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Top Story
Hurricane politics swirl as DTV legislation deadline nears
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
Hurricane Katrina extended the DTV debate in Congress past it’s original mid-September deadline. Now, facing a new deadline of October 17, a wide range of unresolved broadcast issues still exist.
The mid-October deadline for the Senate Commerce Committee is necessary if the DTV legislation is to become part of the budget reconciliation package — a goal of Congressional leaders who want the DTV legislation on a fast track.
The timetable — now driven by intense pressure to free up spectrum for emergency communications — leaves only days for resolution of some of the most contentious and controversial issues facing terrestrial television broadcasters.
Because of the communications failure during the Katrina disaster, there is support for an earlier analog turnoff date — as early as Jan. 1, 2007. There is equal desire to push the transition in the House. Reps. Curt Weldon and Jane Harman — the latter of whom is the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee — have introduced legislation that sets Dec. 31, 2006, as the “hard date.”
However, their bill — H.R. 1646 — only clears broadcasters from stations 63, 64, 68 and 69. Those four channels total 24MHz, not the 108MHz that will be available for other communications needs once broadcasters vacate. Others want to clear the entire analog spectrum much sooner.
Also caught in the political wind is whether the final DTV legislation will include a provision requiring cable providers to carry more than one digital channel from each local broadcaster. The NAB is relentlessly pushing lawmakers to require cable providers carrying local broadcast channels to carry all of each local broadcaster’s digital program streams.
However, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) argues that a multicast requirement would be unconstitutional, hinder the DTV transition and give broadcasters a competitive advantage over cable networks that have to compete for space on cable providers’ channel lineups.
Several members of Congress are pushing for a compromise on multi-channel must-carry. An aide to Sen. Conrad Burns, a senior Commerce Committee member, told the National Journal that Burns would support requiring cable operators to carry two or three channels of broadcasters’ channels. Another key legislator, House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, also supported the notion of two mandatory must-carry channels, a report said.
Also unresolved is the issue of a government subsidy for DTV converter boxes. Once the transition from analog to digital broadcasts takes place, viewers without a digital TV set or pay television service will lose their broadcast signal. A converter box will be needed to receive digital signals on an analog set.
Congressional Republicans want to set a “co-pay” on the boxes at $20 from each consumer. They would then like to supplement that with a subsidy of up to $40 to purchase a device that is expected to cost consumers $60 each. But Senate Commerce ranking member Daniel Inouye wants to set the co-pay lower, at $10 per consumer.
News
Multi-channel must-carry continues to divide
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
After failing to win before the FCC last year, broadcasters are now desperately lobbying Congress to make multi-channel must-carry part of pending DTV legislation. The cable industry, contending it’s unconstitutional, is fighting it tooth and nail.
Multi-channel must-carry has even spilt two coalitions of public-interest advocates. One coalition — including Consumers Union and Free Press — opposes any multicast “must carry” mandate. There exists no compelling public policy reason for the multicast mandate, the group said in a letter to the House Energy and Commerce and Senate Commerce committees.
However, a rival group, the Campaign Legal Center sees it differently. They say no decision on must-carry should be made until and unless the committees have set forth provisions, which spell out meaningful and effective public-interest obligations for digital television broadcasters.
But both coalitions are concerned that the congressional committees could impose must-carry rules without firm obligations for public service.
Meredith McGehee, director of media policy at the Campaign Legal Center, told the National Journal that she is more concerned that broadcasters will do multicast must-carry and forget about their public-interest obligations.
Some consumer advocates suggested there might be benefits to tying public interest obligations to multicast must-carry.
Qualcomm TV station surrenders analog spectrum for mobile video service
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
Qualcomm has won FCC approval to allow its WLNY-TV station in Riverhead, NY, to turn off its analog service early and begin life as a digital-only station. At the same time, the move allows Qualcomm to use the analog spectrum on channel 55 to launch its MediaFLO USA video service to wireless phones in the station’s coverage area.
Qualcomm bought WLNY’s channel 55 in a government auction with the intent to reclaim the analog spectrum for MediaFLO after the switch to digital. The FCC’s action allows station to flash-cut to digital-only broadcasts. It becomes the second station allowed to turn off one of its signals before the end of the transition.
According to WLNY, its analog service reaches 3,855,201 persons within a 5502sq km area, and its current WLNY-DT STA service reaches 3,104,183 persons within a 4652sq km area. Although WLNY, as a licensee with two out-of-core channels, is under no obligation to build its maximized DTV facility, it pledged to do so within 12 months after finality of the grant of its band-clearing request, which will result in service to 5,081,440 persons within a 7270sq km area. In addition, no areas or populations will lose service from WLNY-DT from the result of this conversion to its maximized facility.
The FCC said last week that even though the station is technically the only one licensed to Riverhead, NY, that the effect of dropping its analog signal will be “imperceptible” given the 92.2 percent cable penetration of the DMA and that it is moving out to help speed the transition to digital.
Prior to discontinuing analog service and surrendering its NTSC license, the FCC said it expected WLNY to supply all cable systems carrying its digital signal with the conversion equipment necessary to translate WLNY-DT’s signal to an analog signal.
The commission noted the action will allow Qualcomm to deploy and operate a network to offer a mediacast service that delivers many channels of multimedia content to third generation wireless phones, using forward link only (FLO) technology developed by the company.
Qualcomm anticipates that MediaFLO network service will initially provide up to 15 live streaming video program channels, numerous video clip cast channels in which subscribers can choose video clips to watch, and numerous audio channels. The company also intends that the network will also carry local programming and core public interest program content such as breaking news, weather, and public affairs, as well as maintain network capability to disseminate emergency alert information, in both visual, including textual, and auditory form.
Sony to slash 10,000 jobs globally, cut 15 business units
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
The Sony Electronics announced that it will eliminate 10,000 jobs globally, slash a number of factories, cut 15 business categories, and reduce costs by $1.8 billion in an ambitious restructuring bid to revive its faltering electronics business.
Sony said it would downsize or dispose of 15 business categories, which it did not name. There was no mention in the announcement of how the cuts might impact Sony’s broadcast equipment business.
Under new management since March, Sony said it expected a group net loss of 10 billion yen ($90 million) in the current fiscal year as the plunging prices of consumer electronics products have taken a hefty toll on earnings.
The changes, to be put in place by the end of fiscal 2007, which runs through March 2008, would result in a reduction of 4000 workers in Japan and 6000 elsewhere, while factories would be cut from the present 65 to 54, company officials said.
With more than 151,000 employees worldwide, that amounts to about a 6 percent cut in its workforce, the Associated Press reported.
The latest turnaround plan comes under the fresh leadership of Howard Stringer, a British-American dual citizen who was named chief executive of the electronics and entertainment company in March as the first foreigner to head Sony.
Sony has lost money in its electronics sector for two straight fiscal years, and has relied on its movie division such as the popular “Spider-Man” series and its successful PlayStation consoles in its computer video-game unit to lift profits in recent years.
President Ryoji Chubachi, also head of the electronics division, conceded that his company wasn’t making products that people wanted to buy and that Sony’s technological prowess had declined. Sony said it would focus now on so-called “champion products” including the PlayStation 3, Bravia liquid crystal display televisions and the Walkman portable music players.
Under the plan announced last week, the company said it would review real estate, stock holdings and other non-core assets and make disposals of some 120 billion yen ($1.2 billion) by March 2008.
To cut costs, Sony said it would reduce the number of models by 20 percent compared to the current fiscal year, and reduce the number of factories by 11 to 54. Sony did not specify which businesses would be trimmed.
Over the last five years, Sony shares have lost two-thirds of their value, and are currently trading at about $36.
FCC & Industry Updates
FCC urged to require warnings in multiple languages
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
Broadcast stations should be required to air emergency disaster and security warnings in multiple languages, according to a petition that several trade and activist groups filed with the FCC last week.
The Independent Spanish Broadcasters Association, the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council and the United Church of Christ urged the FCC to require broadcasters to air multilingual warnings during emergencies, the Washington Times reported.
The petition cited Hurricane Katrina, which knocked the only Spanish-language TV station in New Orleans off the air for more than a week, denying residents who speak only Spanish of “vital information concerning the path of the storm, where and how to seek shelter, and how to remain healthy and safe in the aftermath of the storm.”
The FCC began considering new requirements for emergency broadcasts last year and is still studying the issue. “After Katrina, everyone is hoping there won’t be a next time. Unfortunately, with Mother Nature, there always is,” said Gloria Tristani, managing director of the United Church of Christ’s Office of Communications and an FCC commissioner during the Clinton administration.
News Corp. considers station sales
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. may sell off its television stations located outside the top 25 U.S. markets, news reports said last week.
Such a sale would reduce the number of company owned-and-operated stations to 27 from 35. Stations that could be sold include those serving Kansas City, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, Memphis, Austin, and Birmingham, AL.
Verizon FIOS gears up for TV service
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
Verizon Communications has announced that it will add content from Walt Disney and its subsidiaries to a growing list of channels for its new FIOS television service, which the carrier expects to begin rolling out in the next few weeks.
Media conglomerate News Corp. is close to setting a deal to provide programming to Verizon Communications, News Corp.’s chief executive Rupert Murdoch said last week.
Under the Disney agreement, made public last week and reported by CNET News, Verizon will offer customers of its FIOS broadband-over-fiber television service 12 more channels of Disney content, including various ABC, Disney, and ESPN-branded ones, as well as Soapnet. Verizon will also be granted retransmission consent from television stations that ABC owns and operates.
Verizon has been busy over the past six months racking up content deals before the launch of its FIOS television service. CNET reported that it already has agreements with Showtime Networks, A&E Television Networks, NBC Universal Cable, Starz Entertainment Group, Discovery Networks and Movielink, which will offer on-demand movie downloads. The company said it plans to offer customers more than 300 channels of video and audio content.
Verizon’s FIOS will host the television service as part of its triple play offering, which will include voice, video and data services. The fiber network is being built in half the states where Verizon’s landline telephone service is available. It will provide more bandwidth than is available over Verizon’s existing copper-based network, according to the company.
TV service will begin in some regions within the next two weeks, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg said last week. Verizon has obtained franchise agreements in Texas, California, Florida and Virginia.
DirecTV launches Katrina channel
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
DirecTV has launched a “Hurricane Katrina Information” channel that provides round-the-clock updates concerning the relief-and-recovery efforts in the Gulf.
On channel 100, the new service enables viewers to contact relatives and friends separated by the storm by means of text messages that run along the bottom of screens.
To place such a message, viewers can send an e-mail to katrina@directv.com or a cell phone text message to text code 48433.
Omnibus announces support for SMPTE Data Exchange standard
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
Omnibus Systems announced that its OPUS Interchange Web Services Gateway will provide support for the data exchange protocol under development by the SMPTE S22-10 Working Group on Data Exchange.
The S22-10 Working Group is developing specifications for the exchange of XML-encoded data among traffic, automation, program management, and content delivery systems. The group is defining XML schemas for the exchange of data among adjacent systems in five categories including content metadata, air schedules, as-run logs, record schedules, and content purging.
Participants in the S22-10 Working Group include representatives from over 60 companies, including hardware manufacturers, software providers and broadcasters. Omnibus Systems was among eight companies that initiated the standardization effort prior to its acceptance as a working group by the SMPTE S22 Technical Committee.
OPUS Interchange is part of the OmniBus OPUS Suite for Content Management that was released at IBC2005 in Amsterdam. Beta versions of Interchange have been in use by several traffic and DAM providers since early 2005 for integration with OmniBus G3 systems at major broadcast facilities throughout the world.
For more information, visit www.omnibussystems.com.
TV engineer challenges McCain’s assumptions
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
Sometimes the politicians in Washington need a reality check when it comes to the transition to digital television. Mark Schubin, an Emmy-Award-winning Fellow of SMPTE (and a well-known TV trade journalist), is challenging Senator John McCain’s call for speeding the DTV transition. Schubin said that the Hurricane Katrina disaster clearly illustrates that shutting down analog TV broadcasting will endanger lives rather than protect them.
Schubin cites a survey published in the New York Times in August, which indicates that five of eight Americans prefer to get their local news from TV, a proportion that has actually increased since 2001. Current penetration of digital-TV receivers or adapters is low, and the lowest-priced advertised adapter costs $200; 13in color TVs are regularly advertised at prices below $50 and battery-powered 5in black-and-white TVs sell for less than $20. There are no battery-powered digital televisions.
Receivers said to be able to be sold for $50 were recently demonstrated to Congress, but Schubin notes that their antennas were in a window. He said that several receivers tested at his Manhattan apartment got good reception with a window antenna, but they couldn't get reception even a few feet inside the room. He added that the rabbit ears on his TV pick up analog signals there just fine.
Schubin said he also challenges assumptions that a lack of spectrum had anything to do with the Katrina or 9/11 disasters. After Katrina, Schubin said, there were downed and damaged towers and antennas, equipment was underwater, signal cables were severed and power was out. That would knock out communications no matter how many channels were available.
As for the World Trade Center, the 9/11 Commission Report notes that the Port Authority Police had more channels than they used and that the biggest problems were caused by a fire-department repeater that wasn't properly activated, not by any lack of spectrum, Schubin said.
Senator McCain is calling for analog-TV transmissions to be shut down by 2007. Schubin points out that roughly 30 million TV sets of all types were sold to U.S. dealers in 2004. Even if all of those were to be digital, it would take a minimum of four years before every household in America had a digital TV. That would put it at 2010. “How are people supposed to get evacuation orders before then?” Schubin asked.
55th annual IEEE broadcast symposium set
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
The 55th Annual IEEE Broadcast Symposium will be held October 12-14 at The Hotel Washington, in Washington, DC.
The Annual Broadcast Symposium, presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Broadcast Technology Society (BTS), includes three days of technical papers, a joint luncheon with the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers (AFCCE) and the annual society awards luncheon.
Wednesday October 12 will feature a full day of Mobile and Multimedia Broadcasting papers, followed by an evening session on Technical Regulatory Issues.
On Thursday October 13, the technical program features sessions on Audio Broadcasting and DTV System Performance and Measurements. The speaker for the Joint AFCCE/IEEE luncheon will be Marsha J. MacBride, executive vice president, law and regulatory policy, National Association of Broadcasters.
Friday, October 14, features Satellite Broadcasting and Distributed DTV Transmission technical sessions, concluding with a panel discussion on Distributed Transmission. The Friday program also features the annual Broadcast Technology Society awards luncheon.
Full program information and registration for the Broadcast Symposium may be found at www.ieee.org/organizations/society/bt/sympo.html.
Early registration discounts are available through Oct. 1, 2005.
SBE elects new governing body
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) has elected Christopher H. Scherer, as its 24th president. Scherer will lead the society beginning on October 20, following his induction during the SBE Annual Membership Meeting in Dallas, TX.
Scherer is a senior member of SBE. He is completing a term as national vice president, and is a past chairman of Chapter 59 in Kansas City and Chapter 70 in Cleveland. A member of the Society since 1989, he also currently serves as chairman of the SBE National Certification Committee, a position he has held since 2001.
The SBE also announced its new officers and new members to its board of directors for the organization that is made up of and represents technical engineers in radio and television. It offers a variety of certification programs for broadcast engineers, operators and technicians.
Other newly elected positions include: Clay Freinwald (a corporate engineer with Entercom, in Auburn, WA), vice president; Vincent A. Lopez (director of engineering at WSYT/WNYS TV, in Syracuse, NY), secretary; and Barry Thomas (vice president of engineering at Westwood One, in New York City), treasurer.
The SBE has more than 5300 members in 110 chapters across the United States. There are also members in 30 other countries.
For more information, visit www.sbe.org.
New Products & Reviews
Canon unveils HDV camcorder
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
 The new XL H1 camera captures images in 1080/60i resolution at 25Mb/s. It can also record DV images as well as high-quality (1920x1080) stills at up to five frames per second. |
The new XL H1 1080i HDV camcorder from Canon offers a range of features in form factor immediately familiar to users of Canon’s XL 1 and XL2 cameras. Addressing a variety of applications, the XL H1 is well suited to sports and newsgathering (30fps), independent filmmaking (24ifps) and even reality TV shoots (60i).
With three 1/3in interlaced native 16:9 CCD chips producing 1440x1080 output, the new H1 camera captures images at 1080/60i resolution at 25Mb/s, although it can also record DV images as well as high-quality (1920x1080) stills at up to five frames per second. Camcorder settings can be stored on the memory card and transferred to another camcorder so setup can be replicated. It comes with a removable 20x lens and Canon’s XL mount.
The XL H1 can be operated at a number of frame rates: 60i, 30i and 24i fames per second. It records video and still images to an HDV tape drive or an SD memory card (a 16 GB card is provided with the camera). The H1 camcorder is the first model to include Canon’s proprietary DIGIC DV II image processor, which can process HD and SD video signals as well as still photos, while maintaining the correct color space for each mode.
A professional jackpack at the back of the camcorder provides an uncompressed digital HD-SDI data transfer output (at 1.5Gb/s), SD-SDI output, genlock capability to link and match multiple cameras through a production switcher for a consistent look, and the SMPTE time code in and out. The HD-SDI output allows professionals to plug the H1 into any system with an HD-SDI input and work with live, unfiltered HD content.
The camera includes a new color electronic viewfinder and 2.4in 16:9 LCD monitor with safe-area marking built-in; a black-and-white mode; zebra pattern (70-100 IRE); horizontal and vertical flip and a distance readout, leveraging the 20X lens. This distance-to-subject feature can reduce the need for talent markings and saves time when setting up shots.
Al Jazeera International chooses HD Vizrt graphics
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
 Several template-based graphics systems, including Vizrt’s Content Pilot software (pictured), will help Al Jazeera International create stunning HD graphics with ease. |
Al Jazeera International, the 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, has selected a high-definition graphics system from Vizrt for its four broadcast centers in Doha (HQ), London, Kuala Lumpur and Washington DC. The company said the deal is the second biggest in its history, with systems to be installed by the end of this year. The channel is set to broadcast globally in early 2006.
The Vizrt real-time 3-D graphics systems will be used for breaking news graphics, maps and template graphics, which are all accessible through an Octopus newsroom system. News producers can access animations and template files created in any of the broadcast centers through constantly mirrored graphics file servers connected to a secure network.
For more information, visit www.vizrt.com.
Free Speech TV gets automated with Crispin
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
 The system installed at Free Speech Television uses Crispin’s RapidPlayX application to monitor and control its on-air playback. |
Crispin has installed a full-featured automation system at Free Speech Television, a publicly-supported, independent, non-profit TV channel located in Boulder, CO. The system was implemented at two separate broadcast operations centers in Colorado (Boulder and Castle Rock) and supports media ingest, traffic translation, device control and on-air playback via Echostar’s Dish satellite network
The system includes monitoring and control of the on-air playback channel, using Crispin’s RapidPlayX application. It allows operators to create and load playlists, edit events, issue playlist commands and monitor event status. The Free Speech Television solution includes three Crispin-supplied workstations, each focused on specific workflow tasks. Crispin’s eight-port DeviceServer controls two Omneon Video Networks servers, a switcher and multiple VTRs.
TurboBrowser, a companion Crispin application to RapidPlayX, allows Free Speech TV operators to quickly search and find any video clip in their system. With approximately 100 file cabinet entries per channel, Free Speech operators have can insert alternate events (interstitials, commercials, evergreen material) or entire blocks of material to accommodate last-minute changes to the schedule.
The channel is also using Crispin’s Dubber application to control multiple source devices. Dubber provides all of the tools needed to speed and simplify the acquisition and preparation of material for fully automated on-air playback.
Free Speech Television operators move program material (encoded at 8Mb/s) across a Boulder LAN to portable FireWire hard drives. All material (approximately 50GB) is then physically transported to the Castle Rock transmission facility, where it is transferred to the Omneon RAID storage array. In addition to the Boulder material, Free Speech encodes live, satellite-transmitted programming at the Castle Rock facility.
For more information, visit www.crispincorp.com.
Path 1 unveils monitoring for IP video
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
Path 1 Network Technologies has released its first IP video monitoring application; Diagnostic, Analysis and Stream Health (DASH). The DASH application supports quality assurance initiatives for broadcast-quality IP video transport by detecting problems with the video streams intrinsic during transport over packet-based networks.
When used with the Path 1 VX8000 IP video gateway, the technologies help detect and correct errors like IP network that affect video quality due to jitter, packet loss, excessive latency, out-of-order packets and other visible disruptions. Once a problem has been detected, Path 1’s IP video gateways can be used to apply Pro-MPEG Code of Practice (COP 3) techniques for forward error correction.
DASH is the first of several monitoring and video quality assurance products that Path 1 plans to introduce this year. These tools and applications will allow network operators such as telcos, carriers, mobile and satellite providers who transport IP video over private and public networks to pinpoint performance problems and correct those problems quickly.
Installed near routers and switches, the DASH monitoring system captures real-time and accurate data to measure and monitor delivery quality and media transport performance. It runs on any PC connected to a video network. SNMP transactions are used to obtain information about the video streams from the Path 1 gateway devices. In addition, multiple devices can be monitored simultaneously, with the rate of data collection configurable by the user.
For more information, visit www.path1.com.
AJA intros uncompressed HD capture card
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
 With a single KONA LH card and Final Cut Pro 5, users can bring in and layback material to HDCAM, DVCPROHD, HDV, BetacamSP, Digital Betacam and VHS. |
AJA Video has released its next-generation video capture card, the KONA LH. Combining many of the features of AJA’s popular KONA-2 card, but at a lower price, KONA LH supports native 10-bit uncompressed signal processing and is ideally suited to those using Apple’s G5 workstation with Final Cut Pro editing software.
The KONA LH PCI card is available for OSX and FCP, offering HD and SD analog and digital I/O. Now, with a single card and Final Cut Pro 5, users can bring in and layback material to HDCAM, DVCPROHD, HDV, BetacamSP, Digital Betacam, and even VHS.
The KONA LH supports various HD codecs, including DVCProHD, HDV playback, and DV50, and includes hardware acceleration on-board for the playback of Apple's Dynamic RT Extreme. Acceleration frees up the G5 to do more.
For more information, visit www.aja.com.
More New Products
Telecast shows HD/SDI mini transceiver at IBC
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
 Telecast’s highly compact Rattler modules provide interference-free transmission of digital video signals. |
At the IBC 2005 conference, Telecast Fiber Systems showed it new Rattler mini HD/SDI fiber optic transmitter and receiver modules, which offer interference-free transmission of digital video signals in a compact package that also includes visual diagnostic indicators.
The Rattler's red transmitter module accepts an uncompressed SDI signal on a 75ohm coax input, equalizing up to 153yds of coaxial cable at HD transfer speeds, and converts it into an optical data stream via a standard ST connector. The blue receiver module at the other end of the link reconverts the signal back to an electrical HD/SDI signal via a BNC output. The durable, 3in devices weigh 1.8oz and receive power from DC adapters or conventional powered USB hubs via the Rattler's mini-USB connector.
For more information, visit www.telecast-fiber.com.
JVC intros tapeless HD video recorder
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
 The JVC DR-HD100 hard disk drive, which attaches directly on the JVC GY-HD100E camcorder, uses a single FireWire cable to communicate audio, video, timecode and control information. |
JVC has introduced the tapeless DR-HD100 40GB and 80GB hard disk drive as its latest ProHD recorder. The company said efficient hard-disk-based editing and cost-efficient backup and archiving is now achievable in both SD and HD modes.
The JVC model DR-HD100 hard disk drive, which attaches directly on the JVC GY-HD100E camcorder, uses a single FireWire cable to communicate audio, video, timecode and control information. The DR-HD100 is available in two versions, one with a 40GB capacity hard disk, the other with 80GB.
The 40GB unit offers more than three hours of uninterrupted recording, the 80GB nearly seven hours. They record and backup both DV and HDVTM video.
The manufacturer said its newly developed MPEG-2 encoding chip enables high quality pictures to be recorded readily to both hard disk and compact DV cassettes simultaneously or consecutively. Because neither special equipment nor exclusive media is required, the total system operating costs are kept low. However, the company did not reveal the price of the recorder or when it will be available.
The DR-HD100 records standard definition DV25 files to disk as Raw DV, AVI Type 1, AVI Type 2, AVI Type 2 24p, Matrox AVI, Canopus AVI, QuickTime or QuickTime 24p and includes MXF, Pinnacle AVI and Avid DV-OMF format support. It records high definition 720p 24/25/30 M2T for HD non-linear editing systems.
For more information, visit www.jvcproeurope.com.
Digigram offers new networked audio devices
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
 The new VX1221HR card benefits users working with software-based systems on standard WDM DirectSound, ASIO, WAVE or Digigram application programming interfaces. |
Digigram, a provider of PC audio interfaces and networked audio devices, has introduced several new products for the multi-channel broadcasting market.
At IBC 2005, Digigram presented native support of multi-channel audio files in its application development environment, several new sound cards and a number of new EtherSound products with the result that Digigram can now support traditional multi-channel infrastructures based on analog or AES/EBU cabling, or a network-centric approach where audio is distributed over standard Ethernet using EtherSound technology.
Digigram announced native support of multi-channel management in its application development environment, HR Runtime, as well as in its DirectSound and Wave drivers. This development enables management of play, record and mix of PCM WaveFormatExtensible files in 5.1, 5.1+2, 7.1, or 7.1+2. Multi-channel files and legacy stereo files may be used simultaneously.
The announcement was accompanied by the launch of two new multi-channel sound cards in the High Resolution series; the VX1222HR (2/12 analog and digital I/Os) and its sister model VX1221HR (2/12 digital I/Os only).
The new cards benefit users working with software-based systems on standard WDM DirectSound, ASIO, WAVE, or Digigram application programming interfaces. Both the VX1221 and VX1222HR support the simultaneous play-out of two PCM 5.1-surround signals.
For more information, visit www.digigram.com.
Belden to show new CatSnake at AES
Sep 25, 2005 8:00 AM, Beyond The Headlines e-newsletter
 The new CAT 5e UTP cables are AES/EBU-compliant and utilize Belden’s patented Bonded-Pair design, which makes them ideal for indoor broadcast applications. |
Belden CDT Electronics, manufacturers of specialty cables for A/V, broadcast and entertainment applications, will use AES to introduce Brilliance CatSnake, tactical field-deployable Category 5e audio/video cables designed for use in patching Ethernet or other CAT 5e digital audio/video formats.
The new CAT 5e UTP cables are AES/EBU-compliant and feature an extremely rugged construction, utilizing Belden’s patented Bonded-Pair design, which makes them ideal for indoor broadcast applications in high traffic areas, as well as tactical, field-deployable for use out-of-doors and in broadcast truck applications.
Brilliance CatSnake UTP cables — Product Nos. 1304A and 1305A — feature Bonded-Pair unshielded twisted pairs (UTPs) with 24 AWG stranded bare copper conductors and polyolefin insulation. To further ensure the durability, portability and re-usability of the cables, Belden has a heavy jacket wall version for medium duty use (Product No. 1304A) or an up-jacketed version for the harshest heavy-duty applications (Product No. 1305A).
To increase their flexibility, the cables offer stranded (7x32) conductors and matte-finished Belflex jackets. Both cables pass the -40°C Cold Bend test per UL 1381.
For more information, visit www.belden.com.
