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Japan’s National Stadium in Tokyo... page 11. REGULARS 02 EDITOR’S WELCOME 03 NEWS ETV Bharat Picks Grass Valley for Remote Workflows; Singapore By Stream’s Twitch Campaign; Astro Streams 4K HDR Olympics with Harmonic; People on the Move.
FEATURES
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08 ACQUISITION Toyotaro Shigemori Brings
Picture Book to Life with Blackmagic; Japan’s Hibino Powers Virtual Production Studio with disguise; Wooden Camera Kits Out Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera; ALEXA Mini LF Update; MRMC Bolt Mini Model Mover; ZEISS Adds to Supreme Prime Radiance Family; Mo-Sys VP Pro with Sony Venice Integration.
11 SPORTSCASTING OBS, NBC and TVU Networks Ready for Tokyo Games.
14 NEWS OPERATIONS Ticker Ticks the Boxes
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for a 21st Century News Channel; TVU and Vimond Power Cloud-Based Editing; Haivision Makito X4 Video Encoder.
17 MEDIA IN THE CLOUD Silver Trak Digital
Launches Media Room 3.0; ShareBrowser Updated; 5th Kind Integrates with Box; ATEME Launches ‘PILOT Media’ Orchestration Solution; AJA Delivers PAK Dock Pro; Dalet Expands Ecosystem.
23 AUDIO Shaanxi Broadcasting Corp Takes
Riedel’s All-IP Comms; DPA Headset Microphones; Dante-Enabled Leader Clocks; Clear-Com Updates HelixNet Partyline, LQ IP Interfaces; Sennheiser’s Wireless Digital Evolution; Lawo mc²36 in 48-Fader Layout.; and more.
26 RADIO Australian Radio Joins Android
Automotive Working Group; KELANTANfm Adopts MAGIC TH2plus Telephone Hybrid; Lawo Upgrades Software for Radio; Digigram Delivers FM MPX Composite Signals from Studio to Transmitter.
28 CONTENT DELIVERY Korea’s KBS Upgrades
with ATEME; Indonesia’s Mola Picks Broadpeak CDN; Thailand’s NBT Takes on HD with PHABRIX; Village Island Encodes/ Decodes 4K XS; Ross Updates Signal Processing; ATEME Maximises MediaHub Efficiency; BirdDog Embraces NDI 5; TAG Enhances OTT.
20 POST-PRODUCTION AWS’ Kyle Roche Talks
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Nimble – a New Era in Pipelines; Mistika Boutique Introduces Dolby Vision 4.0; Boris FX Releases Sapphire 2021.5, Silhouette 2021; Adobe Creative Cloud Updates; Frame. io Unveils Version 3.7.1. Cover photo - Greg Martin/International Olympic Committee.
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EDITOR’S WELCOME
Looking Up When the Chips are Down By Phil Sandberg
for the Americas and EMEA), but large majority (62%) saw this as an international problem – with supply problems everywhere components are manufactured. Finally, the survey asked what respondents were doing to mitigate the effects of the shortages. 40% are finding alternative suppliers and spreading orders across several, 31% are advance ordering large stocks and/or paying more, 19% are managing customer expectations and 10% are just waiting for things to improve.
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The survey also asked whether the problems are with supplies from particular geographies. 26% of respondents identified APAC as the source of supply difficulties (and just 5% and 7% respectively
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To help mitigate this shortage, the IABM has launched the BaM Stock Exchange. This initiative enables IABM member companies to list their excess stock on the IABM website using internationally accepted parts codes and descriptions. Companies who are experiencing shortages can check the BaM Stock Exchange and potentially find the components they require; the BaM Stock Exchange is fully searchable and filterable, making it simple to quickly find their required components. IABM then puts the two parties in contact to complete the transaction as a value-added service. 22:00
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The survey also asked respondents which components in particular they were struggling to obtain. Chips were by far the most reported - 43%. While the definition of ‘Chip’ covers both logic and memory, 13% of respondents picked memory specifically, and 11% FPGAs. Assemblies and subassemblies (workstations, motherboards, PCBs etc.) also featured significantly with 7-11% reporting shortages of these. Oscillators, GPUs, SFPs and CPUs were only of concern for between 1 and 3% of respondents. 56% of respondents reported shortages across all or most of the component categories. 16:00
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Manufacturer body, the IABM, recently released the results of a survey conducted across its international membership of media technology suppliers, which asked for their direct experience of shortages of electronic components - and what actions they are taking to mitigate these. 130 companies responded, with 40% reporting severe, 45% moderate and 15% mild issues – meaning that every responding company is experiencing some level of problems in obtaining components.
“We launched the component shortages survey following a conversation I had with Tim Shoulders, CEO at Grass Valley,” said Peter White, IABM CEO. “Grass Valley was experiencing significant challenges in sourcing certain components for manufactured products. We wanted to establish how widespread this problem was in the Broadcast and Media technology ecosystem. “[Our] survey revealed that many companies are experiencing the same difficulties – but was there anything we could do about it? As a relatively niche industry compared with, for example, the
automotive industry giants who are widely reported as suffering the same shortages, we don’t have equal ‘clout’ with component suppliers. However, most companies do hold their own stocks of components - some of which they no longer use. Since many components are common across Broadcast and Media tech suppliers, it makes compelling sense to use the industry’s independent, international organisation as an ‘Exchange’. From there, it was a comparatively straightforward process to set the BaM Stock Exchange up, and I hope this value-added service will help many IABM members to obtain the parts they need or reduce their unused stock overhead; it is truly a win-win for all. “I want to give credit to Tim Shoulders for the genesis of this idea, and for turning to IABM to make it a reality. IABM is committed to building and sustaining a thriving global MediaTech community, and this kind of initiative plays perfectly with that mission,” White concluded. The IABM really needs to be congratulated for this initiative. It will go some way to ensuring our industry keeps up technologically at a time when our reliance on technology is more crucial than ever.
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IT’S BEEN THE SLOW burning news item of the pandemic because it’s really not as important as people’s lives, but the global shortfall in supplies of computer chips and other electronic components is starting to bite. Of course, it’s not all down to the pandemic. An explosion of applications from automotive to the Internet-of-Things (IOT) has also been a contributing factor, but content creation and distribution technology is also being affected.
Thanks for reading Phil Sandberg – Editor/Publisher papers@broadcastpapers.com +61(0)414671811
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ETV Bharat Picks Grass Valley for Remote Workflows
ETV Bharat delivers seamless news and information services across mobile apps and web portals to 24 Indian states with programming in 13 languages. Central to the production facility in Hyderabad is Grass Valley’s GV STRATUS video production and content management system, a combination of tools and customization for fast ingest to on-air, efficient asset management, integrated social media publishing and management of metadata.
With EDIUS, the news service benefits from an award-winning, multiformat software, ideally suited for news production, with realtime capabilities and format versatility.
“Innovation and evolution have never been so crucial in our industry than in the last year,” said Bharath K, CTO, ETV Bharat. “We pride ourselves on innovation, and the ETV Bharat service is a first-ofits-kind offering in India in terms of diversity and depth. To remain productive during the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to implement a reliable and trustworthy production and asset management solution that could enable our operators to work on-site and at home as needed. With its proven reputation, Grass Valley was the perfect choice for us, and its future-proof product features enabled the digital platform to manage and operate 16 language channels — across multiple platforms — with greater scalability, flexibility and efficiency.” GV STRATUS manages media
with speed top of mind in both on premise and remote broadcast applications. All ingested content is formatted in lower resolution proxy on the fly by STRATUS transcoders. For on premise use, ETV purchased 400 EDIUS Pro licenses for flexible, fast editing. 200 Remote users utilize EDIUS XS for secure editing via VPN and user access control while rendering their edits from the field. The powerful rules engine automatically manages file transfers to their respective location based on pre-configured user preference. Greg de Bressac, vice president, sales, APAC at Grass Valley said, “Digital news platforms are of massive importance in today’s always-on connected era. Therefore, investment in optimal tools and technology that provide scalable workflows are a must, particularly for teams spread between home working and on-site. We are very proud that EHTV Bharat selected Grass Valley to support this important milestone in its development.” Visit www.grassvalley.com
Blonde Robot Represents Telestream in APAC BLONDE ROBOT has announced it has signed a distribution agreement with Telestream, the provider of file-based media workflow orchestration, media streaming and delivery technologies.
A natural fit for the pro video arm of Blonde Robot distribution, both businesses share a mutual focus on providing solutions for content creators that help them leverage the value of their video content. The Blonde Robot agreement extends to the entire Asia Pacific Region and focuses primarily on the distribution of Telestream Desktop Solutions including Wirecast live streaming production hardware and software solutions; Wirecast, Wirecast Gear, ScreenFlow and Switch. “We are excited to partner with Blonde Robot and look forward to being part of the world class video streaming solutions they deliver to the market,” said Mark Wronski, Senior Vice President, Telestream. Designed for streaming professional broadcasts, the products are great for conferences, concerts, lectures, meetings, church services, and any other event that seeks to reach a broader online audience. Whether streaming from a home office
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or the main stage of a music festival, Wirecast lets creators share with the world – live. The deal comes at an ideal time with Telestream recently announcing Wirecast 14.2. This latest product release adds native support for Apple Silicon (M1) hardware and is packed with new features that deliver enhanced flexibility and further streamline production workflows. In Wirecast Pro, users can now send their live outputs to a secondary display. The live program feed can be sent to a big screen or to an independent capture device without the need for specific hardware. When paired with a UVC HDMI capture device, users can capture live output for use in other applications like Zoom or Teams as an alternative to using a virtual camera/mic. “Blonde Robot looks to provide a comprehensive offering with its distribution portfolio and Telestream provides an ideal complement to some of the other brands we proudly represent with products that help further simplify setup and live production so content creators can focus on timely delivery to eager audiences,” said Chris Horsley-Wyatt, Chief Executive Officer, Blonde Robot. Email sales@blonde-robot.com.au
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SETV BHARAT, the Indian digital national news platform, has selected a range of Grass Valley solutions to underpin its upgraded production and editing operations. The new set-up includes the video production and content management tool, GV STRATUS, integrated with nonlinear editing software EDIUS. It gives the service provider, owned and operated by Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt, future-ready capability, allowing it to scale its operations both on-premise and remotely off-site.
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Singapore By Stream’s Twitch Campaign and ATEM Mini Extreme BLACKMAGIC DESIGN has announced that the Singapore Tourism Board’s recent ‘Singapore By Stream’ live Twitch campaign used ATEM Mini Extreme to live switch and mix audio for the multicamera streams. The unique livestreams allowed viewers to choose the destinations and see Singapore through the eyes of a local taxi driver, with switching of the four camera streams being done from the backseat of the taxi.
Aiming to remind people about the magic of Singapore through the eyes of the people who know Singapore’s streets better than anyone, taxi drivers, Singapore by Stream was a four stream campaign created by the TBWA\Chiat\ Day NY advertising agency, with Bolt providing production support out of Singapore. Created as though a ‘choose your own adventure’ instead of a simple virtual taxi ride, viewers were able to interact live with the host and driver to ask questions and even request places to go to. Each stream included four cameras in and around the taxi, along with interactive maps and other graphics shown on the stream. Production for the streams was done by Singapore’s hybrid advertising/production agency, Breed, along with The Flying Kick Asia, who designed and provided livestream technical support. Switching was done by The Flying Kick Asia’s Ryan Leau, who was assisted by Benjamin Yam, who were in the back seat controlling the ATEM Mini Extreme using ATEM Software Control. “A multicam livestream that took in live requests from viewers could be a huge production, but because we had to do this all from the backseat of a Toyota Prius we had to keep it simple. The ATEM Mini Extreme let us be incredibly creative, but also allowed a simple and efficient workflow,” explained Nicholas Chee, Flying Kick Asia’s livestream technical director. Chee was able to add two picture in picture feeds along with five other inputs into the live stream. This included cameras for the driver, windscreen and passenger side views, along with a roving camera via Skype and an iPhone camera for when the host and driver left the cab. All inputs connected into the ATEM Mini
Extreme via HMDI and were controlled by Leau using ATEM Software Control from a laptop.
“When we originally got involved in the project, we designed the solution based on only being able to use four inputs. Fortunately, the ATEM Mini Extreme was announced and released in time and with its eight inputs, we could have the five inputs we wanted,” Chee said. “We would have to make compromises in terms of camera angles and operations, but with the ATEM Mini Extreme arriving we were able to add so much more. It is definitely the most important piece of equipment for this project. “ATEM Software Control is one of the most essential parts of the ATEM Mini series and it allowed us to achieve beyond what we could with just physical buttons. This included the programming of the macros and access to the Fairlight Mixer and Media Gallery,” Chee said. “In particular, ATEM’s macro buttons were a lifesaver since we could pre-program the scenes based on the different angles. So switching was a breeze, especially considering we could only have one operator and one assistant in the backseat.” For audio mixing, the team used the ATEM Mini Extreme’s built in Fairlight audio mixer. Using this, customers can independently adjust levels and balances from all audio inputs for up to 12 channels of audio from the switcher’s four HDMI and two microphone inputs. For Singapore By Stream, Chee and his team used a set of RODE Wireless Go II transmitters hidden in the sun visors of the car with the mic pointing towards the cabin, along with audio from an iPhone hooked up to a lightning
shotgun mic. “We kept the audio set up simple, which the ATEM Mini Extreme let us do. The ability to split the two channels from the receiver into L and R was perfect for us to balance the audio between the host and the driver’s levels,” Chee said. The Flying Kick Asia team also used the ATEM Mini Extreme’s tethering feature to connect the host’s iPhone while live-streaming using the switcher’s USB port to be able to use mobile data. They also used the ATEM Mini Extreme’s ability to automatically standards convert and re-sync any inputs from the cameras and iPhone. “The ATEM Mini Extreme 8.6 update was just in time for us – we had the ATEM Mini Extreme connected to a GL.iNet Puli wireless 4G router via ethernet and could have another iPhone on standby as a failover via USB C. We were also able to use the switcher’s two USB C ports us to record and tether simultaneously,” Chee concluded. Visit www.blackmagicdesign.com
Astro and Netflix Announce Strategic Partnership
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MALAYSIAN PAY OPERATOR ASTRO and streaming giant Netflix have announced a partnership that will bring Netflix’s streaming service to Astro’s platform, providing Astro customers with an even more enriching entertainment experience.
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Astro customers will soon be able to enjoy seamless access to Netflix on their connected Ultra Boxes, first at launch, and on connected Ulti Boxes in the coming months, thanks to new features that integrate the renowned global streaming service onto Astro’s platform.
With this partnership, Astro and Netflix customers in Malaysia can enjoy greater convenience by having Netflix with their Astro subscription, providing easy access for payment in a single bill. Henry Tan, Group Chief Executive Officer of Astro said, “Our partnership with Netflix consolidates Astro’s position as the number one entertainment destination for Malaysians by offering the best streaming services alongside our own best-loved originals, vernacular signatures, live sports and local blockbuster
movies.” Tony Zameczkowski, Vice President for Business Development APAC, Netflix said, “From Hollywood films like Army of the Dead, to top series like La Casa de Papel from Spain, Lupin from France, and great Korean dramas like Vincenzo, we believe that great stories can come from anywhere and be loved everywhere. I’m thrilled that our partnership with Astro allows us to bring a world class multi-device entertainment experience to more Malaysians.” Visit https://astro.com.my/netflix
IN BRIEF
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------JAMPRO has been awarded the expansion of the existing DVB-T Broadband Terrestrial Nationwide Network in Thailand. The company has added DVB-T2 combiner/mask filters to the existing nationwide network which Jampro delivered and installed in 2017. As well as additional RCEC Constant Impedance Mask Filter/Combiner modules, Jampro is also retuning many field-tuneable modules to new channel assignments due to the spectrum clearance. The Jampro RCEC DVB-T modules are designed to allow field tuning over the UHF bands. Visit https://www.jampro.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------STEFAN HANSEN has been appointed Director Infrastructure Services - Asia at Discovery Inc. He previously served as IT Manager with MediaWorks NZ. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------TECHSTORM, ONE OF ASIA’S leading 24/7 Asian esports and tech-centric entertainment media networks, has announced the addition of former CBS Studios International, Executive Vice President of International Channels, Reed Manville to TechStorm’s Board of Advisors. Manville’s lengthy career includes the post of President and GM, KNBC-TV Los Angeles, NBC’s Flagship TV Station, EVP of International Channels at both Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. He formerly led the global strategy behind several high profile, cross continental joint ventures that include CBS Studios International and Chello Zone to create CBS branded platforms in the United Kingdom in 2009. Driving commercial success for The CBS Channels, owned by CBS Studios International and AMC Networks International – UK in 2013. He was also the Board Chairman, Big CBS Channels India, a CBS Reliance Industries JV, which later expanded into RTL/CBS Channels Asia as part of the pioneer strategy leadership team behind RTL CBS joint ventures.
WINSTON ER has taken on the role of Sales Director, APAC, with TAG Video Systems, based in Singapore. He comes to TAG VS after serving as Sales Engineering Manager with Grass Valley. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------COLIN TSE has been appointed as Associate Director at Tata Communications, based in Hong Kong. He previously held the position of Senior Manager and, before that, Senior Solution Architect with Tata. He also spent around a decade with Turner Broadcasting System in a variety of roles. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------TUMPAL PRAKASA SARAGI has taken on the role of Project Management Officer at PT Nusantara Global Telematika where he will be consulting on planning and design for the company’s transmission, studio and post production facilities. He was Technical Consultant and Trainer with Radio and Television of Timor Leste and also served as a Consulting Project Manager with PT. NERA INDONESIA. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PAUL STEVENS has been named as General Manager at Space Lion Studios, Singapore. He was previously Head of People & Academy at Beach House Pictures where he also served as Head of Production. Prior to that he was Executive Producer with Blackmagic Design. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DAMIEN KO is serving as OB Producer and Director with Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK). He also holds the role of Producer and Director with DK3 Media Production, and was previously Stream Producer with AsiaWorks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------KEVIN DOWD has been appointed Global Business Development Executive at Caton Technology, based in Hong Kong. He previously held the position of APAC Business Development Director with MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE ASIA VIDEO INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (AVIA) has appointed Aaron Herps as the General Manager of its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP), following the departure of Neil Gane, who leaves AVIA to take up a position with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment. Herps joined AVIA in 2019 as the Operations Manager for CAP, working alongside Gane on all CAP initiatives from government outreach to criminal investigations and associated enforcement actions against syndicates and streaming website operators in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Herps has over 15 years of content protection experience in the sports and entertainment industries across Asia Pacific. Prior to joining AVIA, Herps was Manager of Digital Content Protection for Asia Pacific at beIN Media Group and was the Senior Manager of Global Content Protection at the Motion Picture Association of America for more than a decade. Visit www.avia.org
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CINEDIGM, the independent streaming entertainment company, has announced the appointment of Supriyo Mookherjee as Chief Operating Officer of Cinedigm India. This appointment comes on the heels of Cinedigm’s recent acquisition of FoundationTV, a comprehensive video streaming technology, artificial intelligence, machine-learning, and data analytics platform provider. As Chief Operating Officer, Supriyo will be tasked with establishing Cinedigm India as a key content distribution and licensing entity in India and South East Asia. This includes leading the global expansion of Cinedigm’s current streaming channels and services in these burgeoning markets as well as the development of future, regionally focused services across AVOD/SVOD & free ad-supported television (FAST) video streaming platforms. Visit http://www.cinedigm.com
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iQIYI Triggers Viewers’ Phones, Adds Interactive Comments to Programmes DIRECTORS AND CINEMATOGRAPHERS may beg to differ, but Chinese online entertainment service iQIYI, Inc. is pushing the boundaries of interactivity with two new features it says will help forge a stronger connection between viewers and the content they are watching. The two new features on its domestic streaming platform – Heartbeat Mode and Revolving Bullet Comments (pictured) – as part of its efforts to enhance its viewers’ viewing experience. Heartbeat Mode enables viewers to participate in exciting moments on screen by syncing their phones’ vibrations with on-screen actions. Meanwhile, the Revolving Bullet Comments technology allows bullet comments – text-based user reactions displayed on the screen as online videos play – to automatically orbit around specific characters in shows. Heartbeat Mode first appeared in the service’s newly released show Moonlight, which stars Yu Shuxin and Ding Yuxi. According to iQIYI data,
one specific scene in Episode 19, saw over one million users try the new feature, with an average of approximately 14 times per person. This adds up to over 25 million “heartbeats” in total and is equivalent to each viewer replaying the scene for seven minutes. iQIYI’s tech team based the new feature on “Dance Mode,” a rhythm detection algorithm used last year in talent show The Rap of China 2020. Heartbeat Mode mimics heartbeats and will be available to more production teams as a plug-in, ready to be added to other shows during post-production. Revolving Bullet Comments appeared in the latest iQIYI original reality show The Detectives’ Adventures, featuring a group of celebrities in live action role playing (LARP) games. The Revolving Bullet Comments feature uses
AI character recognition and portrait matting technologies to insert a dynamic background between the original background and the characters. The technology not only enables users to see the bullet comments as passing between the characters and the background (as opposed to on top of the characters), but it also prevents issues such as stuttering and shaking, which distract from the viewing experience. Visit http://www.iqiyi.com
Ideal Systems Connects Kingdomcity Church with Sienna NDI and Dejero IDEAL SYSTEMS has provided Kingdomcity church with NDI infrastructure to connect its main hubs in Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. The solution from Ideal enables Kingdomcity to link services live between campuses over public Internet. Although travel has become more restricted, messages can still be preached live across campuses with high quality yet low latency video feeds. The solution has also enabled remote production where operators can collaborate from different campuses. For live events, a director from Singapore is now able to monitor feeds from Australia to direct and switch camera sources live. The NDI video transport and cloud processing infrastructure solution from Ideal Systems includes the SIENNA NDI Cloud nodes and SIENNA NDI processing engines and processing infrastructure modules hosted on Azure Cloud. These are connected to Kingdomcity’s location
hubs in Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. James Chong, Head of Productions at Kingdomcity said, “We are delighted with the amount of video processing functionality offered by the various cloud glue modules from SIENNA. Our ability to spin up a virtual frame sync or a remote multi viewer for a specific live event is amazing and ensures we always have the right video processing capacity we need on tap at any location.” Kingdomcity uses the cloud NDI connectivity for low latency audio and video transport from their production studios which allows them to achieve less than sixty millisecond latency over a public internet connection. For load balancing, Ideal has provided Kingdomcity with the Dejero Gateway for connecting and bonding multiple public internet connections. The Dejero gateway offers hitless failover in the result of public internet failures in switching which is vital during any live
productions. The Dejero gateway also provides a fixed IP VPN on Microsoft Azure Cloud which is fully secure and provides low latency connectivity from source to destination. The flexibility of the SIENNA NDI modules allows many different configurations of multiviews and monitoring of feeds and cloud switching and mixing for different types of productions like their live church services, live talk shows and multi camera productions. Kingdomcity also use a selection of other SIENNA NDI cloud video processing infrastructure modules such as audio shuffling, audio mixing, frame sync, siennalink, siennaweb and various multi viewers on an adhoc basis. Visit www.idealsys.com and https://kingdomcity.com
Vizrt, AIS Business and VMware Offer Cloud Services to Thai Creators VIZRT HAS ANNOUNCED it is working with AIS Business 5G and VMware to offer customers in Thailand cloud-based solutions to create and manage media assets for broadcast. Vizrt’s solutions include Vizrt Live Production, a complete cloud-based production solution, and the IP video standard NDI.
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Vizrt is partnering with AIS Business to develop a robust workflow that gives customers the flexibility to deploy on-premises and then seamlessly step to the cloud as and when required.
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The architecture of the AIS Enterprise Cloud with the largest nationwide network connectivity and 5G makes it easy for customers to adapt their capabilities at will by spinning up and down systems quickly, reducing time to deployment. For example, broadcasters could use the cloud environment if they need additional capacity to handle a temporary event. They can also set up a
temporary disaster recovery studio in the cloud in a few days, instead of building out a physical studio, avoiding the two to three months for shipping of the hardware and cabling of the space that would be required in a traditional model. As Vizrt has been running its software on the VMware platform for many years, it is straightforward for the company to move to the AIS Enterprise Cloud, which supports VMware solutions natively. Vizrt Live Production exploits the latest NDI 5 capabilities, including connectivity across both WAN and LAN networks, running onsite and in the cloud on the same sync, audio-over-IP integration with digital audio systems, and the ability to bring in any camera with a browser as a source, from anywhere in the world. “When you’re developing new solutions, it’s
important to have a trusted partner to work with,” said Straker Coniglio, General Manager, Vizrt APAC. “VMware and AIS are obvious partners for us because they’re leaders in their industries.” Tanapong Ittisakulchai, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, AIS Business, said, “By working with us, customers of Vizrt would have new ways of working using Vizrt solutions to accelerate their transformations with a comprehensive suite of digital technologies and services delivered by highly competent and trusted professionals.” “Partnership is the key to success, and with the high level of trust between AIS Business, Vizrt and VMware, I am confident that this work will synergise our value propositions to help transform Thailand’s cloud ecosystem,” said Ekpawin Sukanan, Country Manager, VMware Thailand. Visit https://vizrt.com
Astro Streams 4K HDR Olympics with Harmonic MALAYSIANS will be able to enjoy coverage of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Astro from 23 July to 8 August 2021. Astro Sports Pack customers will have access to selected Tokyo 2020 events in 4K UHD on Ultra Box, and complimentary access to 13 dedicated HD channels on TV and Astro GO.
On top of the 13 channels, Astro Arena (Ch801), available to all Astro and existing NJOI customers, will be bringing Malaysians the best coverage of the country’s athletes as they compete for glory at Tokyo 2020. Astro Arena will be placing a team of reporters on the ground in Tokyo throughout the Olympic Games, giving Malaysian sports fans daily access to the key moments around athletes – their preparation, their events, and their instant reaction. On top of daily news bulletins on Astro Arena, additional shows will feature ex-Malaysian Olympians sharing their thoughts on the Olympic Games. CK Lee, Head of Sports at Astro said: “In this major sporting year, we are offering the best sports viewing experience for our Sports Pack customers. They can look forward to complimentary access to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 via the 13 HD channels to cheer on our national athletes as they compete with the world’s best to achieve their sporting dreams. What’s more, those with the Ultra Box can watch selected Olympic Games events in 4K UHD.” Astro is employing Harmonic’s XOS softwarebased advanced media processing solution to offer that HDR video in stunning colour
and contrast. In addition, Harmonic’s XOS software-based solution also enables bandwidth reduction for Astro. “We are trailblazing a new, state-of-the-art viewing experience for sports fans in Malaysia by bringing 4K HDR DTH services to market,” said Mauro Di Pietro Paolo, CTO at Astro. “Harmonic’s XOS software-based appliance simplifies HDR delivery and ensures pristine 4K video quality, taking our sports offering to the next level.” Harmonic’s XOS advanced media processing solution enables key capabilities for Astro, including: • Simplified delivery of 4K HDR channels via the Astro DTH platforms; • On-the-fly SDR-to-HDR upconversion through an extensive HDR toolset; and • Bandwidth reduction by leveraging the latest in AI technologies. Harmonic’s XOS software-based solution is designed to ensure efficient service delivery on every device. Featuring an advanced software encoding engine that leverages AI, the Harmonic XOS appliance guarantees optimal quality at all times. Harmonic’s XOS softwarebased appliance is deployed in a containerised cloud architecture, offering Astro an easy-toupgrade solution for years to come. The XOS solution also gives Astro the ability to process video streaming and DTH services from a single appliance, simplifying operations. Visit https://www.harmonicinc.com
Hong Kong Govt is “Broadcast Rights Holder” WITH NO LOCAL NETWORK putting a bid forward, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has acquired the television broadcasting rights to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
devote to deliver the most anticipating event to the public. Meanwhile, CABLE News and CABLE Sports channels will also provide highlights as well as the latest information of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The arrangement will see the Games broadcast on TVB, ViuTV, HK Open TV, Hong Kong Cable Television and NowTV, but not the governmentowned broadcaster RTHK.
“CABLE TV will select the contests that the public care about and broadcast through CABLE Sports (HD 601 / SD 661), Sports Plus 1 (HD 602 / SD 662), Sports Plus 2 (HD 604 / SD 664), and Sports Plus 3 (HD 605 / SD 665). Moreover, a team of subject experts will be invited to provide professional commentary for the contests, hoping to witness every wonderful moment of China and Hong Kong athletes at the Olympics.”
In a statement, Hong Kong Cable Television said, “CABLE TV has always strove to support the development of international and local sports events, with ample experience in the production of the Olympic Games and largescale international sports events, CABLE TV will
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ACQUISITION & LIGHTING www.content-technology.com/acquisition
Toyotaro Shigemori Brings Picture Book to Life with Blackmagic FOCUSING ON THE DESIGN Blackmagic Design has announced that renowned cinematographer, Toyotaro Shigemori, used Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K to shoot the web movie “niko and … WINTER BOOK”, starring Masaki Suda and Nana Komatsu, which captures the fantastic world of a picture book created by renowned art director, Chie Morimoto. “I have been working with Morimoto, the art director, for the brand and had mostly shot their movies on 35mm film. However, for the previous project of this winter version, I used a different camera - the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. I was asked what kind of movie we should make, and I suggested to make the actors pose as mannequins and let them freeze their movement, as the project was originally used for photography. They liked the idea so I needed a camera which was easy to move around as the actors couldn’t move at all. So, I shot the movie on the Pocket Cinema Camera mounted on RONIN and I liked it,” said Shigemori. Shigemori usually serves as the director of photography for most of his projects, however for this film he decided to direct. “I shot in 8K 8:1 setting. The movie was to be uploaded to Instagram, so I used an anamorphic lens and made a 4:3 side-cut. If you do side-cut when using regular camera, you will lose picture quality greatly, on the other hand, the URSA Mini Pro 12K allows you to film in high resolution, so you don’t have to worry about the quality loss,” he
continued. Loving the unique tone of film, Shigemori had a plan to recreate that tone with the URSA Mini Pro 12K. “Most digital cameras are set to 800 ISO for its base ISO. However, I hardly use the 800 ISO setting as I feel it makes the picture look too digital and kind of boring. I always make the ISO higher when shooting in digital and this time I used 1600 ISO. I often bring ISO setting to 3200 to help prevent the image to look ‘too real.’ Whether it is film or digital, you need to somehow ‘torture’ your picture to get an interesting tone.” “That is why I used the anamorphic lens as well. You don’t get clear focus with the lens, which makes the image a little fuzzy. I like an audience to be imaginative by leaving some fuzziness in the image, so I try not to make my picture look too clear,” Shigemori said. Grading was done at the post house Omnibus Japan using DaVinci Resolve Studio. Shigemori explained what he aimed for in colour grading: “I shot in very flat lighting for this project, which was unusual to me. I usually like to create more shades when shooting, but this was supposed to be a snowscape in winter so I intentionally used flat lighting. I also used smoke
in the studio, which made the image whitish. I wanted to leave the mood and atmosphere acquired from the lighting and smoke effect but still wanted to see each colour, so I asked my colourist to grade carefully with sharpness and bring up more colours. It was unusual to me to make the image a very soft tone, but it came out very nice.” On shooting in Blackmagic RAW, Shiegemori said: “I thought it would not run 8K RAW material on a regular computer. I was so surprised how light Blackmagic RAW was when I used it, which was beyond my expectation. While some RAW footage from other digital cameras requires more computer processing power, Blackmagic RAW is really easy to handle.” Visit www.blackmagicdesign.com
Japan’s Hibino Powers Virtual Production Studio with disguise HIBINO GROUP, one of Japan’s biggest AV suppliers, has launched a world-class virtual production studio powered by disguise xR and disguise vx 4 and rx II media servers.
Built opposite the iconic Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo, Hibino’s use of high-end disguise technology enables the studio to offer next-generation in-camera visual effects productions to clients in a wide range of markets, from film and TV production to music videos, advertising and corporate events.
ACQUISITION
Junichi Imokawa (Imo), Director and Managing Executive Officer for Hibino, says: “Since we began working with disguise ten years ago, we have built a very strong bond and have used each of our expertise to push each other past what we believed feasible. We’ve made the impossible possible.
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“disguise has become our go-to supplier because it has a very impressive portfolio of video rental partners which would rival the best companies in the world. The amazing projects that disguise has helped realise always inspires us and motivates
us to keep striving for perfection. With disguise in our corner, it gives us the ability to maintain our position in Japan among the heavyweights.” As productions get bigger, so do the screens and the resolution demands. disguise’s vx 4 offers 4K outputs that are capable of playing up to four times uncompressed 4K60 with lossless 10-bit video, ensuring Hibino can more than match up to these demands. Hibino is the first company to secure state of the art ROE Ruby 1.5F LED screens for all sides of the studio. Paired with a further ROE CB5 screen on the ceiling, the studio provides a truly immersive setting for any production. Supporting this top-of-the-range set up with disguise machines was a “no-brainer”, says Imo. The studio is powered by three rx II machines, with two dedicated solely to content rendering and a third providing connectivity with Unreal Engine via disguise’s multi-user editor. In unison with a vx 4 unit, Hibino has built a powerful studio that will be the best possible environment for the most demanding of productions.
“Hibino VFX Studio is a platform where people in the industry can get a taste of in-camera VFX,” says Imo. “Although there is a massive number of studios in Japan, purpose-built in-camera VFX studios are few and far between. On top of that, the cost of bringing LED screens and systems into studios on a project-by-project basis is too high. I saw a gap in the market. Our vision is to help make these spaces more accessible and commonplace within the industry. We’d like to distribute our elaborate LED and systems to as many studios as possible across Japan.” Visit www.disguise.one and https://www.hibino.co.jp/english/
ACQUISITION & LIGHTING
Wooden Camera for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro WOODEN CAMERA HAS INTRODUCED a range of kits and accessories for the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K. Designed especially to accommodate the new camera, the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro Camera Cage features a nextgen design and is available with a new top handle and LW 15mm baseplate in every tier of Wooden Camera’s production-ready kits. The kits are available in Base, Advanced, Pro (V-Mount), and Pro (Gold Mount) versions. The Pro tiers feature the new camera-specific Micro Battery Slide Pro for adding micro and full-sized cinema batteries. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro Camera Cage features an updated design which utilises a new C-shaped base for enhanced stability and support. The Cage also features pass-through slots for improved cable management, engraved markings to indicate the camera’s focal plane, and an offset cold shoe mount. The front of the Cage provides two mounting points for additional top rod configurations. Wooden Camera also includes a detachable HDMI and USB-C Support Bracket for ensuring secure cable connections. To maintain a proper optical centre, the LW 15mm Baseplate should be used with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro
Camera Cage. This Baseplate features quality-of-life upgrades, including an improved safety release system for the top ARCA Swiss dovetail. It attaches to the bottom of the Cage and utilises updated directional arrows to indicate the proper direction for loading. Also included are two 15mm LW rod openings at the correct distance from the centre of the lens as well as a dual quick-release system via the ARCA Swiss dovetail slot on top and the ARRIStandard dovetail slot on the bottom. The Base Kit for this camera features the Cage, Top Handle and LW 15mm Baseplate. The Top Handle mounts directly to the top of the Cage via a new and improved captive bolt-on mechanism with safety pins. Utilised on several of the new products, the mechanism can be tightened with either a flathead screwdriver or allen-key. The Advanced Kit adds an 8-inch Safety Dovetail and a pair of 12-inch 15mm rods. The Pro Kit adds the Micro Battery Slide Pro in either V-Mount or Gold Mount as well as two 15-inch 15mm rods and a 12-inch Safety Dovetail. Wooden Camera’s power upgrade for Blackmagic’s camera, the Micro Battery Slide Pro is available in both V-Mount and Gold Mount versions. The power plate attaches to a
15mm LW rod system and features a D-Tap at 5.8 amps for accessory power. To avoid users exceeding the set current for accessories, a smart safety feature disables the accessory outputs leaving the camera running normally. Once the current load has been reduced by either removing accessories or reconfiguring, the reset button can be pressed to re-enable accessory power. Visit https://woodencamera.com
ALEXA Mini LF Software Update Package 7.0 ARRI HAS ANNOUNCED the availability of ALEXA Mini LF SUP 7.0 with many new features.
features are based on customer requests and greatly improve the overall usability of the camera.
One of the most asked for additions to the Mini LF are new Super 35 recording formats. With these new formats, the Mini LF is now more flexible than ever and can be used for both large-format and Super 35 productions. In addition, three of the four Super 35 recording formats offer higher frame rates than the ALEXA Mini.
Features of the ALEXA Mini LF SUP 7.0 download include:
At the same time, ALEXA is expanding the cameras’ features for the popular large format. Two new large format recording formats deliver the large format look with a significantly reduced data rate (HD or UHD recording). Many additional
• New Super 35 recording formats. 3.4K S35 3:2 – 3.4K up to 60fps. 3.2K S35 16:9 – 3.2K up to 75fps. 2.8K S35 4:3 – 2.8K up to 75fps. 2.8K S35 16:9 – HD up to 100fps. • New large format recording formats. 4.3K LF 16:9 – UHD up to 48fps. 4.3K LF 16:9 – HD up to 75fps. • Expanded recording format names.
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Improved Magnification monitoring icon. Support for Signature Zoom Extender 1.7x. Expanded list of default framelines. Increased number of framelines. User setup file forward/backwards compatibility. • Camera Access Protocol (CAP) enhancements. • Improved communication with LBUS devices. • ECS improvements. • Improved logfile exporting. • Powerline Communication. • System stability improvements. Visit www.arri.com
MRMC Releases Entry-Level Bolt Mini Model Mover
The robotic arm can be used as a standalone system or synchronised with a camera shooting bot and enables full manipulation of products with repeat pass precision, timing and triggering capabilities. It comes with three mounting plates, including chuck mount and cheese plate, giving users a wide range of capture possibilities, as well as a gripper option. The 42kg unit is designed to be set-up quickly, can be mounted to a table or set on the floor, and
comes transport-ready in a compact flight case. In tandem with MRMC’s motion control software, Flair, it allows users to shoot classic liquid pours, stirs, whirls, and splashes, or mount utensils like forks, spoons, or even sports accessories such as shoes or rackets to get the most dynamic high-end shots. “The Bolt Mini Model Mover might be the smallest arm we do, but we have taken no shortcuts with it. It features the same Academy-Award-winning engineering excellence as the rest of our Bolt family,” comments Assaff Rawner, Managing Director, MRMC. “By bringing the entry-level price of high-end, high-speed robotics down to a sub
£50k price point, we hope to introduce a whole new sector of the industry to the enormous creative potential of motion control.” Visit www.mrmoco.com
ACQUISITION
BIG ON CREATIVITY, low on price, the Bolt Mini Model Mover is an extremely versatile, lightweight, 6-axis high-speed arm designed for payloads up to 8kg that starts at only £49k ($68k).
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ACQUISITION & LIGHTING
ZEISS Add Four New Focal Lengths to Supreme Prime Radiance Family ZEISS HAS ADDED four new lenses to the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance family. The 18 and 135 millimetre focal lengths add telephoto and wide-angle specialties to the seven focal lengths available to date. The new 40 and 65 millimetre lenses enhance the standard range, meaning that the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance family, as a self-contained series, now covers all possible applications for high-end film production. With a maximum aperture of T1.5, all eleven focal lengths stand out for their high speed and allow the finest nuances of light to be perceived, even in low-light conditions. ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses offer a distinctive look with consistent flares that can be controlled at all times. The ZEISS T* blue coating was developed especially for this series to allow users to create this look across all focal lengths – without having to sacrifice contrast or light transmission. “The ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses began as a variant and complement to our existing ZEISS Supreme Prime lenses and have now evolved into a high-end cine set in their own right,” explains Christophe Casenave. “Their sophisticated, artistic design has been so well received by the cine community that we are proud to expand the line with four new lenses, offering a comprehensive set of focal lengths for all kinds of artistic demands in cine productions.” Among the first to use ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses was Emmy award-winning DOP Dana Gonzales, ASC. For the fourth season of the iconic series Fargo, it wasn’t just the costume design, production design, and colour palette that had to convey the look of the 1950s, but above all, the visual imagery. To portray this Kodachrome look, the ZEISS Radiance lenses worked perfectly for him. Thanks to their versatile visual look, which is characterised by an extremely smooth transition between in-focus and out-of-focus areas and elegant bokeh, the lenses can be used in a flexible manner. According to Gonzales, it is
the pleasant softness that particularly sets ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses apart. “I use quite a bit of diffusion, but they are still very sharp with a soft fall-off, reminiscent of vintage lenses. I always embrace them and love the organic way the Radiance captures them. The flares always feel right and not forced.”
ZEISS eXtended Data Metadata Technology Like the ZEISS Supreme Prime lenses, the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses offer all the attributes of a cine lens – with an image circle diameter of 46.3 millimetres, they cover current large-format cine sensors and are compatible with current camera models such as the Sony Venice, the ARRI Alexa LF and Mini LF, or the RED Monstro. Incorporating a uniform front diameter of 95 millimetres and consistently positioned focus and aperture rings, they feature smooth and reliable focusing, simplifying the task of changing lenses on set. The lenses’ average weight is about 1,600 grams. The lenses are equipped with the ZEISS eXtended Data metadata technology launched in 2017, meaning they provide frame-by-frame data on lens vignetting and distortion in addition to the standard metadata provided by Cooke’s /i technology1 protocol. This simplifies and speeds up workflows, particularly for VFX and virtual production. The new ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance focal lengths are now available for purchase as a set of four lenses from ZEISS cine lens dealers. On the occasion of the presentation of the new focal lengths, it is once again possible to order the previous set of seven lenses or to exclusively purchase a complete set consisting of all eleven lenses. Deliveries commence Q3, 2021. Visit www.zeiss.com
Mo-Sys VP Pro with Sony Venice Integration
ACQUISITION
MO-SYS ENGINEERING has now integrated its virtual production software – Mo-Sys VP Pro – with the Sony Venice camera. Capturing the dynamic camera settings data direct from the Sony Venice, users can simplify and speed-up virtual production workflows.
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the file naming format the camera uses to name the media files, and uses the same name for the metadata file containing the camera settings data, ensuring that matching the two together in post-production is simple.
The Sony Venice full-frame digital cinematography camera is rapidly gaining popularity, not least for the large number of software-controlled resolution and aspect ratio settings available. Mo-Sys VP Pro links directly to the camera software, monitoring every take and shot to highlight any mis-matched settings, whilst capturing the Venice camera data to assist in down-stream post-production compositing.
Mo-Sys VP Pro is now the most versatile and up-to-date virtual production solution for film, TV, game cinematics, and live broadcast. Mo-Sys VP Pro is integrated with Unreal Engine and supports either live or recorded virtual production workflows, using either green/blue screen studios or LED volumes. It provides compositors with additional lens data – like F-stop, T-stop and shutter angle – making VFX compositing much easier.
The integration means that Mo-Sys VP Pro goes into record mode whenever the Sony Venice camera starts recording. Mo-Sys VP Pro captures
“Virtual production is a powerful creative tool, for film as well as for television,” said Michael Geissler, CEO of Mo-Sys. “It is a complex
business, though, and smart systems that speed synchronisation and set-up in post-production give a huge boost to productivity. Once more, Mo-Sys is leading the industry with intelligent, practical, integrations, whilst also supplying camera tracking solutions with the highest levels of precision and data resilience available on the market today. Mo-Sys recently announced the Cinematic XR Focus feature for Mo-Sys VP Pro, allowing camera operators to pull focus between real and virtual elements within an LED volume. This type of focus pull was previously impossible to achieve but using a Preston lens controller, MoSys StarTracker and Mo-Sys VP Pro, is now easily achievable. Visit www.mo-sys.com
SPORTSCASTING Sport coverage worldwide
www.content-technology.com/sportscasting
COVID-Era Remote Production for Olympic Broadcasters WHILE SPECTATORS MAY not be able to attend Tokyo 2020 in person, the organisers of Tokyo 2020 are in final preparations for the Opening Ceremony on 23 July and what they say will be an Olympic Games that “… will be safe for everyone participating and the Japanese people.”
“We want them to do and help them to do, is reduce the presence [of broadcast staff performing work] that can happen anywhere in the world. To be shipping servers and setting up equipment in a city for things that can happen on the cloud is one of the things we want to avoid.”
broadcaster NHK will be producing a comprehensive broadcast package in 8K. For social media and other digital platforms, Content+, a web-based platform primarily dedicated to short-form and digital content, will be available with content for broadcasters to use and repurpose.
At a recent Virtual Joint Broadcaster briefing, host broadcaster Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) declared it, too, had moved into full operational mode while Right Holding Broadcasters were also in the final phase of their preparations for the Games.
For Tokyo 2020, OBS also intends to leverage AI-led solutions in some of its broadcast workflows, as a way of testing how it will evolve to be included in future operations. OBS will run an Automatic Media Description (AMD) pilot project based on athlete recognition and this pilot
All Rights Holding Broadcasters will receive the international signal in HD, based on the host city’s HD standards. For Tokyo, the SMPTE 292 standard is used for the production of the 1080i/59.94 HD-SDI signal. OBS will follow the 59.94 Hz specification. UHD takers will receive the international signal
The International Broadcast Centre and the Main Press Centre will be housed in Tokyo Big Sight. Spanning some 265,700 square metres, it is the largest convention and exhibition centre in Japan comprising large-scale exhibition halls, international conference facilities and a reception hall. While over 9000 hours of sports content will be produced over the 17 days of the Games, the broadcast footprint will be some 30 per cent smaller than it was at Rio 2016 and, due to innovations in cloud technology, content production will be up by around 30 per cent. According to OBS CEO, Yiannis Exarchos, “We were lucky in the sense that we have the TOP partnership with Alibaba. Alibaba is one of the key players in the world in cloud technology, and together with them we developed what we call the OBS Cloud, which is a platform which allows broadcasters to receive content remotely on the cloud and even to work on this content remotely on a cloud basis.
analytical data processed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) than at any previous Olympic Games, including:
Japan’s National Stadium in Tokyo.
will be conducted on a select number of specifically chosen sports. OBS will combine existing metadata such as the Broadcast Data Feed (BDF) and video logs with image recognition based on athlete bibs. Additionally, OBS will use speechto-text technology to complement and improve the tagging of media assets. Such applications will allow a faster and more efficient turnaround of workflows such as image selection, automatic searching and clipping. By Beijing 2022, OBS is aiming to expand this process to as many sports as possible, make the most of AI-driven tools in its internal workflows and open the service to RHBs. Tokyo 2020 will be the first Games coverage to be natively produced in 4K HDR with Immersive Audio (5.1.4), while Japanese host
in UHD HDR, with 5.1.4 audio configuration. The UHD production will adhere to the SMPTE 2036-1 standard and follow the 59.94 Hz specification. The HDR standard will be Hybrid-Log Gamma (HLG). At the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, OBS will broadcast content from ENG cameras in “real-condition trials” using a 5G network and send it back to the IBC where the speed will be measured and the overall network performance monitored. OBS is set to adopt 5G’s wireless technology further for the broadcast of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 where all the competition venues are expected to have 5G network coverage. Audiences around the world will also be introduced to never-seenbefore camera angles, 360-degree replays, multi-camera live Virtual Reality (VR) coverage and more
• Intel’s True View cameras, which offer, for the first time, immersive replays for all basketball matches. True View builds three-dimensional, 360° video through an array of cameras installed high in a stadium or arena. In Tokyo, a total of 35 4K cameras will be mounted at the concourse level of the Saitama Super Arena to capture volumetric video that, once processed, renders 360° replays, bird’s eye views, stunning freeze frames and compelling stories from any perspective on the court. OBS will produce up to 10 True View clips for every Basketball game. • 3D athlete-tracking technology developed in collaboration with Worldwide TOP Partners Intel and Alibaba. This first-of-itskind broadcast enhancement technology uses AI and computer vision to enhance the viewing experience with near real-time insights and overlay visualisations during the athletics sprint events (100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay, as well as decathlon/ heptathlon). Viewers will be able to understand at what exact moment each sprinter reaches their peak speed and analyse the different phases of the race in detail through a full set of race statistics. Continues p13>>
SPORTSCASTING
Yiannis Exarchos, OBS Chief Executive Officer said, “Our preparations are well on track, we have excellent support in Tokyo, and we are moving as per planned. In the past, over complex situations, broadcasters have proven to operate in the most professional and responsible manner. I believe that we will be able to showcase these historic Games in an unprecedented way, Tokyo 2020 will be the Games that will reunite the world.”
Yiannis Exarchos, CEO, Olympic Broadcasting Services. Pic - Christophe Moratal/IOC.
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SPORTSCASTING
NBC Olympics on the Starting Block Having pioneered remote broadcast workflows for a number of years now, there is probably no rights holder better prepared for a COVID-era Olympic Games than America’s NBC, traditionally the biggest presence at any Olympic IBC. FOR THE FIRST TIME, NBC Olympics will provide live coverage of the NBC broadcast network’s Olympics primetime show in 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and ATMOS sound. NBC’s coverage of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies will also be in 4K HDR. In addition, live competition coverage of all Tokyo Olympic programming on GOLF Channel and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will be in 4K HDR. Events which will be featured in 4K HDR during the Games include gymnastics, track & field, swimming, diving, beach volleyball, golf, and tennis. NBCUniversal will also distribute 4K HDR coverage to U.S. distribution partners. Coordinating between broadcast centers in Tokyo and Stamford, Connecticut, NBC Olympics has evolved its remote, file-based workflow with technology from a mix of developers. Grass Valley has delivered a range of open standards-based IP systems aimed at driving efficiency within NBC Olympics’ studios inside the IBC in Tokyo. Grass Valley IP infrastructure will support processing of live video and audio feeds – both from studios and remote event venues – ready for delivery to the broadcaster’s production and editing control rooms ahead of live broadcasts. NBC Olympics will deploy Grass Valley’s IP Media infrastructure at the Tokyo IBC, leveraging control of a Cisco Spine and Leaf switching topology through the GV Orbit NMOS compliant router control and configuration system. The IP Media solution is SMPTE-2110, AMWA NMOS IS-04/05, SMPTE-2059, UHD, and HDR compliant and comprises over 70 IQUCP modular gateways using both the 25GbE and 50GbE product versions, 170 Densitè+ XIP-3901 IP audio/video, SDR/HDR, IS-04/IS-05 processing modules and 16 MV-820-IP multiviewers. System management is enabled via the GV Orbit dynamic orchestration system, allowing production teams to leverage the power of IP using familiar SDI workflows. As part of the wider IP infrastructure, Grass Valley has also provided MADI audio gateway products, and the Audio Live multistream audio processing solution. Visit https:// www.grassvalley.com
SPORTSCASTING
NBC Olympics has chosen EVS’ XT-VIA servers for its 1080p – UHD/HDR production on-site in Tokyo and Stamford, and other venues for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The XT-VIA provides 12-plus channels of 1080p and six or more channels of UHD-4K in both SDR and HDR. Visit www.evs.com
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NBC Olympics will deploy Avid’s MediaCentral solutions to drive Tokyo-based remote and on-site workflows that will generate content for linear, OTT and social media platforms. For the first time, NBC Olympics will enable its editing team in Tokyo to simultaneously create both progressive (1080p HDR) and interlaced (1080i) versions of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the XXXII Olympiad. Using the Dynamic Relink functionality in Avid’s Media Composer, editors can enable cross-frame rate relinking between interlaced and progressive media. Visit www.avid.com
Telestream’s Lightspeed Live Capture and Vantage media processing platform will underpin the unique, mixed HDR/SDR workflow. Lightspeed Live Capture systems will receive 1080p59.94 HDR signals and create media simultaneously to two different formats. As the 1080p59.94 HDR is recorded in XAVC Class 100 HDR (Hybrid Log Gamma or HLG) format, Telestream’s Vantage software, running on an array of Lightspeed G6 servers will process the media as it’s growing. SDR versions will be created in XDCAMHD 422 at 1080i59.94. The HDR to SDR conversion will be done through an advanced colour processing pipeline in Vantage using colour processing Look Up Table filters (LUTs) that translate HDR (HLG) to SDR (Rec. 709). In real time, while Lightspeed Live Capture is under record, Vantage will check both HDR and SDR assets into Avid Interplay. The Vantage system provides frame chase editing capabilities of both the HDR and SDR product, allowing Avid operators to edit on the fly from the live files as they are being recorded. The HDR/SDR workflow takes advantage of Avid’s cross-rate dynamic relink capability. Avid operators focus on editing the 1080i59.94 SDR-based content, which will be consumed by the majority of viewers, and then simply re-link/ conform to the HDR assets to finish edits against the 1080p59.94 HDR product. Signiant provide NBC Olympics with intelligent file transfer software to move petabytes of footage from Tokyo back to its centre in Stamford, immediately upon capture. Signiant’s network optimisation technology enables seamless transfer of the footage over standard IP networks, eliminating latency and packet loss, so that editors in Stamford can begin creating highlights almost immediately. The software also allows for content, including graphics work and pre-recorded footage, to be transferred quickly and securely back to the broadcast centre in Tokyo. Visit http://www. signiant.com Chryon is supporting NBC Olympics’ remote production workflow with Lyric X, a 4K-ready solution for graphics creation and playout. Lyric systems will be used in Stamford to enable an agile workflow for adapting graphics and getting them to air quickly. Additional Lyric systems will be deployed in a dedicated control room in Tokyo to support flexible graphics creation and playout for a select group of events. Deployed in its Tokyo studios, Chyron’s PRIME Video Walls solution will enable NBC Olympics to deliver visual presentations on individual displays, or across a monitor wall. Data-binding to scene elements will simplify data visualisation. Visit www.chyronhego.com
Olympics studio operation bring a next-level immersive visual to our studio presentation, bringing augmented reality to our primetime coverage,” said Michael Sheehan, Coordinating Director, NBC Olympics. “Instrumented Jib & Steadicam will give our creative teams the flexibility to use this great new technology in ways to help tell the stories of these Olympic Games.” Visit www.rossvideo.com Calrec is providing six Artemis consoles in NBC Sports’ IBC in Stamford, with a 64-fader Artemis and a Brio console in the Main Control Room in Tokyo. Also in Tokyo is a 32-fader Artemis Beam handling the audio in the 4K control room for “immersive” audio broadcasts, and two 40-fader Artemis consoles used in NBC Olympics’ fly packs for ‘immersive’ beach volleyball and golf production. There will be full IP routing in the IBC so all Calrec consoles will have AoIP interfaces connecting a variety of fixed format and modular Hydra2 IO to an IP router. Six RP1 units will connect NBC Olympics studios in the IBC with Stamford control rooms, as well as two studios on site in Tokyo, basketball and volleyball venues, to their home control rooms. Two Brio consoles are also in use at the downtown studios splitting the audio for redundancy between RP1 and Brio. Visit www.calrec.com NBC Olympics has turned to Xytech’s ScheduALL for a ninth consecutive Olympic Games to orchestrate the logistics of its people, equipment, locations and transmission feeds. Xytech’s ScheduALL manages critical information, such as video router assignments and satellite uplink scheduling, and automatically passes the information to downstream systems to facilitate on-air coverage for each feed. Visit www. xytechsystems.com
Rocket Surgery, Ross Video’s in-house creative and professional services division, will provide NBC Olympics with the Voyager graphics rendering solution (based on the Unreal 4 engine) along with production crew to integrate the graphic elements designed by the NBC Olympics graphics team and operate the technology on the air.
TAG Video Systems will provide NBC Olympics with an integrated software-based IP probing, monitoring and multiviewer solution to monitor MPEG Transport Streams originating in Tokyo, which are then logged, categorised and archived in NBC Sports’ Center in Stamford. The customisable system will run on off-the-shelf servers and give NBC Olympics the ability to view metrics and evaluate the health of the signals every step of the way.
“Ross Video’s Voyager product will help the NBC
Visit www.tagvs.com
SPORTSCASTING >>Continued from p11
• The coverage of the archery competition will provide biometric data from miniature sensors worn by the archers. The monitor’s receptors will detect the heart rate and transmit the data wirelessly to generate the on-screen television graphics. Audiences will be able to witness the heartbeat variations and adrenaline rush experienced by the archers as they shoot their arrow. The IOC has developed other additional ways to enhance the way worldwide audiences will experience the Olympic Games, including: • olympics.com – launched by the IOC in May 2021, the new platform utilises Olympic digital and social media channels to drive engagement and deliver content and communications. • The Tokyo 2020 FanZone – an interactive gamification experience on olympics.com and the official Tokyo 2020 website and mobile app to engage fans. • A Fantasy Challenge to allow fans to create a team by selecting their 10 favourite athletes from individual sports. • A Bracket Challenge where fans can attempt to select the winning bracket in each team sport while competing with fans around the world. The IOC and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), working with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and Olympic broadcast partners (RHBs), have also created a suite of digital tools as part of the “Share the Passion” project. It will allow athletes to engage with friends and family in the venues and allow fans all over the world to be actively involved in supporting their sporting heroes.
• Fan Video Matrix: Allows fans to share their reactions to the action in five-second video selfies, which will be displayed as a video matrix inside the venue. • Cheer Map: A virtual “cheer” button will be embedded on several broadcasters’ digital platforms. Fans can watch the broadcast feed of an Olympic event and virtually clap or cheer by clicking the button. The system collects all the cheers and renders a global map of “cheer activity”. The map is sent as a video stream to broadcasters and showcased on venue video boards. • Athlete Moment – Family & Friends: At selected venues, Olympians will be able to interact live, straight after their competition with their family and friends back home through dedicated “Athlete Moment” stations. “Our ambition is to bring the magic of the athletes’ achievements to the world on an unprecedented scale. Technology is going to play a critical role and allow us to bring fans ‘inside the venue’ virtually. This is an important ambition, not just for the fans, but also for the athletes as they compete on the world’s biggest stage. The IOC and OBS have been able to benefit from the great partnerships we have with the world’s leading media companies and sponsors and with Tokyo 2020. We also believe these new digital innovations will leave a legacy which we will build on at future editions of the Olympic Games,” says OBS CEO Yiannis Exarchos. Visit https://olympics.com
TVU Networks Offers Multiple Live Video Feeds from Summer Games TVU NETWORKS, the provider of cloud and IP-based live video solutions, is offering rights-cleared access to live external video feeds of locations across Tokyo until the conclusion of the Summer Games. The 24/7 beauty shots are part of TVU’s extensive on-site support effort during the event. There are professional camera feeds available from Tokyo – including feeds from TVU’s local Japanese partners – showcasing familiar and unique locales around the city, including the Japan National Stadium and Athletes’ Village. The live feeds will be available through the Paralympic Games, which follow the Summer Games and end on Sept. 5. News outlets can use the fixed shots for bumpers, live introductions, and other interstitial content for broadcast, web content, and social media posts. The feeds are available through TVU MediaSource, a cloud-based market for real-time access to video content from trusted media organisations. Beyond live camera feeds, TVU will have an extensive inventory of TVU One mobile transmitters for rent in Tokyo during the Summer Games, as well as the TVU Remote Production System (RPS) for multi-camera REMI production. Plus, professional ENG camera crews are available to cover the event. Broadcasters can access the TVU Anywhere app, which allows full HD live transmission of video from iOS or Android smartphones. Other cloud-based rental options include TVU Producer for live multi-camera video production in the cloud with no latency, as well as TVU Grid for scalable point-to-multipoint live video distribution and the TVU Partyline broadcast-quality live production collaboration platform. TVU also has studio space in downtown Tokyo available to rent. Studios are equipped with TVU Grid for broadcastquality video transmission. With every studio rental, live video capture will be automatically recorded and indexed via TVU MediaMind’s AI-based technology. Video can be searched in real time, and clips can be downloaded for free for 30 days. Broadcasters and other content creators can request live feeds, equipment rentals, and other services at www. tvunetworks.com/2020-summer-games
Immersive AR/VR live presentations made easy
edison
www.brainstorm3d.com/products/edison
SPORTSCASTING
With Brainstorm’s new Edison PRO, any user can create dazzling presentations based on a PowerPoint or PDF file, adding rich media like pictures, sound, video or 3D objects and animations from the built-in libraries or any other source. Presenters can immerse themselves in the virtual environment, even using Unreal Engine backgrounds.
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NEWS OPERTAIONS OPERATIONS www.content-technology.com/newsoperations
Ticker News anchor Adrian Franklin in action.
On the Up: Ticker
In less than two years, next-gen news channel Ticker has gone from strength to strength with audience growth, personnel growth, a larger HQ, and the launch of a Singapore bureau. By Phil Sandberg FOUNDED BY EX-SKY NEWS Australia anchor Ahron young, Ticker is a linear streaming channel operating 24-hours, seven-days-a-week. As well as the linear feed, Ticker also produces pre-recorded business lifestyle programming. Its content is also available on-demand through the Ticker app.
NEWS OPERATIONS
Now located in the former General-Motors Holden building in Port Melbourne, which Young says makes him feel like “Alan Bond on a Kerry Packer budget”, Ticker’s growth has also seen it finetuning its focus.
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“I think at one stage, we were growing 100% month on month, in terms of audience,” says Ahron Young. “And we’ve really been focusing substantially on what works. We don’t want to just follow the numbers. It is very tempting to have a look at what’s trending on Google, what’s trending on Twitter, and to build your rundown off the back of that. But, for me, when we go live, we do so many things with our live broadcast. We tell you the news, we have a reporter/anchor in Singapore who we cross to about what’s happening at the moment in China and that Asia-Pacific region, as well as politicians who join us from countries around the world now, as well as people who tell their stories. The live component is one very small
part of what we do - a very important part - but as time has gone on, we worked out that we’re not a television network, we’re a media company, and to really focus our interests across the entire business equally. “We also have things called Ticker Originals. They’re 15-minute programs called anything from Ticker Money, through to Ticker Fit, things that align and help to brand who we are. And there are also commercial sponsorships, where we have a co-host with our news anchor, one of our Ticker Originals hosts as well, depending on the topic. “We’ve just got a partnership with the Australian Government, with AusIndustry, where we have our Ticker Originals host, Mike Loder, and he interviews people who are part of this program. And it’s a really interesting show, showing the world what Australian business can do. We don’t really consider ourselves as Australian, even though the values that we have are Australian, in terms of democracy, and capitalism, et cetera, and a fair go, but most of our audience is now overseas.”
as a video service, live TV video, in the offices of Government Departments, we are live at airports, we are live, obviously, on our website, we are live on Twitter every half hour. I believe our video goes out live to an IPTV version of Stan or Amazon in South Africa. People can download us on their Foxtel Now boxes. “Trying to break down where people are watching is becoming even more difficult, but what I can tell you is when I have a look at our webpage through Google Analytics, it tells us that 30% of our audience is Australia, 30% is in the US, and the rest is made up from other countries. Singapore’s quite high, India’s huge as well. And they’re constantly changing and continually grow. But we started off as about 80% Australian.
C+T: How does the audience break down at the moment?
And we worked out that, who we are, we are an inner-urban, news network. We talk about global politics now. We talk about tech. We still focus on business, but what I love about business is it’s so wide. Aviation is a business story, but in the Aviation sector, they don’t consider themselves as a business story. Global politics impacts business, and there are decisions made that impact business.
Ahron Young: “It’s really hard to answer this question. And the reason is because we are live
“We’ve ventured into all of the different things that probably impact the lives of an under 45s innercontinues p16>>
NEWS OPERATIONS
TVU and Vimond Power Cloud-Based Editing
Haivision Makito X4 Video Encoder
TVU NETWORKS, the provider of cloud and IP-based live video solutions, has partnered with video management and distribution software developer Vimond Media Solutions to enable Vimond’s cloud-native video editing tool/NLE for the broadcast industry, Vimond IO, to access live video streams in the TVU ecosystem.
HAIVISION, THE PROVIDER OF real-time video streaming and networking solutions, has updated its Makito X4, the company’s flagship ultra-low latency video encoder. This third major update since its launch leverages the flexibility of the Makito X4’s software defined feature set and high-performance hardware platform design to deliver up to 25% lower latency, enhanced video quality, and frame accurate multi-stream delivery for remote broadcast challenges.
With real-time access to live video, Vimond IO editors do not have to wait for ENG crews to return from the field or offload footage to a server to begin editing. TVU integration provides editors with the same immediacy as the other TVU applications. The TVU MediaMind platform, for example, enriches live sources with indexed and searchable transcripts in multiple languages. If a Vimond IO editor is producing a package on forest fires, they can create an alert that finds live footage of a forest fire from authorized sources. (Secure access to live streams and archived materials is granted through credentials.) Plus, the editor can use MediaMind’s AI-driven metadata to find other forest fire footage in the archives, or expand the search to include other parameters. Vimond IO is a browser-based video editing and publishing tool that runs in the cloud. News and sports organisations can ingest video from live streams and file-based footage directly to Vimond IO, then publish to multiple social media and content management systems. The content can also be sent to the TVU Producer to be included in a multi-camera live production. With Vimond IO, remote workers can finish sequences with custom graphics, audio enhancements, and more. Users can access TVU streams from the live component of the Vimond IO user interface. Video streams can be linear channels from regular sources, archived content, ad hoc event coverage, or even footage from ENG crews. Vimond IO offers frame-accurate navigation, so an editor can mark in and out points before creating a clip. Editors can also add metadata (title, description, tags, etc.). Visit www.tvunetworks.com
The specific improvements in the newest release of the Makito X4 encoder include: • Enhanced Video Quality – support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Color Gamut (WCG) encoding for video contribution to complete the highest quality camera to production workflow. • Lower Latency – up to 25% reduction in the amount of time to encode video by taking advantage of advanced slice-based encoding techniques. • Increased Timing Precision – enabling synchronized multiplecamera streaming for real-time on-premise or cloud-native live broadcast production. • HEVC over RTSP – a uniquely capable, extremely high performance, and high picture quality alternative to fuel video management software (VMS) platforms The Makito X4 video encoder is a core “edge device” and part of Haivision’s intelligent-edge connected-cloud solution portfolio fueled by Haivision’s widely adopted SRT low latency network protocol. Visit www.haivision.com
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NEWS OPERATIONS
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NEWS OPERATIONS >> continued from p14
urban millennial. When I say under 45s, I’ve also never met anyone over 45 who doesn’t consider themselves to be under 45s. They’re stateless, our audience. They’re people who travel around the world, who might work for KPMG or Deloitte, who might have more in common with someone like them, who lives in London, or Singapore, than their own next-door neighbour. “And that’s what we worked out, and that’s why we worked out that there was no real point just focusing on Australia. Facebook isn’t an Australian service, neither is Google, so why limit yourself to a geographical destination.” Tell us about the new studio. Ahron Young: “When I spoke to you last year, we had this massive CNN-style news studio, where I’d anchor from, and that was all great, but there was no room to put anybody behind me, because there was only room for eight people. And, all of a sudden, we were employing 16 journalists across the day, and we needed more space. We just went, ‘You know what? We’re just dancing around the edges here. We’re never going to reach the potential of what we needed.’ And, knowing that commercial real estate was now a buyers’ market, we realised that now was the time to actually take a risk.
“We’re right now working on Autocues that don’t require anyone to control them, but they’re actually working off speech recognition. That’s a whole other part of our business at Ticker, is we don’t just take off the shelf, we’re also the biggest customers for a lot of the companies we work with. And we work in partnership with them on ways to essentially run a business, where what you see on screen are our staff. We don’t need dozens of engineers. We don’t need lighting crews and cameramen.” Everything will be automated, but powered by an in-house system? Ahron Young: “Correct. For example, we use virtual inputs. On one camera, we can set five different virtual inputs of where that camera should be. We can put that into our scripting. We literally just have a dropdown menu, and say this script needs to be done from this camera, in this position. And we leave it to that. That will adjust the lighting, that will adjust the camera shot. And that will send a command to the presenter to let them know whether they need to get up from the desk, what they need to do.
“You can have open plan studios, but the amount of money you spend on the technology to cut out all of the background noise, is ridiculously high. And if you have a look at CNN, they no longer have those huge offices behind them. It’s screens, it’s built-in TV studios.
“And then on top of that, the Autocue will also be voice-activated. One of the biggest challenges we’ve had, is we want to do stand-up presenting, but our Autocue requires a hand controller. We have had to find a way to overcome that. We generally think of what do we want to achieve? And then what can the technology do? And off we go.”
“For Studio 1, we’re doing something really different in Australia. We’re building something which feels a lot more like a New York style loft with a huge LED wall which takes up the entire wall. We’re doing 1.6mm [pitch], I believe, in terms of the distance between the LED dots, which matters for television. I’ve seen in the past, where PTZ cameras that a lot of news channels own aren’t good enough because of the lenses. And then the sets arrive at a 2.5, and you get this horrible moiré-ing effect. “We’ll have three huge video walls as well, which are LED screens, which will sit behind our guests, giving us aspect there. A lot of concrete, it will feel very much like an inner-urban news network, what you would expect. A lot of back-light, but nothing like a Duratran, or anything like that.
NEWS OPERATIONS
“We’ve actually been working on something with our software developer in Brussels. We have worked with them to come up with a really simple user interface for our staff to be able to put a bulletin together, so that the journos, the directors, the producers can quickly put it together. It’s actually designed so that an anchor could put their own bulletin together themselves.
“We got a real estate agent to take us to eight or ten different locations, and none of them worked. It was either too cold, or too loud, or the build would have been massive. And the agent was listening to us, and he was like, ‘You know what? I reckon I know the place.’ He brought us here which used to be the Holden headquarters. At first, he was showing us some open plan spaces and, again, one of the lessons that I’ve learnt is open plan is the opposite of what works in TV because of the sound issue.
“What we will have will be two [HD] studios, a very large one and one which is a mid-sized studio, which is kind of our backup. And the mid-sized studio has a couple of 80-inch TVs with a virtual background which has been designed by our graphics team at [Sydney-based design studio] LightRise and can be transitioned in and out pretty easily.
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those columns, will be an LED column, so we can put sponsors up the side, or the names of shows up the side for news programs. We’ll probably have four cameras, one on a slide, or one on a jib to Autocues. And the whole thing will be done with no studio crew, and one person in the control room.
“There will be desks that come apart, standing positions, lots of different abilities to light it, an LED column. We’ll have different columns that are all on castors to move around, and then we’ll have one of
You’ve assigned a journalist to establish a Singapore bureau. What has that involved? Ahron Young: “First, it was choosing who would be the right person. And Jackson Williams, I [first] hired him at Sky News about five or six years ago. The one thing I loved about Jackson was he could set up a bureau. He’s self-reliant. People at Sky News are great. We always had to shoot our own stuff. You were both on air, but also had to be very technically proficient. “We worked out that Singapore was a great place to be because it’s like the easy entrance to Asia, as a lot of Australian businesses say. And Singapore is very much the regional leader when it comes to finance. That was a place that made sense. And then we had to think about how we’d make it work. We have a bunch of partners we work within Australia, who also happen to have offices in Singapore, one of them being [PR Technology company] Telum Media, and Telum Media said to us, ‘Oh, our headquarters are in Singapore. You should chat to the boss.’ So, we spoke to him, and they were based at a co-working space, which is just near the Marina Bay Sands, MBS, and it’s called The Quadrant. We spoke with them, met with them, and came to an agreement of how it would work. Then we had to organise the
technology. “We sent that over with Jackson, and then he got there and set that up. We have, I think it’s a 75-inch Plasma with a shot of Singapore Ticker Founder and CEO, Ahron Young. which our graphics team have worked on, and then Jackson sits there, and basically, the camera connects to a computer and all the stuff that we do, and it comes back to our control room here in Melbourne, and we control the news from here. He now does the evenings, Australia time, which is the afternoons in Singapore. That essentially means, that when we next open up in San Francisco, we’ll have the same template we do over there, and then that begins in Australia, to work on our overnights. Next will be San Francisco, and then London, and then that will bring us back to mornings, Australia time.” C+T: It sounds very ambitious. Ahron Young: “Is it though? People often talk to me about that ambition. When I worked at Sky, there were about 200 staff, I believe. And they did many different jobs, but there weren’t 200 staff on camera. What I’ve essentially done is to work out, do we need a news control? Do we need a news exchange? Do we need ten people in a control room, or even three that Mosart needs you to have, as well as a Technical Director? Do you need all these things? Or are you able to co-share jobs? “It’s just a bit more technology, really. And technology’s now at that point, where we don’t need satellites to bring it in, and all of the things that once upon a time, if you were to anchor Nine News out of their Los Angeles bureau, you would need. Things have changed dramatically. It sounds ambitious, but really, instead of living in South Melbourne and working in Port Melbourne, Jackson lives in Singapore and works at The Quadrant, otherwise our afternoons, evenings would be coming from here. We’ve just taken a person and put them somewhere else, and used technology to build up our overseas component, and that’s all it is.” So, what’s the roadmap going forward? Ahron Young: “The aim is to, essentially, have eight different countries doing three hours of Ticker news a day, live, and then building out each of those local countries as well, because what we cover is international, and everyone has a story. And you talk about Ticker Original shows, whether it’s Ticker Business, or Ticker Eats, or Ticker this or that, well, people eat in every country, people do business in every country. It’s the way that we operate that is how we’re able to make money. And what we’ve worked on is a template for our business, as I say, almost like a franchise, and we go from there.” Visit https://tickernews.co
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM Silver Trak Digital Launches Media Room 3.0 IN WHAT THE COMPANY is describing as a gamechanger for the media and entertainment industries, Silver Trak Digital has launched version 3.0 of its cloud-based Media Room asset management solution. Media Room 3.0 has a number of new features including a fully-elastic Aspera cloud service allowing users to collect and distribute files at up to 3Gbs, a frame accurate player, clipping, transcoding and framerate conversions. It also boasts per-recipient dynamic watermarking, IP restrictions and 2FA for increased security. There is a full studio-grade DRM and enhanced artwork capabilities for electronic screener campaigns. In addition, there is AI/ML, speech to text, face and logo recognition, enhanced audio handling and a new Media Room Media Centre for controlled sharing of content.
of Media Room’s development we consulted with our clients to make sure the features offered were relevant and effective. This close consultative partnership with our clients has been one of the major reasons for Media Room’s success.” Fast forward to 2021 and Media Room 3.0 has become a preeminent, affordable asset management platform that provides users with even more features than before. Built to manage native broadcast files, including 4K content, Media Room allows clients to collect,
Silver Trak COO Christian Christiansen.
As Silver Trak Digital COO Christian Christiansen explains, “Media Room 3.0 is the culmination of nearly a decade’s development. In 2012 Silver Trak Digital was operating as a 9 to 5 business in an industry that required content services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Media Room was developed to place Silver Trak Digital right on the user’s desktop providing a 24 x 7 operation.
Silver Trak wanted its clients to be able to self-serve many of the services they offered including Aspera file-based deliveries, transcodes and framerate conversions. It was Media Room that would enable this range of services to become available to clients who, critically, would only be paying for them when they used them making the transition to filebased workflows easy and cost effective. “At the time we decided on developing Media Room, the industry had gone through a period of contraction,” continues Christiansen. “Many technical and operational people had left and more and more clients relied on Silver Trak Digital to be not just the service provider of highly technical services, but also the adviser on technical specs. It was clear Media Room had to play a bigger and more important part in our clients’ day to day operations.” Thus, Media Room was further developed so less technically-minded users could perform more complex services via a particularly easy to use interface. Christiansen adds, “We had to offer Media Room at a price point that would suit the Australian media industry and would allow organisations of any size to take advantage of Media Room’s flexibility. Users, of course, wanted Media Room to make them more efficient, so at every stage
Silver Trak Digital’s new Media Room 3.0 in action.
store and manage content in an intuitive, secure environment. Explaining the game changing nature of Media Room 3.0 Christiansen says, “Users of Media Room 3.0 can now get all of the features and functionality listed above in one, easy to use interface. We are particularly proud of the new Screener module that allows companies to be individually creative in their presentation and look of screener campaigns with enhanced artwork features, dynamic watermarking and full studio grade DRM. Media Room 3.0 sets a new high bar as result of working in such close partnership with the broadcast, news, sports, distribution, production and post production industries over the past ten years.” An example of the effectiveness of Media Room 3.0 comes in the distribution of content, which gets a major boost when it is aggregated and collected through Media Room. The content is easily uploaded by third party producers or post production facilities into Media Room which in turn also provides a secure sharing environment for rushes. Media Room then facilitates the storage and management of hundreds of thousands of files in every imaginable format and then delivers them to clients around the world via a simple, straightforward and efficient Media Room-generated delivery. Christiansen has seen an unparalleled rise in the
use and success of Media Room over the last ten years with clients now using the solution across multiple verticals and industries. He notes that, in addition, one of the major benefits that comes with Media Room is the overall and underlying business of Silver Trak Digital itself. As a result, any client who uses Media Room has easy access to the many services Silver Trak Digital offers such as “eyes on” QC, content preparation and packaging for over 100 OTT, SVOD and AVOD platforms, DCP creation and distribution, and more. Christian Christiansen concludes, “Media Room benefits all of our clients by making them more efficient, more mobile and agile. As such Media Room 3.0 is a tremendous asset to the industry in Australia as it enables cost effective access to digital services so they are no longer cost prohibitive and challenging. “Even if you are not a Media Room client in the broadcast, production or post-production industries, you will have most certainly experienced Media Room by either receiving content from or uploading content into Media Room. Media Room 3.0 builds on a ten-year pedigree and takes its users to the next level of services for the future.” Visit http://www.silvertrak.com.au and http://www.mediaroom.com.au
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM
“With the industry facing major technology changes moving from tape-based workflows to file-based ones, supporting technologies needed to transition accordingly and provide an easy way for files to be captured, stored, searched and transcoded for rapid distribution. Hence Media Room was born.”
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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM
Updates for ShareBrowser Media Asset Manager THE LATEST RELEASE of Studio Network Solutions’ ShareBrowser, the media asset manager included with EVO video editing servers, features an intuitive new interface, extended bin search, easier creation and downloading of preview proxies, a new web app, and a range of third-party integrations. ShareBrowser’s new interface allows users to toggle between two thumbnail view settings – list view and gallery view. In addition, ShareBrowser Bins can now be searched, where queries can return results from individual shares, all shares, or even a defined selection of shares. You can also use ShareBrowser bins with Nomad, EVO’s included remote editing utility suitable for teams working from home or in a hybrid onprem/off-prem environment. Simply add media you will need to access remotely to a bin, and retrieve proxy files of the media in that bin using Nomad from home.
clip was not transcoded, or if you haven’t set up EVO’s auto-transcode feature yet, the new ShareBrowser can instantly create a preview proxy with a simple right-click selection. These preview proxies can then be downloaded to any remote workstation with Nomad and used for offline editing, mezzanine workflows, and collaborators working from anywhere. With the ShareBrowser web app, users can search, preview, tag, and comment on media through their preferred web browser, even without local network access to the file system. Simply point your browser to EVO, log in, and get tagging. With the new ShareBrowser, web app users can also browse the entire directory structure, navigate files and folders, search by volume, create preview proxies, and download preview proxies for offline review and remote editing.
To simplify workflows, ShareBrowser helps users easily see which files are online and offline with a simple, visual file status. Offline files will show as transparent when browsing media in both list and gallery views, so editors can easily identify the file’s status before taking an action on it.
EVO has integrations with Adobe, Ross Video, DaVinci Resolve, Amazon, NewTek, Final Cut Pro, cloud storage, and many others. With the ShareBrowser panel, for example, Adobe users can search their media asset management system directly in Premiere or AE, import their media into a project, and easily see all of their metadata for a faster video editing workflow. The new ShareBrowser panel also allows Adobe creators to open a Premiere project directly from the panel and open a clip directly in the Premiere source window from their shared storage – all without leaving Adobe Premiere Pro.
The new ShareBrowser makes it easier to create and download preview proxies for offline editing and remote production workflows. Slingshot, EVO’s automations engine and API, can automatically transcode media into preview proxies on a recurring schedule. But, if a particular
ShareBrowser MAM software is also now available as a workflow integration plugin for DaVinci Resolve Studio video editing software by Blackmagic Design. The new workflow integration provides access to the ShareBrowser MAM system from directly inside of DaVinci Resolve,
ShareBrowser’s tagging features make it easier to add custom metadata like the DP or client’s name to a media file. It’s also more intuitive to add tags to entire folders in bulk, a useful tool for importing new footage shot from a single location or cascading tags into themed media content.
allowing video editors to search, tag, preview, comment, and import media without leaving the Resolve video editing workspace. ShareBrowser also features an integrated extension in Final Cut Pro and works with all major production applications like Avid Media Composer, Pro Tools, Blender, Nuke, and more. EVO also integrates with a variety of cloud service platforms and can be configured to automatically backup and replicate media to the cloud for a lowmaintenance archival workflow. For LTO/LTFS tape archives, ShareBrowser has a new integration with StorageDNA. Users can search archived files in ShareBrowser, identified by a tape icon on the media thumbnail. Users can also send clips to the StorageDNA archive or restore archived media with a simple right-click selection. Studio Network Solutions has also added new upgrades to the ShareBrowser API for better third-party integrations and a more seamless content creation experience for its users. Custom fields are now connected more fluidly within the API, so users now have the ability to parse, insert, and search custom metadata with the API. This makes it much easier to transition to ShareBrowser if you’ve been using another media asset management or digital asset management (DAM) system. Also new are protected and invisible fields in ShareBrowser, accessible through the API. This allows third party integrations to create and edit fields that users can’t modify (protected) and fields that users cannot see at all (invisible). These restrictive fields minimise the potential for user error while maintaining system-to-system links, ensuring files and metadata integrity. Visit https://www.studionetworksolutions.com
5th Kind Integrates with Box
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM
5TH KIND Collaborative Media Solutions has announced a new integration with Box, the Content Cloud, joining its Box Technology and Services Partner Program. The new integration is part of 5th Kind’s Script-to-Screen initiative streamlining production workflows from pre-production through post and beyond. The relationship brings together Box’s leading content management capabilities with 5th Kind’s deep production workflow expertise to help drive new standards around remote collaboration, security, and advanced metadata.
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CORE by 5th Kind is a secure, cloud-based collaboration and asset management platform focused on improving production workflows from script-to-screen and supporting remote production. When files are uploaded into CORE from integrated tools like Box, and other sources such as live camera feeds from set, it automatically associates the metadata from the integrated system. This data makes every file a secure, reusable, findable asset as it moves through production workflows, file shares, and downloads. Every file is individually watermarked and granular permissions limit
access to it. The Box+CORE integration allows entertainment teams at any stage of production, from any location, to engage in the creative process, all from a browser, with nothing to install, download or configure. For CORE users, the Box integration extends the value of the Content Cloud’s collaboration tools, best-inbreed integrated applications, and enterpriselevel product services, like Box Sign. With CORE, Box users gain access to faceted search, real-time review and collaboration, frameaccurate video annotations, granular access
controls, and on-the-fly watermarking. Box customer’s retain access to Box’s security and compliance features as well as access to its 1400+ integrated applications. Visit https://www.5thkind.com and www.box.com
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM
ATEME Launches ‘PILOT Media’ Orchestration Solution ATEME HAS ANNOUNCED the launch of PILOT Media, a cloud-native solution designed to bring business intelligence, workflow automation, and efficiencies to the media supply chain. The cloud-native solution facilitates the controlled migration of production and operations to new service models – whether those be on-premise or in a public or hybrid cloud – enabling content owners, broadcasters and service providers to harness the power of the cloud in whatever capacity suits them best. PILOT Media’s manage-by-exception approach enables business logic, metadata-driven automation for media capture, ingestion, management, enrichment, storage, and publishing.
This creates efficiencies and reduces operational overheads throughout the media supply chain. Moreover, schedule-aware prioritisation of workflows ensures service-level requirements are met, while also lowering operational costs. PILOT Media features: • A simple drag-and-drop workflow builder to support a nimble operating model. • Management insight, with dashboards updated in real time from overall operations or specific workflows. • Robust reporting tools which provide detailed management information to support capacity and workload planning.
Jean-Louis Lods, VP Media Supply Chain Solutions, ATEME, said, “Viewers today have more options than ever in terms of what content to watch – both on TV and on their personal devices. With this, content and service providers are facing fierce competition. We are excited to launch PILOT Media to the market as in doing so we are not only enabling our customers to compete more efficiently and maximise ROI by reducing their operational costs, but we are giving them the opportunity to create new revenue streams, for example by launching a D2C OTT service or through rapid onboarding for distribution.” Visit https://www.ateme.com
Dalet Expands Ecosystem with Third-Party Integrations
Cloud-based infrastructures and services are becoming more practical for content access, storage and asset management. However, many organisations prefer the flexibility of multicloud platforms for optimal levels of security, performance and reliability, as well as business continuity and system redundancy. According to Bea Alonso, Chief Market Officer at Dalet, “The company will continue to explore integrations with providers of complementary solutions, especially cloud infrastructures and services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure and most recently, Alibaba Cloud – to strengthen its
position as a true multi-cloud support vendor. Dalet Flex was one of the earliest cloud content supply chain solutions, and works seamlessly with these four different cloud infrastructure vendors.” Dalet FlexMAM seamlessly integrates with archive solutions such as Spectra BlackPearl The newest integrations include: • Extended Adobe Premiere Pro integrations for Dalet Flex and Dalet Galaxy five to support a wider set of editing scenarios, especially remote editing. FlexXTEND, the Dalet Flex panel integrated within Adobe Premiere Pro now includes the ability to collaborate, store and archive Adobe Premiere Pro projects for centralised management. • Dalet Galaxy xCloud on Microsoft Azure to support cloud-based radio production workflows and extend Dalet Galaxy xCloud to a wider range of customers. • Dalet Flex and Dalet Galaxy five with Spectra Logic’s BlackPearl RioBroker Archive to enhance existing workflow orchestration with expanded archive management capabilities. • Other recent Dalet integrations include Dalet Flex with Online Video Platform provider Kinow, Dalet AmberFin Cloud Transcoder Service with
InSync FrameFormer and increased device support for Dalet OnePlay including Telemetrics Robotics and Avid Maestro. Dalet now offers more than 300 active integrations across its product range, covering every customer requirement from third-party integrations, cloud services and more. Its systems are designed for seamless third-party compatibility, allowing customers, system integrators and other manufacturers to add new capabilities through open application programming interfaces (APIs), including B2B and B2C REST APIs in Dalet Flex, and software development kits. Dalet APIs for Dalet Flex, Dalet Media Cortex, Dalet AmberFin and Dalet Galaxy five are all available. Visit https://www.dalet.com
AJA Delivers PAK Dock Pro
ATTO Support for Apple macOS 12 Monterey
AJA VIDEO SYSTEMS recently rolled out the new compact PAK Dock Pro media reader featuring USB-C connectivity. With no external power supply required, the compact, plug-and-play device streamlines the transfer of Apple ProRes and Avid DNx files from AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G digital video recorders to desktop and laptop computers on macOS and Windows operating systems. PAK Dock Pro supports the latest USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard via the USB-C connection, ensuring broad compatibility and extremely fast transfer speeds.
CANTEMO HAS ANNOUNCED the Nnetwork and storage connectivity provider ATTO has announced a commitment to support macOS 12 Monterey which was unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2021 (WWDC21).
Designed to simplify media transfers in broadcast, production, post and ProAV environments, PAK Dock Pro allows professionals to quickly and easily ingest files recorded to AJA PAK solid state drives (SSDs) to a desktop or laptop computer. Users remove the PAK media drive from the Ki Pro Ultra 12G, insert it into the PAK Dock Pro and plug the media reader into their computer via USB-C for near-instant editing, highlights creation, archiving and more. PAK Dock Pro is compatible with all AJA PAK drives including the PAK 2000, PAK 1000, PAK 512 and PAK 256, and PAK drives used in legacy Ki Pro Ultra and Ki Pro Quad products. Visit https://www.aja.com
Products in the ATTO portfolio that will support macOS Monterey include: • ATTO Celerity 32Gb/s (Gen 7 and Gen 6), 16Gb/s (Gen 6) and 8Gb Fibre Channel host bus adapters (HBAs) with ATTO MultiPath Director. • ATTO ExpressSAS GT 12Gb and ExpressSAS 12Gb SAS/SATA HBAs. • Thunderbolt 3 and 2 enabled ATTO ThunderLink adapters. • ATTO FastFrame 10/25/40/50/100GbE SmartNICs. • Software including ATTO 360 Tuning Software, ATTO Xtend SAN iSCSI Initiator, ATTO ConfigTool, XstreamVIEW, Express NAV and QuickNAV Visit https://www.atto.com Visit www.cantemo.com
MEDIA IN THE CLOUD, STORAGE & MAM
SHIFTS IN THE GLOBAL WORKPLACE over the past two years have led to more geographically dispersed remote employees that still need to connect to headquarters, colleagues, partners and customers worldwide. To achieve the flexibility needed to serve the new remote workforce, content-focused organisations are prioritising system interoperability. They are turning to open solutions like Dalet Flex, Dalet Galaxy five and Dalet AmberFin that offer easy integration, to create extensible remote workflows that can be customised with best of breed solutions such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Microsoft Azure, and Spectra BlackPearl RioBroker.
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POST PRODUCTION www.content-technology.com/postproduction
Orchestrate Forward - Amazon Nimble Studio
Hailed as allowing users to “create a new content production studio in just a few hours”, Amazon Nimble Studio is designed to give content producers the ability to manage rendering, remote workstation and pipeline resources according to budget and need. THE NEW CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM supports both Windows and Linux, and employs high performance workstations powered by Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) G4dn instances with NVIDIA Graphical Processing Units (GPUs), shared file storage from Amazon FSx, and lowlatency streaming via the AWS global network.
the first time that’s been completely realised. Nimble really brings that entire artist pipeline together.
Amazon Nimble Studio is available in six AWS Regions and AWS Local Zones: US East (N. Virginia), US West (Oregon) Region, Canada (Central) Region, Europe (London) Region, Asia Pacific (Sydney) Region, and US Local Zone (Los Angeles), with additional region support to be announced.
“We released a 200-page whitepaper on how you could build your own studio in a cloud, and it spans 50 different AWS services and partner things like Teradici, and Weka, and so on, and it’s just a massive amount of work. It could totally be done, and we have customer case studies like Untold Studios [the UK-based group whose credits include The Crown] that have gone through that effort and done it themselves, but Nimble really just makes that easier for customers. We take all the infrastructure orchestration, we tie the storage and the streaming to the workstation for your artists, and we make that all completely seamless between the creative workflow and the render farm. It’s basically just an end-to-end content creation pipeline now.”
According to Kyle Roche, General Manager for Nimble Studio at AWS, “If you look at the Content Production pillar in general, this is one of the five pillars that we announced under the AWS for M&E initiative. We focused basically on three areas of Content Production, and these are Rendering which is the compute and storage to render at scale. We look at virtual workstations as part of this Content Production pillar as well, especially with COVID and the push for work from home over the last year. Lastly, in that Content Production pillar, we talk a lot about solutions that bridge the infrastructure between those two things. I think if you look at the creative pipeline from an artist sitting on a workstation, designing, or modelling, or texturing an asset, all the way through to the render farm, now you have that complete picture, end-to-end within AWS, which is I think
“Correct. I think there’s actually more nuances available that they’re faced with as well. If you consider, say Untold Studios, or any of these customers that are running their own infrastructure, workstations particularly are time sensitive to when they’re on. If I have to start coordinating when people come to work, when they leave the office, should I start them early, should I leave them on afterwards? And then, how do I transfer from the working storage on a virtual workstation back to shared storage for the rest for my artists? They might be in different time zones, and Nimble takes care of all that for them, too. We priced it in a way that it’s completely on-demand, so they don’t have to worry about this artist came in at
In addition to AWS solutions, such as the AWS Thinkbox Deadline render management application, artists can work with third-party applications and integrate custom software applications into Amazon Nimble Studio via Amazon Machine Images (AMIs).
C+T: While Untold Studios built their own studio in the cloud, maintaining that system would be a massive undertaking?
this particular time, I need to make sure Kyle Roche, General Manager, there’s an EC2 Amazon Nimble Studio. Instance available, or I want the storage from yesterday’s work on this texture to be available for this lighting or comping artist. We coordinated all the work in storage across the team and, basically, completely automated the orchestration of the infrastructure for those workstations. “It’s a pretty big cost savings for customers as well, but that’s not really the only value. If you look at how these studios are creating, where the data exists on the artist workstations is usually not the same spot where they’re going to render. It’s just a tonne of friction to move this massive amount of data around, get it uploaded, downloaded, or in a central spot where you can run the rendering jobs, and Nimble Studio takes care of that as well. When the artists create, all of the assets that they do create are in a central spot. When you render from any of these workstations, it can pull the entire job. That saves, not just time on coordinating your workstations, but a tonne of money on data transfer, and you get to iterate more frequently which obviously is very important for content production.” How would a VFX house utilise Nimble? “What you do first, you setup your studio. We ask a number of questions, and we generate a script that’s built on what we call CDK which is our Cloud Development Kit, and that automates cloud formation templates, spins up all of your studio infrastructure. Once that’s set up, the next step is to customise that workstation image, and that point is where you start to see
Taking the Initiative: AWS for Media and Entertainment
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ACCORDING TO KYLE ROCHE, the AWS for Media & Entertainment initiative, launched in April 2021, is designed to “… put the capabilities that both AWS has directly and our partner community has indirectly, together to help customers more easily navigate the slew of options that exist in the [AWS] ecosystem.
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The AWS for Media & Entertainment (M&E) includes nine AWS Services, 11 AWS Solutions, dedicated AWS appliances, and solutions and service offerings from more than 400 AWS Partners, including AWS Partners such as Adobe,
Arc XP, Autodesk, Deluxe, Dolby, Epic Games, Evertz, Grass Valley, Imagine Communications, Mission, Slalom, Sony Media Cloud Services, TrackIt, Teradici, and Wizeline. Services and solutions are matched against five solution areas, or “Pillars”: Content Production; Media Supply Chain & Archive; Broadcast; Directto-Consumer & Streaming; and Data Science & Analytics. AWS solutions and service include Amazon Nimble Studio; AWS Elemental MediaPackage, AWS Elemental MediaConnect, AWS Elemental
MediaLive, AWS Elemental MediaConvert, AWS Elemental MediaStore, AWS Elemental MediaTailor, and Amazon Interactive Video Service (Amazon IVS). “Other than Nimble,” says Roche, “it was pretty much all the things that exist today through the Amazon Marketplace, through our partner network, or directly through AWS. We’re just gathering things in a way that’s more useful and easier to find for our customers. Visit https://aws.amazon.com/media
POST PRODUCTION these workloads work. A VFX shop might put Houdini, and Maya, or Blendr, and Substance all in one node, whereas an architecture Shop might be doing some CAD tools. Then their Studio Administrator basically decides, here’s the type of workstation that are available for those types of artists. And then from there, they tie it to whatever the backend is on that production pipeline. “It’s rendering for VFX. It could be like a game build pipeline for a game shop, or still renders for architecture or product visualisation. It kind of varies based on that, but we give the studio complete control over what those workstations have installed on them and what licenses they bring for the artist as well.” With all the different applications, when it comes to billing, it’s just one bill? “This is one of the intersections if you go back to the AWS for M&E initiative. We have so many partners that have offerings on the rendering side. I know we have north of 70 different partners that have rendering packages that work with Thinkbox Deadline. We have partners like Teradici which handle streaming for workstations, Weka for storage. There’s a whole slew of ecosystem partners. When I’m in the studio and I spin up my particular version of that desktop, I can pick any of these and any of the solutions that Amazon has to offer as well. We don’t do a lot of work in the DCT space, so you’re going to see customers installing Autodesk Maya and bringing their entitlements for that, or Houdini, or Unreal Engine. That’s all been driven this set of partner solutions that you put on top of your workstation. “We don’t pass that bill through unless it’s coming from the AWS Marketplace. You can bring your entitlements. You can get some from us. You can get some directly from the partner. It’s your choice.” And when the job is finished, what form does that take? “What we did bundle was basically, if we separate what I do with the content versus creating it. On the how I’m creating it side, we bundle basically the workstation time for the artist, again, regardless of what type of artist. The streaming, we give you basically enough bandwidth to stream Dual 4K back from that workstation, and then the storage that the artist is working on at that particular time. And then all
Maya within Amazon Nimble Studio.
that storage is shared across their whole studio. “VFX is a little bit ahead with Nimble than some of the other industries, but Thinkbox Deadline, you can use Conductor, you can attach any other rendering package you want. But that rendering job would be pulled out of that working storage. “If you were a game shop, and you have Unity, or Unreal, or Lumberyard on your machines, and all of your game builds go to the same directory, and then that could go off to your build pipeline, or your deploy pipeline. “The rendering is attached by default. If you are doing any rendering, 2D, 3D or real-time, those pipelines are available through Thinkbox and some of our partners. But, the game build pipeline, you’d have to put a partner solution on the back of it, architecture, the same sort of thing. It would be done by a partner solution.” How much of a cultural shift is involved and do you give advice on that?
there with workstations, right? And I think this hybrid model where customers are rendering parts of their workload in the cloud already, that will continue for quite some time - maybe wait for opportunistic hardware refresh recycles, or something like that. “But, in the same way that they’re bursting their render capacity, I think studios can use the cloud to burst their artists’ bench, or the number of people they have working, or their geographic location. And that’s something they haven’t really been able to do on-prem. I can’t have five artists in a different city without investing in an office and desktop. I think we’ll see them burst their artists’ team in a way that they used to burst their rendering jobs. I think on-prem will continue to change and evolve, as it does in every industry, but it’s definitely not the end of on-prem.
What’s the roadmap for the future? Does this spell the end of on-prem?
“As far as a roadmap, we’ll continue to try to make things easier for customers. I think the AWS M&E initiative outlines the different partners and which pillars are focused on. And, we’ll try to make tighter integrations with them, make it easier for customers to link these solutions to things like their Nimble Studio instance. That’s a main focus for 2021, as well as just making rendering easier in general. I think rendering, it’s still a big compute job. It’s very coordinated across sometimes thousands and thousands of machines. There’s always work to do to make that more seamless for customers as well.”
“I think on-prem, there’s large investments out
Visit https://aws.amazon.com/nimble-studio
“We do. Actually, in a lot of cases, we help sit by customers and help them design. We have a great team of solution architects from different studios and professional services, resources that can help customers look at what they have, look at the pipeline, how it’s built, and help them remap that into what this could look like on the cloud and what it maybe should look like. There’s a lot of collaboration back and forth, and we’re happy to do that.”
NEW ZEALAND’S WETA DIGITAL has partnered with software provider, Autodesk, Inc., to launch WetaM – a cloud-based product offering that provides tools designed and developed by Weta Digital, fully embedded in Autodesk Maya. The launch of WetaM marks the first product launch under a newly formed Software-as-aService (SaaS) division within Weta Digital. This new business arm is an integral part of Weta’s expansion strategy to offer professional and prosumer tools to artists across the global entertainment industry. WetaM productises Weta’s unique set of
proprietary VFX tools for artists. It is built on Maya’s open API, and will be commercialised by Weta Digital as a subscription cloud service. Artists from around the world will have access to one complete – from stage to screen – cloud-based pipeline. Weta intends to rollout WetaM as a private beta in Q4 2021. The new service will offer a suite of 100 tools built with Weta’s “DNA”, including academy award-winning artist tools, procedural workflows, and AI-assisted architectures.
together the most creative minds in the world and has been a pioneering innovator in the visual effects and entertainment industry for decades,” said Prem Akkaraju, CEO of Weta Digital. “WetaM is a transformational move that will raise the bar for global creative production, redefining the industry in the process. At its core, this partnership with Autodesk will extend the reach of the Weta magic, making it more accessible for artists in pursuit of creating amazing characters and worlds across film and television.”
“WetaM is the first step in the democratisation of VFX and animation production. Weta Digital brings
Visit http://www.wetafx.co.nz and http://www.autodesk.com
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Weta Digital to Launch VFX SaaS Platform
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Mistika Boutique Introduces Dolby Vision 4.0 SGO HAS ANNOUNCED the latest upgrade of Mistika 10 which introduces new features contributing to enhanced HDR and colourmanaged workflows, updated SDK libraries, performance boost, ergonomic improvements and more.
Dolby Vision 4.0 with new Color GUI Mistika Boutique and Ultima are now equipped with Dolby Vision 4.0, empowering creatives and postproduction facilities with the HDR workflow required for the latest industry standards. Mistika users will also find a new, dedicated Dolby
Vision Colour Interface, displayed in a visually much more attractive way, facilitating HDR grading with Mistika’s professional colour toolset – including a brand new and interactive hexagon tool. Interactive support for the latest version of Dolby Vision has also been added to Precision and Tangent colour control panels. Also included with this release is a new Precision control panel interface with overhauled mapping, and stunning graphics – all combined to provide greatly improved overall functionality and operational
experience. Enhancements have also been made for Tangent panels, comprehensively optimising mapping and performance.
Reorganised Unicolour and Blackmagic Generation 5 Colour Science Reorganised in this new release by Colour Space type, Mistika’s Unicolour tool now supports Blackmagic Generation 5 colour science, enabling a complete colourmanaged workflow with Blackmagic RAW files.
Performance boost, updated SDK’s and vertical stack import
In addition, users running Mistika Boutique on Windows will notice a significant performance boost – up to three times faster rendering, interactivity and playback. Faster tracking, animation and navigation has also been unlocked by optimising Shape Management. All SDK libraries have also been updated to support the latest cameras and a new system of importing vertical stacks, specifically designed for dealing with VR media has been added. Visit www.sgo.es
Boris FX Releases Sapphire 2021.5 with Native M1 Mac Support BORIS FX SAPPHIRE is now available with native Apple M1 support. The 2021.5 update represents a major step forward for artists who rely on Macs to add photorealistic visual effects to film, television, commercial, and streaming projects. “Apple’s breakthrough M1 technology delivers lightning-fast speeds to Macs – a must-have for today’s post-production turnarounds,” states Boris Yamnitsky, Boris FX President and Founder. “Artists will love working with Sapphire’s renowned creative effects natively inside M1 technology. Get ready for supercharged workflows that save tons of time.” New features include: • Native support for M1-powered Macs. • Adobe After Effects multi-frame
rendering support (currently in Adobe public beta). • Better speed and interactivity for the Sapphire preset browser. • Improved Sapphire PanAndZoom with added internal image cache and enhanced functionality (Avid Media Composer only). • Lens Flare presets. Sapphire’s PanAndZoom effect received a significant upgrade primarily due to suggestions from customers like veteran freelance editor Jonathan Moser. “It’s great to know that the team at Boris FX takes the time to listen to their customers and cares about making our lives easier,” says Moser. “I’m so happy with the improvements to Sapphire PanAndZoom. It will save a lot of editors a lot of time.” “Sapphire has a long history of listening closely to feedback from the community and doing our best
to incorporate those changes and make a better product,” says Brian Fox, Director of Product Marketing. “When Jonathan reached out and explained the limitations of the old Sapphire PanAndZoom workflow, I knew this was something we could help with.” Sapphire 2021.5 is available as a plugin for Adobe, Avid, and OFX hosts including, Autodesk Flame, Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve and Fusion Studio, Foundry Nuke, VEGAS Pro, and more. Purchasing options include permanent licenses, upgrades, and annual/monthly subscriptions. Current subscription and upgrade and support plan customers receive a complimentary update.
The 2021.5 release coincides with a brand new Nitro FX Transition Pack created by director/editor Angus Emmerson, known for his trendy glitch and smooth warp transitions on high-profile broadcasts like Formula One Racing, The Masked Singer, and The People’s Choice Awards. Nitro FX includes over 50 fully customisable resolutionindependent transitions that add high-energy transitions to promos, sizzle cuts, or trailers. Visit https://borisfx.com
Adobe Creative Cloud Updates ADOBE HAS RELEASED new features and performance updates across Creative Cloud video and audio tools that enhance collaboration, improve workflows, and boost performance.
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The May release features notable updates to Audition that gives users more speed and power to match the growing demand for audio content, from podcasts to audio books, as audio becomes an increasingly core part of digital experiences. The new Audition features in this release include:
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• Audition on Apple M1 – Audition now runs natively on Apple M1 systems providing improved performance for recording and
mixing high-quality audio content such as podcasts, broadcast, sound design, audio restoration, and more. • Loudness Meter (also in Premiere Pro) – Provides industry standard ITU-based loudness monitoring for broadcast, podcast, and streaming media content. Presets support common regional loudness requirements, like EBU for Europe or ATSC for the Americas, while new presets ensure compatibility with online destinations, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Netflix, and YouTube. • Strip Silence – A highly-requested feature that allows users to
identify and remove silent or inactive regions in recorded clips, without losing synchronisation in multitrack audio. This feature is extremely helpful for cleaning up voice recording, interviews, and preparing multi-track edits, such as podcasts or audio documentary content. Additionally, Adobe is continuing to enhance workflows in Premiere Pro with the inclusion of: • Text Gradients – Text gradients are now part of the modern titling tools in Premiere Pro. Apply gradients to text in the Essential Graphics panel to add sheen to letters or colourful effects for text and titles.
• Label Colours for Captions – Caption items in the Captions track now have the same label colour options as other items on the timeline. • Improved Caption trimming – Caption items are linked to their associated video and audio clips, making it easier to fine-tune edits and keep everything in sync on the Timeline. • The May release will also include performance improvements for Canon XF HEVC and support for DirectX12 display technology on Windows. Visit www.adobe.com
AUDIO Digital soundwaves
www.content-technology.com/audio
Shaanxi Broadcasting Corp Takes Riedel’s All-IP Comms
“The convergence of linear and nonlinear media and the migration of broadcasting to IP have brought greater complexity to production,” said a representative from Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation. “Traditional intercom systems aren’t designed to handle the higher volume of signal connections and more complicated routing requirements associated with modern production, but Riedel’s advanced IP-compatible intercom systems are up to the challenge. The Riedel Artist & SmartPanel systems integrate smoothly into the SMPTE ST 2110-based IP infrastructure implemented on this new van and, if needed, can easily connect to any other IP-based infrastructure.”
The Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation 4K OB van is equipped with a Riedel Artist 64 intercom matrix, RSP-1232HL and RSP-2318 SmartPanels, deployed in a spine-and-leaf configuration. The Riedel systems communicate with other devices via Layer-3 routing, which enables both resilience and flexibility in signal routing. The NMOS API running on Artist facilitates centralized control, while IS-04 and IS-05 support streamlines multicast routing for faster commissioning and system changes and a simpler overall workflow. To maintain synchronisation, Riedel’s Artist system locks reliably to the system PTP timing server, whether connecting directly or via a boundary clock. This feature also makes it easy for the OB van’s intercom system to connect to other systems in IP mode.
The OB van’s first assignment will be the live broadcast of the 14th National Games of the People’s Republic of China, which begin on Sept. 15 in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. “We are honoured to be providing a full IPbased communication system for Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation and to contribute to
the live broadcast of the 14th National Games,” said Ms. Gao Jian, General Manager of Riedel China. “China is already at the forefront in implementing IP infrastructure for radio and television. Together, media convergence and the emergence of 5G have enabled China’s radio and television broadcasters to take another leap ahead in this field. Riedel has been an intercom and transmission solutions provider for more than 35 years, and we’re proud to be supporting China’s advances in deploying IP-based systems.” Visit www.riedel.net
KRK Expands Classic Line of Studio Monitors
Dante Network Audio Bridge
BUILDING ON KRK’S LEGACY of sonic accuracy and performance, the brand announces the expansion of its CLASSIC line of studio monitors with the addition of 7- and 8-inch models.
GLENSOUND, THE UK DEVELOPER and manufacturer of IP-based audio systems for broadcasting and commercial sound installation, has launched a new network bridge featuring two redundant Dante interfaces. The Vittoria enables audio to be routed between two networks running asynchronously, or at different sample rates, while keeping those networks totally separate.
KRK’s CLASSIC active two-way studio monitors are packed with a multitude of time-tested features, including innovative bi-amped Class A/B amplifiers with a built-in automatic limiter and a lowresonance enclosure for minimised distortion and colorization. With the optional ability to engage the +2 dB KRK Bass Boost, the CLASSIC line of studio monitors can hold true to the acclaimed KRK sound that music creators desire. Like the CLASSIC 5, the new CLASSIC 7 and CLASSIC 8 utilize a 1-inch textile, soft-dome tweeter paired with either a 7-, or 8-inch glass aramid woofer, depending on the size monitor selected, delivering a clear midrange and tighter bass. KRK CLASSIC monitors feature a front-slotted bass port, which reduces boundary coupling
and allows for flexible positioning within a room. It also is designed with a preinstalled hi-density foam pad to decouple the speaker enclosure from the surface, helping with clarity and accurate frequency response. With high- and low-frequency controls, users can adjust the monitors’ sound to their environment and preference, adding versatility and improved accuracy for mixes that translate in any production environment. Additionally, multiple input connections (XLR, ¼-inch, RCA) allow for universal connectivity, making it seamless to integrate CLASSIC monitors into any studio setup. Visit www.krkmusic.comVisit
As is the case with most Glensound products, Vittoria was designed for a specific project and is now available as a commercial product. Because it was originally developed to operate as part of the technical installation within a large legislative debating chamber, the Vittoria network audio bridge has a high level of security built in that creates a firewall between two Dante Audio over IP (AoIP) networks (network one cannot see network two). It is a one-to-one connection, with the routing for each network fully isolated. In addition to the two redundant Dante interfaces, Vittoria has 32-channels of audio inputs and outputs on each network up to 96kHz (or 16 channels at 176.4 or 192 kHz), with fully redundant
power supplies and word clock in and out. There are high quality sample rate converters between the networks and they support sampling rates of between 44.1kHz and 192kHz on both interfaces. A key feature of the bridge unit is its ability to run at different clock rates on each network. This, for example, would allow the output of a Dante sound network in a stadium operating at one clock rate to connect with an outside broadcast truck running on Dante at another rate or working in the AES67 AoIP interoperability format. “There is increasing demand for products that provide isolated Dante networks or can work in Dante and AES67 simultaneously and independently of each other,” comments Marc Wilson, Managing Director of Glensound. “This is something we have been asked for in recent years and we are very pleased to introduce Vittoria for this very specific but increasingly important application. Vittoria adds a new element to our everexpanding range of Dante-enabled products and fulfils a growing need with the broadcast and sound markets.” Visit www.glensound.com
AUDIO
THE NEW SHAANXI Broadcasting Corporation 4K OB van unveiled at the recent 28th China Content Broadcasting Network Show 2021 (CCBN) features an advanced all-IP intercom solution from Riedel Communications. Enabling flexible audio routing and clear communications across the production team, Riedel’s Artist & SmartPanel systems support rapid creation of video content for new media platforms along with the traditional Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation broadcast output.
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AUDIO
Sennheiser’s Wireless Digital Evolution RF EXPERT SENNHEISER says it is bringing simplicity to wireless with Evolution Wireless Digital. The series introduces an easy, app-based workflow while retaining all the professionalism, multi-channel capability and reliability that users have come to expect of UHF and 1G8 microphones.
The Smart Assist App As the engineer in your pocket, the app guides you through the set-up in easy steps. An intelligent set-up automatically creates reliable wireless connections, no wireless expertise is required. Users can name channels to make it easy to stay organised, and have access to all system settings. Bluetooth Low Energy allows for remote access to the system and makes sync’ing with the receiver convenient. The app also includes tutorial videos, providing operating instructions all in one place.
Microphone Transmitters Evolution Wireless Digital transmitters have an input dynamic range of 134dB, five times more than the usual 120dB. This means that they can pick up everything from a very soft whisper to a jet engine at 50 yards’ distance – and this eliminates the need for a sensitivity setting on the transmitter entirely. The receiver has been set to a gain value covering most applications, which you can easily change if desired. A new
user interface makes this super-easy – no complex sub-menus, everything is available at a glance.
No Frequency Calculation More and more RF is appearing on stage but Evolution Wireless Digital (EW-D) takes on this complexity and helps you go with the flow. The app will scan the environment to find open frequencies. And as EW-D has borrowed tech from Sennheiser’s top Digital 6000 and Digital 9000 series, the wireless microphone systems do not generate any significant intermodulation products. This not only makes for more room in a given frequency window, but the app can also simply set the wireless links at 600kHz intervals without any frequency calculation and is therefore able to fit in more frequencies than a standard mic system. EW-D has a low latency of 1.9 milliseconds and a transmitter battery life of up to 12 hours with the BA 70 rechargeable battery pack. A bandwidth of 56MHz with up to 90 channels
per band makes it easy to find space even in the most crowded of RF environments. As a digital system, EW-D does not use a compander. Gone are the associated noise floor and artefacts. EW-D handheld transmitters couple with any Sennheiser or Neumann wireless capsule. This includes the Neumann KK 205 and KK 204, the new Sennheiser MM 435 and MM 445 as well as the Digital 9000 capsules. Evolution Wireless Digital is available with a choice of handheld, instrument, lavallière, headmic, combo and base sets. https://singapore.sennheiser.com/
Lawo mc²36 in 48-Fader Layout LAWO’S MC²36 AUDIO PRODUCTION console features a new dual-fader operating bay that allows 48 faders in the same space as a 32-fader board.
With DSP more than doubled from its predecessor, the new mc²36 with built-in A__ UHD Core functionality offers 256 processing channels, available at both 48 and 96kHz, and natively supports ST2110, AES67, RAVENNA, and Ember+. It provides an I/O capacity of 864 channels, with local connections that include three redundant IP network interfaces, 16 Lawo-grade mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs, eight AES3 inputs and outputs, eight GPIO connections, and an SFP MADI port. Operating and visualising features include Button-Glow and touch-sensitive rotary controls, colour TFT fader-strip displays, LiveView video thumbnails, and super-precise 21.5-inch full HD touchscreen controls. Its builtin full loudness control is compliant with the ITU 1770 (EBU/R128 or ATSC/A85) standard, featuring peak and loudness metering which can measure individual channels as well as summing busses. The mc²36 offers seamless integration of thirdparty solutions like recording systems, effects engines, and other systems running on external PCs, into its user interface. Applications display right in the console’s screen, while console keyboard, touchpad and touchscreen provide control.
AUDIO
Lawo’s mc²36 also offers integration of
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Waves SuperRack SoundGrid, providing operators with access to Waves’ extensive plugin selection of real-time signal processing alongside the console’s internal processing engine – no additional screens or control devices required. LAwo says moving the mc²36 to the A_UHD Core means that all developments in the future will happen on a single, unified platform, and it will continue to provide production file compatibility between all mc² consoles. For instance, a production file from an mc²36 can be used on an mc²96 for post-production – opening the door to a whole new level of performance. The mc²36 is based on Lawo’s A__UHD technology and includes Lawo’s innovative new IP Easy functionality that makes IP setup as simple as analog. IP Easy, based on Lawo’s innovative HOME management platform for IPbased media infrastructures, makes connecting IP audio and I/O devices as easy as if they were baseband – the console automatically detects new devices and makes them available at the touch of a button. IP Easy even manages IP
addresses, multicast ranges, and VLANs, and includes security features like access control and quarantining of unknown devices to protect your network. HOME is natively built on a cloud-ready microservices architecture, enabling users to connect, manage and secure networked production setups from the ground up. Furthermore, it provides centralised access and control for all Lawo gear within a setup. HOME helps broadcast professionals address some of the most demanding requirements of modern IP infrastructures, including automated discovery and registration of devices, connection management, flow control, software and firmware management, scalability and security. Visit https://lawo.com
AUDIO
Headset Microphones DPA MICROPHONES’ 4466 CORE Omnidirectional and 4488 CORE Directional Headset Microphones are based on the design of the company’s 6066 Subminiature Headsets. The new solutions feature the brand’s 5mm round microphone capsule. These latest offerings provide the security, durability and flexibility necessary for use in theatre, broadcast, worship and corporate conferencing.
With a one-size-fits-all design and adjustable height and boom length, the 4466 and 4488 headsets accommodate small to large head types. A three-point gripping system (above, below and behind the ear) ensures a greater level of security, while the flexible ear hooks provide continued comfort during extended use. In addition, the new headsets share the same interchangeable cable and boom options as the 6066 Subminiature Headsets. This includes
the 90-degree cable management at the neck. The headset frame, boom and capsule have a nonreflective surface for unobtrusiveness and ease-of-use for camera crews. With a highquality, professional look, the 4466 and 4488 are available in the company’s standard black and beige options, with a brown version coming soon. Visit www.dpamicrophones.com
Clear-Com Updates HelixNet Partyline, LQ IP Interfaces CLEAR-COM’S LATEST UPDATES to its HelixNet Digital Network Partyline add visual communication, two-way radio capability, and a powerful suite of new capabilities for intercom system administrators looking to tailor intercom stations to specific user workflows.
LQ IP Interfaces, meanwhile, have the ability to connect to any type and brand of intercom or audio device over IP, and the new 4.2 update now adds the ability to Save and Restore LQ unit configuration. HelixNet 4.2 new function features include an ‘In-Use-Tally’ to visually indicate talk activity on individual channels, allowing users to quickly correlate what they hear on their intercom station with individual channels, while also providing a visual cue to those who have removed their headsets or may not be listening. HelixNet 4.2’s enhanced administrative functions provide the ability for an intercom system administrator to tailor a HelixNet intercom station to its user and environment. New
functions include the ability to set minimum and maximum volume controls, disable channel mute controls, configure loudspeaker operation, and to permanently set the headset toggle key and new operation modes for the HKB shift page. With these new functions, HelixNet intercom stations can be configured to allow an advanced user full control of the system, while heavily restricting controls if needed. With the 4.2 update, operation of two-way radios is made easier by allowing keying of the radio to be given selectively to a user using the new ‘Secondary Talk Action’ function which allows individual talk keys to initiate a visual “Call” signal or LQ ‘Network Control Event’. Call and control events can be assigned to a GPO port to interface with two-way radios, enabling selective users to speak to one or more two-way radios with the push of a single button. Finally, HelixNet’s new “Interlock Talk Group” option allows the ability to guarantee a user only speaks to one channel at a time.
LQ 4.2
LQ users can now save their configuration settings in a file on the computer they use to manage their audio network. A pre-saved configuration can be reloaded onto the LQ device at any time, so if the device is being used for multiple shows or system configurations, each respective configuration can be saved and pre-loaded. With the 4.2 update LQ can now support eight Agent-IC clients as well as up to eight Station-IC clients (Station-IC Release 1.1. for LQ expected mid-2021), bringing the total numbers of virtual clients supported to 16. LQ’s dynamic capabilities and processing platform enable it to carry out multiple tasks simultaneously. With the addition of a new Resource Calculator, users can ensure their LQ device is operating at its optimal level by assisting administrators in applying LQ’s functionality to an audio network and thus helping determine which connections can be made to maximise use of the device. Visit https://www.clearcom.com
Dante-Enabled Leader Clocks
Both the Model 5401A and Model 5402 can serve as the Dante Leader Clock for literally hundreds of Dante devices that can be simultaneously active on a LAN. Additional resources, including the units’ ability to generate sine-wave audio
tones, adds to their range of benefits. Any required configuration can be easily performed using the webpage interface or by way of the graphics display and controls provided on the front panel. Ethernet connections are made using standard RJ45 jacks and redundant powering is supported by way of AC Mains and 12 volts DC inputs. The lightweight units mount in one-space of a standard 19-inch equipment rack. The Model 5402 offers all the capabilities of the Model 5401A with the additional timing precision provided by an integrated GNSS receiver. This allows the Leader Clock’s timing reference to be derived from the four major satellite constellations: GPS (US), Galileo (Europe), BeiDou
(China) and GLONASS (Russia). In addition, GPS capability can be augmented with the unit’s support of the QZSS (Japan) constellation. With satellite-based timing capability, multiple Model 5402 units can be utilized at geographically diverse locations and provide a common synchronisation source for all associated Dante devices. A high-performance, weather-resistant GNSS antenna is included with each Model 5402, ensuring that full out-of-the-box functionality can be quickly achieved. Visit https://studio-tech.com
AUDIO
STUDIO TECHNOLOGIES has introduced two Dante Leader Clocks for supporting the timing needs of Dante-compliant devices: the updated Model 5401A Dante Leader Clock and the new Model 5402 Dante Leader Clocks with GNSS Synchronisation. Both products deliver precise timing signals for use in Dante audio-over-IP applications. The synchronisation needs of Dante devices connected to a local area network (LAN) can be seamlessly supported using the PTPv1 (IEEE 1588-2002) protocol. For Dante’s implementation of AES67 and ST2110, both the Model 5401A and Model 5402 provide support for the PTPv2 (1588-2008) protocol.
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RADIO The original broadcast media
www.content-technology.com/radio
Australian Radio Joins Global Working Group on Android Automotive THE AUSTRALIAN COMMERCIAL RADIO INDUSTRY has joined a global working group of broadcasters, carmakers and tech experts collaborating on the innovation of radio in Android Automotive, Google’s infotainment operating system being built into new connected cars. Industry body Commercial Radio Australia is part of the working group, led by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in the US, investigating the use of a combination of broadcast radio, internet and voice technology to optimise the radio experience in-car. “The connected car will transform the in-car entertainment experience, and Australian broadcasters are pleased to be part of this exciting global working group providing input on how to deliver the best radio experience possible,” said Joan Warner, chief executive officer of CRA. Android Automotive is an open-source operating platform that has an interface designed for the car screen and features Google Assistant voice commands to control a range of car functions, so users can ask for a radio station to start playing. Carmakers are able to customise Android Automotive and several, including Ford and Volvo, have already announced they will adopt it. ABI Research has forecast that 36 million new vehicles will be shipped with Android infotainment systems in 2030. Speaking during the WorldDAB Automotive 2021 virtual conference Ms Warner said it was important that broadcast technology remains the foundation of delivering radio in the connected car because of its reliability, with internet providing enhanced features such as richer content, images such as album artwork and interactivity. “Eighty-four percent of Australians listen to radio in the car, so it’s vital that radio remains prominent and listeners can find their favourite stations easily. “This is a dynamic space and broadcasters need to participate in global efforts and work with car manufacturers to ensure radio is in the new car app ecosystems as connected cars roll out.” Also during the WorldDAB Automotive conference, Android Automotive’s Guru Nagarajan confirmed that Google is aware of the need for collaboration with radio broadcasters to create the right ecosystem for broadcast radio within the Android Automotive OS, and he echoed the need for broadcasters to speak with one voice to ensure the best radio services for all users and listeners. “The first cars for the Android Automotive OS were launched this past year and they were on the Volvo Polestar,” said Nagarajan. “We’ve been very pleased with the user feedback and the feedback that we’re getting from our partners. Since then, we have been working on a couple of operating system releases. We released Android 11. 11 which is also called as RVC (Red Velvet Cake), which is the code name internally. As you know android releases are named after deserts and that was released in the open source last fall. “This fall, we are working very hard on android 12. In Android 11, we had some great features. In the multimedia space, we introduced support for audio zones and advanced audio effects and, in the camera space, we introduced surround view with very rich support for telemetry, and so on, to help the
users to know what’s around the car. “In Android 12, we’re working on some amazing features. We are enhancing the security on the top of what we have built over the last few years. In addition to that, we’re also introducing a new automotive UI toolkit and this is to help our partners customise the user interface from the user experience perspective. “We continue to be very excited about broadcast radio. With the advancement of the user experience, we think we can bring in a lot more capabilities from a broadcast radio perspective and provide a platform that allows partners to innovate and to bring in the best from a user experience perspective. “We are planning on introducing new APIs which allow the operator to provide context to localise the content. That work is well underway. In addition to that we are also providing and enhancing the interfaces in Android for broadcast radio.” Nagarajan says that while the car is a “communal device”, this work is being done so that content can be customised in a privacy-centric way. “The entire radio ecosystem is an area where we see tremendous opportunity by allowing the enhancements and the interface, whether it be contextual signals to make the radio experience richer, we believe that’s where our platform can play a vital role, and we would like to continue working with the broadcast ecosystem in both developing as well as innovating in the platform, in the space and helping you all accelerate what you’re really good at which is providing the best of services to our users.” CRA joined the NAB PILOT initiative following its work with Google in Australia and globally to make 400 Australian radio stations available via voice command on Google Nest speakers and displays. Other participants in the NAB initiative include the BBC, iHeartMedia, New York Public Radio, Bauer Media, vehicle makers Ford and Volkswagen/Audi and tech developer Xperi. Visit www.commercialradio.com.au and https://developers.google.com/cars/design/automotive-os
MAGIC Telephone Hybrid Casts its Spell at KELANTANfm KELANTANFM HAS ADOPTED MAGIC TH2plus Telephone Hybrid becoming the First RTM radio station to take on solutions from AVT Audio Video Technologies GmbH through local distributor Stagetec Asia. Stagetec Asia has worked with KELANTANfm since 2010 when it installed radio automation from Zenon Media.
RADIO
Recently, the broadcaster needed to replace a Telephone Hybrid for its radio applications. Audio Video Technologies’ MAGIC TH2plus Telephone Hybrid offers a dual hybrid and three operating modes in Wone system with Analog/Digital, as well as future-prof VoIP modes. MAGIC TH2plus also offers KELANTANfm a variety of functions such as caller conferences and the possibility to store caller information in a database.
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Visit http://www.stagetecasia.com
RADIO
RØDECaster Pro Introduces MIDI Control RØDE MICROPHONES has announced the next major firmware update for its RØDECaster Pro podcasting console, version 2.1.2. This new update introduces MIDI control, new sound pad modes, nine language options, and more. Firmware version 2.1.2 is available to download now via the RØDECaster Pro firmware page. Features in RØDECaster Pro firmware version 2.1.2 include: MIDI Control - The RØDECaster Pro can now be used as a USB MIDI controller. This powerful feature unlocks the potential to control a range of functions on your computer from the RØDECaster Pro. This can help you improve your workflow or simply find uses for the RØDECaster Pro that weren’t previously possible. Two useful applications of the MIDI control feature are syncing the level faders in a DAW with the faders on the RØDECaster Pro mixer and changing scenes within streaming software like OBS using
the sound pads. New Sound Pad Modes - Firmware version 2.1.2 unlocks two new modes for the RØDECaster Pro’s sound pads – ‘Swear Button’ and ‘Trash-talk’. These are accessible via the sound pad options menu alongside the standard ‘Loop’, ‘Pause’, ‘Replay’ and ‘Play’ modes. Swear Button (‘!@#*’) – When a sound pad is in ‘Swear Button’ mode, it will mute all other channels and play the loaded sound when triggered. Note: when you select this mode for a pad, you will be prompted to either keep the original audio loaded onto the pad or replace it with a classic ‘beep’ tone. ‘Trash-talk’ – When a sound pad is in ‘Trash-talk’ mode and is triggered, it will mute the audio output to the Bluetooth, smartphone and USB channels, meaning that any remote guests you have connected won’t be able to hear you or your guests in the room.
New Language Options - In addition to English, the RØDECaster Pro and Companion App now offer several language options, including Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, German, Italian, and French. ASIO Driver for Windows Computers - In addition to the new firmware, RØDE has also supplied a new ASIO driver for using the RØDECaster Pro with Windows computers. The RØDECaster Pro utilises a standard USB audio 2.0 plug-and-play protocol, however, some audio software does not always interface with this protocol, such as Cubase and Adobe Audition. This custom ASIO driver for the RØDECaster Pro will ensure a stable connection in these circumstances. Visit http://rode.com/
Lawo Upgrades Software for Radio Products LAWO, THE MANUFACTURER OF IP-based audio and video products, has announced a new software update for users of Lawo radio mixing consoles, Power Core mixing engines, and On-Air Designer configuration software. The new radio software, v6.6 PL-003, represents a major upgrade to On-Air Designer, the configuration software used to customise the functions of Lawo’s radio mixing consoles and audio cores including the ruby radio console. A flexible mixer with uncluttered work surface, ruby features multiple snapshots for instant recall
of saved parameters and settings, with silent motorised faders that automatically recall saved positions and programmable context-sensitive user keys that may be customised using On-Air Designer software. The new software adds the ability to selectively load snapshots using extended logic functions, enhanced AES67 stream tuning tools, and integrates control of Lawo A__ line audio I/O devices into the radio workflow. The update also adds new features to the configuration web pages of Power Core, Lawo’s RAVENNA / AES67 mixing engine and I/O gateway
device, as well as some enhancements for Lawo’s VisTool GUI Builder Software. Radio v6.6 software applies to the entire range of Lawo radio products, including ruby, sapphire, sapphire compact, crystal and crystalCLEAR mixing consoles, Power Core and Nova17 MK2 engines, VisTool MK2 GUI Builder software, and the On-Air Designer console customization tool. Clients can find the release notes and download the software by visiting www.lawo.com and clicking the “Downloads” link.
Deliver FM MPX Composite Signals from Studio to Transmitter IQOYA X/LINK range. It also features two internal redundant power supply units. • Robust IP streams: Forward Error Correction, Redundant dual streaming with time diversity in PCM ensures that the transportation of IP streams is completely reliable and stable. IQOYA X/LINK-MPX features include: • 2 internal redundant PSUs 100-250VAC (Optional: 100-250VAC/-48vdc) (Max 15W consumption) • 4 network ports 1 x 100 Mbps + 3 x Gbps on RJ-45 ports • 1 analogue MPX input (BNC) and 1 digital MPX input (XLR) • 1 analogue MPX output (BNC) and 1 digital MPX output (XLR) • 2 balanced analogue I/Os, and 1 stereo AES/ EBU I/O with hardware sample rate converter • 4 GPI/4 GPO on Sub-D25 • One RS232 port for serial data tunnelling Networking capabilities include: • Possibility to separate network traffic (WAN, LAN, management) via the 4 network ports • VLANs, QoS (VLAN Tagging, DSCP • IGMPv2 and V3 Encoding, Decoding and Streaming features include:
• MPX transported in RTP/UD and in PCM 16/20/24 bits • Baseband audio monitoring stream in PCM linear 16/20/24 bits, ISO MPEG-1/2 Layer II, Layer III, MPEG-4 AAC, AAC-LD, HE-AACv2, HEAACv1, AAC-ELD, Opus • Dual port redundant streaming on WAN, with time diversity up to 3 seconds • Unicast, multicast and multi-unicast • Real-time metrics on network path quality for the primary stream as well as for the FEC/ redundant stream. • Selection of FECs (from + 15% + 100% IP bandwidth) Other features include: • Two backup levels when decoding the MPX IP stream: secondary MPX IP stream on another network port, backup MPX ÿle stored on local SD card • Monitoring on the headphones output of the audio included in the MPX signal • AES transparent transport • Front panel vu-meters to monitor the level of the MPX signal, the level of the baseband audio embedded in the MPX signal, and level of the baseband audio input / output Visit https://www.digigram.com
RADIO
DIGIGRAM, THE PROFESSIONAL audio solution specialist, has launched its new IQOYA X/LINKMPX codec. This new product is designed for the delivery of an FM MPX composite signal to one or several transmitter sites. Digigram X/LINK-MPX supports both analogue MPX and digital MPX AES192, allowing analogueto-analogue, analogue-to-digital, digital-toanalogue, and digital-to-digital distribution of the MPX signal. Thanks to the optional µMPX compression, the cost of transportation is further reduced by using inexpensive network links. According to Digigram, the advantages of IQOYA X/LINK-MPX include: • Reduced operational costs at transmitter sites: Sound processing and RDS encoding are centralised at the studio side. This reduces the maintenance costs as well as the power consumption at transmitter sites. • Optimised IP transport bandwidth: The new X/LINK-MPX will be able to conserve network bandwidth thanks to the µMPX compression. In addition to this, bandwidth can also be conserved by selecting a lower sampling frequency and/or bit depth in uncompressed PCM. • Reliable hardware: X/LINK-MPX is based on the same hardware platform as the acclaimed
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CONTENT DELIVERY Terrestrial, Mobile, Broadband
www.content-technology.com/transmission
Korea’s KBS Updates with ATEME Kyrion Encoders ATEME, THE PROVIDER OF video delivery solutions for broadcast, cable TV, DTH, IPTV and OTT, has announced that Korean broadcaster KBS has selected its Kyrion encoders to update its legacy infrastructure, enabling broadcasting in high-quality MPEG-2 HD. As the largest broadcaster in Korea, KBS operates a wide range of platforms to deliver nationwide terrestrial service – including four terrestrial and two satellite channels, plus seven radio and four DMB channels. This infrastructure update brings several benefits, including: enabling high video quality
and surround-sound audio, thanks to multichannel audio support; it enables KBS to streamline its video/audio flows as well as its operations by combining three pieces of legacy equipment into just one encoder; it brings the stability introduced by SMPTE-310 configuration, while remaining compatible with KBS’ existing ATSC system; and it delivers a low latency, live broadcasting experience for Korea’s viewers. Boyang An, Sales Director Korea, ATEME, commented: “The Korean broadcasting industry is rising up to the challenge of changing viewer expectations. For example, it has been at the forefront of adopting NextGen TV. It’s an exciting
time for the industry and we are delighted to have this opportunity to help KBS ease their operations and provide viewers across Korea with an outstanding video quality through our Kyrion encoders.” Su-ho Park, Media Planning Team Manager, KBS, added: “ATEME’s Kyrion encoders easily met our stringent set of business requirements – which is testament to their stability. In particular, the optimum video quality of the MPEG-2 HD technology has significantly strengthened our service offering to the Korean public.” Visit www.ateme.com
Thailand’s NBT Takes on HD with PHABRIX TEST AND MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS provider PHABRIX has announced that 12 of its SxE handheld instruments have been purchased by National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT). Headquartered in Bangkok, NBT is a national public television station, operated by The Government Public Relations Department (PRD), a division of the Thai Government. PHABRIX Distributor, Strong Brothers 1961 Company Limited, supplied the equipment. The SxE devices replace NBT’s legacy SD test and measurement equipment, delivering HD video and audio Generation, Analysis and Monitoring with advanced Physical Layer Analysis.
350 different formats. An extensive array of video and audio instruments includes a signal generator with moving test patterns, a high-performance waveform, and ANC/VANC inspector. The SxE also offers 16 channel audio generation and metering with support for Dolby E, Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital metadata and bitstream analysis. Its instant, RTE (Real-Time Eye) technology speeds physical layer testing and delivers automated measurements and logging for key parameters such as: rise time, fall time, delta, overshoot and cable length. The Jitter analysis instrument enables quick analysis of the nature of jitter using a graph of jitter versus time.
SxE offers an extensive video toolset, with support for SMPTE compliance testing of over
Mr. Kachan Kannika, Director, Engineering Support and Development Bureau at the National
Broadcasting Services of Thailand, comments, “We are highly impressed with the functionality, portability and value for money the PHABRIX SxE instruments offer. The units are intuitive and logical for our team to just pick up and use – no training required!” Phillip Adams, CEO, PHABRIX, adds, “The SxE appeals to broadcast customers worldwide, with over 7000 Sx units now in the field. We are delighted that NBT has selected the SxE for its new HD production studio. The SxE offers NBT advanced diagnostic tools and true portability for reliable and versatile monitoring of their new HD production studio.” Visit www.phabrix.com
Indonesia’s Mola Picks Broadpeak CDN for ABR Live Sports Streaming BROADPEAK, A LEADING PROVIDER of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions, has announced that Mola, one of the fastest-growing entertainment networks in Indonesia, has deployed a comprehensive CDN solution from Broadpeak to optimise the delivery of ABR live sports streaming content, including English Premier League (EPL) football matches.
Using Broadpeak’s advanced CDN, BkM100 video delivery manager, and BkS400 HTTP video cache servers, Mola can deliver live EPL matches on every screen, guaranteeing a superior quality of experience (QoE) for fans while reducing video streaming costs.
CONTENT DELIVERY
“Mola has become a hub for EPL matches and
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other live sports streaming content, and as our video streaming service grows, we need a scalable video delivery network solution for all screens,” said Ching Ping Lee, chief technology officer at Mola. “Broadpeak provides us with a scalable, flexible CDN solution that sets a path for seamless OTT growth in the future. With Broadpeak’s CDN, we can deliver a high QoE with low latency and reduced buffering, which is critical for live sports.” Mola is delivering live sports content via mobile apps and set-top boxes using DASH and HLS streaming protocols. Broadpeak’s CDN solution substantially improves the QoE for viewers of Mola’s ABR streaming service. With the BkM100 video delivery mediator, Mola can choose the most
appropriate BkS400 HTTP video cache servers for streaming live content. “We are excited to partner with Mola, a premium content provider and aggregator in Indonesia,” said Jacques Le Mancq, CEO at Broadpeak. “Live sports streaming is a huge revenue opportunity for content providers, but the environment can be complex. As a leader in the CDN market, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities of OTT and will bring increased efficiency, scalability, and exceptional quality to Mola’s streaming service so that they can keep fans engaged and satisfied.” Visit https://broadpeak.tv
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VILLAGE ISLAND has announced a new addition to its flagship VICO converter series: the JPEG-XS enabled VICO-4L-XS. The new converter allows 4K XS encoding/decoding at various compression rates (from 8:1 to 60:1), enabling a 12G-SDI 4K conversion to IP, and streaming in compliance to the SMPTE ST-2110 standards.
and the JPEG-XS standard, VICO-4LXS enables the construction of new high-speed, high-quality remote broadcast workflows, accelerating the transition from SDI to IP in our customer studios and OB vans,” says Michael Van Dorpe, CEO of Village Island.
Thanks to this upgrade, users can now transport 4K/UHD (4:2:2 10bit 3840×2160 59.94p/50p) broadcast video over a standard GigE link according to the ST-2110 standards while keeping the “visually lossless” quality and the “near-to-zero” conversion delay performance well known for intoPIX wavelet codecs. By “visually loss-less” quality, it is meant that human eye cannot perceive visual deterioration in standard viewing professional environments. By “nearto-zero” overall delay, it is meant sub frame delay, which is down to several tens of video lines.
Key features include:
“By combining the ST2110 standard
Visit www.village-island.com
• flexible compression rate (8:1 to 60:1) • 4K/UHD video I/O as 12G-SDI or 4x 3G-SDI • IP streams according to SMPTE ST-2110 • NMOS IS-04/05 support • switchable enc/dec mode for onfield operation • decoder sync through PTP, or physical Genlock • front panel, or WebGUI control • up to two 4K channels within 1RU
Ross Updates Signal Processing Solutions ROSS VIDEO has announced updates to its portfolio of signal processing solutions with the release of Newt V4.0 and an update to the SRG-4500 reference generator. Launched in 2017, Newt is Ross Video’s compact UHD-over-IP SDI / HDMI converter. Newt adapts to the industry’s rapidly changing IP environments, bridging Quad-SDI and HDMI 2.0 interfaces to JT-NM tested ST2110 media streams. Newt is fluent in NMOS, EmBER+, and DashBoard open standards protocols giving you the freedom to use it in the IP environment of your choice. New for 2021, version 4.0 builds upon the existing feature set by adding SSM, NMOS and diagnostics to help keep your network running trouble-free. With its small form factor, low power usage and low costper-stream, Newt is a ‘set and forget’ problem solver, and the addition of SSM and NMOS now makes it even more valuable and versatile. ST 2110 networks can now also benefit from the new support
for Precision Time Protocol (PTP) on Ross’ SRG-4500 master sync generator. It is the ideal choice for supplying all the reference timing and test signals needed within today’s complex broadcast facility. The new PTP software upgrade option brings dropdown configuration support for ST2110 and AES67 profiles to build your IP or Hybrid SDI network. No new hardware is required – this PTP update is available as a software option and is field-installable with a simple license key and software upgrade. “An important thing to note about IP facilities is that almost all still have some baseband equipment and are in need of traditional timing signals like black burst,” notes Alun Fryer Manager, Product Marketing and Solutions at Ross. “This is where the SRG-4500 excels; it provides both IP and baseband signals and ensures that both these domains are locked and in phase, which is crucial in system design.” Visit www.rossvideo.com
CONTENT DELIVERY
Village Island Encodes/Decodes 4K XS with New VICO Converter
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CONTENT DELIVERY
ATEME Microservices Maximise MediaHub Efficiency SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2010 as a provider of media playout solutions, MediaHub Australia has witnessed rapid expansion to become a comprehensive end-to-end service provider. Today, the organisation offers a diverse suite of services to meet the changing media management, delivery, and distribution requirements of its clients. MediaHub delivers over 400 television and radio services across Australia, enabling high-bandwidth and low-latency connectivity, a full suite of compression services, media asset management, storage, and transcoding services, just to name a few.
AVW and Ferncast Increase DVB Overhead Efficiency
Adapting to the Expanding Broadcast Market Faced with this rapid growth, MediaHub needed to increase efficiencies and evolve to match changing customer demands. To meet these objectives, the business looked to implement a virtualised IP solution using common infrastructure into its operations. This is where ATEME, the provider of video delivery solutions for broadcast, cable TV, DTH, IPTV and OTT, came in. MediaHub selected ATEME’s TITAN video-processing software range as the base to build its offering. MediaHub, and its customers, enjoy flexibility, scalability, reliability, and efficiency via the use of five key components in the ATEME technology stack: TITAN Playout, TITAN Record, TITAN Live, TITAN Mux, and PILOT Manager.
Scaling Up Quickly While Providing the Best Experience TITAN Playout is a playout and automation solution that allows for highly customisable channel playout workflows, either on-premise or in the cloud. It supports traditional full-featured linear playout through to pop-up and eventbased channels, with full disaster-recovery capabilities. The compressed and uncompressed live feed and video file playback capabilities allow MediaHub’s customers to achieve scalability while also providing high video quality and an improved quality of experience to their viewers. TITAN Live is ATEME’s compression platform, delivering the high video quality at the lowest possible bit-rate, allowing MediaHub to facilitate high video quality, low-latency Freeto-Air and OTT delivery of SD, HD and Ultra HD content for its customers. Meanwhile, TITAN Mux facilitates optimum video quality by allowing for statistical multiplexing with TITAN Live while enabling the ability for regionalised channel viewing. Underpinning these core components is ATEME’s PILOT Manager System, which provides MediaHub with the flexibility to dynamically fine-tune its clients’ existing channels and the scalability to add new channels with minimal service disruption. It offers secure user administration and task monitoring via an intuitive webbased user interface. All these capabilities reduce daily operational expenses. The combination of these technologies not only allows MediaHub to provide high-quality broadcasting capabilities to its clients, but the reduced cost of ownership that MediaHub experiences from using the TITAN suite can also be passed on to customers.
The Role of Containers and Kubernetes
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The complete range of ATEME’s TITAN suite is built on a containerised, micro-services, Kubernetes-orchestrated architecture. This provides the core of MediaHub’s virtualised common-infrastructure platform.
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Containers are standard units of software, packaging up code and all its dependencies to allow an application to run quickly and reliably from one computing environment to another; abstracted from the underlying infrastructure. Containers also facilitate agile integration, deployment, and
continuous development – allowing both MediaHub and its customers to stay at the cutting edge of technological advances. The self-contained environmental consistency enables simpler and more efficient technical operations, whether on-premise, or in cloud deployments. In providing full on-premise and cloud flexibility, containers also allow MediaHub to benefit from full distribution portability across operating systems. Kubernetes, the open-source container-orchestration system with architecture resilience, also helps MediaHub efficiently automate computer application deployment, scaling and management, and it works with virtually any type of container. Kubernetes can also support the growing requirement for various cloud strategies while reducing complexity, future-proofing MediaHub’s evolving set-up.
Reaping the Benefits: Efficiency & Sustainability Leveraging containers and Kubernetes also enables MediaHub to benefit from reduced power consumption and rack space. This is further enhanced by ATEME’s pure high-density software and standards-based IP approach, optimised for running on the latest generation Intel and AMD chipsets. Hyper-precise resource allocation in the virtualised environment ensures that no CPU cycles are wasted, ensuring MediaHub’s services are efficient and sustainable. According to Will Munkara-Kerr, ATEME Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, “Our long-standing partnership with MediaHub is a source of pride for us. In addition to the specific benefits that MediaHub gains from the TITAN suite of products, the support and network uniformity of the common infrastructure that has resulted from the partnership will enable MediaHub to realise the benefits of platform standardisation in future offerings to its customers. This is in tandem to optimising its in-house engineering expertise and avoiding the complication of working with multiple vendors.” Alan Sweeney, MediaHub CEO, said, “By harnessing ATEME’s technology portfolio, MediaHub has been able to develop its digital transformation strategy to keep ahead of the crowd in a rapidly changing landscape. Where we gain true added value from ATEME’s technology however is the benefits that are passed on to our customers. Our organisation works with a diverse range of clients in the broadcast, telecommunications, IT, and commercial sectors and they have been able to tap into flexibility across their operations, from areas such as cloud to disaster recovery.” Visit www.mediahubaustralia.com.au and www.ateme.com
OVERHEAD IN COMPUTING REFERS to additional, indirect computation effort required for a specific task. This may include computation time, memory usage, bandwidth or other resources. In communication specifically, there is data transfer overhead, which refers to the various types of control and signalling data that is required for the payload to reach its destination. Similarly, encoded audio has overhead data in addition to the audio signal. In the case of transport streams there is also overhead caused by padding. TS transport packages are 188 bytes, which is usually larger than the audio frame of most codecs. This means the rest of the package must be padded to fill out the 188 bytes. The exact amount of overhead can vary based on multiple factors, like the amount of additional data that is inserted (which may be very large in the case of overhead caused by processes like Forward Error Correction), the complexity of encoding and transport processes and the latency that the operator is willing to accept. In some transport protocols and methods, the packet size can also be adjusted, which is another way the overhead and latency can be affected. Visit https://www.avw.com.au and https://www.ferncast.com
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NDI Version 5 Unveiled NDI, A VIZRT GROUP BRAND, has unveiled NDI version 5 which the company says is “… a true revolution in video storytelling that turns the whole world into your studio.” From large broadcasters to billions of smartphone users with a story to tell, NDI 5 will make it possible to connect to any device, in any location, anywhere in the world – allowing it to work with almost any video application in the world. Physical studios can connect to ones in the cloud and remote video production effectively becomes local.
NDI Bridge New to the NDI Tools free download with NDI 5 is NDI Bridge. Forming a secure bridge between any NDI network regardless of location, NDI
Bridge redefines the concept of ‘remote workflows,’ opening up a wealth of new opportunities for live video production.
NDI Remote Also new to NDI Tools, NDI Remote allows anyone using just a URL to contribute live audio and video using an Internet-connected device, like a camera phone or a web browser, to another point anywhere in the world. NDI Remote allows anyone, anywhere to contribute to a show – big or small. The benefits of NDI’s optimised codec and transport protocols provide unparalleled ease of use across existing networks. Other selected benefits of NDI 5 are: NDI Audio Direct: Provides seamless integration of NDI
audio into software-based audio workflows, be they across a local network, in the cloud or hybrid, setting your production free from the limitations of hardware audio mixers Reliable UDP: As part of NDI’s mission to make video easier everywhere, RUDP transfer makes WAN and WiFi connections more resilient with less configuration required Apple Support: Full support for Apple silicon systems, bringing full NDI capability to all macOS, iOS, tvOS and iPadOS devices for the first time Improved Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro support: Adobe Premiere and After Effects plugin now features improved audio workflow.
Updated plug-in allows output for Final Cut Pro with real-time audio and video frame buffer output And Much More: Many other benefits are available, including support for genlock – even remotely, selection of network adapters, and more To make NDI even more accessible to new and experienced users alike, the free NDI Tools download has been reimagined for NDI 5, with a fresh interface and intuitive guidance built in. NDI is making 10,000 NDI|HX Camera app downloads free of charge for a limited time from Google Play or the Apple App Store. Visit http://www.ndi.tv
BirdDog Embraces NDI 5 with Suite of New Workflow Tools BIRDDOG HAS ANNOUNCED support for NDI 5 across all hardware products including Flex Family, 4K Family, Studio NDI, Mini, all PTZ Camera models, and the upcoming Wallplates, and SDM range. Support for NDI 5 will roll into BirdDog products throughout 2021. In addition to NDI 5 support in existing products, BirdDog has announced two new product lines, Cloud Connect and BirdDog PLAY.
BirdDog Cloud Connect Cloud Connect is a suite of applications for Apple TV, Android TV, iPhone, iPad, Android mobile devices and BirdDog PLAY. Cloud
Connect allows for super-fast and high-quality monitoring anywhere in the world with NDI source to screen latency as low as two frames. With Cloud Connect, remote editorial workflows and remote live productions become faster and easier. Cloud Connect allows editors to output their Avid, Adobe, or Apple Final Cut Pro timeline and view it anywhere in the world in as little as 2 frames latency. Directors can give real-time feedback and producers can be sitting in comfort of their home watching on a big screen. Cloud Connect addresses remote productions in a faster and more interactive way to allow Dante audio
integration and optimise media delivery with high quality video codecs. All Cloud Connect mobile device apps include PTZ Control from any NDI enabled PTZ, including BirdDog NDI PTZ cameras, NDI and NDI HX cameras from Sony, Panasonic, Marshall, NewTek, PTZ Optics, Canon, and more.
BirdDog PLAY BirdDog PLAY is a low cost, NDI Player that can display any local NDI source on the network, as well as tie into BirdDog Cloud Connect to bring remote sources to PLAY from anywhere in the world. PLAY supports many video formats both local and remote, fully
implementing NDI 5 including highbandwidth and NDI | HX2 formats, BirdDog Cloud Connect and NDI Remote with resolution support on some formats up to UHD 2160p60. Designed for easy installation, PLAY includes a rubberised, magnetic base to mount securely to the rear of a display or on your desk. Integrating technology like CEC means users can use their existing remote control for their display to navigate the rich UI with ease. BirdDog PLAY and BirdDog Cloud Connect will be available publicly in Q3, 2021 with a limited beta program available for Cloud Connect via a signup on the BirdDog website. Visit www.bird-dog.tv
TAG VIDEO SYSTEMS has enriched the error source recording functionality and capacity of its Multiviewer and Monitoring platform as the roll-out of OTT continues to grow. Users can now manually set a recording of an OTT channel, record all metadata elements of additional OTT formats, and set 32 channels to be recorded simultaneously, a significant increase in capacity. The TAG recording feature is set to help users analyse and report detected error events. The platform automatically records a range of the last few minutes of each pre-
defined stream in a cyclic mode using a ‘First In, First Out’ method. When an event is detected that meets a threshold set by the user, the recording is automatically saved to external storage. The recording can later be used to analyse the event and troubleshoot the cause. Users now have the ability to manually set a recording of an OTT channel. Prior to this feature, recording was triggered automatically by an alarm that detected errors in the content that were beyond an acceptable threshold. There are situations, however, when alarms are not initiated because the problem isn’t
critical enough to be reported, or the service isn’t affected, but the channel still needs to be recorded for investigation, testing and analysis of the instance, and this is especially important in OTT with its multiple flavours and different sets of metadata for different formats. Now users have the added option to manually record instances of OTT channels as needed to troubleshoot problems and document even seemingly innocuous errors. TAG has also enriched the functionality of the monitoring and visualization platform to address the major shift to more metadata that comes with more
OTT formats. Each OTT format has unique characteristics and unique metadata headers associated with the transmission. Users need to have all this information available for the post-mortem analysis, so TAG has incorporated recording capability to include all elements and headers of HLS, MPEG-DASH, MSS, and CMAF OTT streams for improved analysis capabilities or recorded errors. Additionally, the recording of encrypted content before and after the decryption is now available. Visit https://www.tagvs.com
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TAG Video Systems Enhances Functionality for OTT
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CLASSIFIED + EVENTS
As well as the features below, EVERY ISSUE of Content+Technology contains features on the following: Image Acquisition
Media in the Cloud
Content Transmission & Delivery
News Operations
Digital Asset Management
Signal Distribution
Sportscasting
Audio
Command & Control – Automation,
Post-Production & VFX
Radio
Monitoring, Systems Management.
C+T AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND FEATURES + DEADLINES 2021 ISSUE
EDITORIAL + AD DEADLINES
PUBLICATION DATE
August
Editorial Submissions: Ad Bookings: Ad Artwork:
19-07-21 23-07-21 26-07-21
1st Week August
Sept-Oct
Editorial Submissions: Ad Bookings: Ad Artwork:
14-08-21 17-08-21 25-08-21
2nd Week September
Nov-Dec
Editorial Submissions: Ad Bookings: Ad Artwork:
15-10-21 15-10-21 19-10-21
4th Week October
PRODUCT ROUND-UP
SHOW COVERAGE
+ 4K & IP Production & Delivery + Podcasting + Content & Cyber Security + Remote Production Tools
+ C+T Webinar (Sponsorships Available)
+ ENG/Newsroom Systems + Compression, Encoding + Radio Technology + Focus on Startups + Remote Production Tools
+ Preview: METexpo Sept 28-30 + Preview: NAB October 09-13
+ NDI Solutions+ Streaming + Cable & Satellite Delivery + Channel-in-a-Box Solutions + Data Unification + Remote Production Tools
+ Preview: ABEShow Nov 09-10, Luna Park, Sydney www.abeshow.tv + IBC December 03-06
C+T ASIA FEATURES + DEADLINES 2021 ISSUE
EDITORIAL + AD DEADLINES
PUBLICATION DATE
Editorial Submissions: Ad Bookings: Ad Artwork:
31-07-21 31-07-21 05-08-21
3rd Week August
+ Loudness Solutions + Cloud Solutions + Content & Cyber Security + Compression, Encoding, Transcoding Solutions + Remote Production Tools
+ Preview: AVIA Vietnam in View Sept 08
Oct-Nov
Editorial Submissions: Ad Bookings: Ad Artwork:
13-09-21 13-09-21 20-09-21
1st Week October
+ Cable & Satellite Delivery + Digital Asset Management + OTT/IPTV/HbbTV Solutions + Remote Production Tools
+ Preview: AVIA Asia Video Summit November 09-11 + Preview: NAB Las Vegas Oct 9-13
PHIL SANDBERG
ADAM BUICK
PUBLISHER/EDITOR
ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER
LUCY SALMON CO-FOUNDER
He has also produced the ABE2016, Sportscasting (2014-2016), and 3D-Day (2011) industry conferences.
Adam’s previous role as Manager of the SMPTE Australia Exhibition, along with strong family ties in Australia and SE Asia, has given him a unique perspective on the broadcast and content creation sector throughout the region.
Co-founder and Production co-ordinator Lucy Salmon has worked with Broadcastpapers.com since its inception. She also holds a PhD in the field of sports medicine.
Contact Phil via +61(0)414 671 811 or papers@broadcastpapers.com
You can contact Adam on +61(0)413 007 144 or adam@broadcastpapers.com
You can reach her via +61(0)412 479 662 or production@broadcastpapers.com
His credits include launching Content+Technology, Broadcastpapers.com, the SMPTE Australia Exhibition, Directory, and Cinema Technology Asia-Pacific.
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SHOW COVERAGE
Aug-Sept
Phil Sandberg has spent 28 years reporting on technology issues across the Asia-Pacific.
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PRODUCT ROUND-UP
ADVERTISER INDEX Brainstorm…………………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..…………..13
Ideal Systems………………………………..…………………..…………………....……..………………4
Ross Video………………………………..…………………..…………………....……..………………OBC
GatesAir…………………………..…………………..…………………..…………………..…………..29
Magna Systems & Engineering…………………………..…………………..…3,5,7
Techtel…………………………..…………………..…………………....……..………………15
Grass Valley…………………………..…………………..…………………....……..………………Cover
Media Proxy………………………………..…………………..…………………....……..………………IFC
WebinarChannel.TV……………………..…………………..…………………. IBC
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