BARCELONA—At ISE 2023, NewTek introduced the Flex control panel that enables operators to control PTZ cameras directly, as well as audio connections, audio and video switching and talkback via NDI.

No other NewTek control panel builds in control over audio and video switching and PTZ control and talkback in a single unit, said NewTek, a Vizrt Group company.

"Over the course of the last several years, the demand for high-quality distributed production has grown beyond measure. We recognize the need for operators to be able to adapt to any workflow, and the Flex does just that – all with the power of NDI. Offering greater control and connectivity than ever before, it’s our most flexible and powerful control panel yet,” said NewTek senior product manager Chris McLendon.  

The built-in features offer operators greater precision and control. With the addition of audio I/O, Flex expands the on-board I/O of any NewTek TriCaster with the option to add external sources directly from the NDI ecosystem, it said.

Flex connects to a network via NDI, making unnecessary the physical tether to the video switcher with fixed cable runs and complex setups that are difficult to move to a new location, the company said.

The new control panel not only can connect to any TriCaster switcher on a network via NDI, but it also supports operators needing to work in a distributed production environment, it said.

Flex is available today with a suggested price of $9,495.

More information is available on the company’s website.

NewTek is launching a new member of its TriCaster family, which includes an all-new feature that brings the internet directly into the hardware.

TriCaster Mini X allows users to easily pull any web page elements into a production without the need of third party applications, including graphics, images and videos. It also offers increased power and capabilities, including access to 8 external sources with 4 integrated HDMI inputs and supports resolutions up to 4Kp30.

HTML rendering takes place directly in the switcher, and it also provides users with with access to HTML 5 motion graphics, webpages, and web-based video playback.

“The last two years have brought into sharp focus the importance not only of the accessibility of quality video production solutions but also tools that set productions apart. By introducing the TriCaster Mini X, we prove that you don’t have to be a seasoned expert with limitless resources to tell your story with all the bells and whistles of a broadcast giant,” says Barbara Spicek, president and GM of NewTek.

This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand TVBEurope.

OTTAWA—When the first NewTek TriCaster integrated video production system was introduced in 2005, its all-in-one functionality was limited to conventional SDI video signals, and whatever capability were “built into the box.”

In 2019, these walls have fallen down. Integrated production systems have embraced IP connectivity, and flexibility enhanced by network connections to exterior devices—whether physical or virtual. This can include remotely controlled PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras colocated with the integrated production switcher, or connected by IP anywhere in the world.

WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT

The vastly expanded capabilities of today’s integrated production systems are in sync with customer expectations, which have also grown exponentially since 2005. As a result, the “necessities” of current integrated production systems “include switching with a reasonable number of transition and effects options, clips and graphics search and playback, the ability to build playlists, record a primary mix along with multiple ISO input recording, Chroma-key support, lower thirds and logo keying, and streaming,” said Rush Beesley president of RUSHWORKS, a Dallas-based provider of live production gear.

At the same time, the expanding use of IP-delivered video by businesses, schools, churches, and other non-broadcast users means that “people coming to us these days are asking more about streaming than actual video production,” said Russell Whittaker, worldwide director of channel sales for Broadcast Pix in Boston. “That’s a bit of a seachange for us.”

Because these customers increasingly come from IT rather than TV backgrounds, they tend not to understand the benefit of SDI-based switching. “They live in a world of RJ-45 connectors,” said Whittaker. “For them, it must be good if it’s an IT technology.” This is why integrated production system manufacturers have moved so substantially to IP in their products, even though they retain SDI connections for broadcast users.

INDUSTRY TRENDS

The emphasis on IP connectivity, and the network-based possibilities it supports, is driving design in the development of integrated production systems.

“The biggest thing is flexibility,” said Will Waters, vice president of Customer Success for NewTek in Dallas. “You need to be able to have your production capability evolve in a way that is not locked into the original physical design of your switching equipment. Flexibility is the main thing we keep hearing about from customers.”

To support flexibility, Broadcast Pix, NewTek, and RUSHWORKS all support NewTek’s Network Device Interface (NDI) technology to allow their integrated systems to connect with NDI-enabled cameras, servers, and other video production equipment. By working in IP rather than baseband, “we’re moving forward into the world of virtualization, allowing us to access resources across the network through the integrated production system,” said Waters. “The limits are falling away.”

Beesley agrees. “I think the introduction of NDI has been very impactful, providing much more flexibility and freedom to introduce multiple sources with virtually no quality loss, and a significant reduction in expense and complexity,” he said. “NDI-capable cameras are certainly appropriate for integration into systems.”

The move into IP has also allowed integrated production systems to accept far more video sources than before; including those originating as data rather than signals. “The distinction between signals that had a BNC connection or a three-letter file extension is gone,” said Whittaker. “There is a lot more acceptance that a file is just as valid as a video signal.”

VENDOR ADVANCES

A number of new features have helped spur the market for integrated production systems in recent years.

For Broadcast Pix, the biggest development is data connectivity to the graphic creation systems within its BPSwitch line, according to Whittaker. “We’ve had that before, but we’ve extended the types of video signals,” he said. “Then there’s 3D motion graphics, which we launched in 2017 but started to deliver in force last year.” BPSwitch can now be run using a tablet or smartphone.

NewTek has developed a range of NDI-based tools for its TriCaster integrated production systems. They include NewTek Connect Pro (bridging conventional and IP-based workflows,), NewTek IsoCorder Pro (encoding video from up to 16 NDI sources in QuickTime format with 8-channel audio mixing), and NewTek Telestrator (adding live dynamic graphics to any NDI video source/still image).

Waters adds, “if you have a Windows PC and you can open up our application and connect to our integrated system, we can bring the user interface of our live production device anywhere that network can reach. Meanwhile, our NewTek Premium Access subscription service allows users to render real-time animation into live programming using Adobe After Effects and Photoshop— without using a conventional graphics pipeline.”

RUSHWORKS has added the ability to incorporate NDI and URL inputs and outputs into its products, and tweaked its PTZ cameras to provide a level of granularity and motion that removes the “robotic” look characteristic of the slow moves and zooms on most PTZ cameras, according to Beesley. RUSHWORKS’ VDESK integrated production system is the company’s flagship product in this area, with its portable version being branded as REMO.

COMING UP IN 2019

What can we expect from developers of integrated production system manufacturers in the year ahead?

At Broadcast Pix, “remote control is a big priority,” said Whittaker. “It appeals to people who have production facilities spread out between different locations. We also expect to increase the range of the number of IP inputs that our integrated systems can accept.”

Over at NewTek, “we’re heavily invested in the move to IT within our industry,” said Waters. “Without getting specific, we are looking to integrate into live production from control to advances in graphics and capturing live content for later re-use.”

Meanwhile, RUSHWORKS is completing a turnkey news production system designed to be operated by one person. “It’s an out-of-the-box solution that makes high-quality news production easily manageable and affordable for educational institutions, small TV stations, and the new world of internet TV Station entrepreneurs,” Beesley said.

Integrated production systems will push further into IP and enhanced flexibility in the years to come. In doing so, they will continue their march towards a level of sophistication and power that was once the sole preserve of traditional multiperson video production complexes.

NORTHFIELD, ILL.—Golf’s Western Amateur Championship, which took place July 30-August 4 at the Sunset Ridge Country Club, in Northfield, Ill., near Chicago, has been an annual event since 1899. Despite the importance of the event, traditional broadcasters have passed it by, primarily because they couldn’t justify the cost of producing live HD telecasts for a niche audience.

For Lowell Thaler, president of Thaler Media in North Palm Beach, Fla., however, it provided a great opportunity to cover the event live in HD—the first time in the event’s history. Working closely with his client, the Western Golf Association (WGA), the Thaler team streamed 12 hours of live coverage to Golf Channel’s digital platforms, including golfchannel.com and its mobile app. The feed was also carried on the WGA’s Facebook page and website, thewesternamateur.com.

“We were able to produce this event very affordably—at perhaps a tenth the cost—compared to the overhead typically associated with a live broadcast-quality HDTV show by leaning heavily on NewTek gear, NDI networking, and LiveU’s transmission system,” said Thaler. “We managed to shave costs without compromising high-end production standards, such as expert shot composition, picture and sound quality."

Thaler was able to produce the entire show from a studio a time zone away, in his hometown of North Palm Beach using what can best be described as a remote IP streaming production approach.

“It’s been logistically and financially challenging to send large crews, HD trucks, and/or elaborate fly packs to remote production sites,” said Thaler, “But this IP streaming production strategy is now a robust, viable alternative.”

WORKING SMART

Empowered with the IP-focused technology, the production crew sent to the Chicago-area golf course was designed with efficiency in mind. The team was made up of just one producer, an editor, four camera operators and a sound mixer. Three of the camera operators moved freely around the golf course, following the players from hole to hole to get the perfect shot.

Since there was no production control facility or mobile video unit on-site to switch and output the program feed, each of the camera operators wore a backpack containing a LiveU LU600 HEVC and LU500 IP-based transmission system. These modems with HEVC HD video relayed their respective camera video and audio signals via an IP pathway to a LiveU LU2000 multi-output server situated at a master control facility 1,300 miles away in South Florida.

Much of the golf action was covered by multiple cameras, and occasionally, camera operators could be seen in the live shot trying to capture it from a different angle, which gave the production a fresh, dynamic look. This was state-of-the-art photography; not the shaky-cams or webcams all too common on streaming platforms. All of the camera work was done in remarkably steady handheld mode, with excellent shot composition, using high-end Sony F55 cinema-grade cameras.

A small remote talk show set was set-up inside the Sunset Ridge clubhouse. The program’s co-anchors sat at a desk to deliver color commentary and game analysis.

A virtual set filled the green screens behind them and in front of their desk, making it appear as if they were enmeshed within a virtual studio far larger than the actual physical space. This was one of the virtual sets Thaler selected from the NewTek virtual set collection that came with the TC1.

OUT OF THE BOX CONTROL

The master control facility, which consisted of a two-room suite, can be described as a completely nontraditional, ad hoc broadcast setting. This South Florida site was crewed by nine people, including the producer, director, TD, audio mixer, live graphics and replay teams.

One of the master control rooms served as a main studio where a third anchor sat in front of a green screen to provide additional commentary. A different but complementary NewTek virtual set was keyed into the background to distinguish it from the first. After commentary, the South Florida anchor would toss the program back to the anchor team at the Chicago clubhouse.

The other room at master control housed a NewTek TriCaster TC1 IP production switcher. As a frame-accurate 4K UHD/60p-capable switcher with an all IP architecture, the TC1 is a 16 input, 4-M/E switcher with multi-bus mix/effects, animated titles and transitions, chromakey, built-in video servers, clip players, graphics channels, a virtual set system, and more. The TC1’s virtual set generation and editing capabilities were maximized on this production.

The production control workflow also included a NewTek 3Play 3P1 replay system, which allowed a replay operator and replay producer to provide SLOMO replays, and playback of aerial footage captured by the camera on a drone flying over the golf course throughout the broadcasts.

A NewTek Live Text CG system running on a laptop provided lower third supers and other on-screen graphics. And a NewTek Live Panel audio mixing control panel was used to combine all of the audio sources—including camera audio and natural/ambient sound—into the final program audio mix.

SKYPE CHANNEL BROADCAST

“Using a simple, streamlined, get-it-done approach, we were able to cover an event that was never covered live before,” said Thaler. “The key was the way we were moving signals between the two sites in real-time, so that the Chicago and Florida production teams could work together seamlessly as if they were both at the same site.”

This included the use of the four Skype channels on the NewTek Talk Show to send the TC1’s program output as a “return” feed to provide essential reference monitoring to the Chicago team. This mix-minus audio feed was then split to each of the anchor’s headsets, essentially serving as an IFB. TalkShow also enabled Skype interviews with guests to be fed back to the TC1 in master control.

The end-to-end LiveU transmission system was critical to tying the two remote groups together because this was the method for relaying the camera ISOs and audio back to special LiveU LU2000 server in the control room.

This Linux server relayed the camera signals via NDI for video over IP networking to the TC1 switcher where the TriCaster operator could mix these live camera inputs with all the other production elements, including features, such as historical vignettes and player profile clips.

PARTNERING FOR INNOVATION

Thaler worked with Miami-based equipment supplier and systems integrator Midtown Video, who provided a range of video and audio production equipment as well as NewTek/LiveU-savvy technicians to help ensure the live production ran smoothly.

“Golf tournaments present logistical challenges to traditional broadcasts because there are essentially miles of wiring and cabling that have to be run to support acquisition,” said Fernando Iglesias, Midtown Video’s vice president of operations. “It wouldn’t be feasible or cost-effective to do these cable runs, or to deploy a high-end HD production truck, for an event like this.”

Midtown Video also provided technical support needed to turn one of the LU600 HEVC units into a “data bridge” so the Chicago crew would have a solid Wi-Fi hot spot on the golf course. This enabled them to have dedicated bandwidth to ensure they could reliably send a Skype program return feed to the Chicago team—a critical transmission connection—and not rely on the venue’s existing Internet bandwidth.

“But with the LiveU transmission system, the broadcast cameras connect directly to backpacks so that the cameramen can move freely around the golf course without any need for long-distance, labor-intensive fiber runs,” Iglesias explained. “Combined with the NewTek production and NDI networking systems, this IP-based approach is extremely cost-effective compared to traditional HD-SDI broadcast.”

Many of the products and technologies powering the live streaming production were either not yet available just a few years ago. Today, by using innovative technologies in the IP live production space, Thaler Media produced a broadcast-quality product as if they were on-site with a full production unit and crew, all while considerably reducing the costs and streamlining the workflow.

“Our 2018 Western Amateur live stream has proven to skeptics that live shows and events that have never been broadcast before can now be produced and streamed, with high-end broadcast quality, very affordably, reliably, and successfully, and for video producers like me, that opens many doors of opportunity.”

LONDON—Celebro was founded on the basis that we wanted to be a world-class provider of pioneering and cost-effective live broadcasting solutions. Since opening the doors of our global facilities in Central London, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, we’ve welcomed clients such as BBC World Service, MTV, Discovery Channel, Reuters and TRT World. The flexible 4K studio locations offer the ideal space for both live and prerecorded programmes: we also can deliver outside broadcasting capabilities for breaking news events.

In 2016, TRT World needed immediate support to help them continue reporting live during the 2016 Turkish coup attempt and the only way to do so was through a NewTek TriCaster Advanced Edition. The TriCaster allowed us to produce and stream live news reports from London-based journalists via Facebook Live within a very short span of time, and later to stream on YouTube and the TRT World website. As events progressed in Turkey, we were able to receive additional video reports and incorporate them into the live stream. This emergency transmission stream rolled for approximately 15 hours, until the channel was able to get back on air in Istanbul.

SOFTWARE-DRIVEN

After great success with the TriCaster Advanced Edition, we turned to NewTek and its IP Series to help us significantly increase studio scalability and accommodate our rapid global expansion plans. NewTek’s software-driven live production technology ushered a new model of production workflows. In fact, as part of our global operations, the IP Series’ modular approach has delivered virtually limitless access to video sources and video mixing possibilities.

The IP Series is a hybrid platform that is fully backwards-compatible with traditional SDI equipment. Video, audio, control signals, metadata and tally signals are all transported digitally using NewTek’s NDI technology that creates a fully customisable IP workflow solution with endless scalability. Furthermore, the IP Series’ modular approach to production systems delivers virtually limitless access to video sources and video mixing possibilities.

Offering more configurations and complete set of capabilities, we’ve found no other solution that would enable a complete unified production workflow to the scale and scope of the NewTek IP Series. Since embracing this software-based production solution, we can provide uncompromised 4K UHD services and handle the most demanding production needs. We can also offer global broadcasters the chance to link to other studios to create more diverse content and when using NDI’s inputs, outputs and media assets that are readily available and accessible by all users in any location on the network.

LINKING GLOBAL STUDIOS

To further enhance our offering, we invested in several NewTek TalkShow VS 4000 systems, which offer professional, multichannel video calling for both SDI and IP workflows. This means we can now conduct multiple live, production-ready Skype video calls simultaneously during a broadcast. We can cost-effectively offer our clients the opportunity for presenters to facilitate compelling conversations or in-depth discussions between multiple remote guests in real-time regardless of location. Celebro is currently using TalkShow to link up our global TV studios in different parts of the world to provide multiviews from one studio location to another.

At Celebro we believe that IP is changing the way journalists can get a story on air and NewTek’s NDI solutions are a huge part of this. For most broadcasters, using IP is much faster, easier and cheaper, but it also creates a more immersive and interactive viewer experience. With the IP and NewTek solutions that we have in place, our team can build a complete gallery in one day.

As Celebro Media continues to grow worldwide, so will our investment in NewTek NDI solutions.

Wesley Dodd has 25 years of industry experience as a director, output editor, presenter, and systems integrator. As CEO, he ensures technical, operational and professional excellence across Celebro and runs its global operations. He can be reached atwesley@celebromedia.co.uk.

For more information, visitwww.newtek.comor call 800-368-5441.

As one of the four major sports leagues in the United States, the National Hockey League ranks fourth in popularity through the eyes of the sporting public. While it’s obviously the major deal north of the border, Canada has roughly one-tenth of the population of its neighbor to the south.

Those facts don’t usually produce the highest TV ratings.

NBC carries the NHL in the United States while Rogers Communications holds the rights in Canada (along with TVA Sports for French language broadcasts), with sports nets for each franchise. At the lower levels — including the minor leagues, college and juniors — hockey isn’t a huge draw like college football or basketball, for instance.

So, how do the millions of enthusiastic fans in North America get their fix? By buying packages from streaming companies as they support the game at its roots, in a way that the economics of a major league broadcast wouldn’t allow.

STREAM SWITCH

In the American Hockey League (AHL), the Hershey Bears have played before a rabid fan base since 1938. The franchise has always drawn well at home, since 2002 in the 10,500-seat Giant Center; and via its web stream, which will be taken over for the 2018–19 season by HockeyTV.

Aaron Henry, who contracts with the Bears through Great Save Productions, said the move from the sport’s other main streaming provider, NeuLion (which works with a wide swath of industries, sports included), for the 2018–19 season was the team’s next move after an upgrade at the rink three years ago to HD bolstered the fan experience.

The team worked with Diversified Systems Inc., of Kenilworth, N.J., on the HD upgrades to the four-sided center ice board, as well as cable boxes, including channel insertion from Radiant Communications Corp., based in South Plainfield, N.J.

Diversified installed a Ross Carbonite switcher, “which led to the creation of an auxiliary bus with different channels: one for feeds in Giant Center, the other for streaming,” Henry said. At the time of installation, the NeuLion feed was encoded at 720p.

“Today, it’s a new 1080i setup with HockeyTV,” which is designing its install to include an encoder that will take in audio-video signals, as well as content from HockeyTV’s smaller cameras, which operate on algorithms and direct the signal to its hub.

Everything the team bought for the HD upgrade is in use, including five Hitachi cameras that are hardwired with triax cabling, plus one wireless. Camera positions include two spots in Section 120 atop the lower level; one in Section 110, behind the goal; one above Section 117 at the Zamboni tunnel; and one above Section 113, for power play setup.

A sixth handheld camera is stationed next to the Zamboni tunnel, where the referees enter the ice at Section 116; there are also two Marshall lipstick cameras mounted behind the goals, with a third at the Bears’ bench.

The Bears took an economical approach to content capture with the ZPlay system from Tightrope Media Systems, which Henry called “a hybrid of EVS and the NewTek 3Play,” which is Windows-based and has similar functions.

ON THE JOB LEARNING

John Mitchell, owner of Digital Multimedia Solutions in Belmont, Mass., is working in a new facility at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., which opened its new 2,000-seat arena earlier this year. The arena features a Nevco video board and a user-friendly broadcast facility, with its game stream provided via Stretch Internet.

“The control room is run by students,” said Mitchell, who also works for the NHL’s Boston Bruins (and the NBA’s Boston Celtics) at TD Garden. “The kids can learn to run replays in 5–10 minutes, which is great, because the challenge in this part of the business is getting the students involved in a learning environment and communicating as a team, with professionals,” he said.

[Read: Marshall POV Cameras Give New Look to Harvard Sports]

The game presentation uses up to 10 cameras, with four Panasonic AW-HE130s and 40S, including two over both goals and two at each blue line; and six Panasonic P-2HD robotic cameras for shoulder or tripod mounts, with Fujinon HA Premier series lenses.

Fiber is built out to five camera locations, with the setup featuring a Blackmagic 72x72 universal router and two switchers: the NewTek TriCaster TC-1 for the broadcast and TriCaster 8000 for inside the in-house show. The two replay machines are also NewTek designs, the 3Play 4800 and the 3Play 440.

Bentley, a member of the Atlantic Hockey collegiate conference, employs “the higher end of the more affordable equipment,” said Mitchell, noting his company has done similar installs at various arenas in the northeast, that don’t require more experienced crews to operate.

“We used to need racks and racks of equipment to make this all work,” Mitchell said. “The NewTek NDI is the largest router in the world ― without having a router.

“This,” he added, “is all about the future and IP video.”

“THE STANDARD”

In the hockey hotbed of Regina, Saskatchewan, Ryan Borowko and his crew bring junior hockey action to the locals in a broadcast facility he said is “great, and we’re making it better.” The technical producer of the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Regina Pats said setup at the 6,400-seat Brandt Centre is already “the standard of the league for what a video operation should be.”

The Pats’ 10-camera show includes three hardwired and one wireless Sony PMW 320 cameras, plus one robocam under the score clock for on-ice shots, another in the arena’s northwest corner for wide-angle shots during camera switches, and two in-board cameras in the northwest and southwest bottom corners, straight back from the face-off circles that are about six inches off the ice. There are also overhead cameras above both goals, which are replay-only.

Borowko and company switch the show with a Blackmagic A-10, with the NewTek 3Play 4800 for replays. But what sets this setup apart from other WHL teams is the MotionRocket LaunchPad, an all-in-one automatic clip server and playback source for all graphics and videos, including the scorebar atop the scoreboard.

“It’s one of the most unique and versatile platforms available,” he said. “If you can’t afford a Chyron, MotionRocket is your only other option, because you can control up to five surfaces from each machine, as well as handle data ingest from any source, be it Daktronics, OES [which is used by most WHL arenas] or Nevco.”

STREAMING RIGHT ALONG

While these three arenas feature some of the finer facilities in organized hockey, they are somewhat the exceptions, as teams have varying equipment rosters, according to John Fiore, director of HockeyTV in Waterloo, Ontario, which streams the games from teams in about two dozen leagues.

“Some teams do multicamera shoots with as many as five cameras,” Fiore said, “and others just have the one camera at center ice. Some teams offer elaborate broadcasts with pre- and post-game shows, and various bonus content. That all depends on what each team can pay or how many volunteers they have available.”

The job of HockeyTV is “to provide the teams with necessary hardware, which is proprietary, for them to be able to stream from their buildings,” he said.

“No two venues are the same,” Fiore said, “so whatever they are allowed to do and can do varies from team to team, venue to venue.”

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HAMILTON, N.J.—Integrated production systems offer an easy and affordable way for virtually anyone to produce multicamera HD show and even stream live to online viewers.

Since they pack the functionality of a control room—such as multicamera switching, robotic camera control, keying, effects, audio mixing, CG, multiviewers, virtual sets, video playout, encoding and streaming— into a compact, user-friendly system that one person can operate, they’ve taken hold in non-traditional video settings like education, corporate and worship.

INTEGRATING THIRD-PARTY TECHNOLOGY
With powerful new features—like automatic camera switching, IP-driven workflows and seamless integration with Skype and cloud storage—these systems are starting to make inroads in the broadcast space.

One reason that adoption by broadcasters has been slow is that—with end-to-end functionality in one box—they haven’t been able to integrate best-in-class third-party products the way they’ve always done in video control rooms.

Discovery Channel uses Mobile Studios PortaCast HD flypack consoles. But with the introduction of NDI (Network Device Interface) by NewTek at the 2015 IBC Show, third-party integration is now possible with some integrated production systems. NewTek, which offers its flagship TriCaster and other integrated production systems, offers the license for free to any developer who downloads the SDK to make their products NDI-capable.

In doing so, any NDI-enabled device can now see any other NDI-enabled devices that are plugged into a standard Gig-E network, such as graphics systems, replay devices, storage devices, laptops, switchers and cameras. Switchers can select any of these sources as part of a multicamera production. A TriCaster, for example, will be able to choose sources between physically connected cameras and/or other video sources available over IP on a local area network. Companies ranging from AJA and Blackmagic Design to Matrox and Chyron-Hego have announced compatibility with the protocol.

“NDI is bidirectional, so all NDI-enabled sources on the same LAN are equal,” said Scott Carroll, director of public relations for the San Antonio-based company. “They can see and be seen to create interoperability between third-party systems and connect via a single Ethernet cable. Whether they’re next door or miles away, it’s frame-accurate, with less than a frame of latency.

NDI also lets production facilities maximize their SDI investments, such as broadcast cameras, while migrating to an IP workflow, according to Carroll. “We believe that IP workflows are the future of multicamera video production, and with NDI, we’re enabling that reality sooner rather than later.”

INTEROPERABILITY
Australian vendor, vMix, integrates NDI into its 4 and 8 input Go integrated production system. The Go enables switching, processing, recording and streaming of up to 4K-video. This turnkey system integrates built-in graphics, replay, text, DVR, and virtual sets, in a case small enough to fit in the overhead storage on a plane.

“NDI is an open technology that’s leveling the playing field for all of us,” said Eric Pratt, Sales Engineer for US Broadcast, which is the North American Distributor for vMix. “It’s making life easier by enabling interoperability without occupying an I/O connector.”

“Having a single operator control the entire production may not be best for every production,” Pratt says, “NDI lets our users break out various vMix functions, like replay, titling, and graphics, and put them on separate laptops so other operators can run them.”

“Then their graphics, replays or titles show up automatically as a source,” Pratt added. “You don’t have to be using a NewTek device to make this work, any NDI compatible product will integrate. A lot of companies are jumping on the bandwagon, and I expect big buzz about it at NAB.”

OFFERING A CHOICE
James Gilbert, CEO of Pixel Power, points out that integrated production systems limit customers to buying just the tools that have been built-in, so they’re locked in to buying everything from a single vendor.

“If you don’t like the graphics tools that have been built in to the integrated production system, it’s hard to swap that out for something you like more,” Gilbert said. “Broadcasters are used to choosing best-of-breed systems, but if you go down this integrated path, if something isn’t working well for you, you need to make sure there are hooks that allow you to substitute something else into your workflow.”

Offering choices to integrated production users is a key part of Pixel Power’s strategy, according to Gilbert. “We’re making our core graphics technology available as a plug-in that can work within integrated production systems,” he said.

Graphics, including live, multilayered 3D and channel branding, has been Pixel Power’s core competence for nearly 30 years. Its latest software products, Pixel Factory and StreamMaster are suitable for IP file-based workflows. Pixel Factory, which delivers the impact of Clarity, is software that runs on standard IT servers in file-based workflows. StreamMaster, which is integrated playout software with graphics and branding capabilities, can be virtualized on servers at data centers or in the cloud.

Grass Valley Ignite is a software-based integrated production system that allows a single operator to manage a control room full of devices for live newscasts and event programming.REMOTE CONTROL OVER IP
At Broadcast Pix, Product Manager Tony Mastantuono says that operational and labor cost pressures are driving the higher end of the video business to take a closer look at their multiconfigurable Flint and other integrated production systems.

“As our systems get more powerful, economical, and compact, they’re realizing they no longer have to move a 50- foot trailer with a skilled multiperson crew for every event,” Mastantuono said. “They can leave Flint at their master control, and just send a small crew with a flypack to shoot the video and send it back live to the studio. Then Flint can be used to remotely control the production over an IP network, which is one of the ways it helps keep production costs down.”

With its multitiered IP approach, Flint also streams directly to the Internet while simultaneously recording, allows access to media and files from cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft One Drive, as well as the ability to incorporate Skype calls and PowerPoint presentations into live productions. The system also offers wireless control via a tablet.

Earlier this month, Broadcast Pix announced that it had joined the ASPEN Alliance, an IP-based protocol backed by Evertz.

VIDEO TO GO
With its PortaCast HD flypack consoles— which house components by such vendors as NewTek, Ross, Panasonic, For-A and Sony—Mobile Studios makes it easy for integrated production systems to be set up quickly.

“We’re seeing growing demand for our systems as people in many vertical markets—such as corporate and education—recognize the importance of producing and distributing their own video content,” said Rich Rubin, president of Mobile Studios, in Deerfield Beach, Fla. “In the age of IP video distribution, even small to mid-sized companies need to use video strategically to promote themselves and their products and services in order to stay relevant and competitive.”

PortaCast Deluxe features a hinged lid that supports multiview monitors, a pullout drawer that provides a switching control surface, a bench that doubles as storage for cables, and built-in storage for up to 22 rack units of components.

The waterproof, shockmounted case can be wheeled over steps or into a van using an optional aluminum PortaRamp for easy transport.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Integrated production systems are breaking down barriers and allowing talented video producers—regardless of budget—to enter the live production market, according to Rush Beesley, president of RUSHWORKS, in Dallas.

“When you factor in affordable cameras, lightweight LED lighting panels, green-screen and channel-in-a-box playout, you now have much of what you need to run a robust, 24/7 TV channel for under $75K,” he said.

RUSHWORKS offers VDESK multicamera pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) production systems with 4, 8 or 12 SDI/analog inputs starting at $7,500. It also offers control of most PTZ cameras, HD/SD production and streaming, remote control using a tablet over a wireless network, and Talk- Take automated video switching intelligence based on active microphone detection.

RUSHWORKS is integrating the Blackmagic Design Micro Studio 4K camera with its next generation PTX pan & tilt head. The solution will be on display at the NAB Show, controlled by VDESK and also by a DMX lighting console.

SOFTWARE-BASED
Continuing the trend towards crew consolidation, Grass Valley Ignite is a software- based integrated production system that allows a single operator to manage a control room full of devices for live newscasts and event programming. When Ignite automation is paired with the GV Stratus Digital Media Platform (DMP), broadcasters have an integrated production workflow for distributing content efficiently across multiple platforms, such as TV, Web and mobile.

“DMP automates the newscast beyond traditional on-air TV, and eliminates the need for human intervention to prepare complex, ad-supported content for multiplatform delivery,” said Ed Casaccia, senior director of product management/digital media and workflows for Grass Valley in Montreal.

“When a news story airs during a live newscast, it may consist of many elements, such as an on-camera intro, field report, Broll with a voice-over, graphics and an on-camera wrap-up,” Casaccia added. “DMP marks the in and out points of that entire news report, treats all of those components as a single segment, and then automates its delivery to the Web and mobile.”

There are also additional processing capabilities, such as the ability to replace embargoed content, like a few seconds of sports action with a suitable alternative, such as a scoreboard graphic. It’s also possible to dynamically insert different ads into the online versions, and even “hyper-localize” the ads based on zip codes or other criteria.