 |
HD Highlights
New service delivers HD, SD movies on demand
Feb 22, 2006 1:51 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
MovieBeam, a new movies-on-demand service, has launched delivery of titles, including HD movies, to viewers in 29 metropolitan areas reaching half of all U.S. households via a low-cost over-the-air datacasting technology.
The MovieBeam system is composed of a set-top box that stores, protects and plays movies, a small indoor antenna that receives new movies to refresh the selection automatically, and a remote control. The venture, backed by The Walt Disney Company, Cisco Systems, and Intel, will always make 100 movies immediately available to consumers with up to 10 new titles automatically delivered digitally each week.
MovieBeam will offer access to HD movies with specially selected titles in native HD format and an HDMI connection that up-converts standard-definition content when connected to an HDTV.
The MovieBeam service is now available in: Atlanta; Baltimore; Boston; Buffalo, NY; Chicago; Cleveland; Dallas; Denver; Detroit; Houston; Jacksonville, FL; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Memphis, TN; Minneapolis; Nashville, TN; New York City; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City; San Antonio; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; St. Louis; Tampa, FL; and Washington, DC. It will be sold at Best Buy, CompUSA and Sears as well as regional and independent retailers.
The MovieBeam player features a 160GB hard drive and a 200MHz CPU. The player connects to most television sets. Connections include HDMI, component, S-video, composite and audio connection ports, including digital coaxial, SP/DIF, HDMI and left/right stereo audio. MovieBeam supports advanced audio and video formats, including Windows Media 9/VC-1 and Dolby Digital 5.1.
For more information, visit www.moviebeam.com.
Bush signs DTV bill into law
Feb 22, 2006 2:17 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
The DTV transition is nearly over — this time for real. On Feb. 8, President George W. Bush signed legislation establishing Feb. 17, 2009, as the official date for the shutdown of analog television broadcasting in the United States. Now, the end of the endless transition is set in law.
Finally having a date certain is expected to give consumers better confidence to make television-purchasing decisions. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) predicts sales of more than 18 million DTV sets in 2006 — a 50 percent increase over last year.
Gary Shapiro, head of the CEA, said that with the combination of the hard cutoff date, continuing strong sales of DTV products, an increasing variety of quality high-definition programming and the advent of new pre-recorded HD content, the United States is making significant gains in the transition to digital.
DISH Network expands local HD station offerings
Feb 22, 2006 2:43 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
DISH Network will begin delivering local HD stations in markets to viewers in Chicago and surrounding areas, according to owner EchoStar Communications.
The local high definition TV channels include WLS (ABC), WBBM (CBS), WMAQ (NBC) and WFLD (FOX).
DISH Network offers local channels via satellite to Chicago area customers in 11 Illinois counties.
RAI demonstrates HD at Torino Winter Games
Feb 22, 2006 2:46 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
Italian broadcaster RAI is demonstrating high definition television for the public and visitors to the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino at a variety of public venues throughout the city and elsewhere.
Irdeto has deployed its Irdeto Digital TV conditional access solution for the demonstration. ST, Comteck Video Enterprise, Panasonic and TANDBERG Television also are supplying technology for the demonstration.
HDTV is being distributed using MPEG-4 encoding to set-top boxes with Irdeto smart cards located in a variety of public venues.
For more information, visit www.irdeto.com.
EchoStar X launches successfully
Feb 22, 2006 2:50 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
The EchoStar X telecommunications satellite blasted into space Feb. 16 aboard a Sea Launch Zenit- 3SL launch vehicle from the equator.
EchoStar X will operate from 110 degrees west and is designed for a minimum service life of 15 years. EchoStar X features a Ku-band direct broadcast (DBS) payload optimized to provide additional bandwidth for more satellite TV services for DISH Network customers. The new satellite will be used in conjunction with other EchoStar satellites.
HD Showcase
NBC Olympics production relies on Sony
Feb 22, 2006 2:57 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
NBC Olympics is using a range of high-definition broadcast and production systems from Sony Electronics for the network’s coverage of the 2006 Winter Games from Torino, Italy.
The equipment includes studio cameras, camcorders, switchers, VTRs, monitors, videoconferencing systems and professional videotapes. These products will be used by NBC in an array of applications during the Torino Games, from the International Broadcast Center (IBC) to individual athletic venues.
Sony’s HDC-1000 multiformat 1080/60P portable cameras are being used to capture the action at the Main Broadcast Center as well as several venues, sending signals to Sony’s MVS-8000A and MFS-2000 video production switchers.
The HDCAM HDW-730S camcorder is being used for field acquisition. In NBC’s operations center, several types of Sony VTRs are being used, including the HDCAM HDW-M2000, HDW-D2000 and the SRW-5500 professional models.
NBC also is using 70 of Sony’s BVM-D HD mastering monitors, which display each input signal at its native frequency and resolution with a high degree of color accuracy. Models being used include the BVM-D14H5U, BVM-D20F1U, BVM-D24E1WU and BVM-D32E1WU units.
The network also is employing more than 300 LUMA professional LCD monitors, including Sony’s latest line of two-piece multiformat monitors. More than 150 LUMA LMD-9050 9in multiformat field monitors will be used due to their HD-SDI interface.
For more information, visit www.sony.com/news.
TOBO turns to Panasonic for Winter Games
Feb 22, 2006 3:19 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
The host broadcaster of the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, the Torino Olympic Broadcasting Organization (TOBO), is using an extensive array of Panasonic equipment for the International Broadcast Center and venues.
Together with contracted broadcasting companies covering the games the complement includes 200 DVCPRO VTRs, 100 cameras and camcorders and 600 LCD monitors. Panasonic’s DVCPRO P2 solid-state memory as well as DVCPRO HD and DVCPRO50 recording equipment is being used as well. TOBO’s official video recording format for the games is the Panasonic DVCPRO 50.
This year’s Olympics are the first to be completely digital, and the DVCPRO P2 solid-state memory system, which has no moving parts, is particularly well-suited for the Winter Games because of the potential for harsh weather conditions.
Panasonic is providing 25 Astrovision giant outdoor video screens at various Olympic venues, including the Stadio Olympico, where the Opening and Closing Ceremonies are being held. The company also is providing 25 RAMSA audio systems, featuring line–array speakers that have been developed to cope with extreme conditions and minimize sound leakage. The line array speakers are being used for the first time at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
In addition, Panasonic is providing 8800 color televisions and monitors, including 200 plasma TVs, for the Main Press Center, the International Broadcast Center, the Media and Olympic Villages.
For more information, visit http://panasonic.jp/olympic.
HD docu-comedy shot with Canon wide-angle, zoom HD lenses
Feb 22, 2006 3:46 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
 Director of photography Scott Billups uses the Canon HJ11ex4.7B IRSE mounted to Sony CineAlta cameras for the new docu-comedy “Closing Escrow.” |
The Canon wide-angle HD lenses on Dark’s two Sony CineAlta not only achieved sharp, high-quality images but also let him use the lenses’ versatile zoom and focus controls to keep up with the actors.
The HJ11ex4.7B IRSE, a portable, wide-angle HD zoom lens, features e-HDxs technology, which employs the X-Element and Power Optical System for high-quality optics in a robust, compact, and lightweight housing that weighs 4.10lbs. The Canon lenses provided a solution for the production team’s time and budget constraints.
For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.
Soundoff
MediaFLO poses interference, public policy threat, says MSTV president
Feb 22, 2006 4:13 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
With the date certain set for Feb. 17, 2009, to shut off analog TV transmission and figures from the Consumer Electronics Association showing that consumers are now buying more DTV than analog sets, it would seem that nothing could derail the over-the-air digital television, and along with it high definition.
Not so, according to David Donovan, president of the Association for Maximum Service Television. There are legislative proposals that would permit millions of unlicensed devices into the broadcast television band in the so-called white spaces. Permitting millions of these devices in the band will create interference to millions of new digital television sets and the new government-funded digital to analog converter boxes. This is a direct and immediate threat to a successful digital transition.
There is also a more immediate problem on the horizon. Qualcomm’s new MediaFLO mobile video service poses a serious threat to analog and digital broadcasters operating on Channels 54, 55 and 56, he said, because the company is seeking a change to commission rules that would allow the new service to create 2 percent more interference to those channels than envisioned at the time it acquired Channel 55.
While on the surface the situation may not appear to threaten all broadcasters, it raises a serious public policy question about whether a subscription service should be allowed to interfere with free over-the-air TV that millions continue to rely upon for news, information and emergency warnings, said Donovan.
Given the broader implications, HD Technology Update thought it was time to touch base with Donovan about the MediaFLO interference issue.
HDTU: How did the Qualcomm MediaFLO interference issue develop?
David Donovan: Let’s start with the proposition that Qualcomm — when it acquired Channel 55 — did so under specific conditions. The conditions were in the FCC rules that effectively said there should be no new interference to existing TV broadcasters. The commission said, “You can set it up, and operate, but it can’t interfere with broadcasters.”
Qualcomm acquired Channel 55 with that understanding. Several years later Qualcomm filed with the FCC saying, “We think the existing rules are too stringent, and we should be permitted to have a waiver which would allow us to put 2 percent more interference across the entire 700MHz band.”
The second thing is Qualcomm wants to use the OET69 measuring technique, which was a measure designed to analyze interference from big towers in the weak signal condition at the outer edge of a station’s contour. OET69, by itself, was never designed for, nor is it proper for, analyzing interference emanating from multiple towers operating on a channel within another station’s contour. In these cases the interference is not at the edge of a station’s service area, but it will be found in heavily populated regions. We believe that Qualcomm’s use of OET 69 is incorrect and may underestimate the levels of interference caused by the MediaFLO system. Third, Qualcomm asked for an expedited process at the FCC, which in our view flips the burden and puts the burden on broadcasters that MediaFLO won’t interfere with broadcasters. And all of this happened in an incredibly short time.
HDTU: Where does the issue stand today?
DD: Both parties are trying to make their cases. I don’t know when the FCC will make a decision. I know Qualcomm thinks it’s on a tight clock. But our fundamental concern is interference to broadcasters and to DTV operating in that band.
We are concerned about interference to adjacent Channels 54 and 56 and co-channel interference to Channel 55.
What we are looking at here to some degree is unjust enrichment. Qualcomm bought the spectrum under certain rules, and now it wants them changed. Two percent interference can affect a large number of people. For example, in Los Angeles you may be talking about hundreds of thousands of viewers. And you cannot casually dismiss that these consumers should be denied free over-the-air television service.
Moreover for DTV, the commission established rules requiring stations to power up their DTV stations. These rules are designed to help drive the DTV transition by reaching everyone with digital television service. If Qualcomm got its way, those efforts to deliver DTV would be for naught because you’d lose 2 percent of DTV viewership.
There is a fundamental policy question at stake. Will the commission permit an involuntary loss of universal, free over-the-air viewing in order to facilitate the development of a subscription based-based video clipping service you can see over your cell phone? The TV viewers receiving interference will be disenfranchised, losing access to news, public affairs and important emergency information.
HDTU: In MSTV’s correspondence with the commission, you’ve made the point that to allow MediaFLO to produce 2 percent greater interference would disproportionately affect Hispanic television viewers. Why?
DD: There are a couple of issues here. Most of the data on TV usage is that Hispanic populations rely more heavily on over the air as opposed to cable or satellite. So therefore, any interference makes them more vulnerable to loss of important information.
Moreover, the nature of the architecture that will be rolled out by Qualcomm may have a disproportionate impact on these populations. For example, if it were approved, you could set up a system that causes 2 percent interference to a TV station’s coverage population. But Qualcomm intends to use multiple smaller towers in some markets. Let’s assume that one of the towers Qualcomm is using is located near an area with a significant Hispanic population. Even though it may be 2 percent overall, the impact on the Hispanic population could be much higher. It is all a function of where Qualcomm is placing the towers. At this point we do not know where these towers will be located.
HDTU: What do you want the commission to keep in mind as it makes its decision?
DD: The commission and the government have an obligation to ensure that American consumers retain access to free-over-the-air TV. And that should be protected. We are at a critical time in the DTV transition. We should do everything in our power to make sure consumers accept DTV. If this is the government’s goal, it makes no sense to generate increased interference to new DTV stations.
Qualcomm entered the process knowing the rules, and they shouldn’t be allowed to change the rules in midstream.
From an engineering standpoint, it is extremely important that the correct methodology be used to analyze interference from a multiple transmitter-tower architecture that is placed within a station’s contour.
Personally, it seems to me that since Qualcomm is trying to interfere with broadcasters, the burden to develop the correct methodology is on them. However, we are working on a way to measure interference from these kinds of systems.
Tell us what you think! HDTU invites response from our readers. Please submit your comments to editor@broadcastengineering.com. We'll follow up with your comments in an upcoming issue.
A Glance At The Stats
U.S. HD households to rise to 78 million by 2008, says report
Feb 22, 2006 4:17 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
Nearly 20 million HD sets will be sold to consumers in the United States this year and a cumulative 104 million will be sold by 2008, resulting in 78 million HD households, according to a new study from Kagan Research.
“The State of High Definition Television 2006” is an in-depth look at programming strategies, regulatory issues regarding the transition to digital, and 10-year forecasts for high-definition DVDs, digital sets, HD sets and HD subscribers for both cable and satellite operators.
According to Kagan Associate analyst Patrick Johnson, rapid declines in the price of HDTVs and the increasing availability of HD programming will drive the number of HD households to 97 million in 2020, or more than 82 percent of all TV households in the United States. By 2010, the average price of an HD set will be $1139, or 38 percent lower than today’s average price, he said.
For more information, visit www.kagan.com/HDTV-2.
FCC report provides snapshot of video competition
Feb 22, 2006 4:22 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
The multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) market continues to grow with cable’s share of the market at 69.4 percent and DBS operators at 27.7 percent, according to this year’s FCC report to Congress on the video programming delivery market.
The cable figure is down from almost 71.6 percent a year earlier, while the DBS share has grown from 25.1 percent in 2004. The report also found that Verizon and SBC (now AT&T) “hold promise to become a growing presence in the marketplace.”
The figures seem to be consistent with figures from Nielsen Media Research that show growing TV usage, the commission said. The average U.S. television household tuned into television eight hours, 11 minutes per day between September 2004 and September 2005, the highest level since Nielsen Media Research began measuring viewing in the 1950s.
Among the key finding in the commission’s “12th Annual Assessment of the Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Programming” are:
- As of June 2005, there were 109.6 million TV households, compared to 108.4 million in June 2004. About 94.2 million TV households subscribed to an MVPD service, as compared to 92.2 million as of June 2004.
- DBS operators continue to add local-into-local broadcast television service. In 167 of 210 television markets, covering 97 percent of all U.S. TV households, at least one DBS provider offers the signals of local broadcast stations.
- There are 15.36 million U.S. TV households that do not subscribe to an MVPD service and thus rely solely on over-the-air broadcast television for their video programming, representing 14 percent of all U.S. TV households. The major broadcast networks now provide their most popular programming in high-definition. Hundreds of local stations are using their digital channels to provide multicast programming.
- In 2005, the sale of DTV consumer electronics continued to accelerate with the average price of a DTV set expected to drop to $1189 in 2005 from $1489 a year earlier.
For more information, visit www.fcc.gov.
HD Products & Reviews
Fujinon to introduce HD ENG/EFP lens
Feb 22, 2006 4:34 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
 The new Fujinon HA16X6.3ERM 2/3-inch HD ENG/EFP lens has a wide angle of 6.3mm and a telephoto focal length of 202mm with the 2x extender. |
The HA16X6.3ERM has a wide angle of 6.3mm and a telephoto focal length of 202mm with the 2x extender. The minimum focusing distance has been reduced to 0.4m, and the new lens includes Fujinon's DigiPower servo system for precise control of zoom functions.
When used with HD/SD switchable cameras, the HA16X6.3ERM wide angle increases to 7.6mm in the 4:3 mode. This is the same as Fujinon’s standard ENG/EFP lenses so no ratio converter or wide adaptor is required. The HA16X6.3ERM will be available in the fall.
For more information, visit www.fujinonbroadcast.com.
Grammy backhaul puts Path 1 IP video gateway
Feb 22, 2006 4:42 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
Path 1 Network Technologies IP video gateways Feb. 8 helped to enable the live HDTV broadcast of the 48th Grammy Awards. Path 1's technology was selected for delivery of the Grammy Awards broadcast in high definition over an Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) -enabled fiber-optic network.
Path 1's IP video gateways address the technical challenges associated with delivering broadcast-quality video at standard definition, high definition and uncompressed video speeds over public or private IP networks.
Using an embedded processor platform and patent-pending algorithms, Path 1's IP video gateways shield the video signals from severe network impairments.
For more information, visit www.path1.com.
Eyeheight introduces safeEyesMDi multi-definition safe area generator
Feb 22, 2006 4:49 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
 Based on Eyeheight's recently-introduced evolutionDT product family, safeEyesMDi generates safe-action and safe-title areas, short-screen and full-screen center markers. |
Eyeheight has rolled out its new safeEyesMDi multi-definition safe area generator, which automatically senses and adapts to incoming 1080i and 720p HD and 625i PAL and 525i NTSC SD.
The product ensures that the essential elements of source material remain within the safe areas of a 16:9 television display. User-selected guide markers can be superimposed on a video display screen without being visible on the main program feed.
Based on Eyeheight's recently-introduced evolutionDT product family, safeEyesMDi generates safe-action and safe-title areas, short-screen and full-screen center markers, moveable horizontal and vertical cursors, edge blanking lines and a user-definable aspect-ratio box. Preset aspect ratios for all common film and television formats down to 4:3 can be switch-selected.
For more information, visit www.eyeheight.com.
DVEO ships FireBridge
Feb 22, 2006 4:52 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
DVEO has begun shipping FireBridge, an HDV-to-DVB-ASI converter with FireWire input. Designed for broadcasters and content providers, FireBridge converts high-definition 1394 output from the new generation of HDV cameras to DVB-ASI.
When used with the JVC GY-HD100U camcorder, FireBridge also converts the camera's FireWire output from 720 30p to 720 60p, making the output fully compatible with standard broadcast 720 60p equipment.
When used with the JVC GY-HD100U camcorder, for instance, FireBridge will allow a crew in the field to feed content via satellite or microwave and be assured that all standard HDTV decoders, including TANDBERG Television, Tiernan or JVC, can decode the footage captured on location.
For more information, visit www.dveo.com.
All Mobile Video turns to Harris’s Leitch HD conversion gear
Feb 22, 2006 4:54 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
All Mobile Video (AMV) has selected Harris’s Leitch HD conversion portfolio for a new HD teleproduction truck.
The complement of equipment includes several of Leitch’s newest high-definition products. AMV's new HD truck incorporates the Leitch NEO XHD series of modular HD up/down/cross converters; the Leitch 6800+ series of HD downconverters; and NUCLEUS, a user-configurable real-time control panel to centralize the operational control of processing, branding and routing equipment.
The Leitch NEO XHD family of HD converters includes broadcast-quality up-, down- and cross-converter modules in a compact design. The new Leitch 6800+ HD down-converter can be used in both monitoring and on-air applications.
At the center of operations is NUCLEUS, which offers user-configured, real-time control and monitoring of any Leitch CCS Protocol-enabled device, including products within the NEO and 6800+ platforms.
For more information, visit www.allmobilevideo.com.
Gefen ships Component Video Extender
Feb 22, 2006 4:56 PM, HD Technology Update e-newsletter
Gefen is shipping its new Component Video Extender, which enables DVD players, satellite television set-top boxes or any video device equipped with RGB connectors to be extended up to 300ft from the display over a single CAT-5 cable.
HD video may be viewed at up to 1080p resolution, allowing modern and legacy equipment to support the pristine delivery of HD video even when extended hundreds of feet.
System hardware includes tiny sender and receiver units, both small enough to be tucked away inconspicuously behind the scenes. Sender and receiver come equipped with VGA and CAT-5 ports; a 6ft high-quality VGA to RGB cable is included for component connection.
For more information, visit www.gefen.com.
