broadcastenointeringe - world radio history

BroadcastEnointeringewww.broadcastengineering.com

-'44e/LLSO INSIDE:INSIDE BROADCAST CAMERASA camera desigrer shows youvvhat to look for

LOCATING SPEAKERS FOR BEST SOUNDPrcperly create the audio image

IT NETWORK TROUBLESHOOTINGKeys to fixing problems - fast!

FCC GETS TOUGH ON PSIPTips for meeting -_he requirements

OPTICAL AND SOLID-STATE STORAGEA side -by -side comparison

A PENTON MEDIA PUBLICATION

AI di -..ar

"1

WHEATSTONE D-9 Audio Control Surfaceat WPEC-TV, West Palm Beach, Florida

Hands ON or Hands OFF,Wheatstone TV Gets the Job DoneALL Wheatstone D -Series digital audio control surfaces have traditional

layouts, making them operator friendly-no long learning curve required.From our smaller D-7 through the D-9, D-10 and feature -rich D-12, right onup to our D-5.1 master audio control console, all Wheatstone networkedaudio control surfaces are also AUTOMATIONREADY, giving you the best of both worlds.

Choose Wheatstone digital for yourtelevision audio solutions!

__yr it -cif -14R, D-5.1 Master Control

copyright © 2008 by Wheatstone Corporation tel 252-638-70001 www.wheatstone.com/tvconsoles.html I [email protected]

ONEInteroperable workflows. Integrated technologies. Innovative solutions.

Finally, automation and digital asset management systems on speaking terms ...

Why trust all your valuable information and content to a grab bag of disparate systems? Now you don't have to.

As a leader in the development of BXF, Harris is using this technology to assure interoperability a:ross

our entire H -Class- media software suite. Flawless communication between Harris® ADC"

and D -Series- automation and Invenio® and Comperio- digital asset management

solutions ensures superior reliability and efficiency - and simplifies the addition

of new revenue -producing services.

Interoperability and integration lead to unmatched innovation.Only from Harris.

Visit us at www.broadcast.harris.com

North America +1 800 231 9673

Caribbean and Latin America +1 786 437 1960

st .eh Oa ais es t' a 11 Re iv II! le*NM Si NS MO ON Ts is ar-mi.r SE as BO re gins es

orri 11 !Is NS .

ONE Company. ONE Direction. The Future.

Harris is is the ONE company delivering interoperable workflow solutions across the entire broadcast delivery chain with a single, integrated approach.

BUSINESS OPERATIONS MEDIA MANAGEMENT NEWSROOMS & EDITING CORE PROCESSING

CHANNEL RELEASE MEDIA TRANSPORT TRANSMISSION

assuredcommunications® www.harris.comBroadcast Communications Defense Communications and Electronics Government Communications Systems Harris Stratex Networks

0

8co

aFD1

O

OCO

0

0

CD

CD

0-

00

a

0CD

0a.<3

-07-

lD

O

fD

CD

CD

a(7,a

aco

0

aFCI

00

ca

0

O

a

3

5 -

CDa

C

aO

O

00

0

You told us we need to change. Start listening. You got our attention.

So we are shaking things up - starting with better online support, a more engaging online community,

and new software pricing. It's a new world at Avid. Come see for yourself at Avid.com/newthinking.

TABLE OF CONTENTSVOLUME 501 NUMBER 51 MAY 2008

BroadcastEngineering,

FEATURES64 Video storage

The IT industry is shaping the directionof broadcast media storage.

70 Ethernet in the HD studioPart 1 of this two-part seriesdefines the IEEE standards.

80 Broadcast camera developmentsA revolution is taking place, and CMOS maybe the new imager architecture of the future.

90 PSIP:The FCC gets seriousPrevious requests to update PSIP didn't incitebroadcasters to act. The FCC now demands it.

BEYOND THE HEADLINESDOWNLOAD

14 ConvergenceThis time it's real.

FCC UPDATE20 DTV education

A new initiative outlinesbroadcaster requirements.

DIGITAL HANDBOOKTRANSITION TO DIGITAL

22 Adapters and tunersIncreasingly, they are being used forDTV viewing. Can they be trusted?

COMPUTERS & NETWORKS28 Network connections

Having issues? Nip your Internetconnectivity problem in the bud.

PRODUCTION CLIPS34 Speakers and audio monitors

Proper placement and adjustment are thekey to accurate sound reproduction.

MAY FREEZEFRAME QUESTION

When used in storage systems, what does the acronymRAID stand for?

The answer is on page 8.

6 broadcastengineering.com I May 2008

details where you want them

With extraordinary sharp and clean native 1080i image

quality and the widest range of precision image control of

any camera in its class, the new Panasonic AK-HC3500

HD studio camera system makes everything look good -

including you. Incorporating three select 2/3 -inch, 2.2

megapixel CCDs, the HC3500 captures an industry -

benchmark horizontal resolution of 1,100 lines at a

signal-to-noise ratio of 60 dB.

Panasonic's exclusive picture -

enhancing features like Cine

Gamma Curver,m Dynamic Range

when it counts.

Stretch (DRS) and 12 -Pole Color Correction give you

unrivaled real-time image and color control in challenging

environments. Fine-tuned with our advanced Skin Tone

Detail function, you can eliminate unwanted details, while

emphasizing those you want -a feature the on -air talent

will love. And when they look good, you look good.

© 2008 Panasonic Broadcast

To arrange a demo, call

1-800-528-8601.

For more information, please visit

www.panasonic.com/broadcast.

Panasonicideas for life

TABLE OF CONTENTS .:ONTINUED)

VOLUME 501 NUMBER 51 MAY 2008

SYSTEMS INTEGRATIONSHOWCASE

38 Newseum facility showsnews as it happensVisitors can watch master controloperators through a glass wall.

TRANSMISSION& DISTRIBUTION

44 Flash RAM storageThe technology is poised to eliminate tape.

COUNTDOWN TO 200958 Playback automation

A successful implementationrequires a lot of planning.

NEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWSAPPLIED TECHNOLOGY:

94 Harris' CENTRIO multiviewer

96 EVS' tapeless technology

FIELD REPORTS98 Telestream's FlipFactory and

Launch automation

TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSITION100 Production switchers

Today's systems process lots of bits, real fast.

NEW PRODUCTS104 Blackmagic Design's HDLink and more ...

DEPARTMENTS10 EDITORIAL12 FEEDBACK

109 CLASSIFIEDS111 ADVERTISERS INDEX112 EOM

MAY FREEZEFRAME ANSWER

Redundant array of inexpensive disks.


ON THE COVER:The Newseunn's master control room feat.ires a glass wa- Ithat allows visito-s to watch the operators n action. ViAtorscan also watch the news being made from large LEDscreens Iccated ii the atrium of this innovative facility.

www.yamahaca.corn

a sure thing.When it came to choosing a digital console for

their newest truck - Natalie Michele, Sure Shot

Transmissions, Inc. based out of New Middletown,

Ohio went with their best bet. Installed in a count-

less number of broadcast mobile trucks, Yamaha's

PM5D has developed a reputation for strength,

reliability and stellar performance. A crystal clear

decision with features such as auto -mix minus,

flexible routing and surround sound capability, the

PM5D continues to remain a cut above the rest.

When you need help, time zones shouldn't matter. Yamaha provides coast to coast24/7 technical support. With dedicated staff and regional service centers, assistanceis around the corner. If we can't fix it over the phone, we'll put a part or a personon the next plane out. It's that simple.

°YAMAHA

CXZ)commercial audio

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. P 0. Box 6600, Buena Park. CA 90620-6600

02008 Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems. Inc

EDITORIALDEPARTMENT

Crashing intomobile video

Did you know watching mobile video on you cellphone or PDA can be harmful to your health?Yep, reports are now surfacing that people arebumping into lampposts while staring at their

cell phone screens.As broadcasters contemplate entering into the exciting

world of mobile video, do we as an industry do so withoutregard to our viewers' health? Should we pause, or stop mo-bile video's adoption, to protect our fellow human? Do wehave a duty to protect humanity from its own stupidity?

I pondered these lofty issues while reading a recentstudy conducted by the UK directory service 118 118. Theservice discovered that mobile text users were often crash-ing into lampposts, sometimes injuring themselves whiletext messaging.

The company received permission to install paddedwraps on lampposts in key sections of London. In trade,it gets to place advertising for its directory service. I sup-pose if you bump into the post, you'd pretty much have tosee the ad.

Thinking about the similarities of texting and watchingmobile video, I wondered if a similar problem could oc-cur here with regard to mobile TV? Would unsuspectingviewers bump into lampposts while enjoying their favoriteYouTube or FOX News videos? Would they wander into

signs or perhaps miss crosswalk lights, only to be struckby cars?

Imagine the potential for chaos in downtown Manhat-tan as millions of people rush to and from home, shopsand their offices, noses pointed at mobile phones andplayers - no one watching where they were going. Andwith earphones, they wouldn't hear the screams of "Watchout!" Oh, the humanity of it!

Now, picture thousands of your station's viewers walk-ing, or driving, heads down, noses perched just inches fromthose tiny cell phone and mobile video player screens. Yourviewers could be heedless to the dangers that lie just ahead.

Can you hear the traffic reports? "There's a mash up onthe corner of 12'h and Johnson, where 22 people crashedtogether as a hotdog vendor moved his cart into the cross-walk. Pedestrians and drivers are encouraged to avoid thisintersection."

This scenario may sound ridiculous, but how manytimes have you already done something similar? Have youever text messaged someone or manually dialed your mo-bile phone while driving? Cops call that distracted drivingand give tickets for it.

At my gym, perhaps 75 percent of the members haveiPods strapped to their arms and earphones stuck in theircars. Even though there are 10 televisions in front of thecardio machines, most members want to make their ownentertainment choices. Mobile TV will be used likewise.

Despite the potential drawbacks, I hope broadcastersmake a business of delivering video to mobile receivers.And, when they do, I'll become a mobile video customer.I just hope those padded lampposts are around so when Ibump into one, it's only my pride that gets hurt.

EDITORIAL DIRECTORSend comments to: [email protected]

BE

T H E BROADCASTENGINEERING

nnCome join the discussion on

the latest industry topics withother broadcast professionals

and enthusiasts.

http://community.broadcastengineering.com/forums/


Rethink multi -image qualitySimply put, Kaleido-X redefines multi -image picture quality. Using unique scaling

technology, it displays the most detailed and color accurate images, irrespective of

picture size. Operators can exploit this power with any number of layouts, across

multiple rooms, enabling them to choose their ideal monitoring configuration. Thevery best monitoring, without limitations. It's time to rethink what's possible.

Rethink what's possible

www.miranda.com/kaleido

FEEDBACKDEPARTMENT

Smart antennasDear Aldo Cugnini:

I just read your "Smartantennas" article in theMarch issue. Any ideahow much these anten-nas cost? Because of thethree -pronged locations ofbroadcast transmitters inthis area, we are frequentlyhearing about problemswith the traditional di-rectional antennas. Thiscould be an important so-lution for our area.

Sandra Session -Robertson

President and CEOKSMQ Public Television

Austin, MN

Aldo Cugnini responds:To my knowledge, there are three vendors of antennas, none of which

are currently available. Funai/DX, RCA/Audiovox and GE/Jasco each hasa smart antenna, but they have not announced availability. The price willprobably be around $40 to $50. As I mentioned in the article, retailers arenot too enthusiastic, as antennas are slow movers. That means it's hard toget the price down to the $10 to $20 that would really make them sell.

STBs for resaleDear Aldo Cugnini:

Great article on off -air digital STBs.(See "Smart antennas" in the Marchissue.) Our company just made thedeadline today and will be acceptingcoupons for the cutover.

We are mainly a satellite, satellitemaster antenna TV (SMATV) and RFsignal distribution design companylocated in New Jersey. We hope to seea good amount of commercial estab-lishments that need to be converted- hospitals, nursing homes, car deal-erships, etc.

Can you provide me with any in-formation on where I can get STBsfor resale?

Greg FrascaPresident

Sky Web

Tinton Falls, NJ

Aldo Cugnini responds:You can go to the NTIA Web site

at www.ntia.doc.gov to get a full list ofcertified converter boxes. While thecoupons are intended for consumers,the same boxes can be sold to anyone,such as your commercial customers. Iwill also forward your e-mail to a cli-ent of mine that makes the boxes.

Can't hear the dialogueDear editor:

We've recently upgraded ourDIRECTV to HD. Since then, we've no-ticed that background sounds - music,traffic noise, previously indistinct con-versations, etc. - are so loud that theymake the dialogue faint. As a result, wehave to use closed captioning.

This highly irritating situation ismost obvious on two shows, "CSI:NY" and "Cold Case." When we watchor record WINK -TV (the CBS -affili-ated television station for southwestFlorida) on our non -HD DIRECTVbox, there is no problem at all withthe audio on these two programs.

The DIRECTV technical staff at-tributes this problem, which hasbeen frequently reported from thisarea (Port Charlotte), as a "broad-cast problem of which the sta-tion should be well aware." I gaveWINK a call, hoping to identify theproblem's source. After all, it couldbe that all DIRECTV viewers goingto the WINK signal have the sameproblem.

I was able to talk with an engineerat WINK on my first try. Wow! Hewas most helpful and told us to turnoff any surround -sound featuresin our TV. Our old DIRECTV boxdidn't handle 5.1, and the new HDbox does, and therein was the clue tothe problem. Apparently our three-year -old TV is not compatible with5.1 sound. Hopefully, the problemwill go away now.

Edward and Margaret Barry

Standards conversionDear editor:

In a worldwide company, stan-dards conversion becomes a majorissue. What are automation provid-ers doing to minimize concatenationproblems?

Sid Guel responds:On the world stage, standards such

as PAL, NTSC and one -offs are stillan issue. As for DTV and HDTV, thetrend is automation systems withbuilt-in transcoders. This lessens theneed for external third -party trans-

coders. Research shows that built-intranscoders are more popular withcombo and hybrid systems.

Test Your Knowledge!See the Freezeframe question

of the month on page 6.


Gi-Tapeless HD in a Flash

Ikegami and Toshiba Team Up ForOne Incredible Tapeless HD ENG Package.

Ikegami, the inventor of tapeless ENG, and Toshiba, a world leader in Flash

memory, have combined their expertise to deliver unprecedented levels of

workflow innovation in the new

GrFcam tapeless HD ENG system.

From digital capture to fast, efficient

non-linear editing, to instant IT

networking, this revolutionary system

features an open-codec HD/SD

architecture, proxy video and

metadata convenience, and

high -capacity GrEPAK Flash

media to record more than two hours of HD video. System components

include the af--cam Tapeless Camera, the Gi=surioN Central Video

Management/Playback studio deck and the I5 STATION PORTABLE

field version for added production versatility. The networkconnectivity of all GFCAM system components creates the

industry's newest, highly efficient, highly productive,

advanced tapeless HD environment engineered to

meet the demands of today's broadcast news

and digital media production professionals.

TOSHIBA

at-PAK

Leading Innovation >>>

Ikegami Electronics (USA), Inc37 Brook Avenue, Maywood, NJ 07607

East Coast: (201) 368-9171 West Coast: (310) 297-1900Southeast: (954) 735-2203 Southwest: (972) 869-2363

Midwest: (630) 834-9774 www.ikegami.com Tapeless Wireless Seamless

DOWNLOADBEYONDTHE HEADLINES

Convergence

xperts and analysts across abroad spectrum of indus-tries have been exploring the

a convergence of television,computing and telecommunicationsfor several decades. One could even saythat this author has built something ofa career around the subject, helping tofacilitate the transition in the late '80sand '90s to computer -based tools foraudio and video production.

Back in 1992, I helped the SMPTEput together a preconference ses-sion for the 26th Annual SMPTEAdvanced Television and ElectronicImaging Conference in San Francis-co. The conference theme was "Col-lision or Convergence - Digital Vid-eo/Audio, Computers and Telecom-munications:' The preconferencesession involved presentations andpanel sessions from television andcomputer industry executives who,as expected, locked horns in territo-rial turf wars. A left brain/right brainaudience looked on and interactedwith the experts who were trying tolead and/or impede the transition to

This time it's real.BY CRAIG BIRKMAIFR

a new infrastructure for digital mediacreation and distribution.

On one side of the center aisle wereseasoned video industry veterans whobelieved that no one outside their in-dustry understood the complex issuesinvolved with video content creation.While computers were taking overprepress and graphics production,and beginning to affect audio produc-tion, video was simply too demand-ing for computers. In their minds,

different world. For them, video andaudio were just big data files to be ma-nipulated with software, shared acrosslocal and wide area networks and dis-tributed in new ways - and this wasbefore the then embryonic Internetgave birth to the World Wide Web!

CollisionDid I mention that the seasoned

video types also proclaimed that noone would want to watch TV on a

The industry experts were wrong. So are thosewho claim today that the Internet will collapseunder the strain of downloading video contentby a new generation of consumers who wanttheir media anywhere, anytime, on any screen.

real-time dedicated video productiongear would never be replaced by soft-ware applications running on generalpurpose computer platforms.

On the other side of the aisle, a newgeneration of Silicon Valley whiz kidsand would-be content creators saw a

FRAME GRAB A look at the issues driving today's technology

Top 20 percent of online video users see 841 minutes/monthThe bottom 50 percent only watch six minutes of video per month.

cn 900 841

(.3 c0E

800

700

a) oCi)

co 600

500(1)

E 400

C 300

a) c 200

100

0Top users

Top users20%

Bottomusers50%

Moderateusers30%

77

Moderateusers

6

Bottomusers

Sources: comScore/Media Contacts www.comscore/www.mediacontacts.com

computer? Needless to say, the col-lision that took place at the 1992SMPTE conference was predictable.Video industry leaders had no de-sire to become the next meal for therapidly growing computer industry.PCs belonged at the office, or perhapsthe den, but the family room was sa-cred turf.

PCs were lean -forward, interactivedevices. TVs were lean -back, passive en-tertainment devices. Consumers wouldnever settle for the postage -stamp -sizedvideos the PC kids were playing with.Even more important, the video indus-try was embarking on a digital transi-tion of its own. It wanted to bring thewonders of high -definition televisionto the family room.

Three years later, I returned to an-other SMPTE conference in San Fran-cisco and demonstrated a Media 100nonlinear editing system, playing backonline -quality SD video. This was fromthe same computer I was using for myPowerPoint presentation. The video in-dustry experts were wrong. So are thosewho claim today that the Internet will


At Last!Automatic Loudness Correctionfor File -Based Programming

For broadcasters and programmers, the deliveryof consistent, high -quality content is of primaryimportance in satisfying viewers. If that content isfile based, the Dolby® DP600 Program Optimizerautomatically analyzes and normalizes loudness levels ina standardized, repeatable way-and in faster than realtime. The DP600 ensures your programming, archived ornewly ingested, plays out at a consistent loudness level.Whether it's from program to program, between programsand commercials, and even between channels within yourservice, the DP600 is the ultimate solution for correctingloudness levels. End your viewers' loudness complaints-with the new Dolby DP600.

The Dolby DP600 Program Optimizer is the recipient oftwo Broadcast Engineering Pick Hit Awards, a TV TechnologySTAR Award, and an IABM Award for Excellence 2007. Formore information, visit www.dolby.com and click on theDP600 spotlight.

Loudness applications for theDolby 013600 Program Optimizer:

For terrestrial broadcast

Automated broadcast media fileQC and loudness correction

For cable and IPTV

Broadcast media file QC andloudness correction

Automated VOD file analysisand loudness correction

Automated digital programinsertion (DPI) file analysisand loudness correction

For satellite

Automated broadcast media fileQC and loudness correction

Pay -per -view (PPV) file analysisand loudness correction

Dolby and the double -D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.© 2008 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. S08/18928/19232


collapse under the strain of download-ing video content by a new generationof consumers who want their media,anywhere, anytime, on any screen.

The movers and shakers in theprofessional video production equip-ment industry were not alone in theirconcern about the gathering mo-mentum of the PC industry and theparallel development of the Internet.The consumer electronics industryand the television broadcasters whosupplied the content for the TV inthe family room had even more to beconcerned about. They were tryingto develop a new standard to deliverHDTV to the masses when the com-puter industry stuck its nose underthe tent. The computer people sug-gested that digital television shouldbe designed to promote convergencewith the personal computer and tech-nologies being developed for shar-ing digital media files via high-speednetworks.

MIT and Apple lobbied the FCC toconsider the potential for convergenceof PCs and TVs. FCC chairman AlSikes instructed the Advisory Com-mittee on Advanced Television Service(ACATS) to evaluate all of the pro-posed (H)DTV systems on their abilityto interoperate with personal comput-ers. ACATS was also asked to evaluatethe proposals as to their scalability andextensibility for future applicationsthat would span devices from the bigscreen in the family room to the PC inthe den to what has become the me-dia -enabled smartphone.

As a participant in the ACATS pro-cess, I can now look back and say witha fair degree of accuracy that the com-puter industry overtures were viewedas a major threat by broadcasters andthe CE industry. The video industryused the knowledge imparted by thecomputer industry to create barriersto competition - many of which stillmake convergence of TV, computingand telecommunications (the Web andwireless) a goal rather than a reality.

Embracing convergence?Several recent Download columns

have focused on issues related to theconvergence of television with the bigscreen in the family room and the Webas an important source of content inthe family room. In March, the FrameGrab chart that accompanies this col-umn illustrated the rapid growth ofdownloading video from the Internet.In 2007, 45 percent of U.S. homes re-ported downloading video from the In-ternet at least once each week. For 2008,that number will grow to 61 percent,with 86 percent downloading video atleast once each month.

In my March column, "Decou-piing," I examined the growth inpopularity of 1080p display technol-ogy and the roles that Blu-ray DVDand Internet downloads may have inthe future. (See "Web links" on page18.) Hollywood and the consumerelectronics industry are looking toBlu-ray to deliver HD movies to those1080p displays and to connect to theInternet to extend the experiencearound the content on the disc. Theyare also looking at a complex digitalrights management (DRM) regimeto keep HD versions of movies fromflowing freely on the Internet.

The most important takeaway fromthat column, in my humble opinion,is that 1080p displays fully enablethe convergence of TV and the Web.These high -resolution displays areequally adept at displaying high -qual-ity HDTV content for entertainment,and for Web -based applications aimedat the family room, such as Apple'snew movie rental service for Apple

Newer TVs, such as this Sony Bravia,offer Internet connection modules.

TV, using the iTunes portal for buyingmusic, TV shows and movies, as wellas renting movies. Apple TV does nothave any outputs for an analog TV. Itrequires a progressive display with an-alog component or HDMI inputs.

Big screen displays are also indemand for the latest generationof game consoles like Sony's Play -Station 3, which can play Blu-raymovies, and Microsoft's Xbox 360,which can download movies fromthe Web. And Sony is now selling anInternet connection module for itsBravia TVs.

In my January column, "Changeis imminent," I examined the chal-lenges that the TV industry is facingas traditional TV audiences fragmentin 100 directions. (See "Web links.")Consumers now have many optionsfor information and entertainment,and many technologies to assist in theselection of content and the venue inwhich it is consumed. TV viewers areno longer tied to the old appointmentTV model where the family sat downfor an evening of TV viewing. DVRsmake it possible to watch a TV pro-gram on your schedule. And missedepisodes of favorite shows can now bedownloaded and viewed on a PC, aTV or a portable media player.

The TV networks are movingconsiderable resources to the creationof a Web -based distribution system


Blad<magic esign

The new DeckLink HD Extreme has SDI, HDMI andanalog connections for editing in SD, HD and 2K!

The new DeckLink HD Extreme is the world's most

advanced capture card! With a huge range ofvideo and audio connections, built in 3D LUTs and

the new 3 Gb/s SDI. Advanced editing systems for

Microsoft WindowsTM and Apple Mac OS XTM are

now even more affordable!

Connect to any Deck, Camera or Monitor

DeckLink HD Extreme is the only capture card that features SDI, HDMI,

component analog, NTSC, PAL and S -Video for capture and playback

in SD, HD or 2K. Also included is 2 channels of XLR AES/EBU audio and

2 channels of balanced XLR analog audio. Connect to HDCAM, DigitalBetacam, Betacam SP, HDV cameras, big -screen TVs and more.

Advanced 3 Gb/s SDI Technology

With exciting new 3 Gb/s SDI connections, DeckLink

HD Extreme allows twice the SDI data rate of normal

HD -SDI, while also connecting to all your HD -SDI and

SD -SDI equipment. Use 3 Gb/s SDI for 2K and edit your latest feature

film using real time 2048 x 1556 2K resolution capture and playback!

Advanced Performance

Unlike FireWire, DeckLink HD Extreme has a 10 Gb/s PCI Expressconnection for powerful HD real time effects in compressed oruncompressed video file formats. This 10 Gb/s connection gives youmore HD real time effects and you can take advantage of the 3 Gb/sSDI and built in 3D LUTs to edit your feature films!

Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac OS X

DeckLink HD Extreme is fully compatible with Apple Final Cut ProTM'

Adobe Premiere ProTM, Adobe After EffectsTM, Adobe PhotoshopTM,

FusionTM and any DirectShowTM or QuickTimeTm based software.DeckLink HD Extreme instantly switches between feature film resolution

2K, 1080HD, 720HD, NTSC and PAL for worldwide compatibility.

Decklink HD Extreme

$995Learn more today at www.blackmagic-design.com


with a variety of business models:sales of TV shows for download

without commercials;free downloads with commercials

that cannot be skipped; andthe linking of Web search capabili-

ties with vast libraries of content thathave been produced in recent decades.

At the same time, broadcasters areincreasingly aware that the ability todeliver bits to things that move maybe as important as serving fixed TVsin the family room, especially in aworld where more than 85 percent ofU.S. homes subscribe to a multichan-nel TV service.

Surfing the Internet is no longerlimited to the PC in the den. Note-book PCs are the 21" century portableinformation appliances. Users expect

Web linksBroadcast Engineering, March

2008, "Decoupling"http://broadcastengineering.com/hdtv/decoupling_dvdlist hdtv

Broadcast Engineering, January2008, "Change is imminent"http://broadcastengineering.com/iptv/change_imminent television_801

them to hookup to wireless networks,play DVD movies and downloadedTV content, and perhaps soon, to pullin TV programming from the telcosor TV broadcasters who dedicate partof their spectrum to serving mobileand handheld devices.

Now some industry experts aresaying that smartphones may becomethe next major computing platform.These devices can surf the Web, playmusic and videos, and talk to otherdevices. One can easily imagine a de-vice like Apple's iPhone becoming agame player in its own right, a gamecontroller for multiplayer games onthe big screen TV, and a Web surfingremote for the big screen TV.

While Apple continues to helptransform the PC industry with newand innovative devices, the company'sability to create an entire ecosystemaround these devices is the real story.A song, TV show or movie purchasedor rented from the iTunes store cannow be enjoyed on the big screenTV in the family room via Apple TV,on the PC in the den, on a notebookcomputer and on an iPod.

The bottom lineIn all of this, economics is a major

factor. The monthly bills for cableTV, broadband and wired telephones,

wireless telephones, and the packagedmedia we buy can easily approachseveral hundred dollars each month.While industry experts have been ar-guing about who's going to do whatto whom, consumers have been grow-ing accustomed to paying for theirmedia fixes. What the iTunes store hasproven is that consumers will pay forcontent if it is fairly priced and easyto access.

It took less than a decade for com-puter -based tools to replace tradi-tional video production gear for non -

real -time content creation. Thesecomputer -based tools have scaledfrom SD to HD and now support thedevelopment of versions of TV con-tent for multiple platforms.

Hoping that the Internet will becrushed under the weight of videodownloading is not a good bet. TheIT industry looks at challenges likethis as new business opportunities,not barriers to competition.

The convergence pie is huge. Thequestion to be answered is how it willbe divided, and by whom? BE

Craig Birkmaier is a technology consultantat Pcube Labs.

ISend questions and comments to:[email protected]

Multichannel Fiber -Optic Wiring Syste

LWB-16M & LWB-64The Latest Outside -Broadcasting Solutions

..... go...... j LI

Transmission of max. 256 -channel audio,HD -SDI video, intercom, serial data and AC power

via hybrid fiber-optic camera cablesdel 111114, do, II.is*it- .4.

Otari, Inc. (Japan)phone: +81-424-81-8626

fax: +81-424-81-8633

mail: [email protected]

Otari Singapore Pte, Ltd.phone 8 fax: +65-6738-7807


Otari U.S.A. Sales Inc.phone: +1-818-734-1785

fax: +1-818-734-1786


ODOMwww.otari.com


#1 in Scaleability& Performance

=240/011014011.11101101111111 11110,..._

Modular Broadcast Systems

ILA SSM 1111111 MINIMSLIMmcM Il

" iiII 111111111111 111151:Minfila It MIMI! SWIM PP00

1111111111 MIMI! -!IRMA Prig. Ppm., ..

. eMMM 811181111111111111111111111!!

Router Control Systems

Multi -Format & Mid -Size Routers Multi -Channel Master Control Switching Systems

Large -Scale Routers

Mobile Digital Video Router

^=1,1111-1.1.1111111.1111111NIPIRIMINPIPP 11111.-

wa

t WOMP.

- -,...10k1"."1.11101101PIPINIII .N..1'mimmiiiNP111111111W; M PI MMM111111111111111111111111111111 MM MMM "1111101.1101111.1PRIPPONSPI NIONIR

Compact Routers

.UMMMMWOTC r MMMMMMrrarr

N1111S§CW

Moving pictures and sound around,

perfectly.

Looking for error -free routingand management of digitalaudio & HD/SD video signals?

expertise in both digital and HD, NVISIONknows how to create a superior and costeffective configuration for your facility.

Large -Scale, Mid -Size andMulti -Format Routers

Future proofed: 3Gig for 1080p,hot-swappable modules3Gig, HD, SD, analog video, analogaudio, AES. time code, SRC & dataSeamless integration with NVISIONrouter control3rd party protocol support

Router Control SystemsHighly configurable control panelsPlatform independent GUI controlpanelsNumerous 3rd party interfacesRedundancy in 4RU

Compact RoutersScaleable: mix & match with allNVISION routers & control systems3rd party interfaces3Gig, HD, SD, AES (sync & async),AA, AV, PR

Master ControlHD & SD operationCost-effective platform for mastercontrol, branding, & routing4 different control surfaces5 different channel processorsInterfaces to all major automationsystems

SYNAPSE Modular Signal Processing+130 modular functions3 Gig, HD, SD, audio, video, analog,& enhanced fiber connectivityEmbed, de -embed, up/down/crossconversion, monitoring, & low latencyDolby/Dolby E encoding, decodingSNMP software capabilities

1 -800 -860 -HDTV (4388)www.nvision.tvemail: [email protected]

FCC UPDATEBEYONDTHE HEADLINES

DTV educationA new initiative outlines broadcaster requirements.

In March, the commission an-nounced its DTV Consumer Ed-ucation Initiative, which requiresbroadcasters to educate the pub-

lic regarding the DTV transition.Under this initiative, full -power TV

stations will have to select one of threeoptions calling for a combination ofPSAs, video crawls, DTV countdown"bugs" and long -form infomercialscovering the DTV transition. In addi-tion to satisfying these requirements,stations will also have to file quarterlyreports on a new Form 388 to let thecommission know which option thestation selected and to certify thatthe station did in fact comply withthe relevant requirements during thepreceding quarter. The following is asummary of the three options.

PSAs and video crawlsThe first option is a combination of

PSAs and video crawls. PSAs must be

DatelineJune 2 is the deadline for TV

stations in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada,New Mexico, Utah and Wyomingto file their biennial ownershipreports.

In the following jurisdictions,June 2 also is the deadline for TV,Class A and LPTV stations that orig-inate programming to place theirannual EEO reports in their publicfiles and place them on their Websites: Arizona, Idaho, Maryland,Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico,Ohio, Utah, Virginia, Washington,D.C., West Virginia and Wyoming.

On June 2, TV stations with morethan 10 full-time employees in Mary-land, Virginia, Washington, D.C., andWest Virginia must electronically filetheir broadcast EEO midterm reports(Form 397) with the FCC.

BY HARRY C. MARTIN

at least 15 seconds long, and the videocrawls must be at least 60 seconds.Such PSAs and video crawls need toinform the public that:

full -power analog broadcasting willcease on Feb. 17, 2009;

analog -only televisions may not beoperational after that date unless theviewer takes action;

Full -power TVstations will haveto select one ofthree options.

viewers can get more informa-tion online or by telephone (Website and/or phone number must beincluded); and

viewers should take certain stepsto continue being able to watch thestation, depending on whether theyreceive the station over -the -air or viacable or satellite.

One PSA and one video crawl mustbe broadcast every six hours initially(with at least one in prime time),with the frequency increasing to threePSAs and three crawls every six hoursduring the period of Oct. 1, 2008, toMarch 31, 2009.

Fewer PSAs and crawlsbut more outreach

Under the second option, a TV sta-tion will have to air an average of 16PSAs per week. While each PSA mustbe at least 15 seconds in length, it willtake two 15 -second PSAs to equalone PSA for purposes of compliancewith the commission's rules. The sta-tion must also air an average of 16crawls (each at least 60 seconds long)per week.

Under this option, the commissionwill require at least one 30 -minute

infomercial each day regarding theDTV transition, and all of the follow-ing outreach initiatives once a day: asuper -imposed graphic display, an an-imated graphic display, and an audiomessage reminding viewers that thereare "x" number of days before the endof the transition. These messages mustalso provide a toll -free number or Website for more details.

For noncommercial stationsUnder the third option, eligible li-

censees must air a certain number of"transition -related educational PSAs"per day as well as the same 30 -minuteinfomercial as required in the secondoption.

All optionsAll of the information required by

the Education Initiative will have tobe closed captioned, in the same lan-guage as a majority of the program-ming aired on the station, and placedon the station's analog and primarydigital stream.

Cable and satellitecompanies

Cable and satellite companies mustplace in their monthly bills noticesthat the DTV transition will end onFeb. 17, 2009, and that a converterbox may be needed to continue recep-tion of over -the -air broadcasts. Thestatements must also refer the readereither to www.dtv.gov or to the serviceprovider at a toll -free number to re-ceive information regarding the tran-sition and the subsidized coupons forthe $40 converter boxes. BE

Harry C. Martin is a past president of theFederal Communications Bar Associationand a member of Fletcher, Heald andHildreth, PLC.



mp I ifvyour

productivitywith Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium

images courtesy of Jump Studioswwjumpstudtos.tv

motrox 0)(10

The Matrox Axio platforms are designed for high-performance HD and SD editing in demanding broadcast and post -production facilities.With the most comprehensive realtime feature set, the highest -quality native codec technology, and complete file -based workflows,they extend and accelerate the capabilities Adobe CS3 Production Premium.

Matrox Axio gives you so much more than software alone:

Complete native MXF file support for Panasonic P2, Sony XDCAM, andSony XDCAM HD in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects

Native support for a wide variety of codecs including: DVCPRO HD,MPEG HD, offline HD, MPEG-2 I -frame in HD and SD, HDV, IMX, DV,DVCPRO, and DVCPRO50

Many more realtime layers of video and graphics in HD and SD

Realtime mixed -format timelines

More effects in real time - color correction, chroma/luma keying, speedchanges, 3D DVE, blur/glow/soft focus...

Realtime high -quality downscaling from HD to SD

Accelerated export to DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray, QuickTime, Flash Video,and other multimedia formats with Matrox Media Encoder

WYSIWYG video output support for Adobe After Effects, Bridge, andPhotoshop, as well as other animation and compositing packages withdynamic Alt+Tab switching

Simultaneous HD and SD output

PCle version of Axio LE now available

Call us today to arrange a demonstration.1.800.361.4903 (US and Canada), +1.514.822.6364, www.matrox.com/video Digital Video Solutions'

Matrox is a registered trademark and Matrox Axio is a trademark of Matrox Electronic System.. Ltd. Adobe and Creative Suite are reg ltered trademarks of Acobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries

TRANSITION TO DIGITALDIGITAL HANDBOOK

Adapters and tunersIncreasingly, they are being used for DTV viewing.

Can they be trusted?

hile many broadcast-ers have consideredthe TV to be the soledelivery medium for

their service, there is a growing num-ber of cards and adapters designed forPC delivery of over -the -air and cableTV service. How well do they work?Are conventional TVs in jeopardy? Tofind out, I analyzed the characteristicsof various PC DTV adapters currentlyon the market. To avoid any debate onproducts and subjectivity', I won't iden-tify them or compare them directly,but this article will look at the groupedcharacteristics of the devices.

Performance and ease -of -use varies considerably

PC adapters come in two varieties: aPCI bus card that resides inside the PCand an external pod or dongle that isattached by means of a USB interface.The latter devices add video receptioncapability to laptop PCs.

BY AI DO CUGNINI

All PC adapters use software to de-

code the ATSC (MPEG-2) video, sothe performance of the host PC is amajor factor. The adapters can housea VSB and QAM tuner, and someof them additionally provide ana-log NTSC tuners. The digital tunerstransfer the MPEG-2 transport streamover a USB 2.0 or PCI interface to thePC, where it is demultiplexed, decod-ed and delivered to the display. (SeeFigure 1 on page 24.) Note that theolder USB 1.0 interface on some PCsis not fast enough to carry the trans-port stream and will cause problemswith attempted normal use.

When NTSC capability is support-ed, the device incorporates an internalanalog -to -digital converter to deliverthe video to the PC. This often addsan external video capture function byproviding either composite or S -videoinputs so that a user can acquire videofrom other devices. Some of the USBunits are extremely small, about the

FRAME GRAB A look at tomorrow's technology

Some retailers provide inaccurate DTV info to consumersThirty-six percent of retailers still sell analogTVs.

Inaccurate informationon converter boxes

Inaccurate informationon coupons

Inaccurate informationon transition date

Tried to upsell

Stores with analogTVs on shevles

Mislabled or hard toread tags on TVs

0 20 40 60

Percent

Source: U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG)

80 100

www.uspirg.org

The small size of USB DTV convertersenables them to be extremely portable.

size of a USB thumb drive. This por-tability can make the device a simplelaptop accessory. At the same time, al-though USB hardware installation isvery simple and straightforward, thesmallest units can get extremely hotin operation due to the heat dissipa-tion of the required chips.

About silicon tunersAdvances in the silicon fabrication

process have now made it possible toput all of the functions of a tuner intoan integrated circuit or chip. Thesesilicon tuners can actually replacemany of the large tuning componentsconventionally used in a receiver, suchas coils, mechanical tuning capacitorsand shielding cans. The motivationfor using these parts is lowered partscosts and a smaller size. Manufactur-ing costs are lower, too, as there is noneed for manual adjustments on theassembly line.

The downside, however, is thatsome silicon tuners have reducedsensitivity and selectivity comparedwith the larger mechanical alterna-tive. Some manufacturers have evenproposed a zero -IF design, where theRF carrier frequency is directly down -converted to baseband without anyintermediate stage. With the reality ofstrong adjacent -channel interference

22 broadcastengineering.com I May 2008 -

When you need scalable capacity,ham and processing power

Grow your way to an optimized file -based workflow, wi:h a storage system that letsyou add both capacity and bandwidth. MediaGrid combi -les the bandwidth you needfor collaborative editing with the resiliency you need fo- transmission operations.It even lets you transcode between production and delivery formats within the storagesystem. Whatever your workflow, isn't it time for your storage to play an active role?Omneon MediaGrid - active storage for digital content.

For details, go to www.omneon.com/MediaGridPerformsor call us at 1-866-861-5690

©2008 Omneon. Inc. All rights reserved. MediaGnd, Omneon and the Omneon logo are trademarks of Omneon.Active Storage for Digital Content-


in the DTV service, such a designwould be of very poor performance,as adequate channel isolation can onlybe accomplished with an IF filter.

While features are varied,performance can be, too

Many units provide some kind ofEPG, and some provide an interfaceto a Web -supported application for re -

V- Adapter

L

trieving program information. How-ever, because patents protect certainkey EPG functions, the utility of thisfeature will depend on the manufac-turer's licensing arrangements. Thismay be one reason why a combinedinterface for analog and DTV channelshas yet to be seen on any unit. EPGswill show DTV stations or analog sta-tions (when supported) but not both

TunerVSB

demod

PC

USB or PCIinterface

DriverSoftwaredecoder

Storage

Graphicsboard

Soundboard

Figure 1. PC DTV adapters rely on the PC for many functions.

Transportstream

Display

Speakers

simultaneously. Also, a surf functioncan be blind, with no indication of thestored channels or with an on -screenlisting of available channels.

With PCs having ever-expandingamounts of disk memory, a DVRfunction is almost a no-brainer withPC DTV adapters. Many of the unitsallow the user to pause and recordlive analog TV, DTV and HDTV, aswell as burn HDTV to DVDs andCDs. Recording can be programmedfrom the EPG or by using a separatescheduling applet. One unit even hasa journaling function that generatesHTML pages from video capturesand closed captions.

Video scaling functions can be var-ied, as well - but not always withgood results. Some units improperlyresize the video, such as when 4:3 vid-eo is displayed in full -screen mode.When supplied, the NTSC tunerssometimes use a separate antennainput, making it a nuisance to watchboth analog and digital programs.Accessories vary as well. Certain unitsinclude a remote control, requiring abuilt-in IR receiver in the device. Forease of setup, some units are bundledwith a small flat antenna - certainlyof marginal use with weak signals.One even comes with a popularindoor UHF log -periodic dipole

Curious? See you at infocomm 2008, Booth C4281RIIIRIEDEL

The Communications People

WORLD -CLASS DIGITAL INTERCOM SO TION

Riedel Communications Inc. 2521 North Ontario Street Burbank, CA 91504 USA www.riedel.net

24 - broadcastengineering.com I May 2008

TEcHIVOLOGY

Reliable, Cost Effective and Easy to UseSD, HD and Streaming Fully Automated Playout Solutions

It's All in a PlayBox ...

111111 1111111111111111

1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111P11

New media opportunities call for new technologies.PlayBox develop technologies for mission critical broadcast applications for many years.

Automation Subtitling DVB Streaming Traffic

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

PlayBox UKPlayBox BulgariaPlayBox RomaniaPlayBox TurkeyPlayBox Adria

+ 44 1707 66 44 44+ 359 2 9703050+ 4 021 3170778

+ 90 53 2505 6464+ 381 11 3117286

PlayBox Asia Sales + 86 13911397291PlayBox Pacific + 61 420 985 491PlayBox Latin America Sales + 54 911 6092 9552PlayBox USA +1 404 424 9283

Broadcast fisia20118The 13th International 09.1 Multimedia & Entertainment Technology

Exhibition & Conference

See PlayBox on Booth

7L4-05

NOWAUTHORIZED

DIALER a LIEW-1-.E.T.

BASEBAND TEST SIGNAL GENERATORS,

ANALYZERS, MONITORS

Generate, Analyze, Measureand Monitor HD/SD SDI andcomposite video signals

Waveform, Vector, Audio, andPicture can be simultaneouslymonitored and measured

Hand-held, Bench -Top andRack -Mount Instruments

PC -based analysis anddisplay software

Ideal for studios, mastercontrol rooms, Head -ends,and remote troubleshooting

iniminisowWWW.SENCORECONI

sarvczc:x=inINNOVATIVE BROADCAST SOLUTIONS

SINCE 1951

1-800-SENCORE

IIANILET QUALITY AND

MONITORING SOFTWARE

ReelCheck

Comprehensive real-timequality monitoring tools

Ideal for ConformanceChecking

Waveform Monitoring

Highlighted Color GamutError Checking

Vectorscope Alarm Triggers and Logging

Call for your specific applicationor stop by Sencore booths at NAB

(N1122 or SU12108)and discuss your needs.

1.800.736.2673


antenna. Most units also include asignal strength indicator, either onthe channel information display or bymeans of a separate applet.

One interesting feature offered onsome units is a simultaneous main- andsubchannel display. Because decodingthe full 19.4Mb/s bit rate must be sup-ported for HD service, decoding sev-eral smaller SD services simultaneously

Because theMPEG decoding isdone in software,

performancecan vary widely

as a functionof the speed ofthe PC's CPU.

results in roughly the same CPU work-load as decoding one HD service. Thismakes possible a multiview video dis-play that shows multiple subchannels atonce or as picture -in -picture (PIP).

Beware of the infamousblue screen

All of these units require some typeof software installation on the PC, froma few simple drivers to a full-blowngraphics application. Installation varieswidely. Certain units can be setup in afew minutes, while others can be prob-lematic, especially when there are con-flicts with other devices. Once installed,some units can provide a trouble -freetelevision viewing experience - butdon't expect to get television -receiver -like stability on every unit.

Because the MPEG decoding isdone in software, performance canfluctuate widely as a function of thespeed of the PC's CPU. This is par-ticularly critical when decoding anddisplaying HD video, as the processormust take care of the labor-intensivedecompression as well as generating(rendering) and transferring the vid-eo to the graphics card. This can leadto choppy decoding with droppedframes, especially when the PC is car-

rying out other tasks. This is not in-consequential, as there are often manyprocesses running in the background,of which the user is unaware.

With features driven by the PC'soperating system, certain situationscan cause the PC to become unstableor even crash (i.e. the blue screenof death). This is especially true forthe USB devices, where the interac-tion between hardware and softwareis particularly complex. Unpluggingthe USB device while in use will oftengenerate a fault. Lip sync can be lostwhen switching video display modes.Stopping the software application willsometimes disable the device, requir-ing it to be removed and re -plugged in.Also, starting the application after PChibernation while the unit is still con-nected can cause problems.

Some general conclusionsThe various units represent differ-

ent efforts by each of the companiesto capture the PC DTV market. Whilesome units worked well, others hadmajor glitches, preventing their prac-tical use as day-to-day TV viewers.Some units have the advantage of be-ing pocket -sized and inexpensive ($50,with rebate) and are extremely easy touse. These units could potentially seeapplication with laptops on the road.

And while certain units rely on athird -party EPG, many of these couldhave integrated the functions in abetter way. Others, however, lack auseful program guide and have poorfront-end performance, limiting theirapplication as a full-time televisionsource. So it's still a mixed bag, per-haps an indication of the novelty ofthe application.

As with most software and hard-ware, expect multiple generations toimprove performance - and don'tforget that mobile DTV businessesare now under development, and thatcould change the landscape as well. BE

Aldo Cugnini is a consultant in the digitaltelevision industry.

111

Send questions and comments to:[email protected]


111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

11111111111111111111111(111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

11111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Utah Scientific400 Series

11111111111 III 111111III 1111111111I111111I111IIIIII1111111111111

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

1111111

unnuw1111u1111111'11111"'minnuuuunuuununlwow-

oil'iiiI111111uu1u11111111111111111111111

141111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIWM111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

The UTAH-400 Router Gives You The Power

The Best In The Business

When you get your hands on a UTAH -400, you've got allthe routingpower you'll ever need.The Utah Scientific family ofrouters is so powerfd, with so nmny frame choices, you can build the perfect-sized system for your application and budget.Power at hand for as many signals as you want, in whatever formats you throw at it, up to and including

3-Gb data rates, and internal conversion on inputs and outputs as needed.Yet the real power is in the reliability.With multip:e redundancy options, round-the-clock support, and thebest warranty in the business,you can't get a more solid system.On the other hand, it's also flexible, expandable, and affordablk. Contact us today and we'll spec a UTAH -400

that's just right for you.

Note: while the UTAH -400 offersmere power to broadcasters, as an Extra bonus, it artual4P

ccnsumes 25% less energy than similar systems,providing cooler, cleaner, and less -expensive operation.

www.utahscientific.com

L1 -Utah Scientific

COMPUTERS & NETWORKSDIGITAL HANDBOOK

Network connectionsHaving issues? Nip your Internetconnectivity problem in the bud.

Nothing is more frustratingthan trying to get a balkynetwork connection upand running. Everything

looks fine, you see a link light, and thecomputer acts as if it is connected tothe network. However, you are unableto access servers on the network orconnect to the Internet. In some cases,you can see local servers, but you can-not access the Web. If using a wirelessconnection, you may be unable to ac-cess the Internet, even though thingsworked just a few minutes ago. What'sgoing on? Why is Internet connectiv-ity so hard sometimes?

Ethernet technology is prettystraightforward. By now, most peo-ple know how to get a connection towork. But sometimes establishing aconnection can be devilishly tricky,and there are several things that haveto work correctly to establish connec-tivity to the Internet. This month's ar-ticle will help you troubleshoot someof the most common connectivityproblems.

Basic issuesYour first step is to see whether

there is a link light illuminated nextto the Ethernet connector. If there isa light, it means that the base physicaland electrical connections are com-pleted between your computer andthe switch it is connected to. You canverify that a connection exists usingeither the ipconfig command onWindows machines, or i f c onfig onMac and UNIX systems. As Figure 1shows, my computer is not physicallyconnected to a network, as signifiedby the words "Media disconnected."

As soon as a connection is made, as-suming your computer does not have a

permanently assigned IP address, it re-quests an IP address from a Dynamic

BY BRAD GILMFR

Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)server. In most networks, the DHCPserver is part of the network routingtechnology (probably residing in yournetwork switch). If everything is func-

point: The number of IP addressesin the DHCP pool is limited. If all ofthe DHCP addresses have been leasedout, when your computer contacts theDHCP server, it will not be able to get

C:\>ipconflg

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:Media State : Media disconnected

C:\>

Figure 1. i pconfig shows that this computer is not physically connected to anycomputer network.

tioning normally, within a few sec-onds, the computer will receive an IPaddress lease from the DHCP server.DHCP servers are configured to pro-vide IP addresses from a predefinedaddress pool. The server leases IP ad -

an IP address. In this case, it can't talkto other computers on the network.As Figure 3 shows, if this happens, theoutput of an ipconfig commandwill show that an IP address has notbeen obtained from the DHCP server.

C: \>ipconfig/all

SNIPLease Obtained : Tuesday, March 08,

2008 11:19:32 AMLease Expires : Wednesday, March

09, 2008 1:19:32 AMSNIP

C:\>

Figure 2.The ipconfig/all commandincluding information about your DHCP

dresses to clients on the network for aperiod of time. As Figure 2 shows, youcan see the lease statistics by enteringipconfig/all.

Before the lease expires, the clientautomatically renews the lease to keepthe IP address. Remember this key

displays network connection information,IP address lease.

If all DHCP IP addresses are leasedout, you will never receive an IPaddress.

If all goes well, after a few seconds,the computer will receive an IP ad-dress from the DHCP server. At thispoint, an ipconfig command will

C:\>ipconfig

IP Address : 0.0.0.0Subnet Mask 0.0.0.0Default Gateway

C : \ >

Figure 3. ipconfig shows that media has been connected, but the computer hasnot been assigned an IP address by the DHCP server.


DVI over Gigabit Etherneta for Editing Environments

1010

The Avocent Emerge R ECMS4000 ExtenderThe Avocent Emerge ECMS4000 extender provide: real-time extension ofdual head DVI over Ethernet using a single CAT 5 cable. The ECMS4000delivers uncompromised digital workstation extensicn across unlimiteddistances and supports keyboard, mouse, mass sto-age, and CD quality audioover the same IP connection.

Try the Emerge ECMS4000 Extender for 30 -dais:Call Avocent a-. 800-275-3500 or 954-746-9C00, x. 7110.Visit www.avoceit.com/broadcast for details.

Dual DisplayComputer Extens on

/ECMS4000

Receiver

ValPafflilmr) " anin...

ECMS4000 Extender

ECMS4000Transmitter

Gigabit

Speakers USB Keyboard, Mouse, and CD Drive

T> Tech DataThe Difference in Distribution

For Tech Data salescall 800-237-8931.

g

Back RackedWorkstation

diummo.

Av ocent

Avocent, the Avocent logo and Emerge are registered trademarks of Avocent Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and othercountries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. © 2008 Avocent Corporation.


show the IP address assigned to yourmachine along with the default gate-way. (See Figure 4.) The default gate-way is the path from your computer tothe Internet and to other networks.

Default gatewaysYour computer has an IP address,

and it knows how to get from the lo-cal network to the Internet via the de-

set equipment up so that it does notreply to ping commands. If bothping and tracert are unable tocommunicate with the default gate-way, you may be able to communicatewith computers on the local network,but you will not be able to access any-thing beyond this. At this point, it isprobably time to ask the network sys-tem administrator for help. If you are

C:\>ipconfig

IP Address 192.168.0.4Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.0Default Gateway : 192.168.0.1

C: \ >

Figure 4. The computer has now been assigned an IP address 1192.168.0.41 fromthe DHCP pool. It has also learned from the DHCP server that the default gatewayaddress is 192.168.0.1.

fault gateway. But let's say you fire upa Web browser and still can't connectto the Internet. What's the next step?

Check to see if you can get to thedefault gateway. To do this, you canuse either the ping or tracertcommand (traceroute on Macand UNIX systems). If all is working

the system administrator, break out apacket sniffer. Packet sniffers capturetraffic on the network and help usersidentify problems.

Recently, I had a situation similarto this. Most of the time clients wereworking normally. But not infre-quently, sometimes, computers were

C:\>ping 192.168.0.1Pinging 192.168.0.1 with 32 bytes of data:Reply from 192.168.0.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=64

SNIPC:\>

Figure 5. The ping command shows that we can successfully reach the defaultgateway.

normally, a ping command shouldyield the output shown in Figure 5.

If you are unable to ping the de-fault gateway, try the tracert com-mand. Some system administrators

unable to get a DHCP IP address, orif they were, they were then unable toaccess the Internet. Figure 6 shows apartial capture from Ethereal, a freepacket sniffing program. Something

called "AsustekC" was sending outbroadcast packets every 250ms to allthe computers on the network. (Thedestination is listed as Broadcast,causing every computer on the net-work to try to read the packets.) Thisconstant dribble of traffic interferedwith normal communications on thenetwork. When traffic became tooheavy, computers couldn't communi-cate with DHCP servers and the gate-way, making it appear that the net-work was unavailable. In the end, theculprit was a bad network interfacecard in a music library computer.

DNS checkAssuming that you are able to

ping the default gateway, but stillunable to see a Web site on the Inter-net, the next step is to check whetherDomain Name System (DNS) is avail-able. DNS translates the domain nameyou type in to the actual IP addressof the system you are trying to reach.Let us assume that you are trying toreach www.cisco.com. You open a Webbrowser and type in www.cisco.com.The first thing the computer does isask a DNS server on the network togive you an IP address for www.cisco.corn. This is the IP address your com-puter will use to reach the Cisco Website. However, if the DNS server onyour network is down, the computerwill not be able to resolve the CiscoURL, and you won't be able to con-nect to the Web site.

You can see DNS at work by us-ing the nslookup command. Enternslookup www.cisco.com.Onmy computer, www.cisco.com resolvesto 198.133.219.25. Because your Web

No. Time Source Destination Protocol Info1 0.000000 AsustekC Oe:dd:fl Broadcast Ox88ad Ethernet II

No. Time Source Destination Protocol Info2 0.420294 AsustekCOe:dd:f1 Broadcast Ox88ad Ethernet II

No. Time Source Destination Protocol Info3 0.528029 XimetaTe03:29:2e Broadcast Ox88ad Ethernet II

Figure 6. The output of an Ethereal capture shows a broadcast storm created by a bad network interface card in a musiclibrary computer.


Time is ticking on thetransition to HD

Now you can handle 5.1 Audiosources with ease

tt:W461A.74iV.16-14,%4A6WIE

Ifismaraitan

If you're planning for Multicast 5.1 and stereobroadcast, and need SDI and Dolby® E audiodistribution, investing in a Studer Vista DigitalAudio Console means you'll be ready for HDTVnow. With the acclaimed Vistonics user interfacemaking operation simple and fast, Vista consolesrepresent the fastest route to the future.

NEW Dedicated 5.1 Inputchannels with processing

www.studench/HD

F.N.SAWKIALVVILIILA

taL41.4:4-4:4A4t.t.4L4L4.4.4.41.4.4).4.414

====111111111111111==IMIEBEEM1111111111111111111111111

STLICIEIR V I ST

DIGITAL MIXING SYSTEMS

STUDERprofessional audio equipment


browser finds Web sites by using IPaddresses, this domain name resolu-tion is performed automatically everytime you enter a domain name in theWeb browser.

Once you have the IP address of thesite you are trying to access, enter thisIP address directly in the Web browser.If you can see the Cisco home page,your Internet connection is workingperfectly. The problem is not the In-ternet connection; it is the DNS. (Ofcourse, if DNS is the problem, n s -lookup will not work.) Because DNSis such a critical function, many peopleoperate multiple servers. Unfortunate-ly, DNS servers go down more oftenthan you might think. In many cases,DNS is provided by the Internet serviceprovider (ISP). If the ISP's DNS serv-ers go down, then it will look as if youare unable to connect to the Internet,even though everything except DNS isworking fine. If you operate a personal

DNS, be sure to provide a backup DNSserver because without it, your clientswill not work correctly.

Wireless connectivityIf you are having problems with

wireless connectivity, be aware thataccess points, the pieces of equipmentthat are sources of wireless connectiv-ity, can become overloaded with asso-ciation requests. This problem is creat-ed when many people try to connect toan access point simultaneously. (Thinkabout conventions or hotel lobbies,where many people try to connect atthe same time.) Unfortunately, thereis no quick fix to this problem. If thishappens frequently and you own theaccess point, you can install multipleaccess points to improve the situation.

Closing thoughtAs Internet security has become

more of an issue, many network ad-

ministrators are restricting access totheir networks. If you cannot obtain anetwork connection, it may be that anetwork administrator has restrictedconnectivity on the network. If youare trying to connect to a foreign net-work, check with someone who is fa-miliar with the facility to be sure thatconnections to visiting equipment arepermitted.

Brad Gilmer is president of Gilmer &Associates, executive director of theVideo Services Forum and executivedirector of the Advanced Media WorkflowAssociation.

BE


THE BROADCASTENGINEERMGUMCome join the discussion on

the latest industry topics withother broadcast professionals

and enthusiasts.

http:I/community.broadcastengineering.com/forums/

TOUCH -IT DIGITAL

INVENT. LEAD. EVOLVE.

(20 K /-//),

BroalostfimieL:

NAB Show 2008 Award

The Touch -It Digital

HD/SD-SDI

-3 Up to 16 inputs

4 Multi -view with channel ID

-3 Ethernet/RS-232 remote

4 VGA and SDI outputs

4 Touch screen control

The Ultimate MonitoringSolution for Space CriicalEnvironments.

USA +1 888 5 WOHLER (Toll Freel +1 510 870 0810 UNITED KINGDOM +44 (011234 320006 HONG KONG +852 2851 8325 saleawohlercom www.wohlereom

32 broadcastengineering.com May 2008

You want it all?

No problem.Meet the FS1 a 1 RU Universal HD/SD Audio/Video Frame Synchronizer and Converter.

It's a multiformat world, and the new FS1 brings it all together...at a breakthrough price.

Turn SD into HD, HD into SD, or HD 1080 into 720 (and vice versa), with FS1's hardware -based10 -bit up/down/cross-conversion.

Embed and disembed audio.

Mate analog and digital. Video. Audio. HD captioning. Whatever.

FS1 not only interfaces to all of your equipment, but also with your facility via its LAN -basedweb -server and SNMP monitoring. Push a button, or talk to it from across the web.

Put FS1 in the middle of your facility, and see how it makes nice with your gear, yourmultiformat needs, your engineers...and your budget.

I

-1!40 "its',NO!

mac. Awse ^AIA F11 Pot, ,111*

4ft.s, so, so, . So

NtAKZ.,(!,21gp,T .11T

AS,

FS1 rear panel

Check out our website, or give us a call to find an Authorized AJA Converter Dealer near you.

www.aja.com800.251.4224 44^,11"4.

VIDEO SYSTEMS

PRODUCTION CLIPSDIGITAL HANDBOOK

Speakers andaudio monitors

Proper placement and adjustment are the key toaccurate sound reproduction.

Amonitoring system shouldreproduce sound withoutadding or taking anythingaway from the original

input signal. The human hearing fea-tures a phenomenon called auditorymasking, and modern recording sys-tems have a flat electronic frequencyresponse. To accurately monitor whatis recorded, mixed -down or broad-casted, the monitoring system mustalso have a flat response at the listen-ing position.

However, monitors are built in an -echoic conditions, and their responsechanges when placed into a listeningroom because of room boundaryloading, reflections, reverberationtime characteristics, etc. Precise ad-justment of the monitor's responseis needed for optimal loudspeaker -room interaction and flat frequencyresponse at the listening position.

Common mistakesMost audible problems occur be-

cause of the effects of the room acous-tics. Many control rooms use a com-bination of loudspeakers, subwooferand bass management to reproducesix or more discrete channels. Becauseall loudspeakers and subwoofers areomnidirectional at low frequencies(below 200Hz), cancellation effects,room standing waves and the proxim-ity of boundaries will affect the loud-speakers/subwoofer performance.

When a loudspeaker with flat an -echoic (4n) response is placed againstone solid boundary (large comparedwith the wavelength), the radiationspace becomes 2n, and the theoreticalamplitude gain is 6dB for frequenciesbelow a few hundred hertz. This ap-

BY CHRISTOPHF ANFT

plies to flush -mounted loudspeakersor loudspeakers placed with their backagainst a solid, hard wall. In all cases,this amplitude change has to be com-pensated to retrieve a flat and neutralfrequency balance. (See Figure 1.)

LS

woofer to radiate energy away frompressure minima and maxima.

The wall behind the loudspeakercancellation is another interferencegenerated by the single reflection froma hard wall behind the loudspeaker.

Figure 1. ITU-R BS.775-1 speaker placement with each main speaker placed againsta wall (hemispherical loading)

Typical subwoofer location is onthe floor and against a wall. These twolarge boundaries (radiation space 7t)cause a +12dB amplitude gain com-pared with free field. This gain is ben-eficial, as it provides additional head-room and less distortion. If a sub -woofer is placed in a room corner, theradiation space is further halved, andthe amplitude gain becomes +18dB.Adjustments of such a system canbecome difficult due to strong modesexcitation from the room corners.Placing the subwoofer slightly offsetfrom the central axis of the room isoften beneficial as it allows the sub-

When two identical signals are in anti -

phase, they cancel each other. If theloudspeaker is a quarter wavelengthaway from a reflective wall, the reflect-ed wave comes back to the loudspeakerwith half a cycle phase difference andthus cancels the original signal at thatfrequency. The importance of the can-cellation depends on the distance andthe reflection coefficient of the wall,but it is usually well audible.

Proper placementWhen cancellation occurs in a mon-

itoring system using an 85Hz crossoverbetween loudspeakers and subwoofer,


The World's Smallest HD Video Camera

Multi -Format

0 720p @ 24, 25,30, 50, and 60 Hz 0 3-1/3" Progressive Square Pixel CCDs

0 1080i @ 50 & 60 Hz 0 Dual Link Hd-SDI, DVI-D, and Analog Outputs

0 1080p @ 24, 25, 30, 50, and 60 Hz 0 14 -Bit Quantization

Iconix Video, Inc 800.783.1080 iconixvideo.com

PRODUCTION CLIPSDIGITAL HANDBOOK

there is a set of practical placementsolutions. (See Figure 2 on page 36.)First, the distance between the radi-ating subwoofer driver and the wallproviding part of the low frequencyloading must not exceed a conserva-tive 60cm. If the subwoofer (driver)is placed further, cancellation andcomb filtering will start to occur be-low 85Hz, degrading the subwooferresponse. Satellite loudspeakers high -

enough so the rear radiation cannotcause a severe cancellation.) Move the loudspeaker away fromthe wall up to l.lm, causing thecancellation frequency to go be-low the 85Hz cutoff of each satel-lite loudspeaker. From l.lm to 2m,loudspeakers may be placed withoutserious cancellation compromises.Distances to other room boundariesbecome smaller, and reflections from

Figure 2. ITU-R BS.775-1 speaker placement with each main speaker placed at least1.1m from the wall behind

passed at 85Hz do not have to repro-duce very low frequencies, so theymay be placed at a distance where lowfrequency notches do not occur intheir passband. Here are three practi-cal placement alternatives:

Loudspeakers can be flush mountedin a hard wall (or infinite baffle), elim-inating rear wall reflection. With two-way loudspeakers, this option is rarelyimplemented but is almost inevitablewith large fullband monitors.

Place the loudspeaker very close tothe wall, increasing the cancellationfrequency. (With very small loud-speakers, which are inherently less di-rectional in mid frequencies, the dipjust moves to the low midband andmight cause even worse coloration.)In most cases, distances between 0cmand 20cm between the front radiat-ing driver and the wall behind canbe considered as safe. (The directiv-ity of the loudspeaker should be high

these other surfaces might start todominate the response. Despite accu-rate subwoofer phase control adjust-ments, avoid placing satellite loud-speakers further than 2m away fromthe subwoofer. The tonal balance be-tween the loudspeakers and the sub -woofer may differ considerably due toexcitation of different room modes bythe sources.

The acoustical adjustment of theinteraction between loudspeakersand room is important before do-ing any kind of level calibration. Thefrequency response of the completemonitoring system should be consis-tent across the entire spectrum with-out cancellation dips.

Room acousticsIdeally the control room environ-

ment should be symmetrical, andthe listening path should be clear ofany equipment that might cause in-

terfering reflections. Interference offirst (or higher) order reflections af-fects a loudspeaker's response at thelistening position. For the human ear,imaging is lost as soon as the delayedsignal arrives in a suitable time win-dow and from an acceptable directionin relation to the direct sound (Haasand precedence effects).

High amplitude, early reflectionscan smear the coherence of the spatialinformation and compromise soundsource localization. To avoid this, allreflecting surfaces (racks, computertables, etc.) placed between the loud-speakers and the listening positionshould be removed, or at least mini-mized. All tables and outboard racksplaced close to the listening area shouldbe lower than the typical mixing con-sole height. With DAWs, the insertionof large screens into the work surfacewill significantly reduce first order re-flections from the center loudspeaker.Perforated tabletops can also furtherreduce such reflections. However smallthe remaining surfaces may be, reflec-tions in the time domain should beidentical from both the left and righthalf of the room. Furniture could bedesigned so that there are no additionalsurfaces beyond the job needs.

For the placement of the listen-ing position in the room, researchindicates that the reference point belocated in the front half of the roomso that the engineer benefits fromthe best direct -to -reverberant soundratio. In the presence of rear loud-speakers, the acoustic design of thefront half of the room becomes morecomplicated. If the room has hardand reflective front wall surfaces, di-rect sound from the rear left loud-speaker will bounce on the front rightloudspeaker and nearby boundaries.This situation should be avoided, asthese strong first reflections will alterthe front loudspeaker's direct sound.This calls for some planning in roomgeometry and adequate location ofabsorptive surfaces in the mid- andhigh -frequency band. BE

Christophe Anet is a technical editor forGenelec.


MI II III II U. U.

Broadcast Automation with a Human Touch.

avFull VersionFor FREE .4.)

MediaNav is an easy -to -use yet sophisticated imnagement tool for

your Omneon video server. MediaNav allows you to browse the

contents of the server for clips and view key statistics of the server.

You can search,sort. rename, delete. and copy dips from one folder

to another or even to another Omneon server MediaNav has thecritical server management functions you use most often and was

carefully designed to fit the workflow needs ci the broadcaster.

It's true. We've decided to put Crispin MediaManagement Software in your hands. FREE.Sign-up now and get in line to receive Crispin's NEW MediaNav - a powerful softwaremodule valued at over $2000 that provides professional control to manage your OmneonVideo Server. It's our way to show you how our products will organically fit into yourworkflow. Log into our website today and sign up - and we'll send you the module on launch.

www.crispincorp.com

NEVIISE1111111.

ovvs _navy s asWhat better way tospotlight the historyof the news businessand demonstrate how

content is developed than by employ-ing the very tools and systems used by

stations around the world today? Thisis precisely what Newseum is -a mul-timillion -dollar facility that offers visi-tors a unique multimedia experience.The building spotlights five centuriesof news history, while employing the

latest news production technology. Amajor bonus is that the new buildingoccupies the last prime real estate lefton historic Pennsylvania Avenue (be-tween the White House and U.S. Capi-tol building), in Washington, D.C.


SYSTEM DESIGNSHOWCASE

NM appensWhen designing and building the

facility, the Freedom Forum's chal-lenge was developing the museum'snew home with innovative technol-ogy that combines a file -based HDproduction environment with inter-

active kiosks, multiple galleries anddigital theaters.

The Newseum opened on April11, with numerous interactive exhib-its, live news feeds coming in dailyfrom around the world, and a corn -

The Newseum's master control.room featuresa glass wall that allows visitors to watch theoperators in action. Zisitors can also watchthe new, being madrfrom large LED screenslocated ii the atrium of this innovative facility.

BY MICHAEL GROTTICELLI

plete multiformat HD production,archiving and asset management in-frastructure. More than three yearsin the making, the new Newseum ismuch larger than it was in its pre-vious location, which was situated

May 2008 1 broadcastengineering.com 39

SYSTEM DESIGNSHOWCASE

outside of the city in Arlington, VA.It's estimated that millions of peoplewill visit the museum each year. Theground floor of the building includeswell-known restaurants and retailshopping, which should help attractcrowds.

This is no mere museum with tra-ditional A/V display systems. Thebuilding also functions as two fully

create a seamless image. The projec-tion equipment is controlled by aMedialon show control system.

Inside the new building are the lat-est HD production facilities, includ-ing two control rooms, five edit suitesand a multiformat HD news produc-tion infrastructure. The backbone ofthe infrastructure includes an SD/HDThomson Grass Valley K2 media serv-

er -based storage area network (SAN),with 14 HD inputs, 20 HD outputs,nine SD inputs and 14 SD outputs.The system also include a Trinix HDvideo router (256 x 256) and twoApex digital audio routers (256 x 256each). Encore control software keepseverything in check.

Special software was designed tocontrol the networked K2 servers for

The Big Screen Theater features a 10ft x 90ft screen displaying images from five blended Christie DW3K 720p HD projectors.

working HD production studios,including serving as the new homeof ABC's "This Week with GeorgeStephanopoulos." It will also houseother TV programs and various na-tionally syndicated radio shows.

HD news production andhistorical exhibits

There are seven floors that houseHD production areas, museum gal-leries and 15 theaters. One of the the-aters, called the Big Screen Theater,features a 90ft-wide screen with im-ages projected by five Christie DigitalDW3K 720p HD projectors. A VistaSystems Spyder video processing en-gine is used to blend the edges and

The Newseum atrium includes a 22ft x 40ft Barco high -resolution modulardisplay. It can be raised and lowered 30ft to accommodate various events.

LED


The Newseum has two identical HD control rooms with threelarge consoles for managing productions in the facility's twostudios.

content playout in the building's manypresentation theaters.

"This Week's" new homeThe two identical control rooms in-

clude a Thomson Grass Valley KalypsoHD 4 M/E production switcher andan Evertz MVP multi -image displayprocessor. Completely redundant,the rooms can be digitally linked to-gether for larger HD productions, butwill usually operate independently.The large K2 SAN supports not onlythe broadcast control rooms but also

The large studio features Thomson Grass Valley LDK 6000 HDcameras, audience seating and a glass wall that allows visitorsto watch productions from the adjacent walkway.

other museum galleries and exhibitsthroughout the building. There aretwo audio control rooms with Eupho-nix digital audio consoles, in additionto five Avid HD edit rooms (withAdrenaline and DS Nitris systems).The fifth suite doubles as an audiosweetening room with a DigidesignPro Tools digital audio workstation.

For producing television shows,the Newseum's two studios - oneof which will host the program "ThisWeek" - feature at least four Thom-son Grass Valley LDK 6000 mk II HD

The audio control rooms feature Euphonix Max Air digital audio consoles. Eachconsole has a compact control surface with four knobs per channel and a centraltouch -screen interface.

cameras each. "This Week" will beproduced in the 720p HD format forABC. The same equipment can alsoproduce shows for other clients in the1080i HD format.

The master control room includes aglass wall where museum visitors canwatch as a show is in progress. Theycan also watch the program on a large22ft x 40ft Barco LED screen locatedin an atrium at the entrance of thebuilding.. When not producing a liveshow, one of the Kalypso switcherswill run a preprogrammed loopedsegment to simulate its operation.

A long roadIn 2006, systems integrator Com-

munications Engineering, Inc. (CEI)was called in to design and imple-ment the IT- and video -centric net-work (with GigE and baseband HD -SDI) and equipment for the newproduction and museum space. RaefAllthayat, director of engineering atCEI and project supervisor, said theextensive build project was dividedinto two basic systems: broadcast andtraditional A/V. Both had specific re-quirements, with its own message andpurpose. CEI worked closely with theFreedom Forum on the design, andthen set out to locate and install themost flexible equipment available. It

May 2008 I broadcastengineering.com 41

iN4\DIGITAL MEDIA GATEWAY

D11110 4110

High Density Gateway/Multiplexer

Cost Effective Broadcast,Cable, and Telcoturn -around

A GREAT way to add andremove programs to yourTransport Stream

Remotely controlled viaWeb Interface

WWW.SENCORE.COM

SIIMENIC=WREEINNOVATIVE BROADCAST SOLUTIONS

SINCE 1951

1-800-SENCORE

°\$MODULAR MULTIPLEXERS

D1140 3100 / Z100

Wide range of input andoutput modules

ASI, QPSK, and IP inputs

ASI and/or IP outputs Descrambling/ Scrambling/

Multiplexing Capabilities Head -End in -a -box

Architecture Web -based management

control interface



1.800.736.2673

Desi n teamThe Freedom Forum/Newseum

James Updike, vice president of technologyGeorge O'Connor, director of engineeringMichael Saunders, project managerFrank Ginsburg, broadcast engineer

Communications Engineering, Inc.Raef Alkhayat, director of engineeringDon Brassell, senior manager of systems support engineeringRuber Huertas, senior systems engineer

ElectrosonicDan Laspa, project manager

Technolo at workArtesia DAMAvid HD Adrenaline and DS Nitris editorsBarco

OverView displays22ft x 40ft LED screen

Canon HJ17EX7.7B HD lensesChristie Digital DW3K 720p HD projectorsChyron HyperX HD CGCisco Ethernet switchesDigidesign Pro Tools audio workstation

video playersEuphonix Max Air audio consolesEvertz MVP display processorsForecast ConsolesFront Porch Digital DIVArchive content storage managementIkegami HDL-40 HD camerasMedialon SCM IISamsung 940T and 244T LCD monitors with ELO TouchSnell & Wilcox Ukon standards converterSony

CRT and LCD monitorsDigital Betacam VTRsHDCAM VTRs

StorageTek SL500 systemTektronix WFM audio monitorsTelemetrics robotic systemTelestream FlipFactory transcode-Thomson Grass Valley

Apex digital audio routersEncore control softwareKalypso HD switchersK2 media servers

LDK 6000 mk II HD camerasTrinix HD video routerTurbo disk recorders

Vista Systems Spyder video processing systemWohler

AMP2-S8DA and AMP1-S8DA audio monitorsMON2-3W/HR and MON1-T/7W-HR video monitors


all had to be HD -capable in order toaccommodate the widest variety ofpaying clients. CEI also worked withvarious equipment manufacturers todesign - and in some cases invent- suitable solutions.

A significant amount of routing wasnecessary because the new facility, inaddition to the broadcast cameras andvarious CG and still stores, distributesmultiple inbound and outbound sig-nals through Verizon. There are nu-merous Ikegami HDL-40 box -stylecameras located on the building, aswell as on the roof and across the street.These are controlled by a Telemetricsrobotic system. The Trinix router notonly feeds the broadcast control roomsbut also the various monitors, galleriesand theaters throughout the building.Doremi servers are also used to playback video for the various exhibitsthroughout the Newseum.

Networked signaldistribution

The file -based environment servestwo purposes. First, it allows studentsand journalists to research hundredsof hours of low -resolution video andaudio elements, as well as thousandsof still images, of historical signifi-cance. And the archive continues togrow every day. The idea is to handleand save all material as a digital filefor long-term storage.

Second, the architecture allows themuseum's video editors, who work onAdrenaline and DS Nitris systems, to cutin-house projects for the museum andto share files via Thomson Grass ValleyTurbo disk recorders directly connectedto their workstations. Completed filesand other content is then sent to the K2central storage system or to the Stor-ageTek archive system that's managedwith a Front Porch DIVArchive system,all tied to an Artesia asset managementsystem. Telestream FlipFactory is usedfor transcoding files, attached to a SunMicrosystems robotic library, where alllong-term storage is kept.

ConclusionIn the end, the Newseum has become

a showplace for what the news busi-ness is all about. Frank Ginsburg,broadcast engineer at the facility, callsit "one of the most technologicallyadvanced museums ever built."

From CEI's point of view, it's a high-ly advanced broadcast facility project,on top of a compelling museum. Basi-cally, there's something for everyone.

The Newseum uses high-tech equip-ment to convey a unique message. Thedesign is friendly and easy to use forthe average museum visitor, which isgood news for everyone involved. BE

Michael Grotticelli regularly reports onprofessional video and broadcasttechnology industries.

INTRODUCING THE NEW 1200 SERIES

HIGH-PEFORMANCE TRUE -DIVERSITY

BROADCAST WIRELESS MICROPHONES

IN AN ALL NEW FREQUENCY RANGE

Gold Mount'120OURX/A6

IDr "V" Mount120OURX/VM

120OURX-SiSlot -In"

Whether you use a Panasonic' or Ikegami camera with "slot -in"receiver capabilities, or use the Anton -Bauer- Gold Mount®, or a V -Mount battery,there's an Azden 1200 designed specifically for your use.

The all new receivers and transmitters include: New compander circuit for more natural sound

Improved frequency response with lower noise levels

New DTV-compatible (188) frequencies covering 4 UHF TV bands

True diversity system with 2 complete front -ends and high -gain

antennas

Proprietary Diversity Logic Control circuitry for reduced drop -outs

Dielectric filters throughout, for improved image rejection and

superior diversity isolation

High 5th -order filters for improved S/N ratio

Multi -function LCD shows channel, frequency, battery info, AF level,

and diversity operation

Transmitters also feature: New circuitry, powered by only 2 -"AA"

batteries, new plug-in transmitter with 48V phantom power capability

,,jAZDENP.O. Box 10, Franklin Square, NY 11010 (516) 328-7500 FAX: (516) 328-7506

For full specifications e-mail azdenusWazdencorp.com or visit our Web site: www.azdencorp.com

Bodypack transmitter(12006T) with reducedcurrent -drain for improvedbattery life, is availablewith an Azden EX -50311 or

Sony' ECM -44H lavaliermicrophone.

Plug-in XLR

transmitter (1200X1)works withphantom power.


TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS INTEGRATION

Flash RAM storageThe technology is poised to eliminate tape.

Flash RAM storage is invadingHDTV broadcasting. Sony ischallenging Panasonic's P2with its SxS. And tapeless

camcorder pioneer Ikegami reinvent-ed its decade -old nonlinear workflowmodel with the new GFPAK, whileThomson Grass Valley is finally ship-ping its CompactFlash-based Infinity camcorder.SeaChange has introducedthe first major flash RAMvideo server. As a result,flash RAM looks like a win-ning format for the future.

Acquisitionformat wars

Format choices in TVbroadcast field acquisition have tra-ditionally been between Panasonicand Sony. Historically, when discuss-ing professional and broadcast fieldacquisition formats, the focus wasgenerally much more about videocompression formats than about therecording media, because both com-panies were recording to tape cas-

BY TORF B NORDAHL

settes, although not compatible ones.Sony had early successes with Be-

tacam and Digital Betacam, while Pan-asonic came on strong in the late 1990swith DVCPRO and DVCPRO-50,

Sony's new SxS flashRAM cards are available in8GB and 16GB, with 32GBto become available laterin 2008. In its XDCAM EXHD camcorder application,the 16GB offers a capacityof 50 minutes of high -quality HD.

and then DVCPRO-HD in2001. Sony successfully intro-duced DVCAM, SX and IMX in

the mid- to late -1990s, but those for-mats didn't threaten to surpass Pan-asonic for TV station applications. Asrecent as 2003, the industry was stillusing videotape cassettes for field ac-quisition storage.

At the 2004 NAB show, Sony deliv-ered XDCAM SD camcorders record-ing to a new technology: removable

FRAME GRAB A look at the consumer side of DTV

DVR users are aggressively skipping commercialsThis year, 65 percent of users said they skip aIITV commercials.

0,

-'a7)

EE

o

70

60

5052%

12-

a)u,

a)

a)o-

40

30

oCD20

10>-a)- 0

2007

Source: Solutions Research Group

Year

65%

2008

www.srgnet.com

optical disc cartridge. There wasn't atape cassette in sight. Sony was clearlybetting on its emerging optical disctechnology and proprietary Profes-sional Disc (PD) for future camcorderfield acquisition storage. We learnedlater that this was part of the compa-ny's Blu-ray disc development.

In 2004, Panasonic showed its flashRAM card technology named P2,based on the CardBus interface stan-dard developed primarily for laptopcomputers. The company's imple-mentation also used proprietaryhardware and software to support itsneeded functionality, but with one

Panasonic's P2 flashRAM card is now availablein 32GB. It holds roughly 32 minutesof DVCPRO-HD or AVC-I-100Mb/s. InTV ENG applications using an AVC-I50Mb/s-capable HD camcorder, thecapacity is about 60 minutes.

nonproprietary feature - it reliedon a standard PC interface port as thephysical connection.

The posturing of the two giantshad started. Which technology wouldreplace the tape cassette in cam-corder field acquisition in the longerterm: optical disc or flash RAM stor-age? After all, for many years, all pro-fessional camcorder manufacturersused videotape cassettes as a com-mon storage media. It is reasonableto project that our industry will soonadopt one common storage media asthe dominant tape cassette replace-ment, not two.


3 New Protocols, Same Great PlatformThe Optiva° Series Video / Audio / Data Media Transport System

ocm

Dual -Link DVI Supports up to 2048 x 1536 @ 60 Hz

Single -Link & Dual -Link DVI Compatible

Supports Analog VGA & RGB HV

Allows for DVI / VGA Signal Conversion

Balanced & Unbalanced Stereo Audio

Single or Dual Wavelength options

3G HD -SDI Up to 1080p, 3Gb/s HD -SDI

SMPTE 372M, 344M, 292M

Single Fiber or Dual Fiber

Standard Insert Card Form Factor

Dual Imerlaced Outputs (optional)

Local Loopback (optional)

0'oopticomm0,Opticomm, the leader in broadcast optical transport

systems, is now jointly developing with Emcore, new

broadcast and broadband transport products based

on the popular Optiva Platform. More information is

available on our website at

www.emcore.com or you

can visit us at NAB 2008.

Optiva® IPTV NTSC/PAL Autodetect

4 Composite Channels

10/100 Ethernet Uplink

Software Configuration Tools

MPEG2 Compressed Video Stream

Stereo Analog Audio (optional)

1RU Optiva® Rackmount Enclosure

Front Panel Status Indication

Holds up to 4 Optiva Insert Cards

19" Standard Rackmount Form Factor

Supports OptivaView SNMP Network Management

emcore858 450 0143 [email protected] www.emcore.com NASDAQ: ENIKR empower with light'


In 2005, Sony introduced its firstprofessional HD camcorder record-ing to the PD (XDCAM HD mod-els). At the same time, Panasonic un-veiled its first professional HD cam-corder recording to P2 (HVX200).Also in 2005, Thomson Grass Valleyannounced the Infinity camcorderusing the cost-effective consumer

Sony's Professional Disc (PD) is a Blu-ray type optical disc in a cartridge,which first appeared in Sony's XDCAMcamcorders in 2003. The single -layerversion offers 23GB capacity, whilethe recent double -layer version holds50GB. Although well -suited for remove -and -replace HD camcorder acquisitionstorage, the PD, with its proprietarymechanical drive requirements andcomparatively slow write/read bit rates,is receiving increased competition fromflash RAM -fitted camcorders.

market CompactFlash memory card.For nonstorage reasons, the Infinitycameras didn't begin shipping untillate 2007.

Let's not forget that in 1995, Ike-gami was the first major camcordermanufacturer to introduce a non-linear acquisition -to -edit workflow(EditCam), working with Avid, and

Thomson Grass Valley announced itsInfinity HD camcorder in 2005, withflash RAM card technology based onthe widely available and cost-effectiveCompactFlash standard. The Infinitystarted shipping in late 2007.

using a removable hard disk moduleattached to its field cameras. Ikegamihas recently teamed up with Toshibato reinvent the EditCam nonlinearworkflow using removable flash RAMmodules called GFPAK (GigaFlash).

The battle for market share wasn'tjust about compression formats, butmore about acquisition -to -edit por-table storage formats. While manyagreed that the era of videotape cas-settes was quickly diminishing, fewcould decide if the optical disc wouldbeat the flash RAM card as the ulti-mate acquisition -to -edit remove -and -replace storage technology. Thisresulted in two camps of users by 2006- one for the Sony PD optical discand the other for Panasonic's flashRAM card technology supported byThomson Grass Valley and Ikegami.

Behind the PD opticalSince the dawn of camcorders,

Panasonic and Sony have battled forthe lead in the professional videomarket largely based on proprietaryformats and technologies. The mostbasic reason for manufacturers de-veloping proprietary solutions is thatonce the user installs a proprietarycompression and/or storage format,the user is generally locked in to thatdecision for several years because ofthe high -cost threshold of formatchange and re-entry.

Several years ago, if you consideredflash RAM for camcorder remove -

and -replace storage, you may haveexperienced a possible long-termweakening in your proprietary hold.But no one can second guess Sony'sbusiness considerations for its origi-nal decision to incorporate the PDoptical disc cartridge as the removablemedia in professional camcorders.

With the recent availability ofXDCAM EX with SxS (solid-statestorage), is Sony sending a messageto TV broadcasters that it is alter-ing course? Although well -suited forremove -and -replace HD camcorderacquisition storage, Sony's PD opti-cal disc cartridge, with its proprietarymechanical drive requirements and

relatively limited write/read bit ratesas compared with flash RAM cards,is now better used as longer termon -the -shelf nonlinear storage. Itsrandom access performance beats thelinear tape cassette.

New HD camcordersImmediately after the 2007 NAB,

Sony announced its cooperation withflash RAM market leader SanDisk tobring the SxS flash RAM cards to mar-ket specifically for professional videocamcorder acquisition applications.This was obviously in direct compe-tition with Panasonic's established P2flash memory card technology.

Then, at the September 2007 IBCconvention, Sony unveiled its newXDCAM EX HD camcorder line us-ing the new SxS flash RAM cards.Simultaneously, SanDisk announcedthe availability of SxS cards. TheXDCAM EX has been shipping forseveral months, with SxS cards avail-able in 8GB and 16GB sizes.

Another interesting point: Look-ing at Sony's suggested XDCAM EXworkflow, the company is (not sur-prisingly) recommending using thePD optical disc media for long-termand archival storage. Prolonging thelifespan of the PD product line makessense for existing Sony PD custom-ers, as they have already invested inPD recorder/players and other relatedPD -friendly subsystems.

CardBus PC Cardor ExpressCard?

Panasonic's P2 is based on anolder technology CardBus PC Card,while Sony's SxS uses the newer Ex-pressCard technology. Both stan-dards were originated and promotedby the Personal Computers Mem-ory Card International Association(PCMCIA). The CardBus plug-in slotstandard was originally introducedby the PCMCIA in 1990. Numer-ous updates and improvements weremade through 2001, when furtherstandard developments stopped. Thefinal CardBus technology allows PCCards and hosts to use 32 -bit bus


On The Road With Euphonix

From the Superbowl to the Beijing Olympics, the Live Earth Concert to the American Idol finale, Outside

Broadcast trucks around the world trust Euphonix to cover all types of remote sports events, TV shows,

and music concerts. Euphonix' re -designed System 5 takes mixing on the road to the next level with our

new control surface featuring touch knobs, and new DSP SuperCore for more channels, yielding reduced

weight, and 100% redundant DSP. Twenty years of excellence and experience guarantees a smooth ride

and mix with Euphonix.

euphonix.com ar: Euphonix©2008 EUPNONIA INC AN RI -SERVED SYSTEM 5 AND DSP SUPNCOR f ARE TRADEMAI.S OF EUPHONIX INC

ALL OTHER IRACItVARKS ARE PROPERTY OE THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS


ExpressCardl34SONY SxS size

I-- -75mm (31[1)-1I- 86mm (3-3/8in)-ICardBus PC ((irisPanasonic P2 sin.

T-54mm

(2-1/8in)

Does size matter? The ExpressCard (top) is about half the area size of the CardBusPC Card (bottom). However, it is fair to say that this reduction in physical size is notmaterial to broadcasters.

mastering and operate at clock speedsup to 33MHz. The connectivity relieson a computer's PCI bus, but not onthe new and faster PCI Express.

PCMCIA developed the Express -Card standard to carry forward thebenefits of plug-in I/O cards to thenext generation of personal comput-ing devices. The potential benefitof ExpressCard technology over theolder CardBus PC Card is a dra-matic increase in bandwidth. Thisis because the ExpressCard uses adirect connection to the system busover a PCI Express lane and USB 2.0,while the CardBus uses an interfacecontroller that only interfaces withthe previous generation PCI bus.The ExpressCard has a maximumthroughput of 2.5Gb/s throughthe PCI Express lane and 480Mb/sthrough USB 2.0 versus the CardBus'shared 1.04Gb/s bandwidth.

ExpressCard promoters also claimother advantages, including lowercost, better scalability, lower powerconsumption and better integration

Flash RAM card comparison Ikegami Panasonic SonyThomson Grass

Valley

Flash RAM product name GFPAK P2 SxS CompactFlash

Capacity in GB 16/32/64 8/16/32/64 8/16/32 16/32/48

Street price (as of March 2008) $900 (32GB) $900 (16GB) $875 (16GB) $180132GB)

Price per GB $28 $56 $55 $6

HD capacities in minutes 60 132GB) 16 (16GB) 50 (16GB) 32132GB)

Price per minute for HD $15 (32GB) $56 (16GB) $17 (16GB) $6 (32GB)

High -quality compressed HDgross bit rate (video only) 60M b/s 100M b/s 35Mb/s 100Mb/s

HD compression format forhighest quality mode

MPEG-2long GOP

DVCPRO-HD

AVC- I ntra -100

both intraframe

EX HG

MPEG-2long GOP

JPEG2000intraframe

Maximum estimated transferspeed faster than real time(file transfer)

More than 5X More than 3X More than 10X More than 2.5X

Estimated maximum actualtransfer bit rate (best case readin actual workflow)

260M b/s USB 400M b/s 600M b/s 300M b/s

Bus technologySATA (internal)USB (external)

CardBus ExpressCard Corn pa ctFla sh

Table 1. This table compares four HD camcorder manufacturers that have introduced flash RAM card technology for fieldacquisition storage in the broadcast environments.



with current and future motherboardchipset technology. Unfortunately,the ExpressCard interface is not back -

through a plug-in slot) seems to be800Mb/s with the SxS platform and640Mb/s with the P2 platform. On the

The real operational differences becomemore apparent when comparing Panasonic

and Sony's HD camcorder compressionformats and the resulting bit rates.

wards plug -compatible with CardBusdevices. Thus new PCs may need anExpressCard/CardBus adapter in or-der to accept P2 cards. One certainty isthat future PC workstations, whetherdesktops or laptops, will generally notincorporate CardBus slots, but willlikely favor ExpressCard slots.

The bottom line on theoreticalmaximum media transfer speed (fromRAM card to workstation or server

surface, it appears this is not a greatdifference in transfer rates. However,the actual maximum transfer speeddepends on the specific implementa-tions by Panasonic and Sony.

Real differences:compression formats

The real operational differencesbecome more apparent when com-paring Panasonic and Sony's HD

camcorder compression formats andthe resulting bit rates. Transfer timesfor a given file are usually specifiedas X times faster than real time. Thereal-time transfer time of one min-ute of video is, of course, one minutewhether the program is compressedto 35Mb/s or 100Mb/s. But, througha given broadband pipe, there is thepotential to transfer a compressedlower bit rate video file faster than acompressed higher bit rate video fileof the same real-time duration.

In its high -quality mode, Sony'sXDCAM EX camcorder compress-es HD video to 35Mb/s VBR in anMPEG-2 long GOP format. Let's saythis produces a gross average rate of40Mb/s, including overhead and au-dio. Presuming that the SxS sustainedsystem transfer bandwidth is 500Mb/sat best, Sony can transfer materialat more than 10X real-time speed,

IVIULTIVIEVVERS.. from AVITECHMONITORING MADE EASYTM

,2> No Single Point Of Failure Design 0 Extremely High Quality Output

0 Combine Any Digital, Analog, Video, Audio ® Intuitive, Configurable On -Screen Display (alarms,and Computer Sources On A Single Display borders, labels, tally, clocks etc.)

0 Virtually Unlimited Expansion Possibilities 0 Affordable, Cost -Effective Solution

www.avitechvideo.com [email protected]

maiAVITECH

+1 (425) 885-3863


r;47 A Aivf rE

CAIC2SL CCI\ALCFS

'11-i L" LIZSI1

MODULAR HFO CAMERA CONNECTOR PANEL (2RU & 3RU) SUPPORT 5 -DIRECTIONAL WIRING: LEFT, RIGHT, TOP

BOTTOM AND BENEATH

CONNECTION UNIT CAN BE DETACHED FROM MAINUNIT FOR COMFORTABLE WORKABIUTY

ACCOMMODATES MALE & FEMALE HFO RECEPTACLES

WITH BUILT IN SPLICE BOX AND TENSION MEMBER

SUPPORT

NO NEED FOR SPECIAL INSULATION WORK ON TENSION MEMBER

HFO CAMERA CABLE SMPTE 304M & 311M COMPATIBLE

STAINLESS STEEL TIP

COLOR RINGS FOR EASY I D

REMOVABLE ALIGNMENT SLEEVE AND INSULATOR FOR

EASY OPTICAL MAINTENANCE

AVAILABLE LENGTHS. FCC003 ( 3 Meters), FCC006 ( 6 Meters.

FCC 10A i 10 METERS), FCC 20A (20 METERS)

FCC 50A (50 METERS), FCC 100A( 100 METERS) CUSTOM LENG IH AVAILABLL

HFO SPLICE BOX PROTECT FUSION SPLICE CONNECTIONS

ENABLES EASY CHANGE OF HFO RECEPTACLE

CABLE

WALL OR SHELF MOUNTING TENSION MEMBER INSULATED FROM CHASSIS

DESIGNED FOR USE WITH SMPTE

COMPLIANT HYBRID OPTIC

CAMERA CABLE

HYBRID CAMERA CABLE CHECKER PALM SIZE - COMPACT DESIGN

MEASURED OPTICAL LOSS AND POWERIN ADDITION TO ELECTRICAL

SIGNALS

2X AA, 20 HOURS BATTERY LIFE

THE KIT INCLUDES TB -3 STORAGE CASE.

SOFT CASES, AA BATTERIES, AND

CLEANING STICKS

E0 / OE CONVERTERS SMPTE 259M AND 292M HANDLES PATHOLOGICAL TEST PATTERN

MULTI FORMAT SUPPORTS HD -SDI, SD -SDI AND

DVB-ASI

E0 -100A,` ENABLES 13/16CH IN ONE FIBER

EMBEDDED AUDIO CAPABLE

EASY TO USE - JUST PLUG IN BNC AND FIBER CONNECTOR

COMPACT DESIGN - MAXIMUM 16 MODULES WITHIN 112U

POWER SUPPLY UNITS COMPACT DESIGN MAXIMUM 16 MODULES WITH

IN 1RU

RACK MOUNT AND STAND ALONE HOT SWAPPABLE

REDUNDANT POWER SUPPLY FOR 161UPSA WITH

SECONDARY PSM

Canare manufactures Pro Audio and Video Cable, 75 Ohm BNC, Fand RCA Connectors, Patchbays, Cable Reels, Snake Systems,

Assemblies, Crimp Tools and Cable Strippers. Professional Broadcastengineers, sound technicians, A/V facility integrators, design

consultants and many leading OEM's rely on Canare's product,proven reliability and top notch customer service,

PHONE: 973.837.0070 FAX: 973.837.0080

meaning a 10 -minute program can be transferred in lessthan one minute.

Panasonic's direct price range competition to Sony's EXare the HVX-200 (less expensive) and the HPX-500 (moreexpensive). Both Panasonic models offer DVCPRO-HDcompressed to a gross rate of about 120Mb/s.

Presuming the P2 sustained system transfer bandwidthis 400Mb/s at best, Panasonic can therefore transfer mate-rial at 3.3X real-time speed. This means that a 10 -min-ute program can be transferred in about three minutes,which is about three times slower than that of Sony's XD -CAM EX platform using SxS memory. This is primarily

The bottom line is that wemay finally be able to forget

about tape cassettes alltogether, because they will bereplaced by flash RAM cards.

due to Sony's much lower bit rate for its MPEG-2 longGOP compressed format, which is only about one-thirdof Panasonic's intraframe DVCPRO-HD compressed bitrate. Panasonic's new AVC-Intra-50Mb/s format, availablein more expensive camcorders, improves the transfer timeto about 6X real-time speed, but is still slower than Sony'sSxS. Actual trials may produce different results.

But wait; that's not the total picture. We also need tolook at storage capacity and media price. Table 1 on page48 illustrates several key parameters for the four manu-facturers currently offering HD camcorders with flashRAM removable storage.

Considering real-time storage capacity and fast work-flow potential, Sony's SxS appears fastest. However, thisis because of the company's long GOP codec format,while Panasonic and Thomson Grass Valley only offerintraframe formats. Ikegami offers selectable long GOPand intra MPEG-2. The SxS technology, with its extremelywide write/read bandwidth, now enables Sony to intro-duce a range of professional HD camcorders based onnew competitive intraframe HD codec technology, if Sonychooses to do so.

I believe that flash RAM storage for professional videouse will eventually settle on common formats of media andconnectivity, as is currently championed by Thomson GrassValley in its use of the widely available and highly competi-tive CompactFlash memory cards. The bottom line is that wemay finally be able to forget about tape cassettes all together,because they will be replaced by flash RAM cards. BE

Tore B. Nordahl is principal of nordahl.tv, a Los Angeles -basedconsulting firm delivering HDTV technology reporting, productstrategy and market research services.


N 11110

Moving pictures and sound around,perfectly.

.. r., .4. ,.....,

,

s

Future -proofyour investmenWith NVISION's platform -driven approach t

More than technologyalone, NVISION's robust,

scaleable new systemsare the sum of ourknowledge, experienceand platform -drivenphilosophy.

Vlodern

91 dt.4

iscloraVicNBC Mt"

Moving Picture Compgame Creek

NEW Multi -channel Master Control"The platform of the future"

Based on a foundation of technology firsts, NVISION now introduces the

master control technology platform of the future. This advanced modular

architecture of scaleable components offers the ultimate in control. Easily

manage one channel or many channels for seamless delivery to your

broadcast viewing audience.

Advanced architecture takes advantage of NVISION's deep expertise

in high-performance, high -demand applications.

Scaleability puts the design, budget, and timing of your system in

your hands! Design your system for the long term, but buy only what

you need today.

Easily build upon existing capability, features, and functions by adding

highly reliable building blocks as your requirements expand.

We deliver optimal price/performance and the lowest total cost of

ownership for your facility.

Mau' NV5100MC Series:The most advanced, the most modular

This comprehensive line of scaleable master control

switching systems is based on our advanced new modular

architecture. Designed with the latest technology, it gives

you more choices for tailoring a system to fit your facility

needs today and tomorrow.

Highly scaleable so you can start with the channels and

control surfaces you need now, and add more later

Easy configuration and field re -configuration

Factory and field configurable for SD or HD operation

Expanded 16 channel audio processor

Industry's first full video preview

Long service life at highest reliability for lowest totalcost of ownership

I i I

All111111111._

ell 1:11 3 ell ell

I

Cu 7

III

1;aZIQIG2Liiii2G2GAGaGIGIGI

8

11:11 ell Ell CM MIEll am cm Nippon

#1 meansno compromises

Why choose NVISION router, router control, master control, andmodular broadcast systems?NVISION's forward -looking designs leverage your current and future system

investment, and help you avoid costly ground -up installation, "fork lift"

replacements, or recabling. NVISION-engineered products and systems

are error -free, interoperable, future -proofed and cost-effective.

NVISION's platform -driven approach to product design ensures no

compromises in quality, features, functionality and programming when you

design your broadcast facilities. Easily expand system capacity or upgrade

capability at any time. For your facility, this means optimal price/performance

and lowest total cost of ownership.

NVISION is #1 in technology

HD-NVISION pioneered and continues to set the standards for precision

digital HD -SDI routing and multi -channel, multi -format master control.

Dolby E-Only NVISION fully supports Dolby E and Dolby Digital Audio

content in router, modular and master control equipment, delivering

robust and low-cost video play out.

3Gb/s signals-Move confidently into the digital future with full support

for 3Gb/s signals. System performance is designed and rigorously

tested to guarantee error -free operation.

Patented N -on -1 crosspoint redundancy-provides backup for

the largest possible impact block in the router.

Linear expandability in the field-enhances system signal

integrity by eliminating external splitters and combiners

NVISION is #1 in price/performanceDesign & Performance-Broadcast networks,

stations, and post -production facilities

depend on NVISION's best -in -class

solutions for error -free video and audio

signal processing and distribution, with

faster installations and lower operation costs.

Reliability-On-air, 24/7, error -free transmission

of signals brings true peace of mind.

Scaleability-Future proof your investment. Stay current with the latest

technology and quickly expand operations without forklift events.

Upgradeability- Custom tailor a broadcast system with features and

functionality for today's requirements; expand capabilities over time to

meet your growth and budget needs.

Quality-NVISION designs and builds every product and system for

long-term, demanding use.

Interoperability-All NVISION products and systems work together.

Customer service-Located across three continents, we deliver on our

commitment to excellence in service and support for every customer,

beginning with installation and continuing throughout the life of the system.

Lowest total cost of ownership in the industry-Our forward -looking

platforms and scaleable architecture future -proof your investment,

helping you avoid costly replacement, recabling, or ground -up installations.

NVllllI®Moving pictures and sound around,perfectly

--tenamemanam seam as ,"..-alasimammawasseet_ipmiiim -se:umweepoimimumiiso ammeses. -mu ... ... Ns::vv..

,-K L, MITWOOQQ$202\s-, -7/,,topocut:t.

4*.eeee:

ialcasthigineering,

2007

V.V.:aseccvy

Compact RoutersNew system functionalityoptimizes facility performance.

The newly expanded Compact Router

Series is a line of highly configurable

hardware and software products that

allows you to build a custom-tailored,

scaleable, and cost effective routing

system to optimize the performance of

your facility. Scaleable with NVISION's

entire product line, easily add system

functionality as your needs grow.

Capitalizing on NVISION's award winning,

field proven large router technology these

routers protect your investment and

guarantee customer satisfaction. Formats

include 3Gb/s, HD -SDI, SD -SDI, AES, AV,

AA, and Data in sizes 16x2 to 32x32. Big

system performance in a 1RU or 2RU

packages for:

Local TV stations News edit rooms

Broadcast production trucks Post production Fly -packs

11000001000001111300 OD00000001000000 00000000000000000000 000000000000000000 0000

s . ENIM INNEN a a - e -

-! -- ,. NV9000Best -in -class router controlfor mission -critical operations.

Field -proven with millions of hours

of continuous operation in the most

demanding installations, the NV9000

leads the industry in robust router

control. Full -featured and scaleable,

it lets you create a router control

system exactly suited to your needs,

building in a high-level of system

redundancy. From the smallest to the

largest facility, we accommodate your

growth and changing needs.

Full line of control panels including the

most advanced LCD re-legendable

control panels on the market and more

GUI control panels than any other

manufacturer

Third -party automation, production

switcher or facility control systems

may be interfaced with the NV9000

system using a wide range of supported

protocols

l iallillTh111111111111 ,or or u 11111111

SIBIBIEREISIESIBm61sum

11 El15111

El El

N VlS11 4V

Moving pictures and sound around,perfectly.

SynapseThe complete, modular solution

for signal processing.

Synapse is a flexible, modular systems

solution that addresses your entire range

of signal processing requirements. More

than 130 different modules range from

A -D converters to high -end up/down/

cross converters. The system also has

powerful embedding and de -embedding

modules encompassing a full range of

Dolby -compliant products. Unique

Synapse system advantages include:

Introducing the NEW multi -viewer,logo inserter, and text inserter.

More than 130 modular functions

3Gb/s, HD, SD, audio, video, analog,

& enhanced fiber connectivity

Embed, de -embed, up/down/cross

conversion, monitoring, & low latency

Dolby/Dolby E encoding, decoding

SNMP software capabilities

SD and all HD disciplinesin same frame

NVISION125 Crown Point CourtGrass Valley, CA 95945

U.S.: 800 -860 -HDTV (4388)International: +1-530-265-1000

www.nvision.tv

I technology.

atc,441.4 4,0 40

1111111111111111111111111111 I

El=allIGXR 11611

111111111iiiiiiiiiii I IMM

NEW Platform for a new generationof high -density large matrix, multi -formatrouters.

As the leader in digital signal routing, NVISION introduces a new

generation of high density large matrix, multi -format routers. Our

non -blocking architecture lets you manage up to 1152 x 1152

signals providing access to any source from any destination in the

facility. NVISION's industry -leading 3Gb/s engineering design and

testing offer you an unprecedented level of confidence in this new

technology.

Scaleable architecture allows you to custom tailor a routing

system with the features and functionality for today's

requirements; expand capabilities over time to meet your

growth and budget needs.

High -density large matrices maximize available rack space

and simplify engineering.

Linear expandability, in the field, enhances system signal

integrity by eliminating external splitters and combiners.

Superior performance over coaxial cable or optical fiber lets

you fully exploit cost-effective coaxial cable for shorter runs,

while optical fiber connectivity supports your demanding

plenum requirements and long signal runs.

NV8576:The large matrix, multi -format router fora no -compromise future

As the first in the new series of multi -format digital video and

audio matrices, the NV8576 offers:

Full support of 3Gb/s signals rigorously tested and retested

with high bit -rate equipment to ensure error -free operation

Patented N -on -1 crosspoint redundancy provides back-up for

the largest possible impact block in the router

Scaleable expandable architecture supports high -density

matrices from 144x144 to 1152 x 1152 in two 32 RU frames.

Multi -format routing includes support for 3Gb/s, HD/SDI,

SD/SDI, AES audio and video within the same router frame

Multiple points of control Interchangeable input and output modules including optical

fiber connectivity to provide integrated fiber optic 0/E (Optical

to Electrical) and E/O (Electrical to Optical) conversion

Front accessible, hot swappable cards

Exceptional cooling design for longest, quietest

operation even in harsh environments

Analog FADES to BLACKFEBRUARY 17, 2009

Director of Engineering15 -station TVgroup

George succeededin

convincing corporate

management to investenough capital to "do it right."Now where's the money?www.nvision.tv/george

anager, twopublic 1V stations inmiddle America

With NVISION'shelp, Doris

has configureda system

that leveragesher analog

legacy whileconverting to

digital. But funding is likeshifting sand

under her feet.www.nvision.tv/doris

Operations and Engineering

Manager. independentstation. top -50 market

Dave is juggling analog anddigital, SD and HD. He wantsto convert but at the moment

he's flying blind.

www.nvision.tv/dave

llS110H®

Moving pictures and sound arounperfectly.

Bill takes the lead!

independently ownedstation, small market

Bill is forging ahead,converting to digital on

a micro budget, usingNVISION routing and

master control tailored

to his station.

www.nvision.tv/bill

JW " fifes":VP of Engineering, maj

TV network

All 20 stations finallyagree: NVISION has all

right solutions to satisf

their diverse needs.

JW is almost smiling.

wvvw.nvision.tv/jw

Who's winning the analog -to -digital game?

The FCC deadline for broadcasters to switch from analog to digital delivery is approaching fast. As our five playabattle it out in the marketplace, they've discovered that NVISION is their strongest ally.

NVISION is the #1 authority in analog to digital conversion and #1 in HD. Download "A ComprehensivIntegrated Approach to Affordable DTV and HDTV Broadcast Facility Implementation" and watch the players' plarunfold at www.nvision.tv/F2B. Then let us help you configure a winning combination of cost-effective router

router control, master control and Synapse modular broadcast systems.

U.S.: 1 -800 -860 -HDTV (4388) International: +1-530-265-1000 www.nvision.tv/F2B

TRAINING DOESN'T COST,-3 Broadcast InainearriaaSpectatind Training knoll Internet Explorer pretrocabyroarreatatiroatets

tv.o t

tee

BroadcastfilnineerinSPECIALIZED TRAINING

Nily support education and mining for a broadcast

Or production staff'

, - APICIA0710 'RANK

'MAILABLE SESSIONSII

roultroaseias UN slaw...

Molest Illetephette

DP/ lot ID ealltestete

ND eftte (.416

It 1.1

Filtet Price 11 el ...I...es

SO om 101 let 61.4[000

IT PAYS.Is technology moving faster than your staff'sskills? Do you have engineers and operators

that aren't up-to-date on your latest equipmentand systems? Have the demands of HD and

handling multi -formats created workflowproblems or caused on -air mistakes? Thesefailures can cost you money.

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

These courses are designed to:> introduce new technology, solutions and operations to

younger staff members, and> provide a structured and thorough review for your more

experienced staff.

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

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

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

I.C)VVEREE, BY

BrcalcastEnineering ,i CeGIRmini111PECIALIZEO

gm.. if ober 0.0.Mber

*jilt 1%11

Ic *OP i

OBOR TRAINING DOESN'T COST, IT PAYS.000DIGITAL Visit bnadcastengineering.com/webcast/best

COUNTDOWN TO 2009SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

Playback automationA successful implementation requires a lot of planning.

Choosing the right playbackautomation system foryour application can bea scary job, knowing that

you and your entire operation willhave to live with the decisions youmake for a long, long time. It's a so-bering experience.

Today, the on -air playback auto-mation system forms the nucleus ofevery television station. In additionto direct on -air playback, it interfaceswith many supporting departments,such as traffic automation, newsroomautomation, weather computers andgraphics. As with any large-scale proj-ect, the key to successful implementa-tion is to divide this large project intosmaller, bite -sized projects.

Essential components of any broad-cast automation playback system in-clude the server(s), the automationsoftware, prep station(s) or ingest tech-nology, and device control. The digitaltransition approaches the final phasein February 2009; however, many sta-tions still rely on master control digitalislands to route network HD to theirtransmitter, while bypassing an other-wise all -analog plant.

Broadcasters with these digital is-lands can pay substantially more toimplement an automation systemthan an all -digital facility might. Therequired A/D signal conversion equip-ment, device controllers, monitors,machine controls for tape decks, sat-ellite dish, pan -and -tilt controls andtallies for analog control rooms addsignificantly to the total project cost.

Let's work through a process tobuild an automation system for yourstation. We'll start by asking somebasic questions. First, what do youexpect this system to accomplish foryour station operation? The answersto this question are not technical;rather, they are operational.

Is the goal to reduce headcount? Is it

BY LEO DEMERS

to decrease the number of playout er-rors? Do you want to handle more chan-nels with current staff? The answers willinfluence the system's features.

Space and bit rateServer selection and sizing is based

on at least two key aspects. Howmuch content do you need to store,and what bit rate will be used? Bothof these issues apply to SD and HDmaterial. Obviously, HD material

form the total memory and functionas one large disk should be configuredtwo-thirds active one-third parody. Ina RAID 6 configuration, four RAIDdrives would be active, and two wouldbe parody drives. Memory may be in-creased later, usually in 400- or 500 -hour increments.

DTV standards do not specify thescanning format to be used by broad-casters; it is as much a business deci-sion as it is a technical one. In effect,

-.74.111Nito*w Wk. 44

'`.i,1

AliC14011,0

'441*.r.i

1.114°'h'!ssa

SW

KGO-TV in San Francisco employs an Ignite integrated production system fromThomson Grass Valley to handle its newscasts.

requires both a higher bit rate andtherefore more server space.

Begin by calculating how muchcontent you will need to store on theserver at any given time. Determinethe number of hours needed per weekand then for a month. This representsthe nearline storage required to houseall active program content that maybe needed for online playout. Don'tforget to allow for seasonal changes.You'll need more space in Decemberthan you will in May.

Then add a fudge factor to that to-tal, usually 1.5 times the calculatedamount. The fudge factor will absorbunforeseen program changes, addi-tional program streams and seasonalcommercial volume variations.

The RAID drives that combine to

any scanning format may be used(720p, 1080i, 1080p), provided thetotal transmitted digital bit rate -amultiplex of video, audio and ancil-lary data - is equal to 19.38Mb/s.Standard -definition commercial con-tent is usually processed at 10Mb/s.This bit rate will accommodate mostcontent ranging from SD programsand commercials to news clips.

Select an appropriate bit rate andformat to be ingested to the serv-ers. This will determine how muchmemory or storage real estate will berequired per minute of SD video. Dothe math, and size the main servermemory capacity accordingly. Theaverage mid -sized television marketmay order 10TB (134 hours of SD), orabout five days of program content.


Are you running a

SMA kmito 111.31 -4(°

System

Florical's new

ystem. Management And Reporting oolsignificantly improves workflow and emails reports

directly to key personnel.

ING K

BroadcastEngineering,7

2008

anChat

if to

;11).2 r jjTV AUTOMATION

352.372.8326www.florical.com

Revenue Generating, Social Networking applicationCopyright 2008 Floncal Systems All Rights Reserved, Floncal, Florical Systems, AirBoss,

S M A.R T Central, TimeShifter and Parking Spot are trademarks of Florical Systems.


High definition has a completelydifferent pedigree. While the mini-mum HD bit rate is 20Mb/s, somefacilities, such as PBS, use 45Mb/sfor post production, even though thefinal program video stream is only19.38Mb/s. Some networks rely on avariable bit rate, but that is a subjectfor another time.

StorageEngineers often overbuy storage.

Recently, IBM issued a white paperthat addressed the toxic terabyte,which is the inclination to create avast wasteland of excess server mem-ory or data dumps. Users sometimesfind it easier to just keep dumpingcontent into a server than to properlymanage the amount of nearline andonline storage.

If 10TB were needed today, wouldn't20TB be twice as good? Maybe not,and here's why: Storage costs continueto drop. Buying 20TB of storage nowmay cost more than buying 10TB nowand another 10TB in 12 or 18 months.Over that time, improvements willbe made in the storage platform, anddrive costs could drop.

Also, and often not considered, thestation will be paying for additionalpower consumption and cooling re-

quirements for that extra 10TB ofstorage that's not being used. The onecaveat might be if the vendor mightgo away, or stop supporting a par-ticular type of storage module. If youthink that's a possibility, then perhapsyou need to reconsider the vendor.

Servers can ingest or output bothSD and HD, separately or simulta-neously. With HD at 20Mb/s andSD at 10Mb/s, the server capacityrequirements are highly dependenton the amount of HD content used.However, the real cost of the HD/SDmix on any program stream actuallylies in the external equipment - theconversion, encoding, switching androuting process necessary to achieve asmooth transition between formats.

Required number of portsThe number of input and output

channels required is unique to each sta-tion, but this is no place to skimp. Whenchoosing the number of I/O ports, besure to allow for expansion. Includeadditional ports for services you maynot currently be providing. This mightinclude channels for HD direct feeds tocable system head -ends, ingest sourcesfor news clips, satellite program feedsand commercials. Then, after you've to-taled all the needed channels, add two

more. Trust me, you'll need them.What about audio? Unless your re-

quirements are unique, six channelsfor 5.1 surround audio should suffice.However, keep in mind that someaudiophiles are pushing for 7.1, so itmay be wise to allow for growth.

Choosing softwareA critical consideration is ensur-

ing that all of the station equipmentunder automation control can talk toeach other through the automationsystem. Each device must operate andunderstand the automation systemcontrol commands. Also, proper in-terfacing with the traffic departmentsoftware is essential.

Be absolutely certain that the trafficsoftware and the automation softwareare sufficiently compatible to supportthe transfer of daily playlists. It's alsowise to be sure that your traffic play -lists are backed up in master controlvia a USB thumb drive or other mo-bile media.

In addition to just routing theprogram content to air, an automa-tion system must also control bugand graphic insertions for brandingand special effects such as breakingnews and weather. Simultaneously,the system will control the offline

network

vvpg

ID

er:

0

Fiber and WDMnetworks

National broadcaster

IP

networks

Nat.onalbroadcaster

Video Transp

Headend

Cable TVnetwork

Terrestrialnetwork

Flashlink broadcaster -managed signalseasy to use innovative housing compact low -power cost-efficient

Ventura service provider - managed signalsall video formats flexible optical network configuration in -band management signal protection NEBS-3

VikinX routingrouters from entry-level to 256x256 HD Ethernet control 3Gbps HDTV ultra low -power

compromise.Don't

it . .....- .... .; s-;/0tor -4)

Trust the experts you already know.

The leader in broadcast connector and patching solutions will ensureyour success in data integration. As you evaluate the need for high-performance ethernet patching in your operation, it's critical to have

REMONEW carefully considered products Engineered for Primetime.sainagammir.-smemeam-

Go to www.adc.comidontcompromise to download information on:

Unipatch® GigE Data PatchingThe Top Ten Things you need to know about Fiber


router switching and machine con-trol to perform scheduled recordings.This means proper interfaces will beneeded for your satellite dishes, tapemachines and ingest server.

Automation systems typically sup-port live playlist insertion as part oftheir standard offering. Scheduledlive local weather updates or news -

a master control operator to be ableto calculate program and commer-cial lengths and then manually adjusttimings to get back on schedule forthe next network join.

An important feature of any play-back automation is the ability toprovide an accurate as -run log. Thislog tracks exactly what transpires

Be sure your automation system canprovide easy, clean manual break-ins and

even more important, smooth rejoins.

casts are simply part of the daily play -list from the traffic department. Thismeans the live sources must finish ontime because, ready or not, the auto-mation system is going to switch.

This is seldom a good solution.Therefore, your selected automationsystem should permit manual over-ride, ripple any of the time effectsdown the playlist and then adjust thefollowing events.

Live events such as breaking newsor storm/weather updates must beaccommodated. Be sure your auto-mation system can provide easy, cleanmanual break-ins and even more im-portant, smooth rejoins. Don't expect

I

throughout the day. When problemsdevelop, it can also produce a discrep-ancy report.

The report will reveal every actiontaken by both the automation systemand an operator. Such informationbecomes a useful tool when trouble-shooting exactly what went wrong.In addition, the report is an impartialand automatic record, eliminatingoperator claims and counter claimsof what happened.

BackupSome networks and large opera-

tions insist on backing up their oper-ation with a second automation sys-

tem. This budget -busting, mirroredoperation may reduce sleepless nightsfor engineering management, but it'sreally unnecessary. However, thereare some things you should considerwhen planning for emergencies.

Be sure your system has provi-sions for running the playlist from asecond control point. This could be amedia prep or ingest workstation, butat least one non-MCR location. Also,the automation software should re-side in more than one location withinthe system. Access should be protect-ed by appropriate conditional -accesspasswords to prevent unauthorizedchanges or activation.

With careful planning, it's simplynot necessary to build two completesystems. Such a solution is expensive,requires constant maintenance andchecking and is as likely to fail as theprimary system. Today's automationsystems are highly reliable. A prop-erly configured transition to man-ual operation capability is a cost-effective option.

Archiving tasksSome stations decide to install a

smaller air playout server and a largersecond archival server, where the sys-

tem will operate in a data push-pull

t'

Let Your Media SingBuilt on software proven in more than 200 installationsworldwide, DIVArchive offers more functionality and

interoperability than ever before. Choose the globalteam at Front Porch Digital. We will make your mediasing, and ensure that you receive rave reviews.

alism FRONT PORCH DIGITALwww.fpdigital.com



manner from nearline (archive) toonline. The archive server could be8TB or 16TB, depending on yourneeds and budget. The 8TB systemwill cost about $35,000, and one twicethat size may cost about $50,000.

Before you reject building an ar-chive system, ask your news directorif he or she is willing to just throwaway all those old tapes in the li-brary. Probably not. Then considerthat archiving anything on videotapeis risky. Plus, maybe the only personwho knows what's in that library re-tired two years ago.

A long-term archive must be onan offline medium that is reliable,searchable and stores content on astable medium, perhaps on DVD,optical or holographic disks or datatape. Anything being stored on video-tape should be moved to an accept-able archive format while there's stilltime - and the technology to play-back the content.

A unique solutionThere is no cookie -cutter template

for the ideal automation system. Ven-dors should walk you through howtheir products will handle each ofyour desired tasks. Are their solutionsinclusive? Do they occur automatical-ly? Do they fit within your workflow?

Here are some key points toremember:

Do not overbuy storage. Storagecosts continue to decline, so wait toexpand.

Buy enough size so you can expand.Be certain the operating system is

compatible with your operation. Canyou tie a Mac OS to a Windows OSto a Linus OS? Yes, but why risk it?

The system should be controllablefrom more than one location.

Stay with reputable manufacturers;you get what you pay for.

Ask the vendors for a list of cur-rent customers, and then call them.Compare how those stations operateto your workflow. Compare applesto apples. You won't be able to geta good comparison to your needs ifyou're a commercial station and the

vendor suggests you call a noncom-mercial station.

Ask about support after the sale.Does the vendor provide 24/7 phonesupport? Ask how software upgradesare handled. Think about your expe-rience at installing service packs onyour own PC. Now, imagine doingsomething similar on your station's

automation system. Need help?Purchasing a station playback au-

tomation system isn't for the faint ofheart. However, break down the de-sired tasks into a list. Compare yourneeds with several vendors' products.And ask lots of questions. BE

Leo Demers is a broadcast consultant.

With Sundanc! Digital, good broadcasting and good business gohand in hand. Using our automation software, you can improve theefficiency, accLracy, productivity and Drofitability of your broadcastand news operations. By integrating cigital television and informationtechnologies, we give you the capability to manage your entire broadcastworkflow. As a result, you'll get great control, more flexibility andunprecedented speed. That's what we mean when we say we'll improveyour on -air product - and your bottom line.

How's that for smart thinking'

And speaking of great ideas, we've combined everything you expectfrom Sundance Digital - exceptional service, open technology, reliableproducts - and added the power of an industry leader. Now, as partof Avid, we have even more resources to serve your business.

www.sundancedigital.com972.444.8442


SoThe IT industry is shaping

thedirection of broadcastmedia storage.

The future of storage andhow it's used is being de-termined today by the ITindustry, where most of

the components used in professionalproduction and distribution systemsand networks originate.

As the broadcast industry movesto file -based systems, storage is a keycomponent in how facilities imple-ment video servers into their work-flow. Manufacturers have two op-

tions: use off -the -shelf IT solutionsand tailor them for broadcast ordesign custom storage systems intotheir products.

In the past, the highly specializednature of broadcast had precludedthe use of off -the -shelf technology- mainly due to performance rea-sons. However, with the advancestoday in the IT industry, some man-ufacturers have qualified specifichigh-performance computer stor-

age systems for use in broadcast.The advantage is quicker time -to -

market with new technology, gen-erally lower costs and more flexiblesolutions.

When looking at the storage land-scape, it's important to focus on twomajor elements: the physical storagemedia (e.g. internal data processingtechnology and form factor) and theworkflow that it will ultimately bedeployed in.


IF ELVIS LIVES,

YOU'LL BE THE

FIRST TO HEAR

When you're mixing sound for light entertainment, it's bes' to expectthe unexpected. You need to set up and handle multiple sources quicklyand easily, access pre-sets, network your i/o and instinctively controlthe whole thing without missing a beat.

At Calrec we've bees dedicated to live production and orrair broadcastaudio mixing since the first Elvis impersonator wiggled his pelvis. Today,as well as all the practical functions you could want, we a so offer themost innovative and economical solution for surround sound.

Bluefin technology p-ovides twice the signal processing capacityin a fraction of the space of conventional systems, at no extra costand with 100% reduidancy.

CALREC

Sounds exciting? Find out more at calrec.com Putting Sound in the Picture

FEATUREVIDEO STORAGE

The shape of spaceThe IT industry designs storage for

several markets, with two major cus-tomers driving most of the revenue -the PC market and the enterprise mar-ket for mission critical applications. Inmany cases, the design guidelines forthese two markets are quite different.

The PC market is primarily fo-cused on price, while the enterprisemarket demands high performanceand reliability. However, new technol-ogy advancements have helped to cre-ate a new category between these two,called the business critical market.

Within the enterprise drive market,several major trends are driving theuse of certain types of physical storage.(See Figure 1.) The enterprise marketis currently moving from Fibre Chan-nel (FC) drives to serial attached SCSI(SAS) drives just as the PC marketrecently moved from parallel connec-tions to serial SATA drives. Drivingthis migration was the obvious cablingadvantages of a serial attachment. Se-rial clock speeds can be higher thanparallel connections. And, SAS pro-vides a direct point-to-point bus con-nection versus a shared bus connectionused with FC SCSI. This means storedmaterial can be accessed much faster.For editors and content producers, thismeans higher productivity.

The performance of a drive is deter-mined by its clock speed and its rota-tional speed. Today, many SAS drivesoften operate at 15,000rpm. A drive'srotational speed helps determine howfast data can be written and then readback from the drive. In a video envi-ronment, the faster the storage systemthe better, but, more importantly, thedata rate must be deterministic andconsistent. In the IT industry, a fewmillisecond pause in data transfersseldom matters. However, with video,such a pause can mean black frames.

Video servers are designed withappropriate buffering to avoid thesedelays, but only up to a certain point.This is why a broadcast storage systemmust be deterministic. One area thatcan cause these delays is disk failures ina RAID protected system. Both FC andSAS drives provide good performanceand deterministic behavior whereasSATA drives are less predictable.

The latest SATA drives - SATA3Gb/s, running at 7500rpm - are asignificant improvement over first -generation SATA 1.5Gb/s drives. Inaddition to clock speeds doubling to3Gb/s, which doubled the transfer rateto 300MB/s, newer SATA drives haveother video -friendly features. Theyinclude hot -swap capability, improvedmean time between failure (MTBF)

and Native Command Queuing. Thisfeature enables the drives to internallyoptimize how commands are executedfor better performance. Even so, whileSATA drives continue to get better,they still lag behind enterprise SASdrives for high-performance, missioncritical markets.

The business critical marketThese advancements have created

a new class of SATA drives, which cancost half the price of SAS drives. Thisbecomes an important considerationfor use in lower performance videoapplications. Seagate, which supplies alarge number of drives to the broad-cast and video production industry,calls these new devices business criticaldrives. This indicates a class of drivesbetween enterprise SAS drives and thelow-cost, lower performance PC drives.

The broadcast market is a missioncritical market. While a disk problemwill not result in a fatality, it can resultin lost revenue. Broadcasters demandthat video servers be as reliable as pos-sible, which has resulted in the almostexclusive use of enterprise drives forprofessional video servers. However,new advances in these drives makethem an ideal choice for other typesof video production and less demand-ing playout applications. These SATA

5Xonline

cost

2Xnearline

cost

X

CF

Online

Solid state

Disk

Instant access24/7 availabilityDirect connection1-5 days

Nearline

--"`""7M-=421131

- Tiered storage strategyAs content ages, storage parameters change

Fast 4 slow accessHigh 4 low costDisk 4 tape/optical media

Direct -> FTP 4 robotic 4 manual retrieval

Fast access Moderate availability FTP connection 2-4 weeks

Slow access Low availability Robotic access, then FTP

1-5 years

Days Weeks

Archive Months

Age of content

0Years Decades

Manual access Media deterioration Storage vault, lifetime Manual cataloging

Figure 1.Tiered storage strategy



drives will also be available with a SASinterface. This allows engineers to picka storage system and then populate itwith either drive, based on applicationand budget. These new drives shouldbegin appearing later this year.

The move from 3.5in drives to2.5in enterprise drives will result inmore compact storage systems with-out compromising storage capacity.This means physically smaller librar-ies and servers can hold more materi-al than ever before. Broadcasters andOBs with limited space will appreci-ate these new 2.5in drives as they startto appear later this year.

The capacity of storage drives con-tinues to increase at an almost unbe-lievable rate. Today in the PC mar-ket, there are low -performance 1TBdrives, with 1.5TB drives just aroundthe corner. The high-performance en-terprise market currently uses 300GBdrives, with 450GB coming later this

year and 600GB drives following inthe next 12-18 months. Perpendicu-lar recording technology is allowingthe disk industry to pack more bitsper square inch, resulting in the needfor fewer physical platters while stillenjoying higher performance.

A small but growing segment of thestorage industry is moving away fromspinning discs to solid-state compactflash memory. The price per gigabyte isstill prohibitive for most video applica-tions, but future economies of scale willmake solid-state storage an option forsome video applications. Productiontrucks or harsh environments that valueextreme robustness over massive stor-age will embrace this solution becausesolid state is not impacted by the me-chanical vibrations trucks encounter.

Solid-state drives are now appear-ing in consumer PCs like the new Ap-ple Air, and that trend will continue.The attraction of no moving parts,

instant access and fast read time (upto 10 times faster than disks) is justtoo compelling to ignore.

Solid state's benefits don't comewithout a downside. The technology isoptimal for reading, but it has limitedwrite capability. Memory cells can onlyaccept a limited number of writes. Tocounter this phenomena, solid-statedisks are designed with sophisticatedtechnology that avoids writing data tothe same cells and includes additionalmemory that can be used as storageareas approach their limits. Spinningdisks will always offer an advantage interms of price per gigabyte, but solidstate will continue to gain market shareover the next few years.

It's become clear that an applicationwill gravitate to the drive technologythat best suits its needs, based mainlyon performance and then price. SASdrives will certainly be consideredfor online editing and fast access

is your broadcast operationcosting the earth?

iTX - saving you money, saving energy

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

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

It's time to join the iTX revolution.

the future starts here...

OMNLI3USInnovate I Integrate I Deliver

www.omnibus.tv

INTELLIGENT -TT NSTIISSION



applications. However, the less costlybusiness critical drives are sure to makesignificant inroads within the produc-tion community. Their performance iscertainly good enough for many appli-cations where video I/O speed is moreimportant than overall reliability.

Workflow efficiencyThe addition of servers has helped

move facilities from a baseband videoinfrastructure to a file -based infra-structure, bringing with it a long listof benefits that this type of IT -centricarchitecture affords. Broadcasters andproduction studios are seeing morecost savings and workflow efficienciesby migrating this way.

The whole idea of a tapeless facilitygoes back to implementing a workflowthat gets away from real-time 270Mb/s(or 1.5Gb for HD) video and into adata file that can be as low as 8Mb/s fortransfers many times faster (15Mb/s to25Mb/s is typical for SD and 50Mb/sfor HD). The most benefit is realizedwhen the conversion (encoding) takesplace as early in the production pro-cess as possible, preferably at ingest.

In addition, file -based workflowoperators have the option of workingwith a low -resolution, browse -levelversion of the file (1Mb/s or less) forproduction, including editing, quick

review or archiving. This allows en-gineers to cost-effectively develop in-ternal networks where hundreds ofjournalists and producers can accessthe same file at the same time, whilekeeping bandwidth requirements low.

Tiered storage strategyAnother option for tapeless work-

flows is to implement a tiered storagestrategy, with three types of storage:online, nearline and offline.

Online: enterprise drives, highest per-formance, reliability and highest cost.Usually configured in a SAN system.

Nearline: SATA drives, moderateperformance, good reliability and low-er cost. Usually configured in a NASsystem.

Offline: tape archive; lowest perfor-mance and lowest cost. Storage roboticsystems can be as small as a desktop oras large as a bedroom.

While online and offline storageis common, the addition of nearlinestorage offers significant cost savingsand performance improvements. Forexample, in a news production en-vironment, the news director mightstore footage online for one week,move it to nearline for 30 days andthen to offline. This reduces theamount of online storage without thelarge performance penalty of tape.

Infrastructure trendsThe storage infrastructure is what

ties everything together. Enterpriseapplications often rely on FC andGigE connections. FC has always beenthe performance leader but costsmore to implement.

Gigabit technology has been pre-dominant in the IT industry. Its per-formance has advanced to where it isconsidered a good alternative to FC inspeed, yet available at a lower cost (withcheaper switches and cabling). Today,FC can support 4Gb/s applications.Ethernet is predominately a 1Gb/s plat-form. However, cost-effective 10Gb/sswitches (actually a few 10Gb ports ona 1Gb switch) are being implemented.New technologies such as iSCSI (SCSIcommands over Ethernet) and TOEcards (TCP/IP engines required for off-loading the system CPU) make GigE agood option for high-performance, de-terministic video systems.

For the most common server im-plementations, 1Gb/s performance iscertainly good enough, but when en-gineers need to move massive amountsof data in and out of a server, the morebandwidth the better. This is where10Gb/s Ethernet becomes ideal. Oftena high-performance FTP network willbe mostly 1Gb/s with a 10Gb/s back-bone - whereby most devices talk to

WaS Ward -Beck Systems Ltd. I 10-455 Milner Avenue I Toronto, Ontario I Ml B 2K4

North America: 800.771.2556 I Phone: 416.335.5999 I www.ward-beck.comopenGear DO Dolby E

l'A KTIV ER.

A sound solut"on for embedded audio. Extracts and displays 16 channels of audio from HO or SD SDI signal streams. Solo listening toeach channel DSP based, makes it readily configurable to suit your application.

Thank you all for visiting us at SD SDI


FEATUREVIDEO STORAGE NO MORE MANUAL AUTOMATION!

the network via 1Gb/s but some devices have the option for10Gb. For example, if it's necessary to move data to a veryfast archive system with multiple tape drives in the 120MB/srange, it's easy to max out a 1Gb/s connection.

Embracing file wrappersAnother important aspect of achieving workflow im-

provements is the constant advancement of file wrap-pers and how video data is stored within such protocolsas the Media eXchange Format (MXF), General ExchangeFormat (GXF) and QuickTime. The attempt to achieve acommon file format that is interoperable across disparatemanufacturers' platforms is gaining success. But currentlythere are still some ambiguities in how the standards arebeing implemented by each vendor. File structure, with re-gard to metadata, can be implemented differently.

The industry is aggressively resolving these issues, andmany believe that MFX may be the best option for a trulyopen interoperability standard. The situation will only getbetter with time, because manufacturers are committed toachieving this goal.

Compression still mattersAlthough the price of storage continues to decline, it

doesn't mean that the industry will soon be working un-compressed. In fact, the trend is just the opposite. Practicalworkflows will continue to rely on the use of compressionin order to move files around a facility quickly and unfet-tered by network bandwidth. Newly emerging compres-sion codecs like H.264 and AVC HD are improving andproviding higher quality while using lower bit rates.

For example, in the 1990s, 50Mb/s MJPEG was the stan-dard for SD broadcasts. Today 50Mb/s MPEG-2 long GOPis the standard for HD, with six times the amount of data.Technologies such as H.262 and AVC HD can cut this by50 percent or more.

This has resulted in infrastructures that require less todeploy, while enabling users to move these smaller filesaround faster. This will also allow producers to distributecontent outside the facility using less bandwidth.

TomorrowAs storage demands increase - which is a certainty given

the need to support multiple channels of HD content sentto a variety of distribution platforms - IT -centric tech-nologies will continue to provide the solutions broadcastersrequire. Applications are still being developed, so no one'ssure exactly what technology solution will be adopted.

It is clear that many vendors serving the broadcast indus-try have recognized the efficiencies of using off -the -shelf ITsolutions in their products. Everyone benefits when openapproaches are applied across an entire industry. BE

Roger Crooks is product marketing manager for servers anddigital news production products at Thomson.

THE REAL DEAL INAUTOMATIONTECHNOLOGY

VCI Solutions autoXe TM automation system

manages one, 15, 50 or more channelswith one workstation in one screen. Seehow, visit vcisolutions.com/demo.html orcall 512.837.3737.

vcisolutions


N. -...a cz,-.1 .,:z.....`,,, N.4S ' ... .,.QS:. 1,\ s) ,,NW" \ 1W.' . \ SS \ .. ''=1.. C::1. .Z1'' .ZS''ZN '' 1\i1''N .*s. %'Z'N. .Z. \ CN \CN S), \ "

'1CZ:;. '/''. '1N. 'ZS'S C1N .* ..''' .,\.. \* \ . -.''' (Z> ''''. .. .> ''' CN' \ ...'. 1: 's'. c, ' C ,'457

.Q.'. ..F: NCS NCS s.,%\ K.\ ..s... : CS... CS C.. NCS NCS N, NCSN.

Ctit ^N.F'.

s`.1 ,>1 41k CS )1''S '..,.0 s .,..., 1LZ: .::: ....:S. ..k.",...`Z;' '..,..* z,,',./ 1Z;s.''' ...1''. N.Z N.N4C Ns. N N \ .

C::,, ,......1, .... ,..s, ...... <No c;,. ,t,: /C:,'s " S' c.,..5:...,,,. .z:sN.-s". cz;Na f,, ......1. ,,, ,:,,s, 1.

C, .N. ,...,1 1,.... .1 ..... ,''' 'ti. ',..S;s

,`" <2z,` -...,'" .:,- ...,..

`.r, --, o -. o c. . c.o -.... o -... c:) ,..,-..... '-... o .....,-----.

........o..1..1,

-cZ

-<

..o- . ,o.

oZ )

-

2oC,

.

.,-.

,( 2

j

) ,oC

c.

,.,.

Z.

CZ>Z C.. Zti ,Z Z 1Z. ;' ,C

Q."=''2zZ, ZZZ>S,C..',0 03:.400Z,Z ,4,..

,.CS, C ZS: '(:,113,z,.:Z2' ono:©Z= . 'C.,

...s.. CZ, ..... ...... Z°,...:::. ....... CZ) CZ0 ,........'.4CZ, ..... CZ. CS'

....It ..::::. C ...... c. V S... .- --..%.

"" 0 .:). 0 c:). ,..o.m. Vu,p -,., ...:t? p 4::::, CZ> ..,.0 c:-; .,-... .,......t.--.4 , v.s.'..-4 0' p 0 0 j. 0 ci. ,-,7-* -.`- ......."''" '0 .,..C:::. , ,..3,- 4§) :..Z,:b cj. .z?.. ......,'" .z...'"" c,..--,-- ,,,-re'" i'll"..*.....

C:::,z. --. ,"` 3. ..,. --..0 c:;. ...... ....., '- ,, ..... 4=, cm. I.,

.0 -.." ..._ " -... , "'-',' c=,, cn. .... a 4.:, c, - - , __. ....a -"" =I .....,C:i. 4:::, ,-...

--4 -""' 0 -.... -,, ,Z`... -- C:::,..... 0 Ci ...IIJ c,:,

C:.. ...... ....... ...' CZO ° ..'....C:P ...... ....,,....a C=1 ..... -"" C=1 (---*. ... C" ..... ''''' 1:;)1=:/ .............1, ..... C2 atr-, -...

... ,lb ....11. C=O C) .......

OLOOLOIL°LtO

":"""""0011CIT

t L 0

OLOOLO OLOtoLOLOOLOL

ri

lOOLOLOLOOLOIPi;I:OOLLOOLOLOtni7

ILOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOP;",QAO0OLOLOLOLOLOLOLO--"-

vs0.0LW.OLOODLOLOOOLEILjtOLtOL L%,OLOLOt.00OLOLOLOLOL

''''Z.'1:'Z.tYl.'1%.313.4nLgi131;17:

tila

1,'W p\A!AC.WAILOL01.131,0), L

'Z\,' .uLL-,C) vz,W.SAWZAC31.01003Lotc\WZ. 01:\'''- ppON,IJONIOL.01.13 Lc,

\..\%\.%\'Z'r,\* ,..zs\p,1300.130 LOG tot CIL oLp\\* ,z,\\ `3 \\Ap\-01,01.000 tooL

i;iS*C>:',N \,0\WAOLOLCIL0.. 0\ 0\* \4\.- ..4.;* ,,,FN c,::;%. :w.owP\AZVallt.01,0 1:s' (.;,:FS c....,;s:*. ,,,A.p\OW.01.1.131,W"

,.. 0 s- ON. '"c.\''''/ ,:::, ,, czz, N. ,-.. s... OZN.N.W.C1. "" 'a t 0 ,

'41 4::) .**.. ''.' '''S' QUOOZ::,, ,F,:,".\A''T.ao i.

Part 1 of this two-part series defines the IEEE standards.BY MICHAEL JOHAS TEENER AND GAEL MACE

The IEEE 802 working groupsare in the process of com-pleting significant work thatwill allow vendors to build a

standards -based network with the ap-propriate quality of service (QoS) forHD production. This new set of stan-dards, developed by the organization'sAudio Video Bridging Task Group,provides three major enhancementsfor Ethernet -based video networks:

precise timing to support low -jittermedia clocks and accurate synchroni-zation of multiple streams;

a simple reservation protocol thatallows an endpoint device to notify thevarious network elements in a path toreserve the resources necessary to sup-port a particular stream; and

queuing and forwarding rules thatensure that such a stream will passthrough the network within the delayspecified by the reservation.

These enhancements don't requirechanges to the Ethernet lower layersand are compatible with all the other

functions of a standard Ethernet switch(i.e. a device that follows the IEEE802.1Q bridge specification). As a re-sult, the rest of the Ethernet ecosystemis available to developers. In particular,the various high-speed physical layers(up to 10Gb/s in current standards,with even higher speeds in develop-ment), security features (encryptionand authorization), and advancedmanagement (remote testing and con-figuration) features can be used.

This tutorial will be provided in twoparts. The first part will outline the ad-vantages of moving to a common net-work infrastructure based on new -gen-eration Ethernet protocols and providean introduction to those new protocolsand capabilities. The second part, whichwill appear in the June issue, will de-scribe how such a network can be usedin a next -generation HD studio.

A historical perspectiveThose who have experienced televi-

sion's digital revolution recognize how

much the format of the content struc-tures the production environment.Adding a new format usually requiresa new production infrastructure andthe inherent investment in a new gen-eration of equipment.

On the other hand, with IT andconsumer electronics, there is a con-vergence of technologies where manysources of content and different for-mats coexist. In these spaces, the costof connectivity is decreasing dramati-cally. Content producers should be ableto take advantage of this convergenceand avoid having to replace equipmenteach time a new standard is adopted.This is especially true when the re-placement standard represents not justone new solution, but rather an entireflexible family of standards.

Unfortunately, broadcast produc-tion is one of the last industries tomigrate to computer -based digital so-lutions. The reason is, until recently,off -the -shelf network and comput-ing systems were not powerful or fast


BROADCAST AND SATELLITEBYPASS PROTECTION SWITCH

This bypass protection switchguarantees that broadcast and satellite feeds stay on -air.

0 sm. 2 Remote No* 7460

HU, SI Prot Sw Group SD/HD7AS1 Prot Sw

Pri StallsTRS ASI

Pri

Aud

Auto ReseV

On

AujSec Status

Bk Fr 'WS ASI Aud Bk Fr_

LLi

aReset Time

15.0A J

secs

Back 111 Quirmuk L"..jusoduk,

Menus for setting parametersspecific to your facility

How To Spend $3000 and Save $300,000 (And Get Peace of Mind)

You can easily protect your on -airfeed and be sure to be on -air allthe time with an Avenue ProtectionSwitch. Simply feed your primaryon -air feed and your secondary,back-up signal into the Avenue pro-tection switch. If the primary fails,the secondary signal will take over.

For today's hybrid station, aswitch that handles all types of videosignals - HD, SD, 310M and ASI- is a must.

Superior circuitry detects blacklevels, TRS, audio presence, andfreeze for HD and SD video signals.For SMPTE-310M and ASI signals,

PIDs and PMTs are evaluated. Youset the parameters for when a switchoccurs. You might decide 10 secondsof signal below 12 IRE or 14 sec-onds of no embedded audio shouldcause a switch to the secondary feed.Plus you can set alarms to GPO or toemail you.

This is the smartest, most reli-able protection switch on the mar-ket today. And relay bypass makes iteven more reliable.

So consider spending $3000 tosave $300,000. Using the AvenueProtection Switch can save you fromunexpectedly going off -air which can

cost thousands. Customers have toldus that this kind of insurance iswell worth the investment. Call usfor a list of happy customers and askfor the 5 -year warranty that comeswith all of our products. And, whenyou do call, you can be sure you'llget a live person on the phone!

Try the Avenue bypass protectionswitch 10 days for free.Satisfaction guaranteed.

ENSEMBLEDESIGNSwww.ensembledesigns.com(530) 478-1830

FEATUREETHERNET INTHE HD STUDIO

enough to handle the demands ofbroadcast production. The result hasbeen a plethora of proprietary solu-tions and format -centric point-to-point connections, switching systemsand processors. This includes camer-as, servers, microphones, video rout-ers, video switchers and audio mixersas shown in Figure 1.

Let's look more closely at studioarchitecture. Today's audio and videosources are usually processed sepa-rately. The video signals are distrib-uted using SD- or HD -SDI interfacesand coaxial cables. The signals passthrough a video router, which bringssome flexibility in terms of routing,and are finally dispatched to the videoswitcher, where the technical directorcan select and switch between the dif-ferent sources.

The audio signals follow their owninterconnects (e.g. AES interfaces andcoaxial cables) to reach the audio mix -

ExternalOther feedsstudios

V

er. The audio is mixed with multiplesources and then combined with thevideo. It's only at this final stage, afterresynchronization operations, that au-dio and video signals are recombined.

Media production requires addi-tional signals. These include equip-ment control lines and communi-cation links, such as intercom andcamera tally. In addition, audio andvideo signals need to be monitoredthroughout the production chain forQoS and content reasons.

A vision: full Ethernet/1Pproduction studio

Suppose, on the other hand, liveTV production moved toward a flex-ible and future -proof communica-tion infrastructure based on Ethernetand the IP stack. The studio couldmove from a heterogeneous format -centric approach to a homogeneousnetwork/software architecture where

Server and archive room

Ii- 211=11M

2'

Encoders

I;MIImage and

conformservers

-1M1

News record room

Id

4 01

II

News browse(feeds ingest)

Advancededit stations

News editin roomMedia transfer

Journalist stations

News browse(VTR ingest)

(from tape archive)

Airclient

Mediaclient

R cord

,tenon...it Orr

Newsroom Archive room

Archivist stations

LEIServers

121 -MEServers

Recordautomatic

101

News editing rooms

N

N

News edit

All NMI WI MO

.4M:11M SAN

.. news" and

editingserver

Server andarchive

MOM

computerves

News studio/control room

)with MOS)

Servo

Newsroomcomputer

News station

Mainrcuter

EDIstereoat dio

virtual routing would make everysignal available anywhere in or outof the studio. Such a solution wouldunify the interconnects for multipleaudio and video signals, control andprogram associated data, VoIP andgeneral computer data.

This vision of a full Ethernet/IPstudio requires a major rethinking ofthe current infrastructure and inves-tigation of the technological conse-quences. It also places some new re-quirements on the physical network.For some, these may seem like foreignconcepts for a video network. A newtopology network will require:

universal connectivity because sig-nals of different data must coexist withdifferent QoS requirements on thesame wire;

a virtual switch matrix so routingcan be managed with the aid of thenetwork;

frame synchronization that imposes

Key

Video and audioSCSI Fibre ChannelIP Fibre Channel

: Ethernet networks- RS -422

Audiopost production

Post -productionedit suite

Commentator andtranslator rooms

Master controlMedia transfer -(from tape archive)

Airclient

fool

0.11211M --

Central archiveL Server and archive room

FC/IP network

NowsItem

Automation server

Central matrix

1E1_14

Backup

On -ad

-0tEN --tot

Traffic applicationTraffic

CNC' lotTrafficapplication

Figure 1. An example of today's studio architecture


Designed exclusively for the A/V Professional.

HD/SD-SDI at the Speed of Right.

Transmit SMPTE compliant HD/SD-SDI over one fiberwith pristine, broadcast quality results.

Just one of the many features of the all new Pure Digital Fiberlink°3150 Series of HD/SD-SDI Fiber Optic Extenders.

--...1011111111111111111wfr

OPTICAL OUT

I I ,.

PWR RAT

\I/ PRIEbimuNcDesigned and Manufacturedfor the AN Professional by CSI

The Pure Digital Fiberlink® 3150 Series is the professional's choice for

broadcast quality HD/SD-SDI signal distribution. That's because the

3150 Series is feature packed: it strictly adheres to SV1PTE standards,

offers SMPTE 297-2006 interoperability, uses one single mode or multimode

fiber, and delivers the signal fidelity you have come to expect from

Pure Digital Fiberlink°.

Since the 3150 Series is immune to pathological patterns across the entire

link budget and operating temperature range, you can rest assured that the

signal you'll receive is just as pure as the source. Beg of all, each SDI and fiber

optic output is equalized and re -clocked!

And, at $995*, it's affordable, too! So, call today or visit us online at

commspecial.com to learn more about the 3150 Seles.

Pure Digital Fiberlink°. Truly. Purely. Amazing.

LINOCSICommunicationsSpecialties, Inc.

See it live at I nfoComm, Booth N5447

' US MSRP price per unit, not part. Price is subject to change.Pure Digital Fiberlink and the starborst logo are registered trademarks ofCommunications Specialties, Inc. CSI logo and the triangle deigns are trademarksof Communications Speciaties, Inc. ('2008 Communications 4aecialties, Inc.

/,

Features:

ACiDC

AffordableBroQuality

,3dcast

ilD/Sa.soi

Signal is equalized and re -clockedprior to fiber optic transmission

Transmitter features a re -clockedSDI loop through and the receiverfeatures two equalized andre -clocked SDI outputs

Designed for interoperability withother SMPTE 297-2006 fiber opticcompliant devices

Uses standard LC or ST connectors

Immunity to pathological signals

Compliant with SMPTE 259M-2006,292-2006, 297-2006

Supports transmission of SMPTE305M-2005, 310M-2004, 344M-2000,DVB-ASI

Supports both Single Modeand Multimode fiber types

Supports HD/SD-SDI inputswith embedded audio and data

Available in Box or Rack Cardversions

and more!

For more information, call631-273-0404 or click on tocommspecial.com today!


timing requirements not commonlyplaced on data networks; and

that latency and jitter introducedby the network be compatible withthe requirements of high -quality A/Vsignals.

An example of such an Ethernet/IPstudio is shown in Figure 2. An Eth-ernet/IP production studio networkwill normally be constrained to a lim-ited location. In the case where thevideo studio is composed of severalbuildings or in a stadium, distancesare in the order of several hundredmeters. Fortunately, this means theEthernet/IP studio infrastructure canbe considered as a single bridged localarea network (LAN). This means thatthere are none of the complicationsimposed by operating on the WAN.

The studio system will impose se-vere real-time latency, jitter and man-agement requirements that will ex-clude certain types of network equip -

Externalfeeds

Newsjagencies

studiosOther etc.

Gate a

Et ernessw tch

Networkmanagement

Server and archive room

Encoders

ICJ I

nImage

congrmservers

News record room -

II

of

lot

..101

ment. In particular, routers and hubsare disallowed.

Routers have unacceptable timecharacteristics, particularly with re-spect to latency and jitter, comparedwith the production constraints. Thenew system will also exclude solu-tions exclusively handled by routersusing Multi -Protocol Label Switching(MPLS). Hubs and unmanaged bridg-es cannot be used because they do notallow bandwidth to be managed or la-tency and jitter to be controlled.

Current digital studios transmitstreaming video at 270Mb/s for SDand from 1.5Gb/s up to 3Gb/s for HD.This requires an Ethernet/IP networksupporting either GigE or 10GigElinks. Today's 10/100Mb/s links couldbe used for the exchange of IT andcontrol data, but they cannot be usedfor professional video.

A typical studio may use up to 30video cameras simultaneously. Such

editAdvancedstations

News editing rooms

Ethernewitch

News browse(feeds ingest)

]ro

NewsroomJournalist stations

News browse(VTR ingest)

Media transfer-Orem tape archive)

client

Mediaclient

Recordanual

station

Ethernetswitch

Recordstation

01

News editing rooms

News edit

EEEEEtherneswitch

Server andarchive

- room

Ethernesw tch

I SAN newsand editing server

111.-1-"1

Server and archive room Ethernets itch

177niCentral archive

Ethernet

required bandwidth cannot easilybe handled by a low-cost 1Gb/s net-work. However, a network consistingof the newest 10Gb/s or faster links(the IEEE 802.3 working group is de-veloping both 40Gb/s and 100Gb/supdates) will be able to carry all thevideo. Furthermore, existing high-performance Ethernet bridges canaggregate several links to create vir-tual interconnects at multiples of theindividual link rates.

The technical challengesManipulating broadcast -quality

signals over Ethernet/IP in real timeposes many technological challenges.These include the need to:

define and characterize a suitableEthernet/IP-based infrastructure forreal-time video production;

define an efficient synchronizationsystem to replace the conventionalgenlock signal (frequency and phase

11111.11_/ rArchive room

Ens= Ar Nviststations

I

Servers101

-

News studi /control room-

Automation server

Ethernetswitch

Audiopost production

Graphics

Post productionedit suite

Commentator andtranslator rooms

rMaster control

Ethernetswitch

Media transfer -Mem tape archive)

Auclient

Mediaclient

-NM

=1Ethernetswitch

On an

Traffic applicationTrafficSPIV.

Ethernetswitch

ITZ1 application

Figure 2. An example of an Ethernet/IP studio


synchronization) and introduce a so-lution to maintain time relationshipsbetween the video, audio and datastreams;

define a studio software manage-ment tool to ensure the necessary QoS(e.g. bandwidth, latency, jitter) over theEthernet/IP network via traffic admis-sion control and traffic prioritization;

define a security scheme suitable forthe valuable and sensitive sources ma-nipulated in the studio; and

define a studio configuration tool tosupport integration and administra-tion of the facilities video services.

Examine some solutionsNow that we've defined some of the

technical issues, let's look at several ofthe proposed solutions. An audio/vid-eo bridging (AVB) network is one thatimplements a specific subset of exist-ing layer 2 standards (such as IEEE802.3 Ethernet or IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi)

and IEEE 802.1 (bridging/manage-ment/security/interworking). In addi-tion, the solution will need to incorpo-rate other protocols being developedby the IEEE 802.1 AVB group.

It is important to remember thatan Ethernet bridge in IEEE 802 termsis frequently called a switch. Unfortu-


aged environments.There are four primary differences

between the proposed AVB architec-ture and existing 802 architectures.They include the areas of:

precise synchronization;traffic shaping for media streams;admission controls; and

Most switches are little more than store -

and -forward hubs without managementcapability. These have no place in a studio

or other place where QoS is important.

nately, most switches are little morethan store -and -forward hubs withoutmanagement capability. These haveno place in a studio or any other placewhere QoS is important. A bridge isa specific device that has some basicintelligence, allowing it to be used inboth plug -and -play and fully man-

identifying participating devices.Some of these issues represent sig-

nificant changes. Even so, they can allbe implemented using relatively smallextensions to the standard EthernetMedia Access Control (MAC) (definedin IEEE 802.3), Wi-Fi MAC (definedin IEEE 802.11) and bridges (defined

It's true. Kino Flo's telegenicParaBeam 400 studio fixturedelivers 3,000 Watts worth of

tungsten soft light on 2 Amps-with-out the heat and without compromis-ing your picture's color quality! TheParaBeam 's cool brilliance

a special parabolic reflector thatlight waves into projectiles.

As for image quality, the fixturedesigned True Match lamps that display pr.sional tungsten and daylight balanced illumination(CRI 95). A center mount lets you rotate betweehorizontal and vertical beam. Slide in your choiceof focusing louvers to spot the beam idown to __a90°, 60° or 45° pool of light.DMX, analog and manual con-trols can dim the light to black.Like all Kino Flos, the ParaBeamis flicker free and dead quiet.

If you think the ParaBeamlooks good on paper, wait 'tilyou see how it looks on video.

2840 North Hollywood Way Burbank CA 91505 818 767 6528 voice 818 767 7517 fax www.kinoflo.com

FEATUREETHERNET IN THE HD STUDIO

in IEEE 802.1Q). There is also newwork taking place in IEEE 1588 fornetwork timing specifications. Using aminimal change philosophy will allownon-AVB and AVB devices to seam-lessly communicate using standard

Device

PDevice

Streaming QoS onlyguaranteed in NV cloud

the destination device with the samerelative timing.

The protocol used for maintainingtiming synchronization is specified inIEEE 802.1AS and is based largely onIEEE 1588, which is currently used

NVdevice

NV cloud(defended network(

ANdevice

Peer device not

Legacyswitch

AN capableswitch

switch

accesspoint

NVdevice

Half duplexlink can'tdo AN

NVdevice

Devices outside of NV cloudstill communicate with all other

devices using legacy best effort DoS.

Ethernethub 1 AN

device

Fiftering/retagging

- Active legacy link

-AN link

NVdevice

Figure 3. Only AVB devices will be able to send/receive/relay the new timing -basedframes or services.

802 frames. Only AVB devices, howev-er, will be able to send/receive/relay thenew timing -based frames or services.(See Figure 3.)

A note on interactivity: The AVBsystem will support two classes ofmedia streams based on the latencyrequirements of two primary classesof applications:

2ms for low -latency applications(live musical performances and gam-ing); and

tens of milliseconds for less criti-cal applications where interactivity islimited to the kind of responsivenessneeded by a typical consumer -elec-tronic remote control.

Precise synchronizationAVB devices must periodically ex-

change timing information that willallow both ends of the link to syn-chronize precisely their time -of -dayclock. This precise synchronizationhas two purposes:

to allow synchronization of mul-tiple streams; and

to provide a common time base forsampling data streams at a source de-vice and then present those streams at

for industrial control, test and mea-surement applications.

Within this architecture, there is asingle device within the AVB cloudthat provides a master timing signalcalled the grand master clock. Allother devices synchronize their clockswith this master. Selection of thegrand master is frequently arbitrarybecause all AVB source devices aremaster -capable. However, this grandmaster clock can be overridden if thenetwork is used in a professional en-vironment that requires a house clock(audio) or genlock (video), or if the

timing hierarchy needs to be specifiedfor other reasons.

AVB devices begin by exchang-ing capability information duringlink establishment. If both devicesare capable of network synchroniza-tion, they will start to exchange clocksynchronization and configurationinformation. Ethernet bridges will actas a simple form of 1588 transparentclock This means they provide tim-ing correction information on syn-chronization packets they pass fromthe grand master clock to the otherdevices in the AVB cloud. In the AVBform of transparent clock, each porthas a slave/master attribute wherethe slave port is the one pointed to-ward the grand master, and the mas-ter ports point away from the grandmaster. (See Figure 4.)

There are some additional compli-cations of IEEE 802.1AS that only ap-ply for wireless or other shared -medialinks. These will not be discussed herebecause the packet loss statistics andadditional latency imposed by theselinks make them inappropriate foraudio or video studios.

Traffic shaping forAN streams

A key part of the proposed AVBarchitecture is the requirement forminimal lost packets. For Ethernet,this implies full duplex connections.This has been an option for Ethernetconnections since the mid -1990s andis already a requirement for gigabitlinks. This means that there are no

Devicegrai d master

NV bridges act as peer -to -peertransparent clocks repeating CM

the sync message and Device EIa correcting follow up

from the master to the ordinaryclocks in other devices.

CS

El PEIN

bridge®bridge

121A/V labridge

r7Clock master port

CM CM

EllF-7 Clock slave port Device Device

Figure 4. In the AVB form of transparent clock, each port has a slave/master attributewhere the slave port is the one pointed toward the grand master, and the masterports point away from the grand master.


Prioritytag

Traffic type (from IEEE 802.10-2005) AVB definition

1 Background

0 Best effort

2 Excellent effort

3 Critical applications

4 Video < 100ms latency and jitterAVB Class B: moderatelatency stream (tens of mil-liseconds latency)

5 Voice < 10ms latency and jitterAVB Class A: lowlatency stream(< 2ms latency)

6 Internetworking control

7 Networking control

Table 1. AVB redefines the 802.1Q default assignments to more specific trafficclasses. AVB technologies identify only two classes of applications mapped on twodistinct IEEE802.1Q priorities and leave the other unchanged. The empty cells inthe AVB definition column are identical to the IEEE 802.1Q traffic type definition,which is why the cells are empty.

frame collisions, and all mulitportdevices function as bridges.

The Ethernet bridge specificationalready defines how to forward framesdirectly to their destination without

flooding the network and how mul-tiple priorities can be handled. TheAVB architecture uses these routingand priority mechanisms in a specificway to provide A/V services.


A/V framesA/V frames are standard 802

frames with 802.1Q priority taggingand normal restrictions on formatand length. The unique elementsinclude the particular mapping ofpriority tags to a well-defined frame -forwarding behavior within bridges,and traffic shaping at endpoints andwithin bridges. In particular, AVBredefines the 802.1Q default assign-ments to more specific traffic classes.(See Table 1.)

Traffic shaping at thestream source

Endpoint devices must transmitframes for a particular stream evenly,based on the traffic class (AVB ClassA or AVB Class B) and the specificQoS parameters that were used whenthe stream was approved by the net-work. (See the section on admissioncontrols below.) The specific rules for

the new standardin multi -channel video

Configurable to 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, or 16 Channels

o Extra -rugged, All -metal Body with Set -screw

o Uncompressed HD -SDI or Component Video

50u Gold-plated and Stainless Contacts

3GHz Bandwidth

o Integrated Cord Grip

IN1IRNAIIONAI , INC

rE 41.,A0 45'4'

4-;


FEATUREETHERNET IN THE HD STUDIO

traffic shaping are described in theIEEE P802.1Qav specifications.

Bridge operationThe basic mechanism used for sin-

gle -link interactive media transportis carried over to bridges. Interactivemedia frames will be forwarded in thesame manner as best -effort traffic is inexisting 802.1Q bridges. In addition,they will be subjected to traffic -shap-ing rules based on traffic class and theallocation of bandwidth for the trafficclass on a particular egress port. Thiswill have the effect of smoothing thedelivery of interactive media framesthrough an AVB network.

The traffic -shaping rules for bridg-es also require that frames be dis-tributed evenly in time, but only ona class basis. This means that all thetraffic being transmitted out of a par-ticular port for either AVB Class A orClass B is distributed evenly in timeand measured using the QoS param-eters of that class.

This represents the accumulatedvalue of all the reservations for a par-ticular class, for the particular port,made by the admission control processdescribed below. The effect is that de-livery jitter accumulates slowly and lessthan linearly with hop count. It alsoreduces the size of the output queuesneeded at all network output ports,even if the network has many hops.

Non-AVB traffic, because it is notsubject to the admission control pro-cess, does not have reserved QoS andis subject to frame drops if resourcesare constrained.

Bridges are also required to do a ba-sic filtering function at ports that arenot connected to AVB devices. Theymust remap the priority field of anyreceived tagged frames so that theydo not collide with the priority valuesused for AVB Class A or AVB Class B.

Admission controlsEven though the preceding mecha-

nism can reliably deliver data with adeterministic low latency and low jit-ter, it will only do so if the networkresources are sufficient. This means

that port bandwidth and bridge buf-fer space must be available along theentire path from the talker to listener.In this architecture, it is both the talk-er's and the listener's responsibility toguarantee the path is available and toreserve the resources. The process todo this is specified by the P802.1QatStream Reservation Protocol (whichis further based on the P802.1ak Mul-tiple Registration Protocol). The pro-cess registers a stream and reservesthe resources required through theentire path taken by the stream.

Here is how it works: The listenersends a register frame to the networkwith the stream address (frequentlya group address). The intermediate

Once the talkerreceives a ready

frame, it canstart transmitting

the stream.

bridges create a forwarding databaseentry for the stream back toward thelistener and transmit the registration tothe other ports. If the bridge is alreadyrouting the stream, it can respond on itsown, acting as a proxy for the talker.

When the registration request reach-es the talker, it returns a reserve frametoward the listener, which includes re-sources available (or not), worst casedelay, QoS requirements (e.g. trafficclass, bandwidth in bytes/class in-terval and the maximum number ofpackets to be sent in a class interval),address information and stream iden-tification information.

An intermediate bridge receivinga "reserve, resources available" frameattempts to allocate bandwidth on theoutput port back toward the listener.If the resource allocation succeeds,the bridge sends a "reserve, resourcesavailable" frame back toward the lis-tener. (The bridge already has thecorrect entries in the forwarding da-tabase because it has already partici-pated in the upwards registration re-quest.) If the resource allocation fails,

the bridge sends a "reserve, resourcesnot available" frame.

An intermediate bridge receivinga "reserve, resources not available"frame will just pass the frame out toits other ports. When the listener re-ceives a reserve control frame, it willknow whether the resources are avail-able, and if so, that the resources havebeen reserved and the delay for thepath. It can then respond with a readyframe that is forwarded back towardthe talker.

Intermediate bridges use the readyframe to lock down the resourcesneeded by the stream and to make theappropriate entries in their forward-ing database. They allow the streamto be sent on the port that receivedthe ready frame.

Once the talker receives a readyframe, it can start transmitting thestream. Obviously, various time-outsand disconnects affect the process,but the basic ideas have already beenworked out. Additional listeners alsosend registration requests to the talker,but this time an intermediate bridgecan respond if it is already forwardingthe stream. The talker can take down astream by sending an unreserve mes-sage, and a listener can disconnect bysending a not ready message.

Other methods can be used totake down a connection and releasethe allocated resources. For example,the listener must periodically resendregistrations and ready messages, andtalkers must periodically resend re-serve messages. That way, any receiv-ing device (including intermediatebridges) could automatically releaseassigned resources and notify higherlayers if the appropriate registrationsand reservations were not received.

Identifying participatingdevices

Because the entire AVB QoSscheme depends on the participationof all devices between the talker andlistener, any network element thatdoes not (including so-called un-managed bridges) must be identifiedand flagged so that network edge fil-


tering and management schemes canbe applied. The identification methodused is a combination of 802.3 linkcapabilities, plus a small enhancementto the 802.1AB Logical Link Discov-ery Protocol and link delay measure-ments performed by IEEE 802.1AS.

Therefore, an Ethernet link peer isconsidered an AVB device if:

the link is capable of full duplex100Mb/s or greater;

the 802.1AB link layer discoveryprotocol packets are received on thelink with exactly one MAC sourceaddress;

the Link Layer Discovery ProtocolIEEE 802.1 AB (LLDP) packets includethe 802.1AS-capable and 802.1Qav-capable attributes; and

the round-trip delay is no more thana worst -case wire delay. This will becomputed from the IEEE 1588 PDelayexchange and should be no more thanapproximately 2ps.

Higher layer interfacesThe mechanisms described repre-

sent a network layer 2 toolkit to sup-port a streaming QoS. A useful systemrequires the addition of several higherlayer services.

This would include stream trans-port protocols for the data. We'll as-sume that most of the traffic will beIP-based, in particular RTP traffic.Even so, there are other transportprotocols in development, includingIEEE P1722 Audio/Video BridgingTransport Protocol, which is a simpleport of the IEC 61883 formats usedby IEEE 1394 FireWire.

Our network would also requirea mechanism for discovering thedevices in the network and theirstreaming capabilities. The systemalso needs to provide mappings be-tween the layer 2 mechanisms andexisting higher layer QoS services.For example, RSVP for standard

FEATUREINTHE HD STUDIO

RTF streams or the universal plug -and -play QoS mechanisms used bythe Digital Living Network Alliance(DLNA), a consortium of CE, com-puting and mobile device vendorsaiming to specify a wired and wire-less interoperable network for suchdevices in the home.

What's next?With this information as a foun-

dation, we're ready to examine howEthernet can be used to support theneeds of an HD studio. In a JuneBroadcast Engineering magazine ar-ticle, we will examine how the IEEE802 working groups are creatingspecifications that vendors can useto build a standards -based, high QoSHD production network. BE

Michael Johas Teener is a plumbingarchitect for Broadcom Corporation, andGael Mace is a member of Thomson'sCorporate Research.

Don't take a chance with your timingneeds. Trust the name broadcasters havecouited on for prec sion master clocksand timing -related products for over35 years-ESE. Our products accuratelysynchronize broadcast operations usinga choice of GFS, WWV, Modem, Crystalor line frequency fo- affordable, reliable,perfect time.

Visi7 www.ese-web.com to witnessworld -class timing systems that aredesigned for easy installation,set-up and operation.

142 Sierra StreetEl Segundo, CA 90245 USATel: ;310) 322-2136Fax: (310) 322-8127

www.ese-web.com

May 2008 broadcastengineering.com 79

What does the future hold?BY RFRRY FBRFN

you might get the impres-sion that there is a revolu-tion going on in the worldof cameras. However, SD

is still with us, HD is in its growingphase, and the Internet is not readyfor broadcast. In 2007, around halfof the cameras sold worldwide werestill SD.

Institutes like parliaments, high -end security and other audiovisualservices are buying broadcast camerasas well, which is keeping the marketfor SD alive.

The majority of broadcast cam-eras now are 1920 x 1080/50i/60i,have a 16:9 aspect ratio with HD -SDIand HD analog outputs, and can be

switched between popular formatsand ratios. As a kind of insurance,SDI and analog composite video out-puts are also provided. That meansusers can swap their SD cameras withan HD one without replacing theircomplete broadcast chain. This allowsbroadcasters to gradually upgradetheir studios to HD operation.


Effortlessly Cool 4VErsatilE and AffordablE AutomationGet ready for something really cool in broadcastautomation! Pro-Bel's Morpheus, the most advancedplayout automation on the market today, is nowavailable as a powerful standalone automation andmaster control system.

The Morpheus Integrated Content Engine (ICE) deliversin a single 3U frame video and audio clip playout,internal storage, a full -featured master control mixer,a graphics engine and of course the unrivalledexcellence of Morpheus Media Ball- secondaryevent management. It's ideal for both scheduledplayout and 'new media' content delivery.

But there's more! From a single standalone channel,Morpheus ICE can expand without limit and is fullycompatible with existing file formats and Morpheusinstallations. This allows it to be used both alone andas a building block for adding capability to largersystems, making ICE ideal as a no compromise entry-level automation system and for adding cost-effectivebackup, preview or regional opt -out management toexisting systems.

00 00 37 04

00,1]70.00 03 28 02

0014449544 V

011171

'01SUmon

0801 0414011

What. On 14. 144040474

0003030 08 4041 1012 C664

00001500

00000800

44.

4'e1131140,1Aktine,,12:4606

:

;;..;,.

S

00 18 0,3 02

0019 '30300:05:1.

0014:07.

oo 2143 1,,

.ED O.q,10.0PUN 04wror .rolls,

fn 470111

0601"44:4 "00:391..

"

00 47'10

OM 111 . 0

17HA. JAM C

mowosktA, V A.2.

wor5 .0144

011 :40. c3

0300100

00001003

11011041114

06441144

004110.40

4.014111

884 4:49535011011400

00011110

tosiNr70441164.16 *low.1111

WW1,

404

MORPH-EUS

Media Management

Control & MonitoringRouting

Router ControlModular Infrastructure

www.pro-bel.corn

Engineering The Broadcast Future

FEATUREBROADCAST CAMERA DEVELOPMENTS

Where are we going?We are moving from SD 720 x 576

to HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, andin a few years, the industry couldmove beyond HDTV. Japanese broad-caster NHK offers Ultra High Defini-tion Television (UHDTV) with 7680x 4320 resolution. In sports, there isa strong demand for high-speed, slowmotion in HD, and this will be ex-

pected from UHDTV.Another issue is 2-D or 3-D. At

IBC2007, 3-D displays were demon-strated, but for professional use only.There is the potential for growth here.

The film industry is exploringdigital acquisition. Digital cinema-tography cameras are used more asreplacements for 16mm and 35mmfilm cameras. The latest HDTV cam-

DualBurnCDR -882 DUAL DRIVE CO RECORDER

With genuine dual drive recording, the feature -packed newHHB CDR -882 DualBurn delivers twice the performance in the

most demanding live and studio CD record/replay applications. Andunlike consumer -derived technology, the CDR -882 is designed from the

ground up with a massive steel chassis, robust IDE CD -R drives and audiophilecircuitry to ensure uncompromised sound quality and long-term dependability.

mow+ DiscSpan seamless recording across 2 or more discs

DualBurn simultaneous recording on 2 discs High speed disc duplication

Industrial strength design and build quality Professional cueing and seamless track increments

CDR -882 DualBurn: The ultimate CD recorderFind out more at www.hhb.co.uk

erd0.0et 0 0 WO

i..1M/=1 MOM

j1111111.1.1111111.11.100.- -

HHB Communications Ltd T: +44 (0)20 8962 5000 E: [email protected]

LISA and Latin America, Sennhaser Electronic Corp. T. 860 434 9190 E. HHBSelesesennheiserusa.corn

Canada: HHB Communications Canada Ltd T: 416 867 9000 E: [email protected] MIFIRST WE LISTEN

eras are not only producing 1080i butalso progressive scan pictures.

Computers offer processing speedcombined with high -capacity memo-ries, which make them ideal to use inpost production. The idea that futurecameras will consist of a computerwith a lens and a memory stick is notvalid. The reliability of operating soft-ware seems to be acceptable for com-puting, but it is far away from what isacceptable in a live broadcast camera.

The developments of UHDTVand 3-D indicate that camera growthlooks to higher pixel counts, moreframes per second and higher bitrates. The existing architecture withCCD was introduced in the late 1980sand served broadcast's needs well.Over the years, problems such as lag,smear, fixed pattern noise and leakingpixels have been solved.

CCD technology is mature now,and it will be around for another fewyears. However, it is clear that anotherarchitecture should be in place in thatsame time frame. The time to marketfor a new type of sensor technology isaround five to eight years.

Camera applicationsWhatever the application for a cam-

era, is there revolution in the offing incamera technology? The best way tofind out is to check the unit's compo-nents. Start with the lens. Then checkthe optical input, and end with basestation or recorder as an electronicoutput. Here's a closer look at eachcomponent: Lenses. Since the turret of fixed fo-cal length lenses was replaced by thezoom, the evolution has been longerzoom ranges, digital interfacing andfocus assist. The revolution will startwhen more camera electronics are in-tegrated in the lens. This has alreadyhappened with black -and -white secu-rity and traffic control cameras. Cam-eras for these specific applications arereally lenses with a video output, muchlike a webcam.

Camera housing. Cameras haveevolved from a large body to a portable(with hip -pack and portable processing


3

rt

rt

rt

0

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

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

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

USA Eastern & Midwest (NY)Tel: +1 212-861-2758

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

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

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

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

Italy (Milan)Tel: +39 02-254-3635/6

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

China (Beijing)

..en.n ......KIMONO .......... ..... EWEN! -

111.100111111111111111:11.13 ........ CMS uuuuu 'MIMS

. n e n n

HVS-5000 Serie NEW

.. : . ...

2M/E Digital Video Switcher I .5M/E Digital Video Switches

HVS-3800HS/3800S

Portable Digital Video Switcher

HVS-600HS

HVS-1500HS

Portable Digital Video Switcher

1.5M/E \Ade° Production Switcher

VPS-715

INNOVATIONS IN VIDEOand AUDIO TECHNOLOGY

00003001200.osoo0111,000001.112 7, L,

111111111111101La. u s e3C. "MP.

men

MONINIMMIN

1 WE Digital Video Switcher

HVS-1000HS

Dual Lick Wier, Switcher

HVS-DualLink

GLIZlaticoonyaniscititi= -zonsanassummao= O6 13;

1 M/E Video Production Switcher

VPS-700/700RPS

FOR -A SWITCHER LINE-UPFOR -A's Video Switcher Line offers innovative features and an operator friendly interface. There

anticipate the needs of demanding users and meets them. Our innovations have been designed toprovide flexibility during fast live operations, including a portable compact main frame and a rangeof intelligent options including: quad display output, virtual studio compatibility, color correction,up/down-conversion and polygon -based, true 3D HD DVE among many others.

-Two members join the FOR -A Switcher family for NAB 2008. FOR -A now offers ten switchers and

we have one to meet your needs. -Imagination to Creation

2M/E - 4M/E Digital Video Switcher

HVS-5000 Series NEW

- Three models available; the HVS-5200 with 2M/E, the HVS-5300 with 3M/E,

and the HVS-5400 with 4M/E

- Mixed HD and SD signal input support

- The 3Gbps next -generation signal support

- Maximum of 96 inputs and 48 outputs

- 8 still stores standard and 16 still stores maximum

- Each M/E has 4 keyers, and each keyer includes DVE and chroma key

- 3D DVE with up to 8 channels

- Available options include color correctors, up/down/cross converters,

multi viewers, frame synchronizers, and external video memory

- Touch panel display unit also available

Compact 1 M/E Digital Video Switcher

HVS-650HS NEW

- Separate operation type of HVS-600HS

- HD/SD-SDI 4 inputs, 5 outputs standard

- Max. 8 FID/SD-SDI and 4 analog inputs

- Fully customized I/O configurations

- 2 Picture -in -Picture effects standard

- One DSK comes standard and one additional keyer is optional

- Optional analog component/DVI-I (PC)/composite I/O

- Optional up -conversion, frame sync card,

and polygon based 3D DVE


unit) to the shoulder -mounted camerawe know today. The weight has reducedfrom 25kg to less then 7kg. However,cameras are still front -heavy and rolloff your shoulder. There are two pos-sible solutions. One is a well -fitting andadjustable shoulder pad with balancingweights in the back of the camera. Asecond option is to create a small hand-

held camera. In the prosumer market,the HD handheld weighs around 6.51b.In the consumer market, HD palmtopsweigh about Ilb. Filters. In the past, a camera carriedneutral density filters plus a cap. To-day, it is common to include four-,five- and six -point stars in addition tomist filters. Apart from the matte -box

3 New Essential tools

pi"! .111

for Broadcast Studios and Post Production Facilities

® TetraVIO'

All in One Solutionfor Signal Conversionwith Universal Inputsand Outputs

® Broad ScanTMFamily

State of the art Computerto Video and HDTVconverters

COPEIMMENWIE

4.11i41.8ff 00'. : Still'

> Universal Converter (SD, HD,PC or customized formats)

> Analog / Digital In/Outs> High performance scaling with

HD de -interlacing> Audio de/embedder> Large range of connectors (BNC,

HD 15, DVI, mini DIN4, Cinch, RCA)

> Genlock output for SD/HD analogsignal

> True Broadcast analog or digital

genlock (ITU, SMPTE)

> Real time conversion and highperformance image processing

> Zoom up to 1000% and easyto use new zoom finder

> Audio embedder

> Computer Input formatmemory (up to 16 presets)

> SDI connections, HD formatdelivery or standard conversion

US, Canada, Latin America and the CaribbeanAnalog Way Inc. NEW YORKPhone: (212) 269 1902 Fax: (212) 269 1943Email: [email protected] more information. lease consult our web site. www anal a .can

Courtesy France 3 OF Paris

®Optimizer HDTM

Innovative SDTV/HDTVScaler based on Let It Wave'sbandlet transform technology

to.

> Converts any TV, HDTV or PCsignal into a digital TV, HDTV orhi-res PC format

> Genlock in SDTV or HDTV(model OHD888-AG)

> Real time motion adaptivede -interlacing, correction ofcompression artefact

> Audio embedder

ANALOG WAY

in front of the lens, cameras generallycarry two filter wheels between thelens and prism. Some cameras havememories on the video processingboard where you can store electroniceffect filter parameters. A revolutioncould be to move all effect filtering inthe camera on the RGB level, includ-ing the effect filters which are nor-mally carried out in the productionswitcher. There are no contours onthat level, so it will benefit the quality.A remote input controlled by the vi-sion mixer is needed. Beam-splitter. Since the mirror crosswas replaced by a three-way RGBprism block, only minor changes havebeen made to the beam-splitter design,mainly driven by quality issues. Thereis a move to use a single sensor witha Bayer filter. The disadvantage is theloss in sensitivity of two stops, which isnot acceptable for many applications. Imagers. Tubes have been replaced byCCDs, which in turn will be replacedby CMOS with system on chip (SoC).Camera video processing is integrated.Light is captured, and bits are comingout. The CMOS sensor chip with SoCcan be seen as a digital device. Theway to a single integrated circuit (IC)broadcast camera is open. Video processing. Nuvistors and tubeswere replaced by discrete transistors,and then by ICs, including ASICs,EPLDs and FPLAs. Processing haschanged from dedicated analog todigital with embedded software. Inte-gration with the sensor is on its way.The future could see the introductionof wide gamut color space like the newxvYCC color standard. Power. Power consumption on theCCD camera side grows to the extentthat batteries need to increase in sizeor live shorter. The maximum cablelength in an OB operation is decreas-ing. Digital processing consumesmore power, and the higher the clockrates, the more the current. The morepower, the more heat, the more fansand the more noise. Adding fill-inlight, displays, tallies and floor moni-toring does not help either. CMOSconsumes far less compared with a


Think about it.two inputsfour outputs700 hours ofstorage

The MAXX-2400 from 360 Systems.Only $29,995.

360 Systems' new MAXX-2400 deliversmore video server at a lower cost, thananything else in the industry. By far.

360 Systems' new MAXX-2400 lets you ingesttwo feeds at once, while playing two others.You can also play four programs at the sametime; and while all that's going on, ask it toexchange content with an FILE through itsfast Ethernet link.

Six Terabytes of RAID -6 internal storageprotects your content, and delivers over 700hours of cost-effective space. The MAXX-2400provides total redundancy on power andcooling as well, plus hot -swap power anddrives.

Take a closer look, and you'll find a fullcomplement of features that enhanceworkflow and content quality, like RemoteWorkstation software that lets you set upwork areas wherever you need them - foringest, trimming, playlisting or review.

But more important than features, theMAXX-2400 is all about quality and reliability.It's design is field -proven, with thousands ofImage Servers in service around the world.

Whether you're running a national network,a mid -market station, or a cable access channel- stop by our web site for the complete storyon the MAXX-2400. It's about the business ofbroadcasting - delivering quality, and helpingyou take more to the bottom line.

www.360systeins.com se] vei sip360systems.com Tel (818) 991-0360 . 31355 Agoura Road, Westlake Village CA 91361


CCD, and by integrating more videoprocessing, the power consumptionshould decrease further. Audio. Audio quality for camera au-dio channels has improved with themove to digital. The improvement issuch that it can be used for more thanjust ambient. The problem is the syn-chronization between video and audio.Digital video processing adds delay.

Factors

Architecture

Output

16:9 2.37:1 switching

Power consumption

Temperature range

Dynamic range

Highlight handling

Dark areas

Fixed -pattern noise

High-speed possibt fie`

Aliasing performanc

Resolution

Intercom and tally. The digital inter-com benefits from improved qualitywith digital processing, which is muchbetter than the old analog systems.As an example, a message box for thecamera person can be added. The tallyis triggered by the video mixer presetor program bus, but digital circuits cancause noticeable delay. Viewfinder. What was once a mono-

chrome CRT has evolved to a full -colorLCD. This revolution, however, is not forthe best. Focussing an HD picture is al-ready a problem with a black and whiteCRT; with an LCD, it is even worse. Thisarea is ripe for development Camera output. The camera outputhas evolved from multicore coppercable to triax with hybrid fiber thatprovides the bandwidth for HD sig-

CCD frame transfer CCD frame interline transfer CMOS SoC

Read-out field store

Analog

Native

High

Standard

600 percent

Adjustable in preamp

Good

Not visible

Well below operational needs

2X

Very good

Good

Standard

No

Read-out field store

Analog

In FPGA

High

Standard

600 percent

Adjustable in preamp

Good

Not visible

Well below operational needs

3X

Good

Good

Standard

Negligible

Line scanning

Digital, 2 x 12 bit fixed

In FPGA

Low

Standard

400 percent

Fixed on the chip

Noisy*

To be solved*

Could be better*

3X and higher

Good

Good

Standard

No

Table 1. Comparison of CCD and CMOS system on chip (SoC) for broadcast. *CMOS SoC has the possibility to host electronic circuitry,so a choice regarding what to do in the camera chain can be made so that the end result equals or outperforms the CCD.

think ahead.www.tril,thic.com

Switch your EAS system todigital in one EASy step.

With the new Visionary"' HD/SD Overlay System and theEASyCAST" Encoder/Decoder, Trilithic now offers a complete

broadcast version of its popular networked Emergency Alert System.

Think of the efficiency you'd gain with an IP-based system that offered digitalstorage, remote programming and automated compliance software, from the

company that provides consulting, applications, and technical support.

You can do that and a lot more with a seamless, networked EAS solutionfrom Trilithic- the digital Emergency Alert System experts.

TRILITHIC



nals plus a power supply to the head.Developments in this area must deliv-er a long cable length with wide band-width, but cost, reliability and fieldrepair are major issues. CCU/base station. The CCU/basestation has shrunk from a full -heightrack to 2RU for the latest cameras. Theability to fit more cameras in a givenspace has created a revolution in theOB world, enabling soccer coverage,for example, to expand from five cam-eras to the 24 cameras now expectedfor premier matches.

Outputs formats. Apart from the

Factors

Power consumption

Size

Weight

ErgonomicsEr=

standards used within the broadcastindustry like SDI, smaller camcorderscan include FireWire and HDMI, withEthernet starting to become a feature.

The coming camerarevolution

The leading edge is the architec-ture of the imager. Almost all broad-cast cameras use CCDs, but a feware already starting to use CMOSsensors. (See Table 1 on page 86 andTable 2 below.) Three CMOS sensorsmounted on or glued to an opticalbeam splitter divide the incoming

With CCD frame transfer

light into RGB video information.The standard lens mount is B4, andthe imagers are 2/3in.

The quality of the camera can nev-er be better than its imager. Param-eters like noise, sensitivity, resolution,dynamic range and aliasing mainlydepend on imager specifications.

A closer look at noiseand sensitivity

These are some signal-to-noiseratio (SNR) numbers, with camerasensitivity 20001ux at f8:

SD camera specifications are

With CCD frame interline transfer With CMOS SoC

High

Too big

Acceptable

Front -heavy

High

High

Too big

Acceptable

Front -heavy

High/medium

Low

Decreases

Decreases

Front -heavy

Low

Table 2. Camera -related factors

Introducing Marshall's new lineof Rackmountable Monitors featuring

Rear View

RS- 422 1485

Mr / OUT

info Commbooth* N6741

Industry's first full lineup of LCD rack mountable monitors with In -Monitor Display (iMD) ft. nctionality A variety of features including on -screen Video Time Code, Audio Presence Indicatc r, and 6 Frame Markers IMD functionality controlled through direct RotoMenur" adjustment or RS -422/485 ports Tri-color LED and on -screen "soft" tallies can be controlled through Contact Closure or RS -422/485 ports Integrates with existing Tally systems / UMD controllers Supports Image Video, NVISION, TSL, and MEI protocols

Marshall Electronics Fax830100:83033_0-06660888 LCDracks.com



Filter3-CCD

wheel

ADCTest sawtoothClamp Viewfinder select ViewfinderShading Viewfinder zebra DAC Analog composite

Analog RGB

HD -SDI

USB

8 -,10 -,12 -

or 14 -bit

BlacksGain

Knee

Matrix

Pixel correctionContourBlack stretchColor bar

tput

Gamma Auto white IEEE 1394Auto iris

Filter controlLens control

Figure 1. 3-CCD camera with separate video processing

62dB,with a 720 x 525 imager. HD camera specifications are 54dB,with a 1920 x 1080 imager. UHD camera specifications are ex-pected to be <45dB, with a 7680 x 4320imager.

The numbers mentioned above arespecification numbers and are use-ful as a comparison between cam-eras. Depending on gain, gamma andcontour settings, the numbers will belower.

An average 12 -bit SD camera un-der normal operational conditionswill be 52dB to 56dB, and a 14 -bitHD camera will be 50dB to 52dB. TheSNR in a UHD camera will be around45dB; noise created by the video pro-cessing will be far below the sensornoise floor.

Sensitivity is a trade-off betweenSNR and gain. The standard settingfor a three -chip, 2/3in broadcast cam-era is f8/20001ux/3200K. The SNR fora camera is 54dB in Y.

At HD (54dB) and UHD (45dB),

111

Filter3 x CMOS SoC

wheel

rocess

the SNRs are relatively low. co loseanother 12dB for Bayer filtering is notrealistic. One stop less sensitivity anda bigger sensor is an option, but thenwhat would you do with the installed2/3in B4 lenses?

Beam splittingA smaller -sized camera with less

weight and lower power consump-tion requires another concept in beamsplitting. The f1.4 prism, as widelyused in our industry, consumes toomuch space in the camera. On theother hand, a single chip with a Bayerfilter will cost sensitivity.

An example of a new beam splittingassembly is the organic optical layeredimager (OOLI). The visible light spanswavelengths from 400nm to 700nm,with blue at 470nm, green at 535nmand red at 610nm. The blue, green orred layer should be sensitive for itsspectral band and pass the rest. Sucha design cannot light sensitive metal,but probably will need to be an organ -

is material. The Foveon chip indicatesthe direction of such concepts.

ChecklistLook for the trends in CCD,

CMOS imagers, developments inHD and ultra HD, plus the specialisthigh-speed and slow-motion cam-eras. Make yourself a checklist:

Check the noise and contours inthe darks.

Test the colorless whites.Move the camera and look at the

dynamic behavior.Assess the ease of operation.Feel the body at the end of the day.Listen to the noise at the end of the

day.

Ask for specs, prices, delivery timeand where the service is located.

Make a comparison.If you want an undisturbed

close look, go to the stand of a lensmanufacturer.

If you are really interested, ask for ademo.

Test sawtoothClamp Viewfinder select ViewfinderShading Viewfinder zebra DAC Analog compositep.

Blacks Pixel correction Analog RGBFHA Gain Contour

OutputKneeMatrix

Black stretchColor bar

HD -SDI

USBGamma Auto white IEEE 1394Auto iris

Filter control4

8 -,10 -,12 -

or 14 -bit

Lens control

oc

Figure 2. 3-CMOS camera with partly integrated video processing


1=-1111 Viewfinder

Ratios

FormatsSensitivityGain

ShadingFlare

Pixel corr.Zoom

Iris

FocusFilters

Test saw.

Color barHistogramContourWhitesBlacksPaintingKnee

MatrixGammaAudio

Meal pr

Memory

DAC

Jutput

Figure 3. 1 OOLI camera with fully integrated video processing

Outlook for the futureCCD will be around for the coming

years. (See Figure 1.) CMOS probablyneeds the same process steps as CCD.It could mean that the price in the endwill be the same as CCD, but by thattime, it should outperform it.

The three -chip CMOS SoC cam-era has a promising architecture. (SeeFigure 2.) However, the imager needssome modifications. The integrationof camera electronics into the opticalchip would lower power consump-

ViewfinderAnalog compositeAnalog RGB

HD -SDI

USB

IEEE 1394

tion. High bit and frame rates arepossible so it is suited to SD, HD,UHD and high-speed cameras.

The single imager with a SoC cam-era using a Bayer filter has a problemwith sensitivity or noise, but never-theless a CMOS SoC could be a stepin between. The camera can be com-pact and suited to SD, HD, UHD anddigital cinematography.

The camera of the future will be alens with a small adapter. The adapterwill host a new sensor with fully inte-


grated camera electronics. (See Figure3.) A viewfinder will be either a partof the lens or a screen with optical ul-tra HDMI or wireless interface. Thelens and its adapter will be poweredlocally by battery, so the connectionwith the OB truck could be a single -mode, dual -window fiber carryingthe full video bit rates, controls, re-turns, audio and intercom.

Because no remote power is need-ed, the CCU or base station will be justan interface between the fiber and theconnectivity of the system. There's noneed for a hybrid fiber, and there areno cable length limitations other thenthe optical loss budget. Such a cam-era would be suitable for ENG, EFP,drama, sports and digital cinema. BE

Berry Ebben worked for Philips on theLEX 3 camera, was a member of theViper design team and senior productmanager for Thomson Grass Valleycameras, and now works as a consultanton broadcast, digital cinematography andconference systems.

Whether your production crew is centralized in one 'acility, roaming from floor tofloor or spread halfway across the globe, Clear-Com understands that communicationaccessibility is essential. At all times.To all locations. For all users.

Clear-Com expands your communication capabilities Nith intercom solutions:

Wireless beltpacks seamlessly integrated with digital matrix systems

Intuitive and robust user control panels, stations and software panels

Reliable communication network through fiber -networking,IP connectivity, wireless and system interfaces

ft'

Clear-Com ConcertIntercom Software System

Clear-Com Encore Party -line System

www.clearcom.comG2008, Vitec Group Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.G Clear -Corn, Clear -Cons Encore. Eclipse, Clear -Corn Concert and

CellCorn are registered trademarks of The Vltec Group plc.

Eclipse Digital Matrix System CellCom Digital Wireless

Clear-ComRAISING PLRFORMANCi,.


PSPrevious requests to update PSIP didn't incitebroadcasters to act. The FCC now demands it.BY CHRIS LENNON

program and System Informa-tion Protocol (PSIP) is noth-ing new. It includes informa-tion critical for viewers to

know what's on TV and to tune to digi-tal OTA programming in ATSC coun-tries. PSIP information is containedin many systems, and ProgrammingMetadata Communications Protocol(PMCP) was created to enable this datato be easily extracted from these systemsand provided to PSIP generators.

It is not news that PSIP is requiredby the FCC. However, in its Reportand Order of Dec. 31, 2007, the FCCseems to have put some teeth into itsregulations concerning PSIP.

Beginning May 29, 2008, terres-trial broadcast signals in the UnitedStates must include PSIP informa-tion that accurately reflects the con-tent being aired. This means eithersomeone must manually updateyour PSIP generator's event infor-mation table (EIT) data - basicallythe contents of the program grid thatappears on viewers' EPGs - or youmust implement a system that will dothis automatically.

A little historyBack on Sept. 7, 2004, the FCC is-

sued its first rule concerning accu-racy of PSIP data. It went into effect

4.11E11111141111-in early 2005, but many broadcastersdidn't follow the guideline. Thewording of the 2004 PSIP rule waswishy-washy and didn't come rightout and say, "Send accurate PSIP orelse!" It included weak wording, suchas "... correct program titles that caninform consumers about which pro-grams are planned to be broadcast"and "These EITs should be populat-ed with the correct information, sothat the user knows what programsare on ..."

It was like the FCC was saying, "Heyguys, we all know what you should bedoing, so why don't you just do it,and get your PSIP in line with what


BroadcastEngineeringSPECIALIZED TRAINING

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

Does your staff need training on the latest technology? Can't afford tosend them to expensive seminars? Broadcast Engineering's SpecializedTraining Corporate Subscriptions provide the solution!

Broadcast Engineering has assembled key and knowledgeableinstructors to prepare a catalog of video, broadcast, satellite, engineeringand operational courses for station and production staff. These coursesare designed to provide tutorial, non -product, training on the basics andintricacies of video, audio, and basic electron cs.

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

Our catalog has something for everyone. Some courses are designedfor newly -hired and less -trained employees. Other courses provide anengineer -level tutorial. There will he courses appropriate for any level of

training you may need!

BENEFITS OF A CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION: Provides low cost training. No travel, [lousily or overtime pay required.

Ensures a standard basic level of training for all employees. Provides a refresher course to current staff. Helps employees keep pace with the times and technology. Use the courses to prepare key staff for promotions to new duties.

Material is industry targeted and thus usecul in preparing forSBE certification (though not designed for any specific SBE certification test).

Authors are broadcast engineers, consultants and industry -specificexperts with more than 1 00 years of combined experience.

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

For a complete catalog of current courses, or more information onpurchasing your corporate subscription, please contact:Steven Bell at 913-967-7221 or [email protected].

Powered by

1st, OBOR TRAINING DOESN'TDIGI-AL COST, IT PAYS!

FEATUREVision

PSIP:THE FCC GETS SERIOUS (program Listingmanagement

system)Programschedule

service

you're broadcasting?" However, inthe absence of any "shall" or "must"provisions, or the threat of any conse-quences, the most common reactionwas no reaction at all.

So, the FCC played nice for a whileon PSIP. It assigned some fines forblatant violations (such as for thosesending out no PSIP at all), but byand large, the commission sat backand hoped the industry would sortout the PSIP issue by itself.

It's rare today to find PSIP datathat accurately reflects what a broad-caster is transmitting all the time.This is largely because most broad-casters simply import program list-ing information days prior to air andnever update it.

The new ruleThe FCC's December 2007 Report

and Order, as part of the third peri-odic review of the DTV transition,contained some interesting referencesto PSIP. Some of the key passages arecited below.

"This latest revision requires broad-casters to populate the EITs with ac-curate information about each eventand to update the EIT if more accurateinformation becomes available?'

"Also, broadcasters must accuratelyfill the contents of the fields and the

!Programschedule

OSi(traffic)

IBXF

Live update(dynamictraffic

interface)

PMCP

1PMCP

PSIPgenerator

PMCP

PSIPmanager(PMCP

interface

\00,31 jA121

ADC(automation)

INativeprotocol

Nexio(playoutdevices)

PSIPdata NetVX

(encoder/inserter)

Transportstream

Figure 1. Shown here is Harris' ONE approach to interoperability of PSIP-relatedsystems.The use of industry standards such as BXF and PMCP means any systemscompliant with these protocols fit into this workflow.

descriptors of each event descrip-tor loop with the known informa-tion about each event at the time theevent is created and shall update eachfield if more accurate informationbecomes available. The Commissionwill continue to monitor these issuesand act accordingly?'

"Finally, a couple of commentsnoted, in response to our inquiry

in the Third DTV Periodic ReviewNPRM, that PSIP information maynot be passed through to cable andsatellite subscribers. We will addresssuch program -related PSIP issues inour DTV Must Carry proceeding."

It's interesting to contrast this withFCC statements three years ago, as thenew rule uses stronger language, suchas "requires" and "shall," and promises

StreamScope

The FCC mandates that all broadcasts must switch over to digital on

FEB 17, 2009How do you ensure DTV service quality?Do you know if your service is FCC compliant?Can you troubleshoot DTV streams in an emergency?

Triveni Digital has the right solutions. With both basic and HBE RM-40monitors and the MT -40 analyzer, Triveni Digital's StreamScope'" isdesigned to make February 17, 2009 just another day on your calendar.

Visit www.trivenidigital.com/2009/compliant.asp for details onStreamScope and the FCC mandate.

triVerniDIGITAL=LG Elmironics Company


FEATUREPSIP:THE FCC GETS SERIOUS

111111D 3181AModular Receiver Decoder

that the FCC will "act accordingly" ifbroadcasters don't comply. (The fullR&O can be found at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publidattachmatch/FCC-07-228A1.pdf)

ConsequencesThe new rule implies that the FCC

will not hesitate to fine broadcasterswho continue to send out PSIP thatdoesn't accurately reflect what's on -air. The commission also plans toactively monitor PSIP information.If past history is a good indicator,fines could be in the neighborhoodof $3000 per violation. That is whatthe FCC charged a couple of years agowhen a group of stations were foundto not be transmitting any PSIP.

What about must -carry?One thing that has perhaps held

many broadcasters back from invest-ing in truly dynamic, accurate PSIPis the fact that most viewers receivetheir signal via cable or satellite. WithPSIP being an over -the -air standard,many thought that there were so fewviewers looking at it that it wasn't ofcritical importance.

The FCC will address this in theupcoming DTV must -carry proceed-ing. This seems to imply that we canexpect the FCC to include PSIP inmust -carry, requiring cable and sat-ellite providers to pass PSIP along toviewers. Suddenly, getting it right be-comes far more important for broad-casters, as the number of viewers ex-posed to inaccurate PSIP will growsignificantly if it's included in must -carry over cable and satellite.

How to comply?So, if you only have until the end

of May to get your PSIP accurate andkeep it so, what do you do? There aretwo clear options for broadcasters.

First, PSIP generators that are inuse at stations today all have somedegree of capability for an operatorto manually edit the PSIP data beingsent out. The master control operatorcould edit the upcoming PSIP eventswhen the next day's playlist is loaded

into the automation system, ensur-

ing that everything is in sync at that

point. Then, when things don't quitego according to plan and programsare added, skipped, changed or joinedin progress, the operator can makethose corresponding edits on thePSIP generator's GUI.

The second option is to automatethe updating of PSIP events. When theautomation system loads a new list ofevents, it can compare those with thelist of upcoming PSIP events knownto the PSIP generator and signal anydifferences using the ATSC's A/76BProgram Metadata CommunicationsProtocol (PMCP) to the PSIP genera-tor. The automation system can thencontinually monitor future events forany changes that will require an adjust-ment to PSIP, and if any such changesare detected, again, message those tothe PSIP generator using PMCP.

Taking the second, more auto-mated approach ensures that yourPSIP will be accurate, while keepingyour operator's attention on what'simportant - making sure that yourprogramming and commercials aregoing to air as intended.

Your automation system vendorcan recommend how to best provideaccurate PSIP for your workflow.

TimelinesThe NAB and MSTV have filed a

request for an extension of one yearuntil this new rule is enforced, allow-ing broadcasters the time they needto deploy automated PSIP solutions.Harris filed supporting comments,expressing support for the new PSIPrules, while at the same time, rein-forcing the NAB/MSTV view thatmore time is needed. Expecting all1600 -plus U.S. stations will havesuch solutions in place by the endof May of this year seems optimisticat best. How the FCC will react tothis and other comments remains tobe seen. For the latest updates, visitwww.broadcastengineering.com. BE

Chris Lennon is director of integration andstandards at Harris.

0 00 0000 0 0 0

THE ill RD 3181A PROVIDES you WITH:

VERSATILE IVIODULAR PLATFORM

Prevents Being Lockedin Today's Technology

Adapts to Your System

Simultaneous HD & SDDownconverted SD outputs

AFD ControlledDownconversion

DVB CI & Biss DecryptionOptions Available

Integrated Web -Server forEasy Remote Access

8 Configurable I/O Slots

'MEWWWW.SENCORE.COM

INNOVATIVE BROADCAST SOLUTIONSSINCE 1951

1-800-SENCORE

1111111:11 -DEFINITION

TERNIINAI. EQUIPNIENT

04.0%100

High Density Multi -FormatDecoder Solutions

10 Channel VSB intoDownconverted SD Out

AFD Controlled Down -Conversion

Fully Compatible with ALLOpenGear Components

Multiple I/O MPEG2/4HD & SD Decoding



1.800.736.2673


APPLIED TECHNOLOGYNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

Harris' CENTRIOThe multiviewer can streamline

operational costs and complexity.

In today's multichannel universe,it's not uncommon for satelliteand cable networks to monitordozens or even more than 100

channels. Many television stations aremerging the master station control fa-cilities of two or more affiliates - eachof which can broadcast several video,audio and Web -based services - inthe hopes of streamlining costs.

The total cost of dedicating a high-grade monitor to each of dozens ofsignals extends beyond the price tagfor the equipment. The more com-plex the installation, the greater thecosts related to systems integration,cabling, maintenance and electricityfor power and cooling.

In recent years, manufacturers haveintroduced multiviewers that enablemultiple signals to be displayed on asingle monitor. The next challenge:multichannel monitoring at large-scale broadcast facilities.

Monitoring and controlThe Harris CENTRIO multiv-

iewer unifies signal processing, signalmanagement, integrated monitoringtools, sophisticated alarm measuresand just -in -time technical assistance.It helps on -duty operators keep everychannel on track, within a single solu-tion and user interface.

Because the multiviewer is designedas a module that resides within theoutput section of any new or exist-ing Harris Platinum router frame, itcan use all the audio and video I/Os,format converters, distribution ampli-fiers, power supplies and redundancyalready built into the router. This in-tegrated architecture promotes a sim-plified operation that can reduce com-plexity in test and measurement gear,distribution amplifiers, cabling, andrack space.

BY MIKF GARRIDO

The Harris CENTRIO multiviewer combines high -quality graphical elementswith monitor and alarming capabilities, enabling quicker response times,preprogrammed reactions, and faster access to video and audio references.

Graphical displayThe multiviewer's built-in graph-

ics engine enables users to configuremultiple displays onto a single large -

screen monitor, across multiplemonitors or onto video walls - us-ing plasma, LCD, CRT, HDTV, DLPprojection systems, or virtually any

Screen layouts can be changed onthe fly, and hundreds of configurationsetups can be stored, allowing accessto all the layouts without the needfor an external computer. Users candecide to make the display of certainchannels prominent on the screen,such as a premium pay channel or

The multiviewer's built-in graphics engineenables users to configure multiple displaysonto a single large -screen monitor, across

multiple monitors or onto video walls.

type of display device. Screens canbe oriented horizontally or vertically,with a mix of 16:9 HD and 4:3 SDaspect ratios, and the multiviewercan auto detect the aspect ratios toensure information isn't lost if theratios change.

high -profile sporting event, whileothers can be kept smaller or scrolledacross the screen to view all sources.

Systems managementLeveraging the Platinum signal

routing capabilities, CENTRIO can



access all of the audio or video inputsin the router frame. The 5RU 72 x 64router supports up to two multiview-er boards. The 9RU 128 x 128 routersupports up to four multiviewers. The15RU 256 x 256 router supports upto eight multiviewers. And the 28RU512 x 512 router supports up to 16multiviewers.

With 16 multiviewer modules in-stalled, the 512 -input system candrive up to 32 independent DVI out-puts or 64 independent HD -SDI out-puts from one chassis. Because CEN-TRIO feeds the displays directly fromthe frame, there is no need for stand-alone distribution amplifiers to feedmultiple image processors that wouldsupply the monitors. As a result, in-stallation, maintenance and cablingare all greatly simplified.

Minimizing downtimeWhen a technical issue arises, the

multiviewer alerts the operator inseveral ways, including sounding analarm, giving the problematic picturea flashing red border, making it frontand center on the display, sending ane-mail, or any number of responses asdefined by the user in the multiview-er's Rules Designer.

The Rules Designer, with alarmscustomization and technical wiz-ards, prevents lost advertising andsubscription revenues from unde-tected failures. The user can definethe conditions under which theoperator should be alerted. Onealarm condition can also be usedto trigger several actions, therebysimplifying the communications pro-cess and providing greater flexibilityto the system.

Quality controlBecause the router has the ability

to take in embedded audio, as well as

discrete audio (not tied to video), themultiviewer can display this stereo orsurround -sound audio like any otherrouter input, along with a digital au-dio meter display, for quality controlmonitoring.

The multiviewer's built-in testand measurement tools don't requirededicated quality control monitors,and the results of signal analysis canbe displayed right on the screen.

While the primary target marketfor CENTRIO is the multichannelbroadcast facility, other applicationscan also benefit, including HD pro-duction trucks and digital signage.The technology can be employed atany venue that uses multichannel,multimedia displays for more effi-cient communications and greatervisual impact. BE

Mike Garrido is multiviewer productmanager for Harris BroadcastCommunications.

roadcast4neming

LIFETIMETELEVISION

)("ATING A DIGITAL *"FLthri r ors

ROWS UPECT1VE ANDFORMING

STEMSES AND

NOLOGV

Let Broadcast Engineering keep you up-to-date on thelatest industry news, technology developments, newproducts and services...and more.

Apply for your free subscription today. Log on tobroadcastengineering.com and click on "subscribe."

And...you can also sign up for any of the industry'sleading e -newsletters from Broadcast Engineering.

broadcastengineering.com BroadcastEngineering.

THE BNEEDS,M0The NEP family of cob

EIC's, EZis,& Drivers

Tech & Project Managers

Repairs 3t Maintenance Techs

Operations & Administration

Marketirg & Sales

For mcre information on PEP, please visit ourwebsite at www.nepinc.com. If you are interestedin appying, please send your resume tohr@n pmc com or call NEP's Human ResourcesDepartment at 800-444-C1354.

NEP 15 an Equal Opportunity Emplaier that offerscompetitive salaries. excellent benefits. trainingand development and a rewarding 7.areer

www.nepinc.com

ire nepGlobal Media Solutions



Live Earth and EVSCreating efficiencies saves time, money and the planet.

Live Earth was the brainchildof Kevin Wall, an executiveproducer of the Live 8 con-cert series in 2005, and for-

mer U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Theiridea was to bring together big namemusical acts, actors, artists and othercelebrities who care about global cli-mate change and broadcast their mes-sage to the world, raising awarenessand inspiring change on a global level.

The goalTo ensure worldwide access to all of

the footage, online streaming of LiveEarth was available at www.liveearth.msn.com the dayof the event, and VOD foot-age was posted on the MSNWeb site afterward. Thechallenge of the Live Earthevent was obvious: captur-ing, tracking, editing andformatting 24 hours of livefootage from 10 locationsaround the world quicklyand efficiently, while simultaneouslyproviding streaming video of all of theevents and preproduced material.

A separate tab on the Web site wasdedicated to each of the 10 concert lo-cations. Streaming public service an-nouncements and other informationabout climate change played beforeeach concert began.

The resulting workflow needed tobe able to manage a full online broad-cast service, including concert feedingest; manage delay feeds for differ-ent time zones; support preproducedfootage for playback online; allow forfast and easy post production, includ-ing easy creation of clips for VODpurposes; and convert file formats ofall material for seamless movementfrom source to Web server.

The workflowTo meet the needs of the workflow,

BY KATHERINE COX

six EVS six -channel SD XT[2] serverscontrolled by seven IPDirectors, alongwith three XFiles with MediaXchange,were used to ingest the two feeds fromeach location, as well as a world feed.Throughout the event, the system wasused to record on average 24 feedswith 12 playback channels.

Before each concert, preproducedmaterial was broadcast from the serv-ers through Incited Media's live en-coders and to the Web sites for each ofthe locations online at www.liveearth.msn.com so that no city's specific tabat the site was ever playing black. This

For the Live Earth Concert, seven IPDirectors were used tostreamline the clip -making process.

preproduced material included specialcontent for each city, with Live Earthshort films, information about globalwarming and tips on how to affectchange locally.

All preproduced content was de-livered to the site as DV QuickTimefiles. Using XFile and MediaXchange,the content was flipped from DV toIMX and loaded to the servers for cre-ating the custom preshow loops run-ning for each city.

After completion of each concert ata given location, the digital video serv-er was used to play a loop of that con-cert on the location's Web site until therights expired, at which point viewerscould view specific songs, artists, back-stage footage and celebrity interviewson -demand.

To create this on -demand footage,logging stations were used during theshow to create clips of each song or

speech, from Blue King Brown's firstsong to Gore's closing -night speech.Loggers also grabbed a frame fromeach clip to use as an icon for theclip's placement on the Web.

The servers recorded material usingthe IMX codec. Files that didn't needto be converted were sent directly tothe Rhozet encoding farm prior todelivery to MSN's Web server.

Efficiency createdGoing tapeless shortened the list

of required machines for this kind ofproject, making the workflow more

manageable than in previousyears. Fewer machines meantless required energy, froman electrical standpoint aswell as a human standpoint,freeing up time and energyfor the involved staff to useon other aspects of the show.Taking tapes out of the work-flow and requiring less elec-tricity reduced the amount

of waste that the project produced,which helped the engineers stay true tothe ideals of the Live Earth broadcast.

The XT[2] server provided reli-able and instantaneous ingest of eachfeed so that no footage was lost. Delayfeeds were easy to manage from timezone to time zone. The IPDirectorstreamlined the clip -making processand allowed loggers to snag a framefrom each clip without any problems.XFile and MediaXchange allowedproducers to convert files betweenformats easily and effortlessly.

Online hits topped 30 million streamsthe day of the event. At least 8 millionpeople tuned into the Live Earth Website to watch the live shows on the dayof the event, and millions of others areexpected to view the on -demand foot-age now that the concert is over. BE

Katherine Cox is sales and marketingassistant for EVS Broadcast Equipment.


Post your reel on reel-exchange.com(or, if you've posted -post again!)...

9:42 AM

Mary J. Blige

Work That

Growing Pains

exchange.com

You'll be registered to win this 16 -gig Apple iPhone!

Apple iPhonemsrp $499.00

Postings for this promotion take place between 4/14/08 and 6/30/08.For complete details, rules, and regulations, email: [email protected]

Reel-Exchange.com - our online community, where professional members post their reels to connect with potential collaborators, jobs and hiring opportunities.

For more information contact us at [email protected]. Register with promo code REX020. From Penton Media.

FIELD REPORTNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

FlipFactory and LaunchTheTelestream products allow Azteca America toautomate news workflow and streamline delivery.

Azteca America is the fast-est growing Hispanic net-work in the United States,providing programming

to 60 affiliates in major Hispanicmarkets across the country. Last year,we were asked to produce local newsfor some of the affiliates in Texas andNevada. We already had the produc-tion facilities at our NOC in Califor-nia. However, we needed a solution toquickly and efficiently move contentbetween locations for newsgatheringas well as news delivery back to the lo-cal stations.

The solutionImportant selection criteria includ-

ed the ability to automatically inte-grate with our news systems, provideimportant VC -1 and MPEG-2 formatsupport, and meet our tight deliverydeadlines. After looking at expensivesatellite and fiber solutions, we turnedto Telestream and local reseller KeyCode Media, who tailored an Inter-net delivery solution to meet our ex-act needs at a fraction of the cost. Wepurchased and deployed Telestream'sFlipFactory server -based workflowautomation application and multipleLaunch personal IP media deliverysoftware licenses to provide the work-flow solution we needed.

Local reporters now capture andedit news stories on laptops outfittedwith a wireless card, Avid editing soft-ware and Telestream media deliverysoftware. The laptop setup providesultimate flexibility in terms of be-ing able to send a reporter anywherethere is breaking news. Launch soft-ware allows us to submit all types ofnews pieces, including B -rolls, soundbites and full tracks. Material can besubmitted from any location that hasan Internet connection, and transmis-

BY MARCO A. RIVFRA

Cameraman/editor Jose Salvador Rico edits a local news story.

sion costs run about $50 per month.The editor simply exports a Quick-

Time reference file to the media de-livery folder. Launch automatically

transcodes news content to SMPTEVC -1 at 2Mb/s and transmits mediavia the Internet directly to a FlipFac-tory server at our NOC.

Avid technician Aldo Necco monitors incoming news feeds on the FlipFactoryserver at the Azteca America NOC.


FIELD REPORTNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

We use VC -1 encoding at 2Mb/sbecause we've found that this com-bination is the sweet point in termsof quality and the amount of time ittakes to send a news story. VC -1 isimportant because it provides full -resolution interlaced video, whichlooks very good on television. Below2Mb/s, the video breaks up. At 2Mb/s,a full two -minute news story takesabout 10 to 12 minutes to send to ourbroadcast server ready for air, makingit the perfect bit rate for news.

FlipFactory provides the glue be-tween the outside world and the in-side world at our NOC. Everythingthat is delivered to the station via theInternet automatically goes throughthe workflow automation server.Telestream's enterprise -class system iscompletely wide open and cross -plat-form, supporting automatic transcod-ing and file transfer between virtuallyany format and device. FlipFactoy is a

workhorse; we've never had to powerit down.

We use the same workflow auto-mation system to deliver materialout from our NOC. Once local newsstories are produced and ready to air,they are sent to FlipFactory for en-coding to MPEG-2 at 5Mb/s. Files areautomatically delivered to the affili-ates' FTP seriers for direct insertioninto the playnut server, ready to air.Higher -speed Internet lines are usedfor delivery -Jack to the affiliates toavoid bottlerecics. A 22 -minute pro-gram is delivered in just 16 minutes.

File -based delivery worksWe're doing things today that a few

years ago would only have been doneby the very large networks. Next -tiernetworks like Azteca America are nowtaking advantage of the same technol-ogies and workflows. We prefer file -based delivery over satellite or video

feeds because files carry metadata,making them ready for direct deliveryto our server system. Plus, files enablethe process to be completely automat-ed. Low-cost media delivery applica-tions enable independent videogra-phers and reporters to inexpensivelysubmit stcries to the networks - themajority of which already own Flip -Factory fo:- automated ingest.

Turnaround of news programs hasbeen quick and cost-effective. For theaffiliates, t saves money because thetechnology is here to centrally pro-duc the news stories. We provide allof fie same advantages as centralcast-ing. Why build multiple newsroomstoday when you only need one? AddInternet delivery, and you have a newsworkflow solution that is fast, reliableand inexcensive. BE

Marco A. Pivera is the chief technologyofficer at Azteca America.

NESN

41AileY

Look who's using

FELIVING 641 CLMN

powered by

ti OBORDIGITALobordigital.com

Wealhe,Channel

I iferimeNa:Dprks

Reallyomen

.401Mak

Why aren't you?

NEWSEUM

For physical asset management, think Zeus. They did.


TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSITIONNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

Production switchersToday's systems process lots of bits, real fast.

It is interesting to note that videoswitchers are not sold as digitalswitchers anymore. Today, it'sassumed that all switchers are

digital, but of course there are severalfactors driving that change in produc-tion technology.

The difference isthe software

Years ago, when Abekas was stillselling innovative digital produc-tion switchers, I commented onhow building complex digital sys-tem products must be expensive. AnAbekas executive admitted that, inreality, it was easier to build a digitalswitcher than an analog one. He saidthat the final test of a digital switcherwas a matter of burn -in to get rid ofinfant mortality and then a verifica-tion that the hardware worked. Theresult was a significant reduction inlabor cost, though perhaps an in-crease in R&D cost. Only a cursorysystem test was needed after eachboard was checked in a test jig, whichexercised all of the software.

Analog switchers required com-plex and detailed manual setup of amyriad of adjustments, but digitalswitchers either worked flawlesslyor they didn't. Or perhaps more ac-curately, the software worked repeat-edly, or it didn't.

My point is that digital switchersare just as complex as analogswitchers, but the adjustments to theoperation of the switcher are made atthe time the software is written andtested. There is no shortness of flaws,or bugs, in any software system.When parts of the system are writtenin DSP code, as is the case in mostmodern switchers, the manufacturermust test extensively for the qualityand technical accuracy of the com-putations done on a large amount ofdata, every second.

BY JOHN LUFF

Broadcast Pix's Slate HD switcher includes all the functions of a control room,including monitoring, CG and clip store. Its file -based architecture streamlinesworkflow.

Think about the amount of datathat must be processed. Let's say aswitcher has four sources on -screensimultaneously, and let's assume thatonly 40 percent of each picture con-tains active pixels on the compositedscreen at any one time (taking intoaccount keys and picture manipu-lations). The output picture would

tions per second. In reality, the num-ber of individual operations done isfar greater, with deserializing inputs,processing data in parallel and for-matting of the output stream eachrequiring many operations.

Of course, with the capabilities ofmodern processors, this should be apiece of cake. Put enough processing

Today, it's assumed that all switchersare digital, but of course there areseveral factors driving that change

in production technology.

contain less than 2Gb/s of contentand be made from input streamstotaling less than 5Gb/s. If each out-put pixel requires five calculationstotal, which is easily the case withlayered effects, the total calculationcapability of the system must be inthe neighborhood of 6 billion opera -

power in the loop, and you can jamalmost any number of inputs into aproduction switcher and perform anarbitrarily large number of calcu-lations needed to manipulate eachsource in the output stream of bits.

However, there is a fact that mustbe taken into account. Production


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

)41

t hometown crowd on their feet. The biggest fan isn't measured by proximity to the field.

4 field and 2 robotic cameras, a Vision 2 panelnosebleeds,a loaded.Ross - Give 'em what they came for.

4 ME MD/X chassis, and five welllaced 23' wide screens.

Fans in the front row to fans in the

OverDriveProduction Control System

VisionThe Vision MD/X is the most powerfulproduction switcher we make. Itcombines our modular control panel withthe powerful MD or MD/X live productionengine, providing up to 4 full MLEs withup to 4 down stream keyers. The VisionMD/X is a great choice for the mostdemanding newscasts, sports and specialevents with either HD or SD requirementsor a mix of both. With a Vision MD/Xyou'll know that whatever theproduction challenge, you'vegot it covered.

Ross Video designs, markets, manufactures, and supports a wide range of innovativeproducts for use in broadcast, distribution, live event and production applications. Rossproducts are found in over 100 countries and are used 24 hours a day, 365 days a yearto produce and distribute video and audio signals. www.rossvideo.com

openGearTerminal Equipment- - - -

SoftMetalVideo Server

HD/SD Production SwitcherdVision

ROSSI

Uue Production Technology-

TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSITIONNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

switchers are isochronous devices (i.e.real time), and the latency of the sys-tem must be constrained to low valuesto make practical use of live sources ina production. Most modern switchersprocess the full signal path in one vid-eo frame, about 33ms. One input or10 on the screen cannot change thislatency, or the system will not work ina real -world implementation.

In practical terms, this would notbe possible without specialized hard-ware processors. Each inputis deserialized in real timewith low latency, and eachprocess must equally bedone in a short time pe-riod. Manipulations thatchange the picture sizeor geometry, often out-board processes calleddigital video effects,are now inboard pro-cesses done some-times on boards withthat function alone.

Keys and otherpixel -level manipulations are donein DSP, operating at truly astoundingspeed. Even more amazing to me isthat many processes must happen ina series, stacking up calculations andshortening the available time periodto produce the final output pixels.

Supporting softwareBehind all of this must be two oth-

er supporting software systems. Onereal-time system moves the data fromprocessing element to processing ele-ment, and must do so with tight tol-erances, considering that each pixelis less than lns long. To provide areference, light moves about 8in pernanosecond.

The other software system canvirtually loaf in comparison, for itcontrols the operator interface andcoordinates communication betweenthe control panel and the processingengine(s). That system is fast enoughif it can reliably move commandsfrom the real-time control panel tothe processor fast enough to make acut happen on the next frame after

the button is pushed. The shortesttime period for this synchronizationof operator interface and processingpower is between lms and 16ms, dur-

FOR-A's VPS-715 GINGA 1.5M/E video production switcher enablesmultilayer, multi-DVE production. All inputs include a framesynchronizer that enables asynchronous input.

ing which time perhaps a million pix-els or more could be processed to theoutput of the switcher.

Today's capabilitiesThe best news is that this tech-

nology has been available for a gen-eration and has gotten steadily better.

small measure because digital inter-faces for HD signals weren't available.Current products offer HD or SD ca-pabilities, and more than one manu-facturer offers processing of (essen-tially) any input format, SD or HD, inthe same output stream.

I can clearly see a trend towardpicture format agnostic processing inproduction switchers. This capabil-ity comes quite naturally as a resultof the special purpose scaling en-

gines that are available in somany products today, fromHD/SD format converters toaspect ratio converters andup/downconverters. Scalingengines are modest costoptions in cameras, VTRs,frame synchronizers andother devices. Modularproducts occupying oneor two slots in a cardframe can now performscaling and format con-version that once tookmany boards in expen-

sive special purpose hardware.

The Holy GrailThe logical conclusion is that

product differentiation will lead toincreasingly flexible capacities inswitchers and long-term reductionsin cost. At some point in the future,

At some point in the future, the Holy Grailof a blade server, which performs the

functions of a production switcher, will beachieved, but for now, it seems out of reach.

One of the first all -digital productionswitchers, the Thomson Grass ValleyKadenza, was introduced 20 years ago.It required parallel digital connections(SMPTE 125M) but offered some in-novative approaches, such as eithera layer approach or a more conven-tional mix/effects orientation. Overthe past 20 years, the cost has comedown, and the capability has gone up.The Kadenza was 525/625 only, in no

the Holy Grail of a blade server, whichperforms the functions of a produc-tion switcher, will be achieved, but fornow, it seems out of reach for practi-cal and affordable baseband real-timeproduction switchers. BE

John Luff is a broadcast technologyconsultant.



BroadcastEngineering®WEBCAST SERIES

Broadcast Engineering is proud to introduce an

ongoing series of monthly webcasts covering key

technical and operational issues. In these one -

hour long events, attendees can learn while at

their desktops or home computers. A broadband

connection is all that's needed.

The topics are taught by experienced and trained

engineers, consultants, and operations managers.

The focus is on quick, solid and useful instruction.

These are not product demonstrations or promotions.

These webcasts will provide solid technical and

operational training for professionals. And, the

bonus is they are free!

Visitbroadcastengineeri ng.com/webi nar/pri nt

today to register!

BROADCAST ENGINEERING LIVE Project Management

COMING IN MAYIT for engineers

Presented by Al Kovalic

May 13, 2008 - 2:00 pm EST

As IT -based equipment becomesincreasingly common in broadcastand video equipment, engineers need a better under-standing of its underlying technology. Central to thatare networking and storage issues. Attend this webcastto learn more about how IT platforms can be leveragedfor improved performance for broadcast and high -qual-ity production environments. This course is taught by aworld -class author with years of broadcast and IT expe-rience. Don't miss this important learning experienceon IT. IP\Sponsored by:

Avocent

COMING IN JUNEAutomation for engineers: Part II:what to look for when buying

Presented by Sid GuelJune 10, 2008 - 2:00 pm EST

Many stations are starting to replacetheir original automation systems.While the options are many, how can an engineer knowwhat differences really count? This course is taught byan automation consultant. He will remove the front pan-els of automation technology so you can peer into theworking systems. Know what you're buying by attendingthis valuable lesson.

Sponsored by:

MNPI3 USo-3)

Innovate I Integrate I Deliver

NEW PRODUCTSNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

MAXX-2400 360 Systems

Archive system provides double fault -tol-erant RAID 6 protection of stored programmaterial; features more than 700 hours ofprogram storage at 12Mb/s; has two inputchannels with frame sync (bidirectional)and four outputs: two dedicated and twobidirectional; provides SDI and compositevideo on inputs and outputs; offers re-dundant power and cooling; includes DV,TARGA graphics, file trimming, advancedplaylisting and as -run logs.

818-735-8221; www.360systems.com

Express AbaltatSoundtrack composer provides videoeditors with the tools to compose and ar-range a soundtrack; leverages the inter-face, workflow and composition engine ofthe Muse software; enables user to drop aQuickTime file into the software, set theparameters for composition and quicklygenerate a soundtrack, which can be re-fined through adjustments of keyframeson the timeline; exports projects as .AIFF,.WAV or MIDI files.

+353 91 504 688; www.abaltat.com

MAGIC TH2 POTS AVT

Intercom system provides basic and ad-vanced functions for digital telephonehybrids; incorporates two POTS line in-terfaces; features analog and digital AES3audio interfaces with separate samplerate converters, front keypad, graphicaldisplay and configurable GPIO contacts;analyzes and displays calling numbers viaimplemented clip functionality.

+49 911 527 10; www.avt-nbg.de

HDLink Blackmagic Design Pixel Promo DJ Pixel Power

A full HDTV resolution monitoringconverter for DVI and HDMI monitors;includes the quality of 4:4:4 SDI video,lookup tables via USB and analog audiooutputs; connects SDI video directly toany supported DVI-D based LCD com-puter monitor for HDTV resolution videomonitoring; the new HDLink Pro modelintroduces 3Gb/s SDI for high -resolution2K film monitoring when connected to alarge 30in DVI display.

408-954-0500www.blackmagic-design.com

Zandar Predator II Harris

A highly scalable, auto -sensing systemfor control and monitoring applications;ideal for control rooms, production cen-ters or monitoring facilities that require aflexible architecture.

513-459-3400www.broadcast.harris.com

8VSB Cricket IneoQuest

Video -quality and service assurancetroubleshooting tool detects and de-codes 8VSB signals, providing remoteverification of the RF and MPEG trans-port stream layer, as well as the qualityverification and troubleshooting of thevideo and audio payload; tunes to anyUHF/VHF channel; supports SD/HDover SPTS and MPTS.

866-464-4636; www.ineoquest.com

VADIS Remote Source Assignment Klotz DigitalWorkflow module allows the studio console selection of remote router sources in thesame manner as local sources; provides the communication between a mixing consoleand central router; router sources are assigned to the console on a need -to -use basis.

678-966-9900; www.klotzdigital.com

OMaster CI1V

IP-based prompter is part of the QNxt product suite; uses IP architecture and com-prises a software application on the control PC, which communicates over an Ethernetlink with a highly compact QBox unit to scroll the script; enables operation of remoteprompters from a central location.

212-929-7755; www.qtv.com

Multichannel branding graphics genera-tor automatically imports data from thestation's traffic system and uses the graph-ics system to build promotional page se-quences based on predefined templates;manages an entire network of Claritygraphics devices to create an automated,multichannel branding solution; createsappropriate graphics sequences from pro-gram junctions and adjusts on the fly fortime requirements.

818-333-5055; www.pixelpower.com

SeriesONE Brightline

The family of energy -efficient lightingprovides high -quality performance andreliability in a format designed specifi-cally to work with a wide range of digitalcameras, including the latest HD models;available with one, two or four lamps;feature compact, 55W, advanced-phos-phor lamp formulations and a varietyof dimming -control options, includingphase, DMX and DALI, with linear dim-ming to 3 percent; fixtures come withhorizontal or vertical yokes and diverseracking options, allowing for varyingprofiles and beam patterns.

412-206-0106; www.brightlines.com

cineweb cinegy

C- _11,J

A 2.0 -enabled Web client that allows usersto remotely access their cinegy media ar-chive database securely from anywhere atanytime, using a standard PC or laptop, viaa regular Internet connection; enables us-ers to search, browse, select and rough edittheir content in Windows Media format.

202-742-2736; www.cinegy.com

7460 Ensemble Designs

Fail-safe protection switch for criticaldigital paths for broadcast or satellite ap-plications; supports SD -SDI, HD -SDIand DVB-ASI signals; detects TRS, black,silence and freeze for HD and SD signals;detects signal presence, program packets,PMT, PAT and PIDs for ASI signals; detec-tion specifics are user -programmable.

530-478-1830www.ensembledesigns.com



CCU-PR026 Clark Wire & Cable V -Series Desktop

Multicore camera cable connects a videocamera to its remote CCU through 26 -pinconnectors; features less attenuation onthe coaxial cables; offers 24AWG conduc-tors on the audio pairs to ensure maxi-mum signal transfer.

847-949-9944; www.clarkwire.com

2K/HD/SD PCI Express BlueFish444

Uncompressed SD/HD video cards forthe Windows XP, Mac OS X and Linuxoperating systems; used in broadcast andfeature film solutions for editing, anima-tion, compositing and digital intermedi-ate applications.

866-314-7785; www.bluefish444.com

Playback Crystal Vision

Replay device plays back 25 seconds ofHD or 150 seconds of SD video at a lowerprice than hard drive alternatives; usedwith a video switcher, constantly recordsuntil operator intervenes, making the last25 seconds of recorded HD video imme-diately available for replay; features in-dustry -standard software products on theboard to work the video switcher, with theswitcher working as the control panel.

978-262-0063; www.crystalvision.tv

Clear-Com

Desktop unit for the Eclipse Digital Matrixprovides advanced digital signal processingfor increased control over audio routingand mixing; the compact and contempo-rary design features gooseneck or headsetmicrophone and a large but low -profileloudspeaker and quick fingertip controlwith 12 lever keys, eight shift pages, up/down level control, and a keypad for tele-phone dialing and quick menu access.

510-337-6600; www.clearcom.com

MediaVault Digital Broadcast

Archive system features blue laser tech-nology that provides up to 50TB of mediastorage and a high-speed searchable indexbased on file metadata; allows archivedmaterial to be played at any access -grant-ed desktop computer.

352-377-8344: www.d igital bcast.com

Optilinx OLX-3000 Opticomm

Optical switching platform switches digi-tal signals up to 4.25Gb/s with any of its144 ports, all housed in a compact 4RUchassis; also available in a 288 -port ver-sion in an 8RU chassis; provides high-speed switching between ports with mini-mal effect on overall network latency.

800-867-8426; www.opticomm.com

700MHZ DR Filter Dielectric Communications

Stringent mask band pass filter provides a cost-effective solution for broadcasting inthe mobile media market; exhibits less than 0.6dB of integrated insertion loss over theband; provides up to an 800W power capacity in a rack -mountable, compact design.

800-341-9678; www.dielectric.com

Color Resolution Chart DSC Laboratories

Camera color resolution chart consists of a series of zone plates in different color com-binations and resolution gradations; the unique pattern is designed to challenge thecapabilities of the latest HD and digital cinema cameras and lenses.

905-673-3211; www.dsclabs.com

BT-LH1760 Panasonic

LCD production monitor uses a new In -Plane Switching panel with 1280 x 768 -pixel native resolution; features a 120Hzrefresh rate, enabling the monitor tohandle fast -motion content and minimiz-ing image blur; equipped with a built-inwaveform monitor and vectorscope thatdisplay all picture lines for signal levelmonitoring; features an array of input/outputs to support virtually any produc-tion task, such as DVI-D input and twoauto -switching HD-SDI/SDI inputs.

201-392-4127www.panasonic.com/broadcast

CarbonHD 1.2 Digital Rapids

New version of HD/SD DDR offers in-tegrated HD/SD format conversion;supports both uncompressed video andhardware -based JPEG2000 compressionin both lossless and lossy modes; integrat-ed software features a new streamlineduser interface for managing capture, cliptrimming, playlisting and playout.

905-946-9666

www.digital-rapids.com

MegaKeyMD Echolab

Clip player/mixer/keyer can serve as anetworked storage device for animatedgraphics and video clips; accepts both HDand SD inputs; features a two -channel in-ternal mixer and internal linear keyer tosupport playout of dynamic video clips;fully integrated with the company's Over-ture switcher series to support complexanimated transitions through the switch-ers' Stinger feature.

978-715-1020; www.echolab.com

VN -V686U JVC Professional

IP network camera features 36X opticalzoom lens, silent direct drive for fasterand more accurate PTZ functionality,full -frame, dual -stream JPEG/MPEG-4 at30fps, auto -tracking function that detectsand tracks a moving object, image stabi-lization, IR cut filter that provides highersensitivity and AC 24V power.

800-525-5308; www.jvc.com/pro



HD -SDI to HDMI Scaler Gefen

Scaler enables a direct connection be-tween SD and HD -SDI sources with em-bedded audio to an HDMI display; sup-ports both single- and dual -link modes;outputs HD resolutions to 1080p alongwith multichannel digital audio in theHDMI format; features an intuitive on-screen menu for an easy selection andretrieval of preferences, also availablethrough the RS -232 connection.

800-545-6900; www.gefen.com

iCap EEG

Ea LEI tltb

111,1 I.M9IMMIT.1,111tMt MIMIC MOM to% .1111111T IiNli110' DM.

11.0011 DUG

(,14.) Chat ==

Mel,/dual

Real-time IP caption link uses P connec-tions to improve audio quality, establish

pro-vide extensive monitoring services andcreate a framework for smooth captionoperations; completely compatible withpre-existing captioning software pack-ages; the system's flexibility allows it to berun on the same computer as those pack-ages, or on a separate computer connectedthrough a serial port.

516-293-7472; www.eegent.com

E -frame Elma Electronic

Open access test chassis can support up to21 slots at 0.8in or 17 slots at lin pitch;features front -accessible test points andmonitoring LEDs for all VME, VPX, VXSand cPCI voltages, including +3.3V,+/-5V, +/-12V, +/-24V and +/-48VDC;includes three 150CFM fans under thecard cage, a rear A/C power entry modulewith fuses and CND stud.

510-656-3400; www.elma.com

MetaMAX LA -5180 Linear Acoustic

Metadata frame sync generator acceptsexternal metadata via industry -standardRS -485 input or from the VANC space ofan applied HD -SDI signal; analyzes andregenerates this metadata to keep it con-sistent and error -free.

717-735-3611www.linearacoustic.com

Omega HD Fast Forward Video

DVR records either SD or HD video withhigh -quality JPEG2000 compression up to100Mb/s; the recorder allows users to si-multaneously record, play and store multi-ple SD and HD video files and create videoclips, loops and playlists using the simple -touch front -panel controls; ideal for manyapplications including graphics and keyfill, station automation, spot insertionand sports/instant replay; uses standardremovable SATA drives; offers accurateframe control via RS -422 or Ethernet us-ing standard control protocols.

800-755-8463; www.ffv.com

AS-2MD Eyeheight

Multidefinition audio shuffler simplifiesthe task of reassigning embedded audiochannels within an HD -SDI or SD -SDIfeed; a second input allows embeddedaudio to be extracted from one feed andadded to alternative video from another;enables audio breakaway of any source ifinstalled on an HD -SDI router; a previewoutput allows users to set up the systemwith live feeds before taking the configu-ration to air.

866-469-2729www.eyeheight.com

R-44 Edirol

A compact, four -channel, solid-state fieldrecorder; uses SD or large capacity SDHCcards as the storage media, enabling quietand reliable recording; weighs less than31b, including batteries; users can get upto four hours of recording time using fourNiMH or alkaline AA batteries; capturesup to four channels of uncompressed au-dio with selectable bit depths of 16 -bitor 24 -bit and sampling frequencies of44.1kHz/48kHz/88.2kHz/96kHz/192kHz(192kHz stereo mode only).

800-380-2580www.rolandsystemsgroup.com

PowerCon Neutrik USA

Locking three -conductor AC connectorsystem features contacts for line, neu-tral and pre -mating ground; is designedfor high -power distribution systemsand supplies for professional audio andlighting broadcast equipment; consistsof two connectors - a chassis recep-tacle and an inline cable connector withlocking mechanism.

732-901-9488; www.neutrik.com

EaX Evertz

Router accepts digital signals from 19.4(SMPTE 310M) through SDI, ASI, HD -SDI and up to 3Gb/s; sports a fully modu-lar, hot-swappable, redundant design,independent monitoring bus, SNMP in-terfacing, advanced system control andsource -by -source intelligent autoconfigu-ration; scalable to 576 x 576 in a single26RU frame; enables input and outputexpansion in steps of 18.

905-335-3573; www.evertz.com

DIVArchive 6.1 Front Porch Digital

New enhancements to content storagemanagement system include multipleparallel transcode support, rebuild dam-aged data tape functionality, DIVArchivecomponents running as services, StoragePlan Manager enhancements, LTO-4 tapedrive support, IBM TS3550 library sup-port, and partial restore of Harris LeitchAVI DV -25 and Matrox IMX50.

303-440-7930; www.fpdigital.com

CTT6800+ Harris

Compressed transport transceiveruses mezzanine -level JPEG2000 com-pression to transport baseband mediasignals over an ASI link carrying anMPEG-2 transport stream; allows usersto efficiently use available bandwidthfor transmitting broadcast -quality vid-eo, audio and data while maintainingpost -production quality levels; whencoupled with the IPA6800+ module, theCTT6800+ allows efficient transport ofHD signals over IP networks.

513-459-3400www.broadcast.harris.com



CapTC-50 Horita UHF RWED-516-U

HOMPA ClpTC

Multi -frame -rate time code reader allowsSMPTE time code to be captured and in-gested along with camera or other videoin Apple-, Avid- and Adobe -based videoediting systems incorporating an RS -422machine control I/O port; responds suchthat the editing system thinks it is con-trolling and reading time code from aVCR deck; the time code values from theCapTC-50 are then recorded along withthe video signal input into the editingsystem, adding a SMPTE time code timestamp to the recording.

949-489-0240; www.horita.com

SILVER Hybrid MC

Robotic camera head supports cameras upto 12kg for multiple applications; can beused with tripods, cranes or wall mounts;eliminates video and audio delay; avail-able in a range of configurations suitablefor simple robotic camera applications tohigh -end virtual set broadcasting.

+33 1 46 73 00 66www.hybrid-mc.com

MassStore Masstech

Asset management suite gives broadcast-ers the ability to centralize storage, movedata, distribute people and processes,and search for content across multiplebroadcast facilities; allows asymmetricalpropagation of assets between multipleMassStore systems; enables decentraliza-tion or centralization of storage shareddynamically among all facilities; offerssimplified asset searching of all locations,including tape libraries, nearline cache orvideo servers from a Web browser.

905-886-1833; www.masstech.com

4212 Image Video

Ethernet -enabled GPI I/O interface isdesigned for TSI-1000; provides a higherdensity with 48 I/O in 1RU and 80 I/O in2RU; features momentary output controlfor pulsed applications.

416-750-8872; www.imagevideo.com

Jampro VS-42HDMI Kramer Electronics

Four -port directional filter/combiningunit can be used either as a mask filteror as a constant impedance -combiningmodule for high -power UHF broadcast-ing; features the high isolation of tradi-tional constant impedance technologybut achieves elliptical response withoutexternal coupling mechanisms; filters aretemperature compensated for close -spacecombining applications.

916-383-1177; www.jampro.com

Sonarae The ISIS Group

Audio monitor allows the operator to lis-ten to the audio, without distortion andwithout changing it in the process; offersan input mode selector for up to eightAES/EBU data streams or 16 individualaudio channels, which allows the user toswitch from the main AES/EBU inputs toSTEM recorder preview inputs or to anexternal tone generator; features a set-up,learn and clear function, along with 5.1,6.1 and 7.1 surround sound stereo mixdown selectors; allows the operator tostore custom stereo mix -down formatsthat are available for recall at any time.

888-622-4747; www.isis-group.com

Matrix switcher offers signal optimizationand EDID data capabilities; compatiblewith all HDTV signal types; can route anyor all inputs to any or all outputs simul-taneously; supports HDCP; allows theoutput device to describe its capabilitiesto the HDMI source, providing the VS-42HDMI with key information about themonitors connected to the outputs; cap-tures the output device's ED ID informa-tion and stores it in nonvolatile memory.

888-215-6311; www.kramerus.com

ATE -1000 KTech Telecom

Signal automated test equipment generatesnecessary signals to test burst noise, signalcombiner, field ensemble data, 8-VSB withphase noise, single static echo, D/U cochan-nel interference, D/U adjacent -channel in-terference, taboo channel rejection, powermeasurement using spectrum analyzer and8-VSB RF dynamic range.

818-773-0333www.ktechtelecom.com

Ultimate 2575C ()Connor

Fluid head is designed for cameras upto 901b; features OConnor's stepless,smooth pan -and -tilt fluid drag specifi-cally designed for film -style shooting,as well as its sinusoidal counterbalancesystem for accurate balance at any pointin the tilt range; a collapsible counter-balance crank handle and numericalreadout are designed to make repeatablecounterbalance easy.

818-847-8666; www.ocon.com

Final Effects Complete 5.0 for After Effects Boris FX

Effects package update adds support for Adobe Creative Suite 3.0 After Effects runningon Apple's OS X Leopard and Windows Vista; offers a modernized workspace for opti-mal effects creation; features contextual tools and onscreen widgets that streamline theeffects workflow and multiprocessor acceleration that increases FEC performance by30 percent; includes more than 800 preset effects.

703-462-1640; www.borisfx.com

RFX-PMR-Il RF Central

Portable digital receiver is available in both SD and full HD configuration; designedfor easy and quick setup for ENG and field applications; weather -resistant for broad-casts during adverse climate conditions; accommodates FCC channel plans in conjunc-tion with the BAS Relocation Project; offers manual or preset channels with tuningin 0.25MHz steps; capable of receiving frequencies between 1.990GHz and 2.500GHz;when configured for HD, supports 1080i and 720p formats in addition to SD modes.

717-249-4900; www.rfcentral.com

May 2008 I broacfcastengineering.com 107

A PENTON MEDIA PUBLICATION

BroadcastEngineering,www.broadcastengineering.com

Editorial Director: Brad Dick, brad.dick©penton.com

Editor Work] Editiort David Austerbeny, editoexcedcastengineeringwond.ccm

Managing Editor. Susan Anderson, susan.andersonapenton.com

Assoc. Editor. Collin LaJoie, colfin.lajoiegpenton.com

Assoc. Editor. Angela Snell, angela.snell@pentoncom

Assoc. Editor. Spring Suptic, [email protected]

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

Ad Director. Robin Metheny, [email protected]

Technical Consultants: Computers & Networking - Brad Gilmer

Antennas/Radiation - Don Markley

Digital Video -Aldo Cugnini

Transmission Facilities - Donald L. Markley

Legal -Harry C. Martin

New Technology -John tuff

Industry Watcher-Anthony Gargano

New Media - Craig Birkmaier

Division VP/Group Publisher Jonathan Chalon, jcnathan.chalcitpenton.o3m

Marketing Dir.: Kirby Asplund, kirby.asplundapenton.com

Dir., Online Product Development Dean Muscio, dean.musc.i enton.com

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

Production Manager. Kathy Daniels, kathy.daniels©penton.com

Classified Ad Coord.: Sarah Maxey, [email protected]

Dir, Audience Marketing: Barbara Kummer, barbarekumrnerkenton.com

Group Show Director/1BL Sharon Webb. [email protected]

,

Rnton MediaPenton Media, Inc.

249 West 17th Street

New York, NY 10011

Chief Executive Officer. John French, [email protected]

Chief Revenue Officer. Darrell Denny, [email protected]

.BPAMEMBER ORGANIZATIONS --- 1111

Sustaining Member of:

* Society of Broadcast Engineers """."'*******^ P'"'°"*"*Member, American Business Media; Member, BPA International,

The Missouri Association of Publications

BE US/Canada SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation

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

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

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

2 years, $204.00, 3 years, $292.00 surface mail (1 year, 5193.00, 2 years,

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

BE World SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation to

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

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

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

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

airmail delivery).

ARCHIVES AND MICROFORM: This magazine is available for research

and retrieval of selected archived articles from leading electronic databases

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

microform availability, contact National Archive Publishing Company at

800-521-0600 or 734-761-4700, or search the Serials in Microform listings

at napubco.com.

REPRINTS: Contact Penton Reprints to purchase quality custom reprints or

e -prints of articles appearing in this publication at 1::-858.8851. Website:

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

PHOTOCOPIES: Authorisation to photocopy articles for intemal corporate,

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

Center (CCC) at 978-750-8400. Obtain further information at copyright.com.

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

statement about privacy and information dissemination practices related to

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

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

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

Copyright 2008, Penton Media, Inc All rights reserved.


Avalon Graphite Traveler K-Tek

Boom pole is constructed with light-weight, high -density carbon fiber; extends22in to 7ft 8in; features captive collettlocking system within collar; available un-wired or factory wired with a high -qualityinternal coiled cord and male XLR recep-tacle mounted in the base.

760-727-0593; www.mklemme.com

PS-RM-48V Telemetrics

Camera robotics power supply delivers250W/500W of power to operate multiple48V camera robotics devices, which caneffectively reduce the number of powersupplies required for complex camerarobotics configurations; is a rack -mountpower supply; delivers more power overconsiderably long distances; using thePS -PA -48V power adapter, up to threepan/tilt heads (and attached peripheraldevices) can be powered from a singlepower supply.

800-424-9626www.telemetricsinc.com

iTX Edit OmniBus Systems

Editing system is tailored to the demandsof news and sports applications, with anemphasis on speed and ease of use; elim-inates the need render the finished editbefore it can be taken to air, as the play-back engine can render the EDL in realtime, with vision and audio effects, stills,and captions.

303-237-4868; www.omnibus.tv

Maestro Orad Hi-Tec Systems

HD/SD 3-D character generator providesdynamic scene blending that allows thetriggering of multiple graphic scenes atthe same time; can take completely dif-ferent scenes that are independent fromone another and assemble them on thefly using a single playout channel; incor-porates real-time 2 -D/3 -D graphics andanimations along with multiple streamsof full-res video insertions and multiplevideo clip playbacks; supports commonlyused formats, such as AVI, QuickTime,DV, DV25 and MPEG.

201-332-3900; www.orad.tv

TeleSight MiraVid

Multi -image processor allows quality as-surance testing of up to 24 channels si-multaneously; displays all mission -criti-cal information, including multiple audiochannels, closed captioning, VChip rat-ings and Copy Guard data; customizableto check for audio silence/clipping, videofreezes/blacks and loss of signal; supportsHD/SD, NTSC/PAL, H.264, MPEG-4Part 2, MPEG-2 and MPEG-I.

905-927-7724; www.miravid.com

TP-RGB-1000 MultiDyneUTP Cat 5 link transports RGB/UXGAand stereo audio over more than 1000ftof UTP Cat 5, 5e and 6 cables; supportsUXGA resolutions of up to 1600 x 1200;includes automatic equalization and anti -skew technology; the anti -skew featurepermits video transmission over inexpen-sive data grade twisted pair cable; expen-sive non -skew cable is not required; thereceiver unit has a daisy -chain or repeateroption; one RGB/UXGA source can bedaisy -chained to multiple monitors.

800-4 -8378; www.multidyne.com

Warehouse Web Version 2.0 NETIA

Broadcast and display platform is de-signed for Manreo users; allows users tocentralize, share and view audio, image,and video archives, and then broadcastthem across multiple distribution chan-nels (Web portals, mobile devices, ADSL,etc.); uses the Representational StateTransfer (REST) architecture; includesXML Web services; offers up to four easy -to use interfaces.

888-207-2480; www.netia.com

UCP-L MITEQ

Uplink power control unit offers theEarth station operator/designer controlof the full L -band bandwith of 950MHz -2150MHz; the RF signal path uses internalbias tees and diplexers on the center con-ductor to provide both DC and 10MHzthrough path in the attenuator, allowingthe user to pass the 10MHz reference sig-nal and DC bias from a modem throughthe UPC -L out to a block upconverter.

631-436-7400; www.miteq.com


CLASSIFIEDS

Cmagnum-TSG

HD Test Signal Generator

air* 0 0-000.K Q

Multiple Signals & Multiple StandardsEngineer Version

20 SD and HD Standards 40 Test Signals including

Moving Zone Plate* Lip Sync Test Keyboard Entered (dents VITC Generator* Tri Level Sync Outputs Audio Tones'Specific to Engineer Version

Facilities Version

20 SD and HD Standards 8 Simultaneous Signals" Lip Sync Test Keyboard Entered !dents 4 Simultaneous Standards Tri Level Sync Outputs Audio Tones'Specific to Facilities Vernon

Shootview Limited, 87 Cadbury Road, Sunbury Middlesex TW16 7LSTel: +44 (0) 1932 782823 Fax: +44 (0) 1932 772824

Email: [email protected] Web: www.shootvieiv.com

TALLYMAPPERTM

Tally Routing & Mapping One Button Operation Store Maps Internally Edit From a PC/Laptop

A Compact Solution,Ideal for Mobile Units and

Multiple Production Setups.

Videoframe-Control System Solutions

Tel: 530-477-2000www.videoframesystems.com

DVED

MPEG-2 HDTransport Stream

Encoder

NCoder HDTM with IP Output

MPEG-2 4:2:2 or 4:2:0video compression

Low Latency: 100milliseconds

Input: HD -SDI Output: DVB-ASI and/or

IP (UDP/RTP) 1080i, 1080p, and 720p

858-613-1818www.dveo.comSystems PCI Cards Software

Business Services

Li LAWSONarchitects for the broadcast industry

301 654 1600 www.lawsonarch.com

For Sale

AcousticsFirstZ,Zre 888.765-2900

Full product line for sound controland noise elimination.Web: http://www.acousticsfirst.com

Help Wanted

NEP Broadcasting, thelargest remote tele-vision engineeringand facilities provider

in the world, is seeking Mobile UnitEngineers of all experience levelsto manage and monitor mobile unitbroadcast operations at remote sites,perform preventative maintenance,trouble -shoot, execute changes andengineering updates on the mobile unit.Degree, training, 3+ years experiencein broadcast technology, equipment,facilities, and production or anycombination considered. Maintenanceengineering background a plus. Pleasesend resume and salary history to NEPBroadcasting LLC, [email protected]. AnEqual Opportunity Employer. www.nepinc.com.

Chief EngineerPosition requires extensive experiencein maintaining & troubleshooting a widevariety of broadcast equipment. ThalesDigital and Analog transmitters, remotetranslators, microwave and studio equip-ment, Wolfcoach satellite truck, videoservers and IT infrastructure, 40 ft. videoproduction truck. Must exhibit an ad-vanced knowledge ofelectronics, digitaltechnology, networking, computer andnetwork security, station automation,RF systems as well as studio and remoteproduction. This position is part of thesenior management team. The individualmust be, diligent, dedicated and driven.Must have at least 10 years experience inthe maintenance and operation of broad-cast RF equipment. Trade school, mili-tary training or college degree preferred.Driver's license required, SBE certifica-tion or equivalent credentials desired.Send resume to [email protected] or fax:405 631-7367


CLASSIFIEDS

Help Wanted

-11bb,

TURNER./ STUDIOSTurner Studios, the state of the artHD television complex serving theproduction needs of the TurnerEntertainment Networks in Atlanta,Georgia, is seeking highly motivated,client service oriented Engineers tosupport our growing facility.

STUDIO ENGINEERS:Provide control room and studiotechnical support for live and tapednetwork television productions in afast -paced environment. This positionrequires troubleshooting of complextelevision systems, repair andmaintenance. Ability to make sounddecisions in rapidly changing situationsand solve technical problems priorto and during 'air'. Experience insupporting network level live sportsproductions desired.

EDITORIAL ENGINEERS:Responsible for technical supportof Final Cut & Avid Non -Linear EditSystems, Production Control Rooms,Tape Rooms and Studio equipmentas needed, including installation,upgrades, repair and maintenance.Provide hands-on support duringlive broadcast, studio event, post -production and advanced computergraphics activities.

EFFECTS ENGINEERS:Supporting high -end CGI, Design,Composite and on -air Graphicssystems. Multi -OS, IT and relatedapplication experience highly desired.

Oualifications:Successful candidates will be motivatedself-starters, detail and deadline -oriented team players, with stronginterpersonal, communication andcustomer -service skills. Minimum 3 -years industry experience with strongbackground in television productionand / or post -production engineering.Additional high-level experience,particularly in a large television orrelated organization is preferred.Advanced proficiency with computersystems, television engineering, andkey responsibility in previous largescale and/or critical project or roleis desired. Flexible work shifts arerequired.

Please send resumes [email protected].

For more inform-ation, please visit:http://www.turnerstudios.comTurner Broadcasting is an Equal

Opportunity Employer

Help Wanted

TROY UNIVERSITY is a comprehensivepublic institution serving more than28,000 students worldwide with its maincampus in Troy, AL; three other Ala-bama campuses in Dothan, Montgom-ery, and Phenix City; and its UniversityCollege division with locations in 16U.S. states, 12 foreign countries andone U.S. territory. Readers are invitedto consider Troy for their career move.The following new vacancies are nowavailable:

TROY: Broadcast Engineer

For all vacancy announcements andapplication requirements, visit our website at: wwwtroy.edu/humanresourcesTroy University is an AA/EEO employerand encourages applications fromindividuals with disabilities, females,African Americans and other minorities.

Director of Engineering &Technology

Position for small, energetic Public Tele-vision station. Coordinate technologi-cal support to ensure smooth functionof broadcast operations, productionsupport, and computer -based systems;lead our digital transition and theconvergence of television and the web.Create and manage budgets, superviseengineering personnel, write equipmentgrants, serve as part of senior leadershipteam.Qualifications: Several years' successfulexperience in broadcast engineering at alicensed commercial or public televisionbroadcast facility. Accredited training inelectrical engineering; SBE certificationat the level of Senior Broadcast Engineer;or equivalent combination of educationand experience. Direct experience withRF and microwave systems, studio andmaster control systems, automation sys-tems, non-linear edit systems, camerasand video tape recorders. Excellent com-munications, teamworldng, self -manage-ment, and people skills.Highly desirable: BS degree; experiencewith LAN and WAN architecture; suc-cessful supervisory experience; strongwriting skills.Competitive salary and benefits package,excellent quality of life in a small collegetown.Send resume with cover letter [email protected].

Broadcast Engineers

Innovative Technologies, based in Chan-tilly, VA, is seeking TV Broadcast Engineerswith Autocad and VidCAD experiencedesigning television and broadcast facili-ties. We are also seeking an Integration/Project Manager to manage the scheduleof various broadcast design and integra-tion projects.Please see our website (www.iti-corp.com)for more information or call Jennifer at703.322.9400, ext. 127 and send yourresume to [email protected].

Help Wanted

Television Network Engineer

Ion Media Networks is seeking anexperienced broadcast engineer in thenetwork operations center in Clearwa-ter, Fl. Duties include the maintenanceand troubleshooting of broadcastingsystems which include Harris Auto-mation, Omneon servers, and Avid

Dekocast and video editing systems. Aqualified applicant will also be able toassist in the design and constructionof new systems as directed by NOCEngineering. Strong organizationalskills are a must to handle system

integration with minimal supervision.Certification through the FCC or SBE

and 3+ years experience are preferred.Send resume to:

ION MEDIA NETWORKS, Inc.Ref: Position

601 Clearwater Park RdWest Palm Beach, Fl 33401

Fax: (561) 655-7343Email: [email protected]

VicePresident, DefiverySystems

Location: Tokyo, JapanStart Date: Immediate (New Position)Pay. Market Salary, Stock OptionsDescription:Partnered with News Corporation, GEO,Celestial Pictures, Star 'IV, the Govern-ment of France, and other leading globalmedia providers, The New Media Group(TNMG) is an IPTV and VOD contentdelivery company that owns, licenses, anddistributes video and music content viaa rapidly growing and proprietary IPTVnetwork TNMG will be the first companyin the world to launch a combined IPTVand Community Management Tool prod-uct. Its an exciting VC -backed companythat services many different customercommunities and has been called "Japan'smost innovative new media platform" bythe Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun.Responsibilities:Based in Japan, the Vice -President ofDelivery Systems will have responsibilitiesdeveloping amanaging the company's IPnetworking, content capture and deliveryinfrastructure.Candidate Profile:Ideal candidates will have 8+ years ofprofessional experience in networks andsystems engineering, deep knowledge ofservers and server architecture, IP andnetworking is required, and experiencewith IPTV and streaming technologies,Set -top boxes, and other related technol-ogy is highly desired. In short, this is aposition for the dedicated networking andIP technology engineering professional.

Visit wwwTheNewMediaGroup.netfor details.

Resumes and cover letters [email protected]

Transmission and Encoding MaintenanceEngineer located in Englewood, CO

This position will support the transmissionof STE program services on satellite and ter-restrial methods. Will provide daily hands-ontroubleshooting, monitoring, project planningand upgrade installations. Associate degreeor equivalent from a 2 year college or techni-cal school. Fax resumes to 720.852.5891 orapply on-line www.starz.com/careers.


AD INDEX

Page Advertiser WebsiteHotline Address

Broadcast Engineering is not responsiblefor errors in the Advertisers Index.

SALES OFFICES

ADC Telecommunications Inc

AJA Video

61

33

800-366-3891

800-251-4224

adc.com/dontcompromise

aja.comUS/CANADAWEST

Analog Way 84 212-269-1902 analogway.com George Watts 111Avid Technology 4, 5 800 -949 -AVID avid.com/newthinking (360) 546-0379; Fax: (360) 546-0388

Avitech 49 425-885-3863 avitechvideo.com [email protected]

Avocent 29 800-275-3500 avocent.com/broadcast

Azden Corp

Blackmagic Design

43

17

516-328-7500 azdencorp.com EASTblackmagic-design.com Josh Gordon

(718) 802-0488; Fax: (718) 522-4751Calrec Audio Ltd 65 +44(0)1422842159 calrec.com [email protected] Cable Inc 50 973-837-0070 canare.com

Clear -Corn Communication Systems 89 510-496-6600 clearcom.com MIDWESTCommunications Specialties Inc 73 631-273-0404 commspecial.com Emily KalmusCrispin Corporation 37 919-845-7744 crispincorp.com (312) 840-8473; Fax: (913) 514-6301

Dolby Laboratories Inc. 15 [email protected]

Ensemble Designs 71 530-478-1830 ensembledesigns.com

ESE 79 310-322-2136 ese-web.com INTERNATIONALEuphonix 47 650-855-0400 euphonix.com EUROPEEvertz Microsystems Ltd

Florical Systems Inc.

IBC

59

877-995-3700

352-372-8326

evertz.com Richard Woolley+44-1295-278-407

florical.com Fax: +44-1295-278-408For. A Corporation of America 83 714-894-3311 for-a.corn richa rdwool ley @ btclick.comFront Porch Digital 62 fpdigital.com

Gepco 77 800-966-0069 gepco.com IsraelHarris 3, BC 800-231-9673 broadcast.harris.com Asa TalbarHHB

Iconix Video Inc.

82

35

860-434-9190

800-783-1080

hhb.co.uk Talbar Media+972-3-5629565; Fax: +972-3-5629567

iconixvideo.com [email protected] Electronics 13 201-368-9171 ikegami.com

Kino Flo

Marshall Electronics Inc.75

87

818-767-6528

800-800-6608

kinoflo.com JAPANIcdracks.com Mashy Yoshikawa

Matrox Electronic Systems 21 800-361-4903 matrox.com/video Orient Echo, Inc.Miranda Technologies Inc 11 514-333-1772 miranda.com/kaleido +81-3-3235-5961; Fax: +81-3-3235-5852

NEP Inc 95 [email protected]

nepinc.com

NetworkNPG 60 800-515-0811 network-electronics.com

NVision Inc*NVision Inc

19

51-56800 -860 -HDTV

800 -860 -HDTV

nvision.tv CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGSusan Schaefer

nvision.tv/f2b (484) 478-0154OBOR Digital 99 407-352-6501 obordigital.com Fax: (484) 478-0179Omneon 23 866-861-5690 omneon.com/ [email protected]

mediagridperforms

Omnibus Systems Inc 67 omnibus.tv REPRINTSOpticomm

Otari Inc

45

18

858-450-0143

818-734-1785

emcore.com Penton Reprints

otari.com888-858-8851www.pentonreprints.com

Panasonic Broadcast 7 800-528-8601 panasonic.com/broadcast

PlayBox

Pro -Bel

25

81

404-424-9283 playbox.tv

pro-bel.comLIST RENTAL SERVICESMarie Briganti, Walter Karl

Riedel Communications 24 914-592-0220 riedel.net (845) 620-0700Ross Video Ltd 101 613-652-4886 rossvideo.com (845) 620-1885

Sencore 26, 42, 93 800-SENCORE sencore.com [email protected]

Studer USA 31 866-406-2349 studer.ch/hd

Sundance Digital 63 972-444-8442 sundancedigital.comTrilithic Inc 86 800-344-2412 trilithic.com Customer Service:Triveni Digital 92 trivenidigital.com/2009/

compliant.asp913-967-1707 or 800-441-0294

Utah Scientific 27 800-453-8782Broadcast Engineering, May 2008, Vol. 50, No. 5 (ISSN

utahscientific.com 0007-1994) s published monthly and mailed free to qualifiedVCI 69 512-837-3737 vcisolutions.com/ persons by Penton Media, Inc. 9800 Metcalf Ave., Overland

demo.html Park, KS 602-2216. Periodicals postage paid at Shawnee

Ward -Beck Systems Ltd 68 800-771-2556Mission, KS, and additional mailing offices. Canadian Postward-beck.comPublications Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Canada return

Wheatstone Corporation IFC 252-638-7000 wheatstone.com/ address: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON

tvconsoles.html NBC 662. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Broadcast

Wohler Technologies Inc 32 888 5 WOHLER wohler.com Engineering, P0. Box 2100, Skokie, IL 60076-7800 USA.

Yamaha Commercial Audio

360 Systems

9

85 818-991-0360

CORRESPONDENCE: Editorial and Advertising: 9800 Metcalf,yamahaca.com

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

360systems.com 913-967-1905. Advert. fax: 913-967-1904. © 2008 by Penton

*Denotes ad placement in only selected editions of this month's magazine. Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

May 2008) broadcastengineering.com 111

EOMDEPARTMENT

DTV transitionIn terms of educating consumers, how are we doing?

Regarding next February'sdeadline, it has frequentlybeen written that consum-er confusion abounds and

that how it may or may not affect thetypical TV household is a continuingenigma. For the average consumer,the alphabet/numerical soup of DTV,HDTV, 720p, 1080i and 1080p doesnot aid in helping consumers com-prehend what is happening.

DTV education is critical in pre-venting our own industry's versionof the Y2K scare. Well, the educa-tion has begun. We are now seeingfrequent PSAs about DTV, and somestations are discussing the DTV tran-sition as a part of their news maga-zines or daily shows. Other stationsare manning phone banks to answerconsumers' DTV questions. Broad-casters, who have the most to lose,seem to be doing an excellent job ofeducating consumers.

CouponsBroadcasters are just one element

of the DTV transition patchworkquilt. In January, I decided to walkdown the consumer path, apply formy DTV government subsidy cou-pons and see how I would fair. Theinitial course was not a rapid one, asit took almost three months for mycoupons to arrive in the mail. Butperhaps that is because in the firstfive weeks of the program, there werea surprising 4.3 million requests forcoupons. That would seem to make avery positive statement regarding thelevel of awareness on the part of theviewing public.

One benefit of the delay in mail-ing was that early on in the programthere were not many converter boxesin inventory, and several of the majorretail suppliers had not yet filled theirstore distribution channels. Becauseall coupons expire 90 days from date

BY ANTHONY R GARGANO

of issue, this delay in mailing was ac-tually helpful.

Now, back to my coupons. Myletter contained two credit card -type coupons, an explanatory letterwith a brief FAQ and a list contain-ing the names of 34 coupon -eligible

DTV educationis critical in

preventing our ownindustry's versionof the Y2K scare.

converter boxes. Also, convenientlyincluded was a list of eight nearbyretailers. IBM, the subcontractor thatwon the DTV coupon administrationcontract, has done an excellent jobwith this part of the program.

Next, the retail experienceIn the letter, my local recommend-

ed suppliers included Best Buy, Cir-cuit City, RadioShack and Wal-Mart.I was pleasantly surprised - no,make that downright shocked - athow knowledgeable and helpful eachof the clerks were at all four of theseretailers I visited.

Acting as unknowledgeable as I

could, I peppered each of the clerksI encountered with basic questions.Truthfully, I must admit to a precon-ceived bias toward expecting mostlyinane responses to my questions. Butthese folks were just great. Their re-sponses were both accurate and help-ful. One of them explained the gov-ernment subsidy coupon program tome and even offered to help me withthe application process. Another ex-plained that if I was only planning touse my old analog set connected tocable or satellite and not connectedto an antenna, I could save myselfthe cost of purchasing a converter

box. Wow! A retailer forgoing a sale?I was impressed!

The most common product offer-ing was a Zenith model that retailsfor $59.99. Lacking a sale or promo-tional price, with a $40 DTV couponin hand, that's only $20 out of pocket.From the perspective of a consumerwho doesn't want to or perhaps can-not afford to spend the money for anew DTV receiver, this transition isstill quite affordable.

The real story here is that these re-tail stores are where the rubber meetsthe road. It's only at retail stores thatconsumers actually get to speak faceto face with someone regarding theDTV transition. That person -to -per-son contact makes retailers the mostinfluential element in this entireprocess.

Other resourcesThe 888-DTV-2009 hotline is help-

ful if you don't mind the typical gameof telephone menu bingo. There maybe a path to talk to a real person, butif it is there, it's not readily apparent.The NAB's www.dtvanswers.com andthe NTIA's www.dtv2009.gov are bothinformative, but again there's -a lack ofinterpersonal touch.

So, how are we doing?Let's go back to my original ques-

tion: How are we doing? I thinkwe're doing pretty good. We're go-ing to wake up the day after the DTVswitch, and the lights will still be on- on those television screens. Broad-casters are responding. Federal agen-cies and our industry associations areresponding, but most of all, retailersare responding. We owe you one. BE

Anthony R. Gargano is a consultant andformer industry executive.



Clear-cut WinnersThe Best Multi -Viewers, the Best Control System and the Best Routers

US & International Sales905.335.3700

[email protected]

US West Coast Sales818.558.3910

[email protected]

Multi -Image DisplayThe Complete Control Room Solution

The industry's best image quality The industry's largest multi -image display system The industry's largest range of routers Any input on any display at any time

Ultimate ControlFor Multi -Viewers, Routers and Modular Equipment

The flagship of the Evertz' Advanced Control System Streamline your entire system interface

3G Routing SystemsHD/SD/3Gbps Multi -Format Routing Platforms

The EQX can handle up to 576X576 in a single frame

Ideal for mission -critical, demanding 24/7 environments

Processors / Monitoring & Control / Fiber / Maste Ian Not is B;.mding; I trim code / Dtslulsit lot S conversion / Multi I 01111.11Routing / Management Software

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

New York Sales Asia Pacific [email protected] [email protected]

Washington DC Sales703.330.8600

[email protected]

UK Sales011 44 118 935 [email protected]

Interoperable workflows. Integrated technologies. Innovative solutions.

Thinking about 1080p? We're ready when you are.

Whether you're outfitting a brand new broadcast facility or updating your current infrastructure,3 Gb/s provides an insurance policy for your future.

Only Harris offers a full line of interoperable, 3 Gb/s-ready solutions to future -proof yourinvestments. And many are software -keyed, so you only pay for 3 Gb/s when you need it.

NEO®, 6800+- and X75- signal processing and conversionPlatinum- and Panacea- routersVideotek® test and measurement

OPT0+- fiber optics NEXIO AMP- advanced media platform

Harris is ready for 1080p and 3 Gb/s ... are you?

Interoperability and integration lead to innovative solutions.Only from Harris.

NEW

3Gb/s

For more information visit Harris at www.broadcast.harris.com.

To contact a Harris representative call With America +1 800 231 9673 Caribbean and Latin America +1 786 437 1960

ONE Company. ONE Direction. The Future.

Harris is the ONE company delivering interoperable workflow solutions across the entire broadcast delivery chain with a single, integrated approach.

BUSINESS OPERATIONS MEDIA MANAGEMENT NEWSROOMS & EDITING CORE PROCESSING

CHANNEL RELEASE MEDIA TRANSPORT I vrlYVLISSION

RR/S° assuredcommunications° www.harris.comBroadcast Communications Defense Communications and Electronics Government Communications Systems Harris Stratex Networks

broadcastenointeringe - world radio history

Documents