Content+Technology ANZ March-April 2013

VOLUME 10 ISSUE 2 MARCH/APRIL 2013

PP: 255003/06831

ISSN 1448-9554

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Cover Story – HD9, Global TV’s New Supertruck

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VOLUME 10 ISSUE 2 MARCH/APRIL 2013

CONTENT+TECHNOLOGY: ISSN 1448-9554 PP:255003/06831Broadcastpapers Pty Ltd (ABN: 34 095 653 277) PO Box 259, Darlinghurst, NSW 1300 Australiawww.broadcastpapers.com

PUBLISHER: Phil Sandberg Tel: +61-(0)2-9211 8205 Fax: +61-(0)2-9211 8208 Mob: +61-(0)414-671-811 [email protected]

SUB-EDITOR: Keith Ford PRODUCTION MANAGER: Lucy Salmon Tel: +61-(0)2-9211 8205 [email protected] & LAYOUT: Wide Open Media Tel: +61-2-9690 2835 [email protected]: Pegasus

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All material in Broadcastpapers’ Content+Technology Magazine is protected under

Australian Commonwealth Copyright Laws. No material may be reproduced in part or whole in any manner without prior consent of the Publisher and/or copyright holder.DISCLAIMER: Broadcastpapers Pty Ltd accepts no responsibility for omissions or mistakes made within, claims made or information provided by advertisers.

02 EDITOR’S WELCOME04 NEWS Foxtel Details Next iQ, Porter

Awarded, Regional Round-Up, People Moves

10 TAKING STOCK MediaHub to Deliver Eight New Channels, Northern Pictures Joins NHNZ and Beach House, New Entertainment Legal Practice, Chyron to Buy Hego Group

61 CLASSIFIEDS AND EVENTS62 OFF-AIR64 TIME SHIFTER NFSA Restores Canberra

FEATURES

16 SMPTE 2013 A Preview from Section Chair, Ian Fellows

18 NABSHOW PREVIEW Picks of the Issues and Conference Sessions at NABSHOW 2013

22 3D – THE THIRD DIMENSION Venture 3D’s trans-Pacifi c workfl ow, Maya the Bee

24 ACQUISITION EdgeDP Takes ARRI to the Movies, Dedo Weigert - Master of Light, New Cameras and Accessories

30 SPORTSCASTING Global TV’s HD9, Glasgow 2014 Diaries Part 2, Upgrade a Capital Idea for Canberra’s PLP.tv, BTS, Grass Valley Partner on SE Asian Games

36 NEWS OPERATIONS Seven, Austereo Adopt Pack Mentality with TVU, Seven Network Adelaide Connects with Quantel, New Newsgathering Tools

40 POST-PRODUCTION FATS Digital Upgrades Snell Alchemist with Quinto, Engine Powers into Surry Hills, FSM Pops out for Kelloggs, Park Road Conquers up to 20TB a Day, Adobe Takes Editing to the Cloud

43 MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM Harmonic Launches Cloud-Based Transcoding, Cloud –based Ad Insertion, MAM & Publishing in the Cloud, AAPT’s New Age of Cloud, Cloud Content Storage Management & New Revenue

46 RADIO Digital Radio Regional Awareness Campaign, Day of Action for Community Digital Radio, New Product Releases

49 AUDIO The Loudness Debate, Managing Audio Loudness, Loudness Solutions

56 TRANSMISSION Sky Racing Takes on 3G & Streaming, New Product Round-Up

3056.18 C+T MAR-APR_pp1-23_FRONT_FA.indd 13056.18 C+T MAR-APR_pp1-23_FRONT_FA.indd 1 22/03/13 10:27 AM22/03/13 10:27 AM

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EDITOR’S WELCOME

Watching the Watchers

WHEN THIS PUBLICATION was launched some ten years ago, I had to argue for the magazine’s title, Content+Technology. As part of a team that had worked consistently on broadcast-related mastheads, this was somewhat of a departure. However, even a decade ago, it was obvious the media production and delivery landscape was changing and we needed an adaptable title that would encompass those changes.

These last ten years have vindicated that approach with the emergence of a multiplicity of delivery/consumption options, a lowering of barriers to participation and a blurring of organisational defi nitions as to what is a TV channel, radio station, publisher, journalist, web site, motion picture, TVC, drama, TV set, computer, telephone and so on. And, there is seemingly no end to the processes of change that have shaped the current environment.

So, it is with no small measure of disappointment and bewilderment that I have tried to get to grips with the Australian Federal Government’s approach to the ‘reform’ of media law. After sitting on the fi ndings of multiple inquiries for over a year, the move to rush through signifi cant legislation of lasting structural impact in just two weeks is not just baffl ing, it is short-sighted, blinkered and irresponsible.

I won’t dwell on the issues of media freedom thrown up by the Government’s legislation as they have been covered more than adequately elsewhere, but suffi ce to say the proposed regulatory regime is ill-defi ned and, where you have the potential for shifting goal-posts, you are left with uncertainty for investment, business operations and jobs. Not to mention, who watches the watchers?

A very real problem with the reform packages is that they have been muddied by the Government’s determination to regulate the content output by news organisations at the expense of addressing the structural changes wrought by technological and economic change. The motivations for this skewing of regulatory focus have been attributed mostly to a perceived editorial opposition to the Government on the part of the larger media companies. There is even a rumoured policy of non-reporting on one of Government’s policy jewels, the National Broadband Network, by one of these larger news outlets.

As to concentration of media ownership, the Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband, Malcolm Turnbull, rightly pointed out in the Parliament, “the reason there is a high level of concentration in our media is that in 1986 it was … the Labor government, the Hawke and Keating government, that gave the FIRB approval to allow Rupert Murdoch›s News Ltd to buy the Herald and Weekly Times.”

In terms of the industry’s structural issues, very little of lasting consequence has been addressed by this legislation or this Government’s time in offi ce. With the exception of increases to local content quotas in return for reductions in broadcast licence fees, the legislation does nothing to preserve jobs or encourage investment in the media sector.

Whereas the often heavily unionised construction, automobile or manufacturing industries might have a reasonable expectation of Government assistance in tough times, the media sector does not. Despite all the talk of a digital economy, it is still “old industries” which carry clout in caucus.

But, make no mistake, while there are some bright sparks on the other side of Parliament, Australia’s alternative Government is hardly teeming with visionaries.

Despite this, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott also stated in the Parliament, “The job of the media is not to run advertising for the government of the day.The job of the media is to speak truth to power, and thank God that that, thus far at least, is what most of the media in this country have been prepared to do. The media is not an arm of government, and no government should ever try to make it one. The media is an arm of our democracy, and that is the way it should always stay.”

In the event that the coalition parties win September’s scheduled Federal Election, anything they say, should be held against them.

Thanks for reading

Phil SandbergEditor/Publisher

[email protected]

T: +61-(0)2-9211 8205

By Phil Sandberg

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND EDITIONMAY-JUNE 2013 VOL 10 ISSUE 3Bookings: April 29, 2013Ad Artwork: May 03, 2013

ASIA-PACIFIC EDITIONAPRIL-MAY 2013 VOL 1 ISSUE 3Bookings: April 19, 2013Ad Artwork: April 22, 2013

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.content-technology.com +61-(0)2-9211 8205 or +61-(0)414 671 811Email: [email protected] Sales enquiries: [email protected] +61-(0)2 9211 8205

2013 C+T DEADLINES

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PROUDLY SUPPORTING:

Michael Eder joins FSM, Crowley Stays On

SYDNEY POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY FSM has welcomed Michael Eder on board as senior account manager.With over 15 years industry experience, including eight years with The Lab Sydney as account director and more recently with Method, Michael has worked across many prestigious brands, including: Tourism Australia, Bonds, Coca-Cola, Telstra and McDonalds.

Meanwhile, FSM’s resident sound engineer, Nigel Crowley, has stayed on following the “amicable, friendly and gossip-free” divergence of FSM and Stellar Sound late in 2012.

To “keep him here and happy”, FSM has revamped the studio, updating gear with the latest ProTools and those “fancy new microphones that sound people get off on”.

Visit www.fsm.com.auv

Timing for Digital Dividend Auction PaymentsTHE AUSTRALIAN MINISTER for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has issued a direction to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) on the timing of fi nal payments for spectrum licences won at the digital dividend auction.

Under this direction, the ACMA is required to issue notices to successful bidders for fi nal payments in the second half of 2014.

The Minister’s decision to direct the ACMA on the timing of fi nal payments responds to industry concern about paying for both the reissue of expiring spectrum licences and spectrum licences won at the digital dividend auction within a short period of time.

Successful bidders were previously required to pay the balance of their bid shortly after the conclusion of the auction in mid-2013.

The amended payment terms do not impact upon the commencement date of spectrum licences issued as a result of the auction. It remains the government’s expectation that the spectrum in the digital dividend band will be cleared by 31 December 2014.

Visit http://www.engage.acma.gov.au/digitaldividend

Michael Eder

Nigel Crowley

NEWS + PEOPLE

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Foxtel Boss Delivers Lowdown on iQ3 Set-TopSPEAKING AT THE 2013 ASTRA Conference in Sydney, Foxtel CEO, Richard Freudenstein, detailed the progress of the long vaunted iQ3, Foxtel’s latest addition to its set top box range. While no window for release of the iQ3 was mentioned, some of the technical specifi cations were detailed.

“iQ3 will be a truly revolutionary box. It won’t be launched for a little while yet, but as we are building one the most technologically advanced set top boxes in the world, we want to get it right before we launch it,” stated Freudenstein. “iQ3 will have 10 times the processing power and eight times more memory than our most advanced current box. There will be eight satellite or cable tuners and, in the satellite version, two terrestrial tuners.”

In the current iteration, the iQHD, viewers are able to record two programs simultaneously while also watching another show. The new iQ3 will increase this, allowing one show to be viewed while recording up to four others. The iQ3 will also have capacity for a one terabyte hard drive, utilise the latest generation WiFi technology to enable connectivity to the customer’s gateway router, and will include Bluetooth technology that allows support for the latest remote control devices.

Freudenstein also announced that Foxtel On will relaunch in June as Foxtel Play – a new internet TV service hoping to off er greater choice and fl exibility.

“Customers will be able to subscribe to Foxtel Play using a range of internet connected devices including selected connected TV’s and games consoles at home, as well as smartphones, tablets, and PC and Mac computers on the move through our Foxtel Go app,” added Freudenstein. “Foxtel Play customers will be able to pay by the month with no lock in contracts and build their own service from a series of genre based channel packs starting as low as $25 per month. With over 40 channels and over 2000 video on demand titles, Foxtel Play will bring some of the most well-loved channel brands to a whole new audience.”

Finally, Freudenstein announced a new, stand-alone video-on-demand movie service that will enable subscribers to pay a monthly fee to watch a wide selection of movies from around the world. The service will be named Foxtel Movies, but no further details were released.

Visit www.foxtel.com.au

AUSTAR’s Porter Picks Up ASTRA Pioneer Award

THE AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION and Radio Association (ASTRA) presented the fourth annual ASTRA Pioneer Award to former AUSTAR CEO John Porter for his contribution to the subscription TV (STV) industry. The award was presented by the Hon. Steve Bracks, Chairman of ASTRA, at the 2013 Conference held in Sydney.

John was recognised and honoured for his role in bringing entertainment and popular culture, through AUSTAR, to some of the most far fl ung regions in Australia. As Executive Director and Chief Executive Offi cer, John led the development of AUSTAR from its inception in 1995 as an eight channel entity to a robust media organisation off ering 97 standard channels, 20 HD channels and 23 time-shift channels in 2012, when it merged with FOXTEL.

It was under John’s leadership that AUSTAR set several industry benchmarks: the fi rst to go digital in 1997, the fi rst to provide interactive services with Weather Active and T-Mail. In addition to leading business initiatives, John also steered AUSTAR’s spirit and culture that emerged through its entrepreneurial beginnings, championed its women executives, and was a strong force in the community.

Joking that if you hang around long enough, you become known as a pioneer, Porter said, “This is such an honour and I’m grateful to be recognised by ASTRA and everyone in the industry in Australia. I share this with the rest of the AUSTAR team, who have been instrumental in shaping the lives and entertainment choices of regional Australians.”

John is soon to move to Brussels, as CEO of Telenet, Belgium’s largest broadband cable provider.

Visit www.astra.org.au

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ASIA NEWS

CEDAR AUDIO has announced that Singapore’s national broadcaster, MediaCorp TV, has chosen CEDAR Cambridge V8 to clean up and restore its TV and fi lm soundtracks in its post-production facility in Singapore.

The CEDAR Cambridge system was installed and commissioned by CDA Pro Audio (Asia) at MediaCorp’s Caldecott Broadcast Centre, and training was carried out by Gordon Reid, who travelled from the UK to Singapore.

Visit www.cda-proaudio.comand www.cedaraudio.com

SINGAPORE

A RECENT NEW ENTRANT to the Malaysian broadcast sector, the all-digital ABN (Asian Broadcasting Network) has selected ETERE’s MERP (Media Enterprise Resources Planning) platform as a base for its station infrastructure.

ABN manages its programs and promo scheduling through ETERE BMS and ETERE Promo, traffi c activities from booking to billing are performed by ETERE Air Sales.

Visit www.etere.eu

MALAYSIA

TECHNICOLOR has announced that it has won two extension contracts from Tata Sky, India’s leading satellite operator with over 8 million subscribers. Pursuant to the long standing relationship between both parties and the commercial success of its high-defi nition (HD) and standard-defi nition (SD) digital TV off erings, Tata Sky has granted Technicolor, until mid 2015, extension of the initial contracts for the STBs already delivered over past years.

Visit www.technicolor.com

INDIA

AMAN TV is a new entrant into the television market in Pakistan, aiming to deliver high quality news and current aff airs broadcasting with worldwide coverage. It will operate from a new broadcast centre in Lahore with a complete Harris Broadcast newsroom and playout infrastructure.

The Harris Broadcast ADC automated content and distribution system controls the entire news production and playout infrastructure, with Harris Broadcast NEXIO AMP servers and a NEXIO Farad online storage system providing content delivery and storage.

Visit www.harrisbroadcast.com

PAKISTAN

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THE MINISTER for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has announced that NBN Co has signed a contract for the launch of two next-generation satellites to deliver high-speed broadband to Australians living in rural and remote areas.

The contract was awarded to European consortium, Arianespace, and the satellites will be launched separately in 2015 from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.

Visit www.nbnco.com.au

AUSTRALIA

MIRANDA TECHNOLOGIES has closed a deal to supply more than 1000 Densité HDA-1911 modules to Shanghai Media Group (SMG).

The sale supplements more than 1000 HDA-1911 modules already in place at SMG’s facility. The HDA-1911 is a 3G/HD/SD-SDI video distribution module and will be used by SMG to form the fi rst-tier entrance matrix for incoming sources for subsequent distribution to downstream applications such as ingest, production and NLEs.

Visit www.miranda.com

CHINA

KOREAN BROADCASTING SYSTEM (KBS) has invested in the SprintCam Vvs HD ultra slow motion technology from I-MOVIX to enhance its coverage of domestic and international baseball, volleyball, basketball and football events.

KBS has been a long-term user of ultra motion for sports productions, but this is the fi rst time the broadcaster purchased the I-MOVIX’s solution.

The SprintCam Vvs HD system chosen by KBS was supplied by Korean I-MOVIX distributor D2S.

Visit www.i-movix.com

KOREA

BITTREE HAS announced that PT Indonesia Media Televisi (IMTV) has equipped its direct to home (DTH) facility with a suite of 53 Bittree video and audio patchbays.

Launching this month, IMTV is a new Indonesian DTH television service that is broadcasting 150 SD and HD channels via the LippoStar satellite operating in the Ku band. PT Interindo MultiMedia supplied IMTV’s Bittree solutions.

Visit www.bittree.com

INDONESIA

NEWS CORPORATION has announced that its News Limited subsidiary is divesting its 44% stake in SKY Network Television Limited, New Zealand’s pre-eminent pay television broadcasting service.

News Limited has appointed Deutsche Bank to underwrite and, together with Craigs Investment Partners, to manage, the sales of its SKY shares. Following the sales, News Limited will no longer have any holding in SKY Network Television Limited.

Visit www.skytv.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND

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Ball Rolling at QuintoQUINTO COMMUNICATIONS has announced the appointment of Andrew Ball as a Technical Sales Executive in its growing corporate video market sector.

With many years sales experience in the Broadcast and Audio Visual markets, Andrew joins Quinto from Hills Industries having previously been employed by Miller and Rexel Video Systems. In his new role, Andrew will be responsible for increasing Quinto’s share of the corporate and audio visual professional market in Australia.

“Andrew comes to us with a wealth of experience and so we are extremely excited to have him join the Quinto team,” says Tom Pavicic, CEO of Quinto Communications. “With our AJA, Blackmagic and Marshall products we have seen strong growth with many new corporate and government customers and, as our user base continues to increase, we will be able to use Andrew’s experience and expertise to grow new business in the region.”

Visit quinto.com.au

Cutting Edge Hires Heavy Hitters for VFX

FELIX CRAWSHAW, EXECUTIVE Producer Longform, and VFX Producer Simone Clow (pictured centre) – have been snapped up by Cutting Edge, in a move that refl ects recent growth and complements its burgeoning creative talent.

Felix joins from Fuel VFX, whilst Simone most recently worked in a full time capacity at Iloura.

Cutting Edge CEO Michael Burton said that experienced and passionate Producers like Felix and Simone were an essential part of the equation when delivering best-in-class creative.

“These appointments also refl ect our expansion in both shortform and longform,” he said. “In both formats we are busy and we are committed. In shortform, we’re delivering outstanding creative. In longform, we are carving a niche as one of the best boutique, high end VFX shops in the country.”

Most recently, Felix was responsible for delivering groundbreaking FX shots in stereoscopic 3D on Ridley Scott’s epic sci-fi feature Prometheus for Twentieth Century Fox, an Oscar nominee for this year’s Visual Eff ects category.

Simone brings over 20 years experience to the team, having worked as a VFX, Design and Motion Graphics Producer in NY, London and Sydney. She has honed her skills at The Lab, Iloura, Digital Pictures, Animal Logic, Engine and The Mill, developing complex VFX pipelines in tandem with leading compositors and CG artists internationally.

Visit www.cuttingedge.com.au

Foxtel Announces TV Appointments

FOXTEL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF Television, Brian Walsh, has announced some key television appointments at Foxtel Networks Australia.

Brendon Moo has been appointed to the role of General Manager, General Entertainment Channels, and will oversee the management of FOX8, Arena, FOX Classics, The Comedy Channel and 111 HITS.

General Manager of Foxtel’s Music Channels, Shaun James, will now also oversee the Foxtel Networks Digital team. Graham Burrells has been appointed to the role of Creative Director, Movies and Drama. Paul Macionis has been appointed to the role of Senior Production and Business Aff airs Manager. Ross Crowley, Director of Programming and Channels, will now oversee Main Event and On Demand TV.


Senior Appointments for SLR Productions

AUSTRALIA’S EMMY AWARD WINNING SLR Productions has announced the appointment of Helen Thwaites as Head of Business Aff airs and Jo Tucker as Head of Finance.

Helen Thwaites joins SLR Productions with over 15 years of experience in the industry. Most recently she held the position of Business Aff airs Manager, Commissioned Content at the ABC for a period of seven years. In her position with SLR Productions, Helen Thwaites will be responsible for the business management of SLR Productions’ current and future slate.

Jo Tucker joins the company as a Chartered Accountant with over 15 years commercial experience. She was most recently Head of Finance at online group buying company, Our Deal.

Visit www.slrproductions.com

Wong Returns to Grass ValleyGRASS VALLEY HAS announced the appointment of Stephen Wong as Senior Vice President of APAC. With more than 30 years of experience in the television broadcast industry, including a fi rst spell with the Grass Valley Group (1999-2002) and additional senior roles at Thomson, Tektronix, Phillips, Ampex, and Redifussion Television, Wong joins the company to lead Grass Valley’s sales activities across all market segments in APAC.

Wong will be based at Grass Valley’s Hong Kong offi ce and will drive the company’s growth strategy in Asia, with an emphasis on emerging markets, while also leading its teams throughout the region. Wong replaces Andrew Sedek.

Visit www.grassvalley.com


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TAKING STOCKMoves in the business of content + technology www.content-technology.com/mediabusiness

MediaHub to Deliver Eight New ChannelsIT STARTED AS a joint venture to improve effi ciencies by delivering content for the ABC and the WIN Network. Just over two years later, MediaHub is now broadcasting product for more than 161 Australian television channels across free to air, subscription, public and private providers from a central ‘mega’ master control room in Sydney’s south.

The Company announced another eight channels have been added to its stable including the Australia Network, SBS’s newest free to air Channel NITV, Subscription Channels World Movies and Studio (STVDIO), and the subscription racing network TVN.

Through a centralised digital media handling facility in Ingleburn (NSW), MediaHub enables multiple television operators to deliver full or part content such as programs, advertisements, Community Service Announcements,

international feeds, outside broadcasts and special presentations tailored to each client’s particular market or region from the one facility.

CEO Alan Sweeney said the acquisition of the additional channels was an indication of the high regard within which MediaHub had come to be perceived within the television industry.

“This facility is delivering bottom line benefi ts for broadcasters by reducing ineffi ciencies and increasing capacity and scalability through the centralised automated delivery, as well as providing for the expansion of content delivery to IPTV, smart phones and other hand held devices,” Mr. Sweeney said. “For over two years we have been implementing leading edge technology and have subsequently developed an incredibly stable platform.”

Visit www.mediahubaustralia.com.au

David Whealy Launches Entertainment Legal Services Practice

ENTERTAINMENT LEGAL SERVICES PRACTICE, David Whealy and Associates, has launched in Sydney basing its offi ce on the lot in the professional area of Fox Studios Australia.

The practice that provides comprehensive legal services for the entertainment industry in addition to executive producing TV and fi lm projects is headed by David Whealy.

Whealy has over 20 years’ experience in the entertainment industry including senior legal positions with Omnilab Media, Holding Redlich, Beyond Entertainment, ABC TV, and PolyGram Records. The practice as a whole off ers legal services which span contract negotiations, fi lm distribution, production agreements, talent contracts, chain of title, IP, trade practices and defamation issues.

Whealy added, “Our key areas of expertise include fi lm and television development, production, fi nancing, distribution and sales – areas where we add signifi cant value for our clients. We are regularly involved in projects from their very inception through script development, funding, production and distribution. We also regularly help directors, talent, composers, producers, production companies, TV networks, sporting organisations and more with their daily legal requirements.”

Whealy concluded, “At David Whealy and Assoc-iates we understand how the entertainment industry works, how to get the job done and how best to deal with the many legal issues that often present themselves. We are also very passionately committed to the Australian entertainment industry.”

Contact David Whealy on +61 2 9383 4613 or +61 414 825 165 or via [email protected]

Northern Pictures Joins NHNZ and BHP Stable

AUSTRALIA’S NORTHERN PICTURES HAS joined a production stable that already houses New Zealand-based NHNZ and Beach House Pictures (BHP) in Singapore.

Sydney-based David Haslingden, who bought NHNZ and its sister company BHP from Fox last October, acquired Northern Pictures to add an Australian production house to his pool of globally independent production houses.

Managing Director of Northern Pictures, Sue Clothier, says the grouping is a perfect fi t for her production company, which has had signifi cant growth since its inception in 2010.

Northern Pictures is currently producing series

two and three of the high profi le “Once Upon a Time in…” franchise for SBS and are in production with BHP on a landmark four-part series on Kakadu for the ABC and 10-part series for international distribution.

“I have been an admirer of NHNZ and BHP for many years and have always felt there were obvi-ous synergies between our companies and people. Australia, New Zealand and Singapore locales give us distinct Southern Hemisphere advantages.

“We share similar storytelling sensibilities and have complementary slates with content covering a range of genres.”

Visit www.nhnz.tv

Nat Geo Wild Buys Australia’s Deadliest from SevenNATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNELS’ NAT Geo Wild has acquired international rights to Channel Seven’s original production – Australia’s Deadliest.

The new 12-part series, developed and produced by Channel Seven’s factual production team, tells compelling real-life stories of dangerous human encounters with Australia’s most venomous and lethal animals, including the box jellyfi sh, brown snake and saltwater crocodile.

It is the second recent Channel Seven production to attract overseas broadcasters.

On March 1, the network announced the format rights to its hugely popular Australian-made series My Kitchen Rules had been sold to UK broadcaster Sky.

Seven’s Director of Production Brad Lyons said the network was working to expand its international production across all formats.

“We see this as a real growth area for Seven Productions and to get a series up on Nat Geo is very encouraging,” Mr Lyons said.

Australia’s Deadliest has been airing in Australia and overseas on Nat Geo Wild from March.

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In response to a number of requests by readers of my last article of C&T (Jan/Feb 2013 edition), the following information highlights the plans they are currently undertaking within their own company.

AS MENTIONED in the last article some external forces are coming into play at present as the baby boomers start to pass the baton.

Generation X has come of age, they’re individualistic and fl exible because they’ve evolved from a manufacturing economy to a service economy, and their work/life balance is more work to live rather than live to work.

Although they may prove to be strong leaders, whilst being self-suffi cient, embracing a hands-off management philosophy, they could be prone and more willing to change jobs in order to get ahead than their counterparts in previous generations.

As a result of this, succession plans will also become an increasing part of the landscape from 2013!

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PLAN

A Position Description is an important part of managing performance, as they are used in the development of a Succession plan.

Performance management is the tool by which you gauge the suitability of a staff member for consideration in a succession plan.

Starting with a PD, it outlines the position profi le, position summary, selection criteria and the key responsibilities.

However, a performance management plan documents the agreed performance targets for an employee and contains information about how performance will be measured against these targets.

It’s closely aligned with the business strategy of the organisation and objectively measures performance against clearly outlined expectations.

As a result, staff members clearly understand what is expected of them and managers have a professional framework within which to discuss both positive and negative aspects of an employee’s performance.

Once a Performance Management Plan is established, a succession plan is actioned.

SUCCESSION PLANS

On the surface, it’s a strategy to identify and develop talented individuals early in their career so that the company is able to transition them seamlessly into another role when the time arrives.

Traditionally, succession plans may involve developing an individual upwards into a more senior role, but it can also be used to accommodate individuals sideways into a peer type role for those who are not prepared to accept more responsibility, yet for them, it may be a more challenging role.

There are numerous side benefi ts to this plan other than the actual appointment of an individual into a new role.

Employees leading into the plan contribute by their commitment to the company’s higher retention rate, as well they become more proactive in their own self-development.

Their quality of work is consistently high because their career aspirations are being taken seriously and the prospect of career advancement is real, tangible and it has a high probability to succeed.

Bear in mind that there may be more than one successor for the position.

At the other end of the scale, senior leaders become personally involved, and through their mentorship they retain a longer, more productive existence, right up to when they pass over of the reins to their successor.

It’s also important to determine whether it’s agreeable to all parties to have

a complete removal or when it’s time critical, a partial removal of the person exiting, and in doing so retaining some presence as a consultant. In any case an agreed timeframe should be established as well.

Along the succession planning track should also be laid a number of skill retention strategies, involving documentation that would be used to ensure the skills of the incoming staff are maintained. Also, what internal processes would be implemented to regularly check that the current skills of staff members are still appropriate for the business?

Plus, what training programs would you be organising for possible successors? Are these in-house or conducted by external providers?

How would the new responsibilities be documented and communicated to staff ?

Also consider deploying a number of succession strategies.

They could be retention bonuses or providing quality of work recognition or other special programmes, or simply providing assessment and feedback. Another strategy is to set in place planned job assignments that will showcase and encourage their abilities.

Relocation bonuses could also be considered for re-locating individuals.

PLAN B

For any change in an organisation where a key staff member is engaged in a succession plan, it’s always wise to have a contingency/risk management plan, or a “Plan B” as well. It should be a failsafe plan (or as close as it can be) to ensure that you experience minimal disruption, because it’s the mindset of the exiting member that may change if the plan is signifi cantly delayed.

However, people are often poorly motivated to develop a strong ‘Plan B’ because they have too much of an emotional investment in the ‘Plan A’ they want to deliver. However a Plan B should be properly thought-through.

To start a risk assessment, you’ll need to address all business-critical operations and identify critical business functions by all parties, and in doing so, outline a way to minimise losses.

Then by recognising the issues that may surface, prioritise them by the likelihood of it occurring. These issues would then be reviewed regularly along the time line because human, product or market intervention may change the list of priorities at any time!

This year is already starting to show consolidation of staff as well organisations, with an emphasis on maintaining their market share, so retention and motivation of staff will play a key role in the success of any business.

Karl Jansson owned and managed “J-Curve Broadcast Recruitment”. He has since merged his business within “Interlogic Placements” at North Sydney.

Contact: [email protected] or 9922 2711 or 0408 274 413

Staff , Playing a Key Role in 2013!Media staff & strategy by Karl Jansson

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AUDIENCE RESEARCH IS all about observation and recording. You want to capture not only what test subjects say about the movie, video, game or TV commercial you’re testing, but also what their faces reveal.

At least that’s the case at Time Warner’s new Medialab in Manhattan, where CompView Audio Visual designed a video capture system that helps measure what test subjects feel along with what they say and do. According to Tom Yerkes, who was in charge of the project for the Beaverton, Oregon-based integrator, the quality of the robotic cameras in a system like this is crucial.

“We needed a camera that would provide crisp, high-defi nition digital images over the various distances involved, in areas with very diff erent lighting and completely diff erent colour temperatures,” Yerkes explains. “We knew Vaddio would do the job.”

The new facility is designed to help producers from Time Warner’s nearly 100 subsidiaries create more compelling content, whether that’s for Warner Bros. movies, HBO television, CNN news broadcasts, Time Warner magazines, video games from the company’s Interactive Entertainment division, or trailers, television advertising and websites created to promote these products.

In addition, Medialab can test how consumers view and engage with video, games, and online content on devices ranging from smart phones and tablets all the way up to digital projection systems.

The 9,600 square-foot Medialab includes eight testing and two observation rooms, among them is a mock living room, a traditional focus group room, a usability lab where consumers can try out Time Warner products, a 47-seat theatre, and a mock retail store where test shoppers can buy magazines and other merchandise.

A total of 22 Vaddio WallVIEW HD-19 CAT-5 pan/tilt/zoom cameras (each

mounted in a ceiling dome) give researchers close-up views of all of these interactions. When combined with data from biometric devices that measure heart rate, respiration, motion, and galvanic skin response, video from these cameras provide detailed insights about the emotions consumers experience when they’re watching or using a Time Warner product.

To make this happen, high defi nition images from the cameras, the media being tested, voice and program audio, and data from the biometric devices are all sent to a multi-stream digital recording system, as well as a total of 20 LED monitors in the observation rooms.

A massive 184 input by 184 output matrix switching system, also designed by CompView, allows Medialab staff to choose how the programming being tested, the camera sources and biometric data are routed to the testing labs, observation rooms and recording system.

An important goal of the design team was to capture output from any device that might be brought into Medialab. Because many smart phones, hand-held gaming systems and smart appliances do not have AV outputs, staff may aim one of the Vaddio cameras over the subject’s shoulder to capture what he or she is looking at.

Visit www.vaddio.com and www.timewarnermedialab.com

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The Bridge Networks Launches e-Catalogue

THE BRIDGE NETWORKS New Zealand has launched a new e-catalogue service; connecting customers directly with almost 4000 communications products and comprehensive system integration services.

The Bridge Networks Managing Director, Christine Fisher, said, “The new e-catalogue site is a signifi cant step towards The Bridge Networks’ vision of getting to the heart of what our customers need, and making the process of doing business with us as easy as possible.”

The Bridge Networks revamped website will showcase the company’s expertise in delivering both products and System Integration services to the New Zealand and Pacifi c Island region. The site includes tools such as a wish list, Skype instant messaging, case studies, new product releases, as well as updated news and announcements.

Visit www.thebridgenetworks.com

EVS’ New Market-Focused Strategy

EVS HAS ANNOUNCED a new market-focused strategy. The announcement responds to a growing worldwide viewer demand for more engaging live programming, and supports the increasing desire for content owners to enrich their live content.

This will be publicly unveiled at NAB 2013 (Stand SL2416) under the broad theme Enriched Live Production. During the show, EVS will highlight new workfl ow solutions aimed at optimising the live broadcasting infrastructure to embrace new connected operations and ‘live everywhere’ off erings for the consumer.

The new strategy, drawing on the existing strengths of EVS, will be focused around four key markets – Sports, Entertainment, News and Media.

“It will,” says EVS CEO, Joop Janssen, “enable us to better deliver our investments in R&D and

product innovation, help drive the expansion of our sales network, and continue to improve our user training and customer support and bring even better products to the market faster.”

He adds, “Our ambition is to accelerate the growth of our company and reach a wider range of customers more quickly through a more focused strategy. Each market has its own specifi c challenges and opportunities, so by aligning our structure with the particular market demands of our customers, we aim to help them continue to be successful, both now and in the future.”

To better support the new market strategy, EVS is strengthening its Executive Committee. Fully operational from 21 February 2013, it will be headed up by CEO, Joop Janssen.

Visit www.evs.com

Broadcast ONE Expands Harris Product Portfolio in AustraliaHARRIS BROADCAST HAS announced that Broadcast ONE, an RF systems and broadcast communications integration company, has expanded its portfolio to off er broadcasters in Australia a wider range of Harris Broadcast equipment. Following more than three years handling the Harris Broadcast transmitter line, Broadcast ONE will now also represent all infrastructure and networking products. Amongst these products will be the Harris Broadcast Selenio media convergence platform.

“The Australian broadcast market is always seeking new ways to improve effi ciencies and often this is found through advanced, proven technology solutions,” said Darren Kirsop-Frearson, Managing Director, Broadcast ONE. “We are excited to extend our range of Harris Broadcast equipment as it will enable us to supply our customers with fl exible and integrated solutions that help optimise their business goals.”

The lines off ered by Broadcast ONE will also

extend to comprise the entire range of master control, monitoring, routing and distribution products. This includes Harris Broadcast HView SX Pro multiviewers, with options to integrate within Harris Broadcast Platinum routers to enable signal monitoring with top-grade picture quality and control options. Furthermore, Broadcast ONE will also add the company’s branding and broadcast graphics system to its portfolio.

“The Harris Broadcast Sydney offi ce continues to operate as it has done for many years, focusing primarily on workfl ow, solutions and providing top level support to the market,” said Richard Hewitt, regional sales manager, Harris Broadcast. “Our ongoing relationship with Broadcast ONE is a testament to our success in this region and we look forward to working with them to continue to provide our customers with easy access and the best available local support.”

Visit www.harrisbroadcast.comand www.broadcastone.com.au

Foxtel and Disney Expand RelationshipFOXTEL AND THE WALT DISNEY Company Australia have announced an agreement that will see Disney Channel become available to all subscribers as part of the Foxtel Essentials pack. New Walt Disney Studios, Disney-Pixar and Marvel titles, will join the Foxtel Movies off ering.

The arrangement also includes new digital rights across all platforms including Foxtel Go.

The highest-grossing fi lm of 2012 globally and the third-highest of all time, Marvel’s The Avengers, featuring Foxtel ambassador Chris

Hemsworth, will premiere on Foxtel Movies Premiere Channel in March, and Disney-Pixar’s box-offi ce hit Brave, winner of this year’s Golden Globe for best animated feature, will debut in April.

Richard Freudenstein, Foxtel Chief Executive, said, “With this new agreement, Foxtel will become the home of Disney in Australia. The addition of Disney Channel to our Essentials pack off ering is a huge value-add for our customers.”


Harmonic to Sell Cable Access Business

HARMONIC INC. (NASDAQ: HLIT) has reached an agreement to sell its Cable Access business to Aurora Networks, Inc. for $46 million in cash. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed by the end of the fi rst quarter of 2013.

In addition, consistent with ongoing eff orts to review its capital structure and to deliver value to all its stockholders, Harmonic’s Board of Directors has approved an increase to its current share repurchase program to include the net, after-tax cash proceeds from this transaction of approximately $35 million, contingent upon its closing.

“The sale of the Cable Access business enables us to sharpen our focus on our largest growth opportunities,” said Patrick Harshman, President and Chief Executive Offi cer. “Cable Access was Harmonic’s lowest margin product line, and through this transaction and the increase in our authorised share repurchase program, we will continue to drive growth in our core markets, expand our gross margin, reduce our outstanding shares, and position our business for stronger long-term earnings.”

The Cable Access business generated $52.9 million of net revenue with gross margin of approximately 30% in calendar year 2012. Harmonic expects that the sale of the business will be neutral to diluted earnings per share for 2013, excluding the impact of the share repurchase program.

Visit www.harmonicinc.com

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AsiaSat Announces Annual Results for 2012ASIA SATELLITE TELECOMMUNICATIONS Holdings Limited (AsiaSat – SEHK: 1135) has announced its 2012 annual results for the year ended 31 December 2012.

Turnover for 2012 was HK$1,884,904,000, a 10% increase over 2011, while profi t attributable to shareholders was HK$914,491,000 and earnings per share were HK$2.34, both increasing 11%.

New satellites AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8 are on track for launch in 1H 2014, to off er further

scope for company growth, while the addition of AsiaSat 7, the replacement satellite for AsiaSat 3S, opens up short-term revenue opportunities. Renewals with major long-term customers increased total new and renewed contract value to HK$2,596 million.

AsiaSat’s Chairman, JU Wei Min, said, “As we look beyond 2012, we remain generally optimistic about our prospects. Our market position is strong, and we continue to be regarded as the industry leader in Asia.”

“In the year ahead, achieving another record gain will be a challenge as we experienced some exceptional items during the year under review, which will not occur again in 2013,” added JU Wei Min. “Approaching 2014, however, we can look forward to the launches of AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8, which will give us the added capacity to serve new customers and to meet the expansion needs of our existing customers.”

Visit www.asiasat.com

Chyron to Acquire Hego Group

CHYRON CORPORATION (NASDAQ: CHYR), has announced that it has signed a defi nitive agree-ment to acquire Hego AB and its subsidiaries (Hego Group), a leading provider of powerful graphics and data visualisation solutions for TV and sports.

Hego Group is a privately-held company with its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, and has operations in Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, UK and USA. The combined company will be rebranded as ChyronHego.

The transaction will take the form of a stock transaction whereby Chyron will issue a number of shares of Chyron common stock which will represent 40% of its aggregate shares of common stock outstanding, including certain outstanding options, after the closing, in exchange for all of Hego’s outstanding capital stock.

Chyron’s board of directors unanimously approved the transaction and Chyron shareholders, representing 40% of Chyron’s outstanding common stock, have committed to

vote in favour of the transaction.

At the closing of the transaction, Johan Apel, chairman and CEO of Hego Group, will be elected to Chyron’s board of directors and will be appointed president and COO of ChyronHego. Michael Wellesley-Wesley, president and CEO of Chyron, will remain as ChyronHego CEO. Hego’s shareholders will also be entitled to appoint one other member to Chyron’s board of directors.

Visit www.chyron.com

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This year SMPTE 2013 is shaping up to be one of the best yet despite what they are saying about the downturn. We have had a better than expected take up by Exhibitors and responses from potential presenters are rolling in.

EXHIBITOR FLOOR SPACE still the most cost eff ective and best value for money in the industry so if you an exhibitor and haven’t reserved yourself a space on the exhibition fl oor best do it now. Go to the website and check out available space at SMPTE13. Exhibition space is selling fast.

If you’re a punter put the dates in your diaries. Our Conference packages are fl exible and cost eff ective. Buy by the session bundle, stream or complete conference. Go to the website and check out the sessions and pricing.

If you plan on going to the ever popular SMPTE conference dinner, secure yourself a seat or book yourself a table, but get in quick they go fast.

We will also be featuring our Members lounge again this year for meetings or just to rest your tired feet and have a coff ee.

As always we will be evangelising the three pillars of SMPTE Membership, Standards, and Education involving students from Colleges and Universities such as Charles Sturt Uni, JMC Academy and the AFTRS. Students will be actively participating.

We will be actively soliciting for new members and the familiar SMPTE store

will be there with merchandise for all.

A strategic relationship and cross promotion agreement has recently been struck between SMPTE Conference & Exhibition the NAB Show. This will give our conference and exhibition true international exposure and lure NAB exhibitors to our shores. This will make the SMPTE Australia Conference & Exhibition an even greater regional forum for technology exchange to stimulate the local industry.

SMPTE Members will also benefi t being able to take advantage of special packages and discounts when attending next year’s NAB conference.

Conference ThemeThis year our conference theme is on “Delivering the Personalised Content Experience”. More so than ever the choices for consumers of information and content is no longer a case of “where do you get it”, it’s “when do I want to get it”. There is so much on so many delivery options it’s a virtual punters paradise out there.

We hear about BIG DATA, but consider this. Every minute of every day Google receives over 2 million search requests, You Tube has 48 hours of video

uploaded, Facebook users share 684,000 pieces of content. 150,000 tweets go out on Twitter. Every single activity is being stored as data. It has been estimated that the world is generating 2.5 billion gigabytes a day. That’s equivalent to 125 years of DVD quality video. In other words everything ever recorded in the history of mankind has been created in the last two years. That is a staggering amount of information.

This is why we think its time to talk about it. Not everything about the personalised content experience is personal. Delivering content to hand held device takes farms of equipment.

How do the traditional content creation models adapt to this new landscape? Traditional broadcasters need to prevent their message from getting lost in this sea of content.

And what challenges does this pose to the cinematographer, how does he/she shoot a scene bearing in mind it may end up on a mobile phone? How does his message translate? How does he deliver the personalised content experience?

What content is best delivered on big screen or small screen, or does it even matter any more? How do we match quality with quantity, deliver it anywhere and get a return on investment?

Our industry is facing some very big challenges. Do we have the answers?

All this and more will be revealed when you attend the SMPTE 13 Australian Conference & Exhibition.

Call for papersIn 2011 we introduced online papers registration via the EDAS system. This experiment proved to be so successful that we have decided continue.

All potential presenters can register and deliver their contributions online where our team of experts can review and grade submissions from a central repository, group papers into sessions and build the entire program using smart software.

Our papers Chair is currently looking for contributors RIGHT NOW so if you have that new killer tech solution or the new improved version we encourage YOU the Developers and Vendors to come forth and reveal all. Educate us as to how to deliver the ultimate personal content experience. It could be a new technology or process or you’ve built the ultimate mousetrap and you want to tell the world. We want to hear your story.

Submission is an on line process just follow the links on the conference website to register on the EDAS system and submit your abstract. Go to our website and view the conference streams to fi nd one that best describes your topic. You could be chosen to present your paper. Your paper could be published in the International SMPTE Journal.

Visit http://smpte.com.au/sydney/

SMPTE 2013 is coming to a Sydney Exhibition Centre near you!By Ian Fellows, Chair of SMPTE Australian Section

23–26 July 2013SYDNEY EXHIBITION CENTREDARLING HARBOURwww.smpte.com.au

DELIVERING THE PERSONALISED

CONTENT EXPERIENCE

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DISSENSION, IT WOULD SEEM, is growing over the way in which the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is handling its spectrum restack – a topic sure to receive an airing at this year’s National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las Vegas.

In a recent speech, NAB EVP of Strategic Planning Rick Kaplan criticised the FCC’s approach, particularly with regard to incentive auctions.

According to the NAB’s Kaplan, the “… auction is notable not only due to its novelty, but also because of its extremely high degree of diffi culty.”

According to the FCC, an incentive auction is “a voluntary, market-based tool to compensate existing spectrum licensees for returning their licenses to make spectrum available for innovative new uses like mobile broadband. The FCC would auction the spectrum that licensees voluntarily return for wireless broadband services, with licensees retaining a portion of the auction proceeds”.

The FCC currently estimates it will conclude the incentive auction proceeding in 2013 and hold the incentive auction during 2014.

Adds Kaplan, “The Commission will also undertake the most robust and complex repacking of broadcast television stations. Whereas during the DTV transition the Commission relocated approximately 100 stations, and those moves were orchestrated over several years, in this instance, the

Commission is likely to relocate many hundreds of stations, and attempt to sort through that process in a matter of minutes or hours.”

Kaplan says the auction process also faces a slew of tough economic, engineering and policy choices, including:

How much spectrum should be allocated to licensed versus unlicensed services? How will the FCC attract volunteers and know how much to pay them? How can the U.S. expedite the statutorily-mandated coordination process with Canada and Mexico to free up spectrum along the borders?

What does the band plan look like, including whether the Commission should favour FDD (Frequency Division Duplex, where data is transmitted in one frequency channel and received in another) or TDD operations (Time Division Duplex, where a single radio channel is used to send and receive data)?

How is the FCC going to administer the $1.75 billion TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund and to do so within three years of the auction closing?

According to Rick Kaplan, “If the Commission insists on holding this auction – and does so – in 2014, the auction will almost certainly fail.

“And by ‘failed’, I mean there is either not enough participation to enable a basic, nationwide commercial wireless band plan, or an outcome that results in widespread harmful interference among services.

“Every commenter who discussed the FCC’s proposed band plan, which featured ‘splitting’ wireless uplink and downlink operations and interspersing high power television between them, said it wouldn’t work.

“The plan would lead to massive interference between broadcast and mobile broadband operations.”

A bigger issue, says Kaplan, is a proposal to have diff erent or “variable” band plans in adjacent markets throughout the country.

“In plain terms, what this means is that in some markets one channel may be used for television broadcasting and in others that same channel may feature wireless operations. There is just one problem with this approach. Like its cousin, the ‘split’ plan, it simply doesn’t work. If you force broadcasters and wireless carriers to share channels in adjacent markets, one will interfere with the other. It’s basic engineering.”

According to Kaplan, the NAB has proposed four steps to “maximize the likelihood of achieving useable and worthwhile nationwide bands of spectrum for the wireless industry”.

The Commission should lay out a number of nationwide repacking scenarios. This involves looking at options for repacking, and focusing in particular on the moving pieces in the more congested markets.

From these scenarios the FCC can determine how many stations it needs to participate to achieve certain spectrum clearing targets, and where those stations must be.

The Commission should estimate how much it would, under each scenario, raise nationwide in a forward auction.

The Commission should take its nationwide estimate and use the funds to ensure it entices volunteers in the markets where it requires participants.

“There certainly are no guarantees,” says Kaplan, “but this proposed approach relies on rather than ignores key information the FCC has up front, and gives the Commission a much greater chance of success. Robust nationwide bands of paired spectrum is what we should be aiming for, and what we’ve proposed likely gives us the best shot at achieving that goal.”

Visit www.nabshow.com.

Spectrum of Issues, Issues of Spectrum at NAB 2013As one of over 40 countries that have either completed or will complete the switchover to digital-only TV by 2015, the United States has been leading the way in reorganising its analogue TV spectrum to enable new mobile communications and wireless broadband services. Or has it?

in North Hall:

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It’s all about ME, and how the Mobile Experience is energizing the transformation of Media & Entertainment. Second screens enhance fi lm and television with interactive content and applications — adding a new dimension to the art of storytelling and reshaping opportunities for viewer engagement.

Meeting Expectations to deliver fresh programming that thrives in Multiple Environments will depend on how well you integrate new players, strategies and technologies into your development plan. NAB Show® is a Marketplace Energized…where the ideas fueling the future of fi lmmaking are revealed as creative masters, network and studio executives connect, collaborate and refi ne their craft. Give yourself something to smile about. Register today!

NAB SHOW 2013 PREVIEW

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Lowell McAdam Headlining General SessionLOWELL C. MCADAM, chairman and chief executive offi cer of Verizon Communications, will be featured in Tuesday’s General Session on April 9 at NAB. The session, entitled “Lowell McAdam: A Candid Conversation”, will feature McAdam in a discussion with NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith on his vision for the future of wireless broadband, broadcasting and competition in a

multi-platform world.

As chairman and chief executive offi cer of Verizon Communications, McAdam is responsible for the operations of Verizon, including all business units and staff functions. In addition, he is chairman of the Verizon Wireless Board of Representatives.

Visit www.nabshow.com

Avner Ronen to Keynote Disruptive MediaAVNER RONEN, CEO & co-founder of Boxee, Inc., will deliver the keynote address to the Disruptive Media Conference on Wednesday, April 10.

The idea for Boxee was born in 2004 when Ronen and four friends began using Xbox Media Center, open source software that allowed people to play digital media on their TVs. They became members of XBMC’s open source community and in 2007

imagined a way to take the platform even further, founding Boxee.

The Disruptive Media Conference, produced in partnership with Digital Media Wire, gathers professionals who oversee the digital and interactive divisions within their companies to explore developments in online video, mobile and branded entertainment.


Jon Landau at Technology Summit on CinemaACADEMY AWARD and two-time Golden Globe winning producer Jon Landau will keynote NAB Show’s Technology Summit On Cinema on Sunday, April 7. The Summit is co-produced by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE).

Landau has produced the two highest grossing movies of all-time, “Avatar” and “Titanic”. Landau thoroughly understands the most complex state-of-the-art visual eff ects technologies and has been instrumental in licensing and marketing his fi lms across various global platforms. In addition to producing, Landau works with companies and individuals in the entertainment industry to push cinematic technologies to new levels.

Kevin Gage, NAB chief technology offi cer and head of NAB Labs said, “Jon Landau constantly works to improve the fi lmmaking process, even after having achieved enormous success. Attendees at NAB Show’s Technology Summit on Cinema will benefi t from his knowledge of how cutting-edge technologies enhance the art of storytelling.”

The two-day summit will address critical topics such as the latest on higher-frame-rate cinema, perceptual requirements for higher quality image and sound, new technologies for exhibition and advantages and pitfalls of 3D fi lm conversion.

Visit www.smpte.org/tsc2013

NHK to Present 8K Video at NAB Labs Future ParkJAPANESE PUBLIC BROADCASTER NHK will present the latest iteration of its Super Hi-Vision system at the 2013 NAB Show. It will be featured in the new “NAB Labs Futures Park”.

Established in 2009 as the “International Research Park,” the NAB Labs Futures Park will feature high-profi le media technologies in development chosen by NAB Labs for presentation to the broad international audience at NAB Show.

A highlight of the 2013 Futures Park will be NHK’s Super Hi-Vision demonstration. It will feature a presentation theatre for viewing the system’s 8K video and 22.2-multichannel sound (including content recorded in cooperation with the Olympic Broadcasting Service and the BBC at the London 2012 Olympic Games).

The system’s 7680 x 4320 video format provides 16 times the number of pixels as HDTV, for stunning clarity and an immersive

visual experience. Meanwhile, the system’s massive multichannel audio system produces unprecedented immersion into a 3D sound space for viewers located anywhere within a large viewing area.

Besides the presentation in the theatre, NHK will also show for the fi rst time outside Japan the real-time, over-the-air transmission and reception of Super Hi-Vision broadcasts, using two UHF television channels.

NHK also plans to show its latest developments in production technology for the system, including a 120 Hz Super Hi-Vision camera, as well as the fi rst compact Super Hi-Vision camera suitable for mobile use, and a 22.2 multichannel sound production system. The interactive capabilities of a converged broadband/broadcast service will also be presented in a demonstration of the NHK “Hybridcast” system.


Briefs

2nd Screen SundayNAB Show is to launch “2nd Screen Sunday” at this year’s show in partnership with the 2nd Screen Society (S3). The afternoon conference at the Encore Hotel on Sunday, April 7 will address and showcase the latest business opportunities, creative case studies and technology innovations related to the creation of supplementary, synchronised and social TV content.

Visit www.2ndscreensociety.com

FCC Chairman Genachowski in Q&AFederal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski will participate in question-and-answer session at the 2013 NAB Show in Las Vegas. Genachowski will sit down for a conversation with NAB Joint Board Chair Paul Karpowicz, president of Meredith Corporation – Local Media Group, on Wednesday, April 10.

“NAB looks forward to hosting Chairman Genachowski at the NAB Show once again to hear his views on current and future communications issues before the Commission,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith.

Genachowski was sworn in as FCC chairman in June 2009 after spending more than ten years in the private sector as an executive and entrepreneur in the technology industry. He co-founded LaunchBox Digital and Rock Creek Ventures, where he served as managing director, and he was a special advisor at General Atlantic.


NAB a Magnet for International MediaThis year’s NAB Show will host 60 international delegations, including delegations attending for the fi rst time from Croatia, Israel, Malaysia, Norway and United Arab Emirates. Approximately 30 percent of the event’s 90,000+ attendees will travel from 155 countries to NAB Show.

NAB Show’s Exhibit Hall will host nearly 600 companies that are based outside of the United States.

This year NAB Show will acknowledge India’s 100-year anniversary of fi lm creation by presenting a special award at the 2013 TV & Film Awards Gala presented by NY Festivals on Tuesday, April 9. A session featuring top level entertainment executives from India discussing the growth of content produced by India’s creative community will also be presented that day within the Creative Master Series Conference.



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NAB SHOW will hold a new Radio Frequency (RF) Boot Camp on Wednesday, April 10 as part of the Broadcast Engineering Conference in Las Vegas. The day-long training program presented by NAB Labs will help attendees expand their knowledge and understanding of radio and television RF transmission.

RF transmission is a critical component in the delivery of audio and video content to viewers and listeners and a major factor in a station’s success from a technical, programming and business perspective. This boot camp will dispel

the “magic” often associated with broadcast transmission and will focus on the essentials that all broadcast managers should understand.

Radio technology experts John Bisset of Elenos and Mary Ann Seidler of Tieline Technology and television technology consultants Gary Cavell and Cindy Cavell of Cavell, Mertz & Associates will discuss the operations of broadcast radio and television RF plants. The instructors are adept at explaining complex technical subjects in non-technical terms. They will address the distribution of program and data content from

the studio to the RF transmission points, cover the types of hardware and software typically used at the RF plant and explain remote monitoring and telemetry scenarios.

An interactive discussion on towers, transmission lines and antennas will be tailored to those who are unfamiliar with maintenance requirements and safety concerns. The RF Boot Camp will also address specifi c FCC and OSHA rules related to RF transmission and common compliance methods.


Advanced Digital Publishing Workshop

NAB AND FUTURE MEDIA Concepts (FMC) have announced that a Digital Publishing Workshop has been added to the Post|Production World (P|PW) training program at the 2013 NAB Show. Produced in coordination with FMC’s newly launched TAP! (Technologically Advanced Publishing), this 3-day, multi-track workshop will focus on digital publishing, marketing and monetizing content in a connected world.

“The migration to laptops, tablets and smartphones is unlike anything the world has ever seen,” said FMC President Ben Kozuch. “Designers, authors, photographers, fi lmmakers,

broadcasters, podcasters, app developers and more have an evident need for this training and are scrambling to master the best practices for publishing, marketing and monetizing content in this new age. This new workshop at NAB Show brings the technologies, practices and best techniques to the forefront for all content creators and producers.

“With new software and technology like Apple iBooks Author, Adobe Digital Publishing Suite and much more, manufacturers are intent on giving designers the tools they need to present their content like never before. Creating and

distributing dynamic and interactive content, that harnesses the sudden rise in tablets and digital media devices, is crucial for all content creators,” said Kozuch.

The Digital Publishing Workshop runs in parallel with Post|Production World at NAB Show. P|PW provides take-away tips for experts across a variety of production and post disciplines. Certifi cation Prep Classes and Exams are also be off ered for Adobe Premiere Pro 250, Apple Final Cut Pro X and Avid Media Composer 6.



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THE 3RD DIMENSIONStereoscopic production & exhibition www.3d-day.tv

Sponsored by

Signiant has announced that Venture 3D, a stereoscopic 3D conversion production company based in Los Angeles, is using its Media Shuttle hybrid SaaS fi le transfer solution to facilitate collaboration with partners in Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul, and Korea on an upcoming feature fi lm.

BUILT FOR WORKFLOWS that demand fast, reliable delivery of massive fi les, and IT management features typically associated with more expensive solutions, Media Shuttle is allowing Venture 3D to dramatically broaden its business base in the Asia-Pacifi c region.

Known for its conversion work on “Titanic 3D” and “The Chronicle’s of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”, Venture 3D is using Media Shuttle to deliver the fi lm “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons” directed by Stephen Chow of “Shaolin Soccer” and “Kung Fu Hustle” fame.

Venture 3D’s business success on the project requires the ability to move massive fi les – sometimes 200-300 GB in a single transfer – to multiple entities across Asia. As such, the company required a solution that would give their global partners access to large fi les without the administrative constraints of FTP. In addition Venture 3D needed ultimate control over who is accessing clients’ high-value-assets, for how long, and to set limits on their permission to fi les.

“What we needed was a tall order – the ability to transfer large fi les quickly, access them anywhere, control and track fi le access, and not be limited by the size of the fi le or the number of people that could access those fi les,” said Todd Cogan, SVP, Operations, Venture 3D.

“Using Media Shuttle we are able to go outside of our circle of local partners to expand our business in Asia, while making the workfl ow process extremely easy for our clients.”

Exchanging digital assets of this size and frequency can be complex and Venture 3D needed its delivery solution to be both reliable and eff ortless

for its production partners. Media Shuttle’s onboard checkpoint restart feature automatically retries or resumes transfers if they are interrupted for any reason, and email notifi cations alert users when content is delivered. The system’s graphical dashboard gives Venture 3D complete visibility into all fi le transfer activity, including average transfer rate, fi le size, and speed.

“The notifi cation feature was a great selling point for us as it takes the onus off the client and makes Venture 3D a desirable collaboration partner,” Cogan continued. “Media Shuttle gives us the freedom to work with partners of our choosing and allows us to work globally regardless of location and fi le size.”

The newest addition to Signiant’s portfolio of accelerated fi le transfer solutions; Media Shuttle provides an eff ective alternative to FTP and public fi le sharing solutions – without associated fi le size constraints or security risks. Media Shuttle’s hybrid SaaS architecture lets users access fast fi le transfer capabilities through a simple interface in the cloud while maintaining the fi le cache within the secure control of their own network. Unlike other solutions, Media Shuttle gives IT the power to determine where content is stored – on private networks or in the cloud – and how network resources should be allocated for maximum enterprise effi ciency.

“Being able to defy the constraints of fi le size and distance and instead focus on creative collaboration we are able to perfect our speciality and in turn, advance the industry,” said Cogan.

Visit www.signiant.com

Venture 3D Selects Signiant Media Shuttle

Three Wins for Storm Surfers 3D

THE AUSTRALIAN MOVIE Storm Surfers 3D has received a raft of honours on both international and domestic levels.

In Hollywood, Storm Surfers 3D was honoured at the International 3D Society annual awards for most outstanding achievement in a 3D documentary in 2012. Director Christopher Nelius accepted the award.

According to producer Ellenor Cox, “To put this in context, Ang Lee was there to accept the award for Most Outstanding Achievement in a Feature Film for Life of Pi and we beat massive budget IMAX projects, the James Cameron produced Cirque du Soleil documentary, and Katy Perry’s Part of Me. This is an incredible achievement given the massive budget fi lms that Storm Surfers 3D was up against and is a testament to the ground-breaking technical achievement of both our camera team and Deluxe’s post production crew.”

Domestically, Storm Surfers 3D picked up the coveted industry accolade

at the AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema, Television, Arts) awards when it took out the ‘Best Feature Length Documentary’ category.

The fi lm was also honoured at the 2013 Surfworld International Surf Film Festival when it received the major prize of the Peter Troy ‘Spirit’ Award.

Following on from its Australian 2012 box offi ce success, Madman Entertainment have released the DVD, 2D & 3D Blu-Ray, and Digital versions of the fi lm for Australian audiences.

Narrated by Toni Collette, Storm Surfers 3D is a real-life adventure following two best friends on their quest to hunt down and ride the biggest and most dangerous waves in Australia. Aussie tow-surfi ng legend Ross Clarke-Jones and two-time world champion Tom Carroll enlist the help of surf forecaster Ben Matson and together they track and chase giant storms across the Great Southern Ocean.

Visit www.stormsurfers.com.au

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FLYING BARK PRODUCTIONS’ Managing Director, Jim Ballantine, has announced the Director, Producer and Line Producer for the fi rst animated theatrical release of international hit property, Maya the Bee.

Alexs Stadermann has been confi rmed as Director, Barbara Stephen will be the movie’s Producer, and Alexia Gates-Foale will be Line Producer on the 3D stereoscopic production.

With internationally celebrated productions among their individual credits, the trio previously worked together on the television series, The Woodlies, and The Woodlies Movie special feature length episode, which were both produced with the assistance of Flying Bark Productions.

“Alexs Stadermann, Barbara Stephen and Alexia Gates-Foale have an enviable work chemistry and energy. Their collaboration on The Woodlies is testament to their creativity. In addition to their powerhouse dynamic, they will bring their own individual career experience and passion to Maya the Bee ensuring this movie will be a local and global success,” said Jim Ballantine.

Alexs Stadermann has worked for many of the major international studios including Walt Disney Studios in Sydney. During his time with Walt Disney Studios, Alexs was the Unit Director of Bambi II and Tarzan II, and Supervising Animator on Lion King 1 ½. As well as directing two seasons of Planet Sketch, an animated comedy show for Aardman Animation, he was part of the Director’s Unit on Zack Snyder’s Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.

Barbara Stephen has worked as a producer for the last 10 years with a career spanning corporate, advertising and long-form productions. She fi rst joined the children’s television industry in 2007 working as the producer on the hit series Erky Perky, and line produced the pre-school show Magical Tales. She also worked on the hit series, The Adventures of Figaro Pho before joining Flying Bark Productions as Creative Producer.

Alexia Gates-Foale commenced her career in animation in 2007 and was the Production Supervisor on The Adventures of Figaro Pho. She was Production Manager on several Flying Bark Productions projects, including The Woodlies.

Production of the fi lm was announced late last year during a special afternoon reception at Flying Bark Productions for His Royal Highness

Prince Philippe of Belgium, who was in Australia in the framework of a Belgian Economic Mission.

Maya the Bee will follow the character’s desire to escape her heavily regimented existence in the hive and experience freedom to explore at her own will.

Maya the Bee will bring together the experience and knowledge of Australian and European creative talent on the fi rst ever animated feature to be produced as an offi cial treaty co-production between Australia and Germany.

The original Maya the Bee television series was fi rst produced in the 1970s and was a blend of fun-fi lled and thrilling adventures that gained Maya loyal fans from all corners of the globe.

Today, a new generation of fans enjoys the tales of Maya the Bee, with the 3D HD television series already seen in many European countries as well as on ABC in Australia.

Visit www.fl yingbark.com.au

Flying Bark Announces Maya the Bee Theatrical Release Team

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EdgeDP Takes ARRI to the Movies and BeyondEDGE DIGITAL PRODUCTION (EdgeDP) is a purpose-built D-Cinema production facility specialising in content creation, content encoding, and content distribution for digital cinema. Recently EdgeDP made the choice to purchase and expand their use of ARRI ALEXA cameras for all its productions.

EdgeDP General Manager, Anthos Simon, explained, “The content we produce can be for cinema pre-show, cinema lobby screens, and alternative displays such as the digital screens in food and beverage areas, so the quality has to be very good. On assessing our current camera system it was clear that it was not up to scratch and needed a serious upgrade. I have always been impressed with the ARRI ALEXA and the wonderful exposure latitude it gives you. The pictures have always been very fi lmic and since our content goes to big cinema screens it was a natural fi t.”

EdgeDP’s production requirements include

exposure at red carpets events, press functions, commercials and promos all of which involve various styles of photography under diff erent lighting scenarios so Simon was keen that their new cameras would be able to cope well in these conditions.

He added, “The ALEXA is a camera that off ers excellent picture quality, can handle the various lighting conditions very well and has an ease of use that is understood by almost all DPs. We researched what was best for our applications and tested a few options. We then decided what we needed and spoke to Stefan Sedlmeier from ARRI Australia who was very helpful with his advice and advised us on the exact equipment. The assessment and evaluation process was actually fairly quick – I guess spending the last 24 years in the business helps you collect a lot of knowledge to make a quick decision.”

Simon concluded, “We bought a comprehensive package which included the

ALEXA A-EV camera with a follow focus and onboard Gemini ARRIRAW 4:4:4 recorder, matte boxes, Tiff en fi lters and even a new carbon fi bre tripod. We also bought the Alura 18-80 studio zoom lens which is very handy when we are shooting quickly. It was a big investment but a very worthwhile one as we now have a high quality, proven system with an effi cient, reliable workfl ow and great service and support.”

Visit www.arri.com.au

PAG Power for DSLR & Digital Cinema CamerasPAG HAS INTRODUCED new battery mounts and power leads that make it possible to power the latest DSLR and digital cinema cameras using its PAGlink intelligent, high-power, linking battery system.

The PAGlink battery system was conceived with multi-camera compatibility in mind. Rather than using a diff erent batteries and chargers for each camera type, PAG anticipated that it would be more effi cient to use the V-Mount (V-Lok/V-Lock) Li-Ion batteries, designed for shoulder-mounted broadcast cameras, for every camera power application. When combined, two PAGlink batteries have a capacity of 192 watt-hours and a current draw capability of 12A, which is superior to the 10A provided by so-called high-current cell technologies.

If required, PAGlink allows a third or fourth battery to be added, providing endless power for any camera set-up. The key was to create a system of compact, lightweight batteries that could be used individually for small, low power-consumption cameras (DSLR, Blackmagic Digital Cinema, Canon C300/500) which could then be linked, combining capacities for set-ups that have a higher power consumption or that draw a greater current (Arri Alexa, Red One/Epic/Scarlet, Sony F55/F65 etc). The packs incorporate the high-current contacts required for such

demanding applications. PAG’s approach gives you high-capacity Li-Ion batteries that employ less expensive standard Li-Ion cell-technology. Combining the capacities of individual 96Wh Li-Ion batteries ensures that all your batteries are legally transportable by passenger aircraft.

PAG has introduced new V-Mount Plates for cameras where it is not possible to mount the batteries directly (Blackmagic, Canon EOS 5D & 7D, Canon C300/500, Nikon D800, Red Epic and Scarlet). The solution is to use the camera accessory/mattebox rods (rails/bars) to mount the battery to the set-up. PAG has ensured that its V-Mount Plate can be confi gured to sit horizontally or vertically, above or below the rods, so that it does not obstruct the camera display or other accessories. It off ers V-Mount Plate assemblies that feature a clamp for either 15mm or 19mm rods. A 12V D-Tap output is incorporated, allowing the power connection to be made using a PAG D-Tap Power Lead specifi c to the camera. D-Tap Power Leads that feature an in-line voltage down-converter are available for 7.2V to 8.2V cameras. The V-Mount incorporates the contacts required for the PAGlink battery to communicate with the camera data system, used for displaying capacity in the camera viewfi nder.

Visit www.paguk.com

EdgeDP General Manager, Anthos Simon.

Vinten Extends Vision Blue Range

VINTEN HAS ANNOUNCED THE third pan and tilt head in its Vision blue range. The Vision blue3, developed for today’s intermediate-weight 1/3” chip camcorders and highly accessorised lightweight DSLRs, means users can now select the head to match their application across a wider range of payloads.

The new Vision blue3 balances payloads of between 3.0 - 6.6kg (6.6 – 14.6lbs) and sits between the original Vision blue, (payload range 2.1 – 5kg/4.6 – 11lbs), and the recently launched Vision blue5 (payload range 5.5 – 12kg/12.1lb to 26.5lb). The latest addition to the Vision blue range means that Vinten supports deployments that span traditional broadcast cameras as well as lightweight camcorders and DSLRs equipped for video.

The Vision blue range has been designed to off er professional videographers with a solution that delivers an extremely high level of quality and performance. Camera operators can experience all of the innovative features associated with Vinten’s heads, such as infi nitely adjustable Perfect Balance and LF drag technology to provide uniquely smooth control and consistent movement quality, allowing users to shoot more creatively.

Visit www.vinten.com

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Anton/Bauer’s DIONIC HD Battery To Make NAB Debut

ANTON/BAUER, a global provider of batteries, chargers, lighting and other mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video and fi lm industries, will make the formal introduction of its newest lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery, the DIONIC HD, at the 2013 NAB Show (Vitec Videocom Booth C6025).

Part of the company’s Logic Series of batteries, the DIONIC HD powers high-current applications in a lightweight and robust package, making it ideal for digital cinema cameras.

Delivering up to 10 amps of power, the DIONIC HD is a 183Wh battery featuring special-application Li-Ion cell technology. Employing sixth-generation cell technology, the DIONIC HD incorporates the company’s latest software architecture and an improved LCD for superior safety and reliability in the most extreme environmental conditions. Weighing 40 percent less than a NiCad or NiMH battery, the DIONIC HD has 25 percent more capacity and will run a 30-watt camera, monitors and multiple

accessories for more than six hours.

“We created the DIONIC HD to help our customers meet the growing power demands of the latest digital cameras,” says Chris O’Neill, vice president of product management and marketing, Anton/Bauer. “Designed from the most innovative Lithium-Ion cell technologies, it provides unrivalled capacities and a longer cycle life, with an extended warranty of three years.”

The DIONIC HD also includes the company’s new enhanced RealTime display. Simple and easy to understand, the display indicates both fuel gauge and remaining run-time data simultaneously, without requiring any setup. Its motion-detection feature incorporates a sleep-mode setting that reduces battery self-discharge, allowing for extended periods of storage with minimal capacity loss. The battery can be “awakened” by the built-in motion sensor.

Visit www.antonbauer.com

Shotaku Introducing the TK-53VRII

SHOTOKU BROADCAST SYSTEMS, a leader in manual and robotic camera support, and virtual reality tracking, has announced plans to exhibit a mix of new and established products that target sports, studio, virtual reality, and fi eld production applications at NAB 2013 (Booth C9032). The Company will highlight its latest models, including a VR Tracking EFP head, and a new X-Y Tracking VR Dolly Crane System for Virtual Studios.

Shotoku’s ergonomically designed SX-300 is a robust pan & tilt fl uid head for fi eld production, OB and studio use. The unit’s high capacity 38kg (83 lbs) payload and wide-balance capability supports a vast variety of cameras, lenses and accessories. The 300 head will accommodate fl at base or 150mm ball.

Shotoku’s SG-900 manual pan & tilt head off ers vibration-free speed in a sturdy package. Ideal for OB and studio production with Teleprompters or box type lenses, the SG900 supports 90 kg (198 lbs), and features single knob balance adjustment. The unit incorporates the VISCAM ultimate fl uid drag system to control smooth pan & tilt movement and REULAUX perfect balance system for maintaining the camera’s centre of gravity. The SG-900 is suitable for various pedestals including Shotoku’s TP-200 lightweight, 2-stage pneumatic pedestal and both the TP-80 and TP-90 studio models.

For VR studio applications, Shotoku’s new SX-300VR off ers precise tracking and uncompromised operation. The ergonomic design features a robust,

reliable platform for a wide range of camera and lens confi gurations. The SX-300VR provides high-accuracy, real-time data output with no loss in manual performance. The VISCAM Fluid-Leaf Drag System supplies smooth continuously adjustable pan & tilt drag with enhanced torque and high levels of operator control.

Capable of supporting payloads up to 38kg (83 lbs) and available in 4-Bolt, M70 Mitchell, or 150m-ball mount, the SX300VR is an extremely fl exible option for a range of studio confi gurations. The head may be simply mounted on a tripod, or for real-time full 3D tracking, one of Shotoku’s VR pedestals such as the TP-90.

Shotoku will also present its leading model VR crane, the TK-53VRII, to the American market for the fi rst time at NAB 2013. A unique set of VR features coupled with a sturdy twin arm structure provides vibration-free, high performance with a single operator. The VR Dolly Crane System allows any studio to be easily transformed into a virtual environment without the need for targets on the ceiling, fl oors, or walls, or infrared sensors.

VR data, including pan/tilt, zoom, focus and X/Y camera date is sent to the graphic computer via RS422 cable. The TK-53VRII also features Shotoku’s unique SPi-Touch 2 point calibration system for quick set-up.

Visit www.shotoku.tv


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I-MOVIX Gets Ultra Slow

THE I-MOVIX X10 is the industry’s fi rst live ultra-motion solution to deliver a continuous real time output of up to 250 fps at native HD resolution and image quality. Giving production teams continuous access to instant replays at up to ten times the normal frame rate, X10 outstrips the performance of existing continuous super-slow motion systems, which are restricted to three times slower than real time, or 75 fps.

Developed in partnership with EVS, the X10 system is used with an EVS XT3 production server under LSM control and provides a familiar user interface and controls that any broadcast crew can use immediately, without any special training. And thanks to its raw video processing enhancements, X10 provides spectacular shots with unprecedented sharpness.

For sports productions requiring higher frame rate levels, the X10+ system can also operate on an extreme slow motion mode at frame rates up to 2,600 fps in 1080i50 or up to 5,600 fps in 720p60 (100 times slower than live action) with instant replay, making this new I-MOVIX solution the fi rst fully integrated ultra-slow-motion system for live HD broadcast production.

For the fi rst time at NAB 2013, I-MOVIX will show the capabilities of its new real-time de-fl ickering solution, designed for use with SprintCam Vvs HD and X10 systems. This product is the fi rst real-time turnkey system providing an effi cient solution to the fl ickering problem encountered by any high-speed camera user. Simple to use, this de-fl ickering system will deliver fl icker-free ultra slow motion shots in real-time, revealing the beauty of the action, and solving distracting problems caused by lighting issues.

Visit www.i-movix.com

Camera Corps IntroducingSIMPLY SMPTE Camera LinkCAMERA CORPS HAS CHOSEN the 2013 NAB Show (Booth C6032) for the introduction of its SIMPLY SMPTE compact remote camera link to American broadcasters and digital cinematographers. Camera Corps will also demonstrate a major advance in remote camera control technology, the new RF Q-Ball, at NAB.

Demonstrated in prototype at IBC 2012 and now available via Camera Corps’ international rental service, SIMPLY SMPTE will be exhibited as part of a complete system.

“SIMPLY SMPTE is designed for use at major large-scale outside broadcast events and in electronic fi eld production,” explains Laurie Frost, founder and Managing Director of Camera Corps. “Like all all our own-brand products, the link was developed to meet our production requirements in covering world-class events”

“SIMPLY SMPTE consists of a robust base unit which connects to the controller plus a smaller remote unit which attaches to the camera,” adds Technical Director Jim Daniels. “It allows allow large remote heads and boxed cameras to be operated 3 miles away or further via SMPTE 3K-standard electro-optical cable.”

Powered by 110 or 240 volts AC, the base unit incorporates an optical input for incoming video data. Electrical inputs allow direct connection of analogue genlock video and audio-frequency control data. The remote unit accepts HD-SDI from the camera and provides genlock, audio data, alternating-current power plus dual 12 volt direct-current 60 watt outputs on XLR4 sockets to drive auxiliary devices. Power from the base unit to the remote unit is fully isolated and protected against an open circuit or incompatible equipment.

The new RF Q-Ball is a complete wireless remote camera system, which can be installed quickly and easily in practically any location. It will initially be available for rental.

“Many of our hire service customers are keen to use wireless remote cameras as part of their outside broadcast activity,” comments Frost. “The advantages are obvious but so is the complexity for anyone trying to assemble a practical system from multiple sources. RF Q-Ball is uniquely reliable and easy to operate. It comprises an HD-SDI transmitter, control data receiver, batteries and camera, all in one very compact and portable unit.”

Up to 96 cameras can be operated through a single data transmitter attached to a standard Camera Corps RCP remote control panel or Joystick panel. The entire system is waterproofed for use in all weather, on land or at sea. Antennas may be coupled via extension cables if required. Existing Q-Ball, Q-Ball Pre-Set or HD MiniZoom camera heads can be integrated into the system without modifi cation.

Visit www.cameracorps.co.uk

Photon Beard IntroducingNew Compact Light Panel

PHOTON BEARD, THE UK lighting solutions specialists for broadcast, fi lm and video will launch a new one-foot square fl uorescent lighting panel that produces more light, and is more economic, than other 1’x1’ fi xtures in the marketplace, at NAB 2013 (Booth C11432).

The panel includes eight 5/8” diameter fl uorescent tubes that deliver optimum broadcast-quality illumination using the same Osram daylight or tungsten-balanced phosphors that have become industry standard in television studios around the world. This provides predictable colour results with fewer spikes and spectral variations typically associated with similar LED-based fi xtures.

At only 64W, Photon Beard’s new panel delivers similar output at three metres to comparable fi xtures pulling 100W. It is dimmable and can be powered from either mains or a ‘V’ mount camera battery for around one hour.

According to Photon Beard Managing Director, Peter Daff arn, “While not aimed at studio lighting applications, the consistent, high quality light, portability and low heat benefi ts are ideal for both broadcast and fi lm, either for on-the-fl y pieces to camera or in relatively confi ned spaces like, for example, a car.”

Visit www.photonbeard.com


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Dedo Weigert – Master of LightLEMAC FILM AND DIGITAL, the Australian provider of imaging technology and end-to-end image capture solutions for fi lm and digital cinema and television, recently played host to the Dedolight Master Class Series featuring cinematographer, inventor and winner of Academy (and many other) Awards for technical achievement; the man behind the legendary Dedolights, Dedo Weigert.

The Master Class workshops and seminars, held along the east coast, demonstrated the latest in lighting technology, including new focusing LEDs.

“All of my dreams, my nightmares, my thoughts are of Cinematography and creating images. It’s in my blood,” said Dedo at the outset of one of the sessions.

His visit included sessions at Lemac in Melbourne, Macquarie University, the ACS National Clubhouse, TCN Channel 9 in Sydney and QUT in Queensland. These covered an in-depth look into modern lighting techniques and technologies, as well as hands-on practical lighting workshops where attendees even got a chance to try out test their skills with the lightweight and versatile Dedolight Portable Studio Kit.

Forever inventive and always playful Dedo showed once again why his lights have been embraced by the industry worldwide with their high output, extreme effi ciency, innovative design and almost unbreakable ruggedness.

Dedo delved into some of the myths, non-truths and the fact that LED lighting technology is a rapidly improving science. This covered an in-depth examination of the quality of light that is produced by various types of lights measured in CRI or Colour Rendition Index.

Stating that other leading LED panels have values of around 75 CRI, whereas the current Dedolight Felloni’s have a CRI of above 84. Dedo also explained how values of over 90 can be reached by combining separate red, green, blue and white LEDs and how even higher fi gures can be reached by using RGBW and amber LED’s, where with present technology you pay for the improved colour by decreased light output.

Another new technology is remote phosphor LEDs, which are currently producing promising CRI of over 90, but without suffi cient light output. Dedo also glimpsed into the future with White Phosphor LED’s which could eventually see a combination of excellent light output of around 120 lumens per watt and CRI values which approach the holy grail of 100 CRI.

In LED lighting he showed the Tecpro Felloni which are the current off ering in Dedo’s 1x1 LED panel lights. These should be called Green Felloni’s as Dedo commented that they off er 35% higher light output than other solutions, whilst using 50% less power. They also include some extra features such as an add-on soft-box, removable DMX controller option as well as a low profi le version of the light that sends the beam out at 45% for use in situations where lighting above with very small overhead space.

Another highlight was the new DLED range of focusing LED lights. A marriage of the Dedolight patented double aspheric optical system, with specially developed state-of-the-art LED light sources. A fi rst of their kind, also exhibiting the quality of design, build, and output that his classic range is famous for. The DLED 2.0 (20 Watt), 4.0 (40 Watt) in both tungsten, daylight and bi-colour, 9.0 (90 Watt) and 12.0 (200 Watt) all have the same controllable focusing quality of his classic series of lights. They have also been cleverly designed so that the focusing projection attachments, which are available for the classic lights, will work on these too so you can use gobos, slides and coloured fi lters to achieve lighting eff ects not possible with any other system.

Dedo also presented the full range of focusable 100/150w classic lights which continue to perform after over 20 years in the fi eld.

Channel 9 cameraman Drew Benjamin introduced Dedo at one of the Sydney shows holding up a battered DLH4 which he has been using for well over two decades in the fi eld and exclaimed, “I can’t believe this thing is still working. It’s taken a battering over the years and, despite the fact that I occasionally need to take it in to Lemac in Sydney for minor repairs, it has been the most trustworthy piece of my camera kit.”

Also shown alongside the classic focusing lights were the series of dedicated soft lights which from the huge 575W+575W Panaura Octodome down to the 150W Tungsten soft light all punch well above their weight for power-output ratio due to crafty dedicated soft-light design and well thought out engineering, providing beautiful even soft lighting quality with an ultra-soft wrap around eff ect thanks to the Dedofl ex dome attachment.

For on-board camera lights, Mr Weigert demonstrated the Fillini Click, the Z-180 and the focusing LEDzilla. LEDzilla also has some new accessories, including a “cute little soft box”, Chinese lantern and 8” soft tube attachment for lighting subjects such as car interiors.

Dedo wowed the audience when he pulled out a Lee Gel Filter swatch and slotted it in front of the light source to use it in conjunction with this attachment to change the colour of the light completely.

Other ingenious inventions such as his wide angle attachments for his focusing light with rotatable barn doors were the icing on the cake for these sessions.

Also during the Master Class tour, the Australian Cinematographers Society presented Dedo Weigert with Honorary Membership, in appreciation of his continuing contribution to the industry.

Visit www.lemac.com.au

Fitting in with Tungsten – Spotlight’s FresneLED 200

WITH A “WHITE WARM” version that can be successfully employed together with conventional tungsten lamps both in TV- theatre-studio applications, Spotlight’s new FresneLED 200 is housed in the same body as Spotlight’s AREA 12 tungston source Fresnel and accepts all the standard accessories meaning existing inventories remain relevant. The housing retains the strong die-cast aluminium construction of its incandescent predecessor complete with excellent ventilation for heat dissipation without light leaks.

Also available in a high effi ciency daylight version that can be used as a fi ll light in TV and fi lm shoots, the Spotlight FresneLED 200 incorporates a high effi ciency, long-lasting, powerful white light LED source that delivers comparable light output to conventional 1000w fi xtures whilst consuming only 200w of power. An enhanced zoom range of 14°-81° means additional coverage compared to its incandescent equivalents and direct DMX control with a linear fade curve means dimmers are no longer required.

FresneLED 200 is available in 3 colour temperatures: warm 3000K (to match up with tungsten rigs) natural 4000K (perfect for display applications) and cool 5000K (for daylight studio use).

Spotlight has worked to deliver full spectrum white light from the fi xtures so that gel colours will produce the expected results and will blend in with conventional fi xtures used in the same system.

Visit www.jands.com.au


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SPORTSCASTINGSport coverage worldwide www.content-technology.com/sportscasting

S

Global Television has unveiled what it says is its most sophisticated High Defi nition ‘Super Truck’: HD9. Designed and built in Australia to the exacting standards of Global’s broadcast engineering services team, HD9 boasts a new level of integration and user features.

EQUIPPED WITH THE LATEST Lawo MC56 II audio console and Riedel communications system, this combination is a fi rst for Global’s mobile fl eet.

At 13.2m long and 52sqm of internal space when fully expanded, it can accommodate up to 22 operators and 20 cameras.

HD9 will be deployed for diverse outside broadcast (OB) events including NRL coverage for the Nine Network and FOX Sports and NBL for the TEN Network.

Global Television CEO Keith Andrews said, “HD9 provides an exceptional work environment and reliability for any OB, large or small. With the most advanced features and fl exibility, it represents all that Global Television strives for in bringing our clients’ projects to life. We are particularly proud that HD9 has been entirely designed and built here in Australia, drawing on local expertise and keen understanding of what our market demands.”

HD9’s features include:

Ultra-fast single person deployment

VSM (virtual system manager): Global’s total truck control solution

Lawo MC56 Mark II audio console

144 port Riedel communications system

Sony MVS8000G switcher

Fully 3G 1080P compliant

The latest generation of Sony HDC2400 cameras

EVS XT 3 and 10gb/s backbone-ready

Mr Andrews added, “Our goal is to combine the best technology with outstanding people, to meet or exceed our customers’ expectations. We are excited to bring HD9 to market.”

In addition to HD9, Global’s mobile production vehicles include three other HD super trucks (HD1, HD2 and HD4), seven HD mobile production vans, three portable HD OB kits, and one standard defi nition vehicle.

Visit www.globaltv.com.au

The exterior of Global TV’s new HD9; two angles of the production gallery including Sony MVS8000G switcher; and the audio area equipped with Lawo MC56 Mark II audio console.

Global TV Unveils the ‘Super Truck’


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See us at NAB Stand C4937


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SLUSH ... SQUELCH ... SLUICE ...

Another stream of cold, gritty water fi nds its way to the gap between my trouser leg and ankle and trickles down into my boot.

IT’S JUST FULLY LIGHT, and I’m surveying what will be Glasgow’s fi rst international-standard mountain bike course alongside a dozen Glasgow 2014 venue representatives, contractors and overlay planners.

The fi rst events to be held on the new mountain bike course are planned for the middle of the year, and we quickly realise bikes would have served us a lot better than feet this morning on our soggy trek across Cathkin Braes.

We’re just 15 minutes south of the Athlete’s Village and I do my best to ignore the bog-like conditions underfoot and concentrate on the panoramic view back to the city.

We are well into the advanced planning and construction stages of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Host Broadcaster contract and it’s already possible to picture how the precinct will look at Games time, which is now just 16 months away.

Among my goals this morning is to begin identifying landing areas for the helicopters ahead of a meeting with the Civil Aviation Authority next week. With the mountain bike course a short way out of town, the logic of placing a helipad here is obvious.

The helicopters will assist us in capturing footage from events such as the marathon and road-cycling, and essential for covering the outside venues and providing scenic shots of Glasgow itself, giving viewers additional perspective of the city and the energy and excitement of the events.

At Games time we will also have multi-functional aircraft that will be used as diversity receivers and repeater platforms for the motorbike-mounted cameras as well as aerial cameras to enhance the coverage.

Feeling human again after a change of footwear at our offi ce, I catch up with Chris Farmer, our Host Broadcaster audio/commentary system control (CSC) manager, who has arrived in Glasgow for discussions regarding telecommunications requirements for the Games.

Commentary services is the only multilateral area in which a system is designed, installed and then handed over to individual rights holders at the venues, so they can get their own live reporting back to their home studios. Chris has worked on numerous Summer and Winter Olympic Games, World Cups, Asian Games and the 2006 Melbourne and 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and knows exactly what the broadcasters will need.

The Glasgow Diaries: Chapter 2By David Bowers


The commentary switching centre at the IBC (the commentary master control for all venues) will have hundreds of digital broadcast circuits and each needs to be totally robust. Every venue will also have at least one English commentary position to enhance the Host Broadcaster’s coverage and ensure we capture everything.

Chris brings with him the latest news from Sydney, where the design and pre-build for the commentary control rooms (CCRs) and Broadcast Technical Operations Centre (BTOC) systems for each venue are progressing rapidly.

Chris and Mark Ahern, broadcast infrastructure/CDT (master control area) manager, another veteran of such major sports broadcasting events, have been working on the technical designs to ensure that the Host Broadcaster coverage in Glasgow is the best yet. Plans are being laid-out on the fl oor of Global Television’s temporary warehouse, on the southern fringe of Sydney’s CBD, which is now available following the commission of the company’s newest high defi nition outside broadcast ‘super truck’, HD9.

The intention is to keep all the CCRs and BTOC facilities operationally similar for ease of training, operation and equipment redundancy, as reliability is of course mission critical. Even though the competition schedule is only a bit over two weeks long the system has to look and feel like a permanent installation.

Although we are still evaluating some aspects of the technology we know we’ll be predominantly fi bre and IP-based with server technology for the video archive. We also have around 30 racks for broadcasting equipment to build for the IBC to cater for rights holders and general broadcast facilities.

A signifi cant portion of the technical IBC elements is specialised equipment which needs to be pre-built before being broken down and installed with the IBC. Among other advantages, this process avoids the need to store and construct delicate equipment on site: the systems can be transported to the venues pre-tested and ready to install.

As the Games telecommunications and satellite uplink providers will reside alongside us in the IBC, provisions are being made for them, too. And yes, we are well aware that satellite dishes have diff erent look angles in the Northern Hemisphere!

Also on the list for myself and Chris for the next 10 days is to submit frequency and spectrum plans for the radio mics, satellite links and two-way radio communications and establish suitable city-wide repeater sites to enable radio communication for the road cycling and marathon events.

With 501 Days 22 Hours, 13 Minutes & 51 Seconds to go (courtesy of the offi cial Glasgow 2014 website www.glasgow2014.com) we are well on track.

David Bowers is head of engineering and technical operations for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Host Broadcaster contract.

SPORTSCASTING


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PLP.TV (PRE-LIVE & Post Production services), based in Canberra, is a specialist supplier of facilities and services for live television broadcasting and events.

The company recently purchased and installed a Ross Video 2MLE Carbonite Multi-Defi nition Production Switcher as part of an OB Van upgrade, which also included installation of an EVS XTnano HD/SD slow motion replay server.

“Ross’ 2MLE Carbonite switcher answered many problems that we had when we were looking for an upgrade,” said Dane Liepins, Managing Director of PLP.tv. “It has all the features that meet the needs of my clients and is set at a very aff ordable price. The switcher is installed in our OB Van that does everything from a three camera screen feed to an eight camera live to air broadcast. Carbonite is ideal as it does not overwhelm basic users but at the

same time has the capacity to handle larger and more complex shows.”

On the subject of the EVS XTnano server, Liepins says the company was looking for a mid-range box for use in a small truck where daisy-chaining multiple units was not required. The 6-channel, 4-In/2-Out EVS server fi tted the bill.

Recent projects undertaken by the company include:

The Walkley Awards - OB truck, crew & technical management

Australian Surfi ng Awards - OB truck, crew & technical management

Surf Life Saving Aussie Titles - OB truck & crew

Prime Minister XI Cricket match – OB truck and crew

Visit www.plp.tv, www.rossvideo.com and www.evs.tv.

BTS, Grass Valley Partner on SE Asian GamesGRASS VALLEY HAS PLACED AN ORDER with BTS broadcast technology solutions to develop and construct an OB van for the 27th South East Asia Games to be held in Myanmar in December 2013.

On board the 10.5m long, two-axel truck will be a full HD OB Van with three rooms. The 8-cam van will be equipped for eight Grass Valley LDX Premiere cameras, a Grass Valley Kayak HD 2.5 M/E production switcher, a Grass Valley Concerto routing switcher, 2 Grass Valley K2 Dyno Replay System, a Grass Valley Gecko modular, and a Yamaha audio mixer.

Although the games will be held in December 2013, the delivery of the OB Van is schedule for August 2013, which means an extremely short lead time of less than six months.

Ewald Fehlauer, MD of BTS, said, “With our proven track record of delivering over 555 OB Vans, we have developed and time-tested a range of unique solutions, many of them patented, designed to enable the most effi cient performance. We are confi dent that we can comfortably deliver a sophisticated OB Van to fulfi ll the most challenging contracts, as this is what distinguishes BTS from many of our competitors.”

Visit www.grassvalley.com and www.bts-broadcast.com

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The production area inside OB2.PLP.tv’s Upgraded OB2

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IT TAKES A PARTICULAR TYPE of individual to take part in an Ironman or Ironwoman race, and the same can be said for the production company and OB providers responsible for broadcasting the intensely competitive events. Recently, Videocraft provided a full production setup for Castle Media, the event specialists responsible for broadcasting the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Surf Ironman and Ironwoman Series.

Videocraft NSW State Manager, Andy Liell, explained, “We have a long relationship with Castle Media so we know the level of professionalism and reliability they expect. The Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Surf Ironman Series was no exception. John Palmer, Castle Media’s MD, approached us with their requirements and a very tight timeframe so we immediately sat down to work out the best production solution for their requirements.”

Palmer felt that the Ironman series was better suited to Videocraft’s unique FlyPack mobile production solution than a traditional OB truck set up. The system chosen for the series was Videocraft’s mid-range FlyPack that included six Sony HDC1500 cameras, a Sony MVS6000 switcher, two EVS servers, two CCU positions, a Yamaha M7 console providing full audio facilities and all outboard equipment, radio mics and links.

Palmer said, “We’ve worked with Videocraft

on OBs before so we were confi dent they would come up with the best solution. They researched previous Ironman events and presented us with a range of options. Their mid-range FlyPack was clearly the way to go. To be honest they didn’t have a lot of time to pull the system together and prep it in Sydney before shipping it over to the fi rst race in Perth so it was all systems go at that point.”

The Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Surf Ironman Series features the country’s elite athletes competing in the most gruelling ocean-based competition on the planet. The 2012/13 series was fought out over six rounds at iconic Australian beaches including Perth, Newcastle, Portsea, Surfers Paradise, Coolum and Noosa Heads with all six races broadcast nationally on Network Ten.

Palmer continued, “There was no room for error as getting spare equipment in Perth wasn’t an option. The Videocraft team really went the extra mile and all the kit turned up for the fi rst race working perfectly.”

Videocraft’s additional challenges for the Ironman series included ensuring all of the equipment worked to its maximum capacity with signifi cant redundancy as

each race was shot as a live event, irrespective of any delayed broadcast times. Slow motion capture also proved a potential sticking point.

John Palmer concluded, “We asked Videocraft for a more cost eff ective slow-mo solution, something that would be a good alternative to using traditional super slow-mo cameras. In typical Videocraft fashion they came up with a new Sony NEXFS700 camera using a Canon 30-300mm cine lens. This enabled our camera operators to capture slow-mo action content for play on/off packages at more than 200 frames per second. Very clever, very cost eff ective.”

Visit www.castlemedia.com.au and www.videocraft.com.au

Videocraft Shows Mettle for Ironman Series

n


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Seven, Austereo Adopt Pack Mentality with TVUWHEN THE SEVEN Network wanted a viable alternative that would help them reduce their SNG costs, they turned to the TVUPack mobile 3G/4G solution supplied by Magna Systems and Engineering.

The TVUPack solution, rapidly growing in popularity with broadcasters around the world due to its versatility and cost eff ectiveness, was demonstrated to the team from Seven by Magna Systems Product Specialist David Clemesha. After a series of rigorous tests the feedback from the network was that the TVUPack was very much the solution they had been looking for.

The Seven Network’s requirements included a front line mobile uplink solution that their news crews could operate easily and eff ectively without having to use a traditional SNG truck. The TVUPack TM8100 was ideal for this, and the fact that it used 4G networks was also a big plus for the network.

David Clemesha said, “The Seven Network were impressed with the TVUPack’s quality, effi cient 4G bandwidth usage and the stability of the connection. The pictures were good and the delivery was fast.”

Seven also included their LA Bureau in the assessment and evaluation process using the TVUPack for live crosses of high profi le court cases in both California and Hawaii with great success.

Back in Australia the Seven Network’s Engineering Manager, Dave Watts, and Operations Manager, Albert Babazogli, having been impressed with both the local demos and those in the US, ordered six TVUPack TM8100 backpacks and two TR3100 receivers from Magna Systems.

Albert Babazogli said, “We paired the LA-based TVUPacks into Australia which meant all eight were linked to receivers for ultimate redundancy. With the training our operations, engineering and master control room teams received from Magna Systems our TVUPacks and receivers were fully operational in no time at all and we immediately put them to work side by side with an SNG link. Throughout the demos, sale and installation Magna and TVUNetworks really helped with excellent support and service making the whole process a very effi cient one and as a result of this we went on to purchase an additional two TVUPacks, bringing our total to eight in Australia.”

MEANWHILE IN REMOTE TASMANIA

Southern Cross Austereo has stepped up its eff orts to provide better news coverage in remote areas of Tasmania with its purchase of a TVUPack TM8100 3G/4G uplink solution and a TVUPack TR3100 receiver, also from Magna Systems and Engineering.

Southern Cross Austereo Director of News Grant Wilson explained, “We saw the TVUPack being demonstrated by Magna at a recent trade show and decided to take a closer look. It became clear that the TVUPack could help us solve certain logistical challenges we often encounter when we try cover news from remote locations across Tasmania. The answer appeared to be the combination of a TVUPack TM8100 with a TR3100 receiving terminal so we could send, receive and store content then output the video signal over 3G and 4G network connections.”

After getting in-house demos and support from Magna Systems, Wilson and his team carried out a week’s worth of testing in the fi eld with both TVUPack and receiver. The units performed well and Wilson decided to not only purchase them but to also expand the system into more of a standalone mobile broadcasting setup.

He added, “By using our TVUPack it now means we can do live crosses from remote locations without using a costly ENG truck. To improve the effi ciency of broadcasts further we also decided to invest in a Listec teleprompter which is simple and easy to use with an iPad and a Miller Arrow 55HD tripod, again both from Magna Systems. I’m happy to say that by combining the TVUPack, receiver, teleprompter and tripod our ENG guys now have a clever, eff ective and reliable mobile broadcasting solution that they use successfully all over Tasmania.”

Visit www.magnasys.tv

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Seven Network TVUPack in operation in Los Angeles.

Seven Network Adelaide Connects with Quantel

SEVEN NETWORK ADELAIDE HAS upgraded its Quantel Enterprise sQ fast-turnaround production system to the latest V5 software. V5 off ers scalable fi le-based workfl ows, the ability to handle SD and HD material simultaneously, GPU-accelerated editors, and adds a host of new editing, workfl ow and management facilities.

Seven Adelaide has also purchased Quantel’s QTube global media workfl ow technology. QTube will allow Seven’s media professionals to access and edit content using standard internet connectivity, wherever they are located. In addition to the latest hardware and software, Seven Network Adelaide adds fi ve new GPU-accelerated Quantel Qube craft-editors providing excellent per-formance producing sophisticated packages. Seven Adelaide has also added

sQ Record and sQ Load applications to handle increased video and fi le ingest.

Paul Jury, Technical Services Manager at Seven Adelaide, said “Upgrading our Quantel Enterprise sQ system was a straightforward decision. V5 off ers us the latest software and HD hardware with unbeatable speed-to-air, a simple user interface and powerful editing tools. The upgrade supports both SD and HD material, which will enable us to work in either format when needed, delivering a very smooth transition to HD broadcasting. We are excited for the opportunities that QTube will bring to the network in the future. It is the perfect solution for our journalists, providing seamless inter-site workfl ows with the wider Seven Network.”

Visit www.quantel.com


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Dejero Showing LIVE+

AT THE 2013 NAB SHOW (Booths N1110, N314MR), Dejero will demonstrate its latest innovations in bonded cellular technology that utilise mobile wireless networks to transmit high-quality video for electronic newsgathering (ENG).

The Dejero LIVE+ Platform includes the LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitter, a portable and rugged bonded cellular transmitter for a wide variety of ENG applications; the LIVE+ NewsBook software bringing cellular transmission capabilities to laptop or personal computers; and the LIVE+ Mobile App for iPhone and iPad. At the 2013 NAB Show, Dejero will highlight these core products together with new solutions.

Dejero will introduce the LIVE+ VSET, a 1U vehicle-mount version of the company’s Dejero LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitter. Designed for use with satellite and microwave trucks, the adaptive bit-rate encoder on Dejero’s LIVE+ VSET reduces the latency and improves the reliability of satellite video feeds.

Dejero is introducing an Android version of its LIVE+ Mobile App, which enables both traditional and online broadcasters to transmit high-quality HD or SD live video from select Android phones and tablets.

In addition to these solutions, Dejero will make a signifi cant product announcement regarding its latest-generation bonded cellular product family.

Visit www.dejero.com

Backpacking with LiveU

LIVEU WILL BE DEMONSTRATING its complete range of bonded 3G/4G uplink solutions for broadcast and online media at NAB 2013 (SU5511). Based on the fourth-generation of LiveU’s disruptive technology, the portfolio includes a wide choice of devices to meet diff erent needs.

The professional-grade LU70 backpack, with its proprietary internal and external antenna arrays for extra-strong resiliency and sub-second latency, and the handheld, lightweight LU40 device, with its internal antenna and new live newsgathering features, will be shown at NAB.

The LU-Smart mobile app (iPhone/iPad) solutions, bringing bonded transmission to mobile phones and tablets, and the LU-Lite laptop solution, enabling fast and reliable fi le transfer and live video via the laptop, will also be shown.

LiveU and Panasonic will also showcase their fully integrated live camera solution, the LiveU-enabled Panasonic AG-HPX600 camcorder, on their respective booths.

Visit www.liveu.tv

Ross Going All Out at NAB

ROSS WILL DEMONSTRATE full studio systems tuned for specifi c applications at NAB 2013 (Booth N3808). Demonstration stations for Sports, News, Events, and Worship productions will allow clients to book a demo that relates to the production type of their choosing.

Ross will be showing a live demonstration of a fully integrated virtual studio production and augmented reality system. VS & AR partner Unreel provides tracking integration and control via Unreel UX – tying together Ross’ graphics, switchers, robotics and automation technology.

The Vision Series production switchers will show the latest enhancements to Ross’ fl agship large production switchers with version 16 software continuing to add even more production and eff ects capabilities.

The rapidly expanding Carbonite family will be shown at NAB, including the latest control panels the C2 (compact) and C2X (extended) as well as the new MultiMedia and Plus video processing engines. Carbonite ViewControl – available free – is a new patent pending touch screen control technology that integrates Carbonite, XPression Graphics Systems and BlackStorm Playout Servers into a simple and intuitive live user interface.

OverDrive, Inception Social Media Management, XPression, openGear, and BlackStorm will all have updated versions on show at NAB.

Finally, Ross will launch the compressed domain transport stream Nielsen NWE-TS watermarks encoder, off ering clients that use compressed domain Nielsen watermarks an upgrade path to next generation technology.

Visit www.rossvideo.com

Autoscript E.P.I.C. Builds Momentum

AUTOSCRIPT WILL BRING a range of its prompter displays and accessories to Stand C6425 at NAB 2013, including the E.P.I.C. (Enhanced Prompting Information Centre) all-in-one prompter display and on-air talent monitor. The fi rst production batch of E.P.I.C. units has already sold out and is being used in countries including the US, Germany, Italy and Austria.

Robin Brown, Product Manager, Autoscript, said, “E.P.I.C. addresses many major concerns for today’s broadcasters – it simplifi es studio equipment, reduces power consumption and enables easier location prompting.”

Autoscript will also bring a range of LED TFT prompting solutions to NAB, along with the VoicePlus voice activated prompting software, and a variety of innovative accessories designed to solve real-world challenges.

Visit www.autoscript.tv

MAKING ITS NAB DEBUT in 2013 is the all-new ChyronIP, a real-time HD/SD 2D and 3D character and graphics generator specifi cally designed for the NewTek TriCaster. ChyronIP is a compact, lightweight system that provides producers with up to two HD or SD full-motion channels of Chyron graphics that stream directly into the TriCaster over a network connection.

Ideal for sports, news, entertainment, and any other live production, ChyronIP allows TriCaster users to leverage the Lyric PRO graphics application to create live, full-motion Chyron broadcast graphics, 3D animations, and transitions.

At this year’s show, Chyron will introduce the next generation of its Axis World Graphics cloud-based graphics creation solution. Axis has been enhanced to provide broadcasters with the latest technology, and Chyron will highlight its newest features including track, order, maps, and news.

ENGAGE is Chyron’s second screen and social TV gateway. ENGAGE gives broadcasters the ability to add viewer interaction such as votes, polls, and tweet battles into their live news and sports programming, along with rich call-to-action

graphics and infographics. ENGAGE integrates with popular second screen and social data partners, eliminating the need for custom integration while maintaining routine production workfl ows.

SHOUT is a stand-alone software application that enables broadcasters to bring social media commentary into their live broadcasts. SHOUT gives one or more users the ability to monitor, select, adjust, and route social media conversations to broadcast graphics systems either for on-air playback or for storage as data fi les for later use. Users can add, remove, and authenticate multiple social media accounts from sources like Twitter, Facebook, RSS, and Mass Relevance.

Also being showcased is the newly enhanced ChannelBox², a channel branding system that features 2D/3D design with a complete data acquisition toolset for all branding applications. New Channel Box² software (v.4.7) includes a point-and-click data tool that allows users to acquire data from many sources quickly and easily.

Visit www.chyron.com

Chyron Graphics Streaming Over IP

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Low Cost Camera Wireless System

THE ABONAIR AB305 is a wireless video system enabling camera teams to send video content directly from a camera to a news van or studio, over the air, without complex and time-consuming cable setting.

Using H.264 Codec technology, the system supports HD and SD in all resolutions and frame rates, with a low delay mode of only 90msec. This translates to longer distance and higher picture quality whilst consuming only 10W of power. All these features are delivered in a small, lightweight, and compact form factor.

Built on ABonAir’s video streaming technology with its continuous bitrate adaptation mechanism, the AB305 contains a set of enhancement algorithms enabling users to achieve high picture quality, extended range, and robust operation.

The unlicenced public frequency allocation utilised by all ABonAir systems enables camera crews to operate their systems without the need to purchase expensive frequency allocations.

Visit www.quinto.com.au

INTEGRATED MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGIES will demonstrate a working model of its Nucomm Connect Live COFDM and Multi-4G/LTE Live-Video HD Transmitter at the 2013 NAB Show (Booth C6029 and OE839).

The Nucomm Connect Live combines COFDM wireless camera, 3G/4G bonded and Video over IP technology to produce the a versatile SD/HD live-news wireless camera system. The system is packaged with a fi ve-inch, high-resolution touch-LCD monitor designed to mount directly onto a range of small-format HD cameras.

For day-to-day news coverage, users can employ the bonded 3G/4G links to transport live HD video back to the station. Depending on the operator’s specifi c needs in the fi eld, latency versus video quality can be quickly tuned between interview, balanced, and high-quality preset modes via the touch LCD display. In COFDM mode, the unit covers the entire BAS 2GHz band. The Connect Live is outfi tted with a RJ45 Ethernet connector allowing it to be confi gured to stream video over VSAT terminals.

The Connect Live bonds multiple cellular services together to improve the overall system performance. Combining multiple services limits the vulnerability of the link, with the system automatically managing what primary service to

use at a given time.

The Connect Live utilises advanced adaptive encoding and bonding techniques to compensate for changing network conditions by adjusting frame rate, resolution, encoding rates and streaming parameters. Available formats include 480i, 576i, 720p and 1080i. The unit can also be confi gured to accept composite, HDMI, HD-SDI and SD-SDI video. The unit’s audio capabilities include balanced analogue and fully embedded audio.

The Connect Live communicates directly to the Connect Live Aggregations Server which acts as a termination node that aggregates the multiple IP streams back into a single stream. This stream is then decoded back to video within the server. When combined with IMT’s Nucomm Messenger Studio Server, it harnesses all the power of rapid fi le transfers between the Connect Live wireless camera transmitter and the studio.

Nucomm provides a system-wide monitoring portal enabling users to monitor the Connect Live transmitter’s operating status, geographic location, QoS and usage, and control. In addition, it controls the Connect Live’s output routing and content play out and provides remote control capabilities for the Connect Live transmitter.

Visit www.imt-broadcast.com

Hybrid COFDM/4G Link

Ateme | APT | Audemat | AJA | Arctic Palm Blackmagic Design | Ecreso | LiveU | LogitekMeinberg | NewTek | Sencore | TransLanTechUBS | Volicon | ViewCast | Wisycom

International Event Flexibility:LiveU lets you connect to any available LiveU server in the world

Australian LiveU users have streamed live, high quality video from places like Indonesia, Rome, Madrid, Hawaii, Canada and Israel directly into their existing servers. No satellite or fi bre required

Sending content the other way, multiple broadcasters from France and India utilised LiveU to cover the Rugby World Cup and recent Test Cricket Series.While broadcasters from the USA and New Zealand have all used LiveU for Australian based event coverage

Web-Streamed Content As the web is fast becoming a booming source for live video, LiveU helps you deliver on the potential by delivering professional-quality video from almost anywhere!

For more information please contact OnAir Solutions.

Phone +61 2 8882 7766 Email [email protected] www.onair.com.auVideo & Audio Links | Television Production | Transmission Monitoring | Internet Streaming | OnAir Radio | much more…

Australian LiveU users now have the benefi t of adding one or more 4G Modems to their LiveU Video Backpack.This added bandwidth further strengthens the industry leading connection resilience and maintains the high video quality required from demanding broadcasters.

…now with

ADDED 4G! Australia Day 2012


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POST PRODUCTIONwww.content-technology.com/postproduction

Sponsored by

More than just your reseller

AUSTRALIAN BROADCAST DUPLICATION specialist, FATS Digital has bolstered its video format conversion services with the upgrade of its Snell Alchemist PH.C HD standards converter to Version 7.

The upgrade was handled for FATS by Australia and New Zealand Snell Group equipment supplier Quinto Communications.

As part of the Version 7 software upgrade, FATS has opted to add processing of Dolby surround sound audio, which includes both encoding and decoding of Dolby E surround sound. Dolby surround sound can be encoded, decoded or transparently passed through as part of any video conversion.

Apart from routine conversions between all standard defi nition and high defi nition digital video formats, the Alchemist version 7 enhancements adopted by FATS, also support conversions to and from 3Gigabits per second 1080P formats.

Comprehensive timecode processing support ensures that converted material is delivered with the correct timecode every time, in all

video standards, Standard Defi nition, HD or 3G.

Additionally, FATS utilises Alchemist’s Film Tools option to enable it to deal with conversion or fi lm originated content with either a "3:2" or "2:2" sequence of video fi elds cleanly and accurately, converting it to any desired interlaced or progressive video format. This includes tasks such as standards conversion of edited content which may contain a mixture of fi lm and video originated content, and changes or breaks in the correct sequencing of video fi elds for fi lm content.

If it is desired to give a ‘fi lm like’ look to material shot on video then Alchemist can also provide this by introducing a fully controllable Film Blur eff ect which adds the blur that would be associated with fi lm, proportional to the speed and direction of motion. This can be particularly useful when intercutting video and fi lm based material but wanting to give an overall “fi lm like’ look to the fi nished content.

Extensive support for handling US captioning of video content has also been added.

Visit www.quinto.com.au and www.fats.com.au

Engine Powers into Surry Hills

SYDNEY-BASED DESIGN AND PRODUCTION house Engine has moved to new offi ce space in Foster Street, Surry Hills.

Engine MD Calvin Gardiner said, “We’ve seen a major evolution in our creative off ering over the past few years, developing our commercial, creative and long-form production. We decided to evolve to a more organic and open working environment, specifi cally designed so that we can best engage with our clients.”

Engine has fi rmly set its sights on further growth as a serious design and production house, invest-ing heavily in creative talent and the latest equip-ment, whilst still maintaining its high-end suite of post production services including Smoke, Flame Premium and a dedicated DaVinci Resolve.

Calvin Gardiner added, “We are also rebranding and launching a new website. The site will focus on our dedicated team of fi lm makers, designers, producers, directors, cinematographers, 3D artists and compositors. It’s a unique mix of talent under one roof.

You can now fi nd Engine at: Level 4, 4-14 Foster Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010.Tel: +61 (0)2 9438 2000.

Visit www.engine.net.au

FATS Digital Upgrades Snell Alchemist with Quinto

ACCORDING TO SYDNEY-BASED POST company FSM, its recent campaign for Kellogg’s Coco Pops via JWT combined sophisticated technology with extreme visual simplicity.

The launch commercial ‘Marco Polo’, backed up by separate 15 second versions, features a Coco Pop fi lming another Coco Pop.

“We won the pitch against some talented Australian and international VFX houses. We decided our Coco Pops would remain in their natural state without arms, legs, facial features or props, making the Marco Polo story the trickiest one to tell. The action and characterisation in the shorted ads was easier to interpret visually but in Marco Polo our hero is blind folded and has to try

and fi nd the other players.”

The FSM crew was tasked with making a Coco Pop perform like it was blind folded without an actual blindfold. Body language became the imperative with visual gags like the Coco Pop bumping into

the spoon communicating the situation.

FSM also produced the live action component of the ad along with editing, grade and fi nal compositing.

CREDITS:JWT - AD: Gerhard Myburgh, Writer: Paul Suters, Producer: Rachel Devine

FSM - Creative Directors: Andreas Wanda/Emile Rademeyer, EP: Dean Sutherland, Producer: Tina Braham, CG Supervisor: Chris Gardner, Lighting: Adam Waddington, Fluid: Serge Kovalenko, Animation: Alex Goodwin, 3D Artist: Amanda Lee, Compositor: Howard Hill.

To view the ad, visit http://fsm.com.au

FSM Pops out for Kelloggs


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POST PRODUCTION

PARK ROAD POST PRODUCTION, located in Wellington, New Zealand, was established as a one-stop shop with a fi lm laboratory on site sitting alongside the picture and sound departments. Park Road is placed to supply all post services for a feature from digital and fi lm rushes, stereoscopic alignment, digital intermediate, foley and sound mixing through to the fi nal completion of all fi lm and digital deliverables for distribution.

The facility prides itself on its fl exibility and has worked on some of the largest-budget Hollywood fi lms, independent American and foreign fi lms, and lower-budget New Zealand features and short fi lms. Since adopting Quantum’s StorNext File System, Park Road is able to stay ahead of demanding digital workfl ows and the growing amount of associated content.

SCALE & HIGH PERFORMANCEThe challenge that Park Road faced was scaling its systems to accommodate the rapid increase in data that digital fi lmmaking now generates. As production of digitally acquired 3D fi lms is becoming more commonplace, uncompressed digital fi lm can translate into hundreds of terabytes of data per project, and the traditional tools used to manage the content are often overwhelmed by the new demands of data acquisition, collaboration, distribution, and long-term, protective archiving. Fast turnaround is a key factor in motion picture production, so Park Road’s ability to help fi lmmakers maximize their creative time in post-production is a signifi cant competitive advantage over other facilities. In fact, the kind of technology that Park Road uses has enabled state-of-the-art digital post production to become a seamless part of the fi lmmaking process. The high cost and quick turnaround of high-end feature fi lm production means material needs to be processed and quality checked as quickly as possible so fi lmmakers have the option of reshooting, if necessary, before sets are struck.

“We faced a very unique challenge on one particular project, and we realized that we would need to dramatically increase our throughput and capacity to meet the potential demand,” says Phil Oatley, Head of Technology for Park Road. “Each shoot day would see us process an average

of six to twelve terabytes of new material, and on a really busy day this could reach twenty terabytes. All new material needed to be processed and delivered to the client within 12 hours.”

In short, Park Road was faced with the prospect of “drowning in data.” Not only would the total amount of data grow fast, but the required daily throughput would also dramatically increase. The facility

had a traditional archive system built around Atempo Time Navigator and direct-attached tape libraries, but needed a solution with more speed, effi ciency, and scalability to handle the ever-increasing deluge of data.

A project was initiated to determine if there would be a more effi cient and eff ective way forward. Various topologies and technologies were investigated. Park Road had long leveraged its high-performance SAN infrastructure for real-time processing of picture content, and the facility decided that a further extension of this infrastructure utilising virtualized tape storage would be the best approach. However, hardware was only part of the solution. Software was just as, if not more, critical.

FITTING EXISTING WORKFLOWSPark Road had already utilised Quantum StorNext FX for four years (due to its interoperability with Apple Xsan) for non-Apple SAN clients. Its legacy archive solution software used a Quantum Scalar 50 tape library with older-generation tape drives. Although the system had limited scalability, it validated the eff ectiveness of Quantum technology.

At the recommendation of Park Road’s technology partner, Factorial, the facility decided to take a look at a larger Quantum solution comprised of full-scale StorNext software and a Scalar i6000 enterprise tape library with the latest Quantum tape drives. “StorNext File System delivers high-performance fi le access, supporting heterogeneous environments including Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems, all of which are in use at Park Road,” says Tim Benson, director and technology evangelist for Factorial. “The intelligence behind the software was a key benefi t, ensuring an automated workfl ow which would enable Park Road to easily scale up without adding more people or needing to re-architect IT solutions.

“StorNext Storage Manager would allow Park Road to use tape like disk— providing almost unlimited capacity, while at the same time minimizing data center footprint, power consumption, cooling, and ultimately operational costs.”

Park Road elected to move forward with the

upgrade at the time of its SAN expansion. The full StorNext license allowed the facility to deploy StorNext Storage Manager to automatically move data between high-performance disk and a large-capacity tape library archive.

The Scalar i6000 also provided a substantial increase in the amount of data that could be kept for near-term re-evaluation or processing as well as long-term archive. Moreover, it scaled easily by adding new slots as needed and supported the LTO-5 tape drives for even higher storage effi ciencies. Finally, the Scalar system provided optional software that proactively verifi es the integrity of tape media and works with StorNext to migrate fi les automatically to new media if any sign of aging appears.

“The open fi le-based structure of Storage Manager greatly simplifi ed the automation of storing and retrieving fi les to and from tape—removing the need for complex backup and restore processes,” says Benson.

In all, the Park Road system includes:

3 StorNext File System clients, 40 StorNext FX clients, 25 Apple Xsan clients

700TB of online disk, divided up into 7 SAN volumes

StorNext Storage Manager – 2PB license

Scalar i6000 – 1600 slots, 2.4PB total capacity

Vaulting license

IMPROVED PERFORMANCEAfter the integration was complete, performance increased substantially for Park Road. Source data (eff ectively the original camera negative) is rapidly acquired onto a StorNext SAN, either on-set or from fi eld LTO-5 tapes, for collaborative processing via multiple SGO Mistika workstations. These access source material concurrently over 8Gb/s Fibre Channel for maximum performance. The source data and all metadata generated on-set and derived through processing is archived to LTO-5 tape via StorNext Storage Manager. Tapes are retained within the Scalar i6000 to facilitate quick retrieval back to the SAN for further processing. Tapes are also “vaulted” from the library for long-term archive.

The system at Park Road routinely processes multiple terabytes of data in just a matter of hours and can handle in excess of 20TB per day at peak load.

“One of the most important factors in selecting a new solution was ensuring that the existing creative workfl ow that fi lmmakers enjoy at Park Road was not compromised, but rather enhanced by any technology decision,” says Oatley. “It was very important that software could be tailored to fi t Park Road and not the other way around. StorNext exceeded our expectations by delivering on that requirement and more.

“We will ultimately transition to Quantum’s StorNext metadata appliances for even tighter integration and development benefi ts,” says Oatley.

Visit www.parkroad.co.nz and www.quantum.com

Sponsored by

Case Study: Park Road Conquers up to 20TB a Day with StorNext


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POST PRODUCTION

Adobe Takes Editing into the Cloud and Anywhere

C+T Talks to Simon Williams, Director of Strategic Relations for Adobe’s Video Team about the Creative Cloud and editing ‘Anywhere’.

Sponsored by

C+T Adobe has, of late, been pushing cloud-based solutions. Is there a confi dence barrier that you have to get through for people to have trust in something that isn’t installed on a local device?

SW Adobe as a business introduced the creative cloud last year, and that is a way to consume our software, so we are starting to move away from the perpetual model to a subscription model and that freed us up to do a few things.

So, rather than trying to squeeze all the new features in to one day of the year when the new version came out, we now have a mechanism where we can now on a regular basis bring functionality to our users and in the video space that’s critical became the format is changing all the time, there’s new camera codecs coming out all the time, now we have a native editor so we need to be able to react to that more quickly.

It also means that people can be more fl exible in the way they consume the software. So if you are a broadcaster that scales up and down in terms of users for key events. Rather than having to buy a licence for that user that may only be there for three weeks, you can now rent that software for that period of time so it gives you a lot more fl exibility.

In addition to that in the video space, we’ve looked at how we can use the cloud paradigm and apply it to production workfl ows. So one of the things that we did in CS6, the current version was introduce a package called Adobe Storeroom. Now Adobe Storeroom is a cloud based production scheduling and scriptwriting application, so it means that people can work on scripts together or production and in a collaborative way. That collaboration is something that we’re trying to bake in to everything we do.

C+T How have people have reacted to that?

SW I think a couple of years ago people were very reticent to put any of their data in somebody else’s environment and I just think that whole world has matured. So, for example, Storeroom has been adopted by ITV the largest commercial broadcaster in the UK and they use it for Emmerdale and Coronation Street which are the two biggest dramas they produce, so they are really the golden eggs of the organisation and, as you can imagine, it’s a daily drama with high tolerance but also the scripts are quite secretive.

C+T So, what are you doing going forward?

SW We’ll be launching at NAB a product called Adobe Anywhere. Now Anywhere is a private cloud solution that allows you to work with video in a distributed environment, so what that basically means is you take the one time engine of the video products and we’ll make a server version of it. So, this is something that sits within the customer’s data centre, but instead of having to have fi bre attached storage to the desktop or having to create proxies to move around, or people moving around the organisation with jump drives, we will now allow them to have central ingested assets, always one source of the truth so just one copy of the fi le, it’s always the high res, but then eff ectively stream it across commodity infrastructure to the desktop so that’s Wi-Fi, Ethernet whatever that may be.

And, I think for broadcasters having that – the fl exibility of a cloud model but also something they can manage themselves in their server room is a good mix. Over time the plan is to take that proposition to a full cloud delivery and I think it remains to be seen where the adoption is. My instinct is smaller post houses, the individual production companies probably will see that as a real benefi t because they can get a lot more horse power without the investment themselves. I think the big broadcasters will probably prefer the more private cloud environment but that remains to be seen.

C+T So, how does it work?

SW Essentially, the way Anywhere works is we’ve taken the Run Time engine, the

playback engine and then we’ve made a server version of it. The architecture of it has two parts, it has a collaboration hub and the job of the collaboration hub is to look at the number of users on the network, the quality of the network, what type of editing they’re doing, and then it has the ability to spread the workload across these streaming engines which are essentially rendered notes and this is standard commodity IT, so it’s your Dell, your HP, Hitachi, whatever you might want to use.

These dynamically scale so you just add more render nodes as you need them. And then what happens is you ingest your assets into your RAM or your storage, just edit and when you press play or ask for a clip, we stream the video to the end client.

Now, the end client is the full version of Premier or After Eff ects, but because now all the work has been done by the server, the end devices can be very light. It does give you a lot more fl exibility, it also means you can sweat your assets much longer. It also means that things like iPads and IOS devices become a delivery platform as well, for things like approve and review. But, probably the biggest shift is the ability to collaborate in real time.

C+T OK, presumably you’ve got BETA testers for this?

SW We’re testing with two large broadcasters to see how it performs in a broadcast environment. One of them is doing a news workfl ow. The other is doing more of a long form drama and magazine type format.

We’re also testing with a university to see how it works with a distributed high number of users. We’re doing one with a sports federation – and this particular sports organisation takes a lot of sports equipment to a lot of diff erent events and the idea now is that instead of taking a whole production crew down to the event, they just take the camera crew, the acquisition crew, some technicians and they ingest at the sporting event but all the editorial team stay back in head offi ce and edit the material remotely. And then we’re also testing with a big post house in Holland and a large advertising agency.

So we’re trying it out in lots of diff erent user cases ready to make sure – we’re seeing how it performs in diff erent stresses and strains.

Visit www.adobe.com


MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM

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Cloud-based Ad Insertion Bypasses Client-Side SnagsAKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES has announced the availability of Ad Integration Services, the newest off ering in Akamai’s cloud-based Sola Vision suite of solutions.

Ad Integration Services is designed to simplify the insertion of individually-targeted advertising video content into video streams without the potential quality degradation inherent in a client-based approach. Ad Integration Services’ in-network ad insertion approach is architected for high scalability to meet the demands of the largest online audiences.

Sola Vision’s Ad Integration Services dynamically inserts targeted ads from multiple ad decisioning/

ad network platforms into linear and on-demand video streams for delivery to any Internet-connected device. Ad Integration Services leverages mDialog’s Smart Stream Platform technology and open standards-based architecture to allow online content providers to maintain existing video infrastructures and workfl ows.

By shifting the complexities of online video advertising insertion from the player to the cloud, Ad Integration Services can simplify or remove many of the functions and third-party integrations that are required with a client-based ad insertion approach. This approach is designed to eliminate the risk of quality problems due

to last-mile bandwidth contention between ad and video content during the critical transition from content to ad playback. The player/client for this new solution uses a lightweight SDK to ensure accurate Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) compliant measurement beaconing. This SDK also supports interactive video ads and ad-skipping prevention in order to deliver a TV-quality viewing experience across devices.

Sola Vision Ad Integration Services are compatible with a range of leading encoders, including Cisco Media Processor, Elemental Live, and Envivio C4.

Visit www.akamai.com

Harmonic Launches Cloud-Based Video TranscodingHARMONIC HAS LAUNCHED a cloud-based transcoding service for professional applications available on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace. ProMedia Carbon MP, powered by the Harmonic Rhozet technology used in the ProMedia Carbon transcoding engine, enables content creators, service providers, and media professionals to convert broadcast-quality video content to virtually any standard media format, making it a suitable transcoding solution for a wide range of applications.

ProMedia Carbon MP allows users to transcode fi le-based video content in the cloud on an hourly basis. Users can also access the application’s transcoding engine via a familiar XML API to deploy highly scalable, cloud-based transcoding

workfl ows. In either scenario, the platform’s user interface and fl exible API allows users to perform a host of critical video operations, such as SD/HD and PAL/NTSC conversions, logo insertion, colour correction, and multiformat closed-captioning processing.

In addition to saving users the expense of purchasing site transcoding licenses, ProMedia Carbon MP supports a broad array of acquisition, nonlinear editing, broadcast, web, and mobile formats including MXF, XDCAM HD, QuickTime, CableLabs, and MP4. The user interface ensures complete control over the transcoding process and simplifi es the ability to convert fi les into any number of target formats.

Visit www.harmonicinc.com

MAM, Publishing in the CloudCAMBRIDGE IMAGING SYSTEMS has launched ImagenCloud, a cloud-based version of its Imagen2 asset management and publishing software. Imagen2 can be used for ingesting, archiving and distributing large quantities of video, stills, audio and documents in a themed web interface.

ImagenCloud off ers all the features of Imagen2 but without the need for hardware expenditure and hosting expertise. It features powerful ingest workfl ows and full asset management, as well as geo redundant storage and back up service.

Tom Blake, managing director, Cambridge Imaging Systems, said, “There are many small and medium size archives which do not have the internal resources nor the technical expertise to set up the necessary IT infrastructure needed to manage and publish their content online. ImagenCloud removes these technical and cost barriers.”Visit www.cambridgeimaging.co.uk


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MMEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM

The New Age of CloudBy Jon Mobbs, Head of Media, AAPT

Broadcast media has undergone signifi cant change in the past decade, with real-time action now demanded on multiple platforms and pre-recorded content screened across continents simultaneously.

THE DAYS OF COURIERS scuttling across cities with tapes for news rooms and production houses or bags of tapes winging their way on international fl ights to far-fl ung destinations could be, and should be, a thing of the past.

Australian media and production houses are slowly embracing technology to take their processes into a new age of cloud and fi nding major benefi ts in convenience, expense, delivery and effi ciencies.

Although digital production has been around for some time in the creation of fi lm, television and advertising production, tape and physical media remain prominent in the creative workfl ow, the world is moving towards a model where tapeless or fi le-based workfl ows are becoming the norm.

There is considerable pressure within media organisations to move from a balance sheet position of capital expenditure to operational expenditure. New technologies such as the Connect, Transfer and Store concept developed by AAPT Media is allowing companies to focus on what they do best – produce content.

There seems to be a reticence in corporate Australia of totally embracing new technologies and everything they can bring, but as speed of delivery, access platforms, tightening budgets and, more importantly, the end audiences demand for instant gratifi cation become more prevalent, companies are being forced to re-think the way they operate.

For example, there are multiple benefi ts of cloud storage, not the least of which is the physical space aspects – think shelves of tapes and no tapes. It should be a no-brainer.

However, despite an obvious up-side to industry sectors such as broadcast media, the adaption of cloud technologies into the commercial world has been progressing cautiously as organisations grapple with issues like security, data mining and analysis, mobility, and geographical storage concerns.

All of these major technology changes are coupled with rising costs of production because of the demand for new formats eg. 3D and 4K, falling budgets, traditional advertising income being diluted across multi-platform diversifi cation, and higher audience expectations.

Broadcasters are desperately scrambling to retain audiences as the world consumes its entertain-ment and media in brand new ways not even considered possible a year ago. And audiences want it faster and available on every device.

The challenge is made worse with signifi cant falls in investment or at least expectations to achieve more with the same production budget and

schedule as last year.

This will inevitably lead to a reduction in domestically-produced material and an increase in cheaper, lower-quality content or a continued erosion of Australian culture with the increase in imported material, not because of audience demand, but through lack of investment in home-grown talent.

A programming structure based around other companies supplying core material has inherent risks: build up an audience around certain brands or formats and you become a hostage to fortune.

A recent article in The Australian Financial Review calculated the three commercial free-to-air television networks would have around $70,000 each in licence fee savings for every hour of extra Australian-made content they have to produce every year by 2015.

But a veteran independent television producer, who asked not to be identifi ed, said that $70,000 was “nowhere near enough” to produce quality primetime shows and the extra obligations would encourage networks to produce low-quality programs to meet the requirements.

So the pressure is on…

It is not all doom and gloom and the new world off ers huge benefi ts to the brave and adventurous.

Mainstream companies such as Avid and Adobe are developing or have launched cloud-based platforms supporting tapeless workfl ows.

Organisations such as the Digital Production Partnership in the UK are working with all players in the ecosystem to develop and agree cross-platform video standards to facilitate increased collaboration and support the roll-out of fi le-based workfl ows. All of this leads to interdependent partnerships between broadcasters, studios, networks and post houses.

As broadcast media looks to the future, collaboration will play a major vital role. Where production houses used to manage every process, more and more specialisation will be the industry norm with partners and creative sourced from a global pool of specialists.

The reliance on the physical transport of content will also disappear. Not only will fi le or asset movement be faster and less costly, it will tick the boxes for companies concerned about environmental sustainability. As we see data centres increasingly looking for clean power supplies, for example, the impact on the environment of some existing distribution methods should not be under-estimated.

Companies will enjoy both technical and commercial fl exibility by coupling cloud with network; pay only for what you use and scale up and down as project cycles dictate.

Funds released from wider adoption of these new models should be channelled into creative capital, re-investing in what broadcast and media companies do best: making programs.

Like many other industry sectors – banking, retail, travel, insurance – the adoption of new technologies is changing forever the way broadcast media operates and we should not be afraid to learn the lessons others have learnt along their journey.

Social media now interacts, challenges and infl uences live broadcasts, all in real time, often forcing production teams to throw out their planned programming to immediately react and respond to cyberchatter.

The American Super Bowl broadcast earlier this year set a record for social media commentary – for any major televised event. The real time

interaction of global audiences now impacts the way in which the industry produces, screens and distributes events.

According to New York-based Trendrr, which followed social-media activity related to the big game on Twitter, public Facebook profi les and the social applications GetGlue and Viggle, there were 47.67 million instances of social-media engagement during the game.

The year before, the Super Bowl scored 17.4 million interactions on social media vs. 3.1 million in 2011, according to Trendrr.

Compare that to the April 2011 royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton racked up 5.6 million instances of social-media activity, while last year’s Grammy Awards generated 17.1 million, according to Trendrr.

Generally Australians are fast adopters of new technologies, often in the world top rankings for embracing the new, the diff erent, the innovative.

As broadcasters around the world seek new income streams, faster production outputs and instant distribution across multiple platforms to satisfy media hungry audiences, Australia needs to be ready to adapt or die.

Visit www.aapt.com.au/mediaconnect

“ Companies will enjoy both technical and commercial fl exibility by coupling cloud with network; pay only for what you use and scale up and down as project cycles dictate.”


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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & DAM

Media organisations have a lot of revenue potential locked away in their vast video archives. The trick to unlocking that potential is to fi nd a way to digitise and manage those considerable assets effi ciently and tap into them easily. Organisations that can do that can build new revenue streams that would have been impossible just a few years ago.

IT IS A JOB THAT IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE. When it comes to realising the full value of this rich source of revenue, most media operations encounter obstacles related to migrating, managing, and distributing the content in a way that makes it easily accessible from any screen, anytime. Doing so requires a sophisticated content storage management (CSM) system — built for video — that can deliver the full productivity benefi ts a media business needs. On top of that, organisations also need solutions that are agile enough to cope with the consequences of rapid change and sudden fl uctuations in demand for capacity.

The ideal solution is a system that delivers powerful capabilities in a way that is also very fl exible and has substantial on-demand capability, but such an in-house system is one that many content owners cannot aff ord.

The cloud is that ideal solution. It off ers the ability to manage assets on a global scale while massively improving effi ciency and continuously evolving to adapt to an ever-changing business environment. Beyond archiving and management, the cloud has enormous potential for streamlining media operations and making everyone – especially multisite organisations – more collaborative. In the end, those benefi ts can translate to greater revenue.

CSM IS BUILT FOR BIG DATACSM systems are designed to serve demanding media-centric operations with terabytes of video to manage. They can automatically and rapidly replicate valuable fi le-based assets, creating duplicate copies on multiple (and portable) data-tape media without any user intervention while sharing the same management and storage infrastructure. Copies can remain within the system for online restoration, or be taken offl ine and stored outside for more geographically diverse protection.

In addition to basic storage functionality, CSM solutions have evolved to provide various media-centric features — such as distributed transcoding, metadata mining, fi le-based subjective quality analysis, and timecode-based partial restore — all operating in a fi le-based domain. They also provide universal accessibility to these features via content

lifecycle and policy engines, workfl ow tools, and open APIs for direct third-party control, integration, and collaboration.

WHY CLOUD-BASED CSM?

It is clear that CSM can help media organisations overcome the challenges of managing ever larger, ever more complex video fi les, thus unlocking their revenue-generating power. But that is assuming the organisation has made the investment in an in-house CSM system. And even if it has, often these on-premises systems do not have suffi cient backup and protection mechanisms to ensure valuable digital assets are recoverable now and into the future. Cloud-based CSM, on the other hand, takes advantage of the cloud’s unlimited storage space and computing power to take CSM into the stratosphere.

Cloud CSM has some distinct advantages:COST SAVINGS

Most existing cloud-service providers are built for the relatively small data requirements of IT, and therefore can’t handle video data. Applying traditional IT cloud storage services to the media space sends per-use and storage subscription costs skyrocketing — making them much too expensive for most media operations looking to use the cloud even for simple storage, let alone CSM. Part of the reason for this staggering cost is the sole reliance on expensive spinning-disk storage in these IT-centric cloud service facilities. But media-centric cloud services rely on data tape, which is still one of the most cost-eff ective, reliable, and robust storage technologies available. Simply put, data tape storage makes more sense for organisations with big data.

A BETTER VIEW OF THE FILE SYSTEM

Another advantage to cloud CSM is the remote content viewing. Unlike the simple view users get from IT-centric cloud service providers, cloud CSM solutions have a media asset management layer to search, access, control, view, and interact with media content.

AXF SUPPORTThe ability to store, recall, replicate, repurpose, and transform complex media objects is the fundamental basis of advanced CSM solutions. The Archive eXchange Format (AXF) serves as a universal container that encapsulates any number of related fi les (of any type and size) into a fully self-describing and protected object package, helping to ensure resilient and ubiquitous access to valuable assets. As CSM enters the cloud, AXF becomes much more important because transfer authentication, metadata, per-fi le and per-structure checksums, in-built object resiliency characteristics, access level control, and storage technology independence are inherent in its design. Also, using stand-alone AXF access utilities that are currently available, it allows for universal accessibility to these media assets regardless of the system being used.

CSM AS A SERVICECSM as a Service (CSMaaS) is emerging as a cost-competitive option to on-premises solutions, whose adoption has been slow due to storage capacities, network bandwidth, and the lack of compelling and cost-eff ective off erings. Thanks to CSMaaS, along with ever more aff ordable and more readily available connectivity, previous barriers to adoption are disappearing.

CSMAAS FROM FRONT PORCH DIGITALCompanies such as Front Porch Digital are leading the industry charge in the emerging area of CSMaaS, combining mature IT-centric cloud-service technologies with more than a decade of CSM experience gained at some of the world’s largest and most important media archives.

Front Porch Digital’s LYNX cloud-based CSM system eff ectively takes the world’s best CSM system – DIVArchive – and applies it to the cloud, making the most comprehensive CSM toolset available to any customer in a way that fi ts almost any budget, with payment on a per-use basis. LYNX provides all the features of a physical CSM system without the infrastructure investment and overhead costs — good news for organisations that are sitting on decades’ worth of content that could be made available commercially.

Advanced Content Storage Management in the Cloud Off ers Path to New Revenue

by Rino Petricola, Front Porch Digital


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RADIOThe original broadcast media www.content-technology.com/radio

THE AUSTRALIAN COMMERCIAL radio industry has launched a national campaign urging listeners to support digital radio’s expansion into regional areas, Commercial Radio Australia CEO, Joan Warner, announced.

A nationwide radio and online banner adver-tising campaign will urge listeners to register their support for digital radio expanding into regional Australia with local MPs, via a specially established website. The ad campaign will be run on more than 200 regional radio stations throughout Australia, targeting the estimated 6.9 million Australians who listen to commercial radio in regional Australia each week.

Ms Warner said it was only fair that people in regional areas receive the same type of access to free to air digital radio services as those people living in the city. Radio plays a particularly vital role in the regions with the provision of local news and local emergency services information.

“DAB+ digital radio will result in a signifi cant

upgrade to towers and site infrastructure in regional Australia. The rollout will provide an opportunity for commercial and public service radio operators to provide a greater diversity of local radio programming in regional areas,” Ms Warner said.

The industry is seeking Federal assistance of around AUD$500 million over a 16 year period to phase in digital radio services into major regional areas and has submitted a detailed proposal to both the Government and Opposition.

“To move digital radio forward we need a policy commitment to a national roll-out and an indicative timeframe ASAP. Federal Governments have supported the television industry with over $1 billion in funding over the past twelve years to facilitate the roll-out of digital television into regional areas – it is only fair that radio receives similar treatment,” said Ms Warner.

Visit www.digitalradioplus.com.au

Day of Action for Community Digital Radio

MARCH 13 MARKED a ‘day of action’ for the campaign to maintain all current community digital radio services in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth, with stations around Australia promoting a campaign website to support a digital future for community radio.

Current community digital radio services were launched in 2011 and the Federal Govern-ment’s 2012 budget allocation for community digital radio resulted in what the sector says amounts to a AUD$1.4 million funding shortfall

– nearly 40% of the funding required.

Community broadcasters say that unless that funding shortfall is addressed in the upcoming May budget many of the current community digital radio services will soon have to be shut down.

37 metro-wide digital radio services are currently operating in the fi ve mainland capital cities. Stations have invested their own resources with community support to develop digital services, and government funding

is used to support transmission and data connectivity for the digital radio network.

The President of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA), Adrian Basso, said, “Community radio provides a voice to such a broad range of people and interests in our communities that are not always represented by mainstream media outlets. It will be a sad day if digital radio loses the diversity and unique services that community radio brings.”

Visit www.committocommunityradio.org.au

Digital Radio Regional Awareness Campaign Launched

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Radio-Assist Updates from NETIANETIA WILL BE EXHIBITING at the 2013 NAB Show (Booth SU4911) with GlobeCast. At the show NETIA will be showing Radio-Assist 8.2, which includes cloud management, iSnippet, and a new teleprompter module.

The introduction of cloud-based management for Radio-Assist gives users the ability to access the system database from any network-connected workstation. Particularly valuable for multisite radio broadcasters, this capability enables authorised users everywhere to access, retrieve, and work on the same content, without the need for time-consuming media transfers. In addition to enabling faster, more productive operations through shared media access, cloud-based management enables broadcasters to reduce reliance on server infrastructure and, in turn, lower the total cost of ownership.

The Snippet range of editing tools available within the Radio-Assist automation products is now available for iOS devices. Sharing the same look and ergonomic principles as the Snippet desktop interface, the new iPhone- and iPad-compatible iSnippet tool allows fi eld reporters and other remote users to enjoy the Radio-Assist audio editing capabilities — familiar from the desktop — on their portable devices.

The new teleprompter module for the Radio-Assist suite gives presenters and journalists convenient visual access to news scripts, which scroll continuously across the presenter’s screen, linked with the playout system in the studio. Customisable features such as text size, colour selection, automatic speed control that adapts to reading speed, and read length may be confi gured in user profi les tailored to presenter preferences.

Visit www.netia.com

New Mosaic from Logitek

LOGITEK HAS UPDATED THE Mosaic console and will show it off at NAB 2013 (Booth C1817). First introduced in 2005, Mosaic consoles are used worldwide in Radio and TV on-air and production studios.

“This update represents a substantial improvement of our fl agship product,” said Tag Borland, Logitek president. “After nearly eight years of steady production, we felt it was time to enhance the capabilities of the Mosaic. Not only does it have an improved user look and feel, its design allows easier access to new features of streaming consoles and networked audio systems.”

The new Mosaic features OLED screens throughout. Screens have also been added to the Softkey module along with Selector functions. Overall functionality was also updated, with easier access to multicolour on/off and selection buttons and better illumination of controls. Frame sizes are available for consoles ranging from 4 to 24 faders; Mosaic consoles now feature attractive, easily installed tabletop enclosures that can be placed anywhere or moved out of the way when not needed. Power usage was also addressed in the re-design, with the new console consuming about a third less power than the previous model.

Visit http://logitekaudio.com

Netia’s Radio-Assist 8.2 teleprompter module.

RADIO

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Audio Metering for Radio

RTW, A LEADING vendor of visual audio meters for professional broadcast, production, post production and quality control, will be exhibiting its new TMR7 TouchMonitor at the 2013 NAB Show (Booth C1844). Specifi 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 latest introduction to RTW’s TouchMonitor series, the technological basis of the TMR7 is the TM7 TouchMonitor with its fl exible modular confi guration. Similar to the TM7, the TMR7 also includes a seven-inch touch screen, and is available as a desktop unit, fi tted, or as an OEM

unit with 16 audio inputs.

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 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 off ers maximum fl exibility. Users can move freely scalable instruments to any position on the graphical surface, allowing them to personalise the entire screen area. Views, scaling and metering standards are separately defi nable for each signal source. In addition, a convenient on-screen help function aids setting up the unit.

RTW will also display its latest 3G version of the compact TM3 meter, the TM3-3G. This unit has 16 audio channels of 3G-SDI and, as with every other TM unit, conforms to the latest loudness specifi cations.

Visit www.rtw.de

HARRIS BROADCAST and Geo-Broadcast Solutions (GBS) are touting a solution based on GBS’ ZoneCasting strategy that will allow FM radio broadcasters to improve coverage.

The MaxxCasting solution uses a network topology similar to the GBS’ ZoneCasting architecture for targeted, over-the-air radio broadcasting, but instead focuses on simulcasting content to improve coverage. It can be deployed today under existing regulations, expanding market coverage in a more eff ective way than traditional signal booster technologies.

“We often hear from broadcasters looking to take advantage of this network topology as our ZoneCasting petition to deliver targeted content moves through FCC approval,” said Peter Handy, CEO of Geo-Broadcast Systems. “The FCC rules currently allow FM stations to deploy boosters to fi ll in signal coverage gaps, broadcasting identical content on every booster. We have discovered that adding boosters to simulcast across the typical ZoneCasting topology can help broadcasters improve coverage. And the ability to reach more listeners opens new revenue opportunities through advertising.”

The MaxxCasting approach essentially maximises market coverage today to attract more listeners and advertisers, and paves the way for the unique targeted radio advertising

opportunities for which ZoneCasting exists.

“ZoneCasting was created to bring hyper-localisation to over-the-air radio, bringing new advertising opportunities to local businesses and to allow stations of any size to better compete in a challenging landscape,” said Richard Redmond, vice president of product management and strategy, transmission systems, Harris Broadcast. “But a high percentage of radio stations today would like to improve their reach. MaxxCasting allows them to fi ll out the signal area that they originally purchased, to the maximum of what the FCC allows through their broadcast licenses.”

Harris has an exclusive, worldwide license to use and incorporate the GBS ZoneCasting software and hardware design into its Flexiva transmitters and Intraplex SynchroCast systems for deployment in ZoneCasting systems. Broadcasters would use these same tested and proven technologies for MaxxCasting systems.

The overall solution improves over existing signal booster technologies by minimising interference while fi lling in the gaps of a broadcaster’s market coverage — in many cases working in areas where conventional boosters were not successful.

“Your investment is secure because everything you have done today provides a seamless upgrade path to ZoneCasting tomorrow,” said

Redmond. “The payoff is clear, as MaxxCasting can help stations grow revenue today by maximising signal coverage. Once ZoneCasting is approved, broadcasters can use these same boosters within targeted content insertion applications.”

Visit www.broadcast.harris.com

Boosting FM Radio Signal Coverage

Logitek Brings AoIP Operation to Audio Engine Platform

LOGITEK ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS (Booth C1817) has announced an upgrade to its AE-32 Audio Engine platform to allow operation of the AE-32 via AoIP. The new AE-IP card enables networking of the AE-32 with JetStream AoIP systems and also allows the AE-32 to communicate with hard disk systems using Logitek’s JetNet network conduit.

The AE-IP upgrade card replaces the existing AE-C2 or AE-C6 Controller Card, the NetA TDM Network Card, and any Sharc DSP cards with the JetStream AoIP Network platform. Networking capacity is increased to 128 x 128 in a single chassis, thereby creating an extremely dense 256 channel AoIP node. An embedded PC in the AE-IP card replaces the external Supervisor computer that had been required with the AE-32, reducing hardware requirements.

In addition to its audio networking capabilities, the AE-IP card expands the console capacity of the AE-32 to four consoles with a total capacity of 36 faders. All consoles on the system have access to input meters on every fader and profanity delays.

Visit www.logitekaudio.com

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AUDIODigital soundwaves www.content-technology.com/audio

If someone were to survey the viewing public of Australia about what annoys them most about broadcast television, short-odds would be given to the loudness change between programs, commercials, and promos taking out the top spot. Tackling this problem has taken centre stage in many regions around the world, most notably the US and Europe, and Australia is no diff erent.

BASED UPON THE International Telecommunications Union (ITU) recommendation BS.1770, the Free TV Australia Engineering Committee has developed OP-59 (Operational Practice for measurement & management of loudness in soundtracks for television broadcasting) to act as a guide for broadcasters and content producers to control loudness eff ectively.

Speaking at a recent SMPTE Section Meeting on loudness, Glenn Carrick, Chair of the Free TV Australia Audio Group, detailed the need for OP-59 and how it operates. Adam Birch, Global Product Marketing Manager for Harris Broadcast, also spoke at the meeting, putting OP-59 in a global context.

Importantly, OP-59 is a recommendation, not a regulation. It is not like the CALM (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation) Act in the US, which hands a number of powers to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Ideally, OP-59 would prevent the need for such legislation by reducing complaints about loudness.

“Viewers and listeners complained about loudness jumps and all of the loudness regulations and recommendations that they’ve brought in so far

have been a direct result of viewer complaints,” said Birch. “That counts for the Americans, it counts for the Italians, it was pre-empted and cut off by the South Africans, it counts for the English, and it counts for the French. People phone up and complain. So we can talk about all these things, but you need to consider the fact that this is being led from a consumer level.”

Looking after viewers and reducing complaints is not the only reason to put in place a system for loudness compliance. Content is frequently being delivered to, or received from, other markets. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has put in place EBU R128, The US has the aforementioned

Are loud commercialsturning off your viewers?Loud commercials can be more than annoying.They can reduce your viewership and ad revenues.Award-winning StreamScope® MPEG analyzers andtransport stream monitors from Triveni Digital helpbroadcasters and cable operators meet the challengeof loudness normalisation. With StreamScope, youcan monitor real-time and spot-checked LKFS levels,view audio buffer graphs, and set loudness alerts.Visit us at Stand SU5602 at the 2013 NAB Show.

[email protected]

StreamScope is available at

Continued page 51

Tuning in to the Loudness DebateBy Keith Ford

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TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES of loudness measurement such as PPM (Peak Program Meters) and VU (Voltage Unit) meters are often ineff ective for digital broadcast. With DTV systems, it was assumed that loudness issues would be a thing of past. But with the availability of wider dynamic range, issues with loudness have only increased. Today, consumers complain more about loudness as compared to the analogue days. VU meters and PPM are commonly used, but often misused as devices for audio loudness measurements. VU and PPM were designed to measure the audio levels rather than the perceived audio loudness. These meters cannot be completely trusted for loudness measurement. Sound engineers in virtual studio environments quickly learn ways to work around these meters and achieve maximum loudness out of a recording by destroying the dynamic range of the content and adding undesired distortion.

In 2006, ITU proposed an algorithm, which could objectively measure audio loudness. The ITU-BS 1770 for measuring program loudness talks of some of the following algorithms:

K Frequency Weighting that is composed of a fi rst stage shelving fi lter simulating the head diff raction eff ects and a second stage 50 Hz high-pass fi lter

Mean Square calculation for each channel

Channel weighted summation followed by gating

A key feature of ITU-BS 1770 algorithm is its ability to measure loudness for multi-channel audio. All channels are processed in a similar way before channel specifi c scaling is done. Updated ITU recommendation (BS. 1770-2) includes gating too. Gating ensures that long periods of silences or low levels do not infl uence the overall program loudness. Measured loudness is reported in LKFS units. ITU also proposes a method to measure True Peak Level. True peak measurement is ideally defi ned as a measure of maximum absolute sample value of an audio signal in a continuous time domain. Digital audio signals can be easily over-sampled by a factor of 4 for estimating the true peak.

Loudness complaints have prompted organization/governments/broadcasters to introduce regulations for loudness control. Organizations such as ATSC, EBU, ARIB have developed their loudness specifi cations based on above measurement technique. The U.S. has passed the legislation H.R. 1084 - also known as the CALM (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation) Act. CALM Act requires all broadcasters to broadcast advertisements at a loudness level no more than that of the accompanying program. Various broadcasters in Europe are voluntarily adopting EBU R128.

In Australia and New Zealand, compliance to OP59 is being adopted. OP-

59 proposes use of ITU BS.1770 for loudness measurement. Additionally, it recommends the following restriction/thresholds on diff erent loudness parameters.

Measured loudness for programs must be equal to -24LKFS . The deviation of +/- 1LKFS would be allowed since exact normalization to target loudness is not always possible

Max true peak levels must not exceed (-2dBFS)

Dialnorm metadata fi eld in Dolby streams should be set to the actual loudness of the program. This would facilitate in easier loudness control.

For long programs, loudness measurement should be based on the basis of anchor element (dialogue). In cases where anchor element is not present or cannot be separated easily such as in music, overall loudness can be measured.

With availability of objective loudness measurement techniques, it is now also feasible to eff ectively control loudness. Hence, there is a need for a change in the leveling paradigm from peak normalization to loudness normalization.

Loudness control can be primarily achieved in two ways. Metadata approach suits formats such as Dolby Digital’s AC-3. AC-3 has the provision for carrying metadata such as dialnorm, dynamic range control words, etc. AC-3 Streams are expected to always carry a valid dialnorm value that matches with the program loudness. Value of dialnorm can vary from 1 to 31 and has to be set properly by broadcasters during transmission. Audio streams that do not comply with the above requirement need correction. Software based correction tool can be deployed for such cases. The correction process for metadata is much simpler as decode and re-encode is not required. Hence, correction tools can correct the content at the metadata level. Dialnorm values can be re-authored and set to match that of the content

Other techniques require uncompressed audio signals to be processed to achieve target loudness. The metadata based strategy is more suitable for content after distribution stages where receivers can control the loudness on the basis of viewer’s settings. In production stages and for formats such as PCM, metadata information may not be available. Hence, a technique is needed which can process the uncompressed audio samples. Normalization algorithms can be devised which are able to control all three aspects of loudness: Program Loudness, Dynamic Range, and True Peak Level.

Due to fl exibility of transforming digital media content, loudness violations can be introduced at diff erent stages of the workfl ow. Early detection of loudness issues closer to the content source prevents propagation of loudness violations and ensures effi cient workfl ows. Automated fi le-based QC systems, such as Interra’s Baton, are currently used at diff erent stages of a workfl ow for verifi cation of media content. Baton verifi cation includes checking the content for organizational requirements and for audio and video quality. These loudness checks can be used at content exchange points between diff erent organizations (broadcasters, post production, content providers), working together in the content supply chain, to maintain consistent loudness. Loudness checks coupled with loudness control, off ered by fi le-based QC systems such as Baton, deliver multiple benefi ts to broadcasters in terms of optimization and faster content delivery to the market.

Visit www.interrasystems.com

Managing Audio LoudnessBy Manik Gupta, Product Architect, Interra Systems

Loud commercials and loudness war is a much discussed topic since the U.S. mandated the CALM Act. Today new laws require loudness volume to be consistent across commercials and programs. A lot is being talked about how to manage audio loudness.

“ Loudness complaints have prompted organization/governments/broadcasters to introduce regulations for loudness control. ”

AUDIO

Calm Act based on ATSC A/85, and Japan has ARIB TR-B32. Like OP-59, all of these are based on ITU BS.1770. It is a deal easier to comply with other regions requirements if you are already doing things in a similar fashion.

“If you’re a customer and you’re providing material internationally, so again most of Europe, US, Canada, you may be required to provide a certifi ed document stamped to say the content provided has been loudness certifi ed to their requirements. You also may be required to prove it. Someone might say I had a problem with one of my channels that was one of your bits of content I need you to go off and prove that that loudness level was correct,” added Birch.

Also, TVCs (television commercials) that are locally produced will often be played next to imported material. If both are out, no one will notice. But if the program is compliant with the CALM Act and the TVC is not, the change will be noticeable and prompt viewer complaints.

The fundamental problem with loudness is that it is a human perception, making it diffi cult to quantify. The ITU went about this by holding a number of listening tests around the world. Consisting of 48 samples of typical TV content that were compared to a piece of reference content, viewers would adjust each piece of content until they were of a comparable loudness to the reference piece. The amount of adjustment needed was logged and results from around the world were collated.

Manufacturers were then invited to test their measurement devices against the human results in Montreal, Canada.

“It’s fair to say they were all terrible and some of them were really complex devices with lots of DSP processing in them and they would have been very expensive things to manufacture,” explained Carrick. “However, one of the guys at the time came up with a very, very simple little fi lter circuit and an RMS reading meter and we tested those. The results using that against human results were the best performing. By quite a fair margin, in fact. So that simple circuit and simple RMS meter became ITU BS.1770. And that’s briefl y how it started.”

These tests were conducted in mono, but have since been expanded to include stereo and surround sound. The most signifi cant addition to the standard came in ITU BS.1770-2, with the introduction of a ‘fl oating gate’.

“The fl oating gate, which is 10db or 10 units below the instantaneous measurement, the idea of that was that the meter would ignore anything that fell 10db below the instantaneous amount and not include it in its integrated time or its integrated measurement,” said Carrick. “In Australia we originally had some reservations about this, so the very early publications of OP-59 did not have the gate in it, but the new one does. And that brings us into line a bit more with the Europeans who have had the gate in for a while as standard.”

Being brought in with OP-59 is a new scale for loudness measurement, LKFS (LUFS in Europe). This stands for Loudness, K-weighted, relative to Full Scale, with K-weighted referring to the algorithms fi lter. Measurements will be presented in the form of a number followed by LKFS, much like in dBFS, and each step on the scale is the equivalent of 1dB.

“If you have a scale in LKFS it will read relative to zero dBFS or full-scale digital, so it will always be a minus number. So LKFS will always give you a minus number, whereas the Europeans who are very keen on having LU, Loudness Units, wanted the target level to be zero. So zero LU is in fact their

“ Viewers and listeners complained about loudness jumps and all of the loudness regulations and recommendations that they’ve brought in so far have been a direct result of viewer complaints ”

Continued page 53

Loudness Continued from page 49

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Triveni Digital Showing StreamScopeAT NAB 2013 (Booth SU5602), Triveni Digital will show how to eff ectively monitor and analyse DTV transport streams, as well as comply with worldwide audio loudness standards and legislation, using the StreamScope real-time DTV transport stream monitors and analysers with advanced audio loudness monitoring capabilities.

At the 2013 NAB Show, Triveni Digital will demonstrate the StreamScope MT-40 and RM-40 DTV transport stream analysis and monitoring solutions, featuring advanced audio loudness monitoring capabilities.

StreamScope MT-40 provides end-to-end MPEG-2/MPEG-4 transport stream analysis and monitoring for DTV services carried by broadcast, cable, satellite, IPTV, or mobile networks. Utilising the powerful MPEG analysers, users can monitor multiple ATSC M/H transport streams and ensure transport streams meet current industry standards.

The StreamScope RM-40 helps operators maintain a high video QoS by providing comprehensive, confi gurable, and cost-eff ective DTV transport stream monitoring for broadcast, cable, telco, satellite, and IPTV networks at local and remote sites. A web-based, colour-coded user interface displays drill-down dashboards, video and audio thumbnails, dynamic charts and graphs, and detailed current and historical reports.

Both StreamScope units feature advanced loudness monitoring functionalities that allow users to monitor and analyse audio loudness according to the most recent ITU-R Recommendation BS.1770-3. This dramatically simplifi es broadcasters’ ability to log and export accurate dialnorm and LKFS/LUFS loudness measurements of broadcasts continuously and in real time.

Visit www.trivenidigital.com

Emotion Featuring eFF 3.0 and eVeEMOTION SYSTEMS WILL launch eFF 3.0, the latest incarnation of its audio loudness compliance and normalisation application, at NAB 2013 (Booth SU8603).

eFF 3.0 features Dolby E, True Peak, Short Term and Momentary Correction using its innovative DNA (Dynamic Normalisation Algorithm) and loudness range control. eFF 3.0 provides multi-profi le loudness correction within a single fi le for multi-language, international delivery requirements and provides enhanced, automated operation with its improved multi-watch folder capability and its extended RESTful API.

“eFF 3.0 provides an all-inclusive and totally fl exible solution for fi le-based loudness measurement and compliance. Over the last year, we

have gained tremendous knowledge and experience whilst deploying our loudness solutions worldwide. Loudness presents a lot of operational challenges and we have been working with our customers and listening. eFF 3.0 has been developed by our R&D in order to meet these challenges,” said CEO, MC Patel.

NAB will also see the launch of eVe (Emotion Video Engine), a fi le-based media toolbox that comprises of a media analyseR. eVe is a player and an XML export tool that allows pre-processing and preparation of fi le-based media for multi-platform authoring.

Visit www.emotion-systems.com

Loudness Monitoring With NUGENAT THE 2013 NAB SHOW, NUGEN Audio (Booth SU8918) will be displaying a range of innovations for loudness correction.

For the fi rst time, LM-Correct is available as a fi le-based program, taking it outside the Avid environment. LM-Correct is designed to off er automatic, faster-than-real-time loudness analysis and correction. LM-Correct can be used as a one-stop solution for loudness correction, fi xing audio that has not been mixed with loudness standards in mind, or in conjunction with a real-time loudness meter such as VisLM to “fi ne tune” audio mixed to loudness requirements from the outset.

NUGEN Audio is now off ering VisLM 1.6, a signifi cant update to its visual loudness monitoring tool. With this new version, VisLM is available for the fi rst time in the Avid AAX format. Additionally, VisLM is now available in a

64-bit OS X version.

VisLM 1.6 also includes a new dialogue gate option that allows automatic measurement of dialogue sections within the source material. Measurements can now be written to automation tracks so that elements such as the loudness profi le and true-peak clips can be seen against the waveform in the digital audio workstation timeline for diagnostic referencing.

The NUGEN Audio ISL Inter-Sample True-Peak Limiter is designed for the control of peak levels in audio signals from mono to 5.1. Unlike traditional approaches to limiting, ISL off ers a brick-wall solution, measuring inter-sample peaks and allowing the user to defi ne the true-peak limit of the audio output.

Visit www.nugenaudio.com

Audio Loudness Control - Is Your Facility OP59 Compliant?Is your Audio too Loud?Tektronix solu ons for Audio

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will help you be OP59 compliant

Call us at TekMark Australia on 1300 811 355 and ask us how we

can help you solve your Audio Loudness Monitoring problems!

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AUDIO

SSSSSHHHH...don’t let your loudness drive viewers away

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HD TV is about so much more than just great picture quality – high resolution audio matters too. Just how

disappointed will your viewers be if they experience loss of surround sound and sudden shifts in loudness during their favourite TV program? Sadly, the ‘loud commercial

problem’ is a common complaint amongst digital television viewers and can even drive them away from a channel.

Now, Axon has developed a simple, cost-effective and reliable solution Based on proven technology developed

provides you with complete peace of mind, and it possesses the company’s trademark ultra compact modular

design, simple installation and intuitive operation.

Don’t let your loudness become a problem, come and talk to Axon.

www.axon.tv/dla42

Visit us at SMPTE July 23-26 stand H17

Distributed by:

www.avgroup.com.au

reference level, whereas our reference level is in the minus level, but they are very similar,” explained Carrick.

“So the new reference level for Australia is -24 LKFS. That brings us into line with the US and a number of other countries in the world. Unfortunately it didn’t bring us into line with the Europeans whose reference level is -23, but on a meter you will see it as zero LU.”

The current version of OP-59, which will continue to be updated, refers to ITU BS.1770-3. There are some changes between -2 and -3, mostly regarding true peak measurement, but none as signifi cant as the fl oating gate. -1, -2 and -3 products will all work under OP-59, particularly for short-form content, but there could be diff erent readings on a -1 meter for long-form content. -2 and -3 meters will return loudness readings exactly the same, and very close for true peak readings.

“OP 59 has a lot of words in it rather than just purely specifi cations and those words are intended to advise the reader how best to tackle a piece of content. So what it says is that short-form content should be measured in whole, so if it’s a 30-second spot they should be measured from fi rst audio to last audio integrated over that time and the answer you want at the end of that is -24, that’s the loudness for this post,” Carrick added.

“For long form content it’s a little trickier – what we currently recommend is that a typical piece of dialogue be measured out of the content. I say typical dialogue in that it’s typical for that genre of programme, so we don’t want the shouting scene measured, we don’t want the car crash measured, if it’s a drama and they talk in hushed tones, that’s what you measure. So it’s suitable for that genre of programme.”

OP-59 is essentially in eff ect already. The fi rst date for compliance was July 1st, 2012, which was for content produced internally by broadcasters. The second date, for content being delivered to broadcasters, was January 1st, 2013. This means that content being delivered to broadcasters needs to be compliant. There is, however, a three-month grace period. This extends compliance to April 1st, 2013, after which point, broadcasters are able to

refuse content for not complying with OP-59.

OP-48, the compliance document for audio levels and loudness that has been around for the best part of a decade, is still in use but updated to include OP-59. Compliance with OP-48 is now conditional upon also being compliant with OP-59.

“There’s been a lot of talk about OP-48 and why we still have it when we’ve now got a thing called OP-59. The way to look at this is that OP48 is the compliance document that the content needs to comply with, OP-59 is the how to document, of how to get it there. So as of 1st January this year, if you’re a content maker and you deliver that content with the OP-48 box ticked, I’m talking about TVCs here, it implies that you have measured it as per OP-59 and it meets the specs within OP-59,” explained Carrick.

“Australia has taken an incredibly good fi rst step. Any tweaks will certainly be minor. They have looked at other regions and picked the best parts,” concluded Birch.

“ So the new reference level for Australia is -24 LKFS. That brings us into line with the US and a number of other countries in the world. Unfortunately it didn’t bring us into line with the Europeans whose reference level is -23, but on a meter you will see it as zero LU.”

Loudness Continued from page 51

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Clear-Com Announces New HelixNet Network Linking

CLEAR-COM WILL UNVEIL version 1.1 of the HelixNet Partyline Intercom System at the 2013 NAB Show (Booth C8008). Included in this new product release is a system linking capability, which extends digital partyline intercom communications over a network among a production’s fi eld users, mobile trucks and studio headquarters cost-eff ectively and effi ciently, without compromising the audio quality.

Expanded functionality under version 1.1 includes the ability to link up to fi ve HMS-4X Main Stations and up to 100 HBP-2X Digital Beltpacks via Ethernet to build larger and more sophisticated partyline intercom systems. HelixNet’s station-to-station networking function makes this possible by defi ning up to fi ve Main Stations that can be connected via the new HL1-ET2 Ethernet Module. Main Stations can connect directly or through a LAN using standard IT switches.

A new HL1-FBS Fiber Module is also available for linking stations over long distances. It also allows linking to four other Main Stations in a fi bre daisy-chain. The standard connection is Single-Mode with Multi-mode off ered as an option.

Since the HelixNet platform is based on Clear-Com’s I.V.Core, a core set of Intercom-over-IP technologies for providing networking fl exibility, this entire system can operate over any LAN infrastructure found in studio or remote production environments. Stage managers, along with teleprompter, lighting and camera operators, audio engineers and any HelixNet user can remain connected and interface with remote mobile production trucks and/or studios over HelixNet.

Visit www.clearcom.com

Minnetonka Updating AudioTools Server and SurCode

NAB 2013 WILL SEE Minnetonka Audio (Booth SU8918) feature the latest version of its fl agship product, AudioTools Server (ATS) 2.5. ATS 2.5 is loaded with major enhancements including integrated failover protection; MP2, MP3, and AAC encoding; a new queue-monitoring application; and much more. ATS 2.5 is an enterprise software system for fi le-based workfl ows, designed to automate even the most sophisticated audio tasks.

The 2013 NAB Show will see the release of a new version of Minnetonka Audio’s SurCode encoder/decoder for Dolby Pro Logic II. SurCode for Dolby Pro Logic II off ers complete, Dolby-certifi ed Dolby Pro Logic II encoding and Pro Logic II, Pro Logic IIx, and Pro Logic IIz decoding of up to eight channels of audio. The product enables auditioning, encoding, and decoding of audio with a Dolby-certifi ed Dolby Pro Logic II codec, making it easy to produce surround-ready mixes in real time. SurCode for Dolby Pro Logic II v3 will be available as a single, cross-platform installer for RTAS, AAX, or VST, or as a stand-alone product.

Minnetonka Audio’s new AudioTools FOCUS platform is designed for automated, intelligent audio processing with easy operation. Proven presets provide out-of-the-box usability, and the simple user interface allows for customised DSP that fi ts unique client and workfl ow needs.

AudioTools FOCUS for Loudness Control provides complete loudness control that conforms to the CALM Act, ATSC A/85, and EBU R128, with refi ned digital signal processing that applies loudness control optimised for diff erent targets and platforms. AudioTools FOCUS for Loudness Control also off ers MXF and QuickTime unwrap/wrap of audio-only essence, plus frame-rate tools.

Visit www.minnetonkaaudio.com

Bittree Showing Off New Audio PatchbaysAT THE 2013 NAB SHOW, Bittree (Booth SU6521) will display its newest innovations in patchbays and patching solutions, each designed to help integrators and audio/video specialists achieve greater fl exibility in rapidly changing media environments. Bittree highlights at this year’s show include a new line of fi bre feed-through panels to support today’s increasingly fi bre-based operations, as well as coaxial audio patchbay solutions — off ering a specialised, high-density alternative to video-patching equipment.

Bittree’s digital audio coaxial patchbay was developed in response to the rapid growth of digital audio content. Traditionally, many installers used video patchbays for digital audio patching. Designed for discreet AES signals, the Bittree digital audio patchbay off ers signifi cant cost savings over video patchbays for this purpose, and the BNC rear interface is designed specifi cally for fast and easy installation.

At NAB 2013, Bittree will showcase a new line of fi bre patch panels developed in response to the rapid growth of fi bre optic cable in broadcast and AV environments. Available for LC/LC, ST/ST, and SC/SC, these fi bre feed-through panels are the industry’s fi rst to provide optional designation strips. With the addition of this new fi bre product line, Bittree now provides a single source for resellers and integrators to purchase

both copper and fi bre patching systems.

Programmable audio patchbays from Bittree’s 969-S series of programmable audio patchbays are mainstays in a wide range of large-scale broadcasting, mobile production, and post-production operations. The patented front-panel programmable design of the 969-S series allows for quick and easy changes to the normal, and grounding for the entire patchbay or for individual circuits. The switched ground design maximises reliability by eliminating diff erences in ground potential. Normals can be changed to full-normal, half-normal, or non-normal, and grounding can be changed to switched or bussed.

Bittree’s new 3 x 32 Mini-WECO monitor patchbay features an innovative design that adds an additional monitor row to the traditional Mini-WECO patchbay without exceeding the 2-RU panel height. Since engineers can now use the third row as a test point, this design has enabled new applications for patching — both in traditional broadcast studios and in industries ranging from aerospace and military to large content distribution centres.

Visit www.bittree.com

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Fairlight Updates Audio Post SoftwareFAIRLIGHT HAS ANNOUNCED that its audio post production systems XYNERGI and EVO now come with the new Dream Version 4 Software. The soft-ware includes countless new features and options with the aim to make it easier to use for new users, improve workfl ow, and deliver faster output.

New features of the Dream Version 4 Software include:

Mouse based editing enhancements;

Single Screen Interface with comprehensive per-track controls and new Mix Panel choices;

Improved dynamics, side-chain and MaxLinking across groups;

Multi Client ASIO bridge for EVO to host other audio products (e.g. Protools, Nuendo);

Clip Bin and Clip Store functions to store projects; and

Speed increase and new features for the

Audiobase sound FX database.

To ensure continued software improvements, Fairlight also introduced a 12 month software license subscriptions scheme. The license subscription provides access to software releases and updates during a 12 month subscription period. Customers who purchased a XYNERGI or EVO in 2012, will get a 12 month Dream Version 4 software license subscription for free.

Visit www.fairlightus.com

Linear Acoustic CALMs the Noise at NAB 2013LINEAR ACOUSTIC FOUNDER and Telos Alliance CTO Tim Carroll will take part in two presentations during the Broadcast Engineering Conference at this year’s NAB show in Las Vegas.

In a presentation entitled “Practical Audio Issues for Mobile Digital Television,” Carroll will address the challenges of delivering intelligible audio - particularly dialogue - to viewers who are watching and listening on portable devices in noisy environments through ear buds or tiny built-in speakers. Recommendations for broadcasters and devices manufacturers on overcoming these obstacles will be discussed.

With Jeff rey Riedmiller from Dolby Laboratories, Carroll will tackle the topic of “Preventing CALM Compliance from Killing Audio Quality.” As broadcasters rush to regulate their station’s audio in the name of compliance and meter satisfaction, the natural variation that makes

for exciting and dynamic sound has disappeared, a victim of friendly fi re, leaving viewers stuck listening to over-processed audio. This presentation will introduce a completely new approach to measurement and control and will demonstrate that it is indeed possible to solve long-standing loudness issues without sacrifi cing quality.

The session on “Practical Audio Issues for Mobile Digital Television” is slated for Monday, April 8th from 4:00pm to 4:30pm in Room S225/226.

“Preventing CALM Compliance from Killing Audio Quality” will be presented on Tuesday, April 9th from 9:30am to 10:00AM in Room S227.

Products and technologies from Linear Acoustic will be on display throughout NAB in the North Hall, Booth N3438.

Visit linearacoustic.com and telosalliance.com

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TRANSMISSIONSignal distribution, test & measurement www.content-technology.com/transmission

Kia ora!The product and system integration specialists to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

satellite linking broadcastI I

Go to our NEW

MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTION www.thebridgenetworks.comI

… and Streaming Ahead with ElementalSKY RACING HAS ALSO recently expanded its internet capabilities in order to produce additional adaptive streaming services for delivery to iPad applications and automated production feeds to their international partners.

Supplied by Quinto Communications, Elemental’s Distributor for Australia and New Zealand, Sky Racing has employed Elemental-Live 4 channel streaming encoders together with an Elemental Conductor to provide simplifi ed control and management of all Sky’s streams.

Sky Racing’s Broadcast IT Manager, Alex Harradine, said, “We purchased this, our second Elemental Live 4CH unit because we need to stream additional services and as we are very happy with the existing Elemental encoder’s reliability, superior vision quality, performance and channel density, it was an easy purchasing decision to make.”

Visit www.quinto.com.au

Centralised Control of Remote Loggers ACTUS DIGITAL, a developer of web-based media monitoring, compliance recording, content repurposing and verifi cation solutions for broadcasters, has announced that the new ActusRemote Media Management platform will debut at the NAB 2013 exhibition (Booth SU9524).

ActusRemote lets broadcasters record and log channels broadcasted from remote locations to a central location, reducing the need for multiple systems, servers and databases.

With ActusRemote, broadcasters can access all channel recordings and data from one central location, simplifying the infrastructure for managing multiple locations, languages, etc. ActusRemote Probes connect to the main system and record, even when there are problems and/or fl uctuations in bandwidth.

Visit www.actusdigital.com.

Sky Racing Ahead with the Pack …SKY RACING HAS joined the stable of Australian broadcasters employing 3G/4G mobile broadcasting for use on location across the country with the purchase of a TVUPack TM8100 backpack from Magna Systems and Engineering.

As Tabcorp (Sky Racing’s parent company) Senior Engineer – Technology Integration Media Division Malcolm Weldon explains, “Sky actively covers racing across Australia. As part of that coverage we often need a mobile solution for news and interview gathering. Often we use a traditional SNG solution but this can be quite costly so we began the search for a more cost eff ective alternative – that’s where the TVUPack 8100 forward mux option came in.”

The TVUPack 8100 is a 3G/4G uplink solution for cameras with industry standard SDI and composite connections. The TVUPack 8100 is often used to solve common that broadcasters often face in covering live events from locations that are diffi cult or costly to access using traditional SNG technologies.

As part of their search for the most effi cient alternative mobile broadcasting solution Sky Racing approached Magna Systems and Engineering product specialist David Clemesha for a demo of the TVUPack 8100.

According to Clemesha, “We really put the TVUPack through its paces doing live crosses from the High Court of Australia in Canberra and race days at Flemington and Rosehill Gardens. The TVUPack performed well and Sky Racing decided to take it back on station at Frenchs Forest for further testing.”

Weldon and his team performed a series of test broadcasts with the TVUPack to ensure it met their requirements before purchasing the unit.

According to Weldon, “The TVUPack enables us to do two-way interview style crosses or live records and send them back for later playout. The ability of the TVUPack 8100 to send news and other support footage to our studio in Frenchs Forest at an economic price point is a bonus and a bonded cellular solution is also a great way to avoid using an SNG truck. Magna Systems were helpful in providing test packs, onsite support and good product knowledge. As a result of being able to use our TVUPack 8100 we can now make better use of our SNG budget by doing more crosses from more locations. In addition our camera stringers can also gather more support footage for racing events than before.”

Visit www.magnasys.tv

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Harris Broadcast Strengthens Multi-Source AnalysisHARRIS BROADCAST COMES to the NAB 2013 Show with several new Videotek test and measurement products and enhancements. Notably, the company will inject loudness monitoring and enhanced multi-image display capabilities into its MSA Series of multi-source analysis software products, enabling more test and measurement functionality in the compressed domain.

Harris will introduce two new Videotek products at the show. This includes the VSG-4TSG test signal generator, ideal for confi rming video and audio integrity through 3G/HD/SD/composite test generation; and the DL-870 video legaliser to evaluate and correct 3G/HD/SD signal formats.

The DL-870 helps broadcast, post and production operators confi rm how colour space, bit rates and other characteristics compare across various formats — and what adjustments must be made to “legalise” a signal for use in multiple formats.

The VSG-4TSG completes Harris Broadcast’s portfolio of 3 GB/s-capable test signal generation products, along with its VSG-4MTG master timing generator and VSG-4CSD clock system driver introduced at IBC 2012 in September.

Visit www.harrisbroadcast.com

Observer Updates from Volicon

DURING THE 2013 NAB SHOW (Booth SU8518), Volicon will showcase version 7.1 of its Observer TS MPEG transport stream logging and monitoring system. Newly enhanced to accommodate an even broader array of inputs, the Observer line boasts support for ASI, QAM, 8-VSB, DVB-T/T2 and DVB-T MPEG TS interfaces.

Observer Mobile, which gives users access to content through an iPad or iPhone, will also be on show.

Volicon is introducing expandable Observer TS systems that provide a clear path for cost-eff ective growth of a facility’s monitoring systems. Volicon’s growing array of software modules also facilitates incremental growth by supplying broadcasters with specifi c monitoring tools and capabilities as needed.

With its Observer 7.1 release, Volicon is introducing monitoring for SCTE-35 and SCTE-104 cueing messages, respectively, on the Observer TS system and on SDI Observer systems. Observer 7.1 is also available with a new reporting engine that provides the data correlation and display for program and channel metadata and performance.

Volicon’s new Clientless GUI enables operation of the Observer system without requiring the installation of a local player.

Visit www.volicon.com

Actus Version 5 Updates

ACTUS DIGITAL HAS announced its technology preview for the NAB 2013 exhibition (Booth SU9524). The company’s fl agship Actus View version 5 compliance, monitoring and content repurposing solution, will be at the centre of all technical demonstrations, featuring new capabilities from its Clip Factory, AdWatch, Ratings Analyzer and Mobile Link modules.

New in version 5, Actus View records Transport Stream (TS), allowing broadcasters and operators to record the transport stream “as is” from any input (MPEG-2, MPEG-4) and in the same high resolution. Actus View supports ASI, ATSC, DVB-T/T2 Analogue and SDI.

Actus Clip Factory supports all formats and resolutions, managing recording of media from any device or source. Users can edit media, transcode clips, and distribute the repackaged content to any destination.

AdWatch v5.2 automatically detects advertisements aired on all relevant TV and radio channels, providing simple-to-use media monitoring tools to verify that advertising content is broadcasted according to plan over local and remote affi liate channels.

Actus Ratings Analyzer provides a clear graphical view of all ratings information including the competitions’. This provides for a complete media analysis workfl ow where the process is much faster and more accurate.

MobileLink is the new Actus Monitoring solution for mobile devices, which features full and recorded media playback, ratings analysis, and monitoring.

Visit www.actusdigital.com

Full Complement from Jampro

JAMPRO ANTENNAS, INC. WILL demonstrate a full complement of television & radio solutions at NAB 2013 (Booth C2607).

The radome-enclosed JAT-U UHF Broadband, Band IV/V 470 – 860 MHz antenna can be either top or side-mounted on a tower. The unit features minimum wind loading with wide broadband response.

The radome-enclosed JUHD Broadband UHF panel antenna, designed for either side or top-mounting, is based on a modular design. It can be confi gured to provide a variety of azimuth and elevation patterns and off ers optional beam tilt and null fi ll to insure maximum coverage.

Jampro’s JA/MS-BB Broadband UHF Slot antenna, part of the Prostar line, off ers an economical alternative to buying, installing and maintaining multiple antennas. A single, compact solution, it conserves tower space and minimises wind loading.

Jampro’s 8” RCEC Mask Filter provides superior mask fi lter performance at an aff ordable price with 5kW of output power. Cross coupling creates steep rejection skirts and its high-Q cavities provide low pass band insertion loss in a compact design.

Visit ww.jampro.com

Artel Advancing Video Transport

AT THE 2013 NAB SHOW (Booth SU6318), Artel Video Systems will demonstrate its latest advancements in video transport technology. In addition, new platform management software and other Ethernet transport capabilities will be on display.

The DL4360x DigiLink video transport chassis features an advanced design that combines modular-based transport functionalities with simultaneous internal routing of both video and Ethernet traffi c — the DL4360x chassis eliminates the need for external cross connects, signifi cantly streamlining the routing and rerouting of video and Ethernet traffi c.

Artel will also showcase the DLC205 Ethernet aggregator and optical transceiver. Integrating within the company’s DigiLink video transport platform, the versatile DLC205 features an innovative design capable of aggregating nine channels of 10/100/1000 Ethernet traffi c for transport

across electrical or optical networks.

Leveraging the same functionalities and design of the DLC205, the DLM205 integrates HTTP and SNMP management capabilities for DL4000 chassis. The management traffi c is combined with other Ethernet traffi c in the chassis for full in-band management.

Artel Video Systems’ DLC055 multiport video I/O access module will also be on display at the 2013 NAB Show. The module is designed to provide fl exible video inputs and outputs as well as distribution amplifi er capabilities to the DL4360x chassis. The DLC055 provides fi ve independent video inputs and fi ve internally routed outputs to or from function modules in a DL4360x chassis. Each port supports all standard video formats from 3G-SDI to ATSC, and outputs are reclocked to ensure video quality and integrity.

Visit www.artel.com

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Snell Preparing for the Future of Broadcast

AT NAB 2013 (Booth N1820), Snell will feature new and enhanced products for a vast range of Live TV and TV Everywhere applications. These systems off er greater automation, improved reliability, higher quality, and more fl exible media handling for today’s SD/HD/1080p environments as well as future Cloud, IP, and 4K UHDTV-based operations.

Snell is ushering in the era of 4K operations with the Kahuna 360 multi-format switcher. With its exclusive FormatFusion3 technology, Kahuna 360 can now accept incoming 4K UHDTV feeds, mix them with 1080p and output as either 4K UHDTV or 1080p, at no additional cost — helping broadcast and media organisations to adopt these new workfl ows easily as opportunities arise.

New features to ICE further extend Snell’s channel-in-a-box by allowing up to four channels of HD per unit depending on the channel confi gura-tion. ICE now includes integrated 3D and 2D graphics, CG functional-ity with timeline editing control, and the ability to populate fi elds from Morpheus automation schedule events or external data sources. Complementing ICE’s HD and SD simulcast capabilities is the addition of a delay service, which provides the ability to record the output of a chan-nel for delayed playout services. ICE also boasts newly enhanced audio processing and Panoplay multi-system, multi-site redundancy.

New at the 2013 NAB Show is the KudosPro MC500. The MC500 provides up, down, and cross-conversion from any broadcast standard to any other broadcast standard, with optional composite and fi bre connectivity. A wide range of audio options is available, including embedded, AES, analogue, and Dolby E, as well as extensive utilities such as ProcAmp, enhancer, and closed caption handling.

Snell will also launch the Luna Series of 1-RU router control panels, including four LED models and two LCD models. The LED panels include a high-density version with 78 button keys, 72 of which can be confi gured as source or destination keys for increased fl exibility. The LCD panels include a rotary encoder control knob for user-friendly “paging”.

The Sirius 800 family of enterprise-class routing switchers has been enhanced with the availability of frame synchronisation on the units’ AHP (Advanced Hybrid Processing) input and output cards.

At the 2013 NAB Show, Snell is introducing a new IQ format converter range. These video format converter modules provide high-quality conversion of common SD, HD, and 3Gbps formats for broadcast systems. In addition to conversion, the new modules can perform a host of video, audio, and metadata functions. Snell is also unveiling the IQQSM range of 3Gbps/HD/SD-SDI quad split monitors, ideal for local monitoring with LCD displays.

Visit www.snellgroup.com

Riedel Unveiling MediorNet MN-GV-2 Card RIEDEL COMMUNICATIONS WILL UNVEIL the MediorNet MN-GV-2 card at the 2013 NAB Show (Booth C4937). This new interface card allows users to network Grass Valley 3G camera systems — the LDK and the brand-new LDX series — and their base stations via the MediorNet fi bre infrastructure. Users can route bidirectional camera signals, including all embedded audio and telemetry control data, through MediorNet, which facilitates the free assignment of cameras to any base station or CCU within the network.

New RockNet expansion solutions for Solid State Logic (SSL) consoles and Soundcraft Si Compact consoles will also be showcased at the 2013 NAB Show. Next-generation fi rmware for the RockNet RN.334.MD MADI interface makes SSL mixing consoles an integrated part of the Riedel RockNet digital audio network, with complete remote control functionality over all gains and the fl exibility of RockNet’s renowned independent gain feature. As a result, several mixing consoles can operate with the same mic pre-amps without aff ecting one another.

Riedel’s new RN.344.SI card enables integration with any Soundcraft Si Compact console, supporting 32 inputs and 32 outputs to the RockNet system. The interface enables remote control of any RockNet mic pre-amp and also off ers the benefi t of RockNet’s independent gain feature.

Visit www.riedel.net

Appear TV Exhibits Multiscreen Delivery Solution

APPEAR TV, A GLOBAL provider of headends for broadcast and IP television, will showcase its Multiscreen and OTT Solution for its modular headend architecture at the 2013 NAB Show (Booth SU7605). The module allows users to streamline the encoding and transcoding process, while off ering an easily integrated and expandable architecture, making it ideal for streaming content for live applications such as sports broadcasts.

The Appear TV Multiscreen and OTT module provides a fully integrated, hardware-based system capable of simultaneously preparing multiple signals from any input source in any format for distribution to a high defi nition television in the home, a high-resolution computer screen, and lower-resolution Web- and mobile-based profi les. The system accommodates diff erent bit rates optimised for each destination device while maintaining a high QoS and exceptional reliability.

“Every second counts in live broadcasts, which is why our modules employ hardware encoding. It delivers the operational effi ciency required by operators and the QoS expected by consumers,” says Carl Walter-Holst, CEO, Appear TV. “We feel the performance advantages of employing dedicated video processing silicon over CPU processors will make a signifi cant improvement in video quality in a real-time multiscreen environment.”.

Visit www.appeartv.com

Bridge Technologies Showing OTT

AT NAB 2013 (BOOTH SU11111), Bridge Technologies will show a full implementation of end-to-end monitoring for OTT services, with transparency and data analysis from ingest to viewing device. Bridgetech’s comprehensive OTT monitoring capabilities can be completely integrated with monitoring of conventional digital media delivery services under Bridgetech’s intuitive, graphically-rich user interface, giving operators unprecedented control and effi ciency.

“NAB 2013 is the US debut for our system for including OTT in our advanced digital media-monitoring environment. Anyone involved in OTT delivery or planning new OTT services should see what’s possible by visiting our booth,” Simen K. Frostad, Chairman, Bridge Technologies.

Visit www.bridgetech.tv

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Fujitsu Encoders at NAB

FUJITSU WILL BE PRESENTING IP encoders, HEVC and Ultra HD encoders, and switches at NAB 2013 (Booth SU7911).

Fujitsu will be showcasing a new fi rmware release that dramatically improves end-to-end latency for its IP-9610, IP-900, and IP-920 HD/SD H.264 video encoders/decoders while delivering an exceptional picture quality at reduced bit rates.

Ideal for HD satellite newsgathering, broadcasting, and IP streaming applications, Fujitsu’s H.264 video encoders/decoders are now capable of operating at less than 99 milliseconds back-to-back latency, ensuring a seamless interaction between talent, studio, and interviewees.

Recently utilised during the summer games and in demonstrations at CES, Fujitsu will be showing technology for HEVC and Ultra HD formats.

Fujitsu’s XG-series switches off er high-performance and high-speed Layer 2 switching. Featuring ultra-low latency, fl exible interfaces, and compact form factors, the switches are ideal for enterprise storage and video server applications, high-performance computing (HPC), and the Internet SCSI (iSCSI) and network-attached storage (NAS) markets.

The combined solution of the new 1Gb/10Gb uplink switches with the existing XG-Series 10GbE family allows customers to deploy a homogeneous networking solution.

Visit www.fujitsu.com

IMT Demonstrates Nucomm Connect Live

INTEGRATED MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC (IMT) will demonstrate a working model of its Nucomm Connect Live COFDM and Multi-4G/LTE Live-Video HD Transmitter at the 2013 NAB Show (Booth C6029 and OE839). Throughout NAB, IMT will host on-site demos showcasing the features of Connect Live for attendees.

With video quality as its cornerstone, the Nucomm Connect Live combines the ultimate in COFDM wireless camera, 3G/4G bonded and Video over IP technology to produce a versatile SD/HD live-news wireless camera system.

The Connect Live bonds multiple cellular services together to improve the overall system performance. Combining multiple services limits the vulnerability of the link, with the system automatically managing what primary service to use at a given time.

The Connect Live utilises advanced adaptive encoding and bonding techniques to compensate for changing network conditions by adjusting frame rate, resolution, encoding rates and streaming parameters.

Nucomm provides a system-wide monitoring portal enabling users to monitor the Connect Live transmitter’s operating status, geographic location, QoS and usage, and control.

Visit www.imt-broadcast.com

Cobham to IntroduceSolo Micro HD Transmitter

COBHAM WILL FEATURE A preview of one of the world’s smallest wireless HD camera transmitters at NAB 2013 (Booth C11126).

The new “Solo Micro HD” transmitter, a matchbox-size addition to Cobham’s “Solo” range, provides all-important transmission stability for high-quality HD images using low-latency H.264 compression in conjunction with Cobham’s powerful UMVL (ultra mobile video link) modulation. With latency as low as 15ms, the Solo Micro HD enables wireless and wired cameras to perform as a unifi ed system to capture and transmit intimate details during events of any size.

Cobham is also launching a new HD MPEG4 IP Encoder that can easily be connected to virtually any camera. Specifi cally engineered for broadcast applications, the encoder has balanced audio inputs and, importantly, includes broadcast-standard IFB talkback within the unit. The encoder will be available in three forms, a small “brick”, camera back or rack mount.

NAB will also mark the North American debut of MediaMesh, a lightweight, rapid set-up fi eld newsroom that can establish, in an instant, everything needed for a live broadcast including a broadcast quality transmission path for live two-ways; remote camera control; high quality fi le transfer; plus a high-capacity internet connection with access to base newsroom computers and cell phones.

Visit www.cobham.com

US Debut of iTX Render Service

MIRANDA TECHNOLOGIES HAS ANNOUNCED several new solutions it will demonstrate at NAB 2013 (Booth N2513). Additionally, the company announced that the Miranda stand will showcase cable and connectivity solutions from its parent company, Belden, as well as its full range of Telecast Fiber Systems solutions.

Making its fi rst NAB appearance will be Miranda’s iTX Render Service for Adobe After Eff ects CS6 software. Instead of using a real-time character generator to play back graphics templates, Miranda’s iTX Render Service automates and manages rendering of Adobe After Eff ects projects into fully fi nished graphics.

The NVISION 8500 Hybrid Router Series Frame Sync Input Card will also be available for demonstrations at NAB. This new input card contains 8 input ports and allows easy synchronisation of incoming wild feeds or signals moving between facilities.

The SME-1901 is suitable for a wide range of IP monitoring applications, combining high density with high quality to perform H.264 video and AAC audio encoding for up to 20 streams per frame.

Visit www.miranda.com

New Receiver/Decoders from Sencore

SENCORE WILL BE SHOWING off their new MRD 5800 receiver/decoder, the MRD 4400 receiver/decoder, TXS 8600 transcoder, SMD 989 DVB-S/S2 modulator, and the VB330 10G core monitoring blade, at the 2013 NAB Show.

Sencore’s new MRD 5800 advanced modular receiver/decoder supports the highest quality contribution video feeds and provides H.264, MPEG-2, 4:2:2, 4:2:0, 10-bit, and 8-bit decoding with automatic detection and confi guration. The MRD 5800 off ers up to eight PIDs of audio decoding to deal with the multi-channel, multi-lingual environment of live-event coverage.

The new MRD 4400 is a cost-eff ective SD decoder capable of being upgraded to HD via a software license. It supports decoding of H.264 and MPEG-2 video to broadcast-quality outputs via SDI and composite interfaces. With up to four audio services, distributors can meet upcoming

descriptive video requirements while still supporting surround or alternate language services.

Also on display at the 2013 NAB Show will be the TXS 8600, which off ers high-density, multi-profi le encoding and transcoding for real-time adaptive bit rate video-streaming. The TXS 8600 supports all the popular codecs, containers, and adaptive bit rate protocols needed to move content to any display device.

The VB330 probe is the fl agship of Sencore’s VideoBRIDGE monitoring product line. Recently added features include the ability to monitor hundreds of streams for ETR 101 290 compliance, as well as hundreds of OTT streams to ensure seamless delivery.

Visit www.sencore.com

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what’s onAPRILVIBA - VIETNAM INT’L BROADCAST & AV SHOW 2013April 4-7Saigon Exhibition & Convention CenterHo Chi Minh, Viet namwww.vibashow.com

NABSHOW 2013April 6-11Las Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, USAwww.nabshow.com

CONNECT 2013April 9-11Karachi Expo Centrewww.connectit.com.pk

MAYKOBA May 13-16Seoul, Koreawww.kobashow.com

JUNEBROADCASTASIAJune 18-21Marina Bay SandsSingaporewww.broadcast-asia.com

IBC LONDON TECHNOLOGY BOOSTER25-26 June 2013Dexter House, Royal Mint Court, London, UKwww.ibc.org

2013 GSMA MOBILE ASIA EXPOJune 26-28Shanghai New International Exhibition CentreShanghai, Chinawww.mobileasiaexpo.com

JULYSMPTE AUSTRALIA July 23-26Sydney Convention & Exhibition CentreDarling Harbour, Sydney, Australiawww.smpte.com.au

AUGUSTPALMM PHILIPPINES 2013August 15-17SMX Convention CenterManila, Philippineswww.globallinkmp.com

Advertiser IndexAJA ..................................................IFCARRI ............................................... IBCBlackmagic Design ........................ 5Broadcast Asia ..............................61CMI Music & Audio ......................46Adimex ............................................33Digital Rapids Corporation Ltd. .............................18

Fuji ............................................62, 63Gencom Technology ...................13HARRIS ........................................ OBCInterra Systems ............................43IRT.....................................................16Jands Pty Ltd .................................37Lemac ..............................................29Lumina ............................................15Magna Systems & Engineering ........................11, 26

NAB ..................................................19

OB Group ........................................60

On Air Solutions ....................34, 39

Quinto Communications ............. 9

Reidel ..............................................31

Ross Video Asia ............................35

SGO ..................................................23

SMPTE .............................................17

Storm FX .........................................40

Studiotech Australia ..................... 4

Syntec International Pty Ltd .............................. 32, 47, 51

Techtel ............................................21

Tekmark ..........................................52

The AV Group .........................53, 55

The Bridge Networks (NZ) .........56

Treveni Digital ..............................49

Videocraft ......................................25

Creative Content Production ConferenceRunning in parallel with BroadcastAsia and back for its fourth edition, the Creative Content Production Conference will run from 19 - 20 June 2013 at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. The conference will feature illustrious industry veterans in their fi eld of expertise, like Mike Lake, CEO of Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios, Mohd. Naguib Razak, Film & Content Industry Development Consultant of Blue in Green Media (former DG of FINAS), Sharad Devarajan, Co-Founder & CEO of Graphic India, Stuart McAra, Executive Producer of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Persis Shanker, Executive Producer of Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia, Jeremy Hall, Executive Producer & Director of One Animation, Michele Schofi eld, Senior Vice President-Programming & Marketing at AETN All Asia Networks, Eddy Tan, Vice President of Programming at Fox International Channels; and many more.

Themed “Producing and Distributing Successful Content in Asia”, the two-day conference will address the challenge of producing appealing and high-quality content for global audiences through a series of new topics and speakers including a ‘Producers Dialogue’ that was developed to serve as an additional avenue for participants to address and anticipate the upcoming trends and demands of the industry.

Mike Lake, CEO of Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios will kick-start ‘What is Great Content’ and ‘How to Distribute Them Eff ectively’ on Day 1, with an Opening Keynote: Capitalising on the Opportunities of the Creative Industries and How Asia is Positioning Itself Globally. The topic will be further debated during a power panel and case study presentations.

According to Mike Lake, the conference will help to educate and create a greater understanding of current and relevant issues, and explore ways to jointly grow and shape the future of the whole communications ecosystem. “I look forward to engaging the show’s exhibitors and visitors in a productive and interactive discourse, and share with them our eff orts and experiences in bringing a world-class state-of-the-art fi lm and television studio production facility to not only Malaysia but also the ASEAN region,” states Lake.

Sourcing for funding is an important consideration for every producer in Asia. An exclusive interview with Bey Logan, Founder and Producer of B&E Productions, where he will share his strategies on securing funding for the right content, will touch on challenges producers face and lessons to be learnt from such experiences. Jouko Ahvenainen, Chairman and Co-Founder of Grow VC International will follow with his session about how crowd sourcing and funding can work.

Asia’s Top Programmers Dialogue on Day 2 is a must-attend event for avid programmers and producers. The Dialogue will spotlight the opportunities and hurdles faced by programmers, including new initiatives that these professionals are deliberating for 2014 will be discussed by a power panel, with Michele Schofi eld, Senior Vice President - Programming and Marketing at AETN All Asia Networks; Mok Choy Lin, VP Programming of Channel NewsAsia (Mediacorp); Eddy Tan, Vice President Programming of Fox International Channels; David Gunson, VP of Channels, South East Asia, Universal Networks International; Charmaine Kwan, Vice President of Programming, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacifi c. The panel will be moderated by Patrick Schult, CEO of Media Stable (former CEO, FremantleMedia Asia).

Visit www.broadcast-asia.com

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TIME shifterNaming of Canberra Film Digitally Restored for Centenary

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) has completed the digital restoration of ‘Naming the Federal Capital of Australia, March 12th 1913’, and will make it available online for all Australians to watch as the nation’s capital celebrates its fi rst centenary on 12 March.

ON THE MORNING OF Wednesday 12 March 1913, 500 invited guests, 700 mounted and artillery troops and a public crowd of more than 3000 locals came to witness the formal naming of Canberra. Foundation stones were laid by Governor-General Lord Thomas Denman, Prime Minister Andrew Fisher and the Minister for Home Aff airs, King O’Malley. The national anthem was played and Lady Gertrude Denman announced the chosen name for the new-born federal capital.

‘Naming the Federal Capital of Australia, March 12th 1913’ captures both the formality of the event and the bush character of Australia’s future capital. The silent fi lm was directed by Raymond Longford and fi lmed by Ernest Higgins for Spencer Pictures Ltd.

The recently completed digital restoration of the fi lm highlights beautiful, clear images of fi nely dressed guests in Model T Fords, wagons, buggies and bicycles coming down from the Molonglo River to watch the ceremony. We see the grandstand erected for the offi cial guests just below Capital Hill, facing north-east across the valley to Mt Ainslie; Lady Denman, elegant in an ostrich-plumed hat and pearls greeting guests; and the troops from the Australian Field Artillery, Light Horse and New South Wales Lancers.

The fi lm ends with a long panoramic sweep from Mt Pleasant taken the day after the ceremony. It starts roughly at Capital Hill, where both Parliament Houses now stand, moves east to west to Black Mountain and Mt Ainslie, before completing the circle with shots of Duntroon.

A four-minute excerpt of the fi lm screened at Imagining the Capital: Canberra on Film – a special event featuring 100 years of lifestyle, politics, and architecture in Canberra through fi lm and sound from the national audiovisual collection, accompanied by music from Stiff Gins, Patricia ‘Little Pattie’ Amphlett, and many other local performers.

The full version of the fi lm will had its world premiere at a special screening at Parliament House on the morning of Tuesday 12 March. Naming the Federal Capital of Australia, March 12th 1913 also appears on the DVD Imagining Canberra, which can be ordered from the NFSA.

‘Naming the Federal Capital of Australia, March 12th 1913’ also appears on the DVD Imagining Canberra, which can be ordered from the NFSA’s online shop.

Visit http://nfsa.gov.au

Guests with T-Model Fords

Colonel David Miller (Left) and Prime Minister Andrew Fisher talking in the crowd

(L-R) Senator John West, King O’Malley, Minister for Home Aff airs, Senator Robert Howe

(L-R) The Governor-General Lord Denman, the Australian Prime Minister Andrew Fisher, Lady Denman, and Minister for Home Aff airs, King O’Malley

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Content+Technology ANZ March-April 2013

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Transcript of Content+Technology ANZ March-April 2013