News
MLB.com Mosaic to launch next week
Apr 14, 2006 12:03 PM
Beginning next week, baseball fans will be able to immerse themselves in multiple games thanks to the new Mosaic service from MLB Advanced Media, the interactive media and Internet arm of Major League Baseball.
MLB.com will offer fans access to six live games simultaneously on a single screen via the new service. Mosaic will be a free extension to the service existing MLB.com subscribers pay for, which is priced at $14.95 per month or $79.95 for the entire season.
Using Mosaic, viewers can select audio, view statistics and click to any one gaming to make it full screen. The new MLB.com application helps fantasy baseball league players stay on top of developments by alerting them when their players and teams are in action.
Also MLB.com is offering an on-demand component available when no live games are being played. Fans can watch completed games, outtakes from the previous night’s games and interactive ads.
MLB.com has partnered with Ensequence to launch this new feature. The application is powered by Ensequence on-Q Ready Broadband Edition, for Windows Media video content on Windows XP with MPEG-4 support. MLB.com is using the application to migrate its broadband content to multiple delivery platforms.
For more information, visit www.MLB.com and www.ensequence.com.
SPJ, RTNDA, NAB object to proposed NFL sideline camera ban
Apr 14, 2006 12:05 PM
The Society of Professional Journalists, the Radio-Television News Directors Association and the National Association of Broadcasters have all separately urged the National Football League to reverse a plan to bar local TV cameras from the sidelines of NFL games.
In a letter to the league, its 32 franchise owners and government officials in NFL cities and states, the SPJ protested the plan to prevent local TV journalists from capturing game-day action for the sidelines.
On March 31, NFL team owners voted 32-0 to adopt a policy that they say would protect broadcast rights holders and alleviate congestion from the sidelines. The exact terms of that new policy have not been finalized.
“Excluding local stations interferes with the public's ability to get information from a wide variety of sources," SPJ's national president David Carlson said. "It is patently unfair to local television stations and their audiences."
In a letter from RTNDA president Barbara Cochran to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and the rulemaking committee, the association urged reversal of the policy. She wrote, “By banning local television coverage, this policy harms the local stations’ ability to serve the public and has the potential to damage the bonds between the NFL franchise and the community.”
NAB president and CEO David Rehr called the NFL decision “wrongheaded” and said the league demonstrated “an appalling lack of appreciation for the role broadcasters play in serving local communities” with its action.
The league is expected to make details of the ban plan available this week.
Melbourne Commonwealth Games show off DVB-H capabilities
Apr 14, 2006 12:06 PM
 The DVB-H handset was part of the DVB-H demonstration of an eTEN Windows Smartphone PDA with a DiBcom receiver. |
The technology demonstration, organized by broadcast infrastructure group Broadcast Australia, Microsoft and Telstra, was intended to show the strength of the transmission system for delivering television to handheld mobile devices.
Broadcast Australia was responsible for the successful design, installation and commissioning of the RF transmission component of the showcase system, which was located in the heart of the Melbourne. Prior to the event, Broadcast Australia was responsible for the design of the service and conducted field strength measurements and performance verification.
The Broadcast Australia component of the DVB-H system incorporated an 800W transmitter and sophisticated QPSK modulation and monitoring equipment. Broadcast Australia, Telstra and Finland’s Cardinal Information Systems worked together to deliver the DVB-H transmission stream to the inner city broadcast site using fiber-optic cable.
Radio Frequency Systems provided the UHF antenna system, composed of multiple antenna panels mounted on different faces a building in Melbourne. The antenna system delivered up to 7.5kW of effective radiated power.
The receiver, provided by DiBcom, was integrated into an eTEN Windows Mobile Smartphone that also acts as a PDA. The showcase DVB-H system used Microsoft Windows Media Video 9 compression technology and a DVB-H head-end from Cardinal to encapsulate IP data and perform the time slicing of the data stream. This equipment was located in Telstra’s facility at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games International Broadcasting Centre.
For more information, visit www.broadcastaustralia.com.au.
Teleproduction
Cappy Productions relies on Varicam, HVX200 for HD Olympic retrospective
Apr 14, 2006 12:08 PM
Bud Greenspan and his independent production company, Cappy Productions in New York City, took advantage of Panasonic’s AG-HVX200 DVCPRO HD P2 handheld camcorder to capture HD footage for the Winter Olympics official documentary. The HVX200 was used in tandem with three AJ-HDC27 VariCam HD Cinema cameras with four camera crews.
The HVX200’s small, unobtrusive size helped to give Cappy shooters remarkable behind the scenes footage. One Cappy cameraman equipped with the 5lb HVX200 was waved into the prep area backstage at the women’s figure skating finals, where he was one of only two shooters.
There, the photographer used the HVX200 to record Shizuka Arakawa on her way to becoming the first Japanese Olympic gold medalist in figure skating. The HVX200 captured Arakawa’s reactions as she watched her favored rivals Sasha Cohen and Irina Slutskaya both fall on the ice and as she received a congratulatory call from the prime minister of Japan.
For more information, visit www.panasonic.com/hvx200.
NEP, F&F Productions rely on Grass Valley HD gear for NCCA hoops finals
Apr 14, 2006 12:10 PM
Grass Valley high-definition digital production equipment, including HD cameras, switchers, servers, routers and modular products, were used by two major mobile production companies to help CBS Sports cover the Final Four Weekend of the NCAA Division I Men’s College Basketball tournament, as well as the Women’s event, for ESPN.
F&F Productions and NEP Supershooters had their all-digital production trucks on site in the RCA Dome beginning April 1 to televise different aspects of the three main games. The HD telecast of the men’s finals was presented in 1080i.
F&F Productions, based in Clearview, FL, operated its GTX14 truck, which is built around a Grass Valley Kalypso HD production switcher, Trinix and Concerto routers, and two four-channel Grass Valley Profile PVS 2000 HD video servers.
NEP Supershooters, located in Pittsburgh, dispatched its SS-27 truck, which has a Grass Valley Kalypso HD switcher, more than a dozen LDK 6000 mk II WorldCam cameras, a Trinix video routing switcher, Concerto Series audio routing switcher and an assortment of Gecko and Kameleon signal conversion modules.
NEP also covered the Final Four Weekend of the NCAA Division I Women’s College Basketball tournament for ESPN live from Banknorth Garden arena in Boston, which began on April 2. The company sent its SS-20 and SS-28 mobile production trucks, each equipped with a Kalypso production switcher, Trinix router and multiple WorldCam HD cameras. The telecasts were broadcast in the 720p HD format, using the same model LDK 6000 mk II WorldCam cameras as the CBS shoot in 1080i HD.
For more information, visit www.grassvalley.com, http://guardian.nepinc.com/packages/index.php and www.fandfproductions.com.
Fastbreak
The latest happenings from around the world of sports
Apr 14, 2006 12:11 PM
Vodafone to offer coverage of all FIFA World Cup soccer matches
Netherlands telecommunications provider Vodaphone has announced that is offering video coverage of each FIFA World Cup soccer match on its mobile phones. The 64 games will be edited specifically for viewing on mobile phones.
CSTV chief to deliver C4-Sports keynote
Brian Bedol, president and CEO of CBS’s College Sports Television (CSTV), be the keynote speaker on the opening day of C4-Sports trade show dedicated to sports technology.
Prior to co-founding CSTV, now part of the CBS, Bedol was the creator, co-founder and chief executive officer of Classic Sports Network, known today as ESPN Classic. C-4 Sports will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, July 17-19.
For more information, visit www.c4-sports.com.
CGTV launches televised Internet poker
Casino and Gaming Television Canada will present “Poker Night Live,” a televised Internet poker program.
The show brings together entertainment programming with online gaming to let poker players participate in televised high stakes games of Internet poker.
For more information, visit www.CGTVCanada.com.
WWE to track VOD use with OnDemand Essentials
World Wrestling Entertainment has licensed Rentrak's OnDemand Essentials to track consumer use of its VOD service, WWE 24/7.
OnDemand Essentials provides cable operators, content providers and advertisers with a real-time transactional tracking and reporting system to view and analyze on-demand content.
For more information, visit www.rentrak.com.
Sports Products
Canon to unveil new HD telephoto lens at NAB2006
Apr 14, 2006 12:13 PM
 The new HJ18ex28B IASE Super Telephoto HD lens weighs less than 6lbs and requires no supporter for maximum mobility. |
One of eight lenses in the portable Canon eHDxs line, it includes technologies that address the demands of HD lens design in terms of ergonomics, features, price, size and weight. The lens features Canon's Enhanced Digital eDrive as well as a built-in focus motor in addition to the zoom and iris motors traditionally found in portable ENG/EFP lenses.
See Canon at NAB2006 in booth SU131 or visit www.usa.canon.com.
MLB Advanced Media deploys Astria encoder to support content transport
Apr 14, 2006 12:16 PM
Major League Baseball Advanced Media (BAM) has deployed the Tut Systems Astria platform to encode and deliver digital video across its network connecting every major league ballpark with its central studio in New York City.
The Astria platforms are used to encode broadcast-quality MPEG-2 4:2:2 and MPEG-2 4:2:0 video and transport it to and from the BAM studios in New York. BAM uses the content for multiple applications, including real-time editing and redistribution of content, production of team and player highlight footage, Internet-based broadcasts of MLB games, pre- and post-game coverage and video archiving of MLB footage.
For more information, visit www.MLB.com and www.tutsys.com.
Riedel provides radio, intercom equipment in Torino
Apr 14, 2006 12:17 PM
The German-based manufacturer and rental company Riedel Communications supplied the entire complement of radio equipment and all venue intercoms for the Torino Olympic Organizing Committee (TOROC).
In addition, Riedel, facilitated all radio traffic for host broadcaster Torino Olympic Broadcasting and employed its Artist digital intercom for the opening and closing ceremonies.
Riedel developed an integrated radio and intercom concept for TOROC, which could accommodate both sports and organization-related communications. It was powerful enough to cover the local needs at the 14 venues and guarantee optimal cross-linking of all event locations. Riedel used about 7,000 digital TETRA radios, including accessories, for radio coverage of all competition and non-competition venues. In Torino, 40 Riedel engineers ensured the systems operated without trouble during the events and ceremonies.
For more information, visit www.riedel.net.
Gearhouse prepares for World Cup with purchase of Harris HD solutions
Apr 14, 2006 12:21 PM
UK equipment rental, sales, project solutions and systems integration company Gearhouse Broadcast has placed an order with Harris for its high-definition and standard-definition equipment to be used for coverage of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
This summer, Gearhouse Broadcast will serve as a principal partner in providing technical production facilities to the host broadcaster in 12 cities throughout Germany for the 2006 World Cup, the majority of which will be covered in HD.
Gearhouse Broadcast acquired HD infrastructure products from Harris, including the 6800+ series and Videotek PTM-305 personal test and measurement devices.
The processing platform series provides all core processing and distribution functions in analog, SD, HD and optical formats, offers integrated control and monitoring and is SNMP-friendly.
The battery-powered Videotek PTM-305 is well suited for monitoring field production camera setup or equipment installation and for troubleshooting signal path issues related to analog and standard-definition digital formats. Its features include a video test signal generator, color monitor, waveform/vector scope and an audio analyzer/monitor.
For more information, visit www.gearhousebroadcast.com and www.harris.com.
MLB Advanced Media acquires Ross Video OverDrive, digital switchers
Apr 14, 2006 12:23 PM
MLB Advanced Media recently has purchased the Ross Video OverDrive Production Control System, Synergy 4SD and Synergy 100SD digital production switchers. MLB is reconfiguring its studios to be more efficient and introduce its new video and audio services on MLB.com.
MLB Advanced Media manages and creates content for the 30 Major League Baseball teams on MLB.com. The organization has three studios with two devoted to TV and one to radio. OverDrive will improve the efficiency of MLB by automating the production process. The system makes it simple to operate peripheral devices with the touch of a screen. The integration with the Synergy family of switchers also offers MLB an easy upgrade path to HD.
For more information, visit www.rossvideo.com.
