L-S-B to Show Optimised and Simplified Workflows

At IBC 2013 L-S-B will present its innovative VSM broadcast control and monitoring system at a new location (Hall 8 Stand B31) and with a new stand design. The VSM system is a sophisticated and dependable control and monitoring system relied upon by many broadcasters across the world.

On a new look stand, visitors will be able to experience at first hand the versatility and flexibility of VSM with complete broadcast workflow examples on show including MCR, studio, live and remote production. L-S-B will also present a brand new range of hardware options for the VSM system including a newly designed panel range and ‘Smarthub’ device.

Much of the VSM system’s versatility derives from its independence from 3rd party equipment manufacturers and IP-based functionality.  This enables it to be incorporated easily into new or existing installations of varying production and broadcasting applications.

For the mission critical Master Control Room application, VSM offers a reliable and flexible range of control and monitoring possibilities. Ultimate dependability is ensured through VSMs strong redundancy concept. The heart of this is a sophisticated server clustering logic which allows up to 16 servers to be interconnected to form a single server cluster. At IBC a VSM system will operate with a cluster consisting of 2 servers.

L-S-B will showcase through practical examples VSM’s unique ‘Pooling’ functionality. ‘Pooling’ simplifies and streamlines signal management in the MCR environment. It involves signals being allocated to a pool of available devices by means of automatic signal management. Glue equipment such as frame synchronisers or format converters can be dynamically inserted into a signal path simply based on the signal format of the source and destination. In addition, if one of the critical glue devices should fail, the signals are automatically re-routed through other available devices in the pool and the defective device will be marked and excluded from this automated process.

By means of SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) VSM enables all equipment to be monitored; the system is able to read a wide range of parameters and alarms and display them in a freely configurable manner either on hardware panels or custom designed software user interfaces. As an IP-based system, VSM has the possibility to integrate IP-streams directly into freely configurable software GUIs for signal monitoring and control purposes.

L-S-B will also highlight at IBC its flexibility and benefits with respect to studio and live production applications. Visitors to the stand will be able to see a full integration of many different 3rd party devices which will be used to showcase how VSM can maximise the use of available resources of a multiple studio cluster.

This efficiency in resource deployment is provided by VSM’s ‘Boxing’ function which enables complete studio environments to be configured as virtual setups, stored and then dynamically recalled to any available environment. Ultimately, this packaging of resources in virtual environments means that complete productions with real-time settings can be transported from one studio to the next, all with the single press of a button!

The advantages of using VSM to support ‘remote production’ will be highlighted on a third area of the L-S-B stand. VSM’s IP-based structure and 3rd party equipment integration means smaller production teams located remotely can have the needed control and logic possibilities to support the production process in a familiar and safe manner. This makes remote production a reality that saves costs of travel, transporting equipment and local accommodation of a large production team.

On display at L-S-B’s stand will also be the new product range of VSM hardware panels. These have been completely redesigned in all aspects. New to the L-S-B panel family is the PBP 44 hardware button panel. Designed as a more cost effective solution, the PBP 44 provides full control of routing, logic and parameters in a single 1U 44 push-button panel device. The new ‘SmartHub’ is the compact VSM solution for seamlessly integrating the widest possible range of serial devices from third party manufacturers into a system.

About the VSM System
The VSM (Virtual Studio Manager) is a sophisticated and flexible, IP-based broadcast control and monitoring system that integrates the control of all equipment in the field of TV and radio production in one system. For people involved in production and technical planning this provides incomparable benefits in terms of an advanced workflow and simplifies operation during productions.

The VSM system works on a TCP/IP backbone and offers maximum interoperability through the implementation of a large number of manufacturer independent protocols. VSM is focussed 100% on ensuring optimum integration in existing, new and future systems through interoperability with all conceivable broadcast equipment and wherever possible communication by means of native protocols. The VSM controls all major brands and models of video and audio routers, video and audio mixers, intercom, under monitor display (UMD) and multi-viewers, glue equipment and other third party devices.

In particular VSM is able to control the complete Tally and Labelling requirements of a system without any additional equipment. Thanks to its ability to control all these components customers are free to decide on the best and most up-to-date hardware technology and at the same time to use the VSM system as the single control system for all the hardware – in one single user interface with the possibility of managing an unlimited number of users. Each user is able to adapt his / her own graphical interface individually so that it meets his or her own technical operational requirements.

L-S-B Broadcast Technologies GmbH, Wiesbaden (Germany), is the leading manufacturer of control systems for radio and television production. The company’s core product is the IP-based Virtual Studio Manager (VSM), a universal control system. As a single-source solution, VSM works independently of any single manufacturer and thus represents a flexible and powerful answer to technical challenges in the fields of production and broadcasting.
Founded in 2003, L-S-B Broadcast Technologies can draw on an excellent worldwide sales network. A staff of 35 at Head Office in Wiesbaden is responsible for management, project implementation, services and software and hardware development.