Although the current U.S. sports TV market is more fluid than ever — with sports rights getting more expensive and more leagues moving onto streaming platforms — the state of broadcast sports has never been stronger.

That was the sentiment of Jon Miller, president, acquisitions and partnerships for NBC Sports, during the “NBC Sports Playbook: Rights, Partnerships and What’s Next” panel, held on the Main Stage. Moderator John Ourand, sports correspondent for Puck, led the conversation that covered everything from NBC’s commitment to expanding its broadcast sports lineup to recruiting Snoop Dogg to “make the Olympics cool again.”

It’s easy to understand Miller’s enthusiasm. Getting his start at local NBC affiliate WRC-TV Washington, D.C., nearly 50 years ago, Miller rose through the ranks at NBC to his current role managing the network’s relationships with sports of all stripes.

Miller said he’s seen this movie before.

“I don’t think [broadcast] really went anywhere — a lot of people wrote our obituaries, which happens quite often,” he said. “But I think broadcast is, quite honestly, stronger and more important than ever. And I think our partners realize that.”

"I think it's definitely having a moment," he added.

While certainly not dismissive of streaming’s encroachment on live televised sports — all of NBC’s programming, including sports, appear on NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service — Miller said broadcasters’ reach and ability to adapt to new technologies gives the industry continued relevance.

“I think the streamers have a different set of priorities and strategic objectives than we do,” he said. “They have very deep pockets, but they can’t offer a lot of what broadcast can offer, and they can’t offer the marketing and the promotion. Certainly, they can’t offer the production expertise that NBC, CBS, Fox and Disney [ABC/ESPN] can offer to partners.

“The investment NBCUniversal has made over the last several decades — not only in broadcast rights, but in production infrastructure and data analytics and being able to provide 1080 HDR or 4K to our broadcast affiliates — I think all of those things are key factors,” he said. “And it’s the largest reach that you can get out there.”

Miller said NBC’s expansion into streaming has given the network more leverage when negotiating sports rights.

“Peacock is a great complementary service to NBC,” Miller said. Noting Peacock’s penetration (via the streaming service and NBCSN homes which present most live Peacock events) into about 65 million homes — “numbers equivalent to ESPN, Fox or Turner [TNT Sports],” Miller added that the service was “never meant to displace anything on broadcast.”

“But it’s enabled us to make investments in properties that we wouldn’t have been able to make otherwise,” Miller added. “We would not have been able to acquire NBA [rights] if we didn’t have Peacock as a platform; we would not be able to acquire the exclusive [U.S.] rights to the Premier League.”

As the longtime U.S. broadcaster of the Olympics, Miller said the network has aspired to make the event more relevant to younger viewers.

“Snoop Dogg has been spectacular, and he’s really become an Olympic fan and he knows the games, he goes to the events, the athletes react to him and they embrace him,” he said.

Miller said NBC is dedicated to building on broadcasters’ legacy in delivering the most exciting and entertaining action to fans.

“We think it’s really important that broadcast television be recognized for how it delivers audiences, for how the quality of production is important to partners,” he said. “And we like the hand we’ve been dealt.”

Ed Miller, a longtime broadcast engineer in Ohio and a former national president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, has died.

The news was shared in an email to colleagues by Blake Thompson, chairman of SBE Chapter 70 in Cleveland. Thompson said Miller was in his early 80s.

Edward J. Miller was president of the SBE from 1997 to 1999. During his tenure, the SBE and the National Football League announced a cooperative effort to coordinate frequency use for all regular-season and postseason NFL games, with the SBE appointing a game-day event frequency coordinator for each team’s home games. The NFL would equip the coordinators with a laptop, scanner, press box space and a telephone, as well as database software and contact information for each team’s personnel and local and network media.

Also during his tenure, with IT skills becoming ever more important, the SBE Certification Committee prepared a new level of certification to test knowledge about administering local-area networks (LANs). The society also introduced a youth membership category during this time.

Miller was drawn to technology early. In the fall of 1957, as a high-school sophomore in Cleveland, he was one of only five individuals in the country to track the radio signal from the Russian Sputnik 1 satellite. He and his fellow radio club members made national news and were later told they had scooped the U.S. Navy by four hours.

In 2013, Miller wrote a biographical sketch of his career, including his work with radio and TV stations, his involvement with prototype IFB/Mix-Minus technology, his design and management of dozens of broadcast microwave systems, his involvement with the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and his consulting work for the grand opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

You can download that biographic essay here.

In 2003 he retired as vice president of engineering at ProVideo Systems. Earlier he worked for 28 years with WEWS-TV, the Scripps Howard Broadcasting Co.’s flagship station and ABC affiliate in Cleveland. He later worked as a consultant/project engineer with PATLIN Electronics Inc. in Richfield, Ohio.

At the SBE, in addition to president, he was involved in other ways over the course of his career.

He served for many years as a frequency coordinator for northeast Ohio and multiple times as a chapter chair. He worked on the program committee for the Ohio Association of Broadcasters fall engineering conference and participated in a national SBE Strategic Planning Meeting in 2012.

In 2013 Miller was named the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year. He also was a Life Member and SBE Fellow. When he received the Engineer of the Year Award, then-President Ralph Hogan said Miller “has truly been one of the principal leaders of the SBE over the past 20 years.”

SBE Communications Director Chriss Scherer got to know Ed Miller when Scherer lived in Cleveland in the 1990s. “Ed was always thoughtful and considerate,” he told Radio World on Tuesday. “In a leadership position, he would seek input from several points of view and produce a clear, reasoned decision. Working with Ed is one of the reasons I furthered my involvement with the SBE.”

[Read Miller’s thoughts about his tenure as SBE president in this Radio World issue from 1999. The article starts on page 43.]

[This article originally appeared in our sister publication Radio World.]

LAS VEGAS—Miller Tripods will be showing its new SkyX 8 fluid head at the 2023 NAB Show on Booth C4221. Designed for outdoor broadcast and studio productions, the SkyX 8 is versatile enough to use over a wide array of camera configurations. 

The SkyX 8 replaces the very popular Skyline 70. Delivering 16 positions of stepped counterbalance, with CB Plus and 120mm travel large Euro camera plate, SkyX 8 offers fast, repeatable counterbalance. The 7+0 positions of pan and tilt fluid drag system employs the Miller “right feel” smooth start and soft stop technology while the precise floating pan-tilt caliper locks ensure bounce free on-off performance, the company explained. 

Constructed of lightweight high-strength die-cast alloy and rigid composite polymers the SkyX 8 is extremely durable and robust for rugged outdoor shooting conditions delivering silky smooth pan-tilt fluid actions and symmetrical diagonals to match camera payloads up to 40kg (88Ibs). It employs precision heavy duty ball bearings to ensure long, trouble-free usage.

Equipped with a 150mm claw ball, rugged dual telescopic handles, two-side mounting points for viewfinders and accessories, plus a Mitchel adaptable base, operators will have everything they need for any environment, the company reported.  

Incorporating advanced precision fluid drag and counterbalance controls operated through rear mounted “all in one location” with unique illumination of all controls and bubble level, the SkyX 8 makes it even faster and easier to set up and capture the action.

Each SkyX 8 comes with a full Gold 3-year factory warranty. Shipping will start in July 2023. 

More information about Miller Tripods is available at www.millertripods.com/en/. 

LONDON—As a filmmaker and videographer, I have the privilege of telling stories through the eye of a camera lens, but you never know what to expect from project to project.

Miller’s arrowX7 fluid head and Solo 100 3 Stage Carbon Fiber Tripod made traversing the Scottish terrain more manageable for the production.

On “The Last Highland Tiger,” Director Katie Wardle and I came across the story of the Scottish Wildcat, which, through persecution and mismanagement, is on the brink of extinction. This film was aimed at informing and educating the public about this rare and beautiful animal.

To capture footage of the Wildcat in its natural environment, we made 14-15 hour-a-day treks into Scotland’s rugged mountains and dense woodlands. With up to three-hour mountain climbs a part of our daily routine, equipment selection was critical. This was a very strenuous film to make and we needed our equipment to be as light as possible and incredibly durable. Making this film would not have been possible without Miller’s arrowX7 fluid head and Solo 100 3 Stage Carbon Fiber Tripod.

INNOVATIVE DESIGN
Setting up our Miller Solo 100 3 Stage Carbon Fiber Tripod and arrowX7 fluid head was very easy. In addition to the three-stage telescoping design, Miller eliminated the need for a spreader with an innovative leg angle control that incorporates a safety lock to ensure quick and easy setting of the tripod. In less than ideal and very windy conditions, I was literally able to set my camera up and be ready for shooting within two minutes. With other tripods, you spend so much time trying to get it set up that by the time you are ready to shoot, the animal has run off. With the Solo 100, I was afforded the greatest degree of freedom without compromising the stability of the tripod.

In addition to filming the Wildcat, we used our Miller gear in conjunction with the ARRI Amira with an ALURA 45-250 and, at times, a 2x Doubler. This setup helped us reach up to 500mm for close ups of the Wildcat’s prey—such as rabbits and red squirrels—which are very hard to shoot. It’s always difficult to get long lenses close-up to animals, so the stability of a reliable fluid head was also essential. Miller’s ArrowX7, with its wide payload range, precision fluid drag and counterbalance, delivered the flexibility, speed of set up and accuracy of shot needed for this production environment.

FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE
The filming of “The Last Tiger” would not have been as successful were it not for the expert insight of Mike Lippmann from Miller, who is always a great resource to discuss upcoming projects with. When Mike found out about the film, he was more than happy to listen and help. When I told Mike about the heavy camera I planned to use, he immediately knew I didn’t have the right set-up for what I needed. He invited me to his office in London where we went through the majority of Miller’s fluid heads and tripods to find the right combination for the project. Mike was an incredible asset and really went the extra mile to help ensure this labor of love was shot as beautifully as possible.

The film looks amazing and we are very proud of it.

Jason Henwood is a London-based camera assistant and documentary filmmaker. He can be contacted atjhenwood49@gmail.com.

For more information, please visitwww.millertripods.comor call 973-857-8300.

One of the benefits of downsizing broadcast and digital cinema cameras is the size and cost of much of the support gear needed to make them fully functional can also be downsized. A prime example of such is Miller’s compact Air head/Solo 75 tripod combo.

Air head pairs with Solo 75 tripod, and includes a carrying bag with padded strap.

FEATURES
At first glance, Miller’s Air Tripod system seems designed more for stills than for video or cine apps due to the Solo 75’s tubular legs. Rated for payloads up to 11 pounds, it can obviously support more than average-sized DSLRs with stock lenses and looks fairly impressive for a tripod system under $1,200. The Air head, with its magnesium alloy housing and precision components, mirrors Millers’ DS fluid head, except with fewer options.

For example, it has only two counterbalance levels and singular pan and tilt levels, which are touted as “constant at all temperatures.” It also supports the same payload range as the DS, from 4.4–11 pounds. The Air head is paired with Miller’s Solo 75 tripod, which features a 75mm bowl, 90 to minus 75 degree tilt range, a base height ranging from 9.5–63 inches, with three leg sections. The upper leg stage has a thick, supple neoprene coating for comfortable, sure gripping, especially when moving the camera and tripod short distances. The hard rubber feet on the lower legs have retractable steel spikes. The Air head includes a quick release camera plate with 60mm of sliding range, one pan handle with a dual pan handle option, a padded carrying strap and a soft bag. It comes in either metal alloy or carbon fiber packages.

IN USE
Initially, I tested the Air Carbon Fiber Tripod with a Canon camcorder/lens package, weighing at the upper end of Air’s payload at 9–10 pounds.

Frankly, I was surprised at how well the Air head handled the 9-plus pound camera at first try. Panning was fluid and smooth, which made following large flying birds like geese, ducks, and gulls easy and efficient at the fairly low default drag level. Faster subjects like flying robins or speeding cars posed a greater challenge, and I often over-panned for lack of sufficient drag.

There was no option to shift to a high drag level, so I improvised to add drag by wrapping one hand around the head while using the other to push the panhandle for a manual drag to compensate for the lack of this option. It was certainly do-able, but not desirable. Fortunately, a workaround wasn’t necessary when counterbalancing the 9-plus pound camera once I pinpointed the center of gravity on the adapter plate. The higher of the two counterbalance options proved sufficient to keep the camera stable at various angles when released.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t need to manually add drag when panning—or tilting—with a much lighter camera, weighing 5-plus pounds. The default low drag level provided sufficient braking for fairly slow pans and tilts without manual workarounds. Basically I was able to let the Air head provide all the speed dampening needed versus having to work it in manually.

Counterbalance-wise, the lower, slacker level was sufficient for the lighter camera, although the higher level also worked well with it, but was stiffer. A 4-pound camera had comparable results, but with even slower, smoother pans. This payload was comparable to that of many DSLRs with base lenses.

Tripod-wise, the Solo 75’s three stage telescoping legs locked and unlocked with a twist of the wrist and kept the tripod stable whenever it was firmly locked. They did slip slightly a few times when I didn’t snug them sufficiently. In each case simply relocking them remedied the slippage

With its legs fully extended and locked, Solo 75 topped out at 68–69 inches, which put the viewfinder of most cameras at or close to eye level for me at 6-feet tall.

What really sets it apart from the pack, though, is its ability to virtually flatten into a spider-like footprint by locking its legs in an almost horizontal position, whereby the bottom of the bowl is around 10 inches above ground level. This extreme low angle posture is quite rare among pro-tripods and may be this tripod package’s killer app.

This feature proved invaluable when shooting in roughly 1.5-feet of dense snow as I did several times during the test period. The flattened spider-like position often enabled me to ‘float’ the camera and tripod atop the packed snowpack without having to dig into solid ground with all three tripod feet on every setup. This accelerated the setup time for all shots, particularly low angle ones. Whenever the legs were outstretched to the max, the crest of the airhead was roughly 15 inches above ground level, low enough to facilitate many unique low angle shots.

The rubberized shoulder pad on the carrying strap was a big bongus, sparing lots of pain and irritation, particularly when without a cart or tripod-bearer. The padding was thick enough to protect my collarbone when laying camera and tripod over/on my shoulder. Without the camera I could comfortably hang the tripod on one shoulder, with the legs under my arm, while counterbalancing them with the camera hung on my other shoulder.

Leveling the Air head was fairly fast and efficient, thanks to the long, knobby, fastening pin—for leveling ball—which mostly held tight as long as needed after a quick, but firm, twist of the wrist. The Air head also has a simple bubble level; however, it’s not florescent, so you’ll need some sort of light to use it in the dark.

CONCLUSION
Of the three cameras tested with the Air head, the two at the low end of its payload range yielded the best results, and required virtually no compensatory workarounds when panning, tilting or counterbalancing. In contrast, while I was able to achieve fairly slow and smooth pans with the 9-plus pound camera, pans and tilts required me to add drag manually for consistently good results. This was not true for counterbalancing. where the higher of two levels supported the heavier camera adequately. An additional, stiffer, drag level or two for panning and tilting would greatly improve overall performance at the upper end of its payload range, and would be worth paying a bit more for.

Nevertheless, Miller’s Air Solo carbon fiber system offers a simple, affordable, no frills tripod solution for pros and serious amateurs on a tight budget, particularly when shooting with a camera in the lower of its payload range. It is also fairly lightweight for carrying afield and it can fi t into a duffel bag when traveling. It is hard to beat for extreme low-angle shooting by supporting a camera roughly 15-inches from ground level. It also tops out just under six feet for use in a wide range of pro applications.

Carl Mrozek operates Eagle Eye Media, based in Buffalo, N.Y.. Contact him ateagleeye@localnet.net.

➤ FAST FACTS
APPLICATION
Events, corporate, local news, sports & commercials, documentaries, music videos web videos, indie theatricals

KEY FEATURES
Pan & tilt fluid head with constant drag in all temperatures; dual level counterbalance; three stage carbon fiber legs with retractable spikes & 75mm bowl & sure grip fastener; padded legs & strap; height adjustable; low angle support

PRICE
$1,177

CONTACT
Miller Tripods 973-857-8300 sales@millertripods.us