Newsletter from 18/05/2018
FIS Alpine Ski World CHampionships 2017 in St. Moritz
The Opening Ceremony in St. Moritz took place yesterday, the Longine Live Alpine Data System was introduced by Mikaela Shiffrin, the OBVans of the Host Broadcaster SRG SSR are lined up at the Finish Area and the first Gold Medal was won by Austria. Stay tuned with Live-Production.TV: here you will learn more about the Coverage of the Races, the Implementation of the Live Alpine Data System and the Advantages for the Spectators on Location and infront of the various Displays at Home or on the Road.
MOBILE PRODUCTION
SBS UHD 4K
The end of 2016 saw a spectacular new OB Van hitting the roads of South Korea. Broadcaster SBS brought into service its UHD 1 OB Van. Conceived and built by German System Integrator Broadcast Solutions GmbH, the OB Van is the first ever 12G-SDI UHD single link production vehicle to date. UHD 1 is based on a new Streamline variant, called Alphaline, which comes with special workplace design, room concept and with reduced length in order to cope with the special conditions of South Korean roads. The OB works with up to 12 4K/UHD cameras on the basis of 12G-SDI UHD Single Link and offers sufficient 3G-SDI Quad Link gateways for monitoring purposes. The OB offers sufficient space for teams of up to 18 people working smoothly.
TNDV Production Services for Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountains Rise Telethon
Nashville-based mobile production specialist TNDV recently gave back to its community on a project that hit close to home, delivering turnkey production services for country music superstar Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountains Rise telethon to aid families affected by the Great Smoky Mountain wildfires that began in late November. Working within an extraordinarily short timeline, TNDV provided production and uplink trucks, equipment, crews and expertise while managing all key video, audio and lighting elements for the live television event. The fires in Tennessee’s Sevier County burned over 17,000 acres, claimed 14 lives, and damaged or destroyed more than 2,000 homes and businesses.
President Obama’s Farewell Speech handled with Blackmagic Design Workflow
Blackmagic Design announced that Atomic Imaging, a Chicago based production company, provided a variety of live event AV services for President Obama’s nationally televised farewell speech. Atomic Imaging used a workflow built around Blackmagic Design products, with ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K and ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Panel at the heart of the production. The President’s farewell speech took place on January 10th at Chicago’s McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America.
STUDIO PRODUCTION
BYU-Hawaii Starts Path to Ultra HD Production with HITACHI SK‑UHD4000 4K Cameras
Taking its first step towards a 4K production future, Brigham Young University-Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii) has purchased four SK‑UHD4000 ultra high definition (UHD) studio and field cameras from Hitachi Kokusai Electric America Ltd. (Hitachi Kokusai) to provide superior-quality video acquisition for its diverse projects and long-term content archives. Situated on the island of Oahu in Laie, Hawaii, BYU-Hawaii hosts approximately 2,500 undergraduate students who represent over 70 different countries and cultures. At BYU-Hawaii’s Media Production Center (MPC), staff and students produce programming for use both within and beyond the 100-acre campus.
BBC Studioworks future-proofs Television Centre with investment in Sony 4K over IP
Sony’s technology was selected not only for the all-in-one solutions package it offers, but for its open standards approach. Acting as an enabler for 4K technology, Sony’s IP solution works harmoniously with the infrastructure within the Television Centre studios, avoiding any disruption to the company’s established workflows and opening up a path to HDR. Using Sony’s IP Live Production System, Studioworks is empowered to broadcast quality 4K and HD video, audio synchronisation signals and control data in real time over standard IP and network infrastructures. Some 22x Sony studio cameras, including 8x HDC-4300’s 3x XVS switchers and more than 200 monitors, including OLED screens, were selected.
ATEME Powers the First UHD VR Experience for Super Bowl LI
ATEME announced that its advanced video compression technology was used for the VR near-live coverage in Ultra High Definition (UHD) of the upcoming Sunday’s ultimate football showdown between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, in partnership with Fox Sports and LiveLike. Altogether, they’re teaming up to offer a virtual and interactive lounge during the game that presents highlights from the game in near real-time via the Fox Sports VR app for iOS and Android devices. Thus, each viewer equipped with a VR handset can experience the game in the same way as if they were sitting in a VIP lounge in the stadium.
SPORT EVENTS
Capturing the thrills and spills of the RedHookCrit Cycle Series
Known to many as the toughest and most challenging Urban Street race series in the world, the RedHookCrit series not only brings fans the thrill of bike racers speeding through major cities across the globe, but also adds drama by having all riders on track bikes with fixed gears and no brakes. Given this level of difficulty, it’s not surprising that the series has become an institution amongst cyclists, keen to see how many brave racers make the finish line. UK live production specialist WilkieTV was tasked with engineering a comprehensive multi-camera live mix to screens for the latest in the RedHookCrit series, as part of a Cyclevox production. Cyclevox is a specialist cycling production company that thrives on bringing this type of dynamic event to TV and digital screens.
IHF Handball World Championship Finals Covered with 20 Channel videoReferee® System
The videoReferee® had access to 8 signals from system-specific cameras located directly at the field and in the goals. Since the host broadcaster during the finals used more cameras as originally planned (including a flying camera), it was self-evident for the videoReferee® team to make these additional signals accessible to the referees for judging purposes. To fulfil this goal the number of camera signals retrieved from the OB Van was increased to 12 signals. Thanks to the simple and intuitive operation of the videoReferee® system and its controller, trainings on the system are fast and easy – judges can start to work with the system in a breath. Throughout the tournament, Broadcast Solutions operators to manage the videoReferee® and assist the field referees.
XD motion at IHF Handball World Championship 2017 in Bercy (Paris)
During 4 days XD motion used the X Fly 2D cablecam to shoot directly in the heart of the Championships (Two semi-final, little final and the final). The X Fly 2 D moves in two directions, horizontally and vertically. The ascending and descending motions of the camera were controlled by a motor which loosens or tightens the support ropes. This enables the pilot to fly the camera in 2 dimensions in real time. XD motion also used a remote camera in the middle of the score screen. This stabilized remote camera equipment eliminates adverse motion artifacts from all three axis (pan, roll and tilt). It is one of the lightest and most compact stabilized heads existing on the market.
SHOW EVENTS
Robe for Ras Al Khaimah National Day Celebrations
Nearly 200 Robe fixtures were used by award-winning lighting and show designer Terry Miranda of Lighthouse Productions to light a special production of musical “Fakhrak Ya Watan” (The Pride of a Nation) for the 2016 Ras al-Khaimah National Day Celebrations on the eve of the United Arab Emirates 2016 National Day event. Ras al-Khaimah (RAK) is one of the seven Emirates making up the UAE. The spectacular, performed by a cast of over 800 singers, dancers, actors and poets of all ages, was attended by His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council member of the UAE & Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, plus a host of dignitaries and VVIPs as well as 10,000 members of the public.
AV Stumpfl’s Wings for Ocean Park in Hong Kong
For Ocean Park, staying at the top of Hong Kong’s hotly-contested amusement park market means luring audiences with ever more thrilling attractions. Running up to five times per day from mid-December 2016 to mid-February 2017 in the park’s Applause Pavilion, this holiday season’s major event was the Cyber Illusion Spectacular. Built around the visual excitement of magicians, illusionists, aerialists, quick-change artists, acrobats, dancers and a master fan manipulator, this 30-minute, energy-charged, attack on the senses was performed on a constantly-changing stage, featuring striking visuals from LED panels, moving lights, pyrotechnics and atmospheric effects.
Clay Paky lights illuminate the Starlight Pop Opera at the Chris Saunders Park
Enchanting audiences year after year, the FNB Starlight Pop Opera was hosted at the Chris Saunders Park, Umhlanga in KwaZulu Natal on 6 and 7 August. Headliner Patrizio Buanne, the Neapolitan-Austrian baritone singer, songwriter and producer, along with local South African artists such as Arno Carstens, were accompanied by the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra. The event is a gift from First National Bank to their top 1 500 clients where all service providers rise to the occasion to provide an extraordinary evening. For the fifth consecutive year, EPH Production were proud to supply the full technical while lighting designer Johan Ferreira from BF Production Services created tender moments on a grandMA2 light. The lighting rig also included 24 Clay Paky Sharpy.
PRODUCTS
Election Day TV Coverage Finishes at Top of the Class
A smartly-dressed anchor is seated on a chroma-key set. Animated graphics cycle through a background showing the latest election results. Camera feeds switch back and forth between live reporters in the field sharing a split screen with the anchor desk. Using these professional production techniques and more, students at Penn-Trafford High School near Pittsburg, PA delivered live coverage of the school’s mock presidential election this past November using a video production system that rivals those used by local television networks. But at a fraction of the cost because of a new technology: NDI, from NewTek. NDI, or Network Device Interface, makes it possible to send video over a standard IP network, wired and wirelessly, with no sacrifice in speed or quality.
AXS TV Adds FS4 to Boost Audio, Fiber and Embed/De-Embed Support
AXS TV is a television network dedicated to providing a diverse slate of music programming, comedy performances, current events, and mixed martial arts promotions, delivering a mixture of produced and live broadcasts. AJA’s newest FS4 frame synchronizer was recently added to the network’s 40-foot concert truck. “We needed to improve the embedding/de-embedding capabilities in our biggest truck, after a competing embedder would introduce digital noise under certain conditions,” said Jeff Carman, Senior Technical Producer, AXS TV. “Not only did FS4 flawlessly handle simple embed/de-embed, it added a host of new flexible options into our workflow.”
Lawo mc²36 Mobile Kits for Japan’s NHK
The broadcaster NHK, running two terrestrial and two satellite television services, three radio networks plus NHK’s World Service, is the biggest user of Lawo equipment in Japan: they are using around 20 mc² systems – studio and mobile installations using mc²90, mc²66, mc²56 as well as mc²36 audio mixing consoles. NHK and Lawo nurse a long common R&D history in which they have been working together to develop the tools and practical applications needed to create an immersive audio experience with 3D surround audio (22.2), and both companies are committed to developing further technical innovations.
4K 7 8K ARISING
Haivision’s 4K Encoder Compatible with Nokia OZO Live for Virtual Reality Streaming
Using Haivision’s KB 4K encoder together with the Nokia OZO virtual reality camera and Nokia OZO Live software, organizations can stream reliable, high quality, virtual reality (VR) experiences that combine 360-degree viewing and a 3D immersive experience for online audiences. Nokia OZO Live and Haivision’s KB 4K encoder have already powered a number of high profile events including the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert and The CMA Awards Red Carpet. Nokia selected Haivision as an ecosystem collaborator for OZO Live due to its trusted and proven KB 4K encoder, which combines the highest H.264/HEVC 4K streaming quality, quick installation and easy configuration at the most affordable price point in the market.
Ultra High Brightness 4K Projector Launched by Panasonic
A laser light source and an original heat-resistant phosphor wheel design maintain consistent image quality, colour and brightness, particularly useful when using multiple projectors. The RQ32K joins two high-brightness laser projectors with 31,000 lumens (centre) in WUXGA (PT-RZ31K) and SXGA+ (PT-RS30K). The PT-RZ31K was recently used by PRG for the grand opening of the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall in Hamburg, Germany. The opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture celebrations in Aarhus, Denmark also utilised the projector.
Supporting the 4K Revolution in Sports Broadcasting
For years, sports video production professionals have been in the unique position of being able to forecast upcoming broadcast trends. From the transition of standard definition to high definition to 4K, sports video production has influenced the purchasing decisions of millions of home viewers with each Super Bowl, Olympics, and UEFA European Championship. Now Vinten, a leading provider of manual and robotic camera support systems and a Vitec Group brand, is proud to announce the release of their new whitepaper “Supporting the 4K Revolution in Sports Broadcasting.” With more global sports networks switching to 4K resolution, this whitepaper – written by the Vinten Product Manager Philip Dalgoutte – examines the importance of camera supports in 4K and UHD adoption for sports video production.