News-Press & Gazette is replacing its aging transmission infrastructure with a Rohde & Schwarz THU9evo liquid-cooled, high-power transmitter to enhance transmission efficiency, reliability, and reduce operating costs.

“Despite outputting twice the power of the transmitter it replaced, the THU9evo has actually reduced our power costs thanks to its improved efficiency and the overall savings from liquid cooling,” said James Crawford, Director of Engineering and Operations at NPG. “Our transmitter site is located on a mountain in the middle of a high desert tundra. It experiences outdoor temperatures ranging from over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months, to sub-zero temperatures in the winter. Performance has remained rock-solid, providing our viewers with reliable access to news and information even in the most unforgiving weather events.”

Erik Balladares, Vice President of Sales, North America, Broadcast Distribution at Rohde & Schwarz, added, “We are excited to partner with News-Press & Gazette Co. and provide them with the THU9evo transmitter. Our solution directly addresses the challenges facing broadcasters today—the need for efficient, reliable, and high-performance transmission systems. We look forward to supporting NPG’s broadcast needs moving forward.”

NPG owns TV stations in 10 markets in the Midwest and western United States.

HUDSON, Mass.—BitFire, a provider of live video transport solutions, is launching the BitFire Platform at the 2025 NAB Show, April 6-9 in Las Vegas.

BitFire Platform is a fully integrated suite of cloud production tools and IP transmission technologies designed to streamline workflows for broadcasters and content creators, the company said. It provides convenient, cost-effective access to broadcast-grade, software-defined tools that deliver the flexibility and scalability of the cloud with the reliability and performance of dedicated hardware, the company said.

“The BitFire Platform eliminates traditional barriers to live production by giving broadcasters, production teams, and content creators a professional, easy-to-deploy solution that’s instantly available, fully customizable, and readily scalable,” said BitFire President and CEO Jim Akimchuk. “With a complete cloud-based toolset at their disposal, teams of any size can launch quickly, collaborate in real time, and produce exceptional live content from any location.”

Going live during NAB, BitFire’s freshly redesigned website will provide immediate and intuitive access to the BitFire Platform, enabling users to leverage its powerful production capabilities in minutes, according to the company.

Within the platform, BitFire Spark Production Environments enable users to design, deploy, and manage live productions with unprecedented speed and flexibility. From a single interface, production teams can build in switching, audio mixing, replay, intercom, and multiviewing, quickly configuring cloud production tools in an environment tailored to their specific needs. They can select switcher size, replay capacity, multiviewer layouts, and more while maintaining the familiar feel of a traditional control room. BitFire Spark Production Environments can be spun up in minutes, scale on demand, and turned off just as easily.

The BitFire Inferno Command Center gives broadcasters and other content producers all the tools they need to build and manage their cloud-based productions and transmission. The intuitive web-based dashboard simplifies transmission routing and management, providing BitFire’s FlightPath live statistics for a real-time look into status and facilitating management of cloud resources, as well as admin and billing.

FireBridge Connect enables secure, browser-based access to the BitFire Platform, making it easy for remote team members to step into the production workflow. Working from anywhere, authorized team members can monitor live video and audio, access control panels and intercom stations, or set up webcam contribution.

Supporting the entire production workflow, BitFire Transport delivers broadcast-quality video and audio over IP with ultralow latency and synchronized multifeed delivery, according to the company. This infrastructure is reinforced by the BitFire Network Operations Center, which provides 24/7 engineering support and monitoring to ensure smooth transmission.

Designed by broadcast professionals for broadcast professionals, the BitFire Platform supports and enhances proven live production workflows, the company said. Because it integrates well with existing broadcast hardware and software, it can function alongside other technologies rather than requiring an all-or-nothing switch.

“As the industry continues to embrace hybrid workflows, the BitFire Platform provides an ideal solution for organizations looking to expand their live production capabilities without heavy infrastructure investment,” added Akimchuk. “We are looking forward to showing NAB Show attendees the new and refined BitFire.”

BitFire will be in Booth W3813 in the West Hall of the LVCC.

SAN DIEGO—Sony Electronics has launched the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS (SEL400800G), its longest-range full-frame E-Mount lens to date, setting a new benchmark in focal length reach for the Sony mirrorless system, the company said. The Sony E-Mount lens lineup previously peaked at 600mm, but the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS extends the focal length to 800mm for specialty shooting. The additional reach is especially beneficial for birding, wildlife, aerial, and sports photographers seeking long-range lens capabilities.

Sony will showcase the lens at booth N439 in the North Hall during the 2025 NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 6-9.

The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is designed to provide exceptional image quality and lens control across the entire ultra telephoto zoom range. Its internal zoom mechanism ensures stable handling, while its advanced optical design delivers creamy bokeh and sharp, detailed images. With a fast and accurate autofocus system combined with a durable, versatile build, this lens is a powerful tool ideal for both photographers and videographers documenting far away subjects.

"At Sony, we are dedicated to equipping photographers and videographers with the tools they need to push creative boundaries. The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is a testament to this commitment, delivering unparalleled reach and reliability as a super telephoto within the G Series lens line-up,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President of Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. “By continually expanding our lens offerings, we ensure that Sony mirrorless users have the specialized gear to capture stunning imagery in even the most challenging environments."

As the newest addition to the Sony’s G lens lineup, the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is the first Alpha lens to offer a super-telephoto range of 400mm to 800mm, delivering unparalleled reach for the Sony Alpha full-frame system. For applications such as birding photography, the 400mm to 800mm zoom range allows photographers to locate subjects at the wide 400mm end before zooming in up to 800mm for tight, detailed shots. For those who need even more reach, the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is compatible with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters2, extending its range up to a staggering 1600mm.

An internal zoom mechanism maintains a balanced length and weight distribution while adjusting focal lengths—enhancing stability and handling. A smooth, responsive zoom ring allows for precise adjustments, while a carefully designed structure helps prevent accidental focal length shifts. In addition, this lens’ zoom ring features a short rotation throw which enables quick zoom adjustments essential for tracking fast-moving subjects in birding, wildlife, and sports photography.

The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is designed for exceptional optical performance, featuring an 11-blade circular aperture that produces beautifully smooth, creamy backgrounds with stunning bokeh when shooting at a narrow depth of field. Six ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements effectively minimize chromatic aberration, while advanced coatings suppress flare and ghosting, ensuring crisp, high-contrast images even in backlit conditions.

For fast, precise focusing, the lens is equipped with two precision linear motors, enabling seamless tracking that keeps up with the Alpha 9 III’s 120 fps3 maximum burst speed and up to 240 fps in video4. Its quiet operation, focus range switch, and suppressed focus breathing allow for enhanced control and make this lens an excellent choice for both photo and video use.

The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS delivers solid support for both handheld and tripod-mounted shooting. Its built-in Optical SteadyShot (OSS) image stabilization minimizes shake-induced blur, and when paired with an Alpha camera body featuring in-body stabilization, stability is further enhanced. Durable construction, optimized balance, and a non-removable foot maximize reliability and performance. For tripod use, the tripod mount foot allows quick rotation between horizontal and vertical orientations, offering versatility for various shooting scenarios.

Designed for high-level control and reliability, the lens features three customizable focus hold buttons positioned at 90° increments for easy access in any orientation. Full-time Direct Manual Focus (DMF) automatically engages manual focus when the focus ring is adjusted, allowing for seamless fine-tuning. The redesigned lens hood includes a lock button and filter opening, ensuring effortless operation in any environment.

Additionally, the dust- and moisture-resistant design enhances durability, while a fluorine-coated front element repels contaminants for easier cleaning.

LONDON—Blackbird plc, a provider of the Blackbird cloud video platform and developer of the online collaborative video editing and content creation platform, elevate.io, says elevate.io has surpassed 10,000 verified users following marketing campaigns in strategic, targeted locations around the world.

elevate.io, is Blackbird’s new online video editing and content creation platform built using Blackbird technology for the fast-growing creator economy. It has been in general release since March 2024 and, despite a rapid surge in sign-ups and usage, elevate.io has performed with 100% uptime and scaled easily, Blackbird said.

“It is tremendously exciting to see this early success which supports our belief in elevate.io and the vast appetite for online and collaborative video editing tools, said Blackbird CEO Ian McDonough. "As we execute our product led growth strategy, we are really encouraged to see our marketing efforts tapping into this wall of latent demand.”

At the 2024 IBC Show, Sept. 13-16 at the RAI Amsterdam, GatesAir will unveil the third entry to its IMTX Intra-Mast series, which consolidates miniature transmission modules inside a common chassis with minimal infrastructure. GatesAir will also showcase the two latest models for its Flexiva GX family of FM transmitters, one that is new to IBC visitors and the other which begins shipping in time for the show.

GatesAir has added to both lines in response to global customer demand for high-efficiency, low-power solutions that solve problems, reduce costs and reliably operate over the long term. The new IMTX 2+0 model packs two UHF modules into an ultra-compact chassis that come configured as low-power transmitters, transposers or gap fillers to address specific TV coverage needs, often for challenging scenarios. The Flexiva GX line adds 2kW (GX2K) and 3kW (GX3K) models that fill out the low-power end of the FM transmitter family, ensuring that all broadcasters have a very high-efficiency, analog-only option for their station’s power level.

“Five years ago, GatesAir laid the groundwork for a new era of low-power innovation with three key new product lines: the PMTX-1 outdoor weatherproof series, the MultiD Series of multicarrier DAB systems, and the IMTX Intra-Mast series,” said Ray Miklius, Vice President of Technology, GatesAir. “Through the unique vision of our European engineering team, these TV and DAB systems shed new light on the possibilities of transmitter design while solving existing problems and preparing customers for future opportunities in content delivery. The spirit of these high-efficiency designs are found in our Flexiva GX line in ways that best serve the FM market. All four award-winning lines will be on our IBC stand, and we’re excited to share the benefits of our latest IMTX and GX products.”

GatesAir’s new IMTX 2+0 system adds a two-channel option to the popular Maxiva IMTX 2+0 Intra-Mast series, offering the same benefits as its six- and eight-channel siblings with “some clever twists,” the company said. All three IMTX systems include a stacked array of transmission modules securely built into a chassis and pre-configured to provide TV service or fill coverage gaps where signal penetration is a challenge. IMTX systems are especially useful for populated urban areas with tight housing densities, or to establish a localized transmission point to serve rural or underserved communities.

The IMTX 2+0 substantially reduces the form factor to a sleek 13.35” x 6.7” x 12.58” form factor, simplifying its integration to fit into almost any structure. Its compact design, solid structural integrity and flexible connectivity points translate to clean installations inside hollow mast or traditional tower structures, according to GatesAid.

Its sturdiness and unobtrusive presence also work well inside an RF shelter in desktop form. From an efficiency standpoint, tower structures provide complete protection from the outside environment while allowing heat dissipation via convection and forced air cooling. Same as previous models, the IMTX 2+0 offers vertical air convection flow within the chassis, complemented by a series of small fans. A DVB-S/S2 satellite receiver option is available as well as GbE (TS over IP), ASI, T2MI, and SMPTE-310M inputs.

The IMTX 2+0 is the first IMTX system with a built-in N+1 architecture that solidifies on-air protection for broadcasters through a parallel redundancy layer. N+1 systems, especially popular in Europe, support automatic failure to a secondary system that provides the same functionality and performance. The IMTX 2+0 design is built for redundancy across channels, with automatic failover between a main and backup chassis and through a single, simple connection between the corresponding modules.

The initial rollout will serve UHF channels, with VHF and DAB radio versions to follow as market demands dictate. All IMTX transmission modules can deliver up to 70 W of average DTV power.

GatesAir will be in Stand 8.C74. For more information, visit https://show.ibc.org/

SAN JOSE, Calif.—DTS, Inc. a subsidiary of Xperi, has announced “DTS Clear Dialogue,” a new on-device solution that leverages the latest advancements in AI-based audio processing to improve dialogue intelligibility for TV audio.

DTS Clear Dialogue addresses one of the biggest audio complaints from consumers—not being able to clearly understand spoken onscreen dialogue. There are many reasons why consumers have difficulty understanding onscreen dialogue: device limitations, inconsistent audio across content sources, environmental noise or individual hearing abilities.

Xperi says its DTS Clear Dialogue provides consumers with the ability to personalize and optimize their audio experience, significantly improving their understanding of dialogue.

“Sound quality is an essential part of the TV and video viewing experience," says Greg Ireland, senior research director at IDC. "IDC's consumer survey results continue to show that sound quality is highly important to a strong majority of viewers. Moreover, sound quality applies to older and young consumers, signaling that solutions that enable improved audio experiences address a highly important facet of the viewing experience for consumers across all generations.”

A recent Xperi survey of 1,200 U.S. adults revealed that 84% of consumers have experienced trouble understanding dialogue during TV shows and movies. In response, over three-quarters (77%) of survey respondents said they use captions/subtitles, with one in three (30%) reporting they are always or often turned on.

“When viewers can’t hear the dialogue, it degrades the quality of their TV experience and turning on subtitles is a workaround, not a solution,” says Geir Skaaden, chief products & services officer at Xperi. “To date, attempts to mitigate audio post-processing limitations don’t address the complex underlying problems across languages, content and environment, and can’t account for each viewer’s individuality. Our device-side AI-based audio processing solution will allow TV OEMs to provide their viewers with the ability to customize and personalize their audio experience.”

DTS Clear Dialogue leverages AI audio processing innovation and machine learning techniques to identify, separate and enhance dialogue so listeners can better understand it. Clear Dialogue is language-inclusive and agnostic to content type (movies, TV shows, sports, live events, etc.).

Xperi says that according to its own survey, 79% of U.S. consumers said that DTS Clear Dialogue would increase their interest in a smart TV that offered it. Top use cases include when: actors do not speak clearly (40%), non-dialogue audio elements are too loud (38%), viewers want to watch at a lower overall volume to avoid disturbing others (35%) and the TV-watching environment is too noisy (34%).

Xperi says DTS Clear Dialogue for TV OEMs can identify and separate virtually any element within an audio program to optimize its performance, distinguishing between elements such as dialogue, music and special effects. Users can also create personalized profiles with dialogue and non-dialogue settings, to address hearing impairment, listening environments and audio preferences for varying conditions.

“This new level of AI-powered personalization addresses listener needs and can compensate for individual hearing impairment, device limitations and listening environments for the first time,” continues Skaaden. “Providing this deeper level of understanding and enjoyment of TV content benefits everyone, from the viewers themselves to advertisers, streaming services, movie and TV studios and TV OEMs.

Xperi will demo DTS Clear Dialogue at stand in Hall 22-306, during IFA in Berlin, Sept. 6-10.

NEVADA CITY, Calif.—Telestream has unveiled the VLS-300 Vantage Lightspeed server, which it says boosts Vantage workflows “with unparalleled speed and efficiency in high-volume transcoding and media processing.”

As the first model of the next-gen Lightspeed servers, the VLS-300 delivers a 30% performance boost over its predecessor, thanks to its dual GPU configuration and state-of-the-art hardware components, according to Telestream.

"The new VLS-300 model is the next evolution of Telestream innovation in hardware that is purpose-built for the demands of high volume transcoding and media processing”, says Rich Andes, VP of Product Marketing for Vantage. “Built on years of expertise in designing high-grade servers to empower the Vantage platform, the 300 provides users unparalleled performance for critical operations that need the fastest end-to-end processing possible."

The VLS-300 sports two NVIDIA A4000 GPUs at its core as well as robust cooling systems, dual power supplies, and all solid-state storage. It features NVMe 800GB OS drives and dual 1.92TB media storage RAID drive bays as well as versatile Ethernet options, including 2-Port 1G/10G RJ45, and is ready for additional 25G and 100G network configurations.

Telestream will demo the VLS-300 at Stand 7.B11 at the RAI Amsterdam during the 2024 IBC Show, Sept. 13-17. For more information, visit https://show.ibc.org/

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Xperi announced today that since launching Powered by TiVo earlier this year, the smart TV platform now spans 17 brands, including Bush, Daewoo, Digihome, Panasonic, Sharp, Telefunken, and Vestel and is available in 15 European countries with a target of two million active devices in European homes by the end of the year.

“TiVo has always been at the forefront of innovation, and the recently-launched smart TVs are no exception,” said Jon Kirchner, CEO of Xperi. “We pride ourselves on understanding the end-user better than others and are leveraging those insights to help partners provide a more user-centric TV model. We’re excited to bring enhanced TV experiences to consumers around the world.”

The range of TVs carrying Powered by TiVo encompasses various sizes, from compact 24-inch models to expansive 75-inch displays with 4K/HDR support. Xperi says its Powered by TiVo platform can ”seamlessly aggregate content from various streaming services, linear TV channels and sports content, allowing consumers to organize and access their favorite shows, movies, and live events in a centralized hub. The platform supports a wide range of popular streaming services, providing consumers with access to a vast library of free and paid content.”

Xperi CEO Jon Kirchner said recently that Powered by TiVo smart TVs will be available for retail in the U.S. later this year.

During IFA 2024, TiVo will showcase the OS platform across six of its already available OEM partners.

NEW YORK—To capture Billy Joel’s 100th consecutive performance of his residency at Madison Square Garden, show producers turned to ARRI’s ALEXA 35 and Mini LF cameras.

The event, aired in primetime March 28 on CBS broadcast, required the highest quality imaging technology. The live concert broadcast earned multiple Emmy nominations and impressed Billy Joel.

“I’m never comfortable how I look on camera, but this is the best our show has ever looked on film,” said Joel.

Producers realized the visual presentation needed to match the magnitude of the moment. “We knew this wasn’t just another show,” said Barry Ehrmann, executive producer at Enliven Entertainment. “Billy’s 100th concert at The Garden was a historic milestone. We needed cameras that could deliver an unparalleled visual experience to viewers at home, preserving the energy and intimacy of this landmark performance for posterity.”

The decision to use ARRI’s ALEXA 35 and Mini LF cameras proved pivotal in achieving the production’s vivid look. The robust cameras are known for their reliability in a live multi-cam workflow, ARRI said.

“ARRI cameras are always my first choice for multi-cam concert productions. The ALEXA 35 and Mini LF models are unsurpassed, standing far beyond any other offerings in the market,” said Ehrmann. “They made Billy and Madison Square Garden come alive for this production.”

Noting a history of using a range of ARRI cameras for concerts, show director Paul Dugdale praised them for their quality and performance in shooting concert movies.

“I love the look of ARRI cameras, and we have used the full range in our concert films, from ALEXAs, Minis, to multiple ALEXA 65s,” said Dugdale. “I particularly love the way that they handle shooting into light, which is obviously so frequent in concert movies. 2011 was the first time we integrated ARRI cameras into a large multi-camera shoot, and since then ARRI has been my go-to camera whenever the opportunity has presented itself.”

The cameras’ well-regarded performance in varied lighting conditions enabled the production team to capture both the intimacy of Joel’s performance and the grandeur of Madison Square Garden, resulting in a viewing experience that blurred the lines between live concert and emotional feature.

Steve Cohen, Billy Joel’s lighting designer, creative director, and executive producer was impressed with the cameras’ ability to capture his vision. “The incredible depth and clarity from these cameras made my lighting design so effective and realistic. It literally looked the same on film as it did to the naked eye—which is unheard of. ARRI’s technology allowed us to create a dramatic look that’s rarely seen in live concert broadcasts.”

The resulting CBS special aired on April 14. It drew an audience of more than 23 million viewers and garnered nominations in several Emmy categories, including: Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special, Outstanding Lighting Design/Direction for a Variety Special and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special.

Funicular Goats provided state-of-the-art equipment, workflow and technical management for the production. By providing comprehensive technical management and multicamera solutions, Funicular Goats enabled the creative team to focus on crafting an exceptional visual experience for Billy Joel’s worldwide fanbase, the company said.

More information is available at billyjoel.com

NEW YORK—As a cinematographer, visual storytelling, leading a team, staying on schedule, executing, and elevating my Director’s vision are some of the many things I do everyday. My problem solving skills are always working in the background. I love finding ways to maximize my resources, which was especially relevant in the production of “Scary Good,” which I shot on the new Canon EOS C400 camera, in collaboration with Canon. Problem solving is present in all my work.

“Scary Good” is a mystery/thriller “whodunit” short film that can be seen on YouTube. I had a unique perspective on the overall workflow, since I work in both narrative and documentary background and this time around I got to shoot, direct and help conceive the concept from the beginning.

As the camera stalks and chases a box office attendant, veteran actress, maintenance worker and backstage tech, through the historic United Palace Theatre in New York City, this two-minute film fills audiences with a level of anxiety. Culminating in ultimate relief as the group bursts out of a top floor balcony into the sunlight, it illustrates just how much storytelling relies on sound and visual cues.

The 'Scary Good' Puzzle
The first part of the “Scary Good” puzzle was understanding how far we could push the camera. There are many features included in the EOS C400 camera that I didn’t know could exist at its price point; and it’s also very light and small for the power that it holds.

The crew is always a huge part of the success of every project. My gimbal operator, Nadine Martinez; my ACs, Thom Cameron, Cheryn Park, Lisa Chin; my DIT, George Robert Morse; my lighting designer Alexa Mignon; my key grip, Vinny Davino; and my costume designer, Pamela Shepherd, are all people I’ve worked with before. I’ve developed so much trust and a shorthand with this team. Pam and I met while working on Ziwe (Showtime) and I was always impressed with how she elevated the characters.

My camera and lighting team helped me execute every frame and every camera move. The lighting Alexa helped me create on screen really pushed the element of suspense. Lighting cues motivated sound design and gave the actors something to respond to. Like every production, we had limited time and limited resources. The triple base ISO really allowed us to maximize the dynamic range in the camera given the existing lighting parameters at the theater.

I wanted the theater to look as elegant as it appears in person by being strategic with my exposure and adding lighting to accentuate what was already there. I was really fortunate to have access to the EOS C400 camera and Canon senior technical specialist and sales engineer Paul Hawxhurt’s expertise. He helped me shoot some tests during our tech scout to see which ISO would give us the best latitude in that space.

6K RAW Files
Ultimately, we decided setting the base ISO to 3200 and rating the ISO at 1600 was the best way to create more details in the shadows without causing additional noise. The ways we utilized lighting and camera movements to introduce our characters made the audience feel a bit unsettled. This played into building the dramatic tension throughout, creating almost an extraterrestrial presence, which was amplified by the frenetic energy of the edit, led by our editor, Emily Spiegelman-Noel.

The EOS C400 camera’s ability to record proxies in real-time while recording in-camera 6K RAW files was really helpful for the tight turn-around in post. Our editor, Emily, was able to walk away with a hard drive of proxies to get started on the edit right away. The LUT we chose was the Canon CMT 709. We used this for our on-set monitors and this was the starting point for my DIT, George Robert, and I to create a few CDL’s for our colorist. While we were in the color grade, we made minor adjustments to help accentuate the look and feel of our film. l

Christine Ng is a Hong Kong-born, New York City based cinematographer. She can be reached at ms.christineng@gmail.com and at www.christineng.com.

More information is available at www.usa.canon.com.

Professional intercoms provider Pliant Technologies will highlight its new CRP-C12 Compact Radio Pack at IBC2024, Sept. 13-17 at the RAI Amsterdam. The newly designed CRP-C12 compact Radio Pack (RP) was created specifically for use with any CrewCom or CrewCom CB2 system and is one of the industry’s smallest, fully featured, wireless professional intercom belt packs, measuring approximately 3.5 in. x 3.5 in (9 cm x 9 cm), while weighing just under 9 oz./ 255 g, Pliant said.

The new compact RP is available in 2.4GHz (worldwide) and 900MHz (where legal). It includes support for up to two assignable conferences with a simultaneous dual listen option. For further customization, it also includes two assignable function buttons that can be configured via a user profile for functions such as stage announce, call, or trigger of contact closures.

The CRP-C12 features an informational sunlight-readable backlit LCD display, along with easy-to-access, top-mounted A/B channel and talk buttons, dual-function buttons and easily accessible volume control. It also includes a compact 6-pin Male Mini XLR (TA6M) headset connector, a USB-C charging, firmware and pairing port, and is compatible with the Pliant PBT-RPC-66 6-Bay Drop-In Charger via an optional easy-to-use adapter. It uses the PBT-LIP-01 Lithium Polymer CrewCom Battery, the same used in current Pliant Radio Packs.

“With its compact, lightweight design, the CRP-C12 radio pack makes for an effortless, easy to operate, yet reliable solution for our customers,” says Gary Rosen, Vice President of Global Sales for Pliant Technologies. “When used with the CB2 system, it is a cost-effective and easy to deploy wireless intercom system. When paired with our CrewCom intercom system, users now have the option of four different radio packs.”

CrewCom is Pliant’s flagship expandable, networked-based wireless intercom system featuring seamless roaming. Pliant’s CrewCom CB2 is a full-duplex, installation-friendly, cost effective, and feature-packed wireless intercom system and is perfect for applications that do not require roaming or the full feature set of the larger CrewCom system. CrewCom and CrewCom CB2 are available in both 900MHz and 2.4GHz frequency options as well as 900MHz Oceania and 2.4GHz CE compliant models.

Pliant Technologies will be in Stand 10.C53.

Anton/Bauer has launched its VCLX LI 1600, the latest evolution in its VCLX range of block battery systems. The new battery delivers more power than ever from a lightweight and IP65-rated weatherproof unit, the company said.

The VCLX LI is a 1600Wh capacity battery, more than double the power of the VCLX NM2 launched last year, while being lighter at just 25.5 lbs. It provides multi-voltage output (14.4V, 28V, and 48V) through two XLR4 outputs and one XLR3, offering seamless power to cameras, monitors, and lighting equipment.

This ensures optimal performance for high-current demand devices, according to the company. For example, an ARRI ALEXA 35 rig could require about 300W at 28V DC—135W for the camera and another 165W for the monitor, wireless transmitter, wireless focus lens motors and receiver, focus assist, and lens light—the VCLX LI will power that package for 5.3 hours, Anton/Bauer said.

Broadcasting is all about communicating to and with the viewing audience. A big part of making this happen is the ability for production teams, technical crew and on-air talent to communicate with each other. Which is why intercom has always been a key technology, albeit one with fairly humble beginnings. But from relatively simple systems for studio communications, with facilities to talk to incoming sources, it has grown into both a continually developing technical area and a substantial business sector.

Part of this can be attributed to the expanding scale of TV production, not just bigger and more elaborate shows but also the ever growing use of remote access through IP networks and the cloud. This has seen REMI (REMote Integration) become a major consideration for intercom installations, although most manufacturers regard it as something that is already well-established in live production.

Smaller Crews
The difference today, says Dave MacKinnon, recently appointed vice president of product management at Clear-Com, is that whereas such a set-up would have been “very well planned out” 10 years ago, broadcasters are now working on a more “run and gun” basis.

“More productions are being done by either one person or a small production team,” explains MacKinnon, who came to Clear-Com after a career that began with the federal government and continued with 12 years at NBCUniversal. “And because of increased bandwidth and 5G, the production center doesn’t have to be in the city the show is coming out of. In the last few years the economics of broadcasting have changed dramatically, with many broadcasters wanting to spin up FAST channels to extend the value of what they are doing.”

As part of this, MacKinnon adds, “flexibility and interoperability” are the two main features broadcasters expect from modern intercom systems. Both these criteria are highlighted by John Hooper, president of Eartec, which produces a range of wireless headsets that can be connected to wired intercoms using the company’s digital interface module.

Eartec’s “plug and play solution includes software to balance the signals of the existing wired intercom and Eartec’s full duplex wireless transceivers to create a seamless audio link,” Hooper says. “We’re also seeing a growth in demand for long-range communication and offer [Eartec’s] Global Connect system for wireless communication over IP. This is linked to a computer or even a smartphone and allows mobile wireless users to communicate in full duplex through the internet.”

Eartec recently announced the availability of its new UltraLITE PRO16, a full duplex wireless headset aimed at larger crew sizes.

REMI Workflows
Rick Seegull, senior vice president of technology and business development at Riedel Communications, adds scalability and reliability to the list of requirements along with flexibility and interoperability. “Of course, there is a major IP component to provide for these features and most are converging to a SMPTE ST 2110-based system so they can easily share resources and sources—for everything, not just intercom—without creating technology islands,” he says.

REMI workflows have been at the forefront of broadcaster’s needs in live location work for several years, Seegull adds.

“This has escalated exponentially since 2020 and now become a standard component for live events, as is At-Home production allowing operators not only to be in the broadcast control room as opposed to on-site but now even being at home whenever the need arises,” he says. “Scalable intercom systems over WAN via VoIP [voice over IP] connectivity or even uncompressed, extreme low latency connections with panels linked anywhere in the world, which allows operators to use the same components they would in the broadcast truck at the venue only back at the main control room or even at home.”

Increasing Interest in Cloud Connectivity
As for the cloud, Seegull comments that it is “definitely being discussed” and used more when it comes to intercoms. This growing interest in virtualized and de-centralized hosting for intercom operations is confirmed by Martin Dyster, vice president of business development at Telos Alliance, which has been a leading proponent of cloud-based communications in recent years.

“We’ve seen a lot of growth and increased interest in this area,” he says. “It’s not necessarily because people are getting into cloud production per se or building entire systems around cloud-based audio and video technology, although those customers exist. People recognize the benefits of a virtualized comms system in being able to deploy an intercom panel at the drop of a hat to anybody anywhere in the world without the overhead of boxing up a piece of hardware, shipping it round it world and relying on someone to hook it up remotely.”

Telos has “worked closely” with the Media and Entertainment team at AWS to determine “best practices” for larger cloud workflows, according to Dyster. “We’ve also worked with technology partners to get over some of the hurdles of moving multicasts between elastic cloud computing instances [a virtual server or computing environment], which, up until now, has been very difficult to do. The partnership with AWS is very positive and they chose us as the comms partner for its delivery of the NAB Show LIVE broadcasts.”

As Michael Brown, business development manager at RTS, observes, one of the first questions asked when people discuss the cloud is: “Whose cloud?” The options are, he says, hardware on-premises or bringing in a third party to oversee the connections set-up. “Other questions that must be answered include “who is responsible for reliable connectivity and who is liable if there are missed commercial inserts when an automated update to another network occurs?’” he muses. “As well as answering these questions, the technology must be proven before a totally cloud-based comms systems is deployed on a high profile, high value production.”

Brown envisions a hybrid design, with a hardware backbone and cloud connectivity “as an adjunct and secondary usage for non-critical communications.”

Gary Rosen, vice president of global sales for wireless intercom developer Pliant Technologies, calls cloud-based intercom products “a great enhancement to an existing infrastructure” but is not convinced it will become the dominant technology for communications, at least in the short-term. “With so many factors needed to make cloud devices work external to the venue, and given the reliability of on-site systems, I don’t believe current systems will be replaced with cloud-based intercom in the near future.”

Options for cloud operations, Rosen adds, include dedicated and hosted servers, which are either in-house or provided by the likes of AWS and Google. AEQ has taken a different approach to most broadcast manufacturers by offering a dedicated cloud service that was created for the company’s systems.

“We manage it and is our own cloud, providing support to our intercom systems with full back-up and no other material on it,” explains sales director Gustavo Robles. “The cloud is very popular because it offers the possibility to interconnect remote locations in a very easy way. But there are still big projects for big customers that demand a traditional, robust, mega-redundant central matrix with dedicated hardware.”

Despite this, Robles acknowledges, requirements are changing, with users deploying what suits the productions, including utilizing smartphones or wearables as wireless beltpacks. The shifting nature of intercom is also shown by Riedel connecting analog microphones to a Bolero wireless intercom beltpack for interview work; and Telos’s prototype combined comms and commentary software panel, which can be controlled either by a touch screen or a hardware box such as the new Elgato Stream Deck Neo.

Which shows that in many ways broadcast intercom is the same as it has always been but is also evolving as new technologies appear to meet broadcaster’s needs.

YOKOHAMA, Japan—Leader Electronics has expanded the capabilities of its LVB440 IP Analyzer with extended support for the latest standards relating to object-based audio metadata.

Software release 6.0.3, now available for download, includes support for decoding Serial ADM in SMPTE ST 2110-31 data channels as defined in ST 2116. These encompass the rendering of Serial ADM presentations and displaying audio bed-channels and object-channels from the related metadata. Experimental support is added for decoding Serial ADM data items sent using ST 2110-41 as well as ST 2127-2 Fast metadata. Newly added support for ST 2110-41 Fast metadata streams includes a feature flag to toggle whether application/ST2110-41 is listed as a capability for NMOS receivers. 

A new video facility provided within software release 6.0.3 for the Leader LVB440 uses deep color drawing buffers when available, supported by Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge 122 browsers and later on suitable hardware. Also new is Canvas which enables simultaneous viewing of video images, waveforms, chromas vectors and audio signal levels from up to four separate services in a user-configurable layout.

Housed in a compact 1 U, the LVB440 allows efficient analysis of SD, HD, HD HDR, 4K and 4K HDR data flow over media networks of any size, the company said. Designed to monitor and analyze high-bitrate media traffic in broadcast production studios, OB vehicles, master control facilities and transmission networks, the analyzer supports data rates of 10, 25, 40 and 50 gigabit/s, extending up to 100 gigabit/s via dual interfaces. The core processor is more than capable of handling the 48 gigabit/s data rate required for full bandwidth source 8K, according to Leader.

The Leader LVB440 is controlled via an HTML-5 browser and provides full support for up to eight local or remote users, allowing production teams to perform real-time checks on large numbers of streams and multiple resolutions in parallel at multiple locations. Operators can survey multiple media transport layers of an IP network simultaneously, allowing issues to be rectified before they impact the quality of service experienced by program viewers.

When connected to primary and secondary networks, the LVB440 can monitor and analyze redundancy within the SMTPE ST 2022-7 standard which is used to ensure seamless protection switching. Tools are also provided for PTP clock analysis, including clock source detection, timing accuracy and individual flow path latency. SMPTE ST 2110, ST 2022-6, and ST 2059-2 PTP standards as well as Networked Media Open Specifications are also supported.

Intuitive packet display analytics including single or multiple stream correlation allow errors to be identified quickly and easily. Media metadata and deep packet analytics can be displayed. Also provided are traditional colorimetry measurement tools, including a vectorscope with ITU Rec. 601, 709 and 2020 compatibility, for checking chroma saturation issues that can arise in mixed standard and HDR environments.

At the 2023 IBC Show, Sept. 15-18 in Amsterdam, CueScript will showcase a range of tools to help broadcasters more easily produce content in the field.

The company will demo its newest product CueTALK Cloud, which is designed to allow CueScripts’ prompting software CueiT- and CueTALK-enabled devices, which feature the latest in IP connectivity, to communicate over WiFi. It allows controllers and prompt devices to be accessible via the cloud using standard public internet connection. It is also designed to align CueiT to be more user-friendly and easily set up between local and remote applications.

 CueTALK Cloud serves as a VPN replacement solution and brings an enhanced level of flexibility to users working on remote locations. By doing so, this allows for accurate teleprompting anywhere there is an Internet connection and is great for prompting on-the-go, the company said.

CueScript will also highlight SayiT, its first voice-activated solution for its CueiT prompting software. SayiT software application receives a talent microphone input and allows those using the CueiT teleprompting software to be able to have the script automatically scroll in accordance to what they are saying, matching what is displayed on the output of the teleprompter and eliminating the need to manually scroll the prompter script. SayiT can also be used as a main or back-up option for stations with no or few operators, or for stations looking to automate talent scrolling their own script. 

OnTime, a WiFi enabled clock device that can be easily configured to the local time zone, will also be highlighted at its booth. Designed for broadcast teams that require an accurate timing device on the road—especially for those that are traveling to multiple locations—OnTime provides NTP to clocks and is connected via WiFi.

“CueTALK Cloud, SayiT and OnTime are all designed to provide ease of operation for broadcasters across multiple production applications and workflows,” says Michael Accardi, President, CueScript. “By employing these solutions, broadcast teams can work smarter with more reliability, anywhere in the world. CueScript is dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art prompting for in-studio and remote broadcasting workflows.”

CueScript will be in Stand 11.D10. To register for IBC, visit show.ibc.org/registration

From filming NFL player Chris Long bringing clean water to east African countries to working with Hollywood’s the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, Louisville, Kentucky-based film company Nadus Films has built a reputation for “making films that make a difference.” The global film company focuses on stories that make a cultural impact for good. They’ve done everything from shoot feature films, short films, as well as promotional material for mission-driven organizations while telling stories of war, famine, gang violence, and even religious persecution.

“Our goal is to impact those lives of whom we’ve told stories of. We’ve been fortunate enough to see many changes for better within homes of the people who are the focus of our films,” explains Nadus Films founder and director, Coury Deeb. “During production for one of our films we met Leidy, who was an active gangster in Guatemala throughout the production of BBoy for LIFE. We miraculously saw her transformation and have now witnessed her life that is sustained by worthwhile goals rather living an evil life. In the end, we entertain by telling worthy stories and also see lives changed for the better.”

Deeb founded Nadus Films 15 years ago after realizing that in order to tell deeper stories with the chance for a greater impact, he had to learn film. In addition to making films that make a difference, Nadus Films routinely gifts worthy non-profits with free videos. The result of these extremely high-end, cinematic films helps these non-profits grow donations anywhere from 50-100%.

Nadus Films has built an impressive portfolio of films and clients from NFL Films to the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, whose mission is to bring needed resources to charitable organizations working with children and the arts. Another notable work by Nadus is the Emmy nominated TV Series Us Against the World with Comcast and NBC, which follows racial tensions of a rural town in Kentucky as a black coach turns a losing group of basketball kids into a winning team.

“Working for over 15 years has helped us build a pretty robust portfolio and an impressive Rolodex. Not everyone can do this for a living, and small businesses come and go. We’ve weathered the storm for 15 years, and we’ve built a lot of relationships. I think what people are drawn to is that we tell entertaining stories, use a cinematic approach with professional polish while also maintaining a gritty, risqué filmmaking for our captured content.”

Nadus’ work takes them to changing environments and requires frequent travel – from Africa to Japan. 

Because of that, Nadus Films choose Hawk-WoodsnewMini V-Lok batteries. The Mini V-Lok batteries are the smallest and lightest batteries in the world. About half the size of standard V-Lok batteries, the Mini V-Lok batteries make traveling and shooting both easy and convenient.

“We started to see the Mini V-Loks pop up on the sites that we frequent. We started using V-Loks more with our Sony FS-7 rig, and we were already using V-Loks for our RED camera and our director’s monitors. When you consider all of this gear, and you have to travel across the world to Asia or India, for example, it really takes up a lot of space. We are always trying to pack light, so the idea of Mini V-Lok batteries became appealing, especially because it allows us to pack light and still use the same tools,” said Nadus Films Cinematographer Drew Layman.

Deeb adds, “Especially with airline requirements; we have to pack smarter, more efficient and more light. The technology allowed us to do this.”

Despite only getting the Mini V-Loks a few months ago, the Nadus filmmakers have put the batteries to the test. They’ve already taken the batteries to shoots in Singapore and Malaysia.

“The weight and size of Hawk-Woods are what drew us. We’ve used them quite a bit and plan to add more. We’ve used the 98wH batteries and use the dual battery hot-swap plate when we use our RED Gemini,” says Layman.

He adds, “we try not to let gear get in the way we tell the story. Ultimately, its not the gear it’s the way you use the gear to tell your story. We’ve always been lean in the gear we use and employ a run and gun style in terms of our shooting while still providing as much creativity as we can. In filming this way, we give a lot of authenticity and convey emotion a little more.”

To learn more about Nadus Films, visit nadusfilms.com.

Manios Digital is the exclusive US distributor for Hawk-Woods batteries. 

CARY, N.C. – SmallHD’s new 501 and 502 full HD, 5-inch on camera monitors have received a firmware upgrade, version 1.0, that offer the devices a slate of new features.

As part of the upgrade, the 500 series products now include image capture of up to 1080p raw images from the live camera feed, and image overlay to load any JPEG from the SD card and display it at varying opacity levels over the live camera feed. Other new features include HD waveform, which displays monitor luminance; on-screen audio meters; Canon DSLR scale, which fills the entire screen with the image; auto image flip; anamorphic de-squeeze to display a normal image when shooting with an anamorphic lens; and access to the display calibration LUT, allowing the user to replace the factory-generated Rec.709 color calibration with 3D LUT file from a color management application.

The free firmware 1.0 update is available here.

MGW D265

SUNNYVALE, CALIF. – Vitec is now shipping its MGW D265 portable HEVC IP decoder worldwide. The company’s portable HEVC IP encoding and decoding systems offers a turnkey solution for sending video point to point or point to multi-point using half the network bandwidth previously required with H.264 systems for the same video quality.

The MGW D265 is on display at InfoComm 2015, along with Vitec’s hardware-based HEVC encoding appliance, the MGW Ace.

Vitec is a provider of digital video products for broadcast, military, medical, education, enterprise, telco, government, transportation, sports and entertainment customers.

CYPRESS, CALIF. – Preparing for its transition to HD, Bolivia TV has purchased a number of For-A video production equipment. The order included video switchers, character generators, signal processors and routing switchers.

VTW-350HS character generator

Among the products acquired by the La Paz-based broadcast station were 10 HVS-110 portable video switchers, which offers mixed HD/SD input, frame synchronizing, re-sizing engine, 2.5D wipe effects, DVE, Chroma keyer and DSK. The switcher also features a multi-viewer, clip memory feature, and built-in Web server for remote programming via a PC or tablet.

The station also purchased 10 MFR-3232 routing switchers, a32-input, 32-output unit with interface function; 10 VTW-350HS HD/SD character generators, providing text and graphic functions; and 10 FA-9520 signal processors, featuring up/down/cross/aspect conversion, full color correction and automatic video optimizer, in addition to serving as a frame synchronizer.

For-A is a manufacturer and distributor of broadcast video and audio systems based in Cypress, Calif.

FAREHAM, ENGLAND – Software Generation, Ltd., has introduced Direct Connect, a system that allows users to quickly transfer high resolution material, for use with the SGL and Avid ISIS shared storage environment.

Direct Connect has the ability to quickly archive and retrieve both clips and sequences that are more than several GBs, as well as shorter clips with high bit rates.

“Traditionally, content passed between SGL FlashNet and Avid ISIS is sent via Avid’s archive provider. In the past when file sizes were smaller this worked well, but for high resolution file-based content this method has some performance implications. Direct Connect enables FlashNet to connect directly to the ISIS storage system using 1/10 GB Ethernet,” said Lee Sheppard, SGL director of product management.

SGL is an archive management software company based in Fareham, England.

MELVILLE, N.Y. – ChyronHego is letting everybody know about its new extension to the Shout social media application, Shout Metrics. Designed specifically for Twitter, Shout Metrics can provide broadcasters with data analysis on news segments, live sporting events or other entertainment.

Shout Metrics

Based on Shout, a social media editor that works with graphic systems to build online communities from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtoo and RSS feeds, Shout Metric normalizes Twitter data for visualization using ChryonHego’s Advanced Data Object. By pointing and clicking, users can link Twitter data to Lyric graphics to create graphs and charts without scripting. Users can also create customized manual campaigns using their own polling data to quickly visualize charts and graphs in real-time.

“With Shout Metrics, producers, reporters and other social media curators can normalize Twitter data to engage fans in real time or simply learn more about viewer demographics,” said Johan Apel, president and CEO of ChyronHego.

Shout Metrics is now available.

LONDON – Eyeheight looks to bring the green of center court at the 2015 Wimbledon Tennis Championship to viewers, whether they be on Henman Hill or in the comfort of their living room. Eyeheight CC-2M color correctors and a DK-2 multi-rate linear downstream keyers will be part of the infrastructure used to broadcast content to viewers around the globe.

Designed for live television content creation, the Eyeheight CC-2M color corrector helps ensure consistent color matching between multiple camera sources or significant changes to camera angle. The CC-2M allows independent real-time adjustment of red, green and blue component levels, master gain, lift, gamma and hue. Additional features include a preview output with a split screen showing the processed and unprocessed picture, up to six plug-in modular color correction cards, and eight panels that can be networked.

The DK-2 is compatible with all commonly used 625/525-line standard definition, 720p intermediate-definition and 1080i high definition formats. It incorporates background, fill and key inputs, wipe, matte and garbage-matte generation, independent main and preview keyers plus EDH reinsertion for the main output. It is also fully transparent to SDI-embedded audio and other ancillary data. Other features include 10-bit linear keying, manual or automatic transitions, a user-selectable choice of additive, multiplicative and self-key modes, and AES digital audio voiceover.

The 2015 Wimbledon Tennis Championship will take place at the All England Club in London from June 29 to July 12.

SAN JOSE, CALIF. – Adobe has announced the launch of Adobe Stock, a stock content service - including photos, illustrations and graphs – that will be integrated with Adobe Creative Cloud.

Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock is integrated with the latest versions of Photoshop CC, InDesign CC, Illustrator CC, Premiere Pro CC and After Effects CC. Designers can launch Adobe Stock directly within CC desktop software, add watermarked images to Creative Cloud libraries, and access and work with images across multiple desktop tools. Completed images can be licensed directly within the desktop software a designer is currently working on. With CreativeSync technology, all edits made on watermarked images are automatically applied to newly licensed images. Designers can also contribute to Adobe Stock’s library of more than 40 million photos, illustrations and graphics.

Adobe Stock is now available as part of the Creative Cloud or as a standalone stock service for non-Creative Cloud members.

MELVILLE, N.Y. – MOOV and BT Sport have selected ChyronHego’s Lyric graphics creation technology to serve as the ultra high-definition graphics infrastructure for the companies’ new UHD service.

ChyronHego worked closely with MOOV to support the design and testing of the 4K Lyric templates in preparation of upcoming events, including the UEFA Champions League Football, Premier League Football, Aviva Premiership Rugby and more. ChryonHego supplied MOOV with two UHD-enabled Lyric production systems with next-generation I/O boards to support the ultra-high-performance rendering of the UHDTV production.

ChyronHego is a provider of broadcast graphics creation, playout and real-time data visualization technology headquartered in Melville, N.Y.

RENNES, FRANCE—Thomson Video Networks announced that its new ViBE 4K HEVC encoder successfully enabled live 4K streaming of the 2015 French Open tennis championship, which wrapped June 7.

Launched at the 2015 NAB Show, the all-new ViBE 4K HEVC real-time encoding solution allows media enterprises to leverage HEVC for delivering an optimal video experience to consumers, with live compression of UHD sources at up to 60 fps and in 10-bit color for ultra-HD broadcasting. At the French Open, France Télévisions in partnership with FranSat, the French DTH platform operated by Eutelsat, used the ViBE 4K to broadcast live UHD pictures in H.265 format on the Francetvsport ultra-HD television channel. The broadcast was available to any viewers with 4K-compatible displays.

FULLERTON, CALIF. – Leader announced the latest addition to its series of test equipment and signal analyzers, the LV 7390 multi-standard rasterizer. Compatible with 3G-SDI, HD-SDI and SD-SDI, the LV 7390 can measure up to four SDI signals simultaneously and incorporates a full-resolution HD-SDI rasterizing output allowing operators to check detailed video and audio parameters on any display screen.

Able to be operated by either the front panel or a plug-in pointing device, the LV 7390 can be customized to show multiple waveform combinations. Measurement capabilities include waveform and vector display plus a reference maker that can be positioned anywhere on the user’s external screen. Leader’s Cinelite feature, which can gauge the brightness distribution of an image, is also integrated into the LV 7390.

Leader, a producer of electronic measuring tools, will display the LV 7390 at the upcoming Cine Video Expo Television in Mexico City, June 16-19. The LV 7390 will be available starting in July.

NEWBURY, ENGLAND – Snell has announced that it is making its Alchemist OD format and framerate converter software available as fully-configured, supported turnkey systems. The new turnkey systems will combine Snell processing software and two types of hardware configurations.

The first hardware configuration is the Professional package. Alchemist OD’s Professional package utilizes high-performance commodity components to create a conversion solution for standard use. The second configuration is the Enterprise package, which incorporates enterprise grade components for 24/7 usage, including data center applications. The Enterprise includes additional features like ECC memory, redundant power supplies and increased CPU processing power to enable fast connectivity to remote NAS/SAN storage. Both systems are delivered in a 4U chassis and come with Windows Server 2012.

Alchemist OD turnkey platforms are now available.

NEVADA CITY, CALIF. – Telestream wants users to keep their eye on the Switch, as the digital video tools provider has announced the latest version of Switch Pro, a cross-platform media player, features new professional visual inspection tools to create QC workflows for post-production and video professionals. Telestream has also announced a new branch of Switch, Switch Plus.

The new Switch Plus includes the basic player and inspection functionality of the Switch Player, but also includes playback support for HEVC and MPEG-2 on Windows, AC3 audio, as well as caption and subtitle playback support, including CEA-608 and CEA-708 captions, SCC, DVB, TTML and WebVTT, SRT and STL subtitle files. Switch Plus also includes audio meters to display true-peaks and momentary loudness values.

Telestream’s new version of Switch Pro comes with all of the features of Switch Plus while adding additional playback support for DNxHD, DNxHR and JPEG2000 files. It also includes a loudness panel that calculates gated and ungated loudness, as well as external preview output allowing support for HDMI/SDI hardware output via AJA devices. AJA video products supported include KONA 4, KONA 3G, T-TAP, Io 4K and Io XT.

Switch Plus is available for $49. Switch Pro is available for $295.

HUNTSVILLE, ALA. – PESA, a provider of streaming, audio and video distribution products, and VIQ Solutions, who specializes in digital media evidence collection and management, have worked together to develop PESA A.C.E.S., a rich media enabled capture and management technology.

Short for Acquire, Collaborate, Explain and Secure, A.C.E.S. is a two or five-channel video system; it can add additional channels and seat licenses if needed. The system combines the PESA Xstream C58 or C22 multi-channel streaming media appliance with VIQ Encompass and AccessPOINT software for file capture and management.

A.C.E.S. includes a regional served fed by fixed and/or mobile recording stations that automatically sync files, a cloud-based optional central repository, remote collaboration via the AccessPOINT portal, customized user interfaces, online training and transcription services.

Housed in a compact 1RU form factor, the C58 can simultaneously encode up to five video sources and eight audio sources for H.264 IP distribution. The C22 supports two video and audio streams. VIQ’s software offers advanced database technology to simplify logging, searching, annotations, and chain of evidence, and allows integration with third-party case management systems.

ORLANDO, FLA. – Haivision’s Makito X Video Encoder has added new recording and storage options to simultaneously stream and capture HD video. The Makito X now has up to 250 GB of internal or removable storage, can stream and record two sources simultaneously, generate four different encoded streams with bitrates from 35 Kbps to 25 Mbps and a storage capacity to handle about five days of five Mbps video.

The upgraded Makito X encoder is able to capture video content directly to the video encoder and safeguard content regardless of network conditions; manage and publish recorded video content to internal and Internet audiences with auto export to NAS and FTP servers for use within Haivision media systems; maximize video quality within selective portions of the video frame with a new region of interest encoding capability; and playback MP4 recorded files directly in the Makito X user interface.

For storage, the Makito X can record up to two streams simultaneously in TS or MP4 files and automatically create files based on time or size. Users can maintain KLV metadata from the video source and record it directly to the Makito X encoder.

Makito X will be on display, along with other Haivision products, at InfoComm 2015 in Orlando, Fla. from June 13-19.

IRVINE, CALIF. – Pasternack has introduced a new line of solid state, high powered amplifiers that cover UHF, VHF, L, S and C frequency bands. The new portfolio consists of 22 models.

These RF amplifiers have output power levels greater than 10 watts that cover broadband frequencies from 150 kHz to 7500 MHz. Solid state 50 ohm hybrid MIC designs use GaN, GaAs or LDMOS transistor technology that offers high dynamic range and allows 40 to 60 dB of gain levels. Typical gain variation is ± 1.5 dB. Some amplifier models have output P1dB that range from +10 to +50 watts, while some have output saturated power levels ranging from +40 to +50 dBm.

Each of these amplifiers have single voltage supplies which are internally regulated and the circuits are enclosed in sealed metal packages. The amplifiers are designed to a variety of environmental conditions.

Pasternack’s new RF amplifiers are available and ready for shipping.

FREMONT, CALIF. – BlackMagic Design has announced its new mezzanine card, the DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G – Quad SDI. The card connects older UHD and 4K equipment that used quad link 3G-SDI connections to customers’ computers through their existing DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G video capture and playback card.

DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G - Quad SDI

The DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G has native 12G-SDI connections that work with the latest high frame rate 4K equipment over a single, high speed SDI cable. The card includes four 3G-SDI connections on the same card, enabling the card to work with first generation monitor and projectors that have quad link 3G-SDI connections that require four SDI cables. It also has a built-in hardware down converter for outputting 1080p60 video from 12G-SDI 2160p60 sources.

BlackMagic also released the new Desktop Video 10.4.1 software update. This update supports DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G – Quad SDI and also adds 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 support for 2160p30, keying in 1080p60 and deep color support.

The DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G – Quad SDI is now available for $75.

HUNTSVILLE, ALA. – PESA, the streaming solutions, audio and video distribution product manufacturer, has announced the Vidblox HTR converter/extender, the latest addition to the Vidblox product line. The Vidblox HTR is able to incorporate HDMI technology, support a wide variety of resolutions and can be configured as either a transmitter or receiver.

Vidblox HTR

Controlled through PESA’s Cattrax management control software, Vidblox HTR is backward compatible with Cheetah 3G-SDI, HD-SDI and SD-SDI routers. It can also embed/de-embed audio from an HDMI signal and users can select between embedded audio or discrete audio. The Vidblox HTR supports SD, HD formats including 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p, as well as HDMI.

Each Vidblox is able to support up to four identical inputs or outputs. It comes standard with two coax ports that extend signals up to 140m and two optional single-mode fiber ports extend signals up to 10km. DVI is supported with an HDMI-to-DVI adapter. Outputs include 720p, 1080i or 1080p at 50/59.94/60fps, or 4K at 30fps.

Vidblox will be available in the third quarter of 2015.

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, ENGLAND – Custom Consoles has added a new addition to its stable of broadcast furniture, the MediaPost, a free-standing portable screen mount that can support flat monitor displays of up to a 65-inch diagonal screen size.

MediaPost

Designed to be used when Custom Console’s MediaWall is too large, the MediaPost can be used as a studio floor monitor, off-camera talent prompts or part of an in-view studio background. MediaPost can also add a 3 meter wide horizontal beam to support up to three 65-inch monitors in a single row.

MediaPost is fully heigh-adjustable and come with removable covers to conceal cables. Loudspeakers can also be installed upon request.

MediaPost is now available.

BILLERICA, MASS. – Broadcast Pix, a provider of integrated production switchers, has announced its new Router Control software option, which extends the I/O of its production switchers and allows easy cross-point control of router sources to router destinations feeding a Broadcast Pix system. Router Control is designed to work with AJA’s KUMO SDI routers.

Router Control

Through a TCP/IP connection, Router Control can integrate external sources into live productions. Show-based router assignments allow a single router to feed different control rooms for easy configuration. The software can also automatically map custom names on the KUMO router to the Broadcast Pix Multi-View as an under monitor display and on the panel through PixButtons.

Multiple systems, like Flint, Granite, Mica and Roadie, can use the built-in Fluent-View customizable multiview with a mouse or touchscreen to control the KUMO router. Also, with bi-directional control, any change on the Broadcast Pix or AJA router is reflected on the other.

The Router Control software will be available in late June at the price of $495. Broadcast Pix will demonstrate it at InfoComm 2015, from June 17-19 in Orlando, Fla.

MILFORD, CONN. – Signal extension and switching system manufacturer Thinklogical has announced that it will introduce KVM features to its new TLX series matrix switches and extenders at the upcoming InfoComm 2015.

TLX extenders

TLX has the ability to extend and switch computer peripherals and uncompressed 4K video at full 4096 x 2160 resolution and 4:4:4 color depth at 60Hz using either two CATx cables or three fibers. TLX extenders feature a new connector that can receive both HDMI and DisplayPort cables on the same extender. It also features a 10Gbps performance and flexible and efficient hybrid architecture.

Hybrid configurations are available for the TLX. Specifications and capabilities include:

TLX Video and KVM Extension Systems

·Extension of up to 80km over fiber, 100m over CAT6a

· Support for a single display up to 4096x2160 @ 30Hz, or two displays up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz over a single fiber or CATx cable

·Support for a single display up to 4096x2160 @ 60Hz, or two displays up to 4096x2160 @ 30Hz over two fibers or CATx cables

·Support for two displays up to 4096x2160 @ 60Hz over four fibers or CATx cables

·Supports HDCP content

·Local output port(s)

·Ethernet port for configuration, management and updates

·Support for full duplex stereo and embedded audio, with ability to de-embed at the receiver

·Support for unbalanced analog audio and serial RS-232

·Support for USB HID and USB 2.0 (480Mbps)

·Modular, hot-swappable form factor

TLX Matrix Switches

·Non-blocking and protocol agnostic

·Scalable chassis sizes from 12 ports to 640 ports

·Hot-swappable critical system components: power supplies, fan trays, control cards, data input/output cards

·Redundant and current-sharing power supplies

·Redundant control cards with automatic failover

·Expected to achieve Common Criteria EAL4, TEMPEST SDIP 27 Level B and NATO NIAPC Evaluation Scheme: GREEN information assurance (IA) accreditations

TLX is now available to order.

InfoComm 2015 runs from June 17-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Thinklogical will be in booth 3479

WIESBADEN, GERMANY – With video and multiviewer technology from Grass Valley, audio from Lawo and intercom from Riedel, Dutch multimedia specialist United’s new OB 16 mobile truck needed an overall control system to manage its varying parts. United went with L-S-B’s Virtual Studio Manager to accomplish this.

Virtual Studio Manager

VSM hardware panels are at 15 workplaces to switch signals or trigger multiple complex functions. Setups for VSM can be set, saved and recalled; operators can configure workflows individually and then recall them for production. VSM was designed as a hardware independent and IP-based control system.

United will utilize its new OB 16 mobile production truck, which features eight cameras, for live broadcasts of sport and entertainment events.

NEWARK, N.J. – Cinematographer Doug Farris has added two Panasonic VariCam 35 4K camera/recorders, as well as a VariCam HS high-speed camera/recorder, for San Francisco-based production company, Ghost Hand Productions.

Doug Farris with Panasonic's VariCam 35

The VariCam 35 offers image handling in multiple formats from 4K RAW to 4K, UHD, 2K, HD and ProRes capture. Other features include dual native ISOs of 800 and 5000 for low lighting situations; an optional high-speed 4K uncompressed recorder; internal AVC-Intra 4K/2K/HD recording up to 120fps; ACES workflow support; and in-camera ColorGrading via CDLs/3D LUTs.

The VairCam HS is a 2/3-inch high-speed camera that captures 1080p images at up to 240fps. Utilizing three 1920 x 1080p MOS imagers with 14 stops of latitude, the VariCam HS provides full control over a wide range of lighting conditions. Key features also include real-time high frame rate, off-speed recording to 240fps in 1080p, and the ability to ramp/change frame rates during recording. Recording formats include AVC-Intra Class 100, AVC-Intra Class 200 and 12-bit sampled AVC-Intra Class 4:4:4.

Specializing in scripted end-to-end production, Ghost Hand is utilizing his new cameras for ENG and cinema production. Farris says that the production company has already used both the VariCam 35 and VariCam HS on projects for clients.

CHICAGO—Sportvision announced the renewal of its long-term partnership with MLB Advanced Media.

As part of the agreement, Sportvision and MLBAM’s joint pitch tracking system, Pitchf/x, and its derivative data, will continue to be utilized at all 30 MLB ballparks throughout the 2015 MLB season. Sportvision’s Fieldf/x, which MLBAM has taken a long-term license on for possible future integrations, also will serve as the Official MLB.com provider of field/player tracking technologies to the minor leagues through 2019.

Pitchf/x, which Sportvision developed in conjunction with MLBAM, is currently operational at all MLB parks and 40 Minor League parks. It again will support national and regional MLB broadcasts in 2015.

Pitchf/x has tracked pitches in MLB games since 2007, amassing a database of more than 8 million pitches. The technology records and reports pertinent aspects of the pitcher/batter matchup, including speed, break, location, pitch type and trajectory, accurately and in real-time. The system generates a comprehensive set of data that is used to enhance television broadcasts, mobile applications, Internet gamecasts and more.

“There continues to be great demand for detailed statistical data that captures and evaluates player performance,” said Hank Adams, CEO Sportvision, Inc. “We value our longstanding partnership with MLBAM, and remain focused on introducing technologies that influence the way executives, coaches and fans watch and analyze the game today.”

Sportvision’s Fieldf/x System, which delivers near real-time and complete player and ball tracking data, will be utilized at several minor league ballparks throughout the 2015 season. With more than 1million data points captured in a single game, including player movement on the field, this system’s integration into minor league stadiums will serve as an additional tool to analyze defensive performance metrics and support player development.

LONDON—Polecam Systems said it super-stabilized John Gillan’s Polecam by fitting and interfacing it with a new Ronin-M gimbal for coving the the latest Red Bull Cliff Diving event.

“Whether it’s a Jimmy Jib or a Polecam—strong wind is always tricky for a jib but I knew that with the recent developments of gimbal technology this could be the answer. Steffan and his team were great in getting this ready in time and the results were brilliant” said Gillan, director of photography for event coverage.

Polecam said Gillan shot with his Toshiba IK-HD1 camera mounted with the Fujinon XT17 zoom lens. With the 4.5-77mm range and the lens controlled by the Polecam ZIF handle, this combination is working a treat on the gimbal head, and can be used even in the windy conditions encountered in these locations.

This event in Texas was hampered by massive flooding this year. The ramp had to be raised 5 meters due to the increase in water level. At one point, a resonance vibration started in the Ronin-M due to the stiffness of the boom. There wasn’t the time to adjust the tension on the boom’s wire struts, but Polecam said a tweak on the Ronin-M App fixed it.

“This is something we have been looking at for a while and will soon be launching our own bespoke gimbal....” said Steffan Hewitt, the founder of Polecam Systems. “In the meantime, interfacing third-party gimbals seems a simple and very effective solution.”

Polecam is a single operator, lightweight, highly portable, comprehensive and modular crane system which has a quick and easy rig/derig time, allowing you to take it with you and use it in a whole range of situations to give your camera the ability to elevate and track and add smooth movement whenever and wherever you want.

If you make programmes or movies there has never been a better time with such a wide choice of high performance cameras available, many of them more affordable than ever before. The camera may be your primary creative tool but there is one piece of grip which will easily raise the bar on your production values and give you the edge.

Polecam is just as comfortable with large format cameras as RED, Sony F5/55/700, CanonC100/300/500, Blackmagic, Panasonic DSLR GH4 and it is at ease with the excellent 4K/HD5/2/1 minicams from Toshiba and the high speed LMC Antelope PICO minicam to add ultra slow motion.

Add the Polecam FishFace underwater head and housing and you can shoot above water and then drop the head live under the water and continue shooting there. Add the PICO and shoot ultra motion underwater.

MELVILLE, N.Y. – ChyronHego is providing a new canvas for sport broadcasters to generate illustrated graphic replays with the announcement of Paint 6.0. The latest version of ChyronHego’s production analysis and telestration toolset now includes a Mac OS X version to enable use on MacBook Pros.

ChyronHego Paint 6.0 Movie Player Graphic

One of the new features of Paint 6.0 is the movable player effect. This function allows the commentator or operator to move players to different positions or remove them from the field entirely; broadcasters can also highlight athletes and scale them to size. Paint 6.0 also includes an editable clip export feature that allows clips to be shared between Paint servers in an unflattened state to keep all elements editable and supports more advanced in/out effects.

Paint 6.0 is now shipping. The Mac OS X version will become available in July.

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Intel has unveiled its USB-C interface, Thunderbolt 3, calling it the “fastest, most versatile connection to any dock, display, or peripheral devices.”

The USB-C connector is small, reversible, fast, supplies power and allows other I/Os in addition to USB. Thunderbolt 3 brings Thunderbolt to USB-C at 40 Gbps, double the speed of the previous generation, USB 3.1 10 Gbps, and DisplayPort 1.2. In Thunderbolt mode, a single cable can provide four times the data and twice the video bandwidth, while supplying power. It was developed for new uses, such as 4K video,

At 40 Gbps, Intel said, a 4K movie can transfer in less than 30 seconds. Two 4K, 60 Hz displays with nearly 16 million more pixels than an HDTV can be connected via the interface, the company said. Thunderbolt 3 supports charging up to 100 watts, and provides peer-to-peer connection at 10 GbE speeds.
Products built to Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 specifications will work with Thunderbolt 3 via an adapter. Initial products with Thunderbolt 3 are expected to begin shipping before the end of this year, and ramp in 2016.

WOODBURY, N.Y.— Gearhouse Broadcast supplied the onsite broadcast and production facilities in Trinidad for the two-week AGICO Super50 2015 Regional Cricket Tournament involving eight teams from an 18-nation consortium. Gearhouse relied exclusively on HD/SD broadcast cameras from Hitachi Kokusai Electric.

Employing 16 Hitachi cameras, Gearhouse captured the on-field action across three venues for worldwide broadcast, including 15 matches seen live on ESPN. The acquisition chain featured 12 Hitachi SK-HD1200 cameras for general coverage and four of the company’s new Z-HD6000 cameras for unmanned operations. Both models provided the Gearhouse team with exceptional picture quality, reliability in challenging weather conditions and comprehensive camera control.

According to Marc Genin, managing director, Americas for Gearhouse Broadcast, the wet and humid tropical climate of Trinidad was chief among his reasons for choosing Hitachi cameras for the tournament.

“These are long days, and the weather changes rapidly,” Genin said. “The atmosphere is very wet and when it rains, it rains hard. The rain stops play, but the cameras stay out there. They remained reliable under circumstances where we would expect failure. The design and quality of these are cameras are apparent in their construction, and we had no performance issues for the entire two weeks. This is true of our experience with Hitachi cameras worldwide. We regularly operate in environments that are particularly unfriendly to electronic equipment, and have yet to lose a camera in three years.”

Remarkable fluctuations in sunlight are also common in Trinidad due to the often-quick onset of cloud cover. Genin notes that this is where the Z-HD6000, which Hitachi formally introduced in late 2014, particularly shines. The Z-HD6000 incorporates 3 MOS imaging sensors, which nearly eliminates video noise, vastly improves dynamic range and offers superb color rendition. The MOS sensors also reduce signal support electronics, lowering manufacturing costs and offering stable and precise operation throughout the camera lifecycle.

“Ordinarily, unmanned cameras typically require color correctors to match the images to the main coverage,” he said. “We didn’t require external color correction as we easily matched the Z-HD6000 pictures to the look we were seeking. The MOS sensor has excellent image reproduction characteristics while giving our shaders plenty of latitude to offer more pleasing pictures across the board. At the end of the day, Hitachi helped us raise the quality of the entire production compared to previous NAGICO tournaments.”

Though Gearhouse has other cameras in its portfolio, Genin expects to continue using Hitachi cameras for the majority of his outdoor sports productions, including the upcoming U.S. Open 2015 tennis tournament to be broadcast on ESPN in late summer.

NEVADA CITY, CALIF. – Video transcoding and workflow automation provider Telestream has announced that the Lightspeed K80 server is now available worldwide. The latest version of Lightspeed uses NVIDIA and Intel technology to boost video processing and H.264 encoding speeds up to 60 percent for Vantage media processing platform products.

LightSpeed K80 server

The Lightspeed K80 server provides high-density transcoding and video processing in a 1RU server. Able to support Vantage 6.2 or later, the K80 server combines NVIDIA K80 GPU technology with twin 12-core CPUs for its increased speed. 2 TB of media storage is also included. Lightspeed can be used alone or added to an existing Vantage ecosystem.

Telestream is located in Nevada City, Calif.

PARK RIDGE, N.J., — Sony’s HXR-NX100 expands its line of professional compact camcorders that deliver the benefits of a 1.0-inch type sensor. The new model delivers high resolution, low-light performance and accurate color reproduction, and its ease of use and diverse features fit a range of professional applications, from web content creation and student filmmaking to corporate, documentary and event production.

Sony HXR-NX100

“This new camcorder is a great choice for professionals who need a flexible and high-performance compact camcorder, or pro-sumers looking to step up to an easy-to-use pro model,” said Jeanne Lewis, marketing manager, professional digital imaging, Sony Electronics. “With its 1.0-inch type sensor, the HXR-NX100 outperforms many competitive three-chip offerings.”

The new camcorder joins Sony’s PXW-X70 in a growing line of professional compact models with a 1.0-inch type sensor. The HXR-NX100 features a 1.0-inch Exmor R back-illuminated CMOS sensor with 20 megapixels. The sensor, which is approximately the same size as a Super 16mm film frame, delivers high resolution and low noise even in low-light conditions. It also enables the greater depth-of-field control required in demanding shooting requirements.

High picture quality is further ensured by a fixed Sony G lens, offering 12x optical zoom from a 29mm angle of view at wide end that can be increased to 24x with Sony’s By Pixel Super Resolution Technology. Zoom performance can double by up to 48x at any point using a Digital Extender. These features are complemented by a built-in four-step ND filter to control exposure in bright scenes.

The HXR-NX100 has an ergonomic, lightweight design. Three independent manual lens rings give easy access to zoom, focus and iris functions. The camcorder’s connectivity options include HDMI, Multi/Micro USB, XLR terminals, composite (BNC) and a Multi Interface (MI) shoe for use with a wide range of accessories without the need for cables, such as Sony’s HVL-LBPC video light and the UWP-D wireless microphone series.

The HXR-NX100 records in AVCHD, DV and XAVC S 50 Mbps, giving shooters greater production flexibility. The HXR-NX100 records to SD memory cards, and has dual media slots to record onto two memory cards either simultaneously or via a relay mode, where recording automatically switches when the first card is full.

KEY FEATURES:

1.0-inch type Exmor R CMOS Sensor and Sony G lens

Three independent manual lens rings, built-in four-step ND filter, 0.24-inch 1,550K dots EVF and 3.5-inch 1,550K dot LCD for easy monitoring, and a wide variety of professional interfaces, including HDMI, Multi/Micro USB, XLR terminals, REMOTE, composite (BNC) and Multi Interface (MI) shoe

Multiple recording format capabilities

Dual media slots for recording flexibility

The HXR-NX100 camcorder is planned to be available in October 2015.

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, ENGLAND – Some heroes need a good sidekick and that is what Vislink is providing its HEROCast HD wireless transmitter as the company pairs it with the PROceiver receiver unit. Specifically designed for the HEROCast, the PROceiver will assist with transmissions of live broadcasts.

PROceiver

The PROceiver is a one-box, compact unit that supports MPEG-4/H.264 encoding and DVB-T modulation. The system also includes video picture monitoring on the front panel TFT display. The PROceiver was designed to be used in harsh RF environments.

Bundled with HEROCast, PROceiver helps establish an RF infrastructure to use for point of view cameras during live broadcasts. Vislink is now accepting orders for HEROCast and PROceiver.

MUNICH, GERMANY—CueScript has named Camera Support Granderath a distributor of CueScript products in Germany and Austria. Effective immediately, CaSu will distribute all CueScript products, expanding the availability and visibility of the company’s products in Germany/Austria.

CaSu was established in 2008 by Florian Granderath, an expert in camera support and grip equipment. In 2015, CaSu joined forces with Michael Bucher, a long-time Vinten employee, to represent vendors that include Cartoni and CueScript.

CaSu will distribute CueScript’s full line of products, which includes the flagship CSM line of LED High Brightness HD-SDI Prompter Monitors (available in 15-, 17- and 19-inch models) with the new CS CueNumber double digit cue light, geared toward a range of live and studio productions. Additionally, the company’s EMC line (available in 15- and 17-inch models) designed for education, middle market and corporate applications, will also be on offer. Cue-iT software, Premier, Production and News.