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E-News
RTNDA president asks Roberts to allow radio, TV coverage of Supreme Court
Oct 12, 2005 8:00 AM, ENG Update e-newsletter
The Radio-Television News Directors Association has asked newly appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. to allow radio and television coverage of court proceedings.
The public should be granted meaningful access to arguments made before the court, RTNDA president Barbara Cochran said in a letter sent to the new chief justice.
In her letter Cochran asked initially for the release of audio taped coverage, but added “only television has the ability to provide the public with a close visual and aural approximation of actually witnessing judicial proceedings without physical attendance.”
Banning electronic coverage requires the public to rely upon “secondhand accounts filtered by the perceptions of reporters,” Cochran’s letter said.
To read the entire letter, visit www.rtnda.org/foi/cochran_100605.shtml.
Citizen journalists shifting role of media, says BBC global news chief
Oct 11, 2005 1:54 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
A fundamental shift is occurring in the relationship between the media and the public because of citizen journalists equipped with camera phones, digital cameras and computers, the BBC global news division chief said according to a report in The Boston Globe.
Speaking at an Oct. 6 conference in New York, the BBC’s Richard Sambrook told those in attendance that using video from the public has signaled that the British Broadcast Corp. is transforming from a broadcaster to a news facilitator.
Sambrook pointed to July 7 as a turning point when citizens provided photos and video in the aftermath of the London subway bombings.
Katrina coverage, coaching, VJs to headline NorCal RTNDA conference
Oct 12, 2005 8:00 AM, ENG Update e-newsletter
Television and radio station tours, discussions with reporters who covered Hurricane Katrina, and the effect emerging technology has on broadcast journalism highlight the 24th annual NorCal RTNDA Conference and Awards Oct. 22 in San Francisco.
Bay Area reporters who covered the aftermath of the hurricane will discuss how they overcame such challenges as no phones or electricity, sleeping in their cars, going without food and water and encountering angry evacuees.
During the "Foot in the Door," panel news directors and a talent coach will talk about what it takes to get that first job or the next job. The "VJ Revolution" panel will discuss the trend toward video journalists working alone with a small digital camera and laptop editing system.
For more information, visit www.norcalrtnda.com/index.html.
Gannett, Knight Ridder, Tribune deploy NewsRank technology
Oct 11, 2005 2:15 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
Gannett, Knight Ridder and the Tribune Company have deployed Topix.net NewsRank categorization technology across 177 of their newspaper and television station Web sites.
Articles on Topix.net-powered sites link to related, categorized content, discovered through NewsRank technology. Topix.net technology provides more than 300,000 dedicated news channels culled from more than 10,000 different news sources.
Initial rollout has seen more than 200 million articles categorized and driven to about 2 million readers in the first 60 days.
For more information, visit www.topix.net.
ENG
ENG from the air delivers first view of Katrina devastation
Oct 11, 2005 2:35 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
 The Helinet Cineflex HD camera system uses a 1140mm lens, every bit of which was needed to “dig out whatever detail” could be found in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. |
Two and half hours after Hurricane Katrina blew through New Orleans, an HD-equipped airborne ENG crew from Helinet Aviation Services flew into the area to capture the first images of the devastation.
According to Helinet Chief Technology Officer, J.T. Alpaugh, the scene was remarkable. He and pilot/Helinet owner Alan Purwin followed a handful of Coast Guard helicopters into the area.
While the pair planned to do live shots to report on the devastation, the hurricane kept a companion satellite truck used for microwave receive and satellite backhaul from arriving.
The two were the only media in the area at that point, so the pair focused on making sure the images they captured reflected the scope of the destruction.
As fuel diminished, the helicopter flew to Baton Rouge, where the pair met up with a satellite truck at the airport. From there, the raw footage of the destruction was uplinked.
For the next two weeks, the pair shot the devastation, and provided airborne pool network feeds of Katrina’s aftermath.
To read more about Helinet’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina, read the one-on-one interview with Alpaugh from High Definition Technology Update.
For additional information, visit www.helinet.com.
Nordahl.tv rolls out updated version of HD ENG report
Oct 11, 2005 3:44 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
Greater analysis and more details on several HD camcorders have been added to the recently updated “HD ENG News & HDV Technology for TV Broadcasters” report from Nordahl.tv.
Originally released in June, the revised edition provides an in-depth view of the direction of the HD ENG technology market. The report details all new technology HD camcorders and ENG camera back microwave TX units shown and announced at this year’s NAB and IBC.
The updated 110-page report includes new coverage of HD and HDV camcorders, including:
- Canon’s XL H1 HDV camcorder
- Grass Valley’s INFINITY HD camcorder
- Ikegami’s HDN-X10 EditCam camera recorder
- JVC’s GY-HD100U ProHD camcorder and GY-HD7000U ProHD camcorder
- Panasonic’s AG-HVX200 P2 camcorder
- Sony’s HVR-Z1U HDV camcorder and PDW-F330 XDCAM HD camcorder
The report is organized into five chapters: News Delivery in SD & HD; HD Formats, Compression & Storage Analysis; the Ideal HD ENG Camcorder; HD ENG Camcorders at NAB/IBC-2005; and HD ENG Microwave at NAB/IBC-2005.
For more information, visit www.nordahl.tv.
Beyond ENG
KRON 4 transforms news workflow
Oct 11, 2005 3:47 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
KRON 4 in San Francisco is using Canopus EDIUS Pro 3 professional real-time video editing software to produce news content quickly.
The EDIUS Pro 3 interfaces directly to BitCentral's Precis play-to-air system to create a tapeless ingest, edit and playback solution.
BitCentral's Precis system, with EDIUS Pro 3, gives broadcast outlets the ability to immediately upgrade to a file-based, ingest-to-air, news workflow.
For shooting news, KRON 4 is using Panasonic AJ-SPX800 DVCPRO P2 and Sony HVRZ1U camcorders.
For more information, visit www.canopus.com.
HD clarity brings a new view of sea floor
Oct 12, 2005 3:58 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
Ocean scientists used an HD television camera Sept. 28 and 29 to capture live views of an area of the sea floor 200 miles off the coast of Washington and British Columbia. Known as the Endeavour Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, the area is a twisted segment of seabed peppered with volcanic eruptions, eerie spires and chimneys that vent water as hot as 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
The transmissions were the first from the sea floor anywhere in the world to be broadcast live in HD.
Visually Integrated Science for Interactive Ocean Networked Systems, the expedition studying how tectonic-plate interaction can support exotic and ancient microbial life forms within the sea floor, used a collection of instruments, cameras and robots to study the microorganisms.
HD video from the sea floor was transmitted from Jason II, a remotely operated vehicle, to a research vessel on the surface of the ocean via a 6mi electro-optical tether. An onboard engineering-production crew from the ResearchChannel used TANDBERG Television's HD encoder and decoder as part of the high-definition compression and transmission system onboard the research vessel. Live high-definition video was distributed via IP to selected research groups in six countries with the high-bandwidth Internet connections capable of receiving the HD feed.
An SD version of the deep sea footage was made available to the public on the University of Washington’s ResearchChannel available on the Dish Network.
The University Of Washington and the National Science Foundation organized the HD expedition.
For more information, visit www.researchchannel.org/visions05 and www.tandbergtv.com.
ENG Products
Canon introduces two 2/3in Pro-Video lenses
Oct 11, 2005 4:06 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
 The new YJ20x8.5B KRS long-zoom and YJ13x6B Series wide-angle portable lenses offer Canon’s exclusive Shuttle Shot function. |
Canon Broadcast & Communications has introduced new 2/3inch Pro-Video lenses.
The new YJ20x8.5B KRS long-zoom portable lens and the new YJ13x6B Series wide-angle portable lenses feature Canon’s Internal Focus technology (IFpro). The lenses also offer Canon’s Shuttle Shot function, an advanced servo system.
Internal Focus is a multi-group technology that uses a floating optical system to optimize control of chromatic aberrations and reduces focus breathing effects.
The YJ20x8.5B KRS and YJ13x6B Series lenses also incorporate Canon’s newly developed optical materials in combination with the latest lens-element design innovations and multilayer coatings. The YJ20x8.5B KRS long-zoom portable lens and the new YJ13x6B Series wide-angle portable lenses feature a horizontal field of view of 54.7 degrees and 72.5 degrees, respectively.
For more informatioin, visit www.usa.canon.com.
KOTA-TV upgrades NewsKing News, adds Video Technics NewsFlow
Oct 11, 2005 4:19 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
 Finished content can be dragged from the embedded VT Proxy Editor directly into the NewsKing rundown for immediate on-air playout. |
NewsFlow was installed at KOTA to provide a complete digital solution with Apella servers for multichannel ingest and playout; VT Proxy Editor seats; networked storage; VT Media Exchange Server for transferring files such as Pathfire-delivered content; and Pathfire’s Transfer Service. This solution has allowed KOTA to work on a completely digital shared network environment
The VT Proxy Editor clients can be used as stand-alone or embedded inside newsroom control systems. The VT Proxy Editor and NewsKing integration allows users to browse the NewsFlow database from low-res MPEG-1 proxies and acquire, edit and produce a complete VO, SOT, tease or simple package. Users are able to drag finished content from the embedded VT Proxy Editor directly into the NewsKing rundown for immediate on-air playout.
For more information, visit www.comprompter.com and www.videotechnics.com.
Sony announces March ’06 XDCAM HD introduction
Oct 12, 2005 8:30 AM, ENG Update e-newsletter
Sony will introduce a high-definition version of the XDCAM optical technology in March 2006.
An HD version of the XDCAM system will let producers combine HD resolution with the same IT-based workflow enhancements available in the current XDCAM system. The XDCAM HD will be compatible with the PFD-23 professional disc media used in the current XDCAM system.
XDCAM HD products, featuring one camcorder and two decks, will offer users the ability to record 1080i video at three data recoding rates: 18-, 25-, and 35Mb/s. The XDCAM HD camcorder will also feature 24P acquisition and native recording capabilities and be able to record four channels of 16-bit, 48kHz uncompressed audio.
The XDCAM HD products record high-definition content to Sony’s Professional Disc media using an HD MPEG-2 Long GOP video compression codec. With the XDCAM HD system, users will be able to record up to two hours of content on the optical media.
For more information, visit www.sony.com.
Headset combines S-Logic, DPA mic
Oct 12, 2005 4:34 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
The new Ultrasone HFI-700 HSD headset combines the company’s S-Logic technology with the DPA 4088 head-worn directional microphone.
S-Logic technology provides high-quality sound and stereo image, and low distortion, to deliver performance similar to listening to near field monitors. The headphone’s driver positioning lets professionals listen at lower sound pressure levels, significantly reducing fatigue and providing hearing protection.
The microphone portion of the headset uses a DPA miniature head-worn microphone for accurate reproduction. Small in size, the mic can handle the high SPL of an excited play-by-play and color team.
The DPA 4088 (cardioid) or DPA 4066 (omni) microphones are joined to the headphone with an articulating mount and disconnect that allow stable positioning and quick field changes.
For more information, visit www.ultrasoneusa.com.
Horne, Jones join ARRI
Oct 12, 2005 4:36 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
ARRI has brought on Fred Horne and Mike Jones to bolster its lighting division on both coasts.
Jones, formerly with 1st Unit, has joined the company as a technical sales representative and will work from ARRI’s Burbank, CA, office.
Horne has joined the company’s Blauvelt, NY, team as the Northeast Lighting Sales Manager. The position was previously held by Roger Dean, who now covers the Southern region.
For more information, visit www.arri.com.
Conboy joins Pathfire
Oct 11, 2005 4:57 PM, ENG Update e-newsletter
Joe Conboy has joined Pathfire as the general manager of Pathfire Direct.
Previously, Conboy held the position of vice president of business development at Sidereus Technologies.
For more information, visit www.pathfire.com.
