AV Specialist Vol. 129 by Tim Jones

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Avid scores at Al Kass Qatar 54-monitor video wall at Mall of the Emirates Stop the blame game! Addressing the broadcasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skill gap Best IBC ever World land-speed attempt in South Africa See us at

Vidigo visual radio at Clouds FM in Tanzania

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Contents AV Specialist Volume 129

Al Kass selects Avid to power broadcast facility One of the most innovative sports TV channels in the Middle East, Al Kass continues to rely on Avid’s proven and trusted solutions to streamline workflows and accelerate content delivery

Mall of the Emirates Installs 54-Monitor Video Wall Matrox video wall controller boards capture and display digital signage content on a massive video wall in one of Middle East’s largest shopping centers

SuperSport selects second IP3 router Follows world’s first Platinum IP3 installation, transforming playout capabilities of new broadcasting facility

"Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death." James F. Byrnes

Publisher & Managing Editor Kevan Jones kevan@avspecialist.tv Feature Editor Dick Hobbs dick@avspecialist.tv Designer Rajiv Gopalan rajiv@avspecialist.tv Advertising sales Emmanuel Archambeaud earchambeaud@defcommunication.com Represented in the Middle East by: AV Specialist MENA FZ LLC PO Box 502314, Dubai United Arab Emirates Mobile: +97150 4683265 Represented in South Africa by: Doddington Direct cc PO Box 3939, Honeydew, 2040, South Africa Tel: +27 (0)11 083-6418 Mobile: +2782 555 5556 Represented in Europe by: Def & Communication 48 Bd Jean-Jaurès, 92110 Clichy, France Tel: +33 (0)1 4730 7180 Fax: +33 (0)1 4730 0189

AV Specialist supports SACIA members in the quest for truth, honesty and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of the audio visual profession. SACIA is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to promoting technical excellence and the adoption of ethical business practices in the communications industry throughout Southern Africa.

Newtec and TDA sign Multimillion Euro contract Satellite communications specialist, Newtec and Télédiffusion d’Algérie (TDA) have signed a multimillion Euro contract to deploy several of Newtec’s interactive satellite terminals running on the ASBU Multimedia Exchange Network over Satellite (MENOS).

Amsterdam hosts best attended IBC – ever! Almost one month on from IBC, and most of the dust should have settled by now - all those new leads have had some contact, and customers should have started to identify what they really liked, rather than what they were just being polite about!

Publisher’s Note What does the future hold? Over the last year I’ve been speaking to many friends and colleagues in the broadcast and AV industry about the future of our market sector – trying to get an impression of where we’re heading and what challenges we’re likely to face. In my conversations I’ve gathered informed input from many sources and am left with the disconcerting impression that those who I’d consider to be the most informed are also those who appear to be the least certain. Perhaps they’re spoiled for choice – and perhaps it’s simply that they’ve seen so many predictions fall short of the mark that they’re a naturally sceptical bunch. Either way, I left this year’s IBC convention in Amsterdam more confused about the technologies shaping the future of our market than I was before I arrived. So many conflicting opinions – so many possible futures. At least what all these opinions had in common was that we ARE an industry that has a future. Later this month I’m attending the FIAT-IFTA World Congress on Television Archives that’s taking place in Dubai. There’s a small SACIA contingent attending from South Africa and at least here I’m looking for some certainty about the future of media archives. For too long broadcasters have neglected their cultural heritage, destroying footage with historical significance only because it’s taking up space. The world is getting smaller, Connectivity is at our fingertips and world events affecting us are on the rise… News content is being written and recorded ever faster and our film, video and audio archives are expanding to accommodate all this new content. But what about our history? How do we index, store and accurately retrieve all this information? I’m going to be looking for some answers at the conference in Dubai – let’s hope I find what I’m looking for.

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Product

news Industry’s first product with integrated AVB (Audio Video Bridging) technology

Autocue launch DSLR prompter at IBC 2013 United Broadcast & Media Solutions, the exclusive representative of Autocue in the UAE, is proud to announce the launch of the Autocue DSLR Teleprompter.The prompter mounts to a standard set of 15mm rails in front of the DSLR, making it extremely lightweight and enabling the user to mount a range of accessories onto the rails. There is also an optional bar at the top of the hood with a number of ? BSW threads to accommodate further accessories like on-camera lights, microphones and magic arms. Peter Kyriakos, Head of Marketing at United Broadcast & Media Solutions said, “This new DSLR prompter will be a great addition to the already extensive range of Autocue teleprompters we represent, all the while providing yet another useful product that DSLR advocates can conveniently use in conjunction with their equipment”. Autocue will range two variants of the DSLR prompter – a universal tablet mount (iPad, iPad Mini and other tablets) and an 8” monitor. In addition to the traditional on-camera set-up, the package includes a detachable straight-read mount for simple applications (magic arm required).

At IBC 2013, Axon, the broadcast infrastructure, monitoring and control specialist, launched Neuron - the industry’s first video product based on AVB (Audio Video Bridging) technology. As well as integrating AVB, an open standard based on IEEE802.1, Neuron will help broadcasters create a live end-to-end audio and video production system with monitoring, management and protection. Neuron features both hardware and software and offers significant cost savings, reliability, increased flexibility for instant network access and multi-switching between live content such as a football game or game show.

Quantel shows a vision of the future at IBC At IBC 2013 Quantel introduced a truly revolutionary concept - stream-based workflows. Just as file-based workflows replaced video, stream-based workflows are the next giant stride forward for our industry, moving beyond the limits of files to allow content to be accessed from anywhere, in any form, instantly. Quantel stream-based working enables any user to edit wherever they are, and wherever the media is - even on live ingests, and to publish the results anywhere. Quantel streambased workflows offer multiple operational and cost benefits: Stream-based working is faster, because there is no need to wait for files to complete their transfers; users can start work with streamed media as soon as the frames begin to arrive. Streambased workflows are simpler, because there are no copies of media created, dramatically reducing the media management overhead.Stream-based workflows are inherently more efficient in their use of networks and storage. High resolution frames are transferred only when absolutely necessary, as a background task, greatly reducing workflow latency while optimizing utilization of precious storage and network resources. And finally, because of all these benefits, stream-based workflows are simpler and cheaper to specify, purchase and maintain - so costs are lowered too.

New Sonifex Video Distribution Amplifier Sonifex has just release a host of new products in the third quarter of 2013 and the Redbox RB-VHDA2x4 3G/HD/SDSDI 2 Input, 8 Output Video Distribution Amplifier is one of them. The RB-VHDA2x4 is a high performance, reliable dual input and eight output digital video distribution amplifier for reclocking and distributing up to two 3G, HD (high definition) or SD (standard definition) SDI sources. By default, the RBVHDA2x4 acts as two independent video distribution amplifiers, with input 1 routed to outputs 1-4 and input 2 routed to outputs 5-8. Either input can also be routed to all outputs if desired which can be selected by the Input Select switch on the front panel or via the built-in webserver. The webserver also provides status information for the unit. The unit provides automatic input detection, re-clocking and cable equalisation of the input signals to 100/350 meters (HD/SD) of coax cable. 2

Retop LED Display Co.,Ltd.

188’’

RETOP - The Cutting-edge Ultra HD L E D T V Brightens Infocomm MEA Dubai In October 20th 2013, Infocomm Middle East & Africa 2013 opened in Dubai International Convention and Exhibition center. As the leading LED display manufacturer, Retop showed a 188 inch High Definition 2.0mm pixel pitch LED TV in the event, adopted old TV modeling however with banner technology and product. It was a highlighted spot in Dubai. The cutting edge display items for Infocomm MEA 2013 were: a 188 inch 2.0mm pixel pitch Ultra HD LED TV, and 6mm pixel pitch outdoor waterproof display screen with area 11.94 square meters. The LED TV of 188 inch was just the same model as the LED TV of 300 inch in Shenzhen CIOE Show. Retop Ultra High Definition Series have characteristics of flamboyant color plus ultra high precision which brought extraordinary effect in this event. Model 4mm, 3mm, 2mm, and 1.5mm pixel pitch compose the product series while the highest ultra model – 1.0mm pixel pitch will come to the market in the coming future.

Traffic Surveillance

Large Conference Rooms

Senior Hotels

LED Advertisement Player

RETOP FIRSTLY LAUNCHED OUT THE CONCEPT OF LED TV TEN YEARS AGO Nowadays LED TV is the most concerned topic. But this is not a new concept, as early as in 2003, Retop has launched the concept of LED TV in ISA Show in the United States, as LED technology is increasingly perfect, small pixel pitch and high precision of the LED display becomes more and more popular, this is the trend of the technology moving ahead.

BROAD PROSPECT OF LED TV IN COMMERCIAL MARKET

Although the LED TV is realized to be widely used in civil market, but it will take some time, at present small pixel pitch and high precision of the LED TV application is developing very fast in commercial field, the market space will be very large. Currently, high precision of the LED TV is emerging in many professional and indoor commercial fields, especially in the field of more than 72 inches, which has broader prospects for commercial use. The main application fields: commercial real estate, command center, the command system of public surveillance, broadcasting studio center, conference center, senior hotel, and so on.

GREAT ADVANTAGE IN THE INTEGRATION OF INDUSTRIAL CHAIN RETOP has established LED production and R &D base in several cities in China by relying on strong capital platform, with a production scale of 120,000m2, by optimizing all aspects of its open and collaborative vertically integrated industry chain: LED wafers & chips, control system, LED lamps, SMD packaging up to LED components and LED display screens, Retop has become one of the most competitive global leading enterprises in LED industry.

Hotline: 0086(755)29516086 E-Mail: sales@szretop.com Website: www.szretop.com www.szretop.asia

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Product

news Sony announces 4K/2K RAW recording Sony has announced two new professional NXCAM camcorders, the NEX-FS700RH and the NEX-FS700R. Both models feature Sony’s E-mount lens system and a 4K Exmor Super35 CMOS sensor and now come with Version 3.0 firmware pre-installed, enabling 4K/2K RAW recording on an external compatible recorder. The firmware update also includes the popular S-log2 gamma mode which gives a wider dynamic range, even for HD productions.The NEX-FS700RH comes with the motorised SELP18200 (f = 18-200mm, F3.5-6.3) zoom lens. The inbuilt zoom control on the camera grip enables users to combine smooth zooming effects with the stunning shallow depth of field control offered by the large format sensor.The new NEXFS700R/RH also offers 4K/2K RAW super slow motion when the NEX-FS700R/RH is used together with the optional HXR-IFR5 interface unit and AXS-R5 RAW recorder. This combination allows up to 120fps 4K RAW recording (four seconds) and unlimited continuous 240fps 2K RAW recording on the AXS-R5 recorder.

Digital Rapids unveils support for Media Processing Platform Digital Rapids showed off a wide range of new features and enhancements for the Digital Rapids Transcode Manager 2.0 automated, high-volume media transformation software and its underlying Kayak dynamic workflow platform at the IBC 2013 exhibition in Amsterdam. Previously-unannounced capabilities include support for the x264 codec, AVC-Intra format and Digital Production Partnership (DPP) file specification; mixed-platform distributed workflows including ProRes encoding on Mac OS X; and enhanced core video processing tools. These new extensions are being demonstrated alongside advances such as HEVC (H.265) format support and 4K Ultra HD encoding first previewed earlier this year. The rich format flexibility of Kayak continues to expand with an array of new output capabilities.

Ross Video launches Inception Newsroom control

AJA release new Mini-Converters at 2013 IBC

Ross Video enters the Newsroom Control System (NRCS) product space with the launch of Inception News at IBC 2013. With Ross’ extensive experience in news production, Inception was designed as a next generation NRCS to support the requirements of a modern newsroom. Inception News allows journalists to directly create content for broadcast, social media and the web with publication to a growing list of services including: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flicker, Brightcove, BIM and Wordpress. The traditional NRCS workflow has been reimagined with Inception providing a comprehensive, easy to use environment for the needs of today’s news organization. “One of the things that news professional’s love about Inception is that Social Media and the Web are front and centre along with the linear news production,” said David Ross, CEO of Ross Video. “Inception News puts Ross in a unique position in the breadth of news production solutions we offer.”

AJA Video Systems has added to its range of compact, high-quality Mini-Converters with new features and capabilities for analogue and digital workflows across SD, HD, UltraHD (UHD) and 4K.“More than ever, broadcast workflows routinely mix formats, which requires reliable hardware to ensure signal fidelity. AJA strives to anticipate and address workflow bottlenecks so our customers are never without a viable solution. Our new Mini-Converters deliver AJA quality that is affordable, bridges existing technology and provides fresh options for production professionals working in SD, HD and even 4K,” said Nick Rashby, President, AJA Video Systems. The new 4K2HD unit down-converts 4K 3G-SDI to HD-SDI and HDMI 1.4 simultaneously, and is ideal for HD monitoring with 4K cameras. Supporting 4K (4096x2160) and UHD (3840x2160) input signals, 4K2HD enables simultaneous HD-SDI and HDMI output from 4K, downscaled at high-quality to HD. 4

Includes control software for Mac and PC plus Photoshop plug ins for direct graphic downloads.

Connect professional SDI or consumer HDMI cameras in SD, HD or Ultra HD! Imagine your event in full Ultra HD!

Rack mount design lets you install into road cases for portability.

Ethernet lets you plug direct to your computer for control and uploading graphics.

Aux output allows connection to on stage screens and projectors. Aux switching can be done using the front panel buttons!

HDMI inputs let you plug in video cameras or even computers for slide shows!

You can even plug in SD, HD or Ultra HD broadcast cameras using the 6G-SDI inputs.

SDI and HDMI program outputs for sending your live program feed to your audience! Includes down converter from Ultra HD to HD.

See all your cameras and program video output using a single TV with the built in multi view.

Audio inputs connect direct into the built in audio mixer for professional and consumer HiFi audio sources.

Introducing the world’s first Ultra HD live production switcher with 6G-SDI technology! Smash quality barriers with the world’s first Ultra HD live production switcher! ATEM Production Studio 4K lets you connect up to 8 SD, HD or Ultra HD video cameras, disk recorders and computers. You get all the features you expect from a professional switcher including chroma key, transitions, media pool, downstream keyers, built in 24 channel audio mixer, multi view, aux output with front panel aux switching and the world’s first 6G-SDI and HDMI 4K video connections! Live Creative Power

More Connections ATEM Production Studio 4K can be switched between SD, HD and Ultra HD so it connects to a wide range of HDMI and SDI cameras! You get 4 x 6G-SDI and 4 x HDMI 4K inputs for up to 8 simultaneous live inputs. All inputs feature re-sync so you can plug in anything! Also included are 2 balanced XLR audio inputs and HiFi audio inputs for connecting audio sources! Built to Perform

ATEM Production Studio 4K is a true professional M/E style switcher, perfect for live music, sporting events, theatre productions, program production, conferences and more! You get the most creative solution for live switching with cut, mix, wipe, dip and more! You can even load graphics directly from Adobe Photoshop into the 2 built in media players for live keying!

ATEM uses a familiar M/E style of operation so you get an instantly familiar workflow that’s fast and easy to use. ATEM includes a software based control panel for Mac and Windows! If you need a hardware control panel then simply add the ATEM 1 M/E Broadcast Panel for a true broadcast solution. Thousands of ATEM switchers are used today for live broadcast events such as sports, music festivals, drama, reality TV and much more!

Incredible Features ATEM includes upstream chroma key for green and blue screen shooting. You also get pattern, shaped and linear keying, 2 downstream keyers, 2 built in media players and more! The built in multi view allows all camera’s, preview and program to be viewed on a single SDI or HDMI monitor or television, so ATEM is perfect for portable location use! Now you can cover any live event, anywhere!

ATEM Production Studio 4K

1,695

US$

Learn more today www.blackmagicdesign.com/me/atemps4k

The South African Communications Industries Association is a not-for-profit Trade Association committed to promoting the adoption of professional standards in the audiovisual industry throughout Africa.

An informed business choice Question: When selecting a vendor for your next AV installation, which of these items is the LEAST important item you should consider? a. Price quoted for the project b. Installation quality of the installations dept c. Company reputation in the marketplace d. Financial stability of the supplier

Answer: (a) In today’s tough economic climate it’s obviously important to consider price as an important factor in choosing a supplier for your next AV installation. But choosing a supplier based on price alone is a surefire path to failure and an ineffective AV solution. Chose a vendor based on their ability to provide an AV solution that meets your requirements and make sure you’re buying from a reputable organization with certified staff and the resources to back-up your installation on a longterm basis.

SACIA is the leading trade association for the professional AV industry in Southern Africa. We promote the adoption of professional standards in the local market and our members commit to truth, honesty and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of the audiovisual profession. When you’re looking for a reputable supplier with a proven track record in the professional AV market, our members are a good place to start. For more information on SACIA and a full list of members, please visit www.sacia.org.za

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Product

news New EditShare Ultra sets the bar for affordable shared storage During IBC EditShare introduced the newest addition to its family of shared storage solutions, EditShare Ultra. Setting the bar for affordable shared storage, EditShare’s new Ultra offers a budget-friendly shared storage system with advanced project and media sharing for Avid, Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro and Lightworks editors. “Because EditShare Ultra is developed on the same architecture as EditShare XStream, Energy and Field 2, it easily supports uncompressed SD or compressed HD video workflows over Gigabit Ethernet,” says Andy Liebman, CEO and founder, EditShare. “The attractive price point gives facilities on a tight budget a much better storage option than a generic NAS that, in many cases, will neither provide edit-in-place performance nor support a complete media and project sharing workflow. With Ultra, there is no sacrificing with regards to workflow or benefits.

Samurai Blade now shipping worldwide Atomos, the creator of the award-winning camera mounted recorders Ninja-2 and Samurai, used IBC to introduce their new Samurai Blade with advanced audio features."We are proud to continue to offer new features for free to existing customers with our latest addition of advanced audio level meters and audio delay adjustments. We've worked hard to make sure the meters have smooth, accurate colour with proper VU ballistics." said Jeromy Young CEO and cofounder of Atomos. "With over 20,000 devices sold, the convergence of high quality recording, monitoring, playback and editing devices has really taken off and Atomos are committed to revolutionising production."

ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K At NAB in April Blackmagic Design introduced their ATEM Production Studio 4K - the world's first Ultra HD live production switcher. Just a few months later they are introducing a new model to the family that includes more advanced features. This is a high end model featuring all SDI inputs, so it's designed specifically for broadcasters and professionals who are building all SDI based systems. The new ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K includes features such as 10 independent 6G-SDI inputs each with frame sync, built in DVE with zoom, scale and rotate, 4 upstream chroma keyers, 3 independent aux outputs with front panel control and a larger media pool that holds both still frame graphics as well as motion video clips. “What's exciting about these new switchers is the built in 6G-SDI and HDMI connections allow Ultra HD connections with a single cable,” says CEO Grant Petty, “however those SDI and HDMI connections instantly switch between SD and HD as well. So even if you don't ever think you’re going to need Ultra HD, these switchers still have amazing features when used in regular SD and HD live production.

Storage Innovation with new ISIS 5500

During IBC Avid introduced their new Avid ISIS 5500 online shared storage system, offering unprecedented value for small- to mid-sized post production, broadcast, education, and corporate facilities. The next-generation ISIS 5500 represents the continuing innovation of the company’s industry standard storage systems. It provides

critical new capabilities to help small and mid-sized media organizations more easily and efficiently deliver higher quality, inspiring content – by streamlining and accelerating editorial workflows. “Media organizations of all sizes are facing relentless pressure to increase content production while simultaneously improving operational efficiency and controlling costs,” said Chris Gahagan, senior vice president of Products and Services at Avid. “With double the storage capacity and a host of new software features, ISIS5500 brings both critical capabilities and breakthrough value to small and mid-sized facilities.”

The $75 billion audiovisual industry provides critical support to large corporations, small businesses, retail outlets, education and healthcare institutions, entertainment venues, the government and more. AV helps us communicate better, protects critical infrastructure, assists with life-saving diagnoses, educates students around the world and keeps society informed and entertained. To learn more about the audio visual industry in Southern Africa visit www.sacia.org.za

www.sacia.org.za

OCTOBER 13-19, 2013 1

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Product

news Harmonic announces Interoperability with Adobe Anywhere Harmonic has announced interoperability of the Harmonic MediaGrid shared storage system with the Adobe Anywhere for video collaborative workflow platform. Integration of the two products enables media organizations to centralize and manage media delivery services from a primary location while giving users of Adobe professional video tools the benefit of collaborating remotely with fast response times and the best available quality that can be delivered over the available network connection. “Adobe Anywhere brings together teams of talent to collaborate and create productions from virtually any location where there is network connectivity. Many editors say now, even in remote environments that don't have high bandwidth, the combination of MediaGrid and Adobe Anywhere makes it possible to edit efficiently,” said Michael Coleman, senior product manager, collaborative workflows, professional video at Adobe. “Today’s announcement ensures users can tap into the full potential of the Adobe Anywhere to enable truly effective remote editing workflows.

Grass Valley launches EDIUSWorld for EDIUS 7 users Grass Valley has announced the launch of EDIUSWorld, a new online resource for its recently released EDIUS 7 nonlinear video editing application. The site contains a wealth of product information on EDIUS 7 as well as a comprehensive ‘Edification’ section that includes almost three hours of new instructional videos from EDIUS experts around the world on key topics such as craft editing, cinematography, DSLR filmmaking, film grain, plugins, and 3D production.Visitors to the site’s ‘Edification’ section will find several engaging video tutorials, including one from cinematographer Matthew Scott who discusses the 4K workflow with EDIUS. Scott examines everything from ingest, editing, processing, and colour correcting to finishing and delivering the final product. In the ‘7 Cool Things About EDIUS 7’ section, producer/director Maxim Jago demonstrates creative uses for the Layouter feature, fast colour correction fixes, how to manage speed changes, and more.

New Fujinon wide angle 4.K Cine Zoom Lens

Fujifilm Corp has introduced a new FUJINON ZK2.5x14 lens that offers a wide angle zoom covering 1435mm focal length. It is the third lens for cinema cameras, equipped with a detachable servo drive unit. The ZK2.5?14 uses the highly adopted 35mm PL mount for cinema cameras, and with its high optical performance, compact body, and weight of a mere 2.9kg, it is capable of

NewTek unveils next-generation TriCaster family

capturing a variety of visual expressions in many different situations.With the shift to high image quality video contents using 4K cameras for television productions, lenses with high optical performance for cinema cameras have been receiving a lot of attention. However, as the shooting method differs between cinema and television camera lenses, there are difficulties in operation of cinema camera lenses for television production.As a new idea for cine lenses, Fujifilm introduced the ZK series lenses, with detachable servo drive unit for zooming and focusing.

NewTek have unveiled the next generation of its industrystandard, professional TriCaster multi-camera production systems, introducing three new models—TriCaster 860, TriCaster 460, and TriCaster 410—and major enhancements to the company’s flagship system, TriCaster 8000. The newly expanded product family offers a number of innovative industry firsts that represent a quantum leap forward in integrated live video production and enable video producers to deliver programs with a level of quality and visual impact that has never before been possible with single, turnkey multi-camera production systems.“When we talk to video producers, the most common challenge we hear is how to deliver a greater amount of content in a shorter amount of time, but with the level of quality and visual impact that their viewers demand,” said Dr. Andrew Cross, CTO of NewTek. “Years ago, TriCaster emerged as the gold standard in live video production, helping people to work faster and significantly reduce production costs. Today, our TriCaster family crosses a new frontier by placing an unprecedented level of creative tools, system performance, and operational control in the hands of every operator.” 9

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Al Kass selects Avid to power modern broadcast facility One of the most innovative sports TV channels in the Middle East, Al Kass continues to rely on Avid’s proven and trusted solutions to streamline workflows and accelerate content delivery

vid has announced that Qatarbased Al Kass, one of the most innovative sports TV channels in the Middle East, will power its new state-of-the-art headquarters with a complete end-to-end Avid workflow – enabling the media organization to streamline production, achieve operational efficiencies, and accelerate content creation and delivery around the world.

proven and trusted in sports video production, and our additional investment will give us considerable operational efficiencies. In addition, Avid’s openness to third-party applications means we don’t have to worry about handling multiple file formats. We can concentrate on what we’re best at - delivering compelling content to audiences both in Qatar and to international broadcasters.”

Continuing investment This selection represents Al Kass’ continuing investment in Avid’s proven and trusted solutions. Building upon its current Avid-based news creation and asset management systems, Al Kass will now be able to quickly and efficiently create, access, and distribute compelling sports content to its growing international customer base. Al Kass’ streamlined broadcast infrastructure will also enable the sports channel to take advantage of future content monetisation opportunities.Al Kass will speed the delivery of the local sports content it captures from Qatar and the Gulf region to broadcasters around the globe, with a tightly integrated, efficient workflow including Avid ingest servers, shared storage solutions, remote collaboration capabilities, and the latest versions of Avid’s industry-standard audio and video editing tools. Samer Younes, technical advisor at Al Kass, said: “Avid is

Innovative sports channel Tom Cordiner, vice president of international sales at Avid, added: “As one of the most innovative sports channels in the Middle East, Al Kass has put its continuing trust in Avid to become the technical foundation of its new state-of-the-art broadcast facility. With this most recent

Building on its current Avid-based news system, Al Kass will now be able to quickly and efficiently create and distribute compelling sports content to its international customers.

decision to select Avid, Al Kass is positioned not only to streamline workflows and speed content delivery today; it also now has builtin flexibility to prepare for the demands of tomorrow’s rapidly changing competitive media landscape.” The new investment comprises ten Avid ISIS 7000 32TB shared storage solutions – including the upgrade of four existing ISIS systems; one Avid ISIS 2000 storage solution; eight Avid AirSpeed 5000 DNxHD 120 ingest servers; licenses of Avid Interplay Central for remote working; licenses of the industry-standard pro video editing solution, Avid Media Composer 7; a System 5-MC 24-fader mixing control surface and an Avid Pro Tools |HDX audio mixing and editing system. The Avid Professional Services team consulted extensively with Al Kass to plan, design and roll out its system.

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Megahertz builds 3G-capable truck for Oman TV

egahertz Broadcast Systems (MHz), in association with its local partner Mustafa Sultan, has been awarded a contract for the build of a new outside broadcast unit for Oman TV. The UK-based independent systems integrator is now in the process of building the expanding articulated vehicle, which will be capable of handling 3Gb/s signals for 1080/50p production. It is also fitted with high performance air conditioning to ensure staff comfort in the high temperatures experienced in Oman in midsummer. The 13m trailer has a single expanding side and will host 12 Sony cameras, two providing super slow-motion, plus an extra camera on a Links wireless system with remote control. The cameras all use fibre connectivity, and the order includes a range of Canon outside broadcast lenses (up to x95), Sachtler supports and Egripment sports dollies and tracks.

Comprehensive graphics capability The production area has a Sony MVS-8000 production switcher and two six-channel EVS XT[3] servers. Comprehensive graphics capability is provided by Vizrt, including Viz Arena graphics linked to a Vinten precision tracking head. The audio area features a Lawo mixer. Sony OLED monitors are fed by Harris Broadcast multiviewers, and Harris Broadcast is also providing the router, infrastructure and measurement equipment. SPGs are by Trilogy. The vehicle is also equipped with an Advent NewSwift 1.2m Kuband motorised and fully automatic satellite antenna. Because of the potential for extremely high temperatures, the unit features a unique design element: the main cable termination panel is not on the outside of the truck but in a walk-in compartment which is individually air-conditioned. This means that riggers can connect up the truck in relative comfort. The air conditioning system throughout the truck has a high level of redundancy and significantly over rated to maintain cool environments for both operators and equipment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This project for Oman TV is a clear demonstration that nothing beats experience when it comes to designing outside broadcast units,â&#x20AC;? said Steve Burgess, technical director of Megahertz Broadcast Systems. 11

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Mall of the Emirates installs 54-monitor video wall Matrox video wall controller boards capture and display digital signage content on a massive video wall in one of Middle East’s largest shopping centers

all of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping centers in the Middle East, has its fair share of attractions: an arts center, movie theater, indoor ski resort, and now an epic 54-monitor video wall powered by Matrox and installed by Almoe AV Systems. The wall displays dynamic digital signage content aimed at the 30million-plus shoppers visiting the mall every year.

Everything’s Bigger in the Emirates Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, has become famous for its skyscrapers and architectural innovation in general. The Mall of the Emirates is no exception, with 2.4 million square feet in gross leasable area, firmly placing it on the list of the largest shopping centers in the world. Its new Matrox-powered 54-monitor video wall located in the mall’s atrium fits in perfectly. Prior to its installation, the largest video wall in the Mall was a 4x4, portrait configuration—less than one third of the size of the new installation. Tasked with enhancing the mall’s digital signage, Almoe AV Systems and partner Mediasys, who provided local support, installed the 9x6 video wall. Comprising fifty-four 55” ultra-thin Samsung LCD monitors, the wall enables the visually pleasing and more-effective dissemination of mall activities and promotions.

Shopping for the Right Video Wall Solution Mura MPX Series boards installed in a Matrox-validated 4U system capture and display the digital signage content on the wall. The Mura MPX boards are controlled remotely by OpenScreen’s Mura MPX Wall Controller Management software. The video wall content is also managed remotely by a Scala Digital Signage Platform and Samsung MagicInfo software. This interoperability is one predominant reason why the userfriendly Mura MPX was chosen by Almoe AV Systems. Mura MPX Series’ overall ease of use is reflected by standard form

factors, simple system integration, a straightforward installation process, and a wide range of control options, including third-party applications like OpenScreen’s software. As such, Mura MPX Series constitutes a high-performance board class, but also an undeniably practical selection by ALMOE AV Systems. This is in large part due to its versatility as a viable solution within various sectors (including digital signage) and costeffectiveness, another major factor in its selection.

inputs respectively) powered the 54monitor video wall. Universal input support meanwhile enables the capture and display of digital signage content from external sources like the Blu-ray Disc player currently being used with the wall. Mura MPX also features HDCP compliance, so that copy-protected content from either a Blu-ray player or other sources like digital cable, satellite set-top boxes, and video streamers can be shown on compatible displays.

The Shopping Center of Attention Big Savings Eliminating the need for separate solutions, Mura MPX Series boards feature a multi-functional design that facilitates video switching, signal conversion, and scaling. The first PCIe x16 Gen2 board class to feature both HD inputs and outputs, Mura MPX Series integrates up to four of each on individual single-slot, add-in cards. Boards can subsequently be combined within single systems to power small to larger-scale walls.“The client had a clear understanding about the prices of other video wall processors on the market. Ultimately, a Mura MPX-based video wall controller was the most cost-effective choice,” said Gareth Armstrong, the contracts manager for Almoe AV Systems. Housed within a Matroxvalidated 4U system, a mix of Mura MPX4/2 and Mura MPX-4/0 boards (featuring four outputs each and two and zero 12

Almoe AV Systems worked after hours at a height of over 11 m off the ground to install the prominent video wall. Immediately visible to all who enter the atrium, it is a clear focal point for mall visitors.“Shoppers can’t help but notice the video wall and enjoy all the massive, superior-quality visuals,” said Armstrong. “Mura has provided the Mall of the Emirates with a huge boost to its digital signage as well as to the overall experience of going to the mall.”

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SuperSport selects second IP3 router Follows world’s first Platinum IP3 installation, transforming playout capabilities of new broadcasting facility

Motorised monitors & communication devices Dynamic 3

uperSport, the leading provider of pay television sports coverage across the African continent, has selected a second Platinum IP3 Router from Harris Broadcast. Earlier this year, SuperSport became the first broadcaster worldwide to integrate the Platinum IP3 router within its operations. On both projects Harris Broadcast worked closely with its regional value-added reseller and systems integration partner, Concilium Technologies. “Although we are just a few months into our usage of the Platinum IP3 router, we already can see that speed of operation, ease of operation, ease of resource assignment and operational reliability are all evident in this new design router,” said Eddie McAlone, Technical Director at SuperSport. “The Platinum IP3’s frame synchroniser capabilities have had a significant impact on our operations. What this means is that we have been able to hook together the new and old buildings and come straight on to the new router from the old building without any need for external hardware and glue products. The frame synchroniser reduces the hardware count, simplifies the system architecture and thereby increases system reliability in the long term.”

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State-of-the-art playout facility An integral part of SuperSport’s Project Argus, the broadcaster is transitioning programme playout into an entirely new state-of-the-art facility that started with 32 new HD channels. All of its SD and HD channels will eventually be played out from this new building. Earlier this year, SuperSport integrated a single frame Harris Broadcast Platinum IP3 Router, and within a few months placed an order for a second frame, which will tie together to create a 1152 x 1024 matrix.“Concilium Technologies has a strong and long-standing relationship with SuperSport and together we three companies are demonstrating the powerful and elegant capabilities of this new and radically different router design,” said Mathias Eckert, vice president sales and services, Europe and Africa at Harris Broadcast. “For Africa’s leading sports broadcaster to have ordered a second router so swiftly is the strongest illustration possible that we have a gamechanger in the Platinum IP3.” The integrated Platinum IP3 router includes Harris Broadcast multiviewers used extensively across displays SuperSport’s playout facility. The complete installation also features Harris Broadcast router control panels and its network design, control and monitoring system, as well as its signal processing and interfacing equipment, including the Selenio media convergence platform, modular core processing devices, fiber interfaces and signal processing units.

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Stop the Blame Game ... It's your own darn fault When I get busy, I find it hard to focus on one topic in my Best Practices column. This is one of those months when I have too many thoughts and they all want to be heard but the one that keeps bubbling to the top is the Blame Game. Here are a few of my most recent rants and hopefully some sane advice to go with them. customer rejects your efforts, take that as an invitation to improve.

Don’t Blame The Customer Customers often appear to be looking for the best price. When that happens, don’t blame the customer for being cheap. Ask yourself what you need to do better to change the conversation. Buyers become price shoppers when they run out of things to consider. If your best defense is claiming to have great customer service and the latest gear – or, that you care a lot, really a lot – who can blame the customer for shopping on price? Everyone has great people, gear, and cares. Apparently that isn’t enough. What customers want from a technology supplier is #1 Reliability, #2 A decent person-to-person relationship, #3 A consistent company-company relationship, and eventually price comes into play. If you are having a conversation about price then you and your company have failed in providing #1-3. That’s not the customer’s fault. You can’t prove your reliability without the customer experiencing it. You can’t develop a relationship if your goal is

Don’t Blame the Competition

getting the next transaction. The things you want most as a seller: first call, a chance to make a profit, and the opportunity to shine at what you do – these things are all earned. What to do? Blaming the Customer is a sign of dysfunctional sales practices. Eliminate the “We want to be your number one supplier” rhetoric from your sales pitch. It’s presumptuous. Never discuss your need for profit in customer-facing contact. Let them wonder how you make money. Finally, be easier to do business with. Most customers don’t care how you do things internally unless it makes your proposals or contracts cumbersome. And when the 14

If you believe the competition is what’s hurting your sales and profits, that is one indication that you are part of the problem. I hear complaints all the time about competitors “lowballing” jobs, undercutting the price, or generally being super-competitive. When I ask the complainers if they want to be the low price provider – the answer is ALWAYS “No, we never want to be the low price.” This is ironic, because shouldn’t you be thanking your competitors for taking that problem off your hands? Cultures that blame the competition rarely look at themselves as part of the problem. Throwing blame around just take focus away from the real issues. Instead of blaming – why not learn why customers choose your competitor? I think you would find two primary reasons: one, it was all about price, or two, they do a better job. If was all about price, then you should then

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Don’t Blame the Employees I work with a lot of companies and thousands of employees. In my practice I have encountered very few examples of employees that were truly inept or ill-intended. I find incompetent and culpable managers and owners

consider that given the quality of your work the other company’s price was more attractive. Either the buyer wasn’t look for your high standards or perhaps your standards aren’t as high as you thing they are. Blaming the Competition is a sign of dysfunctional operational processes. The constraints of “how you do things” is getting in the way of meeting your customer’s needs. This could include pricing constraints that your arbitrary pricing policies or job costing exercises force upon projects. The solution is to learn what things are worth and eliminate operational steps that do not add any value to the job. This would be a good time for you to learn about Lean Processes or Continual Process Improvement practices.

all the time. I find employees in the wrong job or executing impractical or broken processes, which is a management problem. Employees do their best work when they feel appreciated, like the folks they work with, feel like they are making a contribution, and feel secure in their jobs. Good employees leave their jobs if they don’t have enough of these simple requirements. Management is directly responsible for three of four of these conditions and partially responsible for one. Notice that compensation doesn’t make the list. When an employee complains about compensation, they are just like the customer that shops on price. Someone needs to do a better job of helping that employee or

customer feel like their needs are being met – otherwise it will all come down to money. Blaming employees is a sign of BAD management and dysfunctional priorities. Generally I find that bad managers focus on how employees do things rather than the end result. When specific process practices matter, employees should follow them. However, not all processes exist for the betterment of the end result. Listen to your employees. They are not always right about the solution, but they are pretty darn accurate about what the problem is.

About Tom Stimson Tom was the 2010 president of InfoComm International and has been on the InfoComm board of directors since 2005. He is published regularly in trade magazines and serves as a keynote speaker at industry events. Tom holds a Master of Business Administration from Baylor University in Texas and a CTS certification from InfoComm. If that’s not enough, he majored in Theater at Texas A&M University and is a Black Belt instructor in Taekwondo.

Share ideas on LinkedIn Join the SACIA LinkedIn group and share the online discussion about products and issues impacting the future of the professional AV industry in Southern Africa.

To find us, click the Groups Tab in your LinkedIn profile and search for SACIA

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Poynting chosen to be part of world land speed record attempt South African wireless antenna specialist Poynting is embarking on a breakthrough new engineering adventure that will make global news. The growing company, South Africa’s largest wireless antenna producer, has been selected to design and build antennas for the iconic BLOODHOUND SCC, the ultimate supersonic car that will attempt to beat the current world land speed record in 2015 and 2016 at Hakskeenpan in the Northern Cape.

embers of the BLOODHOUND SSC team have held the world land speed record for 30 consecutive years, and have raised the American record by 22%. The first record attempts will take place in 2015, during which the car will make approximately 20 runs with the objective of achieving a supersonic record (1 300 km/h). Royal Air Force fighter pilot Andy Green, current holder of the World Land Speed Record at 1 227 km/h, will be in the cockpit. The BLOODHOUND SSC team will return to SA later, possibly in 2016, to aim for 1 000 mph (1 610 km/h).

Requirements and ideas The jet and rocket powered vehicle is currently being built by a team of 30 engineers in a special technical centre near Bristol in the UK. Some of the BLOODHOUND SSC team members will be visiting Poynting at the end of October to discuss requirements and ideas. “We are so excited and inspired to have been selected from local and international companies making their mark in wireless antenna technology,” says Engineering Project Manager Lara Viljoen. “With a highly qualified and experienced team, we believe that Poynting has the research, skill and manufacturing capacity to add real value to this project. Nothing is impossible at Poynting and this kind of project is exactly what our team of engineers thrive on!”

Essential communication Joining Viljoen on the project team are respected scientist and Poynting Chief Technical Officer Dr Derek Nitch, Research and Development Manager Mark Haarhoff and Mechanical Engineer Eduard Walker, as well as other Poynting staff. “We’re relishing the challenge of designing antennas that will facilitate essential communications, data sharing and monitoring between the supersonic vehicle and the base

Royal Air Force fighter pilot Andy Green, current holder of the World Land Speed Record at 1 227 km/h, will be in the cockpit of the ultimate supersonic car that will attempt to beat the current world land speed record in 2015 and 2016 at Hakskeenpan in the Northern Cape.

stations,” says Viljoen. “A key objective of the project is inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers by sharing this engineering adventure and engaging educators, learners and families. As well as the excitement of aiming for 1 610 km/h, that is the key reason we’re involved in this landmark project.”BLOODHOUND SCC will be a world-first live open data project where all the data on research, design, manufacturing and testing of the car is shared through up to 300 media channels, thanks to sponsor MTN and the antennas produced by Poynting. The data will be used to video stream data in real-time so that the world can view the events.

High speed data communicaitons “BLOODHOUND SCC needs reliable high speed data communications from the vehicle to the MTN LTE base stations in order to stream the data,” Viljoen explains. 16

“Poynting’s deliverable will be qualified antennas which will be mounted inside the vehicle fin and will be connected via RF cables to the User Equipment Sierra Wireless modules – in order to maximize the throughput bandwidth for the data link.” The process of developing the antenna and proposed solution is according to Poynting’s current specialised antenna development methodologies and capabilities, which will involve a series of simulations, prototypes, tests and qualifications. The BLOODHOUND SSC Project is investing heavily in educational outreach and public communication. Over 40 000 South African learners in 368 schools have been introduced to BLOODHOUND SCC to date, and the target is to register 1 000 schools by the end of 2014. “Poynting will be engaging in the opportunity to be a part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Corporate Ambassador Programme,” says Viljoen. “We’ll be visiting a number of schools to inspire learners and educators to use the Project’s free educational resources to make science, maths and engineering come alive in the classroom.”

Education programme BLOODHOUND education director in South Africa Dave Rowley said, “The enthusiasm of the Poynting team to support the education programme is a great bonus and will enable us to reach more schools and to also develop curriculum resource materials based on the antenna research they are developing for the project. It’s a great opportunity for us to show a very practical example of wireless communications being captured at very high speeds.” “The BLOODHOUND Project will focus the eyes of the world on South Africa and the Northern Cape,” says Viljoen. “We’re so proud to be a part of putting South African technology on the global map.”

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PLASA London 2013 enjoys success at Excel Over 11,000 attendees at the four day pro audio and entertainment lighting event

LASA London 2013 proved a great success with exhibitors and visitors alike at its new home at ExCeL London. Over 11,000 visitors attended the show, of whom over 3,000 attended on multiple days. International interest was high, with more than 2,200 visitors from 84 countries. Stand re-bookings for next year’s show are also up on last year, and several major companies that did not make the move to ExCeL – including Philips Entertainment - have either already signed up for 2014 or are in serious talks to return. Chris Toulmin, Head of Events, PLASA London 2013, said, “The response we’ve received to PLASA London 2013 has been overwhelmingly positive, both from visitors and exhibitors. They have embraced the new venue and also enjoyed the new features such as the AudioLab Arena, Theatre and Interactive. The PLASA team has worked very hard to get to this point, and while we acknowledge that we have more work to do – in certain areas of the exhibition - we feel it has provided a great starting point for the future development of the show and are excited by the possibilities before us.”His enthusiasm is reflected in feedback from exhibitors. James King, Director of Marketing at Martin Audio, said, “We enjoyed a very good show, with anyone that was interested in Pro Audio flocking to our stand. Our competitors missed a trick by not being there this year.” Another satisfied exhibitor was Mick Hannaford, Managing Director at Robe UK. “The venue is a massive improvement - the outside space and cafes by the river were paramount to the overall feeling of the show and the customer experience, and visitors also commented on the accessibility and easiness,” he said. “The show floor looked really good, it was easy to navigate and signage was much more concise, and there was a constant stream of people to the booth. We are really happy and have already rebooked for 2014.”The brand new AudioLab 2013 feature was a big draw for audio professionals. Nearly 5,000 visitors were treated to demonstrations and shoot-outs

of the latest technology, including the first public showcase of Pioneer’s new club speakers, in the purpose-built AudioLab Arena, which was sponsored by Medialease and supported by Roland as Technical Partner. The AudioLab Interactive sessions attracted more than 600 visitors who watched the PLASA ‘boffins’ push audio technologies to their limits, while the AudioLab Theatre welcomed over 1000 visitors to some fantastic sessions on a wide variety of sound issues, from the cross-over of live sound and broadcast audio to valuable tips on how to sound check. The Professional Development Programme proved more popular than ever, featuring many sessions that were standing room only. Visitors enjoyed case studies on large-scale events such as Eurovision 2013, Glastonbury’s Arcadia Stage and the Super Bowl Half-Time Show. There was a fascinating behind-thescenes look at the staging of the new production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and a thought-provoking discussion on the ‘revolutionary times’ of the National Theatre, celebrating its 50th anniversary, and a broad range of practical sessions on entertainment technology. The 275 exhibitors kept the show floor entertained with interactive demonstrations, dancing balls of light and 17

even an animatronic camel! New Product launches included Focusrite’s RedNet range of Dante powered audio networking interfaces, the Le Mark Dirty Rigger LED series gloves, Avid’s UK debut of the new Avid S3L live sound system, and Roland’s VR-50HD all-in-one AV Mixer with outputs for web streaming and recording. The PLASA Awards for Innovation, sponsored by Lighting & Sound International magazine, congratulated 10 worthy winners for the development of technologies and products that advance the industry by demonstrating a new style of thinking, improving technical practice or taking a key step forward in terms of safety. Other award ceremonies held during PLASA London 2013 included the Knight of Illumination Awards, celebrating excellence in lighting design, and the inaugural Technical Theatre Awards, rewarding those unsung heroes behind the scenes in technical theatre roles The fourth annual Rigging Conference which ran alongside PLASA London 2013 on 7-8 October was a great success, with 140 delegates in attendance representing 15 countries. The conference was opened by a highly engaging key-note delivered by industry legend Robin Elias of Unusual Rigging, and for the first time ever the event covered structures as well as rigging issues, which proved very popular.

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Big leap for Turkish TV market with hybrid HD set-top-box Digiturk, the leading satellite operator in Turkey, has commercially launched the next generation hybrid set-top box aimed at the evolving markets in Turkey and beyond.

he hybrid set-top box was developed by its partner Altech Multimedia, a provider of innovative products and services to the Global Multimedia market.

Access Premium Content The new line of interactive and hybrid set-top boxes (DT-7103HD) developed by Altech Multimedia integrates TeleIDEA’s Smartware with the Irdeto Conditional Access system to secure Digiturk’s broadcast content. Microsoft Playready with Smooth streaming technology allows Digiturk customers to access Video on Demand content over IP. Furthermore the platform supports HD PVR functionality through the use of external USB connected storage media.

Combining two worlds Thanks to Altech Multimedia and the latest generation of software by TeleIDEA digiturk customers are now able to access DVB broadcasted content, combined with HTML5 and broadband services offering IP-VOD, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Picasa, and much more. Through its HbbTV extensions this solution is allowing additional flexibility as an open business and neutral technology platform. Once in the field, the settop-box can easily be updated to fully support this wide range of OTT features by OTA software update allowing platform and customer flexibility through upgrade business models. ”For Digiturk it is essential to meet and continuously over exceed our customers’ expectations in order to secure their satisfaction, improve the user experience and grow our overall business. By connecting the two worlds of Broadcast and Broadband on content side and with innovative hybrid technology products we are on the right track to exactly achieve those goals.“ explains Taylan Özsipahi, director of the set top box

"It has always been the synergic cooperation between content and technology companies that drives the entertainment markets and we are thrilled about Digiturk choosing Altech Multimedia with its partner TeleIDEA to further enhance the Digiturk success story by launching the next level consumer product category,“ says Bartolomeo Caputo, Managing Director of Altech Multimedia Europe.

and conditional access department at Digiturk. ”In our opinion it is and has always been the synergic cooperation between content and technology companies that drives the entertainment markets and we are thrilled about Digiturk choosing Altech

Multimedia with its partner TeleIDEA to further enhance the Digiturk success story by launching the next level consumer product category.“ explains Bartolomeo Caputo, Managing Director of Altech Multimedia Europe.

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The broadcasters’ skills gap – too much IT, not enough media Convergence has revolutionised the ICT space, enabling new technologies to be offered more affordably over IP, and the broadcasting space is no different.

here tapes once had to be physically sent to locations for rebroadcasting, files can now be sent over the Internet quickly, to anywhere in the world. Smaller television stations can also broadcast faster and more easily, and post-production becomes a more intuitive and richer environment. However, as digital content has become more mainstream, the convergence of ICT and broadcasting also presents something of a challenge. A skills gap has emerged within the broadcasting space, with the old broadcast engineers’ role being replaced by computer-savvy individuals who do not necessarily have any background in media production. This, in combination with viewer demand for ever more content, has in turn created a quality control issue within broadcasting, and is something which is only now beginning to be addressed.

From BNC to ethernet One of the biggest changes brought about by convergence is the move from BNC towards Ethernet or IP cables. This has simplified the broadcasting environment, as IP cables do not require any special video connectors, and one cable can take the place of multiple BNCs. Broadcasting equipment has also become more accessible, recording to memory cards or hard drives rather than tape, with high quality cameras available at far lower prices. The post-production environment is also more accessible, as editing software can be loaded onto a computer to replace highly specialised and expensive purposebuilt editing equipment.

Need for IT skills As a result of digital broadcasting technology, the traditional skill sets of the broadcast engineer have for the most part fallen

had to adhere to strict broadcast standards, but increasing volume and velocity of content, along with the emerging skills gap and the sheer number of channels, means that this has become difficult to police.

File-based environment

By Paul Divall, Managing Director: Broadcast and Managed Solutions, Jasco

away, replaced by the need for computer literacy and the ability to understand IP networks. It is no longer sufficient for resources working in the broadcasting space to have specific broadcasting knowledge, they also need to have ICT and technology skills on top of this. ICT resources in the broadcast space also need to gain skills in broadcasting, as the technologies have increasingly converged. The challenge here is that there are very few people who have the skills needed on both sides, and this is proving problematic for the broadcasting industry as a whole.

Content explosion In order to air a video today, whether via traditional television channels or newer media such as Internet-based stations and even YouTube, all you need is some sort of camera and an Internet connection. Broadcasting is now available to a far wider scope of people, and the net result of this is that content creation has exploded. Consumer demand is also driving the need for more and more content, available 24x7 on multiple different channels. The broadcasting business model has had to adapt to this demand, and one of the problems that has arisen because of this is a decline in standards. In the past, broadcasters 19

Today entire videos are created from start to finish in a file-based environment, with nobody having to listen to the end product before it is broadcast. The evolution of the equipment itself has made this unnecessary. In contrast, in a tapebased environment, a broadcast engineer would check that video and audio quality were up to standard before any footage was broadcast. Viewers themselves will notice this quality control issue in what has become known as ‘loudness’. When watching a show, and switching to an advert break, the difference in sound quality and the volumes between the two is often noticeable. This problem has a direct correlation to the amount of content produced, and a lack of media skill within the broadcast space.

Quality control Ultimately, broadcasting has moved from a professional career that requires a university degree, to something anyone with a camera can do. This mobility has made the environment more flexible and consumer-based, but at what cost? There needs to be some balance between the old skills involved in broadcasting, and the new need for computer literacy, in order to ensure quality broadcasts. The phenomenon of quality control issues is not local, but is a challenge faced globally, directly resulting from a skills gap. The only solution is an improvement in the education of broadcasters, and a blend of the old skills and the new, as well as increased attention to the quality of broadcasts transmitted across the world.

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Hard Rock Nabq in Egypt Installs Meyer Sound JM-1P At the new Hard Rock Cafe Nabq in Egypt’s trendy Sharm el-Sheik resort area, a Meyer Sound JM-1P arrayable loudspeaker system combines exceptional power and precision coverage control to offer a superior guest experience. All audio systems were provided and installed by Cairo-based Modern Touch.

he ceilings in the main room are over eight meters high at some points, and the dance floor is under a dome,” notes Magued Makram, president of Modern Touch. “It was very hard to generate the high SPLs we wanted without hitting reflective walls and the ceiling. Fortunately, the Meyer Sound JM-1P had exactly the right combination of high power, superb sonic quality, and the precise directional pattern we needed.” The club’s main system targets the dance floor and adjacent seating areas with twinflown clusters of three-each JM-1P loudspeakers, with four 600-HP subwoofers floor-stacked underneath. Seventeen UPJunior VariO loudspeakers are spaced high around the room’s perimeter and in adjacent bars and seating areas, providing both main system support as well as softer music for daytime and

early evening crowds. Four MM-4XP selfpowered loudspeakers are installed in the gift shop, while eight UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers and four USW-1P subwoofers provide controlled sound on the expansive outdoor terrace. A Galileo loudspeaker management system employs one Galileo 616 processor for the indoor systems and one Galileo 408 processor for the outdoor loudspeakers.

System installation was managed on-site by Modern Touch’s Hani Naguib. “This installation marks a major step up in sound quality for resorts in the area,” says Naguib.The main system’s Galileo system has three presets for tailoring signal distribution, loudspeaker levels, and EQ for live music, DJ dance music, or prerecorded music for dining.The 1,700square-meter Hard Rock Cafe Nabq features the chain’s trademark collection of rock memorabilia. It offers indoor seating for up to 390, plus an outdoor terrace that seats an additional 130. More than 177 cafés, hotels, and casinos are now operating under the Hard Rock banner in 58 countries. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa in Catoosa, Okla., features a Meyer Sound system based around MICA line array loudspeakers in its 2,700-seat showroom, The Joint.

Do we live in an ethical society? Over the last few years we’ve seen many instances of corrupt and unethical behaviour from our business, community and political leaders. Their actions underscore the real challenge faced in conducting business across Southern Africa. Who do you trust? And how do you go about selecting a vendor that will provide a technology solution that meets your needs? When you’re choosing a supplier to provide broadcast, AV or communications technology for your business why not choose a SACIA member. SACIA members subscribe to the highest standards of ethics in their business conduct. They’ll not engage in dealings that are corrupt, dishonest or questionable. They’ll let you know when they have a conflict of interests, and they’ll not hold out advice as being objective where it is not. For a full list of SACIA members and a copy of their pledge to conduct business on an ethical basis visit www.sacia.org.za The Southern African Communications Industries Association (SACIA) is a not for profit trade association committed to promoting the adoption of professional standards and ethical business practices in the communications industry throughout Southern Africa.

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Exset provides monetisation solution for digital broadcast deployment Pay-TV in sub-Saharan Africa needs a new monetisation model in order to succeed

xset, pioneers of TV ecosystems for emerging markets, has revealed that its unique digital broadcast ecosystem – Digital Monetization System - provides the ideal solution to SubSaharan digital broadcasting growth among those who cannot afford premium subscription services. Speaking at the Digital Broadcasting Summit and Expo in Arusha, Tanzania – hosted by the Southern African Broadcasting Association and BSP Media Group Andrew Pons, Exset’s Director of Marketing, is exploring DMS and the multi-faceted benefits that it brings to emerging markets. “Exset understands that pay-TV needs a new monetisation model for emerging markets in order to succeed,” says Pon. “That’s why it created Digital Monetization System (DMS) - a unique business and technology model that makes pay-TV selffinancing without depending exclusively

on subscriber fees for revenue. DMS bridges the gap between technology supply and value-add service creation, facilitating digital television platforms that can be monetised where previously virtually impossible. This allows populations to benefit from new information and entertainment services while operators and governments, when partnering with Exset, monetise digital switchover and assist in bringing about

social transformation.”By deploying DMS, a very low subscription model of a few dollars a month can be charged for the digital television service, with additional operator income gained through selling the interactive TV space to governments (for health and education information dissemination), magazines, local service provides, teleshopping – the list goes on. Rahul Nehra, Global Head of Sales and Marketing at Exset, says, “There’s a combination of issues in sub-Saharan countries that have held up the rollout of digital TV services to vast swathes of the population. The digital divide is therefore increasing, with governments coming under pressure from a variety of international bodies to tackle this. The TV set is the ideal way to allow people to access new, exciting services at a cost they can afford via digital broadcast infrastructures that are practical to deploy.”

Who do you call when things go wrong? SACIA members subscribe to the highest standards of ethics in their business conduct and sign a pledge in which they commit to excellence in what they do. They take pride in their work and provide products and professional solutions in line with their clients’ needs. They’re dependable business partners who promise not to engage in dealings that are corrupt, dishonest or questionable. If you feel that a SACIA member has failed to live up to this pledge contact us at ethics@sacia.org.za or call our complaints hotline on +2711 083 6418 For a full list of SACIA members and a copy of their pledge to conduct business on an ethical basis visit www.sacia.org.za

The Southern African Communications Industries Association (SACIA) is a not for profit trade association committed to promoting the adoption of professional standards and ethical business practices in the communications industry throughout Southern Africa.

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Newtec, TDA and ABSU sign Multimillion Euro contract Satellite communications specialist, Newtec and TĂŠlĂŠdiffusion dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;AlgĂŠrie (TDA) have signed a multimillion Euro contract to deploy several of Newtecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interactive satellite terminals running on the ASBU Multimedia Exchange Network over Satellite (MENOS).

he award-winning ASBU-MENOS network is operated by the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) on the satellite Arabsat 5A (30.5Â° East). By deploying the Newtec technology, hosted on the ASBU platform, TDA will now have access to their own IP-based and fully automated secure Virtual Network (VN) for contribution and exchange of radio and TV content at low and high bit rates. Using a VN provides the same services and benefits as owning a dedicated physical network, but is provided as â&#x20AC;&#x153;hosted servicesâ&#x20AC;? by ASBU without TDA having to operate the complete system.

48 regions across Algeria TDA will integrate Newtecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kuband Radio Satellite Interactive Terminals (SIT), TV Satellite Interactive Terminals,

Slaheddine Maaoui, ASBU Director General, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are always keen to help improve broadcasting services and enable access to numerous services to contribute content from anywhere across Arab countries in Africa and the Middle East. We know this project is very important and the MENOS capability will continue to encourage a robust media industry to thrive through the new connectivity it will enable.â&#x20AC;?

fixed and portable Fast News Gathering (FNG) SITs and IP data SITs. Those SITs will be deployed over 48 regions across Algeria with two separate networks for radio and TV contribution, connecting five major cities and villages. This allows users to collect and access content at each site. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The beauty of MENOS is the real time transmission it provides to access content quickly and efficiently for transmission of feeds from anywhere in Algeria to the radio and TV stations,â&#x20AC;? said Abdelmalek Houyou, general manager of TDA. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ability to receive content at any time will greatly improve our workflow and is fully compliant with current TDA requirements.â&#x20AC;? The MENOS terminals will be deployed nationally over the next twelve months and will use the ASBU-MENOS hub, located and operated in Algiers.

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ViewSat doubles broadcast capacity in MENA region In a move that has enabled the company to effectively double its broadcast capacity in the region, ViewSat has announced the launch of its second Middle East and North Africa (MENA) satellite transponder in the 7/8 degrees West orbital neighbourhood.

he company also announced the installation of a 9m antenna at its UK headquarters which will be used to uplink channels to the market. Through such investments, ViewSat hopes to transform into a fully functional turn-key solutions provider with the capability to deliver end-to-end broadcast and transmission services in-house. These investments have allowed ViewSat to engage with new customers hoping to expand their broadcast services into the region as well as to extend the capacity currently offered to existing MENA customers. With Middle East broadcasters accounting for one third of ViewSat’s customer base, Awaes Jaswal, CEO of ViewSat believes the region is key to the company's overall growth. He said, “We began pre-selling the additional capacity a month prior to the launch of

The ViewSat 9m antenna which is being used to uplink channels to the market

the new transponder and the demand and reception have been extremely encouraging. This gives us the confidence to make such large scale investments. By identifying key areas and strategically

building upon our already extensive services portfolio, we are constantly evolving our offerings to cater to regional demands. The new transponder is just the latest installment in what has been an ongoing effort over the last 8 years to establish ourselves as the provider of choice for broadcast organizations.” Commenting on the company's future expansion in the region, Jaswal said, “We recently announced global availability of our highly cost effective web-streaming services for television broadcast which gives our customers the flexibility of delivering news, political content and even live broadcasts via the internet. We now have plans for the construction of an additional antenna in the region for the Eutelsat 8 West B (E8WB) satellite that will be launched in 2015.

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Amsterdam hosts best attended IBC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ever! Almost one month on from IBC, and most of the dust should have settled by now - all those new leads have had some contact, and customers should have started to identify what they really liked, rather than what they were just being polite about!

o, it's a good time to reflect on what happened this year in Amsterdam. Well, based on the reports I had from various exhibitors, the organisation of the show was deemed "very good". All the services that make an exhibition and conference run smoothly were delivered in an efficient and sensible manner. The RAI, the IBC Secretariat and the service companies are all to be congratulated. There were some gripes from exhibitors about stand locations, but with a really large show like IBC there are always going to be people who are in the "wrong" place. There was a general feeling among exhibitors that the attendance for the first few days was poorer than expected. Some stands were incredibly busy, but some areas seemed devoid of any visitors. I've had a theory for some years that the "Telco" end of the business (especially those from Northern Europe) don't like giving up their weekend, so only come along for the Monday & Tuesday, but that did not seem to be the case this year, with some parts of the low number halls being very busy.

Increased attendance Of course, the official numbers for IBC show a modest but useful increase over 2012 but hidden within the figures is a cause for concern. The attendee demographics reflect that only half of all visitors are what might best be described as "traditional broadcasting customers". Now I appreciate that my definition of "traditional broadcast" might be very different to yours, but having only half the visitors to a show called the International Broadcasting Convention be directly involved with broadcasting seems a cause for concern. Many of you will now be saying - but this just reflects the technology changes in the industry. Programme delivery via Telco line is now (almost) the norm and the Telco folk are the "new broadcasters". And for many manufacturing companies that's

absolutely true - so no big problem.However, there are lots of manufacturers who target their products at traditional broadcasters, and really don't have any business with the "new guys". There are also plenty of broadcast customers who need speciali2 but hidst bits of kit that thourse, the official numbers for IBC show a modest but useful increase over 2012 but hie larger manufacturers are unwilling or unable to supply. Both groups need each other, but in the sheer scale of IBC, it's easy to find that connection being lost.

Is the ROI right? We're all encouraged to look at the Return on Investment these days. Investment might be time or money, and it's not just made by the exhibitors at a show like IBC, it's also made by the visitors. So, for all concerned, getting the ROI right is critical. Some exhibitors I spoke to are beginning to understand that the level of investment made in shows like IBC may be wrong. One told me that they had spoken to about 150 visitors during the first 4 days of the show, and were very happy with that. But it then transpired 24

that the total cost of being at IBC for that company was just over ÂŁ50,000 so the cost per visitor was just short of ÂŁ350. In their case, most of the visitors were from the UK or Europe, so it would probably have been cheaper for them to pay each visitor a face-to-face call than it was to exhibit. Now that's a terrible oversimplification. Some of those visitors would not have been known to the company, so how would direct contact have been possible? And it only takes one major order to completely screw up the numbers and make the actual ROI become excellent. However, it's undoubtedly still the case that the level of investment made by many broadcast manufacturers in the exhibitions business is too high. I noted several stands that were scaled back in terms of numbers of staff and levels of complexity, with at least one CEO getting his sleeves rolled up and helping with the build-up!

The place to be seen It's not that exhibitions are bad places to market - quite the contrary. But lots of exhibitors seem to think that having a huge stand, packed out with

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their latest products, heaving with sales staff and teams of engineers is the only way to exhibit - believe me it's not! And keep in mind that type of stand can be a huge turn-off for visitors. By the time you've found the reception desk, and found someone to speak to, who then has to go and find the right contact for you, who turns out to know very little about the product you're interested in and so has to go find the relevant product specialist, who in turn doesn't actually know the answer to your question, but promises to get back to you after the show is over - you're wondering if it was worth all the effort!

What about the Technology? Well, as anyone who attended IBC this year will tell you, there were several "big" topics. Most visible was UHD (or as many seem to have it "4K"). There was an awful lot of hype, because although islands of UHD already exist, and many more will appear in the next 12 months, getting them hooked together is going to be the key problem.

IP technology Keeping in mind that 8K at 120 frames per second (NHK Super Hi Vision) is the Holy Grail for UHD, if you're going to try to pass that down a single pipe you'll need 96G of bandwidth which isn't going to happen anytime

sell) and I think the next phase in these developments will be significant consolidation - they can't all be making profits! But the major impression from almost all exhibitors was "more of the same". Things are getting faster, or bigger, in a few cases better - almost all down to continued development of software (or perhaps firmware). It seems as if the days of "ground-breaking" developments are behind us - perhaps Moore's Law is starting to run out of puff. soon with copper. Less visible, but probably more important in the near future was the issue of building an infrastructure based on IP technology. There were a number of clever ideas, all somewhat embryonic, but they seemed to fall into 3 distinct groups - those based on AVB, those based around the SMPTE 2022 standard, and those adopting "none of the above". I suspect that there will not be an outright winner in this particular race, but I also think that the technology that's perceived as being least disruptive by the IT engineers will probably be the most popular. The huge growth in companies servicing the "connected TV" business seems to continue unabated. In many cases it's difficult to identify exactly what these companies are selling (as opposed to what they are trying to

Future zone demo Certainly when a show throws up a method of presenting wallpaper on a TV screen, you have to wonder. Actually, Cisco's Future Zone demo of the living room of the future was really interesting but I can't see my family letting me do that anytime soon! OK - it's not all bad I'm getting a reputation for being "down" on shows like IBC. Let me put the record straight - I love IBC. It's friendly, the hospitality is great, hundreds of opportunities to catch up with friends old and new, what's not to like. OK, my feet complain for weeks afterwards, and some of the parties are a bit loud (my age showing!) but 5 days spent in Amsterdam every September are just not to be missed. I'd like to take this chance of thanking everyone who helped to make this year's show an especially good one for me.

John Lennon Bus Tour

IBC2013 was pleased to host the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, an innovative and unique vehicle designed for educational outreach and launched by Yoko Ono Lennon in Liverpool back in May. Following in the wheel tracks of its hugely successful 16-year old counterpart in the US, the European bus will tour the continent, providing enthusiastic youngsters with an opportunity to make a wide range of cutting edge media projects in its day-long visits. Staffed by a crew of

three producer/engineers, it will tour local schools, colleges and festivals; providing free tours and workshops in which young people using its onboard catalogue of top line audio visual equipment and instruments; everything from guitars to green-screen studios and robotic cameras. As well as being one of Europe’s highest-profile outreach projects, the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, is a true representative of state of the art coach building and technology. It’s a one of a kind vehicle designed and built by the Ketterer Truck Company, with studio integration provided by Sony Professional Solutions Europe, which boasts two studio environments, robotic video cameras, switchable glass doors that change from clear to opaque for privacy, green screen production capabilities, and an upper level “Peace Deck” created for interviews, live music, DJs, and bands. 25

About Phil Rutter Phil started work in the Television Industry in the late ‘60s and over the last 50 years he’s worked for many of the major suppliers of broadcast technology. He’s a well-known figure within the Broadcast Industry, is an active SMPTE member, and is on the council of the BKSTS, of which Society he is a Fellow. He brings both operational technical expertise and a deep understanding of creative marketing to all the projects he is involved with.

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Extron now shipping all DMP 128 audio DSP Models Extron Electronics is pleased to announce the immediate availability of all DMP 128 Series audio digital signal processors, including models with Dante audio networking, AEC - acoustic echo cancellation, and analogue telephone connectivity. The award-winning DMP 128 Series are 12x8 audio mixers featuring Extron ProDSP, auto-mixing, and I/O expansion capabilities. The DMP 128 C P and DMP 128 C P AT are the newest models shipping, and feature POTS - plain old telephone service capability for connection to an analogue phone line and handset. The DMP 128 Series offers a configuration approach to DSP that simplifies mixing, routing, conferencing, and room optimization. Quick and intuitive configuration using the DSP Configurator Software allows the DMP 128 to be installed in very little time, with easy-tolearn adjustments that can be heard in real-time.

Prysm showcases nextgeneration TD2 tile Visitors to InfoComm MEA will be the first in the region to see the next generation of Laser Phosphor Display (LPD) technology from designer and manufacturer Prysm. The highly anticipated TD2 tile delivers the highest level of visual impact and superior image quality through increased resolution and sharpness, unmatched uniformity and excellent brightness. Its new enhanced mode offers 427 x 320 per tile resolution, allowing videowalls to easily scale to 2x and 3x HD. Tanvir Osama, Director Sales - Middle East & India for Prysm explained: “The next generation of LPD is a very exciting addition to the professional display market, particularly here in the Middle East where sustainable displays are top of the agenda. Our screen delivers best-in-class environmental benefits with 75% less power consumption than competing large format display technologies.”

VTRON showcase Video Wall Solutions at InfoComm MEA 2013

VTRON’s stand at this year’s InfoComm MEA show will be offering a showcase of comprehensive 70” 2x2 1080P DLPM and 55” 2x2 LCD video wall solutions. VTRON’s 8 core technologies combine innovation, intelligence, expertise and flexibility for

the perfect video wall performance. The exciting VTRON Visionpro C Series is designed for natural and stable video wall performance for 24/7 mission-critical security/ monitoring control room applications. The series produces the highest seamless image quality and high brightness up to 1,100 ANSI lumens with its 3x6 LED light sources. Operating with the powerful Digicom ARK and Magic Processor, you can maximize the number of image displays up to 336 cubes with high reliability, scalability and guaranteed quality.

Ultra-narrow bezel flat panel delivers near seamless video Christie continues to satisfy market needs for near seamless video wall flat panel solutions with today’s introduction of the versatile Christie FHD461-X. Perfectly suited for space-limited installations, signage in museums, universities, corporate spaces, broadcast sets and retail environments, as well as monitoring applications such as security and surveillance, the Christie FHD461-X is the definitive choice with its ultra-narrow (5.4 millimeter) bezel and 3-inch depth. Delivering crisp, detailed images and high brightness with full HD resolution, the Christie FHD461-X is compatible with Christie JumpStart and Christie Interactivity Kit for a complete, interactive digital experience. The sleek, elegant and competitively priced Christie FHD461-X has 10-bit colour for richer, more vivid images, higher (4000:1) contrast ratio for deeper blacks, and a shallower depth compared with other flat panels in its category. 26

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Matrox Avio KVM Extender

Kramer introduce Fiber optic matrix switcher

Matrox Graphics has announced compatibility of the Matrox Avio F125 fiber-optic KVM extension solution with the EIZO DuraVision FDH3601 monitor, which features 8.8 megapixels (4096x2160 native-resolution) across a 36.4" screen. The DuraVision FDH3601 comes with two DVI-D and two DisplayPort inputs and an advanced set of specifications including 1.07 billion display colours from a palette of 278 trillion, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 700 cd/m2 brightness and an 8ms response time.Matrox Avio is designed to extend a workstation’s displays and peripheral devices while maintaining system performance with zero compression and zero latency at the remote user station. With its feature-rich connectivity options, it enables the extension of two HD videos or one 2K/4K video, plus keyboard, mouse, stereo analog audio and USB 2.0 devices over a single duplex LC-LC fiber-optic cable up to 400 m in multimode and 4 km in single mode. Extension of 4096x2160 resolution video at 30Hz is ideal for preview and playback of 4K Cinema or Ultra HD video content. For image processing applications that require a higher refresh rate, two Avio pairs can deliver an incredible visual experience on the EIZO 4K display at 60Hz by maintaining synchronization of the two dual-link video signals.

Kramer Electronics is pleased to introduce the unique and innovative VS-88FO matrix switcher for 3G HD-SDI signals, utilizing fiber cabling. The unit switches any or all inputs to any or all outputs simultaneously. The maximum data rate of the VS-88FO is 3Gbps; the unit features single mode SFP (Small Form-Factor Pluggable) SDI fiber optic connectors for the inputs and the outputs. The VS-88FO’s multiple memory locations store multiple switches as presets (salvos), to be recalled and executed when needed. The unit’s vertical interval switching synchronizes either to an external reference or to the incoming video.The VS-88FO can reach a range of up to 40km (24 miles), depending on the SFP module used, and is compatible with the 690T & 690R Transmitter & Receiver. It features Kramer’s Automatic Equalization and re-Klocking technology, which rebuilds the digital signal to travel longer distances. It also includes a looping analog sync for genlock and a selectable Sync Signal Termination.

Analog Way exhibits new systems at InfoComm MEA Analog Way is excited to exhibit at InfoComm Middle East & Africa. From October 20-24 in Dubai, UAE, Analog Way will exhibit a selection of its latest Mixers Seamless Switchers, including the brand new PulseÇ. PulseÇ is a versatile Mixer Native Matrix Switcher based on Analog Way’s new Midra platform, the core of a brand new line of mid-range Mixers Seamless Switchers. PulseÇ comes in a 2RU enclosure, and with upgraded connectivity through 8 seamless inputs and 14 input

Mitsubishi stops manufacture of projectors and public displays

plugs: 4 x Universal Analog, 4 x DVI-D, 4 x HDMI and 2 x 3GSDI plugs. PulseÇ can operate fast and seamlessly switch between any of its 14 input plugs without fade through black or loss of sync. The product features a matrix mode with 2 outputs, and offers custom output format management. PulseÇ offers ultraperforming processing with a new de-interlacing process. Presets management was optimized and PulseÇ delivers smart functions such as Swap and Split.

Mitsubishi has closed its front projector and public display business to focus on display wall cubes and narrow bezel LCD products. The decision was made against a backdrop of increased commercialisation and competition in the projector market as well as predictions of a decline in projector sales. All manufacturing of the affected ranges has stopped but Mitsubishi will continue to manufacture spare parts and lamps until March 2019.Mitsubishi business manager Peter van Dijk gas confirmed that all branches, offices and factories will remain open but did confirm redundancies. "Unfortunately and this is with much regret there will be redundancies due to this decision," he said.Organisational changes in the region will take place. “The display wall cube and super narrow bezel units will be headed by the Benelux branch,” confirmed van Dijk.

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ONELAN at InfoComm MEA 2013 During this month’s InfoComm MEA show in Dubai ONELAN will be showing some of their latest Digital Signage developments, including Audience Measurement, Touch capabilities, its Content Management System (CMS) and their Retail Media Player (RMP). The Net-Top-Box is a mul¬timedia, multi-zoned solution capable of Touch Interactivity. With a browser based user inter¬face, the system is fully multi-lingual and capable of dis¬playing both stored media and live media such as RSS feeds, web pages and broadcast TV or locally streamed video. Further mem¬bers of the product family cater for Enterprise network management and integration with external data sources. ONELAN’s solutions are now installed in organizations in numerous market sectors including retail, digital out of home (DOOH), education, corporates, health, government, hospitality, leisure and entertainment venues.

Epson unveils 8 3LCD projectors Epson has overhauled its entry-level range of 3LCD projectors with models offering Wi-Fi compatibility available from November 1, 2013. Models comprise EB-S18, EB-X18, EB-W18, EB-X24, EB-S17, EB-X20, EB-W22 and EB-X25 offers increased lumens and features including a moderator function, Colour Universal Design (CUD), HDMI input, AV mute and a horizontal keystone slider. An equally high White and Colour Light Output is designed to deliver brighter colours and operation in daylight. Units have a 10,000:1 contrast ratio. The projectors work with the iProjection application for iOS and Android devices.

Mitsubishi shows two new 55” LCD displays at InfoComm MEA Widest range of motorized screens and monitors

Both new super narrow bezel (SNB) models offer Full HD performance, LED backlighting and a host of advanced features such as an Intel OPS slot and compatibility with AMX Device Discovery and Crestron RoomView systems. All Mitsubishi Electric LCD displays are designed for high-usage applications and can be used in either portrait or landscape mode. Up to 700cd/mÇ brightness and 3500:1 contrast combined with antireflective screens ensure excellent visibility in a wide range of ambient lighting conditions. The L55P1 variant is designed specifically for high-end tiled applications such as control rooms. Based around a similar “Smart 7” concept to its Seventy Series DLP DisplayWall cubes, the P1 version features Mitsubishi Electric’s digital graduation circuitry which ensures even brightness and contrast across the entire display, while an innovative proprietary colour space control balances minor colour differences between displays.

ARTHUR HOLM will present the widest product portfolio of motorized retractable, foldable and stationary monitors at InfoComm MEA 2013; astonishing products with amazing control and communications functionalities, exclusive cutting edge features and new exclusive functionalities. Arthur Holm has proven is quality and reliability achieving great references in the MEA region. Wisely combining Scandinavian design tradition with broadcast electronics and total flexibility, ARTHUR HOLM is today the market leader in exclusive and high end monitors for meeting room, conference room, auditorium, parliament, senates, congress halls, institutions, corporations and hospitality applications. 28

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AMX does Unthinkable: improves upon world's most innovative panel

World’s first professional workflow reader

While many consider the AMX Modero X Series family of touch panels to be leaps and bounds above anything else on the market, AMX knew there was room for even more improvement. In their quest to take touch panel technology to new heights in usability, they stunned the floor at InfoComm 2013 when they announced that a significantly enhanced Modero X was coming that answers the question: "How could they make something that good even better?" When designing the new Modero X, one thing was clear – the changes would all be improvements to the inside – the revolutionary, award-winning form factor wouldn't be altered in any way. But the changes to the inside – would be significant. A new G5 Graphics Engine replaces the previous G4, providing faster and smoother animations and transitions, putting simply beautiful, beautifully simple into a whole new context.

Lexar South Africa has released the Lexar Professional Workflow Reader Solution, the only solution that transfers video and images from up to four memory cards at once using just one USB port. The solution includes a four-bay reader hub compatible with popular card formats, such as XQD, UDMA 7 CompactFlash, Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) Ultra High Speed-I (UHS-I), and Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) UHS-I. “Photographers and videographers constantly struggle with improving and adjusting the efficiency of their personal workflows, and the growing number of memory card formats make this even more challenging,” says Adam Kaufman, Product Marketing Manager for Lexar.

New products for video wall control

With the last update of the well-known netPIX graphics controller series, eyevis presents a new stateof-the-art control solution for video walls. The third generation of the netPIX 4800 series provides a newly developed output graphics board and a new GPU. This once again enhances the output processing performance of the controller. In addition, the German manufacturer expands its range of streaming solutions for the transmission of DVI/HDMI signals over IP networks with the new eyeGATE solution. Thanks to the new GPU and an optimised connection of the

New Crestron 128 X 128 DigitalMedia Switcher

switch-fabric each output board is able to represent input signals with a transfer rate of up to 1 GB/s. The netPIX 4800-G3.0 offers digital outputs for signals up to 1920 x 1200 pixels and full HD format. Video wall configurations with up to 64 output channels are possible for a controller system. It is even possible to set multiple different output resolutions for rectangular and nonrectangular display configurations with the same controller at the same time. In combination with the eyeCON wall management software live previews of every signal source within the system are available. The netPIX controller further provides the possibility to adapt the image signals to various display modes: there is an underlapmode for narrow bezel display screens, an overlapmode edge blending for multi-channel projections, and a pivot mode for landscape or portrait display.

Crestron has announced the release of its 128X128 DigitalMedia Switcher, the most powerful addition to the family of industry-leading digital AV networking solutions. The "industrial-strength" switcher manages the high-definition and analogue AV distribution requirements of large commercial facilities, such as stadiums, arenas, university campuses and global enterprises. Sharing the 29

same innovative architecture and rich feature set as the pioneering 64x64 DigitalMedia Switcher, the 128x128 features a modular blade I/O expansion system, 4K Ultra HD support, a builtin web server and a 15" colour touch screen. It manages up to 128 analogue or digital sources and distributes them over standard CAT5e or fibre optic cable - all on a single platform. "The availability of the 128X128 DM Switcher ensures that AV systems will have the flexibility to support the increasingly demanding requirements of the world's top organisations and largest facilities," says Robin Van Meeuwen, VP of Crestron International. Crestron AutoLocking Technology enables super-fast signal switching by instantaneously configuring every device in the signal path as soon as the signal hits the first device.

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Web-based audio training SACIA has signed an agreement with SynAudCon in which we will work closely with them to present a baseline of audio and acoustic training opportunities for audio practitioners across Southern Africa. The first step in the process is to offer their advanced online classes that will shortly be available through the SACIA website – followed by a delivery of their popular 2-day “Core Principals of Audio” training course which is scheduled for

June 2014. “Our objective is to broaden the range of training opportunities available to the communications industry in Southern Africa,” explains Kevan Jones, executive director of SACIA. “SynAudCon is the leading provider of specialised audio training and their unique presentation style allows them to teach audio principles in a fashion that shortens the learning curve on complex topics.”

AV training at University of KwaZulu-Natal During early October SACIA hosted their GEN111 AV Essentials course at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Delivered under license from InfoComm International, the course explores the fundamental science behind today’s modern audio, video and IT technologies used within an AV environment. “Many of the projects running within the ICS department require our technical staff to have an in-depth understanding of audio and video technologies,” explained Abdullah Shariff (pictured above) “and this course provided us with the base knowledge we need to operate effectively.” The

course was attended by a dozen of the University’s IT staff, as well as by AV technicians active across the province. “A very worthwhile experience,” was feedback from Wiseman Zulu, AV technician at the International Convention Centre in Durban. “We’ve hosted some of the largest conferences in the country at our Centre and this course has been a real eyeopener. Not only do I have a better understanding of the science behind our AV systems within the ICC, but I’ve come away with some great ideas that will allow us to deliver an even better service to our customers in the future.”

SACIA networking breakfast in Cape Town On 11 October SACIA hosted a half-day workshop at the Cape Town Lodge Hotel in Cape Town. Attended by about 40 members and industry stakeholders, the event started with a networking breakfast followed by a series of short presentations focussing on the use of AV technology across the Western Cape. Prof. Johannes Cronje from the Cape Peninsula University started off the workshop with an engaging and passionate discussion on the importance of standards, training and skills development within the communications industry.The

general conclusion: in an industry that develops so quickly, the key to success, both for individuals and organisations, is to embrace a life-long commitment to continuous professional development. Perhaps one of the highlights of the morning was a presentation by Marianne Dirker, head of the AV unit at the SA Navy. Marianne delivered an outstanding presentation that focussed on how the SA Navy uses AV technology to communicate more effectively within the SANDF.

SACIA extends training agreement with IABM During the recent IBC exhibition in Amsterdam SACIA extended our training agreement with the International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers (IABM). “Over the last few years we’ve developed a close working relationship with SACIA and share a commitment to promote the adoption of professional standards within the broadcast industry,” says Steve Warner, training manager at the IABM. “Over the next few 30

months we’re launching a number of new programmes and we look forward to presenting these in Southern Africa.”SACIA is now the IABM’s largest training partner worldwide. “This year we’ve had more than 100 broadcast professionals participate in our training programmes and we’re looking to continue this activity into the future,” says Kevan Jones, executive director of SACIA.

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Understanding file formats The IABM has launched a new training course titled ‘Understanding File Formats’. This course is designed to provide a thorough understanding of current video and audio file formats plus their associated metadata and workflows. It will explain how file formats are used from production, through the broadcast chain including QC and post-production and onto delivery and archive. It will also examine how broadcast files have replaced traditional tapebased video audio workflows together with the advantages gained through this transition. At the conclusion of the course

the participants will have a thorough knowledge of all the common file formats that they are likely to encounter, their associated workflows and the standards bodies that recommend best working practices. The attendees will understand the current processes to create, transcode, monitor and deliver files and be able to use them practically and efficiently with the knowledge and confidence gained through this learning process. This course builds on the knowledge presented in the Broadcast Workflows course and is scheduled to be delivered in South Africa during Q1 2014.

New membership category drives growth Earlier this year SACIA introduced a new membership category for small business enterprises with a turnover less than R5 million pa. “Part of our strategy has been to promote diversity and engage with smaller business involved in the communications industry and so we’ve introduced a new membership category for start-ups, blackowned business and small enterprises in the AV sector,” explains Kevan Jones, executive director of SACIA. “This provides smaller

enterprises access to our training programmes and allows them to start building relationships with larger and more established members.” This move has been welcomed by industry partners within SASFED – the South African Screen Federation. “It’s critical that all players within the media and entertainment industry work together to promote diversity and encourage the active participation of black-owned business,” says Ramadan Suleman, co-chair of SASFED.

of 56, I've generally been the 'senior citizen' on each. The first course I attended was the GEN111 AV Essentials course run by SACIA at the University of KwaZulu- Natal in 2010. The on-line exams were surprisingly challenging and brought me to the realization I wasn’t as clever as I thought. I was inspired to continue studying and subsequently attended the GEN112 CTS Prep course and went on to earn InfoComm's CTS credential. It's not been easy for an 'old ballie' like me to resume studies but the SACIA courses provide real guidance and direction. My journey so far had made me hungry for knowledge and this year I completed the

three specialised design courses which I found mind blowing. The course(s) were expertly presented by Rod Brown, an InfoComm University instructor from Melbourne, Australia. Rod is a man who obviously knows his stuff, and he balanced the course content with practical tasks which kept me focused for the full nine days. This course has opened my eyes to new possibilities in my career and has certainly made me a more productive and versatile designer. Rod's passion for the business is infectious and I'm planning to sit for the CTS-D examination within the year. Well done to SACIA, and thanks to Rod for sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm!”

Endorsement from Peter Varley CTS During the early part of 2013 SACIA hosted the InfoComm DES training programme, designed to provide an advanced training programme to specialised designers of advanced AV systems. The course was attended by a number of AV professionals who all report that the class was a unique learning opportunity.

Peter Varley from Electrosonic’s KwaZulu-Natal office was an enthusiastic participant. “I have worked in the consumer electronics industry for longer than I care to admit,” he says, “but eight years ago I ventured into the professional AV industry and have subsequently attended a number of the SACIA courses. At the ripe old age 31

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MGI installs VidiGo’s Visual Radio solution at Clouds FM Media Group International has assisted Tanzania’s Clouds FM radio station to give its audience a totally new, interactive experience by installing VidiGo Visual Radio software. The new software will go live on air at Clouds FM within the next few weeks. he Clouds FM project is the Virtual radio experience

first major radio installation MGI and VidiGo have completed in Africa since meeting at CABSAT 2012 and subsequently forging a partnership. The two companies are now working together to give MGI’s television and radio customers much greater access to VidiGo’s revolutionary range of broadcast software products.

Trend-setting programmes VidiGo Visual Radio was the ideal solution for Clouds FM, one of four stations operated by Tanzania’s Clouds Media Group. Affectionately referred to as The People’s Station, Clouds FM is annually rated the number one station in Tanzania for the youth segmentMGI’s Sales Director Paul Wallis, who brokered the Clouds FM deal in conjunction with Sales Assistant Diana Velikova, says: “Thanks to its strong reputation for delivering trendsetting programming, dynamic presenters and innovative promotions, Clouds FM is widely regarded as the ‘coolest’ radio station in Tanzania by the country’s 18 to 35 year olds.

Interactive graphics Given this demographic, the station wanted to incorporate interactive graphics that could be overlaid onto the video feed of its radio broadcasts and used to enhance its internet presence and Twitter, RSS and social media feeds. Diana and I felt that VidiGo Visual Radio was ideal for Clouds FM because it will be able to deliver all the elements station staff need in a very simple to use and intuitive package.”

“We are really thrilled with the workflow VidiGo Visual Radio has provided and our audiences will love the fact that we will soon offer an interactive visual radio experience via the internet and social media feeds,” says Joseph Cusago, Managing Director of Clouds Media Group in Tanzania.

to make decisions like a real television director. Finally, the graphics and text overlays are automatically inserted within VidiGo Live, which makes it possible to superimpose content in a live situation using a station’s own designed Flash application.

Joseph Cusago, Managing Director, Clouds Media Group, says: “We are really thrilled with the workflow VidiGo Visual Radio has provided and our audiences will love the fact that we will soon offer an interactive visual radio experience via the internet and social media feeds. The system is incredibly easy to operate and, because the cameras are switched automatically on the basis of which microphone input is being used, there is very little for our presenters to do. This means they can concentrate on the job of presenting, leaving VidiGo’s clever software to take care of everything else.”

Culture of radio VidiGo CCO Reinout Lempers adds: “With VidiGo’s background in radio, we understand the culture and needs of a radio station. We knew from the start that we shouldn’t bother radio presenters with creating video. That’s why we developed an automated software workflow that is fully compatible with existing radio workflows. With our solution presenters to do what they are good at, which is making radio, while VidiGo’s automated workflow creates an entire TV show, just like a real director would.”

Multi-camera production VidiGo Visual Radio combines the strength of VidiGo Live and VidiGo Audio Director. VidiGo Live is a full blown software solution for multi-camera TV production. The VidiGo Audio Director is an intelligent extension to VidiGo Live that makes automatic decisions by analyzing audio signals with its advanced algorithms, allowing it

Hon. Bernard K. Membe (MP), Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation during a radio interview with Clouds FM’s Power Breakfast. A live video feed from the studio turns every radio station into an instant TV channel.

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