Newsletter from 30/12/2015
IBC Preview #3 - A Virtual Presence Is Not Enough
IBC unites the technologies and business models powering the creation, management and delivery of all forms of electronic media content to consumers in a world where content is everywhere. From OTT delivery, mobile TV and Cloud production to the economics of Ultra HD, digital cinema innovation and the rise of social television, IBC sits at the forefront of all the recent major changes in the industry.
We currently have IBC Previews online of the following companies.
Axon - AVIWEST - Bluebell - BMS - Broadcast Solutions - Calrec - Camerobot - ChyronHego - Clear-Com - DirectOut - EBU - EVS - eyevis - Gearhouse Broadcast - Genelec - Grass Valley - Guntermann & Drunck - Hitachi - i-movix - IABM - IHSE - Ikegami - Imagine Communications - Jünger Audio - K-tec - MHz - NCAM - NewTek - Quantel - Riedel - Roland - Sennheiser - Snell - Sommer Cable - Sony - Tiffen - Vizrt
The new entries from this week are displayed in bold. The previews will be maintained on a daily basis and the link IBC2015 will always show the growing number of featured companies in alphabetical order.
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MOBILE PRODUCTION
CTV OB 11
Since 1986, CTV has developed into one of the largest and well-respected independent OB Companies in Europe. We maintain a refreshing and dynamic approach to Outside Broadcasting that is endorsed by our most valued client base of blue chip broadcasters and high profile production companies. With probably the healthiest variety of work compared to our competitors, we have unrivalled expertise in delivering the very best for every programme genre. CTV is a Euro Media Group company, and with our OB Partners in Belgium, France, Germany and The Netherlands, we can efficiently deliver our expertise anywhere in continental Europe and beyond.
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TimelineTV's first UHD OB truck has Calrec on board
Outside broadcast and post provider Timeline Television has installed a Calrec console in UHD1, TimelineTV's first 4K/UHD OB truck. Timeline built the truck primarily to provide content for BT Sport, which launched Europe's first live sports UHD channel on August 1st. Timeline, who also coordinate with BT Sport on its broadcast facility in London, chose the 40-fader Artemis console in part because it has a large fader count in a small footprint. Also, the surface is familiar to many experienced OB audio mixers, which minimizes setup times.
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STUDIO PRODUCTION
Shotoku Broadcast Systems Supplies Multi-Site Remote Camera Solution to NRK
In Studio 5, Shotoku installed four SmartTrack dolly systems, TG-18 PT heads and height elevation running on three separate tracks. One track carries the two main cameras in a tight arc around the main set. A second track follows a slightly larger arc, and also straightens out to enable the camera to be used in an adjoining weather or journalist presentation area. Finally a third, straight track provides the director with a wider angle tracking move across the lengthy back wall of the studio creating incredible opening and closing shots of the studio, as well as presenter shots when required.
EBU, VRT and Technology Partners create the world’s first IP TV studio
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Belgian public broadcasting company VRT have today unveiled the LiveIP Project, a multi-vendor system integration to showcase IP-based live broadcast production. The collaboration between EBU, VRT and a group of innovative industry partners sees the implementation of a live TV production studio at VRT’s premises in Brussels. It uses state-of-the-art IT-centric hardware and software to enable broadcasters to produce programmes quickly, efficiently and cost effectively. A scaled down version of the studio will be shown as a proof-of-concept demonstration on the EBU stand (10.F20) at this year’s IBC Show in Amsterdam from 11 to 15 September 2015.
RTBF defines tomorrow’s radio with Lawo crystal and VisTool
With the development of its FlexiProd project, Belgium’s RTBF is preparing for the future of radio. Described as “an evolution toward digital hybrid smart radio” by RTBF Director General Francis Goffin, the project places 25 Lawo crystal mixing consoles at its core. The scheme involves constructing eight on-air studios and 14 production/editing rooms, and the building of two OB vehicles. It also requires complete reorganization and updating of the broadcaster’s working process, with studios, OB and staff to be ready by September 2015. “Flexible production is what FlexiProd stands for,” explains Laurent Finet, RTBF’s Director of Radio Production and Digital Innovation. He anticipates eliminating separate presenter, production and technical operation roles: “Ideally, everybody should be able to present a radio program,” he says.
SPORTS
Riedel Gear Helps Korea's KBS Produce International Feed for 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade
As university athletes from around the world took part in the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade in South Korea, host broadcaster Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) employed Riedel Communications equipment to produce the international feed for the event, the world's second-largest multi-sport competition. The Riedel solution enabled flexible and reliable transport of HD video, data, and intercom signals throughout the competition, which extended from July 3-14. Organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), the Universiade was created as a combination of "university" and "Olympiad." Serving as both an international sporting and cultural festival, the Universiade is staged every two years in a different city around the world, representing both winter and summer competitions.
An Old Bridge, 14 Cliff Divers, and a Centuries-Old Tradition
Cliff diving – in a place where diving from great heights has been a tradition for four-and-a-half centuries – a hand selected group of 14 of the world’s best cliff divers will be part of the first ever World Series competition at the ‘Stari Most’, the old bridge of Mostar, and the country’s most recognizable landmark. The first dives from the bridge date back to 1664, the first competition to 1968, and August 15, 2015 marks the day when Gary Hunt, the leading Brit, will launch acrobatically from the 27m platform to continue the pursuit of the ‘perfect season’. After the season’s closest finish on the Portuguese Azores and two new faces on the podium, the World Series will meet fanatical cliff diving fans and touch new grounds in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
FMG Creates Broadcast Workflow for Swatch Freeride World Tour with Blackmagic Design
Based in Vancouver, Canada, Andrew Fountain of FMG designed and built a turn key mobile multi camera production work flow for the Alaskan leg of the 2015 Swatch Freeride World Tour. The entire production included 120 professionals and athletes and roughly three tons of equipment all helicopter shuttled and staged in the Alaskan backcountry. This included FMG’s 3RU lifting fly pack incorporating 32 rack units and 6 work stations built to replicate FWT's Blackmagic Design broadcast set up used on European tour stops. The broadcast HQ for the event was 1,500 meters up an Alaskan ridge adjacent a mountain face known as "The Venue.” The crew staged and camped for 11 days with Blackmagic Design equipment, waiting for the perfect weather conditions to run the one day competition and live broadcast.
SHOWS
350 BMFL Blades for Vibrant SG50 Singapore National Day Celebrations
Singapore marked the country’s 50th Anniversary - SG50 - with huge pride, as flamboyant celebrations erupted all across the island, culminating in a special National Day Parade (NDP) in the Padang, right in the heart of the city. The NDP show was attended by the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan, several international heads of state, politicians, dignitaries, a host of VIPs plus 60,000 members of the public. It was also broadcast live on national TV, beamed across Asia and streamed locally to giant LED screens in several key locations around Singapore. Spectacular lighting for the energetic multi-media SG50 NDP show directed by Dick Lee was designed by Javier Tan, and the equipment – including the 350 x Robe BMFL Blades – delivered by Showtec Communications Pte Ltd., which recently purchased over 700 BMFL fixtures.
Rock Legends KISS Tour Europe with Elation Platinum Beams
One of the world’s best-selling bands of all time can still attract a crowd after 40+ years no matter where they play. Complete with full costumes and make-up, KISS recently brought their elaborate live show to Europe this summer, kicking off its 40th Anniversary European Tour May 30th in Munich's Olympic Park. LD Sean “Motley” Hackett (INXS, Savage Garden) has been designing the lighting for KISS shows since 2009. Sean’s new lighting design for KISS’s 2015 European summer tour, which was based on the band’s Las Vegas residency from last November, included the use of 30 Elation Professional Platinum Beam 5R moving heads supplied by Christie Lights. Production design was by Robert Long and Sooner Routhier.
Martin Audio MLA Keeps Pistoia Blues Going Strong After 35 Years
Dating back to 1980, when legendary names like BB King, Muddy Waters, Fats Domino and John Lee Hooker were among headliners at the inaugural Pistoia Blues festival in Tuscany, this remains one of the most durable annual events in Europe. Supported by a Martin Audio PA, the 2015 edition again took place in the beautiful city’s Piazza Duomo over the course of nine evenings (between July 1-24) — organised by the Associazione Blues in conjunction with the Comune di Pistoia, (City of Pistoia). Today, the event has diversified far from its authentic blues roots, and headliners this year included Mumford & Sons, Counting Crows, Hozier, Passenger, The Darkness, The Dream Theater, Santana, Sting and an Italian Blues Night.
PURE LIVE 2015 will be ready for IBC
In addition to 22 case studies our 2015 PURE LIVE Directory will present 20 HD OBVans & HD Studios: _wige HD_one & _wige HD_two, Bayerischer Rundfunk FÜ2, CTV OB11, Gearhouse Broadcast OBPod, Gearhouse Broadcast Supertrucks 5 & 8, JSBC 4K OBVan, Nydalen Studios, OB-Team HD 2 & OB-Team HD 3, OB-Team SNG 9 HD, Oman TV HD1 Salalah & HD2 Muscat, Telerecord Unit 24, TopVision Ü2, TV Skyline Flight Pack, Videohouse HD one & HD two
Subscribe to our newsletter and leave your postal address with us and in early September you will find the PURE LIVE directory on your desk.
PRODUCTS
Presteigne launches all-in-one RF camera system aimed at sports and events
Presteigne Broadcast Hire has launched a new, packaged RF camera system, the SC100. Aimed particularly at sports, the package includes a mount to fit a Steadicam rig, two-way low latency RF circuits, and the ability to colour match to all popular outside broadcast cameras for transparent intercutting with any outside broadcast unit. The SC100 package has been designed by Presteigne in response to a need from NEP Visions. The new system will be used as the touchline camera on its Premier League football coverage this season. Presteigne has been providing camera systems to NEP Visions’ Premier League football coverage for the last five years.
DirectOut and Merging announce interoperability of 256 channels via RAVENNA
The advantages of audio networks have been well publicized and are easy to understand, but in a true professional working environment, the importance of moving large channel counts around the network with very low latency is of great importance. Just as important is the ability to integrate with legacy I/O formats that will continue to be in use for some time to come. RAVENNA is the ideal network protocol for delivering these solutions and DirectOut Technologies and Merging Technologies offer complementary and compatible products that offer full interoperability.
Wireless live streaming capability unlocked by Sony
Sony has announced new functionality that will allow newsgatherers to wirelessly stream live footage directly from cameras as they shoot, in a move set to radically speed up production workflows. Building on Sony’s wireless technology, several of the PXW-series XDCAM camcorders 1 will now be capable of streaming footage live, while Sony’s CBK-series wireless adapters 2 will be able to unlock live streaming for any camera with an SDI connection. Marking a major milestone in ENG, the pioneering technology will help to unlock the agility, flexibility, and efficiency needed in the highly competitive world of modern broadcasting, bringing a cost-effective solution for live streaming to organisations of all sizes.
4K/8K ARISING
VER to Purchase 50 Sony HDC-4300 Cameras
Sony’s HDC-4300 is the world’s first camera to use three 2/3-inch native 4K image sensors. The new camera – the next generation of HDC series camera technology – lets operators use the vast array of 2/3-inch ENG and high magnification and long zoom range box lenses currently used by HD 2/3-inch systems while maintaining an angle of view and depth of field that sports producers are accustomed to. The system allows the capture of premium 4K or HD images, as well as up to 8x high frame rate. VER made this commitment to Sony technology as part of its ongoing effort to ensure the company’s growing client base has access to the latest advanced technology used to capture premium live events. The purchase is part of a larger effort over the next six months to invest in emerging new technologies.
Bexel Global Offers Fujinon UA80x9 Lenses
Bexel Global Broadcast Solutions, a leading worldwide provider of broadcast services and solutions, has announced the acquisition of UA80x9 lenses from Fujifilm North America (Fujinon), a preeminent international manufacturer of optical devices. Bexel Global has taken possession of the first Fujinon UA80x9 4K UHD lenses in the Americas. In addition to its advanced optical performance, the Fujinon UA80x9 lens covers focal lengths ranging from 9mm in wide angle to 720mm in telephoto. The digital servo's 16-bit encoding assures operators that all lens data output, including the position of the zoom, iris and focus, is extremely accurate. The UA80x9 lens is one of a series of new UHD lenses from Fujinon.
Trickbox TV Makes Investment in 4K Multi-Camera Production Equipment
Trickbox TV now has 10 of the 4K MultiDyne camera fiber systems that enable cameras such as Canon C300s or Sony F55 to become ‘system cameras’. Purchased through the MultiDyne UK supplier Albion Technical Distribution Ltd, the new fibre systems - which are the first to be purchased in the UK - allow Trickbox TV to offer 4K multi-camera production for any kind of production including events spread over wide areas. As well as being part of Trickbox TV’s production service offering, the camera systems are available for dry hire. Trickbox TV also purchased Argosy fibre cable to work with the 4K camera systems. In addition Trickbox TV has invested in a 4K vision mixer, 4K signal processing equipment, a 4K video router, several file-based recorders and additional multi-camera equipment in order to build a unique, customised 4K PPU (portable production unit), as well as upgrading its existing HD/SD PPUs. The equipment was purchased via CVP.