TECHNOLOGY INTELLIGENCE FOR TV, FILM AND RADIO

ISSUE 31 | JANUARY 2013

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

INTERVIEWSky News Arabia's Creative Director on being the channel's brand guardian

IN FOCUS*DIFF 2012*Ultra High De!nition

TECH REVIEW*Nuke 7.0 put through its paces

CASE STUDYSennheiser installation in KSA makes waves

OMAN TV RAISES THE BAR WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART HD/3G COMPLEX

TOWERINGACHIEVEMENT

TECHNOLOGY INTELLIGENCE FOR TV, FILM AND RADIO

ISSUE 31 | JANUARY 2013

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

INTERVIEWSky News Arabia's Creative Director on being the channel's brand guardian

IN FOCUS*DIFF 2012*Ultra High De!nition

TECH REVIEW*Nuke 7.0 put through its paces

CASE STUDYSennheiser installation in KSA makes waves

OMAN TV RAISES THE BAR WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART HD/3G COMPLEX

TOWERINGACHIEVEMENT

www.broadcastprome.comSubscribe now

We wish all of you a Happy New Year. As always, the dawn of a New Year spells new beginnings and some of the stories we have covered this month re!ect that.

Take the launch of the Dubai Film and TV Commission last month, for instance. At the launch, which was in the form of a discussion, some of the panelists said that Dubai had lost a lot of valuable business in the past owing to the lack of large studio facilities. Now, a huge, fully-equipped, state-of-the-art sound stage that was recently launched in Dubai Studio City is poised to change all of that.

Fadi Ismail, CEO of O3 Productions pointed out that it is cheaper and easier on both the crew and the equipment to shoot in a controlled environment like a studio, and the availability of a sound stage would jumpstart production in the Arab world. He, however, was quick to add that people here would have to get used to working in a studio, and make it both time and cost effective.

The right formula will only come in time with a lot of trial and error, he cautioned. Until then, we will have to wait patiently. So, while Dubai is gearing up for more productions, it isn’t going

to be a joy ride – not yet! But the availabiliy of a facility built to international standards and the launch of a body that can streamline all of one’s production requirements is a good start to making Dubai an international production hub.

In the meantime, even as we go to press, some of the staff at Oman Radio and TV are getting ready to shift to a new HD/3G facility that has been two years in the making. The shift from an outdated analogue environment to the latest HD facility was no easy task but it was perhaps easier than what lies ahead – a radical shift from a tape-based environment to a completely tapeless work!ow. It’s not going to be easy. 2013 will be a period of trial and error again for Oman TV’s staff but it signi"es the start of a new era for the state broadcaster.

VIjaya Cherian, Group Editor,Broadcast Division

Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engineering, Public Authority for Radio and TV, Oman

Welcome

Zayed University undertakes major project to archive the UAE’s cultural past

DIGITISING  THE  PAST

TECHNOLOGY INTELLIGENCE FOR TV, FILM AND RADIO

PUBLISHER Dominic De Sousa

GROUP COONadeem Hood

MANAGING DIRECTORRichard Judd

EDITORIALGroup EditorVijaya Cherianvijaya@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 55 105 3787

Assistant EditorShamika Andradeshamika@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 4 440 9111

MARKETING & ADVERTISINGPublishing Director Raz Islamraz@cpidubai.com T +971 4 440 9129

Group Sales ManagerSandip Virksandip@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 50 459 2653

Sales ManagerRodi Hennawirodi@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 50 714 04273

DESIGN Head of DesignFahed Sabbagh

Graphic DesignersJane MatthewsGlenn Roxas

PHOTOGRAPHYJay Colina

CIRCULATION & PRODUCTIONProduction ManagerJames P Tharianjames@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 4 440 9146

Circulation ManagerRajeesh Mrajeesh@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 4 440 9147

DIGITAL SERVICESwww.broadcastprome.comDigital Services ManagerTristan Troy P Maagma

Web DevelopersErik BrionesJefferson De Joyaonline@cpidubai.comT +971 4 440 9100

Published by

1013 Centre Road, New Castle County,Wilmington, Delaware, USA

HEADQUARTERSPO Box 13700Dubai, UAETel: +971 (0) 4 440 9100Fax: +971 (0) 4 447 2409

PRINTED BYPrintwell Printing Press LLC

© Copyright 2012 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

Twitter: @BroadcastProME Facebook: www.facebook.com/BroadcastProME LinkedIn group: BroadcastProME

Let’s create a vibrant online broadcast community!

TECHNOLOGY INTELLIGENCE FOR TV, FILM AND RADIO

ISSUE 31 | JANUARY 2013

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

INTERVIEWSky News Arabia's Creative Director on being the channel's brand guardian

IN FOCUS*DIFF 2012*Ultra High De!nition

TECH REVIEW*Nuke 7.0 put through its paces

CASE STUDYSennheiser installation in KSA makes waves

OMAN TV RAISES THE BAR WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART HD/3G COMPLEX

TOWERINGACHIEVEMENT

www.broadcastprome.comSubscribe now

We wish all of you a Happy New Year. As always, the dawn of a New Year spells new beginnings and some of the stories we have covered this month re!ect that.

Take the launch of the Dubai Film and TV Commission last month, for instance. At the launch, which was in the form of a discussion, some of the panelists said that Dubai had lost a lot of valuable business in the past owing to the lack of large studio facilities. Now, a huge, fully-equipped, state-of-the-art sound stage that was recently launched in Dubai Studio City is poised to change all of that.

Fadi Ismail, CEO of O3 Productions pointed out that it is cheaper and easier on both the crew and the equipment to shoot in a controlled environment like a studio, and the availability of a sound stage would jumpstart production in the Arab world. He, however, was quick to add that people here would have to get used to working in a studio, and make it both time and cost effective.

The right formula will only come in time with a lot of trial and error, he cautioned. Until then, we will have to wait patiently. So, while Dubai is gearing up for more productions, it isn’t going

to be a joy ride – not yet! But the availabiliy of a facility built to international standards and the launch of a body that can streamline all of one’s production requirements is a good start to making Dubai an international production hub.

In the meantime, even as we go to press, some of the staff at Oman Radio and TV are getting ready to shift to a new HD/3G facility that has been two years in the making. The shift from an outdated analogue environment to the latest HD facility was no easy task but it was perhaps easier than what lies ahead – a radical shift from a tape-based environment to a completely tapeless work!ow. It’s not going to be easy. 2013 will be a period of trial and error again for Oman TV’s staff but it signi"es the start of a new era for the state broadcaster.

VIjaya Cherian, Group Editor,Broadcast Division

Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engineering, Public Authority for Radio and TV, Oman

Welcome

Zayed University undertakes major project to archive the UAE’s cultural past

DIGITISING  THE  PAST

TECHNOLOGY INTELLIGENCE FOR TV, FILM AND RADIO

PUBLISHER Dominic De Sousa

GROUP COONadeem Hood

MANAGING DIRECTORRichard Judd

EDITORIALGroup EditorVijaya Cherianvijaya@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 55 105 3787

Assistant EditorShamika Andradeshamika@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 4 440 9111

MARKETING & ADVERTISINGPublishing Director Raz Islamraz@cpidubai.com T +971 4 440 9129

Group Sales ManagerSandip Virksandip@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 50 459 2653

Sales ManagerRodi Hennawirodi@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 50 714 04273

DESIGN Head of DesignFahed Sabbagh

Graphic DesignersJane MatthewsGlenn Roxas

PHOTOGRAPHYJay Colina

CIRCULATION & PRODUCTIONProduction ManagerJames P Tharianjames@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 4 440 9146

Circulation ManagerRajeesh Mrajeesh@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 4 440 9147

DIGITAL SERVICESwww.broadcastprome.comDigital Services ManagerTristan Troy P Maagma

Web DevelopersErik BrionesJefferson De Joyaonline@cpidubai.comT +971 4 440 9100

Published by

1013 Centre Road, New Castle County,Wilmington, Delaware, USA

HEADQUARTERSPO Box 13700Dubai, UAETel: +971 (0) 4 440 9100Fax: +971 (0) 4 447 2409

PRINTED BYPrintwell Printing Press LLC

© Copyright 2012 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

Twitter: @BroadcastProME Facebook: www.facebook.com/BroadcastProME LinkedIn group: BroadcastProME

Let’s create a vibrant online broadcast community!

NEX-FS700

PMW-F55

F65

PMW-F5

PVM-X300

KD-84X9000

SR-R1000

SR-R4SR-1TS55

VPL-VW1000ES

SRX-R515

Sony is bringing the power of 4K to new applications and helping widen the 4K audience.Sony’s collaboration with third parties further expands the workflow possibilities.

Sony Professional Solutions MEA FZ LLC, Unit C-50, P. O. Box 502050, International Media Production Zone, Dubai, United Arab Emirates,Tel: +971 4 391 8400, Email: middle.east@eu.sony.com, website: www.pro.sony.eu

The future, ahead of schedule.

‘Sony’ and ‘make.believe’ are trademarks of Sony Corporation

16

5 NEWS From Yemen, Dubai, Qatar, Oman

and more 32 REVIEW Video editor Alistair Rankine

takes Nuke 7.0 through its paces

40 DIGITISING THE PAST Zayed University embarks on

special archive project

44 TECH REPORT Chris Forrester on Ultra HD

48 INTERVIEW Creative Director of Sky News

Arabia on being its brand guardian

52 DIFF 2012 Manipal University’s students bring

you highlights from the festival

60 PRODUCTS The hottest in the market!

64 NEWS MAKERS Chris O’Hearn sheds light on news

viewing patterns in the MENA

in this issue

JANUARY 2013

COVER STORY: Exclusive coverage from Oman TV’s brand new HD/3G facility

26 SENNHEISER

CREATES SOUND WAVES IN KSA

NEX-FS700

PMW-F55

F65

PMW-F5

PVM-X300

KD-84X9000

SR-R1000

SR-R4SR-1TS55

VPL-VW1000ES

SRX-R515

Sony is bringing the power of 4K to new applications and helping widen the 4K audience.Sony’s collaboration with third parties further expands the workflow possibilities.

Sony Professional Solutions MEA FZ LLC, Unit C-50, P. O. Box 502050, International Media Production Zone, Dubai, United Arab Emirates,Tel: +971 4 391 8400, Email: middle.east@eu.sony.com, website: www.pro.sony.eu

The future, ahead of schedule.

‘Sony’ and ‘make.believe’ are trademarks of Sony Corporation

16

5 NEWS From Yemen, Dubai, Qatar, Oman

and more 32 REVIEW Video editor Alistair Rankine

takes Nuke 7.0 through its paces

40 DIGITISING THE PAST Zayed University embarks on

special archive project

44 TECH REPORT Chris Forrester on Ultra HD

48 INTERVIEW Creative Director of Sky News

Arabia on being its brand guardian

52 DIFF 2012 Manipal University’s students bring

you highlights from the festival

60 PRODUCTS The hottest in the market!

64 NEWS MAKERS Chris O’Hearn sheds light on news

viewing patterns in the MENA

in this issue

JANUARY 2013

COVER STORY: Exclusive coverage from Oman TV’s brand new HD/3G facility

26 SENNHEISER

CREATES SOUND WAVES IN KSA

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 5

Following an inaugural board meeting in May, the Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC) of!cially launched at Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) to promote the emirate as a leading !lm and production location. The body is now the sole entity authorised to issue audio and visual media production permits for producers of TV, !lm and commercials wishing to shoot in Dubai.

DFTC was unveiled during a roundtable session hosted by the commission and a panel of key !lm and TV decision-makers at Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). The panel included Jamal Al Sharif, Chairman of the Commission; Tim Smythe, CEO of Filmworks; Fadi Ismail, GM of 03 Productions, MBC Group; Samr Al Marzooqi, Manager, Dubai Film Market; and Eyad Abdulrahman of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. The event also saw the commission’s branding and web site revealed for the !rst time.

Commenting on the launch, Al Sharif said: “Dubai has always been a popular place for !lm and commercial makers to shoot thanks to its locations and infrastructure. The number of productions has grown year-on-year and we have already seen an 8% increase

in 2012 compared with 2011. Besides that, production budgets have also risen steadily in the past year.”

All applications will henceforth be processed by DFTC for a small sum of USD 215 irrespective of the number of locations involved, Al Sharif said. He also pointed out that the cost of !lming in high-pro!le locations such as Dubai Airport, Burj Khalifa and Atlantis had been slashed by 80 to 90%.

“If it cost about USD 54,000 to shoot at these key locations over a period of three days previously, today one can !lm there for under $6800,” he pointed out.

A non-pro!t entity, DFTC’s mandate is to promote Dubai as a !lming destination for local, regional and international productions across a range of mediums, including !lm, TV, corporate videos, advertisements and online content.

As part of this, DFTC signed a strategic partnership with MBC Group to occupy its recently established sound stages

in Dubai Studio City. In the course of the discussion, MBC’s Ismail stated that the availability of a sound stage for the !rst time in the emirate will jumpstart production in the country.

“Previously, we did not have such a large studio in the region and had to shoot outside. This was not always feasible in summer. Shooting indoors demands a different discipline and it will be a matter of trial and error but its availability makes shooting here more appealing.”

Filmworks’ Smythe added that it was working closely with DFTC to offer more incentives to make Dubai more attractive to international !lmmakers.

“We are competing with places like India, Romania and South Africa, where it’s still cheaper to shoot for international productions. The next six months are crucial because we’re approaching some of the big studios to shoot in Dubai and trying to work out incentives that will make !lming here more appealing.”

PRONEWS

FILM AND TV COMMISSION FORTIFIES DUBAI’S POSITION AS PRODUCTION HUB

Jamal Al Sharif, Chairman, DFTC.

BOX OFFICE EARNINGS FOR CARAMEL, A FILM BY LEBANESE DIRECTOR NADINE LABAKI

10%INCREASE IN ‘PURE’ LOCAL DRAMA SERIES IN THE ARAB REGION LAST YEAR

USD 14M

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 5

Following an inaugural board meeting in May, the Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC) of!cially launched at Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) to promote the emirate as a leading !lm and production location. The body is now the sole entity authorised to issue audio and visual media production permits for producers of TV, !lm and commercials wishing to shoot in Dubai.

DFTC was unveiled during a roundtable session hosted by the commission and a panel of key !lm and TV decision-makers at Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). The panel included Jamal Al Sharif, Chairman of the Commission; Tim Smythe, CEO of Filmworks; Fadi Ismail, GM of 03 Productions, MBC Group; Samr Al Marzooqi, Manager, Dubai Film Market; and Eyad Abdulrahman of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. The event also saw the commission’s branding and web site revealed for the !rst time.

Commenting on the launch, Al Sharif said: “Dubai has always been a popular place for !lm and commercial makers to shoot thanks to its locations and infrastructure. The number of productions has grown year-on-year and we have already seen an 8% increase

in 2012 compared with 2011. Besides that, production budgets have also risen steadily in the past year.”

All applications will henceforth be processed by DFTC for a small sum of USD 215 irrespective of the number of locations involved, Al Sharif said. He also pointed out that the cost of !lming in high-pro!le locations such as Dubai Airport, Burj Khalifa and Atlantis had been slashed by 80 to 90%.

“If it cost about USD 54,000 to shoot at these key locations over a period of three days previously, today one can !lm there for under $6800,” he pointed out.

A non-pro!t entity, DFTC’s mandate is to promote Dubai as a !lming destination for local, regional and international productions across a range of mediums, including !lm, TV, corporate videos, advertisements and online content.

As part of this, DFTC signed a strategic partnership with MBC Group to occupy its recently established sound stages

in Dubai Studio City. In the course of the discussion, MBC’s Ismail stated that the availability of a sound stage for the !rst time in the emirate will jumpstart production in the country.

“Previously, we did not have such a large studio in the region and had to shoot outside. This was not always feasible in summer. Shooting indoors demands a different discipline and it will be a matter of trial and error but its availability makes shooting here more appealing.”

Filmworks’ Smythe added that it was working closely with DFTC to offer more incentives to make Dubai more attractive to international !lmmakers.

“We are competing with places like India, Romania and South Africa, where it’s still cheaper to shoot for international productions. The next six months are crucial because we’re approaching some of the big studios to shoot in Dubai and trying to work out incentives that will make !lming here more appealing.”

PRONEWS

FILM AND TV COMMISSION FORTIFIES DUBAI’S POSITION AS PRODUCTION HUB

Jamal Al Sharif, Chairman, DFTC.

BOX OFFICE EARNINGS FOR CARAMEL, A FILM BY LEBANESE DIRECTOR NADINE LABAKI

10%INCREASE IN ‘PURE’ LOCAL DRAMA SERIES IN THE ARAB REGION LAST YEAR

USD 14M

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 20136

MBC Group has moved O3 Productions, its production unit to Dubai Studio City, as part of a partnership between the TV network and the free zone entity in the emirate. The move will also see MBC open Stargate Middle East as part of a new partnership with Stargate Studios, an international production house specialising in virtual

production and visual effects. With the two partnerships,

MBC will now have two new studios that will include advanced digital camera technologies, LED lighting, motion tracking, real-time compositing, 2D and 3D imaging as well as virtual sets. The Stargate partnership will extend to MBC’s studio in Egypt as well.

CEO Sam Barnett described the move as one of the major ‘milestones’ in MBC Group’s history.

The new studio runs on an area

PRONEWS

Yemen TODAY, a private broadcaster in Yemen, has invested in a UTAH-100 HD compact router for its satellite newsgathering (SNG) truck. The truck has been commissioned by Yemen TODAY from PALS, an Istanbul-based manufacturer and systems integrator.

PALS claims to be one of the few companies in the region to deliver SNG vehicles that are certi!ed to meet the ASBU-MENOS OpenDSNG standard. The certi!cation ensures that the vehicles can be used in the MENOS network operated by the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) on Arabsat satellite capacity.

The UTAH-100 series offers a variety of switchers and distribution ampli!er packages in compact 1-RU and 2-RU !xed-frame con!gurations. Using a one-piece frame design that is only two-inches deep, the units can be mounted in consoles and mobile racks where space is limited.

All of the switchers are supplied

with a built-in Ethernet control module, allowing the switcher to be operated via a browser interface. Options include built-in control panels, remote control panels, redundant power, and control interface adapters to external Utah Scienti!c control systems.

Speaking about the sale, Reto Brader, Utah Scienti!c General Manager, EMEA said: “We’re happy to be able to add value to Yemen TODAY’s offering with our products. To be selected by PALS as the supplier for video routers for their SNG vehicles is truly an honour.”

Intigral will supply more IPTV content over Saudi Telecom Company’s (STC) IPTV multicast network to its set top box (STB) in 2013, Ben Kinealy, newly appointed VP of IPTV and OTT for Intigral told BroadcastPro ME in an exclusive interview.

Intigral will also seek to deliver content and services to STC’s OTT STB and companion devices, making it possible for the telco to expand its addressable market.

“We will expand into a range of IPTV OTT products and services for the MENA region. These will include a list of free and paid channels and a comprehensive list of VOD titles. At !rst, our OTT focus will be to secure the content and launch applications across a range of smart devices. Consecutively, we are also reviewing a range of new devices that can support our services be that via a telco or retail partner,” Kinealy said.

The VP, who previously worked at Telstra, Australia’s largest telco, as Director of IPTV and Pay TV, heads a team of 85 people, spread across Intigral’s Dubai and Saudi of!ces. He will be responsible for Intigral’s IPTV and OTT team, its content, product, strategy as well as P&L.

“IPTV in this region is mostly linear and via a managed STB. There are some new OTT services, but they are mostly linked to traditional IPTV triple play or pay TV services. Where there is an obvious gap is in true standalone OTT services, be it Video-on-Demand like iTunes or Net"ix or Linear OTT services. As Intigral develops its OTT services, we expect to bridge this gap with a range of products that can be sold through a telco as a bundled service or even directly to the customer, dependent on the region and partners.”

YEMENI BROADCASTER OPTS FOR UTAH SCIENTIFIC ROUTER

INTIGRAL TO EXPAND STC’S IPTV SERVICES: BEN KINEALY

of 15,000 sq ft and will be equipped according to the latest international standards and state-of-the-art technology. Moreover, work on two additional studios, each running on an area of 25,000 sq ft, will be completed in late 2013.

The studios will also encompass vast areas for storage, warehouses and of!ces, aiming to encourage new starters and established companies to re-locate their businesses to Dubai Studio City, further enhancing the media infrastructure in the region.

Fadi Ismail, General Manager of O3 Productions commented that the collaboration with Dubai Studio City provides “a unique opportunity to further succeed in the content industry with the availability of leading-edge studios and technology”.

“Our team and our recent partnership with Stargate, the pioneers in virtual production and visual effects, will both add to our success factors and raise the standards of our production outcomes,” he stated.

MBC MOVES PRODUCTION UNIT TO DUBAI STUDIO CITY

From left: Sam Barnett, CEO of MBC Group and TECOM’s CEO Amina Al Rustamani.

The installation at Yemen TODAY.

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 20136

MBC Group has moved O3 Productions, its production unit to Dubai Studio City, as part of a partnership between the TV network and the free zone entity in the emirate. The move will also see MBC open Stargate Middle East as part of a new partnership with Stargate Studios, an international production house specialising in virtual

production and visual effects. With the two partnerships,

MBC will now have two new studios that will include advanced digital camera technologies, LED lighting, motion tracking, real-time compositing, 2D and 3D imaging as well as virtual sets. The Stargate partnership will extend to MBC’s studio in Egypt as well.

CEO Sam Barnett described the move as one of the major ‘milestones’ in MBC Group’s history.

The new studio runs on an area

PRONEWS

Yemen TODAY, a private broadcaster in Yemen, has invested in a UTAH-100 HD compact router for its satellite newsgathering (SNG) truck. The truck has been commissioned by Yemen TODAY from PALS, an Istanbul-based manufacturer and systems integrator.

PALS claims to be one of the few companies in the region to deliver SNG vehicles that are certi!ed to meet the ASBU-MENOS OpenDSNG standard. The certi!cation ensures that the vehicles can be used in the MENOS network operated by the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) on Arabsat satellite capacity.

The UTAH-100 series offers a variety of switchers and distribution ampli!er packages in compact 1-RU and 2-RU !xed-frame con!gurations. Using a one-piece frame design that is only two-inches deep, the units can be mounted in consoles and mobile racks where space is limited.

All of the switchers are supplied

with a built-in Ethernet control module, allowing the switcher to be operated via a browser interface. Options include built-in control panels, remote control panels, redundant power, and control interface adapters to external Utah Scienti!c control systems.

Speaking about the sale, Reto Brader, Utah Scienti!c General Manager, EMEA said: “We’re happy to be able to add value to Yemen TODAY’s offering with our products. To be selected by PALS as the supplier for video routers for their SNG vehicles is truly an honour.”

Intigral will supply more IPTV content over Saudi Telecom Company’s (STC) IPTV multicast network to its set top box (STB) in 2013, Ben Kinealy, newly appointed VP of IPTV and OTT for Intigral told BroadcastPro ME in an exclusive interview.

Intigral will also seek to deliver content and services to STC’s OTT STB and companion devices, making it possible for the telco to expand its addressable market.

“We will expand into a range of IPTV OTT products and services for the MENA region. These will include a list of free and paid channels and a comprehensive list of VOD titles. At !rst, our OTT focus will be to secure the content and launch applications across a range of smart devices. Consecutively, we are also reviewing a range of new devices that can support our services be that via a telco or retail partner,” Kinealy said.

The VP, who previously worked at Telstra, Australia’s largest telco, as Director of IPTV and Pay TV, heads a team of 85 people, spread across Intigral’s Dubai and Saudi of!ces. He will be responsible for Intigral’s IPTV and OTT team, its content, product, strategy as well as P&L.

“IPTV in this region is mostly linear and via a managed STB. There are some new OTT services, but they are mostly linked to traditional IPTV triple play or pay TV services. Where there is an obvious gap is in true standalone OTT services, be it Video-on-Demand like iTunes or Net"ix or Linear OTT services. As Intigral develops its OTT services, we expect to bridge this gap with a range of products that can be sold through a telco as a bundled service or even directly to the customer, dependent on the region and partners.”

YEMENI BROADCASTER OPTS FOR UTAH SCIENTIFIC ROUTER

INTIGRAL TO EXPAND STC’S IPTV SERVICES: BEN KINEALY

of 15,000 sq ft and will be equipped according to the latest international standards and state-of-the-art technology. Moreover, work on two additional studios, each running on an area of 25,000 sq ft, will be completed in late 2013.

The studios will also encompass vast areas for storage, warehouses and of!ces, aiming to encourage new starters and established companies to re-locate their businesses to Dubai Studio City, further enhancing the media infrastructure in the region.

Fadi Ismail, General Manager of O3 Productions commented that the collaboration with Dubai Studio City provides “a unique opportunity to further succeed in the content industry with the availability of leading-edge studios and technology”.

“Our team and our recent partnership with Stargate, the pioneers in virtual production and visual effects, will both add to our success factors and raise the standards of our production outcomes,” he stated.

MBC MOVES PRODUCTION UNIT TO DUBAI STUDIO CITY

From left: Sam Barnett, CEO of MBC Group and TECOM’s CEO Amina Al Rustamani.

The installation at Yemen TODAY.

Hitachi BroadcastHitachi Kokusai Electric EuropeTel: +44 (0) 845 1212177 Email: sales@hitachi-keu.com www.hitachi-keu.com

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January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 9

PRONEWS

Salam Media Cast (SMC) has announced two appointments in Doha to further strengthen its capabilities in the region. Roger Barton has been appointed Sales Manager while Janez !igon joins SMC as Head of Technical Services.

Paul Hennessy, CEO of SMC, said: “SMC is strengthening its businesses locally and internationally. We are focusing on the development of our team, acquiring international talent to deliver the highest quality customer experience possible. We are delighted to welcome Roger and Janez to the team at this exciting time, as we embark on our next stages of growth.”

Barton will lead SMC’s sales team to deliver customers with the latest solutions, products and services. He previously worked at twofour54 Intaj, Abu Dhabi, and Q2 Arabia, Dubai.

Janez joins SMC with 20 years of experience in broadcast systems integrations as MD of Pro Motions in Slovenia. He spent the last three years in Hong Kong, where he was responsible for media innovations across 14 European territories. In his role at SMC, Janez will manage operations from a technical perspective from bid creation to execution and maintenance.

Pay TV network OSN has announced that it will add "ve new channels to its HD bouquet this month bringing the total number of HD channels it broadcasts to 36.

Two premium HD Arabic channels – OSN Ya Hala Shabab HD and OSN Ya Hala Arabella HD lead the expansion, which also includes the addition of third-party channels such as Discovery World, Fuel TV and Fine Living. OSN will also enhance its HD portfolio with Discovery, E! and ITV upgraded to HD.

Speaking about the expansion, David Butorac, CEO of OSN said: “Arabic content is one of the top ranked reasons why people enjoy OSN. Following the launch of OSN Ya Hala HD last year, we felt it was time to enhance our Arabic offer with more exclusive content.”

OSN’s new Arabic channels will showcase a mix of original content with new programmes slated to !ll the airwaves around the region. OSN Ya Hala Shabab HD, targeted at Arab youth, will

SALAM MEDIA CAST ANNOUNCES NEW APPOINTMENTS

XOR MEDIA SUPPORTS 32-CHANNEL DNXHD FOR OMAN TV’S PLAYOUTXOR Media, developer of open, IT storage for media applications and private cloud data centres, has announced that Oman Television has increased its HD transmission capacity through XOR Media’s video server MediaServer 1200. Sony Professional Solutions MEA facilitated the systems integration for this project in Oman TV.

The MediaServer 1200 is a standalone video server that offers multi-resolution and multi-format operations with a high channel density of up to 12SD or 11HD in 3RU. It has a built-in storage of up to 16TB in a 3RU chassis.

One of the !rst customers to choose the XOR MediaServer with the DNxHD120 software codec, Oman TV has increased the capacity of its XOR Media playout servers to a total of 32 channels since it switched to state-of-the-art HD broadcasting.

The system is integrated with Tedial Hierarchical Storage Management and Media Asset Management, as well Pebble Beach automation. The XOR infrastructure provides a server solution to handle the DNxHD codec and to support a !le-based production work"ow in Oman TV. Speci!c requirements of Oman TV like multi-site media movement from Muscat and Salalah and additional layers of redundancy are also addressed.

“Robustness, "exibility and open technology are key elements today,” stated Marcello Dellepiane, vice president for EMEA sales, XOR Media.

“XOR installations are de!ned by how they integrate in an ecosystem of best-in-class media application providers. The Oman TV setup is a !ne example of this.”

Janez #igon. Roger Barton.

OSN IS ALSO UNDERTAKING A TWO-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH TWOFOUR54 TADREEB to upgrade the skills of its engineers. The course, titled Digital Fundamentals Training Programme, will be delivered by BBC, a twofour54 tadreeb partner. As a vocational training academy, tadreeb offers a portfolio of technical courses in partnership with the BBC. The six courses offered include generic DVB/satellite broadcasting, picture grading, waveform usage, audio monitoring, management and multi-platform media format management. Each of these modules require 25 training days and will be run throughout 2012-13 for 66 trainees.

Mike Tomlisson, Training and Development Director of OSN said: “OSN is continually growing and developing its broadcast services with new and improved technologies. In making these transitions into the digital world, it’s absolutely vital that our engineers upgrade their skills and have access to professional training. We’re delighted to be working with twofour54’s tadreeb to deliver tailored Digital Fundamentals Training Programmes.”

Noura Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Of"cer of twofour54 added: “All of twofour54 tadreeb’s media-related vocational training is developed with employers’ needs as the focus. Similarly, the Digital Fundamentals Training Programme, in partnership with OSN, is tailored by industry professionals making it highly relevant to professional digital engineers and their employers. Using the latest techniques and technologies, this bespoke training course will foster a new level and depth of skills, targeting engineers that are already highly accomplished in their "eld.”

OSN EXPANDS HD BOUQUET

include talk shows with star anchors and Egyptian drama series featuring celebrities. OSN Ya Hala Arabella HD, on the other hand, is a telenovella channel featuring Arabic-dubbed Mexican series.

2013 will also see the launch of OSN Ya Hala! HD +2, time shifted by two hours to enable viewers to catch up on shows that they missed.

David Butorac, CEO of OSN and actress Asala.

Hitachi BroadcastHitachi Kokusai Electric EuropeTel: +44 (0) 845 1212177 Email: sales@hitachi-keu.com www.hitachi-keu.com

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January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 9

PRONEWS

Salam Media Cast (SMC) has announced two appointments in Doha to further strengthen its capabilities in the region. Roger Barton has been appointed Sales Manager while Janez !igon joins SMC as Head of Technical Services.

Paul Hennessy, CEO of SMC, said: “SMC is strengthening its businesses locally and internationally. We are focusing on the development of our team, acquiring international talent to deliver the highest quality customer experience possible. We are delighted to welcome Roger and Janez to the team at this exciting time, as we embark on our next stages of growth.”

Barton will lead SMC’s sales team to deliver customers with the latest solutions, products and services. He previously worked at twofour54 Intaj, Abu Dhabi, and Q2 Arabia, Dubai.

Janez joins SMC with 20 years of experience in broadcast systems integrations as MD of Pro Motions in Slovenia. He spent the last three years in Hong Kong, where he was responsible for media innovations across 14 European territories. In his role at SMC, Janez will manage operations from a technical perspective from bid creation to execution and maintenance.

Pay TV network OSN has announced that it will add "ve new channels to its HD bouquet this month bringing the total number of HD channels it broadcasts to 36.

Two premium HD Arabic channels – OSN Ya Hala Shabab HD and OSN Ya Hala Arabella HD lead the expansion, which also includes the addition of third-party channels such as Discovery World, Fuel TV and Fine Living. OSN will also enhance its HD portfolio with Discovery, E! and ITV upgraded to HD.

Speaking about the expansion, David Butorac, CEO of OSN said: “Arabic content is one of the top ranked reasons why people enjoy OSN. Following the launch of OSN Ya Hala HD last year, we felt it was time to enhance our Arabic offer with more exclusive content.”

OSN’s new Arabic channels will showcase a mix of original content with new programmes slated to !ll the airwaves around the region. OSN Ya Hala Shabab HD, targeted at Arab youth, will

SALAM MEDIA CAST ANNOUNCES NEW APPOINTMENTS

XOR MEDIA SUPPORTS 32-CHANNEL DNXHD FOR OMAN TV’S PLAYOUTXOR Media, developer of open, IT storage for media applications and private cloud data centres, has announced that Oman Television has increased its HD transmission capacity through XOR Media’s video server MediaServer 1200. Sony Professional Solutions MEA facilitated the systems integration for this project in Oman TV.

The MediaServer 1200 is a standalone video server that offers multi-resolution and multi-format operations with a high channel density of up to 12SD or 11HD in 3RU. It has a built-in storage of up to 16TB in a 3RU chassis.

One of the !rst customers to choose the XOR MediaServer with the DNxHD120 software codec, Oman TV has increased the capacity of its XOR Media playout servers to a total of 32 channels since it switched to state-of-the-art HD broadcasting.

The system is integrated with Tedial Hierarchical Storage Management and Media Asset Management, as well Pebble Beach automation. The XOR infrastructure provides a server solution to handle the DNxHD codec and to support a !le-based production work"ow in Oman TV. Speci!c requirements of Oman TV like multi-site media movement from Muscat and Salalah and additional layers of redundancy are also addressed.

“Robustness, "exibility and open technology are key elements today,” stated Marcello Dellepiane, vice president for EMEA sales, XOR Media.

“XOR installations are de!ned by how they integrate in an ecosystem of best-in-class media application providers. The Oman TV setup is a !ne example of this.”

Janez #igon. Roger Barton.

OSN IS ALSO UNDERTAKING A TWO-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH TWOFOUR54 TADREEB to upgrade the skills of its engineers. The course, titled Digital Fundamentals Training Programme, will be delivered by BBC, a twofour54 tadreeb partner. As a vocational training academy, tadreeb offers a portfolio of technical courses in partnership with the BBC. The six courses offered include generic DVB/satellite broadcasting, picture grading, waveform usage, audio monitoring, management and multi-platform media format management. Each of these modules require 25 training days and will be run throughout 2012-13 for 66 trainees.

Mike Tomlisson, Training and Development Director of OSN said: “OSN is continually growing and developing its broadcast services with new and improved technologies. In making these transitions into the digital world, it’s absolutely vital that our engineers upgrade their skills and have access to professional training. We’re delighted to be working with twofour54’s tadreeb to deliver tailored Digital Fundamentals Training Programmes.”

Noura Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Of"cer of twofour54 added: “All of twofour54 tadreeb’s media-related vocational training is developed with employers’ needs as the focus. Similarly, the Digital Fundamentals Training Programme, in partnership with OSN, is tailored by industry professionals making it highly relevant to professional digital engineers and their employers. Using the latest techniques and technologies, this bespoke training course will foster a new level and depth of skills, targeting engineers that are already highly accomplished in their "eld.”

OSN EXPANDS HD BOUQUET

include talk shows with star anchors and Egyptian drama series featuring celebrities. OSN Ya Hala Arabella HD, on the other hand, is a telenovella channel featuring Arabic-dubbed Mexican series.

2013 will also see the launch of OSN Ya Hala! HD +2, time shifted by two hours to enable viewers to catch up on shows that they missed.

David Butorac, CEO of OSN and actress Asala.

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 11

Rotana, the Arab world’s largest record label and music publisher, has partnered with specialist media and entertainment law !rm, The Rights Lawyers. The partners will launch Rotana Music’s new blanket music licence initiative, which will draw attention to issues surrounding copyright infringement and the true value of music, while enabling music users to properly license their use of music.

Malls, restaurants, retailers, broadcasters and airlines among others will now be able to obtain blanket licences to cover the public performance of Rotana’s Arabic music and international music (through its representation of Sony ATV & Warner Chappell repertoire) in their places of business.

Speaking about the reason for this initiative, Jihad Nehme, Executive Manager of Rotana Publishing said:

PRONEWS

CABSAT 2013 SHOW OPENS CALLS FOR SPEAKERS This year, over the course of three days, the CABSAT 2013 Broadcast Conference Programme will deliver daily keynote sessions and sector speci!c presentations designed for purchase-driven VIP audiences.

The programme will also aim to develop The Academy as a learning forum. The areas covered include Next Generation Technology for Sports Broadcasting, Africa in Focus – the Transition to Digital, and Connected TV — The end of TV as We Know It. The forum will also discuss topics such as Broadcasting in The Cloud – Hype or Opportunity, The Pro-Audio Revolution and Media Asset Management – Protecting the Crown Jewels.

Along with attending the multi-track conference, industry authorities can also address key audience groups. Submissions are invited until January 7, 2013 from interested parties and should be in the form of a 200-word brief outlining new techniques, trends and case studies in all of the above sectors.

SKY NEWS ARABIA EXTENDS MULTIMEDIA OFFERING WITH TUNEIN SERVICE

Sky News Arabia has expanded its portfolio of multimedia offerings with TuneIn, a free service that allows people to listen to audio content online from wherever they are. The service enables viewers to receive breaking news round-the-clock while consuming less bandwidth from their mobile data packages than with traditional live streaming. It will also enable them to access the channel’s broadcast while online or even on the go. Presently, the video broadcasts can be viewed through the channel’s apps for iOS, Android, Blackberry or Nokia devices. News is also accessible via its web site and through livestation, a site that brings together live news channels from around the world.

ROTANA MUSIC TIES WITH THE RIGHTS LAWYERS

“it is time to enforce our rights, apply the law and save the music. We are launching awareness campaigns highlighting that music is not free and to be legal, music users should apply for a licence. It is time to respect the intellectual property rights of artists, ensuring that they are duly compensated for the use of their music, as already happens in most markets around the world.”

Mark Hill, Managing partner of The Rights Lawyers added: “We look forward to working together on this initiative with Rotana, bringing much needed light to the subject of music rights. For too long, the Middle East has proved to be a ‘black hole’ for music rights owners, with royalties going unpaid.

“We have, in any case, seen a real change of attitude in this region regarding the clearance of rights and it is starting to become second nature for credible and legitimate businesses to clear rights and obtain licences. This collaboration with Rotana, a primary rights owner in the region, is simply a natural next step in this process.”

Touching Our Technology

Did you listen to the

radio today?

If  you  have  listened  to  the  BBC  in  the  

UK,  to  Deutsche  Welle  in  Germany  or  

Sharjah   Radio,   then   you   have   been  

touched   by   SCISYS   software   and  

technology.   Radio   producers   use   our  

dira!   software   suite   to   create   and  schedule   music   and   speech   items,  

pre    senters  use  a  touch  screen  interface  

and  control  desk  to  cue  items  –  enabling  

stations   to   deliver   the   high   audio    

experience  their  listeners  demand.

©  SCISYS  Deutschland  GmbH

www.scisys.de

media@scisys.de

dira!We do radio!

RZ_Anz_Scisys_175x110_121112.indd 1 15.11.12 11:44

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 11

Rotana, the Arab world’s largest record label and music publisher, has partnered with specialist media and entertainment law !rm, The Rights Lawyers. The partners will launch Rotana Music’s new blanket music licence initiative, which will draw attention to issues surrounding copyright infringement and the true value of music, while enabling music users to properly license their use of music.

Malls, restaurants, retailers, broadcasters and airlines among others will now be able to obtain blanket licences to cover the public performance of Rotana’s Arabic music and international music (through its representation of Sony ATV & Warner Chappell repertoire) in their places of business.

Speaking about the reason for this initiative, Jihad Nehme, Executive Manager of Rotana Publishing said:

PRONEWS

CABSAT 2013 SHOW OPENS CALLS FOR SPEAKERS This year, over the course of three days, the CABSAT 2013 Broadcast Conference Programme will deliver daily keynote sessions and sector speci!c presentations designed for purchase-driven VIP audiences.

The programme will also aim to develop The Academy as a learning forum. The areas covered include Next Generation Technology for Sports Broadcasting, Africa in Focus – the Transition to Digital, and Connected TV — The end of TV as We Know It. The forum will also discuss topics such as Broadcasting in The Cloud – Hype or Opportunity, The Pro-Audio Revolution and Media Asset Management – Protecting the Crown Jewels.

Along with attending the multi-track conference, industry authorities can also address key audience groups. Submissions are invited until January 7, 2013 from interested parties and should be in the form of a 200-word brief outlining new techniques, trends and case studies in all of the above sectors.

SKY NEWS ARABIA EXTENDS MULTIMEDIA OFFERING WITH TUNEIN SERVICE

Sky News Arabia has expanded its portfolio of multimedia offerings with TuneIn, a free service that allows people to listen to audio content online from wherever they are. The service enables viewers to receive breaking news round-the-clock while consuming less bandwidth from their mobile data packages than with traditional live streaming. It will also enable them to access the channel’s broadcast while online or even on the go. Presently, the video broadcasts can be viewed through the channel’s apps for iOS, Android, Blackberry or Nokia devices. News is also accessible via its web site and through livestation, a site that brings together live news channels from around the world.

ROTANA MUSIC TIES WITH THE RIGHTS LAWYERS

“it is time to enforce our rights, apply the law and save the music. We are launching awareness campaigns highlighting that music is not free and to be legal, music users should apply for a licence. It is time to respect the intellectual property rights of artists, ensuring that they are duly compensated for the use of their music, as already happens in most markets around the world.”

Mark Hill, Managing partner of The Rights Lawyers added: “We look forward to working together on this initiative with Rotana, bringing much needed light to the subject of music rights. For too long, the Middle East has proved to be a ‘black hole’ for music rights owners, with royalties going unpaid.

“We have, in any case, seen a real change of attitude in this region regarding the clearance of rights and it is starting to become second nature for credible and legitimate businesses to clear rights and obtain licences. This collaboration with Rotana, a primary rights owner in the region, is simply a natural next step in this process.”

Touching Our Technology

Did you listen to the

radio today?

If  you  have  listened  to  the  BBC  in  the  

UK,  to  Deutsche  Welle  in  Germany  or  

Sharjah   Radio,   then   you   have   been  

touched   by   SCISYS   software   and  

technology.   Radio   producers   use   our  

dira!   software   suite   to   create   and  schedule   music   and   speech   items,  

pre    senters  use  a  touch  screen  interface  

and  control  desk  to  cue  items  –  enabling  

stations   to   deliver   the   high   audio    

experience  their  listeners  demand.

©  SCISYS  Deutschland  GmbH

www.scisys.de

media@scisys.de

dira!We do radio!

RZ_Anz_Scisys_175x110_121112.indd 1 15.11.12 11:44

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 13

PRONEWS

Ending several months of speculation, Harris Corporation !nally announced last month that it would sell its Broadcast Communications arm to an af!liate of The Gores Group, LLC, a Los Angeles based !rm for USD 225 million. The price includes $160 million in cash at closing, a $15 million subordinated promissory note and an earn out of up to $50 million based on future performance. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory review and closing conditions and is expected to be completed in Q1 2013. On May 1, 2012, Harris had !rst announced plans to divest its Broadcast Communications arm.

“The sale of Broadcast Communications re"ects our strategy to optimise our business portfolio and focus on our core businesses,” stated William M. Brown, President and Chief Executive Of!cer of Harris.

“As previously communicated, we plan to repurchase up to $200 million of our shares after the deal closes. This is in addition to the $200 million of share repurchases already planned for !scal 2013 and re"ects our ongoing commitment to effectively deploy capital, including returning cash to shareholders,” he added.

It is not known whether the broadcast arm will be rebranded although it was indicated at IBC that the brand name would be retained. No further details are presently available about the status of employees at Broadcast Communications.

Mohammed Saeed Harib, the Emirati behind the UAE’s !rst 3D animated series, FREEJ, will direct Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s next local feature !lm.The as-yet unnamed sports comedy is scheduled to be !lmed in the Emirates in spring 2013 and is planned for a fall 2013 release.

The !lm will be Image Nation’s third local production, following quickly behind the coming of age drama, Sea Shadow, released last year and the supernatural thriller, Djinn, also set for release in 2013. The family-friendly comedy is set in the UAE and follows the story of a disgraced former football player seeking redemption and a second chance at life by coaching a rag-tag team of high school students at a public school.

Speaking to the press about the partnership, Mohammed Al Mubarak, Chairman of Image Nation, said: “Image Nation is committed to the development of a prospering !lm and production industry here in the UAE, and we are thrilled to announce the addition of Mohammed Saeed Harib to lead our latest project.”

Mohammed Al Otaiba, Head of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, added: “One of Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s goals is to provide opportunities to promote local talent and support all kinds of !lm genres emerging from the Emirates. We are excited to add a locally

developed comedy to our slate, and look forward to kicking off production in the New Year. Filming is scheduled in the UAE in 2013 with a local cast and crew, so we encourage people who are interested in being involved in the project to get in touch.”

FREEJ CREATOR TO DIRECT IMAGE NATION ABU DHABI’S NEXT LOCAL FILM

GORES GROUP TO ACQUIRE BROADCAST ARM OF HARRIS CORPORATION FOR USD 225M

From left: Mohammed Al Otaiba, Head of Image Nation; Mohammed Saeed Harib, creator of Freej and Samr Al Marzooqi of Dubai FIlm Market.

UBMS HOSTS DAYANG OPEN HOUSE EVENTDubai-based distributor United Broadcast and Media Solutions (UBMS) hosted an open house at its showroom to showcase a range of products from Dayang Technology Development Inc, one of the many brands it represents. The event brought together attendees from several UAE-based TV channels and educational institutions.

Dayang manufactures and develops broadcast-quality digital solutions for standard de!nition, high de!nition and web-based products for content creation, ingest, archiving, transcoding, broadcast playout and media asset management. Some of the highlights of the open house included the Fresco multi-viewer system, the iChannel2 and the Dauric on-air graphics solution.

Regarding the event, Peter Kyriakos, Head of Marketing at UBMS said: “United Broadcast & Media Solutions has an innate duty to use its organisational resources to conduct workshops and seminars and thus help further educate the industry with the new and advanced technologies that we currently represent. To us, it’s not only about sales; it’s also about value-added service.”

At the UBMS event.

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 13

PRONEWS

Ending several months of speculation, Harris Corporation !nally announced last month that it would sell its Broadcast Communications arm to an af!liate of The Gores Group, LLC, a Los Angeles based !rm for USD 225 million. The price includes $160 million in cash at closing, a $15 million subordinated promissory note and an earn out of up to $50 million based on future performance. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory review and closing conditions and is expected to be completed in Q1 2013. On May 1, 2012, Harris had !rst announced plans to divest its Broadcast Communications arm.

“The sale of Broadcast Communications re"ects our strategy to optimise our business portfolio and focus on our core businesses,” stated William M. Brown, President and Chief Executive Of!cer of Harris.

“As previously communicated, we plan to repurchase up to $200 million of our shares after the deal closes. This is in addition to the $200 million of share repurchases already planned for !scal 2013 and re"ects our ongoing commitment to effectively deploy capital, including returning cash to shareholders,” he added.

It is not known whether the broadcast arm will be rebranded although it was indicated at IBC that the brand name would be retained. No further details are presently available about the status of employees at Broadcast Communications.

Mohammed Saeed Harib, the Emirati behind the UAE’s !rst 3D animated series, FREEJ, will direct Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s next local feature !lm.The as-yet unnamed sports comedy is scheduled to be !lmed in the Emirates in spring 2013 and is planned for a fall 2013 release.

The !lm will be Image Nation’s third local production, following quickly behind the coming of age drama, Sea Shadow, released last year and the supernatural thriller, Djinn, also set for release in 2013. The family-friendly comedy is set in the UAE and follows the story of a disgraced former football player seeking redemption and a second chance at life by coaching a rag-tag team of high school students at a public school.

Speaking to the press about the partnership, Mohammed Al Mubarak, Chairman of Image Nation, said: “Image Nation is committed to the development of a prospering !lm and production industry here in the UAE, and we are thrilled to announce the addition of Mohammed Saeed Harib to lead our latest project.”

Mohammed Al Otaiba, Head of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, added: “One of Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s goals is to provide opportunities to promote local talent and support all kinds of !lm genres emerging from the Emirates. We are excited to add a locally

developed comedy to our slate, and look forward to kicking off production in the New Year. Filming is scheduled in the UAE in 2013 with a local cast and crew, so we encourage people who are interested in being involved in the project to get in touch.”

FREEJ CREATOR TO DIRECT IMAGE NATION ABU DHABI’S NEXT LOCAL FILM

GORES GROUP TO ACQUIRE BROADCAST ARM OF HARRIS CORPORATION FOR USD 225M

From left: Mohammed Al Otaiba, Head of Image Nation; Mohammed Saeed Harib, creator of Freej and Samr Al Marzooqi of Dubai FIlm Market.

UBMS HOSTS DAYANG OPEN HOUSE EVENTDubai-based distributor United Broadcast and Media Solutions (UBMS) hosted an open house at its showroom to showcase a range of products from Dayang Technology Development Inc, one of the many brands it represents. The event brought together attendees from several UAE-based TV channels and educational institutions.

Dayang manufactures and develops broadcast-quality digital solutions for standard de!nition, high de!nition and web-based products for content creation, ingest, archiving, transcoding, broadcast playout and media asset management. Some of the highlights of the open house included the Fresco multi-viewer system, the iChannel2 and the Dauric on-air graphics solution.

Regarding the event, Peter Kyriakos, Head of Marketing at UBMS said: “United Broadcast & Media Solutions has an innate duty to use its organisational resources to conduct workshops and seminars and thus help further educate the industry with the new and advanced technologies that we currently represent. To us, it’s not only about sales; it’s also about value-added service.”

At the UBMS event.

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201314

PROTRENDS

Douglas I. Sheer is CEO and Chief Analyst of D.I.S.

Channel-in-a-box (CIAB) technology has become a bright spot in an otherwise rocky post-recessionary market environment. Although the concept has been around for nearly a decade, the ‘in-a-box’ approach has taken off with gusto since the recession hit and is now eclipsing the play-out automation solutions of earlier decades. This was the overarching !nding of the recently published study Channel in a Box World 2012 from D.I.S. Consulting Corporation.

The report predicts a market potential of nearly USD 180 million a year by 2017. It codi!es the trend and reveals who the winning brands are that have emerged over the past two years in this sector.

CIAB is a solution that has inspired enthusiastic interest across the industry, as it is looked at as a saving grace for broadcasters looking to deploy new channels at a lower cost while at the same time, providing a new lease on life for automation and server vendors alike.

Added to that, this trend has picked up at a time when customers are busy deploying many new channels and desire a more cost effective solution. Previously, that would have meant employing more expensive automation systems and servers. So, at least from the perspective of customers, this trend couldn’t have been more welcome. This is part of what is driving

cut expenses, Harris, Grass Valley/PubliTronic, Miranda, Harmonic/Omneon, Florical, Evertz, Snell and others are now among those leading in offering the virtual master control technology that CIAB represents.

In all, there appears to be more than 40 competitors offering a solution ranging from one in and one out designs for as little as USD 8,000 to those multi-channel series that costs more than $100,000. So, solutions and their features are wide ranging and their con!guration, as well as who the brands are, become major determinates of cost.

The study was conducted, worldwide, in the late summer of 2012 and published in November.

A typical CIAB system combines a server, the ‘box’ referred to, graphics cards, varying ins and outs, with layers of branding, master control, channel automation software, and various layers of graphics. Of course, each system has unique features and that is why the report – in its technology trend section – delves into which features are most commonly sought after.

Regional broadcasters have enthusiastically embraced the use of CIAB technology as the broadcast market – particularly in some regions — has been rapidly deploying many new channels in the past few years. PRO

Channel-in-a-box trend gains momentum

Average Price Paid for System

©2012 D.I.S. Consulting Corporation

All Rights Reserved

MIDDLE E AST - AFR ICA

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

2 12 2

11 3 22 1 12

23 30

0 7 2 0 0 0 2

56

Nu

mb

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f R

esp

on

ses

Channel-in-a-Box Service Related Budget

©2012 D.I.S. Consulting Corporation

All Rights Reserved

MIDDLE E AST - AFR ICA

0 100 200 300 400

Don't Know/ No Answer

0 to 5%

6 to 10%

33

74

0

Number of Responses

the growth of the phenomenon. CIAB technology, which features

IT-based playout, is not just attracting many buyers but also encouraging manufacturers to produce solutions on this front. Propelled primarily by broadcasters’ constant desire to

The above graphs show the average prices paid for such systems in the Middle East.

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201314

PROTRENDS

Douglas I. Sheer is CEO and Chief Analyst of D.I.S.

Channel-in-a-box (CIAB) technology has become a bright spot in an otherwise rocky post-recessionary market environment. Although the concept has been around for nearly a decade, the ‘in-a-box’ approach has taken off with gusto since the recession hit and is now eclipsing the play-out automation solutions of earlier decades. This was the overarching !nding of the recently published study Channel in a Box World 2012 from D.I.S. Consulting Corporation.

The report predicts a market potential of nearly USD 180 million a year by 2017. It codi!es the trend and reveals who the winning brands are that have emerged over the past two years in this sector.

CIAB is a solution that has inspired enthusiastic interest across the industry, as it is looked at as a saving grace for broadcasters looking to deploy new channels at a lower cost while at the same time, providing a new lease on life for automation and server vendors alike.

Added to that, this trend has picked up at a time when customers are busy deploying many new channels and desire a more cost effective solution. Previously, that would have meant employing more expensive automation systems and servers. So, at least from the perspective of customers, this trend couldn’t have been more welcome. This is part of what is driving

cut expenses, Harris, Grass Valley/PubliTronic, Miranda, Harmonic/Omneon, Florical, Evertz, Snell and others are now among those leading in offering the virtual master control technology that CIAB represents.

In all, there appears to be more than 40 competitors offering a solution ranging from one in and one out designs for as little as USD 8,000 to those multi-channel series that costs more than $100,000. So, solutions and their features are wide ranging and their con!guration, as well as who the brands are, become major determinates of cost.

The study was conducted, worldwide, in the late summer of 2012 and published in November.

A typical CIAB system combines a server, the ‘box’ referred to, graphics cards, varying ins and outs, with layers of branding, master control, channel automation software, and various layers of graphics. Of course, each system has unique features and that is why the report – in its technology trend section – delves into which features are most commonly sought after.

Regional broadcasters have enthusiastically embraced the use of CIAB technology as the broadcast market – particularly in some regions — has been rapidly deploying many new channels in the past few years. PRO

Channel-in-a-box trend gains momentum

Average Price Paid for System

©2012 D.I.S. Consulting Corporation

All Rights Reserved

MIDDLE E AST - AFR ICA

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

2 12 2

11 3 22 1 12

23 30

0 7 2 0 0 0 2

56

Nu

mb

er o

f R

esp

on

ses

Channel-in-a-Box Service Related Budget

©2012 D.I.S. Consulting Corporation

All Rights Reserved

MIDDLE E AST - AFR ICA

0 100 200 300 400

Don't Know/ No Answer

0 to 5%

6 to 10%

33

74

0

Number of Responses

the growth of the phenomenon. CIAB technology, which features

IT-based playout, is not just attracting many buyers but also encouraging manufacturers to produce solutions on this front. Propelled primarily by broadcasters’ constant desire to

The above graphs show the average prices paid for such systems in the Middle East.

WHEN IT

REALLY

MATTERS...

Real-Time Networks for Video, Audio, Data and Communications

WUPPERTAL | BEIJING | BERLIN | GLENDALE | LONDON | MOSCOW | SÃO PAULO | SINGAPORE | SYDNEY | VIENNA | ZURICH www.riedel.net

See us at CABSAT Stand C7-30

WHEN IT

REALLY

MATTERS...

Real-Time Networks for Video, Audio, Data and Communications

WUPPERTAL | BEIJING | BERLIN | GLENDALE | LONDON | MOSCOW | SÃO PAULO | SINGAPORE | SYDNEY | VIENNA | ZURICH www.riedel.net

See us at CABSAT Stand C7-30

WHEN IT

REALLY

MATTERS...

Real-Time Networks for Video, Audio, Data and Communications

WUPPERTAL | BEIJING | BERLIN | GLENDALE | LONDON | MOSCOW | SÃO PAULO | SINGAPORE | SYDNEY | VIENNA | ZURICH www.riedel.net

See us at CABSAT Stand C7-30

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201316

PROEXCLUSIVE

With Oman TV and Radio’s brand new HD/3G TV and radio facility fully ready for operations, its staff are getting ready for a fresh new beginning in a tapeless world. Vijaya Cherian tours The Public Authority of Radio and TV’s new home along with its Director General of Engineering Mohammed Al Marhouby

In 2009, when the recession hit the world, all eyes were on the Sultanate of Oman’s public broadcaster, which declared at the time that it was !nally ready to take the plunge to High De!nition (HD). Unlike most other state broadcasters in the Gulf, Oman had decided to wait until the formats and the technology

Oman’s bold step into the new year

Oman TV’s brand new TV facility overlooks the Arabian Sea and right, one of the studios !tted out with Sony cameras and ARRI lighting.

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 17

PROEXCLUSIVE

around HD had stabilised before taking the plunge. By 2009, the international community seemed to agree that 1080p was the format of the future and enough installations had taken place around the world to iron out the bugs of the !rst generation of HD equipment. When the downturn forced many broadcasters to cut their budgets, Oman announced ambitious plans to move from an analogue, 4x3, tape-based manual environment to a 1080p, 16x9, !le-based fully automated facility in one master project. Almost every local and international systems integrator participated in the subsequent tender but the deal was eventually secured by Sony Professional Solutions Middle East and Africa for a whopping USD 69 million. Two years down the line, with many revisions and additions to the facility, Oman boasts a state-of-the-art TV and radio complex that overlooks the Arabian Sea and

Oman’s bold step into the new year

comes with full HD and 3G support. In the meantime, somewhere between

2009 and 2010, some of the dynamics and the political structure at Oman Radio and TV also changed. A new entity called the Public Authority for Radio and TV was established by the Omani government. The entity is headed by His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al-Harrasi and will have greater operational autonomy. It will also seek to make the media organisation !nancially independent in the future.

The project which, therefore, began as an Oman Radio and TV project two years ago, is now under the umbrella of the new entity.

Sony’s mandate, as chief contractor, was to kit out Oman TV’s brand new digital TV studio complex in Muscat and undertake an associated refurbishment of the supporting operation in Salalah to serve the two national TV channels, in addition to a third channel to be launched soon. Alongside this, Sony

The old (pictured here) and the new facility rest side by side within the same complex.

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201316

PROEXCLUSIVE

With Oman TV and Radio’s brand new HD/3G TV and radio facility fully ready for operations, its staff are getting ready for a fresh new beginning in a tapeless world. Vijaya Cherian tours The Public Authority of Radio and TV’s new home along with its Director General of Engineering Mohammed Al Marhouby

In 2009, when the recession hit the world, all eyes were on the Sultanate of Oman’s public broadcaster, which declared at the time that it was !nally ready to take the plunge to High De!nition (HD). Unlike most other state broadcasters in the Gulf, Oman had decided to wait until the formats and the technology

Oman’s bold step into the new year

Oman TV’s brand new TV facility overlooks the Arabian Sea and right, one of the studios !tted out with Sony cameras and ARRI lighting.

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 17

PROEXCLUSIVE

around HD had stabilised before taking the plunge. By 2009, the international community seemed to agree that 1080p was the format of the future and enough installations had taken place around the world to iron out the bugs of the !rst generation of HD equipment. When the downturn forced many broadcasters to cut their budgets, Oman announced ambitious plans to move from an analogue, 4x3, tape-based manual environment to a 1080p, 16x9, !le-based fully automated facility in one master project. Almost every local and international systems integrator participated in the subsequent tender but the deal was eventually secured by Sony Professional Solutions Middle East and Africa for a whopping USD 69 million. Two years down the line, with many revisions and additions to the facility, Oman boasts a state-of-the-art TV and radio complex that overlooks the Arabian Sea and

Oman’s bold step into the new year

comes with full HD and 3G support. In the meantime, somewhere between

2009 and 2010, some of the dynamics and the political structure at Oman Radio and TV also changed. A new entity called the Public Authority for Radio and TV was established by the Omani government. The entity is headed by His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al-Harrasi and will have greater operational autonomy. It will also seek to make the media organisation !nancially independent in the future.

The project which, therefore, began as an Oman Radio and TV project two years ago, is now under the umbrella of the new entity.

Sony’s mandate, as chief contractor, was to kit out Oman TV’s brand new digital TV studio complex in Muscat and undertake an associated refurbishment of the supporting operation in Salalah to serve the two national TV channels, in addition to a third channel to be launched soon. Alongside this, Sony

The old (pictured here) and the new facility rest side by side within the same complex.

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201318

was to !t out the news section of the state broadcaster’s !ve radio channels. All of them are presently housed in the old building, which is attached to the new facility.

Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engineering at the Public Authority for Radio and TV and the man who oversaw the project from start to !nish, says the new centre will be operational from January 2013.

“We will begin the shift gradually,” Marhouby is quick to explain.

“Unlike most other broadcasters in the region who took the phased approach, we took one giant leap from a very old setup to the latest in the market. It calls for a radical shift in the way our staff operates so it’s not going to be easy. We will start with recording

some programmes and producing some live programmes. Then, we will shift to news and other parts of the work"ow.”

Presently, Oman TV operates two channels although the new facility is kitted out to easily roll out another third or fourth, says Marhouby.

More importantly, a pilot HD channel has been running for the last six months and some special events of Oman’s National Day Celebrations were produced in HD and

transmitted on this channel as well. The new facility, of course, is several

times bigger and better than the old building. This means that the media entity will also have to hire more staff.

“We need people with new skills in IT and new broadcast technologies.”

The new project is built for HD 1080i from the ground up with the intention of migrating entirely to 1080p in the future. The entire networking infrastructure is 3G compatible. Sony has relied heavily on an IT-based infrastructure for this project and although the facility has a tapeless work"ow, it will accommodate some tapes at the ingest stage for now.

“This facility is completely !le-based and has a fully automated playout environment,” explains Marhouby.

“We use Sony cameras and systems across several parts of the facility. Pebble Beach is the main playout automation system, while Harris IconMaster serves under Pebble Beach control and it is all driven by a BTS scheduling system.”

The facility is built primarily as a three-

The control room features Dynaudio’s M3A speakers and the SSL AWS948 console.

PROEXCLUSIVE

Above, Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engi-neering at Oman’s Public Authority for Radio and TV oversaw the project from start to !nish.

Right top and bottom, we see programmes in production at two of Oman TV’s new studios.

“Unlike most other broadcasters in the region who took the phased approach, we took one giant leap from a very old setup to the latest in the market”Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engineering, Public Authority for Radio & TV, Oman

AJA’s line of KUMO routers expands to include the new KUMO 3232, a 32 input by 32 output SDI router that continues the AJA tradition of high-quality signal routing in a compact 2RU size to fit any budget. With redundant power supplies and looping

reference connections, KUMO is perfect for any broadcast, production, or post-production environment.

Meet the KUMO 3232The newest member of the KUMO Family

Find out more information at www.aja.com

Total integration

KUMO 3232 setup is easy with Bonjour and ZeroConfig -- and Grass Valley Native Protocol support allows seamless integration with your

facility over RS-422 or Ethernet.

Powerful remote control

Control KUMO routers with direct push-buttons on the KUMO Control Panel, or via your

LAN from any web-browser with no special software required.

Unparalleled quality

KUMO 3232 strikes the right balance of capacity, compact size and quality

-- exceeding SMPTE specifications and allowing longer cable runs with

less interference.

www.aja.com

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s ™.

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s ™.

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s ™.

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s ™.

Mediasys

#32115 - KUMO BPME.indd 1 19/12/2012 10:41

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201318

was to !t out the news section of the state broadcaster’s !ve radio channels. All of them are presently housed in the old building, which is attached to the new facility.

Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engineering at the Public Authority for Radio and TV and the man who oversaw the project from start to !nish, says the new centre will be operational from January 2013.

“We will begin the shift gradually,” Marhouby is quick to explain.

“Unlike most other broadcasters in the region who took the phased approach, we took one giant leap from a very old setup to the latest in the market. It calls for a radical shift in the way our staff operates so it’s not going to be easy. We will start with recording

some programmes and producing some live programmes. Then, we will shift to news and other parts of the work"ow.”

Presently, Oman TV operates two channels although the new facility is kitted out to easily roll out another third or fourth, says Marhouby.

More importantly, a pilot HD channel has been running for the last six months and some special events of Oman’s National Day Celebrations were produced in HD and

transmitted on this channel as well. The new facility, of course, is several

times bigger and better than the old building. This means that the media entity will also have to hire more staff.

“We need people with new skills in IT and new broadcast technologies.”

The new project is built for HD 1080i from the ground up with the intention of migrating entirely to 1080p in the future. The entire networking infrastructure is 3G compatible. Sony has relied heavily on an IT-based infrastructure for this project and although the facility has a tapeless work"ow, it will accommodate some tapes at the ingest stage for now.

“This facility is completely !le-based and has a fully automated playout environment,” explains Marhouby.

“We use Sony cameras and systems across several parts of the facility. Pebble Beach is the main playout automation system, while Harris IconMaster serves under Pebble Beach control and it is all driven by a BTS scheduling system.”

The facility is built primarily as a three-

The control room features Dynaudio’s M3A speakers and the SSL AWS948 console.

PROEXCLUSIVE

Above, Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engi-neering at Oman’s Public Authority for Radio and TV oversaw the project from start to !nish.

Right top and bottom, we see programmes in production at two of Oman TV’s new studios.

“Unlike most other broadcasters in the region who took the phased approach, we took one giant leap from a very old setup to the latest in the market”Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engineering, Public Authority for Radio & TV, Oman

AJA’s line of KUMO routers expands to include the new KUMO 3232, a 32 input by 32 output SDI router that continues the AJA tradition of high-quality signal routing in a compact 2RU size to fit any budget. With redundant power supplies and looping

reference connections, KUMO is perfect for any broadcast, production, or post-production environment.

Meet the KUMO 3232The newest member of the KUMO Family

Find out more information at www.aja.com

Total integration

KUMO 3232 setup is easy with Bonjour and ZeroConfig -- and Grass Valley Native Protocol support allows seamless integration with your

facility over RS-422 or Ethernet.

Powerful remote control

Control KUMO routers with direct push-buttons on the KUMO Control Panel, or via your

LAN from any web-browser with no special software required.

Unparalleled quality

KUMO 3232 strikes the right balance of capacity, compact size and quality

-- exceeding SMPTE specifications and allowing longer cable runs with

less interference.

www.aja.com

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s ™.

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s ™.

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s ™.

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s ™.

Mediasys

#32115 - KUMO BPME.indd 1 19/12/2012 10:41

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 21

channel operation, explains Marhouby. “There are four news and four production

studios. One of the news studios is embedded in the main newsroom centre on the third !oor of the facility with three additional news studios around the building. Of these, one can also operate as a virtual studio with Vizrt solutions should they require it. There is also the capability in the bigger studios to do 5.1 in the production and news environments.

“The system is also designed to enable one control room to handle more than one studio. As a result, we have Oman TV 1 and TV 2. TV3 will be launched in the near future. Each channel is created and operated in both SD and HD. The main master control area focuses on the main presentation output and channel control. We then have a main supervision area that has full 5.1 monitoring for production and presentation. The person who mans this area will look after the channel output and also the incoming feeds and associated working in terms of production to ensure that everything is "ne.”

The sophisticated news section includes one 550sqm newsroom with work areas for at least 40 journalists. The facility uses an Avid iNews system. This area includes a news presentation set for three !oor cameras and one mounted on a rail hanging from the ceiling along

two channels of a dedicated play-out server, networked to the central shared memory and controlled by the NRCS automation. Each one of the four dual-channel play-out servers is fully mirrored and has a resident memory capacity of a minimum of 50 hours in the chosen standard.

Besides the news studios, systems integrator Sony Professional also took us on a tour of the four production studios of 640, 278, 270 and 232 sqm respectively. While the largest of these is equipped with six cameras, the rest are kitted out with "ve cameras each with the possibility to use two shared HF wireless cameras. All of the four studios have been wired for an extended use of two more standard cameras. The largest studio includes a large Jib crane while a mini Jib crane occupies one of the smaller studios.

“Both the largest and the smallest studios will be equipped with retractable seating for audience. The smallest studio is likely to be dedicated to Channel 2 for sports programmes with the audience,” the Sony Professional spokesperson explains.

PROSOUND

Clockwise from left: The RPG FlutterFree walls placed in a wavy pattern; the SSL AWS948 console and the Credenza, which holds most of SoundStruck’s outboard gear.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

the newsroom. All of the cameras are on automated, remote-controlled heads and pedestals, with a prompter for the !oor cameras. It also includes an ingest/traf"c desk to manage incoming news feeds.

Ten non-linear editing (NLE) rooms are connected to a central shared memory architecture that has 250 hours of storage capacity in the chosen standard for this section. Two of the editing suites are dedicated to sport. There are four recording booths for voice-over applications. A news archive and cassettes/tapes ingest room is also available. Ingest will be able to control four simultaneous recordings on two working positions. Three additional 150 sqm studios will be used for news applications such as talk shows, interviews and other programmes. Each of these studios is equipped with four cameras on manual pedestals and heads.

Four galleries for the three studios and the news set in the newsroom are fully equipped for live as well as recorded operations. Each gallery has open access to

The news section includes one 550sqm newsroom with work areas for at least 40 journalists. The entire newsroom is driven by Avid iNews.

“There are four news and four production studios. One of the news studios is embedded in the main newsroom centre on the third !oor of the facility with three additional news studios around the building”Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engineering, Public Authority for Radio & TV, Oman

PROEXCLUSIVE

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 21

channel operation, explains Marhouby. “There are four news and four production

studios. One of the news studios is embedded in the main newsroom centre on the third !oor of the facility with three additional news studios around the building. Of these, one can also operate as a virtual studio with Vizrt solutions should they require it. There is also the capability in the bigger studios to do 5.1 in the production and news environments.

“The system is also designed to enable one control room to handle more than one studio. As a result, we have Oman TV 1 and TV 2. TV3 will be launched in the near future. Each channel is created and operated in both SD and HD. The main master control area focuses on the main presentation output and channel control. We then have a main supervision area that has full 5.1 monitoring for production and presentation. The person who mans this area will look after the channel output and also the incoming feeds and associated working in terms of production to ensure that everything is "ne.”

The sophisticated news section includes one 550sqm newsroom with work areas for at least 40 journalists. The facility uses an Avid iNews system. This area includes a news presentation set for three !oor cameras and one mounted on a rail hanging from the ceiling along

two channels of a dedicated play-out server, networked to the central shared memory and controlled by the NRCS automation. Each one of the four dual-channel play-out servers is fully mirrored and has a resident memory capacity of a minimum of 50 hours in the chosen standard.

Besides the news studios, systems integrator Sony Professional also took us on a tour of the four production studios of 640, 278, 270 and 232 sqm respectively. While the largest of these is equipped with six cameras, the rest are kitted out with "ve cameras each with the possibility to use two shared HF wireless cameras. All of the four studios have been wired for an extended use of two more standard cameras. The largest studio includes a large Jib crane while a mini Jib crane occupies one of the smaller studios.

“Both the largest and the smallest studios will be equipped with retractable seating for audience. The smallest studio is likely to be dedicated to Channel 2 for sports programmes with the audience,” the Sony Professional spokesperson explains.

PROSOUND

Clockwise from left: The RPG FlutterFree walls placed in a wavy pattern; the SSL AWS948 console and the Credenza, which holds most of SoundStruck’s outboard gear.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

the newsroom. All of the cameras are on automated, remote-controlled heads and pedestals, with a prompter for the !oor cameras. It also includes an ingest/traf"c desk to manage incoming news feeds.

Ten non-linear editing (NLE) rooms are connected to a central shared memory architecture that has 250 hours of storage capacity in the chosen standard for this section. Two of the editing suites are dedicated to sport. There are four recording booths for voice-over applications. A news archive and cassettes/tapes ingest room is also available. Ingest will be able to control four simultaneous recordings on two working positions. Three additional 150 sqm studios will be used for news applications such as talk shows, interviews and other programmes. Each of these studios is equipped with four cameras on manual pedestals and heads.

Four galleries for the three studios and the news set in the newsroom are fully equipped for live as well as recorded operations. Each gallery has open access to

The news section includes one 550sqm newsroom with work areas for at least 40 journalists. The entire newsroom is driven by Avid iNews.

“There are four news and four production studios. One of the news studios is embedded in the main newsroom centre on the third !oor of the facility with three additional news studios around the building”Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engineering, Public Authority for Radio & TV, Oman

PROEXCLUSIVE

Beyond distributing broadcast equipment, First Gulf Company is a major force in the broadcast systems sector in the rProduction and Post-­Production facilities and studios.

integration and support of the most sophisticated systems. Additionally, FGC pr rnkey solutions in all systems including high-­capacity Media Asset Management and

r

www.fgcltd.com P Tel: +966 1 219 0888 Fax: +966 1 219 1888 Email: info@fgcltd.com

The Region’s Leading Systems Integrator

Broadcast Systems

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 23

A similar set up with four galleries for four studios and corresponding parts of the work!ow are available within the production environment as well. An audio post production suite includes a dubbing theatre and a mini recording studio.

The playout and traf"c section includes a master control room, a multi-format copy lab that includes a 50-channels “benchmark” recording server system and a multi-DVD jukebox copier.

Initially, there were two automated presentation galleries with each including a small continuity booth with one camera. This has since been expanded to a third presentation gallery that shares the two existing continuity studios.

“We have two live Nvision continuity suites,” clari"es Marhouby.

“Either of those suites can work into any channel. As this is a self-contained environment, we have one continuity suite for Oman TV1 and we have exactly the same for the other but either of these can work into the third channel. What we have built here is a full 5.1 transmisison suite in HD for up to three channels immediately and all of these channels can be expanded into a fourth or more.”

He explains that Oman TV also has a Sony HDC-PC1 camera mounted on the roof for 24/7 coverage.

“This camera can give us a 360 degree view of the area around and is ideal for wide shots to use in the news studios or as an introduction or for rolling captions at the end.”

A signi"cant chunk of this project includes the radio news section, with individual Arabic and English newsrooms for news compilation and monitoring with eight spots for the journalists, producers and editors for each language. All of the workstations are equipped with NRCS client software and

browsing software for the Radio Broadcast Management System. This entire area is driven by Netia’s Radio Assist solution.

There are also two radio recording studios, each of which can accommodate four people. The studios are equipped with microphones, headphones, monitors and intercom. A touch screen of the Telephone screener system, a newsroom computer system client software and a remote of the Radio Broadcast management system has been installed in each studio.

Three radio control rooms share two recording studios. These control rooms can be used for pre-production as well as for live broadcasts. Live broadcasting runs manually or automatically.

“Each radio control room is designed to accommodate up to two presenters, simultaneously working at the news desk, and an additional studio guest. The radio control rooms have been equipped with a digital mixing console, audio sources, and an eight-channel digital audio software for mix down and full monitoring,” explains Marhouby.

The system design at the facility is !exible and scalable. The infrastructure supports 3G signal transmission, and where possible,

3G-ready equipment has been installed in anticipation of an upgrade in the future.

According to Sony, this project included “a fairly complex system that had to be delivered in a very short timescale into a new site that was still being constructed”.

“The technical rooms located across a large building require a complex design of broadcast and network systems to ensure cable lengths remain within the speci"ed standards for 3G and CAT6 infrastructure,” the systems integrator explains.

While the Salalah studios were due for completion at the time of going to press, testing and commissioning for the Muscat facility was completed in Q4 2012 in time for Ramadan productions.

The Salalah studios were refurbished and equipped with the same systems and equipment in order to be compatible with Muscat, particularly the news studio and the newsroom, in addition to some of the production and radio news facilities.

“One of the most important aspects of this project is training and Sony has operational assistance staff on site for a year to ensure transfer of skills. We have worked with various partners such as ARRI for lighting, Swiss Media for the radio part of it and GBM

“The technical rooms located across a large building require a complex design of broadcast and network systems to ensure that cable lengths remain within the speci"ed standards for 3G and CAT6 infrastructure”Programme Manager, Sony Professional Solutions MEA

Various areas of the new facility including pictures of a control room and right bottom, a production in progress at a studio.

Beyond distributing broadcast equipment, First Gulf Company is a major force in the broadcast systems sector in the rProduction and Post-­Production facilities and studios.

integration and support of the most sophisticated systems. Additionally, FGC pr rnkey solutions in all systems including high-­capacity Media Asset Management and

r

www.fgcltd.com P Tel: +966 1 219 0888 Fax: +966 1 219 1888 Email: info@fgcltd.com

The Region’s Leading Systems Integrator

Broadcast Systems

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 23

A similar set up with four galleries for four studios and corresponding parts of the work!ow are available within the production environment as well. An audio post production suite includes a dubbing theatre and a mini recording studio.

The playout and traf"c section includes a master control room, a multi-format copy lab that includes a 50-channels “benchmark” recording server system and a multi-DVD jukebox copier.

Initially, there were two automated presentation galleries with each including a small continuity booth with one camera. This has since been expanded to a third presentation gallery that shares the two existing continuity studios.

“We have two live Nvision continuity suites,” clari"es Marhouby.

“Either of those suites can work into any channel. As this is a self-contained environment, we have one continuity suite for Oman TV1 and we have exactly the same for the other but either of these can work into the third channel. What we have built here is a full 5.1 transmisison suite in HD for up to three channels immediately and all of these channels can be expanded into a fourth or more.”

He explains that Oman TV also has a Sony HDC-PC1 camera mounted on the roof for 24/7 coverage.

“This camera can give us a 360 degree view of the area around and is ideal for wide shots to use in the news studios or as an introduction or for rolling captions at the end.”

A signi"cant chunk of this project includes the radio news section, with individual Arabic and English newsrooms for news compilation and monitoring with eight spots for the journalists, producers and editors for each language. All of the workstations are equipped with NRCS client software and

browsing software for the Radio Broadcast Management System. This entire area is driven by Netia’s Radio Assist solution.

There are also two radio recording studios, each of which can accommodate four people. The studios are equipped with microphones, headphones, monitors and intercom. A touch screen of the Telephone screener system, a newsroom computer system client software and a remote of the Radio Broadcast management system has been installed in each studio.

Three radio control rooms share two recording studios. These control rooms can be used for pre-production as well as for live broadcasts. Live broadcasting runs manually or automatically.

“Each radio control room is designed to accommodate up to two presenters, simultaneously working at the news desk, and an additional studio guest. The radio control rooms have been equipped with a digital mixing console, audio sources, and an eight-channel digital audio software for mix down and full monitoring,” explains Marhouby.

The system design at the facility is !exible and scalable. The infrastructure supports 3G signal transmission, and where possible,

3G-ready equipment has been installed in anticipation of an upgrade in the future.

According to Sony, this project included “a fairly complex system that had to be delivered in a very short timescale into a new site that was still being constructed”.

“The technical rooms located across a large building require a complex design of broadcast and network systems to ensure cable lengths remain within the speci"ed standards for 3G and CAT6 infrastructure,” the systems integrator explains.

While the Salalah studios were due for completion at the time of going to press, testing and commissioning for the Muscat facility was completed in Q4 2012 in time for Ramadan productions.

The Salalah studios were refurbished and equipped with the same systems and equipment in order to be compatible with Muscat, particularly the news studio and the newsroom, in addition to some of the production and radio news facilities.

“One of the most important aspects of this project is training and Sony has operational assistance staff on site for a year to ensure transfer of skills. We have worked with various partners such as ARRI for lighting, Swiss Media for the radio part of it and GBM

“The technical rooms located across a large building require a complex design of broadcast and network systems to ensure that cable lengths remain within the speci"ed standards for 3G and CAT6 infrastructure”Programme Manager, Sony Professional Solutions MEA

Various areas of the new facility including pictures of a control room and right bottom, a production in progress at a studio.

OFFLINE CONSOLE SET UP

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Today’s broadcasters need more and more audio channels at ever-higher resolutions, more power to handle this increased channel count and more ergonomic control surfaces to manipulate them. Naturally, Calrec has the answer. With the same levels of reliability which Calrec are world-renowned, and a remarkably intuitive control surface which still manages to add enormous flexibility, Apollo is nothing short of revolutionary. Calrec’s Bluefin2 DSP engine equips Apollo with more than 1000 channels for 5.1 Surround production and its internal 8192! Hydra2 router turns the console into a powerful networking tool. The world’s most successful broadcasters rely on Calrec consoles. Apollo is the first of Calrec’s new generation.

Putting Sound in the Picture

calrec.com

2

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 25

among others for various elements of the installation while UAE-based twofour54 and BBC have been offering training.”

Oman TV is presently transmitted across the world on different satellites including Arabsat, Nilesat, Hot Bird, PanAmSat, AsiaSat 3 and Galaxy among others.

The next step is to focus on transmitting terrestrial TV, says Marhouby.

“We are closely studying the potential of undertaking a DVB-T2 project in Oman as we have to close down all of our old analogue transmitters by 2015. Unlike most other countries in the Gulf, the topology of Oman is very complicated with its mountains and valleys, which is the beauty of the country, but we need more number of transmitters to cover different pockets.

This is where we are headed,” he says. Alongside this, more than 80,000 crates of

old footage, some dating back to 1974, when the state broadcaster was first launched, are waiting to be digitised at the facility.

Footage in all kinds of formats including two-inch and one-inch tapes, U-matic tapes and more are lying untouched.

“We obviously cannot afford to lose them. This is a matter of urgency and the second phase of this project is to engage

Kit list* Sony HDC -1500 cameras, vision mixers & monitors* Vinten pedestals* Telemetrics camera rail system* Egripment camera jibs* Autocue prompters* Sennheiser microphones* Genelec speakers* Tektronik waveform monitors and rasterisers* Riedel intercom* Miranda multiviewers * Snell video routers* Axon glue* ARRI stage lighting* Tedial MAM system* VizRT graphics* Avid iNews NRCS* Avid ISIS/Interplay content production system* Seachange playout servers* StorageTek robotic storage system* Pebble Beach automation* BTS Traffic & Scheduling* IT infrastructure based on Cisco

switches and routers over CAT6* HP workstations

an archive specialist to undertake this task for us. This building has been designed to house our archives,” says Marhouby.

For now, although a big chunk of the HD/3G project is complete, Marhouby’s biggest challenge will begin as the operators gradually leave their old ways of operation to adapt to a new way of tapeless life.

“It’s a tough challenge but I’m sure we shall eventually get everyone to adapt,” adds Marhouby. PRO

“Unlike most other countries in the Gulf, the topology of Oman is very complicated with its mountains and valleys”Mohammed Al Marhouby, Director General of Engineering, Public Authority for Radio & TV, Oman

PROEXCLUSIVE

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201326

A cultural centre in Taif, Saudi Arabia recently undertook a large audio installation with Sennheiser Group.

BroadcastPro ME brings you the details

Making waves in Saudi Arabia

PROAUDIO

Saudi Arabia’s Souk Okaz public theatre in Taif has deployed a state-of-the-art audio system from Sennheiser Group. The installation was undertaken in partnership with KSA-based Modern Lifestyles.

The historic Souk Okaz was established 12 centuries ago and has been revived as a tourist resort in Taif, a city in Saudi Arabia. Now celebrating its sixth anniversary year, Souk Okaz which was re-established by Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal is an annual event featuring a variety of cultural events including seminars, poetic evenings and folk performances. At the heart

of Souk Okaz is the public theatre which boasts a seating capacity for more than 3000 people. The modern day auditorium which is built in the historic marketplace is the venue for poetry and storytelling competitions.

Eager to ensure the best listening experience for visitors to the fair, but limited by minimal experience in the !eld of audio engineering, Ascon Co. Ltd., the contractor for the project, turned to Modern Lifestyles, a Jeddah-based distributor specialising in audio and entertainment solutions.

The Souk Okaz theatre is a semi-permanent tent structure and Modern Lifestyles was

Images of various elements of the installation at Souk Okaz, Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 27

PROAUDIO

tasked with designing a solution that would account for unique echo and reverb issues in such a setting. Also, given the nature of the structure, the systems would have to operate effectively under a wide range of weather and site conditions.

Modern Lifestyles proposed a solution by Sennheiser Middle East that included a DAS Audio AERO 8-A Line-Array system and Sennheiser G3 wireless systems with antenna distribution.

Commenting on the factors behind the selection, Majd Al Khattib, Technical Director at Modern Lifestyles said, “With

the poetry and story telling competitions taking centrestage at the fair, Saudi Diyar and Ascon had set extremely high expectations of the audio systems. The solution had to be customised to handle speech and poetry with the utmost clarity. These requirements coupled with the complexity raised by the tent-like structure meant that we need to select a vendor with both the best product and the most professional support services.”

Al Khattib added: “We carried out extensive market analysis and we were extremely impressed with the Sennheiser team throughout the stringent selection

At the heart of Souk Okaz is the public theatre which boasts a seating capacity for more than 3000 people.

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201326

A cultural centre in Taif, Saudi Arabia recently undertook a large audio installation with Sennheiser Group.

BroadcastPro ME brings you the details

Making waves in Saudi Arabia

PROAUDIO

Saudi Arabia’s Souk Okaz public theatre in Taif has deployed a state-of-the-art audio system from Sennheiser Group. The installation was undertaken in partnership with KSA-based Modern Lifestyles.

The historic Souk Okaz was established 12 centuries ago and has been revived as a tourist resort in Taif, a city in Saudi Arabia. Now celebrating its sixth anniversary year, Souk Okaz which was re-established by Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal is an annual event featuring a variety of cultural events including seminars, poetic evenings and folk performances. At the heart

of Souk Okaz is the public theatre which boasts a seating capacity for more than 3000 people. The modern day auditorium which is built in the historic marketplace is the venue for poetry and storytelling competitions.

Eager to ensure the best listening experience for visitors to the fair, but limited by minimal experience in the !eld of audio engineering, Ascon Co. Ltd., the contractor for the project, turned to Modern Lifestyles, a Jeddah-based distributor specialising in audio and entertainment solutions.

The Souk Okaz theatre is a semi-permanent tent structure and Modern Lifestyles was

Images of various elements of the installation at Souk Okaz, Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 27

PROAUDIO

tasked with designing a solution that would account for unique echo and reverb issues in such a setting. Also, given the nature of the structure, the systems would have to operate effectively under a wide range of weather and site conditions.

Modern Lifestyles proposed a solution by Sennheiser Middle East that included a DAS Audio AERO 8-A Line-Array system and Sennheiser G3 wireless systems with antenna distribution.

Commenting on the factors behind the selection, Majd Al Khattib, Technical Director at Modern Lifestyles said, “With

the poetry and story telling competitions taking centrestage at the fair, Saudi Diyar and Ascon had set extremely high expectations of the audio systems. The solution had to be customised to handle speech and poetry with the utmost clarity. These requirements coupled with the complexity raised by the tent-like structure meant that we need to select a vendor with both the best product and the most professional support services.”

Al Khattib added: “We carried out extensive market analysis and we were extremely impressed with the Sennheiser team throughout the stringent selection

At the heart of Souk Okaz is the public theatre which boasts a seating capacity for more than 3000 people.

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 29

PROAUDIO

process. They were the most thorough and carried out extensive acoustic analysis, with direct support from DAS Audio, to present us with simulations that ensured optimal performance.”

Sennheiser ME worked closely with Modern Lifestyles through each phase of the project including programming

for Sennheiser said: “There were certain complexities that required for us to be !exible in our design approach. To ensure that we got the project realised in a concise and ef"cient manner, we took the decision to get Sennheiser UK’s sound reinforcement specialist, involved with the commissioning.”

Modern Lifestyles’ systems integration team completed the installation within just four days after which the team from Sennheiser ME began extensive testing of the system. This involved sound pressure testing and comparison of the system’s actual performance to that during simulation. The results exceeded the performance metrics on all criteria, according to Modern Lifestyles.

The theatre now boasts a state-of-the-art audio solution that has been implemented within budget and provides huge !exibility. The use of Sennheiser’s wireless products allows for changes to be made rapidly as the DAS speakers can be easily repositioned to meet dynamic requirements.

“We are excited about launching this theatre in 2013. We are sure that the experience will be different now that the sound system and all other ancillary components are ready,” added Modern Lifestyles’ Al Khattib. PRO

“There were certain complexities that required for us to be !exible in our design approach. To ensure that we got the project realised ... ef"cient[ly], we took the decision to get Sennheiser UK’s sound reinforcement specialist, involved with the commissioning”Ryan Burr, Technical Sales Manager, Sennheiser

and commissioning of the system. There were aspects of the project that

raised unique challenges for the design team. For one, the auditorium is situated atop a 1900m mountain plateau and a part of this mountain is contained within the theatre to create a rustic feel.

Ryan Burr, Technical Sales Manager

The installation was completed within four days by Modern Lifestyle.

VSN is proud to present the ultimate media concept,Tapeless 2.0, a new generation of software tools for broadcastthat will make the difference.

VSN’s Spider Platform is a cutting-edge framework featuring thelatest cloud-friendly solutions for Media & Broadcast.

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 29

PROAUDIO

process. They were the most thorough and carried out extensive acoustic analysis, with direct support from DAS Audio, to present us with simulations that ensured optimal performance.”

Sennheiser ME worked closely with Modern Lifestyles through each phase of the project including programming

for Sennheiser said: “There were certain complexities that required for us to be !exible in our design approach. To ensure that we got the project realised in a concise and ef"cient manner, we took the decision to get Sennheiser UK’s sound reinforcement specialist, involved with the commissioning.”

Modern Lifestyles’ systems integration team completed the installation within just four days after which the team from Sennheiser ME began extensive testing of the system. This involved sound pressure testing and comparison of the system’s actual performance to that during simulation. The results exceeded the performance metrics on all criteria, according to Modern Lifestyles.

The theatre now boasts a state-of-the-art audio solution that has been implemented within budget and provides huge !exibility. The use of Sennheiser’s wireless products allows for changes to be made rapidly as the DAS speakers can be easily repositioned to meet dynamic requirements.

“We are excited about launching this theatre in 2013. We are sure that the experience will be different now that the sound system and all other ancillary components are ready,” added Modern Lifestyles’ Al Khattib. PRO

“There were certain complexities that required for us to be !exible in our design approach. To ensure that we got the project realised ... ef"cient[ly], we took the decision to get Sennheiser UK’s sound reinforcement specialist, involved with the commissioning”Ryan Burr, Technical Sales Manager, Sennheiser

and commissioning of the system. There were aspects of the project that

raised unique challenges for the design team. For one, the auditorium is situated atop a 1900m mountain plateau and a part of this mountain is contained within the theatre to create a rustic feel.

Ryan Burr, Technical Sales Manager

The installation was completed within four days by Modern Lifestyle.

VSN is proud to present the ultimate media concept,Tapeless 2.0, a new generation of software tools for broadcastthat will make the difference.

VSN’s Spider Platform is a cutting-edge framework featuring thelatest cloud-friendly solutions for Media & Broadcast.

© Copyright 2012 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside logo,

Xeon and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

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PROREVIEW

The VFX heavyweightWhen the beta version of Nuke 7.0 became available, BroadcastPro ME got in touch with VFX editor Alistair Rankine to test the product for us

The Foundry has released Nuke 7.0, which should be available by the time this issue of the magazine reaches your desk.

This version promises to be The Foundry’s most groundbreaking release to date. Several enhancements to existing features as well as new additions that have been requested by independent users and VFX houses alike makes Nuke 7.0 a better and much faster version.

For anyone in the region that is new to the software, Nuke is a shot-by-shot node compositing software that has grown over the years to become the industry-standard compositing solution for !lm, TV and high-end commercials.

This has been used by companies like

Industrial Light and Magic on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Peter Jackson’s WETA Digital on the FX-heavy Prometheus.

As with other high-end node compositors such as Autodesk Flame and Eyeon’s Digital Fusion, Nuke’s initial power comes from its ability to build to the most complex of node trees. It allows you to instantly add, remove and reorder effects, all within a true 3D working environment.

I have often noticed that most independent companies in this region do all of their work on layer-by-layer compositing and effects tools such as After Effects.

Although I’m a great admirer of After Effects, there will be a time when you will be provided with a shot that will only be

32 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2013 January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 33

PROREVIEW

truly achievable on node-based software. This is where Nuke comes into its own.

Nuke presently comes in two versions — Nuke and NukeX, the latter being the more powerful and also, the more expensive of the two software applications. NukeX comes with additional tools including a camera tracker and particles. The interface is the same as before, which is obviously a big plus point.

What then has changed? Well, a lot of what has been incorporated into Nuke 7.0 comes in the form of speed and performance.

Nuke 7.0 and Nuke 7X now incorporate RAM cache, for instance.

This is a huge step forward not only in terms of time saving but usability as well. One of my biggest bugbears when working on equipment is not being able to have real-time playback. With the new RAM playback cache, you can now play your videos back in real-time.

Nuke 7X not only incorporates the RAM cache but also features GPU-accelerated nodes for Motion Blur, Kronos, Denoise,

LIVE NEWS. FAST!

MODULAR TECHNOLOGY SERVING YOUR PERFORMANCE IN NEWS

Go to evs.tv/newsperformance

175x110_NewSlogan.indd 1 19/10/2012 09:38:14

Nuke 7.0 features RAM playback cache to give artists real-time playback and GPU acceleration to speed up interactive processing when dealing with MotionBlur, Kronos, Denoise, VectorGenerator, Convolve and ZDefocus.

VectorGenerator, Convolve and ZDefocus. This provides faster processing for the

user when using these nodes. They are designed to be used with NVIDIA CUDA graphics cards, so it’s good to remember that the better your NVIDIA graphics card, the better the performance.

Like me, I am sure that when it comes to adding Motion Blur or working with z depth and time remapping tools in a composition, other users also dread the

heaviness that it adds to one’s work!ow. With NukeX, this concern is eliminated as the speed at which these nodes work is signi"cantly faster. If you do not have an NVIDIA CUDA graphics card, Nuke will simply get its power from your computer’s CPU without you readjusting any settings.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the new tools available inside Nuke 7 and Nuke 7X. Nuke 7.0 now incorporates Primatte 5, the latest version of this keying

PROREVIEW

The VFX heavyweightWhen the beta version of Nuke 7.0 became available, BroadcastPro ME got in touch with VFX editor Alistair Rankine to test the product for us

The Foundry has released Nuke 7.0, which should be available by the time this issue of the magazine reaches your desk.

This version promises to be The Foundry’s most groundbreaking release to date. Several enhancements to existing features as well as new additions that have been requested by independent users and VFX houses alike makes Nuke 7.0 a better and much faster version.

For anyone in the region that is new to the software, Nuke is a shot-by-shot node compositing software that has grown over the years to become the industry-standard compositing solution for !lm, TV and high-end commercials.

This has been used by companies like

Industrial Light and Magic on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Peter Jackson’s WETA Digital on the FX-heavy Prometheus.

As with other high-end node compositors such as Autodesk Flame and Eyeon’s Digital Fusion, Nuke’s initial power comes from its ability to build to the most complex of node trees. It allows you to instantly add, remove and reorder effects, all within a true 3D working environment.

I have often noticed that most independent companies in this region do all of their work on layer-by-layer compositing and effects tools such as After Effects.

Although I’m a great admirer of After Effects, there will be a time when you will be provided with a shot that will only be

32 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2013 January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 33

PROREVIEW

truly achievable on node-based software. This is where Nuke comes into its own.

Nuke presently comes in two versions — Nuke and NukeX, the latter being the more powerful and also, the more expensive of the two software applications. NukeX comes with additional tools including a camera tracker and particles. The interface is the same as before, which is obviously a big plus point.

What then has changed? Well, a lot of what has been incorporated into Nuke 7.0 comes in the form of speed and performance.

Nuke 7.0 and Nuke 7X now incorporate RAM cache, for instance.

This is a huge step forward not only in terms of time saving but usability as well. One of my biggest bugbears when working on equipment is not being able to have real-time playback. With the new RAM playback cache, you can now play your videos back in real-time.

Nuke 7X not only incorporates the RAM cache but also features GPU-accelerated nodes for Motion Blur, Kronos, Denoise,

LIVE NEWS. FAST!

MODULAR TECHNOLOGY SERVING YOUR PERFORMANCE IN NEWS

Go to evs.tv/newsperformance

175x110_NewSlogan.indd 1 19/10/2012 09:38:14

Nuke 7.0 features RAM playback cache to give artists real-time playback and GPU acceleration to speed up interactive processing when dealing with MotionBlur, Kronos, Denoise, VectorGenerator, Convolve and ZDefocus.

VectorGenerator, Convolve and ZDefocus. This provides faster processing for the

user when using these nodes. They are designed to be used with NVIDIA CUDA graphics cards, so it’s good to remember that the better your NVIDIA graphics card, the better the performance.

Like me, I am sure that when it comes to adding Motion Blur or working with z depth and time remapping tools in a composition, other users also dread the

heaviness that it adds to one’s work!ow. With NukeX, this concern is eliminated as the speed at which these nodes work is signi"cantly faster. If you do not have an NVIDIA CUDA graphics card, Nuke will simply get its power from your computer’s CPU without you readjusting any settings.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the new tools available inside Nuke 7 and Nuke 7X. Nuke 7.0 now incorporates Primatte 5, the latest version of this keying

PROREVIEW

tool. Improvements have been made to the auto-compute function within the Primatte node to help the user handle complex keys quicker and easier.

Does it work? Yes indeed! Usually, when I see the word “auto” in any software, I am sceptical even before I hit the button. The auto-compute button in Primatte 5, however, is signi!cantly better than the previous release and helps the user to immediately get in the correct ball park to help them complete the key. Combine this with the new Smart background colour select and the new lighting features that allow you to independently adjust the lighting on both the backplate and the foreground along with the Hybrid render function. We even have an extremely powerful keying tool that can handle the trickiest of keys, even if they have been lit badly in the initial shoot.

The Roto tool has also been overhauled and works signi!cantly faster thanks to Nuke’s new realtime playback, which delivers better user interactivity. This provides the user with the ability to work faster and more ef!ciently on larger images and heavier compositions without having to worry about sticky splines and an overall heaviness to the system when rotoscoping. A large number of splines can now playback with consistent frames per second.

I have been working with the beta version of the new software so I’m not sure how many more improvements will be made before the release but so far, the changes within the Roto tool make rotoscoping a pleasure rather than a chore.

Other improvements include dedicated stereoscopic roto tools that allow the user to roto different parallax planes within the same roto and using the stereo offset to apply them to the left and right eye. This is not just a great time saver when working with stereoscopic projects but more importantly, it allows for more accurate and consistent results with both the left and the right eye.

Again, the 2D tracker in this app is now more accurate, ef!cient and faster than before and works extremely well. The 2D tracker on the previous release used to be pretty good so a revamped and enhanced version can be nothing short of fantastic.

The three tools I have spoken about so

The latest upgrade to Primatte 5 (screenshots on the left) sees features such as Improved auto compute, smart back-ground colour select, hybrid render, adjustment to lighting features and multiple new output modes.

34 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2013

Nuke and NukeX system requirements for Windows and Linux 550 Mhz Pentium III or newer processor Windows XP (with service pack 2 or later), Windows 7 (64-bit), or Linux RHEL 5.4.Linux RHEL 5.4. 5 GB disk space available for caching and temporary !les 512 MB RAM (minimum requirement) Workstation-class graphics card, such as NVIDIA Quadro series, ATI FireGL series, R3D

Rocket, or newer. Driver support for OpenGL 2.0. To enable optional GPU acceleration of certain effects, you need OpenGL 2.0 with support for "oating point textures and GLSL. Display with at least 1280 x 1024 pixel resolution and 24-bit colour Three-button mouse

Nuke and NukeX system requirements for Mac OS X

For Nuke 64-bit Mac support, you will need a Mac with an Intel Core 2 Duo or later 5 GB of disk space available for caching and temporary !les 512 MB of RAM (minimum requirement) PCI Express or R3D Rocket graphics card with at least 32 MB of video memory. Driver support

for OpenGL 2.0 Display with at least 1280 x 1024 pixel resolution and 24-bit colour Three-button mouse

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| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201336

PROREVIEW

far are actually my workhorse toolset. I use these tools on a daily basis regardless of how easy or complex the job is. Day-to-day compositing on Nuke has become easier and faster with the new additions to keying, roto and tracking nodes. These are what will help Nuke stay ahead of the game.

Of course, Nuke 7.0 also has several other new features including an upgraded re-lighting tool that allows the end user to relight renders within Nuke itself and prevent the need for going back and forth between different software applications to adjust the lighting. Again, this addition saves time.

Improvements have also been made within the 3D environment with the addition of the 3D Scale Manipulator and 3D Alpha Shadows. The Z Blur tool has received a signi!cant upgrade

with its new and improved algorithm.NukeX bene!ts from a set of speci!c

GPU-accelerated nodes. There is also great improvement to the inbuilt particle system, and an enhanced Depth Generator and PointCloud Generator.

Another great addition to NukeX is the model builder. This allows the artist to quickly create 3D props and sits directly inside Nuke. It offers a whole new set of tools allowing the artist to build and project onto models directly in the NukeX interface.

Nuke and NukeX both support Industrial Light and Magic’s OpenEXR 2 for deep compositing. It can also read and write geometry and camera data to Sony Pictures Imageworks’ Alembic !le format.

FBX 2012 is now supported and backwards compatible with the previous

versions. There is also support for ARRIRAW and Red’s R3D SDK !les.

Other new features are available and can be viewed on The Foundry’s web site.

So, having had the opportunity to beta test the Nuke 7 and Nuke 7X, do I like it? With all of the improvements to the basic features such as keying, rotoscoping and tracking, and the addition of new tools such as ModelBulider, I don’t have any complaints.

Nuke has all of the tools you require to handle any heavy visual effects compositing job.

My only dislike with Nuke and this isn’t new to this version is the appearance of the nodes within my node graph. To be fair, this is quite personal and comes from my background working with Autodesk products as well as working on systems such as DS Nitris and Digital Fusion. For some reason, I have never liked the way the nodes looked or the method of connecting the nodes to each other. If I had to change anything, it would only be this.

I would introduce more robust nodes with more distinctive in and out ports. This, as I pointed out, is purely a matter of personal taste and has no bearing on the performance of the software per se.

Another pet peeve that I used to have was the lack of a shot-by-shot timeline like you would have in Smoke or Final Cut Pro. Having come from a Flame/Smoke/DS background, I have always liked the combination of a timeline editor with the ability to jump inside a node compositor. This, however, is no longer valid thanks to Hiero, the new addition to the Nuke pipeline.

Hiero is basically Nuke’s shot management system. It gives the VFX artist the ability to conform all of the shots that they will be working on into a useable timeline.

Hiero will conform EDLs and XML !les. It understands any format that Nuke understands. It will also colour manage all of your footage using OpenColourIO, which is an open source management system developed by Sony Picture Imageworks. This allows all colour transforms and image displays to be consistent throughout the entire VFX pipeline and colour grading process. This

Screenshots of RotaPaint above and the 2D tracker below. Performance improvements to Rotopaint in Nuke 7.0 and new features include cusped shape mode, constant selec-tion, and extended copy and paste parameters. The 2D tracker has greater tracking ability and works well alongside Nuke’s precise 3D camera tracker.

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| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201336

PROREVIEW

far are actually my workhorse toolset. I use these tools on a daily basis regardless of how easy or complex the job is. Day-to-day compositing on Nuke has become easier and faster with the new additions to keying, roto and tracking nodes. These are what will help Nuke stay ahead of the game.

Of course, Nuke 7.0 also has several other new features including an upgraded re-lighting tool that allows the end user to relight renders within Nuke itself and prevent the need for going back and forth between different software applications to adjust the lighting. Again, this addition saves time.

Improvements have also been made within the 3D environment with the addition of the 3D Scale Manipulator and 3D Alpha Shadows. The Z Blur tool has received a signi!cant upgrade

with its new and improved algorithm.NukeX bene!ts from a set of speci!c

GPU-accelerated nodes. There is also great improvement to the inbuilt particle system, and an enhanced Depth Generator and PointCloud Generator.

Another great addition to NukeX is the model builder. This allows the artist to quickly create 3D props and sits directly inside Nuke. It offers a whole new set of tools allowing the artist to build and project onto models directly in the NukeX interface.

Nuke and NukeX both support Industrial Light and Magic’s OpenEXR 2 for deep compositing. It can also read and write geometry and camera data to Sony Pictures Imageworks’ Alembic !le format.

FBX 2012 is now supported and backwards compatible with the previous

versions. There is also support for ARRIRAW and Red’s R3D SDK !les.

Other new features are available and can be viewed on The Foundry’s web site.

So, having had the opportunity to beta test the Nuke 7 and Nuke 7X, do I like it? With all of the improvements to the basic features such as keying, rotoscoping and tracking, and the addition of new tools such as ModelBulider, I don’t have any complaints.

Nuke has all of the tools you require to handle any heavy visual effects compositing job.

My only dislike with Nuke and this isn’t new to this version is the appearance of the nodes within my node graph. To be fair, this is quite personal and comes from my background working with Autodesk products as well as working on systems such as DS Nitris and Digital Fusion. For some reason, I have never liked the way the nodes looked or the method of connecting the nodes to each other. If I had to change anything, it would only be this.

I would introduce more robust nodes with more distinctive in and out ports. This, as I pointed out, is purely a matter of personal taste and has no bearing on the performance of the software per se.

Another pet peeve that I used to have was the lack of a shot-by-shot timeline like you would have in Smoke or Final Cut Pro. Having come from a Flame/Smoke/DS background, I have always liked the combination of a timeline editor with the ability to jump inside a node compositor. This, however, is no longer valid thanks to Hiero, the new addition to the Nuke pipeline.

Hiero is basically Nuke’s shot management system. It gives the VFX artist the ability to conform all of the shots that they will be working on into a useable timeline.

Hiero will conform EDLs and XML !les. It understands any format that Nuke understands. It will also colour manage all of your footage using OpenColourIO, which is an open source management system developed by Sony Picture Imageworks. This allows all colour transforms and image displays to be consistent throughout the entire VFX pipeline and colour grading process. This

Screenshots of RotaPaint above and the 2D tracker below. Performance improvements to Rotopaint in Nuke 7.0 and new features include cusped shape mode, constant selec-tion, and extended copy and paste parameters. The 2D tracker has greater tracking ability and works well alongside Nuke’s precise 3D camera tracker.

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M_THU9_TMU9_family_207x270_e_121219.indd 1 19.12.12 15:53

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201338

PROREVIEW

is essential when working on VFX shots. As the artist works on shots, they

automatically appear in the Hiero timeline ready to be viewed. Once the sequence is !nished, it can then be exported as a !le sequence or as an EDL and XML so that the shots can be conformed in additional colour grading or !nishing systems should that be required.

So who needs Nuke? I would say that any visual effects house that holds any gravitas in today’s high-end market whether they are in the movie industry, the commercial market or even making high-end corporate/architectural videos, would bene!t from Nuke.

In the past, I probably would not have thought that Nuke was for broadcasters. With the inclusion of Hiero to the Nuke pipeline, I see no reason why broadcasters shouldn’t bene!t from this extensive toolset, particularly within their 3D departments.

One advantage that Nuke has over many of its competitors is the ability to fully customise the software using Python scripting. I believe this is why many of the large companies such as WETA and ILM opt for Nuke as their main compositor. It gives them a vast array of possibilities, being able to customise the software for their speci!c needs.

What do you need to run Nuke?Nuke is available for PCs, Macs and the

Linux OS. For ultimate performance, it would be best to run the PC and Linux versions on some HP workstations with the NVIDIA Quadro K5000 or similar NVIDIA graphics cards. As for the Mac, you will most likely want to run this on an 8- or 12-core Mac Pro workstation, again with a high-powered NVIDIA K5000 or similar graphic card.

Nuke will run on your laptop and Mac Book Pro depending on the graphics cards you have, but for best performance, run it on a high-powered workstation.

In conclusion, Nuke 7 and Nuke 7X come with an excellent toolset but then again, I have always viewed The Foundry as a forward thinking company in the VFX industry. Not only does it develop new tools; it also listens to its users’ needs and implements those requirements into the software. The fact that nearly every new VFX movie has used Nuke within their pipeline speaks for itself. PRO

Alistair Rankine has 23 years of international experience in the post production and broadast industry as Editor, Operations Manager and Visual Effects Artist.

Pros* Advanced node-based compositing in a true 3D

environment with the ability to import, create & relight models directly into software

* Fantastic 2D tracker with Nuke’s 3D camera tracker* RAM cache for realtime playback and GPU

accelerated nodes combo makes this super fast

Wishlist* I would like to make some aesthetic changes to

this software and see visually more robust nodes in the node graph

* I hope some day to see a Nuke/Hiero hybrid, which gives the customer three options namely Nuke, NukeX and NukeX/Hiero

PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF LONDON 2012PIONEER OF HD PRODUCTIONSOUR FLEET IS READY FOR YOUR EVENT: booking@liveHD.ae

Preserving the UAE’s heritage

PROARCHIVE

Organising, cataloguing and preserving !lms is just one

of the initiatives undertaken by Zayed University (ZU) to build the UAE National Film Library and Archive

(UNFLA). As keepers of the country’s cinematic heritage,

the institution is all geared to treasure the work of UAE !lmmakers for generations

to come. In an exclusive interview with Shamika

Andrade, the ZU team gives a heads-up of what the

project entails

“You can’t build an industry without knowing what has come before. The UAE needs a !lm library and archive before the existing !lms are permanently lost” Alia Yunis, Principal investigator, Zayed University

With the number of !lm festivals and funding options available, the UAE !lm industry, though nascent, is de!nitely growing in leaps and bounds. Yet, while the country puts in a lot of effort into building its !lm industry, no effort has been made to preserve these !lms for posterity. "

“So much of a country’s history is in its !lm,” says Alia Yunis, who is assistant professor at the University and Principal Investigator of this project.

“Already, so much has been lost in this relatively young industry,” she says.

“We don’t want the UAE to suffer the losses that so many countries including the US and nearby Egypt have experienced. Films have been destroyed over time because they were not properly stored — or even worse, because they were simply not discovered.”

As the team began work on the project, they realised to their dismay that there was very little information about the existence of !lms made by Emiratis in the past.

“You cannot build an industry without knowing what has come before. The UAE needs a !lm library and archive before the existing !lms are permanently lost,” says Yunis.

Housed in the archive rooms at the University’s new Abu Dhabi campus, UNFLA is supported by a two-year grant from Zayed University’s 2012 Research Incentive fund. During this period, approximately 400 !lms produced or co-produced by Emiratis or UAE-based entities will be collected. These !lms could be anything from one-minute shorts to feature-length !lms.

The team includes ten researchers and is headed by Alia Yunis, Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF) programme manager Ozge Calafato, Zayed University librarian David

40 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2013 January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 41

Oldenkamp and archivist Heidi Butler.!ADFF programme manager Calafato says

the project will enable the team to provide “reliable information for researchers, "lmmakers and "lm enthusiasts.”

“We hope to create a unique reference point for cinema in this country. For the purpose of archiving, the "lms will be acquired in their original formats without digital compression or editing beyond the director’s cut whenever possible. In addition, collateral material such as scripts, subtitles or translations, promotional materials, media clippings, and "lm festival records will be kept in the state-of-the-art archive room at ZU to provide context for each "lm and support the research process,” she states.

Archivist Heidi Butler says the original formats will remain with the University and only copies will be made accessible to researchers.

“This will ensure that they are protected and preserved. The duplicated versions on DVD will be available for research

PROARCHIVE

The ultimate sports solution made portable

Vizrt o!ers the ultimate sports solution for broadcasters in the OB Van.

With Viz Trio, Vizrt’s character generator (CG), broadcasters get an easy to use application for displaying in-game graphics, vital stats and scores in real-time. Place graphics in the action with Viz Arena for virtual ads and graphic overlays for every playing area. Analyze plays and controversial calls and create virtual replays with Libero Highlight.

Learn more about Vizrt’s sports solutions at vizrt.com

AlIa Yunis (L) is Principal Investigator of the project and Heidi Butler (r) is an archivist at ZU, and a member of the Academy of Certi!ed Archivists and the International Council on Archives.

in the Zayed University archive facility by appointment. We will, of course, add some of the more popular feature "lms to the audiovisual collections in our library for public access.”

The archival collections will be housed in boxes and other containers that are being shipped in from the United States.

“There is no producer in the region that can make storage materials that

meet international standards for long-term archival storage, such as acid-free paper or ventilated "lm canisters. As a result, we have had to source them from outside,” explains Butler.

The team has looked at several examples of archival projects before beginning their own. They have considered designing their own customised description scheme to follow international standards and

Preserving the UAE’s heritage

PROARCHIVE

Organising, cataloguing and preserving !lms is just one

of the initiatives undertaken by Zayed University (ZU) to build the UAE National Film Library and Archive

(UNFLA). As keepers of the country’s cinematic heritage,

the institution is all geared to treasure the work of UAE !lmmakers for generations

to come. In an exclusive interview with Shamika

Andrade, the ZU team gives a heads-up of what the

project entails

“You can’t build an industry without knowing what has come before. The UAE needs a !lm library and archive before the existing !lms are permanently lost” Alia Yunis, Principal investigator, Zayed University

With the number of !lm festivals and funding options available, the UAE !lm industry, though nascent, is de!nitely growing in leaps and bounds. Yet, while the country puts in a lot of effort into building its !lm industry, no effort has been made to preserve these !lms for posterity. "

“So much of a country’s history is in its !lm,” says Alia Yunis, who is assistant professor at the University and Principal Investigator of this project.

“Already, so much has been lost in this relatively young industry,” she says.

“We don’t want the UAE to suffer the losses that so many countries including the US and nearby Egypt have experienced. Films have been destroyed over time because they were not properly stored — or even worse, because they were simply not discovered.”

As the team began work on the project, they realised to their dismay that there was very little information about the existence of !lms made by Emiratis in the past.

“You cannot build an industry without knowing what has come before. The UAE needs a !lm library and archive before the existing !lms are permanently lost,” says Yunis.

Housed in the archive rooms at the University’s new Abu Dhabi campus, UNFLA is supported by a two-year grant from Zayed University’s 2012 Research Incentive fund. During this period, approximately 400 !lms produced or co-produced by Emiratis or UAE-based entities will be collected. These !lms could be anything from one-minute shorts to feature-length !lms.

The team includes ten researchers and is headed by Alia Yunis, Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF) programme manager Ozge Calafato, Zayed University librarian David

40 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2013 January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 41

Oldenkamp and archivist Heidi Butler.!ADFF programme manager Calafato says

the project will enable the team to provide “reliable information for researchers, "lmmakers and "lm enthusiasts.”

“We hope to create a unique reference point for cinema in this country. For the purpose of archiving, the "lms will be acquired in their original formats without digital compression or editing beyond the director’s cut whenever possible. In addition, collateral material such as scripts, subtitles or translations, promotional materials, media clippings, and "lm festival records will be kept in the state-of-the-art archive room at ZU to provide context for each "lm and support the research process,” she states.

Archivist Heidi Butler says the original formats will remain with the University and only copies will be made accessible to researchers.

“This will ensure that they are protected and preserved. The duplicated versions on DVD will be available for research

PROARCHIVE

The ultimate sports solution made portable

Vizrt o!ers the ultimate sports solution for broadcasters in the OB Van.

With Viz Trio, Vizrt’s character generator (CG), broadcasters get an easy to use application for displaying in-game graphics, vital stats and scores in real-time. Place graphics in the action with Viz Arena for virtual ads and graphic overlays for every playing area. Analyze plays and controversial calls and create virtual replays with Libero Highlight.

Learn more about Vizrt’s sports solutions at vizrt.com

AlIa Yunis (L) is Principal Investigator of the project and Heidi Butler (r) is an archivist at ZU, and a member of the Academy of Certi!ed Archivists and the International Council on Archives.

in the Zayed University archive facility by appointment. We will, of course, add some of the more popular feature "lms to the audiovisual collections in our library for public access.”

The archival collections will be housed in boxes and other containers that are being shipped in from the United States.

“There is no producer in the region that can make storage materials that

meet international standards for long-term archival storage, such as acid-free paper or ventilated "lm canisters. As a result, we have had to source them from outside,” explains Butler.

The team has looked at several examples of archival projects before beginning their own. They have considered designing their own customised description scheme to follow international standards and

PROARCHIVE

accommodate local users. Cataloguing an audiovisual collection is a time-consuming process and, therefore, the team strives to keep it as simple as possible while conforming to current standards. The storage of the actual !lms and related material will meet international standards for climate control, security and other forms of conservation and protection. In this way, the actual"archival"version can be stored in such a way that it ensures long-term integrity.

“Digital !les will be saved to a protected hard drive or server, with a plan to test and migrate them periodically to more futuristic formats. Analogue versions also need to be stored properly and checked routinely as !lm media is sensitive to light, pests, and #uctuations in temperature and humidity,” explains Butler.

“With regards to databases, we are looking at open-source programmes speci!cally designed for library and archive purposes, because our !lm cataloguing will be done in accordance with international descriptive standards such as the General International Standard for Archival Description or ISAD-G, among others. What a user would see online eventually will be similar to a library’s online catalogue, in that they could use keywords to search across the collection and !nd out more about the materials. At this time, we do

not have plans to provide an online video streaming service due to rights issues, time constraints and !nancial hurdles, but our database will lead a user to locate a !lm and check its availability. The database will be tackled in the second phase of the project. We will work on this once our preparation of the initial physical !lm collection is closer to completion.”

Assets archived at the library will include not just shorts and feature-length !lms by Emiratis that have had a theatrical release, but also content played on television, and/or in a regional or international !lm festivals by UAE nationals or entities.

A selection of !lms made by the nation’s !lmmakers such as Nawaf Al-Janahi, Nayla Al Khaja, Nujoom Alghanem and Ali Mustafa are being acquired and archived.

In addition, !lms that have received funding from the UAE, such as those !nanced by the Abu Dhabi Film Festival’s SANAD fund and the Dubai International Film Festival’s Enjaaz, will be kept in the library. Likewise, those co-funded by government production initiatives will also be archived.

Bollywood !lm My Name is Khan and Hollywood blockbusters that have been produced in association with UAE’s Image Nation and Filmworks such as The Help, Contagion,"Fair Game, Syriana"and"Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol will also be part of the archives.

Line-ups from the Emirates Film Competition (EFC), the Gulf Film Festival (GFF) and the Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF) will also be represented.

The team is presently in the process of cataloguing and organising the !lms. Once the !lms have been archived, UNFLA will offer study opportunities to Zayed University faculty and students and will provide valuable material for researchers internationally across multiple disciplines.

“Sustainability is a big buzzword both at the university and throughout the UAE. We hope to build the collection so that it is sustainable by and for others in the future,” concludes Butler. PRO

“We are looking at open source programmes speci!cally designed for library and archive purposes, because our !lm cataloguing will be in accordance with international descriptive standards” Heidi Butler, Zayed University Archivist and member of the Academy of Certi!ed Archivists

“We hope to create a unique reference point for cinema in this country” Ozge Calafato, programme manager, ADFF

Top, ADFF programme manager Ozge Calafato is on the UNFLA team and below, ZU librarian David Oldenkamp.

42 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2013

PROARCHIVE

accommodate local users. Cataloguing an audiovisual collection is a time-consuming process and, therefore, the team strives to keep it as simple as possible while conforming to current standards. The storage of the actual !lms and related material will meet international standards for climate control, security and other forms of conservation and protection. In this way, the actual"archival"version can be stored in such a way that it ensures long-term integrity.

“Digital !les will be saved to a protected hard drive or server, with a plan to test and migrate them periodically to more futuristic formats. Analogue versions also need to be stored properly and checked routinely as !lm media is sensitive to light, pests, and #uctuations in temperature and humidity,” explains Butler.

“With regards to databases, we are looking at open-source programmes speci!cally designed for library and archive purposes, because our !lm cataloguing will be done in accordance with international descriptive standards such as the General International Standard for Archival Description or ISAD-G, among others. What a user would see online eventually will be similar to a library’s online catalogue, in that they could use keywords to search across the collection and !nd out more about the materials. At this time, we do

not have plans to provide an online video streaming service due to rights issues, time constraints and !nancial hurdles, but our database will lead a user to locate a !lm and check its availability. The database will be tackled in the second phase of the project. We will work on this once our preparation of the initial physical !lm collection is closer to completion.”

Assets archived at the library will include not just shorts and feature-length !lms by Emiratis that have had a theatrical release, but also content played on television, and/or in a regional or international !lm festivals by UAE nationals or entities.

A selection of !lms made by the nation’s !lmmakers such as Nawaf Al-Janahi, Nayla Al Khaja, Nujoom Alghanem and Ali Mustafa are being acquired and archived.

In addition, !lms that have received funding from the UAE, such as those !nanced by the Abu Dhabi Film Festival’s SANAD fund and the Dubai International Film Festival’s Enjaaz, will be kept in the library. Likewise, those co-funded by government production initiatives will also be archived.

Bollywood !lm My Name is Khan and Hollywood blockbusters that have been produced in association with UAE’s Image Nation and Filmworks such as The Help, Contagion,"Fair Game, Syriana"and"Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol will also be part of the archives.

Line-ups from the Emirates Film Competition (EFC), the Gulf Film Festival (GFF) and the Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF) will also be represented.

The team is presently in the process of cataloguing and organising the !lms. Once the !lms have been archived, UNFLA will offer study opportunities to Zayed University faculty and students and will provide valuable material for researchers internationally across multiple disciplines.

“Sustainability is a big buzzword both at the university and throughout the UAE. We hope to build the collection so that it is sustainable by and for others in the future,” concludes Butler. PRO

“We are looking at open source programmes speci!cally designed for library and archive purposes, because our !lm cataloguing will be in accordance with international descriptive standards” Heidi Butler, Zayed University Archivist and member of the Academy of Certi!ed Archivists

“We hope to create a unique reference point for cinema in this country” Ozge Calafato, programme manager, ADFF

Top, ADFF programme manager Ozge Calafato is on the UNFLA team and below, ZU librarian David Oldenkamp.

42 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2013

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 20134444

PROxxx

When the history of Ultra-HDTV gets written, it may be said that the very !rst move in the adoption of this new transmission technology took place on October 27, 2012 at a suburban electrical store on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The mayor of Lawndale even declared it “U-HD Day” in honour of the town’s debut. On the eve of the launch, more than 1000 visitors, some of who had been queuing all night, trooped into the ‘Video & Audio

Move over 3D, Ultra-HDTV is here

Centre’ to view the !rst commercially available 4K sets from South Korea’s LG, and by 2p.m., six sets were sold.

The 84” displays (LG’s model 84LM9600) were priced at a bargain price of USD16,999 and this itself was a surprise given that most experts anticipated prices in the USD 20,000 range. Sony also took pre-orders for its 84” giant 4K screens at a not-quite-so-cheap $24,999 at Sony stores throughout the US to deliver before Christmas.

4K broadcasting and even, 8K is much

closer to the horizon than most industry

observers have anticipated thus far, says Chris Forrester

PROTECH

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 45

PROTECH

However, it is now clear that 4K broadcasting is being planned and perhaps much sooner than most industry observers anticipated. Japan’s public broadcaster NHK has done much of the groundwork for its own 8K introduction around 2016, but it now looks as if Europe and North America might even beat Japan to the 4K punch.

At the end of October last year, the European Broadcasting Union’s BeyondHD group met in Geneva to discuss codecs, image formats and higher frame rates for U-HDTV. EBU members joined with Japanese broadcaster and U-HDTV pioneer NHK, pay TV broadcaster BSkyB and TV manufacturers Sony and Panasonic to discuss technology issues related to Ultra HD ahead of an expected push by the consumer electronics industry to market display devices globally this year.

“With Ultra-HD we now see … some of the largest broadcasters in the world, embracing an even higher picture quality. It will be the next big thing in broadcasting taking the consumer experience to the next level.”Ferdinand Kayser, CCO, SES

8K Ultra-HDTV is a realityThe London Olympic Games transmitted test 8K to Japan and the US.Japan’s NHK will introduce 8K transmissions using Ka-band satellite, around 2016.

‘effect’ super!uous, only time can tell. BSkyB Director of Operations

Darren Long said: “It’s too early for us to talk about whether or not 4K may form part of our future roadmap, but we are keen to learn more about its potential ahead of next-generation TV sets coming to market.”

Talking about the results of a trial which captured a soccer game at a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, he added “The key to us is to ensure quality and when showing footballers running, it was clear that there was too much camera blur; we feel 120 frames a second is the right speed. We’re liaising with standards bodies and working with manufacturers to understand the camera’s capabilities and to improve the technology.”

The BBC’s Director of Sport Barbara Slater, who supervised the 3D broadcasts and 8K “Super Hi-Vision” experiments in London of the Olympic Games, seems to favour 4K over 3D. “3D never really caught "re, it wasn’t talked about. We are proud of the opportunity to show some 3D coverage but it was not something that really resonated.”

Super Hi-Vision, on the other hand, reportedly wowed audiences – and certainly the BBC – at public screenings, during the recent Games.

Sky Deutschland is the "rst of the Sky-branded European pay-TV operators to come out "rmly in favour of Ultra-HDTV. Brian Sullivan, CEO at Sky-D, is very clear: “We already have an Ultra-HDTV project working here. It’s all early days but I am a great enthusiast and a big and positive supporter of Ultra High-Def. I can promise you we will be one of the "rst. It makes sense for Pay-TV to showcase this technology in the "rst instance.”

Satellite operator SES, already carrying Sky’s UK and German signals, as well as Canal Plus, is also ready.

Ferdinand Kayser, CCO at SES says: “With Ultra-HD we now see our customers, some of the largest

The EBU is looking at U-HD1 – meaning four times the resolution of the present HD – together with higher frame rates, and in particular whether multiples of 50Hz are still required in the upcoming U-HDTV standard, which currently does not include 100Hz, but does embrace 120Hz. The EBU is also planning well ahead for what it now calls U-HD2, or the ‘second generation’ development which takes the line-count up to 8000 pixels (or 8K).

The EBU’s view is that HDTV is now state-of-the-art, and while there may be many broadcasters and programming producers who have yet to fully adopt HDTV, they are in the minority. The industry also needs a product that’s likely to be a better enabler of 3D TV, which has been something of a disappointment to all aspects of the industry.

U-HD1 could solve the 3D puzzle insofar as the higher resolution and increased frame rate to 120 Hz will permit full frame 3D transmissions in place of the current half-frame broadcasts. But there’s more. Side-by-side with the development of Ultra-HD, there’s been a dramatic improvement in the development of 3D without glasses. These innovations, especially those from players such as Sony as well as Dolby/Philips, are expected to see fully acceptable 3D without glasses introduced at the same time as U-HD displays.

It is also fair to say that most people who have seen demonstrations of Ultra-HD (in both 4K and 8K versions) are wholly impressed by the ‘immersive’ nature of the visual experience. Whether this makes the whole 3D

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 20134444

PROxxx

When the history of Ultra-HDTV gets written, it may be said that the very !rst move in the adoption of this new transmission technology took place on October 27, 2012 at a suburban electrical store on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The mayor of Lawndale even declared it “U-HD Day” in honour of the town’s debut. On the eve of the launch, more than 1000 visitors, some of who had been queuing all night, trooped into the ‘Video & Audio

Move over 3D, Ultra-HDTV is here

Centre’ to view the !rst commercially available 4K sets from South Korea’s LG, and by 2p.m., six sets were sold.

The 84” displays (LG’s model 84LM9600) were priced at a bargain price of USD16,999 and this itself was a surprise given that most experts anticipated prices in the USD 20,000 range. Sony also took pre-orders for its 84” giant 4K screens at a not-quite-so-cheap $24,999 at Sony stores throughout the US to deliver before Christmas.

4K broadcasting and even, 8K is much

closer to the horizon than most industry

observers have anticipated thus far, says Chris Forrester

PROTECH

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 45

PROTECH

However, it is now clear that 4K broadcasting is being planned and perhaps much sooner than most industry observers anticipated. Japan’s public broadcaster NHK has done much of the groundwork for its own 8K introduction around 2016, but it now looks as if Europe and North America might even beat Japan to the 4K punch.

At the end of October last year, the European Broadcasting Union’s BeyondHD group met in Geneva to discuss codecs, image formats and higher frame rates for U-HDTV. EBU members joined with Japanese broadcaster and U-HDTV pioneer NHK, pay TV broadcaster BSkyB and TV manufacturers Sony and Panasonic to discuss technology issues related to Ultra HD ahead of an expected push by the consumer electronics industry to market display devices globally this year.

“With Ultra-HD we now see … some of the largest broadcasters in the world, embracing an even higher picture quality. It will be the next big thing in broadcasting taking the consumer experience to the next level.”Ferdinand Kayser, CCO, SES

8K Ultra-HDTV is a realityThe London Olympic Games transmitted test 8K to Japan and the US.Japan’s NHK will introduce 8K transmissions using Ka-band satellite, around 2016.

‘effect’ super!uous, only time can tell. BSkyB Director of Operations

Darren Long said: “It’s too early for us to talk about whether or not 4K may form part of our future roadmap, but we are keen to learn more about its potential ahead of next-generation TV sets coming to market.”

Talking about the results of a trial which captured a soccer game at a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, he added “The key to us is to ensure quality and when showing footballers running, it was clear that there was too much camera blur; we feel 120 frames a second is the right speed. We’re liaising with standards bodies and working with manufacturers to understand the camera’s capabilities and to improve the technology.”

The BBC’s Director of Sport Barbara Slater, who supervised the 3D broadcasts and 8K “Super Hi-Vision” experiments in London of the Olympic Games, seems to favour 4K over 3D. “3D never really caught "re, it wasn’t talked about. We are proud of the opportunity to show some 3D coverage but it was not something that really resonated.”

Super Hi-Vision, on the other hand, reportedly wowed audiences – and certainly the BBC – at public screenings, during the recent Games.

Sky Deutschland is the "rst of the Sky-branded European pay-TV operators to come out "rmly in favour of Ultra-HDTV. Brian Sullivan, CEO at Sky-D, is very clear: “We already have an Ultra-HDTV project working here. It’s all early days but I am a great enthusiast and a big and positive supporter of Ultra High-Def. I can promise you we will be one of the "rst. It makes sense for Pay-TV to showcase this technology in the "rst instance.”

Satellite operator SES, already carrying Sky’s UK and German signals, as well as Canal Plus, is also ready.

Ferdinand Kayser, CCO at SES says: “With Ultra-HD we now see our customers, some of the largest

The EBU is looking at U-HD1 – meaning four times the resolution of the present HD – together with higher frame rates, and in particular whether multiples of 50Hz are still required in the upcoming U-HDTV standard, which currently does not include 100Hz, but does embrace 120Hz. The EBU is also planning well ahead for what it now calls U-HD2, or the ‘second generation’ development which takes the line-count up to 8000 pixels (or 8K).

The EBU’s view is that HDTV is now state-of-the-art, and while there may be many broadcasters and programming producers who have yet to fully adopt HDTV, they are in the minority. The industry also needs a product that’s likely to be a better enabler of 3D TV, which has been something of a disappointment to all aspects of the industry.

U-HD1 could solve the 3D puzzle insofar as the higher resolution and increased frame rate to 120 Hz will permit full frame 3D transmissions in place of the current half-frame broadcasts. But there’s more. Side-by-side with the development of Ultra-HD, there’s been a dramatic improvement in the development of 3D without glasses. These innovations, especially those from players such as Sony as well as Dolby/Philips, are expected to see fully acceptable 3D without glasses introduced at the same time as U-HD displays.

It is also fair to say that most people who have seen demonstrations of Ultra-HD (in both 4K and 8K versions) are wholly impressed by the ‘immersive’ nature of the visual experience. Whether this makes the whole 3D

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 47

PROTECH

broadcasters in the world, embracing an even higher picture quality. It will be the next big thing in broadcasting taking the consumer experience to the next level.”

Dr Giles Wilson, Head of TV Compression Business at Ericsson, says his team is well ahead with HEVC/H.265’s development, which will be standardised this coming winter.

“We have been looking at 4K transmission, because we are !rm believers in it, and we believe HEVC will have a pivotal role in its deployment. New decoders, when properly designed for H.265, will deliver a very good 4K experience.”

But perhaps the largest prize in ‘Western’ U-HD will be DirecTV in the USA. DirecTV has repeatedly said it will support U-HD to its near-20m subscribers.

Philip J. Goswitz, DirecTV’s SVP for space and communications, told delegates at the recent Euroconsult conference in Paris that DirecTV were “huge proponents of [U-HDTV)”.

He adds that by 2016, all of its SD transmissions would have converted

4K, ITU-R, 8K, UHD-1, U-HDTV: what’s the difference?* True 4K is for cinema, and

has 4096 x 2160 pixels* ITU-R is dubbed 4K by Sony, but

with 3840 x 2160 pixels* UHD-1 is also 3840 x 2160 pixels* 8K = 7680 x 4320 (or 33.3

megapixels) and 22.2 channel sound* Super Hi-Vision is Japan’s 8K system* UHD-2 is 7680 x 4320 pixels

“We have been looking at 4K transmission, because we are !rm believers in it, and we believe

HEVC will have a pivotal role in its deployment. New decoders, when properly designed for

H.265, will deliver a very good 4K experience”Dr Giles Wilson, Head of TV Compression Business at Ericsson

Chris Forrester is editorial director of Broadgate Publications.

to HDTV, using its local-into-local Ka-band capacity. He said with SD broadcasting ceasing the broadcaster would have 1GHz of freed-up satellite spectrum available for use by U-HDTV, to a potential 20 million homes.

“Chip manufacturers are making cheaper products. Yes, the TV sets [for ultra-HD] are now USD 20,000. HD in 1998 was about like this, and 2005 was the watershed moment for

HDTV adoption. I hope things are going to evolve more quickly this time around,” Goswitz told delegates.

“We are going to want to have it in place and we will use Ku-band for [Ultra-HD].”

This enthusiasm and forward planning prompted investment bankers Credit Suisse to put out a note to its clients in October last year advising them of the changes likely in broadcasting.

Ultra HDTV will see test channels launched next year, said the bank and this was good news for the satellite industry.

Credit Suisse says that broadcasters in the US and Europe will be starting their roll-out of U-HD in 2015-16.

“We forecast !ve Ultra HD channels in 2013, growing to 135 by the end of 2017.”

That forecast might be a bit optimistic, but the overall consensus is that U-HD is quite de!nitely on its way. Programme makers should start thinking about how to protect their new productions and consider how to ‘future-proof’ that material. PRO

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201348

PROINTERVIEW

Sky News Arabia claims to have invested a lot of time and

effort into creating a visually-appealing news channel. In an exclusive interview with BroadcastPro ME, Creative

Director Habib Feghali talks about the challenges of

creating the visuals for a breaking news channel that is available on multiple platforms

What does your role at Sky News Arabia as Creative Director entail?Heading the creative department is a huge responsibility for the brand because everything that goes on air, on multiple platforms and even, in the print media, needs to go through us. We have very strict guidelines at Sky News Arabia (SNA). We worked with Sky News International to de!ne them. We have speci!c guidelines with regards to the colours, the logo, the usage of our logo and, of course, anything related to the brand itself. As brand guardian, only once I approve of the brand representation, can it be used.

Traditionally, on a news channel, one assumes that content is perhaps the only thing that matters. What does graphics and branding bring to a news channel?Television is a visual medium. Imagery plays a huge role. Today, news is not just about a sentence or a text. If your channel is not appealing to the viewer, he has a vast array of other news channels to

choose from. Plus, there is the multi-platform element to consider today. Likewise, branding is signi!cant. Sky News brought something new to this region on this front. Besides the Sky brand, we tend to brand big stories such as a war or a political upheaval that requires constant updates uniquely.

We treat those stories as sub brands so people can identify them easily. We then update them. It can be anything from a month to six months or more. The unrest in Syria, for instance, is a case in point.

The branding doesn’t stop with the traditional screen. At Sky News Arabia, multiplatform is vital so our branding is spread across all of these.

Brand Guardian

Visually, how is your channel different from the other regional news channels?A story teller does not always invent a story. What will make the story appealing to the viewer is the way he tells it. In the case of news, everyone’s telling the same story and yet, saying it differently. We try to bring a unique graphic element that goes beyond the video or branding of the channel. Some channels have been in the market for a very long time. Proving ourselves graphically was key. We had to hit hard and be very present from day one. We have been very modern, we speak to the region and we speak their language. We also have very high

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 49

international standards at the same time which is a great combination for us. We do the cut outs and prepare the images. We are mindful of the cultural sensitivities of the region. We reject images if they are too graphic as news is not about sensationalising anyway. Also, though we are international, Sky News Arabia is talking to the Arab world. Speaking to someone in the UK is not the same as speaking to someone here or KSA for example. We deal with a totally different mentality and culture and, therefore, we have localised the channel. We have maintained a balance between our global brand while also creating our own personality.

Do you have a team with multiple skills?Yes, we have a team comprising designers, animators and promo producers who, of course, have multiple skills. Our designers can animate if needed. This was one of the most successful strategic directions we took along with localising the brand in Abu Dhabi.

How many people do you have in your team?

PROINTERVIEW

Christian Streib, one of the network’s senior cameramen, is based in CNN’s Beirut bureau. He edited all of the pieces and the half-hour weekend special of the series.

Around 15 people. We are actually split into seven categories including graphic designers, animators, VIZ designers, promo producers and 3D artists. With any project that comes, whether design or animation related or a combination of both, we can handle it. A news channel is not limited to showing live footage. There are times when we have to create some visuals at the editing table. For example, if there is a plane crash and we don’t have rushes or we have to show some elements to explain it better, our designers and animators work with the editorial team to re-create some of that to supplement the news story.

The team is trained on formats, sizes and the quality of the images. They have all been trained on how to choose an image and crop it because sometimes, you need just a portion. But how would you know what to crop? Therefore, everyone here is also trained on composition.There are times when we reject images. Even if it’s a nice picture, we do not use it if it does not !t within the whole story. The team is very consistent with regards to design and animation and maintain very high standards with

regards to the quality and outcome.

What are some of the tools that help you translate your visuals to screen?Basically, in the creative department, the designers use Adobe solutions such as Photoshop and Illustrator. We have the Viz system, mainly Vizrt which is the on-air graphics solution. Besides that, 3ds Max and Adobe After Effects play

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201348

PROINTERVIEW

Sky News Arabia claims to have invested a lot of time and

effort into creating a visually-appealing news channel. In an exclusive interview with BroadcastPro ME, Creative

Director Habib Feghali talks about the challenges of

creating the visuals for a breaking news channel that is available on multiple platforms

What does your role at Sky News Arabia as Creative Director entail?Heading the creative department is a huge responsibility for the brand because everything that goes on air, on multiple platforms and even, in the print media, needs to go through us. We have very strict guidelines at Sky News Arabia (SNA). We worked with Sky News International to de!ne them. We have speci!c guidelines with regards to the colours, the logo, the usage of our logo and, of course, anything related to the brand itself. As brand guardian, only once I approve of the brand representation, can it be used.

Traditionally, on a news channel, one assumes that content is perhaps the only thing that matters. What does graphics and branding bring to a news channel?Television is a visual medium. Imagery plays a huge role. Today, news is not just about a sentence or a text. If your channel is not appealing to the viewer, he has a vast array of other news channels to

choose from. Plus, there is the multi-platform element to consider today. Likewise, branding is signi!cant. Sky News brought something new to this region on this front. Besides the Sky brand, we tend to brand big stories such as a war or a political upheaval that requires constant updates uniquely.

We treat those stories as sub brands so people can identify them easily. We then update them. It can be anything from a month to six months or more. The unrest in Syria, for instance, is a case in point.

The branding doesn’t stop with the traditional screen. At Sky News Arabia, multiplatform is vital so our branding is spread across all of these.

Brand Guardian

Visually, how is your channel different from the other regional news channels?A story teller does not always invent a story. What will make the story appealing to the viewer is the way he tells it. In the case of news, everyone’s telling the same story and yet, saying it differently. We try to bring a unique graphic element that goes beyond the video or branding of the channel. Some channels have been in the market for a very long time. Proving ourselves graphically was key. We had to hit hard and be very present from day one. We have been very modern, we speak to the region and we speak their language. We also have very high

January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 49

international standards at the same time which is a great combination for us. We do the cut outs and prepare the images. We are mindful of the cultural sensitivities of the region. We reject images if they are too graphic as news is not about sensationalising anyway. Also, though we are international, Sky News Arabia is talking to the Arab world. Speaking to someone in the UK is not the same as speaking to someone here or KSA for example. We deal with a totally different mentality and culture and, therefore, we have localised the channel. We have maintained a balance between our global brand while also creating our own personality.

Do you have a team with multiple skills?Yes, we have a team comprising designers, animators and promo producers who, of course, have multiple skills. Our designers can animate if needed. This was one of the most successful strategic directions we took along with localising the brand in Abu Dhabi.

How many people do you have in your team?

PROINTERVIEW

Christian Streib, one of the network’s senior cameramen, is based in CNN’s Beirut bureau. He edited all of the pieces and the half-hour weekend special of the series.

Around 15 people. We are actually split into seven categories including graphic designers, animators, VIZ designers, promo producers and 3D artists. With any project that comes, whether design or animation related or a combination of both, we can handle it. A news channel is not limited to showing live footage. There are times when we have to create some visuals at the editing table. For example, if there is a plane crash and we don’t have rushes or we have to show some elements to explain it better, our designers and animators work with the editorial team to re-create some of that to supplement the news story.

The team is trained on formats, sizes and the quality of the images. They have all been trained on how to choose an image and crop it because sometimes, you need just a portion. But how would you know what to crop? Therefore, everyone here is also trained on composition.There are times when we reject images. Even if it’s a nice picture, we do not use it if it does not !t within the whole story. The team is very consistent with regards to design and animation and maintain very high standards with

regards to the quality and outcome.

What are some of the tools that help you translate your visuals to screen?Basically, in the creative department, the designers use Adobe solutions such as Photoshop and Illustrator. We have the Viz system, mainly Vizrt which is the on-air graphics solution. Besides that, 3ds Max and Adobe After Effects play

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201350

PROINTERVIEW

a big role. These are the main software applications that we use and they cover design, animation and on-air graphics at the same time. When you combine all of these, the end result can be quite powerful especially since they work so well together.95% of what goes on air goes through Vizrt.

When choosing images, do you always get high quality images? Is it more dif!cult to source if you are working on a HD transmission?From the day we launched, SNA has been broadcasting in both SD and HD. This obviously increases our load. This is because all of the rendered clips and imagery need to be in HD. We cannot use low-res images as there will be a contrast between high-quality graphics and badly shot footage. A lot of consideration goes into choosing the right images and choosing a full composition on screen with HD. As we have two separate feeds, choosing the right image is paramount.

How is social media changing the news industry?At SNA, we have a huge following and this is the best way to get people’s reactions to current affairs. As soon as a story breaks, it goes on all of our platforms and comments keep rolling in.

I think this is the future of broadcast and the good thing is that we have understood this from the beginning .These platforms are as important as the channel itself.

Is your role mission critical?We are on call 24 hours although the creative department does not necessarily work 24 hours a day. We work from 7 a.m to 12 at night.

If we don’t cover 24 hours, it’s because of proper scheduling.

We are part of all of the editorial meetings, which are a minimum of two a day. In this way, we are always on track with what’s happening. We have a minimum of four people on call at night whether a designer, Viz artist, animator or whoever is needed. It’s important that people can be called immediately as at the end of the day, we are a breaking news channel.

What are the challenges you face?Our main challenge is that we have no shows. With news happening every minute, we are constantly on our toes. Yet another big challenge is the multiplatform. The team’s job doesn’t end with the image being handed over to the producer. The same news has to go at the same time to multiple platforms. To solve this issue, we made a list of sizes and formats for all of the images. In this way, the moment we !nd it’s a big story, we cut the image properly for all platforms and we send an email to all of them at the same time. News spreads to all our platforms at the same time and it is consistent.

Lastly, what lies ahead for a 24/7 news channel?I think the future lies in multimedia. Any channel that exploits the power of different mediums to show news is thinking ahead. Several international channels today accepts clips sent in by people and they play it on air. This is the future. PRO

“Besides the Sky brand, we tend to brand big stories such as a war or a political upheaval that require constant updates, uniquely” Habib Feghali, Creative Director, Sky News ArabiaHabib Feghali, Creative Director, Sky News Arabia

Above, at the SNA studio and below, Habib Feghali.

           Tel  :  +971  4  4503795                www.mediasysdubai.com

Blurring  the  line  between  2D  and  3DAr sts  are  now  able  to  relight  renders  in  the  comp  

environment  using  the  ReLight  node  and  even  

model  using  NUKEX's  new  ModelBuilder.

The  Deep  composi ng  work ow  also  sees  the  

addi on  of  the  industry  standard  OpenEXR  2.0  Deep  

le  format,  and  NUKE's  3D  system  welcomes  the  

addi on  of  the  Alembic   le  format.

If  you're  in  the  business  of  crea ng  high-­‐quality   lm,  anima on,  commercial  or  broadcast  content,The  Foundry's  NUKE  products,  

backed  by  a  large,  global  pool  of  trained  talent,  will  bring  speed,  func onality  and   exibility  to  your  pipeline.

NUKE  and  NUKEX  |  Advancing  the  art  of  digital  composi ng

NUKEX  give  ar sts  greater  freedom,  arming  them  to  tackle  complex  composi ng  challenges  in  new  and  e cient  ways.  

The  extended  tool  set  allows  ar sts  to  work  e ciently,  interac vely  and  in  the  context  of  the  visual  e ects  process,  

without  having  to  leave  NUKEX  to  perform  certain  tasks  in  external  so ware  packages.

NUKE  7  |  All  new  features  &  improvements

Unrivalled  speed  and  powerNUKE  7.0  features  the  highly  sought-­‐a er  addi on  

of  RAM  cache,  which  has  been  introduced  to  give  

ar sts  real-­‐ me  playback.  it  also  introduces  a  variety  

of  GPU  accelerated  nodes  for  NUKEX  including  

Mo onBlur,  Kronos,  Denoise,  VectorGenerator,  

Convolve  and  ZDefocus.

Day  to  day  composi ng  the  way  you  want  itThe  roto  tools  in  NUKE  have  been  en rely  rede ned  to  

enhance  performance  and  improve  stereo  support,  giving  

ar sts  more  control  than  ever  before.

NUKE  7.0  includes  Prima e  5  and  a  brand  new  2D  tracker  

with  big  updates  to  the  work ow  and  speed.  Support  for  

new  camera  raw  formats  has  been  added  including  

ARRIRAW  and  the  latest  R3D  SDK.

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201350

PROINTERVIEW

a big role. These are the main software applications that we use and they cover design, animation and on-air graphics at the same time. When you combine all of these, the end result can be quite powerful especially since they work so well together.95% of what goes on air goes through Vizrt.

When choosing images, do you always get high quality images? Is it more dif!cult to source if you are working on a HD transmission?From the day we launched, SNA has been broadcasting in both SD and HD. This obviously increases our load. This is because all of the rendered clips and imagery need to be in HD. We cannot use low-res images as there will be a contrast between high-quality graphics and badly shot footage. A lot of consideration goes into choosing the right images and choosing a full composition on screen with HD. As we have two separate feeds, choosing the right image is paramount.

How is social media changing the news industry?At SNA, we have a huge following and this is the best way to get people’s reactions to current affairs. As soon as a story breaks, it goes on all of our platforms and comments keep rolling in.

I think this is the future of broadcast and the good thing is that we have understood this from the beginning .These platforms are as important as the channel itself.

Is your role mission critical?We are on call 24 hours although the creative department does not necessarily work 24 hours a day. We work from 7 a.m to 12 at night.

If we don’t cover 24 hours, it’s because of proper scheduling.

We are part of all of the editorial meetings, which are a minimum of two a day. In this way, we are always on track with what’s happening. We have a minimum of four people on call at night whether a designer, Viz artist, animator or whoever is needed. It’s important that people can be called immediately as at the end of the day, we are a breaking news channel.

What are the challenges you face?Our main challenge is that we have no shows. With news happening every minute, we are constantly on our toes. Yet another big challenge is the multiplatform. The team’s job doesn’t end with the image being handed over to the producer. The same news has to go at the same time to multiple platforms. To solve this issue, we made a list of sizes and formats for all of the images. In this way, the moment we !nd it’s a big story, we cut the image properly for all platforms and we send an email to all of them at the same time. News spreads to all our platforms at the same time and it is consistent.

Lastly, what lies ahead for a 24/7 news channel?I think the future lies in multimedia. Any channel that exploits the power of different mediums to show news is thinking ahead. Several international channels today accepts clips sent in by people and they play it on air. This is the future. PRO

“Besides the Sky brand, we tend to brand big stories such as a war or a political upheaval that require constant updates, uniquely” Habib Feghali, Creative Director, Sky News ArabiaHabib Feghali, Creative Director, Sky News Arabia

Above, at the SNA studio and below, Habib Feghali.

           Tel  :  +971  4  4503795                www.mediasysdubai.com

Blurring  the  line  between  2D  and  3DAr sts  are  now  able  to  relight  renders  in  the  comp  

environment  using  the  ReLight  node  and  even  

model  using  NUKEX's  new  ModelBuilder.

The  Deep  composi ng  work ow  also  sees  the  

addi on  of  the  industry  standard  OpenEXR  2.0  Deep  

le  format,  and  NUKE's  3D  system  welcomes  the  

addi on  of  the  Alembic   le  format.

If  you're  in  the  business  of  crea ng  high-­‐quality   lm,  anima on,  commercial  or  broadcast  content,The  Foundry's  NUKE  products,  

backed  by  a  large,  global  pool  of  trained  talent,  will  bring  speed,  func onality  and   exibility  to  your  pipeline.

NUKE  and  NUKEX  |  Advancing  the  art  of  digital  composi ng

NUKEX  give  ar sts  greater  freedom,  arming  them  to  tackle  complex  composi ng  challenges  in  new  and  e cient  ways.  

The  extended  tool  set  allows  ar sts  to  work  e ciently,  interac vely  and  in  the  context  of  the  visual  e ects  process,  

without  having  to  leave  NUKEX  to  perform  certain  tasks  in  external  so ware  packages.

NUKE  7  |  All  new  features  &  improvements

Unrivalled  speed  and  powerNUKE  7.0  features  the  highly  sought-­‐a er  addi on  

of  RAM  cache,  which  has  been  introduced  to  give  

ar sts  real-­‐ me  playback.  it  also  introduces  a  variety  

of  GPU  accelerated  nodes  for  NUKEX  including  

Mo onBlur,  Kronos,  Denoise,  VectorGenerator,  

Convolve  and  ZDefocus.

Day  to  day  composi ng  the  way  you  want  itThe  roto  tools  in  NUKE  have  been  en rely  rede ned  to  

enhance  performance  and  improve  stereo  support,  giving  

ar sts  more  control  than  ever  before.

NUKE  7.0  includes  Prima e  5  and  a  brand  new  2D  tracker  

with  big  updates  to  the  work ow  and  speed.  Support  for  

new  camera  raw  formats  has  been  added  including  

ARRIRAW  and  the  latest  R3D  SDK.

52

DIFFERENT STROKES

PRODIFF

The ninth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), held from December 9-16, 2012, screened 158 !lms from 60 countries. The festival opened with Academy Award winner, Ang Lee’s !lm, Life of Pi. Egyptian actor Mahmoud Abdul Aziz and British director Michael Apted were both recipients of DIFF’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Besides bringing together legends of the silver screen, and established and emerging !lmmakers, DIFF also served as a training platform for aspiring !lmmakers and a market place to buy and sell content. The event hosted more than 25 diverse workshops, forums and industry panel discussions and was an in"uential platform for professionals to share their knowledge and expertise on various subjects including scriptwriting, acting, marketing, !nancing and distributing. A special highlight of this edition of DIFF was Broadcasters’ Day. This series put some of the decision makers in the TV industry in touch with up-and-coming content developers. As part of our social responsibility programme, BroadcastPro Middle East has offered this space to journalism students of Dubai-based Manipal University. They have summed up some of the panel discussions for our readers.

From strategic outreach programmes across the region to partnering with global !lm institutions, the DIFF team has played a signi!cant part in putting Arab

cinema on the global map

is not considered mainstream. Panelists in this session included Peter Einstein from Rotana; Hamida Aman of Guru productions; Bassil Hajjar of Reed MIDEM; Khalid Khouri of twofour54 Ibtkar and Emmanuel Durou of Deloitte Middle East. The discussion was moderated by Vijaya Cherian, Group Editor of CPI’s Broadcast Division.

Deloitte’s Durou took the audience through some of the key trends in the market. We learnt that Egypt, KSA and Morrocco had larger audiences for Arabic cinema while in the UAE, Hollywood blockbusters and Bollywood movies ranked !rst and second respectively.

Peter Einstein, Deputy CEO of Rotana Media Group pointed out that Rotana has a library of more than 1500 Arabic classics, of which at least 60% had not been taken out of the can in the last 40 years. He explained that efforts were being made to digitise the content for future monetisation.

Documentary maker Hamida Aman, who hails from Afghanistan, rued the lack of interest from broadcasters for independent works and said the Web provided the platform broadcasters refused to give her.

Bassil Hajjar, who represents MIP in the Middle East, encouraged !lmmakers to go to Cannes and actively participate in the events to be seen and heard. As someone who has helped in the selling and buying of Arabic content, Hajjar was quick to offer his support to !lmmakers looking for a window of opportunity.

Khalid Khouri of twofour54 ibtikar added that the Abu Dhabi entity enabled the production of content through funding, training programmes for local talent and by marketing the !nished content in both domestic and international markets.

Everyone seemed to agree that broadcasters needed to look beyond mainstream content and create additional space to screen alternative content.

- Syeda Nawab Fathima

How to export local content? This opening session discussed the challenges faced by producers with regards to the distribution of their content, their inability to access space on TV channels to showcase their work and the lack of good platforms to showcase content that

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201352 January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 53

PRODIFF

Broadcasting in the Arab World — Now and in the Future This panel raised several issues as it moved from the production of original content to its delivery across multiple platforms and how to contain piracy. Panelists included Fares Akkad of MBC; Khulud Abu-Homos of OSN; Dominic Baillie of Sky News Arabia; Nick Grande of ChannelSculptor and Hussam Barhoush of the Arab Advisors Group.

While OSN stressed the efforts it was making to bring original Arabic content to the Arab world and making it available on multiple platforms, others questioned the ability to sustain original content in a market where piracy was rampant. Nick Grande stated that content needed to be designed for speci!c Arab markets instead of addressing a pan Arab audience.

Dom Baillie, CTO of Sky News Arabia added that all content did not work on all devices. He cited the instance of football.

“I could watch a football match on my iphone but where’s the ball?” he questioned.He also added that “live” content was more valuable and stated that piracy could be easily

addressed today if broadcasters were willing to invest in secure networks. Everyone agreed that disrupting the entertainment experience with ad breaks was no

longer clever and discussed potential subtle approaches. - Lavanya Narayan

How does content travel in the world market? When it comes to !lms or TV productions, one is wont to think about traditional methods of producing and delivering content. However, with the availability of multiple screens, we have to now revisit how we produce and deliver content.

This panel examined life behind the camera for each !lm and how they are marketed beyond national borders. They looked at how content travels in and around the world market with a special focus on Japanese, Russian and European markets. They discussed the local characteristics and the fragmentation of markets.

While examining trends within

broadcast, they all stated that production in the Arab world had gone up signi!cantly. In addition, international content dubbed into Arabic seems to be !nding its way into local TV channels and generating considerable interest among local audiences.

The panel consisted of three panelists including Alexandra Modestova, Co-founder and CEO, Expocontent LLC; Lily Ono, President of Gimli Inc. and Arnaud Pasquali, Head of Sector Promotion, European Commission Media Programme for Russia, Japan and Europe. The session was moderated by Nabil Kazan, President and CEO of K & Partners TV Services.

- Thomson George

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DIFFERENT STROKES

PRODIFF

The ninth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), held from December 9-16, 2012, screened 158 !lms from 60 countries. The festival opened with Academy Award winner, Ang Lee’s !lm, Life of Pi. Egyptian actor Mahmoud Abdul Aziz and British director Michael Apted were both recipients of DIFF’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Besides bringing together legends of the silver screen, and established and emerging !lmmakers, DIFF also served as a training platform for aspiring !lmmakers and a market place to buy and sell content. The event hosted more than 25 diverse workshops, forums and industry panel discussions and was an in"uential platform for professionals to share their knowledge and expertise on various subjects including scriptwriting, acting, marketing, !nancing and distributing. A special highlight of this edition of DIFF was Broadcasters’ Day. This series put some of the decision makers in the TV industry in touch with up-and-coming content developers. As part of our social responsibility programme, BroadcastPro Middle East has offered this space to journalism students of Dubai-based Manipal University. They have summed up some of the panel discussions for our readers.

From strategic outreach programmes across the region to partnering with global !lm institutions, the DIFF team has played a signi!cant part in putting Arab

cinema on the global map

is not considered mainstream. Panelists in this session included Peter Einstein from Rotana; Hamida Aman of Guru productions; Bassil Hajjar of Reed MIDEM; Khalid Khouri of twofour54 Ibtkar and Emmanuel Durou of Deloitte Middle East. The discussion was moderated by Vijaya Cherian, Group Editor of CPI’s Broadcast Division.

Deloitte’s Durou took the audience through some of the key trends in the market. We learnt that Egypt, KSA and Morrocco had larger audiences for Arabic cinema while in the UAE, Hollywood blockbusters and Bollywood movies ranked !rst and second respectively.

Peter Einstein, Deputy CEO of Rotana Media Group pointed out that Rotana has a library of more than 1500 Arabic classics, of which at least 60% had not been taken out of the can in the last 40 years. He explained that efforts were being made to digitise the content for future monetisation.

Documentary maker Hamida Aman, who hails from Afghanistan, rued the lack of interest from broadcasters for independent works and said the Web provided the platform broadcasters refused to give her.

Bassil Hajjar, who represents MIP in the Middle East, encouraged !lmmakers to go to Cannes and actively participate in the events to be seen and heard. As someone who has helped in the selling and buying of Arabic content, Hajjar was quick to offer his support to !lmmakers looking for a window of opportunity.

Khalid Khouri of twofour54 ibtikar added that the Abu Dhabi entity enabled the production of content through funding, training programmes for local talent and by marketing the !nished content in both domestic and international markets.

Everyone seemed to agree that broadcasters needed to look beyond mainstream content and create additional space to screen alternative content.

- Syeda Nawab Fathima

How to export local content? This opening session discussed the challenges faced by producers with regards to the distribution of their content, their inability to access space on TV channels to showcase their work and the lack of good platforms to showcase content that

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201352 January 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com | 53

PRODIFF

Broadcasting in the Arab World — Now and in the Future This panel raised several issues as it moved from the production of original content to its delivery across multiple platforms and how to contain piracy. Panelists included Fares Akkad of MBC; Khulud Abu-Homos of OSN; Dominic Baillie of Sky News Arabia; Nick Grande of ChannelSculptor and Hussam Barhoush of the Arab Advisors Group.

While OSN stressed the efforts it was making to bring original Arabic content to the Arab world and making it available on multiple platforms, others questioned the ability to sustain original content in a market where piracy was rampant. Nick Grande stated that content needed to be designed for speci!c Arab markets instead of addressing a pan Arab audience.

Dom Baillie, CTO of Sky News Arabia added that all content did not work on all devices. He cited the instance of football.

“I could watch a football match on my iphone but where’s the ball?” he questioned.He also added that “live” content was more valuable and stated that piracy could be easily

addressed today if broadcasters were willing to invest in secure networks. Everyone agreed that disrupting the entertainment experience with ad breaks was no

longer clever and discussed potential subtle approaches. - Lavanya Narayan

How does content travel in the world market? When it comes to !lms or TV productions, one is wont to think about traditional methods of producing and delivering content. However, with the availability of multiple screens, we have to now revisit how we produce and deliver content.

This panel examined life behind the camera for each !lm and how they are marketed beyond national borders. They looked at how content travels in and around the world market with a special focus on Japanese, Russian and European markets. They discussed the local characteristics and the fragmentation of markets.

While examining trends within

broadcast, they all stated that production in the Arab world had gone up signi!cantly. In addition, international content dubbed into Arabic seems to be !nding its way into local TV channels and generating considerable interest among local audiences.

The panel consisted of three panelists including Alexandra Modestova, Co-founder and CEO, Expocontent LLC; Lily Ono, President of Gimli Inc. and Arnaud Pasquali, Head of Sector Promotion, European Commission Media Programme for Russia, Japan and Europe. The session was moderated by Nabil Kazan, President and CEO of K & Partners TV Services.

- Thomson George

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Distribution in the Arab World: Overcoming the Obstacles To promote Arab media, speakers based in different parts of the Gulf namely Managing Director of Front Row Entertainment Ginaluca Chakra; Team leader of RMSU, EuroMed Valerio Caruso; Producer Nadia Eliewat and Chairman of DTFC Jamal Al Sharif joined to discuss the issues faced by regional distributors in distributing local !lms.

Nadia Eliewat, Producer of the Jordanian !lm When Monaliza Smiled stated the importance of making one’s movie big within one’s own country before taking it outside to be viewed by a foreign audience. Valerio Caruso and Habib Attia argued that the power of distribution is very strong in developed countries like America while developing countries such as Tunisia !nd it dif!cult to distribute !lms in the Arab market mainly due to dialect problems as the same distributors focus on Europe and France for revenue.

Gianluca Chakra stated that the audience generally follows the stars and not the actual story of the !lm. He argued that small and local !lms don’t stand a big chance to become successful as they do not have dedicated theatres and that people generally do not prefer to watch movies that they cannot identify with.

-Aiman Fatima

Producers: A Film Marketing Strategy The Film Agency conducted a seminar called “Producers: A !lm marketing strategy” that consisted of both junior and experienced producers. The objective of the seminar was to create a basic and structured knowledge on !lm marketing with emphasis on the importance of the producer in marketing activities.

It sought to teach producers to understand and formulate a plan for their !lm based on their target audiences, following the traditional 4P structure; Product, Promotion, Place and Price. Sarah Calderon, CEO of The Film Agency stressed that producers should have a clear understanding of the 4Ps of business in order to have an impeccable !nancial structure for their !lms and urged them to incorporate them into the “business to business” and “business to consumer” models of their !lms.

PRODIFF

New Indian Film Realities

Of the 1000 or so commercial movies that are made in India each year, nearly 300 are independent movies. As impressive as that number sounds, the truth is indie movies do not receive funding from India and are often dependent on foreign investors.

“There is no support system from India, for any documentary or independent !lms. It’s really disheartening to know that there might be a potential audience willing to watch my movie, but I don’t have the outlet to show it in my country. But that doesn’t mean that we stop making movies. You reach out and get your support system,” says Sourav Sarangi, an independent documentary !lmmaker from Kolkata who received a special mention at DIFF for his !lm, Char…The No-Man’s Island.

Discussing new Indian !lm realities, Sarangi was joined by a panel that consisted of independent !lmmaker Ashim Ahluwalia and upcoming Bollywood actor Rajkumar Yadav.

According to Ashim, new directors from India have to do a “Saalam Mumbai” !lm or a !lm that glori!es India in order to receive any funding from the Indian government. Receiving funding from international players, however, is also not easy. The voices of independent !lmmakers are often drowned owing to the spate of releases from Bollywood and the South.

The panel stated, however, that Indian cinema was gradually moving towards a reawakening. Alluwalia talked about a new generation of Indian !lmmakers that are breaking traditional ground and the rise of a renaisssance that would once again give a fresh new perspective to the Indian !lm landscape.

- Srijita Chattopadhyay

New Arab Films: A Story of Success Filmmaking across various genres has increased in the Arab world. In comparison to the past three years, 2012 showcased some well made and well thought out Arabic movies in various festivals such as Wadjda (Saudi Arabia), 48 Hours (Iraq), Swings (Syria), Baghdad Messi (Iraq) and Gaza Calling (Palestine) to name a few.

“How you communicate with your audience through a !lm is the key. It’s not the language nor is it the actor. Film making is all about communication,” said International Programmer, Toronto International Film Festival, Rasha Saltl.

Today, an increasing number of Arab youth want to make more !lms to bring out various facets of Arab life, , culture, tradition and human interest stories. Interestingly, most of these !lms are written and directed by female directors.

The issue here, however, is that most of these Arab movies are underestimated in their own countries and criticised heavily abroad as a result of which they go unwatched. But on a more positive note, the Arab region today, is increasingly encouraging !lmmakers and communities to produce quality content. Arab audiences staying abroad are making an effort to organise more !lm festivals to showcase local talent on an international level. This is a good indication that Gulf voices are being heard by a larger audience. - Srijita Chattopadhyay

Ashim Ahluwalia.

Rajkumar Yadav.

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201354

Distribution in the Arab World: Overcoming the Obstacles To promote Arab media, speakers based in different parts of the Gulf namely Managing Director of Front Row Entertainment Ginaluca Chakra; Team leader of RMSU, EuroMed Valerio Caruso; Producer Nadia Eliewat and Chairman of DTFC Jamal Al Sharif joined to discuss the issues faced by regional distributors in distributing local !lms.

Nadia Eliewat, Producer of the Jordanian !lm When Monaliza Smiled stated the importance of making one’s movie big within one’s own country before taking it outside to be viewed by a foreign audience. Valerio Caruso and Habib Attia argued that the power of distribution is very strong in developed countries like America while developing countries such as Tunisia !nd it dif!cult to distribute !lms in the Arab market mainly due to dialect problems as the same distributors focus on Europe and France for revenue.

Gianluca Chakra stated that the audience generally follows the stars and not the actual story of the !lm. He argued that small and local !lms don’t stand a big chance to become successful as they do not have dedicated theatres and that people generally do not prefer to watch movies that they cannot identify with.

-Aiman Fatima

Producers: A Film Marketing Strategy The Film Agency conducted a seminar called “Producers: A !lm marketing strategy” that consisted of both junior and experienced producers. The objective of the seminar was to create a basic and structured knowledge on !lm marketing with emphasis on the importance of the producer in marketing activities.

It sought to teach producers to understand and formulate a plan for their !lm based on their target audiences, following the traditional 4P structure; Product, Promotion, Place and Price. Sarah Calderon, CEO of The Film Agency stressed that producers should have a clear understanding of the 4Ps of business in order to have an impeccable !nancial structure for their !lms and urged them to incorporate them into the “business to business” and “business to consumer” models of their !lms.

PRODIFF

New Indian Film Realities

Of the 1000 or so commercial movies that are made in India each year, nearly 300 are independent movies. As impressive as that number sounds, the truth is indie movies do not receive funding from India and are often dependent on foreign investors.

“There is no support system from India, for any documentary or independent !lms. It’s really disheartening to know that there might be a potential audience willing to watch my movie, but I don’t have the outlet to show it in my country. But that doesn’t mean that we stop making movies. You reach out and get your support system,” says Sourav Sarangi, an independent documentary !lmmaker from Kolkata who received a special mention at DIFF for his !lm, Char…The No-Man’s Island.

Discussing new Indian !lm realities, Sarangi was joined by a panel that consisted of independent !lmmaker Ashim Ahluwalia and upcoming Bollywood actor Rajkumar Yadav.

According to Ashim, new directors from India have to do a “Saalam Mumbai” !lm or a !lm that glori!es India in order to receive any funding from the Indian government. Receiving funding from international players, however, is also not easy. The voices of independent !lmmakers are often drowned owing to the spate of releases from Bollywood and the South.

The panel stated, however, that Indian cinema was gradually moving towards a reawakening. Alluwalia talked about a new generation of Indian !lmmakers that are breaking traditional ground and the rise of a renaisssance that would once again give a fresh new perspective to the Indian !lm landscape.

- Srijita Chattopadhyay

New Arab Films: A Story of Success Filmmaking across various genres has increased in the Arab world. In comparison to the past three years, 2012 showcased some well made and well thought out Arabic movies in various festivals such as Wadjda (Saudi Arabia), 48 Hours (Iraq), Swings (Syria), Baghdad Messi (Iraq) and Gaza Calling (Palestine) to name a few.

“How you communicate with your audience through a !lm is the key. It’s not the language nor is it the actor. Film making is all about communication,” said International Programmer, Toronto International Film Festival, Rasha Saltl.

Today, an increasing number of Arab youth want to make more !lms to bring out various facets of Arab life, , culture, tradition and human interest stories. Interestingly, most of these !lms are written and directed by female directors.

The issue here, however, is that most of these Arab movies are underestimated in their own countries and criticised heavily abroad as a result of which they go unwatched. But on a more positive note, the Arab region today, is increasingly encouraging !lmmakers and communities to produce quality content. Arab audiences staying abroad are making an effort to organise more !lm festivals to showcase local talent on an international level. This is a good indication that Gulf voices are being heard by a larger audience. - Srijita Chattopadhyay

Ashim Ahluwalia.

Rajkumar Yadav.

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201356

How to Produce Micro-Budget Films “Micro budgeting is the route to great !lm making,” said Jane Williams, Head of Studies at the Venice Biennale.

With micro budget !lms !nally on the rise, the media and entertainment industry is constantly creating innovative ways to raise the bar in terms of funding, production, directing and visual effects.Replacing expensive outdoor shoots with budget friendly visual effects is one of the many ways to work around a tight budget. Using visual effects saves almost 10% to 20% of the estimated budget.

“I hope that the green screen becomes every movie maker’s best friend,” said Damien Maric, CEO and Co-founder of WIP studio/ Overlook Pictures, one of the panelists at the discussion.

Crowd funding is another alternative that can be effectively used to produce !lms on a cheaper scale.“It is de!ned as a collective democratisation of making movies. It is also a part of an education process in terms of the mentality of making something happen,” said Vida Rizq, Co-founder of A"amnah.

A"amnah is a digital platform dedicated to crowd funding in and for the Arab world. It is said to open up a whole new world of networking for !lmmakers and also increases the number of projects attempted in the Arab world.

- Danielle Ferns

PRODIFF

First Films and First Lessons Your !rst !lm can be your best or your worst experience. A session titled, “Do you remember your !rst !lm?” discussed the challenges and the lessons learnt as !rst time !lmmakers.#

Some of their stories included the horrors they faced in dealing with the crew, agents, funding and the tantrums of the stars. The panel members included actor and scriptwriter Steve Oram (Sightseers), producer Adi Shankar (The Grey, Dredd), director Fadi Haddad (When Mona Lisa Smiled) and director Hansal Mehta (Shahid).#The panel was moderated by Marshall Fine, !lm critic and journalist of Huf!ngton Post.

Most of the members on the panel had not started out as !lmmakers.#Hansal Mehta#worked in IT, Adi Shankar was into banking and Steve Oram was a stand-up comedian. It was a big step for of all of them to believe in themselves and their project and step into an industry which was already crowded with dreamers like themselves.

“Many times during the making of the !lm, something doesn’t work out and you think, am I really suited to this job.#On my !rst day I had an epiphany that no one’s going to respect me. That’s when I realised that !lmmakers have to adopt an attitude which shows that you know what you’re doing even if you don’t, because if you don’t, your crew won’t trust you,” said Shankar.

Unlike the common myth that your !rst !lm de!nes what comes next, all of the !lmmakers felt that every project offered a new beginning. Each of them have experimented and ventured into new genres and !lmmaking styles, which are different from their !rst projects.

“My mentor once told me that your best project is your next project,” said Fadi, who also agrees that with the new digital technology, there are so many new avenues to approach a !lm that it is impossible to stay stagnant

“If !lmmakers have a story to tell and they believe in it, the rest will just happen,” he reiterated.

- Syeda Nawab Fathima

“[Crowd funding] is de!ned as a collective democratisation of making movies. It is also a part of an education process in terms of the mentality of making something happen”Vida Rizq, Co-founder of A!amnah

Damien Maric.

Vida Rizq.

Jane Williams.Rachel Robey.

Jim Quilty.

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| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201356

How to Produce Micro-Budget Films “Micro budgeting is the route to great !lm making,” said Jane Williams, Head of Studies at the Venice Biennale.

With micro budget !lms !nally on the rise, the media and entertainment industry is constantly creating innovative ways to raise the bar in terms of funding, production, directing and visual effects.Replacing expensive outdoor shoots with budget friendly visual effects is one of the many ways to work around a tight budget. Using visual effects saves almost 10% to 20% of the estimated budget.

“I hope that the green screen becomes every movie maker’s best friend,” said Damien Maric, CEO and Co-founder of WIP studio/ Overlook Pictures, one of the panelists at the discussion.

Crowd funding is another alternative that can be effectively used to produce !lms on a cheaper scale.“It is de!ned as a collective democratisation of making movies. It is also a part of an education process in terms of the mentality of making something happen,” said Vida Rizq, Co-founder of A"amnah.

A"amnah is a digital platform dedicated to crowd funding in and for the Arab world. It is said to open up a whole new world of networking for !lmmakers and also increases the number of projects attempted in the Arab world.

- Danielle Ferns

PRODIFF

First Films and First Lessons Your !rst !lm can be your best or your worst experience. A session titled, “Do you remember your !rst !lm?” discussed the challenges and the lessons learnt as !rst time !lmmakers.#

Some of their stories included the horrors they faced in dealing with the crew, agents, funding and the tantrums of the stars. The panel members included actor and scriptwriter Steve Oram (Sightseers), producer Adi Shankar (The Grey, Dredd), director Fadi Haddad (When Mona Lisa Smiled) and director Hansal Mehta (Shahid).#The panel was moderated by Marshall Fine, !lm critic and journalist of Huf!ngton Post.

Most of the members on the panel had not started out as !lmmakers.#Hansal Mehta#worked in IT, Adi Shankar was into banking and Steve Oram was a stand-up comedian. It was a big step for of all of them to believe in themselves and their project and step into an industry which was already crowded with dreamers like themselves.

“Many times during the making of the !lm, something doesn’t work out and you think, am I really suited to this job.#On my !rst day I had an epiphany that no one’s going to respect me. That’s when I realised that !lmmakers have to adopt an attitude which shows that you know what you’re doing even if you don’t, because if you don’t, your crew won’t trust you,” said Shankar.

Unlike the common myth that your !rst !lm de!nes what comes next, all of the !lmmakers felt that every project offered a new beginning. Each of them have experimented and ventured into new genres and !lmmaking styles, which are different from their !rst projects.

“My mentor once told me that your best project is your next project,” said Fadi, who also agrees that with the new digital technology, there are so many new avenues to approach a !lm that it is impossible to stay stagnant

“If !lmmakers have a story to tell and they believe in it, the rest will just happen,” he reiterated.

- Syeda Nawab Fathima

“[Crowd funding] is de!ned as a collective democratisation of making movies. It is also a part of an education process in terms of the mentality of making something happen”Vida Rizq, Co-founder of A!amnah

Damien Maric.

Vida Rizq.

Jane Williams.Rachel Robey.

Jim Quilty.

At MediaCast we are equipped to deliver optimum solutions for your creative technology requirements from production & post, music creation, broadcast to live. Also featured -­ M-­Audio® Axiom® 61 keyboard controller with 61 piano-­style semi-­weighted and DirectLink mode for instant DAW mapping; and Pro Fire 2626 DF Firewire Audio Interface complete with an onboard DSP mixer sourced from up to 52 audio streams.

ProFire 2626Axiom 61

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2104, Al Thuraya Tower 1, Dubai Media CityTel.: +971 4 439 2383 | Fax.: +971 4 368 8042info@mediacastsys.com | www.mediacastsys.com

Cohesive. Rich.Accurate. Affordable.BX5 D2

With an elegant new design inside and out,

the BX5 D2 monitors are made leveraging

technology from M-­Audio’s high-­end monitors

to extend the frequency response and

provide an even more natural listening

experience. Custom Class A/B analog

amplifiers deliver superior dynamics and tonal

accuracy across the frequency

spectrum—while the latest-­generation woven

Kevlar low-­frequency drivers and

waveguide-­loaded silk dome tweeters

provide rich, defined sound. With the BX5 D2,

you’ll enjoy the utmost accuracy in an

engaging listening experience.

Visit  us  on  stand  D6-­1012-­14 March 2013

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201358

Women Filmmakers in the Gulf - A “New Chapter” It’s not easy being a filmmaker in the Gulf and being a woman makes it even tougher. After the success of the Saudi Arabian film, Wadjda at the Venice Film Festival and Best Muhr Arab Feature at Dubai International Film Festival 2012, the film opened the eyes of the public to women filmmakers from this region.

The panelists included three women filmmakers, Director of Wadjda, Haifaa Al Mansour (Saudi Arabia); CEO, Producer and Director of D-Seven Motion Pictures, Nayla Al Khaja (UAE) and director of The Scream, Khadija Al Salami.

The filmmakers discussed the various struggles they had to undergo when they stood up for their passion to make films as it was a tough job to execute but well worth the pain.

Khadija Al Salami, the first female Yemeni filmmaker, said she had to leave the country in order to chase her dreams but she considers herself lucky to have suffered because it motivated her.

Haifaa Al Mansour, Director of Wadjda, who hails from Saudi Arabia stated that she succeeded in her career because of her parents.

Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja said she had to get married to receive further support to continue her passion. These three women filmmakers from different Arab countries are today icons of inspiration in their respective

countries. - Thomson George

PRODIFF

Keeping up Digitally For the !rst time in the history of DIFF, the festival partnered with Google and YouTube to host a series of Google+ Hangouts with movie fans. Up to nine fans were able to engage directly via video chat over the internet with each of the actors and directors participating in DIFF’s Google+ Hangouts series, allowing them engage, discuss and share ideas in real time.

Some of the noted Google+ Hangouts line-up included Saoud Al Kaabi, Dubai-based television personality and lead actor in City of Life; Actor and Director of Winter of Discontent Amr Waked and Ibrahim El Batout respectively; Director of Chaos Nadine Mohamad Khan; Egyptian actor Khaled Nabawy; legendary actress Laila Elwi and Egyptian director Khairy Beshara.

In addition, back by popular demand, YouTube live streamed the festival’s opening red carpet event which included stars’ arrivals, artist spotlights, exclusives interviews and reviews on fashion.

Speaking about the event, DIFF’s Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, Mahsa Motamedi, said: “In this Festival !rst, DIFF fans had the unique opportunity to ask questions and interact with their favourite actors and directors in real time with Google+ Hangouts. In addition, this interactive forum shared the excitement of the Festival with a global audience through YouTube’s live stream. In this evolving digital age, it is fantastic to have Google and YouTube on board as partners and we look forward to continuing this mutually bene!cial collaboration next year.”

“DIFF fans had the unique opportunity to ask ... questions and interact with their favourite actors and directors in real time with Google+ Hangouts”Mahsa Motamedi, Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, DIFF

Mayssoun Azza

Haifaa Al Mansour.

Khadija Al Salami.

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| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201358

Women Filmmakers in the Gulf - A “New Chapter” It’s not easy being a filmmaker in the Gulf and being a woman makes it even tougher. After the success of the Saudi Arabian film, Wadjda at the Venice Film Festival and Best Muhr Arab Feature at Dubai International Film Festival 2012, the film opened the eyes of the public to women filmmakers from this region.

The panelists included three women filmmakers, Director of Wadjda, Haifaa Al Mansour (Saudi Arabia); CEO, Producer and Director of D-Seven Motion Pictures, Nayla Al Khaja (UAE) and director of The Scream, Khadija Al Salami.

The filmmakers discussed the various struggles they had to undergo when they stood up for their passion to make films as it was a tough job to execute but well worth the pain.

Khadija Al Salami, the first female Yemeni filmmaker, said she had to leave the country in order to chase her dreams but she considers herself lucky to have suffered because it motivated her.

Haifaa Al Mansour, Director of Wadjda, who hails from Saudi Arabia stated that she succeeded in her career because of her parents.

Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja said she had to get married to receive further support to continue her passion. These three women filmmakers from different Arab countries are today icons of inspiration in their respective

countries. - Thomson George

PRODIFF

Keeping up Digitally For the !rst time in the history of DIFF, the festival partnered with Google and YouTube to host a series of Google+ Hangouts with movie fans. Up to nine fans were able to engage directly via video chat over the internet with each of the actors and directors participating in DIFF’s Google+ Hangouts series, allowing them engage, discuss and share ideas in real time.

Some of the noted Google+ Hangouts line-up included Saoud Al Kaabi, Dubai-based television personality and lead actor in City of Life; Actor and Director of Winter of Discontent Amr Waked and Ibrahim El Batout respectively; Director of Chaos Nadine Mohamad Khan; Egyptian actor Khaled Nabawy; legendary actress Laila Elwi and Egyptian director Khairy Beshara.

In addition, back by popular demand, YouTube live streamed the festival’s opening red carpet event which included stars’ arrivals, artist spotlights, exclusives interviews and reviews on fashion.

Speaking about the event, DIFF’s Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, Mahsa Motamedi, said: “In this Festival !rst, DIFF fans had the unique opportunity to ask questions and interact with their favourite actors and directors in real time with Google+ Hangouts. In addition, this interactive forum shared the excitement of the Festival with a global audience through YouTube’s live stream. In this evolving digital age, it is fantastic to have Google and YouTube on board as partners and we look forward to continuing this mutually bene!cial collaboration next year.”

“DIFF fans had the unique opportunity to ask ... questions and interact with their favourite actors and directors in real time with Google+ Hangouts”Mahsa Motamedi, Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, DIFF

Mayssoun Azza

Haifaa Al Mansour.

Khadija Al Salami.

Nayla Al Khaja.

Professional software solutions designed to maximise your efficiency Powerful booking engines to handle the daily business Easy online access for media buyers around the clock Comfortable scheduling features to manage your program grid Comprehensive reporting tools to put you in control Over 100 channels worldwide working successfully with our software

SOFTWARE DESIGNED TO BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCEMEDIA SALES MANAGEMENT & ADVERTISING TRAFFICCHANNEL MANAGEMENT & BROADCAST SCHEDULING

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TO SEE US ATCataneo GmbH · Rosenheimer Str. 145 d · D-81671 Munich · Medienbruecke Phone: +49 (0) 89-21!909 64 0 · Fax: +49 (0) 89-21 909 64 48 · info@cataneo.de

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201360

PROPRODUCTS

AJA KUMO AJA’s new KUMO 3232 router extends the KUMO family based on the same principles of performance and signal quality while providing increased routing capabilities and integration via Grass Valley native protocol support over RS-422 and Ethernet. KUMO 3232, a new compact SDI router with 32 inputs and 32

NVIDIA QUADRO K5000 FOR MAC The new NVIDIA Quadro K5000 taps into the power and ef!ciency of the NVIDIA Kepler GPU architecture. The Quadro K5000 features a range of features, including SMX for increased per-clock throughput of key graphics operations and bindless textures that enable the GPU to reference textures directly in memory. Key features include 1536 CUDA parallel processing cores, four GB GDDR5 frame buffer memory and PCI Express 3.0 16 graphics Bus. It also supports up to four displays—ideal for driving large-scale visualisation solutions. The Quadro K5000 for Mac gives artists and editors greater power and interactivity.

adaptive streaming in conditional access system-based STBs.The !rst application of C-CAS will be available on Broadpeak’s widely deployed BkS100 VOD servers. Contrary to standard adaptive streaming technologies where the player adapts to streaming conditions and to its own CPU capacity, BkS100 VOD servers automatically select the appropriate streaming quality based on available bandwidth, thereby maximising ef!ciencies for pay-TV operators while delivering a higher Quality of Experience (QoE) for end users.

C-CAS is the ideal adaptive streaming technology for a wide range of pay-TV operators, including IPTV, satellite, terrestrial, or cable transitioning to full IP architectures.

Utilising C-CAS, DSL operators can signi!cantly improve the quality of their video service offering while simultaneously increasing the number of subscribers able to access the VOD service or upgrading them to HD. Satellite and terrestrial operators can deliver higher quality adaptive streaming VOD services including support for trick modes and immediate play, a major improvement over pure download user experiences."

outputs provides cost-effective, high quality signal routing in a small 2RU form factor. KUMO routers are designed for any broadcast, production or post-production environment, from mobile sports trucks and edit suites, through to corporate video installations and live A/V setups where additional inputs and outputs are needed.

LUXOLOGY’S MODO OPERANDILuxology’s modo claims to be a true end-to-end solution that includes true 3D sculpting tools, animation and network rendering. This artist-friendly 3D software package combines modelling, painting, rendering and animation in a single integrated package.

BROADPEAK SECURES PAY-TV ENVIRONMENTBroadpeak has launched C-CAS (Conditional Access System-Compliant Adaptive Streaming), a new technology that enables pay-TV operators to support adaptive streaming protocols while simultaneously remaining compliant with conditional access systems on subscribers’ existing set-top boxes (STBs). Utilising the patented technology, operators can cost-effectively deliver high-quality multimedia services — including HD video — over any broadband network.

C-CAS addresses the challenges pay-TV operators face in cost-effectively delivering encrypted content via adaptive streaming protocols to their existing subscribers’ STBs, which rely on a conditional access system for content protection. Until now, an operator wanting to deliver adaptive streaming would be required to upgrade the !rmware of each and every legacy STB with a digital rights management (DRM) system for content protection, a very risky and time-consuming undertaking given the large variety of STBs deployed and the limited CPU resources of each of them. C-CAS allows operators to capitalise on their investment in existing STBs by supporting

FRESH OXYGEN SUPPLY FOR MULTI-VIEWERSOxygen DCT has launched a new range of multi-viewers. The MRS range incorporates triple rate 3Gbps/HD/SD-SDI and analogue performance and offers superlative picture quality at a low cost. With its modular architecture and unmatched display configuration flexibility, the MRS range is designed for any broadcast application that requires mission critical monitoring. The MRS range incorporates three frame sizes: a pocket-sized multi-viewer with four inputs, a mid-sized unit with 16 inputs, four outputs and a large-scale multi-viewer, and the MRS-X, which offers 132 inputs and 32 outputs.

Steve Hathaway, Managing Director of Oxygen DCT, stated that the flexibility of the MRS-enables broadcasters to “accept 132 separate inputs and display them in a large number of different configurations”.

“This includes displaying all 132 inputs on one screen or feeding images to 32 separate screens simultaneously. With ultimate layout flexibility and unlimited signal repetition, this versatile multi-viewer can also be used as a routing system to share sources across multiple rooms.”

Artifact-­Free   Automatic   Loudness  Control   Requires.   Much   More   Than  Just  “Processing  for  the  BS.1770  Meter.”

Orban’s  value-­priced  Optimod-­TV  6585  surround/stereo   television   loudness  controller  builds  on  Orban’s  30+  year  experience   in   television   audio   pro-­cessing  to  provide  audibly  transparent  automatic  loudness  control  and  dialog  intelligibility  control  for  one  surround  program   (up   to   7.1)   or   four   stereo  programs.

Put  in-­line  and  the  Optimod-­TV  6585  will   ensure   that   loudness  meets   the  requirements   of   the   CALM   Act   and  EBU  R-­128.

ORBAN  Headquarters8350  East  Evans,  Suite  C4  Scottsdale,  AZ  85260  USA[p]  +1  480.403.8300[f]  +1  480.403.8301www.orban.com

ORBAN  Europe  GmbHMonreposstr.  5571634  Ludwigsburg  DE[p]  +49  7141  22  66  0[f]  +49  7141  22  66  7www.orban-­europe.eu

OPTIMOD-­TV

6585

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201360

PROPRODUCTS

AJA KUMO AJA’s new KUMO 3232 router extends the KUMO family based on the same principles of performance and signal quality while providing increased routing capabilities and integration via Grass Valley native protocol support over RS-422 and Ethernet. KUMO 3232, a new compact SDI router with 32 inputs and 32

NVIDIA QUADRO K5000 FOR MAC The new NVIDIA Quadro K5000 taps into the power and ef!ciency of the NVIDIA Kepler GPU architecture. The Quadro K5000 features a range of features, including SMX for increased per-clock throughput of key graphics operations and bindless textures that enable the GPU to reference textures directly in memory. Key features include 1536 CUDA parallel processing cores, four GB GDDR5 frame buffer memory and PCI Express 3.0 16 graphics Bus. It also supports up to four displays—ideal for driving large-scale visualisation solutions. The Quadro K5000 for Mac gives artists and editors greater power and interactivity.

adaptive streaming in conditional access system-based STBs.The !rst application of C-CAS will be available on Broadpeak’s widely deployed BkS100 VOD servers. Contrary to standard adaptive streaming technologies where the player adapts to streaming conditions and to its own CPU capacity, BkS100 VOD servers automatically select the appropriate streaming quality based on available bandwidth, thereby maximising ef!ciencies for pay-TV operators while delivering a higher Quality of Experience (QoE) for end users.

C-CAS is the ideal adaptive streaming technology for a wide range of pay-TV operators, including IPTV, satellite, terrestrial, or cable transitioning to full IP architectures.

Utilising C-CAS, DSL operators can signi!cantly improve the quality of their video service offering while simultaneously increasing the number of subscribers able to access the VOD service or upgrading them to HD. Satellite and terrestrial operators can deliver higher quality adaptive streaming VOD services including support for trick modes and immediate play, a major improvement over pure download user experiences."

outputs provides cost-effective, high quality signal routing in a small 2RU form factor. KUMO routers are designed for any broadcast, production or post-production environment, from mobile sports trucks and edit suites, through to corporate video installations and live A/V setups where additional inputs and outputs are needed.

LUXOLOGY’S MODO OPERANDILuxology’s modo claims to be a true end-to-end solution that includes true 3D sculpting tools, animation and network rendering. This artist-friendly 3D software package combines modelling, painting, rendering and animation in a single integrated package.

BROADPEAK SECURES PAY-TV ENVIRONMENTBroadpeak has launched C-CAS (Conditional Access System-Compliant Adaptive Streaming), a new technology that enables pay-TV operators to support adaptive streaming protocols while simultaneously remaining compliant with conditional access systems on subscribers’ existing set-top boxes (STBs). Utilising the patented technology, operators can cost-effectively deliver high-quality multimedia services — including HD video — over any broadband network.

C-CAS addresses the challenges pay-TV operators face in cost-effectively delivering encrypted content via adaptive streaming protocols to their existing subscribers’ STBs, which rely on a conditional access system for content protection. Until now, an operator wanting to deliver adaptive streaming would be required to upgrade the !rmware of each and every legacy STB with a digital rights management (DRM) system for content protection, a very risky and time-consuming undertaking given the large variety of STBs deployed and the limited CPU resources of each of them. C-CAS allows operators to capitalise on their investment in existing STBs by supporting

FRESH OXYGEN SUPPLY FOR MULTI-VIEWERSOxygen DCT has launched a new range of multi-viewers. The MRS range incorporates triple rate 3Gbps/HD/SD-SDI and analogue performance and offers superlative picture quality at a low cost. With its modular architecture and unmatched display configuration flexibility, the MRS range is designed for any broadcast application that requires mission critical monitoring. The MRS range incorporates three frame sizes: a pocket-sized multi-viewer with four inputs, a mid-sized unit with 16 inputs, four outputs and a large-scale multi-viewer, and the MRS-X, which offers 132 inputs and 32 outputs.

Steve Hathaway, Managing Director of Oxygen DCT, stated that the flexibility of the MRS-enables broadcasters to “accept 132 separate inputs and display them in a large number of different configurations”.

“This includes displaying all 132 inputs on one screen or feeding images to 32 separate screens simultaneously. With ultimate layout flexibility and unlimited signal repetition, this versatile multi-viewer can also be used as a routing system to share sources across multiple rooms.”

Artifact-­Free   Automatic   Loudness  Control   Requires.   Much   More   Than  Just  “Processing  for  the  BS.1770  Meter.”

Orban’s  value-­priced  Optimod-­TV  6585  surround/stereo   television   loudness  controller  builds  on  Orban’s  30+  year  experience   in   television   audio   pro-­cessing  to  provide  audibly  transparent  automatic  loudness  control  and  dialog  intelligibility  control  for  one  surround  program   (up   to   7.1)   or   four   stereo  programs.

Put  in-­line  and  the  Optimod-­TV  6585  will   ensure   that   loudness  meets   the  requirements   of   the   CALM   Act   and  EBU  R-­128.

ORBAN  Headquarters8350  East  Evans,  Suite  C4  Scottsdale,  AZ  85260  USA[p]  +1  480.403.8300[f]  +1  480.403.8301www.orban.com

ORBAN  Europe  GmbHMonreposstr.  5571634  Ludwigsburg  DE[p]  +49  7141  22  66  0[f]  +49  7141  22  66  7www.orban-­europe.eu

OPTIMOD-­TV

6585

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201362

PROPRODUCTS

VIDIGO ANNOUNCES NEW PLUGINLeading scan converter, VidiGo Toolbox PRO, now offers a VLC Media Player plugin. The plugin is an application integral to playback VLC supported codecs and streams natively to SDI. The new version of Toolbox PRO bridges the gap between content with all various codecs. It is aimed at broadcasters who want to use content quickly in their daily shows and not struggle with the amount of different codecs. VidiGo Toolbox PRO offers the possibility of grabbing content such as Skype and YouTube to SDI. But with the new VLC plugin, it has also become a work!ow changer. Major news channels (as for instance NBC, NOS, RTL, Bloomberg, WDR, Tele5), equip their broadcast facilities with VidiGo Toolbox PRO due to its quality, comprehensive functionality, ease-of-use and software-based architecture.

RTW has launched its new TMR7 TouchMonitor. Speci!cally designed for radio broadcasting, the four-channel desktop unit features two AES3 digital (XLR)

inputs that integrate all metering options required in radio broadcasting for a solution made to measure.

The technological basis of the TMR7 is the TM7 TouchMonitor with its "exible modular con!guration. Similar to the TM7, the TMR7 also includes a seven-inch touchscreen and is available as a desktop unit, !tted, or as an OEM unit with 16#audio inputs. With its versatility, the TM7 supports all professional audio metering applications.

Separate true peak and PPM instruments, as well as a vectorscope and correlator for evaluating stereo signals, are available on each TMR7 input channel. Licensing options include an extensive loudness-meter implementation (EBU R128, ITU BS.1770-3/1771, ATSC A/85, ARIB) with graphical

RADIAL GEARS FOR TOSSOVERRadial Engineering has introduced the Tossover, a 500 series module that enables one to divide the frequency bands of an audio signal to separately process lows and highs or combine the two in series to create a band-pass !lter.

The Tossover is designed to process high or low frequencies separately so that various effects can be applied to a speci!c frequency region. An example would be applying compression to the bass range of a snare drum while allowing the highs to be fully dynamic. Another could be to adding distortion to the upper registers of a bass while leaving the bottom end unaffected.

The front panel sports two sets of controls whereby one set is focused on the mid and high frequencies, while the other separates the mid and bass frequencies so that each can be processed individually. The frequency knob lets you adjust the cut-off point and the amplitude knob is used to adjust the signal level. and numerical single-channel and summing views,

as well as loudness range (LRA), MagicLRA and SPL metering. Licenses are also available for an optional realtime analyzer (RTA) and the Premium PPM package with moving-coil instruments.

The intuitive operating concept of the TouchMonitor range offers maximum "exibility. Users can move freely scalable instruments to any position on the graphical surface, allowing them to personalize the entire screen area. Views, scaling and metering standards are separately de!nable for each signal source. In addition, the convenient on-screen help function makes setting up the unit a breeze.

The four audio inputs provided by the two AES3 ports are "exibly con!gurable for mono, stereo or multichannel sources, providing separate instruments for each source. Plus, the GPIO interface for overall control, the Ethernet port, and the VGA output for external display units offer further functionality.

RTW UNVEILS TOUCHMONITOR

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 201364

We all know the expression “Do as I say, not as I do”. Within the context of TV audiences, we could modify that slightly to ‘View as I say, not as I watch’ because we see that people don’t always watch the programmes that they claim to be watching.

Popularity does not equate to viewing. For example, look at the recent !gures for news channels. It’s been a busy few weeks for news in the Middle East with "are-ups in Gaza and political tensions in Egypt — both situations where news was rolling at speed.

Al Jazeera is the name that most comes to mind when thinking about live, breaking news but does it have more viewers than Al Arabiya, and how does Sky News come into the picture?

The proof of Jazeera’s

popularity lies in the fact that it consistently comes out as the number one news channel using the recall systems that have previously been relied upon in the region. However, it consistently rates behind Al Arabiya in the UAE people meter measurements.

What’s going on? It’s a known issue with recall systems in many countries i.e. !lling in a diary, or randomly calling people and asking what they watched last night. Respondents tend to say what they usually do, not what they actually did.

Plus people like to say they watch news, or think they should say they watch news. A people meter, however, measures actual viewing and if the household didn’t watch a programme, it will not be included. If the news

viewing consists of a quick check of headlines before "icking to a movie, then that minute shift will show up.

Let’s take a look at the graph below. In October, Arabiya averaged a 1.4% audience share over Jazeera’s 1.27%. On individual days, Arabiya won 22 and Jazeera 9. In the month prior to that, it was 1.06% to Arabiya and .99% to Jazeera with Arabiya winning the days 19 to 11, so there is a consistent pattern. November, however, shows a different story, with !rst Gaza and then, Egypt bringing about a different pattern. Arabiya takes 12 of the !rst 13 days, but following that wins only another two days in the whole month. By the end of the month, a series of big wins and big share by Jazeera have seen it average 1.74% for the month compared to 1.59% for Arabiya, a reversal of the previous pattern.

In November, there’s a noticeable spike in the middle where Jazeera shoots up. This coincides with the assassination of the Hamas leader Ahmed Jabari and an increase in violence around Gaza. Towards the end of the month, the constitutional crisis in Egypt again sees Jazeera leapfrog Arabiya. Note also the

bigger average share of audience – more people overall are watching news. Including Sky News, we get a combined channels !gure of : September 2.25%; October 2.85% and November 3.66%.

My interpretation of this is that there is a regular news audience, typically around 2.5% of the viewing population. Of those, about half watch Arabiya with the other half captured mostly by Jazeera but shared with Sky News.

Then there is an occasional news audience which only watches news when something big is breaking. More of them turn to Jazeera and Sky News, which captured nearly as much of the additional viewing as Al Arabiya. Jazeera has a reputation as the place to go to when big news is happening and it would be the channel more people say they watch when asked. But what they say and do is different.

That reputation doesn’t translate into actual daily news viewing when they are measured. The news channel for regulars is Al Arabiya.

For advertisers, news has always been dif!cult. Brands don’t always like being associated with news events and the irregularity of the audience, as we have seen, makes it hard to plan campaigns. Schedule your buying across a quiet few weeks and you could have half the audience you wanted.

In that regard, the regular audience of Al Arabiya is more attractive, because it is predictable. On the other hand, the right campaign at the right time can deliver reasonable audiences and be associated with what is clearly a popular brand like Al Jazeera. Just remember that popularity and viewing are not necessarily the same thing. PRO

PROGUEST

“Do as I say, not as I do”

News makers!

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Al Arabiya Al Jazeera Sky News ArabiaShare of Audience- Arab expats - Oct 2012

Share of Audience- Arab expats - Nov 2012

Christopher O’Hearn is GM of Emirates Media Measurement Company, which has rolled out ‘tview’, the UAE’s new television ratings and audience measurement system.11/1/2012

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Lifting the Curtain: World Class Goes Digital.