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DTV Tutorial
The evolution of broadcast engineering
Oct 17, 2005 10:06 AM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
Once upon a time, a broadcast engineer could know — was required to know — the technical infrastructure from camera to transmission tower. Those days are gone. With the transition to digital, knowledge of the technical skills of engineering, computer science, system administration and security systems is required. Possession of this skill set allows framing of the big picture — knowing the why and how of an integrated broadcast/IT system design.
Today’s BOC is deceptively simple in concept, but strenuously challenging to engineer to real-time, 24-hour operational reliability. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that the technology is simple or easy. It is not. The ATSC A/53 standard is 104 pages (without MPEG), AC-3, 204 and IEEE 802.2 OSI Logical Link Layer is 253 pages! And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Required skills
So what skill set does a broadcast engineer need to bridge the transition? Using the four-layer BOC model developed in previous newsletters, the required skills for a contemporary systems engineer include:
- Physical — video, audio, graphics systems, SDI and AES signal routers, production switchers, cabling and schematic capture
- Media network — network topology, NOS, protocols, media servers, storage, switches and routers
- Application — programming, scripting, OS configuration, directory services, account maintenance, platform performance analysis and database development
- Security — conduct security assessments, firewalls, VPN, authentication, OS security and network security
To acquire the required skills, experience and education to attain mastery of any one of these disciplines is a career-long undertaking.
Experts are needed in each layer’s particular subtleties, such as engineers who know the difference between an RS-232 and an RS-422 interface, network specialists to keep your media essence flowing at the required QoS, application and platform specialists who are aware that chip set selection for a mother board will influence application performance, and security specialists who can give you dozens of reasons why you can’t have the graphic department computers connected to the Internet.
The paradox
The paradox is that no one person can master all the required technical skills in sufficient detail to design and maintain all layers. Yet a sufficient depth of knowledge and experience on all layers is required to design and implement a BOC infrastructure. You can have depth or breadth of knowledge, but not both. So how can this paradox be resolved?
Last month’s IBC conference devoted a session to this issue and examined the evolving role of a broadcast engineer. The panel discussion “Are broadcast engineers made or born?” chaired by Nigel Paine, head of BBC Training and Development, discussed the difficultly in finding personnel with expertise in both broadcast and IT while making the transition to digital integrated infrastructures.
The panel agreed that technical skills are important, but since finding broadcast and IT technologists is so difficult, it is imperative to find people with the right core profile.
These core characteristics include:
- Troubleshooting skills, logical deductive reasoning
- Communication skills, teambuilding skills
- Planning, big picture viewpoint
- Team player or team leader as called upon
- Enthusiasm, a desire to learn
Polling the audience revealed that the consensus felt that a person with this core set of characteristics, and a technical background in either engineering or IT, could be trained in the other technologies necessary to perform as a digital media systems broadcast engineer. Therefore, there must be strategic management of technical talent, insuring through education and training so that the technical staff has the necessary skills to achieve the company’s vision. An organization must decide how to develop, categorize and manage its technical talent to transition to and support a digital BOC.
Teamwork and project management
Teambuilding and teamwork can solve the expertise paradox. The project team should include representatives from all impacted stakeholders. This will include engineering, IT, production, creative and business personnel. All should aid in the design, adding pertinent expertise and information.
It is important to include support personnel in the earliest design phases. Incorporating front line, first responder experience into the first stages of system design will save countless hours of problem resolution in the future. The BOC will be designed for support.
Project planning and management are of primary importance. A timeline and budget is not sufficient. How does this project fit in the overall infrastructure? What are the milestones? Who is responsible for what? All this must be planned, managed and documented.
Identifying qualified personnel as potential project managers is a challenge. Being technology dependent projects, it is necessary to have a technologist lead the project. This individual must have core skills, technical expertise and be able to bring the proper groups of technologists together to build an effective team, gather and define user requirements, then guide the team to arrive at the best technical solution.
Process mapping
Engineering, according to Merriam-Webster OnLine, is “the application of science and mathematics by which the properties of matter and the sources of energy in nature are made useful to people” and “the design and manufacture of complex products <software engineering>.” We will add within financial constraints, on schedule and to fulfill a business need.
With the increased complexity of BOC technology, it is important to be sure that the infrastructure is efficiently designed for the production workflow. Mapping of production workflows with respect to the underlying infrastructure is necessary in order to engineer an optimized system design and deployment. This will result in maximum production efficiency and an increase on ROI in infrastructure resources.
Where none have gone before
Converged BOC infrastructures are deceptively simple in concept and extremely challenging to engineer. System block diagrams are easy to understand, but the deeper level of knowledge necessary to professionally engineer these integrated systems comes only during a career.
If sufficient in-house expertise is not available, an option is to use experienced system integrators to design, construct and commission new digital infrastructures. Care should be exercised when relying on systems integrators. Take an active role in overall project management. And be sure that there is a sufficient transfer of knowledge to your engineering and support personnel during all project phases. A one-week training program after commissioning will not be enough.
The dawn
These are exciting, challenging times in the media industry. We are dealing with evolving, unproven technologies while standards are emerging. Developing multidiscipline teams for design and deployment of integrated infrastructures has placed added emphasis on project management and teamwork.
A BOC infrastructure integrates two major technologies of the 20th century: electrical engineering and computer science. Just as the debate that began 20 years ago over whether computer science really was an engineering discipline has been laid to rest (yes, it is), so too will the broadcast vs. IT debate resolve itself in the emergence of a new engineering discipline.
There exists an opportunity to revitalize the experienced veteran broadcast engineer with the thirst for knowledge. Return to school, literally or figuratively. Think of this time as you thought of your career when you began it. Be excited that you get to enjoy the discovery of new ideas and concepts. One key to eternal youth is the perception of the world as a wondrous place with endless secrets to reveal. The transition to digital offers this daily.
Additional reading
For a discussion of the integration of broadcast and IT in equipment:
[1] Interfacing ATM to the Pro-Bel MADI Audio Switching System www.pro-bel.com/documentation.htm#appnotes
[2] “Turning a generic IP network into a video network”, Dan McCray and Henry Sariowan, Broadcast Engineering, August 2005
The BBC/UK perspective on broadcast engineering core skills and talents:
[3] “Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries… [whose] job is to make sure that the UK audio visual industries have the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time...” www.skillset.org
[4] National Occupational Standards for Broadcast Engineering UK http://www.skillset.org/standards/article_1859_1.asp
A general discussion of the broadcast/IT integration challenge:
[5] Building IT systems, By John Luff, Broadcast Engineering, Oct 1, 2004 12:00 PM http://broadcastengineering.com/mag/broadcasting_building_systems/index.html
Industry Update
NAB, MSTV partner with manufacturers to develop terrestrial digital-to-analog converter boxes
Oct 17, 2005 10:33 AM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
The Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV) and the NAB have selected LG Electronics and Thomson to independently develop prototype high-quality, low-cost terrestrial digital converter boxes to receive digital signals on conventional analog televisions.
Jointly funded by MSTV and NAB with development support from Thomson and LG Electronics, these prototypes will serve as blueprints for future products to ensure that the more than 70 million analog TVs relying exclusively on terrestrial broadcast signals will continue to receive free over-the-air TV service when analog broadcasts end.
For more information, visit www.mstv.org, www.nab.org, www.thomson.net, www.LGusa.com and www.zenith.com.
CEA questions need for digital converter box
Oct 17, 2005 12:43 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) told the FCC last week that a converter box being commissioned by the NAB and MSTV is too expensive and has features that consumers do not want or need.
The consumer electronics trade group questioned whether the broadcaster’s converter would fulfill the desire by Congress to have a low-cost converter box for those who lose analog reception after the DTV transition. The trade group said it is puzzled by the need for the broadcaster converter box program since no manufacturer involved in the digital transition has suggested any problem with creating a simple analog-to-digital converter box.
Many companies, the group told the FCC, have announced plans to build low-cost converter boxes that will enable consumers with an analog-only television to continue to receive over-the-air (OTA) television signals once analog TV broadcasts end.
The NAB/MSTV box will be much more expensive than the standard converter box that will be desired by most of the consumers who choose to utilize their legacy analog TVs upon the end of analog broadcasts, the CEA said.
ATSC approves ACAP standard for interactive television
Oct 17, 2005 1:29 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
The members of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) recently approved the Advanced Common Application Platform (ACAP) standard. The new standard will provide consumers with advanced interactive services, while providing content creators, broadcasters, cable operators and consumer electronics manufacturers with the technical details necessary for the development of interoperable services and products.
ATSC previously published a companion Standard A/96, “Interaction Channel Protocols.” Used in combination with forward broadcast download channels from terrestrial, cable and satellite networks, these protocols provide a complete interactive system. Both the ACAP (A/101) and the Interaction Channel Protocols (A/96) documents are available at www.atsc.org/standards.html.
BOS-CON educational sessions and tradeshow to take place Oct. 25 and 26
Oct 17, 2005 1:35 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
BOS-CON 2005 is a two-day regional trade show and educational event for broadcast engineers, station management, news directors, program directors and others in related fields.
Sponsored by SBE Chapter 11, the two-day event begins with the SBE Ennes workshop on Tuesday. The tradeshow has a special session for Ennes attendees on Tuesday night.
The trade show is free and will have more than 100 exhibits.
For more information, visit www.bos-con.com.
New Products and reviews
Snell & Wilcox MXF Express captures IEE Innovation in Engineering Award for Information Technology
Oct 17, 2005 1:38 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
MXF Express from Snell & Wilcox has won the 2005 IEE Innovation in Engineering Award for the Information Technology category. The award was presented in September at a reception in London.
IEE Innovation in Engineering awards recognize engineering projects and products that demonstrate the application of innovative design, technology, techniques and processes. Among the criteria considered by judges are the social, economic and personal impact of the product; the ways in which it contributes to the industry's existing body of knowledge; and its innovation in creating an effective working process, environment or culture. The awards are also intended to recognize those projects that represent innovative organizational groupings designed to achieve one or more common aims.
Winner in the IT category, MXF Express is a comprehensive set of software developer tools designed to help broadcasters and equipment vendors ensure interoperability among file-sharing products and systems through the MXF file format. The technology inside MXF Express makes it easier for people working in the film and TV industries to use one file format to store and transfer a wide variety of multimedia files.
Judges for the competition noted the innovative technology Snell & Wilcox used to build a toolkit that provides access to the multimedia stored in the standard MXF format, plus the way in which Snell & Wilcox has worked to build a common infrastructure for the entire industry by licensing its IPR freely. As a result, they acknowledged, the software has seen widespread adoption and lies at the heart of many other systems.
Bruce Devlin, Snell & Wilcox Vice President of Technology, is a contributing author of the MXF File Format Specifications and an active contributor to the work of the Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) open standard and SMPTE.
MXF Express is provided free of charge by Snell & Wilcox at www.snellwilcox.com, which hosts daily discussions of MXF issues and tool requirements.
ESPN reorganizes
Oct 17, 2005 1:40 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
George Bodenheimer, ESPN and ABC Sports President and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks, has announced the reorganization of ESPN’s business functions and executive management into six specific areas: content, technology, sales and marketing, international, finance and administration.
The executive management team reporting to Bodenheimer includes:
- John Skipper, promoted to executive vice president of content
- Chuck Pagano, promoted to executive vice president of technology
- Sean Bratches, promoted to executive vice president of sales and marketing
- Christine Driessen, executive vice president and CEO
- Ed Durso, executive vice president of administration
- Russell Wolff, executive vice president and managing director of ESPN International
Pagano previously was senior vice president of technology, engineering and operations and will now have responsibility for all technology sectors within ESPN.
Current network taps Ascent Media for new headquarters
Oct 17, 2005 1:42 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
Current, the new cable and satellite TV network founded by former Vice President Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, launched from a newly built facility on Aug. 1.
Headquartered in San Francisco, the facility was jointly designed by Current’s engineering and operations team and Ascent Media Systems & Technology Services.
Ascent Media handled the integration and implementation aspect of the project. Additionally, Ascent Media is providing comprehensive transmission services for the new channel.
Current specializes in short-form programming called pods, which are usually three- to seven-minutes long. Roughly one quarter of the programming is viewer-created content, or what Current refers to as VC2, allowing the audience to create the programming they want to watch.
Transmission for Current's programming is handled via AMNS' Glenbrook earth station facility, located in Stamford, CT. Services include digitally compressed uplink and fully protected satellite space segment via the Galaxy XI (C-band) satellite and terrestrial interconnect services, routed from Current's origination facility in San Francisco to Glenbrook. Conditional access support is also provided, including authorization; program definition; affiliate support; IRD service; troubleshooting, and database management.
Presently transmitting in SD, Ascent Media based Current’s technical facilities on a DV format infrastructure capable of upgrading to HD playout. The broadcast center houses a satellite downlink antenna farm, in addition to master control, ingest, production and audio control rooms, post-production suites, one audio finish and three video finish rooms, and an insert stage. The network uses Apple equipment including Pro Tools for audio and Final Cut Pro for video. The entire facility is server-based, only using tape for media that is acquired on tape. The San Francisco facility is digitally interconnected to a Current stage in Los Angeles that produces dialy programming for the network.
For more information, visit www.ascentmedia.com/systems and www.current.tv.
PBS Ace goes live with OmniBus
Oct 17, 2005 1:45 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
OmniBus Systems' Colossus network-based automation and content management solution has gone online at WMHT Educational Telecommunications. The installation of OmniBus Colossus automation is WMHT's new digital facility in New York State's Capital Region, and supports broadcast of four SD channels and one HD channel from ingest to playout.
The OmniBus system at WMHT manages the process of ingesting material from scheduled satellite feeds, automatically tuning to the correct satellite frequency, and routing and recording material directly onto the station's Omneon Spectrum server system. Colossus interfaces with a BroadView Software traffic and scheduling system to allow users to import duration and timing information along with individual programs, and also provides the tools required for quality control.
Once the playout schedule has been set, the OmniBus automation system imports a BroadView log file and, if necessary, issues a command to the facility's Masstech archive to move any required material to the on-air server. An interface between OmniBus' Colossus and Miranda Technologies' Presmaster and Imagestore systems facilitates automation of secondary events, such as logo and DVE insertion. After playout is complete, an as-run log is automatically sent back to traffic for reconciliation.
Colossus automation enables a single operator to manage all of WMHT's program channels via a timeline-based display, focus in on any single stream, confirm its data, and drive it in the traditional manner should the schedule require it.
WMHT is the first PBS station to use the ACE system. PBS Technology & Operations created the ACE system in conjunction with a consortium of vendors including OmniBus Systems, Accenture, Ascent Media, BroadView Software, Intel, Masstech, Microsoft, Miranda Technologies, Omneon Video Networks, and SES AMERICOM.
For more information, visit www.omnibus.tv and www.wmht.org.
Aastra Technologies supports HDTV at the NFL Network
Oct 17, 2005 1:48 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
Aastra Technologies’ high definition encoding product has enabled the NFL Network to broadcast its weekly Wednesday and Thursday night programs “Game of the Week” and “Six Days to Sunday” in HD.
The network has deployed WaveStar in its NFL Films Mt. Laurel, NJ, facility for compression and transport of original native programming to the network’s production and uplink facility in Stamford, CT. Distribution of the programming will be over digital cable and satellite outlets.
WaveStar is a modular, real time MPEG-2 video encoding, decoding and multiplexing platform. Its architecture is based on a high-speed 155Mb/s mid-plane data multiplexing bus.
Aastra also supplies the NFL Network with its VideoRunner codec equipment to feed live SD game feeds and other production content between NFL Films and the NFL Network production facility in Culver City, CA. Up to 12 SDI channels of programming content is 4:2:2 compressed, multiplexed, and transported as ASI over a terrestrial IP MPLS network.
For more information, visit www.aastra.com/digitalvideo and www.nfl.com/nflnetwork.
Omneon Spectrum media server supports joint master control at KVLY-TV
Oct 17, 2005 1:51 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
The duopoly of KVLY-TV 11 (NBC affiliate) and KXJB-TV 4 (CBS affiliate) — serving the Fargo and Valley City areas of North Dakota — has deployed an Omneon Spectrum media server system for playout from a joint master control room.
The server system, installed and launched with the merging of KXJB operations into the KVLY facility, provides centralized playout of both channels and handles all content ingest.
The 10-channel server system at the Fargo facility, operates in conjunction with Crispin automation for playout of both channels, as well as ingest of approximately 35 programs and promo feeds each day.
For more information, visit www.omneon.com.
Grass Valley to deliver all-digital video for BendBroadband
Oct 17, 2005 1:53 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
BendBroadband has selected the Grass Valley ViBE suite of products to support its transition to an all-digital network. BendBroadband plans to re-purpose its bandwidth using Grass Valley’s technology and offer all-digital video programming to customers.
ViBE encoders will enable BendBroadband to recover bandwidth to support the introduction of more advanced services. Designed to offer bandwidth-management, the Grass Valley ViBE encoder line is a product family of video encoders, decoders, multiplexers, and related signal processing products that help cable operators manage their distribution channels with a system of integrated products.
For more information, visit www.thomsongrassvalley.com.
Panasonic widescreen HD/SD production LCD monitor now available
Oct 17, 2005 1:55 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
 The Panasonic BT-LH1700W offers a high-speed response with no blurring and a waveform monitor that graphically displays luminance levels from zero to 110 IRE in any of the monitor’s four corners. |
Panasonic’s BT-LH1700W production-quality HD/SD LCD monitor for studio and field applications is now available. Features include two auto-switching SDI/HD-SDI inputs, waveform monitoring and freeze frame/split screen.
The multi-format, self-contained unit is outfitted with a 1280 x 768 pixel WXGA-resolution panel. Color temperature is selectable (D9300K/D6500K/D5600K) and Gamma is adjustable. Cine Gamma (Film-Rec) compensation is included, specifically for monitoring with Panasonic’s VariCam HD Cinema Camera.
The BT-LH1700W offers dual SDI inputs with automatic switching between HD and SD. The monitor is also equipped with one SDI output as well as component (Y/Pb/Pr), PC RGB, Y/C and composite outputs. It has a wide vertical and horizontal viewing angle of 176 degrees. Diagonal line compensation reduces the occurrence of jagged noise in the diagonal direction for improved SD response.
The monitor is compatible with multiple HD/SD formats including 1080/24PsF, 1080i, 720P and 480P/i. Other features include 12V four-pin XLR input; GPI and RS-232C ports for external control of many functions; built-in, amplified stereo speakers; and a red/green tally lamp. It measures 17in x 12.9in x 7.9in (measurements include stand) and weighs 17.8lbs.
For more information, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.
Stratos introduces miniature, ultra-high-density media converters
Oct 17, 2005 2:04 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
 Included in the Stratos Mini-VMC is a Digital Diagnostics Monitoring Interface (DDMI), for real-time access to critical operating parameters such as module temperature and module supply voltage |
These products enable use of fiber transport in HDTV television production, removing the intrinsic distance limitations and signal degradation of coax. Transmitters and receivers are compliant with SMPTE 292M/297M/259M/305M/ 310M protocols, and support data rates from 19.4Mb/s to 1.485Gb/s. Options include CWDM and DFB transmitters.
Included in the Stratos Mini-VMC is a Digital Diagnostics Monitoring Interface (DDMI), for real-time access to critical operating parameters such as module temperature, module supply voltage, received optical power (receiver only), transmitted optical power and laser bias current (transmitter only). DDMI also provides alarm flags to warn when specific operating parameters have been exceeded. This data is accessed via a four-pin XLR-type connector that also provides DC power to the device. A multi-color LED indicator serves as a quick visual indication of Go/No-Go link status and DDMI alarms and warnings.
For more information, visit www.stratoslightwave.com.
