Newsletter from 22/04/2015
Grant Patty's Blackmagic 4K Vision is Materializing
MOBILE PRODUCTION
Imagin and Touring Video Collaborate to Power 4K Live Production in TV4 Truck
A key enabler in the TV4 trailer is the recently deployed Platinum™ IP3 router, which integrates mixed-format video and audio routing, multiviewer functionality, mux/demux, frame sync and advanced I/O options such as MADI and fiber — all within a single, space-saving frame. This 3G router provides the quad linking and scalability necessary to make UHD possible today. The Selenio™ Media Convergence Platform offers advanced multichannel, multi-format modules for video and audio processing, compression and multiplexing – including Imagine Communications’ industry-leading SEL-1UHD-U and SEL-1UHD-D up and down converters for 4K.
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4K OBVan from Mobile TV Group to Showcase Fujinon 4K Zoom
At the 2015 NABShow2015, Mobile TV Group (MTVG), operators of one of the country’s largest fleets of mobile production units, demonstrated the industry’s first 4K sports mobile unit with 2/3-inch cameras - the 38 FLEX - with FUJINON’s new UA80x9 4K Ultra HD lens on a Grass Valley LDX 81 4K camera. The 53’ expando is capable of sports and entertainment productions with up to 12 4K cameras. Philip Garvin, Co-Owner and GM of MTVG explained: “The time has come for a true 4K mobile unit, and we’re thrilled we get to show this off at NAB,” Garvin added. “Walk into any electronics retailer and you’ll see 4K sets everywhere. Our new truck will help fill those screens with stunning images. With this and future 4K trucks, we’ll make it routine to produce in 4K.”
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LeSEA Powers New HD Production Truck with Grass Valley Live Production Solutions
Grass Valley has furnished LeSEA Broadcasting Network with a suite of advanced live production technology for its new HD production truck. LeSEA’s new HD truck is utilizing Grass Valley’s Kayenne K-Frame Video Production Center, LDX WorldCam cameras with XCU WorldCam base stations, NVISION 8500 hybrid routers and Kaleido multiviewers. The purchase builds upon the longstanding relationship between the two companies and the success LeSEA has had with Grass Valley equipment in their studios. “We’ve been successfully using Grass Valley equipment for a number of years in our studios and production truck, so when it came time to outfit our new HD production truck, it was an easy decision to continue with Grass Valley technology,” said Wes Hylton, director of engineering, LeSEA Broadcasting.
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No Rest for the Weary: CP Communications Builds Six RF Trucks in Six Months
For the CP Communications’ teams in Elmsford and Wappingers Falls, NY, the concept of “down time” is a foreign one. Coming off the 2014 New York City Marathon — an already daunting show made more so by infrastructure challenges — CP might have enjoyed a few minutes’ respite. Instead, the company won the new golf contracts from Fox Sports and Golf Channel, which called for construction of six RF trucks — in six months. ecuring the contracts in November, CP has until end of April to roll out six trucks to support the various golf events across both networks. The company built two new 53-ft. expando fiber transmission trucks: HD21 will support Fox Sports’ golf schedule, including the U.S. Open in June, and HD11 recently made its Golf Channel debut at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
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STUDIO PRODUCTION
New MLB Studio 21 Replays on Orad TD Control
Studio 21 features more than 1,100 12x16 LED tiles installed in different configurations for a total of 1,400 square feet of video wall displays. All content displayed on the video walls and traditional plasma monitors is processed by Orad’s TD Control system, which enables a single operator to manage all studio display content through a simple to operate touch screen GUI. The largest of the display walls is a 14x25 foot LED wall, which is being fed content at 4K resolution from the Orad HDVG4 render engine. Orad’s TD Control offers real-time 3D graphics and transitions, as well as full program/preview confidence monitoring required for such a complex studio. MLB Network worked with Orad, Big Studios and Motion Path to design a combination of augmented-reality graphics and what the network is terming “extended-studio perception,” which refers to pieces of the set that act as windows with large LED displays behind the scenery.
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SPORTS
NEP Australia and BT Partner in World-First 4K Live World Cricket Broadcasts
Broadcasting and international cricket history were made at the Melbourne CricketGround (MCG) on 29 March with the culmination of the world’s first live cricketbroadcasts in 4K ultra high definition. NEP Australia, Australia’s largest and most experienced outside broadcast solutionsprovider, and BT Media and Broadcast teamed up to deliver seven key live-to-air 4Kmatches in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup for host broadcaster Star Sports India and its direct-to-home (DTH) partners. The series spanned February 8 – March 29 from Adelaide, Perth, Sydney andMelbourne and comprised two warm-up events; India’s four pool matches (includingthe opener against Pakistan); one quarter final; one semi final; and the final.NEP undertook all facilitation, production and direction services for the seven live 4Kbroadcasts.
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Robe BMFL Spots Catch the Ultimate X Buzz
The Ultimate X festival was staged for the first time this year at the Grand Arena in Cape Town, South Africa’s GrandWest Casino, two days of adrenaline-fuelled, gravity-challenging, hi-energy stunts encompassing three breath-taking xtreme sport disciplines - FMX (freestyle motocross), BMX (bicycle motocross) and skateboarding - featuring the best athletes from around the globe. The massively popular event, produced by Old School Productions, was staged in the round and lit by Sean Caie, the venue’s Head of Lighting, using an all Robe moving light rig including BMFL Spots. It was the first time that organisers had moved the event indoors and the first time it was extended to two days due to massive public demand.
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Spain’s Dorna Sports Renews Replay Platform
Dorna has invested in 20 K2 Dyno replay systems to deliver instant replay and highlight generation with pan/zoom technology for SD/HD/3G and 4K, and three GV STRATUS video production and content-management systems, for a full set of production tools in one application to produce highly creative content with an efficient and flexible workflow. This strategic partnership will allow Dorna to create more—and better—content for live production and support the ever-growing need for more sources and destinations in international sports production. “Grass Valley’s live production solutions are highly intuitive and deliver the workflow efficiency we need to create and share engaging content,” said Sergi Sendra Vives, director of TV production, Dorna Sports S.L.
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The NBA’s Detroit Pistons Go Wireless at the Palace
The Detroit Pistons basketball season is covered live with 41 home games, 3.5 hours of coverage per game. Palace Sports and Entertainment (PS&E) was looking for top of the line wireless broadcast transmission system to use along with its wired cameras for the Pistons live game productions. Using Ikegami HDK-95c Broadcast Camera, they needed a fitting wireless system to cover any spot in the arena so that they could provide a higher quality fan experience. ABonAir’s AB420 wireless broadcast system, attached to Ikegami HDK-95c, enabled the PS&E production team to reach all points of the arena, delivering reliable and stable wirelesscoverage of the Detroit Pistons games.
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SHOWS
Painting With Light Goes Pop for K3 Tour
The most recent tour by Belgian girlband K3 featured a lighting and video design by Painting With Light’s Luc Peumans which was based on the bold, bright, poppy and positive vibe that has characterised the band’s remarkable 16 year career. This has helped make them consistently popular and famous throughout the reign of what is arguably the longest lasting girlband to date! When it was announced K3 was splitting up a few days after the end of the tour, it left the nation’s pre-adolescents in shock and disbelief and stunned a whole generation of youth raised on the strains of “Heyah Mama” and numerous other bouncy hits!
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Avolites' Sapphire Touch delivers hands-on control for Frank Turner
In March the Teenage Cancer Trust marked the 15th anniversary of their annual concert series at London's iconic Royal Albert Hall, where the world's biggest names in music and comedy come together to raise money to help young people facing cancer. Closing out this year's event, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls headlined at the venue, with LD Shaun Moore trusting the Avolites Sapphire Touch for the occasion. Moore, of North-East based rental company Nitelites, has been working with Turner for five years. He designed a lively and dynamic show reminiscent of the band's recent UK tour. He used the full house rig, plus additional PRG provided floor cans for drums and keys, which provided some stunning low level key light, matching the front line.
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Robe Rocks One Night At Wembley with All Time Low
Boston USA based Lighting Designer Jeff Maker relished the chance to use 135 Robe moving lights including 18 x BMFL Spots for a super high profile and very special one off / DVD shoot show at Wembley Ariana, London, UK, for lively US punk rock band, All Time Low. The gig – their biggest ever to date in the UK - sold out in just a few days and was preceded by a short 7 date jaunt around Europe. It also came just a month after All Time Low finished a double headline UK arena tour with You Me At Six, so, with the proximity of this still in fans’ minds, Jeff designed a completely new overhead lighting scheme for the Wembley event … and retained the core high-impact floor package from the co-headline tour, adding some new elements so he could create an eye-popping new visual extravaganza that would feel great live and look awesome on camera!
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PRODUCTS
Riedel Introduces MicroN 80G Media Distribution Network
Working seamlessly with the MediorNet MetroN core fiber router, MicroN is a high-density signal interface with a complete array of audio, video, and data inputs and outputs, including 24 SD/HD/3G-SDI I/Os, two MADI optical digital audio ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, two sync reference I/Os, and eight 10G SFP+ high-speed ports. MicroN is available as a fully networked MediorNet device, as well as in a point-to-point edition at a very competitive price point. “In just a single rack unit, the MicroN offers a highly versatile signal interface that can be used in productions of every size and complexity,” said Riedel's CEO Thomas Riedel.
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Arista and Lawo to Showcase Frame-Accurate Switching of SMPTE2022 IP Video
Lawo and Arista Networks were presenting a joint showcase at the NAB exhibition and conference held in Las Vegas. The companies just hosted a joint webinar titled “Frame Accurate Video Routing with IP-based Broadcast Infrastructure” prior to the show. In Las Vegas, Arista and Lawo are provided a live demonstration of seamless, frame-accurate video switching using components that are available today; pioneering the way to a “post-baseband” video switching infrastructure. The showcase took place at both the Arista booth and the Lawo booth. “The combination of Arista EOS software and switches with video edge devices and control from Lawo really highlights the promise of the next-generation broadcast production environment,” said Ed Chapman, Vice President of Business Development and Alliances at Arista Networks.
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3Play Mini: Now Anyone Can Create Network-Style Sports Productions from Anywhere
Unlike expensive replay systems and stacks of complex components, 3Play Mini is powerful enough to drive your entire show, or plug into a switcher or video board and turn any production into amazing fan experiences that help attract big audiences, advertisers and sponsors. Anyone using up to four off-the-shelf HDMI cameras can produce multiple angle slow motion instant replays, edit highlights, roll stored video packages, create effects and transitions, publish to social media and much more. Out of the box, operators can control 3Play Mini with almost any touchscreen wireless mobile device or use an optional 3Play control surface. No other live sports solution includes a complete suite of sports production tools in such a small, affordable package.
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Avid Introduces VENUE | S6L System
“In the ten years since we first introduced the VENUE live sound mixing system, Avid has continued to be on the forefront of live sound innovation, and now we are setting an even higher benchmark with VENUE |S6L,” said Chris Gahagan, senior vice president of Products and Technology, Avid. “With VENUE | S6L, Avid is poised to lead the market forward again with unprecedented processing power and innovative technologies that enable customers to take on the most challenging tours and events with ease.” VENUE | S6L is a fully modular, scalable live sound mixing system that delivers best-in-class functionality for a range of live sound mixing applications, including front-of-house, monitor, broadcast, theater, and more. Featuring VENUE | E6L, the industry’s most advanced live sound engine, VENUE | S6L offers unprecedented power to handle huge channel and plug-in counts at the lowest possible latency.
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3D/4K ARISING
TICO Alliance to Move to 4K/UHD in Live Broadcast Production
Leading Broadcast equipment manufacturers, OEM providers, broadcasters, electronics brands and technology companies announced today the launch of the TICO Alliance. TICO is a new lightweight compression technology, which enables 4K/UHD to be transported over legacy SDI infrastructure and modern IP production and contribution networks. TICO has been developed by intoPIX and work is now ongoing at the SMPTE to publish TICO as Registered Disclosure Document (RDD) for the benefit of the entire broadcast and media industry. The alliance is a coalition of companies united to set the bar for next generation infrastructure by establishing TICO in the new IP-based Live production ecosystem that allows to seamless update and upgrade the existing SDI-based workflows. The group is created to ease 4K/UHD adoption over the current SDI and the new IP-based infrastructures.
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V-Nova and Hitachi to Halve the Bandwidth for Live UHD Contribution and Distribution
V-Nova Ltd. Hitachi unveiled an end-to-end solution for the acquisition and delivery of live UHD content to consumers at the Hitachi booth during NAB Show 2015. Visitors saw a complete, deployment-ready UHD ecosystem, combining the latest Hitachi Kokusai 4K camera (SK-UHD4000), Hitachi Data Systems servers and the recently launched PERSEUS® video compression technology. The new solution reduces UHD distribution bandwidth by more than 50% vs. those promised by HEVC, delivering previously unachievable performance: ca. 6–7 Mbps for UHD movies and 10-13 Mbps for UHD p60 sports. As such, the solution is suitable for today’s ADSL, as well as satellite and cable delivery.
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AJA Launches #TryCION Camera Promotion
AJA Video Systems launched #TryCION, a new promotion seeding 100 CION cameras with qualified shooters. This new program, currently only available in North America, provides filmmakers, cinematographers and camera operators with easy access to CION to see and experience the camera first hand in production. “AJA is known for its generosity to customers with our support, return and warranty programs, and as a private, diverse company we can make bold moves to show the community that we’re very committed to the professional camera market,” said Nick Rashby, President, AJA Video Systems. “We’ve invested heavily in building out a special try-and-buy loaner pool of CION cameras that we’re making available so that any interested shooters can experience this camera and the incredible film-like beauty of these images for themselves before committing to a purchase.”
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