Newsletter from 18/05/2018
PURE LIVE 2017 is on the Horizon
The preparations for the completion of our PURE LIVE 2017 are in full swing. Our annual print directory PURE LIVE will be published prior to IBC at the end of August. In 2017 we will present detailed descriptions of about 20 new HD/UHD OBVans from all around the world: Australia, South Korea Japan, Ghana, Lituania, Switzerland Norway, Germany, the UK, France, Brazil and the USA.
In addition we present case studies and reports highlighting our areas of focus: video, audio and lighting as well as the latest developments in live sports and live entertainment including first reports about VR and AR projects.
MOBILE PRODUCTION
Gearhouse Broadcast delivers TOCs and commentary infrastructure to UEFA for key European finals
For the first-time UEFA, is using Gearhouse to provide the commentary infrastructure at each match. Running the flexible Lawo Commentary Unit (LCU) which is based on RAVENNA, a real-time Audio-over-IP networking technology, Gearhouse is delivering a contribution network which eliminates the need to use ageing ISDN lines and patch in each commentator manually. It means that UEFA can now offer a large number of high quality commentary lines at each match, either within the stadium, or remotely, helping to keep production costs. Sarah Connell, broadcast engineering specialist at UEFA said: “This solution allows us to streamline and futureproof onsite broadcast services and also provide the highest quality of service to rights holders.”
Qatar TV orders Lawo mc²36 and VSM for two new OB trucks
The two new vehicles bring the number of Qatar TV’s Lawo-equipped OB vans to up to four after the broadcaster had already fitted previous OB vans in 2012 with Lawo mc²56 consoles and VSM. For years, Qatar TV has been a Lawo customer, using Lawo systems for outside broadcast as well as for their new Broadcast Center in Doha, opened 2012, with Master Control Room (MCR), Central Apparatus Room (CAR), 450m² News Studio, as well as 1,013m² Production Studio and Edit Studios. The solutions provided for the studio complex include three networked mc²56 audio production consoles, redundant Nova73 HD central router as well as VSM for the overall control.
Hong Kong’s TVB invests in SAM’s Kahuna and IQ Modular for its first UHD OB truck
SAM’s award-winning Kahuna switcher and IQ Modular infrastructure allows TVB to support even the most complex production – be it HD or UHD. The switcher can handle any combination of SD, HD, 1080p, 4K, IP and HDR seamlessly and effortlessly thanks to SAM’s FormatFusion3 and recently introduced FormatFusion4 technology, eliminating the need for external conversion, saving time with setup. TVB began the planning and design phase for its new UHD truck in 2013 to meet the future demand for UHD/4K production. It was critical that any UHD productions were made to the same high standard as its HD content offering; the new truck had to deliver the same reliability and robustness as its existing HD OB vehicles.
STUDIO PRODUCTION
Jordan Media City Upgrades Two Studios with Glass-to-Glass Solutions from Grass Valley
The focus of the studio upgrade for JMC was ensuring that the solutions they chose utilized forward-looking, innovative technology worth their investment—solutions that will deliver high-quality broadcast production for years to come. Part of what made Grass Valley solutions right for JMC was the use of the latest digital CMOS capture technology in the LDX series cameras as opposed to aging analogue CCD technology as still used in many HD cameras. In combination with the unique GV eLicense system for seamless upgrading from any lower model to any higher model of the range, the LDX series cameras deliver the most future proof solution of all HD productions available on the market.
ITN Productions Moves to 12G-SDI and Uses Blackmagic Design as Part of Expansion
ITN Productions has expanded its post production capabilities following an investment of £1.4 million in a new state of the art facility built on a 12G-SDI backbone and featuring software and infrastructure products from Blackmagic Design. Conceived originally as an in house resource, ITN Productions’ post production facilities, located at its Central London HQ, has grown to a facility of more than fifty edit suites. These now support every facet of video post production for ITN’s growing creative and commercial arm. With ITN Production’s existing post production facilities at capacity, the decision was taken to upgrade and expand into space underneath the building.
AMP VISUAL TV Acquires Euromedia’s Studio Activities
The two companies concluded a transfer of Euromedia’s studio activities to AMP VISUAL TV on 20 May 2017. This transaction brings AMP VISUAL TV’s offer to around forty studios in the Paris region. The agreement involves 97 employees and 23 sets of between 40 and 2,090 m2 divided across the studios of Lendit, Montjoie, Palais Image, studios 104, 128, 130 and 217. AMP VISUAL TV will now offer a range of 43 sets. As of Saturday 20 May, the transferred activities come under the aegis of a new company, "Studios de France", wholly owned by AMP Investissement. By combining this range of new studios with AMP VISUAL TV’s existing offer (notably in central Paris), AMP VISUAL TV will now seek to optimise the occupancy rate by rationalising its offer and developing a policy of integration of complementary global services.
SPORT EVENTS
EUROMEDIA accelerates its UHD deployment for the Monaco Grand Prix
The B40 truck has been upgraded to support key live broadcasts in 4K and can now provide image quality that is four times better than HD for the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix. Out of service for almost a month, the B40 truck’s upgrade was modelled on the A21 vehicle, which has received unanimous praise since its release in January. The OB truck was completely rebuilt from the ground up using high-end design technology. This new full-UHD truck has a GVG Kayenne K-Frame switcher, a SAM router and glue, Evertz multiviewers as well as Vutrix and Penta broadcast monitors.
Sony supporting BT Sport’s full 4K HDR end to end production
Sony supported a full end-to-end HDR live production of the highly-anticipated match that took place at The National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff. Sony’s HDC-4300 and HDC-4800 System cameras were used to capture all of the action in 4K HDR, while three HDC-P43 cameras were used on the Railcam and Spidercam models deployed for the all-important slow-motion replay of unmissable action highlights. Using the PWS-4500 live server system, the high-quality recording and replay capabilities cliped compilations for High Frame Rate and Ultra High Frame Rate content through the Shareplay 10Gb Network. Master monitoring of UHD HDR contents and grading was completed on Sony’s BVM-X300 and PVM-X500 monitors.
Muroya soars to double repeat in Japan
Ninety thousand Red Bull Air Race super fans went wild in Chiba, Japan on 3-4 June as their hero Yoshihide Muroya prevailed in showdown after showdown to capture a repeat home win, as well as his second victory of the season. After close calls in the opening Race Day rounds, Muroya’s Final 4 time of 55.288 was a convincing 0.558 of a second ahead of the Czech Republic’s Petr Kopfstein, who earned his career-first podium in only his second World Championship season. Another charging Czech, Martin Šonka, earned third for his second podium of 2017.
SHOW EVENTS
Martin Garrix New Live Show Launched
Fans at this year’s Coachella festival received a sneak preview of what was to come with the plus-shaped video screen and surrounding grid of 90 x Spikies tight at the heart of the performance environment. Now the power and impact of this and the full new production design has been unleashed to the delight of his fans. Gabe had used Robe Pointes and BMFLs very successfully on the last Martin Garrix tour, so when it came to the new design he wanted to add a dynamic “trick fixture” for this one and chose to do it with Spikies! They are rigged onto an elegant industrial trussing structure which is built upstage of the DJ booth and frames a large plus-shaped LED screen in the center that is also attached to the truss uprights.
Litecom Provided Lighting & Rigging Infrastructure for Eurovision 2017
LiteCom, the Denmark-based production rental specialist, provided extensive lighting networking and rigging equipment and services for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv, Ukraine. This year's contest saw 42 countries compete across three live broadcast shows, with the final being watched by an estimated 200 million people worldwide. This was Litecom's fourth Eurovision as a key supplier, and once again the company rose to the challenge of providing vital technical infrastructure for the world's largest televised music event. Litecom worked in close partnership with PRG Europe to fulfil the large-scale technical demands of the show, with lighting designer Jerry Appelt's rig utilising over 1,800 lighting fixtures throughout Kyiv's 11,000-capacity International Exhibition Centre.
Eurovision trusts again in MA control: 88,466 total parameters count
All the glamour, glitz and fun, all the elaborate costumes, extravagant performances, excitement and high-pressure of one of the world’s biggest live telecasts, the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest was staged at the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Ukraine with 42 countries competing. As always, production for the two live semi-finals and final were world class. The shows were enjoyed by 7,500 people packing in to the venue and around 200 million on TV, all appreciating the amazing production design by Florian Wieder working closely with lighting designer and DoP Jerry Appelt plus a massive technical team managed on site by head of production, Ola Melzig.
PRODUCTS
AU-EVA1 - Panasonic's Compact Camera for Cinematic Moments
The EVA1 includes dual native ISO like the VariCam 35, VariCam LT and VariCam Pure. Utilising a process that allows the sensor to be read in a fundamentally different way, dual native ISO extracts more information from the sensor without degrading the image. This results in a camera that can switch from a standard sensitivity to a high sensitivity without an increase in noise, or other artifacts. Dual native ISO is allowing cinematographers to use less light on set, saving time and money, as well as allowing for a great variety of artistic choices. The ability to capture accurate colours and rich skin tones is a must for any filmmaker.
Sony announces the development of Next-Generation CineAlta
Sony Professional Solutions Europe is announcing plans for its next-generation CineAlta digital motion picture camera system. This latest addition to the CineAlta family is being developed through careful research and close collaboration with creative professionals including Directors, Cinematographers, Operators and Digital Imaging Technicians. Through the implementation of features demanded by the industry, Sony is demonstrating its commitment to innovation and the creative freedom needed for feature filmmaking and production. Sony pioneered high-end digital motion picture production technology, with the first 24p digital camera system (HDW-F900), the first RGB recording system (HDC-F950 and SRW-1) and the Super 35mm image sensor camera (F35).
Fujifilm launches the FUJINON MK50-135mm T2.9 telephoto zoom cinema lens
The rapid growth in popularity of movies made by emerging cinematographers in recent years, including corporate and commercial movies on the internet and other venues, has increased the opportunities for shooting movies using cinema and regular digital cameras, and it boosts demand for high-performance cinema lenses that deliver high resolution and advanced scene-depicting capability. For filming such materials, interchangeable lenses for digital cameras are often used instead of cinema camera lenses as they are more affordable and mobile. However, these lenses are designed primarily for shooting still images, and therefore prone to problems such as focus shift and optical axis shift while zooming, and so on.
WIRELESS STREAMING
Sky News turns to LiveU once again as it expands deployment for election night
Richard Pattison, Manager of News Technology at Sky News, said, “Our live declaration coverage in 2015 won huge plaudits and audience appreciation, a Guinness World Record for Most Concurrent Live Web Streams for an Event and The TVB Europe Best Live Broadcast Award 2015. The technology allowed us to bring results to the nation as they happened and this editorial advantage was made possible by our partnership with LiveU. It simply wouldn’t have been achievable using traditional newsgathering methods and now we are expanding our live coverage for 2017 to make the night even more alive for our viewers.”
Major League Soccer’s D.C. United Ups Its Facebook Live Game with Wirecast
The pre- and post-game shows include interviews with players and coaches, analysis, and an assortment of other packages routinely produced for television consumption. One of the goals for the production team was to support fans that are actually at the games, as well as give those outside of the D.C. market the opportunity to be involved. The tailgate scene is very active, and fans enjoy watching the pre-game stream from the parking lot on their phone or tablet. There’s plenty of interaction between fans, with people continually commenting on the live Facebook stream as excitement builds. One of the biggest streaming successes of the past year was the re-broadcast of the team’s 20th anniversary MLS Cup win in 1996 on the anniversary of the match.
Spanish Production Company Delivers 300 Hours of Live Content With AVIWEST System
The TV show follows, in real time, the pilgrimage of two artists on the "Camiño de Santiago" route from Roncevaux (Navarre) to Santiago de Compostella (Galicia) over the course of 40 days, with 300 hours of live broadcasting. Aside from watching the show, viewers also have the opportunity to chat live with both artists through a dedicated website and social media channels. By providing the production team with portable, reliable, and easy-to-use technologies, AVIWEST streamlined operations while enabling the broadcaster to transmit live HD video over 3G/4G cellular wireless networks throughout the entire trek.