AV Specialist Vol. 117 by Tim Jones

DVB-3D technical spec wins approval Education â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the path to profit and success Industry booms in Middle East High-street shopping for broadcast infrastructure

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Broadcast leadership in a digital age Media at forefront of Middle East uprisings

Contents AV Specialist Volume 117

Cabsat reflects booming industry Cabsat 2011 has to be seen as a successful event. There was significant commitment from the world’s leading manufacturers, strong local presence, and a healthy attendance. Almost everyone I spoke to was very happy with their three days in Dubai.

High-street shopping for broadcast technology I was asked to give the opening presentation in the Cabsat conference this year, and decided to look at some of the key issues facing us all at present.

36 Syrian National TV (ORTAS), Syria's national TV channel, will soon be launching a new 24-hour news channel and expanding its current infrastructure. Publisher & Managing Editor Kevan Jones kevan@avspecialist.tv Feature Editor Dick Hobbs dick@avspecialist.tv Circulation Renate Mortimer renate@avspecialist.tv Designer Rajiv Gopalan rajiv@avspecialist.tv

ETC supplies World Festival of Black Arts in Senegal ETC has supplied a range of lighting, dimming and control equipment for the third Festival Mondial des Arts Nègres (World Festival of Black Arts and Cultures) in Dakar, Senegal.

World record attendance for ISE 2011 Sustaining a period of continuous year-on-year growth since the event’s inception in 2004, this year’s ISE attracted a record 34,870 attendance to the Amsterdam RAI between 1-3 February.

DWR host Robe roadshow in South Africa The Robe ROBIN Roadshow in South Africa was a tightly organised and hugely well attended series of 3 events staged in Johannesburg.

Publisher’s Note

Advertising sales Africa, Middle East, UK Richie Ebrahim richie@avspecialist.tv

As this issue of the magazine gets ready for printing I’m busy evaluating the nominations for both IBC’s Innovation Awards and the

Europe Emmanuel Archambeaud earchambeaud@defcommunication.com

newer PALME Excellence Awards. Whilst both awards programmes are

Represented in North America by: Broadcast Media International Michael Mitchell Tel: +1 631 673 3199 michael@avspecialist.tv

get to visit the sites proposed for an award and are totally dependent on

Represented in the Middle East by: AV Specialist MENA FZ LLC PO Box 502314, Dubai United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 (0)4 391-4718 Fax: +971 (0)4 345-2898 Represented in South Africa by: Doddington Direct cc PO Box 3939, Honeydew, 2040, South Africa Tel: +27 (0)11 083-6418 Fax: +27 (0)865253852 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 Ave qualified circulation (July - December 2010) 4079

very different they have one thing in common – the judging panel don’t

the information included in the Awards nomination form. What makes it more difficult is that these nominations are generally prepared and sent in by expert PR consultants who are able to spin the nomination so that their project seems particularly awe-inspiring. Of course the IBC Award nominations are submitted by customers – broadcasters who’ve partnered with various suppliers to utilize broadcast technology in an innovative fashion. Nominations for the PALME Awards on the other hand, are sent in by the product suppliers and integrators with little consultation from their clients. It’s a dangerous recipe and irrespective of who sends in the nomination, the difficulty is separating truth from fiction. How much of the technology is real and how much appears on an unfulfilled wish-list stuck in a file titled ‘budget cuts’. Some of the nominations in both Awards programmes appear to be truly first-class and I want to applaud all the nominees for submitting their work to public scrutiny. I also hope that those selected as victors are recognized for a solution that works – and not just for a smart PR-job that encouraged the judges to vote in their favour.

Taking a fresh look at HD.

NAB, Las Vegas April 09 – 14, 2011 Booth C7525

www.fujinon.de The transition to HD requires substantial investments. Be wise and chose Fujinon’s attractively priced ZA series HD lenses – the smart solution. Thanks to the reduced (by one) zoom factor. The ZA series offer full HD quality and the same user-friendly controls as incorporated with the renowned HA series. Fujinon. To see more is to know more.

Medical

CCTV

Machine Vision

The Fujinon ZA series ZA22x7.6 ZA17x7.6 ZA12x4.5

FUJINON (EUROPE) GMBH, MIDDLE EAST OFFICE, JEBEL ALI FREE ZONE, P.O. BOX 18408, Dubai, U.A.E., TEL.: +971 4 887 3074, FAX: +971 4 887 3053, fujinonm@emirates.net.ae FUJINON (EUROPE) (EUROPE)GMBH, GMBH,HALSKESTRASSE MIDDLE EAST OFFICE, JEBEL ALI FREE ZONE,TEL.: P.O. +49 BOX(0)18408, U.A.E., 4 887 3074, FAX: +971 4 887 3053, fujinonm@emirates.net.ae FUJINON 4, 47877 WILLICH, GERMANY, 21 54 9Dubai, 24-0, FAX: +49TEL.: (0) 21+971 54 9 24-290, www.fujinon.de (EUROPE) GMBH, HALSKESTRASSE 4, 47877 WILLICH, GERMANY,SAITAMA, TEL.: +49JAPAN, (0) 21 54 9 24-0, 9 24-290, FUJINON CORPORATION, 1-324 UETAKE, KITAKU, SAITAMA CITY, 331-9624 TEL.: +81FAX: (0) 48+49 668(0) 2121 52,54FAX: +81 (0)www.fujinon.de 48 651 85 17, www.fujinon.co.jp

Binoculars

Product

news Quantel releases Pablo PA Quantel has released Pablo PA, the company’s first standalone software only product. Announced at IBC last year, Pablo PA is designed to help Quantel customers get the maximum value out of their high-end eQ, iQ or Pablo suites by handling conforms, preparation and workflow, allowing the main suite to concentrate purely on client-focused work. As a standalone system, Pablo PA also offers facilities that don’t currently own Quantel systems a low cost way to benefit from Quantel's high quality post tools. Pablo PA has all the Pablo V5 colour, multi-layer timeline effects, import, export, archive and conform tools, as well as the Stereo3D toolset. It also supports RED and DPX soft mount of third party storage for instant access to media. When work is complete, only the ‘recipe’ of what’s been done on Pablo PA needs to be transferred to the eQ, iQ or Pablo, saving valuable time that would otherwise be spent moving media.

NewTek releases hardware control surface for TriCaster TCXD850 NewTek has announced the release of TriCaster TCXD850 CS, a hardware control surface for the TriCaster TCXD850 high definition (HD) portable live production system. The TriCaster TCXD850 CS provides a physical connection to the 24-channel system’s functions and effects, allowing operators to make snap decisions with confidence and ease. TriCaster TCXD850 CS hardware provides illuminated push buttons, twist knobs, a premium T-bar and three-axis joystick to control all of the functions and effects available in the TriCaster TCXD850, letting operators perform commands instantly. “With live events, there’s no second chance. You have to be certain and you have to be fast. Our goal with every new product is to give our users the opportunity to deliver the best quality live production possible, with confidence and accuracy,” said Andrew Cross, executive vice president of Engineering, NewTek.

Tiffen introduces Steadicam Tango

Snell at the 2011 NAB show Today's broadcast and media facilities require smart, adaptable, and straightforward solutions as they transition to digital, HDTV, and 3Gbps operations, and as they seek to deliver content to a variety of platforms in direct response to consumer demand. With these needs in mind, Snell will showcase a variety of new and enhanced products at the 2011 NAB Show. One of their offerings will be their recently launched MV-Series of multiviewers. Designed for a range of applications including control rooms, studios, and OB trucks, the MV-Series offers users highly versatile and configurable viewing capabilities. The system accepts up to 64 video inputs, in a range of analogue and digital formats including 1080p, which are complemented by powerful audio metering and monitoring of up to 16 channels per tile. Other audio monitoring enhancements include the ability to monitor discrete AES, analogue audio, or Dolby AC3 inputs.

The lightweight Steadicam TANGO provides long-sought floor-to-ceiling boom range with lateral reach, full stability, intuitive control and simple, economical construction. TANGO is a game-changing Steadicam accessory for use with today’s miniature HD cameras according to Steve 3

Tiffen, President and CEO of The Tiffen Company. “TANGO is designed to be a straightforward, bolt-on addition for future Tangocompatible Steadicam models.” The Steadicam TANGO balances and feels like a single sled carrying all components. It provides a comfortable, centred operating position, even at full up/down boom. It incorporates rugged, allmechanical construction and uses a conventional Steadicam sled plus the six pound Tiffen Tango extension. “There are no electronics, gyros, wiring, connectors or power-hungry components,” said Reza Nikfar from UBMS, Middle East distributor for the product. “It also has a largeaperture, interior cable-path for camera/CCU interconnection. With your eyes closed, it feels like a normal Steadicam.”

Product

news Affordable video servers from Autocue During Cabsat Autocue demonstrated that they’re more than a supplier of top quality teleprompting, scripting, and newsroom technology by showcasing there first standalone, Linux-based video server range. These versatile servers range features up to four bi-directional HD/ SD channels for simultaneous record and playout, and a range of storage capabilities. These products are an ideal replacement for tape machines, as well as an affordable solution for secondary applications within top-end broadcasters. According to Autocue CEO Frank Hyman, "Cabsat marked the Middle East debut of our video server range, which we believe offer better value per channel and format than any competitive product. Our servers have more ports, more formats, more storage and more flexibility at a lower cost than competing devices, and provide a unique and straightforward user interface suitable for a wide range of environments."

Online Content Creation At the 2011 NAB Show, Chyron will highlight the power of its AXIS Graphics platform, a unique cloud-based service that has become the industry leader in on-demand graphics. The world's only cloud-computing graphics creator designed specifically for the broadcaster, AXIS simplifies, streamlines, and facilitates the graphics creation workload across many users in a broadcast operation — from reporters to production assistants to news producers. Integrating with the broadcaster's existing or Chyron-based workflow, AXIS combines award-winning technology and functionality, proven integration, and point-andclick customization. AXIS services include high-resolution maps, 3D charts, financial quotes, and a virtually unlimited set of tools for topical news graphics creation. AXIS provides broadcast production staff with pre-built templates that they can leverage for quick creation of graphics for multiple outlets, including websites, mobile devices, and print publications.

Avid expands Open Workflow innovations Avid has underscored its leadership position in open media production solutions with the introduction of new versions of its flagship editing systems, Media Composer v5.5, NewsCutter v9.5 and Symphony v5.5 in response to customer requests for increased third-party hardware support, enhanced "in the box" functionality, and more open, collaborative workflows with added control integration and format flexibility. New features include support for AJA Io Express input and output interface, offering increased options between accelerated Avid hardware and costeffective third-party solutions when using Media Composer and NewsCutter systems. "The new AJA support is paramount and just proves Avid is committed to giving us customers what we’ve been asking for," said Jon Mauldin, director of operations and technology, Fotokem. "Adding support for a third-party hardware device that is so popular with users of other platforms is a direct message about Avid’s open, mixed environment. This started several versions back in Media Composer and continues to expand with the latest iteration bringing even more flexibility and choice."

Nevion’s new VideoIPath Debuting at NAB 2011, the Nevion VideoIPath connection management platform simplifies the complexity of video-over-IP deployment with key scheduling, provisioning and monitoring of video-over-IP services. The user-friendly Web application provides a complete overview of scheduled and in-service connections. To achieve efficient use of network resources and avoid overbooking, broadcasters can schedule connections based on service profiles, monitor video ports and bandwidth utilization, and access map and timetable views for video services. VideoIPath can calculate the FEC settings that are required to match target QoS requirements, and manage remote firmware upgrades of network equipment. The platform works in conjunction with Nevion’s flexible hardware solutions to make video over IP transport simple and efficient. VideoIPath is the first in a series of connection management platforms to be announced by Nevion, with platforms for fibre-optic and SONET/SDH networks still to come. 4

SDI to Analog

Analog to SDI

SDI to Audio

Audio to SDI

SDI to HDMI

HDMI to SDI

Optical Fiber

Sync Generator

US$495

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The most advanced 3 Gb/s converters for SD and HD that include AES/EBU and analog audio! Build your studio with the world’s most advanced converters. Only Mini Converters include auto SD/HD switching, redundant input, AES/ EBU and analog audio on 1/4 inch jack connections, plus advanced 3 Gb/s SDI! There are 8 great models to choose from depending on the conversion you need! Auto Switching SD and HD

3 Gb/s SDI Technology Mini Converters include the latest 3 Gb/s SDI technology, so you’re always future proofed! 3 Gb/s SDI is also fully compatible with all your existing standard definition and high definition SDI equipment. Broadcast Quality

Mini Converters instantly switch between all SD and HD formats, including NTSC, PAL, 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 1080PsF/23.98, 1080PsF/24, 720p/59.94, 720p/50. Updates can be loaded via USB.

Mini Converters are built to the highest quality standards with low SDI jitter, so you get the longest SDI cable lengths combined with ultra low noise broadcast quality analog video and audio. Mini Converters are the world’s first converters to include 3 Gb/s SDI on all models!

Redundant SDI Input

Eight Exciting Models

Most Mini Converters feature a redundant input and loop through SDI output. Connect a redundant SDI cable to the second input, and if the main SDI input is lost, Mini Converters will automatically switch over in an instant. That’s great for mission critical tasks such as live events.

Mini Converters include more new technologies than other converters, while every model is an affordable US$495. The Sync Generator model is only US$295!

Pro Analog and AES/EBU Audio Standard 1/4 inch jacks are built in to most Mini Converters for professional balanced audio that switches between AES/EBU or analog. Unlike other converters you don’t need expensive custom audio cables.

Mini Converters

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Product

news Cortex monitoring & control system Ten new Synapse modules and a 3D multiviewer will take centre stage within Axon Digital Design’s new technology showcase at NAB. 2011 represents the fifteenth consecutive year that the Netherlands-based AV conversion, processing and compliance recording specialist will have taken part in the exhibition. Axon arrives in Las Vegas having posted its strongest ever annual sales growth and are positioned as the leading supplier of signal processing equipment (digital glue) in HD & 3D OB vans. “We come to NAB at a tremendously exciting point in Axon’s development with a range of strategically important new products and really strong sales growth especially in Europe,” commented Jan Eveleens, Chief Executive Officer at Axon. “We are committed to continuing our growth and expansion: North America is a focus, so NAB promises to be an important event for us.” A key product showcase on Axon’s booth will focus on its Cortex monitoring and control system. This neat software-based solution has seen tremendous interest since NAB2010, where Axon staged numerous well attended Cortex customer master classes. This year, the product has been enhanced with additional features, a hardware control panel (CCP1601) and client (redundant) server option. Cortex is supplied to Synapse users free of charge.

TVUPack mobile newsgathering backpack TVU Networks is the technology leader in live TV over Internet and they’ve just released an upgrade to full HD resolution on the TVUPack mobile news gathering backpack. Weighing only 13 pounds, the TVUPack allows a field team to go anywhere and get breaking news fast. The TVUPack is an ultra-portable electronic news-gathering device. Replacing the need for an SNG van, the TVUPack is a fully self-contained content capture and broadcast solution with its own on-board power and data transmission capability. Capturing news in locations not previously accessible to reporting teams, such as from within crowds of people and even from a moving vehicle, the TVUPack is dramatically expanding news-gathering capabilities.

Designed-to-Perform

At this year’s NAB EVS will introduce its latest solutions that are designed to perform including: advanced production and content management tools for fastturnaround productions; new live sports production tools that allow graphic inserts and live 3D editing; and its EVSOpenCube range of MXF based solutions for tape ingest and workflow digitization. Product updates include the latest version of EVS’ IPDirector which offers broadcasters and producers a unique opportunity to boost

their workflow’s speed and efficiency. Its innovative architecture, modularity and advanced database management system means that it can be easily adapted to a wide variety of TV and broadcast production facilities. During NAB EVS will announce new API and MOS protocol support ensuring full interoperability with all types of 3rd-party systems, such as asset management, automation, and NRCS including Avid I-News, ENPS or Annova systems. They will also extend integration with NLE systems, including media exchange with Avid editors and new EVS FCP Export Plug-in designed for Apple Final Cut Pro users, which allows them to easily export edited sequences or job requests to an EVS server or near line storage.

Rack-mounted charging from PAG PAG has introduced a rack-mountable version of its highpower, simultaneous Cube charger. The PAG RMC4X can be used to simultaneously fast-charge Li-Ion batteries manufactured by PAG, Sony or IDX, via four V-Mount or PAGlok battery mounts that connect to the charger via its four XLR-4 outputs. The charger is designed to be mounted in a half-width racking system, and measures 1U high. However, two units can be mounted side by side in a standard full-width 19-inch rack, by using connecting plates, available from PAG. The RMC4X is ideal for use in outside broadcast vehicles, but it is equally suitable for use in a workshop environment. Two models are available, supplied with either four V-Mount or four PAGlok connectors. The mounts incorporate a cable terminated with an XLR-4 connector. A bespoke mountingboard for the connectors, that enables them to be fitted vertically inside the OB vehicle, can also be supplied.

Introducing the next generation of Pro Tools. Professional audio production as you’ve always wanted it. Run Pro Tools® software with Avid®, third-party audio interfaces, or standalone. Develop superior mixes with Automatic Delay Compensation. Enjoy more professional features, now included as standard. Go hands-on with Euphonix controllers and EUCON integration. And collaborate more easily than ever.

Get Pro Tools 9 – www.avid.com/protools9

© 2010 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. Avid, the Avid logo, and Pro Tools are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Product

news WEISSCAM HS-2 MKII application upgrade P+S Technik has developed new software-based Application Modules for its multi-purpose camera HS-2 MKII. With a capability of shooting from 1 fps to over 70.000 fps (100x100px) and its range of modes for different applications it is considered by many to be the most flexible and effective digital cinema camera. There are three new Application Upgrade Modules available, with the ‘Film Mode’ module providing the ultimate in image quality. This mode provides enhanced “ultimate” image quality for recording at any frame rate from 1 fps for time lapse to standard speed rates (24p/25p/29.97p/30p) and high speed rates up to 2200 fps in 720p. This mode optimizes the camera settings for purposes such as fiction, commercial, documentary and TV Drama as it significantly enhances and stabilizes blacks and low light areas constantly. A ‘Studio’ mode and ‘Rental’ mode are also available.

Grass Valley adds new features to Kayenne At NAB 2011, Grass Valley will introduce the latest software versions for its line of Kayenne Video Production Centre and Kayak (v7.0.4) high-definition switchers. Both new software versions streamline production workflows, making crews more productive by giving the technical director (TD) more control over camera settings, macro editing, and signal routing. The new functionality in Kayenne v3.0 (with the Kayenne XL control panel) and Kayak v7.0.4 gives TDs control over multiple cameras directly from the switcher control panel via an Ethernet interface. In addition, the new software provides simple installation and reliable three-colour tally to Grass Valley cameras and can be used to place cameras into a useable, but not necessarily fully-shaded rehearsal mode. The new Kayenne software also provides a new macro editor that eliminates the need to rebuild a macro entirely from scratch merely to modify some of its functions.

New Field Production and Rack Mount Monitors

TV Logic, designer and manufacturer of LCD and OLED High Definition displays, will exhibit 3 new field production monitors and a new dual 9” rack mount model at NAB 2011 that incorporate a host of innovative features for

Cost-effective solutions with Spectrum MediaCenter

enhanced HD-SLR, digital cinema and broadcast production. TVLogic combines the latest in flatpanel technology with their advanced video processing designs to provide reference displays that meet the demanding requirements of broadcast, production, postproduction, digital signage and multi-viewer applications. The 4 new models will join TVLogic’s multi-award winning range of professional video monitoring solutions ranging from quad 4.3” rack mount monitors to 56” 10bit 4K resolution displays and everything in between.

Harmonic has introduced Omneon Spectrum MediaCenter, a new multichannel media server with integrated low-cost storage and support for Spectrum MediaPort modularity and scalability. Designed specifically for the needs of local and regional broadcast stations, as well as remote playout facilities, MediaCenter delivers exceptional value for operations requiring from four to 12 channels in a single video server configuration. "The Omneon MediaCenter enables a new costoptimized Spectrum video server configuration for applications requiring a moderate number of ingest and playout channels," said Geoff Stedman, vice president for corporate marketing at Harmonic. "Harmonic is committed not only to continued innovation, but also to bringing down the cost of reliable high-performance systems, and MediaCenter does just that for customers that need limited channel scalability combined with the reliability of our flagship Spectrum video server." 9

3DTV specification wins approval DVB is pleased to announce that DVB-3DTV specification has now been approved and submitted to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) for formal standardisation. BlueBook A154 ‘Frame Compatible Plano-Stereoscopic 3DTV’, (DVB-3DTV) has been published and is available for downloading from the DVB website.

Ingest.

and decoder. Plano-stereoscopic imaging systems deliver two images (left and right) that are arranged to be seen simultaneously, or near simultaneously, by the left and right eyes. Viewers perceive increased depth in the picture, which becomes more like the natural binocular viewing experience. Since 2010 many 3DTV capable consumer products have been launched in the

Manage.

market. The DVB-3DTV specification is also accompanied by the Subtitling Systems specification (EN 300 743), which provides a mechanism that allows subtitles and other onscreen graphics to be best positioned so that they can be viewed correctly in the stereoscopic picture. There are also amendments to the Service Information specification (EN 300 468) and to the specification of audio and video coding over the MPEG2 Transport Stream (TS 101 154). “I would like to extend my thanks to all the Members that participated in both the Commercial and Technical Modules to bring to fruition the DVB3DTV specification in such a short period of time. DVB standards provide one of the keys to commercial success and stability for the industry and the consumer,” commented Peter Siebert, Executive Director, DVB.

Create.

for fast & efficient production

Visit us , at NAB stand C9508

IPDirector is a field-proven software suite from EVS that guarantees workflow efficiency and instant control of media. With its modular architecture for ingest, production and media management, as well as its transparent integration with 3rd party craft editors, it is the most efficient tool for fast-turnaround productions on the market.

Designed to Perform www.evs.tv

Content Production Management

he Commercial Requirements for the DVB-3DTV specification were agreed in July 2010 after consultation with key industry groups. The Commercial Module's Sub-Group on 3DTV was chaired by David Wood (EBU) and the Technical Module (TM3DTV) was chaired by David Daniels (BSkyB). The specification specifies the delivery system for frame compatible plano-stereoscopic 3DTV services, enabling service providers to utilise their existing HDTV infrastructures to deliver 3DTV services that are compatible with 3DTV capable displays already in the market. This system covers both use cases of a set-top box delivering 3DTV services to a 3DTV capable display device via an HDMI connection, and a 3DTV capable display device receiving 3DTV services directly via a built-in tuner

Experience, Education, and beyond ….a path to profit and success In the new economy of 2011 and beyond, we need to come to grips with a couple of business “facts of life”. Number one is that we live in a commodity world and all products and most services are seen in the same light of equanimity. The second “fact of life” is that in order to prosper we need to differentiate ourselves in the market place.

e need to answer the question as to our company and even our own value proposition and ultimately why buy from us rather than our competition. One key solution to the question of value resides in the quality of our staff, their experience level, and how they can translate this in positive terms to the customers we serve; in short, differentiation. Each year, InfoComm conducts a thorough market analysis and the vast majority of the respondents to the most recent survey reported that the next 3 years in the AV and digital signage industries will be periods of growth and opportunity. I might add parenthetically “if we are prepared to grab the brass ring” of that opportunity! In

fact 65% of the respondents reported that the number of full time employees for manufacturers and dealer/integrators will expand beyond 2009 levels for small, medium, and large companies in order to meet the expected increase market demand. It will come as no surprise that they forecast the areas of collaboration and conferencing along with digital signage as two of the most significant growth areas. On the “negative” side of the equation the report uncovered concerns for stagnant profit margins, too much parity in the industry, and concerns about the availability of qualified employees to meet the expanded market demands. While we all hope to enjoy the growth, we need to realize this cannot be done by ignoring the concerns that might 12

impede our prosperity.

Stagnant profit margins If the ultimate concern is the possibility of stagnant profit margins, we can see that parity at all levels in the business is the culprit and tends to reduce the client’s decision to one based on price. In short, if all else is equal, the price becomes the differentiator. One real world solution to this dilemma is to create differentiation more profound than a “simple” lower price. One way to separate ourselves from the proverbial herd is to employ a step by step educational development plan which adheres to industry standards, and in the process become certified as an industry recognized provider similar to what the AIA

in the architectural community and PMI for project management industries have done. In short, a designation as a recognized professional.

Recognise AV certification The critical issue in AV and the digital signage industries is the need to establish wide spread recognition of the certifications that are now in place and adoption at the individual business level of an educational development process. This is one of many areas where associations like InfoComm, SACIA, the IABM and the TPSA can make a difference. Before you turn the channel, this is not a pitch to take a course at a trade show. It is a plea to create a fully thought out business plan founded in education, standards, and certifications that goes beyond individual courses and seminars as a means of disseminating information. We can and will achieve differentiation by embracing all aspects that can be provided by the adoption and commitment to professionalism that will be recognized beyond the hallowed halls of our industry trade shows.

An Invaluable exercise

the corporate staff. There is a huge benefit in knowing that you have done the best job possible in the communication of your message which then places you in a position for the management of more certain growth.

Education and certification programs can be used as the basis of competency in a given area and as a sequence for job promotion within a company or from the sales perspective, a qualification to a higher level of dealership for those who have taken the time to be trained. From a sales point of view, it clearly defines each product and service that a company offers and separates the tangible benefits from the features of the product. As we know, features are nice but benefits are what sell.

As an educator in the commercial AV and digital signage industries there may be just a little bit of bias but the training and education process for a company can be invaluable from several perspectives if we look outside of our personal paradigms.

First of all, the process of creating an internal and external educational development program "forces" a company to think out each detail of their policies and procedures, as well as their products/services and how they are handled inside and outside the company. People speak of reviews like this but they seldom take place unless a training program is initiated or a business emergency takes place. If done properly, the process can be used to inform, educate, and motivate the people taking the courses as well as providing development and a set of parameters for

differentiator in the market, permitting you to stand above those less qualified in a given specialty. With the growth in the AV and digital signage industries, it is necessary to acquire and implement educational programs with internal and external components for use in identifying and managing the continuing growth you desire. As has been said a thousand times, if you can't measure it you can't manage it. By establishing structure, process, and metrics, training and educational development will be the path to differentiation and communicating your message to the market not to mention being the anecdote for those stagnant profits we all fear so much.

About the author

From a technical point of view you would have the opportunity to outline the important technical details in the products and services you sell as well demonstrate the integration of the various technologies into specific applications. An effective educational development program permits you to test and certify at will thus verifying a certain knowledge level on the part of the participants. This prevents the use of the dreaded word "assumption" and you know the team is knowledgeable and prepared to meet the challenges facing them. A properly designed and deployed education and certification program takes the guess work out of communication and insures that everyone is on the same page of the hymnal. This provides a foundation that can be adjusted and altered as the needs arise. Last but certainly not least, educational development programs and certifications can be used as a

3 13

Alan Brawn is a principal of Brawn Consulting LLC, an audio visual and digital signage, consulting, educational development, and market intelligence firm with international exposure to major manufacturers, distributors, consultants, and integrators. Brawn is an AV industry veteran with experience spanning three decades and is a recognized author for leading AV industry magazines. Alan is a senior faculty member of InfoComm sitting on their PETC council and chairing the ISO/ANSI Projected Images Task Group. He is a member of the International Commission on Display Metrology for the Society for Information Display. He is also the Director of the Digital Signage Experts Group certifying professionals in the digital signage industry.

www.christiecontrol.com/entero

How many bulbs does it take to change your mind?

Until Christie’s Entero™ LED powered displays, every video wall used lamps. And we do mean used. For over its life a wall could consume hundreds – an expense that could outstrip the initial cost. And then of course there was the downtime, the consumables, the maintenance charges. But where conventional lamps might last 10,000 hours, our LED light source lasts 60,000. That’s almost seven years running twenty-four hours a day. It could outlive the wall itself. So, with Christie Entero™ LED powered rear screen displays, when you buy a video wall, you buy a video wall. Not a lifetime’s commitment to never-ending expense. Isn’t it time you changed technology – not lamps?

The eNTeRO led SeRieS rear Projection modules

when it matters.

Sophisticated workflow for Al Jazeera Children’s Channel Pebble Beach has announced the successful commissioning of a highly sophisticated Neptune automation solution at the Al Jazeera Children's Channel (JCC) headquarters in Doha, Qatar. Together with the second children’s channel Baraem, JCC is available across much of the Middle East and parts of Europe.

Migrate legacy database

hen the decision was taken to replace their legacy automation system, JCC selected UK-based automation and content management specialist, Pebble Beach Systems, to deliver a solution capable of handling their demanding workflow requirements. The Neptune system at JCC is configured to control 4 channels and features a number of innovative functions, including complex automatic workflows with ingest, playout, archiving and browse functionality.

As part of the commissioning process Pebble Beach Systems also successfully migrated JCC’s legacy database, carrying all the relevant metadata and content across to the Neptune system. JCC specified a suite of security features designed to deliver maximum reliability and redundancy for playout. In addition to allowing the user to specify a strict order in which storage devices should be searched when the system detects missing media, the Auto Changeover facility also switches DIVArchive Content Storage Management system from Front Porch Digital is instructed to load the corresponding high resolution material from the archive and the relevant partial files are restored to the

IPV transcoding The system incorporates transcoding and encoding technology from IPV, allowing operators to select and browse multiple ingest streams. Both high and low resolution formats can be created simultaneously, and the operator can playback the low resolution clip whilst the recording is still in progress, allowing them to check content, add metadata and carry out rough cut edits using Neptune’s Razorfish application.

Simple editing Pebble Beach Systems Regional Manager for the Middle East, Samir Isbaih, explains how Neptune’s automated workflow was devised to simplify the editing process: “If ingested material requires subsequent editing, for example for a highlights package, the Razorfish operators are able to review content using low resolution proxies on their desktop PCs and can generate EDLs that trigger automatic workflows. The

server. The EDLs can be sent to editing systems to automatically generate new clips and these can be sent back to the server ready for playout. Neptune then sends an email to advise the edit operator that the new clip has been created and the job is completed. If more sophisticated edits are required,” he continues, “Razorfish can send the EDLs to the edit suite where the corresponding high resolution file segments will be loaded for the craft edits to take place. Once this is completed and the new high resolution clip is stored onto the server. Neptune’s transcoding engine automatically generates a low resolution version of the finished clip. Rhozet transcoding also generates multiple formats for other purposes, e.g. mobile and IPTV use.” 15

automatically to Neptune’s backup playlist – which runs in parallel to the main playlist –in case of failure, without the loss of any airtime. Neptune’s Auto Failover facility switches seamlessly to fully mirrored backup Databases and Device Controllers in the event of either failing, with an automated email generated to alert technicians if either has happened. Finally a sophisticated API offers a high level of 2-way integration with the traffic system from BTS. As well as receiving ingest jobs and metadata using from the traffic system, Neptune continually monitors the system status and automatically updates the traffic system in real time.

ne exception has to be faced. The conference had an interesting programme and good speakers drawn from both the regional and global industry. Yet the audience was very sparse indeed, and some presenters were reduced to sitting around a table chatting rather than presenting from the lectern. I would urge the organisers to do some research here. It could well be that the target audience for Cabsat – broadcasters and facilities from the Middle East and North Africa – regard it purely as an exhibition. The excellent transport links to Dubai mean that it is very easy for visitors to make a highly targeted trip to the exhibition, perhaps even coming in and out on a single day. If that is the case then maybe

there really is no need for a conference. But I think the organisers need to determine if there is interest in a conference. If so, then it needs to continue with this year’s excellent concept of involving the industry in the planning, in the form of ABU, IABM and MECIA. Then it needs to ensure that the programme gets into enough people’s diaries, early enough to be effective.

Media convergence platform The clearest indication of the importance of Cabsat was the decision by Harris to launch a new product – and a highly significant new product – in Dubai in February, rather than waiting a couple of months for NAB. Selenio is described as a “media convergence platform”, and is designed to provide the core 16

infrastructure as broadcasters migrate from linear audio and video to a filebased architecture. In its compact box it supports busses for video (up to 3Gb/s HD), audio (analogue, discrete digital and embedded digital) and IP (dual redundant gigabit ethernet for IP content, plus dual redundant 100 Base T for control). Software modules running on the platform provide conversion, encoding and transcoding, and multiplexing and de-multiplexing. Video and audio functionality is also available, including audio up and down-mixing and loudness control, and video proc amp and graphics insertion.

Innovative design One of the design issues which faced the engineers is that there is support for a large number of video

inputs and outputs, which require more BNC connectors than could fit on the back panel of a 3U cabinet. The solution was to work with Amphenol on a new type of connector, which looks like a miniaturised BNC but actually improves the ultra-high frequency performance, with lower return loss at 3Gb/s. One of the reasons for choosing to launch at Cabsat was that the first sale of the Harris Selenio platform was to OmanTel for its country-wide HD contribution and distribution network. OmanTel’s engineers had a tight requirements specification, and they felt that Harris gave them everything they needed. 57 Selenios will be installed at locations around the country in the coming weeks.

More product launches In other product news, Sony was particularly enthusiastic about the new PMW-F3 camera. This uses what Sony calls a “full-frame sensor”, that is an imaging chip around the same size as a 35mm film frame (Panasonic calls the same idea “4/3 inch”). It gives the camera a movie-style depth of field. The camera uses the XDCam EX solid state recording format, and is of course a fully featured HD camcorder. It means you get the image look and feel of a digital SLR like the Canon which has become popular for film-style shoots without all the inconvenience of trying to make a stills camera record video and audio. Awad Mousa of Sony in the Middle East told me that the camera was priced at around $15k without a lens, and at that price was selling faster than he could get stock. Even so, he hinted to me that there are more full frame cameras from Sony on the way, at even lower price points.

Digital SLR Underlining the interest in filmstyle imaging, Pooyan Farnam at Advanced Media told me that the biggest interest on their booth was in Zeiss lenses. They also showed all the necessary accessories to build a complete digital SLR shooting kit. And at UBMS crowds were attracted by the latest model in the Phantom range from Vision Research. The Phantom Flex camera captures full HD quality at up to 2500 frames a second, allowing you to slow action down by as much as 100 times, as demonstrated live at the show. Capacity on the camera is 32 GB, which gives you 3.9 seconds of recording (which would take six and a

According to Cabsat organisers, this year’s show is "the best Cabsat ever". The event was attended by 10,162 professionals and industry visitors, an impressive increase of more than 15% over last year. For three days of power-packed business development and knowledge exchange, visitors had the perfect opportunity not only to see the latest innovative products and services the industry had to offer, but also learn about the new technologies and trends during the many specialised workshops and seminars that the show hosted.

half minutes to play back). That is ideal for sport: for film production there is a complete workflow with Cinemag recording devices.

Business is strong Paddy Roache of Hitachi told me that business is still very strong in the region, particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in conjunction with its local systems integrator First Gulf Company. On the same day that Cabsat opened, coincidentally, a new 16 camera HD outside broadcast unit – built in Paris by Hitachi and First Gulf – was driven into Riyadh and handed over to its new owners, Saudi TV. I also had the chance to talk once again to Abdulhadi al Shaikh, CEO of Live, the outside broadcast facility based in Abu Dhabi. He was celebrating the arrival of their fifth truck, a 30 camera monster with two production areas. Its first job was at the Fifa Club World Cup football championship, where Al Jazeera was the host broadcaster using Live facilities. 75% of their business comes from sport and they are extremely busy, delivering 5200 production hours in 2010. It means they are achieving remarkably high utilisation of their equipment: I was told that the benchmark globally for OB companies is around 35%, but Live is achieving more than 40%. 17

Global quality standard To meet global quality standards with such a busy fleet calls for dedicated crews as well as top class hardware. “The team becomes a family and we are all passionate about what we do,” Abdulhadi al Shaikh told me. “Skills development is very important to us, and we are very picky about the resource we have on board. These guys are our front end, and it is very important that we develop them.”

Training in the UAE He touched on a very hot topic in the industry at the moment: training. I spoke to Hassan Sayeed, head of Intaj at twofour54, also in Abu Dhabi. He uses sister company twofour54 Tadreeb to develop new staff. “We have a programme in place which takes graduates and gives them three months intensive training through twofour54 Tadreeb and the BBC Academy,” he told me, “then a nine month internship at Intaj.” That extended internship gives the new entrant a chance to try different roles and find the best niche.

More women than men “At the moment we have more women than men in the programme, by around three to one,” he said. “That goes against the traditional conservative nature of the region

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against women developing craft skills, which is encouraging.” I think his programme is an excellent step towards meeting the skills shortage in the region, which should be emulated by other large companies: if each business undertook to develop just one or two new engineers or creative operators from among the local community, the industry would be in a much more stable state. Returning to mobile facilities for a moment, Best Broadcast Hire were showing their very neat HD flypack solutions, designed to put a complete production solution into a few flightcases, ready to be cabled up and go on air. They are flexible enough to work with all the main hardware providers, and their systems are so complete that some people buy them for semi-permanent installation rather than rent them by the job: they put a television station on air in four months in Georgia recently. A new company tome was Disk Archive Corporation, which as its name suggests has a nearline archive product which uses low cost disk drives rather than LTO tape. Their basic system has 48 hot swappable disk drives in a 5U cabinet,

giving around 100 TB of storage. Rather than use Raid protection they simply record the file two or three times, the way that you would with a tape archive. It looks practical and cost effective. That product could conceivably find a place in one of the systems developed by Streamport Media, a new facility in the Middle East which is helping broadcasters migrate their archives from legacy formats to digital. Identifying the migration to digital asset management as a major requirement in the near future, Streamport provides consultancy and a transition service, using Front Porch Digital software.

done at Cabsat 2011. The success was summed up by Peter Kyriakos of UBMS: “We feel the level of interest has been high – Cabsat has been even better than expected”.

Large-scale IPTV rollout Finally, a word on IPTV, which is particularly resilient in the Middle East, with the Etisalat system in the UAE thought to be the largest IPTV implementation in the world. Glocom has been working with Etisalat recently, and with Saudi Telecom, on migrating to HD. Harmonic provides much of the hardware, with Glocom providing the local integration and convergence. That is just a snapshot of the interesting products and business

Dick Hobbs is a freelance writer, consultant and industry analyst. He is widely recognised as a leading commentator on trends in technology and applications, a lively speaker at conferences, and a contributor to many of the leading publications in the broadcast industry. He is also technical editor of the IBC TV News.

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InfoComm launches new event for MEA marketplace After countless requests from exhibitors over the last two years, InfoComm International has confirmed that it is launching a tradeshow for the Middle East, Africa and Gulf region in Dubai, the region’s most powerful trade hub.

nfoComm Middle East & Africa (IFMEA) will take place from 9-13 October, 2011 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre. A joint venture between InfoCommAsia and Dubai World Trade Centre, the event will be co-located and jointly promoted with GITEX Technology Week, the largest ICT event for the region. IFMEA 2011 will draw the attention of the 130,000+ attendees who are expected to visit GITEX to the power of professional AV products and solutions.

Marriage of strengths “IFMEA is born out of a marriage of strengths,” comments Terry Friesenborg, Senior VP of International Development, InfoComm International. “Dubai World Trade Centre is the most established and influential organiser of tradeshows for the Middle East and Gulf region, while as an industry body, InfoComm has been providing education and certification for the pro-AV industry since 1939, as well as organizing its own highly successful series of tradeshows and other events throughout the world.” Trixee Loh, Senior VP, Dubai World Trade Centre affirms the partnership: “Dubai has the infrastructure, the experience and the economic and geographical positioning to bring together all industry sectors covering the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. GITEX is the ultimate business driver and innovator for this enormous and rapidly expanding market and will be the perfect stalwart for such a venerable brand as InfoComm.”

sense – the two go perfectly hand in hand.”

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Wide range Now in its 31st year, GITEX Technology Week brings manufacturers, developers, distributors and resellers of business IT solutions together with the region’s top influencers and decision makers across a wide range of industry verticals, from IT, banking and finance through to education, hospitality, oil and gas, aviation, retail, government, healthcare and many more. Last year’s show saw more than 130,000 attendees from 135 countries converging in Dubai to see products and solutions from over 3,500 exhibitors, occupying some 76,000 square metres of floor space. Richard Tan, General Manager, InfoCommAsia, says that it not just the scale of GITEX that makes it the perfect companion for IFMEA. “The launch of our event comes at a turning point in the evolution of professional AV,” Richard explains. “The migration of AV products onto IT networks is making systems integration a more net-centric process than ever before. Co-locating with GITEX Technology Week therefore makes technology sense as well as business 20

As well as a dedicated showcase for AV products and solutions on the tradeshow floor, IFMEA will feature CTSaccredited education seminars from the InfoComm Academy, along with a variety of opportunities for manufacturers to present their solutions in conferences and training sessions. This combination of networking and education in a market with vast potential has already proved irresistible to many key players in the AV space, as Tan concludes: “Some of the largest companies in our sector, including Mitsubishi, Extron, AMX, Crestron, Wolfvision and Jupiter Systems, have already confirmed their booth space at IFMEA 2011, and we expect many more to sign up now that the show has been officially launched. Our industry has been crying out for an opportunity such as this for some while, and we are looking forward to a successful, empowering and inspiring launch event in October.”

Media players yet to make use of new digital platforms According to a recent survey conducted in the Middle East, there is a significant role that digital platforms and new technology can play in the development of local content in the region. This includes the localization of content, experimenting with ‘freemium’ models and the collaboration of broadcasters and telco players.

he MENA region displays a very strong demand potential for digital content and we expect substantial growth in digital platforms going forward,” says Santino Saguto, a partner at Value Partners in the UAE. “For instance, Saudi Arabia is the third largest market for YouTube playbacks on mobiles worldwide, behind only the US and the UK. Our research confirms that the usage of social media is particularly high in the region, with nearly 70% of consumers in key Arab markets using social networking sites.”

Plentiful opportunities Value Partners state that a wide digital space offers plentiful opportunities for media players in the region to both extend their existing content to new platforms and to develop new content for those platforms. According to Saguto, online and mobile devices provide new platforms for the exploitation of existing content owned by producers and broadcasters. Referring to the online VOD service known as ‘Hulu’ in the USA, Saguto said: “The joint venture between NBC Universal, Fox and ABC is the most successful example of a collaborative online VOD concept, boasting around 40 million unique users per month, nearly 1 billion videos viewed every month and around US$100m in advertising revenues last year.” He suggests that a ‘freemium’ model, which includes a mix of both free and paid content, including a nominal subscription fee, could work well in the region and that the industry could benefit from players experimenting with this model further on digital platforms: “On one hand, there has always been a sense of prerogative to content largely due to the abundance of piracy; on the other hand, there is an urgent need to find the ‘right’ content, that consumers will be willing to pay for – that is, providing a premium to the consumer that is worth the extra cash,” added Saguto.

Collaboration sharing Value Partners encourages the collaboration between rights owners and

network providers in the Middle East for funding of digital content – both online and mobile. Telecom operators are urgently looking for broadcasters to partner with on digital content. At present,

most telco players not only lack the skills to produce content themselves, but also to market that content effectively. Meanwhile, broadcasters feel that given market conditions and due to the balance of power between themselves and the operators that they are in a difficult position and are not comfortable taking the risk and investing in digital content. Value Partners research exhibits strong growth in mobile broadband, particularly in some of the GCC markets such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi 21

Arabia and Qatar. As mobile broadband penetration increases in the region, revenues from mobile content look set to rise. However, in spite of the potential opportunities, revenues from content today still constitute a very small portion of overall revenues. “Although there are some strong differences in perspectives between various players in the value chain, there seems to be a strong opportunity for partnerships between content providers and telco operators, however, this is not without risk. If the region is to increase the revenues generated from mobile content and identify the best model for revenue sharing, it may require some initial experimentation by innovative players, as has been seen in other markets.” concluded Saguto.

MPEG standards that the temptation is to think that they have always been there, but in fact the first meeting of the Motion Picture Experts Group was in 1988, in Ottawa, Canada. That is less than 25 years ago. In that short timeframe the mathematical geniuses who make up this expert group have defined and refined the algorithms for compressing audio and video, getting ever better quality out of ever smaller bitrates. They, too, benefited from Moore’s Law, so that they can now plan for better encoders, which is why MPEG-4 can achieve better compression ratios than MPEG-2.

Embed metadata

High-street shopping for broadcast technology I was asked to give the opening presentation in the Cabsat conference this year, and decided to look at some of the key issues facing us all at present. In this and following issues of AV Specialist I would like to expand on some of the comments I made.

he first issue I identified – and undoubtedly the most visible factor at the moment – is the move to HD. But having said that, it is not something that particularly needs much thought at the moment. We are all, I think, agreed that HD is a good idea. We may be moving at different speeds in the migration to HD, but it is a goal for practically every practitioner. So I do not propose to waste more of your time talking about ideas you already know. My second hot topic was consumerisation – the way that consumer electronics is changing the professional industry – and it is this subject I want to look at in this issue.

Digital dividend A few years back the term “digital dividend” was coined, meaning the benefit we all see from the move to digital signal processing, with increasing use of standard platforms and more and more functionality implemented in software. Moore’s Law, which is almost always misquoted but can be taken to mean that

Regarding digital audio and video as files rather than linear streams also means that we can attach metadata to it, to describe the contents technically and add filing information. The downside of this is that a number of metadata schemes have been developed, with wrappers including MXF, Quicktime, Windows Media and many more. In combination with different codecs it can lead to a bewildering number of possibilities: one leading developer of asset management systems claims close to 200 combinations of wrapper and codec in its library. Having established the idea of the digital dividend, what are the practical consequences? With digital signal processing now being squeezed into small, low power chips, what was once big, heavy and expensive is now tiny and affordable. HD camcorders fit into the palm of your hand. The iPhone can do 720p HD, and already there are misguided souls who have shot whole movies on them.

Digital SLR

processing power doubles every 18 months, means that we can do a lot more with video and audio in digital form, at a cost of less and less. Advances here are happening in two directions, incidentally. First and foremost there is a lot of processing power under our fingertips, which can do a lot more concurrent and realtime functionality, making our consumer level – or at least consumer priced – products do a lot more. The second level is the way that signals are compressed and packaged. We are now so used to talking about 22

I personally think that those who choose to use digital SLRs, like the Canon, to shoot video are misguided, too. Thankfully the major camcorder manufacturers have swiftly moved to produce proper video and audio devices with full frame imagers to give the same depth of field advantages without the workflow and connectivity nightmares. These, two, are part of the consumerisation trend: elsewhere in this issue of AV Specialist I make the point that the latest Sony film-style camcorder is priced at only $15k, but new and lower cost models are promised soon. Alongside affordable acquisition we have the prospect of powerful post. I am not that old, but I can remember when editing needed racks of electronics to synchronise multiple VTRs, and when

colour correction need a million dollars worth of equipment and the same budget again for the operator’s annual salary. Those days are long gone. Apple has transformed post production. Final Cut Studio has put post in the hands of everyone. Remember that alongside Final Cut Pro the editor the package includes colour correction, motion graphics and a very good audio mixing programme. And you get the whole lot for $5k, including the hardware – such as the computer on which I am writing this article.

Low price point That same combination of high functionality and low price point is available from other manufacturers too, including Avid, Adobe and Grass Valley Edius. Other manufacturers are equally keen to sell large disk arrays to store and manage projects, and with gigabit ethernet now a standard offering even on laptops, throughput is not a problem.

Apple’s latest hardware has introduced another high speed connectivity protocol, Thunderbolt, promising 10Gb/s data transfers. You will be able to conform complex, multi-level HD and 3D edits with effects and colour correction in real time on a standard computer. So anyone with a modest credit card limit can buy all the tools you need to make television to a technical standard any broadcaster worldwide would accept. Except… the headlines about tiny cameras, solid state storage, high speed connectivity and desktop editing tell only a part of the story. Good television pictures are dependent upon the imager and downstream digital signal processing, certainly, but the most critical quality factor is the lens. Try asking Canon or Fujinon or Angenieux if they can make an HD quality zoom lens that is 40 mm long and weighs less than 100 grammes. I can guarantee that the answer will be no.

What about content We also need to think about the content. The most popular genre on

television is sport. And while the outside broadcast contractors would certainly like to pay Grass Valley less for their cameras, the real running cost of a 25 camera shoot at a football match is not the cameras but the operators standing behind them. Owning a copy of Final Cut Pro does not make you an editor, any more than owning a copy of Microsoft Word makes you the next William Shakespeare. Editing needs talent, skill and flair to tell a story in the most compelling way. Colour correction takes years of experience. Producers are also unlikely to entrust real world projects to someone who has set up Final Cut Pro on the kitchen table. They are going to want to see evidence of best data management practices, ensuring all raw material and work in progress is backed up on different devices in different locations, with tight security to prevent any risk of piracy. This is not just my view. As I was writing this, the American post production newsletter Studio Daily dropped into my email box, with a cautionary tale about the many YouTube videos claiming to be Final Cut Pro tutorials, but in truth are anything but. You can read it at www.studiodaily.com/blog/?p=5693. When you see the sorts of basic mistakes that are being portrayed in these amateur tutorials, it is clear that far too many people have all the gear but no idea.

together a movie shooting package from stock rather than by renting. Cloud computing solutions like ForScene from Forbidden Technologies mean that you can work anywhere. With ForScene you edit on a proxy in a simple web browser interface, then command the finished package to be delivered where you want it. Consumerisation also means that talented individuals can get a start, working on their skills using the same tools that the professionals use. What it does not mean is that our industry will crumble under a flood of amateurs. You cannot make good television without training and experience – and businesses in the Middle East and Africa are now taking seriously their obligations to provide good training. Together with the fantastic tools now available, the future looks very promising.

Improve the way we work There are huge benefits in consumerisation. It has brought us some attractive new products which have improved the way that professionals work, and in many cases transformed the way that professionals work. There are now thousands of camera operators who own Red cameras, for example, and can put 23

Sony Pictures establish new production company at DSC Sony Pictures Television (SPT), one of the industry's leading content providers producing and distributing programming in every genre, has chosen Dubai Studio City (DSC) to locate its regional operational base.

PT has established Sony Pictures Television Arabia FZ-LLC (SPT Arabia), a new production company that will leverage the infrastructure support and other operational benefits offered by Dubai Studio City to effectively serve Arabic-speaking audiences. SPT Arabia’s base in DSC complements its other offices in Beirut and Cairo with the scope of activity covering the entire region. Jamal Al Sharif, Managing Director, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Media City, said: “The Arab television industry has significant potential for content creation, with a strong demand for locallydeveloped content. We believe the launch of a regionally-dedicated arm for Sony Pictures Television will help bridge this demand. “We are privileged to welcome the Sony Pictures Television Arabia to Dubai Studio City and remain confident that the world-class facilities at the media

cluster will enable our business partner to effectively carry out all stages of production work.” With a vast catalogue of scripted and non-scripted programming, the company targets broadcast clients in

22 countries spanning Iraq to Morocco. The Dubai operation is fronted by production executives, Ziad Kebbi as President, and Dany Karam as Executive Vice-President. Karam said: “Sony Pictures Television has selected Dubai to start its operations across the Arab world as we believe it offers the best business environment in the region with advanced technological infrastructure and ease of conducting commercial activities. “We are positioning the company as a main supplier of original and innovative programming, culturally adapted to appeal to Arab audiences. SPT Arabia will tap into the global knowledge and resources of SPT and leverage our local market knowledge to bring the most compelling and most entertaining programming to TV viewers in the Middle East.”

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AP to offer royal wedding video in HD The Associated Press will offer high-definition live television to its customers for the first time as part of its multiplatform coverage of the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29th April.

he news organisation will offer a live, seven-hour HD feed to any interested current Global Video Wire or APTN Direct customer at no additional charge. The event marks the beginning of AP’s full video output being available in HD. The showcasing of HD is a key advantage of AP’s multimillion-dollar upgrade of its global newsgathering infrastructure - the single biggest investment in AP’s video business since it acquired Worldwide Television News in 1998. AP Senior Vice President Daisy Veerasingham said the transformation of AP’s international video business, which includes a state-of-the-art HD and digital file-based infrastructure, will be completed in time for 2012’s London Olympics and U.S. presidential election.

Worldwide attention “AP has a long history of covering events that capture worldwide attention,” said Veerasingham, who is overseeing the video business overhaul. “The royal wedding is an ideal way to demonstrate our new HD capabilities and help our customers provide the coverage their audiences want. It’s all part of our plan to offer customers more choice and flexibility in the content and formats they receive.” Besides HD and SD (Standard Definition) video, AP’s coverage of the royal wedding will be available to its members and customers through text, photos, interactives and graphics. APTN Direct, a premium service for broadcasters worldwide, will carry the entire ceremony live. Some of AP’s cross-format team of journalists are already on the ground in London and elsewhere, looking to supply AP’s thousands of members and customers with in-depth and historical coverage of activities leading up to the big event, including exclusive interviews with key figures close to the royals.

be there while watching the gathering crowds, the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, the carriage journey to Buckingham Palace, the anticipated balcony kiss and the honeymoon departure.

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Crowds of 600,000 people filled the streets of London to catch a glimpse of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on their wedding day. The couple were married at St Paul's Cathedral before an invited congregation of 3,500 and an estimated global TV audience of 750 million making it the most popular programme ever broadcast.

gravitas and levity. AP’s reporters, photographers, videojournalists and graphic artists will put people in the middle of the action, and our coverage will be distinctive, authoritative and just plain fun.” On the day itself, AP’s coverage team will swell with the addition of other text reporters, photographers and camera crews. They will take up positions at key vantage points across the city to capture the pomp and circumstance, the light moments and the mood of the day. They will give a sense of what it’s like to

Unique mix of history “There are few events that capture the world’s attention like a commoner’s wedding to a future king,” said Niko Price, AP’s regional editor for Europe. “It’s a unique mix of history and wedding details, 25

“AP’s hugely talented photographic team will utilize the latest technology to provide those all-important moments from this historic day,” said Tony Hicks, AP’s regional photo editor for Europe and Africa. AP expects to deliver more than 1,000 images, and from certain key locations using what’s called “fast-file technology,” which ensures photos will be delivered to customers within minutes of being taken. AP Images, the commercial photo division of the AP, is offering an extensive collection of photography covering the British monarchy. Other AP content will include social media components, interactives for websites and a stream of graphics for broadcast and video customers to integrate into stories and animated items in a variety of formats.

Centuries of history “The royal wedding represents old and new Britain -- a young couple getting married, becoming senior members of a family that represents centuries of British history,” said Derl McCrudden, Head of Newsgathering, Video. “We aim to cover it comprehensively and accurately, and to give our broadcast and media partners the very best insight into the many stories this one event will generate.” AP Archive, the company’s repository of video footage and visuals, has exclusive material featuring William and Kate from one of its partners as well as contextual material from the AP team. Integrating all of the content, AP Live will capture the best of AP’s royal wedding coverage in text, photos, interactive and video in a packaged player that will feature live day-of video coverage with commentary. The player will be fully hosted by AP, giving online customers and their audiences a plug-and-play solution for royal wedding content.

NETIA provide digital media platform for Cape Verde Radiotelevisão Caboverdiana to deploy Radio-Assist 8 digital audio software across five stations on five islands

ETIA has provided its Radio-Assist 8 suite of digital audio software to Rádio de Cabo Verde (RCV) to standardize and streamline ingest, production, broadcast, and archiving across five Group Radiotelevisão Caboverdiana (RTC) stations on five islands. Working with systems integrator EuroCOM and in partnership with Radio France Internationale to provide some of the content, NETIA enables RTC to prepare and deliver regional news broadcasts in Portuguese and local Creole to the Cape Verde islands of Praia, Mindelo, Sal, Fogo, and Santa Caterina. "As we consolidate and strengthen digital media workflows at RTC facilities, our primary objectives are to unify, centralize, and harmonize all existing systems and, in turn, to improve production and distribution of content," said Francisco Monteiro, communication and marketing director for RCV. "NETIA's

software system, which is well recognized throughout the industry, will provide us with the range of professional tools we require to complete this project successfully." The Radio-Assist 8 range of digital audio software programs covers

the entire operation of a radio station, addressing acquisition, sound file editing, commercial and music production, scheduling, multicasting, data security, and administration. With a common platform for working with and exchanging digital media, RTC stations across the Cape Verde islands will optimize and maximize their workflows and collaborative production capabilities. "The Radio-Assist 8 software provides all the functionality required for ingest, production, and broadcast, and when deployed across multiple stations, as it will be for RTC, it yields significant improvements in collaborative news and program production," said Pascal Cima, export sales manager at NETIA. "RTC is able to exchange digital media between stations with ease and can more effectively draw on all of its journalistic resources to provide quality news content."

Arab Radio & Television places major order with ATG Broadcast Arab Radio & Television (ART), the satellite-based network based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has placed an order worth over US$2.5 million with ATG Broadcast. The contract covers the supply, installation and commissioning of a five-camera production studio plus a file-based ingest system. The order was won against stiff competition from other system integration companies.

RT has contribution studios in many countries of the Middle East which are controlled from its technical headquarters in Amman, Jordan," explains AMC CTO Alan Constant. "This facility will form the technical heart of an entirely new site in Jeddah. ART has constructed a new building which will replace an outside broadcast vehicle currently deployed as a regional contribution centre. The new system will be essentially HD with some initial parts of the system in SD."

Pre-fabrication in progress "Pre-fabrication of the new facility for ART is now in progress in the 800 square metre system assembly and testing facility on the ground floor of our Letchworth premises," comments ATG Broadcast

Managing Director Graham Day. "The project is being handled by a six-strong team drawn from our engineering and technical-support staff, headed by John

Brewer and supervised by Dave Whitaker. The complete system is scheduled for installation and completion in May." "The studio will be equipped with five Ikegami HDK-79EX cameras, a Kayak SD/HD vision switcher and a Studer Vista 5 audio desk," adds Project Manager Dave Whitaker. "Routing will be via a 64 x 64 Snell Sirius HD matrix. Studio output is a mix of live-from-studio and clip-listmanaged disk server sources transmitted via satellite link to Amman. Other equipment in the order includes a Vizrt Trio real-time 2D/3D character generator, Axon glue, Tektronix test gear, and a Miranda KX multi-image processor feeding two Panasonic 42-inch plasma monitors on Custom Consoles Media Walls."

Get ready for more reach, more choices and the coming HD-TV and 3D revolution with Arabsat’s newest satellite With the launch of Arabsat’s new state-of-the-art BADR-5 satellite, the largest Arab community in the sky now reaches farther than ever across the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. BADR-5 is the latest addition to Arabsat’s constellation of BADR satellites at 26º East, bringing more reach, more in-orbit redundancy, more entertainment choices, more possibilities and more power to experience the HD-TV and 3D revolution of the future. Join the largest Arabsat community in the sky and tune in to the future, today.

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Gearhouse South Africa invests in Christie MicroTiles Gearhouse South Africa's AV division has invested in an initial batch of 100 of Christie Digital's amazing multi award winning MicroTilesTM - one of the most innovative and successful digital signage products on the market which have already been utilised for a wide variety of projects.

earhouse AV's operations manager Bhans Sheomangal explains how they were looking for a reliable product that can be easily deployed and used for numerous tasks including the creation of multiple plasma screen effects. The brief was to find something that was "Good quality with excellent and consistent colour reproduction," he comments, adding MicroTiles are proving to be the "perfect" solution for many applications.

Proven DLP technology Built on proven DLP technology, MicroTiles are specifically designed for maximum image quality in demanding, high ambient light level environments. The price is also good, and this combined with the general robustness and great longevity of the product compared to a plasma screen, make it an even more cost-effective option. The Tiles were purchased via Christie South Africa. The MicroTiles can easily be seamlessly integrated into any set or scenic elements. When all used together as one surface, the current 100 MicroTiles make up a 4 x 3 metre area. The colour calibration and temperature over all the tiles when used in this format has been superb, and is calibrated via proprietary software that calculates and balances according to the age, chroma levels, etc., of the different tiles.

Excellent picture quality "The picture quality, reproduction and colour balance are all excellent," enthuses Sheomangal, plus the light weight compared to plasma or LED panels is another massive advantage. If the front laminated screen needs to be replaced for any reason, the operation is straightforward and quick. Gearhouse MicroTile projects so far have included the Vuka Awards, where for a live telecast from the Theatre on The Track at Kyalami,

At the 2010 METRO FM Music Awards staged in the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, Gearhouse's full technical production, included a section of the set made from MicroTiles behind the presenter platform, which was used for some tasty visual eye-candy. Built on proven DLP technology, MicroTiles are specifically designed for maximum image quality in demanding, high ambient light level environments. The price is also good, and this combined with the general robustness and great longevity of the product compared to a plasma screen, make it an even more cost-effective option.

Midrand, the Tiles were built into a prominent and eye-catching heart shape set piece.

Metro FM music awards At the 2010 METRO FM Music Awards staged in the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, Gearhouse's full technical production, included a section of the set made from MicroTiles behind the presenter platform, which was used for some tasty visual eye-candy. For the ANC Lekgotla strategy meeting in Mogale City Krugersdorp they were deployed in a completely different context - providing multiple Power Point presentation and information points. The Gearhouse marketing department has also found the MicroTiles invaluable. A number are used on Gearhouse's current exhibition stand for the playback of 30

video clips, montages and stills images illustrating a diverse range of projects and events, all helping to promote the company and its skills and services at various trade shows and exhibitions. The Micro Tiles can be fed with any video input. For some of these applications, they have been run via grandMA VPUs triggered from a lighting console, and on others by a Wings Platinum screen/display management system. Most recently, at the ISE 2011 show in Amsterdam, Christie's MicroTiles won an InAVation Award for the most 'InAVative Digital Signage Product' in the Technology Awards category. This is added to a host of others, including the Janus de l'Industrie Award from the French Institute of Design; the Most Innovative Video Display Product award from InfoComm International.

IBC2011 launches Leadership in a Digital Age’ IBC has launched the IBC2011 Leaders’ Summit, to be held on Thursday 8 and Friday 9 September at IBC2011 in The Netherlands.

lectronic media technology has enabled a new wave of entrepreneurs and empowered the consumer,” explains IBC CEO Mike Crimp. “This has led to a period of dynamic change. The Leaders’ Summit programme ‘Leadership in a Digital Age’ will address the challenges of steering organisations to success through this new media landscape. It will be led by some of the most inspirational and influential figures within the electronic media industry.

Invited audience They will share their vision and experiences with an invited audience of 50 key leaders in broadcasting from across Europe and explore how leaders must adapt to this new business environment and help set the agenda for

future strategy. Combining compelling business content with high level networking opportunities, the tailor-made programme of activities will include exclusive presentations from key speakers, a VIP networking dinner, tailored research from Deloitte and a private tour of the exhibition for a peer

group of key media influencers to see the latest innovations and technology. Those invited to attend will leave with unique content and collateral designed to enable them to move their business forward and, most significantly, they will have formed important and strategic relationships with like-minded leaders.

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Gulf Film Festival hosts master class with Abbas Kiarostami The Gulf Film Festival, the home of contemporary cinema from the Arabian peninsula, will host the first-ever masterclass by acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. The fourth edition of the Festival, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), will run from April 14 to 20, 2011.

location, equipment, political and economical; and this workshop is designed to help filmmakers work within the available means,” Kiarostami says.

he 10-day Kiarostami master class, scheduled for April 11 to 20 in Dubai, is open to filmmakers in the Gulf countries, Iraq and Yemen and will be held in association with Documentary Voices, a documentary festival focused on social issues. Kiarostami, one of the most respected names in international cinema today, will provide hands-on practical training for up to 40 participants, guiding them through every stage of filmmaking.

Interactive workshop

Compelling masterpiece Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Festival Director, said: “We are honoured to host world-famous filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami in Dubai for this master class held in association with Documentary Voices. Having defined his niche in cinema with compelling masterpieces, Kiarostami has a strong command of the medium, which inspires aspiring filmmakers around the world. Our partnership in hosting the maestro highlights our commitment to further strengthen the talent of Gulf filmmakers, and drive the regional film industry.” Kiarostami, whose career and body of work have drawn more than 70 awards and honours across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa, said he is looking forward to getting to know and

work with talent from the Arab world in Dubai. The renowned director will help participants develop a topic and their stories, guide their shoots on location, review their rough cuts and advise them on post-production aspects. The films, each between 1 to 5 minutes long, will undergo a final review by Kiarostami, who will comment on each work. The legendary auteur will also screen clips from his films and discuss them with participants, providing unique insights into his style and world. “Quality filmmaking is possible under all types of limitations, including 32

“This will not be a classical academic filmmaking workshop, but a very interactive one to encourage filmmakers to overcome their fears, frustrations and financial issues and start producing. Enough of lectures, sitting in the classroom or writing, let’s make our films now.” Kiarostami, voted the most important film director of the 1990s by two independent film critic polls, has conducted filmmaking master-classes at top-tier film festivals and accomplished film schools. Films by his students have captivated audiences through their screenings at global film festivals and on television, highlighting the collaboration and knowledge-sharing that marks his master classes. A flagbearer of the Iranian new wave in cinema, Kiarostami has made over 40 films including shorts and documentaries. His acclaimed films include Taste of Cherry, The Wind Will Carry Us and the Koker Trilogy. Most recently, his film Certified Copy won critical acclaim at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival with its lead actress, Juliette Binoche winning the Best Actress laurel at the festival.

Broadcast to Web Solution at Al Aan TV KIT digital has installed its innovative “Direct to Web” solution at Dubai-based pan-Arab satellite channel Al Aan Television, to automate the export of news clips from the company’s broadcast system to their popular website, Akhbar Al-Aan (http://akhbar.alaan.tv). The KIT digital solution extends Al Aan’s existing workflow as well as its IT infrastructure while maintaining the channel’s brand identity across different platforms.

ith KIT digital’s solution we have been able to automate the process of transferring broadcast content to the web efficiently and cost-effectively,” said Muhammad Irfan, Broadcast and Satellite Operations Manager at Al Aan Television. “This has enabled us to better utilize our resources, and to have our news web site updated instantly with the most current news. The whole process takes only a few minutes from the time a news story is aired on television to the time it is available for audiences to see on the web.” As part of the implementation, KIT digital enhanced the existing Avid iNEWS Newsroom Computer System (NRCS) configuration, to allow journalists and news editors to flag specific clips to be automatically exported to the web. The solution was fully integrated with Al Aan’s iNEWS and Control Air systems, as well as with Al Aan’s web Content Management System (CMS), to automatically capture, encode and export to the Web all clips tagged in the iNEWS system. The video clips, together with the relevant metadata, are posted to the web within minutes of being aired.

Broadcast + web It is commonplace today for broadcasters to post their news on their Websites. However many will perform this function manually or semi-automatically. Clips with their associated metadata are encoded for the web then uploaded to an online video platform. This process is inherently slow, prone to error and is costly to resource, especially on a 24-hour basis. The KIT digital approach ensures that the production process and workflow remain unchanged while allowing journalists to directly and easily select the clips for export to the web. “This implementation is a first in the MiddleEast” said Muhammad Irfan, Broadcast

If you … and Satellite Operations Manager at Al Aan. He added: “We like KIT digital because they not only understand the broadcast world, but also the Internet world — and most importantly because they were able to integrate their solutions into our workflow.”

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Click of a button Hossein Jalali, Al Aan TV 's Head of Online added "With a click of a button a time consuming process has now become fully automated. The iNEWS to web system reduces at least 50% of the daily routine work managed by the web editing team, allowing them to further concentrate on aggregating content." “Our innovative solutions such as our ‘Direct to Web’ system have changed the way broadcasters like Al Aan Television operate their business as it simultaneously offers workflow benefits and cost efficiencies,” said Gavin Campion, President of KIT digital. ”We are delighted to contribute to Al Aan TV’s online success. Al Aan Television’s highly skilled broadcast engineering and IT teams were quick to see the benefits of our solution, and were instrumental in facilitating its deployment in record time” 33

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Thomson powers rapid growth at NOORSAT Bahrain Bahrain-based satellite service provider NOORSAT is powering its rapid growth with an extensive and flexible Thomson headend technology solution. Over the past two years Thomson has worked with NOORSAT to scale its operation up to a current 63 channels delivered over six transponders.

uring the two-year project timeline, and as NOORSAT's requirements have grown, Thomson's extensible architecture has allowed the satellite operator to maintain security of service while further developing its infrastructure during continuous on-air operation.

Range of encoders The Thomson Video Networks installation for NOORSAT comprises a range of encoders including the ViBE EM1000 connected to NetProcessor 9030 Multiplexers, and the Thomson XMS management system. This highly flexible infrastructure delivers extremely efficient bandwidth and gives NOORSAT complete freedom to customize its services in response to

demand. "The ability of Thomson Video Networks to implement our requirements progressively without disrupting on-air service has been crucial to the success of the project," said Marwan Al Tal, vice president sales and marketing for NOORSAT. "During the development phase of the project, Thomson has consistently delivered leading-edge technology to support NOORSAT's continual growth. The architecture we have created with Thomson's products means we are able to adapt quickly, and customize our services to rapidly changing demands from our customers."

First private satellite provider NOORSAT was established in 2004 and is the first privately owned

satellite service provider to the Middle East and North Africa region. Operating a fleet of five satellites and transmitting more than 200 television and radio channels, the company aims to provide solutions for both large and small broadcasters at competitive prices, through optimized space segment capacity and state-ofthe-art facilities. "This has been, and continues to be, a very satisfying project as we work closely with NOORSAT through a rapid evolution in services and technical infrastructure," said Christophe Delahousse, president of Thomson Video Networks. "In a short space of time, NOORSAT has built an outstanding service across the Arab world and its neighboring countries.”

Harris expands Broadcast Master installation at OSN Harris is expanding an existing large-scale installation of its Broadcast Master scheduling and media management suite at Orbit Showtime Network (OSN), the largest pay TV DTH platform in the Middle East.

he Broadcast Master suite expansion will allow OSN to accommodate an increase in traffic with the addition of six new Dubai-based channels (Show Shasha, Show Series, America Plus, Series HD, OSN Comedy, Orbit News), as well as the acquisition of up to 40 new channels from Bahrain, following the merger of Orbit and Showtime in 2009. “Continued expansion has been key to our growth strategy, which is why we selected the Harris Broadcast Master sales and scheduling system to support our business transformation in the Dubai broadcast center,” said Xavier Willame, vice president of broadcast operations and technology at OSN. “Broadcast Master has given us the flexibility to launch our HD channels, expand our VOD service and, now, manage additional channels centrally from Dubai. With this

expansion, we have the ability to be even more efficient in how we plan and schedule our investments and rights.” Broadcast Master is a single, integrated system that enables Orbit Showtime to centrally manage program rights and scheduling, airtime sales and final playlist generation for its SD and HD channels. The Broadcast Master system is connected to all of Orbit Showtime's core processes — including existing automation, digital asset management and finance applications — permitting seamless management and data exchange of contract rights, schedules, media information and airtime sales billing between systems. In addition, it provides a framework that allows users to ingest and process material as it arrives and to easily create promotional material, product placements and secondary event messaging. 34

“The original Broadcast Master installation marked the largest deployment of our Broadcast Master software in the region when it was deployed in 2009, and the expansion of this system proves once again the incredible scalability and flexibility of the Harris sales and scheduling solution,” said Said Bacho, vice president of sales and services for Harris Broadcast Communications in the Middle East and South Asia region. In broadcast communications, Harris offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions for broadcast, cable, satellite and out-ofhome networks. The Harris ONE solution brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that enable advanced media workflows for emerging content delivery business models.

Advertisers to target shoppers through Al Barq Digital screens Dubai Festival City has chosen Al Barq Digital to support its digital signage needs in a recently announced five-year deal. The residential, entertainment and retail complex will have 32 digital media units (DMUs) comprising 22" interactive touch screens and 65" HD LCD displays installed.

he DMUs will help shoppers navigate the 600 retail units boasted by Dubai Festival City, as well as to display branded messaging from marketers. The content can be tailored to reach specific audiences at certain times of day, location and around special events. "Bringing the Al Barq Digital network into the mall is part of our wider efforts to transition to digital," explains Tom Miles, director of shopping centres, Al Futtaim Real Estate Dubai Festival City. "We recognise the value of this innovative service which makes it easy for us to create and implement targeted promotions quickly and efficiently." Al Barq Digital is owned by Abu Dhabi Media Digital Out Of Home (AD Media DOOH), a division of Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC). It will be implementing its networks across airports, shopping complexes and exhibition centres in UAE and the Middle East. "Digital signage is no longer about placing a television screen on the wall

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and sending a graphic to it. Location, audience, time of day, and type of content – they all change the landscape of digital out of home advertising," affirms Andrew Wood, general manager of AD Media DOOH. "Our mandate is to help advertisers reach consumers, when and where it matters." 35

ays Jean Louis Pernette, sales director at ETC’s French distributor, Avab: “The brief was to supply all the equipment they need, with an emphasis on high spec and ease of use. We were also told that they needed the equipment fast – in fact, we only had a couple of weeks from the time we received the quote request to the delivery date.” Because ETC keeps all its major products in stock in Europe, Pernette knew the delivery schedule wouldn’t be difficult – the entire 42 pallets making up the delivery could come straight out of the warehouse. “We supplied two Congo and two Congo jr control desks across the three festival venues, to make sure they had enough backup. Each hall also took delivery of Source Four PAR and profile luminaires and Selador Lustr LED fixtures, as well as SmartPack rack mount dimmers.”

Low power usage Following the festival, some of the equipment stayed at the venues (Théâtre National Daniel Sorano, Centre Culturel Blaise Senghor and La Biscuiterie de Médina, a multipurpose venue), while the rest went into flight cases supplied by Avab, ready to be transported across the country wherever it might be needed. “Part of the appeal of ETC Selador,” says Pernette, “is that it does not require dimmers, and so can be plugged straight into the lighting control desk. This is a real plus point, because it makes it so much easier and quicker to set up than many other types of lights. And with electricity being limited across much of the region, Selador’s low power usage makes it much more practical.” This was the third time the festival has been held, with the last one in 1977. As the continent celebrates 50 years of independence of French-speaking Africa, the festival, which is free of charge, brings together theatre, cinema, dance and literature to convey a vision of the

ETC Congo jr being used to program the Selador LED fixtures during rehearsal continent as free, proud, creative and optimistic. Pernette continues: “ETC is able to offer a new generation of lighting which is well adapted to the needs of a much wider audience. The project was managed by Syndiely Wade, the President's daughter, and we were in direct contact with Abdou Diouf, the technical manager of the festival. They both were very appreciative of the efforts we put in to get everything on site in time, and making sure all the staff were fully trained in its use.

Easy set-up “The Senegalese technicians particularly appreciated the ease of implementation of the various fixtures and their easy set-up, especially the advantages of the Source Four PAR optics. They also noticed the simplicity of Lustr’s wiring and DMX allocation, and all the colours that could be provided directly from the Congo control desks. “As soon as the equipment arrived, the technical team realised the advantages this ‘all in one’ light would offer. The Théâtre National Daniel Sorano’s lighting manager, 36

Sorano Amadou Waly Diouf, told me that he thought it was superb.” ETC’s Lustr LED fixture is one of a range of LED fixtures, each optimised for the different types of colour a lighting director might want to achieve. It produces warm or cool pure white light slowly evolving into the softest tints and colour shadings, offering theatrical-quality whites and tints that render pigments and skin tones in their natural appearance. The frosted optics create a soft beam of light that blends well with traditional luminaires. Lustr’s subtle tinting capability is also perfect for lighting scenery.

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Al Jazeera Sports selects Trilogy for new sports studios Al Jazeera Sports has selected Trilogyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Commander Intercom and Dual Mentor XL Master Reference Generators as part of the broadcasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development of three brand new sports studios in the first ever 3G installation in the Middle East.

upplied by Tek Signals, this installation consists of three 36-port Commander Intercoms that are configured to run from two matrices. The first system supports both Edit Suites and Al Jazeera Sports News, which broadcasts a one hour sports roundup daily. Each of the other two systems is assigned to a studio that takes in a clean feed from the UK, primarily football. The studios then add match commentary and discussion with pundits, one in Arabic and the other in English. These systems are E1 networked to each other and back to a central master control room (MCR) allowing for seamless operation between users in the different studios. Additionally all three studios operate a number of lever key operator panels, UHF wireless beltpacks for floor managers and In Ear Monitoring (IEM) systems for the presenters. Building on the robust communications performance of Commander, Al Jazeera Sports has also ensured the ultimate resilience of its other broadcast systems through the installation of dual Mentor XL

master reference generators in each of the three studios. The units are equipped with a range of options including; HD Test Signals, Tri-Level Sync, Timecode and Vector, the browsable application that allows remote configuration and monitoring of all system parameters. The Mentor XLs were also specified with GPS receivers which allow for all video, timecode and audio signals to be locked to a single stable reference.

Joseph Varghese, Division Manager at Tek Signals, comments: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Al-Jazeera Sports needed a communications system that they could depend on during live broadcasts, with full confidence that it would not fail. With experience of Trilogy systems spanning over a decade, Tek Signals were confident that they could rely on their products to provide the right communications systems on budget and on time.â&#x20AC;? 37

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The Video Network

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Media at forefront of North African and Middle East uprisings International media have been playing an immensely important role in the uprisings that have spread across North Africa and parts of the Middle East, providing vital news and information to viewers across the region and around the world.

he contrast of the coverage that has been provided on domestic TV by state broadcasters in Egypt and now in Libya with that offered by the rest of the world's news media could not have been greater. During the heights of the Egyptian protests, Nile TV was acting as though nothing untoward was happening in the country - it was operating as though, said some commentators, it was in a parallel universe. It led to some staff, such as Nile TV's deputy head Shahira Amin, walking out from her post in protest. Libyan TV didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t from the mistakes of Egyptian TV. As this edition of the magazine is prepared, we're watching Libyan TV (available on HotBird in Europe) which is carrying on as though it's just a normal day in the country. Studio-based phone-ins are being scheduled, with over-emotional callers apparently lambasting foreign media such as Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya which

are getting through, despite jamming that probably emanates from Libya. There's a good number of videos showing people in the streets lauding

Nile TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deputy head Shahira Amin walked out in protest when at the height of the Egyptian protest, the channel continued to behave as if nothing untoward was happening in the country.

Colonel Gaddafi, with patriotic songs thrown in for good measure. So it's business as normal...except, of course, that it isn't. Meanwhile international media with Arabic-language services are stepping up to serve the needs of people who are in desperate need for genuine, impartial news and information. For example, Radio Netherlands Worldwide has expanded its Arabic-language broadcasts in response to the protests across the Arab world. The programmes currently focus on Libya and Morocco but also report on demonstrations in Europe and include commentary and analysis by eyewitnesses and Dutch experts. The additional broadcasts can be heard via satellite in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. They can be received via social media, including the Radio Netherlands Worldwide page on Facebook. They are also aired on FM through Morocco's Media-1, the biggest

broadcaster in the Maghreb, and through several youth stations, including Tangier's Cap Radio, and Maroc Plus in Agadir and Marrakech. Al-Arabiya’s YouTube page became the world's most watched on 11 February, with viewership witnessing an unprecedented hike after events reached a crescendo in Egypt. The political unrest that swept Egypt with the start of the 25 January revolution that ousted President Husni Mubarak played a major role in making Al-Arabiya's page the most visited on Friday afternoon, a rating that changes every day. Since the start of the protests on 25 January, Al-Arabiya had posted more than 150 videos on Egypt and launched its live streaming service, in a time that the global audience sought more media coverage on the revolution in Egypt. Results of a new poll of Egyptians in Cairo and Alexandria show that 25 percent of respondents tuned into Alhurra to follow the recent uprising in Egypt. The telephone survey was conducted during the network’s 18 days of live comprehensive coverage of the historic events in Egypt. The poll, commissioned by the Broadcasting Board of Governers, focused on how Egyptians in Cairo and Alexandria consumed media during the

Earlier in February, following the closure of Al Jazeera's Cairo bureau by the Egyptian authorities, many news organizations turned to social media networks to circumvent the enforced news blackout. Google and Twitter worked to help people in the Middle East and North Africa beat the shutdown of Internet and mobile phone networks with their innovative “speak to tweet” service. This has proved immensely successful and continues to provide an invaluable service in countries like Libya, Bahrain and Swaziland.

recent protests in Egypt. Results show that Egyptians turned heavily to satellite television to follow the events in their country during the demonstrations. Although the pan-Arab channel Al Arabiya was the most widely watched, surpassing Egyptian State TV, Alhurra TV reached a large audience during this period, with a quarter of all respondents saying they had used the station to follow the events.

Making the most of difficult times The breakfast meeting, jointly hosted by IABM (the body which represents manufacturers and suppliers) and MECIA, is now a regular feature of Cabsat. This year a large group of both local users and global suppliers met to discuss the state of the industry.

eter White, director general of IABM, started the meeting with a presentation on the state of the industry, not all of which made for pleasant listening. Of the 1000 or so suppliers to the broadcast business, last year only 50% were in profit. It looks like that figure will rise to 60% in 2011, but it still clearly underlines the difficult trading conditions. In the Middle East and North Africa, regional economic growth looked set to be between 2 and 5%, although it should be remembered that this debate was taking place in early February, after the uprising in Egypt but before it had led to a growing trend, from Bahrain to Libya. One member of the audience – a prominent distributor and consultant in the Middle East – pointed out that political uncertainty is not necessarily a bad thing for our business: some government broadcasters may seek to invest to attempt to win the propaganda war. He also made the point that the regional economy is largely driven by the

price of oil, adding “and I cannot see that coming down”. Taking the broader economic view, both Peter White and the room in general felt that while the Europe and North America broadcast markets are close to saturated, this region still represents an opportunity, with real prospects of increasing services and the capital to invest in it. The Middle East television audience is set to rise by almost 20% over the next three years, and there are no fewer than 19 satellites slated to be 39

launched by 2013. The number of HD channels has doubled in the last couple of years, and both new and existing businesses are at capacity to meet the need. Twofour54 in Abu Dhabi, for example, has six HD studios which are fully booked. The point was also made that the Fifa World Cup in Qatar in 2022 represents a huge opportunity not just for the country but for the region and its suppliers. Today the stadiums which will host the games are little more than artist’s impressions in slick graphic sequences, but over the next decade will have to be fitted out with the latest technology, which is going to include integrated communications and digital signage as well as the broadcast infrastructure. So while the region may have been affected, like the rest of the world, by the global recession – and one producer reported a drop in revenue of 80% in 2009 – the recovery is well on the way and prospects look very good indeed.

Trilogy takes Qatari camel racing to the finish line Trilogy Communications has announced the upgrade and expansion of the Commander intercom system at the Al Shahaniya racetrack, Qatar’s premier camel racing venue located 25 kilometres Northwest of Doha.

he Trilogy system was supplied and installed by Salam Media Cast for the Hejen Race Organizing Committee, which operate the Al Shahaniya racetrack. Whilst the racetrack has operated a basic Commander system for over a decade, a major upgrade to the track facilities and buildings for the 2010-11 season has just been completed, which necessitated considerable additional functionality from the communications system. The Commander system has been replaced by a larger 36 port system with significantly increased performance and functionality including a range of wireless interfaces. Coverage of the races comes from five fixed camera positions around the track and also from five vehicle mounted cameras. Communications from these positions come from Trilogy’s Audax

wireless system which uses Kenwood portables to communicate back to the gallery where a wide array of lever key panels are in use, including the popular 8 key desktop and 32 key rackmount variants. Camels have long been revered as a treasure of Qatar's rich heritage and Hejen racing, which is one of the country’s most enjoyed sports, is an age-old tradition of the desert which is currently undergoing a revival. Races are run around an oval course ranging from 6 to 10 kilometres and races have

extremely generous prizes commensurate with the sports standing in the region. Programming in the build up to the races and the post race analysis and discussion is all provided by Qatar Television who operate their own large Commander Intercom system allowing for very easy ties to the Al Shahaniya system. Sami El Shafai, Executive Director at Salam Media Cast, commented: “The customer was extremely pleased with the performance and quality of their existing Commander system, which has worked faultlessly since it was commissioned in the mid 1990’s. Performance like this explains the high regard with which Trilogy systems are held in the region and is the reason we recommended an updated and expanded Trilogy system for this project”.

TSL completes infrastructure expansion for OSN network TSL Middle East has handed over a major broadcast infrastructure expansion project for Orbit Showtime Network (OSN) in Dubai.

ollowing a merger with Showtime Arabia in 2010, pay TV provider OSN moved key parts of its operation from Bahrain to Dubai, which included all broadcast operations. The existing broadcast IT and storage infrastructure in Dubai required a substantial increase in production and channel play-out capacity as well new requirements for HD and other associated media workflows. OSN selected TSL to provide a long term storage platform and network infrastructure that would grow with their needs. OSN and TSL engineers worked in parallel to define a detailed migration strategy that would incorporate OSN's choice of production server with its long term network configuration requirements. TSL prebuilt racks and wiring looms at its Maidenhead, UK factory, which enabled highly detailed, complex

advantage of contiguous, high performance, high availability storage.

Aggressive relocation

switch configuration and testing to be carried out before installation. Once on site, crucial parts of the migration took place during off peak hours to minimise disruption to OSN's workflow. The final step was to network OSN's clustered storage solution to a new core switch to enable the entire workflow to take 40

The entire project was delivered in less than 10 weeks to track with OSN's aggressive relocation schedule. According to TSL Middle East Business Development Manager Andrew Davis, "This project is typical of the plans that many large broadcasters have to deploy file-based workflows. The key to such a successful migration is to understand that many legacy IT and storage infrastructures cannot cope with the high demands that the increased throughput of file-based workflows will place on them. Experience in making that transition is crucial and best left to those who are in step with the latest filebased workflow technologies and practices."

Nevion accelerate development and expand global presence As a result of results of increased investment from its existing owners, Nevion will accelerate its already ambitious development schedule and enhance its customer-facing global presence with significant growth in its sales organisation.

ddbjørn Bergem, Nevion’s CEO, also announced changes in the company’s structure. Two divisions, each led by longtime Nevion executives, serve Nevion’s core markets. The Media Networks division, led by Eugene Keane, serves the carrierclass video transport and management needs of service providers, through the Ventura platform. Broadcast Technology, headed by Thomas Heinzer, delivers integrated, broad-based video transport, routing and processing solutions to broadcasters, primarily through Nevion’s Flashlink and VikinX product lines. Video networking monitoring and management solutions, a growth area for the company, is integrated across both divisions, and solutions for government will be offered by both.

“Focusing our product development and sales efforts specific to these areas makes sense from every perspective, and allows us to more

effectively serve our global markets,” said Bergem. “This structure offers us the opportunity to build even stronger relationships with our customers and partners.” ”Nevion’s impressive range of broadcast-quality solutions—from content capture through to distribution— successfully moves legacy infrastructures into the future with the newest technologies,” added Bergem. “We have products launching this year, including an integrated management software management platform that will impact the industry when it’s released next month. With our knowledge and history in both the telecom and broadcaster markets, we’re uniquely positioned to provide the most efficient and controlled video networks.”

MBC Dubai improves workflow with Genetic Engineering Leading Middle East broadcaster pools three eQs for greater flexibility and throughput in transition to HD

ubai based MBC Group, the leading free-to-air, pan-Arab, news and entertainment broadcaster, has purchased a Quantel Genetic Engineering shared workflow infrastructure for its three Quantel eQ online finishing systems. The deal also includes a SAM, which will enable other edit, graphics and audio workstations to benefit from the shared workflow. The eQs will also be upgraded to the latest V5 software. “We rely heavily on our eQs to produce the large number of promotions and interstitials we use across our network of ten channels,” said Keith Dallison, MBC Post Production Manager. “They’re real all-round workhorses and our editors love the interface which gives them instant access to all the different tools they need in our fast turnaround environment. As we migrate to HD over

the course of this year, demands will get heavier still. “Genetic Engineering will greatly improve our efficiency by giving us complete flexibility on which job is finished in which suite, or if necessary we can put all three eQs onto the same project. Last minute jobs are a daily issue with some channels such as our Al Arabiya 24 hour news channel, as well

as coping with the inevitable late schedule changes,” Dallison added. “MBC purchased its first eQ in 2004 and ever since then I have always been impressed with Quantel support. We are a 24 hour operation and need 24 hour support. It’s nice to know that Quantel has got our back,” Dallison said. MBC Group is the first private free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World. It was launched in London in 1991 and later moved to its headquarters in Dubai (2002). Over the past 20 years, MBC Group has grown to become a well-established media group that enriches people’s lives through information, interaction and entertainment. The Group includes 10 television channels and two radio stations as well as several online platforms and the first free VOD portal in the Middle East.

TSL lands major system integration deal for Sky News Arabia TSL has signed a major deal to deliver technical fit out of studios, production and broadcasting functions for Sky News Arabia, the new Arabic language 24-hour rolling news channel due to launch in 2012 across the Middle East and North Africa

ky News Arabia is a joint venture between British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) and Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation (ADMIC), a private investment company based in Abu Dhabi. Available in both HD and SD formats, Sky News Arabia will broadcast free-to-air to over 50 million households across the MENA region and will also be available on the Sky platform in the UK. Based in Abu Dhabi, Sky News Arabia will offer world class independent news across multiple platforms. TSL begins work on the project immediately. TSL Managing Director David Phillips said, "We are of course delighted to have won such a prestigious and high profile project. The establishment of our Middle East office two years ago is proving to have been an excellent investment, by giving TSL expertise readily available on

Sky News Arabiya, the joint venture between BSkyB and Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corp (ADMIC) announced at the turn of the year will launch from Abu Dhabi's twofour54 media zone in the second quarter of 2012. The 24/7 free-to-air news channel will be streamed online and available on mobile applications and platforms, Sky's head of news John Riley said.

the ground to pursue, deliver and support business in the region. This is a highly significant addition to our other 43

recent local projects which include ongoing work for OSN and twofour54 in the UAE together with North West University in Qatar, adding to other systems recently built worldwide by TSL at MediaCity UK and TV New Zealand." Phillips added, "TSL has always been recognised for our high quality in this region but with an expanding local presence we can now offer that same TSL quality at a highly competitive price.

Harris to build four new HD studios at Saudi Television Harris has been awarded a contract to supply products spanning its entire high-definition (HD) broadcast portfolio to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) at four new HD studio facilities.

he new studios, to be built in the cities of Arar, Al Joaf, Najran and Al Baha, add to the number of Saudi Television HD facilities using Harris broadcast equipment, with additional studios and transmission projects currently underway. Harris is working with Riyadh-based dealer and systems integrator First Gulf Company (FGC). “In recent years, Harris has continued to deliver reliable and costeffective solutions to support the rollout of our HD initiatives across Saudi Arabia," said Dr. Riyadh Najm, deputy minister of engineering, Ministry of Culture and Information. "The company's integrated solutions will continue to help us to drive towards greater workflow efficiencies and build real returns on our investment, while continuing to

support the construction of some of the most sophisticated HD broadcast facilities seen in the region.” The new HD studios will incorporate control rooms and playout facilities and feature interoperable solutions from Harris including their popular NEXIO servers for content acquisition, production, distribution and media management “We have worked closely with Saudi Television and First Gulf Company for many years to implement the buildout of our integrated solutions at studio facilities throughout Saudi Arabia,” said Said Bacho, vice president, Middle East and South Asia operations, Harris Broadcast Communications. “This latest order for four new HD studio sites underscores our capability to support MOCI’s effort to modernize

Saudi Television’s facilities and to build state-of-the-art facilities used by broadcasters around the world.” In broadcast communications, Harris offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions for broadcast, cable, satellite and out-of-home networks. The Harris ONE solution brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that enable advanced media workflows for emerging content delivery business models. The Ministry of Culture and Information in Saudi Arabia operates the official Saudi TV and Radio Networks. Currently, it has nine TV channels (operating in both terrestrial and satellite platforms) and five radio channels (operating in FM and AM frequency bands).

Oman TV selects Tedial for advanced production system Tedial, the leading provider of Media Asset Management (MAM), Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) and Business Process Management (BPM) software, has announced that Sultanate of Oman TV has signed a contract with Sony Professional Solutions for a large Tedial MAM system. Oman TV has selected Tedial to manage the digital archive and production workflows for its new HD-tapeless system.

edial has partnered with Sony to supply a solution for this largescale project under the supervision of technical consultants Masters. Work has already begun on the implementation of full HD production in the main Oman TV sites - one in Muscat and the other in Salalah. Although both facilities provide independent production and transmission services they will be fully integrated by Tedial’s technology, delivering a single virtual system that’s able to share media and act as mirror for disaster recovery purposes. Mohammed Al Marhouby, Oman TV Director General of Engineering says, “This state-of-the-art installation is a big investment for Oman TV and

will provide a reference for other broadcasters in the region. We have worked hard to ensure that we’ve selected the best systems.” Rafael Dubois, Tedial’s Sales Director adds, “The aim of Oman TV is to install one of the most advanced and efficient HD-based tapeless 44

solutions in the world. As such it was not prepared to compromise on any aspect demanding only the very best technology. Following a long and comprehensive selection process we are delighted that Oman TV selected Tedial as the best fit for its goals.”

Dynacord and Electro-Voice win friends at Kenya Music Week The recent Kenya Music Week serves as a showcase for the African pro audio and music scene. This year, around 50 of the leading African dealers and distributors presented their new products and services to industry insiders

ne of the focal points of interest was the booth of DYNACORD and Electro-Voice's African partners Audio Visual Engineering Ltd. (AVE), where visitors could enjoy live demonstrations of DYNACORD D-Lite and VariLine loudspeaker systems and Electro-Voice Tour X and XLC loudspeaker systems. AVE is one of the sponsors of Kenya Music Week, and among the highlights of the product range on display at the company's booth were DYNACORD's new PowerMate3 generation of powered mixers and the XLC127DVX line array and Dx46 FIRdrive controller from Electro-Voice. In addition to daily 90-minute audio training sessions – which, besides covering the basics, included a line-array workshop and dealt with special aspects of limiters and loudspeaker controllers – the fair’s four-day programme included

Kelvin Pragassa of Audio Visual Engineering Ltd. presented DYNACORD's PowerMate3 1000-3 to some 1,700 interested visitors

twice-daily 'Open Mic' sessions offering up-and-coming performers a chance to demonstrate their talent on stage. These, like the audio workshops and product demonstrations, were enthusiastically received by visitors. "Around 300 people

attended the demos and the training sessions attracted some 180 participants," reports DYNACORD and Electro-Voice Technical Support Manager Tony Sawyer, who supported the AVE team at the Kenya Music Week. "Factor in the live concerts and 'Open Mic' sessions, and this year we were able to convince some 1,700 visitors in all of the quality of our systems." The highly positive response visitors accorded the DYNACORD and Electro-Voice products on display put the cherry on the cake. "The largest local rental company ordered an Electro-Voice XLC127DVX line-array system as soon as its buyers heard the system in action at the fair," reports Anthony Sawyer, adding: "Our commitment to this outstanding event really paid off. We will certainly be attending the next Kenya Music Week as well."

World record attendance for ISE Sustaining a period of continuous year-on-year growth since the event’s inception in 2004, this year’s ISE attracted a record 34,870 attendance to the Amsterdam RAI between 1-3 February. This total represents a 22% increase on last year’s figure, and is the highest attendance achieved by any standalone AV tradeshow anywhere in the world.

ttendees saw innovations and solutions from 715 exhibitors – including 150 new companies who participated in Amsterdam for the first time. What’s more, next years show looks set for continued growth after on-site exhibitor rebooking resulted in 102% of the 2011 floor plan being reserved. Organisers had already confirmed that the 2012 show would occupy an expanded footprint, with the addition of an extra hall to the 2011 layout. Mike Blackman, Managing Director at Integrated Systems Events, enthuses: “We have had a fantastic three days here in Amsterdam, our show aisles being packed with technology buyers and specifiers from the moment we opened on Tuesday morning to the doors closing at 6pm on Thursday.” While a detailed analysis of the show’s attendance profile has yet to be completed, some clear trends have already emerged. “ISE has a distinctive

European flavour but it is increasingly a forum for global business,” Blackman explains. “We have had substantial visitor growth from Russia, the Middle East, Africa and the Indian sub-continent, and are also hosting significant numbers of consultants and top-level integrators from Asia and North America.”

Attendees were drawn to ISE 2011 by its unique mix of systems technology for both commercial and residential applications; by an extended pre-show Conference programme and by enhanced educational offerings from notfor-profit trade associations CEDIA and InfoComm International, the show’s coowners. New pavilions and show features dedicated to 3D applications, digital signage content, audio-video networking and much more were also high on the event agenda. Above all, ISE 2011 strengthened its reputation as a creator of new business opportunities for every link in the systems integration value chain. “The feelgood factor on our show floor was more powerful than we’ve experienced at any previous ISE,” Blackman concludes. “We promoted the show with the slogan ‘all the connections you need’, and our level of exhibitor rebooking indicates that this is not an empty promise.

An AITEC Africa event

6-7 July 2011, Nairobi

www.aitecafrica.com

Africa’s broadcast and film industries are entering the new decade full of dynamism and potential as a result of liberalisation in broadcasting and unprecedented entrepreneurial drive in film-making over the past decade. The 3rd African Broadcast and Film Conference will provide a stock-taking opportunity for players in both industries, and empower them with the knowledge and business contacts they need to build effectively on the gains so far.

Conference topics include:

• Pay TV – How to extend services to the bottom of the pyramid • Local content development – Success stories and hurdles • The Digital Transition – Assessing progress and challenges across the continent • Innovative Radio Broadcasting • Changing African TV and Radio audiences • Building an African film industry – building synergies, collaboration and partnerships across the continent • Animation: A new frontier for African electronic media innovation • Sports broadcasting – carving out Africa’s stake in the run-up to London 2012 Olympics • Technological innovation – improving services, driving down costs and extending coverage • The impact of convergence – IP-TV and mobile broadcasting • The Impact of Social Media – developing multi-media platforms

In Kenya tel: +254 (0) 719 627 898; International tel: +44 (0) 1480 880774 Email: info@aitecafrica.com 46

Christie Roadsters on duty for Qatar National Day Qatar celebrated its National Day on 18th December 2010 in a spectacular party atmosphere.

he all-day event began with a military parade at the Doha Corniche in the presence of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani and HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Thameem bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The Corniche area was dressed for the festivities with illuminated palm trees, LED screen displays and lightshows, and was attended by many proud Qataris. Colourful and fun-filled events were held at different locations across the city — and Christie highpowered projection was at the centre of the action. Auditoire, one of Europe’s leading event management companies, was awarded the project for the Doha Corniche, which featured illumination, audio and large scale PA equipment, video projection and LED screens, distributed along the Corniche area. TechnoPro (Qatar) was awarded the

execution and supply of the technical production. As a part of the celebrations, a giant 36m x 25m projection on the Commercial Bank building presented images of Qatar’s past, alongside Qatari children’s artwork, over a three day

period. TechnoPro selected four Christie Roadster S+20K SXGA+, 3-chip DLP projectors to present the artworks in a colourful and vivid outdoor display, on the giant landscape. The building itself measured 86 meters high and TechnoPro used warping technology to feed the signal, blend the four sections of the image and correct the Keystone of the picture. The four Christie Roadster 20,000 ANSI lumens projectors, fitted with long throw zoom lenses, were installed at ground level, facing the building from a 130m distance, and projected images of perfect clarity and high colour saturation. Stated TechnoPro MD, Nabil Bourgeili, “This was one of the more interesting and outstanding features of the festivities. Once again Christie’s high-powered projectors proved their ability on a large scale.”

DWR host Robe roadshow in South Africa The Robe ROBIN Roadshow in South Africa was a tightly organised and hugely well attended series of 3 events staged in Johannesburg (at the University of Johannesburg Theatre) , Cape Town (the Baxter Theatre) and Durban (The Natal Playhouse Company), co-ordinated by Robe's Johannesburg based South African distributor, DWR.

ver 60 people attended in Durban, over 160 in Johannesburg and another 80 plus in Cape Town, showing an incredible level of interest and making it one of the most popular ROBIN Roadshows to date. Says DWR's Duncan Riley, "We expected a keen take up, but the actual turn out and the intensity of interest still took us by surprise. People stayed a long time at the demos, chatted to everyone on our team and also amongst themselves, while others who had to leave returned for more! "

Successful market Robe's MD Josef Valchar and Sales Director Harry von den Stemmen joined the DWR team of Duncan Riley, Nic Britz, Dave Whitehouse, Dan Riley and Nicolet Britz. Says Valchar, "South Africa has consistently been one of our most successful markets and DWR is doing a fantastic job in promoting our brand, which was also reflected in the success of the Roadshows. It was great to be there and see for ourselves just how much of a buzz surrounds the ROBIN range". The focus was on the usual array of Roadshow products, including the ROBIN 300 and 300 Spot, Wash and Beam fixtures ... and of course, the now legendary LEDWash 600, which as expected, stole the limelight. Also showcased and attracting plenty of attention were the CitySkape Xtreme, CitySkape 48 LED wash lights, the DigitalSpot 3000DT and the LEDForce 7s and 18s.

Well supported Literally everyone in the SA industry pitched up throughout the week, representing a full cross section of the industry, including rental companies, theatres, LDs, freelance programmers, technicians & operators. In Johannesburg, the lighting department of SABC the national broadcaster were among the

first group of a steady stream of visitors throughout the day, along with venues including the Silverstar Casino, the Johannesburg Civic Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Market Theatre, several architectural lighting designers - and the first 4 legged attendee ever at a Robe Roadshow - Toby, a golden retriever currently training to be an actor in one of the UJ theatre's forthcoming productions.

Ideal environment The Roadshow format once again proved an ideal environment offering the space for run throughs all day, giving an overview of all the featured products and the chance to speak to people on an individual basis - with less of a presentation and more of a dialogue vibe. Harry von den Stemmen comments, "Apart from the interest in the products, it was a great pleasure to hear numerous comments from DWR customers who took the time to tell us how amazing DWR are as a supplier and technical service company. It was clear from all their reactions and the general atmosphere of the events that the company has many exceptional relationships and is held in the highest regard." In Cape Town, two DWR clients even walked in with orders already in their hands! SK 48

Sound's Alan Baker bought 6 LEDWash 600s, 8 CitySkape Xtremes and ROBIN 600 Spots, which he collected from the venue at the end of the Roadshow! It was the first chance most had had to see the LEDWash 600 first hand, and all were blown away by its smooth colour mixing, 15 60 degree zoom and ability to produce proper whites at different colour temperatures. In the course of the week, DWR received a container with its first batch of 100 x LEDWash 600s in South Africa - all of which are already sold. Among the first takers in the country are Johannesburg rental company MGG Productions who have purchased 24 and Black Coffee from Durban who have taken 12. This is in addition to The State National Theatre in Johannesburg, DWR's first ever LEDWash 600 customer whose head of lighting, Simon King took delivery of 16 fixtures in January. The week ended on a real high note, counting the great diversity of people coming through for the Roadshow, all of whom were enthusiastic, interested and complimentary. "We are expecting some major results in terms of sales!" said Duncan Riley who praised the great teamwork and collaboration involved to make it all rock!

Great new deployment of VSN technology at Syrian National TV The complete deployment of the Syrian National TV 24-hour news channel along with the extension of their current system awarded to VSN.

yrian National TV (ORTAS), Syria's national TV channel, will soon be launching a new 24-hour news channel and expanding its current infrastructure. Once more, they will be relying on the Spanish company, who put into operation their current automation and news production systems two years ago. The main reasons for this choice were the channelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall satisfaction with VSN solutions, the commitment and support received, and the system's efficient adaptation to Arabic texts. Syrian National TV will be moving its headquarters to a new state-of-the-art office in Umayyad Square (Damascus). The new system installed there will have two studio sets entirely configured for newscast production. The VSN infrastructure includes a scheduled ingest system, media asset management, 33 journalist stations for text and video editing, two 2-channel studio playouts, teleprompters, a complete digital archive and systems for publishing contents on the web and receiving texts coming from news agencies for all 33 workstations. The channel's graphics module will be meticulously taken care of so it includes the advanced graphics system

VSNCG+ along with several workstations for advanced editing of vectorial templates and 3D as well as a powerful multilayer tickers system with real time updating. The master control of this news channel will be commanded by the automation VSN Multicom controlling VMAX video servers in a redundant configuration.

24-hour news channel On the other hand, the new satellite 24-hour news channel will keep the current Syrian broadcasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location

and systems and will incorporate an extension that includes the expansion of its existing ingest, playout and legal copy systems, 2 new VMAX video servers connected with their fiber channel storage, 10 new journalist stations, 2 VSNCG+ graphics systems with vectorial and 3D editing capabilities plus a new ticker generation system with external data capture and one module to publish their contents on the Web. For the complete management of all branches, ORTAS will be installing a content exchange server and 10 new customer licenses of the powerful VSNIP-Transfer for their remote reporters. VSN-IP-Transfer will be the foundation of their new production resources' contribution and decentralized management system. As Syrian National TV Management commented, "the reason why we chose VSN as the provider for our new 24-hour news channel and expansion of our current infrastructure is their commitment, fast delivery and quick and easy integration of their system in our channel". The agreement includes a 1-year renewal of their maintenance and support contracts and updating their current fiber channel storage system.

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 Middle East visit www.mecia.org

www.sacia.org.za

IABM announces lifelong learning manifesto More than 80 leading media and broadcasting organizations have signed, signaling their commitment to improve pool of skilled technologists in sector

he IABM (International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers) has announced that more than 80 leading companies and industry organizations have signed the IABM Lifelong Learning Manifesto — a call to action for the media industry to commit to creating genuine career development opportunities for broadcast and media technologists. The Lifelong Learning Manifesto is an industry initiative from the IABM to focus attention on the need to address the chronic shortage of skilled technical resources in the global broadcast and media industries. That shortage is directly affecting growth and order fulfillment for suppliers of technology products and services.

Strength in numbers "The Lifelong Learning Manifesto is based on a 'strength in numbers' approach to improving opportunities for technical education, employment, and training. Every relevant employer, institution, association, and professional body can help address this issue through their own activities and by aligning themselves with others in an industry-wide campaign for the

technologists and engineers needed to secure and sustain the growth of the sector. This responsibility includes eight actions ranging from creating awareness of the range of technical careers available to encouraging schemes that provide for work placements and create opportunities to gain work experience. Although no specific commitment to action is required to make a statement of support, signing organizations agree to have their names and brands associated with the substance of the manifesto and are willing to make a public statement to that effect. ` common benefit," said Roger Crumpton, director of education, training, and employment at the IABM. "We encourage broadcasters, technology suppliers, industry associations, and other media industry stakeholders to make a public commitment to the values and principles of lifelong learning by signing the manifesto."

Sustained growth By signing, companies and organizations publicly recognize their responsibility to develop and train the

Take the initiative "We commend the IABM in taking the initiative to address one of the most serious problems our industry faces — the lack of skilled technical labor across virtually every sector," said Clyde Smith, senior vice president of global broadcast technology and standards for Turner Broadcasting System. "Turner was proud to be one of the charter signers of the Lifelong Learning Manifesto, and we strongly encourage our colleagues in other companies and organizations to participate."

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Barco launch compact 14K lumens 3D events projector Barco has announced a newly designed three-chip DLP platform for mid-sized event venues. The HDX-W14 is a 3D projector with advanced image processing, increased and easy control options, and a compact design. The HDX-W14 comes with a 14,000 lumens light output, a WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution and active 3D capabilities. It features controls through a user-friendly, built-in LCD screen with a preview mode, and control options through wired and wireless IP. Furthermore, users can control the projector through new technologies such as tablet PCs and smart phones. “The development of the HDX was heavily influenced by three key areas where Barco has gained considerable expertise,” explains Chris Colpaert, Strategic Marketing Director of Barco's pro AV business, “We carried over our experience in 3D from our digital cinema portfolio and fused it with our intimate knowledge of what the events industry will expect from projectors now and in the coming years.

Ultimate Interactive LCD projector Hitachi has announced the launch of a new LCD projector that delivers full interactive capability in combination with all of the benefits of the recently available Ultimate Short Throw series. The innovative iPJ-AW250NM integrates Hitachi Starboard software to deliver a complete interactive experience on any flat surface. With a rich feature set that meets the specific interactive needs of both corporate and education users, the compact iPJ-AW250NM, like the other models in the Ultimate range, is easy to install, easy on the environment and designed to deliver outstanding performance in any setting.

Electro-Voice R300 Wireless microphone system

Chief create interactive projector mount Chief has announced a new partnership with Luidia that will integrate their innovative eBeam technology into Chief’s awardwinning Short Throw Projector Mount Line. Any Short Throw projector can now be upgraded to perform a variety of digital functions by simply installing the interactive wall mount. This solution complements Luidia’s eBeam interactive whiteboard system, of which hundreds of thousands have been installed. Like previous eBeam systems, it works with standard computers, projectors and a variety of input devices to transform existing whiteboards and writing surfaces into interactive whiteboards. Luidia’s patented technology makes it easy for users to present, annotate and interact with projected content, while capturing the results, which can be shared over the Internet for remote meetings. “eBeam technology has transformed the way schools and businesses plan for and adopt interactive projectors,” says Luidia Senior Vice President Roy Erez. “Now they can convert any wall mounted projector into an interactive solution – extending the life of existing projectors while incorporating the latest interactive functionality.”

Electro-Voice has introduced the R300, a breakthrough wireless microphone system that brings world-tour-proven Electro-Voice wireless technology to a new, more accessible price point. Unique features like OneTouch ClearScan and EZsync make the R300 quicker and easier to set up and use than 52

any other similarly priced wireless system, while its rack-mountable metal receiver, sturdy metal bodypack and handheld transmitters, and remotemountable antennas are of a build and performance quality usually reserved for higher-priced professional products. This unprecedented combination of value, professional features, and road-ready ruggedness make the R300 a perfect choice for a wide range of wireless applications, from live vocals and instruments to professional presentations. Three different microphone configuration packages are available: handheld, headworn, or lapel.

Long distance KVM workstations over CAT-5 cable

New ceiling cassette for Supernova Flex

Gefen has announced the availability of three new KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) extenders. Now you can place computers in a rack, machine room or secure location, with the ability to extend DVI (or VGA) displays, USB keyboard/mouse and other USB 2.0 accessories to the work space. These new solutions create a quiet work environment best suited for audio/video editing professionals. Next generation features offer added value for the user, streamlining the amount of cables needed while expanding the overall distance of extension. The CAT5-1600A offers analogue VGA users a longrange extension solution up to 1000 feet (300m) in distance. It extends VGA over one CAT-5 cable, supporting resolutions up to 1920x1200. The receiver unit provides a mirrored VGA output, while the sender unit supports the connection of an additional display for monitoring the computer source. Video adjustments for colour, brightness and focus improve imagery when using a very long CAT-5 cable for signal extension. Four USB 2.0 peripherals are extended up to 330 feet (100m) over a second dedicated CAT-5 cable. Audio is also extended to the remote location.

A Ceiling Cassette is undoubtedly the most discreet way to install a Supernova Flex Screen and hide it neatly away when not in use. Now dnp has launched a more compact version of this elegant casing that makes it easier to adjust and fit into the ceiling. Since some ceilings leave little space for a built-in solution, dnp have reduced the height of the cassette by 15 mm - from 235 to 220. Additional adjustment options make it possible to keep the screen perfectly level, even in situations where the ceiling is not. Finally, the cassette cover is now fitted with a flexible dual-lock system that makes it easier to install and adjust the cover. To match the output of today’s laptops they have also added two new screen sizes in 16:10 format: A 100” screen and a 112” screen. These models are especially designed for small to medium sized conference rooms.

NEC announce P-series installation projectors NEC Display Solutions has unveiled a new line of highbright projectors. The P-series debuts with two models designed specifically for entry-grade installation environments such as corporate boardrooms and higher education classrooms. In addition to high brightness, both the P420X and the P350W offer great picture performance paired with outstanding network connectivity and advanced Eco features help to lower operating and service costs. These new installation projectors also promise low installation cost thanks to innovative features such as Lens Shift and the wide zoom lens. Furthermore, with a large 1.7x optical zoom, contrast ratio of 2000:1 and brightness levels of 4200 lumens (P420X) and 3500 lumens (P350W), these new projectors provide dynamic images under normal ambient lighting conditions. The P420X boasts a native resolution of 1024x768 (XGA) and the P350W supports 1280x800 (WXGA) providing a wide-screen format, ideal for presenting videos and enlarging presentations. Built-in software features include wall colour correction, automatic keystone correction and Virtual Remote for ease of installation.

Extron MTPX Plus 6464 Twisted Pair Matrix Switcher Extron Electronics has announced availability of the MTPX Plus 6464, a 64x64 twisted pair matrix switcher for RGBHV, HD component video, standard definition video, audio, and RS-232. It is one of five models in the MTPX Plus 6400 Series of large-scale twisted pair matrix switchers, and incorporates industry-leading features of the MTPX Plus Series with new capabilities, including EDID MinderÂ for local inputs and outputs, RS-232 insertion from the Ethernet port to all MTP outputs, and switchable video pre-peaking on all outputs. "With the availability of the MTPX Plus 6464, AV designers can now deploy twisted pair signal distribution in much larger systems," says Casey Hall, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Extron. "Its advanced features make system integration easier and eliminate the headaches encountered with other twisted pair solutions." 53

Mitsubishi Electric heads to PALME 2011 Mitsubishi Electric returns to PALME Middle East 2011 with a selection of its latest professional display products, covering flat panels, projection and rear projection cubes. Along with its new ultra short throw and advanced 8000 Series projectors, Mitsubishi will be showing its revolutionary 50" DLP Multi-Touch cube and 52" LCD dual-touch screen systems for the first time outside Europe. Mitsubishi’s unique laser-based optical Multi-Touch option for its DLP display wall cubes was one of the highlights of ISE 2011. Using Mitsubishi Multi-Touch, a standard cube display wall system can be transformed into a multi-user, multi-touch interactive environment. Systems can be built in any configuration, and are also available off the shelf in 2x1 or 2x2 formats for 50" displays. Featuring a glass screen surface pre-assembled with a bezel frame housing the laser sensors, installation and set up is exceptionally quick and easy. Mitsubishi will also be demonstrating a dual-touch system for its professional LCD display range. Mitsubishi Assist Touch system consists of a hardened glass screen which fits over its MDT series displays, converting them to optical twopoint touch interface, whilst at the same time providing tough and durable protection for the LCD display.

Projecta introduce large Electrol screen Projecta is pleased to announce the introduction of the Tensioned Elpro Large Electrol, an electric projection screen for large venues with a tab-tensioned projection surface for a perfectly flat viewing area. The Tensioned Elpro Large Electrol ensures the flattest possible viewing surface for a retractable screen thanks to its tab-tensioning system. The projection screen surface is tensioned in all four directions by a heavy duty aluminium extruded slat bar and nylon tensioning cables on each side to match with the parabolic curves of the screen. The end result is a projection viewing area that is evenly tensioned and suitable for all critical applications. The Tensioned Elpro Large Electrol is available in widths from 3.5 to 4.5 metres and in 4:3 (video), 16:9 (HDTV) and 16:10 (Wide) aspect ratios. The casing is equipped with flexible mounting brackets which are one metre laterally adjustable from each end cap for easy positioning.

All-in-one video collaboration solution

ClearOne has unveiled Collaborate, an all-in-one voice, video, and data collaboration console for organizations using unified communications software or web services to handle voice, video and data

communications. Delivering true plug-n-play simplicity in a business solution for video collaboration, the new ClearOne Collaborate allows small groups in an executive office or conference room to converse and see each other while simultaneously viewing data from applications, web sites, or other local or network sources. The system, ClearOne’s first to incorporate video capability, features an integrated ClearOne HDConference audio conferencing system, a 46inch HD LCD monitor, an HD USB video camera, and a built-in quad core PC with Windows pre-installed.

Prysm to exhibit at PALME 2011 Revolutionary display manufacturer Prysm will showcase its scalable and eco-friendly video wall product at PALME Middle East this April. Having recently announced that it is now shipping it production model of the TD1 tile, featuring Laser Phosphor Display technology worldwide, PALME visitors will have the chance to view Prysm’s incredible display technology and learn more about its unique features. With the smallest seam gap on the market, at an incredible 0.2mm, the TD1 tile creates seamless, high impact video walls with an ultra-wide viewing angle of up to 178-degrees. The screens can also be set out in curved formations or arranged in large arrays with resolutions significantly higher than the best available from current indoor LED solutions. The product offers stunning brightness and lightning fast refresh rates that make it perfect as a high impact display solution. 54

Sharp to introduce new Multi-Screen display system

Modern and cost-efficient presentation system

Sharp has launched a new 60-inch multi-screen display system that achieves the world’s thinnest System Frame Width of 6.5 mm. This multi-screen display system is built around the new PN-V601 60V-inch professional LCD monitor, which uses Sharp’s proprietary LCD technology to significantly reduce the width of the monitor’s bezel. The width of the bezels between neighboring displays is a mere 6.5 mm, making the seams where individual LCD monitors join unobtrusive. This enables practical applications such as single large-screen video wall displays and creates new possibilities in presentation spaces not available using conventional approaches. Sharp will continue to create unique, one-of-a-kind products based on its proprietary LCD technologies. Sharp will also work to build network-based content distribution systems to offer optimal solutions to meet the needs of customers and their applications.

TLS will introduce their new QuickScout Digital system to the Middle East market at May’s Gulf Education exhibition . The solution is used to switch HDMI/DVI- and audio signals in their native format. With TLS QuickScout Digital, up to 16 connected users can access a common LCD screen and data/video projector with a simple push of a button. The system offers best image quality at a resolution of 1080p / 1920x1200 and HDCP support. The video bandwidth of 2.5 Gbps turns every presentation into a brilliant experience, whilst the audio switch provides for perfect playback of audio sequences in stereo quality. The presentation-check function allows the user a discreet editing of his presentation also during ongoing operation. The installation is as flexible as the system itself: Integrated in an elegant aluminium housing, TLS QuickScout digital modules can be mounted anywhere, on or under the table, in wall channels or in the floor.

Christie showcases innovation at PALME 2011

Christie will be showing their latest products at the upcoming PALME show, including their new Nitro Solutions, the brand new Christie motorised moving yokes range. The modular series can provide up to 20,000 ANSI lumens of video projection, creating high

brightness imagery on any surface from anywhere. Christie Nitro Solutions now offer three motorised yoke options: a dual-arm yoke for larger video projectors ranging from 12,000 to 20,000 ANSI lumens, and a single-arm yoke for projectors ranging from 5,700 to 15,000 ANSI lumens. The modular approach of Christie Nitro Solutions expands the effectiveness of the moving yoke platform by allowing the user to deploy the yoke with either a video projector or light head. Other features include DMX512 control and a quick lock attachment system for easy set up and take down. The multiaward winning Christie microTiles will also feature on stand, in relevant and inspiring configurations.

Da-Lite develops silver material for passive 3D projection Silver Lite 2.5 is the newest screen surface in Da Lite’s line of front projection materials. It’s a multi-purpose front projection surface that is optimized for passive linear and circular 3D applications and is also an excellent 2D screen material. For passive 3D applications, the silver surface maintains 99.3% of polarized light and the 2.5 gain of the material compensates for the light lost in the polarization filtering process. The polarization retention and high extinction ratio eliminate the ghosting or crosstalk common with stereoscopic 3D projection. For 2D projection, the gain and high contrast characteristics of the material make it perfect for projection in high ambient light conditions or for use with a low output projector. Silver Lite 2.5 is a washable surface and has a 25 degree viewing half angle. 55

CTS Prep class scheduled for Dubai

DIS at Civil and Commercial Court in Qatar Danish Interpretation Systems (DIS) has delivered 10 conference units and 2 interpretation desks to the Civil and Commercial Court in Qatar Financial Center also known as QFC - in Doha. Although the project is not very big and the quantities seem to be rather unimpressive this doesn’t make the reference less valuable. The court is designed to be used for international court cases which need to be discussed

Earn the InfoComm recognized AV Technologist certificate InfoComm’s popular GEN111 AV Essentials course has been confirmed to take place at the end of May. This 3-day in Johannesburg course provides in-depth explanations of the science and technology for basic audio, video, display and IT integration. A brief overview of the sales, rental/hire, design and installation functions is included in the course content. This course builds

From 17-19 May MECIA will be hosting InfoComm’s GEN112 CTS Prep class in the United Arab Emirates. The course is designed to help people prepare for the written InfoComm CTS exam and will be presented by Paul Streffon, a senior staff instructor with InfoComm International in the USA. There are more than 10,000 AV professionals around the

and decided on neutral ground. Ahmed Abouzoor, Site Engineer of System Integrator Techno Q is very proud of this installation where he worked with DIS products for the first time. “This has been a very time critical project and luckily we could finish the installation just in time,” he says. “The customer is really happy with the system and we’re working already on various other projects in Qatar where we’ll quote DIS again.”

the student’s understanding of the fundamentals used on a daily basis in the audiovisual industry. This course will be presented by Nelson Baumgratz CTS-D, a member of the InfoComm Academy faculty since 1998. Nelson has spent more than 30 years in AV related industries, ranging from transmitter design and manufacturing to IT consulting and systems design.

world who have earned the InfoComm CTS credential which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) under the International Standard ISO/IEC 17024. This popular course provides a forum for people to explore the exam format and work collaboratively, studying the exam content areas with the help of facilitators.

Advanced Audiovisual Design comes to South Africa During early April SACIA hosted the first of three InfoComm courses in advanced audio visual design. Attended by AV professionals from the leading suppliers and integrators in South Africa the first course examined elements that affect the planning and design of the audio visual environment. Using measurement tools, calculations and industry best practices, students 56

were able to expand their knowledge of design considerations to create drawings, specifications and performance criteria. The second course in the series is a three-day classroom course that explores elements that affect the planning and design of the infrastructure supporting AV environments including HVAC, electrical, cable pathways, lighting, IT connectivity, etc.