NBC announces unprecedented Winter Olympics coverage

Jan 13, 2006 8:00 AM

NBC Universal will offer 416 hours of coverage of the XX Olympic Winter Games from Torino, Italy, Feb. 10-26, averaging 24.5 hours of coverage per day across its broad television platform, including NBC, USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC HD and Universal HD.

The 2006 coverage is more than a 10 percent increase from the 375.5 hours of coverage on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC of the previous Winter Olympics from Salt Lake City.

According to Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics and Olympics executive producer, the Torino production will include the most live coverage of a Winter Olympics and the greatest amount of HD coverage in Olympic television history.

Additionally, NBCOlympics.com will provide live results, up-to-the-minute TV listings, breaking news, feature stories and a video-intensive digital media experience. (See "Internet Broadcasting to co-produce NBCOlympics.com".)

Highlights will include:

• The most HD coverage in Olympic history. HD viewers will see a 1080i simulcast of the analog NBC network broadcast. Figure skating, hockey, long and short track speed skating, ski jumping, freestyle aerials and moguls, and the opening and closing ceremonies will be broadcast in 1080i high definition because those venues in Torino are wired for high-definition coverage by the host broadcaster. Venues from which the host broadcaster is unable to provide a high-definition signal will be upconverted by NBC. Local NBC affiliates’ DTV channels will carry the HD simulcast.
• Universal HD will simulcast much of the USA Network, MSNBC and CNBC coverage in HD, including Olympic hockey.
• 233.5 hours of coverage on USA Network, MSNBC and CNBC, 75 percent of which will be live, averaging 14 hours per day;
• 101.5 hours of mostly live coverage in the morning and afternoons on USA Network;
• 71 hours of coverage, including 24 live hockey games, on MSNBC;
• 61 hours of coverage on CNBC;
• Telemundo will provide regular news updates;
• NBCOlympics.com will provide video, up-to-the-minute searchable schedules and listings, live results, blogs, athlete profiles and games;
• Free on-demand video content;
• Navigation tools for analog and digital viewing through the TV Guide Channel.

Back to the top

Internet Broadcasting to co-produce NBCOlympics.com

Jan 13, 2006 8:00 AM

Internet Broadcasting, which produces Web sites for NBC’s 14 O&O stations and a number of affiliates, will co-produce NBCOlympics.com with NBC Olympics, the company announced Jan. 11.

NBCOlympics.com will deliver exclusive Internet video, real-time results and behind-the-scenes coverage of the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy.

A staff of 25 from Internet Broadcasting will be dedicated to the Web site at the games in addition to a full team of resources in Minneapolis. The company co-produced the NBCOlympics.com site for the 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens.

Some highlights of the Winter Games site include:

• The runs and routines of the top five finishers, all U.S. athletes and other notables the day after competitions are completed. Sports, like hockey and curling, which aren’t made up of runs and routines, will be covered with highlight packages.
• Real-time results searchable by day, sport, event and athlete.
• Interactive TV viewers’ guide, searchable by zip code to reflect programming availability from local affiliates.
• Olympic Zone coverage providing localized coverage of hometown heroes, including video slideshows and multimedia content. Currently, 213 or 230 NBC affiliates have decided to participate in the Olympic Zone.
• An interactive Flash application, called the Gold Standard, on the home page calling visitors’ attention to the latest must-see video, photos and stories.
• Inside the Sport, a Flash application featuring video, audio and photos to bring visitors up to speed on the rules, history and other facts about each Winter Games’ sport.

For more information, visit www.ibsys.com.

Back to the top

CBS completes CSTV purchase

Jan 13, 2006 8:00 AM

CBS completed its $325 million acquisition of college sports cable TV and Internet specialist CSTV Networks last week.

CBS announced its intent to purchase CSTV in November 2005. CSTV will continue to operate as its own division under the CBS Television segment. Co-founder Brian Bedol will remain CSTV president and CEO, reporting directly to CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves.

CBS plans to grow CSTV’s digital cable network and integrate its Internet properties with the CBS Digital Media Platform.

For more information, visit www.cbscorporation.com.

Back to the top

ESPN to offer simulcast SD/HD ad buys in April

Jan 13, 2006 8:00 AM

ESPN will begin accepting 16:9 HD commercials April 1 on a 24/7 basis on ESPN HD and ESPN HD2 from advertisers, according to Bryan Burns, ESPN's vice president of strategic business planning and development.

During a presentation Jan. 4 at the HDTV Business Conference in Las Vegas, Burns said the move will provide advertisers with a way to simulcast SD and HD commercials by pairing ESPN with ESPN HD and ESPN2 with ESPN2 HD for simulcast SD/HD commercial insertion.

The move will make ESPN one of the first networks to offer a 24/7 simulcast commercial SD/HD buy available on a nationwide basis, said Burns. It is consistent with ESPN’s growing commitment to HD event production and presentation. During the just concluded college bowl season, the network produced 24 of 25 collegiate football bowls in HDTV.

According to Burns, 15 percent of the decision to offer the simulcast SD/HD opportunity can be attributed to demand from advertisers and agencies. Eighty-five percent can be attributed to the network’s attempt to pull advertisers into HD.

In 2006, ESPN plans to telecast more than 600 events in HDTV. That compares with 475 events last year and 87 events when ESPN began offering HD in 2003.

Back to the top

Goalie-Cam to deliver new perspective on hockey

Jan 13, 2006 8:00 AM

When the National Hockey League returns to NBC tomorrow, a tiny camera system mounted to the mask of the New York Rangers goalie will deliver a goaltender’s eye view of the game and give viewers an appreciation for just how fast hockey actually is.

While it’s uncertain whether Henrik Lundgvist or Kevin Weekes will be tending the net, one of the two Rangers will don a goalie’s mask specially equipped with a tiny lens, camera and microwave transmitter that weighs just 6oz.

Dubbed Goalie-Cam, the system is the creation of NHL Productions and Inertia Unlimited in Jacksonville, VT. It is one of several steps--along with the weekly presentation of a game in HD and a special commentator position between opposing benches called “Inside-the-Glass”--that NBC and the league are taking to pull viewers into the action.

According NHL Productions coordinating producer Darryl Lepik, a duplicate mask of every goaltender was ordered from their manufacturers to support Goalie-Cam beyond tomorrow’s game.

A small hole--about the size of a pencil--was drilled at the bottom of the duplicate masks. A lens assembly was inserted through the hole and connected to a small camera located where the back and the side of the helmet meets. A battery pack and small microwave transmitter are located on the portion of the mask covering the back part of the goalie’s head. A parabolic receive antenna will pick up the Goalie-Cam transmission and feed video to the teleproduction truck as camera position.

Normally, the perspective TV viewers have of the puck is looking down on its 4in diameter face. With Goalie-Cam, they now will be able to see the puck coming in at them.

Goalie-Cam will make its debut during NBC Sports production of Saturday’s game between the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings, the first regular season NBC has televised since April 1975.

While the Rangers-Red Wings game will be produced in HD, Goalie-Cam is strictly an SD device that will be upconverted for the high-definition production.

Back to the top

New TVN OB truck includes significant SD, HD T&M

Jan 13, 2006 8:00 AM

German television production company TVN has extended its HD and SD measurement capabilities with the installation of Tektronix technology in its newest HD OB truck.

Because broadcast events don’t always occur where a fiber-optic connection is conveniently located, TVN has developed a fleet of OB trucks designed with flexible configuration capacities. Fully operational in early 2006, the “TVN-Ü3HD” truck is geared toward HD production but can process all TV standards, regardless of format. Ü3HD can be equipped with up to 24 cameras and is designed to cover complex shows as well as all kinds of sporting events.

The new TVN HD OB truck will be equipped with Tektronix WVR7100 SD/HD rasterizers, WFM700A waveform monitors and TG700A multiformat signal generators.

Tektronix’s WVR7100 rasterizer now includes Dolby E and Dolby Digital (AC-3) capabilities. The multiformat WFM700A provides the tools needed to perform operational monitoring tasks, such as checking signal validity and content quality, levels setting and signal path verification. TVN will also use the TG700, a multiformat, analog and digital precision signal generation platform that offers tri-level sync pulse generation and test signal generation.

For more information, visit www.tvn.de and www.tektronix.com.

Back to the top

The latest happenings from around the world of sports

Jan 13, 2006 11:11 AM

BBC to use StroMotion, SimulCam for Torino coverage

The BBC has announced it will use StroMotion and SimulCam to enhance its coverage of the XX Olympic Winter Games from Torino, Italy.

A first for British television, StroMotion will let viewers track an athlete’s trajectory. The BBC will use it to cover skating and snowboarding’s halfpipe event.

SimulCam will be used to composite the video of two different athletes traversing the same course to show where time is won and lost and to illustrate and compare the different lines taken to the finish.

Sail.tv, a free-to-use Internet sailing site, went live Jan. 11.

The site includes video coverage of racing events, instructional videos, boat show coverage, news and reviews. Narrowstep is providing the technology to deliver Sail.tv via the Internet at speeds from 56kb/s to 1800kb/s.

For more information, visit www.sail.tv.

Steve Ellis, former Vizrt vice president of sales for the United States and Canada, has taken the reins as vice president of worldwide sales for Chyron.

Ellis will oversee worldwide sales of Chyron’s full graphics systems product line, including the Duet family featuring the new HyperX HD/SD switchable system.

For more information, visit www.chyron.com.

Following the North American broadcast of the Burghley Horse Trials Nov. 25, 2005, Equestrian Entertainment Partners (EEP) has made the 90-minute program accessible online in a format that allows viewers to search and play what they’re most interested in.

EEP chose Onstream Media's Digital Media Services Platform for the effort. The same technology will provide EEP's subscribers direct access though the www.virtualhorsesports.com Web site to the content clips they most want to watch.

Planet X Group will launch a new slate of TV shows, including “Planet X’s Xtreme Life,” an extreme sports TV series for the Christian Youth market, at the National Association of Television Program Executives convention in Las Vegas Jan. 24-26.

Back to the top

Snell & Wilcoxs introduce IMPAKT 3-D Kahuna effects

Jan 13, 2006 11:13 AM

Snell & Wilcox has enhanced the capabilities of its multiformat SD/HD Kahuna with the launch of Kahuna IMPAKT, a suite of 3-D digital video effects (DVEs).

With IMPAKT, Kahuna now offers up to four twin-channel 3-D DVEs that users can apply in either SD, HD or both. The effects, which work in source-based or bus-based modes, allow both background and fill-and-key manipulation. Kahuna IMPAKT provides a variety of effects, including spheres, slabs, zooms, warps, tiling, ripples, rolls and peels, fragmentation, lighting effects and corner pinning. All of these options are housed in the Kahuna’s 11RU mainframe and require no additional connections or extra rack space.

Kahuna’s flexible, networked architecture gives users the option of controlling the DVEs directly from the main Kahuna control surface or from a separate 1-M/E Kahuna control panel for productions requiring a separate DVE operator. Kahuna’s DVEs can also be time-lined, allowing for full key-framable control, easy editing and pausing, and play/store recalls.

For more information, visit www.snellwilcox.com.

Back to the top

Harmonic rolls out MPEG/IP-based video mosaic system

Jan 13, 2006 11:16 AM

The ProStream 8000 makes it possible to increase revenue from subscription services, video on demand and specialty programs such as sports.

Harmonic has unveiled a multichannel digital mosaic system that seamlessly integrates with video headend, transport and customer premises equipment now deployed by cable, satellite, telco and other video service providers.

The new IP-based ProStream 8000 efficiently tiles several channels within a single high-quality digital video stream, enhancing the overall viewer experience with a composite multi-program view. In addition, the system makes it possible to increase revenue from subscription services, video on demand and advertising by enabling promotions and previews, regional customizations and additional paid programming formats, as well as specialty program groupings, including sports, news and children's channels.

The ProStream 8000’s MPEG-in/MPEG-out operation enables seamless integration with a service provider's existing digital television infrastructure, including middleware applications, program guides, compression and multiplexing systems. Each multichannel mosaic is transmitted as yet another channel in the line-up to ensure complete compatibility with existing set-top boxes and televisions.

For more information, visit www.harmonicinc.com.

Back to the top

STATS, AP to offer Torino package

Jan 13, 2006 11:18 AM

STATS and the Associated Press will present extensive full-time coverage of the 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games.

Coverage will include data feeds, editorial previews, athlete biographies and interactive Flash applications along with AP photos and audio reports.

STATS and the AP will provide previews and schedules of upcoming events. They also will provide detailed biographies and headshots of more than 500 Winter Olympic athletes.

For more information, visit http://biz.stats.com.

Back to the top

Audio-Technica rolls out Import Series headphones

Jan 13, 2006 11:35 AM

Shown are three of Audio-Technica’s 15 new Import Series headphones.

Audio-Technica has introduced its Import Series headphones, which is composed of 15 different models specifically designed for audiophiles, DJs or portable listening applications.

Each model features the latest in transducer technology, a Neodymium magnet system and rugged construction. Each model also delivers a high level of sonic accuracy while providing maximum comfort for hours of listening.

For portable and active applications, Audio-Technica has seven styles that include three comfortable and adjustable clip-on models. Models include the ATH-EW9, ATH-EM9r and ATH-EM7 GM Adjustable Clip-On headphones; ATH-CM7 SV and ATH-CM7Ti Ear-Bud headphones; ATH-EC7 GM Ear-Bud/Clip-On Hybrid headphones; and ATH-ES5 SV Portable Folding headphones.

For more information, visit www.audio-technica.com.

Back to the top

FOR-A scores big with DCC-70HS, DCC-700 color correctors

Jan 13, 2006 11:38 AM

The compact DCC-70HS color correction system supports both SD and HD signals.

FOR-A has made five major sales of its DCC-70HS multiformat, multistandard (HD/SD) color correction system and DCC-700 serial digital color correction system, including a sale to ESPN.

ESPN, based in Bristol, CT, recently received 12 DCC-70HS color correctors with 12 DCC-OU remote control units. ABC Network in New York City has installed five DCC-70HS color correction systems and two DCC-OU remote controls. NBC Network in New York City purchased four DCC-70HS systems. Disney’s Times Square Studios recently acquired 12 DCC-70HS color correction systems for its new HD studio at Times Square. Additionally, MSNBC, based in Secaucus, NJ, recently received two DCC-700 serial digital color correctors from FOR-A.

The compact DCC-70HS supports both SD and HD signals and is ideally suited for facilities where producing and distributing multiformat projects is critical to their business. This includes HD SDI in 1080/59.94i, 1080/50i, 720p/59.94 and 720p/60, and SD SDI in 525/60 and 625/50.

For more information, visit: www.for-a.com.

Back to the top