March 30, 2005
Newsroom
DTV Hot Spot to showcase variety of digital television technologies
Mar 30, 2006 2:07 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) and the NAB will demonstrate the most sophisticated technologies in digital television at the DTV Hot Spot: A Digital Paradise at NAB2006.
The DTV Hot Spot will present a variety of technologies, including home networking strategies; VSB transmission system enhancements; statistical multiplexing; set-top boxes using advanced coding technologies; software data download; and interactive television using the ATSC ACAP standard.
Companies demonstrating these technologies in the DTV Hot Spot are Aircode, Axcera, DTV Innovations, HANA, Rohde & Schwarz/Samsung, TANDBERG Television, UpdateLogic, USDTV and Zenith/LG. In addition, NAB and the ATSC will demonstrate high performance/low cost digital converters that are under development for them by Thomson and Zenith/LG.
The DTV Hot Spot will be located in the Las Vegas Convention Center's South Hall Upper Lobby and will be open April 24–26, from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and April 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.
Commissioner Taylor Tate to participate in business, law, regulation forum
Mar 30, 2006 2:25 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
FCC commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, who joined the regulatory agency in January after spending a six-year term as a director of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority, will speak April 25 at NAB2006 in Las Vegas.
She will join commissioner Jonathan Adelstein to participate in the Business, Law & Regulation Conference. The conference brings federal regulators and legal experts together to highlight the most important legal issues of the day to assist broadcast managers, station owners and station counsel in managing ever-evolving technology policy.
During her time with the Tennessee Regulatory Authority, Tate was appointed by the Chairman of the FCC to the Federal-State Joint Board on Advanced Telecommunications Services. As a member of the national utilities association (NARUC), she served as Chairman of the Washington Action Committee, and served on both the Consumer Affairs and Gas Committees.
For more information visit www.nabshow.com.
Back to the topWired magazine editor-in-chief to deliver keynote at technology luncheon
Mar 30, 2006 2:30 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
Wired magazine editor-in-chief Chris Anderson will deliver the keynote address April 26 at the NAB2006 Technology Luncheon in Las Vegas.
Anderson's speech, "The Long Tail", is also the title of his upcoming book based on his research and 2004 article in the magazine. The theory is that the U.S. culture and economy are increasingly shifting away from a focus on a relatively small number of mainstream products and markets at the head of the demand curve and toward a huge number of niches in the tail.
For more information visit www.nabshow.com.
DTV Marketplace
T-VIPS to introduce JPEG 2000-based HD backhaul via IP
Mar 30, 2006 2:41 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
T-VIPS is launching its HD IP video backhaul solution based upon JPEG2000 compression, the TVG430, at NAB2006. Using JPEG2000 compression, the TVG430 reduces the bit-rate required of an HD-SDI signal from 1.485Mb/s to between 50- and 200Mb/s.
JPEG2000 is wavelet-based and encodes each frame independently. It provides 10-bit resolution inherent in the HD-SDI format. HD television formats supported are 720p59, 1080i59, 720p50 and 1080i50.
JPEG2000, which has been selected as the standard file format for Digital Cinema, does not create blocking defects and works at full 10-bit resolution.
See T-VIPS at NAB2006 in booth C9544, or visit www.t-vips.com.
Sony IXS-6000 router family supports SD, HD
Mar 30, 2006 2:49 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
 The new IXS-6000 line of routing switchers can be used in conjunction with Sony’s MVX and DVS series production switchers. |
At NAB2006, Sony will feature a new integrated routing system with multiformat, live production flexibility that supports SD and HD video, AES digital audio, and RS-422 control signals within the same mid-size matrix for use in television studios, OB vans and production houses.
The new IXS-6000 line, features two router models, the IXS-6600 and IXS-6700. Both are compatible with existing Sony infrastructures and can be used in conjunction with the company's MVS and DVS series production switchers or as a stand-alone router.
The series supports video matrices of 16 x 17 up to 128 x 136. Using the wide bandwidth of an HD signal within the router matrix, the IXS series supports large balanced digital audio matrices of 32 x 34 up to 256 x 272.
See Sony at NAB2006 in booth SU107, or visit www.sonybiz.net.
Panasonic AJ-HPS1500 bridges HD, SD production environments
Mar 30, 2006 3:01 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
At NAB2006, Panasonic will showcase the new AJ-HPS1500 solid-state recorder/ player, which provides upgradeable capacity using five P2 card slots.
In addition, the recorder offers two slots for removable hard disk drives, which can be used for economical video backup or archiving, real-time data transfer, playlist creation and a variety of edit functions.
The AJ-HPS1500 is a P2 DVCPRO HD solid-state memory studio recorder that bridges high definition and standard definition with the capability of optional downconverting and upconverting between SD and HD recorded material. With capabilities of Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 ports, IEEE-1394 (AVC), and HD-SDI as well as SD-SDI input/outputs, it is a highly versatile device to use as an ingest station at a broadcast or production facility. A wide variety of input sources can be combined and prepped from transfer to editing, or playout.
See Panasonic Broadcast at NAB2006 in booth C2518, or visit www.panasonic.com.
Globecast to feature WING Captive Audience
Mar 30, 2006 3:14 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
At NAB2006, GlobeCast will demonstrate the next generation of its WING content management solutions, a suite of IP-based services and applications for broadcast, enterprise and digital retail signage.
The multi-product WING demo will feature WING Content Exchange for content contribution and exchange; WING Store & Broadcast for tapeless playout and channel management; and, WING Captive Audience, the newest WING offering for the delivery of retail advertising and digital display.
Playlist management and customizable advertising delivery over retail signage networks are at the heart of WING Captive Audience. This latest WING solution combines the necessary hardware and asset management applications to initiate a new digital display network or upgrade an existing network, bringing video or multimedia content to television or PC screens at any number of retail points-of-presence.
See Globecast at NAB2006 in booth C1530, or visit www.globecast.com.
EVS to spotlight instant tapeless technology at NAB2006
Mar 30, 2006 3:25 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
EVS Broadcast Equipment will present the latest evolution of its instant tapeless technology at NAB2006, which will include the next generation of fixed and removable media storage servers and interoperability software to allow instant access to all stored content.
Among the company’s new products is version 2 of the IP Director, the latest evolution of integrated software tools running on a Windows-based workstation to enable a production to go from shooting to playout in minimal time.
The company also will unveil version 2 of Clean Edit, an affordable end-to-end news and sports production system that offers complete interoperability with newsroom computer systems with new format support for HD and camcorders.
See EVS at NAB2006 in booth C3230, or visit www.evs.tv.
Snell & Wilcox to feature Helios software-based conversion platform
Mar 30, 2006 3:35 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
Snell & Wilcox will unveil Helios, a software-based conversion platform that eliminates the boundaries between video formats, global standards and new media display devices at NAB2006.
Helios ensures that all digital media, including live video, will perform optimally on any platform, anywhere, including a television station, Web site, iPod, mobile telephone, IPTV, video-on-demand, broadband, or a new service yet to be conceived.
Helios brings Snell & Wilcox's conversion, compression, and signal processing expertise to the file-based domain. Combining the company's Ph.C motion estimation and FormatFusion technologies, Helios makes possible the long-held dream of content owners and broadcasters to "master once, distribute anywhere."
Running on generic, open-standards IT hardware, Helios transcends simple transcoding by encompassing a complete automated solution that can convert —under user control — video, audio, and metadata to the required format in a single pass.
See Snell & Wilcox at NAB2006 in booth SU156, or visit www.snellwilcox.com.
DVEO to debut Firebridge HDV-to-DVB-ASI converter
Mar 30, 2006 3:42 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
At NAB2006, DVEO will debut its FireBridge HDV-to-DVB-ASI converter with FireWire.
FireBridge converts high-definition 1394 output from the new generation of HDV cameras to DVB-ASI.
When FireBridge is used with the JVC GY-HD100U camcorder, it converts the camera’s 1394 FireWire output from 720 30p to 720 60p, making the output fully compatible with standard broadcast 720 60p equipment. The feed can be sent via satellite or microwave with the assurance that all standard HDTV decoders, including Tandberg, Tiernan and JVC, can decode the footage captured on location.
FireBridge is Linux-based, and designed for dependable 24-hour operation that requires no changes or settings. Applications for FireBridge include reality TV, satellite uplinks, electronic newsgathering and movie or video dailies.
See DVEO at NAB2006 in booth SU1205, or visit www.dveo.com.
Pebble Beach Systems to demo improved secondary event handling
Mar 30, 2006 3:48 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
At NAB2006, Pebble Beach Systems will showcase enhancements to its Anemone and Neptune automation products.
Pebble Beach Systems will demonstrate improved secondary event handling. Users are now able to attach virtually an unlimited number of secondaries to each primary event in a playlist. Complex secondary requirements such as DVE moves, graphical elements and subtitling can now be managed easily. A new intuitive user interface provides a simple means of displaying important information and avoids playlist clutter.
The company’s new Media logger is a low-resolution media browse tool that’s integrated into the standard Pebble Beach client. It enables users to browse low-resolution copies of material and to identify important frames and segments.
Pebble Beach Systems also will show Media Porthole and Razorfish, the company’s other media browse tools, working with Omneon ProBrowse files as well as IPV MPEG-4 files.
See Pebble Beach Systems at NAB2006 in booth SU244, or visit www.pebble.tv.
Miranda to show more powerful Imagestore Intuition branding processor
Mar 30, 2006 3:53 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
At NAB2006, Miranda Technologies will highlight a more powerful version of its HD/SD Imagestore Intuition channel branding processor, which features multistream video/audio clip playout and a more advanced character generator for high-quality display of Latin and non-Latin based text.
These new graphics capabilities can be combined with almost unlimited animation playout to provide high-impact promotional and branding graphics.
Engaging graphics are easily prepared and controlled using advanced templates with embedded control. This allows a graphics team to maintain full control over the look of a channel, without having to worry about complex schedules, secondary events, and the limits of automation system. Full manual control is also available with the PresStation master control and channel branding panel.
See Miranda Technologies at NAB2006 in booth SU1341, or visit www.miranda.com.
Quantel to show range of DI, post, broadcast, graphic solutions
Mar 30, 2006 4:02 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
At NAB2006, Quantel will show a range of products spanning the digital intermediate, color correction, post, graphics and broadcast businesses.
Among Quantel’s featured products and areas:
- Digital Intermediate. Pablo color correction technology, will debut at the show, featuring real-time 4K operation and Quantel’s new TimeMagic technology.
- Post. TimeMagic technology for the eQ multi-resolution editing/grading/effects/ deliverables system gives every facet of the system’s operation an enormous productivity boost.
- Broadcast. The Newsbox family of plug-and-play news systems, sQ technology and the integration of HD acquisition technologies, including XDCAM-HD and P2-HD. Quantel will feature ZoneMagic software, which lets broadcasters benefit from a collaborative workflow regardless of the distance between clients.
- Graphics. The company will demonstrate its Paintbox and Picturebox sQ graphics creation and playout systems.
See Quantel at NAB2006 in booth SL1544, or visit www.quantel.com.
Boardroom
China Meteorological Administration adopts Vizrt's weather graphics
Mar 30, 2006 4:05 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has acquired a substantial Vizrt weather graphics system to provide weather forecast programming to TV stations throughout China.
The Viz|Weather graphics system was installed last month and will be on air as of April 1. In addition, the CMA will use the system to generate weather forecasts for its own new weather channel, which also goes to air on April 1.
Viz|Weather is a weather graphics system-in-a-box, which provides TV broadcasters with real-time weather graphics animations either as point-based symbols or as high-resolution 3-D animations. Viz|Weather includes an interface with local real-time weather data of less than .62mi resolution, providing accurate local forecasts. The CMA's own weather data will trigger the real-time weather graphics, providing up-to-the minute forecasts for China.
An integrated atmospheric observation system has been set up by the CMA in China, incorporating sky-, space- and ground-based subsystems. CMA's meteorological service system consists of weather forecasting, climate prediction, weather modification, drought and flood monitoring and forecasting, thunderstorm and lightning prevention and agro-meteorology.
See Vizrt at NAB2006 in booth SL1323, or visit www.vizrt.com.
MVP finds role for HD lens with SD camera
Mar 30, 2006 4:17 PM
 The Fujinon HA22X7.8 ERM/ERD HDTV ENG/EFP lens made an immediate difference for Bill Mumford of Mumford Video Productions. |
Freelance videographer Bill Mumford of Mumford Video Productions (MVP) recently purchased a Fujinon HA22X7.8 ERM/ERD HDTV ENG/EFP lens and uses it on his own Beta SP camera during the transition phase from SD to HD production.
For years one of Mumford’s main clients has been CBS, and he shoots significant footage for the news magazine series “48 Hours.” His other clients include ABC and ESPN.
Until about a year ago, Mumford shot with his standard-definition Ikegami V55, a camera he’d come to depend on. But after the camera was stolen a year ago, Mumford wasn’t certain how to replace it. He considered a high definition camera but concluded he wasn’t ready to go HD because of the evolving formats.
He decided to simply replace his camera with another Ikegami V55 and a friend suggested he try the Fujinon HA22X7.8 ERM/ERD HDTV ENG/EFP lens. Since he plans to switch to an HD camera in the next couple of years, the move made a lot of sense, he said.
See Fujinon at NAB2006 in booth SU149, or visit www.fujinon.com.
South Korean MBC turns to NTT Electronics for HD MPEG-2 encoder, decoder
Mar 30, 2006 4:21 PM, NAB Update e-newsletter
Munhwa Broadcasting (MBC), one of South Korea's top three networks, has begun deploying NTT Electronics HD MPEG-2 encoder/decoders in its broadcast centers.
The application allows the MBC to use the HD encoders and decoders for disseminating raw program data from its central broadcast center in Seoul to 19 regional broadcast centers.
The encoder/decoder units will be placed in MBC's Seoul central broadcast center, while decoders will be installed at each of its 19 regional broadcast centers throughout the country. After installing the decoders, it will be possible for each of the regional broadcast centers to receive the MPEG-2 streams and rebroadcast high quality video and data throughout South Korea.
The systems being implemented are the HE3100 HD MPEG-2 encoder and the HD3100 MPEG-2 HD decoder. The HE3100 supports 1080i, 720p and 480i. The audio is capable of supporting a maximum of two systems and encoding up to eight channels.
See NTT Electronics at NAB2006 in booth SL2391, or visit www.nel-world.com.
