Newsletter from 12/06/2018
2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Starts in Two Days
On 14 June, just a few moments before Russia and Saudi Arabia kick off the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, three international stars will thrill the fans in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. Global music icon Robbie Williams will entertain the stadium crowd and the millions watching around the world, with celebrated Russian soprano Aida Garifullina joining him during the musical extravaganza. The football glory that all players will be hoping to achieve on Russian soil will be represented by Brazil’s two-time FIFA World Cup champion Ronaldo.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will have a slightly different format compared to previous editions of the tournament. This time, the ceremony will focus on musical acts and will take place much closer to kick-off, just half an hour before the start of the match, which is scheduled for 18:00 (local time). One thing will remain the same, however: the underlying theme of celebrating not only football but also the host country, this time with a touching performance by one of Russia’s most acclaimed young voices, Aida Garifullina.
And then the focus is on football: very four years the FIFA World Cup showcases the skill and talent of the world’s best players, but it is more than just a football tournament: It is the aspiration of FIFA TV to deliver a world class TV production. This year all 64 matches will be produced on the basis of a 34-camera plan with increased coverage, content and features in HD 1080p, in UHD and 4K HDR. In addition to a wide range of multi-media services that will complement and enhance the broadcast of the FIFA World Cup we will see the premier of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system at this year’s World Cup.
The Production Equipment for the FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia™
advertisement
MOBILE PRODUCTION
NEP Ireland Standardises OB Trucks with Calrec
NEP Ireland is also taking advantage of Calrec’s sophisticated Hydra2 networking capabilities, which connect all the OB units seamlessly. Poster highlighted the fact that with the Hydra2 infrastructure, NEP has the ability to send audio signals over long distances using fibre optic cable and share those signals between each mobile truck. This reduces setup time and the amount of temporary infrastructure that NEP needs to install within venues. Projects that NEP has used the Artemis for include Ireland’s Got Talent and the recent Bilbao Finals 2018 organised by European Professional Club Rugby.
advertisement
TVC delivers OB trucks to Lithuanian National Radio and Television
For the recording servers and slow motion EVS’ XT3 server was opted based on its HD capabilities and full compatibility with the Sony cameras, as well as its renowned performance and reliability. In the LRT van, the XT3 server configured in a 8-channel SD/HD and 1080p configuration compatible with super motion configuration. With its flexible eight-channel configuration, the XT3 enables complete media control from ingest to playout, including live editing, slow motion replays, multi-channel playback and transfer to third-party systems such as craft editors, automation, archiving and storage.
advertisement
PURE LIVE 2018
Scheduled for August 2018 prior to IBC PURE LIVE 2018 again will feature 20 OB Trucks from all avross the world: Australia, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Sweden, SApain and Taiwan. In addition we have Reviews to the FIFA World Cup in Russia, the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, a closer look to NEP Australia's Andrews hubs, as well as to Sky Q in Germany and the remote production initiatives of the BBC. Other stories will be announced closer to publication. In the meantime please have a look zo our PURE LIVE 2014/2015/2016/2017 magazine which you can download free of cost.
advertisement
SPORT EVENTS
The Production Equipment for the FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia™
The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia will be HBS’ fifth FIFA World Cup™ as Host Broadcaster. The FIFA World Cup in 2018 will be the biggest event to use one single production to create both UHD and HD content. Utilizing the advantages offered by Sony’s SR Live (Slog3) production techniques this event will see over 370 Sony cameras, 29 XVS switchers and over 1000 monitors used to deliver both UHD HDR and HD SDR options to broadcasters across the world as part of the FIFA TV production delivered by Host Broadcast Services (HBS).
Giro d’ Italia 2018 - The Big Start in Israel
The first Grand Tour of the year kicked off on 4th May 2018, with the Giro d’ Italia spanning three weeks until 27th May. The cycling action was broadcasted live on Discovery’s Eurosport channels, with Belgian facility provider Videohouse – member of the Euro Media Group covering these thrilling 3 starting stages. It’s the first time ever that a Grand Tour has started outside of Europe and it’s the 13th time that the Giro d’ Italia starts outside of Italy. Also, it was the first time ever that Israel hosted such big international live event using a vast number of RF spectrum to be used for communication, data and TV motorbikes and ACS helicopters.
Robe Double Challenge at Mountain Bike World Cup
The third of six UCI MTB XCO World Cup races, this three day Nove Mesto event has been hailed as the most successful World Cup racing staged in Nove Mesto over the last five years, drawing record daily crowds of over 20,000 which created a fantastic atmosphere electric with excitement and adrenaline … a perfect backdrop to some truly memorable cycling. Hundreds of top international riders rocked up in the beautiful Moravian town to compete in a series of track and cross country races spanning five World Cup categories.
Two in a row for Australia’s Hall with win in Chiba
Crowds of 70,000 people packed Makuhari Beach over the weekend to see their hero Muroya race at home for the first time since winning the World Championship in 2017, but their delight turned to dismay. Charging for a third home win, the Japanese pilot exceeded maximum G in his opening run, advancing his head-to-head rival Hall, who was fresh off a victory in Cannes, France. In the Final Four, Goulian, Šonka, Canada’s Pete McLeod and Hall wrestled for the victory. Goulian laid down a time of 56.695, while Šonka and then McLeod both pushed to two-second penalties. Hall’s clean run under pressure nipped the American by just 0.319s.
National German Basketball League Livestreams with Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design announced that the 2. Basketball-Bundesliga, Germany’s second tier national basketball league, has developed a live production workflow using broadcast infrastructure from Blackmagic Design to live stream matches from venues across the country. Developed with support from Teltec AG, each of the sixteen portable production units (PPU) comprises two Micro Studio Camera 4K and a pair of Blackmagic Studio Cameras for acquisition, while an ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K is used for vision mixing.
SHOW EVENTS
Lighting the King of Latin Pop
Widely regarded as ‘The King of Latin Pop’ and one of the most successful and popular Hispanic / Latin recording stars of all time, singer / songwriter and record producer Enrique Iglesias strutted his high octane stagecraft for the latest European section of his “Enrique Live” tour, complete with a slick, eye-catching visual design by creative director Travis Shirley. The lighting for the ongoing world tour is specified by Travis as part of his production design which also incorporates video and set, with Robe as the first choice of moving lights. For this section of the tour, which visited the Czech Republic, Greece and Slovenia, BMFL Spots, Pointes and Spiiders featured prominently on the rig, together with six Robe BMFL Spots used for an integrated follow spotting solution … all provided by leading Czech Republic based rental house ZL Production, working for promoters BG Arts.
Ultra Music Festival Celebrates 20 Years with Elation Proteus™
Production and lighting design for the Main Stage was by The Activity, their ninth year of involvement with the festival. The Las Vegas-based production and design firm, headed by lighting veteran Patrick Dierson, wanted to do something special for the festival’s 20th year and chose the Proteus Beam™ for a prominent look. “Because this was Ultra’s platinum anniversary we wanted an element within the design that would specifically represent its 20 years of celebration and the Platinum Beam’s bigger brother, the Proteus, seemed like the perfect choice,” stated Dierson, who served as lighting and production designer on this year’s Main Stage. The Activity worked directly with Ultra’s creative director Richard Milstein, as well as AG Production Services who supplied all of the lighting and video elements for this year’s Ultra.
Marillion's 'Theatrical' UK Tour is Beam-Perfect with Avolites Titan
British rock band Marillion treated fans to a series of immersive shows in April, with theatrical-style lighting controlled using an Avolites Tiger Touch II with Titan interface. The band worked with its long-serving lighting designer Yenz Nyholm to create a pitch-perfect light show, designed to synchronise with pinpoint accuracy to video content and on-stage action. "Each song on this tour required lighting that would act as if it were a mini-play, reflecting the stark nature of the music and immersing the audience into the experience," says Nyholm. "The design was based on beautiful, symmetrical beams of light."
PRODUCTS
Panasonic Goes Wireless with IMT Vislink
xG Technology, Inc. (“xG” or the “Company”), whose IMT Vislink brands are recognized as the global leaders in live video communications in the broadcast, law enforcement and defense markets, announces today a partnership with Panasonic that will see IMT Vislink’s external wireless solution integrated into the Panasonic studio camera range, enabling an end-to-end video capture, transmission and receiving workflow for various broadcast applications. Panasonic’s AK-UC4000 will also receive a software upgrade in September 2018, which will include the capability for 4K output via one of the 12G-SDI outputs from the camera head.
Belgian TV station RTBF continues to rely on Stage Tec
RTBF, the Belgian national TV broadcaster for the French community, has upgraded its newsroom, Studio 24. Stage Tec, the Berlin-based manufacturer of pro audio equipment, supplied seven high-performance RMDQ DSP units to replace the 2005 predecessors. Studio 24 is a central control room connected to several studios from which RTBF broadcasts various infotainment programmes. This newly created network of studios places higher demands on resources which are easily satisfied by the high-performance DSP board.
Core SWX Batteries Increase Cycle Ratings To 2,000
Core SWX, a leader in battery and charging solutions, announces the cycle ratings of its Nano98, Hypercore Slim 98 (HCS-98) and Hypercore 9 (HC9) Mini battery packs have all doubled, allowing for 2,000 cycles. Core is the only battery manufacturer in today’s market delivering results of this scale. Battery cells naturally age, which results in a gradual reduction in capacity over time. Core SWX’s proprietary battery management firmware assures the cells employed are always balanced and at an optimal state to withstand continuous operation for extended periods of time while maintaining service life. With an increased cycle rating, Core is providing its customers with a greater return on investment.
4K / 8K ARISING
Uncompromised 4K production at Roland Garros with Sony technology
To deliver enhanced coverage from the “Court Annexes” the service facility Gearhouse France has worked in collaboration with rental company Genitech. They have chosen Sony’s BRC-H800 robotic cameras in conjunction with RM-IP500 remote controller once again, recognising its superior behavior in high dynamic “sunny” conditions. Designed for unattended operation, BRC-H800 is a compact but powerful PTZ robotic camera and an ideal complement to other broadcast cameras for capturing images in hard-to-reach positions. Exclusively for the French Open, Eurosport has launched a new 4K channel ‘Eurosport 4K’.
Sky News Uses LiveU for Royal Wedding UHD/4K Broadcast
Richard Pattison, Manager of News Technology, Sky News, said, “Because of the importance of this event and the huge interest in it, Sky decided it wanted to offer something to its Sky Q customers and broadcast the event in UHD. We use LiveU’s live streaming technology extensively throughout our operation on a daily basis but also, as is well known, for special events like the 2015 and 2017 UK general elections. The option to deliver native UHD lives from around the UK and US made them the only choice to provide added depth to our UHD OB in Windsor.”
AJA Introduces Hi5-12G and HA5-12G Mini-Converters
The next generation of Hi5-4K-Plus, Hi5-12G converts a 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD 12G-SDI single-link input with eight channels of embedded digital audio to an HDMI 2.0 output with two or eight channels of audio. Hi5-12G can also generate HDR metadata in accordance with HDMI v2.0b/CTA-861-G. The compact device features a 12G-SDI single-link input with a re-clocked SDI loop out for simpler confidence monitoring or pass on for SDI pipelines. Fiber SFP-equipped Hi5-12G models include the Hi5-12G-R receiver, which extends HDMI 4K signals over long distances from either an SDI or a Fiber connected source, and the Hi5-12G-TR transceiver, which delivers a 4K/UltraHD SDI or Fiber source signal to an HDMI destination with pass on of the source through SDI or Fiber to a secondary destination. Hi5-12G models include a DWP-U power supply and USB port for firmware updates.