISCREEN IN SOCHI

Technology is doing more than just satisfying ‘Gold-Plated’ customers in developed countries with a long history of Games coverage. It’s also bringing the spirit of the Games to markets that have little or no historical Games background, whether in terms of participation or TV coverage.

“In Sochi we realized we were experiencing a huge paradigm shift in the way that the Games were becoming accessible in homes all over the world when our technical support was spending time remotely helping an Asia/Pacific broadcaster, located close to the equator, to receive over satellite our seven channels of HDTV live sports content”, said Sotiris Salamouris, Head of Engineering and Technical Operations for host broadcaster Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), in an interview from Sochi.

He added that as recently as the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, there were countries that would only broadcast a few highlights several hours after the live events.

Today the host broadcaster can offer almost 100 percent of Olympic content for almost any type of screen to practically anywhere in the world.

We’ve arrived somewhere pretty good, so bring on the 4K!

BUYERS GUIDE: Fibre, Cable & Connectors; Test & Measure Two user reports, a case study, and product news

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SMPTE UPDATE

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SHARPSHOOTER: Josh White

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LAST LINES: EMPIRICAL QoE

Alan Lambshead on maintaining proactive standards work

The UK shooter’s life of constant variety

Simen Frostad on a more empirical QoE

Susan Ashworth on the state of play as the industry meets in Las Vegas, and product debut coverage

April 2014 I TV Technology Europe

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Special Report ///

See the Sports Now Channel on www.tvtechnology.com for more coverage of the Sochi Games and beyond.

Multiscreen Splash /// Olympic Video Player service highlights ‘complete’ broadcast, says Mark Hallinger Editor’s Note: There are too many good stories from Sochi----I had planned several pages of coverage. You’ll have to go online for that, where you’ll find stories about YLE, NBC, Panorama’s massive effort for the Russian coverage, TV2 from Norway, Viasat’s first Olympics for Sweden and more.

S SOMEONE who has been on-site at most Olympics for the last 20 years, this one felt like we had arrived somewhere that resembled completion and stability. The workflows used by most broadcasters are established, and the services made available by the host broadcaster were stable, evolving, helpful to rightsholders, and in heavy use.

To some extent we may be at a production plateau. HD was tackled back in 2008 in Beijing, and production for streaming and multiplatform delivery started in a big way in London for many of the world’s broadcasters.

There was a limited amount

of 4K production in Sochi, including some from a Russian broadcaster, an NBC/Comcast trial, and as might be expected Panasonic recorded the opening ceremony in 4K. Many of us might be watching that spectacular imagery on the Panasonic stand at NAB in a week or two. Never one to disappoint, NHK had an 8K Theatre in the main hall of the broadcast centre.

But if all the limited 4K and 8K had not been there I would have hardly noticed, and chalked it up to the fact that these things are a bit too far away from actually driving revenue to be worried about just now. But I would have felt a distinct sense of something missing if host

The TV2 (Norway) MCR in Sochi

Home viewers in Sweden could access four screens of Sochi action on a pad device, and choose which audio to hear by touch.

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TV Technology Europe I April 2014

A Panorama ENG cameraman

broadcaster Olympic Broadcasting Services had let the new Olympic Video Player (OVP) multiscreen service debut in Rio, as it had originally planned.

The prominence and buzz about the OVP was what pushed this Olympics into one where I would use the word ‘complete,’ to describe the technical nature of the event. It was front-andcentre in Sochi with a public demo of the white label service displayed on all types of SmartPhones and tablets, and a whopping 95 rightsholding broadcasters (RHBs) were using it to send images home.

The OVP was arguably the biggest news from Sochi, but it is easy to forget that the iPad had not yet been released at the last Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The service offered a-lacarte and turnkey services including on-demand HD video with full commentary; broadcaster commentary audio added to live video; pre-roll videos and commercials; live

The OVP demo room frequently drew large crowds.

streaming, including broadcaster channels; a ticker, including broadcaster content promotion; full customisations including language, broadcaster logo etc.

One possible feature moving

YLE’s ‘Sochi Arena’ coverage running on a Windows phone

forward is the provision of extra live content to the viewer with unique and unseen camera angles. ///

TECH NEWS ///

T2 Lite: Impressive Mobile Video /// By Davide Moro Mobile TV reception is a recurring topic in digital broadcasting.

Almost every standard tried to hit the score with a specific set of parameters, and every “new” standard appearing on the market tries to raise the bar.

T2 Lite, the mobile-oriented subset of the market-proven DVB-T2 standard, was approved in 2011. T2 Lite allows broadcasters to air specific mobile-targeted emissions, providing mobile signals with great robustness and high reception reliability, while delivering at the same time (and in the same channel) a fair amount of “classical” TV channels -- within about the same bandwidth that a DVB-T channel would use.

The R&D Department of RAI , the Italian public service broadcaster, has actively contributed to the standardization of the T2 Lite subset. They have been testing T2 Lite’s performance, even under severe reception conditions, since the very beginning.

In September 2011, a dedicated test bed at RAI R&D headquarter in Turin, Italy, proved the capability of T2 Lite to deliver TV content with excellent perceived quality – even at a S/N ratio equal to 1.5 dB. Yes, you read that right.

RAI and its network operator Rai Way are now broadcasting T2 Lite services within a DVB-T2 multiplex, through a simple SFN network set up in Aosta Valley.

It is a mountain region in Northern Italy very well known for its ski resorts as well as for its challenging high mountain/narrow valley topography; at least according to RF specialists.

In late August 2013, I joined RAI R&D specialists for a comprehensive T2 Lite road test. If I were to use a single //////////////// 6

word to describe my experience, it would be: Amazing.

Anyway, let’s start from the beginning.

T2-LITE IN BRIEF T2-Lite is the first DVB-T2 transmission profile that makes use of the FEF (Future Extension Frames) approach. It was intended to allow the inclusion of future technologies in the DVB-T2 standard.

In this approach, some frames in the DVB-T2 stream can be signalled as “unused,” and then be used to carry “different” signals. This way, first-generation DVB-T2 receivers will ignore them, while compatible receivers will be able to properly handle them; in some cases ignoring the “Base” DVB-T2 signals.

The T2 Lite subset includes only elements relevant for mobile and portable reception, and the data rate is restricted to 4 Mbps per PLP. These features reduce the implementation complexity TX Modulator and ETL DSCF2705

TV Technology Europe I April 2014

T2 Lite can deliver TV content with excellent perceived quality at a S/N ratio equal to 1.5 dB.

of the receiver’s chipset by 50 percent.

The FEF approach allows T2 Lite and T2 Base to be transmitted in one RF channel, even when the two profiles use different FFT sizes or guard intervals. FFT can be set to 32k for fixed-reception targeted T2 Base content (maximizing payload by reducing the guard interval); or to (say) 8k for T2 Lite content, allowing a wider carrier spacing and thus preventing Doppler effect issues when the receiver is moving at high speed.

T2 Lite also features two extra LDPC code rates. Time slicing is still supported at transport stream level. T2 Lite frames can be broadcast at predefined times only, and the receiver can be turned off during T2 Base frames to

preserve battery life in portable devices.

RAI R&D AND RAI WAY TRIAL The test network is based on a dedicated headend in the RAI facility in Aosta. A Harmonic re-multiplexer receives the national “Rai HD” programme from its “native” TS (to be aired in DVB-T standard) and multiplexes it with local content (generated in the same facility

by RAI Regional Services) and with a 3D content loop-played from a local video server. These three channels are then included into the T2 Base PLP. The T2 Lite live content comes via SDI from the local production facility master control room. It is ingested through a Dektec DTU 2145 PCI adaptor, down-scaled in resolution to fit the typical

mobile receiver screen capabilities, then compressed in AVC through the Dektec DTC315 DtEncode software package.

The Harmonic device muxes the three HD content (T2 Base) with the mobile content (T2 Lite) and adds the references for SFN operation, generating the T2-MI stream. Through radio link connections, the T2-MI stream is delivered to the transmitting sites in St. Vincent (Salirod transmit site) and in Aosta (Gerdaz transmit site).

At each of these sites, the data stream is routed to a Screen Service modulator. This device is still a prototype, and it’s made of two separate units.

The Base and Lite PLPs are time sliced, so the Slave modulator takes care of the Base and sends it to the Master; whereas the Lite PLP is handled and the final RF output is synthetised.

The subsequent Screen Service amplifier boosts the output up to 50 W (Aosta) or 100 W (St. Vincent) RMS, which is aired through dedicated antennas. The modulators of the two transmitting sites get the relevant time and frequency reference signals from the GPS receiver card hosted in the

modulator chassis.

Building the receiver was a bit more complicated. Since no commercial T2 Lite capable receiver is available, Sony supplied RAI specialists with a sample board based on the company’s CXD2861 silicon tuner and a prototype receiver that can output T2 Lite content as a parallel data stream, which is then decoded into baseband video.

The receiving system fits into a light van. It is also equipped with a position tracking device and a data recorder to track the RF parameters and receiving conditions during mobile reception.

Tests were conduced under these modulation parameters: T2 Base: 256 QAM Rotated, FEC 3/4, FFT 32k, GI 1/128, PP7, with 28.2 Mbps payload T2 Lite: QPSK Rotated, FEC 1/2, FFT 8k, GI 1/32, PP4, with of 2.2 Mbps payload.

Screenshot from Sony receiving board during mobile test RESULTS We were really impressed during the T2 Lite mobile test.

Even on the typical curving roads you find on the mountains, with frequent 180 degree turns, almost no problem was detected in receiving both the audio and video signals.

On the A5 motorway, while driving up to the 130 km/h

The T2 Lite measurement campaign affirmed the success of two transmitters working as an SFN.

speed limit, as well as in the narrow roads of downtown Aosta, everything performed far ahead of any reasonable expectation; based on past experiences with other systems.

Overall, the T2 Lite measurement campaign affirmed the success of the two transmitters working as an SFN . Together, they provided an effective coverage of the entire Aosta valley floor, with some good coverage zones along side valleys when the relevant geography allowed RF waves to pass through. ///

April 2014 I TV Technology Europe

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EXHIBITIONS ///

NAB: OTT, Cloud, 4K & 8K /// By Susan Ashworth he NAB Show is a barometer of just where the broadcast and video industry stands.

“The television marketplace has really rebounded,” said Dennis Wharton, executive VP of communications for NAB. “Four or five years ago, people were not very positive. Now, people are realizing the value of television in terms of being a steady provider of cash flow.”

Over the years the show has evolved from a rather broadcast-specific event to one for any professional that creates, manages or distributes content across any platform.

8K IN A 6 MHZ CHANNEL Much of the show remains centred around technology.

Among the big news is the announcement that Japan’s NHK will demonstrate 8K Super Hi-Vision on a single 6 MHz channel, the first such demo outside Japan.

Dozens of companies will also introduce new Ultra HD technology solutions, including Panasonic, who has release a 4K version of its VariCam. The technology seems to be destined for every other stand on the show floor—as the key feature in the Blackmagic production camera; as a feature within EVS’ XT3 media production server; as a function in Grass Valley’s Kayenne and Karrera production switcher line-ups.

Pockets of innovative new technology will find a home in new spaces as well, such as the new Interactive Television Pavilion that is designed to show how technology is being used to provide personalised video experiences through TV, mobile devices and gaming systems.

At the Disruptive Media Conference, the issues will swirl around just that: How the digital and interactive divisions within any media entertainment company can better tap and hold on to consumers.

CLOUD EXPLOSION The organisation is also taking note of the explosive interest in cloud technologies, and will give Amazon Web Services’ Mark Ramberg the mic to keynote the NAB’s Media Management in the Cloud Conference, where he’ll discuss how cloud services have allowed media and entertainment companies to address a particularly highflying promise: How to offer consumers content at any time and on any device.

Since last NAB the technology has stayed in the headlines; this year, it remains to be seen whether concerns over reliability and security have been sufficiently resolved.

The cloud has the benefit of speed: customers can customize content that

BONDED H.265 & VP-9 SUPPORT Mobile Viewpoint has announced support for H.265 and VP-9 video codecs on the new WMT Expert-265 backpack encoders. It will be available for release shortly after NAB. All new hardware will ship with an upgraded H.264 codec.

Customers will have the ability to upgrade to either the H.265 or VP-9. www.mobileviewpoint.com //////////////// 8

TV Technology Europe I April 2014

is broadcast over a traditional outlet by creating microtargeted content that pinpoints a very specific region, similar to what the BBC started last year with its elastic cloud computing initiative as well as NBC’s HD and on-demand streaming of the Sochi Olympics via cloud technology.

The cloud has made such an impact in the last 12 months in part because of its wide reach: cloud-based solutions have the ability to impact each stage of content distribution, including production, delivery and storage.

The industry is also grappling with OTT. One of the biggest OTT announcements in the last year was taken from cues provided by a wide and fanatic fan base: The WWE wrestling organization announced it would launch an entire network on an OTT streaming platform with a mix of original programming,

documentaries and VOD. The reason? Traditional distribution, whether satellite or telco, wasn’t going to get the job done. “When we started to look at… traditional distribution, it really became apparent that we could really give our fans a much better user experience with an over the top service,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE chief revenue and marketing officer.

Analysts have called OTT a “transformative opportunity” for media and entertainment companies, because of the ability to engage more deeply with a committed viewership and more personalized content.

Some of the biggest programming successes in the 12 months since NAB have been in the OTT space, with Netflix finding success in OTT with hyper personalization and a move toward streaming 4K programming, with Hulu, Google and Apple on its heels. ///

FREE PLAYER LICENSE FOR FIRST 1000 VISITORS Cinegy announced that the first 1,000 visitors to its booth, SL11116, at NAB will receive a free Cinegy Player License. Cinegy Player is a new tool for broadcast professionals that demand quality, precision and playback performance while working with high-end video formats. Cinegy Player includes native support for most broadcast industry standard video codecs within the two most common containers – MOV and MXF. Now included is support for decoding and displaying VANC and Parental Rating values from SMPTE 436M tracks, as well as complete decoding and display of line 608 and 708 closed captions. www.cinegy.com

SERVER- & CLOUD-BASED GRAPHICS Pixel Power’s new server-based implementation of its world-class graphics engine is intended to support today’s file-based operations. It is an ideal solution for adding extra graphics capability to support needs such as Quality Control, Web Delivery and post production, or to enhance program material and add graphics overlays for playout and streaming applications. Also on show will be Pixel OnDemand—a first-of-its-kind, software-only graphics solution that enables a media company to break free from traditional CAPEX infrastructure and its cycles of depreciation. www.pixelpower.com

MARKETPLACE /// FULL IP-BASED BROADCAST WORKFLOW

SUBTITLING ADVANCES

In conjunction with Stagebox, and developed in part by BBC Research and Development, Adder Technology is transforming its NAB stand to demonstrate how IP technologies enhance each stage of the broadcast production chain. Live content captured in front of a green screen using cameras and Stagebox technology, will then be fed in to a virtual studio. The Stagebox transmitter sits on the back of the camera and sends the feed over IP to a receiver in the control room. Management of the virtual studio workflow takes place in the AdderLink Infinity environment, giving access for control to any allowed user on the network. The entire workflow, from ingest through to transmission, is completed over IP. Adder is also launching 4K capable KVM products at the show www.adder.com

DVB-S2 MODULATOR At this year’s NAB Show, Work Microwave will show its DVB-S2 Broadcast Modulator and Video ACM System—products that optimize satellite bandwidth usage, signal quality and data transport while reducing operating expenses. The DVB-S2 Broadcast Modulator offers DVB-S2 multistream and other advanced features in a future-proof solution that supports DVB-S2 extensions. Carrier ID—which defines the modulation, channel coding, and signalling protocol for host carrier identification— allows operators to reduce or eliminate RF interference between satellite signals for higher quality service.

The Video ACM System, an integrated data/video (DaVid) modem and encoding solution for enhanced video contribution, transports up to six MPEG transport streams and IP data in a DVB-S2 multistream, enabling simultaneous transport of data (network connection) and live broadcasting (video content) over a single satellite carrier. www.work-microwave.com

Screen Systems’ will show its Polistream BLACK subtitle transmission range, which supports closed, DVB, passthrough, open/burnt-in and VBI & VANC subtitle transmission. Also on show will be the WinCAPS subtitle preparation software suite, which offers fine-tuned automation tools to improve workflow and productivity for both offline and live/news subtitling. Plus Screen will be demonstrating its new ‘Script Extractor’ for WinCAPS Qu4ntum developed to enable users to quickly identify and automatically retrieve only the required content from scripts for captioning.

Also on display will be Polistream Xpect, a full-featured, turnkey monitoring and Mosaic Multi-View solution supporting ASI and IP inputs with 24/7 error logging and pre and post trigger stream capture. For file based subtitle encoding, Screen’s MediaMate software system for the re-purposing and manipulation of media files can be used to decode, repurpose and encode subtitle/caption data in a wide range of media formats.

Accessibility for partially sighted audiences is also covered with Screen’s spoken subtitling technology, offering a simple and cost effective solution to audio/video description provision. www.screensystems.tv

AUTOMATED CARD CONTROL

IP-BASED WORKFLOWS At this year’s NAB, Miranda says it will unveil new products to help broadcasters navigate the path to IP-based workflows and improve routing and monitoring. For IP workflows, Miranda will show the IRG3401 IP Gateway, a high density, bidirectional DVB-ASI/IP gateway that facilitates multiple applications for broadcasters. The card, which fits in Miranda’s Densité 3 chassis, is the densest IP gateway available, handling up to 120 gateways in a single 3RU frame.

For routing, Miranda will unveil NVISION 8500 IP Gateway cards that convert and packetize real-time, uncompressed, baseband video for Ethernet network distribution. Also new is the NVISION CR6464 compact 2RU router that combines extreme density with support for all core formats including triple rate 3Gbps/HD/SD/ASI, and AES. Miranda will also show a new version of its Kaleido-IP multiviewer, which extends monitoring support to 128 SD or 64 HD programs. Kaleido IP X310 features double the number of simultaneous audio and video decodes as the previous Kaleido IP X300 in a 1-RU unit. With 4 GigE ports, it’s ideal for highperformance applications such as high-bandwidth H.264 HD video streams. www.miranda.com ////////////////10

TV Technology Europe I April 2014

LYNX Technik is launching AutoControl for its APPolo Control System. AutoControl adds an automation layer, making control possibilities for the Series 5000 CardModule systems virtually limitless. The LYNX Technik APPolo Control System is a userfriendly, intuitive and self-configuring control system for remote control, status monitoring and SNMP error reporting. Typically used with the Series 5000 CardModule system, APPolo is the heart of a centralized control system which can easily be expanded from a single rack to hundreds of racks located in different locations. www.lynx-technik.com

LIVE UHD DEMO; MONETIZING MULTISCREEN Harmonic will feature a live 4K Ultra HD 2160/60p demonstration, and the latest in its encoding, stream processing, storage and playout solutions. Harmonic also will showcase collaborative editing and 4K editing on the Harmonic MediaGrid shared storage system.

Harmonic also will show its advanced multiscreen ad insertion solution, which leverages the ProMedia family and ProStream with an ACE broadcast and multiscreen transcoder and integrates with advertising ecosystem partners to enable monetization of multiscreen services. Also on display will be the Spectrum ChannelPort, an integrated, high-density channel playout system for four SD/HD channels per RU, dual DVE capabilities, and compatibility with industry leading automation systems. www.harmonicinc.com

MARKETPLACE /// MAC BROADCAST; INTEGRATED FILE TRANSFER ToolsOnAir provides applications designed to create a professional, fully functional broadcast production facility using Mac OS X and low cost, off-the-shelf hardware components. ToolsOnAir offers broadcast software applications designed for live broadcast with its just: Broadcast Suite, which integrates video, audio and graphics, along with automation, asset management and multiple format capabilities. Full QuickTime and Final Cut compatibility eliminates time-intensive file conversion, and a powerful, intuitive GUI streamlines the workflow from ingest to playout.

New at NAB is the integration of the FileCatalyst UDP-based acceleration technology into its just:control application. ToolsOnAir just:control is a control and monitoring application enabling failover control when using redundant playout. Incorporating FileCatalyst´s core transport technology----technology that also saw use with several of the biggest broadcasters operating from the Sochi Games---within just:control enables accelerated file transfers, at rates of up to 10 Gbps, while also ensuring the reliable and secure delivery of customers´ digital content. www.toolsonair.com

FLEXIBLE SLO-MO I-MOVIX will showcase its new product line—based on its X10 ultra slow motion technology—that features modular configurability to suit any Vision Research Phantom camera. These ultra slow motion systems offer a combination of very high frame rates and instant replay, or continuous streaming. The entire X10 product range has been optimized for upgradeability to allow for evolving production requirements and upcoming generations of cameras. They can also be customized to meet performance and budget targets. www.i-movix.com

MORE POWERFUL J2K This will be the first NAB after intoPIX , provider of FPGA-based JPEG2000 solutions, and Comprimato, provider of GPU-based JPEG2000 solutions, inked an agreement to join forces in marketing advanced JPEG2000 solutions based on the J2K GPU solution developed by Comprimato.

“Adding the complementary GPU-based JPEG2000 technology to our product portfolio will vastly improve the integration time of our customer’s products; and empower them with a powerful and realtime JPEG2000 compression solution both in hardware and software.

This collaboration enables both partners to pool and strengthen their unique expertise to create advanced solutions for the UHD TV market,” said Katty Van Mele, Director of intoPIX Business Development. www.intopix.com

MULTISCREEN, OTT ENCODING WITH AD INSERTION The ViBE VS7000 is an "anything in, anything out" encoding/transcoding platform. New at NAB will be a demonstration of the benefits of the new MediaFlex v3.0 running on ViBE VS7000. This provides a 40 percent increase in terms of channel density, allowing the ViBE VS7000 to process up to 448 SD channels or 80 HD channels on a single frame. Predefined workflows and a service-based graphical user interface also simplify day-to-day operations.

Thomson will also showcase new support for Encoder Boundary Point (EBP) and Event Signalling and Management (ESAM) standards in the ViBE VS7000. These standards now enable straightforward integration of the ViBE VS7000 into OTT ad insertion ecosystems, simplifying ad-driven OTT business models. www.thomson-networks.com

April 2014 I TV Technology Europe

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MARKETPLACE /// SIGNAL NEUTRAL TRANSPORT PLATFORMS Barnfind Technologies, manufacturer of a multi-functional, signal neutral transport platform, will be launching several new key products at NAB. The BarnMini for point-to-point digital extension is a new ASI to IP converter card and optical housing. It delivers simple and reliable point-to-point digital extension. The BarnMini-01 provides 2 x BNC RX7TX and 1 x SFP (MSA standard or 3rd party SFP), while the BarnMini-02 comes with 2 x SFP and is optimal for converting multimode to single mode fibre, and single mode to multimode fibre in addition to handling any other application.

Upgrades to existing products include a significantly enhanced version of BarnStudio, plus additional control choices through the company’s established partnerships with several control panel companies. The established BarnOne (1RU) signal transport system will also be on display and demos of latency and jitter free 4K transmission will also be available. www.barnfind.no

RACK MOUNT RASTERIZER, HANDHELD T&M PHABRIX is releasing V9 software for its Rx rack mount rasterizer series adding a many new features. The new TAG handheld will also be on display. This is a low cost test and measurement instrument supporting SDI, analogue and optical interfaces, priced at US$3495.

The rack mount Rx has many innovative design elements, an inbuilt screen, modular cards, SDI and HDMI output, remote control via TCP/IP, low power, slim profile – even desktop feet for R&D use.

There are three instruments in the range, the Rx2000 with two video/instrument inbuilt screens and the Rx1000 and Rx500 with OLED control screens. Each have a rasterized output i.e. to an output monitor of your choice, HDMI or SDI. www.phabrix.com

TRANSPORT STREAM EDITOR; MULTISCREEN PACKAGER Manzanita's Transport Stream Editor allows quick and accurate edits to MPEG-2 transport stream files without the need to re-encode. A user can add/remove SCTE-35 messages, insert/extract commercials, promos, or black video at any frame, produce random error conditions, and make detailed changes in packets, PIDs, tables and timing. Also new is the Manzanita Multiscreen Packager, which packages video and audio files to various adaptive formats for multiscreen playout. www.manzanitasystems.com

PORTABLT & LCD T&M, SCOPES Hamlet’s will show its new MicroFlex Mach 2, a reinvention of the company’s MicroFlex with a new build, reducing cost and offering combination option module sets and a carry case. The Mach2 is available now and is already shipping. Hamlet describes the product as simply a case of making a product even more applicable to today’s infrastructure.

As well as the Mach2, Hamlet will show DigiScopes DS900G, DS900 and the DigiTek DT900---- three measurement instruments each with unique user features to suit different environments, all offering from 1 to 4 input slots for HD, SD and composite modules. In addition users can include 3G, test signal generators, EYE display and audio modules, with loudness and Dolby if required.

Hamlet will also show the original software package VidScope, now MH2B with its purpose-designed capture card and the 5.6 and 7 inch Precision range of LCD screens with built in T&M. www.hamlet.co.uk ////////////////12

TV Technology Europe I April 2014

DISTRIBUTED MAM Tedial will be discussing its experience in distributed MAM operations, and its support for multi-site implementations. In addition to MAM, Tedial’s platform enables workflow orchestration, BPM, third-party storage, and infrastructure control. www.tedial.com

EXPANDED VIRTUAL SET OFFERINGS

Broadcast Pix has announced a technology partnership with Virtualsetworks, which offers an extensive library of virtual sets. Through the partnership, customers will be able to search the company’s catalogue from the Broadcast Pix Web site. Broadcast Pix will

showcase several Virtualsetworks virtual sets during the NAB Show.

As part of the Fluent integrated toolset, all Broadcast Pix integrated production switchers include virtual set chromakey technology that works with green screen or blue screen backgrounds. Systems ship with a number of preloaded virtual sets, as well as a virtual set editor that allows users to create a virtual set using any picture. www.broadcastpix.com

QUAD SPLIT CARD FOR OPENGEAR; MORE Cobalt Digital will roll out several important products at this year’s NAB, including a new quad split card for openGear, an expansion of its Blue Box Group with another converter and framesync, and a card-based multi-rate distribution amplifier. In addition, Cobalt will be announcing key upgrades to its SPOTCHECK loudness measurement/compliance monitoring system. www.CobaltDigital.com

4K PLAYOUT, RECORDING, HEADEND, TEST Rohde & Schwarz DVS will show its VENICE ingest and production server, which opens up new possibilities for Avid outgest as well as studio playout at resolutions up to 4K. Faster processing between ingest and studio playout coupled with greater redundancy increases flexibility and workflow efficiency during studio production. Also new is the Pronto4K-HFR disk recorder, the latest addition to the family of products enabling high-quality video projection.

R&S will demonstrate its AVHE100 headend, a system solution that is already fully compatible with the new HEVC (H.265) encoding standard for 4K and HD. Finally, R&S test instruments support the development and production of 4K consumer electronics. The R&S BTC broadcast test centre offers users an allin-one, single-box test environment for nearly all audio, video and multimedia applications. www.rohde-schwarz.com

SPECIAL REPORT ///

BUYERS GUIDE: FIBRE, CABLE & CONNECTORS; TEST, MEASURE & MONITORING

Flexible Fibre Networks /// By Mark Hallinger uring the Sochi Games fibre-based media transport systems were needed for coverage of competitions and ceremonies coverage, and also for sports presentations, timekeeping and more.

All of these applications required the distribution of synchronized audio, video and data signals in real time. What’s more, many of these applications demanded more than just point-to-point links and were variable, often changing with little notice.

All of these factors were covered by a Riedel MediorNet real-time network. The Riedel system combines FDM (Frequency Division Multiplex) with CWDM (Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing) modules and TDM (Time Division Multiplex) in one engine. This means that MediorNet can maximize the available bandwidth on each fibre. CWDMonly solutions are less bandwidth-efficient and thus require more fibre.

The use of MediorNet across all venues in Sochi reduced the fibre requirements to the degree that only a single fibre pair was necessary. The use of a second fibre pair added the full redundancy essential for such an important event.

On top of the benefits offered by MediorNet’s fibre networking features are the

advantages gained from the solution’s processing power and routing capabilities. Because the solution’s routing can be changed within less than one video frame, the system can even replace the video router — offering all the flexibility needed for last-minutes changes or dynamic routing during competitions.

The integrated frame syncs, embedders, and de-embedders, and other glue features, make the solution ideal for fast-paced high-profile live sport events.

MediorNet was used at all Sochi venues, with hundreds of devices deployed to transport thousands of signals.

The resulting fibre network supported signal transport for events at the Olympic Park and nearby venues, as well as the snow and ice events held in the mountain venues.

The bulk of the fibre backbone itself was a temporary overlay by Riedel, which combined with existing fibre cables installed within each venue and special runs — such as the connectivity to the top of the ski jump — to create a complete network. In total, Riedel installed approximately 50 km of the company’s Pure range of optical cables.

Delays in construction did present significant challenges. In fact, Riedel gained access to the last preinstalled fibre cable just one day before competition began, and the company was unable to finish several cable

DATA FEEDTHROUGH IN BROADCAST Bittree is offering a new line of 24 wide, flush-mount data feed-through panels developed in response to the rapid growth of IT infrastructures in broadcast and AV environments. These Cat6 feed-through panels are available in both shielded and unshielded versions. Front panels are silkscreen-numbered and can be supplied with optional designation strips. Bittree's fibre optic LC, SC, and ST 24-position panels now also have the same flush-mount design. www.bittree.com ////////////////14

TV Technology Europe I April 2014

The control room’s view of the Sochi Olympics’ Opening Ceremonies

The Riedel MediorNet node that was used for the Sochi ceremonies

routes prior to the first event.

Nevertheless, leveraging the versatility of the system, the company completed an operational installation on time.

Because MediorNet can run in ring, star, daisy chain or any combination of those configurations, the system could be configured to use the remaining available routes.

Once the backbone was completed, the system functioned as originally designed and specified, thus assuring the redundancy required. For the ceremonies at Sochi’s Fisht Stadium, Riedel installed fibre in a redundant ring structure, with four strands on the main line and four strands on the backup line, all installed along different routes. Here, the MediorNet system supported production video monitoring, which was used not only to coordinate the extensive cast involved in the

production, but also — and more importantly — to give team members virtual access and an eye on all areas of the site.

Flexible fibre-based signal transport solutions have become the clear solution when reliable AV transport and communications are a must. In Sochi, fibre transport and networking gave production crews the edge they needed in a live production environment. ///

Mark Hallinger is editor/associate publisher of TV Technology Asia/Pacific and TV Technology Europe and was on site for two weeks in Sochi.

Contacts: Riedel www.riedel.net

USER REPORT ///

File-Based QC /// By Michal Popela ZECH TV, the national state broadcaster for the Czech Republic, has more than 170 hours of incoming media arriving each day, mainly as MXF files in XDCAM HD and IMX SD format. To help process this high volume of content they needed an automated quality control system.

In mid-2013 Czech TV issued an open tender for a QC system.

Digimetrics responded through their local reseller Traco Systems, offering an Aurora QC Solution consisting of Aurora Professional QC software with Hydra Player. In October Czech TV purchased Aurora to be its QC platform.

The Aurora system had proven itself to have the capability and performance that Czech TV required, Digimetrics had demonstrated its ability to listen to their needs and provide a responsive service, and the commercial offer met the Czech TV budgetary requirements. In November Czech TV went live with the Aurora QC system.

Future plans include implementing the popular Aurora integration with Telestream Vantage.

At Czech TV three servers have four VUs installed, and two servers have eight VU each, making a total of 28 VU instances.

“Through extensive trials we have confidence that Aurora QC provides us with the QC tests plans, the scalability, and the performance we need to manage our large volume of incoming media files,” said Pavel Přibil, Systems Integration Engineer at Czech TV. Traco Systems and Digimetrics worked in partnership to provide a responsive service to meet the client’s needs, including high quality technical and commercial support throughout.

QC Solution allows Czech TV to plan, analyse, review and take actions efficiently and accurately on their 170 daily hours of incoming media.

THE SYSTEM Czech TV operators use Aurora Web Clients to define custom Smart Test Plans, including actions to be taken based on

operator decisions. Five servers with a total of 28 Aurora VUs, Aurora Controller and Deep MXF Analysis Plug-In perform the QC analysis. Each VU analyses one file at a time, so for multiple files to be analysed concurrently multiple instances of VU are installed.

At Czech TV three servers have four VUs installed, and two servers have eight VU each, making a total of 28 VU instances. This provides the ability to analyse the 170 hours per day of content that Czech TV receives. An Aurora Deep MXF & AMWA Analysis plugin is installed on the system, enabling each VU to provide extensive KLV & RIP packet level analysis of the MXF container, as well as the ability to test MXF files against AMWA defined application specifications.

Aurora Controller software supports unlimited Aurora Web

Client access to the VUs, allowing Czech TV operators to review the Aurora Test Reports from any machine on the network. Twenty-eight client machines have Digimetrics Hydra Player software installed, enabling operators to simply click on a reported QC issue on the Aurora Test Report to view the exact frame of the reported problem. They can then review the issue, scrubbing back and forth as required.

Using the Hydra Review Bar the Czech TV operators can rapidly move between reported QC issues and make QC decisions, including adding annotations or adding new artefacts noted during the QC process, all saved back to the Aurora XML report. The whole process reduces review time from minutes to seconds per issue. ///

Michal Popela is Sales Director local Digimetrics reseller Traco Systems.

CONTACTS www.digi-metrics.com www.tracosys.cz

April 2014 I TV Technology Europe

15////////////////

USER REPORT ///

Signal-Transport Solution Transforms OB Operations /// By Christopher Annella oseph Fiber Solutions (JFS), the fibre division of Joseph Electronics, has long been on the leadingedge of fibre solutions development for OB signal interconnects and distribution.

Nowhere is that fact more apparent than in the company’s DFT-8 signal transport system, which can transport up to eight 3G/HD/SDI paths on one or two single-mode fibres.

As part of its master plan for interconnect and distribution products, JFS had been developing the DFT-8 as the heart and soul of the system.

JFS accelerated the product’s design when UK OB company CTV Outside Broadcasts came to JFS with an urgent need – a configurable solution to handle 64 3G/HD/SDI feeds for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Games.

For an event of that size, CTVOB would take in about 80 feeds, which, because of long distances and hum/signal degradation issues, would only be achievable with fibre. CTVOB needed a reliable, versatile, easy way to configure signal paths internally in groups of two videos — eight one-way, six and two, four and four, and so forth — over economical fibre strands.

For the job, CTVOB selected the DFT-8.

“We have been a long-time customer with JFS, and they have always looked after us well, but this time they outdid themselves,” said CTVOB technical director Hamish Greig.

“Our users had only positive things to say about the DFT-8, especially about its ease of use and reliability.”

JFS developed the unit to be completely modular so that the direction of transport can be changed in the field, making it ideal for use in trucks and flypacks. Signal path modules handle two paths each, enabling eight signals one way for one show, then six signals one way ////////////////16

with two returns for the next.

Another possibility is to configure four signals each way and use JFS’ exclusive bypass channel system to add an analogue path, some audio, and a data — all on a single fibre. The two-fibre units utilise a WDM for Gig-Ethernet and all versions have redundant 12VDC power inputs (Power supplies are included).

Since the first deployment at CTVOB, JFS has refined the DFT-8’s chassis to include a sliding top and very rigid base, with modules that allow users to configure the signal path direction in groups of two 3G/HD/SDI paths each. Modules

Before using the DFT-8 fibre solution, HFI had to run six 10pair coax looms, audio DT-12, and a half a dozen Cat5 cables in order to transport signals for the show. Now HFI can accomplish the task in a rack-mounted package that can be easily deployed in other situations with or without its trucks.

“The side benefit is definitely a faster set and strike, but more importantly, in the ever-growing TV compound, we can be moved further out from the A-Unit while still having the same abilities as before,” said Craig Farrell, HFI co-owner. “This means that trucks do not have to be co-located, which is an

Hamish Grieg, CTVOB technical director

important benefit because many stadiums simply do not have room for all of the trucks that are now required on the bigger events.” ///

DFT- 8 set

Christopher Annella is Marketing Manager at Joseph Electronics.

Contacts: www.jfstv.com

are colour-coded to identify Transmit Modules, which are slot-specific, and Receive modules, which fit in any slot.

The modules support SMPTE 424, SMPTE 292, SMPTE 259, SMPTE 297, and DVB-ASI. Units can also operate in nonreclocking mode and handle signals from 50 Mbps to 3 Gbps.

Today there are 32 systems in the field and counting. The units are gaining in popularity not only for standalone applications, but also as the basis for JFS’s "Caddie Connect" facility and truck-to-truck multisignal interconnect system.

One such user is Husney Farrell Inc. (HFI), a US broadcast solutions company specializing in HD multipurpose support units and rental equipment. HFI is using the DFT-8 unit for a large truck-to-truck deployment to create packages for the NFL’s Thursday Night Football broadcasts.

TV Technology Europe I April 2014

NEW FIBRE CAMERA BACK Miranda has just introduced its Telecast brand CopperHead 3404K camera-mountable fibre transceiver. Designed to take advantage of lightweight, easy to install fibre, the 4K UHDTV-ready CopperHead 3404K transceiver requires only two strands of fibre optic cable to carry all bidirectional signals, including four 3Gbps HD/SDI paths, from camera locations to truck or control room or around a remote production site. The dual-strand bi-directional system enables 4K cameras to be easily multi-purposed for ENG, digital cinematography and studio applications without the constraints imposed by copper connections. www.miranda.com

HD CABLES & BNC CONECTORS Belden has extended its range of coaxial digital video cables with the new Belden Duobond Plus DNH series which makes the termination of Belden's 1-Piece HD BNC very easy and much faster than the traditional 3-Piece BNCs. Also, a new line of Belden Brilliance Broadcast High-Definition BNC Connectors exceeds SMPTE return loss standards, providing excellent headroom and true 75 ohm performance. www.beldensolutions.com

MARKETPLACE /// TS ANALYSER Mediaproxy has announced the next generation of its LogServer IP software, which now includes a new QC and monitoring TSAnalyzer application and scheduled DVR-style recording. LogServer IP provides a scalable software-based native MPEG streaming server solution. It combines RTSP based IPTV applications, transport stream monitoring, a flexible IP multi-viewer and multi-channel review application. Scalable to hundreds of single and multi-program transport streams across a linked network of servers, LogServer IP also seamlessly integrates with LogServer ASI providing an easy upgrade path for existing customers. www.mediaproxy.com

MPEG DVB-ASI & IPTV MONITORS Wohler MPEG monitors decode and provide at-a-glance monitoring of program content from MPEG-2/4 ASI and Ethernet IP streams, as well as 3G/HD-SDI inputs. The MPEG video monitors decode and display MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 signals via BNC or Ethernet inputs, while giving users the ability to browse the PAT, PMT, and PID data for each selected stream. In addition to MPEG ASI and dual-input 3G/HD-SDI with loopthrough, the MPEG monitors also accommodate HDMI video and audio with level meters, GPI, and tally. www.wohler.com

MONITOR APPLICATION Built on Volicon's digital video monitoring technology, the new Monitor application allows users to monitor video quality, respond to fault reports, and use a full recording of the on-air broadcast for instant review of errors and their impact.

While continuously analysing logged content for a variety of faults such as black or static screen, loss of video or closed captions, and incorrect audio levels, this application provides flexible, individually configurable alert thresholds, with notifications delivered via e-mail or SNMP traps. Quality measurement thresholds may be configured per channel to optimize performance and error reporting. To further simplify network monitoring and troubleshooting, the application provides an integrated multiviewer feature that enables Observer Media Intelligence Platform (MIP) users to use their standard displays as multiviewers or record the output of a traditional multiviewer. www.volicon.com

OBJECTIVE QoE, OTT MONITORING & ANALYSIS At this year’s NAB Show, Bridge Technologies will debut its Objective QoE (Quality of Experience) solution for QoE monitoring of broadcast and digital media delivery, with support for regionally inserted material. Also new is the VB288 Content Extraction System for Objective QoE monitoring that delivers visual content extraction, status displays and alerts to a virtual videowall display that can be viewed through any Web browser.

Running on a standard highspecification server, the VB288 can power displays of large numbers of HD H.264 channels ////////////////18

AUTOMATED QC IN TRANSCODES

Digital Rapids and Vidcheck have announced integration between the Digital Rapids Transcode Manager 2 automated media transformation software and the Vidchecker second-generation

automated QC software. The new integration support enables Transcode Manager 2 users to seamlessly incorporate Vidchecker's extensive QC capabilities within their automated, customized media processing workflows. Outputs can be checked against a userspecified range of verification tests, with users alerted automatically to QC issues. www.digitalrapids.com; www.Vidcheck.com

WAVEFORM, 4K OmniTek’s latest OTM and OTR waveform analysis and signal generation systems offer everything from an entry-level SD/HD waveform, vectorscope gamut and video status monitor through to a full specification waveform analyser capable of handling the latest 2K video standards, all on the same platform. This is achieved through licence options providing, for example, support for digital cinema through the addition of XYZ colour space, gamut histograms and a CIE Chart drawing facility. Test signal capture and generation are similarly added to the OTM/OTR through the installation of software options, as are lip-sync measurement and the analysis of audio features such as programme loudness.

Also new is the OmniTek Ultra 4K Tool Box, a small box packed with features for the analysis,

display, conversion and generation of signals up to 4K/60p. The 4K Tool Box supports all current and anticipated 4K video formats up to 4096 x 2160/60p and has ports supporting a wide variety of connection formats – multirate SDI (including dual 6G and quad 3G for 4K/60), HDMI and Display Port – for both video source and display. The Tool Box can either be controlled via the HDMI port or from a web browser. www.omnitek.tv

MULTICHANNEL & OTT MONITORING Digital Nirvana offers its Monitor IQ multichannel signal monitoring, logging, compliance and archiving for broadcasting. Monitor IQ provides centralized management, automatic ad detection, and a director's audio track. It accepts multiple HD/SD signals and exports a wide range of file formats. Digital Nirvana will also show its AnyStream IQ cloud-based OTT monitoring system that provides reliable monitoring of OTT content to ensure that live streams are up and running. This browser-based system monitors for quality issues like loss of video or audio as well as compliance issues like loss of FCC mandated closed captions. www.digital-nirvana.com

CLOUD-BASED QC, HEVC in multiple browser windows.

Bridge Technologies will also show its next generation OTT Engine with MPEG-DASH support; a new PocketProbe app for OTT monitoring and analysis on Android and iOS devices; and the VB273 intelligent satellite redundancy switch for satellite uplinks. www.bridgetech.tv

TV Technology Europe I April 2014

Tektronix’ QCloud cloud-based QC software subscription platform is optimized for deployment on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Broadcasters and others who operate file-based workflows on AWS and other cloud platforms can use QCloud to replace upfront capital expenses with usage-based, cloud-based operating expenses.

Tektronix will also unveil HEVC deep dive Elementary Stream analysis capabilities that now come with Option ESE and Option 430 of the MTS4000 MPEG Test and Analysis System. The new features help equipment designers and manufacturers optimize coding efficiency of next generation encoders for mobile video, OTT video and 4K/Ultra HD, as well as check for compliance and ensure high-quality encoded pictures. www.tektronix.com

MARKETPLACE /// TEST & MEASURE IN TRANSITION Hamlet is adding to its range with the new DigiTek DT900.

Capable of simultaneously monitoring two to four signals in a single 1U device with prospeakers included, presenting the results through an integral multi-viewer onto any DVI or HDMI display. The multi-format capabilities include 3G, HD and SD SDI, with test signal generation, EYE pattern, SDI combined with analogue input modules plus digital and analogue audio inputs options ensuring backward compatibility, making it ideal for installations which are undergoing transition. www.hamlet.co.uk

FIBRE TRANSMISSION

Chinese company Doteck has available the Doteck 3G series transmitter, which provides one 3G/HD/SD-SDI input, and one loop-through for local monitoring. The receiver outputs 2-way parallel 3G/HD/SD-SDI digital video. It

features an auto-cable equalization circuit and cable driver circuit available at receiver. A signal jitter elimination circuit is available both at the transmitter and at the receiver to ensure high quality signal transmission over long distance fibre cable. Auto signal detection is also standard.

Also available is the Doteck HD8 series transmitter , which provides eight HD-SDI input, and 8 loop-throughs for local monitoring. The receiver outputs 16-way parallel HD-SDI digital video. www.doteck.com

RACK OR PORTABLE FIBRE The new Studio Technologies Model 412 Fiber Transport System can transport multiple serial digital video, MADI digital audio, as well as gigabit Ethernet signals over single-mode optical fibres. The portable or rack-mounted Model 412 uses optical multiplexing to transport SDI video or MADI audio signals—at rates of up to 2.97 Gbps—over two single-mode optical fibres. The system is available in three versions. www.studio-tech.com

RUGGED CONNECTORS A new high density version of the Fischer UltiMate Series 07 connector is a small, miniaturized connector containing ten contacts within plug and receptacle diameters starting at 12mm only. With this additional configuration, the Fischer UltiMate Series of rugged connectors is now available in five sizes (07, 08, 11, 13 and 18) and in configurations from 2 to 42 pins. www.fischerconnectors.com

MONITORING PROBE Part of Nevion’s nSure line of intelligent monitoring and switching solutions, the TNS4200 Media Monitoring Probe is a toolbox that provides continuous monitoring of up to several hundred transport streams, enabling fast fault detection and diagnostics for higher uptimes. With numerous ASI and IP inputs within its compact 1RU frame, the TNS4200 is highly flexible and can be configured to reflect customised monitoring rules. The new probe is designed for video-centric network monitoring. www.nevion.com

QUICKER FIBRE RIG/DERIG; PORTABLE FIBRE TEST Argosy now offers a range of fibre management solutions, including Neutrik’s opticalCON advanced tactical fibre assemblies.

These include the opticalCON Duo, opticalCON Quad and the recently debuted opticalCON MTP connection systems. The MTP offers a 12-channel fibre optic connection system for point-topoint multichannel routing with a push/pull connector that helps to reduce rigging and de-rigging times in the field. Its innovative spherical shutter is easy to clean and guarantees low maintenance. As well as being easily deployable, the MTP connection system offers a reliable, end-to-end solution with rugged outer-jackets for harsh environments.

Also now available from Argosy is the Cygnus Pro range of portable fibre and hybrid cable testing systems from PERCON. The Cygnus Pro HD-fibre device allows engineers to accurately test signal integrity on opticalCON tactical fibre assemblies and SMPTE camera systems. www.argosycable.com

HANDHELD ANALYSER

BIGGER BULLDOGS, DINGO Multidyne is refining and updating its fibre optic based video and audio transport solutions by introducing The Dingo, a new card set that transports a wide range of camera signals—such as 3G HD-SDI, composite video, analogue or digital audio with cross conversion, intercom, serial data, and Gigabit Ethernet—over a single fibre-optic cable. Also new this year are two larger sized versions of The BullDog compact, field fibre transport system. Using The BullDog, camera operators can extend the transmission distance of multiple camera signals over a single fibre cable. The BullDog efficiently transports up to 8 HD-SDI signals in any direction. www.multidyne.com ////////////////20

TV Technology Europe I April 2014

The handheld TAG from Phabrix is a low cost (about £2000) analyser/monitor that offers a range of interfaces from composite up to SD-SDI, HD-SDI, 3G-SDI and optical support via a built-in SFP cage. On the audio side the TAG provides a D connector providing both balanced analogue audio and AES I/O. AES waveform display allows visual check for levels and reference lock. PHABRIX has worked closely with Dolby to provide support for Dolby E, Dolby D and Dolby D plus for the TAG. TAG also features a TCP/IP remote control connection, allowing the instrument to be controlled via any standard web browser. ww.phabrix.com

SMPTE UPDATE ///

Process & Partnerships /// Alan Lambshead on maintaining proactive standards work hough my new role as the SMPTE standards vice president follows on my retirement from Evertz last year, the responsibilities that come with the position are anything but light.

The increasing diversity of technology associated with motion-imaging demands that SMPTE standards address interoperability issues on a wider scale. While delving into these issues, SMPTE must balance competing pressures to reach a balance for standards creation.

On one hand, the Society must continue to employ rigorous, fully vetted, and open standards development processes. On the other hand, it must move those processes along fast enough that the resulting standards can be deployed during the useful life of the technology they address.

I see these challenges as opportunities for the Society, and I’m happy to be playing a larger role in maintaining SMPTE’s proactive approach to problem-solving and standards creation. Indeed, responding to the broad impact of numerous and significant technical advances, SMPTE’s technical committees are doing a great deal of standards work right now.

Ultra high definition television (UHDTV), for example, has a footprint that extends across several technical areas, and we’re busy studying its implications in these areas.

Looking at essence, we see high dynamic range (HDR) enabling creation of better pictures for television and cinema. In terms of infrastructure, we’re examining the move from traditional hardwired facilities to information technology (IT)-based facility and the challenges that come with this shift.

As these technologies come to bear, we must address them with standards. In particular, the move to Internet protocol (IP)/IT infrastructure will require a standard as robust ////////////////22

and longstanding as the Emmy award-winning HD-SDI standard released by SMPTE in 1992, and built upon in later years for the 3G-SDI standard released in 2005, and right now for the 6, 12, and 24 gig standards under development.

Working toward this end, SMPTE has co-sponsored the Joint Task Force on Professional Networked Streamed Media (JTNM) along with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Video Services Forum (VSF).

Together, we aim to help drive industry participation in development of a packet-based network infrastructure that supports the creation, storage, transfer, and streaming of professional media. This effort is critical if we are to avoid a hodge-podge of disparate approaches and practices that simply don’t work.

SMPTE’s work with other organizations is allowing the Society to be more agile and responsive to changing technologies and times. Though SMPTE boasts nearly 100 years of experience in standards development, and we have made some internal adjustments to streamline our work, we also value the benefits of strategic collaboration.

Earlier this year we announced the launch of the Joint Task Force on File Formats and Media Interoperability. We sponsor this joint task force along with the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), International Association of Broadcast Manufacturers (IABM), American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), and Association of National Advertisers (ANA).

Our goal is to create greater efficiencies and cost savings for exchange of file-based content.

We will do so by engaging key players and stakeholders in improving the specification and exchange of professional media between organizations.

The Society is also

TV Technology Europe I April 2014

IP/IT infrastructures will require a standard as robust as the HD-SDI standard.

Alan Lambshead, SMPTE Standards Vice President

continuing work begun last year with the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM).

Together, we are working toward widespread industry adoption of Ad-ID and Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR) coding for all advertising and video content assets.

At this point, the professional media industry has no standardized, open method of directly associating content identifiers with the audiovisual content itself. Thus, a central focus of our collaboration is the creation of an optimal openstandard technical solution for the actual binding of Ad-ID and EIDR identifiers to video assets.

As SMPTE extends its partnerships with other media industry organizations worldwide, it is also pursuing more inclusive standards creation. Historically, SMPTE membership has come largely from the United States and Canada. In recent years, our ranks have extended to represent a much broader international community; including the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and India, to name a few.

To reinforce the growing diversity of the Society, we hold our fall standards meetings in Europe, immediately following

the IBC show in Amsterdam.

SMPTE is actually a founding IBC partner.

Last year we brought a quarterly meeting to Hong Kong. This year NHK and others will host a quarterly meeting in Japan.

Australia has hosted some of our largest conferences and meetings, drawing an array of industry experts and exhibitors from around the world. Another enormous conference is in the works for 2015.

By increasing the Society’s presence on a global scale, we’re successfully increasing the input and involvement we get for standards that affect the motion imaging industry worldwide.

Given all of these elements of SMPTE’s standards work, it’s an exciting time to be taking on a new leadership role within the Society. I am sure the road ahead will be challenging, but I am looking forward to working with experts from many disciplines, to lay the foundation for the future of our industry. /// Alan Lambshead is SMPTE’s Vice President of Standards.

Contacts: www.smpte.org

SHARPSHOOTER ///

Sponsored by

A Life of Constant Variety Name: Josh White

shots and video noise when you push the image can put me off sometimes. So I always try and shoot with my Sony F3 if possible, but as a tool Canon DSLRs certainly have their place in the camera persons’ and filmmakers' arsenal.

These cameras have helped a lot of young camera people and photographers to start shooting video at little cost, pushing creative boundaries and bringing in new talent.

On the flip side, as a lighting

Age: 27 Family: I live with my girlfriend Ellie.

Star sign: Cancer Where did you grow up?

By the sea in Herne Bay, Kent, UK. Where do you live today?

I still live in Herne Bay, although I do a lot of filming in London and cities, so I prefer to live somewhere quieter. It's a good way to de-stress after a long job.

Languages: English.

Occupation: Freelance lighting cameraman and Director of Photography.

What education have you had?

After school, I went to college to study media, then onto Canterbury Christ Church University to study Film, Radio and TV which was a half theory, half practical course, where I learnt to shoot on S16mm film. I have also completed a week long BBC training course in Location Camera Skills.

////////////////24

How long have you been a cameraman?

Professionally freelance for five years. But I've filmed family events and films with friends since I was 11.

What has been your experience in shooting video with DSLRs? I've shot a couple of short films, various music videos and corporate work with Canon DLSRs. These offer a lightweight 35mm sensor with interchangeable lenses for a low price. They're great for some B-roll footage, web-based content or for simply when you can't get permission to get something bigger in

TV Technology Europe I April 2014

somewhere. Break them down to just the body and lens and you look like a tourist, very discreet.

To me the moiré, lack of latitude, lack of detail in wide

cameraman, I've always tried to invest in the best equipment and get the best training possible and that doesn’t always come cheap. I've lost a lot of work because I simply

SHARPSHOOTER /// cannot compete with my day rate against some freshlygraduated students who got a 7D for Christmas!

With a mass of new shooters comes a great variety in the quality of content being produced. There are some very talented shooters out there, but there are also some who could benefit from some basic disciplines when it comes to white balance, exposure, focus and composition. Part of the blame has to lie with producers and companies that employ people for as little as possible.

Does this approach have a future?

I think DLSRs can only improve quality-wise and they will always have a place for lower end productions and B-roll.

We may start to see more mainstream low budget features and TV shows being shot on DSLRs as budgets fall even lower. But with cameras such as the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, the lines between the

England and Northern Ireland, showing the process from farm to fork. It's part of the job I love, with a lot of variety seeing the production process of how things work.

Have you been busy?

This year has really picked up for me so far; it seems to come in waves a few months at a time.

I'm riding the wave at the moment.

Shooting where?

I mostly shoot in the UK, often in and around Kent and London with a job coming up in Wales. At the end of the year I'll also be filming in Scotland.

DLSR and the video camera are becoming very blurred.

some productions, mainly sports events.

What do you think of the current activity in 4K TV? I think 4K will provide benefits; not in 4K broadcasts to the home, but shooting in 4K and having the option to zoom in and re-frame live pictures for

Current assignments.

Where, doing what, shooting for whom?

I've recently been shooting some corporate videos for a large food company in the UK, filming on farms and factories in

What types of productions do you currently shoot?

I would say 80 percent of my work is corporate, with the rest being short films and music videos. There's still some people with money out there which is good. I enjoy corporate work but shorts and music videos are so creative and I love that.

>

SHARPSHOOTER ///

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What was your first shooting job?

My first proper paid shooting job was to shoot and edit a video for a hostel company in London. I had to visit six or seven different hostels around the city and get plenty of iconic shots of London. This would have been easy had I not damaged my ankle only a few days before I was due to start, so I spent the entire shoot limping around.

Most recent, interesting assignments?

I shot a short film that was to be entered into the Virgin Media Shorts competition. It was only a one day shoot and I'd been brought on as DoP only a few days before. We filmed in one of the oldest boxing clubs in

London and I made some great new contacts. It was a really fun shoot to be on.

I also shot a music video for a band based in Portsmouth in an old ruined monument. I really enjoy the creative process of shooting music videos and working with the director. I was given quite a lot of flexibility which was great.

Current camera equipment you use?

The two cameras I own and use regularly are the Sony EX3 and Sony F3. But I also have a Canon 60D. Other gear you have access to?

I use the Blackmagic HyperDeck Shuttle so I can record in ProRes or DNxHD or if required uncompressed from both the EX3 and F3, great for shooting

S-log on the F3, plenty of room to grade in post without degrading the image.

I also have a thing about lights, so I have quite a selection of lighting from a portable LED kit and china balls to Kino Flos and an Arri 1.2k HMI. What useful piece of gear do you wish someone might make?

I wish there was a portable LED light that you could change the softness of the light just by turning a knob on the back, like you can with intensity and colour balance.

Best thing about your job?

No job is ever the same, you're always learning and pushing yourself.

Worst thing about your job?

Not knowing if I'll still be able to afford to do this job next year.

Dullest assignments and why?

Speeches at conferences and anything I can't be creative and push myself with.

Hairiest/scariest assignments and why?

I really need to get more assignments like this! The only one I can think of is being thrown about in a WW2 side-car being driven around at great speed along a dirt track in a field for a war film I was shooting. I think we were chasing a tank!

How much 16:9 do you shoot?

I shoot only 16:9.

What country do you most like to shoot in?

England. It's my home and I love the rolling countryside and the coasts we have here.

What ıs your taste in music?

Whatever they're playing on the radio. I like a variety and it changes so often.

Favourite food?

Most Italian dishes.

Contact details: W: josh-white.co.uk E: josh@josh-white.co.uk

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TV Technology Europe I April 2014

LAST LINES ///

A More Empirical QoE /// By Simen Frostad volution doesn't always proceed in a linear fashion. There are offshoots, backwaters, blind alleys even, as well as the mainstream. Some of these offshoots result in organisms that are so well adapted to life that they don't need to evolve any more. The shark is arguably one of these.

Simen Frostad

However, most offshoots are really up a blind alley. They are organisms that leave themselves nowhere to go, or perhaps have developed specialist evolutions to suit one environment and can survive for a time in another when the conditions change -- but only while the going is good.

In the field of technology, evolution occurs at a vastly more rapid pace than in the real world. So we see plenty of evolutionary dead-ends. Many last only a decade or less.

A lot of these dead-ends are the result of commercial competition, and it's not always the best technical evolution that wins in a commercial context. But there are also dead-ends that arise from conceptual mistakes; where a technology is applied in an inappropriate context, and fails because it's poorly evolved for that environment.

In the world of digital media delivery, there is one example right now: The dead-end is Quality of Experience (QoE) testing.

Digital media providers want to ensure their customers are getting a good quality

service. They want to keep those subscriptions coming in, and they want the subscriber base to grow.

Part of the strategy for ensuring a good service is to monitor the performance of the delivery mechanisms, so that any actual or incipient failures are corrected quickly. This is the obvious part. But there is also the quite reasonable desire to test quality as experienced by the user.

QoE testing began in the telecoms industry, where telcos needed a way to evaluate what the ‘average subscriber' would think of the sound quality delivered over the phone.

There was no objective measure that could deliver this evaluation. It was a subjective assessment that the telcos had to make.

To simulate the ‘average subscriber', a panel of expert assessors would listen to test communications over the telephone service and note their evaluation of quality while a set of stock phrases such as ‘You will have to be very quiet', ‘There was nothing to be seen', and ‘They worshipped wooden idols' were transmitted.

The experts would record their scores, assessing any impairments in subjective terms on a scale of 1-5, from ‘imperceptible' to ‘very annoying.’ The scores would then be averaged and weighted using the kind of statistical manipulations common in the social sciences and market research.

This methodology became known as MOS (Mean Opinion Score). It was standardised by the ITU-T (International Telegraph Union) recommendation P.800.

For its original context and environment, this was a perfectly reasonable approach.

But when the QoE concept was applied to digital media delivery, the MOS-based, subjective methodology lost its justification and QoE became an evolutionary backwater.

In an attempt to grow the right feathers, MOS mutated into ‘VideoMOS' and ‘AudioMOS' criteria, which tried to make opinion-scoring methodologies look well-adapted to the media landscape. Rather than using panels of expert assessors, MOS-based QoE evaluation became ‘robotized', with complex algorithmic simulations of those subjective reactions from ‘imperceptible' to ‘very annoying'.

In the case of television, MOS/QoE robots ‘watch' the service and the data is fed into the algorithmic engine. It attempts to simulate the subjective reaction of the viewer, with scores for factors such as ‘jerkiness', ‘blurriness' and ‘blockiness'.

Like a dinosaur growing an enormously long neck so that it can prolong its survival in a changed and more challenging environment, this algorithmic evolution of an opiniongathering methodology leads to a less than successful organism. As the word ‘opinion' in the term MOS suggests, subjectivity is still at the heart of the concept; even if it's now a robotic imitation of subjective human reactions.

But subjectivity is complex and nuanced. No human viewer would assess a transmission of Captain Philips using the same criteria when watching Chaplin's The Great Dictator.

The viewer knows and accepts that one is a recently-made movie and will be brighter, steadier and sharper – and more colourful – than a black and white product of 1940.

Yet in a robotized QoE ‘subjective' assessment based on MOS criteria, one would

score highly, while the other would be marked way down for ‘blurriness', scratches and other artefacts, for its lack of resolution and colour.

Such distorted results arising from the attempt to simulate human subjectivity have made QoE a much less valuable tool than it should be.

And yet, unlike the sound heard over a telephone, the experience of digital media services can be evaluated in a completely objective way. There is no need to use the evolutionary dead-end of MOSbased evaluation.

The Objective QoE solution launched by Bridge Technologies dispenses with the robotised ‘average viewer' in favour of a QoE evaluation built from empirical testing of factors that diminish the quality of digital media services, such as lost packets, timeouts, and buffering.

When you can accurately and continuously detect when a viewer is experiencing any of these errors, you no longer need to confect an algorithmic ‘opinion' about it. You have a completely trustworthy, objective set of data on which to assess -- in real time -- the quality of each user's experience.

By dispensing with subjectivity, digital media providers can get a reliable and meaningful assessment of the quality users are experiencing, and QoE monitoring can get back into the mainstream of evolutionary progress. /// Simen Frostad is Chairman of Bridge Technologies (www.bridgetech.tv)

April 2014 I TV Technology Europe

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