Y 2009 olticas nol er - americanradiohistory.com · olticas nol A PENTON MEDIA P Y 2009 er...

olticas nolwww.broadcastengineering

A PENTON MEDIA P

Y 2009

erCelebrating 50 years of excellence

ALSO INSIDE:LONG -GOP EDITINGEmbrace faster workflows

2GHz BAS RELOCATIONAre we there ye:?

PRODUCTION SWITCHERSExpect next generation to be 1)8Cp60

PRIORI

IF,6.601 GRO,UP GROUP GROUP CfOup GROUP GROUP GROUP GROUP NONE5 6 7 8

MiPMPON.

PORT PORT PORT3 4 5

tajz:7 Utah Scientific

=I 1=1

PORT PORT

6 7

PORT

9

PORT

21

PORT PORT

The UTAH -400 iP Router Gives You the Power.

What you do with it is up to you.Real-time, on -the -fly control of your Ethernet network. Impossible? Not with the

UTAH -400 iP Workgroup Router.The breakthrough UTAH -400 iP is the Gigabit Ethernet Router for broadcasters. It gives you

the power to control your IT infrastructure the same way you've always controlled your broadcastrouting - with the push of a button. This patent -pending control method allows you to changeport priorities, security groups, and port speed at will. Instantaneously re -allocate bandwidth sothat when you need video delivered now, you know it gets there.

The impossible is exactly what you'd expect from Utah Scientific. After all, we've beendelivering the most advanced, dynamically controlled switching infrastructures for three decades.

The Best In The Eusiness WWW.ut ah scientific.com

1&&Utah Scientific

Big news. Bigger savings.

Avid HD nevv will save you money.Explore 10 ways to boost you- bottom -line at avicl.com/HDvalue

avid.com

TABLE OF CONTENTSVOLUME 51 NUMBER 71JULY 2009

BroadcastEngineering®

FEATURES42 Broadcast automation is critical in

today's economyThe keys to survival are automatingprocesses, lowering staff count, smarteningefficiencies and doing more with less.

BEYOND THE HEADLINESDOWNLOAD

12 Tapeless acquisitionsFile -based acquisition can producefaster, more versatile content.

FCC UPDATE16 Ownership reporting

requirements changeThe new rules take effect Nov. 1.

DIGITAL HANDBOOKTRANSITION TO DIGITAL

18 MPEG toolsFor a good encoder, the challenge isto maintain constant picture qualitywith a fixed channel rate.

COMPUTERS & NETWORKS24 High -availability networks

As more equipment moves to Ethernet,reassess the reliability of your infrastructure.

PRODUCTION CLIPS28 Long -GOP editing

Today's enhanced NLEs support various typesof MPEG-2, resulting in a faster workflow.

Connnued on page 6

SEE IT ONLINE!Check out Brad On Broadcast for the latest industrynews. A generator may be required to back up yourfacility. The current series discusses designingand installing a backup power system.

Learn more at http://blog.broadcastengineering.com/brad

4 broadcastengineering.com I July 2009

ON THE COVER:KOIN-TV, the CIS affiliate i i Portland, OR, installed a GrassValley Ignite irtegrated produ3tion system that enab esoperational eff ciency, allcwing the station to add morenews programming and real-time cut -ins.

Seqwe nee Settings

Nan, 1, Sgp,i1 93

Render & Fta,track

;r41714 Blending or SO, t -

Render

Frame Rare 104X of Sequerde Editing Timebase

Resolution :pre. 71 of Sequence Frame See

Code, Orr 4 Prefte 025 HOP. )(DOW 110fEe onhel .11

Master Templates arse MotiorInoleas

quality Nornai 7R1

SR/Ways Use gest ..uality When Rendering Movies

Rh 14.1,1,1g1,

Mini Converter

SDI to Analog

SDI to Analog

$495New Down Converter)

11Mini Converter

SDI to HDMI

SDI to HDMI

$495

I

Blackma,g,

Mini Converter

Analog to SDI

Analog to SDI

$495

Mini Converter

HDMI to SDI

HDMI to SDI

$495

BlackmagicdesignS

Blackmagiale,g,

Mini ConverterSDI to Audio

SDI to Audio

$495New to -2009! )

Mini ConverterOptical Fiber

Optical Fiber

$495( New for 2009! )

Blaciaregoa

=,;= Mini ConverterAudio to SDI

Audio to SDI

$495( New for 2009!

Mini Converter

Sync Generator

Sync Generator

$295

The most advanced 3 Gb/s converters for SD and HDthat include AES/EBU and analog audio!

Build your studio with the world's most advanced converters. Only

Mini Converters include auto SD/HD switching, redundant input, AES/

EBU and analog audio on 1/4 inch jack connections, plus advanced

3 Gb/s SDI! There are 8 great models to choose from depending on

the conversion you need!

Auto Switching SD and HD

Mini Converters instantly switch between all SDand HD formats, including NTSC, PAL, 1080i/59.94,

1080i/50, 1080PsF/23.98, 1080PsF/24, 720p/59.94,

720p/50. Updates can be loaded via USB.

Redundant SDI Input

Most Mini Converters feature a redundant input and loop throughSDI output. Connect a redundant SDI cable to the second input, and if

the main SDI input is lost, Mini Converters will automaticallyswitch over

in an instant. That's great for mission critical tasks such as live events.

Pro Analog and AES/EBU Audio

Standard 1/4 inch jacks are built in to most Mini Converters forprofessional balanced audio that switches between AES/EBU oranalog. Unlike other converters you don't need expensive customaudio cables.

...SDI is also fully compatible with all your existing

standard definition and high definition SDI equipment.

3 Gb/s SDI Technology

Mini Converters include the latest 3 Gb/s SDItechnology, so you're always future proofed! 3 Gb/s

Broadcast Quality

Mini Converters are built to the highest quality standards with low SDI

jitter, so you get the longest SDI cable lengths combined with ultralow noise broadcast quality analog video and audio. Mini Convertersare the world's first converters to nclude 3 Gb/s SDI on all models!

Eight Exciting Models

Mini Converters include more new technologies than otherconverters, while every model is an affordable $495. The SyncGenerator model is only $295!

Mini Converters

$495Sync Generator

$295

Learn more today at www.blackmagic-design.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS c NT -00){0,

VOLUME 511 NUMBER 71JULY 2009

SYSTEMS INTEGRATIONINFRASTRUCTURESOLUTIONS

34 2GHz BAS relocationThe BAS relocation project took two importantsteps in June, but a possible hiccup remains.

DIGITAL TUTORIAL38 Implementing IPv6

The transition to IPv6 will be necessarysooner rather than later.

NEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWSFIELD REPORT

52 Avid Interplay

TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSITION54 A switcher's life cycle

Expect next-gen productionswitchers to be 1080p60.

NEW PRODUCTS58 RTW's 10800X and more

DEPARTMENTS8 EDITORIAL

10 FEEDBACK64 CLASSIFIEDS65 ADVERTISERS INDEX66 EOM

GET CONNECTED!Have a burning question? Go to Broadcast Engineering'sForum and ask questions of fellow experts. Orjoin our online community on Facebook.

Learn more at http://community.broadcastengineering.com/forums

LATEST NEWS!Apple's new iPhone 3G S could have a hugeimpact on newsgathering. The mass market smartphone features a built-in three-megapixel camerathat shoots both still and 30fps video.

Learn more at www.broadcastengineering.com


4011

I OW*. ,,,' 1I Ifig,11.111111101111.1 DI 10 ...1....... .11 II 111r I 1100Started

H. 264HD-RTMP Stoppedflash HO StoppedWH-50-2M Stopped

It's easy to be enticed by the zlluring good looks of the Niagara' 750)- the newest HDstreaming solution from ViewCast. On the outside, its sleek, innovatve design andresponsive toJch-control inte-face will excite you. Its brilliant high -resolution HD displaywill dazzle you. But on the inside, it's a beast.

The Niagara 7500 devours your HC video and easily transforms it into h gh-qualitystreams for delivery to IP and mobile networks. Its powerful video pre-processingfeatures s:reamline and simpl fy your workflow. Inverse telecine, closed capt onextraction and rendering, de- iterlacing, scaling, crcpping and bi:map cverlay are justa few of its standard features.

You can switch on -the -fly between HD or SD video, anJ with ViewCast's SimulStream"technology, you've got the power to stream simultaneously in multiple formats, bit ratesand resolutions from a single SDI video source.

The Niagara 7500 from ViewC3st. Beauty on the outside... a beast on the inside.

Speak with one of our streaming exaerts today at 800-540-4119, or visit us on the

Web at vi2wcastcom\be to earn more.

ViewCastUSA 800.540.41.19 I Europe, Middle East, Africa +44 1256 3456:0

©2009 ViewCast Corporatior. All rights reserved. Osorey', Ni3care, and Niagara SCX' sand design)'"' are reigisterd trademarks of ViewCast CorpD ation,3701 W Plano Parkway. Suite 300 Plano, TX 75075. Product spedfications subject to chance wthout notice.

EDITORIALDEPARTMENT

Digital payoffBreezing through the garbage, euphemisti-cally called "press releases," that crosses mydesk daily, I came across one from Pricewa-terhouseCoopers (PWC). The release was de-

signed to look like news, but it was really a sales brochurefor the company's latest economic forecast, "Global Enter-tainment & Media Outlook 2009-2013:' You can get your-self a copy for a mere $995, or $3000 if you want to shareit across your organization. Let me save you some moneyand summarize the release.

The firm says that throughout the next five years, themedia industry will see structural not cyclical change, call-ing these changes "intensified ... digital migration." MaybeI've missed something, but I think digital is already here.In fact, I don't see much in the media today that isn't al-ready digital.

For the front office folks, the report's key numbers fo-cused on advertiser spending. PWC says the global enter-tainment and media market as a whole, including bothconsumer and advertising spending, will grow by 2.7 per-cent over the next five years, reaching $1.6 trillion in 2013.Unfortunately, if you were hoping for good news for theremainder of 2009, forget it. PWC says advertising will seea 3.9 percent drop this year, but recover with a 0.4 percentadvance in 2010.

The report refers to consumer activities using the term"digital behaviors:' i.e. consumers seeking more controlover where, when and how they consume content, whilesimultaneously cutting back and looking for bargains.Let's see, consumers want more for less. That's not news.

Consumer spending through digital/mobile platformsaccounted for about one -quarter of the overall market in2008, but PWC says that segment will account for threetimes that amount (78 percent) of total growth over thenext five years. Hey broadcasters, now are you thinkingabout mobile TV?

One unsurprising aspect of the report verifies that view-ers are increasingly focused on "time -shifting" using DVRsand VOD to free themselves from scheduled TV viewing.In addition, the Web is enabling them to access a largervariety of content from divergent sources through betterdownloading and streaming technologies.

Because we depend on advertising, the report's pre-dictions of ad spending are worth consideration. PWCpredicts that as consumers receive an increasing propor-tion of their content through digital and mobile plat-forms, advertisers will shift their resources to reflect thisincreasingly fragmented ad market. In the mobile arena,opportunities across the advertising continuum will en-able the growth between brands and consumers, rangingfrom click -through banner ads and preroll ads on videoclips to coupons and online subscriptions. This migrationto mobile, games and on -demand services will reinforcethe need for greater transparency and accuracy in audi-ence metrics, which the company calls a "must have" inthis new media world.

The press release concluded by saying, "The winners willbe those players who focus on driving and leading changethat delivers real value for consumers. Segments will haveto consolidate, the least loyal customers will have alreadyleft, higher -quality products will be valued by both con-sumers and advertisers, and digital distribution will havebecome mainstream, commanding fees more in line withits value. But for each of the industry's diverse segmentsto participate fully in this growth, they will first need toembrace the digital future."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't the broadcast in-dustry already embraced the digital future?

So where's our payoff?

EDITORIAL DIRECTORSend comments to: [email protected]

BE


VERTIGO

Rethink graphics operating costsThere's a lot of talk about operating cost reduction. However, our Vertigo Xmedia

Suite graphics automation has a proven track record of delivering big savings.

So, whether you're considering a centralized news graphics system, or morestreamlined branding and promo generation, you'll find that we're happy to talk

real numbers. It's time to rethink what's possible.

Rethink what's possible

www.miranda.com/xmedia

FEEDBACKDEPARTMENT

DTV test patternDear Anthony Gargano:

Regarding your article "AVisualizer HDTV test signalwork? Is there a file that canDesigns 7400 TSG?

Sarnoff Visualizer DTV test pattern

test pattern for DTV" in the May issue, is theavailable, and how does the lip sync test signalbe downloaded to, for example, the Ensemble

Steve PaughProject engineer, WISC-TV

Madison, WI

Anthony Gargano responds:For lip sync testing, there is a moving block that appears on the set of

what looks like film sprocket holes that appear between the two Sarnofflogos. The test generator provides a stereo audio track that contains a monotick every two seconds. When the moving block flashes at the center sprock-et hole and coincides with the audio tick, audio and video are in sync. Thetick marks are one frame or one field apart, depending on the package beingused. Using this method, you can actually measure lip sync offset to +/- 1frame or field.

I've oversimplified a bit, but you really have to see this new test patternin action. The developer at Sarnoff, Norm Hurst, has done a masterful jobproviding simple tools that produce highly accurate signal performancemeasurements. I first saw it demonstrated by Norm at the Hollywood PostAlliance Technology Retreat in February, and I was highly impressed withwhat he had done.

Sarnoff is currently selling the Visualizer directly. You can contact JerryBerger at jberger@Sarnoff corn, who can you provide you with pricing andfurther details.

Ergonomicworkstations?Dear editor:

I happened to leaf through the Mayissue of your magazine. I was eager tolook at the Field Report article onthe new "ergonomic" workstationsat Winsted. I was dismayed to see thephoto from KENW-TV. How coulda setup that includes those large flatpanels mounted that high and closeto where a worker is seated ever beconsidered ergonomic? Let me statethe obvious: Screens of that size aredesigned to be viewed from much far-ther back. I can tell you from my ownunfortunate experience working witha similar setup that the result is a verysore neck. Ergonomic? No way!

Maureen Crowe

Video serversDear John Luff:

I read your article on video serv-ers in the May issue, as well as theresponse you received. Maybe it's mymemory, but I don't recall a 10 -sec-ond limitation on the Betacart. Whileat KGUN in Tucson, we went froma TCR-100 to a Betacart and neverseemed to have limitations. The onlyproblems we might have had werewhen the elevator went down or oneof the four decks was down. Maybeour traffic department was trainedto schedule around the TCR limits.As much as I hated the TCR, whichwe had slaved to a TR-60, I loved theBetacart. After spending years in frontof a TR-70, TR-60, TR-600, and TCR-100, 1 in and Betacart was a welcomechange.

Richard EricksonManager, master control

Saint Paul Neighborhood NetworkSt. Paul, MN

NEWSONESTOPat wwwbroadcastenineerin .com

For more news, visit our Web siteand click on the News

link at the top of the page


K2TM DYNO INSTANT REPLAY SYSTEM

RETURN OF THE KING.

For years, our LVS Live Controller reigned as

the ultimate in replay control. Today we're

proud to announce the next -generation of

replay controllers, the Grass Valley" K2 Dyno.

This replay controller, coupled with the new

K2 Summit production client, allows producers

to capture live events in crystal-clear HD and

instantly replay them at variable speeds for

critical analysis during fast -paced events.

For more information, visit us on the web at

www.grassvalley.com/K2

- MOM r.0117.41211- IN;

Its Gotta Be A

EIVgrass valley50 Years of On -Air Innovation

DOWNLOADBEYONDTHE HEADLINES

Tapeless acquisitionsFile -based acquisition can produce faster,

more versatile content.

The newsgathering businessis all about speed and pro-ductivity. Getting stories toair faster means improved

ratings - thus the industry's continu-ing migration to camera technologiescapturing video footage as digital files.

Recording onto videotape has beena hallmark of the electronic news -gathering community for more than40 years. The reliability and predict-ability of that workflow was ben-eficial and usually worked. However,the advent of digital has brought newfeatures and benefits to workflow thatcould never occur in the tape world.

Adding digital acquisition to a

digital production workflow furtherincreases the benefits digital technol-ogy brings to the creative process. Acamera that records video in a varietyof digitally compressed file formats,onto removable media (or a harddrive) can both speed and improve anewsroom's creativity. However, theprocess can also, at least initially, be-come a bit more challenging.

Are the images really saved? What

BY KFN YAS

do they look like? Do I have enoughstorage? Is my editor going to able towork with this file? Can that file be eas-ily located and retrieved? The digitalprocess requires staff retraining on thehandling of video and audio. This in-cludes the use of metadata that's elec-tronic and not written on a tape label.

Doing more without tapeOnce you embrace an IT -centric

model, the benefits of ENG activitiesare easy to see. Some ENG camerasprovide multiple recording formats;this benefits the news crew, allowing itto shoot in a DV -compressed SD modein the field. Later, that same camera

The process for creating a news story benefits from the ability to ingest footageinto an edit system faster than real time, allowing the editorial staff to easily sharefiles and work collaboratively.

FRAM E G RA B A look at the issues driving today's technology

Plasma and LCD shipments are up 17.3 percent7.8 millionTVs were purchased in Q1 2009.

cn

Source: iSuppli

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

6.6

7.8

17.3%

I

al al2008 2009

www.isuppli.com

can be used in the studio outputtingMPEG-2 for a program package deliv-ered to an outside client.

When it comes to sports, that samecrew can produce local HD at differentbit rates and formats (720p or 1080i).Such technology frees a shooter fromworrying about signal bandwidth andstorage capacity requirements. Theshooter can focus on creating goodcontent, knowing the technology hasthe flexibility needed to provide goodentertainment and news.

Fast file -based workflowThe process for creating a news

story first and foremost benefits fromthe ability to ingest footage into an


Consistent, vibrant audio fromthe source to the sofa.Introducing Dolby Pulse. It's HE AAC optimized by Dolby.

Now you can deliver amazing broadcast audio virtually anywhere. DolbyPulse combines the advanced low -bit -rate efficiencies of HE AAC with theproven performance of Dolby-making it ideal for any bandwidth-cri:icalapplication: HDTV, IPTV, mobile, or online. Like Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pulsesupports industry -standardized metadata to ensure consistent audio deliveryfrom content creation all t12 way to the home or portable device. Add ourunrivaled support and worldwide home -entertainment system compatibilityto the mix, and you've got high -efficiency broadcast audio atyour fingertips.

Now available.Find out more at www.dolby.com/pulse. DOLBY

PULSE IColby and 'he double -D - legis.ered trace© 2109 Do by Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserves. E 09/20740/21465

DOWNLOADBEYO ND THE HEADLINES

Tapeless acquisition allows someone other than an editor to create an offline EDL in the field using low-res or proxy files on a laptop(right), and then send that EDL on to an editor at the station for an online conform using the original footage.

editing system faster than real time. Afile -based workflow enables the edito-rial staff to easily share files and workcollaboratively. It also allows footageto be repurposed across a variety ofdelivery platforms. In today's mobileand Internet environments, a station'slocal content may be as valuable whenviewed on those platforms as whenseen on the 6 p.m. newscast. Simulta-neously creating multiple formats forsuch platforms is easy with digital.

Tapeless acquisition also allowssomeone other than an editor to cre-ate an offline edit decision list (EDL)using low -resolution or proxy files.That person can then send the EDL toan editor for an online conform usingthe original footage.

Because the infield reporters andshooters know what the best shots are,they may be better qualified to makefast creative decisions related to thatparticular story. Also, if there's a badtake, the shooter can delete the file,saving storage space and editing time.

By completing this preliminarywork in the field, the studio editor canfocus on other tasks while the story isbeing acquired. With budgets and staffstretched to their limits, today's newsteams need to cooperate and help eachother whenever possible. The days ofhighly compartmentalized job de-scriptions are long gone. File -based

workflows facilitate this collaborationacross production environments.

New IT advantagesUsing next -generation compres-

sion formats makes storing large HDvideo files on a shoulder -mountedcamera - and in the edit suite -practical. While the industry hasgrown up on MPEG-2 and laterDV compression, AVC H.264 andJPEG2000 are providing new benefitsfor this file -based environment.

JPEG2000, in particular, providescertain benefits as an acquisitionformat. Fast-moving or busy scenescompressed with JPEG2000 do notdegrade like they sometimes can inMPEG and DV. JPEG2000 imagessimply get softer.

File -based cameras can also takeadvantage of wireless technologieslike Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, workingin tandem with ancillary devices likea PDA or cell phone. Shooters nowhave the ability to make annotations

Many new camcorders offer a choice of recording media in the same camera. Thisinnate flexibility means a station using a camcorder could be recording to a REVPRO disk one day and solid-state CompactFlash memory the next, depending onthe needs of the workflow.


DOWNLOADBEYONDTHE HEADLINES

to a specific file and send instructionsto the editor, making their jobs moreinteractive and cohesive.

Coming togetherFor the station's news department

staff, the integration of a file -basedworkflow into an existing tape -basedenvironment can, at first, be difficultto grasp. The transition will requirediscussion, organization and trainingto get it right. You can't just thrust anew file -based camera on a videogra-pher without first consulting with therest of the editorial staff and explain-ing how the handling and logging offootage will change.

There are also important infra-structure issues to consider. Don'tplan on file -based productions run-ning on the same network as a com-pany's e-mail or general-purposeEthernet. Start with a fully securedproduction and GigE network.

It's not uncommon for stationsfirst implementing a file -based work-flow to have a few growing pains.However, once the equipment and

bringing benefits staffs have neverbefore imagined. While there are stillmany stations using videotape, it'sonly a matter of time before the use

The file -sharing features provided by adigital workflow increase the collaborative

process, bringing benefits staffshave never before imagined.

human bugs are overcome, the ben-efits far outweigh any early hiccups.News crews quickly learn how to cre-ate better news content faster withfewer people. And the content canmore easily include images, sophis-ticated transitions and better audio.The bottom line is that the quality ofthe images and content delivered aresimply better.

In addition, the file -sharing fea-tures provided by a digital workflowincrease the collaborative process,

of tape for news acquisition becomesanother relic in the museum of televi-sion history.

Ken Yas is the market developmentmanager for Americas Camera Products,Grass Valley.

BE

ATTENTION READERS!Sign up !low for

Broadcaslhignerthgr4Technology Updce-newsle

at www brDadcastengineering.cora

is your broadcast operationcosting the earth?

iTX - saving you money, saving energy

When did you last think about the environmental impactof your broadcast or what it posts you in powerconsumption alone?

Making the move to IT -based technologies delivers lowerCAPEX, lower energy consumption, lcvver OPEX.

It's time to pin the 1TX revolution.

the future starts here...

OMNLI3USinnovate I Integrate I Jelo.er

www.omnibus.tv

I t XISICI SION

July 2009 I broadcastengineering.com 15

FCC UPDATEBEYONDTHE HEADLINES

Ownership reportingrequirements change

The new rules take effect Nov. 1.

new FCC ownership report-ing system goes into effectNov. 1. The current plan isor all commercial licensees

- along with a variety of broadcastowners and investors previously ex-empt from any such filing - to file newreports on that date. The filing of bien-nial ownership reports for commercialstations on June 1, Aug. 1 and Oct. 1 hasbeen suspended. Noncommercial TVlicensees must still file the usual bien-nial reports on those dates.

The shift in reporting require-ments, and a change to new reportingforms, arises from concern about therelatively low percentages of minorityindividuals and females among theranks of broadcast owners.

List of changesThe following changes have been

made:All commercial licensees must

DatelineNov.1 isthe deadlineforsubmission

of biennial ownership reports forcommercial TV stations in all statesand territories.

For noncommercial TV stations inIowa and Missouri only, the biennialownership report deadline is Oct. 1.

Oct. 1 is the deadline for TV stationsin Iowa and Missouri to electronicallyfile their broadcast EEO midtermreports (Form 397) with the FCC.

Oct. 1 is the deadline for TV stationslicensed in the following states toplace their annual EEO reports in theirpublic files: Alaska, Florida, Hawaii,Iowa, Missouri, Oregon, the PacificIslands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islandsand Washington.

BY HARRY C. MARTIN

file, even previously -exempt stationsowned by one person or a partnershipof natural persons.

LPTV stations and Class A TVstations are no longer exempt fromreporting.

All affected entities will file on thesame date, every two years, beginningNov. 1.

The data reported must be accurateas of Oct. 1 of the same year in whichthe report is filed.

Equity owners whose reportingexemption was based on the singlemajority owner rule must now reporttheir interests.

Equity owners whose interestswould be attributable but for thehigher EDP threshold for investors inminority -controlled companies (gen-erally 50 percent vs. 33 percent) willnot be exempt from reporting.

Investors and affected lenders mustnot only report the names of the licens-ees and the stations owned by thoselicensees at present, they must also pro-vide the FCC -issued Federal Registra-tion Number (FRN) for each licensee inwhich they have a reportable interest.

The FCC will begin random auditsto verify what is reported.

Information will no longer be ac-cepted in uploaded attachments to theownership report form. Everythingmust be submitted on the ownershipreporting form itself.

Implementation of this new regu-latory scheme is dependent on speedyadoption of a new Form 323 and itsapproval by the Office of Managementand Budget. It is likely that the Nov. 1start date will have to be postponed ifthe form is not ready in time.

The commission also has separatelyproposed revisions to the ownershipreport form (Form 323-E) for non-

commercial educational (NCE) radioand TV stations to include informa-tion about the ethnic, racial and gen-der makeup of their governing bodies.In the meantime, as noted above, NCElicensees must continue to file theirownership reports biennially on the an-niversaries of their renewal filing dates.

Implementationof this new

regulatory schemeis dependent on

speedy adoption ofa new Form 323.

2009 annual regulatory feesIn May, the FCC proposed the 2009

annual regulatory fees for commercialTV stations. The fees for analog VHFstations as of Oct. 1, 2008, are:

Markets 1-10: $77,575Markets 11-25: $60,550Markets 26-50: $37,575Markets 51-100: $22,950Remaining markets: $5950Construction permits: $5950The fees for analog UHF stations as

of Oct. 1, 2008, are:Markets 1-10: $24,250Markets 11-25: $21,525Markets 26-50: $13,350Markets 51-100: $7600Remaining markets: $1950Construction permits: $1950Annual regulatory fees are due this

August or September. BE

Harry C. Martin is a member of Fletcher,Heald and Hildreth, PLC.

ISend questions and comments to:[email protected]


www.for-a.com Head Office (Japan)

Tel: +81 (0)3-3446-3936

USA Western (CA)Tel: +1 714-894-3311

USA Eastern & Midwest iNJ)Tel: +1 201-944-1120

USA Southern (FL)Tel: +1 352-371-1505

Latin America & Caribbean (FL)-el: +1 305-931-1700

Canada (Toronto)-el: +1 416-977-0343

UK (London)-el: +44 (0)20-8391-7979

I:aly (Milan)+39 02-254-3635/6

Korea (Seoul)-el: +82 (0)2-2637-0761

China (Beijing)-e1: +86 (0)10-5170-9870

FmR.ZINNOVATIONS IN VIDEOand AUDIO TECHNOLCGY

HVS-300HS: The New Standardin Small HD/SD Switchers!Unrivalled Features, Urequalled Cost Performance

- Very compact main unit (1RU high)

- 4 types of control panels: standard panel, front panel, remote panel, and control GUI

- HD/SD-SDI 4 input/4 output standard Max. 12 input/8 output

- Frame sync, re -sizing engine, and Proc Amp on each input

- Variety of I/O options: HD/SD-SDI, DVI-D, VGA,

HD/SD analog component, and analog composite

- Built-in 16 -split multiviewer, supportirg 4, 10 or 16 -split view

with tally and title d splay

- Up -stream Keyer iwith Chroma Key) aid DSK both with 2D DUE

- Dual Picture -in -Picture function

- Various 2D and 3D DVE transitions

- Over 100 wipe patterns

- Two channels of stil stores

- ANC data pass through

- Aux remote control option)

Now FOR -A offers a complete line of switchers from our affordaLle

1M/E up to our new 3Gbps ready 4MiE model

" '1V1OPI!

TRANSITION TO DIGITALDIGITAL HANDBOOK

MPEG toolsFor a good encoder, the challenge is to maintain

constant picture quality with a fixed channel rate.

While MPEG has ex-isted for more than adecade and continuesto evolve, there are

many options within the standardsthat seem new to many observers. Inthis and future articles, we will look atsome of these interesting features.

By now, we all know that videoquality is affected by bit rate, butwhat are the factors that affect qual-ity when we are dealing with practi-cal (for example, fixed -bandwidth)systems? As MPEG compression isbased on a Group of Pictures (GOP)construct, we can change both thenumber of pictures in a GOP as wellas the sequence of I, P, and B -pictures(Intra, Predictive and Bi-directional-ly predicted).

In general, longer GOPs mean lessbits needed for the same quality be-cause the I -frame repetition rate islower, but that comes at a cost. Be-cause all pictures within a GOP areultimately referenced back to theI -frame, both transmission errorsand channel changes can mean cor-rupted (or no) pictures until the next

BY ALDO CUGNINI

I -frame is decoded. For a GOP lengthof 15 pictures at 30fps, this means apossible delay of up to half a secondfor clean pictures to reappear.

But a longer GOP can also meanthat coding errors due to aggres-sive compression will tend to persistlonger too. One way to get around

a fade -to -black sequence and a mo-tion sequence, more bits can be allo-cated to static content change ratherthan spuriously generating unneededmotion vectors. Dual -pass encodingis another feature of many encoders,whereby the bit allocation for a frame(or group of frames) is established

Because all pictures within a GOP areultimately referenced back to the I -frame,

both transmission errors and channelchanges can mean corrupted (or no)

pictures until the next I -frame is decoded.

the visibility of these artifacts is forthe encoder to automatically insertI -frames on significant scene chang-es. The challenge here is to controlthe sensitivity of the scene -changedetection algorithm, lest the encoderforce too many I -frames on busilychanging content.

Scene fade detection is anotherway to improve encoding quality; ifthe encoder can differentiate between

FRAME GRAB A look at tomorrow's technology

One-third of homes own an HDTVThe percent of homes with an HDTV is up 13.2 percent from 2008.

61

a?6/

35

30

25

20

15

19.8%

CL10

5

0

February2008

Source: Nielsen

33%

I IFebruary

2009

www.nielsen.com

by encoding the video twice - oncewith a rough estimate of quantiza-tion levels, and then a second timeby using picture statistics to refinethe quantization process. This usuallymeans an extra frame of delay for liveencoders. An offline software encoder,on the other hand, can perform thisdual -pass encoding over large spansof time, even over an entire program.

Normally, real-time transmissionof MPEG-encoded pictures uses whatis called an open GOP structure. Thismeans that B -frames within one GOPcan reference future I -frames fromanother GOP. However, in certainapplications, a closed GOP can beused, where all B -frames from oneGOP reference only the (previous)I- and P -frames from within the sameGOP. In other words, B -pictures willhave been encoded using only back-ward prediction (or intra coding inMPEG-4). This is usually the casewhen offline editing must be facili-tated, as well as real-time splicing ofbit streams, because all frames of theGOP can be decoded without theneed of another GOP.


NO INN 0 UL ,- l.1.9PUm I; lioauwo goczg

0699-198-998-T le su ilea Jo smoiJedPP9e1PalAlialoouoautuommm J. 0 `silelop .10j

U100'1.109UUJC'N\MM

"11.104UO3 leOlp Jc4 aeJols ampe - woes:pow UOOUWO

,0110-1 anRoe ue Aeld AnoA JOJ awn.1! Lus! `Moppom D.0 A3A2WLIAA walsAs aelois aye u!inp\A SIEJJJoJ AJa.\!iap pue uo!lonpcod uaanAlaq apoo-sJeg noA uaAa 11

suo!leJado uo!ss!wsue4 Jc4 paau noA Aouoifisai auk ifilAA aArleloqemoo Joj paau noA LnprkApueq aye sau!ciwoo pp9e!paiN -t.flpvtApueq pue Alpedeo Lnoq ppe noA

walsAs aelols e .41!Aft `moippom paseq-eig pazium.do ue SEM JnoA mom


100

75

50

25

-3 -2 -1 3 7

Frame numbero

8

Figure 1.With constant bit rate (CBR) encoding, individual pictures will have variable sizes,but they are then buffered into a constant bit rate channel.

However, B -pictures will often belarger when using closed GOPs, asthere are fewer reference picturesfrom which to generate a predic-tion. In practice, when picture sizeis limited by a constrained bit rate,this means that continuous codingwith closed GOPs can yield a lowerpicture quality. Bottom line: Whenencoding live video, open GOPsshould be used, unless splicing capa-bility is needed, and the encoder canseamlessly switch between open andclosed GOPs without artifacts.

Bit rates are not fixedWhile the choice of a bit rate may

seem limited from an allocationstandpoint, the actual transmittedbit rate of course varies from frameto frame. With constant bit rate(CBR) encoding, individual pictureswill have variable sizes, but they arethen buffered into a constant bit ratechannel. One can think of this bufferlike a reservoir with different fillingand emptying characteristics.

Figure 1 shows the behavior ofsuch a buffer, as realized in an MPEGdecoder; the diagram illustrates theinstantaneous number of bits in thedecoding buffer, for a hypotheticalseven -picture sequence. The diagonalslope of the curve shows the bufferfilling with bits, and the vertical linesshow the bits being removed fromthe buffer (and displayed for eachpicture or frame). The slope of the

diagonals thus represents the codingbit rate and, ignoring the disconti-nuities of the picture removals, canbe seen to be constant. This model,called the video buffering verifier(VBV) is present in the encoder sothat it can anticipate the behavior ofthe decoder and avoid overflow ofunderflow of the buffer.

The startup time to the left of frame#0 is called the VBV delay of the sys-tem and often can be adjusted in theencoder. In practice, this startup delaycan be several frames in length, and

When tuning to a new channel, thevideo buffer starts filling with abouthalf a second of delay, and picturedecoding starts at an arbitrary pic-ture, creating a total of between halfa second to one second of delay be-fore pictures are presented to the dis-play. MPEG offers a low -delay modeto ameliorate this, producing a totalencoding and decoding delay of lessthan 150ms.

This mode, when used, indicatesthat the sequence does not containany B -pictures, that the frame reor-dering delay (due to out -of -display-

order B -frames) is not present, andthat the VBV buffer is allowed tounderflow when encoding pictures.(Underflow will cause the decoder torepeat pictures.) Such a mode, whilenot practical for high -quality video,is useful for closed -production appli-cations such as IFB, which enables anews studio to communicate live witha field reporter over a back -channelIP connection.

For a good encoder, the challengeis to maintain constant picture qual-ity with a fixed channel rate, withoutoverflowing or underflowing the buf-fer. Under this constraint, the picture

Bottom line: When encoding live video,open GOPs should be used, unless splicing

capability is needed, and the encodercan seamlessly switch between open

and closed GOPs without artifacts.

the buffer can be large enough to holda half -second's worth of data or more.This length of time is needed to allowthe encoder to average the bit rateover enough pictures and to provideenough headroom so that the encod-er can maintain quality while picturecontent fluctuates.

Coding delayscan be adjusted

The long VBV delay, however, hasother consequences, such as picturedecoding delay, which adds to theGOP considerations we saw earlier.

quality with CBR typically varies in-versely according to the complexityof the video. Encoders will attemptto assign different quantizationscales to different parts of a picture;because complex pictures requiremore bits, trying to maintain a con-stant bit rate will result in complexpictures having more artifacts thansimpler pictures.

Bit rates can be variedon the fly

An alternate way of coding, whenthere is sufficient instantaneous


Fully Automated Playout and Branding SolutionsReliable, Cost Effective and Easy to Use

SD, HD and Streaming. It's All in a PlayBox ...

1 00% of Functionality for 25% of the CostPlayBox Technology has radically changed the b-oadcast and corporatE TV markets forever, delivering over 6,500 SD, HDand DVB playout and branding solutions in over 100 countries.

Offering 100% of the functionality at 25% of tie oust means PlayBox Technology can prov de the solution you want at yourprice.

With state-of-the-art software loaded onto commercial off -the -shelf IT hardware we car deliver alordable solutions forbudget TV channels and the scalability to power tie largest multichannel broadcast cent -es.

TV channel -in -a -box solutions deliver :le ent re transmission chair including ingest master control, video server,automation, CG, interactive graphics, animaiec logo, subtitling, schedul ng, etc. They also provide the resilierce to operateas the transmission engine in remote playoutlocations, managed and monitored via internat.

PlayBox Technology's worldwide operator is oased in London, with R&D in Sofia, End country offices in Bulgaria,Germany, India (Mumbai and New Delhi), _a:in America, Malaysia (Asia Pacific), Rom anb, Seroia, Turkey, UK, USA(Atlanta and Los Angeles). It's all in a PlayBoz.

Talk to one of our systems experts or visit www.playbox.tv:

PlayBox UK + 44 1707 66 44 44 PlayBox Bulgaria + 35,3 2 9703050 PlayBox Romania +4 031 106 5115PlayBox Turkey +90 216 3379402 PlayBox Germany +49 2233 969 7562 PlayBox Adria 381 11 3117286PlayBox USA +1 404 424 9283 PlayBox Asia Pacitic +6012 288 0760 PlayBox India +91 9811913333PlayBox Latin America Sales +598 99 192929

2009Join PlayBox on Booth

8.B31


-3

Frame number

7 8

Figure 2. An alternate way of coding, when there is sufficient instantaneous bandwidth, is touse variable bit rate coding. In this mode, the encoder assigns bits according to a peak targetbit rate and simply stops sending bits when a defined buffer level is reached.

bandwidth, is to use variable bit ratecoding (VBR). In Figure 2, we see thebehavior of a decoder buffer whenVBR coding is used. In this mode, theencoder assigns bits according to apeak target bit rate and simply stopssending bits when a defined buffer

level is reached.The simplest VBR stream is one

where the picture quality is heldconstant (for example, by applyingthe same quantization scale over anentire picture), with no other con-straints. In this case, the bit rate gen-

The simplest VBR stream is one wherethe picture quality is held constant(for example, by applying the samequantization scale over an entire

picture), with no other constraints.

erally varies directly according to thecomplexity of the video. A sophisti-cated VBR encoder - especially anoffline one - can take into accountcapacity over a large period of timeor the available bandwidth in a chan-nel. (In practice, encoder designerswill always use a larger buffer thanshown here, both for practical hard-ware reasons, as well as to accountfor operational anomalies.) DVDencoding suites, for instance, typi-cally use a two -pass VBR encoding.In this application, the bit rate neednot be constant, just the total num-ber of bits on the disc.

In future articles, we'll look at howbit allocation works across a multi-plex of services, and how MPEGsupports some rather appealing op-portunities for controlling multicastprogram delivery. BE

Aldo Cugnini is a consultant in the digitaltelevision industry.

ISend questions and comments to:[email protected]

ATTENTION READERS!Sign up now for

BroadcastEngineerinh

Transition to Digital-newsletter

at www.broadcastengineering corn

Curious? Please visit our website www.riedel.netRIIIRIEDEL

The Communications People

RTIST DI MATRIX INTERCOMThe Solution for World Class Events.

0Riedel Communications Inc. 1721 Victory Elvd Glendale, CA 91201 USA www.riedel.net


plantingthe seed...

Outfittedwith cual DM20001s,

Record Plant Remote'E'The Lcunge"

digital truck has been busy making waves at numerayslive recording

evens across :he country.

We caught up with KoosterMcAllister,

Owner and Ci Ef Engin3er

of Record Plan: Remote,to gather his noughts

on his Yamahagear.

Here's what hE had to

"Corningfrom an analog background,

having a lot of faders in front

of ms rs comforting.All 95 tracks can be viewed andaccessed

on

just cwo layers. Havingthe tvvo consoles

tied togethermake tne

DIVI2OLTJ'sperform

as one large format digital desk it also giies me

the added functionalityof being

able to call up effects_routing auxes,

etc. from either center section makingit easy to get around ouickly.

In a)/ line of work where you only have one chance to capture a ,:ive

momenton stage, you must be able to count on your equipment

not

to fail. These consoleshave withstood

being bounceddown the road

from gig to gig and have always come throughfor me.

Most importantly,they sound great. Orchestral

recordAgsI have

done with them sound simp'y amazing."

J<Q.0,seet-tictiMszlet-

When ycuseed help,

time zonesshouldn't

matter. Yamahaprovides

roast -to-coast 24/7 technicalsupport ()YAMAHA

across the United States. With dedicatadstaff and regional

service certers,assistance

is aroLnd the corner.

If wecant fx it over tf-e phone,

pet apart or a person en

the nextplane cut.

Pfs that simple.C...AM

YamahaCommercial

Audio Systems,Inc. P Box 6603,

BuenaPam CA 90620-6600

commercialaudio

020C9 YamahaCommercial

Audio Systems.Inc

COMPUTERS & NETWORKSDIGITAL HANDBOOK

High -availability networksAs more equipment moves to Ethernet, reassess the

reliability of your infrastructure.BY BRAD GII MFR

For some time now, on -air fa-cilities have relied on Ether-net networks. In many cases,these networks have grown

organically over time. As more equip-ment moves to Ethernet for criticalfunctionality, it may be time to reas-sess the availability of your Ethernetinfrastructure.

High availability vs. highreliability

We may throw around the termshigh availability and high reliabil-ity interchangeably, but they actuallyhave different meanings when ap-plied to systems. A system is highlyavailable when the services it providesare available the majority of the time.High availability does not mean thatcomponents will never fail. It meansthat the overall system is there whenyou need it, even if components fail.High reliability, on the other hand,means that the components in thesystem are highly reliable. While the

Broad connectivity -4

Internet and DMZ

Internet

- - - DMZ - - -

Webserver

Visitorwireless

Streamserver

difference between these two ap-proaches may seem identical, theyhave a big impact on the design phi-losophy and cost of your network.

The critical point is that highly reli-able network equipment is expensivebecause it is designed not to break.

fail more often than the more ex-pensive equipment. However, if theoverall network design takes intoaccount the fact that equipmentmay fail, then end users will still beable to access the network even ifsomething goes wrong. Let's take a

The critical point is that highly reliablenetwork equipment is expensive

because it is designed not to break.

Highly reliable equipment typicallyincludes things like dual power sup-plies, watchdog processors and re-dundant disk systems. Building a net-work from these sorts of componentscan be an expensive proposition.

A highly available system may bebuilt out of less expensive networkproducts. These components maylack the redundant power suppliesor other features of high -reliabilityequipment, and therefore, they may

look at how this might be applied ina broadcast facility.

You may recognize Figure 1 fromthe August 2008 Broadcast Engineer-ing article titled "Computer architec-tures." It illustrates a typical stationfacility. Because the focus of the 2008article was on security, the broadcastcore was not shown in detail.

Figure 2 on page 26 shows more de-tail in the broadcast core. While thereis nothing inherently wrong with this

Router/firewall

0- More secure

Business/news/traffic Production/facilities Broadcast core

Business Office Facilitiesnetwork VPN VPN

Core I Router/ Core II Router/ Core III Broadcastswitch firewall switch firewall switch operations

Traffic In-housewireless

Productidndepartment

Figure 1.This diagram shows the high-level architectural design of a typical broadcast facility. Note that this architecture takesadvantage of several different layers of security, while providing a high degree of connectivity within relateddepartments.


p AI

IP\;vv%

HM

R5440

UN

IVE

RS

AL IR

D

0

MULTI -FORMAT

RECEIVER/DECOD:R

MPG -2

MPEG-4

HD

S)

34

LV

I

techTV

unlocksm

ulti -format decoding.

5440 Multi -form

atR

eceiver/Decoder

G-2 &

MP

EG

-4, HD

& S

Dgrated F

rame S

ync (Genlock:

fect (<1m

s) Lip syncform

ats (1080i, 720p, PA

_,IT

-SC

)

with F

EC

, DV

B-S

/S2, A

SI.

DS

3, E3

.comtechtv.com

(858) 805-7000'al

k:F7 CAM:NW

TIE

RN

AN

VID

EO

, INC

.


Station backbone

Rest of station

Station coreswitch 1

Broadcast core

Broadcast coreswitch 1

Automationcomputers

Figure 2. This diagram illustrates a bare -bones network architecture for a broadcast core.Note that the failure of any single network component results in either a loss of connectivitywith the rest of the facility or a loss of connectivity between equipment within the on -airoperation.

Station backbone

Station backbone

Rest of station



7° -

Broadcast core



Automationcomputers

Figure 3. This diagram illustrates one way to create a simple high -availability network foryour broadcast core.

ResourcesVisit www.cisco.com. Search for

"Catalyst 3550 Multilayer SwitchSoftware Configuration Guide."Look for "configuring HSRP" in thetable of contents.

Visit www.rfcs.org. Search for"RFC 2338, Virtual Router Redun-dancy Protocol (VRRP)."

Visit www.ciscopress.com.Search for article 375501, "CCDPSelf -Study: Designing High -Availabil-ity Services" from the book CCDPSelf Study: Designing Cisco NetworkArchitectures by Amir Ranjbar andKeith Hutton, Cisco Press, ISBN1-58705-185-0, 2005.

simple configuration, the loss of anysingle piece of network equipmentwill cause the automation system toeither lose connectivity with other de-partments in the facility, or will causethe automation system components tobe unable to communicate with eachother. One approach to resolving thisproblem is to purchase highly reli-able network components. With thisapproach, the network architectureremains simple, but the cost of com-ponents is high. Figure 3 illustrates an-other approach.

In this figure, critical network com-ponents are duplicated. The architec-ture looks simple to implement, butthere are a few key points. First, notethat this is not simply two networksin parallel. There are connectionsbetween the two networks at criti-

cal points. Second, the automationcomputers have two Ethernet ports,one connected to each broadcast coreswitch. Third, these switches are con-figured using Hot Swap Router Pro-tocol (HSRP) or Virtual Router Re-dundancy Protocol.

High -availability techniquesFigure 3 shows a network architec-

ture that takes advantage of severaltechniques to achieve high availabil-ity. In this example, I will cite somespecific hardware and software fromCisco because that is what I am famil-iar with. Other manufacturers havesimilar technologies available. Also,the descriptions below are just a start-ing point. Creating high -availabilitynetworks will require some research.(See "Resources.")

Redundant switchingThe Cisco 3550 switch is a very

capable device and, at around $700on the used market, it is affordableas well. Besides providing typicalswitching functionality, it supportsthe Cisco HSRP. Using HSRP, a net-work engineer can configure tworouters so that they appear to a clientas a single virtual gateway interfacewith a single IP address and a singleMAC address. Client computers areprogrammed to use the virtual gate-way address, not the physical addressof the gateway routers themselves.One of the core switches is automat-ically selected as the active router.Should that switch fail, the secondswitch automatically responds torequests from clients for the virtualgateway address.

Note that the two routers in thebroadcast core provide redundancyfor connectivity between automationcomputers. The two routers in thestation core provide redundancy forconnectivity between the broadcastcore and other parts of the station.

Multiple Ethernet portsWhile the detail is not shown in

Figure 3, it is assumed that each au-tomation computer has two Ethernet



interfaces. In this example, one inter-face is connected to broadcast corerouter 1, and the other interface isconnected to broadcast core router 2.If one interface fails, the computer isstill connected to the network.

Don't assume that just becauseyou have connected two 100BASE-T ports on the client to two separateswitches that 200Mbs/s is automati-cally available. The interaction be-tween the client and the switches isnot straightforward. Just becausethere are two cables connected totwo different Ethernet cards and theyboth have LEDs that light up green,it does not mean both of them areworking. As with any backup system,test it to confirm that your client andswitch are configured properly tomake use of both connections.

MonitoringAny time one puts a high availabil-

ity system in place, it is important toconsider how to monitor the system.Because the system is designed to con-tinue to function even if a componentfails, there may not be any outwardsigns that there is a problem. For thisreason, it is important to monitor thehealth of the components in any mis-sion -critical network. There are manynetwork monitoring tools available.Most of these tools not only allow youto remotely monitor the health of net-work components, but they also pro-vide levels of alarms and notificationmethods, whether by e-mail, SMS orsome other technology.

How much protection?As you consider these systems,

think about how much protectionyou need, and whether the cost andtime required to configure them re-ally makes sense. Remember that youcan always have an extra switch sit-

ting on the shelf. Also keep in mindthat while it may make sense to de-ploy these sorts of systems in yourbroadcast core, other areas of the net-work may not require the same levelof availability.

ResultsThe architecture in Figure 3 is quite

resilient. In this configuration, automa-tion computers continue to functioneven if one of the broadcast core switch-es fails, one of the station core switchesfails, and one of the network interfacesin the automation computer fails, all si-multaneously. That is a lot of protectionfor relatively little expense. BE

Brad Gilmer is executive director of theAdvanced Media Workflow Association,executive director of the Video Services Fo-rum and president of Gilmer & Associates.

111

Send questions and comments to:[email protected]

TEMPEST/400. TAKING WIRELESS PRODUCTION BY STORM.Like nothing seen or heard before from a digital wireless intercom system, Tempest2400 makes

intercommunication a breeze in any indoor and outdoor broadcast production environment, anywhere in the world.

Operates in unlicensed 2.4GHz band All digita , 4 -audio channels 5 full -duplex beltpacks per basestation; Up to 50 beltpacks on 10 basestations

2xTX-Transmission/Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum

Accu-SyncTM Basestation Coordination

Easy setup-No frequency coordination required Stage Announce; Unique GPIO Contact Closures; Vibration Call Function

Easy -to -operate T -Desk software for monitoring and configuration

:11) Clear-Com

www.clearcom.com + NOW SHIPPING! + DIGITAL WIRELESS


PRODUCTION CLIPSDIGITAL HANDBOOK

Long -GOP editingToday's enhanced NLEs support various

types of MPEG-2, resulting in a faster workflow.

product presentations atNAB are a great way to restyour burning feet whilelooking like you are absorb-

ing significant information. At the2009 NAB Show, in a state somewherebefore sleep, I heard a presenter tielong -GOP formats to generationalloss caused by adding titles to a pro-duction. Say what?

While the industry may have movedpast a pronouncement made in 2004that "...MPEG-2 ain't supposed to beedited," the NAB 2009 statement sad-ly matched comments made over thelast five years - often by Hollywoodinfluencers - that reveal a profoundmisunderstanding about how mod-ern editing tools work.

A few years ago, negative statementsabout long GOP were simply veiledattacks on MPEG-2. But, now withAVCHD and AVCCAM - both long -GOP versions of MPEG-4 - claimsabout GOP length and editing cover awide range of formats and products.By addressing the myths surround-ing MPEG-2, we can hopefully pre-vent the same myths resurfacing withlong -GOP H.264/AVC.

Performance concernsSome myths about interframe encod-

ing may result from explaining, in simpleterms, how encoding works. A key frameoften was described as though it were aphotograph, with no mention that anI -frame itself is highly compressed. Us-ing terms that better fit a description ofdelta -modulation, subsequent frameswere described as containing differencesfrom the initial frame.

It's not surprising that those whoconceive of computer -based editingas nothing more than the replacementof VTRs with hard disks were sure theneed to keep "rewinding" the disk

BY STFVF MUI I FN

files to find I -frames would make jogand shuttle sluggish and, therefore, aserious hindrance to editing.

In reality, NLEs access a disk onlyto replenish large buffers held inRAM. Moreover, B and P frames arestored within a GOP in a series thatfacilitates decoding. (For a brief re-view of interframe and intraframeMPEG-2 and MPEG-4 encoding, see

editing or compositing work.Converting MPEG-2 (or H.264/

AVC) to an intermediate codec -other than uncompressed - resultsin at least some quality loss becauseit involves a decode followed by arecompression using an intermediatecodec. Moreover, conversion alwaysincreases the size of all your sourcefiles because interframe source files

The question is at what point inthe editing process 4:2:0 video isupsampled to either 4:2:2 or 4:4:4.

the "MPEG-2 and H.264/AVC" articlein the July 2008 issue.)

A more realistic concern was thatthe enormous number of calcula-tions required to obtain each imagewould prevent multistream real-timeediting. However, as reported in myreview of a RAID system ("CalDigit'sHDPro" in the September 2008 is-sue), I measured nine streams of 1920x 1080 XDCAM EX from a Mac BookPro. These kinds of numbers effec-tively refute this concern.

Unfortunately, this concern re-mains true for AVCHD and AVCCAM,as well as AVC-Intra. Nevertheless,there will be a day when H.264/AVCperformance concerns will vanish.

Native vs.intermediate editing

There have always been warningsabout long -GOP MPEG-2, such asthe one I heard at NAB. Although theysound reasonable, they involve inval-id assumptions. At heart is the beliefthat because long -GOP MPEG-2 ishighly compressed, you'll probablywant to convert that MPEG-2 streamto something else before you do any

require the least possible storagespace. But, more importantly, con-version during import in no way canimprove or preserve image quality.Even with a conversion to uncom-pressed video, image quality only re-mains constant.

Additional warnings and recom-mendations involve reference to theevils of 4:2:0 chroma sampling andgeneration loss caused by multipl.re -encodes of long -GOP files to long -GOP files. First, it is important to notethat although most long -GOP for-mats have employed 4:2:0 sampling,this is not an inherent characteristicof interframe encoding. For example,50Mb/s Sony HDCAM 422HD is along -GOP format.

Second, the quality of 4:2:0 sam-pling is not the subject of this debate.Rather, the question is at what pointin the editing process 4:2:0 video isupsampled to either 4:2:2 or 4:4:4. A4:2:2 conversion is made so variousvideo formats can be mixed together.To mix RGB graphics with video, aconversion to 4:4:4 is performed.

A conversion can be made within aVTR when MPEG-2 is decoded prior


High PerformanceContribution & Distribution

Solutions401,116.

CI QM 0 0 011161-

EllipseTM contribution encoders

Fixed contribution with the Ellipse 1000 Low latency DSNG and even: coverage with

the Ellipse 2000 SD or HD, MPEG-2 or AVC

harmonic

Ellipse

IIIMINIIPIEM11111111111MilliPPINIMIWElectra® 8000 universal broadcast encoder

Improves MPEG-2 performance by 20% Integrated statmux supports multiple

HD and SD channels 4 channels in 1RU, SD or HD, MPEG-2 or AVC,

CBR or VBR Integrated broadcast quality up/down conversion 1080p 24/50/0 native support

harmonic

!.0o 0ProView 7000

ProViewTM IRDs ProView 7000: integrated receiver and processor

with descrambling and decoding - ideal for DTA ProView 2900: broadcast quality decoder, decryptor

and interface converter Leveraging the industry -leading Scopus technology

11 REDEFINING VIDEO DELIVERYarmonic

© 2009 Harmonic nc. All rights reserved.www.harmonicinc.com


4:2:0decode to

4:2:2

4:2:0decode to

4:2:2

Figure 1.Time of decoding (VTR above line)

to being sent as uncompressed 4:2:2video over an HD -SDI connection.Another option is to perform the con-version during import when MPEG-2or AVCHD/AVCCAM is transcoded toan intermediate codec. And, of course,the conversion can be made on the flyas MPEG-2 or AVCHD is decodedto an uncompressed YCrCb signal.In all cases, the key to upconversionquality is the equations themselvesand the degree to which roundingerrors are prevented. The point atwhich the conversion occurs is irrel-evant. (See Figure 1.)

Early NLE operationEarly NLEs generated effects fol-

lowing this process: One or moresources were decompressed to 4:2:2YCrCb. The digital data stream(s) wasmathematically (dissolves) or logi-cally (wipes) combined. The resulting4:2:2 YCrCb data were then recom-pressed using the same codec usedby the source files. The recompressedfiles were called preview, render orprecompute files.

Using this procedure, long -GOPvideo was subjected to generationloss during recompression. Moreover,graphics and titles would also be sub -

4:2:0decode to

4:2:2

jected to long -GOP compression thatwould indeed cause significant graph-ics degradation.

In order to save rendering time,many NLEs would reuse the renderfiles when an editor, for example, add-ed another layer to the layers alreadyrendered. Likewise, to save computetime, renders were used when a proj-ect was exported to another format.

4:2:0decode to

4:2:2

4:2:0decode to

4:2:2

If modern professional NLEs suchAvid Media Composer and Apple Fi-nal Cut Pro worked in the manner de-scribed, generation loss would indeed bea valid concern. Thankfully, they do not.

Current NLE operationWhen MPEG-2 sources are used by

a project, some of the processes previ-ously described are the same. One, ormore, MPEG-2 sources are decodedon the fly to 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 YCrCb data.One data stream, one data streamcombined with one or more graphics,or the computed result of combin-ing several data streams (plus one ormore graphics) become a real-timevideo stream that is sent to a moni-tor window on the computer's displayand/or to an external monitor. Thecomputed result is used only as a real-time preview. (See Figure 2.)

In this cycle, long -GOP sources aredecoded only once. And, it makes nodifference when there are decoded -during ingest or at the time of play-back. Moreover, if, as recommendedby some, our 4:2:0 video had beendecoded and recompressed, this 4:2:2intermediate format would also havehad to be decompressed on the fly to4:4:4 YCrCb data. Upsampling 4:2:0to 4:2:2 and then later upsampling

Compute FX with 4.2:2 cr 4:4:4 YCrCb

Figure 2. Native MPEG-2 editing

Encode to ProRes4:2:2 or DNxHD


y for Prime -time

Lowest Cost Per Channel

Outstanding Video Quality

Highest Reliability

Smart Economics

/71-1/ ><>c2400 HD

We've done it again - in High Definition!Five years ago, 360 Systems' Image Servers set a new standard for price and

performance, and became the all-time best-seller. Now, we've done it again with ournew family of MAXX High Definition servers.

MAXX-1200 HD provides three simultaneous video channels, 24 audio channels,and over 70 hours of storage-plus slow-motion, 3 -channel key -and -fill, and even remoteworkstation software.

MAXX-2400 HD provides the power of four video outputs, two inputs, more than200 hours of storage, and all the features you expect in a broadcast quality server.Better image quality, multiple audio formats, and smart economics clearly positionthe MAXX-HD servers as Best of Class. Priced from just $16,000, they also makevery good business sense.

Visit our web site to learn more about MAXX high -definition servers. Or e-mail us at

[email protected] and request color brochures on the new MAXX-HD family.

+1 (818) 991-0360 [email protected] www.360Systems.com BROADCAST


Sequence Setuntas

Name 1 J SC,2

from 4:2:2 to 4:4:4 opens the windowto more conversion rounding errors.

The same logic applies to recom-mendations to convert 8 -bit sourcesto an intermediate format that uses10 -bit data. Placing 8 -bit sampleswithin 10 -bit words, of course, doesnot increase the precision of the digi-tal data. It simply needlessly increasesthe size of all source files.

To increase the accuracy of pre-view or render calculations, theNLE itself need only be set to use ahigh -precision mode. Final Cut Pro,for example, can compute effects at8 bits, 10 bits or 32 -bit floating-point.Media Composer works at either8 bits or 16 bits. In all cases, 8 -bit dataare on the fly fed into higher preci-sion calculations.

As the number of layers increasesand effects become computationallymore complex, real-time previews areno longer practical. In this case, the

editor can choose torender all, or por-tions, of a project.While making thischoice might seemto open the door togeneration loss, itdoes not.

Final Cut Pro of-fers an editor theoption of selectingApple's "uncompressed quality" Pro -

Res 422 HQ as the render codec. (SeeFigure 3.) Generation loss caused byre -encoding to a long -GOP codec isprevented. A render file can be playedback for a smooth preview, or com-bined with new video and/or effects.

Transfer from and to NLEsWhile video transfer to Apple's Color

application can be long -GOP MPEG-2,during color correction, data are de-coded to 4:2:2 video. Color correction is

Omer4 V.deo neat., IhmealmOonens

Rem er & Playback

,aters

4 'tame Biendmq For Speed

Renter

Creme Rate

Rtsolunon

flutiOunstra

100n : of Sequence Ed.rigi Ttmebase

ions if_of Sequence Frame Sue

Codes Apple Proftes 022 INDV. XOCAle 001E0 *old : I

Maste, Templates and Stoma Projects

Quality Noma. 10

el Mways Use Bess Qua., When Itt.6.fing MOMH

Load Sequence P..8

Figure 3. Apple's Final Cut Pro enables editors toselect the 4:2:2 render codec.

never performed with MPEG-2. Colorcorrected results are returned to FinalCut Pro using ProRes 422 HQ.

This same procedure can be usedto transfer segments from Final CutPro (or Media Composer) to anotherapplication. Working this way savesthe needless conversion of hundredsof hours of source material to an in-termediate codec. Transfer back is viaProRes 422 HQ to Final Cut Pro orAvid's mastering quality DNxHD co-dec to Media Composer.

VISLINKNews & Entertainment

New applications and solutions for the demanding and changingBroadcast world - fixed and mobile microwave links, wirelesscamera systems, cellular receive city centre networks, satelliteuplinks and IP data transfer.

Professional broadcast equipment and support services for news, sports andOutside Broadcast. Quick set up, effective operations and superb performancefor 24 hour live news, sensational sports and creative camera work.

Secure Communications from Vislink.ADVENT LINK MRC

t It., +44 1923 474060 Middle E, +971 4886 5226 +65 6248 4676 +1 978 671 5700 www.vislink.com


4:2:0decode to

4:2:2

1-14:2:0

decode to4:2:2

RGB to4:4:4 wCrCb

Compute FX with 4.2:2 or 4:4:4 YCrCb

Encode to 4:2:2 export codecr 41:2:2 uncompressed

Figure 4. Export is done without the use of renders.

ExportLong -GOP generation loss during

export is prevented because Final Cut

Pro always generates each export framefrom source files. Render files are notused. (See Figure 4.) With an Avid Me -


dia Composer, deleting precomputesbefore export prevents render filesfrom being used during export - eventhough they use DI\TxHD or DVCPROHD codecs.

Given the fear, uncertainty anddoubt that has too long existedaround long -GOP MPEG-2, is therea scenario in which generation losscan occur from natively editing long -GOP MPEG-2? Yes. Were an editor tonot export an HD master to HDCAMSR, HDCAM, XDCAM 422HD, D5 ortape -based DVCPRO HD and insteadexport to a tape format that employslong -GOP MPEG-2, then the masterwould indeed be second -generationlong -GOP MPEG-2. However, for-mats such as HDV are rarely acceptedas master tapes. BE

Steve Mullen is owner of Digital VideoConsulting, which provides consultingand conducts seminars on digital videotechnology.

Marshall Electronics offers the widest selectior o=professional rack -mount and standalone LCDmonitors in the industry. Marshall's video offe-in.gsrange from 10 -screen rack monitors and QuadViewers to Super Transflective Outdoor monitorsanda full series of displays with integrated In-MciDisplay (IMD) capability. We also offer a varlet.of DigitalAudio Monitors, professional microptiand pro audio cable.

Quality Innovation ExperienceCustomer Service

Designed, Engineered,and Assembled in the USA

GOOD THINGSCOME IN

ALLSIZES

Marshall Electronics LCDracks.com Tel .310-333-060o , III Free. 800-800-6608

July 2009 I broadcastengineering,C0173 33

INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONSSYSTEMS INTEGRATION

2GHz BAS relocationThe BAS relocation project took two important steps in

June, but a possible hiccup remains.BY PHII KUR7

The Los Angeles market,which includes TV stationsin Los Angeles, San Diego,Santa Barbara and Palm

Beach, CA, achieved an importantmilestone in June when the BroadcastAuxiliary Service licensees completedtheir 2GHz BAS relocation.

Finishing the project in the LosAngeles cluster is significant becauseof the magnitude of the task and

tion of the market cluster representsas a sign that the overall project na-tionwide is proceeding expeditiouslythat's most important.

The transition of the Los Angelesmarket cluster takes the total num-ber of markets relocated to 108 as ofJune 8. This tally and other bench-marks, such as the percentage of BASlicensees that have completed fre-quency relocation agreements and

In its June 10 report and order andfurther notice of proposed rulemak-ing, the commission said as much:"We also believe that Sprint Nextel,working with the broadcasters, hasmade a good faith effort to increasethe pace of the BAS transition."

That good faith effort was enoughfor the commission to grant SprintNextel and broadcasters until Feb.8, 2010, to wind up the nationwide

Old BAS channel 1 7

SprintNextel

FutureAWS MSS

FutureAWS

New BASchannel 1-7

1990 1995 2000 2020 2025 2110

Figure 1. An illustration from a recent FCC report and order makes clear how the spectrum currently used for analog BroadcastAuxiliary Service at 2GHz will be used following the relocation.

the progress it represents in the na-tionwide effort to complete the re-location. The size of the job, whichrequired replacing ENG equipmentin some 200 vehicles, 14 helicoptersand at 175 receive sites, is impressive.However, it may be what the comple-

the percentage that possess all of theequipment needed to finish the job,are important signs to the FCC thatdespite various unanticipated delays,Sprint Nextel and broadcasters areserious about completing the projectand deserve more time to finish.

FRAME GRAB A look at the consumer side of DTV

Statistics show men watch more mobile TV than womenFifty-nine percent of mobile video consumers are men.

0:+=

Q)0060

50Ec 41%

C.., a 40

CC.)

CL)

30CU ID

:a Egc 4-

20

10cu

Source: Nielsen

0

Females

59%

Males

www.nielsen.corn

project. Originally, the commissionhad set a deadline of Sept. 7, 2007, tocomplete relocation of seven analogBAS channels between 1990MHz and2110MHz to seven digital channelsbetween 2025MHz and 2110MHz.(See Figure 1.) However, a variety ofunforeseen circumstances have de-layed the relocation, making it neces-sary for the FCC to grant a series ofextensions until this month when itreset the deadline to February 2010.

Once cleared, 5MHz of the freed -upspectrum will be allocated to SprintNextel for cell phone use, and 30MHzof reclaimed spectrum will be allocat-ed to new mobile satellite service com-panies and future ancillary terrestrialcomponent network providers.

The delay in completing the BASrelocation has put the commission inthe position of trying to balance com-peting priorities in serving the publicinterest - specifically, maintaininglive news shots from the field and


www.aja.com/kiprotour

Ki Pro Worldwide Roadshow

AJA Video just announced the revolutiorary K Pro at NAB 2009,and now we're taking it on the road so y. --.1u can see it for yourself!

=inally, shoot on the same codec as you adit with, full raster 10 -bit AppleProRes 422, built natively into Ki Pro's stand-alone, portable hardwa-e.

Experience Ki Pro for yourself at one of our US roadshows

Chicago - June 10th

Toronto - June 16th

Los Angeles - June 17th

New York - June 18th

Atlanta - June 23rd

Miami - June 2Et1

Vancowrir - July 14th

Dallas - J_Iy 16th

Mexico C-ty - kly 21st

Sao Paul: -Jjly 23rd

ProRes

Find a c ty near you,and register today!Register at:

www.aja.com/kiprotour

Ki Pro. Because it matters. C`

VIDEO SYSTEMS

INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONSSYSTEMS INTEGRATION

allowing new communications ser-vices to come online. Still, the accel-erated pace of progress has helped theFCC decide to maintain the primarystatus of BAS operations in the bandat least until Feb. 8, 2010.

The lesson fromLos Angeles

If there's one thing that can belearned from the success of the BASrelocation project in the Los Angelesmarket cluster, it is the importance ofcooperation and testing.

"We really wanted to force peopleto do due diligence in testing theequipment to see what was going tohappen," said Chris Neuman, an in-dependent consultant and owner ofCNC Consulting in Los Angeles.

Neuman, the former director ofbroadcast operations and engineer-ing at KTLA-TV in Los Angeles andthe person selected by Sprint Nextel

to coordinate the relocation in themarket cluster, conducted two sepa-rate tests of the newly retrofitted ENGresources with all of the BAS licenseesin the area. During the first digital BASshakedown held April 25 at Sweetwa-ter Video Productions in Van Nuys,CA, Neuman and the broadcastersfollowed a test script, checking differ-ent operating parameters every fiveminutes. The tests revealed that someof the new radios had firmware prob-lems, which were corrected by time thesecond test was conducted in late May.

As a result, when the cluster tran-sitioned June 6, "we had ironed out98 percent of the issues, which madethe actual day of the transition - onethat we had not relished for years -very uneventful and smooth?'

John Kruer, manager of technicaloperations at KNBC/KVEA in LosAngeles, also attributed the success ofthe transition in the market cluster to

cooperation among BAS licenses. "Es-pecially in LA, all of the broadcastersworked together," he said. "We wereextremely cooperative and called eachother. Everybody covered each other'sback."

Cooperation alone, however, is noguarantee of success. Planning provedinvaluable in making the relocation asuccess on the ground as well as in theair. According to Carston Bell, directorof aerial photography for Angel CityAir flying out of Whiteman Airport inthe San Fernando Valley, planning wasparticularly crucial to converting themarket cluster's news helicopters.

"Here in LA, we have a very intensenewsgathering cycle from the air dueto geography, topology and news en-vironment?' he said. "Aircraft can't beout of service for an extended lengthof time, and there are not many he-licopters to move in to backup thosetaken out of service to be retrofitted?'

TET THESTORY.OR WATCHSOMEONEELSEREPORT IT.

NOTE TO SELF:

LOWER YOUR COST.Competition fuels the news business. It's

get or get out. So give your team an unfair

advantage: Streambox. Instead of rolling

ENG/SNG trucks, broadcasters can deploya scalable IP-based solution that helps

you move more content faster and at a

lower cost. Go live -to -air, edit the story forlater broadcast, or feed video to websites

and affiliates. Call us to schedule a demo.

2.1 StreamboxInnovation is in the box -

Learn more at www.streambox.comor call +1.206.956.0544 ext 3.


The Los Angeles market cluster held a test of the newdigital 2GHz Broadcast Auxiliary Service in the parking lot ofSweetwater Video Productions on April 25.

Angel City Air, which is contracted to fly news coptersfor KCBS, KTLA and KCAL in Los Angeles, had to plancarefully to draw from a limited pool on backup aircraft tomeet ongoing newsgathering demands while shuffling itshelicopters through difficult, regulated retrofits, he said.

A possible bumpWhile the success of the relocation in the Los Angeles

market cluster should give the industry a reason to cheer,there remains the fact that much work needs to be doneindustry wide to complete the project. The FCC has givenSprint Nextel and broadcasters almost an additional sixmonths to finish the project, but the commission alsowants to advance roll out of MSS service in the band.

For the time being, the FCC has reaffirmed that BAS li-censees in uncleared markets maintain their right to pro-tection from harmful interference from MSS service, saidDavid Donovan, president of the Association for MaximumService Television. "BAS licensees in uncleared marketshave remained primary, and MSS can't interfere with ENGoperations," he said.

However, the recent FCC report and order and furthernotice of proposed rulemaking seeks comment on wheth-er or not BAS licensees that haven't relocated by February2010 should maintain their primary status. The commis-sion even asked for comment on whether they should losetheir right to transmit on the old BAS frequencies after thenew deadline.

According to Donovan, finishing the project by Feb. 8,2010, prevents the possibility entirely. "We are workingmightily to achieve that," he said. "But if for some unforeseenreason we don't, we believe we should still be primary in theband. News shouldn't be interfered with." BE

Phil Kurz writes Broadcast Engineering's "ENG Update"e -newsletter.

Not in our business.

Adder II'Audio Excellence

Rattler-dO/SDI Solutions

TeleThon"CWDM/HD Transport

CopperHeadCamera -back Interfaces

In the field, you never get a secondchance to get it right.

-hat is where you need the deiendability of TelecastFiber Systems We pioneered the fiber optic industry,and we have keen ty/ ycur side for over fifteen yearsproviding the products ypu need every day.

111,e owe our access to you, yo it feedback and your

ideas. The result is exelent products that help you'get the shot", no matte- what.

Aid that is why we are outstanding in our field,aid yours.

glaTelecastFiler Systems, Inc.

508.754.1-858 www.teiecast-fiber.com

CJ 2308 Telecast Fiber Systems. All rights reserved.All tracemarks are the r:roperty of Telecast Fiber System:

July 2009 broadcastengineering.com 37

DIGITAL TUTORIALSYSTEMS INTEGRATION

Implementing IPv6The transition to IPv6 will be

necessary sooner rather than later.

0 ne by one all communi-cations services and ap-plications have migratedor are in the process of

migrating to Internet Protocol (IP)-based transport. IP enables the con-vergence of all data, voice and videoservices onto a common infrastruc-ture that delivers both increasedreturns on investment and reducedoperational costs.

The open -standards nature of IPeases integration of new capabilitiesand features, increases the agilityand scalability of the infrastructureand facilitates the creation of newor enhanced services through mash -ups of existing ones. Broadcast ser-vices infrastructures are on trackto inevitably converge to IP. Whilethe production and contributioncomponents of the infrastructure

BY CIPRIAN POPOCIVIU

portunities offered by the convergedinfrastructure, but also on the capa-bilities of today's IP and multiproto-col label switching (MPLS) networks.According to the Broadcast Engineer-ing article "Video over IP" from Feb-ruary 2008, high -bandwidth, Ether-net -based transport media featuresenable network convergence within0.5 and 0.05 seconds, low jitter anderror correction capabilities, alongwith protocols such as multicast andquality of service (QoS), which en-able optimal use of the infrastructureand make IP networks fully capableof supporting video services.

The next generation of IPWith the case for a migration to

IP infrastructures made, there is

only one step left to justify the veryexistence of this article: explain its

Contentconsumers

Contentdistribution

Contentcreation

Use IP-enabled devicesHandsetsPCsTVs

Done over IP networksBroadbandDTH, DVB-T/H

Collaboration over IP connectedContent sourcesProduction

Figure 1. Convergence of broadcasting services over IP infrastructures

might lag behind distribution inadopting IP, the characteristics ofcurrent and future content sourcesand content consumers demand aconverged, end -to -end IP network.(See Figure 1.)

The business and technical casefor IP-based broadcast networks isnot based only on the envisioned op -

focus on IPv6, the next generation ofIP. The main characteristics of IPv6and the case for its adoption werecovered in a December 2008 articlein Broadcast Engineering titled "IPv6is coming." It emphasized the needfor a large IP address space to sustainthe rapid and continued adoption ofthe Internet to support the increas-

ing number and types of devicesconnected via IP and to enable ser-vices that rely on peer -to -peer andmobility -focused communication.While IPv6 is not dramatically dif-ferent from IPv4, the version of IPcurrently in use, it provides the re-sources needed to scale up IP-basedinfrastructures and services. Theadoption of IPv6 is picking up steam,so it makes sense to keep it in mindwhen planning the deployment ofbroadcast services over IP.

The adoption of IPv6 in certainareas of broadcast services infra-structure is easily justified. With endsystems such as mobile handsets andhome networking devices adoptingIPv6, it makes practical and strategicsense to consider IPv6 for distribu-tion. There are already broadband ac-cess providers that deliver video con-tent over IPv6.

For other areas, however, the casefor IPv6 adoption might be less evi-dent, which could lead to a mix ofIPv4 and IPv6 infrastructures, eachsupporting specific aspects of thebroadcast service. It is important toremember that the two protocolsare incompatible, and the insertionof protocol translation gateways thatlead to loss of functionality and per-formance should be avoided. Instead,the boundaries between the IPv4 andIPv6 domains should be aligned withthe boundaries for the various com-ponents of the broadcast service. Forexample, content sources and pro-duction centers could be connectedover an existing IPv4 network, whiledistribution is done over IPv6.

Although the coverage of today'sIPv6 networks might not be sufficientto support the entire broadcast ser-vices chain, planning should be donefor end -to -end IPv6 transport.


"I need a faster, more accurate audio analyzer."

©Copyright Agilent Technologies 2009Trade in offer good for a limited time.

We knew you'd say that.The new Agilent U8903A audio analyzer is four times more accurate and

over seven times faster than its popular HP 8903B ancestor. In fact, it is

among the fastest and most accurate currently in its class. It's also a more

fully capable audio analyzer, letting you make crosstalk measurements and

phase measurements, FFT analysis, and graph sweep. And it will soon be

upgradable to eight channels. You can't find that anywhere else. Go online

to learn more about this remarkable new audio analyzer.

Save $2,400when you trade in your old HP 8903Bfor a new Agilent U8903A audio analyzer*www.agilent.com/find/U8903Apromo

u.s. 1-800-829-4444 canada: 1-877-894-4414

Agilent Technologies

DIGITAL TUTORIALSYSTEMS INTEGRATION

IPv6 infrastructuresThe architecture, design and prod-

ucts needed to deploy broadcastingservices over IPv4 are well under-stood and are already being used.Because, for the most part, IPv4 andIPv6 are similar, the same architec-ture and design principles apply toboth protocols:

The forwarding features and perfor-mance for IPv4 and IPv6 are similar.

Routing concepts are the same, sodesign is IP version agnostic but to-pology and environment dependent.

Similar network convergence timescan be achieved with either protocol.

the protocol as needed to supportnew services.

IPv6 offers a new rendezvous point(RP) discovery with the introductionof embedded RP, while the overalldeployment of multicast is made eas-ier in IPv6 through the new addressarchitecture.

Mobile IP provides more scalabledeployment options with IPv6.

For infrastructures leveragingMPLS, there is no real differentia-tion between the way IPv4 and IPv6is being tunneled. The control planeof the MPLS infrastructure might besupported and implemented only in

Studio

Source

Source

r="11:1/I\

Pvtinfrastructure

Production

IPv4/IPv6-accessible

content store

IPv6distribution

infrastructure -

IPv6-enabledconsumer devices

Figure 2. IPv4/IPv6 mixed infrastructures supporting broadcasting services

IPv4 multicast capabilities and ar-chitectures are available with IPv6.

The same features and capabilitiesavailable for implementing QoS forIPv4 are available with IPv6.

For the most part, the same securitypolicies apply to both IPv4 and IPv6.While some threats are eliminated byIPv6, new ones are introduced, whichrequire explicit mitigation.

There are finer differences, howev-er, between the two protocols, whichprovide alternative design optionsand service implementation or en-hancement:

The new IP header structure pro-vides the resources to enhance con-tent delivery services and to extend

IPv4; however, this has limited im-pact on transporting video contentover IPv6.

In reality, the main concern ofthe broadcaster who is implement-ing broadcast services over an IPv6infrastructure most likely is the fullsupport of the protocol by all the ele-ments involved in supporting the ser-vice. Everything from encoder/decod-ers and headends to video gatewaysand networking equipment needs tobe evaluated for IPv6 readiness.

The adoption of the protocol is on-going, and so is its maturity in termsof product support. Any equipmentthat leverages hardware assistanceneeds to be designed with IPv6 in

mind. Major manufacturers havebeen supporting IPv6 for some time,and feature or performance gaps (incomparison with IPv4) are fewerand less constraining. Nevertheless,as part of the planning process, it isimportant to identify gaps and futureneeds while working closely with ven-dors to mitigate the gaps.

SummaryThe convergence of broadcasting

services onto an IP infrastructureis inevitable. If your service alreadyleverages IPv4 transport, you needto start planning for the integrationof IPv6 and a migration and expan-sion of existing services to IPv6. Mosttechnical and operational aspects ofoperating an IP network for broad-casting services will apply to the newinfrastructure, which at first will op-erate in parallel over the same hard-ware as the IPv4 one.

If you are looking to implement IPtransport, then you should plan it ina version -agnostic (IPv4/IPv6) wayand focus on IPv6 wherever possible;plan to leapfrog. (See Figure 2.) IPv6transport or capabilities might notbe available in all infrastructures youneed; however, with expected exhaus-tion of the IPv4 address space by 2011,the transition to IPv6 will becomenecessary sooner rather than later. Theimportant thing is to be prepared, tounderstand where IPv6 will becomecritical first (distribution, for example)and to address the needs of existingcustomers and those of new ones. (Atthe consumer level, IPv6 adoption isfaster in Asia and Europe.)

It is never too early to start invento-rying IPv6 capabilities and the needsof the IP infrastructure supportingyour current or future broadcast ser-vices. Early planning ensures timelyreadiness and lower implementationand operating costs. BE

Ciprian Popoviciu, PhD, CCIE, leads theSystems and Infrastructure Data Centerarchitecture team at Cisco Systems. Heis co-author of two IPv6 books, "Deploy-ing IPv6 Networks" and "Global IPv6Strategies," and is a senior member ofthe IEEE.


TRAINING DOESN'T COST,a Broadcast IntineeriniSpetielized Tr.Int% lAkrosoft Internet Explorer proMded by Orimedle Haven

W. Ode %be. Few... 1xh nntvJ- n z Ft.tel p

naanliercankestercovemaaentHelantaton/Hoo aao,

v.hori. {3 eposperSso DOlitsive

01.A

.} Doak Narita..,510H y) Nay.

BroatIcastEngillelingSPECIALIZED TRAINING

111111AVAIIMIll SESSIONSIIWhy support education and training for a broadcast

or production staff?

Is technology riving Osier isgpiciAirtip

than your elaOt skills, Doyou hew engineers andoperators that aren't &do -

date on your latestequyrnent and systems,Haw the scowls of HOand handing rnon.lotroliscoNed worPHow probWnra

used on-Ni PastakeffThese failures can coat you

money

Hialajill111111111111--

etraHnlo.st E nqineetingpsOnered

OW la don nondlattarr

terns of owingworkshop. wooled

op.** to broadnatWagons me

engineer& stafs

PASO C01/1.9 are&synod in

Ilndraleudli tP10 VI.1,

. whNeu fAh tphon..

BTiInr Broad.

HP Mrs 000,rile

1Trrr BIpkaar Heoatelt

fiber 1161n,..tatto

IT PAYS.Is technology moving faster than your staff'sskills? Do you have engineers and operatorsthat aren't up-to-date on your latest equipmentand systems? Have the demands of HD andhandling multi -formats created workflowproblems or caused on -air mistakes? Thesefailures can cost you money.

Broadcast Engineering is excited to offer you an introductoryseries of training workshops targeted specifically to broadcastoperations and engineering staffs.

These courses are designed to:introduce new technology, solutions and operations toyounger staff members, andprovide a structured and thorough review for your moreexperienced staff.

All this is contained in a self -paced, complete programaccessible from any computer.

Log on to www.broadcastengineering.com/webcast/bestto learn more, or to enroll.

Leave the teaching to the experts,the consultants at Broadcast Engineering

POWERED BYzeus TM

BROADCAST Visit broadcastengineering.com/webcast/bestAn Obor Digital Company

BroadcastEilqineetinu sicigoR4SPIC1ALIZEO TRAINING

I

==-

*.

BiOadCaSIEngilleerin,SPECIALIZED TRAINIII

Me "la

BroafidS1...SPECIALIZED 1RAINING

TRAINING DOESN'T COST, IT PAYS.

Alm he elephant in the room is clearlythe ailing economy and how theinevitable chain reaction has nowaffected the broadcast industry.

It's no secret that the economy has indi-rectly affected a broadcaster's capital pur-chase plans. Every day we hear of more andmore layoffs in the broadcast industry. Thelow attendance at the 2009 NAB Show is yetanother indicator of the economy's effect onour industry.

The broadcaster's focus has shifted to out-right survival tactics and tried and provenROI projects. As we march through one ofthe darkest times in our history, let's look athow critical automation is to broadcastingduring these tough times. Several industryanalysts and leaders have said automatingprocesses, lowering staff count, smarteningefficiencies and doing more with less are allcritical for survival. This article examines theautomation changes broadcasters can make


_

ajaa-1311717

IKO

IN-T

v, the CB

S affiliate in

Portland, O

R, installed a G

rass Valley

Ignite integrated

production system that enaly es

operational efficiEnc}, allow

ingthe station to add

snore news program

ming

and real-time cut-im

s.

July200E

Ibroadeastencineering.com

43

FEATUREBROADCAST AUTOMATION

to survive and succeed during thesehard times.

Master control automationMaster control automation is criti-

cal in today's broadcasting world. Au-tomation systems are now advancedand proven to the point of normaleveryday usage, regardless of the levelof broadcaster. Whether you're a net-work broadcaster, a 10(YZ or WXYZ,a public, educational and governmen-tal (PEG) market broadcaster, or anaudio/video corporate broadcaster,there are proven solid-state automa-tion solutions available today.

There are three different types ofautomation systems. In standard sys-tems, a PC- and software -based unitcontrols primarily third -party de-vices. A combo system consists of aninternal video server and automationsystem combined in one box. Thehybrid system is a channel -in -a -boxsolution in which the video server,automation applications, routers,switchers, graphics, character genera-tors, etc., are included within one boxor system. The combo and hybrid sys-tems are growing in popularity. Oneof the principal reasons is because ofcosts, savings, simplicity of integra-tion and low maintenance costs.

News automationNews automation is increasing in

popularity, and it's a good way to cut

News automationis increasing in

popularity, and it'sa good way to cutcosts in strugglingnews departments.

costs in struggling news departments.There are two types of news automa-tion systems: hardware and software.The hardware news automation sys-tem is usually a news productionswitcher with advanced software forthe automation of various processes.

The upside of these systems is thatthey do well in late -breaking livenews or live production events. Thedownside is that they primarily onlycontrol proprietary devices and onlylimited external devices.

The software news automation sys-tems are PC -based and are external toswitchers, routers and video servers.

duction. The more a production canbe predefined, the better a productionautomation system will function.

Syndicated programmingand commercial interstitial

Syndicated programming andcommercial interstitial delivery sys-tems are another way to automate

_ .

r q3ir ,

.... ..... _

.....NI

Systems integration firm Advanced Broadcast Solutions did an extensive upgradeof the newsroom production environment at KBCI, the CBS affiliate in Boise, ID.The automated newsroom production workflow reduced control room personnel.

Software -based systems control a va-riety of third -party devices via IP/APIor Serial Control. The upside of thesesystems is that they can control a va-riety of third -party devices, regardlessof the manufacturer. The downside isthat they are not as flexible in late-

breaking live news events.

Production automationProduction automation can also be

effective in reducing headcount andincreasing efficiencies. Regardless ofthe task, such as studio production orsports, there is most likely a produc-tion automation solution to fit theneed. Like news automation, there areupsides and downsides to produc-tion automation systems, and they'reusually based on on -the -fly live pro-ductions or late -breaking live eventsversus a predefined and scripted pro -

and advance your workflow. Sev-eral companies have applicationsin which rich media, along withmetadata, is automatically pulled orpushed to play out video servers andautomation databases. Several mas-ter control automation manufactur-ers have partnered with these com-panies to streamline the workflowand automate the delivery process.Features and options include real-time messaging, hot folders, autodistribution and transcoding, QAnotifications, and auto database im-porting. These are all common func-tions with automated media contentdelivery systems.

The new trend with station groupsis HD content distribution using theirown networks. Because of the highcost of distributing HD program-ming commercially, station groups are


Innovation fromPrn-Rel and Snell & Wilcoxsnellgroup.com

Pro -Bel and Snell & Wilcox have joined forcesand created a new company to better servethe needs of the digital media market. Thecombination of Pro -Bel and Snell & Wilcoxbrings together hundreds of talented staff,and promises to deliver a new level ofinnovation, integrated solutions and serviceto customers worldwide.

Routing Modular Infrastructure

Conversion & Restoration Automation & Media Management

Production & Master Control Switching Control & Monitoring


installing distribution solutions thatwill work using their own networksor the public Internet. At the 2009NAB Show, several new distributioncompanies moved into the broadcastindustry from the IT, IPTV and In-ternet world. With more competitionin place, the price of HD distributionshould normalize and be more cost-effective for uplink facilities, stationsand station groups.

Automated rich mediadistribution

Automated rich media distributionsystems are now critical to an opera-tion in which all the rich media assetsare centralized. Several companiesspecialize in automated rich mediadistribution, nearline storage and ar-chive management, and transcoding.

Most master control automationsystems have limited to advancedforms of automated distribution ap-plications. Some are more sophisti-cated than others. With master controlautomation systems, their primarypurpose is to get rich media from anystorage point to the playout server withminimal human intervention.

Monitoring andcontrol systemsare now a must

as multiplechannels are a

norm in any givenbroadcast facility.

Master control automation systemsare increasingly becoming more so-phisticated in the area of rich mediaingest, transcoding and distribution.Several master control automationcompanies can ingest rich media intothe playout servers, nearline serversand archive servers, and in variousformats for outlets such as IPTV, theInternet and mobile.

They can also simultaneously

The control room at KNTV in San Jose,automated production control system.

transcode rich media for use in otherareas such as proxy low -resolutioncopies for desktop viewing and EDLediting. Master control automation'singest process can also auto transcodein a variety of formats such as Win-dows Media Player for Web VOD orWeb streaming. In addition, mas-ter control can distribute content towhere it's needed and wanted such asa local or remote playout video server,nearline system, archive system, oreven a directory on a Web site.

Nearline and archiveAutomated nearline and archive

systems are available for smaller op-erations. Some master control au-tomation companies have bypassedthird -party traditional nearline andarchive management systems. Severalmaster control manufacturers cancontrol and manage the storage andarchiving within their systems usinglow-level API control. Master controlautomation companies now providedirect control automated solutionsfor nearline and archive storage.

Automated ingestAutomated ingest systems have

been around for many years. Mas-ter control automation systems in-clude these as a standard application

CA, features a Ross Video OverDrive

with their systems. The difference ishow new formats are prepared andtranscoded for new business modelaudience delivery systems such asmobile, Internet, IPTV, etc. Mastercontrol and asset management com-panies now offer built-in transcodingoptions for the automated transcod-ing of rich media. Several master con-trol automation companies includebuilt-in transcoders as a built-in orexternal option with their systems.

Some third -party ingest systemsare becoming more and more visiblesince the explosion in new media out-lets. These systems were designed asingest systems with an advanced levelof transcoding, databasing, distribu-tion and management.

Monitoring and controlMonitoring and control systems

are now a must as multiple channelsare a norm in any given broadcast fa-cility. When stations combine chan-nel facilities, they use less broadcastengineers and operators to managemore channels and facilities. Moni-toring and control systems help anengineer do more with less. An en-gineer can be more efficient if he orshe has tools to help monitor broad-cast equipment and report on spe-cific problems and/or errors. A good


EngimeniBr oadcaslhaii er a

i0a . . .,

iiira, Technolo-'n II moroileiLLING

'ILOUANESSii

hen You, Preaii*MITiginianng consistent 137rwith,............I I I

_

allows cozy day thous.,consistently condol Peak

ronisi regardless input level,sore ada ITU PS1770 c

To StoryPssaudia momacsiserstret10Strong attendantechnology shodoptimism amid ec

Adeprtieeenent

pArrkit'et CASTS

Broadcast Engineering's not just in your mailbox. It's online. It's in your nbox. It's on your mp-3 player.

It's delivering all of the industry's latest news, technology, and updates in the format you choose, and

providing the solutions, training, and answers you need to help you get the job done right.

Visit us online at http://broadcastengineering.com to sign up for the FREEcoverage you need to keep on top of the latest developments.

US/Canada Edition

World Edition

Podcasts

Essential Guides

broadcastengineering.com

Broadcast Engineering E-zine

'E -newsletter Suite

Webcasts

NAB Special Report

IBC Product Source

Digital Reference Guide

BroadcastEngineering,

It's Your 360 -degree Connection to the World of Broadcasting.


monitoring and control system canautomate emergency backup signalscenarios and pin -point problem ar-eas without having to spend wastefultime searching for the problem.

Workflow automationWorkflow automation systems

are growing in popularity. Severalnew companies have exploded intothe broadcast world with an array ofworkflow automation systems thatcontrol a multitude of subsystems viaSerial, API and other forms of com-munication. Some are SNMP-com-patible and can also report systemserrors. These companies are IT -basedand manage and monitor file distribu-tion regardless if it is high -resolutionor low -resolution. The companies

SMPTE standardMXF is the best

proven audio/videostandard for theinterconnectivityand transporting

of rich media.

Lexington, KY, NBC affiliate WLEX-TV recently converted its automated mastercontrol system to HD, which included the installation of a Harris IconMasterswitcher and IconStation advanced channel branding station.

are especially strong in new businessmodels such as mobile, IPTV and iTVbecause they manage transcoding,distribution, storage and archiving.

All the while, they report continualstatus of operations. These are usu-ally enterprise- or facility -wide sys-tems that manage and monitor othersystems from a high level. They areimportant in the sense that they willhelp identify workflow holes acrossthe broadcast facility and work to re-solve gaps and brick walls.

StandardsSMTPE standard MXF is the best

proven audio/video standard for theinterconnectivity and transportingof rich media. Since manufactur-ing companies are slow to build sys-tems with more interoperability, theSMPTE standard MXF can act as thecommon ground between produc-tion, news, master control and otherexternal groups.

The new SMPTE BXF standardis one of the biggest advances in

Support 5 -Directional Wiring

Cabling Direction

Con ion UioVerNal

-ig7A/A1=IEdigital interconnect

Connecteng Diremcoof Comet bon llnl &CalAng DIK,10/1

VenK41,lioovontal

tionzontal

Velbcal

COUP"Connector Unit

COP-FM31 Unit Terminal Panel

COU-BP*Blank Panel

COP -a""Connector Panel

canare.com [email protected] 973.837.0070 hybrid fiber -optics 8 E0/0E snake systems connectors

Features

SMPTE 311 StandardIntegrated splice enclosureEasy maintenance

InstallationPatent Design

modular systemAvailable in 2RU, 3RU

and a variety

of Configurations

cable reels patchbays cables


BroadcagnoineeringIIIISPECIALIZED TRAINING

GIVE YOUR EMPLOYEES THE TRAINING THEYNEED TO CLIMB THE LADDER OF SUCCESS!

Does your staff need training on tie latest technology? Can't afford tosend them to expensive seminars? BrcarIcwt Engineering's SpecializedTraining Corporate Subscriptions prcv de the solution

Broadcast Engineering has assembled key end knowledgeableinstructors to prepare a catalog o- video, broadcast, satellite, engineeringand operational courses for station and roc uction staff. These coursesare designed to provide tutorial, non-produ:-t, traininc on the basics andintricacies of video, audio, and basic electrorvcs.

Best of all-courses are self -paced and accessible from any computer atany time! Students can start and stop the courses at their leisure.All that's required is a standard internet connection and computer audio.

Our catalog has something for every -pie. So--ie courses are designedfor newly -hired and less -trained ernpljyees Other courses provide Enengineer -level tutorial. There will be courses appropriate for any level oftraining you may need! Enjoy courses such s T for Engineers, Satcom,Intro to Video Compression and many more.

BENEFITS OF A CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION: Provides low cost training. No t-avel [lousing or OVE rtime pay required. Ensures a standard basic level of tra ning for all employees. Provides a refresher course to :ur-errt staff. Helps employees keep pace wkh tie times and technology. Use the courses to prepa-e key staff for promotions to new duties. Material is industry targeted and thus use-ul in preparing for

SBE certification (thouuh not des c ried for ary specific SBE certfication test:.

Authors are broadcast engineers, consultants and iidust-y-specificexperts with more than 1 00 years of combined ex oerience.

New courses are continually beinc developed. Let us know if there arespecific course topics you'd like us to develop and cover!

For a complete catalog of current courses, or more ir formation onpurchasing your corporate subscription, plse contact:Steven Bell at 91 3-967-7221 or steven.bell@penton.:om.

Powered by

BROADCASTAn Obor Digtal Compar


master control automation in thisdecade. Creating a standard simpli-fies and automates metadata betweentraffic systems and master controlsystems. The holy grail of automa-tion has always been to provide a sys-tem that uses a central database formetadata between traffic and mastercontrol. Of all the systems in a broad-cast facility, there is more interactionbetween traffic and master control.Because a central database system iseasier said than done, the next bestthing is to standardize on a format.SMPTE took the standard one stepfurther by establishing an HTMLmessaging protocol for the deliveryof messages in real time or near realtime. Traffic and master control canmake or react to programming andinterstitial changes or missing mate-rial throughout the broadcast day.

This year SMPTE is working on ex-panding BXF by creating a standardfor extracting metadata from MXFfiles and using them in a normalmetadata fashion. For example, if astation or network receives a file froma distributor, SMPTE is working onallowing BXF applications to extractthe metadata from the BXF file with-out having to wait for a separate tim-ing sheet. Combining metadata with

rich media is a common operation inEurope. In fact, Europe extracts meta -data that is automatically entered intothe master control automation systemfor playout. Databases in master con-trol and traffic for spot or program-ming metadata are not very commonlike it is in the United States.

Branding and graphicsBranding and graphics automa-

tion systems have been around for a

Because a centraldatabase system

is easier saidthan done, thenext best thingis to standardize

on a format.

while and are now advanced to thepoint in which they can literally fullyautomate a broadcast channel like acombo or hybrid automation systemcan. Although graphic systems com-panies don't advertise themselves asmaster control automation, they es-sentially are branding versions of

master control automation systems.The major difference between graph-ic systems and master control comboor hybrid systems is usually the qual-ity and sophistication of the graphicsthemselves. Some companies outputstunningly good-looking graphicsthat are hard to match with a typicalcombo or hybrid automation system.If channel branding is important toyour channel's success, consider agraphic automation system. Therehas been an increase in branding au-tomation systems in secondary DTVchannels from coast to coast.

CentralizationCentralization or centralcasting is

once again a focus for station groups.Many have already installed solutionsto control multiple remote broadcaststations. Centralized and centralcast-ing systems are quickly advancing asInternet and internal networks areincreasing bandwidth, transcodersare lowering bit rates, and Internetapplications are becoming more so-phisticated. At this year's NAB Show,one company's executives noted cen-tralization and centralcasting instal-lations as one of its biggest revenuegenerators. BEC (Broadcast Engi-neering Conference) hosted a session

+ A sound solution for embedded audio.+ Extracts and displays 16 channels of audio from

HD or SD SDI signal streams.+ Solo listening to each channel DSP based,

makes it readily configurable to suit your application.

8.E31

Ward -Beck Systems Ltd. // 10-455 Milner Avenue r Toronto, Ontario M1B 21(4 ri North American 800.7/12556 Internation,a .115 /..o 559/ www.ward-beck corn openGear ----=BashBoard= OD Dolby E9 sit rt,IER



during NAB featuring centralizationsystems installed at one of the majorU.S. broadcast groups.

There are a multitude of mastercontrol automation companies thathave advanced systems to control ahub and spoke operation. A few ofthe standard automation manufac-turers have centralized systems thatuse internal peer -to -peer networksfor master control operations, ingestand databasing operations in whichprogramming is ingested and timedonce, and the metadata and rich me-dia is distributed to all stations thatneed it on the network.

ConclusionAt the end of the day, review the ar-

eas of your broadcast facility and de-termine how they interconnect witheach other. Identify the workflow holes.Ask yourself, "What are the workflowprocesses, and how many people dowe have doing these tasks?" Also, de-

termine what applications are runningin these areas and how they really pro-vide an automated workflow.

Upgrading or changing appli-cations may prove to be a quick

At the end ofthe day, review

the areas of yourbroadcast facility

and determine howthey interconnectwith each other.

return on your investment. There areautomation solutions for each areaof a broadcast facility. Solutions areavailable for large and small stationgroups. Look for smarter systems thatcan interconnect and interact bet-ter than others. If you're not pleased

with the interconnectivity of varyingsystems, the industry has many gluecompanies with sophisticated appli-cations designed to tie varying sys-tems together. There are several long-standing companies that specializein gluing systems together. Look forcompanies that have OEM partner-ships. These companies tend to bemore responsive with less finger -

pointing when a situation arises. Findthe right applications to streamlineyour operation.

Broadcasters are demanding moreinterconnectivity with variable sys-tems, but it seems the broadcast man-ufacturing industry is moving slowlyin bringing interconnectivity solu-tions forward. Beware: Many manu-facturing companies talk a good story,but open interconnectivity appears tobe slow in developing. BE

Sid Guel is the president and founder ofBroadcast Automation Consulting.

Getting ahead means changing the dynamics

Immediately eliminate costs to positively impact your bottom line ROI.VerityTM is an advanced real-time S'NGLE management system thatautomates your back office, from Sales to Traffic to Operations to Billing

Visit www.vcisolutions.com/ver;ty to learn more vcisolutions

July 2009 broadcastengineering.com 51

FIELD REPORTNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

Avid's InterplayInterplay helps Versus kick off its HD tapeless workflow.

thieving an HD tapelessworkflow was a dauntingtask for Versus, a nationalcable sports network. In

2007, the company launched an ag-gressive project to archive its growingvideotape library. Budgeting was asdifficult as obtaining the goal.

Budgeting for tapelessThe key budget objective was to find

out what the annual costs were to keepone videotape on a shelf at the facilityin Stamford, CT. The secondary bud-get objective was to calculate the an-nual cost and time it takes to move thecontent off of that single tape, into anedit room and eventually to air. Fac-tors for determining these costs werebroken down into facility, operationaland production categories.

Facility costs included:base rent (price per square foot);environmental (AC, electric);shelving; andinsurance.Operational costs included:librarians' salary;

BY PAUL KOOPMANN

library database support andmaintenance;courier; and

VTR maintenance.Production costs included:tape stock;digitizing time (loss of edit timedue to digitizing);logging time; andthird shift staffing for digitizing tomeet production timeline.Once all of these factors were tal-

lied, the annual cost to use one 60 -

minute videotape once a year wasoutrageously expensive. This gave thearchive project momentum.

Saving real estateAnother major need for the network

was to reclaim the valuable productionreal estate being swallowed by this evergrowing library of videotapes. Morethan 20 percent of the facility was usedto store media and tape stock.

Versus' large library of sports prop-erties included SD and HD content forthe National Hockey League (NHL),Professional Bull Riders (PBR), Tour

de France and other professionalcycling races, World Extreme Cage -fighting (WEC), college football, fieldsports programming and, most re-cently, the IndyCar Series. With mul-tiple locations requiring these tapes,the costs exponentially grew eachtime a tape was needed.

Choosing a solutionThe budget to build, encode and

support a tapeless post and produc-tion workflow amortized itself quick-ly. A team evaluated technologies andcompanies that could meet the goalswithin the tight timeline and budget.Selecting the right technologies andresources were paramount to the suc-cess of the project.

Versus chose Avid's Interplay inpart because of the network's existingISIS storage array, multiple edit sys-tems and AirSpeed. The team testedInterplay in length and found it tohave advanced toolsets that wouldaid post and production teams, as wellas creative services and new mediadepartments.

With Interplay selected, the networkwanted to make sure the next piecesof the puzzle worked seamlessly withInterplay. SGL's FlashNet was openlysupported within Avid's workflowand brought in for another roundof testing. It proved to be extremelycompatible.

The next step was selecting a ro-bot that could store all of the mediaassets onto LTO4 tapes. The networkresearched all of the major manufac-turers and found Spectra Logic to havethe most expandability, reliability andoverall best customer service based onthe feedback it received from users inboth the financial and broadcastingsectors.

Versus chose Avid's Interplay in part because of the network's existing ISIS storage Getting up and runningarray, multiple edit systems and AirSpeed. With the three key components


FIELD REPORTNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

selected, we created a timeline forrolling out these intricate solutions.

The first phase, upgrading fromAvid's Media Manger to Interplay, wasscheduled to happen over a weekend inAugust 2007. This was a daunting taskdue to tight production schedules. Theupgrade was successfully completedwithin 72 hours. During this same pe-riod, the network was building out anew HD studio in Stamford and wasworking around the clock to meet theOct. 3 launch date of the NHL.

Phase two happened in September2007 and included the addition ofeight SD/HD AirSpeeds and three ad-ditional Adrenaline edit suites.

Phase three occurred in February2008 and included the installationand configuration of FlashNet and aSpectra Logic T950 robot. This installwas flawless and happened right inthe middle of the NHL season.

The encoding workflowAfter the technologies were in place,

the next step was getting the encodedcontent into Interplay. Versus' pro-duction staff was already taxed withcreation of content to keep up withprogramming and could not encodethousands of tapes. Installing a dozenencoding stations and hiring free-lancers to digitize was sheer insanity

and would never make even a smalldent into the library. Creating digitalcontent with rich metadata that wasuseable, searchable and conformed toour tape logs was something freelancedigitizers could not do.

The most critical piece becamemetadata. How does the network ex-tract the rich metadata that alreadylived in its Nesbit library database?

After a long search, the networkwas introduced to Mediakive, a NewHampshire -based company special-izing in encoding vast tape librar-ies. Mediakive's team worked closelyto extract the metadata from Nesbitand thousands of tape logs. Once themetadata structure was created, thenetwork new it was almost there.

Mediakive took on the task of en-coding the tape library with the ide-ology of creating a media conveyorbelt. Thousands of tapes were packedup and shipped to New Hampshirefor encoding and eventual long-termstorage in their environmental con-trolled warehouse. Content began toarrive in March 2008 on 1TB ESATAdrives for consolidation and checkinginto Interplay. The entire process isridiculously simple.

In less than a year, Mediakive hasencoded thousands of hours of SDand HD content for Versus. High -

resolution content is encoded atDV50 and DNX145, then transcod-ed to a 2MB proxy while the high-res media is offloaded to the T950through FlashNet.

Versus' workflow enables all editors,producers and other departments tobrowse, search and edit with the prox-ies. This keeps its ISIS storage lean andmean. With more than 120TB of ISISstorage, the network would fill it quick-ly due to all the HD feeds happeningalong with the content that Mediakiveis delivering. The proxy workflow en-ables the creative teams to only restorethe needed high-res content.

Selecting the right technologies fora digital asset management and archiveis 30 percent of the equation. Another30 percent is refining workflow andeducating the production team. Thelast 40 percent is amassing enough dig-ital content in a short period of time tomake the technology and workflow vi-able. Without the content, the technol-ogy and workflow is useless.

This workflow has reduced opera-tional and production costs, increasedproductivity and creative collabora-tion, and protected Versus' valuablemedia assets indefinitely. BE

Paul Koopmann is the director ofbroadcast engineering for Versus.

MEDIORNETRe -Defining Fiber -Optic Networks

Fiber Signal Transport for Multi -Channel HD/SD VideoAudio, Intercom & DataSupports any Combination of Network TopologiesIntegrated CWDM MultiplexingUncompressed Real -Time Signal Distributionand RoutingSupports 3rd Party Router ControlSoftware -based Signal Processingand ConversionFuture -proof Hardware Platform

www.mediornet.com

July 2009 1 broadcastengineering.com 53

TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSITIONNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

A switcher's life cycleExpect next-gen production switchers to be 1080p60.

This month, let's look at pro-duction switchers from thestandpoint of product lifecycles. Every manufacturer

looks at the four stages of product lifecycle (introduction, growth, mature,saturation/decline) as both oppor-tunity and risk to be managed. As anindustry, we might look at the overallproduct category and decide whereopportunities remain for innovation,whereas as users, we should be awareof the likely decisions manufacturersmust inevitably make.

The early daysThe first production switchers,

developed for monochrome televi-sion in the late 1930s, provided littlemore than cuts, fades and mixes. Inthe 1960s, the second stage of switch-ers emerged. They evolved to success-fully accommodate color, with com-pletely different processing neededfor the three principal color standardsworldwide (PAL, SECAM and NTSC).Bandwidths had to be higher and sig-nal electronics more linear in perfor-mance. In that same generation camesignificant new effects, with complexwipe generators and the introductionof chroma key. These products devel-oped into mature offerings, and newgenerations replaced them with moreeffects rows and new capabilities toaccommodate the increasingly com-plex production styles in vogue.

In this period, the first digitaltechniques were introduced as bothstand-alone and integrated tools. Thekey capability was to break the fixednature of the plane of the image, al-lowing digital video effects to zoomand pan the picture. Eventually, full3-D manipulations became possibleas software evolved, but the basictools from the 1960s until the late1980s were essentially unchanged.

In the late 1980s came the third

BY JOHN I UFF

Sandor Bondorowsky, an owner of Remote Digital Media in Montclair, NJ, uses a

FOR -A HVS-300 switcher during the production of a concert at the Nokia TheaterTimes Square in New York City. The HD unit supports 10801, 720p and SD sources.

cycle of products. They were radi-cally different in that processing wasnot analog, but rather entirely digital.Functionally, little was new, but interms of picture quality and the abil-ity to create complex layering, this cy-cle produced a major divergence fromthe past, every bit as fundamental asthe move from monochrome to col-or -capable versions. Over time, digi-tal effects moved into newer switch-ers. System stability improved, andelectronics units reduced in size.

Today's and next-gen unitsNow we have entered an era when

HD content predominates. Ten yearsago, an HD -capable switcher cost$750,000, making HD more of a sci-ence project than a business tool. Iquestion how fundamentally differentthe early HD switchers were from SDdigital, but now several manufactur-ers deliver units with clear differentia-tion. These are what I interpret as thethird generation of products - thosethat allow mixing of different resolu-tions (i.e., 525-, 1080- and 720 -linesystems) in one product. Though not

quite resolution -independent, theyfree users from technical restraintsregarding the way content is manipu-lated during a production, and theysimplify system designs.

It might be useful to think aboutthe life cycle of a switcher in a station,which is determined by three essen-tially independent timelines. The de-preciation cycle is of interest mostlyto senior management and the CFO,for it affects long-term capital invest-ment needs. The production cycleis determined by the desires of theproduction staff and the competi-tive landscape in which productionsare developed. And the technologytimeline is determined by both thereliability of the product and the wayit fits into a slowly evolving systemarchitecture. When a new switcheris installed, all three clocks reset, butall except the depreciation clock runat only slightly predictable speeds.The goal is to maximize the product'slong-term viability in both produc-ers' and engineers' perspectives andapproximate the depreciation cycle,or ideally - from the CFO's view -


If your production is this critical,chances are, you're already using Ross.

I,

Martha can't hear as well as she used to. But, after all these years, the one thing that hasn't changed is JJ's sparkle.

4 robotic cameras, a Vision switcher panel, a loaded 4 ME QMD/X chassis, and built-in UltraChrome'' advanced chroma keying

From headlines to lotto numbers. Ross - Give 'em what they came for.

OverDrive'roduction Con rol Sysrn

Vision QMD/XThe Vision QMD/X is the mostpowerful production switcher wemake. It combines our modularcontrol panel with the powerfulQMD or QMD/X live productionengine, providing up to 4 fullMLEs with up to 6 downstreamkeyers. The Vision QMD/X isa great choice for the mostdemanding newscasts, sportsand special events with eitherHD or SD requirements or a mixof both. With a Vision QMD/Xyou'll know that whatever theproduction challenge, you'vegot it covered.

XPression3D HO Character Generatorand Craphi.zs System

openGearTerminal Equips

SoftMetalVideo Server

CrossOverCompact VideoPraduction Switchers

Vision QMD/XHE Produc- ion Switchers

Ross Video designs, markets, manufactures, and supports a wide range of inrovative product; ROSSfor use in broadcast, distribution, live event and production applications. Ross products arefound in over 100 countries and are used 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to produce anddistribute video and audio signals. www.rossvideo.com Liue Production Technology

TM

TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSITIONNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

exceed it. This might be possible instable markets, but this is not a stabletime. As I write this article, the Juneanalog cutoff has just occurred, andno one expects stability in our indus-try given the dynamic and the gener-ally foul business climate.

Times of change breed more change,and in this case it seems likely that themomentum behind HD productionwill only continue to accelerate. Veryfew 4:3 receivers are purchased today,and consumers seem to want every-thing in HD on their big flat panels.That demand will undoubtedly drivemore production switcher develop-ment in HD.

Going back to product life cycleplanning, the generation of productswe are in now best fits the growthstage, where costs come down due toeconomies of scale, and sales volumesincrease significantly. In combination,that creates profits, public awareness

and competition, which keeps pricesin check as new players and productspop into view. It would not be un-reasonable to see HD switcher pricesgenerally, though slightly, decline toessential parity with where SD switch-er prices were a couple of years ago.Stable prices will move capital dollarswhen the first signs of economic re-covery appear. Those dollars will fur-ther accelerate the pace of technologyinnovation as manufacturers move toparticipate in the maturing market.

When digital switchers first cameout, it seemed that a simple translationof analog production techniques hadbeen embedded in the digital products.At NAB this year, the new productionswitchers seemed to have moved pastthat to new features not possible withold thinking or analog devices. Controlpanels have become modular work sur-faces that are simply user interfaces forsophisticated digital processing.

That got me thinking how long itmight be before conventional videohardware exists only in the I/O forswitchers. When pressed, one manu-facturer admitted that the next gen-eration of switchers will be capable of1080p60, with 3-D content switchinga production requirement for manylive productions. They will likely in-clude a work surface tied to a rackof blade servers processing content.When that happens, we will certainlyhave achieved a fourth generationand perhaps the last where hardwareis differentiated between generations.Once a switcher is mostly software oncommon IT platforms, the evolutionof the production process will take agiant leap forward.

John Luff is a broadcast technologyconsultant.

BE

11Send questions and comments to:[email protected]

subosubscriptions

Let Broadcast Engineering keep youup-to-date on the latest industry news,technology developments, new productsand services...and more.

Apply for your free subscription today.Log on to broadcastengineering.com andclick on "subscribe."

And...you can also sign up for any of theindustry's leading e -newsletters fromBroadcast Engineering.

broadcastengineering.corn

Broadcast Engineering.

.1,1/ ktiv

reLasitiew

GOi

--'

LIFETIMETELEVISION

4 .4, -CREATINGA DIGITAL WORKFLOW44,11 1941 iV 1,4].

ROWS upECTIVE ANDFORMING

STEMSES AND

NOLOGY


Tune intoBrad onBroadcast

Broacica,t

Transmittingstraight from

the desk ofBroadcast

Engineeringeditorial director,

Brad Dick.

Read hislatest rants,

raves andreviews.

for an inside take on theindustry's hottest topicsBroadcast Engineering has launched an exciting new weekly

dialog called Brad on Broadcast. Editorial Director, Brad

Dick, hosts the blog and offers his viewpoints on key industry

issues and those most affecting the magazine's readers. From

technology to budgets, from competition to industry cutbacks,

Brad tackles them all-and invites your feedback.

Armed with 18 years as a broadcast engineer and more

than 20 years as a Broadcast Engineering editor, Brad

Dick understands the challenges and reeds that technical

managers and engineers face. He's been on the front line,

solved problems and learned from the experiences. Now he's

sharing those thoughts in a weekly blog.

Tune in to become a part ofthis critical industry conversation.http://blog.broadcastengineering.com/brad

NEW PRODUCTSNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

AXON Digital Design GDK100

HD/SD/3Gb/s downstream keyer modulefor Synapse includes four triple -rate in-puts (two background inputs, one fill in-put and one key input) and outputs (twoprogram, one preview and a user -defin-able output); features adjustable slice leveland transparency, as well as transparencyfor 16 channels of embedded audio andall ANC data.

301-854-6557; www.axon.tv

Adtec Digital signEdje

TV converter distributes HD and SDaudio and video content over the digitaltelevision tier; allows audio and video sig-nals from digital signage products, DVDplayers and TV receivers from direct -to -home satellite TV providers to be distrib-uted over a digital cable system in a cost-effective manner.

615-256-6619; www.adtecinc.com

ComNet F32V8DT/R(NIKS)1

Digital fiber-optic video and data mul-tiplexer transmitters and receivers sup-port 32 channels of high -quality videowith eight channels of bidirectional serialdata; available for use over multimodeor single -mode optical fiber; offer 10 -bitRS -250C short -haul quality video perfor-mance; can transport video up to 20kmbetween locations.

203-796-5300; www.comnet.net

Vector 3 VECTORBOX DSX

Playout system includes automation, mul-tiformat support and graphics features forfull channel branding; supports a singleSDI or analog input and simultaneousoutput; uses new multimedia technology,SATA storage and software -based process-es such as VGA trimming and browsing tocreate a system for users needing numer-ous playout channels.

+34 934 151 285www.vectorbox.com

Technomad PowerChiton

Power amplifier module unites a high-performance, passively cooled amplifierwith an IP66-rated, low -profile encoder;networking options include widespreadwireless networking using FM audio dis-tribution technology, Ethernet network-ing capabilities for wide -area distributionor facility LAN and twisted -pair network-ing for long-distance distribution; fea-tures a broadcast -quality balanced lineinput, second input and internal [Ili xer.

800-464-7757; www.technomad.com

Optical Zonu SFC Transceivers

Dual -rate, single -fiber, full -duplexCWDM transceivers allow for a single-SKU optical link with identical transceiv-ers at both the hub and customer prem-ises; feature SFP-MSA digital diagnosticsmonitoring; work in conjunction withmultiplexers/demultiplexers to supportup to 10 business -class SONET/SDH orGigE customers on a single fiber withfull -duplex operation over long-rangedistances up to 75km; provide data inputrequired to support the operations, ad-ministration and maintenance features ofIEEE 802.3ag and ITU Y.1731 standards.

818-780-9701; www.opticalzonu.com

K-Tek Kwiksock

Windscreen provides additional layer ofwind protection underneath an existingzeppelin; features short -hair faux fur andfleece lining; rolls up tightly and packseasily into small bag or provided carry-ing pouch; available in short, mediumand long sizes; comes in 21mm or 19mmdiameters to fit most shotgun microphones.

760-727-0593; www.ktekbooms.com

Compix CompactCG

Portable CG offers specs and feature setof a full-size system in 1RU chassis; pro-vides automated template -based graphicsgeneration and real-time graphics overlayof live video; supports 16:9 and 4:3 aspectratios, Windows IME multiple languagesettings and True Type fonts; meets SD -SDI and analog composite NTSC and PALspecs including SMPTE 170M, SMPTE259M with embedded audio pass -throughand EIA-608b closed -captioning compat-ibility; available in SD -SDI and analogconfigurations.

949-585-0055; www.compix.tv

TV One EDID Manager

Designed for C2 -2000A series of videoswitcher/scalers; allows user to copy EDIDdata from a display attached to the unit'soutput and simulate its presence to a PCthat is attached to its input, giving thescaler transparent EDID operation; holdsmultiple copies of EDID data in non-volatile memory and allows user to selectwhich one is shown to a PC on the DVIinput; up to six custom EDID settings canbe stored in the CORIO2 unit.

800-721-4044; www.tvone.com

Petrol PRP-2

Rain poncho is sized to cover a user car-rying a mixer and fully loaded sound bag;features front section made of transparentpolyurethane, slotted hand openings oneither side, long sleeves, two-sided bungeecords and anchor clips to adjust the hood,fabric -covered front zipper and sealedand reinforced seams.

845-268-0100; www.petrolbags.com

58 broadcastengineering.corn I July 2009


AV Toolbox VS -226

HDMI downconverter converts HDMIinput, or DVI-D with optional adapter,to an interlaced NTSC or PAL SD videosignal; provides analog stereo audio andcoax S/PDIF outputs as well as reclockedHDMI signal; automatically detects theHDTV signal's resolution and is fullycompliant with HDMI v1.2, DVI v1.0 andHDCP v1.1 specs; ships with an AC to DCpower adapter.

800-721-4044; www.tvone.com

Litepanels lx1 Low Profile

LED lighting fixture mounts flat against aceiling or wall and sticks down 3M fromthe surface where it is mounted; drawslittle power and can be operated from a12V DC connection; cool to the touchand dimmable via DMX or control on thefixture; available in flood, spot and superspot configurations.

818-752-7009; www.litepanels.com

Facilis Technology TerraBlock 4.0

Shared file system enables write access formultiple clients on the TerraBlock VirtualVolume 8Gb Fibre Channel SAN; allowsfile -level and volume -level sharing on thesame network; enables users to designatetheir virtual volumes as multiuser write orsingle -user write; supports up to 220MbHD and uncompressed SD capture on afile -level Windows volume.

800-620-7022; www.facilis.com

Snell Pyxis

Family of routing switchers features awide range of signal cards that can mixand match signal types in a 1RU or 3RUframe; high packing density allows 17 x17 SDI (SD, HD or 3G) in 1RU and upto 72 x 72 in 3RU, up to 144 x 144 stereoAES and analog audio in 3RU, or 36 x 36in 1RU; includes an integral system con-troller; can be slaved from external con-trol systems with control via Ethernet orRS -422.

818-556-2616; www.snellgroup.com

NTP Technology RCCoreV3

Router control system handles configura-tion, control and supervision of all routermodules in an NTP audio signal distri-bution system; forms a communicationinterface to third -party communicationprotocols; operates through a network -based infrastructure with all communica-tion based on TCP/IP link protocol and a10Mb/s or 100Mb/s LAN/WAN interface;features an integral solid-state server pro-viding fast control access and resourcesfor additional control applications.

+45 4453 1188; www.ntp.dk

RTVV

Wohler RMT-150-SD

Single -screen 15in SD monitor handlescomposite/S-video/component (HD/SD)and VGA/DVI-D/HDMI video; featurestwo SD -SDI inputs and an SD -SDI activeloop -through; can display eight channels ofPPM over VU audio level meters, IMD, safeareas, frame marks, cropping, switchable as-pect ratios and built-in color bars; availableas a rack- or table -mount system, or can beused with a standard VESA mount.

510-870-0810; www.wohler.com

QuStream QFX DL-DVI

Compact media extender enables long-distance transport of DVI, VGA, RGB andRGBHV signals up to 1920 x 1200 at 60Hzover a single copper for fiber interface ca-ble; can be used as part of a switch matrixor as stand-alone distribution module;supports 1080p and is based on SMPTE425 Level A format specs; rack mountholds up to two units in 1RU and stand-alone includes screw holes for rack -railmounting; includes a USB configurationport for setup and diagnosis.

800-328-1008; www.qustream.com

10800X Sachtler

Eight -channel desktop audio vectorscopefeatures peak program meters, a sur-round -sound analyzer with graphic dis-play, and analog and digital inputs; sup-ports 2/0, 3/0, 3/1 and 3/2 (5.1) formats;modes include 31 -band RTA, real-timevectorscopes (two and four channels),multiphase meters and an AES/EBU sta-tus monitor.

+49 221 709130; www.rtw.de

Cine 7+7 HD

Cine-style 100mm fluid head system fea-tures a front pan bar, sideload clamp, 6inwide displacement area, 16 -step coun-terbalance and multicontact switching;offers payload range of 4.41bs to 48.51bsand seven horizontal and seven verticaladjustable levels of drag; available in fivecomplete systems when matched with dif-ferent types of tripods.

845-268-0100; www.sachtler.us

July 2009 1 broadcastengineering.com 59


Wireworks TacCat ComNet

Network cables provide tactical Cat 5eEthernet interconnection in a heavy-dutyconstruction; available with Neutrik'setherCON data connectors or traditionalRJ45 Ethernet connectors, both with col-ored boots for fast recognition, and inlengths ranging from 25ft to 250ft, withcustom lengths to order.

800-642-9473; www.wireworks.com

Bridge Technologies VB270

VideoBRIDGE module for monitoringand analysis of satellite signals with bothDVB-S and DVB-S2 demodulation com-plements capabilities of VB250 for DVB-Tnetworks and VB260 for cable networks;features QPSK capabilities including DiS-EqC 2.x compliance, SNR and BER moni-toring, analog RF carrier signal level mea-surements, built-in GPI and configurableround-robin transponder testing.

+47 22 38 51 00; www.bridgetech.tv

Element Technica V -DOCK

Mounting system replaces Velcro or gaffertape to attach camera accessories; features afemale V -LOCK interface and spring -load-ed split clamp as well as a separate male V-

LOCK that attaches to accessories to allowfast, easy mounting; anchors anywhere ona single 15mm or 19mm iris rod.

323-641-7327www.elementtechnica.com

Vaddio ClearVIEW HD -18

Robotic HD, single CCD PTZ camera of-fers high -quality HD/SD integration withCat 5 cabling technology, a multielementwide dynamic lens with 18X zoom, "rightlight" compensation and freedom tochoose any resolution.

800-572-2011; www.vaddio.com

SHR line Aviom Pro64 Network Manager

Digital fiber-optic video transmitter andreceiver line consists of FVTEVR1010-SHR single channel with data series, FVT/FVR4014SHR series with four video andfour data channels and FVT/FVR8018-SHR series with eight video and eightdata channels; incorporate self -healingfeatures that seamlessly reroutes the videoand data transmission in the event of abroken fiber connection; bidirectionaldata transmission allows for the cameraPTZ function to be controlled from anymonitoring location.

203-796-5300; www.comnet.net

Sennheiser MZF 8000

Filter module for the MKH 8000 micro-phone series; allows microphone seriesto provide excellent sound and climateresistance in tough broadcasting and filmapplications, effectively suppressing bothhandling and wind noise; signal level canbe lowered via a high -quality pad thatallows it to be optimally adapted to therecording equipment; is small and light-weight; ideal for boom applications.

860-434-9190www.sennheiserusa.com

Gepco VHD13F

Extra -flexible HD coax cable with threeaudio twisted pairs houses the audio andvideo components side by side; each au-dio pair is individually shielded and iso-lated with a mylar/foil shield and drainwire; features a precision, stranded, cen-ter conductor and double -braided shield;rated to a 4.5GHz bandwidth.

800-966-0069; www.gepco.com

Software control application providesglobal and device -specific information tothe user, as well as remote control of everyPro64 device in a network using a PC con-nected to the I/O module set as the con-trol master; connects to an audio networkvia RS -232; uses built-in managed modeto simplify tasks related to supporting andconfiguring Pro64 networks.

610-738-9005; www.aviom.com

MultiDyne HDMI-ONE

HDMI/DVI fiber link with HDCP copy-right protection support provides bidi-rectional communication over one fiber,pixel -for -pixel image transport and a 100percent 24 -bit scan rate with no contour-ing or bit reduction; supports WUXGAup to 1920 x 1200 and is transparent withno frame dropping; allows transmissionsof up to 1000m over multimode fiber.

877-MULTIDYNEwww.multidyne.com

Noise Industries FxFactory v2.0.7

Visual effects software for Adobe After Ef-fects CS 3/CS 4, Apple Final Cut Studioand Apple Final Cut Express applicationsoffers more than 300 plug -ins; featuresimprovements to all filters in the blurand glow categories; includes new PDFAnimator, Alpha Merger and Perlin Noisegenerator modules.

415-401-7382www.noiseindustries.com

WASP3D WASPi Mimosa

Touch -screen-based broadcast presenta-tion tool includes user-friendly featuressuch as touch -screen controls, menugroups for creating custom menus andbuilt-in telestration tools.

+91 120 430 8888; www.wasp3d.com



OConnor Engineering 120Exe Panavision Louma 2

Encoded heavy-duty fluid head provideshigh -precision pan -and -tilt position in-formation for cinema -quality visual effectsproduction via an external 19 -pin Fischerconnector; features built-in encoders anddoesn't require bolt -on assembly; can sup-port up to a 1201b camera package throughthe entire tilt range of 90 degrees and cancounterbalance up to 2401bs through a tiltrange of 60 degrees.

818-847-8666; www.ocon.com

Camera movement system built on anopen -architecture platform features a

newly developed arm for more than 24ftof telescopic travel and two- or three -axisremote head and leveling gear that can beswitched easily from overslung to under -slung and back; ShotAssist software han-dles pan compensation; includes customtrolleys and an operator's cart.

818-316-1080; www.panavision.com

Harris QVM6800+ Quad

Small -footprint, quad -split multiviewerin a card is designed to bring high -quality,multi -image processing functionality tothe Harris 6800+ modular core process-ing platform; features minimum pro-cessing delays of less than one frame andintegration with Harris CCS Navigatorremote monitoring and control software;designed for AV studio and productionapplications and OB/mobile productionvehicles.

800-442-7747www.broadcast.harris.com

Custom Consoles System 2

Multielernent furniture system accom-modates free-standing or pod -mountedequipment such as graphics workstationsand editing terminals; features a front -facing cable -access slot; includes the S2 -01B desk and S2-0213 monitor shelf, bothelectronically adjustable in height from660mm to 1200mm.

+44 1525 379909www.customconsoles.co.uk

OmniBus iTX GFX

Graphics platform combines iTX withrtSoftwaretOG rendering engine to de-liver 2D/3D graphics and real-time DVEeffects; runs on an enhanced hardwareplatform; can handle CG compatibility aswell as live video and DVE moves that canbe previewed on the iTX desktop; createsresolution -independent graphics for SD,HD or Web streaming.

303-237-4868; www.omnibus.tv

eus.BROADCAST

broadcast.com

Wish you couldpredict the future?You can with Zeus.

Don't be caught off guard withunnecessary equipment issues.Get Zeus. .the rrost trustedweb -based ecuipment managementand troale-ticlet system.

Anytime, anywhere. Tha-.'s the beaLtd o' our 100% web -based equipment and service management

system. Made by broadcasters for boaccasters, Zeus allows an infirite number of users to access

the site from any Interret conn.cticn at anytime. Isn't that simple?


A PENTON MEDIA PUBLICATION

BroadcastEngineering®www.broadcastengineering.com

Editorial Director Brad Dick, [email protected]

Editor World Editioit David Austerbeny [email protected]

Managing Editor. Susan Anderson, susan.andersonapenton.com

Assoc. Editor. Collin LaJoie, [email protected]

Assoc. Editor. Angela Snell, [email protected]

Sr. Art Director. Michael J. Knust, [email protected]

An Director. Robin Metheny, [email protected]

Technical Consultants: Computers & Networking - Brad Gilmer

Antennas/Radiation - Don Markley

Digital Video - Aldo Cugnini

Transmission Facilities- Donald L. Markley

Legal - Harry C. Martin

New Technology -John Luff

Industry Watcher - Anthony Gargano

New Media-Craig Birkmaier

Group Publisher. Wayne Madden, [email protected]

Marketing Dir.: Kirby Acr!und, [email protected]

Dir., Online Product Development Dean Muscio, dean.muscingpenton.oam

Vice President of Production: Lisa Parks, [email protected]

Production Manager Kathy Daniels, [email protected]

Classified Ad Coord.: Sarah Maxey, sarah.maxeyOpenton.com

Dir., Audience Marketing: Barbara Kummer [email protected]

Group Show Director/Dl: Sharon Morabito,[email protected]

Ibriton MediaPenton Media, Inc.

249 West 17th Street

New York, NY 10011

Chief Executive Officer. Sharon Rowlands, [email protected]

4230 *PAMEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Sustaining Member of: missourl 11.0011111/011 Of plilikMale

Society of Broadcast Engineers

Member, American Business Media; Member, BPA International,

The Missouri Association of Publications

BE US/Canada SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation

to qualified subscribers. Non -qualified persons may subscribe at the fol-

lowing rates Prices subject to change): USA and Canada, 1 year, $99.00,

2 years, $171.00, 3 years, $242.00; Outside USA and Canada, 1 year, $116,

2 years, $204.00, 3 years, $292.00 surface mail (1 year, $193.00, 2 years,

$347.00, 3 years, $506.00 airmail delivery).

BE World SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation to

qualified subscribers. Non -qualified persons may subscribe at the follow-

ing rates Prices subject to change): USA, 1 year, $94.00, 2 years, $160.00,

3 years, $226.00; Outside USA, 1 year, $110, 2 years, $193.00, 3 years,

$275.00 surface mail (1 year, $182.00, 2 years, $336.00, 3 years, $490.00

airmail delivery).

ARCHIVES AND MICROFORM: This magazine is available for research

and retrieval of selected archived articles from leading electronic databases

and online search services, including Factiva, LexisNexis and Proquest. For

microform availability, contact National Archive Publishing Company at

800-521-0600 or 734.761-4700, or search the Serials in Microform listings

at napubco.com.

REPRINTS: Contact Penton Reprints to purchase quality custom reprints or

e -prints of articles appearing in this publication at 888-858-8851. Website:

www.pentonreprints.com. Email: [email protected]

PHOTOCOPIES: Authorization to photocopy articles for internal corporate,

personal, or instructional use may be obtained from the Copyright Clearance

Center (CCC) at 978-150-8400. Obtain further information at copyright.com.

PRIVACY POLICY: Your privacy is a priority to us. For a detailed policy

statement about privacy and information dissemination practices related to

Penton Media products, please visit our Web site at www.penton.com.

EDITORIAL and BUSINESS OFFICE: Penton Media, 9800 Metcalf, Over-

land Park, Kansas 66212 . 913-341-1300 penton.com


HaiVision Network Video MAKITO

hat immimmommommliWoson[E] MAKITO

HD video encoder combines efficiencies of H.264 video compression and the image qual-ity of full HD video within a compact form factor; supports SD and HD up to 1080p60;can produce multiple stream resolutions from a single source, send high bit rate video torequired endpoints and provide lower -bandwidth video for mass consumption.

877-224-5445; www.haivision.com

Neutrik USB/FireWire Chassis Connectors

Connectors meet the demand for locakable and watertightdigital interface connections; feature a sealing ring and D -style housing; offers optional screen -to -chassis grounding forimproved shielding effectiveness.

732-901-9488; www.neutrik.com

Schneider Optics Hollywood Black MagicDiffusion filters for HD digital cameras remove blemishes and wrinkles while providing asmooth transition in the highlights; provide a wide range of diffusion choices and soften-ing of bright highlights to control the exposure while maintaining rich blacks and colors;available in five strengths from 1/8 to two and in popular professional rectangular sizes forHD, DV and video, as well as screw -on sizes for professional DSLR photography.

800-228-1254; www.schneideroptics.com

Anton/Bauer USB Battery Management

Application includes battery management software and USB to Anton/Bauer batterymount adapter; downloads battery information via management software, which au-tomatically opens a file based on the serial number and manufacture date and storesall data for usage tracking; displays essential information as well as remaining batterycapacity; offers a user -definable capacity trip point selection.

800-422-3473; www.antonbauer.com

Auralex Acoustics Room Analysis KitPackage for acoustical analysis includes an omnidirectional measure-ment mic, a USB drive featuring swept sine signals and a complete in-structional guide; users can send files via e-mail for examination andreceive a written report within five to seven business days detailing fre-quency response, impulse response, waterfall plots and reverberationtime values.

800-959-3343; www.auralex.com

Dielectric Communications UHF CP

Low -power, circularly polarized antenna fills coverage gaps in networks; features light-weight aluminum construction with ABS Radome, single Type N or 7/16 DIN inputand 65 -degree beam width; can be configured in standard narrow and wide cardiods,peanut and omni azimuthal patters with various elevation gains; custom patterns areavailable upon request.

Copyright 2009, Penton Media, Inc All fights reserved.


1

800-341-9678; www.dielectric.com

PRODUCTS & SERVICES SPOTLIGHT

11111=IMIN

EXIBERIMENA ING

SKY WEB. INC*Certified Installer for COM1000 System

GET THE COM1000 FORYOUR PROJECT TODAY!

Ni

ILA LEE CCCC C- C- C- C,

H.D.MPEG4/QAM 256 over COAX! I.P.T.V. over L.A.N. to P.C. or I.P. Set Top

* Perfect for Corporate Offices, Campus,Hotel and Stadiums

BBB.ACCREDITED

BUSINESS

DIRECTVFOR BUSINESS

AuthorizedDealer

INTEGRATORS/RESELLERS WELCOMERF SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION HD UPGRADES

Sales, Design, and Engineering Services Nationwide

1(888)759-9321 www.skywebtv.com

TRILITHICEmergency Alert Messages for DTV

Trilithic's EASyCAST EAS System inte-grates with RGB Networks' BroadcastNetwork Processor (BNP) to deliverdigital Emergency Alert Messages andgraphics overlays for DTV and LPDTVstations.mumWith the integration, all services ina broadcaster's ASI stream can havegraphical EAS overlays including audiosubstitution for all or selected programstreams. EAS messages and graphicsare inserted as MPEG-into-MPEG inreal-time without the need to demux ordecode the ASI stream. This also enablesdigital multicast broadcasters for thefirst time to selectively target the deliv-ery of EAS overlays to a single marketor multiple targeted markets. Targetingspecific transmitters or covering the en-tire is now possible with this new sys-tem.

For more information on the systemintegration, contact Trilithic at

(800) 344-2412 or visitwww.trilithicEAS.com

Usedtowers.com

FREE Tower RemovalSite Decommission

All SizesNO CHARGE

List yourTowers and Broadcast

Stations For SaleNO CHARGE

Guaranteed ResultsSince 1998

Over 700K hitsper month.

[email protected]

AirDaint Wireless CameraPaint System

ntroducirg the AirPaint Wireless Camera Paintystem consisting of a transmitter attached to theandard manufacturers RCP and a receiver on-oard the camera (feeding to the Remote input).

This system allows the user to utilize the standard

emote Control Panel (RCP -750, RMB-150, etc.) to

irelessly control all of the CCU functionality of the

amera. The AirPaint system utilizes an advanced

ata mocem enabling the operator great rangef operation. This new system accommodates allopular camera manufacturers with their standard

mote panels. The unit can either be powered by a

. tandard lattery for remote production or AC power

vhere available. In addition, the unit can be inte-

rated into a production truck type environment for

sports veiue type applications for wireless opera -

ion into stadiums.Contact:

Keith Stephenson- SkyDreams Technologies

(323) 819-1001

wwvLskydreams.tv [email protected]


CLASSIFIEDS

Big Budget TechnologySmall Budget Pricing!

TITANIUM SERIES

UHF DTVTRANSMITTERS&TRANSLATORS250 Watts to 5 KW

Designed Right! Built Right! Priced Right!

111111

Y.O. in USA

SEE THE COMPLETE SPECIFICATIONS ON-LINE, THEN CALL FOR YOUR QUOTE

EMCEECALL 480-315-9283 www.EMCEEcom.com

1960

For Sale

We've changed our name, and expandedour product line. Supplying the newest

CITYTECH and ANSSO Technology products.

Your source for Lithium -IonBatteries. Camera mounted

LED Lights and the newDLM 1080 TFT-LCD 8 -inch

HD -SDI Monitor

or the support you need, find us at:

Ilirechaupply,com

Acoustics First',:..'-: 888.765-2900Materials to Control Soundand Eliminate NoiseTMhttp://www.acousticsfirst.com

EQUIPMENT FOR SALEChannel 24 DTV PSI

Digital Antenna

lyr old

Contact: Kevin Grice/Omni Media Group(580) 256-4101 for details.

Help Wanted

KSBI-DT, home of the OKC Thunder, is look-ing to fill the Assistant Chief Engineer posi-tion. Requires extensive experience in main-taining & troubleshooting a wide variety ofbroadcast equipment, Thomson transmitters,remote translators, microwave and studio equip-ment, Wolfcoach SNG truck, video servers andIT infrastructure, 40 ft. video production truck.Must exhibit an advanced knowledge of elec-tronics, digital technology, networking, com-puter and network security, station automation,RF systems as well as studio and remote pro-duction. Must have at least 8 years experiencein the maintenance and operation of broadcastRF equipment. Trade school, military trainingor college degree preferred. SBE certificationor equivalent credentials desired. Send resumeto [email protected] or fax: (405) 631-7367.

Check Out the NEW

711177=1!PRODUCTS & SERVICES

SPOTLIGHT SECTION

Starting with the July Issue,check out the new Product& Services Spotlight sectionthat launched in this issueof Broadcast Engineering.Don't miss out on this costeffective way to highlightyour products and services.

To advertise in theProducts & ServicesSpotlight Section,

contact:

JULIE DAHLSTROM

P 31 2.840.8436 F 913.514.3684

[email protected]

Help Wanted

CHIEF ENGINEERWFFT-TV FOX Ft Wayne is seeking anexperienced broadcast Chief Engineer,responsibilities include. Manage plan-ning, installation and repair of all tele-vision systems and equipment. Man-age maintenance engineers and mastercontrol operators. Communicate pro-fessionally with individuals and groupswithin and outside of station. Commu-nicate on a frequent basis with all otherdepartments. Keep station compliantwith the FCC Rules and Regulations, aswell as related local, state and federalregulations. Work with Corporate per-sonnel in particular areas of commoninterest. Strong IT background pre-ferred. To apply send resume to:

WFFT FOX Fort WayneAttn: Chief Engineer3707 Hillegas Road

Fort Wayne, IN 46808or email to [email protected]


AD INDEX

Agilent Technologies

AJA Video

Avid Technology

Blackmagic Design

Canare Cable Inc.

Clear -Corn Communication Systems

Comtech Tiernan Video Inc.

Page

39

35

3

5

48

27

25

Advertmser Website

Broadcast Engineering is not responsiblefor errors in the Advertisers Index.

SALES OFFICESHot ire Address

800-829-4444 agilent.com/ US/CANADAWESTGeorge Watts III

find/u8903apromo (360) 546-0379; Fax: (360) [email protected]

800-251-4224 aja.com/kiprotour

800 -949 -AVID avid.com/hdvalue EASTJosh Gordon(718) 802-0488; Fax: (718) 522-4751

408-954-0500 blackmagic-design.com [email protected]

973-837-0070 canare.comMIDWEST

510-496-6600 clearcom.com Emily Kalmus(312) 840-8473; Fax: (913) [email protected]

858-805-7000 comtechtv.com

Dolby Laboratories Inc. 13 dolby.com/pulse INTERNATIONALEvertz Microsystems Ltd. IBC

EUROPE877-995-3700 evertz.com Richard Woolley

+44-1295-278-407For. A Corporation of America 17 714-894-3311 for-a.corn Fax: +44-1295-278-408

[email protected] Valley 11 grassvalley.comik2

Harmonic Inc. 29Israel

harmonicinc.com Asa TalbarTalbar Media

Harris BC 800-231-9673 broadcast. +972-3-5629565; Fax: [email protected]

harris.com/x85

Marshall Electronics Inc 33JAPAN

lcdracks.com Mashy YoshikawaOrient Echo, Inc.

Miranda Technologies Inc 9 514-333-1772 miranda.com/xmedia +81-3-3235-5961; Fax: [email protected]

Omneon 19 866-861-5690 omneon.com/CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

mediagridperforms Julie Dahlstrom(312) 840-8436

Omnibus Systems Inc 15 omnibus.tv Fax: (913) [email protected]

PlayBox 21 404-424-9283 playbox.tv

Riedel Communications 22REPRINTS

914-592-0220 riedel.net Penton Reprints888-858-8851

Riedel Communications 53 mediornet.com www.pentonreprints.com

Ross Video Ltd 55 613-652-4886 rossvideo.com LIST RENTAL SERVICESSnell Group 45 snellgroup.corn

Marie Briganti, Walter Karl(845) 620-0700

Streambox 36(845) 620-1885

206-956-0544 streambox.com [email protected]

Telecast Fiber Systems Inc 37 508-754-4858 telecast-fiber.com

Utah Scientific IFC 800-453-8782 utahscientific.com Customer Service:913-967-1707 or 800-441-0294

VCI 51 512-837-3737 vcisolutions.corn/verityBioadcast Elgineering, July 2009, Vol. 51, No. 7 (ISSN 0007-

ViewCast 7 800-540-4119 viewcast.com\be 1994) is published monthly and mailed free to qualifiedpersons by Penton Media, Inc. 9800 Metcalf Ave., Overland

Vislink News & Entertainment 32 978-671-5700 vislink.comPark, KS 66212-2216. Periodicals postage paid at ShawneeMission, KS, and additional mailing offices. Canadian Post

Ward -Beck Systems Ltd 50 800-771-2556 ward-beck.comPublications Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Canada returnaddress: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON

NfiC 682. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Broadcast

Yamaha Commercial Audio 23 yamahaca.com Engineering, P.O. Box 2100, Skokie, IL 60076-7800 USA.

Zeus Broadcast 61 407-352-6501 zeusbroadcast.comCORRESPONDENCE: Editorial and Advertising: 9800 Metcalf,

Overland Park, KS 66212-2216 Phone: 913-341-1300; Edit. fax:

913-967-1905. Advert. fax: 913-967-1904. (1) 2009 by Penton

360 Systems 31 818-991-0360 360systems.com Media, Inc. All rights reserved.


EOMDEPARTMENT

Princess Leia visits NABHere's a look at the nascent state of holographic video.

It's hard to believe it has been32 years since George Lucas in-troduced millions of filmgoersto the concept of holographic

video. In the original "Star Wars"movie, Lucas created a memorablescene where Princess Leia appeared toObi -Wan Kenobi as a live video ho-logram pleading: "Help me, Obi -WanKenobi; you're my only hope." Thatfamous special effect has stayed withus through the years, and it seems weare now approaching the time whenscience fiction is coming closer to be-ing science fact.

Not just a science projectAt this year's NAB, the Japanese

National Institute of Informationand Communications Technology(NICT), with relatively little fanfare,demonstrated its latest developmentin video holography. The demonstra-tion, a small, noisy hologram that

BY ANTHONY GARGANO

his lab saying, "Mr. Watson, comehere. I want to see your' Or perhapsmore on point, it was like a view ofStooky Bill being transmitted frompioneering television developer JohnLogie Baird's laboratory in 1925 as a30 -line mechanically scanned imageat five pictures per second. Some hadthe presence of mind to realize thatthey were viewing a moment in histo-ry - the infancy of a technology thatwill have far-reaching effects on oursociety in the decades to come. Forfar-flung applications from broadcastto medical, from advertising to enter-tainment, the utilization of electronicholography will absolutely revolu-tionize everything it touches.

NICT, with a long developmenthistory in specialized imaging andcommunications technologies, con-tinues to move its electronic ho-lography project forward. The cur-rent iteration, which it calls gCubik,

It also produces that innately human"Wet paint: Do not touch" curiosityreaction that we all have. How many

times have you left a sticky fingerprint?

floated in the air, was far from the lev-el of a sophisticated Industrial Light& Magic (ILM) special effect. (ILM,located at George Lucas' SkywalkerRanch, is one of Hollywood's go -tospecial effects houses.)

As a result, most attendees justwalked right by it or took a passingpeek, thought it was gimmicky andkept walking. Even many of thosewho did stop to look dismissed it as ascience fair project. But for a few, justviewing that magical apparition wasenough to give them pause. It was likewatching a scene of Alexander Gra-ham Bell's noisy, crackly voice beingheard in 1876 in the other room from

generates 3-D images inside a cubethat is approximately 10cm on a sideand is readily viewable with no needfor special glasses. It is three timesbrighter, exhibits less noise and hastwice the resolution of the previ-ous generation implementation. Thefloating -in -air ethereal image that isgenerated can be viewed from any ofthe six facets of that ephemeral cubicdisplay. Thus, you can view what's"inside" from all directions. It alsoproduces that innately human "Wetpaint: Do not touch" curiosity reac-tion that we all have. How many timeshave you left a sticky fingerprint? Youjust cannot help that uncontrollable

urge to put your hands out there to"touch" the image. gCubik will be ondisplay next month at the SIGGRAPH2009 event in New Orleans from Aug.3-7. If you are there, you owe it toyourself to drop by and view historyin the making.

Holographic videoto the home

Last year, SMPTE gathered to-gether one of its largest task forcesever. The group's charge was to definethose standards that would be need-ed for a 3-D television system fromcontent generation through deliveryto the home. The result of the effort,"Report of SMPTE Task Force on 3Dto the Home," was announced at the2009 NAB Show and is now availableas a 75 -page download at http://store.smpte.org/product-plif3d.htm.

Clearly, we are in the Bell and Bairdera of live holographic video, so per-haps it is a tad premature for the con-vening of yet another new technologytask force. Given the rapidity of 21stcentury technological advancements,however, this broadcast industryveteran hopes to still be around forthe release of the "Report of SMPTETask Force on Holographic Video tothe Home." After all, just look at howfar we have come since that fatefulSMPTE Winter Television Conferencein San Francisco in February 1981. Itwas there that Japan's NHK provideda demonstration of its developmental1125/60 MUSE (multiple subnyquistsampling encoding) HDTV system.From experimental MUSE to ATSCHDTV, from analog 4:3 to digital 16:9-a virtually complete transition oc-curred in just 29 years. BE

Anthony R. Gargano is a consultant andformer industry executive.

ElSend questions and comments to:[email protected]


IntelliTrakTm Program Video & Audio Lip Sync Analyzer

IntelliTrakTm measures the lip sync error between the audioand video with precise accuracy. It is unique as it does notintroduce any type of watermarking or flag insertion into thestream, operating in a completely non -intrusive manner.

Original Videowith Embedded Audio

Frame Sync - Master Control - Branding -

THE PLANT

-4- Processed Videowith Embedded Audio

Up/Down/Cross Audio Proc MPEG Encoding-Conversion

IntelliTrale. Correlation Data IntelliTrakT" Correlation Data

vc K

katICaStfoiiieetie

2009/

Precise LipSync error calculatedwith VistaLINK PRO

IntelliTrakTM Features and Applications

Features: Non -intrusive, in-service lip sync error measurement (no watermarking) Precise sub -millisecond accuracy Works with all types of audio and video signals For use within the plant or external with outdoor broadcasting units An advanced ordering option for many Evertz" products Designed to provide precise measurements through all sorts of faciltity signalprocessing such as up/down/cross conversion, mpeg encoding/decoding,dolby processing and more

Applications: Inter -Facility Lip Synchronization LipSync Validation through MPEG Encoding/Decoding Mobile Applications

See Us At IPTV - New York - Booth #20

1-877-995-3700 sales©evertz.com www.evertz.com

US West Coast [email protected]

New York Sales Washington DC [email protected] 703.330.8600

[email protected]

UK Sales+44 118 935 0200uksales®evertz.com

South -East Europe [email protected]

Dubai Sales [email protected]

Asia Pacific Sales+852 [email protected]

The Xceptional X85TMSee what 1RU can do for you!

ybrid Signal Processing 3 Gb/s

ultiple Application Video and Audio Platform

Fiber I/O

rogram Delay

r

3 GB/).

10P0p Level A anti Level

DolbyrIP-Enabled

-111Aso

S Neural

ir Elf 111111414141:107f.

Xplore unlimited configuration options

perience unprecedented processing power

teed all your expectations

The all -new X85 the most functionality in a space -saving package.

For more information, please visit www.broadcast.harris.com/X85.

North America +1 800 231 9673 Caribbean and Latin America +1 786 4?7 1960

ONE Company. ONE Direction. The Future.

PIARRIS assuredcommunications® www.harris.comBroadcast Communications RF Communications Government Communications Systems

Y 2009 olticas nol er - americanradiohistory.com · olticas nol A PENTON MEDIA P Y 2009 er...

Documents

Transcript of Y 2009 olticas nol er - americanradiohistory.com · olticas nol A PENTON MEDIA P Y 2009 er...