JOHN LUFF
Latest articles by JOHN LUFF
Backup and UPS power
By JOHN LUFF published
A few years ago, I visited a satellite transmission facility in a remote location that was designed to operate off grid if necessary for a considerable
Satellite services and systems, part 2
By JOHN LUFF published
Last month's column began with a short reference to the first transatlantic satellite transmission over Telstar (1965). Of course, the more interesting
Satellite services and systems, part 1
By JOHN LUFF published
Satellites first were used in television for short-duration transatlantic interconnection. Short could mean a few minutes, but at the time it was a technological
Video encoders
By JOHN LUFF published
In the July column, A switcher's life cycle, I spoke about product life cycle and product maturity. Nowhere is this a more appropriate concept than when
Video encoders
By JOHN LUFF published
It is often assumed that when someone is speaking of encoders, they're referring to MPEG-2. But with the expansion of encoding platforms and video compression
Camera crossover
By JOHN LUFF published
Cameras can be thought of as optical analog-to-digital (A/D) converters these days. Photons respond in the lens as waves, and the sensor converts photons
Metadata
By JOHN LUFF published
Many years ago, SMPTE and EBU joined forces to work on harmonizing content-related issues associated with interchanging digital bit streams. Though the
A recording conundrum
By JOHN LUFF published
The history of video recording has a remarkably short timeline, at least in the commercial sense. The first generally available solution was the Ampex
Can you hear me now?
By JOHN LUFF published
This is supposed to be a communications business. We build visual and audio communications with our viewers. Everything behind the scenes is done to get
Monitor from your sofa
By JOHN LUFF published
In an ideal world, the master control operator in a TV station could sit anywhere on the planet. He or she would be able to see images in essentially
Master control systems
By JOHN LUFF published
Master control has an auspicious sound to it. When you hear the words master control, you think of a technology that keeps everything running perfect
File-based workflow, Part I
By JOHN LUFF published
We are officially in a file-based world. That is not a shock; we have been moving that way for years. Now even cameras are spoken of as recording files,
Remote monitoring
By JOHN LUFF published
A cable company says your signal is horrible and that is why it looks like a 1950s station when its customers tune in. What do you do? It is tempting
Tape machines
By JOHN LUFF published
Advances in consumer videotape recording technology keep the professional use alive - for now
The right connections
By JOHN LUFF published
Wire, cable, and fiber hold your facility together; make sure they're properly installed
Racks and accessories
By JOHN LUFF published
It would be easy to assume that the least important technology in a broadcast facility is the piece that only serves to keep equipment from falling to