LAS VEGAS—Streambox is highlighting its support for NewTek’s Network Device Interface with the launch of a new video streaming application.

The open standard for live production IP workflow over Ethernet networks allows the application to receive, de-bond and decode live video and stream it to other NDI compatible devices. This allows for virtual HD-SDI over Ethernet replacement, including distribution over LAN.

Additional features of the new application include the ability to receive live video from any Streambox encoder or server; full HD and SD support; compatible with Microsoft Windows; universal standard IP streaming; and the NDI system automatically detecting incoming streams via IP.

The Seattle-based Streambox is located at booth SU8125 at the 2016 NAB Show.

STATE COLLEGE, PA.—AccuWeather has premiered a new weather system that provides interactive and customizable weather presentations to television stations, the StormDirector+. AccuWeather is demonstrating the new system at the 2016 NAB Show at booth SL6010.

StormDirector+ features an intuitive interface and time-saving workflow to customize presentations. It offers broadcasters tools like AccuWeather Advanced Warnings, AccuWeather Future Radar and AccuWeather’s MinuteCast.

Available as a standalone system, StormDirector+ is compatible with StoryTeller Interactive Touchscreen Solution. It also utilizes cloud-based technology and can run on green screen, video walls, or touch screens.

LAS VEGAS—Video encoding and streaming technology provider Vitec has introduced its MGW Vision at the 2016 NAB Show. The new system is a 4K/UHD real-time HEVC hardware-based encoder for IPTV, broadcast and point-to-point distribution that integrates Vitec’s HEVC/H.265 compression and streaming technology.

The MGW Vision features a 1RU form factor and H.265 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 hardware compression chip for streaming broadcast video. It comes with a processing power of up to one UHD or four HD HEVC channels from four 3G-SDI inputs. With the system’s HEVC compression, Vitec claims that users can stream UHD/HD video with up to 50 percent bandwidth savings compared to H.264.

Vitec is located at booth SL6305.

LAS VEGAS—Imagine Communications made a trio of announcements at the 2016 NAB Show, headlined by the introduction of the HTTP-to-User Datagram Protocol (UDP) gateway, Selenion Video Delivery Edge (VDE).

The Selenio VDE is designed to enable cable operators and other content distributors to boost video delivery and ad insertion infrastructures, while allowing the transition of operations to a virtualized environment based on generic computing and networking resources. Selenio VDE enables distributors to use HTTP-based core infrastructures to support customer devices, enabling ABR streaming and software-based dynamic ad insertion capabilities to deliver signals to set-top boxes using traditional QAM-based RF transmission infrastructure. Cable operators can also help the deployment of next-generation ad insertion platform, according to Imagine.

In addition to the unveiling of the Selenio VDE, Imagine announced that it was providing the core infrastructure for four new OB trucks for NEP U.K. via its Platinum IP3 routers. The new trucks will be capable of HD, 1080p HD and 4K/UHD production with the ability to switch between HD and UHD resolutions. Other Imagine products that will be utilized by the NEP trucks include Selenio MCP units, Selenio 6800+, Selenio X100 and Selenio X50 modular units.

Imagine also recently provided equipment to Latin-American broadcaster Globo for OB truck for UHD production. This technology, which includes the Platinum IP3 15RU router and Selenio MCP3 units, will be used to deliver UHD video signals during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro from Aug. 5-21.

LAS VEGAS—The Matrice 600 is ready for take-off, as DJI unveiled its next-generational aerial platform at the 2016 NAB Show. The new system integrates DJI’s A3 flight controller, features Lightbridge 2 video-transmission technology and can be combined with the Ronin-MX aerial three-axis gimbal.

The M600 is a six-rotor system with a max payload of 6 kg. It is powered by six DJI Intelligent Batteries, all of which can be powered off with a push of a single button. The platform also has a dustproof propulsion system, actively cooled motors and retractable landing gear.

The integrated A3 flight controller uses sine-wave-driven, intelligent electronic speed controllers for M600 performance. The technology also has self-adaptive flight systems that adjust based on payloads. The A3 system can be upgraded to the A3 PRO System, which features diagnostic algorithms to compare sensor data from three Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) units and three instrumental measurement units. The A3’s GNSS system can then be optionally upgraded to DJI Real-Time Kinematic technology, which offers centimeter-accurate positioning. The M600 also supports the DJI GO app for live status reports and access to Zenmuse X-series camera features; it is also compatible with DJI Onboard Software Development Kit and Mobile SDK.

When the Ronin-MX is mounted on theM600, the Ronin-Mix’s CANBUS port allows flight controller data to pass through the gimbal, making it aware of its position and able to maintain the horizon level. It can pan 360-degrees, tilt plus-45-degress to negative-135-degrees, has redundant slip rings and features an optional accessory to transmit real-time video from a mounted camera; it is also compatible with DJI Focus.

The M600 starts at a retail price of $4,599. Combined with the Ronin-MX, it sells for $5,999.

LAS VEGAS—Ericsson has announced the debut of its new media processing system, the Ericsson MediaFirst Video Processing unit. Combining a suite of processing capabilities and video compression research, as well as the ability to compliment the MediaFirst TV Platform, the MediaFirst Video Processing system provides a “cloud-centric” TV experience, according to the company’s press release.

There are three main elements to Ericsson’s new system: software-defined management and workflow is used to manage video processing configurations and architectures that cover multiple compute platforms; a suite of video coding algorithms and processing functions to build head-end functions to deliver video; and support for any compute environment to deploy MediaFirst Video Processing across private and public clouds and on Ericsson custom platforms.

Ericsson says that this is the first offering to come from the integration of its compression software with Envivio’s software-based encoding portfolios. Ericsson acquired Envivio in the fourth quarter of 2015.

LAS VEGAS—Australian-based Atomos has announced the creation of its Shogun Inferno monitor recorder. The new unit features 1500nit/10bit/HDR monitor technologies, 4Kp60 over Quad-SDI recording capability, playback and editing functionality. The company says that the Inferno is the flagship model in its Atomos HDR line-up, which also includes Blade HD series, Ninja Assassin, Shogun and Shogun Studio, and Flames series.

Shogun Inferno

The Shogun Inferno comes with monitoring features that were previously announced with the Shogun Flame, including 10 stops of dynamic range with AtomHDR, 1500nit brightness, and 10-bit processing for color transitions. New elements for the Inferno include 4K 60p and HD 240p ProRes and DNxHR recording from either a video or Raw signal; Raw to Raw CDNG recording up to 4K DCI/UHD 30p or 2K/HD 120p; Quad SDI connections to input from cameras with 1.5/3/6/12G SDI outputs without converters; PQ (ST-2084) input and PQ (ST-2084) output.

Atomos has also revealed a new range of HDMI cables and an update to the Flame series with AtomOS7.1. The AtomFLEX range of 4K60p HDMI 2.0 coiled cable management is a group of six cables or various lengths that will be available in July. The AtomOS7.1 for Flame users adds PQ input and output for HDR functionality and the addition of new Waveform guidelines; it will be available in May and downloadable for free for current Flame users.

On the business side, Atomos and X-Rite have announced a partnership that aims to deliver professional color calibration to Atomos monitor-recorders.

Atomos will showcase all of its latest announcements at its booth, C8925, during the 2016 NAB Show.

LAS VEGAS—In the last few years there have been a number of technological advances in the way that movies and presented to theatergoers. High frame rate, 3D were some of the more recent examples, but haven't quite been the revolution that many thought they could have been initially. Now, high dynamic range (HDR) is the new buzz word, and if the discussion at Saturday's "Future of Cinema Conference" during the 2016 NAB Show, it may prove to be an advancement that sticks.

Read the full story on AV Network. 

LAS VEGAS—Pilot, formerly known as NAB Labs, previously announced that it would be showcasing ATSC 3.0 technology at the Futures Park during the 2016 NAB Show; as part of that, Pilot has announced that it will display a prototype ATSC 3.0 receiver and gateway demonstrating the Interactive Environment at its booth.

The Interactive Environment is a feature of ATSC 3.0, the next-generation standard developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee. The approach is based on HTML-5 and will reportedly allow broadcasters to provide more customized experiences for viewers.

The home gateway combines an over-the-air TV tuner with Internet access, Wi-Fi connectivity and a software environment that enables user engagement. Pilot’s demonstration will feature examples of interactive multi-view programming from Fox Sports; local interactive news and weather programming from News Press & Gazette; recognition of local station members from PBS; on-demand content from Akamai; advanced analytics; real-time viewing and engagement metrics from Yet Analytics; and a Pilot channel featuring zoned and targeted advertising and advanced emergency alert capabilities.

Pilot developed the Interactive Environment prototype as part of its ATSC 3.0 Gateway project. The prototype will be on display at booth SU16009 as part of the Futures Park.

LAS VEGAS—Oscar-winning director Ang Lee has already dazzles audiences with his films “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Life of Pi,” but his latest film may do so in an entirely new way. “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” uses 4K, 3D and 120 frames per second visuals to tell its story, and according to the filmmaker, may be the first step in a new technological evolution.

Ang Lee

“This is really the beginning of a… quest for new storytelling,” Lee said April 16 at the Future of Cinema Conference that kicked of the 2016 NAB Show. “Now, I see something new [technologically], I want to get into it. The more I see, the more questions I have.

To read more about what Lee had to say about these new formats, check out the story on Broadcasting & Cable.

LAS VEGAS—At Sony’s annual pre-NAB Show press briefing last month, Alec Shapiro, president of Sony Professional Solutions of America noted that the company was returning with its theme of “Beyond Definition.” Emphasis will be placed upon 4K workflow technologies, including shooting, editing and storage; new 4K and HD camera systems; bringing 4K and HDR production into the mainstream; IP-networked-based transfer and wireless streaming technologies and finally, protecting customer investments through new camera and technology upgrades.

To this last point, Sony Cine Alta Product Manager Peter Crithary stated that there will be no replacement cameras for the CineAlta product line of F5, F55 and F65 as well as the recent XDCAM lines of the FS5 and FS7. Firmware v8 for the F5/55 will add value to these cameras through a new XAVC Class 480 codec, with higher data rates and better peak S/N ratios. Sony previously announced a new RAW recorder for these cameras, the AXS-R7 with dual slot recording and 120fps 4K RAW acquisition. Pricing has not been announced for the recorder.

Most notably, Shapiro announced an organizational change for PSA with marketing divisions for production, broadcast and sports. This will enable Sony to focus on remaining a “boutique operation,” in the words of John Studdert, vice president of sales and marketing at Sony Electronics.

CBS and DirecTV partnered to broadcast this year’s Masters in 4K based on Sony’s HDC-4300 camera paired with the HDCU- 4300 Camera Contro Unit.FOCUS ON BROADCAST
The largest focus of product introductions will be on broadcast at this year’s show. CBS and DirecTV partnered to broadcast The Masters in 4K based on Sony’s HDC-4300 camera paired with the HDCU-4300 Camera Control Unit. The CCU ships in basic HD configuration and is upgradeable to 4K as well as IP.

Live streaming is another ENG area in which Sony will concentrate on with the introduction of the Network RX Station PWX-100RX1. With the incentive of being “first on air,” the system can receive up to 30 streams and requires only one LTE/Wi- Fi dongle to stream without reoccurring charges or subscription fees. The unit also allows remote camera control, GPS embedding in metadata, streaming as low as 500 Kbps up to 5 Mbps and the ability to save these streams as .MP4 files.

Already introduced but highly touted is the PXW-Z150, the company’s smallest 4K form factor camera, featuring 4K on-board recording standard, 48x zoom and wireless workflow (FTP, streaming and remote control). It is currently shipping.

With workflows rapidly moving to IP, Sony will show enhancements to its IP Live Production System. Supported already by approximately 45 companies, IP-based AV routers and switches integrate with the IP Live System Manager to consolidate material from cameras, graphic systems, etc., and output to multiviewers, switchers, video servers or IP-SDI converters for decks.

HAWK-EYE FOR SPORTS
Sony recently acquired Hawk-Eye Innovations, which was founded in Europe in 2001 as a broadcast enhancement tool for tennis and cricket productions. It is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony and is installed in more than 450 stadiums worldwide. Its SMART Replay allows multiple camera angles to be viewed by anyone from managers to coaches to team doctors with all feeds recorded in time synchronization. The SMART Production service allows player tracking with an IT-based software platform, virtual signage and golf course shading/ball tracking.

Sony executives and marketing managers are confident that their product lineup will continue to provide outstanding results in their targeted areas of broadcast, production and sports, all supported by cloud- and IP-based technologies.

Sony is in its usual spot at the back of the Central Hall.

WASHINGTON—Drones will be flying around the 2016 NAB Show with a number of planned sessions and exhibits tackling the latest trends in drone production and technology.

One place where attendees can go to get their fill on drones is the Aerial Robotics and Drone Pavilion. The pavilion will host a number of sessions on aerial content creation, including “Heavy Lifter Drones,” “Drones in Live Broadcast,” “Drones on the Big Screen” and “FAA Section 333 for Commercial Drones.” An enclosed drone flying cage will also be setup once again, and an “ASL Battle Drones/Drone Racing Demo” will also take place from April 18-21.

On April 18, the Broadcast Engineering Conference will hold the “Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (aka ‘Drones’) for Management, News and Engineering” session focusing on safe use of drones in broadcasting. Post | Production World will host a pair of panels on April 19 and April 20 titled “In Depth: Best Practices for Producing Video from UAV/Drones” and “Innovations in Aerial Videography.”

The NAB Show will host its own Super Session on drones on April 20. Titled “Drones: Opening New Vistas to Content,” the session will touch on the differences of drone-based production, safety in regards to FAA regulations, and factors of executing drone shots. Produced in partnership with the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG), the session will be moderated by ICG’s Michael Chambliss.

The 2016 NAB Show will take place from April 16-21.

LAS VEGAS—Tackling one of the biggest themes at the 2016 NAB Show—the transition to IP—Grass Valley will introduce a series of IP connectivity solutions that touch on all areas of its product line.

The company is also making 4K a priority.

“Two trends are driving much of the activity in the industry this year: the transition to IP and the increasing demand for UHD/4K,” said Mike Cronk, senior vice president of strategic marketing for the company.

Grass is embracing IP in all of its products, enabling connectivity that makes the movement of content more efficient. IP has proven itself in delivering high data rates and serving as a system that’s both format agnostic and scalable. “Broadcasters are all looking at IP technology to see how they can leverage the flexibility and agility to improve workflows and exploit new business opportunities,” said Marco Lopez, president of Grass Valley.

Grass Valley will mark the NAB debut of its GV Node IP processing and edge routing platform.BROADCAST PLANT OF THE FUTURE
At its booth this year, Grass Valley will demonstrate these IP benefits to broadcasters via its “Broadcast Data Center” model, which the company says is its vision of the broadcast plant of the future. “It employs IP and adds vertically accurate switching, extremely low latency and, most important, supports live production,” Lopez said.

Within this model, the company will showcase its GV Node IP processing and edge routing platform and its GV Convergent IP router control and configuration system.

In addition to IP, Grass Valley will demonstrate its newest solutions for capture, replay, switching, graphics processing, playout and automated production. For Grass, 4K technology is playing an ever-larger role, and the company plans to showcase the newest members of its LDX 86 camera family, which handles super-slow-motion and 4K and offers features such as extended color gamut and 15 f-stops of high dynamic range.

4K makes a play in the K2 Dyno replay family as well as within the Kayenne and Karrera switchers, which offer increased 4K functionality and IP connectivity. Grass Valley will also show off its 4K over 1-wire solution, which uses TICO 4:1 visually lossless compression from intoPIX to carry a high-quality signal across a single wire.

The company is also addressing the reality of multichannel production—be it broadcast, OTT or video-on-demand—and will show members of its digital media solutions, including the GV Stratus video production and content management system. GV Stratus has been installed in more than 200 locations worldwide, offering users a full set of production tools in a single application to help broadcasters better manage entertainment, on-air operations and production media workflows. Grass will also show off the latest version of its iTX playout solution, which offers IT-based integrated control, cloud-enabled control, and server and automation capabilities.

Other production solutions on display will include K2 servers, Edius nonlinear editing software and the Vertigo graphics automation system.

The business of signal processing remains a core piece of Grass Valley’s core solutions, and the company plans to showcase the newest versions of its Nvision routers, Kaleido multiviewers and Densité signal processing frames.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Lopez says that the NAB Show offers a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the latest technologies in person to keep broadcasters and related media companies up-to-date and inform of them of where the industry is going.

“It’s important at these events to not only show off what’s new, but also to help attendees find the solutions they need today to keep their businesses running smoothly while laying the groundwork for changes that are on the horizon,” he said.

Grass executives believe attendees to their NAB Show booth will come away with three key realizations: “that our latest products and solutions make it easy to tell better stories because we offer true format flexibility; that we are taking a lead role in enabling a smart IP transition by embracing open standards and a Broadcast Data Center model; and that our digital media solutions make it easier to stay competitive and capture new business with multiplatform delivery and virtualized applications,” Cronk said. “It’s all about making sure our customers are ‘future ready.’”

Grass Valley is in Booth SL106.

LAS VEGAS—Anyone walking into the Imagine Communications booth at this year’s NAB Show looking for a dedicated hardware device will have to look pretty hard.

Imagine CEO Charlie Vogt “The days of selling a black box to do a function really are beginning to go behind us,” said Charlie Vogt, Imagine’s chief executive officer. Rather than inventing a device for this and a device for that, “we really have to bring an end-to-end solution in order for us to be successful going forward.”

THIS YEAR’S THEMES
Listening to Vogt, viewing Imagine’s website and reading the signage at the company’s exhibit hall display, there’s three themes: “software-defined,” “IP-enabled” and “cloud-virtualized.”

Using standard IT hardware and network infrastructure, Imagine’s engineers have written software that enables the functions of the previously used black box hardware to be aped by IT hardware. To the end-using operators, the difference is transparent.

Vogt has been evangelizing this path since Imagine, along with GatesAir, were calved off from the former Harris Broadcast. “Two and a half years ago, I stood in front of people at IBC and then NAB, not because I was trying to be controversial, but to articulate where this industry was going ahead, for all the reasons that we watched it migrate,” he said. “In order for our traditional broadcasters and TV networks, and even the traditional service providers to be able to participate and keep up with the Googles, Yahoos, Netflixes and other companies that are leveraging the IP broadband infrastructure to further their business, they’ve got to make these type of changes. We’re certainly seeing all the things that we laid out two and a half years ago coming into a much clearer picture now.”

Executing this migration from standard broadcast infrastructure to IP infrastructures isn’t easy, said Vogt, “especially when it comes to playing out traditional linear-based programming from a virtualized environment. But we have demonstrated publicly that we have the ability to take traditional linear programming, virtualize it into the cloud environment and distribute it over the air. That’s tough stuff.”

In the past year, Imagine has been working with a number of companies on next-generation proof-of-concepts and over 100 field trials. One well-known client is Disney, which unveiled its plans to migrate traditional master control operations to IP and into a software-defined cloud-virtualized state at the 2015 NAB Show.

“A year later, we’ve got several of their traditional linear programs that are up and running on IP, that are virtualized and that are using all of our next-generation IP playout technology,” Vogt said. “We’re pretty excited about what’s occurred.” Disney is slated to give a progress report on its work with Imagine at this year’s show.

SEEKING ADVICE
When Imagine reorganized itself two years ago, it formed an Innovation Advisory Board with about 35 CEOs from the industry’s premier companies around the Americas. “We’re establishing the same innovation advisory board in Asia,” Vogt said. “This has been a very insightful steering committee, because not only do they help validate our roadmap, they’re also helping refine their own roadmap as it relates to the challenges they’re beginning to face, the competitive threats they’re starting to face, and how are they going to address it.”

Beyond being on the technological leading edge, Vogt pointed out “there are all kinds of benefits that the industry gains once they move to an IP architecture, including the agility, flexibility and ability to turn up channels in days and hours, versus months and years. And there’s the longterm cost structure, the ability to add new content, incorporate lots of other technologies and applications in the total workflow. There are just a lot of benefits.” This also includes the ability to simplify the deployment of TV Everywhere and other multichannel services, and monetize them with advanced advertising solutions that deliver current, relevant and personalized ads to consumers.

That said, he noted that not all customers will be ready to cut over to Imagine’s solutions right away. “There’s no ‘flash cut,’ everybody’s going to migrate at a little different pace. Everybody’s got a little different Capex budget, there’s a different go-to-market strategy, the way they monetize the business is a little different.

“But when you think about the very large broadcast networks, and the very large television stations, we see them moving quicker and quicker to these architectures that we’ve been investing in for two and a half years.”

Imagine Communications is in Booth N2502.

MELVILLE, N.Y.—The IEEE Broadcast Technology Society has announced that it will be sponsoring the new Young Professionals Program (YOPRO) at the 2016 NAB Show. The program is designed to help young broadcast professionals build a network at the NAB Show. As sponsor, IEEE BTS will provide primary support for the program.

The YOPRO program offers exclusive access to speakers, YOPRO-focused sessions, networking opportunities, private meetings with exhibitors and special giveaways. The program starts on April 19 with an exhibit floor briefing and free professional headshots.

Participants of the YOPTO program must be between 21-35, a recent graduate or full-time worker and a registered NAB Show attendee. For more information, including the full agenda and registration information, click here.

The way digital content creation technology is going, it’s not “what you see is what you get,” it’s more “what you see is what you got!” and “what you got” can only be seen on a video monitor with the latest HDR, HFR and wide color gamut technology. Here’s what to expect in video monitors at the 2016 NAB Show.

Boland BVB42Boland Communications will debut new large format versions of its BVB17, what the company calls their “ultimate production monitor.” The BVB17 is now joined by the 42-inch BVB42, 49-inch BVB49 and 55- inch BVB55. All models feature true 10-bit panels (1.07 billion colors) and a full 10- bit path. For those looking to replace aging plasma technology, Boland will offer their 55-inch BVB55 OLED, with HDR and a contrast ratio of 200,000:1.

Dolby will showcase the latest in Dolby Vision-enabled consumer TVs including: LG’s 2016 OLED TVs and the company’s flagship Super UHDTVs, the TCL X1 models, set to debut later in the fall. We’ll also get a gander at VIZIO’s 4K Ultra HDTVs, which are the first commercial displays to incorporate Dolby Vision.

Eizo will showcase the ColorEdge CG318- 4K, a 31-inch monitor with DCI-4K, a 4096X2160 native resolution. The monitor is designed for media and entertainment, cinema and broadcasting, 2D and 3D computer-generated imagery, visual effects, compositing and color grading. Also from Eizo, the ColorEdge CG248-4K, a 23.8-inch monitor with a UHD, (3840X2160) native resolution and features high-density 185 pixels per inch resolution.

Flanders Scientific BoxIOFlanders Scientific will be at the Las Vegas Convention Center with their BoxIO, an advanced color management device that supports both 3D and 1D LUTs for post production and production applications. BoxIO is equipped with 2x12-bit 3 Gbps SDI inputs, 2x3 Gbps SDI outputs, and a 12-bit DisplayPort output compatible with HDMI and DVI devices.

Ikan will highlight the DH7, a full HD 7-inch monitor that features Ultra HD 4K HDMI capabilities all within a lightweight, affordable package. The DH7 monitor’s 1920X1200 HD resolution, combined with an IPS screen, delivers vibrant color and strong viewing angles. For a super-sharp image, Ikan’s VX9i packs 2.304 million pixels in its 8.9-inch screen, displaying 254.4 PPI.

Ikegami will introduce two new 4K monitors: The HQLM-3120W is a 31.1-inch broadcast quality monitor, incorporating a 10-bit, LED backlit, UHD LCD panel with a contrast ratio of 1450:1; the HQLM-3120WH is an alternate model with a special panel supporting HDR.

JVC will introduce six new ProHD LCD monitors for studio and field use. Integrated with a wide range of professional functions, the new DT-X92 monitors will replace corresponding DT-X91 models in the JVC ProHD monitor lineup. The DT-X92HX2 features two 9-inch IPS LCD panels with embedded audio meters and 3G/HD/SDSDI, HDMI and CVBS inputs. A single 9-inch monitor with similar features, the DT-X92H, is also available, while another new 9-inch monitor, the DT-X92F, adds on-screen waveform, vector scope and RGB histogram. Rounding out the count, three new larger monitors will include the DT-X16H (15.6-inch), DT-X21H (21.5-inch), and DT-X24H (23.8-inch) models, each with a full HD resolution 1920X1080 LCD panel.

Lilliput Electronics will introduce three new monitors this year. Their 7-inch model Q7 Full HD monitor with 1920x1200 resolution and SDI/HDMI input/output features SDI/HDMI cross conversion, advance functions like waveform, vectorscope, timecode and peaking. Lilliput will also showcase its 23.8-inch and 28-inch 4K UHD broadcast director monitors with metal carry-on cases, each with 3G-SDI, 4 HDMI, DVI, VGA, AV inputs.

Marshall Electronics will shine the spotlight on their new V-R173-DLW desktop/ rackmount monitor and digital analytics workstation featuring a robust set of analytics tools packed into a 17.3-inch 1920X1080p LED-backlit display. With selectable quad-view mode the Marshall Electronics V-R173-DLW simultaneously displays waveform, vectorscope, digital audio and live preview with support for closed-caption decoding (CEA-608-B & CEA-708-B), timecode, VANC and tri-color tally data.

Plura PBM-224-4KOSEE will presenti four lines of new monitoring products at the NAB Show. All models have 12-bit Image-Fidélité processing, tuned with algorithms for model-to-model repeatable image accuracy. OSEE’s BCM and XCM models feature wide gamut IPS and OLED panels that can be pre-loaded with 15–30 33 Point 3D LUTS with 14- bit interpolation accuracy for DCI-P3 and ITU.709 color space.

Plura Broadcast will introduce a complete portfolio of 4K monitors in Las Vegas this year, including the Plura PBM-4K and LCM-4K Series, available in multiple sizes from 24- to 84-inches. The Plura PBM-4K Series will support SMPTE 2036-1, 2x12G/3G/ HD-SDI inputs with active loop. LCM-4K Series 49- and 84-inch monitors, supports up to 3840x2160 resolutions with HEVC decoder.

SmallHD 702 LiteSeeTec will highlight the SeeTec P173- 9HSD, with support for multiple inputs: HDMI, 3G/HD/SD-SDI, DVI, and YPbPr, and both analog and digital inputs have looping outputs. The P173-9HSD also features an intuitive operating system with built-in tools like waveform, vectorscope, audio level, meters, histogram, focus assist, exposure and false color.

SmallHD will debut new full-size 17-inch, 24-inch and 32-inch production monitors. The monitors’ features include up to 2,000 NITs of brightness, intuitive operating system, compatibility with new HDR footage formats, 1920x1080 8- and 10-bit IPS LCD panel with 4up signal view, up to 5000:1 contrast ratio,

Sony will showcase its flagship BVM-X300 30-inch 4K OLED master monitor, featuring the inherent performance of Trimaster EL OLED monitors, including deep black performance, accurate color reproduction, quick pixel response and wide viewing angles. The BVM-X300 supports HDR mode, can output higher brightness and higher contrast, enables full 4K resolution (4096X2160), offers a wide color gamut conforming to DCI-P3 and displays up to 80 percent of the new ITU-R BT2020 color gamut.

Video Device’s Pix-E7 The Video Devices division of Sound Devices will be bringing its PIX-E7 4K recording monitor, which it says helps you “capture with confidence” thanks to its optically-bonded, capacitive touchscreen for maximum light transmission and minimal reflection. The PIX-E7 offers a full HD 1920x1200 display, a suite of precision monitoring tools, SDI and HDMI I/O, and Apple ProRes codecs, up to 4444 XQ 12-bit.

TVLogic will exhibit six new models including their new 24-inch LUM-240G. Designed to accept both Quad 3G or two single 6G/12G 4K/UHD inputs as well as “two sample interleave” via SDI, the LUM- 240G also supports 4K/UHD resolutions up to 60p via HDMI 2.0 input.

Wohler Technologies will debut its UHDM-4K-TT SD and HD rackmounted and table-top video monitoring series that provides a range of high-quality 4K output screens that can be configured in either full 4K or quad full HD mode, delivering versatility in a range of applications.

WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters have announced that the major TV networks affiliate groups plan to meet at the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas. Fox, the CW Network, ABC, CBS and NCB will all be present at the conference.

2016 will mark the ninth year in a row that Fox Television affiliates will meet in conjunction with the NAB Show; CW affiliates will be doing so for the sixth straight year. Affiliate boards for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC will meet for the eighth consecutive year.

The 2016 NAB Show will take place from April 16-21.

The 2016 NAB exhibition floor will see 4K lens introductions for both three 2/3-inch sensors and for single-sensor full frame cameras.

Canon CJ20ex7

LENSES
Canon will unveil its CJ20ex7.8B portable 4K broadcast lens for use with broadcast cameras featuring 2/3-inch sensors, with a 20x zoom range. For single-sensor 4K cameras, Canon will also introduce the ultra-telephoto CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 Ultra-Telephoto Zoom lens, touting the world’s longest focal length (75-1500mm with built-in 1.5x extender) and highest (20x) magnification zoom lens.

Cooke Optics will premier its Cooke Anamorphic/i 35-140mm Zoom, which provides a 4X zoom ratio to allow shooting from very wide-angle to telephoto. It features true, front anamorphic with 2x squeeze, and the same Oval bokeh utilized on other Cooke Anamorphic/i Primes. The new zoom maintains an oval bokeh throughout zoom and focus.

Cook Optics Anamorphic/I35-140mm Zoom Lens

Fujifilm Optical Devices will showcase its entire range of Fujinon 4K Ultra HD Series, Cabrio PL cine/ENG-Style lenses, Premier PL 4K+ cine lenses, as well as the popular XA55x9.5BESM 2/3-inch zoom and XA99x8.4 ultra-wide field production lens. As the exhibit floor opens, expect news about developments in the PL 4K and 4K Ultra HD Series lenses.

Schneider Optics will debut its FF-Primes in Sony E Mount. FF-Primes are available in 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm, with 18mm and 135mm expected by year-end. They are designed for 4K and beyond, and cover full-frame sensor (36mm x 24mm). Interchangeable mounts are already on the market for fitting FF Primes to Canon EF, Nikon F and PL.

Veydra will show off its 1.2x PL to PL Expander, which makes it possible to use zoom lenses designed for Academy format 27.2mm image circle (pre-Super 35) cameras and give them new life by expanding the image circle of the older vintage zoom lenses to 34mm diagonal. This allows coverage of RED’s Epic Dragon as well as other PL mounted digital cameras that have a sensor larger than the Academy aperture and up to a 34mm image circle.

Fujinon’s UA22x8 portable zoom lens

FILTERS
Schneider Optics will debut its 1-Stop Circular Polarizer, reduces exposure by just one ƒ/stop, allowing for use in low-light conditions, while providing polarizer efficiency that is magnitudes better than any low-light polarizer currently available. Also new will be Schneider’s True-Streak Confetti Filter, which creates mini-streaks that appear as a sparkle or fireworks effect as the filter is rotated.

PRINCETON, N.J.—Triveni Digital is beginning to prepare for the ATSC 3.0 standard, as the company has announced that it will launch it StreamScope EM-50, which supports both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 architectures. The centralized software system for streamlining video quality assurance and compliance regimes will be part of the company’s display during the 2016 NAB Show.

StreamScope EM-50

The StreamScope EM-50 offers a connection to Triveni’s StreamScope RM-50 transport stream monitors, allowing broadcasters to detect, isolate and resolve issues to be in compliance with the U.S. CALM Act and FCC closed caption requirements.

The new StreamScope software provides real-time quality of service (QoS) updates on hosts, ports, transport streams and services across DTV networks from 8VSB to 10 GigE, which allows operators to monitor QoS across local and regional operations. The system offers both an overview screen and video wall screen for all services being monitored. Operators can then create reports or click or thumbnails to identify the problem; current and historical reports are also available.

EM-50 comes with fleet management capabilities to simplify the configuration of multiple StreamScope RM-50 systems. The EM-50 can also be accessed through mobile devices to perform software updates, create rule configurations and distribute across RM-50 platforms. Operators will also be able to perform license management and configuration backup/restore operations.

Triveni will show the new EM-50 system at its booth, SU15402.

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO—Carl J. Dempsey, former CEO of Wohler, and Steve Farmer have announced the launch of their new company, Fusion. The company will take part in the upcoming 2016 NAB Show, where it will spotlight its first product, the ORD-55, a 55-inch OLED 4K reference display system.

ORD-55

The ORD-55 features Independent Processing Quad Mode Operation (IPQ), where four individual processors provide independent control of all channels. In quad mode, the monitor provides four independent 27.5-inch FHD displays; it can also display one large 4K picture with three smaller FHD preview panes. Additional features include a single-link 12G input, viewing angle of 178-degrees, response time of 10 microseconds, 100,000:1 contrast ratio, ultra-wide color gamut, and 12-bit color processing.

Dempsey will serve as Fusion’s CEO, while Farmer is set to be its CTO.

Fusion will be located at booth SL11030 during the NAB Show, which runs from April 16-21 in Las Vegas.

WESTFORD, MASS.—Artel Video Systems has announced it will be bringing the DLC910 Quad SD-HD-3G SDI Multiviewer to the 2016 NAB Show. The new unit adds four-channel SD-HD-36 capabilities to the Digilink media transport platform and supports input signal formats and resolutions.

The DLC910 enables users to monitor the status of up to four independent video channels and features auto detect format, audio monitoring, automat aspect ratio output and multiple I/O options using BNCs, optical or HDMI SFPs, or other modules in the Digilink platform. Any input can be displayed in any multiviewer quadrant, according to Artel.

Artel will be located at booth N4512 during the NAB Show, which takes place from April 16-21 in Las Vegas.

WASHINGTON—After starring on the show “Two and a Half Men” for 12 seasons, Emmy-winner Jon Cryer will help celebrate Chuck Lorre, the show’s creator, and his induction into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame by hosting the 2016 NAB Show Television Luncheon.

Jon Cryer

Cryer played Alan Harper on the show, and won two Emmy’s for his performance, one as a supporting actor and one as a lead. He also directed a number of episodes throughout the show’s run.

In addition of Lorre’s introduction, the NAB Show Television Luncheon will honor actress Keke Palmer with the NAB Television Chairman’s Award.

The NAB Show Television Luncheon will take place on Monday, April 18 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.

LAS VEGAS—Utah Scientific will launch the Foundation Series, the latest offering in its advanced hybrid digital routing line at the 2016 NAB Show. Leveraging technology in the company’s Utah-400 Series 2 routers, the Foundation Series provides double the outputs for signal routing to monitoring devices, like multiviewers, which display multiple images on a single screen.

Foundation Series routers include newly designed output cards that use the same physical footprint as Series 2 routers, while providing twice the outputs. These outputs can be connected directly to multiviewers and other monitoring devices that are installed locally with the router. The outputs can also be repurposed as standard outputs to drive up to 100 meters of standard cable runs.

Users can deploy the routers in a rectangular configuration, rather than the traditional square design, and outputs can be added while still maintaining full cross-point redundancy. Outputs can also be loaded with the Series 2’s advanced feature cards, including IP gateways, embedders, de-embedders, frame synchronizers, advanced audio features, and clean, quiet outputs.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Utah Scientific will be in booth N4524. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

LAS VEGAS—At the 2016 NAB Show, Triveni Digital will launch Guide Builder XM, a new signaling and announcement generator for the ATSC 3.0 candidate standard, along with support for ATSC 1.0 PSIP, DVB-SI, and other legacy standards. By enabling delivery of advanced electronic programming and service guides (EPGs/ESGs), and localized, enhanced emergency alerts in the ATSC 3.0 era, Guide Builder XM improves the television viewing experience.

From its user-friendly interface, broadcasters can manage metadata across multiple stations while maintaining a seamless workflow during the ATSC 3.0 transition. Using the system for channel sharing, broadcasters can unify metadata generation and management via centralized, distributed, or cloud workflows. Building upon the Guide Builder metadata platform, Guide Builder XM becomes an integral part of the service delivery infrastructure, with support for third-party interfaces and deployment architectures.

Guide Builder XM retains backwards compatibility by utilizing the same listing service and workflow approach used with ATSC 1.0, with built-in extensibility for new services. Triveni Digital's new Broadcast Services Management Platform is comprised of additional software, including Dyme (Dynamic Media Engine), ACE (Addressable Content Engine), and Sky Scraper XM for efficient hybrid content distribution.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Triveni Digital will be in booth SU15402. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

LAS VEGAS—At the 2016 NAB Show, Renewed Vision will unveil the Pro Presenter Scoreboard software-based score presentation system. Building on Pro Presenter’s live presentation and production platform, the scoreboard offers affordable, user-friendly interfaces purpose-built for driving video-based scoreboards, targeted advertising and sports broadcasting.

Pro Presenter Scoreboard’s advanced, multi-regional presentation capabilities capitalize on the display flexibility of today’s LED scoreboards. Multiple, independently-controlled areas of the screen integrate scores, live video feeds, pre-recorded video, rotating ads, player profiles, dynamic statistics, externally-sourced data feeds, and more, into immersive visual productions that drive revenue.

Users can switch between template-based output layouts optimized for football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse and more, and change display layouts on-the-fly during events, leading to greater audience retention and sponsor satisfaction.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Renewed Vision will be in booth N7112. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

LAS VEGAS—Enensys will announce new ATSC 3.0 products, including a ROUTE server, ATSC 3.0 Scheduler and ATSC 3.0 modulator, at the 2016 NAB Show. These products will enable broadcasters to deliver live streams directly from an encoder. And they will be able to output DASH segments, while managing ATSC 3.0 physical parameters, such as ROUTE session generation, ALP encapsulation, Multi PLP allocation, SFN management, and STL generation.

HDc

Based on the company’s HDC (High Density Chassis) modular platform, and powerful software for easy deployment and virtualization, the solution offers flexible, scalable installation, among other features necessary for competing in today’s media consumption landscape.

Company executives will also be on hand to discuss Enensys’ broad array of solutions, including IP Guard V2 for IP stream redundancy and Adsedge for DTT content localization and monetization.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Enensys will be in booth SU6325. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

LAS VEGAS—Interra Systems will show Baton, its automated, file-based QC solution, which is designed to optimize quality control operations, at the 2016 NAB Show. Through comprehensive quality checks, scalability and support for a wide range of media formats and codecs, Baton allows customers to expand their delivery of high-quality content, including broadcast, Web-based and OTT deliverables.

Baton offers seamless integration with media servers, transcoders, MAM archiving, and workflow solutions through easy-to-use Web services-based APIs, resulting in simplified installations and upgrades. As QC needs grow, Baton’s scalable architecture enables easy expansion, and its high availability ensures continued operation even if one of the hardware components is down.

Baton customer Premiere Digital, a media services provider in Los Angeles, recently upgraded to the enterprise version of Baton, along with Baton Content Corrector. As users expand their delivery of TV content to web and OTT customers, these systems ensure that content quality matches broadcast TV’s industry-specific requirements. Baton automates this process so the user can detect and correct potential issues to ensure standards compliance.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Interra Systemswill be in booth SU7105. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

LAS VEGAS—Forscene will introduce a new virtual ingest server at the 2016 NAB Show. This software-only solution for uploading media into the Forscene cloud is currently in beta and planned for release later this year.

Following the addition of Forscene’s Edge Server to the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, the new Forscene virtual ingest server provides a further alternative to hardware-based ingest workflows. While it uses the same Forscene software that typically runs on ingest hardware, the software runs within a virtual machine on the user’s computer or laptop instead of a separate ingest server. This design reduces capital costs, removes logistical barriers, scales up or down cost-effectively, and reduces barriers to entry for smaller companies and productions.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Forscene will be in booth SL5305. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

LAS VEGAS—At the 2016 NAB Show, Ncam will demonstrate groundbreaking advances in photorealistic augmented reality enabled by tapping into the real-time power of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine technology. Ncam’s technological capabilities—including camera tracking and augmented reality—will be shown working with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine to demonstrate real-time photorealistic augmented reality using multiple, freely moving cameras.

For episodic television, it creates production efficiencies by slashing post-production time and budgets because many or all graphics elements can be added in real time. For movies, photorealistic pre-visualization will give directors and cinematographers greater confidence in their camera moves and cast placements.

Photorealistic augmented reality also benefits from Ncam’s Relight and Depth Data. Ncam will demonstrate how Relight measures and models light in a scene, allowing virtual elements to cast shadows on actual objects and respond to lighting changes based on the surrounding environment in real time.

With Depth Data, which is the latest addition to the data output of Ncam’s camera tracking, augmented reality graphics will allow presenters to walk around and through virtual graphics in such broadcast applications as sports analysis.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Ncam will be in booth C10345. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

LAS VEGAS—At the 2016 NAB Show, Mo-Sys will spotlight its B20 high-precision remote head integrated with a Jimmy Jib, resulting in an economical solution for applications, such as virtual sets.

Known for its immediate response with zero backlash, the Mo-Sys B20 remote head is an ideal companion for the Jimmy Jib in terms of its size, weight and versatility. Besides its quiet operation, it can handle fast camera movements, getting the best performance out of the jib.

The Jimmy Jib’s control box is replaced with an intuitive console, allowing you to control its speed, direction and ramping. Interfaces to the Jimmy Jib control inputs mean jib operators can use the familiar joystick and lens control. The new interface also opens up the possibility of using the B20 with other Mo-Sys inputs, like hand-wheels or pan-bars for more demanding shots.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Mo-Sys Engineering will be in booth C7549. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

LAS VEGAS—Cue Script will debut the new CSF-10 prompter, which is designed for use with jibs and cranes, along with its full range of Cue-It prompting software. With its software, the CSF-10 features a ribbon menu style that makes all features viewable and accessible without impeding the view of the script and run order.

CSTM24

Quick commands and readily available features can be accessed from multiple locations. And markers enable operators to create their own sub-run order and pinpoint positions to instantly navigate to within the script, either on the edit screen and/or prompter output.

This lightweight unit can be used with a collapsible hood and prompter glass or as a straight reading system without additional hardware. With its 2000-nit screen, it’s easy to read, even in bright daylight, and the rock-solid mounting system assures crane and jib operators that it won’t move or wobble at the end of a camera move. Its intelligent Cue-lights automatically switch directions by virtue of a built-in motion sensor known as an accelerometer

Cue Script will also demonstrate the CSTM24 24-inch HD-SDI talent monitor, which features a double arm mounting system with no restriction to the camera.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Cue Script will be in booth N3421. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

LAS VEGAS—At the 2016 NAB Show, Artel Video Systems will showcase the DLC510 multipurpose dual-port L-band demodulator, which adds satellite scanning to the company’s Digilink media transport platform.

Functioning as both an L-band satellite demodulator and automatic L-band transponder scanner, the device enables satellite operators and engineers to scan L-band satellite transponders quickly and efficiently. Using Digilink's flexible DL Manager HTTP- and SNMPv2-based element management system, the DLC510 provides essential RF information, modulation data, and other key operational metrics in an easy-to-read list.

Operators can then select a specific satellite transponder and send the demodulated signal to the ASI output for transport by other Digilink modules over IP or fiber networks. It also serves as a test-and-measurement system for busy satellite operations or engineering departments.

Getting signals from remote downlinks back to network operation centers is also more efficient when using the DLC510 demodulator’s ASI output over an IP network with Digilink's DLC410 IP encapsulation module.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Artel Video Systemswill be in boothN4512. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

It’s a transitional time for the transmission category. These are well-built and long-lasting products that need replacement only infrequently, so the big action occurs when there is a change of standards or major technological shift.

Thus, in addition to creating gear for replacement as existing products wear out, vendors of transmission equipment are supporting the ATSC 3.0 initiative with encoders, and providing products for the ongoing channel repack in the U.S. Tower vendors are in the thick of this, as mobile technology continues to grow— and needs towers to support it—and the channel repack requires advanced tower engineering to make it work.

ABE Elettronica will feature its range of multi-standard TV transmitters (up to 20 kW), MPEG encoders, microwave and satellite links (2 to 23GHz) and antennas. The MTX series of transmitters from ABE can function as transposers, gap-fillers and standalone transmitters for digital and analog television broadcasting.

Aldena Telecomunicazioni will have the U.S. debut of its ATS series turnstile UHF antennas for digital or analog TV applications. ATS antennas have an omnidirectional pattern, are top-mounted and simple to set up, have low VSWR, weight and windload, and are available with power input and gain up to 5 kW and 8.5 dB.

American Tower will highlight its role as a tower owner and management company that operates across the United States and internationally. The company’s portfolio includes more than 99,000 owned or managed sites on five continents.

DekTec will feature its tiny DTU-315 modulator, which plugs into a USB port on one side and produces an RF signal from 36 to 2,150 MHz on a connector on the other side. Suitable for cable distribution in buildings, an ATSC 3.0 version of the DTU-315 is in the works.

Dielectric will introduce the TLSV-BB series antenna for high-band VHF broadcasting. An economical broadband antenna covering Channels 7-13, the lightweight TLSV-BB is an affordable alternative to panel antennas, reducing windload by 75 percent in comparison.

Electronics Research Inc. will be at the show with its recent LAL series of low-power UHF antennas. The LAL series is a lightweight coaxial slotted-array single-channel antenna for any single UHF channel.

GatesAir Maxiva ULXT liquid-cooled and UAXT air-cooled TV UHF transmitterHitachi-Comark, which recently absorbed the Linear transmitter line into its operation in Southwick, Mass., will highlight its DualCast Exact-ATSC 1.0/3.0 digital TV exciter. Capable of being upgraded to ATSC 3.0, the DualCast Exact-ATSC exciter has dual transport stream inputs (SMPTE-310M or ASI) to provide seamless A/B input redundancy.

Itelco-Electrosys will spotlight its Northia line of liquid-cooled medium/high-power transmitters. The line delivers 2.5 kW to 10 kW in DVB-T/H (up to 20 kW analog) and fits in a single 19-inch rack.

GatesAir will unveil PowerSmart Plus. Designed for the green economy, PowerPlus can raise transmitter efficiency up to 50 percent for ATSC. At this level, GatesAir Maxiva ULXT liquid-cooled and UAXT air-cooled TV UHF transmitters can operate with 20 percent more efficiency than the leading competitive offerings.

Jampro will highlight its popular UHF broadband panel antenna line, including the JVD-U and JCD-U broadband antennas for UHF Bands IV and V. The company will also show its RCEC family of mask filters for TV broadcasting and its range of RF coaxial components.

Nautel’s NT low-power UHF transmitterMagnum Towers will promote its tower erection and engineering experience. The company manufactures and installs guyed, free-standing and monopole towers, and can provide a range of services for existing towers.

Nautel will bring its NT line of lowpower UHF transmitters that combine a modulator, amplifier, remote control, adaptive pre-correction and mask filter in a compact enclosure. The NT150/250 is targeted at lowpower TV broadcasting, retransmission or gap-filler applications, and the updated NT500/NT1 use enhanced adaptive pre-correction for maximum power efficiency.

Rohde & Schwarz  has expanded its energy-efficient R&S Tx9 transmitter line with low-power UHF transmitters that support the DVB-T, DVB-T2 and ISDB-TB digital standards. 

The air-cooled R&S TLU9 features output powers from 1W to 200W. The transmitter is equipped with an integrated exciter backup battery that prevents transmitter reboots when mains voltage interruptions of up to 10 seconds occur. Other features include transport stream over IP (TSoIP) functionality, adaptive digital predistortion and DVB-T to DVB-T2 switchover at the press of a button.

Rohde & Schwarz low-power TV transmitter R&S TLU9

RVR-Elettronica will have a variety of transmission products, including the company’s new Blue-Video DTV exciter. With a synthesized oscillator that’s precise to 1 Hz, the Blue-Video exciter can be used in a high-power system or provisioned as an analog or digital repeater.

In addition to tower design and erection, Sabre Industries has an array of services that include prefabricated equipment enclosures, platforms and engineering for any vertical requirement. At NAB Show 2016, the company will highlight its engineering services as well as towers and monopoles for gap-fillers and translators.

TeamCast will spotlight its exTra3.0 ATSC exciter, which is targeted at the emergent demand from ATSC 3.0 early adopters to perform transmission performance testing as well as field trials. Team- Cast says that the exTra3.0 is the first terrestrial TV exciter dedicated to the ATSC 3.0 standard.

Stainless Towers , now owned by FDH Velocitel and based in Lansdale, Pa., will be at the show to promote its engineering services for the ongoing television channel repack. Stainless designed and installed a large number of broadcast towers throughout the United States and has the original engineering documents to enable efficient upgrades and tower re-loading.

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—Recently I reported about the Museum of Broadcast Technology (MBT) in Woonsocket, R.I. that specializes in displaying broadcasting “big iron”—early VTRs and cameras replete with scores of glowing vacuum tubes and supersized AC power cords. One of their biggest attractions is what may be the last surviving first-generation videotape recorder of its kind that still works. I learned the museum had high hopes of transporting this great granddad VTR to this year’s NAB Show, as 2016 marks the 60th anniversary of the VTR’s debut at that show (it was the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters, or NARTB, back then). At the time the unveiling was swathed in secrecy, with no one outside of Ampex and some top CBS engineering executives aware of what was about to take place at a CBS affiliates engineering meeting held concurrently with the Chicago show.

This Ampex Mark IV was the star of the 1956 NARTB Show. Here Phil Gundy, Ampex vice president, (far left) looks on as VTR design team members, (L-R) Shelby Henderson, Alex Maxey, Fred Pfost, Ray Dolby, Charlie Ginsburg and Charlie Anderson admire their creation. (PHOTO CRDIT: Fred Pfost)

The rollout of this new television time-shifting technology took the CBS group by storm and the enthusiasm was infectious, spreading to virtually everyone there at the Conrad Hilton Hotel which hosted the NARTB that year. (RCA had planned to make a big splash with some new color TV products, but their exhibit really didn’t get much foot traffic, as almost everyone was hovering over Ampex’s newest electronic wonder.)

SOME DISAPPOINTING NEWS

Let us now fast-forward 60 years and return to the story about sending this rare example of American technology and know-how to Las Vegas this month. I got word from one of the Museum’s co-founders, Paul Beck, a few days ago that, unfortunately, it’s not going to happen.

Paul Beck

“We received a number of donations, but there wasn’t enough to cover the anticipated expenses,” said Beck.

(As I mentioned in my original story, the MBT folks had initially been hoping for a funding grant to provide the estimated $25,000 to transport the heavy, bulky, and fragile machine to the NAB Show, but the grant didn’t materialize. I suggested in my story that readers who would like to see the VR-1000B make the trip to Las Vegas should donate as generously as they were able. Several readers did, but as observed by Beck, the amount raised wasn’t sufficient to “pay the freight.”)

BACKUP PLAN

While Beck and the MBT’s other co-founder, Tom Sprague, had been hopeful that their sexagenarian VTR’s ticket to Las Vegas would get punched, they are ready with a “backup of sorts” so visitors to their exhibit space will at least get some exposure to what video recording technology was once like.

“We will be bringing our two Ampex VR-3000s (backpack-sized 2-inch quadruplex machines) and we’ll be playing back some footage recorded on a portable machine from a schooner back in the mid-70s,” said Beck. “We’ll also be bringing along three operational RCA TKP-45 and a TKP-46 ‘minicams’ from the same period to show our visitors what portable color cameras looked like 40 years ago.” (Beck noted that the video on the demonstration tape they’ll be playing was captured with a TKP-45.)

“Also, there’ll be a high-def recording showing our VR-1000B in action,” said Beck. “This will be shown on a big screen to demonstrate the operation of the Ampex machine.”

While this will give show-goers a taste of what NARTB attendees witnessed 60 years ago, both Beck and Sprague admit that there’s nothing like the real thing and they’re disappointed that their machine won’t be making the trip to Vegas. 

However, not all may be lost!

In my follow-up communication with Beck, he pointed out quite correctly that while the Ampex recorder did make its first appearance 60 years ago, what the NARTB crowd saw was basically an engineering prototype, the company’s “Mark IV.” (A slightly earlier version, the Mark III, remained behind at the Ampex Redwood City, Calif. plant where one of the design team members, Ray Dolby, hosted a press conference to show off the new technology to local newspaper and wire service reporters at the same time the curtain was being raised in Chicago.)

Anyway, Beck’s point was that the machine shown in Chicago 60 years ago was not the VTR that ultimately rolled off the Ampex production line. The VR-1000 didn’t happen until the following year.

(When I interviewed Ray Dolby back in 2006 in connection with my TV Technology story about the VTR’s 1956 launch, he remarked that with the successful showing of video recording and its acceptance at the Chicago NARTB, as soon as the show ended, the team’s next project was to figure out how to set up a production line for assembling the recorders in large quantities. [After all, some 75 or so sales orders had been written at the show and these had to be filled ASAP!] Dolby said that the team spent several months developing assembly line production techniques and it was not until 1957 that the first VR-1000s began to ship.)

SHOOTING FOR ANOTHER IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARY

“Next year’s NAB Show will mark 60 years since the VR-1000 was first shown,” said Beck. “Taking our machine to the 2017 NAB Show is probably more appropriate. And this gives us a year to raise funds and work out a detailed plan for getting the recorder to Las Vegas.

“We’re still very excited about the possibility of showing the machine and the extra 12 months will give us more time to plan the ‘hows’ of crating the machine and getting it out of our museum building and transported to Las Vegas safely,” he continued. “It will clearly have to go with some sort of ‘white glove’ service. The additional year will give us more time to work out the details.”

Tom Sprague

Beck and Sprague have estimated that it will require upwards of $25,000 to safely transport the Ampex recorder to and from Las Vegas. They remind those interested in making donations for the 2017 effort that the MBT is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and that donations made may be tax deductible. And just as in the original fund raiser, if the amount raised is insufficient to cover shipping and handling costs for the VR-1000, they will either apply donations received to cover other museum expenses or refund them depending on the donor’s wishes. If you’d like to help in this effort, please contact Tom Sprague at maindesk@wmbt.org.

Let’s see if we can’t make this plan a reality at next year’s NAB Show. Please donate as generously as you can!

WHERE IS THAT ‘OLDEST’ QUAD MACHINE?

I mentioned in my previous article that the first production VTR went to CBS, which had been in on the “surprise” NARTB unveiling. I also speculated that the whereabouts of that machine, if it still existed at all, was unknown. I decided to see if one of the real VTR history experts—Peter Hammar—might know what happened to serial number “0001.”

Pete Hammar

Hammar was the founder and curator of the Ampex Museum of Magnetic Recording and in this position was able to pull together a lot of the company’s history.

He stated that Ampex did deliver a few videotape recorders in 1956. However, these were the model VRX-1000, a sort of “go-between” that bridged the gap between the Mark IV demonstrated in Chicago and the VR-1000 that premiered in 1957. According to Hammar, 16 of these intermediate machines were manufactured.

“The VRX-1000 was the pre-production model for the VR-1000,” said Hammar. “These were hand-wired, and the first three machines were kept at the factory to serve as test ‘mules.’”

Hammar noted that some very necessary modifications to the Mark IV were made in the VRX-1000s, including a reduction in the depth of the machine. “The overall form factor was the same, but at 38-inches deep, the Mark IV couldn’t fit through most doorways.” he said, explaining that early on, the team had planned to include all of the support electronics in the base of the VTR, hence the 38-inch depth. He added that the first three “mule” machines had been disposed of long ago.

So what about the next VRX-1000 produced—serial number four?

Ampex VTR development team leader Charlie Ginburg poses with one of the 16 VXR-1000 machines assembled. (PHOTO CRDIT: Fred Pfost)

Hammar said it went to CBS’s Hollywood “Television City” facility where it was pressed into service to time-shift New York programming three hours for airing on the West Coast.

I’d remarked in my March story that whereabouts of this CBS machine was unknown—probably long since MIA—and asked Hammar if he could shed a little light on what became of this very early and historic VTR.

“Yes, I can,” he said. “This VRX-1000—serial number four—was in the Ampex Museum until the early 1990s. Then it went into storage in a San Carlos [Calif.] warehouse. Later it was sent to the Ampex facility in Colorado Springs, and finally went to Stanford University where it’s still in storage.”

Mystery solved!

And while it’s good to know that this important relic is still around, Hammar is unsure as to whether the machine is complete any more or could even be displayed, so it looks as if the Museum of Broadcast Technology still has the claim to the earliest complete and operable Ampex quadruplex VTR.

I’ll see you at the Museum of Broadcast Technology’s booth!

LAS VEGAS—Cobalt Digital will premiere its new 9941 series of routers that are designed for the company’s openGear platform. Part of the open architecture terminal gear system, the 9941 routers increase the density and flexibility available for system designers standardizing on the openGear based products.

The new routers come in 3G/HD/SD-DI/ASI/MADI versions range from 24x24 or 12x12 square or 12x4 asymmetrical I/O configuration; there will also be a 12G-SDI signal coax input in a 12x4 version. Different options of coax connectors will be available to meet the channel density required using standard BNC, HDBNC or DIN. A built-in Ethernet port, as well as multiple Serial and GPI/O ports, are available as physical control and monitoring connections. A JSON-based Reflex protocol, SNMP and third-party router protocol allow for integration with AMX and Crestron systems. Native GUI options include an integrated HTML-5 Web server and support for the DashBoard control system. The 9941 router cards will be integrated with Pesa’s Cattrax control system.

The routers are built on a FPGA platform and have integrated frame syncs and line syncs. This allows for processing features like the +CS. Many of the FPGA-based features will be available for the 9941 router series, including the +QC Quality Check audio/video/metadata monitoring technology. The 24x24 router configuration can be added on to the 9970-QS series of multiviewers and can turn four cascading modules into a reconfigurable, non-blocking 20x4 multiviewer with configurations of four independent 5x1 multiviewers up to a 17 window system.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Cobalt Digital will be in booth N1418. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—Following its acquisition of Thomson Video Networks, Harmonic is highlighting its latest innovations for agile video delivery at the 2016 NAB Show, booth #SU1210. Using the combined company’s comprehensive portfolio of solutions, content and service providers can quickly launch new revenue-generating services with the industry’s lowest TCO, deploy more flexible video infrastructures, increase workflow efficiency and deliver pristine video quality.

“Harmonic and Thomson Video Networks are now one company, and at NAB we are showcasing our unified vision for agile video delivery,” said Bart Spriester, senior vice president, Video Products at Harmonic. “In one booth visitors can see innovative solutions that simplify the ability to distribute and deliver pristine video to any device, add great flexibility to broadcast workflows through cloud-based media processing, and take optimal advantage of available bandwidth via next-generation compression technologies. The joint innovation of Harmonic and Thomson Video Networks lets our customers create, deliver and monetize superior-quality video on any screen with extraordinary agility and cost efficiency.”

Key highlights include:

• Software-Based Media Processing: The next evolution of thegroundbreaking Harmonic VOS media-processing platform is designed to simplify the processing and distribution of live content to any screen, enabling media companies and pay-TV operators to launch OTT services in minutes on public or private infrastructure with industry-leading video quality.
• New Ultra HD (UHD) Capabilities: New content preparation and delivery capabilities for Harmonic’s broad portfolio of UHD solutions include the latest version of the ViBE 4K UHD encoder, featuring support for the HDR10 and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) high dynamic range (HDR) technologies, and low-latency, high-bitrate 4:2:2 encoding for 4K contribution applications; the addition of UHD encoding capabilities to the ViBE CP6000 contribution platform; and the ability to deliver high-quality UHD over the Internet with the software-based Harmonic PURE Compression Engine.
• High-Density Transcoding: With an upgrade path to HEVC, the ViBE XT1000 Xtream high-density transcoder provides a smooth and cost-effective solution for advanced video delivery. Supporting any-to-any format transcoding, the ViBE XT1000 is ideal for linear broadcasts on cable, IPTV, DTH and DTTV services, as well as multiscreen delivery.
• Immersive 360 Degree Virtual Reality Viewing Experience:The Electra X3 UHD media processor is combined with select ecosystem partners to provide an immersive professional sports 360 degree virtual reality viewing experience. Utilizing UHD delivery ensures a no-comprise VR solution for broadcast quality HD imagery.
• ATSC Broadcasting: The Harmonic ATSC solution helps broadcasters overcome the challenges of channel sharing today while easing the migration to ATSC 3.0 tomorrow.
• Edge Playout and Regionalization:Harmonic is showcasing a fully integrated and centrally managed portfolio of satellite and Internet-based solutions for enhanced content differentiation at the edge of a primary distribution network ranging from targeted ad replacement and transcoding in the ProView line of integrated receiver-decoders to full edge playout with the FUZE-1 playout system.
• High-Performance Media Storage:The new Harmonic MediaGrid 4000 scale-out shared storage solution is optimized for diverse media workflows and offers twice the performance of the MediaGrid 3000 system, as well as a 50 percent increase in storage capacity.

Further information about Harmonic and the company’s products is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

See Also:

March 8, 2016

The FCC Incentive Auction and Channel Sharing: Optimizing Encoding Efficiency and Video Quality

 The FCC incentive auction is a game-changing opportunity for broadcasters.

WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters has announced that it will boost the security procedures at the 2016 NAB Show. While the NAB says in a statement that there is no known threat to the convention, event organizers want “to ensure that NAB Show participants can conduct business in a safe and secure environment.”

In addition to the show’s usual security procedures—which include interior badge check points, random bag searches, and exterior perimeter security posts—attendees can expect to see an increased number of uniformed police officers and search dogs around the exterior of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Designated entry and exit points, as well as an increased number of random bag searches are also expected.

NAB says that the show security team will be in consultation with the Las Vegas Metro Police, Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the LVCC to update the security plan as necessary.

“In light of recent incidences, both domestic and global, we believe these steps are appropriate,” said Dennis Wharton, NAB executive vice president of communications in the press release. “We will do our best to limit any inconvenience to our attendees.”

The 2016 NAB Show will take place from April 16-21.

WASHINGTON—Rebranded simply as the Futures Park and with a new location in the South Upper Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, the 2016 NAB Show’s Futures Park will once again feature media-related research and development projects from around the world. This year, special attention will be given to a number of ATSC 3.0 demos, showcasing the next-generation DTV standard.

The Futures Park will feature a special ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Pavilion at this year’s show, where 15 companies will present and demonstrate prototype equipment that implement portions of the ATSC 3.0 standard. There will also be the ATSC 3.0 Studio, which will features live content for the ATSC 3.0 demonstration broadcasts. The NAB’s Pilot booth will also show ATSC 3.0, display a prototype ATSC 3.0 recevier/gateway.

Another exhibit plans to showcase the Korean UHD On-Air consortium, demonstrating work done toward the planned 2017 launch of regular terrestrial UHDTV service in Korea. This is expected to be one of the first deployments of ATSC 3.0 broadcasting.

The Super HiVision format from NHK, which provides 8K video and 22.2-channel sound, is also expected to be on display. New elements to be presented this year include 8K laser projection, HDR and wide color-gamut 8K images, an 8K remote production truck, and examples of 8K content.

In addition, demonstrations by the Ultra HD Forum and the 4EVER-2 Project are also set for the Futures Park; as well as displays on virtual reality, next-gen audio, interoperable file-based workflows, new sensor techniques, interactive TV, management of multiple live content streams, HDR video production tools, multi-screen application development and 3D production software.

The 2016 NAB Show Futures Park will be open from April 18-21.

NEVADA CITY, CALIF.—In addition to demonstrating the Live Stream and Live Capture devices at the 2016 NAB Show, Telestream has announced that it will also show its Telestream Cloud video encoding software as a servce(SaaS) for video production and post production professionals. This version of the Cloud system includes support for Apple ProRes and extends encoding capabilities.

The Telestream Cloud offers video transcoding for all formats and codecs. It utilizes an API to automate and integrate into customer workflows. The system leverages multiple cloud service providers—including Google Cloud Platform, Amazon Web Services and Rackspace—for file transfer and encoding times. The Cloud also features certified ProRes presets to deliver video files that conform to Apple standards and work with Apple’s Final Cut Pro or other editing software packages.

Telestream will be located at booth SL4525 during the 2016 NAB Show, which takes place April 16-21 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS—Ultra High Definition displays debuted at the CES nearly a half-dozen years ago and camera makers at NAB soon rolled out imaging products capable of capturing video that had twice the horizontal and vertical resolution of high-definition.

Now, with an ATSC 3.0 broadcasting standard a couple of years out on the horizon, broadcasters can at least start thinking about buying 4K UHD capable cameras.

Meanwhile, TV display makers have realized that increased resolution alone won’t provide as much of a difference from HD as they were capable of, so they’ve developed displays with high dynamic range that—roughly speaking—deliver detail in both the brightest and darkest parts of the image, and greater color space.

In brochure bullet points touting features of new equipment at this NAB, these advanced capabilities will be buzz-worded as HDR, Rec. 2020, and 10 bit color depth.

The ATSC will demonstrate how the next-generation ATSC 3.0 standard will support UHD at several pavilions at the NAB Show. The NAB Show will feature numerous events and sessions to foster the overall understanding of 4K and HDR. Among them is a six-session, all-day presentation on Monday, April 18, on South Korea’s Ultra HD television service (K-UHD), to be launched in 2018. The country will use the ATSC 3.0 standard for UHD and the launch will serve as a real-world test of the next-generation broadcast TV standard. Individual sessions will be presented by the Korean government and broadcast-industry leaders in room N232 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Speaking of ATSC 3.0, expect to view demos of UHD content at the ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Pavilion (part of the Futures Park exhibition in the east end of the LVCC’s South Hall), and the Consumer Experience area in the upper level of the LVCC South Hall.

On the morning of Wednesday, April 20, the “Ultra HD Forum Master Class,” will explore the challenges of providing highquality Ultra HD, exploring the relationship between the spectral profiles of various display technologies (e.g. CRT, CCFL, LED, OLED, Laser, Quantum Dot) and the strength of the observer metameric response. In addition, the session will suggest a set of optimized RGB primaries that maximize BT.2020 coverage while minimizing observer metamerism—a profile that quantum dots are uniquely positioned to achieve due to their spectral width and wavelength tunability.

FUTURE-PROOF
For exhibitors on the show floor, attendees can expect to see a wide array of camera and lense technology that demonstrates how far 4K has come in such a short time.

Rob Willox, director of marketing for Sony Electronics, cautions that a camera purchased today might find little immediate work where HDR is necessary, so a camera currently must be ready “for HD now, 4K later, and 4K HDR at some point,” adding that this factor “has been taken into account with our HDC-4300 camera that we introduced last NAB.”

Panasonic 4K Super 35 VariCam LT At the 2015 NAB Show, Panasonic had an existing VariCam 35 4K cinema camera delivering 14+ stops of dynamic range. At the company’s booth this year, Panasonic will roll out the 4K Super 35 VariCam LT, with reductions in weight, size and price.

Late last year Grass Valley announced that owners of its LDX 86 Series 4K cameras could install an eXtended Dynamic Range (XDR) software upgrade to take advantage of the contrast, dynamic range and color space capabilities that its Xensium-FT CMOS imagers can deliver.

“It’s not just about higher resolution, but the quality and depth of each individual pixel as well,” said Mike Cronk, senior vice president of strategic marketing for Grass Valley. “With XDR support in our LDX 86 series cameras, our customers can be future-ready to deliver incredible imagery, even as UHD and high dynamic range programming moves to the mainstream.”

GOING FURTHER
Though 4K productions have few who presently can view their shows in full resolution, that hasn’t stopped Japanese public broadcaster Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), from moving on to 8K. To do that, the company enlisted the help of Ikegami, which put together an 8K mobile unit, according to Alan Keil vice president and director of engineering for Ikegami. “It made its debut at the most recent Super Bowl, and now it’s en route to Brazil,” he said. Plans are to transmit 8K coverage of the 2016 Olympic Summer Games and documentaries back to Japan. NHK anticipates it will broadcast 8K in Japan by 2020, in time for the Tokyo Summer Games.

Hitachi will showcase the fourth-generation SK/UHD8060 8K single Super 35 sensor camera at the NAB Show. Keil noted that Ikegami now has a commercially available 8K camera, the SHK-810, utilizing a Super 35 imager. “And we do anticipate that will improve, and presumably go back to three sensors at some point in the not-too-distant future,” he said.

Hitachi Kokusai also will be showcasing an established 8K camera, the SK/UHD8060 single Super 35 sensor camera. Hitachi’s fourth-generation 8K camera, it outputs in 4K, 8K, and three flavors of HD (1080P, 1080i and 720P) simultaneously.

Though JVC Kenwood won’t be debuting a new 4K camera at this NAB, they are making available a firmware upgrade for its GY-LS300 single Super 35 sensor 4K camera that will enable 120 fps recording. The camera also boasts JVC Log gamma setting, which expands dynamic range by 800 percent with film-like latitude.

The CION 4K/UltraHD production camera from AJA enables shooting in direct to edit-ready Apple ProRes 4444 at up to 4K 30fps, ProRes 422 at up to 4K 60fps, or can output AJA Raw at up to 4K 120fps. CION provides extensive Gamma modes that offer the flexibility to capture the scene exactly as lit in Normal, Normal Expanded or Video Gamma modes.

Blackmagic Design holds its new product announcements until the opening day of the show, according to Bob Caniglia, Blackmagic Design senior regional manager for eastern North America. But he did note that on the previously introduced Micro Studio HD/4K camera, a new B4 Lens Adapter will give the camera the ability to mount B4 lenses, designed for 2/3-inch imagers. “Then the 4K and 4.6K models will have the ability to take the connector from one of those lenses—those 2/3 lenses—to feed them power, and then of course there’s the ability to control it with the Blackmagic ATEM switcher.”

Canon’s new EOS-1D X Mark II HDSLR Canon will showcase advances on its new EOS-1D X Mark II HDSLR flagship, featuring a new 20.2 megapixel 35mm Full Frame Canon CMOS sensor and Dual DIGIC 6+ Image Processors. The company will also highlight its multipurpose ME20FSH, delivering full HD images at an ISO sensitivity of more than 4,000,000.

MEANWHILE IN LENSES…
Delivering a large contrast ratio, high dynamic range and expanded color space takes more than just an HDR camera. Lenses deliver the image to the camera.

“A lot of this high dynamic range and contrast has to do with the coating that we have,” said Thom Calabro, director marketing and product development at Fujifilm Optical Devices Division. “It’s also the mechanical, the internals of the lens which reduces flare and that improves the contrast.”

Fujifilm will debut the Fujinon 4K Ultra HD Series, designed to be coupled with 4K 2/3-inch cameras to produce the same focal length range DP’s and camera operators have come to expect with HD, but at a much higher resolution, contrast, and dynamic range.

Canon will debut the CJ12ex4.3B portable 4K 2/3-inch broadcast lens, the first 4K wide-angle lens for use with 4K broadcast cameras employing 2/3-inch sensors. It is the first in a new line of 4K broadcast lenses intended to support a range of 4K ultra-high-definition productions.

It seems nothing impressive in the television world comes without some sort of penalty to be paid in terms of bandwidth, and 4K is no exception. So when talking with providers of cables and connectors, expect to hear about improvements they’ve made to pass these signals from the cameras through the rest of the production process.

LAS VEGAS—With an eye on those acronyms that are defining today’s broadcast industry—namely 4K, HD and IP—Snell Advanced Media (SAM) will debut new production switchers, finishing tools and standards conversion gear, among other solutions at its NAB Show booth this year.

This is the first NAB Show in which the newly named company—formerly known separately as industry stalwarts Quantel and Snell—will exhibit under the SAM banner.

“We want it to be understood that by bringing together Quantel and Snell, we now have a truly unified technology strategy that allows us to push forward into new worlds like 4K and IP and serve our customers in an intuitive and different way,” said Tim Felstead, head of product marketing at SAM. The newly branded SAM first debuted at the 2015 IBC Show.

SAM will debut Kula, a 1080p/4K-capable production switcher available in 1- and 2M/E versions.KULA FOR 4K
At this year’s NAB, SAM is principally focused on 4K and IP solutions that give broadcasters a clear migration path to both of these important technologies, Felstead said. Leading off its announcements is the new Kula, a 1080p/4K-capable production switcher available in 1- and 2M/E versions.

“Today’s broadcasters face a situation that can only be described as ‘challenging,’” Felstead said, as content is being captured and delivered in a wider range of formats than ever before, but still must be managed within the same production workflow. According to Felstead, Kula addresses this need by drawing on the heritage of Kahuna and that switcher’s ability to handle multiple formats.

Kula illustrates the “type of versatility that SAM is known for which gives broadcasters the production tools they need today and a risk-less path to upgrade their architecture down the line,” Felstead said.

“Added to this,” he said, “we’re seeing content creation explode beyond the traditional broadcast sphere, so there are a growing number of organizations that want to benefit from high-production values in order to achieve the flexibility and onscreen result they desire.”

To handle different format requirements, Kula uses the company’s FormatFusion3 signal-processing technology to mix any format, up to and including 4K, thereby eliminating the need for external conversion equipment. The switcher is targeted for broadcast production, sports, and house of worship environments as well as to entertainment and conference events.

SAM will also show off its Kahuna production switchers, which are also suited to 4K, HD and IP environments, as well as its LiveTouch sports highlights system, built around the company’s latest 4K production servers that can be used for replay, slowmotion and editing.

The company will also show the newest version of its Sirius 800 integrated multiviewer, now shipping with Media Biometrics, a proprietary technology that generates signatures from video, audio and metadata and can be used for monitoring.

SOFTWARE & CONVERSION
Software-driven platforms are a key priority for the company, and as such, SAM plans to transition many of its products to a data center model, including the ICE, ICE IP, and ICE SDC channel-in-a-box platforms. For those legacy solutions that are not currently IP-ready, SAM will show its IQ Edge processing solution, designed to bridge the gap to IP environments by offering many image and audio processing capabilities in an integrated package.

“Fundamentally, IP-Edge influences the way that SAM products work together within an IP environment,” he said. “It is open standards-based and enables combined IP and SDI routing control.” The goal with IP-Edge is to give customers a bridge to IP environments with the least amount of technical and business risk possible.

Getting deep inside the broadcast plant, SAM plans to show its Alchemist XF standards converter, which now supports 4K and HDR; as well as introduce Alchemist Kronos for content duration adjustment. The company will also show the UHD1000 for real-time 4K conversion, the newest member of the company’s KudosPro signal processing product line.

Coloring will also be a highlight for SAM this year in the form of the Quantel Rio 8K, a color, editing and finishing tool that can be used for long-form grading for TV finishing and for post. New features include HDR and wide color gamut capabilities, a new interface, cloud tracking, and enhanced integration with Avid systems.

SAM will also debut an edit timeline to its Go! remote production suite that will give mobile device editors access to live and recorded content to build stories, with timline editing and voiceover. Finished sequences will be ready for immediate publishing to social media, web and TV.

SAM is in Booth SL1805.

LAS VEGAS—Although Ross Video’s NAB Show booth will be the same size as last year, company officials say it will have more equipment and displays than ever before, and more Ross personnel too.

This year’s theme is “Smart Production,” and in 2016 being smart means being flexible, said Jeff Moore, chief marketing officer for the Iroquois, Ont.–based company.

One example of this theme is v10 of Inception News, with new features such as full localization and language packs and new ways to create and share content and other new features to be announced at show time. v10 also includes the release of the Inception API and SDK, “which allows our clients’ MIS and IT departments to have full access to their newsroom data, and even build their own applications that run within Inception if they want to,” said Moore. “They can build add-ons, harvest the data, build whatever they want.”

Moore said this kind of flexibility mirrors what is seen in the IT industry. “There aren’t that many APIs in our industry in the news area that go deep and wide in terms of being able to do the kinds of things that might be needed in a rapidly changing business,” said Moore. “A lot of our clients want more flexibility.”

The Inception API now gives developers, partners, customers and resellers the ability to add new core features and integrate other systems. Moore said this level of customization is only available in Inception due its design and architecture.

Ross will mark the NAB Show debut of its Ultrix Routing System.IP IN ITS PLACE
Ross is duly diligent about the role of IP, but very much aware that in the live production realm, SDI is still king. “In the IP realm, things are in flux and the standards are still evolving,” said Moore, adding that “right now [IP] makes sense in large routing environments.”

To that end, at the 2015 IBC Show, Ross and Evertz announced a collaboration to add 10GigE IP interfaces with ASPEN support for Ross’ Acuity series of production switchers. Moore said working products will be shown at both company’s NAB booths and on an ASPEN Community stand. ASPEN is Evertz’ framework for IP networks.

Acuity, the largest Ross switcher series, is being shown with integrated 10-Gig I/O capabilities and provides a direct connection into the Evertz IP routing environment without requiring a top-of-the-rack gateway. Ross is now shipping Acuity’s multiprocessing input card which adds production features including frame syncs, multiviewers, proc amps, color correctors, format conversion and virtual set input delay adjustment.

For the Carbonite product line, Ross will introduce Carbonite Black control panels, now available on all models, as well as a host of new features with v12.0 software. One new feature ideal for live event and house of worship applications is multipanel operation, which Moore describes as an “unprecedented feature” for this market segment. The new software version enables users to operate their Carbonite ME, MiniMEs or multiscreen outputs from multiple control panels and DashBoard control points. v12 also includes new, easy-to-create media transitions, and Carbonite’s 4K production capabilities now permit DVE use in 3G/4K modes when background upconversion is not required.

Ross Furio Remote Control Dolly SystemPRODUCING FOR 4K
Last year Ross announced the 4K version of XPression, the company’s real-time motion graphics and production clip server platform and this year the company’s significant 4K news will be the NAB Show debut of the company’s Ultrix Routing System. Supporting 12G SDI for single-link UHD routing and incorporating software-upgradable features including Ultriscape multiviewers and the Ultrimix embedded audio routing and processing matrix, Ultrix brings high-end router capabilities to cost-effective compact routing systems, according to Moore.

Other new products at the Ross booth will be an upgrade to the XPression Plug-In, now with support for Adobe XMP Metadata. Also for XPression, Rocket Surgery, Ross’ Creative Services Team, will show its latest design work for XPression, including graphics packages for news, elections, sports stadiums and virtual sets. Ross will also introduce v3.1 of its Streamline media asset management application, now with tight workflow integration with XPression Clips for seamless playback operation and automatic transcoding into the XPression codec, as well as a complete integration with OverDrive automated production control. Also making its NAB Show debut is XPression Trackless Studio, a purpose-built solution for cost-effective virtual production without the need for camera tracking.

The company will also show new products for its openGear platform, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

The booth will also show the Ross Robotics Furio RC remote control dolly system for live stage productions, which can now be purchased as a pan/tilt headonly system, without the dolly, as well as SolidTrack, a visual camera tracking system for use on handheld, Steadicam and other types of camera systems where mechanical tracking solutions aren’t practical or available.

Ross is in Booth N3705.

MIAMI—Primestream will use its time at the upcoming 2016 NAB Show to highlight its Dynamic Media Management technology that integrates workflow from capture, production and management through to delivery of assets. In addition to new versions of its Fork and Xchange systems, Primestream will display new virtual reality/360 workflows, 4K enhancements, MXF workflows, and enhanced integration with Adobe, Avid and Final Cut Pro systems.

The latest version for Fork, v5.5, now offers third-party traffic system support with solutions for metadata exchange between traffic, MAM and automation. Consumers can utilize metadata generated by traffic systems in the Fork acquisition, production, archive and playout modules. The new version of Fork comes with Primestream’s metadata exchange, allowing users to add optional metadata driven newsroom and real-time sports-data feed integration.

With its Xchange v5.0, Primestream is introducing project centric workflows, enabling the creation, sharing and collaboration of post-production projects inside Xchange or using a built-in plug-in for Adobe Premiere Pro. Xchange also supports Equirectangular Virtual Reality/360 media playback and review, as well as direct API integration with Telestream’s Vantage for automated transcode workflows.

Primestream will be located at booth SL10261 during the 2016 NAB Show, which takes place from April 16-21 in Las Vegas.

MILFORD, CONN.—Thinklogical is set to showcase its new TLX Series CATx matrix switchers and extenders at its booth (SL6028) at the 2016 NAB Show. The new, uncompressed product line includes video and KVM extenders and a range of matrix switches from 12 to 640 ports.

The TLX is a high-bandwidth (10Gbps) hybrid signal transmission architecture that supports both standard CATx copper network cabling and fiber. TLX CATx is compatible and interoperable with the TLX fiber-optic product line, offering system flexibility in new and existing installations, and a scalable, future-proof upgrade path. Thinklogical says it provides a 100 percent uncompressed signal path on either CATx or fiber cabling with low signal latency, offering pixel-for-pixel transmission of 4K DCI/UHD resolution video.

Features for the TLX Hybrid Video and KVM Extenders include uncompressed signal extension of up to 80km over fiber, 100m over CAT6a; DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4 extenders; support for a single display up to 4096x2160 at 30 Hz over a single cable, 60 Hz over two cables; HDCP content support; an Ethernet port for configuration, management and updates; support for full duplex stereo, embedded audio, unbalance analog audio, and serial RS-232; and USB 2.0 and USB HID support.

The TLX Hybrid Matrix Switches feature hot swappable power supplies, fan trays, control cards, and data input/output cards; redundant and current-sharing power supplies; redundant control cards with automatic failover; it is also interoperable with Thinklogical’s 6.25Gbps Velocity series products.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place from April 16-21 in Las Vegas.

RAYMOND, MAINE—Antenna and RF system provider Dielectric has unveiled its new TFU-WB Series Auxiliary UHF Antenna. The company says that its new antenna is well-suited to high-power UHF applications from channels 14 to 51, including the ATSC 3.0 standard and 4K UHD TV. The antenna features a streamlined design for side mounting on existing structures and is able to reduce wind-load by 75 percent.

The TV spectrum repack may cause TV stations to relocate their channels down to the lower end of the UHF spectrum in order to free higher UHF frequencies for wireless receivers. According to Dielectric, the WB antenna can serve as an auxiliary antenna while broadcasters’ main TV tower equipment is modified, relocated or replace during the TV spectrum repack.

For broadcasters who need to relocate, Dielectric says the WB antenna can transmit multiple, combined channels simultaneously. It comes with a rating of 20kW per eight-bay section, and when two or three sections are stacked, it can accommodate input powers of 40kW per 16-bay and 60kW per 24-bay sections.

The WB antenna can be configured horizontally or elliptically polarized, using either a directional or wide cardioid azimuth pattern. Elliptical polarization is required for next-generation applications. The directional skull shape pattern is meant to focus radiated power in one particular direction off the tower, while the wide cardioid pattern serves a hempispherical (or semicircular) coverage area.

Dielectric will showcase the WB antenna during the ATSC 3.0 demonstration from Sinclair Broadcast Group and ONE Media, as well as at its booth, C2213, at the 2016 NAB Show, which runs from April 16-21 in Las Vegas. 

MELVILLE, N.Y.—Canon will look to make its presence known at the 2016 NAB Show by showing off its full range of 4K and HD gear, conduct presentations and panel discussions, and offer its 8K Ride Experience.

First introduced at the Canon Expo in New York this past September, Canon’s 8K Ride Experience projects videos on large screens to surround viewers and provide a sense of movement while standing still, according to the company. Canon will also showcase its working prototype 8K cameras and lenses. A prototype 4K projector capable of covering up to 100 percent of the DCI color space will also be on display.

Among the presentations that Canon will take part in during the show is of cinematographer James Neihouse’s IMAX film “A Beautiful Planet.” Neihouse and Marsha Ivins, a former American astronaut, will discuss shooting with Canon’s EOS C500 and EOS-1D C Cinema Cameras in 4K aboard the International Space Station.

Canon cinema cameras, 4K reference displays, HD video and DSLR cameras, and lenses are also going to be on display during the show. Canon’s Professional Services will also host the Canon Hospitality Suite in Room C201.

Canon will be located in booth C4325 during the 2016 NAB Show, which takes place April 16-21 in Las Vegas.

WASHINGTON—The stage is set for Sprockit 2016, as the National Association of Broadcasters and World Series of Startups have announced the final five companies that will participate in the program. Sprockit 2016 will be held during the 2016 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

The program serves as a showcase for emerging startups that were selected by industry experts based on “their potential to influence the media, entertainment and technology markets,” according to the NAB’s press release. These five new companies join the previously announced 20.

Here are the final five companies:

• Brightspot is a management platform for building websites, mobile applications and other content.
• EasyBroadcast reduces streaming bandwidth via a hybrid P2P model.
• Ever engages customers and increases video monetization.
• Ringr is a free mobile app that allows users to record quality audio interviews with persons of interest.
• VideoBlocks is a subscription-based video and audio stock that provides unlimited download access to its users for royalty-free content.

NAB Show attendees will vote on the most promising startup at the Sprockit Hub in booth N8635. The top five startups will be honored at an awards ceremony on April 19.

All 25 companies selected to participate in Sprockit at the 2016 NAB Show will convene again later in the year at Sprockit Sync, a series of private meetings where new technologies are introduced and discussed.

LAS VEGAS—Lynx Technik will debut three new Yellobrik MADI (Multichannel Audio Digital Interface) fiber optical-to-MADI coaxial converters and transceivers at the 2016 NAB Show. They will also demo an enhanced version of their Testor Lite handheld test signal generator.

The three new Yellobriks are the OBD 1210 Bi-Directional MADI Optical to Coax Converter/Transceiver Pair, the OTR 1210/OTR 1210 MM (multi-mode) MADI Optical to Coax Converter Transceiver that combines a fiber transmitter and receiver in a single package, and the OTR 1240 MADI Optical to Coax Converter/Transceiver for CWDM wavelengths.

All the new converters perform very long cable runs in real-time with zero degradation of signal quality—up to 10 Km (6.2 miles) with standard fiber models, and up to 40 Km (24.8 miles) with the CWDM fiber model. They convert up to 64 audio channels bi-directionally (64 in and 64 out) between MADI Optical and MADI Coaxial (electrical) formats.

Testor Lite’s new features are genlock input and independent text overlay for each output. Each test pattern output—two are provided—can be configured to support a variety of overlays, including user-defined scrolling or static text.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Lynx Technikwill be in booth SL9327. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.