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Asia Pacific focus

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CONTENTS

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A CONTINENT OF POWERHOUSES You could fit all the world’s countries inside Asia, and still have room left over! Ok, that’s not really true. But Asia is vast – the biggest continent, with some of the world’s biggest economies and a tremendous diversity of cultures. China, Japan, South Korea are not just economic powerhouses, but technological ones too. India produces more films than anyone else in the world, and China has growing ambitions to become a major production centre. So, while this is our Asia Pacific issue, we recognise that neatly encompassing the possibilities in the APAC countries is a futile task. In these pages we offer only a few snapshots of the region’s TV tech. We include a vendor’s eye view of the Chinese broadcast industry, and this month’s Sharpshooter is a cameraman from Myanmar who likes filming in the rain. We also look at KOBA, South Korea’s big tradeshow and a growing presence on the event scene. Also in this issue we take on American Houses Of Worship with a case study of one Ohio church that’s using new streaming tools in smart ways. On that note, we also review Blackmagic’s new web streaming kit and compact studio gear which offers a complete mobile TV studio on a budget. Neal Romanek Editor nromanek@nbmedia.com

THE VIEW FROM BEIJING A broadcast gear distributor gives us the tech story from inside China

8 30

LIVE 360 PRODUCTION Transporting viewers across the world with live VR

USER REVIEW: PRO STREAMING ON A BUDGET A real world test of Blackmagic’s new web streaming gear

SHARPSHOOTER

BREAKING BARRIERS

Filmmaker Aung Ko Latt shows off the beauties of Myanmar

Broadcast technology is opening up to a generation of brilliant women

Editor Neal Romanek +44 (0)207 354 6002 nromanek@nbmedia.com

Group Publisher Eric Trabb 212 378 0400 etrabb@nbmedia.com

Sales – US Atlantic & Southeast Michele Inderrieden 212 378 0400 minderrieden@nbmedia.com

Content Director James McKeown +44 (0)207 354 6015 jmckeown@nbmedia.com

Associate Publisher Vytas Urbonas 212 378 0400 vurbonas@nbmedia.com

Sales – US West Pete Sembler 650 238 0324 psembler@nbmedia.com

Sales Manager Pete McCarthy +44 (0)207 354 6025 pmccarthy@nbmedia.com

Sales – Japan Sho Harihara +81 6 4790 2222 ho@yukarimedia.com

Head of Design Jat Garcha +44 (0)207 354 6003 jgarcha@nbmedia.com

Senior Account Manager Richard Carr +44 (0)207 354 6000 rcarr@nbmedia.com

Sales – Spain / Italy Raffaella Calabrese +39 320 891 1938 rcalabrese@nbmedia.com

Designer Tom Carpenter +44 (0)207 354 6003 tcarpenter@nbmedia.com

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COMMENT

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In search of the right MAM Dave Clack, CEO of Square Box Systems, analyses the results of the company’s big MAM survey

quare Box Systems surveyed a database of industry experts, customers, prospects and partners to identify their top challenges and priorities for effective media asset management (MAM). The results tell us that most firms have made a start toward a new MAM methodology, but there is still a long way to go. Some of the highlights from our MAM survey results include:

1. It’s hard to find a tool that is both simple and powerful enough to meet every need For respondents, the greatest challenge lay in choosing a tool that is powerful and flexible enough to meet their needs, yet not so complex and costly that it never delivers a benefit. Next, our respondents needed the ability to log and tag content quickly, making it easier to repurpose content later on. Companies are also looking at ways to extend search capabilities across the organisation, including the ability to deploy web clients (internally and externally) outside of production or media teams. It’s clear that different people interacting with a MAM system have different needs: one-size-fits-all is not going to deliver the best solution. 2. MAM systems are widely deployed, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to optimise Surprisingly, close to 30 percent of the surveyed companies are still managing their assets manually using spreadsheets or no tools at all. For those with MAM systems installed, more than half believe they could be saving more time and money by optimising their existing deployments. There are key lessons to learn from this. Firstly, workflow design is critical. At Square Box Systems we sometimes see CatDV deployed without a clear view of the end-toend media workflow. Hardly surprising then that business benefits are not optimised! Then, after initial implementation of a MAM, teams gradually learn more about what is possible with their tool. Regularly reviewing the endto-end workflow, then optimising the asset management tool, can unlock the true value of a team’s media over the long term. 3. There is a huge amount of hidden cost in workflows with ineffective asset management Of the respondents not using a MAM system, an average of six people in the organisation each spent

an average of 12 hours per week on asset and file management – a third of their time! Taking into account the average costs for knowledge workers in the media space, we can extrapolate that these companies are spending upwards of $100,000 a year on hidden labor costs. Larger teams spend even more, with some spending upwards of $300,000 per year!

Surp prisingly, close to 30 percent of the su urvey yed compa anies are sttill mana agin ng theirr assets manuallly usiing spreadsheets or no too ols at all 4. Asset management is growing in importance as the content landscape grows more complex More than 90 percent of respondents stated that having a powerful asset management solution has become more important, with close to 60 percent stating that it’s become “very much more important.” Media assets are growing in size and complexity, the storage landscape (across on premise disk, tape, and cloud) is becoming more varied, and demand continues for cost-effective, engaging programming. In the face of these drivers, 40 percent of respondents reported that they have run out of storage space and that new content is being created faster than they can manage it. Another 40 percent state that their asset storage has become disorganised, and they need tools for taking control. Almost half of respondents stated that their organisation operates across multiple sites or

geographic regions, compounding the challenge of access to media assets. In addition, up to 35 percent of respondents stated they sometimes have to re-shoot content they know exists,but can’t locate easily in the environment – and five percent report they have to do this often. Respondents recognise that a lack of effective management is leading to wasted time and money; In fact, several respondents confirmed that it’s actually an inhibitor to growth. 5. Cloud storage is getting more of a look More than half of respondents reported that they are exploring cloud services for asset storage as part of an increasingly complex storage landscape including tiered disk storage (high performance for production use mixed with lower performance to save cost) plus tape and optical storage. Many said they need sophisticated tools that can manage and control content on premise, in data centers, in the cloud. At Square Box we believe that hybrid approaches across more traditional and object/ cloud storage will become the norm. THE UPSHOT Effectively managing, accessing and using video, audio, images and other assets has become a priority for many organisations, and it’s driving a rapidly growing demand for robust MAM tools. More than 65 percent of our survey respondents said that making improvements in their asset management capabilities is a top priority for 2017. More than ever, we understand our customers’ need for MAM capabilities that are powerful and flexible, while being simpler than ever to use..

COMMENT

May/June 2017

The ‘Uberisation’ of broadcast Broadcasters will evolve into orchestrators and content aggregators, says John Hickey, senior director of KVM for Black Box.

s we look beyond 2020 we see a world where a cloud utility model will turn broadcasting into a software driven business – often with the leading broadcasters becoming Broadcast Orchestrators in a larger eco-system. Broadcast Orchestrators will own few of the assets. Instead, they will own the platform that delivers aggregated content or services – and a great experience – to customers. They will monetise the platform through advertising, subscriptions, or revenue sharing. The model is similar to Uber, the world’s largest transportation company, which owns no vehicles, or Airbnb, the largest accommodation provider, which owns no real estate. Other broadcasters will morph into Live Content Creators (sporting events, news) and use Broadcast Orchestrators to deliver to their audiences. Virtualisation is core to these new models. Virtualisation, which first emerged in the 1960s, is the idea of creating an environment where independent applications and/or services can appear to own the same server when in fact they share it. Keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) technology was used as an initial mechanism to break the link of physical access and having to be at the device – essentially a first step in virtualisation of access. KVM switches have

been integral to media facilities ever since, allowing broadcasters to locate computers away from their production environments. Virtualisation of servers and networks in the cloud takes this to the next step. Virtualised hardware frees applications and services from specific machines and allows workloads to be ‘portable’. Streaming video over IP, rather than as SDI over fixed cabling, provides the flexibility to change workflow and video stream routes quickly in response to changing circumstances.

Broadcast Orchesttratorss will own fe ew of the asse ets. Instead, they willl ow wn the e pla atforrm th hat delivverrs aggrregated d con ntent or servic cess to customerss. The move to leverage the cloud as the content storage and distribution platform with IP-connected commercial-off-the-shelf servers and software-defined workflows means ‘the virtual master control’ room can be used to automate and deliver workflow processes and technologies in a more agile and scalable way. This further reduces the need for traditional master control operations and reduces the need for task specific hardware, helping to lower capital expenditures. The outcome of this process will see broadcast networks operate along similar

lines to data centre-based systems common in IT. The transition is already underway. Disney/ABC Television is moving its TV channels to a cloudbased virtual master control. The BBC has moved audio file storage, mixing and playout in a single data center to provide local stations IP access to these centralised resources so that the stations can create and transmit their on-air programming. The driving reason for the transition is the ability to spin up new channels quickly in response to viewer demand. The virtualised production model provides this, where software defines the production process, the cloud enables content storage/distribution, and commodity-priced IT hardware serves as the access and control interface. While there is a compelling business case for IP-based virtualised broadcast production, there are significant hurdles to moving completely to the new model. For example, there is a lack of industry supported standards for virtualised production over IP. SMPTE’s 2022-6 standard is a start but it is not sufficient to create a fully functional end-to-end solution. Such solutions need to handle traditional sources such as SDI and physical servers’ DVI/DisplayPort outputs as well as the new protocols of SMPTE video and virtual machine access. Many papers and marketing programs imply a complete fork-lift upgrade of broadcast facilities to move into this virtualised world. But in real-life there is rarely the ability to select this option due to budget and time constraints. The transition to a virtualised/IP model will take time - many in the field estimate the end of SDI will take between five and ten years. The fact that TV production/playout will become distributed over IP and software-driven doesn’t mean that the old ways of doing things will suddenly disappear. Additional access to Virtual Machines will be needed to manipulate files and playout lists. These resources will need to be accessed by operators in a similar manner to optimise efficiency and control. Even if broadcasters do not have virtualisation on their plan, they need to consider solutions that provide future-proofing as the world moves to virtualisation, while supporting present needs for virtual access to physical servers.

PRODUCTION

May/June 2017

Live at 360 degrees TV is changing, but live broadcast isn’t going away any time soon. Phil Rhodes talks with the teams who are looking at live’s next frontier - 360 live

irtual reality, in the sense of a synthetically-generated world is not a new technique. 360-degree video, on the other hand, is a much more recent invention, and while VR and 360 are often used interchangeably, there’s been comparatively little work done on how live action material is best produced for display on a VR headset. The hardware requirements can be stringent, demanding a lot of resolution to create a fully spherical world that doesn’t look soft or blocky, while high frame rates are needed to avoid the appearance of lag that can create disorientation and nausea. Beyond the technical requirements, though, there are a lot of decisions to be made about exactly how 360-degree material should be shot and presented. Among the exhibitors at NAB this year were companies offering answers to these questions. Two such groups, ImmersedLIVE and the

collaboration of All Mobile Video with VR Live, have gone a step beyond and are offering VR services in one of television’s most challenging areas: the crucible of live production.

Iff you wa atch live e VR, quitte a bit of itt iss pre etty borin ng. It’ss not enterttainmen nt, it’s voye eurism Tellingly, ImmersedLIVE’s Lucas Wilson, founder of Supersphere, talks first about the design of the content before addressing the technology: “If you watch live VR, quite a bit of it is pretty boring. It’s not entertainment, it’s voyeurism. It’s putting a camera in the middle of the location and asking you to just look at it without any real entertainment value around it. Our mission at ImmersedLIVE was to turn 360 live into a true entertainment experience, into an entertainment environment. The way to accomplish that is by doing what we call hybrid VR.”

The hybrid VR concept involves close collaboration between crews shooting conventional 2D and those producing 360-degree material. “Anyone who wants to do 360 also wants to do 2D,” Wilson continues. “What ends up happening is that you hire two different crews and they battle each other. It’s always an antagonistic relationship between them - it’s two teams with two priorities. And that’s silly because it’s one show, it’s one broadcast, it shouldn’t be that way.” As a result, Wilson says, 360-degree crews tend to suffer poorer camera placements and often feel left out. ImmersedLIVE’s approach is full integration between these traditionally separate worlds. OB TRUCK FOR ALL DEGREES With crews combined in this way, Wilson needed technical facilities which would permit the combining of conventional and 360-degree

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images into a single production. This required a custom OB truck, called MCC1, a 53 foot, singleexpando vehicle with hybrid capabilities. “All trucks have a few common elements. They have audio, production, tape, replay, engineering, and so on. What this truck has is a dual production base, but instead of those being opposing teams, you can produce both the flat show and the 360 show, and with the 360 show having access to all the assets the flat show does.” Practically speaking, this creates the ability to switch between conventional and 360-degree pictures, add windows and graphics, and, as Wilson puts it, “get the best of the 360, the immersion, that sense of being there. It’s difficult to communicate how effective that is without being able to see it.” The MCC1 OB truck was built by Flightline Films using Blackmagic equipment, which was chosen for its compatibility with the 12-gigabit SDI standard required for high frame rates at 4K resolution. FlightLine’s Jay Nemeth, co-founder, with Wilson of ImmersedLIVE, describes it as “very different to a cookie-cutter network broadcast truck. It needed to be able to handle 4K video at 60 fps anywhere in the truck. We didn’t want to do quad link. We checked with some of our partners such as Red Bull Media House, people who had been using Blackmagic gear. There were some gaps in the 12G fibre transceiver equipment, but that was solved at NAB 2017.” Eager to avoid the need for inconvienient quad-link SDI, requiring four cables for every link, Nemeth recalls that “there are very few people who do single link 12G. Blackmagic is one of them. It can also handle the 6G output from the [Nokia] Ozo cameras.” Wilson says that the mixing of conventional and 360-degree material requires a combination of “off the shelf and proprietary solutions that bridge the gap between traditional 2D graphics and 360

PRODUCTION

graphics. I’m personally of the opinion that too much secret sauce boxes you into a corner.” Key software includes Assimilate SCRATCH, via its live mode, and Voysys’s VR Producer, which Wilson describes as “a tremendous box which allows you to do live stitching and some of the geometry and manipulations necessary.” Completed six months before NAB, MCC1 has been used on several jobs, including a memorable event at the Shrine Auditorium in LA for Empire of the Sun. Wilson recalls that “we produced it in the hybrid VR manner that we talked about. We had person after person put on the headset and say, oh, this is what it’s supposed to be like.”

I’’m perso onally off the e opin nio on that to oo muc ch se ecrett sau uce boxes you in nto a co ornerr TAKING THE SUPER BOWL TO POLAND A slightly different approach was taken by Peter Berg’s company Film45, who engaged VR production company VRLive, in collaboration with All Mobile Video, to create a live VR experience for US Army personnel stationed in Poland, which resulted in one of the 2017 Super Bowl’s most memorable ads. Entirely shot and edited during the 2017 Super Bowl, Berg’s concept required a live VR

link between a private box at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas and the US base in Poland. Behind-the-scenes footage would then form part of a 90-second, Hyundai-sponsored presentation televised after the event, in one of American television’s most valuable pieces of airtime. Dann Saxton is head of content at VR Live, and worked with AMV’s VP of Strategic Development and Operations, Nick Jacobovitz. “The first call we got was from Film45, Peter Berg’s production company,” recalls Saxton. “They hite me up and asked if this was possible. They showed me storyboards of a person in a pod - a little pod around the person - and they wanted to know if we could virtually put this person in another place, without having to use the headset.” Dome-shaped projection environments were considered, but eventually a cylindrical setup six metres in diameter was selected. Three examples of the five-projector setup were supplied by London-based Igloo and delivered to the base in Poland. The setup at the Houston stadium used Nokia’s Ozo VR camera as well as conventional monitoring and sound equipment to allow the soldiers’ families to see and hear them, and to give the soldiers in Poland the experience of watching the Super Bowl alongside their families thousands of miles away.

PRODUCTION

FINDING THE BANDWIDTH Moving three VR images from Poland to Houston required a heap of bandwidth, Jacobovitz recalls: “Once the clients presented us with the challenge, we immediately sharpened our pencils and tried to again figure out how we were going to move that much information from a far off place.” The solution involved three SNG trucks from a partner organisation in Cologne, Germany. “They were sending three discrete VR 4K signals to us that ultimately got broken up into four [HD-sized] quadrants each, so that’s four times three. And we had to send back all of the Sony F55 content that was being used - interviewing [the soldiers] in the barracks, watching them view the game, watching them walk to the viewing cylinders, all that media.” AMV had not initially known, nor needed to know, which cameras would be used. Jacobovitz was confident: “We just knew we were getting

a 4K handoff. They were going to give us a 4K signal. It didn’t matter what camera system it originated from.” Some economy of bandwidth could be made given that the exhibition environment for the VR material, being cylindrical structures, did not require the full spherical coverage of video. “We were able to cut off the top and the bottom, and basically send all the cylinders, the three feeds together, as one - which was necessary.” The trucks used at the Super Bowl site were AMV’s own combined SNG and OB vehicles, capable of both six-camera broadcast production and transmission. With VR equipment mounted in optional rack units, the truck provides VR monitoring and stitching with transmission capability over satellite, fibre or IP. For the Hyundai

May/June 2017

event, the truck handled the three incoming Ozo VR feeds plus ten discrete return feeds of HD F55 material from Poland. Since the event, encoders using the improved HEVC/H.265 codec have become available, ensuring that similar tasks can be achieved even more effectively in future. Having captured the experience during the game’s second quarter and linked all of the footage back from Poland, the conventional, 2D version of the final presentation was edited during half time and the third quarter, approved by the NFL and the network during the fourth quarter, and broadcast after the New England Patriots’ victory. Saxton remembers a festive atmosphere, celebrating a sporting triumph, an effective broadcast and a mammoth feat of engineering. “We were all at that point at the suite at Super Bowl, watching the game. The Patriots win. The piece is broadcast. It was like New Year’s Eve.”

Camera system lets you capture it all, frame it later A new multi-angle and live 360 camera system from AZilPix made its debut at last April’s NAB show in Las Vegas. Studio.One was developed by a team of European academics in partnership with national broadcasters and manufacturers. Studio.One uses up to six 12-megapixel cameras with wide angle lenses to capture footage of a live event from multiple angles. The system integrates into a traditional or IP broadcast environment and can be used for remote internet or broadcast live productions such as concerts, sporting events, church services and conferences. Studio.One is composed of three integrated components - a camera, capture server and processing software. The server ingests raw, wide-angle video data from the cameras and allows recording and live processing of data into one or more rectilinear views and a view mosaic. Although framing can be performed live, framing can also be selected offline in the post production stage. The Studio.One server computes multiple simultaneous rectified or panoramic virtual cameras from any input camera in real-time live or in post-production. The footage from the cameras are real-time stitched into a panoramic or 4K full 360 video. Using software-based pan-tilt-zoom “virtual camera” cut outs, a single operator can capture shots from multiple vantage points.

A football match could be recorded with a crew of only one or two, using three or four static, wide-angle high res cameras. Adding a camera with a zoom lens on a pan-tilt unit for close up views can provide more immersive action shots. “By generating multiple virtual cameras from a single physical camera and by using wide angle lenses that ensure every aspect of a live event is captured, Studio.One gives programme makers endless creative possibilities when it comes to deciding how

they want their programme to look,” said Dr. Philippe Bekaert, CTO of AZilPix and one of its founders. “The cameras are very small and unobtrusive, which means they can be used in places where you wouldn’t normally put a camera. It’s also possible to automate the system using pre-programmed camera motions or motion tracking, while our server allows cameras to be shuttered precisely and simultaneously and frames to be time stamped with an SMPTE LTC or other timecode.”

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PRODUCTION

BBC Wales takes the IP plunge The relocation of the BBC Wales headquarters will allow the broadcaster to jettison its SDI past. Neal Romanek reports.

BC Wales will be kicking SDI to the curb with its new Cardiff, Central Square headquarters. The broadcaster will move to an entirely IP infrastructure, which should be up and running by Q4 of 2019. Grass Valley will be a preferred broadcast tech provider, and Cisco will be provided network switching. Though most elements of the build are still in the planning stages, BBC Wales said they will be using Grass Valley Broadcast Data Center. GV Node will provide switching, signal processing and routing capability, and networking will be by Cisco’s IP Fabric for Media solution, based on Cisco Nexus switches and SDN Controllers to allow easier migration from SDI to IP.

When the decision to build a new studio from scratch was first put on the table in 2014, there was a dilemma. Should it be SDI based? Or was it worth thinking about this new IP business? “When we first started, the assumption was that it was going to be an SDI build,” says Roger Crothers, BBC Wales head of technology. “At that time, there were only a few vendors who sold IP gear. But that matured very quickly, and very time we went to a trade show IP seemed more and more a viable solution. As time went on, we began to feel that IP might be the right platform.”

IP PLANS The relocation was announced at the end of 2014 and was sparked by the aging tech infrastructure at BBC Wales’ Llandaff home. The Llandaff site will be redeveloped into flats when the BBC finally exits. The sale of the site is helping to fund the new development. Central Square was named the preferred site for the new centre after a tendering process that assessed nine potential sites. BBC Wales will share the site with Welshlanguage public broadcaster S4C.

The new build went out to tender. The BBC Wales team requested that bids be returned for both SDI and IP builds. “When we embarked on the process, ST 2022 -6 was the prevailing standard, but then when ST 2110 came on the scene, we made all the bidders promise to go with that,” says Crothers. “We kept our options open and reserved our decision till the very last minute. “We’re trying to go IP end-to-end as much as we can, which means that all the lighting desks and sound desks will natively support

It allows us to be e reso olutiion agnostiic. IP doesn’t care e

IP. Because we have native IP streams coming in, the need to convert will be limited. It allows us to be format agnostic - we won’t have to rely on the shape or size of a signal. And it allows us to be resolution agnostic. IP doesn’t care.” PROOF OF CONCEPT The BBC Wales technology team will have access to the new building in spring 2018. A lightweight proof of concept is being built at the current Llandaff location as a test. “Some of the testing is to show how Grass Valley will approach the build,” says Crothers. “And it will be also be used to train our traditional broadcast engineers. We looked at the different kinds of training we’ve had. The feedback we’ve had is that hands on is some of the best.” But evolving to new technology means an evolution for the team too, many of whom have never worked in an all IP environment. “Our team are very comfortable troubleshooting faults within an SDI infrastructure,” says Crothers, “But the troubleshooting skills and tools you use to fault-find in IP are very different. Some will have that skill already. But some who have been doing SDI work for 20 years will need some training.”

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PRODUCTION

Ghana goes for UHD Ghana’s GH One TV is rolling out support for UHD. Philip Stevens talks to the SI responsible for a one of Africa’s major broadcast upgrades

H One TV is Ghana’s fastest growing television channel transmitting a wide range of current affairs, entertainment and lifestyle content. Since it started broadcasting three years ago, the station has carved a strong niche in the Ghanaian audience by capturing a unique viewership profile whose television preference rests mainly in those three specific genres. Last year GH One rolled out support for Ultra HD following an upgrade of its studio facilities in Accra. “The customer was looking for a brand-new TV setup, provided on turnkey basis,” explains Marco Branzanti, video projects manager at Axel Technology. “The customer was looking also for a partner with the necessary know-how to assist him regarding video and IT technology, including studio, cameras, lights, playout, technical interior, connectivity, networking and so on. Another important driver was to have a partner that could have an international network and be also a system integrator.”

Founded 1996 in Bologna by Giuseppe Vaccari, who brought his 30-year experience in the international broadcast field, Axel Technology is an Italian Systems Integrator dedicated to manufacturing professional radio and television broadcast solutions. Currently, Axel Technology’s equipment can be seen in over 120 nations. In Ghana, the company works through its partner, Bahamus Limited. In 2015 Axel and Bahamus won the opportunity to provide to GH One a complete radio system and a small MCR. “Thanks to the growing of GH One and the mutual satisfaction of the work, the customer decided to ask Axel and Bahamus to be its partner and supplier for the further solution. The entire project has been designed from scratch by Axel Technology and Bahamus,” says Branzanti. CHALLENGING SCHEDULE “This system was a real challenge with regards to timing,” says Branzanti. “There was less than four months between the customer

signature and the commissioning of the system. The customer gave final approval in late March 2016, and broadcasting began from the new studios on 10 July 2016.” The provided solution was a complete system HD/4K, comprising a master control room for two channels, two production control rooms, three studios – both real and virtual sets and a technical room. “Blackmagic products are the key ingredients in the system workflow – they integrate perfectly with Axel products,” states Branzanti. “In all PC servers, there are Decklink cards used for playouts, graphics, logging, etc. The HD/4K system also consists of Blackmagic switchers, routers, converters and multiviewers. This combination allowed Axel to get the best quality/price ratio.” The equipment includes an HD MCR 40x40 Videohub routing switcher for connection with production control rooms and incoming/ outgoing signals. There is also a 12x12 Cleanswitch Videohub with control panels for on-air switching, plus three Multiviewers.

PRODUCTION

“We opted for the CleanSwitch in the master control. It allows the switching of the main programme outputs through our playout software without switching glitches. “We also integrated two Axel Xplayout video servers with Decklink Duo2, two Axel DLGplus channel branding with Decklink Duo2, two Teranex for downscaling, Teranex mini for glue, one Smartscope, and one SmartView.” The studios also include a mix of gear, including Axel Youplay productions servers, Decklink pros, Axel CGlive, Axel Youmix – for desktop grabbing, IP decoding, and background generation, plus Hyperdeck and Smartscope. In addition, six editing suites have been equipped with Decklink Studio2 SETTING STANDARDS The 4K signal was built on 12G-SDI,” says Branzanti. “The customer requested to have a 4K studio, even if the final output is an SD/HD to satellite and DTT. The idea was to start with

top quality, producing content at the highest standard which would stand out from the competitors that were already on that market.” Following the significant investment in the 12G-SDI studio, the broadcaster recently chose to expand its 4K capabilities further, by commissioning its first ever OB truck – again through Axel Technology. “Delivering the studio install and then the OB truck build represents one of the biggest broadcast projects ever undertaken in Ghana,” reveals Branzanti. “Because of the enormous variety of content that GH One produces, from live sports to news gathering, through to on-location interviews and shows, our single biggest challenge was designing an outside broadcast system that could adapt to cope with all of those requirements.” The 14m long and 2.5m wide truck, built by Milan based ARET, can accommodate a production team of 20 people at any one time and has four distinct production areas.

May/June 2017

While the main production gallery can seat up to six audio and video technicians, as well as two directors, the truck also incorporates a post production hub, studio spaces, including a green screen and virtual sets, as well as an independent television studio workflow. “Fully expandable, the OB truck occupies a 15m by 4.80m footprint, allowing multiple productions to take place without staff feeling cramped. That means the vehicle can be used comfortably for longer periods,” explains Branzanti. “For example, the truck can have a fully-fledged television studio up and running for several days, rather than on a short-term, event orientated basis.” Again, Blackmagic equipment is much in evidence. For example, signal routing onboard is managed via a Smart Videohub 40x40. Housed in the OB’s technical control room, it sits alongside a rack of HyperDeck Studio Pro broadcast decks, used for both recording and backup purposes. Teranex Express standards

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converters are used, allowing production crews to up or downscale any incoming video sources from external contributors. MORE THAN PRODUCTION “As well as 4K production capabilities, a major part of the brief was to ensure that the truck would be able to incorporate footage and content coming into the OB from a host of external sources. When you’re on the road, you have to be able to contend with a whole range of formats and signals, and the Teranex converters give the engineers a very practical set of tools to convert everything into a consistent format for their broadcasts.” Axel Technologies’ IT servers are also housed here, together with its playout and CG systems for titling, news tickers and graphics, which can all be added to the live programme mix. As with its studio facilities, the truck is also fitted out with 12G-SDI cabling, which allows single cable connectivity for Ultra HD signals.

PRODUCTION

“This allows us not only to reduce the volume of cables within the truck, but also means there is less likelihood of signal degradation or dropout.” The truck has a full range of ENG and remote control cameras, which can be rigged in the studio sets or used out in the field, for news gathering, sports production or covering live events happening across Ghana. Satellite and secure Wi-Fi connections are on board to allow the truck’s team to broadcast from wherever they are in the country, no matter how remote. Redundancy played a huge part in the design of the OB truck’s workflow, and Branzanti explains how Blackmagic allowed the Axel team to develop a bespoke solution. “The truck has two ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K switchers connected via a patch panel, and both have the same IP address assigned so that if there were any disruption, the console would automatically connect

to the backup unit. The price point of Blackmagic’s switchers is what made this approach possible. We couldn’t have done it otherwise.” A further ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K is also installed for the truck’s television studio and is configured to act as the master control for the system. “The ATEM switcher’s ability to manage embedded audio makes it a very affordable and practical solution for any OB build which needs to be able to handle broadcast grade productions without any studio support.” He adds, “The balance between affordability and functionality that the Blackmagic Design kit has been the key to the effectiveness of the GH One truck. We’ve been able to implement 12G Ultra HD workflows that have not previously been seen before in Ghana, that give the GH One team state of the art broadcasting systems, both when working in the studio and out in the field.”

PRODUCTION - CASE STUDY

May/June 2017

Preaching to the connected Houses of worship are a major market in the broadcast tech sector. Michael Burns investigates how new tools are helping one American congregation reach out

ouses of worship have represented a major vertical market within the broadcast and AV industries for some time, but technology advances continually provide new opportunities for ‘spreading the word’ more effectively. With the rise of social media, congregations no longer occupy just physical seats for services - the congregation can exist wherever there’s a screen. Additionally, broadcasts from multiple worship sites are becoming increasingly common. One enthusiastic tech adopter is SouthBrook Christian Church, near Dayton in the US state of Ohio. SouthBrook has been established for over thirty years, having gone from being a small group of people meeting in a school, to a church of 5,000 people - and still growing with two campuses, Miamisburg and Liberty. “AV technology is used for many different purposes all around SouthBrook,” explains technical director Will Scott. “In the main theatre it is primarily used to communicate and educate our Lead Catalyzer’s [lead pastor’s] message for the week, as well as create an opportunity for people to engage in worship through music. This same principle is applied at various levels throughout the building in different-sized rooms. From the main theatre to our kids’ spaces and conference rooms, almost

every room is equipped with both audio and video elements to support communication, education and worship.” Scott has been working at the church since September last year. Prior to this, he held roles as a volunteer mix engineer with various churches in the greater Cincinnati and Dayton area, and as part time technical director at an Adventist church in Kettering. As well as Scott, SouthBrook has a number of dedicated personnel for staging, lighting and recording services, which mainly take place at the weekend, though some midweek events are also scheduled.

Cre eating a Dante network witthin n our campus hass allowed trem mendou us fllexibiiliity for our appliications “The Worship Arts staff are responsible for the larger venues, but we provide occasional support to the other spaces if a problem should arise,” explains Scott. “The operation of the spaces is carried out by teams of volunteers. We couldn’t make the weekend happen if it wasn’t for our volunteers.” DANTE AND BLACKMAGIC Following the trend we’re seeing across this sector, SouthBrook has incorporated

the use of video technology allowing it to communicate more effectively across multiple platforms. “Recently we’ve switched our audio system from analogue to digital, and incorporated broadcast elements into our system allowing us to stream through social media,” says Scott. “As technology evolves and changes, so must we.” The evolution of the audio system from analogue to digital involved Scott’s installing Yamaha’s CL series live digital mixing console, and a compact all-in-one Yamaha QL digital console incorporating a built-in Dan Dugan Automixer for microphones, as well as R Series I/O (Rio) racks which employ the Dante network audio protocol. “Creating a Dante network within our campus has allowed tremendous flexibility for our applications,” reveals Scott. “The biggest challenge was understanding and setting up the network elements - for instance, cable length limitations, how to set up a network switch, assigning IP addresses, and so on. “We’ve also deployed a Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Mini Recorder for our broadcast video interface,” he adds. “It’s been very simple to set up.". SouthBrook’s technology choices have been based, not surprisingly, on reliability and simplicity. “Being a multisite campus, we have to find

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PRODUCTION - CASE STUDY

ways to reproduce what has been created in the main theatre in a different location,” he explains. SEEDS OF BROADCAST All weekend services are broadcast live online, tapping into the flexibility offered by open source software and social media. “For broadcast, we take a programme output video signal from our production switcher, where a broadcast audio mix is combined with video, and sent to the UltraStudio Mini, which interfaces to an Apple computer,” explains Scott. “From there we use Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) [for streaming]. “The broadcast feed is easily maintained. All we do on the weekend is open up Facebook Live, connect it to OBS through the server and a stream key, then go live as soon as our service starts,” Scott reveals. Developing the streaming live setup was the result of “asking Google lots of questions, and experimentation,” admits Scott. “We generally work under the premise of: if we want to do something, then we figure it out and learn as we go.”

We genera ally work underr the premise of, if we e wan nt to do sometthin ng, then we e ﬁgu ure itt out and learn as we go But this is not an amateurish set up. Production values are high. “We work hard to use cameras and microphones in capturing the experience, then broadcast that experience,” Scott explains. “Most of it comes down to quality programming. Great teaching from our lead catalyzer, great music from our musicians and worship arts director, great lighting and stage looks from our stage and lighting director, and everything working together to support a unified goal. If the programming isn’t good to begin with, then it doesn’t matter how great the cameras, lighting fixtures or sound console is. A good broadcast experience starts simply with the programming and experience in the room.” WE’RE CHURCH GUYS, WE GET IT This standard is maintained through strategic planning, communication and rehearsal. “We spend time during the week perfecting what the weekend experience will be, and continue to evolve and improve until the last service,” Scott adds. Such dedication, and possibly the reach of social media, is helping to grow SouthBrook’s physical congregation. “We’re currently expanding our campus to

include a Chapel, which requires some focus on infrastructure and volunteer training,” says Scott.

As techno ology evvolve es and changes, so must we e Lexington, Kentucky-based House Right Production is the systems integrator supplying the equip-ment and facilitating all of the AV installation in the chapel. The company’s website slogan - ‘We’re Church Guys. We Get it.’ - should indicate how buoyant this vertical market is. SouthBrook also seems to be on the up.

“There’s quite a bit of exciting discussion coming from our vision team, with further multisite expansion and community engagement to fulfil needs we see in our society beyond that of a traditional church,” enthuses Scott. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the next few years will bring at SouthBrook and its involvement in the surrounding Dayton area. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that technology will play a huge role in how we interact with each other, and we’ll continue to rely on it for support.”

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SHARPSHOOTER APAC

Developing quality in Myanmar Director/cameraman Aung Ko Latt likes shooting in the rain. TV Tech Global’s Barrie Smith talks to him about filming the Beauties of his native Myanmar

Profile Name: Aung Ko Latt Age: 63 Birthplace: Yangon, Myanmar Current location: Insein township in Yangon Current occupation: I am CEO of Aung Ko Latt Motion Pictures, a full-service film and television production company. I’m a director, producer, cinematographer, storyboard artist, editor, and musician in TV commercials, television dramas, films and corporate video projects that I work on.

What languages do you speak? I speak Myanmar. I’m fluent in English and in Japanese. And I speak some Thai. What is your academic background? I completed my high school education, but did not go on to college. From 1999 to 2000 I completed intensive film training at the New York Film Academy in New York City.

How did you become a cameraman? I lived in Japan from 1986 until 1995. I wanted to experiment with filmmaking, so became a member of the Fuji Film Single 8 Cameraman’s Society where I learned about cinematography. I shot two very low budget experimental films using mini DV Cameras during that time in Japan. Current assignments? Since the company began, I have shot several documentaries shown on Myanmar television (including one on leprosy in Myanmar), a feature film called Kayan Beauties, an eight-episode television drama series called The Sun, The Moon and The Truth, dozens of corporate videos, dozens of music videos and several hundred TV commercials. Current assignments include several TV commercials for consumer products, a major corporate video for a national client, and I’m preparing to storyboard and shoot the second season of six episodes of The Sun, The Moon and The Truth drama series. I’m also starting to storyboard scenes for an upcoming feature film (the first film of a trilogy)

to be shot soon. This will be the second major project that I’ll do with my screenwriter and producing partner, Hector Carosso from New York, with whom I did Kayan Beauties.

My objective is to o ke e p pushin ng and d devellopin ng the quality of my wo ork, the range of my y vision and d the technology thatt I use e Other countries where you have worked? I’ve shot commercials in Japan, Korea, London, Hong Kong, Thailand and Iceland. And I often work in Thailand, where I do post-production for many of my projects. I plan to shoot a feature film, half in Japan and half in Myanmar in 2018 or 2019. It would be a reshoot of the story I had shot on DVCAM over 20 years ago. Have you been busy? Very busy since 1995. It is important for me to remain busy and active. My objective is to keep pushing and developing the quality of my work,

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the range of my vision, as well as the technology that I use. What was your first ever shooting job? The first shooting job was a short documentary about poor children from the Shan state of Myanmar and a television commercial for Kanebo Products in 1995 in Yangon. Current equipment you use? Cameras I use include Arri ALEXA XT, Sony PMW F55, Sony XDCAM. I shot the feature film Kayan Beauties with the Sony F900-R camera. It was the first film in Myanmar ever shot in HD. In lighting and sound I use various makes and models of equipment. Kayan Beauties was the first film shot in Myanmar to use the Dolby Digital Surround EX sound system. All editing work is done in-house, using Final Cut Pro. Most of the post-production work is done in Bangkok.

Dullest assignment and why? Not too many. But I don’t like to work on cheap and quick productions that don’t require creative or artistic input. I prefer not to go in just for the quick money.

I ussually buy my y bestt equiipm ment abroa ad an nd brin ng itt in, an nd pay th he imp port duties What difficulties are there shooting in Myanmar? It’s not too difficult. We can shoot and create just about anything we need here. But there are not enough studios around yet to shoot in. How does extreme weather affect you? How do get around in the wet season? I actually like shooting on cloudy and even rainy days. Of course, when the rain is too strong, then we have to wait until it’s over. But in general we shoot in the rain. I think it’s most uncomfortable

May/June 2017

and unpleasant shooting in extreme heat and humidity. It can get so hot here that everybody on the set is affected. Which is your favourite place to shoot in? I really enjoy shooting outside of the cities. I like natural locations - hills, mountains, snowy peaks,, rivers and beaches. But some cities have very nice dynamic angles and offer good perspectives. Until now I enjoy shooting wherever I am. How much 16:9 do you shoot? When I started in Japan in 1989 there was only 4:3 ratio around. I used a lot of analog 4:3 cameras, such as Sony S-VHS, S-VHS Mini, Video 8, Betacam SP. After Betacam SP, the world started using 16:9 and I used Sony Hi-8, DVCAM, DVCPRO, XDVAM HD, HDCAM, PMW F55 and ARRI Alexa XT. I now mostly shoot 16:9. What gear would you most like to have on your equipment “wish list”? I would like to have a post-production and sound

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design facility in the near future. Not much of a need for cameras at the moment. Of course, the art of cinematography actually needs good tools - cameras, lenses, lights and camera supports. But right now we have enough high end format cameras. What we do need is amazing creativity... it’s art. What piece of gear do you wish someone might make? I would like somebody to make cheap and good professional quality anamorphic lenses that all shooters can afford. What are the difficulties you face with importing equipment? When I returned to Myanmar from Japan in 1995, I brought some music recording equipment and camera equipment with me. I was able to buy some equipment in Myanmar, but at that time the technology that we had available here was limited. Over the years, better quality equipment has started entering the

SHARPSHOOTER APAC

country through local dealers, so I was finally able to find what I needed. I usually buy my best equipment abroad - in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand - and bring it in, and pay the import duties. For an international production that requires the import of equipment that will then leave the country, the government has special allowances that require the proper paperwork and timing to bring the equipment in with no problems. What is the biggest hassle in your current working life? I need more time! I’m currently working on 11 different categories of job. Such as pre-production meetings with clients, producers, directors, storyboard artists, DOPs, editors, sound advisors, composers, musicians, narrators to associates on projects. I have enough employees and creative artists, but I need the time to work with them and create together.

How deep is the reserve of acting talent? There are many professional actors in Myanmar. I often prefer to find and work with new faces, but I also work with established actors. The talent range here was limited by the closure of the country, but over more recent years the acting talent has become broader and more skilled. I rely on several talent agencies for many projects. Best thing about your job? The best thing about my job is “The Art Of Enjoyment.” Worst thing? The worst thing is “The Bad Client.”

Contact Name: Aung Ko Latt Mobile: 95-9-5136475 Email: aklatt54@gmail.com

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May/June 2017

Korean confab T

he Korea International Broadcast, Audio & Lighting Equipment Show (or KOBA) is Korea’s largest media industry trade show, and one of the biggest in the Asia Pacific region. Held annually at Seoul’s COEX Conference Center, the show is run by exhibition and events company Korea E & Ex and the Korea Broadcast Engineers & Technicians Association. This year’s KOBA, held in mid May, featured 1,014 companies from 29 countries and a total of 40,191 visitors. We spoke with the show organisers about KOBA and the industry from the Korean perspective

When did KOBA begin and how it has changed and grown? KOBA show began in 1991. Since then, a large-scale exhibition has been held each year. And it’s expanded now to take up all of Halls A, C, D at the COEX conference centre.

What was new at KOBA this year? This year VR and OTT services were at the center of the exhibition, and there was excitement about the upcoming Winter Olympics in our PyeongChang Olympics-themed media pavilion. UHD featured prominently too.

Does KOBA do seminars and conferences? KOBA offers a range of tech seminars, conferences and our Media Forum are great sources of enlightenment and discussion for all the delegates.

How does KOBA compare with other APAC shows? KOBA is the key event for all media technology exhibitors in Korea, although there are an increasing number from outside the country. We are still looking to invite even more overseas visitors and delegates to the exhibition.

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May/June 2017

SI secrets from China ATD Technology is a systems integrator and distributor located in Beijing. Company head Li Ning Chao shares his 25 years of experience in the Chinese broadcast technology sector Could you tell us about your background? I have been dedicated to the broadcasting industry for 25 years - since 1992, when I graduated from university. As a veteran, I have experienced the entire industry journey, from analogue through to digital and HD. When was ATD founded and what services does it provide? ATD was founded in 1998. The company has a history of nearly 20 years and employs more than 30 people. ATD focuses on the distribution of broadcasting products. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an agency and SI (systems integrator) for our customers. We are also now engaged in the sales of and services for software products. Our business has grown year

on year since our humble beginnings. We began a special partnership with Vitec Videocom in 2003 when Vitec opened its first office in China, selling Sachtler products from Vitec Group, as well as its Litepanels and Teradek products.

Over the past two years, fewer in nvesttments have been seen in n the Ch hinesse broadcasting market ATD is good at marketing and we have extensive distribution channels. And we are willing to work with vendor partners on marketing and after-sales services. We value these partners very

much, and so doing, we can build their brand names, as well as gain a good reputation for ATD in the Chinese market, which is essential for our long-term growth. In addition to Sachtler/Vitec, we sell products from Ikegami, For-A, Tekronix, Ross-Abekas, Grass Valley, Canare and more, either as an exclusive agency or as a major distributor. ATD is highly recognised by these brands as a long-term, trusted partner. How would you assess the current Chinese broadcast sector? China provides a large broadcasting market. In recent years, this market grew fast and drew a lot of attention from the major vendors.

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Over the past two years, however, fewer investments have been seen in the Chinese broadcasting market due to several factors, such as decreased advertising revenues, completed HD transformation, unavailable market hotspots, immature 4K technology, and wait-and-see users. As the entire market is now down, the expectations of device vendors need to be modestly lowered. I believe that the Chinese market for program production and services will gradually improve. This gives us new opportunities. The state-owned TV stations are investing less and buying less, but the leasing and production market is rising.

Chinese-m manufactu ured devices featu ure a lott of variietty and lo ow pric ces, but unevven perfo orm mance What is ATD’s biggest challenge right now? As I’ve mentioned, we can see that the broadcasting market is declining, and the profit from traditional device sales and system integration is really low. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that there is not hope. I believe that the Chinese market for programme production and services will improve, and this is noticeable already. Our challenge at ATD is how we shift our business towards programme production and services. What is the proportion of Chinese products vs. imported technology products you offer at ATD? The broadcasting and TV products made in China offer ever-improving quality, and are expected to sell in the international markets. Currently at ATD, imported products still account for the major proportion, but more and more Chinese products are seen. But these are mainly the auxiliary, supporting ones. They are mostly monitors, swing arms, peripheral products for audio and video, as well as products that fall into the categories of software production and service. And these Chinese-manufactured will increasingly affect the foreign vendors. Are Chinese productions using imported gear or Chinese-manufactured gear? And what are the advantages of each? It is a little bit complex in the production sector. Imported devices are mostly used in the highend productions, though a large proportion of peripheral products, tripods, monitors, batteries and lights are made in China. For Chinese low-end productions, however, the majority of supporting devices they use are made in China, setting aside such core devices as

cameras and lenses. The Chinese-manufactured devices feature a lot of variety and low prices, but uneven performance, while the imported devices feature proven performance, but less variety, as well as high prices. Specific analysis has to be conducted on a case-by-case basis. Generally, if they offer the same specs, Chinese users and companies will choose a Chinesemade product, because they can have the same quality at a lower price, and they can get more convenient access to after-sales services as well. Brand loyalty is only seen in the high-end productions, such as high-end photography, or in the movie and TV sectors. But the pre-requisite for those is having a budget for it. What are the fastest growing markets in China? Is there the same small production company video explosion seen in other parts of the world? The smaller, privately invested productions and services are growing very fast in the market. There are currently a number of professional streaming video platforms in China, including Youku, Douyu TV, Panda, Huya, Longzhu, Zhanqi and the YY social network, which were all extremely hot in 2016. Designed for smartphone and tablet clients, they provide such video services as “do it yourself”, video games or eSports, and sport rebroadcasting. These video platforms do use a few

professional devices, but also a lot of cheap solutions, and even smartphones, for live broadcasting. How connected is the Chinese film and TV technology sector to the rest of Asia? Chinese equipment and devices are being sold in the international markets including the Asian countries. Chinese software, monitors, tripods, swing arms, batteries, and UAVs are already found worldwide, but there is still some way to go to gain a solid position.

The state-o owned TV V stations invest less an nd buy le ess, but the leasiing g and producttion mark ket is rising The quality of these products needs to continue to be improved. And the Chinese vendors need to get a deeper understanding of the international markets, recruit international employees, and improve their way of thinking. It takes some time. Many Chinese brands actively take part in the international exhibitions and conferences, seeking partners. Some have even directly opened their own overseas branch offices. It is a long process, but some have achieved remarkable results. Our thanks to Audrey Chang for Mandarin-English translation

ASIA PACIFIC FOCUS

May/June 2017

Japan’s J:COM thinks outside the box Japanese cable network J:COM used cloud technology to provide a new VOD experience to its subscribers without having to update set top boxes. Neal Romanek reports

:COM - aka Jupiter Telecommunications - is one of Japan’s largest multi-channel operators. Recently the company employed ActiveVideo, a joint venture of Arris and Charter Communications, to revamp its VOD offerings with a new cloud virtualised user interface. ActiveVideo’s Cloud TV is giving J:COM’s subscribers a web-like video-on-demand experience using their existing set-top boxes. With ActiveVideo’s Cloud TV GuideCast platform, pay-TV operators are able to add to current STB functionality with data straight from the cloud. An HTML5 user interface operating in the cloud operates independently of set top box CPU speeds, memory size and graphics capabilities. The end result for J:COM customers has been greater responsiveness, a larger, improved UI display, and the ability to personalise searches. The browser-based environment allows J:COM to quickly update the user experience and to be far more agile in making content available and in adding new services. Most importantly, it allows the user experience to be completely overhauled without having to deploy new set top boxes.

It doesn’t take long g for softw ware tec chnology y to exceed d the capabilitty off the devvic ce in n the home GuideCast delivers its output as an interactive MPEG video stream to any cable QAM or IP STB that is supported by a downloadable or preinstalled client with a CloudTV Nano module. “The user interface is the customer’s point of entry to our on-demand library,” said Masaaki Agaya, general manager, service planning division for J:COM. “The power of the cloud has enabled us to offer our subscribers a next-generation UX that overnight is opening the door to engaging new viewing experiences on the same familiar set-top boxes.”

OUTSIDE THE BOX ActiveVideo was founded in the early 1990’s. Back then, before anyone ever heard of the cloud, the company created a remote UI server technology. Over time the technology evolved to become Cloud TV. The first major deployment of Cloud TV was in 2008., and Cloud TV is now the most widely deployed server technology for rendering TV user experience in the cloud. Jeff Miller, president and CEO of ActiveVideo, describes the platform: “Cloud TV is basically an HTML5 rendering system. It runs virtualised server farms which take most of the functionality that would be required in a set top box and instead runs it in the cloud. “What most operators like about rendering in the cloud is that it doesn’t require a new device, and they can just use what they already have,” Miller explains. “The first big advantage is that most devices manufactured a few years ago didn’t support browsers in the box. If you want to run a modern user experience that is browserbased, it can be effectively impossible to run it in the hardware you have. But by using our remote cloud browser technology you can use those old devices. “But even when a device is modern and is able to run a browser in the box, you run into other problems with versioning and updates of that browser. As we all know, internet technology doesn’t stand still. We update software all the time on our laptops and PC’s, and still, those devices become obsolete in just a few years. And a set-top box may not be replaced for seven to ten years - or more. It doesn’t take long for software technology

to exceed the capability of the device in the home, no matter when it was shipped. “Everyone knows that consumers don’t like to have to call the cable company and have them come into their home and replace their hardware. But now we can update at the speed of the internet.” REIMAGINING VOD J:COM is using the new cloud capabilities to reimagine its VOD interface and enable expedited content discovery, which it believes is a key factor in driving on-demand viewing. “We virtualised the rendering of the VOD UI system which will allow J:COM customers to find VOD content more easily. It’s a much more modern experience. And by virtualising, no box is required, which was important for J:COM because they were able to reach most of their footprint of users without having to do a major update of all their devices.”

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ASIA PACIFIC FOCUS

Play it again, BBC We talk with Richard Amos, CTO of Ostmodern, about BBC Worldwide’s new BBC Player. The Player is built on Ostmodern’s Skylark platform and will bring BBC content to Asia Pacific viewers What content will be brought to APAC via the newly launched BBC Player? BBC Worldwide’s ambitions are to take the new BBC Player to targeted markets where the demand for the premium British content is strong. The first two deployments are in Asia Singapore and Malaysia. The BBC Player launched with programmes from six BBC global brands: BBC Earth, BBC First, BBC Lifestyle, CBeebies, BBC World News and BBC Brit. It’s the first time BBC Brit is available in Asia and it’s exclusive to BBC Player. The programme offers premium factual entertainment that blends expertise with entertainment and fact with fun. It covers a variety of subjects including cars, science, adventure, business and comedy. What were BBC Worldwide’s requirements? won the request for proposal based on a track-record of consultation, design and implementation of another BBC service. From our previous experience, we had an understanding of the BBC brand and the principles that guide its approach to video on demand. BBC Player is delivered through numerous partners around the globe, so it was essential that Ostmodern create a flexible VoD product that could be built easily for each partner and could be customised for their requirements - in terms of SSO and device/content windowing, for example BBC Player had to be developed so that it could be built quickly and cost effectively for each new affiliate with whom BBC Worldwide forms a partnership. It was essential that the product be scaled up quickly, when required.

Parrental guidanc ce ra atings vary siigniﬁca antly y for differentt countrrie es witthin AP PAC Another requirement was that the platform adhere to the strong BBC brand while also accommodating certain branded elements of affiliates. It also needed to have a powerful CMS that enabled a team of editors to manage content for many different affiliates around the world. Ostmodern’s Skylark product provided the answer as it gives editors a powerful CMS, and gives them the right tools to schedule and deliver programmes. The BBC Worldwide editorial team can customise each global affiliate site using a single CMS, and editors from each affiliate can manage their own content.

At the moment, BBC Player allows viewers in Singapore and Malaysia to stream and download content on iOS and Android as part of their affiliate subscription package. Streaming is also available on the responsive website. What APAC-specific requirements did you have to address? One important requirement is parental guidance. Parental guidance ratings vary significantly for different countries within APAC. BBC Player is able to display region-specific ratings and guidance to the user as well as show specific edits of particular shows depending on regional content restrictions. Is the BBC Player language-specific or English-only? The responsive website, iOS and Android apps are in English, but video content can have Chinese and Bahasa Malay subtitles. There are provisions with the product to alter the UI languages and also to provide additional subtitles and dubs. Can you take us through the development process? We’d worked with BBC Worldwide previously and were familiar with their brand. We collaborated with BBC Worldwide on the product design and specification, the development of the technical architecture, and build itself. In our role as systems integrator for the project, we also worked closely with BBC Worldwide’s technical partners who provide infrastructural services for delivering its content.

In order to achieve the project goals we had to work closely together from the initial requirements gathering, to active participation in the agile development process, to in-country testing and to the launch itself. Each affiliate had an agreed timeline for deployment based on commercial agreements. The product went live in Singapore in September 2016, with Malaysia following in February 2017. The process entailed breaking down and defining user features specifically for each country. Through an iterative development process, these features were rolled out to users, taking into consideration what the APAC market would benefit from first. Can the BBC team continue developing into the future without Ostmodern’s partnership? Skylark API is designed in a way to be easily configurable and maintainable. Ostmodern’s internal teams build products on top of Skylark every day, and we have designed the APIs in a way to make this process as simple as possible. If BBC Worldwide needed to develop on top of Skylark directly themselves, our development teams would provide them with the necessary guidance. Are there any localisation or geographic restrictions in place for the BBC Player? The site and apps have been built with geolocation functionality and are specific for each affiliate. Users who do not have logins for the affiliate and are outside the regions are not able to access the product.

USER REVIEW

May/June 2017

Blackmagic pro gear for webcasters Blackmagic Design recently introduced Hyperdeck Studio Mini, ATEM Television Studio HD, and Web Presenter, pro products for webcasters. Michael Tiller shoots and streams local rugby matches in the north of England. He and his team tested the gear through in some real world scenarios

he first thing we noticed about the Blackmagic gear is the overall build quality of the equipment. It really is second to none. Lovely black, silky finish and very robust. The buttons and knobs all feel very solid and purposeful, unlike some other units that feel quite flimsy - and a tad cheap, considering how much you pay for them. We received Blackmagic’s new ATEM Television Studio HD, Hyperdeck Studio Mini and Web Presenters, as well as a Blackmagic’s Video Assist 4K. First of all, we tested the Video Assist, perfect for a range of used, from dramas to documentaries. Nice touchscreen menus, but the only way we could manage to change the menu was to put it in standby. It has two SD card high definition record slots which are probably a lot better quality than built-in camera slots. It’s a pity that you can’t change the quality as it would be great for sports to record backups at a lower rate. The picture quality was second to none, and it does have a very good battery use feature. Also a very good feature is that the monitor will convert HDMI to SDI and vice versa.

To be able to mou unt some of this equipm mentt into a manageab ble ﬂight case e with battery power wou uld d be amazin ng ATEM TELEVISION STUDIO HD The ATEM Television Studio HD is a live production switcher designed for both broadcasters and AV professionals. For the money, it is absolutely superb, with eight SDI inputs and four HDMI inputs, but you can only use eight at a time. We could only get the software to work on a Windows 10 laptop but were still able to acceess all the features.. One special feature is that channels 15 and 16 on the SDI can be used as talk back which makes it a very cost effective unit for live TV or university/ college studio use, or even sports events. Resolution quality is up to full 1080p 60i. The only gripe I have is that there is no HDMI out

for the multi-screen output. With the software you can import graphics and control the sound from any SDI or HDMI input or an external left and right source, but if you were to use it portably then it would need to be in a flight case with the laptop for ease of use. I bought my first vision mixer 25 years ago. It was about the same price (without the laptop) and only had two composite video inputs. It was very difficult to do any graphics, and the quality of the picture was only just watchable. Technology of course has come a long, long way. To buy a broadcast quality vision mixer at this price was unthinkable in the 90s. New students getting into the TV industry now are spoiled with this kind of equipment. The ATEM Television Studio HD features a powerful digital video effects “DVE” processor that

can position, resize and scale live video, all in real time. That means you can create professional picture-in-picture effects with customisable borders and drop shadows with lighting. Imagine using a picture-in-picture effect to superimpose a commentator when covering events such as sports, training videos, interviews and even gaming competitions. You also get 17 DVE-powered transitions that you can use to squeeze and swoosh between sources, or to create graphic wipe transitions with your own graphics. Our operation could not do anything like this before for this kind of money. In fact, it has so many different features, it would take a while to learn them all, but, in a nutshell, it can do everything you need in a studio - apart from instant replays, which was a bit disappointing for us.

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The ATEM has so many software features, one has to be very PC literate to utilise them all. You can attach as many laptops as you like to control the ATEM. You can have one person on sound, one person on vision mixer cameras, one on remote SDI camera, settings and effects etc - or you can use it with simple vision mixer only. And it is very easy to use as a vision mixer. On the output side, not only are there SDI outputs but you can use USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 to connect straight to a PC for recording or live streaming. The kit probably contains every single feature you would need to use in a studio or outside broadcast van environment. You will need something external to do replays, but all the SDI inputs have loop through so you can record each SDI inputs separately. Another excellent feature is the ability to use one of the inputs for your graphics live, or you can upload to the ATEM itself in the media pool. This is something that would require a bit of practice for broadcasting live however. When manipulating the sound manually, without a laptop, I did find it difficult to select audio from one source, while using the picture from another source. The ATEM has a few different versions, and it’s up to you which one you decide to purchase but I found the lowest priced model more than adequate for everyday use if you don’t need more than eight inputs.

USER REVIEW

HYPERDECK STUDIO MINI Billed as “the world’s smallest Ultra HD broadcast deck, with professional 10bit recording and playback, dual SD/UHS-II card recorders, FTP media upload”, the HyperDeck Studio Mini is an amazing piece of equipment that is superb for high quality recording on SD cards. We had less than ten minutes before kick-off to set it up. It was the first time I had plugged it in. We had the cards formatted, managed to change the speed of recording, check everything and were recording within five minutes. The HDMI output and SDI outputs were very useful and complimented the ATEM Television Studio perfectly. To put it bluntly, it does what it says on the tin. You can either record from SD card to SD card, to two consecutively or record two copies at the same time - say one for the director and one for the editor. Time coding can be changed as you wish. For the price, this is an excellent piece of broadcast recording equipment, but the only input is SDI. We used it on standard fast SD cards. During testing, we took the SDI output from the Blackmagic monitor which was in turn taking the input from the HDMI from the camera and the picture quality was stunning. WEB PRESENTER The Blackmagic Web Presenter is a simple converter from SDI or HDMI to USB for streaming on most

platforms such as Skype, YouTube, and Facebook. It basically makes the PC think it’s detecting a webcam. As with the other mini Blackmagic devices it has a useful built in monitor. You still need a laptop or PC to connect to the internet but the quality is very good. There are other similar devices on the market, but they are a lot more expensive, mainly due to the fact that they don’t require a laptop or PC and are more portable. That said, the Blackmagic equipment is all mains operated, very robust and more suitable for studio or outside broadcast situations where you have a mains power supply. THE VERDICT Having compared the Blackmagic mini-series equipment with other manufacturers, what stands out is the robust quality of the build, not a tacky plastic feel, just a solid metal quality and is within the same price bracket. No other manufacturer I have had experience with features built-in monitors so you can see exactly what is going on at glance. The only bugbear I have is that it’s all powered by mains, apart from the monitor, but I suppose that makes it stable. Some of the broadcasting we do is in remote or hard to reach locations, so to be able to mount some of this equipment into a manageable flight case with battery power would be amazing.

The cameraman’s view Russel Callaghan, camera operator and videographer, gives his take: Having used the Blackmagic mini studio equipment for a few weeks you can’t help but notice the build quality. As a sports camera operator the 4K monitor is a superb piece of kit. HDMI to SDI cross conversion and uncompressed recording straight out of any HDMI source is right up there. Although the monitor is controlled by swipes across the touch screen, I feel a menu toggle switch

would be useful because at £700 you don’t really want finger marks across the screen. That aside, the unit really is first class. One feature across all the range I feel really misses a trick is the lack of the high quality H264 codec. This kit is all built with twin SD card slots. The ability to have an smaller capacity file format for easy sharing and previewing on one of these would be a real asset.

The full range is very compact and could easily be built into a one flight case solution. Having said this, it can be a bit fiddly to operate the small buttons on the switchers and recorder. If the software could be built into an iPad or tablet then you would have a win win situation. These are by no way faults because the kit does everything it claims and for the price you won’t beat it for performance or quality.

STORAGE

May/June 2017

Facilis facilitates German post production Facilis TerraBlock storage technology has been adopted by several German post houses to enhance collaborative workflows. Jack Przwalski takes a look

obeo GmbH is a full service provider of TV production services based near Cologne, Germany. The studio complex offers an ideal production environment for TV and web TV productions. Seven studios, an extensive post production unit, a blue box and an open air area provide resources for complex live shows, dramas and international programmes. With mobile HD production sets, nobeo can support TV productions at literally any location. nobeo1, one of Europe’s most modern OB trucks, provides the heartbeat of numerous outside productions. nobeo works with some of Europe’s leading broadcasters and content creators, including Endemol Shine Germany, UFA Show & Factual, Filmpool Entertainment GmbH, RedSeven Entertainment GmbH and Norddeich TV. The company has invested in an extensive and specialised production infrastructure, including an Avid workflow comprising 80 Media Composer edit systems and six ProTool HD edit suites. Until recently, nobeo employed Avid Unity MediaNetwork storage, but it has replaced this with the Facilis-based shared storage system. The company has installed three TerraBlock 24EX/16 and TerraBlock TX16 expandable storage systems, together with a TerraBlock Hybrid24 storage system. All of the TerraBlocks are connected to a switched 10 Gbit/s ingest and logging network and to an 8Gbps Fibre Channel editing

network that supports the entire seven studio, outside area and post production campus where they manage all ingest, logging, service and back-up operations. “A key driver for upgrading to Facilis was our existing Fibre Channel infrastructure, including many san boxes and host adapters,” says Norman Ende, head of post production at nobeo Studios. “We like the option to use both technologies – Ethernet for service tasks and our fast Fibre Channel for editing jobs.” A central feature of Facilis TerraBlock is the collaborative operating practices that it facilitiates – a feature that Ende describes as “must have” within Avid workflows. “Already we can recognise the very fast behaviour of the Facilis system and how it provides large, highly cost-effective amounts of storage – it is straightforward to expand our network with cheaper Ethernet 1 or 10 Gbit clients for logging and ingesting tasks. “With Facilis, I like how easy it is to expand our storage network, simply by adding an additional server and not having to concern ourselves with issues such as managing servers, databases or client licensing,” Norman Ende concluded. COLLABORATIVE WORKFLOWS Another new customer for Facilis is Hammes & Bühler Postproduction, also based in Cologne. Established in 2015, Hammes & Bühler Postproduction has grown to become one of the

leading independent post houses in Germany, serving a range of clients from Warner Bros and Endemol/Shine, to smaller local production companies. From day one, the facility aimed to offer streamlined and fast workflows in a modern feel-good location – that also serves the best coffee in town! “When we started this new post production facility, it was a no-brainer to select Facilis Technology for all our shared storage needs,” said Philipp Hammes, CEO of Hammes & Bühler. “Here, TerraBlock is the heart of the facility’s production worklow – the system is fast and reliable. The TerraBlock shared storage system enables collaborative workflows, which are critical for over 90 percent of our projects since they enable multiple editors in muitiple edit suites to work simultaneously on the same content,” The Hammes & Bühler Postproduction facility has 15 Avid edit suites, a Baselight 4K colour grading suite and a ProTools studio including Voice Box. The company has installed two TerraBlock 24EX/16 shared storage systems running on a 10GB Ethernet network with everything connected to Terrablock to enable collaborative video co-working. In addition, Hammes & Bühler Postproduction offers pop up-post production facilities, where the team delivers turnkey edit solutions including complete network infrastructure optimised for a specific customer’s workflow including both short and long-form projects. Hammes & Bühler Postproduction was drawn to TerraBlock by Philipp Hammes’ work with the storage system in his previous job. “In our work here, the editors need a backend that requires no maintenance from them – with TerraBlock, our editors work all day with no thoughts of how to keep the system running.”

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DELIVERY

May/June 2017

An ad on every court In January, Australian commercial channel Seven Network monetised matches from all 16 tennis courts at the Australian Open using Yospace’s dynamic ad insertion platform. Elsie Crampton reports.

even’s Tennis coverage has long been a highlight of its sporting calendar. With its dedicated 7Tennis product, the Australian broadcaster’s annual Summer of Tennis culminates with the Australian Open, which has seen live streaming from every court since 2015. “Sports live streaming is massively popular, with long streaming sessions, so we sought to unlock the advertising potential of midroll advertising, for every host broadcaster court stream” says Jeremy Brown, Seven Network solutions architect, video and advertising. “The ad hoc nature of sport and latency in streaming are well known challenges of traditional client-side ad insertion for midrolls. The advertising opportunity and user experience went hand in hand for us,” he continues. “Midroll advertising had to perform with the precision placement of broadcast. The integrity of the stream content could not be compromised and viewers should never miss any action.” Seven overcame these issues using Yospace’s Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) platform. Unlike client-side solutions, in which ads are loaded in various formats as separate content within the player on the user’s platform/device, Yospace’s server-side solution inserts advertising before the stream is delivered to the platform/ device, which allows a user experience in-line with the expectations of broadcast TV. “We carried out an extensive study to build a business case ahead of the Australian Open,” says Sharla-Jannett Cameron, digital revenue Global operations manager at Seven. “We identified

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where ads could be replaced and what the value of that inventory could be. The tournament coverage represented premium content and we knew we could command a far higher CPM than for advertising sold into VOD. “For the Australian Open we wanted to offer a premium HD service as well as an unrestricted SD stream,” adds Jeremy Brown. “We needed a partner capable of providing a custom experience to each viewer” The Yospace platform integrates closely with the broadcast systems that drive linear TV channels. Long-established systems are translated to an OTT environment, ensuring frame-accuracy and a seamlessness to online advertising that reflects that of TV, while capitalising on new opportunities such as creating customised streams to suit particular viewers or interests. Yospace’s server-side stitching approach caters for a modern, multi-platform broadcast advertising strategy by allowing a single stream, with ads already stitched in, to be delivered across multiple platforms/devices, as opposed to client-side solutions that can require in-app development for each operating system, and then again whenever an OS is upgraded. Just as important is the quality of the ad tracking that feeds back to the broadcaster’s systems. Accurate cross-platform tracking data is essential for collecting ad revenues Yospace can track ads at the point they’re viewed through a SDK embedded in the player of the user’s device. This feeds back accurate data without requiring hefty development on the broadcaster’s part.

IMPLEMENTATION Elemental Encoders: During the Australian Open, Seven used the BoraGrid control and monitoring application to manage the Elemental Encoder API’s for all 16 live channels. SCTE-35 ad markers were injected manually for each channel based on the state of play at the time, with a range of durations possible. Live concurrency data supplied by Yospace Telemetry API was displayed on the BoraGrid interface, allowing the operator to focus on the most popular courts. SD or HD: When a viewer clicked play, Yospace detected whether or not they were a premium HD user and delivered the appropriate stream. Ad creative: Yospace transcoded all ad creatives to match the source profiles of Seven’s Adaptive Bit-Rate (ABR) HLS streams, paving the way for a seamless switch to and from ad breaks. Ad volume normalisation was applied to ensure there were no annoying jumps in audio loudness between advertising and coverage. Ad decisioning: When a SCTE-35 marker is detected in the HLS stream, Yospace make a VAST call to Seven’s ad server. The ad server returns a set of IDs which instruct Yospace which ads to insert. Clickthroughs: Clickthough and overlay functionality to support supplementary ad content is enabled by Yospace’s Ad Management SDK, which integrates with the existing player. Ad Tracking: The Ad Management SDK also feeds back real-time ad viewing data back to Seven’s ad server. Yospace was able to manage ad impressions server side on platforms where clickthrough wasn’t possible such as Smart TVs. RESULTS “Yospace’s platform opened up a whole new body of inventory during the Australian Open which was otherwise inaccessible. Across 16 live channels for a premium sporting tournament, that represents a hugely significant amount of ad revenue,” says Jahn Erdogan, ad tech specialist at Seven. “We were also able to curate the advertising according to the user’s location, device or platform, and the frequency that they were watching the 7Tennis streams. So viewer’s were getting advertising that was more relevant to their interests, and without the ad fatigue that can come if you see the same ad multiple times. That was reflected in view-through rates, which were quite a bit above average industry figures.”

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DELIVERY

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Time to bet on ultra low latency streaming Sync and delay problems can ruin the sports viewing experience – and it’s worse if you have money riding on it. Per Lindgren, SVP of live OTT at Net Insight, talks improvements in live betting.

n sports, every second counts. Timing is everything. And when it comes to live streamed OTT media, timing is the most valuable player in the technology game. With the increase in mobile device viewing and social media, timing can make the difference between an amazing, or ruined experience. No matter what type of live-streamed entertainment a consumer seeks, everyone wants to experience the excitement first hand and be the first to know This is the expectation of “live.” But if truly “live” is necessary to meet today’s user expectations, we have a big problem: today’s live video CDN services can operate with variable end-to-end delays of 10-60 seconds. That is a long time in a live entertainment experience, and more than enough time for a friend to Tweet you a spoiler. ONLINE BETTING UPS THE GAME An increasingly popular area of live OTT engagement is online betting. with the betting consumer seeking online, mobile and in-game betting. The issues around timing in online betting make the worries seen in live OTT sports and TV events seem like child’s play. Not only does it require video delivery, but betting also requires that real-time data, like betting statistics, be delivered to both betting shops and to users. In the betting world, the “betting window” is critical. The longer the delay in delivering live streams to second screen mobile devices and betting shops, the shorter the time customers have to place a bet. Both the betting shops and users benefit from a long betting window. Betting punters want to follow the action and bet as close to the betting window closing as possible. They want exact control over when a bet is placed. But with today’s OTT delays, the betting window might have closed long before you see the action onscreen. For betting companies, this results in void bets and a bad user experience. And that means missed revenue. TRULY LIVE OTT Three capabilities need to be present to solve the issues in today’s live OTT environment. Just live is not enough.

What the solution requires is true live OTT. True live OTT has three characteristics: ultralow latency streaming, constant delay and synchronisation. Ultra low latency streaming takes the delay down to only 1-2 seconds, also to mobile devices. Constant delay means that as the time passes, the delay does not increase, as happens in most OTT streaming. Synchronisation means that every screen receives frame and time accurate delivery across platforms, including mobile devices. This fixed ultra low delay and frame-accurate synchronisation results in a truly live OTT to every location and device. ENHANCED EXPERIENCE In addition to solving the betting window issue, truly live OTT streaming offers opportunities for creating an enhanced betting experience. A basic usage scenario may be that consumers bet on live events using their mobile device, while watching that event on their primary TV screen, transmitted over traditional linear broadcast television. A synchronised OTT solution could add to the linear broadcast by allowing extra statistics and complementary streaming footage and camera angles. Beyond this, one enhancement is the ability for fast channel switching. Because of this capability, viewers can change camera angles, becoming

their own producers and following their favorite player, horse or car up to the last second before placing their bets. In today’s competitive betting market, it is crucial to provide a sticky experience and many are looking at building a social channel right into the live feed, creating a community that can be monetised. This opens the possibility for in-game and in-app community betting, and social wagering. Betting companies often have people onsite to close in-game bets. The same people may push out notifications about break points, birdie putts and penalties. This helps pushing people into additional real-time, bettable events. Because of the synced delay, additional value can also be added via social polling and other interactivity. Once users are engaged, they can set preferences for notifications on favorite activities or ongoing bets. Betting companies can curate preference data to personalise the user’s experience with recommendations and notifications about favorite teams, sports or betting events. The key to growth in the live betting market is an enhanced experience. Through implementing technology that enables ultra-low latency streaming, consistent delay and synchronisation of live OTT streams across all screens this can now happen. You can bet on it!

DELIVERY

May/June 2017

Metadata makes the OTT world go round OTT technology brings an extraordinary opportunity to use metadata to enhance the user experience. Alan Young, chief operating officer of Crystal, tells us more.

t’s no longer defensible to deny that over-thetop services are the future of content provision, and may one day overtake the popularity of traditional broadcasters. By 2019, 72.1% of US internet users will use OTT video services. In the increasingly competitive broadcast industry, it’s easy to assume that the key to success is a high number of users. But the actual challenge of OTT provision is that it is particularly difficult to monetise those users, so effective advertising must also be taken into account. When delivering linear programming via OTT, it is highly likely that the original advertisements will be irrelevant to the audience, so there is little benefit leaving them in place. In some cases, it may even be detrimental. In terms of distribution rights, broadcasters only have three options. The first is to completely reoriginate the channel – an expensive, highly duplicative option. The second is to remove the offending content. This option is highly unpopular with viewers and will more than likely encourage them to switch to another program. The last and most desirable option is to replace the unlicensed content with something else. The same goes for advertisements. In order for content providers to generate revenue from OTT, they must have a system in place downstream which is capable of recognising and replacing unsuitable advertisements within OTT content. Thus, the key to monetising OTT is not putting it in front of ever more eyeballs. It is the insertion of timing and content identification metadata into

the OTT stream aimed at enabling automated, seamless, replacement of content at any point downstream of the broadcast centre. In order to seamlessly replace an advert or piece of content with another, content aggregators need to know the exact timing of the start and end of the segment needing to be replaced. This information, along with other highly useful information, can be provided by metadata described within the content using industry standards like SCTE 104 and SCTE 35. Metadata markers are capable of marking the exact first and last frame of linear content segments, allowing a system to know exactly when an advert or other content could be replaced seamlessly with another. This must be done accurately so the viewer is not aware, but it must also be done automatically, within a system that is capable of identifying in advance when an advert or piece of content needs to be replaced. With a capable system, linear programming can be delivered for OTT at little to no extra cost to the broadcaster, as long as it has been frameaccurately described with metadata before it leaves the broadcast center. In actual fact, OTT streaming offers a huge amount of information about the viewer (where they are, what device they are using, etc.), which can be combined with stored metadata about the user’s viewing history and other information, plus metadata about the broadcast itself. Particularly in the case of personal electronic devices, such as phones and tablets, metadata enables

broadcasters to build a comprehensive picture of someone’s viewing habits and preferences. Not only is metadata able to describe conditions which automatically trigger a system to replace an advert based on a viewer’s location, it can also trigger responses based on the type of content being viewed, and in more sophisticated examples, the viewing history of the user. Take for example, a broadcast about the wonders of the Mediterranean. Let’s assume the viewer has an interest in this area of the world for one reason or another. If a broadcaster were to insert a segment advertising inexpensive flights to Mallorca, or an advert for a travel agency, the contextual adverts are more likely to have a higher rate of click-throughs than if they were broadcast to a user viewing a completely unrelated piece of content. Certainly, it is the consumer who seems to be driving the implementation of OTT. Some years ago, Nielson ratings expanded the measurement window to include the first three to seven days beyond a program’s linear broadcast to account for later viewing on-demand, labelled the C3/C7 window. As a result, it is sensible for broadcasters to make linear programs available within this window in order to increase advertising revenue; making a linear broadcast available on-demand (whether traditionally or OTT) within the C3/C7 window can increase ratings by as much as 40%. The problem is that C3 VOD files are notoriously time-consuming to format. Some broadcasters are under the impression that to do this within 12 hours is an acceptable result. If broadcasters were to fully describe linear content with metadata, however, the entire production of C3 VOD files could be automated and completed within less than a minute. Although it’s difficult to picture traditional linear programming disappearing entirely, I do envisage a future where demand for OTT will continue to grow. With the proper use of metadata, however, broadcasters can profitably monetise their existing linear channels when delivered OTT without the need to increase headcount or duplicate workflows. Metadata is the key to unlocking the value of existing linear content on the Internet.

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EVENTS

May/June 2017

Doing it for themselves Britain’s Royal Television Society hosted an evening of discussion on the progress women are making in accessing science and tech roles in the TV industry. Neal Romanek reports

ondon’s Hospital Club, the Royal Television Society held a conference called “Breaking Barriers: How can the TV industry encourage more women into technology jobs?”. Attended by women from around the UK film and TV industry - from students to top network execs - the event featured an interactive panel which explored the challenges women face in entering the media tech jobs. On the panel were Sara Putt, deputy chair of Women in Film and Television and head of the Sara Putt Associates agency, Sinead Greenaway, chief technology and operations officer at UKTV, space scientist and The Sky At Night presenter Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE and OBstv sound engineer, Anna Patching. The panel was moderated by Maggie Philbin OBE, CEO of the education initiative Teen Tech. Panelists and attendees traded experience and insight on the problem of female underrepresentation in industry technology jobs. The evening opened with host Maggie Philbin presenting some uncomfortable statistics:

• Women make up 12.8% of the total STEM (science, technology, engineering maths) workforce • In higher education, women account for 15% of enrollment in engineering and technology courses • Only 8% of engineers in the UK are female (4% for jobs involving coding)

When I do o a program mme fo or school,, I telll them yo ou havve to send us an equal num mbe er of boys and girlss FINDING ROLE MODELS One of the key blocks to getting qualified women interested in the TV tech fields is a lack of high visibility role models. Philbin cited the “CSI effect”, which saw the number of women entering forensic science explode with the success of the CSI TV series franchise. Maggie Aderin-Pocock frequently speaks at schools. “The kids get lit up by TV. I tell them

I’m a space scientist, but what they really get excited about is TV. And they don’t realise how many different areas science is involved in. “Girls can get quite blinkered. They don’t know any other engineers. Some people are just lucky to be exposed to it. They have a brother or a dad who worked in it. We need to get out and sell it to them.” Sarah Putt, who, through her agency, works extensively with below the line crew, agreed with the need for role models and an engaged community of peers for women trying to build and expand a career. “There are lots of small companies and freelancers now. There isn’t that employment mechanism and duty of care with an HR department that you used to have. You need to look at people whose careers you’d like to emulate. And in technical areas it’s difficult.” FORWARD THINKING A corporate role model for the future is being carved out by companies like UKTV. The company is 60% female at every level, said Sinead Greenaway:

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“And we encourage people to move around the organisation. I’ve just moved a couple women from operational into testing. We allow people to move into technical jobs that they may not have considered...We hire for potential rather than ability.” UKTV has become a very successful multichannel broadcaster, with growth that is ongoing. Greenaway joined the company two years ago. She suggested the company’s outlook and its success may not be entirely coincidental. “I loved the challenge of what was going on at UKTV. It was a really enlightened business, and a really agile business and a very ambitious business. Culturally it felt like a really interesting place to be. We have a really forward thinking leader who balances keeping the core of our business growing and has an ambition to see us growing in the future. For two years running we have done things that would take other businesses three to four years. “We don’t have a quota system or anything like that, but it just feels important to the business to aim to be as representative as we can of our customer base. I think that’s a very logical, modern way of doing business. Greenaway noted that some aspects of broadcast might appeal particularly to women: “It’s an industry where people don’t judge what

you look like. It’s creative teams are solving problems. You can do that in jeans and trainers. It’s such a great place to thrive, where it’s your work that’s judged, not what you’re wearing.” “I have to say, having looked outside of broadcast, this is a pretty good place to be. And when I worked in radio there were a lot of senior women. But I still find myself in a lot of meetings where I’m the only woman, and that’s because we work with a lot of suppliers and other partners and in a lot of pockets its still a male dominated environment in the broadcast technology arena.

I sttill ﬁnd d myselff in a lo ot of meetin ngs wh here I’m the only y woman MANY PATHS The discussion circled back again and again to the need for early education, to let girls, young women, and even women mid-career know the technology the sectors were abundant with potential career paths and that, more importantly, science and tech could be thrilling no matter what your gender. Terry Marsh, event producer for RTS and Jury Chair of the RTS Young Technologist of the Year, spoke from the audience about her activities educating young people about the opportunities

in tech and science jobs. As an educator, she realised had special opportunities to foster growth and awareness. “When I do a programme for school, I tell them you have to send us an equal number of boys and girls. If they say, ‘Oh, we won’t be able to do that”, we say ‘You will. Or we cancel”, and they find a way. If you offer education to school, you can lay down the terms.” Sound engineer Anna Patching decided she wanted to go into outside broadcast from early on. She had a boyfriend who’s dad worked on sound for big festival shows, so she knew that OB existed as a potential career path. But she notes from the outside, the industry can seem quite impenetrable. “The problem is how to get people to apply in the first place. I wouldn’t apply for some of these jobs. There’s an idea that to be an engineer or a scientist you have to have all A-stars in school. I myself wouldn’t have met the criteria to get on the BBC apprenticeship scheme, for example. But there are many paths open to you. You don’t have to be top of the class.” In fact, in the UK, female secondary school students do better at physics than males, so talent is not lacking. What is lacking is encouragement and role models, as well as an industry ready to receive and nurture that female talent when it does say “yes’ to our industry.

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