Brutal güet, a Swiss broadcast services provider, has rolled out a state-of-the-art outside broadcast (OB) vehicle built on a Lawo AoIP (audio-over-internet protocol) infrastructure to power IP-based workflows.

The new vehicle is outfitted with a Lawo mc²56 MkIII production console with 48 faders, running on a redundant A__UHD Core licensed for 256 DSP channels. The core itself features a software-defined architecture providing up to 1,024 DSP channels within a compact 1RU housing. With native support for SMPTE ST2110, AES67, and RAVENNA, the system enables fully IP-based signal processing, Lawo said.

“The combination of the mc²56 and HOME [Lawo’s cloud-native control and management platform] has fundamentally streamlined our production workflows,” brutal güet Chief Operating Officer Jonas Zubriggen said. “We can configure complex setups in no time, automatically integrate devices into the network and react flexibly to new requirements—without manual IP configuration or lengthy prep work.”

The setup offers brutal güet maximum operational reliability and scalability, qualities that are essential for productions involving complex audio configurations and simultaneous multilingual broadcasts, it said.

“With Lawo, we can reliably manage parallel commentary feeds in German, French and Italian—all from one compact yet powerful vehicle,” Zurbriggen said.

The Lawo console supports demanding live productions and immersive audio workflows and offers snapshot automation, loudness metering and direct integration of Waves plug-ins, the company said.

Lawo’s A__stage80 and A__stage48 I/O units provide signal distribution. The A__stage80 offers 32 mic/line inputs, 32 line outputs, and eight AES3 stereo I/Os. It also supports SMPTE ST2022-7 seamless protection switching for redundant networking. Both are equipped with Class-A microphone preamps, MADI interfaces and dual IP ports.

The Lawo HOME platform manages brutal güet’s AoIP infrastructure. It automatically detects compatible devices, integrates them securely into the network and enables centralized configuration via an intuitive interface. HOME supports NMOS IS-04/05, IEEE 802.1x and RADIUS. With the new HOME 4.0 release and the HOME Pass licensing model, infrastructures can be scaled precisely, it said.

Broadcast Solutions designed the OB vehicle based on brutal güet’s operational requirements using its Streamline concept. The interior layout follows a clear workflow structure: the front section houses the video control area featuring a Sony MLS-1 video switcher for UHD/HDR productions, along with slo-mo and multifunction workstations in an expandable bay.

The center section accommodates the Lawo mc²56 MkIII console, installed perpendicular to the driving direction to maintain direct line-of-sight between the audio engineer and the director. A side window further enhances communication. The rear section includes camera shading and technical control workstations, along with server racks and the HI human interface control software system providing centralized process automation.

“We’re new to the OB truck business, but from the outset we wanted to make a clear statement about quality,” Zurbriggen said. “With Lawo, we’ve found a solution that not only meets our current needs but is also fully scalable for the future.”

More information is available on the Lawo and brutal güet websites.

There’s a moment in fly fishing when you spot a new bend in the river for the first time. The current moves differently here. It’s deeper, faster, with little eddies and pockets where something might be waiting. Standing there, you realize that finding success is more than just showing up. You have to read the water, pick the right fly and cast just right.

Like a river, a live broadcast is in constant motion. The pace changes from slow stretches to sudden bursts and the flow can turn without warning. Cameras have to be in position before the play unfolds. The replay team has to grab the perfect angles in seconds. Graphics have to update in an instant. The audio mix needs to capture the roar of the stadium without drowning out the announcers. A single missed cue can ripple through the entire show. As a technical manager, I’m the one watching the whole current, making sure every part of the system is moving in harmony.

I’ve seen just about everything that can happen on a live production: power failures; cables going bad; graphics systems locking up moments before going to air. The challenge isn’t just fixing the issue; it’s doing it without breaking the rhythm of the show. In fly fishing, if a tangle forms in your line mid-drift, you don’t freeze or throw your hands up. You work it out quickly and get back to fishing before you miss your window. Broadcasting is the same way.

Knowing When It’s Flowing
When a crew is in sync, the production takes on a rhythm you can feel. Everyone knows their role, but more importantly, they know how their actions affect the people around them. A camera operator frames a shot with the replay team in mind. An A1 rides the crowd noise just right so the announcer’s words cut through. The coordination is almost invisible to the audience, but to those who live and breathe production, it’s the difference between simply getting the show on air and creating something that pulls people in.

Technology has reshaped the craft in ways that were hard to imagine when I started. We’ve gone from analog boards and fixed-truck setups to IP-based workflows, 4K resolution and fully remote productions. Some of those changes have made life easier. What used to take hours of patching can now be done with a few clicks. But new tools bring new kinds of problems. The day you assume everything will work perfectly is the day you get blindsided.

Being There
Nowhere has that evolution been more dramatic than in audio. Today, it’s about creating an immersive, almost cinematic soundscape. Viewers expect to feel like they’re in the building, on the field, even inside the huddle. That means capturing more than just the obvious. It’s not enough to hear the crack of the bat. You need to hear the chatter from the dugout, the sharp intake of breath right before the pitch, and the eruption after contact.

We’ve seen a huge shift toward spatial audio and object-based mixing, where sounds aren’t just panned left or right, but placed in a three-dimensional space. For sports especially, this opens up new ways to tell the story: The mix captures the full story from the quarterback’s calls, the sideline voices and the crowd’s energy, all working together to bring the game to life. It’s not just a mix, it’s an experience.

Microphone technology has also advanced in ways that make a difference on every show. From wireless lavaliers that give athletes mobility without losing clarity to mics that can survive being buried in ice without compromise, the tools we have now let us grab sound that would have been impossible decades ago. Wireless reliability has improved dramatically, but with that comes the challenge of managing dozens of channels in a congested RF environment. That’s a part of the job the audience never sees, but it’s as critical as any camera angle.

Flexibility Is Expected
As productions get more complex, so do the expectations for flexibility. IP audio networking has given us the ability to route and reroute sources anywhere in the world in real time. That means an A1 mixing from a facility hundreds of miles away can have the same control as they would in a truck on site. It’s efficient, but it also demands a higher level of planning. If there’s a hiccup in the network, it’s not just an inconvenience—it can take your entire show down.

The future of broadcast audio is going to be shaped by two competing forces: the drive for ever-greater immersion and the demand for leaner, more remote-friendly workflows. On one side, you’ll have technology pushing us toward hyperrealistic sound environments that rival live attendance. On the other, you’ll have budget and logistical realities pushing productions to do more with less resulting in fewer people on site, smaller crews and more automation. The winners will be the teams that can balance both without losing the soul of the show.

For me, the audio side has always been about authenticity. You can have the sharpest 4K picture in the world, but if the sound doesn’t match the moment, the emotional impact is gone. The excitement of a game-winning play comes alive when the sound matches the energy of the moment. Like reading a river, capturing that moment is a mix of skill, preparation and instinct. You can’t always predict when the big fish will strike or when the perfect crowd swell will happen, but you can be ready for it.

ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX, France—France 24, the international news and current affairs television network broadcasting in French, English, Arabic and Spanish, has deployed QuickLink’s StudioEdge and StudioCall to improve its remote guest-integration capabilities.

By integrating QuickLink’s remote guest solutions into its production workflow, the news network improved connection reliability, guest onboarding simplicity and enhanced contribution quality, the company said.

As a broadcaster producing content in four languages, France 24 relies heavily on remote contributions for live news and interviews. Faced with mounting challenges and persistent connection issues when using traditional video conferencing tools, the France 24 team sought a more robust solution.

With the official retirement of Skype and the phase-out of Skype TX, France 24 turned to QuickLink to modernize its infrastructure and streamline its production guest workflow, it said.

QuickLink’s StudioEdge enables France 24 to introduce remote guests via Zoom, Microsoft Teams and QuickLink’s own StudioCall platform. With StudioEdge, the video and audio quality of remote guests and callers can be optimized using AI-technology powered by NVIDIA, ensuring broadcast-quality results with minimal operator intervention, it said.

“StudioEdge resolved a lot of the issues we often encountered using Skype TX,” Eric Devoisin-Lagarde, traffic and external production resources manager at France 24, said. “Today, while we initially planned to integrate StudioEdge gradually, the majority of our connections are already being made through the platform, as it is really simple to learn and deploy. Relying so heavily on QuickLink for our remote contributions helped ease any potential workflow issues with Skype TX being recently discontinued.”

France 24 initially deployed a single StudioEdge server into its production infrastructure to support three channels produced in Paris. It has added two additional since the initial installation to dedicated a server to each language-specific channel, it said.

“Having dedicated servers for each language allows for increased flexibility and reduces any potential bottlenecks during simultaneous live broadcasts,” Devoisin-Lagarde said. France 24 Colombia will also integrate the StudioEdge solution, further expanding the deployment across the network.

The transition to StudioEdge has been smooth for both staff and guests, many of whom were previously familiar with Skype TX. “People don’t feel lost when using StudioEdge, especially those that have used Skype TX in the past,” Devoisin-Lagarde said. “They can very easily learn and use StudioEdge, as there is not a big learning curve from one to the other.”

In addition to StudioEdge, France 24 has also benefited from QuickLink StudioCall, one of the available supported platforms within StudioEdge. It enables operators to connect remote guests simply using a web browser. Invitations can be deployed effortlessly via email, SMS, WhatsApp or by sharing a direct join link, which allows contributors to connect within seconds. StudioCall provides a high level of operator control.

“StudioCall has been a great solution for those who don’t want to use Teams or Zoom; it’s easy to use and the quality is the best,” said Devoisin-Lagarde.

More information is available on the company’s website.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—TNDV Television has launched Aspiration 35, a new version of its 40-foot Aspiration truck reimagined for cinematic multicamera productions.

Developed in collaboration with dbV Rentals, Aspiration 35 is one of the first ARRI camera-equipped trucks and among the first to deliver a complete cinematic workflow natively from a TV truck, offering a blend of film-quality imaging and traditional live production infrastructure.

TNDV debuted Aspiration 35 on July 8 at a special block party in Nashville. The event featured hands-on demos of the truck’s cinematic workflow and brought together production professionals, vendors and industry groups. The party also featured new products from local vendors like Elite Script (debuting its new Jumbo Bright Teleprompter system) as well as interactive experiences from media outlets, such as the Cams Channel podcast.

“Our refreshed Aspiration 35 truck is more than just another upgrade,” TNDV founder Nic Dugger said. “It’s a leap into the future of what live production can look like when it embraces the art of cinema. The ARRI Alexa 35 has long been a top pick of DPs on many films. There are only one or two other trucks like this in the country, but Aspiration 35 is the first to have ARRI Alexa 35 Live systems.”

TNDV sees Aspiration 35 as the industry’s answer for filmmakers and high-end corporate clients who want the look of cinema in a scalable, broadcast-capable truck environment. While traditional broadcast trucks are engineered for 1080i and 60p sports or news content, Aspiration 35 is built to handle today’s demand for cinematic aesthetics across sectors that include entertainment, corporate and sports productions through technologies that bring together true 35-millimeter sensors, 4K and 24p acquisition and shallow depth of field, TNDV said.

“For years, producers have been rigging together handheld cinema-style cameras and running them into trucks that were never really designed for that type of workflow,” Dugger said. “There is now a native, professional solution where everything is built up clean and transmitted to the truck over traditional SMPTE cable without additional hardware or cabling. These cameras are powered from the truck, they’re tethered with full shading and tally and they give us that beautiful, film-like imagery without sacrificing any aspects of production control.”

Nashville-based video production rental house dbV Rentals provided the ARRI Alexa 35 Live cameras and worked closely with TNDV to develop the single-wire architecture to new base stations installed on Aspiration 35.

The truck’s camera packages are fully scalable, can support up to 12 Alexa 35 Live multicam systems with each deployment, and are also integrated with essential live production systems, including return video, tally, intercom and remote camera shading, TNDV said.

The partnership also gives TNDV and its clients access to a very large inventory of specialty cinematic lenses from ARRI, Canon and Fujinon.

“The industry has made significant advances in offering lenses that can provide both cinematic image quality and broadcast integration capabilities, especially with extremely long-range zoom lenses,” dbV Rentals owner Doug Bates said.

“They have quickly reached the level where they are familiar to the seasoned broadcast teams with their boots on the ground, while also providing DPs from the cinematic world with the images they’ve come to expect from years of extremely high-quality optical designs,” he added. “We have truly reached the point where cinematic multi-camera shoots can offer clients the very best of both worlds from top to bottom.”

More information is available on the TNDV and dbV Rentals websites.

NEW YORK—CP Communications and its Red House Streaming subsidiary marked their 11th year of covering the TCS New York City Marathon last month by adding new technology to fill in coverage gaps. For this year’s five-borough, 26.2-mile race on Nov. 3, these included a broader implementation of private LTE spectrum, streamlined REMI site systems and integration with Starlink that enabled IP-based aerial acquisition.

These content acquisition and networking innovations from RHS allowed CP technicians to expand the event’s streaming footprint to 48 outbound feeds originating from HD-21, CP’s flagship 53-foot expando production truck. Those feeds were sent to multiple broadcast and streaming platforms, including WABC-TV New York City, ESPN2, the New York City Marathon App, and event organizer New York Road Runners’ social-media platforms.

“Over the years, we have gradually taken control of production elements where we can make a difference,” CP Communications Technical Manager Frank Rafka said. “This year, we took full responsibility for the TSC New York City Marathon App consumer experience, producing and streaming nine live feeds. That’s a big change from last year where we handed off select camera feeds to a third party. We added two VMix systems to HD-21 and assigned a dedicated operator to each for live mixing and switching of all nine feeds. We also added a dedicated encoding channel to our on-board Haivision Makito X4 video systems for low-latency transmission, which ensured real-time delivery to the app.”

As in past years, the RHS team deployed REMI (remote integration model) production systems to three locations, slimming down the technologies to simplify setup and operation, the company said. Haivision Pro460 5G mobile video systems were among the encoding and decoding technologies used to contribute live feeds to HD-21 from the three REMI sites, leveraging both public mobile networks and special Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum. RHS also deployed Pro460 systems to seven on-course motos, including dual-stream Smartcars with Sony cameras and microphones to capture live POV feeds and commentary from on-course talent.

The CBRS spectrum proved especially useful for intercom communications, particularly at the starting and finish lines, where public mobile spectrum can quickly reach capacity. “We assigned a Green-GO digital intercom system to the CBRS spectrum, which provides a private LTE cellular network for mission-critical needs with networking and communications,” said Aaron Segarra, vice president of sales at CP Communications and Red House Streaming. “That ensured clear spectrum for intercom at the start and finish lines where you have large crowds of spectators sharing their own pictures and live video feeds.”

The Green-GO intercom network included 18 belt packs at the starting line and 12 at the finish line along with six iPhones at each site, with connectivity to a cloud server from Pente Networks to manage all technologies assigned to CBRS spectrum. The communications strategy included a city-wide Unity radio system for field technicians, moto drivers, bike spotters and press vehicles, and an RTS ADAM matrix with RVON connectivity between HD-21 and the three REMI sites.

CP Communications also partnered for the first time with Helicopters Inc. to provide a camera-equipped helo for aerial race coverage. CP and RHS technicians designed a platform in collaboration with Heli Inc. to mount a Starlink satellite antenna and use that service for connectivity and Haivision for encoding.

“That was a huge accomplishment in our quest for uninterrupted connectivity,” Rafka said. “We recently started using Starlink to embellish existing cellular coverage for sporting events as there are always spots with coverage caps, and others where we can’t establish a reliable internet drop or run a cable across the street. For the marathon, we equipped Starlink connectivity to a helicopter for the first time. We still had a traditional RF microwave link on the helicopter for backup, but we used Haivision encoders as our primary encoding links. For the first time, we provided uninterrupted coverage of the entire race from all locations via IP with sateliite-based Starlink connectivity.”

The marathon—now in its 54th year—is produced by FILM 45 on behalf of the New York Road Runners.

WASHINGTON—The 2020 presidential election is adding another new wrinkle, as the second presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden is now expected to take place virtually rather than in-person.

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced today, Oct. 8—one week before the second presidential debate is scheduled to take place—that the candidates will participate in the debate from separate remote locations. The debate will still be conducted as a town hall and moderator Steve Scully, senior executive producer and political editor at C-SPAN, will be at the original location for the debate in Miami. The White House Press Pool will be responsible for covering the debate.

The decision to have the candidates participate virtually comes after it was revealed on Oct. 2 that Trump tested positive for COVID-19. The president spent last weekend at Walter Reed Hospital, and then was released on Monday, Oct. 5. Reports have indicated that he has had mild symptoms at times since contracting the virus. In addition, multiple White House staffers and aides to the president have also tested positive for COVID-19 in subsequent days. 

It is recommended by the CDC and other top health officials that those who are diagnosed with COVID-19, or come in contact with someone who has tested positive, self-quarantine for a time of up to two weeks to help prevent spreading the virus. The Oct. 15 date of the second presidential debate falls within that recommended time frame.

In reaction to the CPD’s announcement, Trump said in a Fox Business interview that he would not participate in a virtual debate, calling it a “waste of time.” A CPD representative told CNN that it is the right of the president to decline to participate in a debate. 

The second presidential debate is scheduled to take place on Oct. 15 at 9 p.m. ET.

OTTAWA—Even before COVID-19 compelled our industry to work from home, the companies who make TV test and measurement equipment were seeing an increased demand for remote access testing. The products they have brought to market are responding to this trend, plus the need to support ATSC 3.0 broadcast/transmission chains and OTT video streaming. 

SPEED OF TRANSITION

COVID-19 not only accelerated the trend from hands-on to remote testing and measurement that was already underway, it increased the speed of this transition considerably.

“Engineers stuck at home have been calling us up asking, ‘can I get some remotely accessible test and measurement equipment that is either cloud-based or works in a virtualized environment,” said Ralph Bachofen, Triveni Digital’s vice president of sales and marketing for Triveni Digital in Princeton, NJ. “They didn’t have access to their at-work me- ters and spectrum analyzers anymore, but they had some kinds of issues that they had to monitor/analyze nevertheless.”

The demand is not just coming from at-home engineers. “NEP’s production trucks have returned to live sports coverage using more remote broadcasting and fewer staff,” said Dan Murray, Telestream’s director of product marketing. (Telestream acquired Tektronix’s video division in 2019). “One way they are doing this safely is by increased use of remotely accessible testing and measurement equipment.”

Making this all possible is the broadcast industry’s across-the-board migration from SDI to IP; from content acquisition and transport to editing/production, storage, and service to multiple viewing platforms (broadcast and OTT). Yet because this is a transition, broadcasters are looking for remotely accessible test and measurement equipment that can work with both SDI and IP infrastructures; to the extent that this is technically possible.

To address this need, Telestream is offering a range of software-based products such as the PRISM SDI/IP Waveform Monitor and Inspect 2110 for monitoring ST 2110 IP video networks. “Using these two products, engineers can make deep dives into their IP-based systems to perform a full range of end-to-end tests and stay on top of things,” said Murray.

ATSC 3.0 AND OTT

While Triveni Digital is focused on remotely accessible testing and monitoring, it’s also targeting ATSC 3.0, aka NextGen TV. This includes launching Triveni Digital’s new ATSC 3.0 Cloud platform to let broadcasters create and spin up NextGen TV content delivery from the web, and providing educational support to broadcasters transitioning to NextGen TV.

“The big challenge for many U.S. broadcasters is their need to maintain ATSC 1.0 broadcasts while deploying ATSC 3.0, in order to sustain their advertising revenues,” Bachofen said. “To support testing and measurement on both systems, Triveni Digital is offering StreamScope XM, which is our ATSC 3.0 and ATSC 1.0 combo analyzer. This is the only stream analyzer that can work in both domains; making it an essential piece of equipment for broadcasters moving into ATSC 3.0.”

With NexGen TV already being deployed in the U.S. Triveni has announced several deals, including one with Meredith’s Portland, Ore. TV stations KPDX (MNT) and KPTV (Fox). Both are using Triveni Digital’s ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Gateway scheduler, GuideBuilder XM ATSC 3.0 transport encoder, StreamScope XM ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 combo analyzer and StreamScope XM Verifier software application to ensure quality of service for viewers who are watching ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 streams.

The explosion of OTT has opened up new opportunities for broadcasters, and headaches as well. Compared to operating single channel linear TV transmissions, OTT is forcing broadcasters to become multichannel video programming distributors, just like cable TV and satellite service providers.

Monitoring a portfolio of OTT services is precisely what Telestream’s IQ Solutions including cloud-based Live ABR Monitor is designed to do. Using 70 monitoring locations around the globe, Live ABR Monitor lets broadcasters/OTT providers check the quality and performance of their video streams, plus see how their content is being prepped, packaged and delivered by distributors.

“Telestream’s IQ Solutions gives OTT providers the ability to see the state of their whole network from end to end,” said Murray. “We call this a ‘single pane of glass’ approach to OTT testing and monitoring.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

The 2020 lockdowns caused by COVID-19 have proven the value of remote testing and monitoring to such an extent, that this trend has become an unstoppable global phenomenon, Bachofen said.

“Although we expect to still sell locally-used scopes and analysers, there is no doubt that remote access is the way to go,” said Bachofen. To aid this trend, Triveni Digital is offering StreamScope Enterprise, which networks together StreamScope RM remote monitors to enable centralized management of video, audio, and captioning services across DTV networks.

Meanwhile, Telestream’s Murray is looking ahead to the future of remote testing and measurement. In this vein, “we’re continuing to see an increasing deployment of automation and machine learning to make this technology do more for broadcasters,” he said. “This should significantly reduce the workload on engineers.”

These developments illustrate how test and measurement is moving away from its locally based, manually controlled and “one function at a time” roots to become a remote multisite technology capable of testing many functions on many points simultaneously. We’re not at the point of being able to voice-command a network to perform a complete self-diagnostic, but we’re getting there.

DUSSELDORF, Germany—Elements has announced a remote access editing software designed for media artists, Elements Satellite.

Elements Satellite merges technology from remote gaming company Parsec with low-latency demanding media workflows. The platform is meant to eliminate unstable playback and low framerate. It also enables editing of 4K 60 fps video from anywhere with high video quality and in-sync audio.

The system also works with the Elements Client app. This app can manage and initiate encrypted connections on both Windows and macOS operating systems. All access permissions are available centrally, including two-factor authentication and full end-to-end encryption with the Elements-based connection broker.

For more information, visit elements.tv/satellite.  

Brought on suddenly by the coronavirus pandemic, the new normal of remote workflows has been getting a lot of press lately—but the truth is that media enterprises have been moving toward more decentralized operations for some time now. Emerging technologies such as IP and the cloud have ushered in a whole new era of seamless collaboration among team members working from remote locations across the globe. And the benefits are so compelling that it’s a safe bet that remote collaboration workflows will continue to expand, long after the current crisis has passed. 

In this article, we’ll take a look at the drivers for remote collaboration and the tremendous advantages to media operations. We’ll also present some strategies for building a technical foundation to support remote collaboration in the long term.

CLEAR ADVANTAGES

There are plenty of compelling reasons for media operations to move toward remote collaboration workflows on a permanent basis. We see three key factors at play: reduced costs, global creativity and new levels of localization for global audiences. Let’s break them down. 

• It’s easy to see why decentralized workflows can bring about tremendous cost reductions. With the lion’s share of creatives collaborating remotely, organizations can get by with a smaller physical footprint at headquarters and therefore lower opex. In addition, capex is reduced through the use of key enabling technologies such as hybrid cloud computing and SaaS-based solutions. If there’s anything the pandemic is proving, it’s just how little money broadcasters need to spend to mount seamless and professional productions, with most contributors—even on-air talent—working from home and only a limited crew of engineers in the studio.  
• Global collaboration spurs creativity in content creation through the ability to leverage contributors from all over the world—each of whom can offer top expertise, unique insights and a regional perspective. Rather than being limited to the editors, producers, colorists and other contributors based at headquarters, operations are able to expand to a virtually unlimited talent pool that brings huge diversity in ideas, perspectives and creative approaches. Global audiences are the winners, with a richer array of high-quality content from which to choose. 
• Speaking of those global audiences, remote collaboration enables productions to take their content localization capabilities to new levels. When we’ve thought of localization in the past, it usually meant captioning and/or audio dubbing the original content in the local language. But now, working with teams of remote contributors—editors, camera operators and script writers, for example—productions are able to produce truly local versions of content that raise the engagement level of audiences in those areas, reflecting their own tastes and expectations. 

STRATEGIES THAT GO THE COLLABORATIVE DISTANCE

Given those drivers, what are the technical requirements and approaches that will help media enterprises make a successful leap to remote collaboration workflows? From Primestream’s perspective, these boil down to the following: 

• A hybrid cloud infrastructure that provides the flexibility for the operation to leverage both on-premises and cloud resources as appropriate for different elements of the production. For example, rendering could be performed in the cloud and playout could be done on premises, or vice versa. 
• A centralized management platform that allows the operation to track, analyze and monitor every production and gives a clear view of assignments, tasks and status updates across all globally dispersed contributors. Consider a production house with 15 different projects in various stages of production. At a glance, producers can see which contributors are involved, what tasks they’re assigned and how close they are to completion without having to be concerned with where the contributors are physically located. 
• A SaaS business model that enables ad-hoc workflows, offering the ability to grow dynamically and offer a menu of features and capabilities tailored to the production; for instance, a stable of local editors to work on footage only for the duration of a specific event. Here’s where the cloud really comes in, offering the ability to spin up a temporary workflow and then spin it down when the event is over, rather than having to maintain expensive on-premises equipment that sits idle when not needed.
• A one-stop shop for tools of the trade. Most SaaS offerings today only offer a few pieces of the overall production puzzle, such as remote editing in the cloud. But we foresee a future when an entire live production service might be available through a cloud SaaS model, with the ability to segment different capabilities and parcel them out to various remote contributors. By the same token, different contributors would be able to access any of the tools they need from a common service, perhaps on an a la carte basis, rather than having to piece together disparate solutions from different vendors. 

SUMMING UP

Given the current global health crisis, these are uncertain times for our industry. But one of the silver linings might well be a chance for broadcasters and other media operations to experience first-hand just how effective remote collaboration can be—and how much money they can save, without having to compromise on the richness and quality of content. There’s no doubt that remote collaboration workflows will continue to grow into the future, supported by ongoing innovation in hybrid cloud and SaaS solutions.

Namdev Lisman is executive vice president at Primestream.

Live television is proving to be a great way for OTT services to differentiate themselves from competitors. But live production is expensive, or least it has been. Now a new generation of IP-based technology enabling signal transport via an unmanaged network is changing the game for live remote sports, music and entertainment production.

This white paper explores this new production methodology and how it is making it more affordable to offer live programming. Download to learn:

• How broadcasters like Fox Sports are using live capture to enable at-home production
• How at-home production is changing the cost equation of live remotes
• Why encoding once and packaging IP for multiple devices is the smart thing to do
• Importance of monitoring live capture and live streaming quality

Click here to read the full white-paper.

There used to be just a couple of ways for a broadcaster to get a good quality signal from outside the studio: microwave and satellite. Along the way, the definition of “broadcaster” changed, and the methods used to get a broadcast-quality signal back to the studio—if there even is a studio—have multiplied.

Like many other facets of the broadcast industry, the convergence of IP and television has led to dizzying changes. Many of these changes have been well exploited by enterprising new companies for a wealth of products and systems that transport signals from one point to another.

SATELLITE
ARTEL will showcase its DLC510, a dual-port L-band demodulator and satellite scanner that adds automatic L-band satellite-scanning functionality to the company’s media transport solutions.

VISLINK will debut its SatWare computing platform, which allows file-based workflow, data and voice communications to be easily accessed by remote reporters over WiFi, allowing them to talk and share files across continents. Powered by XipLink, SatWare provides up to 4Mbps of optimized bandwidth using SCPS-TP and streaming compression, and DVB-S2 video.

MICROWAVE
MOSELEY will showcase its Event HD ENG microwave transmitter, which can support multiple videos on a single link that can carry as much as 155 Mbps.

BMS will highlight its Video Assist camera kit that pairs a small camera-back microwave transmitter with the company’s CarryViewer 4 (CV4) digital touchscreen receiver/monitor.

INTEGRATED MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGIES will debut its DragonFly small lightweight microwave transmitter for applications (such as drones) where weight and size are critical. Featuring 50mW of power and COFDM modulation, the DragonFly will transmit broadcast-quality HD video up to two miles.

IP & STREAMING
ACCELERATED MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES (AMT) will showcase ENGenesis, its bidirectional 2/7GHZ BAS system that uses IP and radio technologies with BAS bands for remote connectivity.

AVIWest DMNG Laptop

AVIWEST will feature its DMNG Laptop, a newsgathering application compatible with Apple MacBook Pro computers. By integrating an H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC encoder into a MacBook Pro, the DMNG Laptop reduces the amount of equipment required for newsgathering and improves broadcast video quality. The company will also unveil v4.0 of its DMNG mobile app designed for live streaming via bonded 3G/4G and WiFi.

BLUEBELL OPTICOMM will spotlight the BCX-760 Series, a 10G Ethernet point-to-point fiber link that mounts to a camera back. Mapping all the signals at the back of the camera onto a 10G Ethernet link, the BCX-760 provides the bidirectional signals necessary for live production.

COMREX will showcase Opal, a studio internet audio portal that serves a web page to anyone who accesses it through a computer or Android device (with a microphone, earpiece and browser). The web page will allow a user to click a button and broadcast from their computer or phone in high fidelity, with high-quality return audio provided to the guest.

DEJERO will spotlight its Live+ EnGo mobile video transmitter that can be camera mounted, carried in a sling bag or in a new, ergonomic backpack. Key features include a user-accessible SIM module, global roaming packages and the ability to transmit multichannel audio.

LiveU Solo plug-and-play streaming device

DVEO will feature its Brutus VI IP/IP: Telco adaptive transcoder for processing signals at headends for OTT, mobile and Telco TV multiscreen services. The unit ships with H.264 capability and optional H.265/HEVC transcoding is available.

LIVEU will feature a live studio in collaboration with BeTerrific.tv, an online live-streaming video network. Visitors will be able to go behind-the-scenes and see how the broadcast is being produced using LiveU solutions working with other companies’ products. Content will include feeds from roving reporters covering the different halls from the show. The company will also showcase its LiveU Solo plug-and-play streaming device that’s designed around the company’s established bonding technology.

RIEDEL will showcase its MediorNet Control App for the company’s RSP-2318 SmartPanel multifunctional user interface. In addition to linking the SmartPanel directly into a Riedel MediorNet media network as a dedicated control panel, the new MediorNet Control App gives users simultaneous intercom functionality, enabling them to route, control and communicate using a single 1RU system.

TVU Networks MLink TE4500 rack-mount HEVC encoder

TVU NETWORKS will feature the MLink TE4500 H.265/HEVC rackmount encoder, TVU RPS, TVU One mobile IP transmitter and TVU Anywhere app. The company also promises enhanced support for H.265 encoding.

WIRELESS
IDX will highlight its CWF25 wireless HD-SDI transmission system that transmits H.264 High Profile video at up to 25Mbps. The CW-F25 has an adaptive variable bitrate to prevent sudden disconnection, and the system’s range is enhanced by the use of beam forming technology.

VIDOVATION will feature the VidOwave 60G 750 PA, a 60GHz millimeter-wave broadband and wireless data connectivity solution. It delivers low-latency and full-duplex GigE transport at speeds up to 1.25 Gbps in a small, rugged and easy-to-install enclosure.

VISLINK will debut ViewBack, a lowpower, dual-channel diversity receiver/decoder, supporting the company’s LMST demodulation and operating in the 2GHz licensed band, designed to return video from the studio to a field location. This allows camera operators to check the final studio production of their shots, combined with any graphics or text.

Not long ago, the 2 GHz BAS relocation was one of the biggest stories in the industry. The microwave gear used in the BAS band is still an important tool for broadcasters looking to get remote video to the studio, but today there are many more ways to deliver broadcast-quality video— including some that can fit in your pocket. In the meantime, the trend toward 4K video support is widely seen in the ENG category, with numerous vendors offering 4K transport solutions.

Artel DLC510 dual-port L-Band demodulatorArtel showcased its DLC510 dual-port LBand demodulator, adding new satellite scanning functionality to the company’s DigiLink media transport platform. The DLC510 also works as an automatic transponder scanner that lets satellite operators scan L-band transponders quickly on a satellite.

AMT showcased its ENGenesis bidirectional 2/7 GHz BAS band system that lets a single high-capacity radio channel support simultaneous bidirectional data communication. LTE dynamic bandwidth allocation manages each stream in real time to provide handle multiple mobile units. The company also showcased the CID-Passport, which it partnered with Teamcast on. The modulator is compatible with all legacy encoders and allows all satellite trucks to be compliant with new FCC carrier ID mandates.

AVIWest launched the DMNG 220-HE ultra-portable HEVC video contribution encoder for cellular, WiFi, satellite and Ethernet networks. The company also showcased upgrades to its DMNG Manager that allow statistics capabilities in addition to the video thumbnail of each feed coming from field units or any standard IP video sources.

BSI showed its Real Freedom camera-back transmitter, a compact wireless system designed for live ENG and sports broadcasting. With its 3G 1080p encoder, the transmitter is capable of 10-bit, 4:2:2 sampling.

Comrex debuted 1.4.1 firmware for its LiveShot system, which now allows it to intelligently quarantine underperforming modems. The company also introduced Comrex Connect Modem, a high-powered, Industrial-strength 4G/LTE modem that is also 3G-compatible. Also new was VH2, which is similar in function to the company’s DH22 (which works on analog phone lines) but provides users with the capabilities of a two-line digital hybrid, as well as the benefits of VoIP. Comrex also introduced 4.0 firmware for ACCESS, with an added capability for bonding, which enables multiple networks to be utilized at once.

Dejero Live+ ControlDejero introduced a series of enhancements to its Live+ Control management system. The update, which is linked to the release of v.4.0 of the company’s Live+ Core software, enhances monitoring and reporting capabilities, displaying real-time analytics of network connection performance and overall transmission quality.

DSI RF Systems showcased its lightweight NewsShark Plus portable ENG transmission system, featuring one button operation and “Breaking News Mode” that supplies HD video in as little as 256kbps.

DVEO featured its new software-based iCandy 4K H.265/HEVC or H.264 live encoding and decoding solution. The iCandy-E features a software-based H.265 or H.264 transport stream encoder and HLS streamer, with 6G SDI input, and ASI and IP output, plus a matching decoder (the iCandy-D) with ASI and IP input, and 6G SDI output.

Frontline Communications displayed several trucks in its booth, as well as in the booths of partners elsewhere on the floor. One of the vehicles in Frontline’s booth was a DSNG/ENG truck built for KUSA-TV, which included a 42-foot FastMast telescoping mast, Ku-Band 1.4-meter satellite dish and 8 kW generator, built into a Nissan Titan truck chassis.

IDX showed its new CW-F25 wireless video system, which uses H.264 encoding at 25 Mbps for contribution-quality HD video. To maintain the resilience of the link, the system uses dynamic frequency selection to automatically choose the best available WiFi channel.

LiveU debuted LiveU Solo, a new plug and play live streaming bonded solution that uses LiveU Reliable Transport protocol’s integral adaptive bit rate and forward error correction technology. Solo can be managed and controlled remotely via a web interface or smartphone. The company also highlighted MultiPoint, a cloud-based large-scale distribution system that seamlessly integrates a broadcaster’s daily workflow.

Integrated Microwave Technologies (IMT) unveiled its microLite aerial transmitter that’s designed to be integrated into Aerobo’s Micro UAV. The microLite is designed to capture and display real-time, high-quality video back to ground receivers without attenuation from foliage and terrain. The company also debuted the RefCam HD-I, a COFDM, HD video transmitter with an integrated HD camera that captures footage from the referee’s POV. It’s designed to be worn with or integrated into a sports helmet in a small, low-power consumption form factor.

Moseley demo-ed its AxxceLTE BAS family of products, which are LTE devices that work in the 2 GHz BAS band to provide high-bandwidth bidirectional signals for live remote links. This creates an integrated system for delivering live remote video, with full-duplex intercom capability.

Riedel demonstrated its STX-200 Skype interface, which runs Skype TX software and can be used to integrate remote Skype feeds into a studio presentation. The STX-200 is compatible with standard-free Skype clients to allow incoming studio video feeds from a wide range of participants.

Teradek launched the Teradek Sphere for monitoring and viewing live VR content. Sphere is a combination of an HDMI or HD-SDI 4-channel H.264 encoder and a companion application for iOS devices. The H.264 encoder is about the size of a V-lock battery and compresses video up to 1080p30 at bit rates up to 5 Mbps. Users can monitor or record the live VR footage on their iOS devices and then upload the content to YouTube’s 360° platform so others can view it remotely.

TVU Networks announced the availability of its cloud-based TVU Command Center workflow solution that allows central management and control of all TVU transmitters, receivers and services within a group anywhere in the world. It enables control of TVU transmitter functions, including latency and bit rate, as well as supporting Geo-locate, a GPS-based map view of all powered TVU transmitters. The company also showcased its TVU One live mobile IP newsgathering transmitter, TVU Grid IP video distribution, routing and switching system, the TVU Anywhere app, that turns a smartphone into a live video transmitter and TVU MLink live video uplink. TVU also showed live transmission of virtual reality content.

Vidovation VidOwave 60G 750 PAVidOvation featured the VidOwave 60G 750 PA, a 60 GHz millimeter-wave broadband and wireless data connectivity solution that delivers low-latency and full-duplex Gigabit Ethernet transport speeds in a small, easy-to-install enclosure. VidOwave 60G 750 PA is targeted at links that would otherwise be impossible or cost-prohibitive with fiber-optic cable.

Vislink debuted Vislinknewsnet, a wireless communications solution that allows reporters to work in the field as if they were in the studio. The solution provides a secure, bidirectional, high-speed radio network with concurrent connections to each receive sector, all on a single channel within the broadcaster’s BAS spectrum.

ZeeVee spotlighted its ZyPer4K video-over-IP solution that provides uncompressed 4K transmission over off-the-shelf 10G Ethernet switches. ZyPer4K is available in both fiber and CATx versions, and can distribute and control content from up to 99 miles away.

IP has brought a technology explosion to the process of moving broadcast-quality video from one location to another. Broadcasters have more ways than ever to set up permanent or temporary video feeds for remote production or fast-breaking news.

In the meantime, the traditional ways of delivering remote video from the field to the studio are getting better, faster and easier to use. If broadcast television is to remain relevant, its ability to field trained news reporters at breaking news events is a major factor in keeping viewers watching. There are surprises every year at the NAB Show in this category, so you are advised to keep your eyes open for the latest innovations in remote communications.

TRUCKS & MICROWAVE
AMT (Accelerated Media Technologies) will highlight its ENGenesis system that supports two-way communication between broadcast trucks and TV stations. ENGenesis features an all IP-architecture and is based on industry-standard LTE technology adapted to operate in 2/7GHz BAS bands and features dynamic bandwidth allocation, QoS and a software-upgradeable future-proof design.

BSI will show its Real Freedom Camera Back Transmitter, a compact, wireless system designed for live ENG. With its 3G 1080p encoder, the transmitter is capable of 10-bit, 4:2:2 sampling throughout all resolutions and frame rates.

AVIWest’s DMNG HE4000 HEVC 4K video encoderAVIWest will demonstrate the DMNG HE4000, a new HEVC 4K video encoder designed to distribute 4K content over unmanaged networks. Using the high-efficiency video encoder for contribution applications, broadcasters can deliver 4K, HD or SD video content at low bit rates over IP networks, even in volatile network environments.

Grass Valley CopperHead 3404Grass Valley will feature its extensive line of remote camera connection systems, such as the CopperHead 3404 fiber transceiver. The CopperHead 3404 takes video from a dual/quad-link 4K camera and delivers it to a studio or production truck, providing all the signals needed for multicamera 4K production using a single tactical or SMPTE hybrid fiber cable.

Bluebell Opticom will introduce the BCX- 760 series 10G Ethernet point-to-point fiber link, a camera-back interface that allows easy connection and signal transport between camera and OB truck or base station. BCX interfaces map any broadcast camera signal onto a 10G Ethernet point-to-point link for high-quality transport over much longer distances than have been previously possible.

IP-ENG/BONDED CELLULAR
Cobham, which changed its name to DCT (Domo Tactical Communications) recently, will launch the SOLO7-OBTx, a feature-packed camera-back transmitter that includes 1080p60 and 4:2:2 compression, integrated camera control, swappable RF modules, and H.264/MPEG-4 video encoding. The company will also debut the SOLO8 SDR (software-defined radio), a dual input HD-SDI, COFDM, and IP mesh transmitter that includes integral video analytics, recording, and IP streaming. It can be implemented via PC software or embedded system.

Comrex LiveShotComrex will show off the new version of its LiveShot transport system, which delivers low-latency video and audio over a range of IP networks, and can provide two-way connectivity simultaneously even over challenging networks. LiveShot provides return video, two IFB returns, and director/camera PL, and now has upgraded firmware v1.4.

Dejero will feature its Live+ Transceiver, a combination encoder/decoder for IP video transport over the company’s Live+ platform. With the ability to accept IP inputs and feed IP outputs simultaneously in a single 1RU chassis, the Live+ Transceiver can also be used to contribute and receive HD live content across Dejero’s new Live+ Multipoint IP video distribution network.

DVEO will highlight its CloudPort: 8 Sim H.264, a bonded cellular backpack system that bundles up to eight mobile network channels from one or multiple operators into a single broadband channel for studio backlink. Users can also add Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections to maximize the upload capacity, resulting in a total of 10 connections on a single system.

IDX will show its Cam-Wave CM1 wireless HDMI transmission system that can be used to feed 1080p from a camera’s HDMI port to a receiver up to 100 meters away. The Cam-Wave CM1 uses dynamic frequency selection in the 5 GHz band to select an interference-free channel.

Integrated Microwave Technologies (IMT) will spotlight its 58microLite HD Mini Kit, a portable professional-grade MPEG-4 COFDM HD wireless camera transmission link capable of providing high-quality video at distances greater than two miles. Developed for the next generation of HD-capable compact cameras, the 58micro- Lite system is available in either licensed or unlicensed bands.

Joseph Electronics will introduce the JFS Waveshifter-4 series, which can transport up to four HD camera systems on one single-mode fiber. Waveshifter-4 uses optical wavelength-shifting technology to map the two fibers in standard HD cameras to wavelengths in the CDWM spectrum so that they can then be introduced into a CWDM mux.

LiveU SoloLiveU will feature a live studio in collaboration with TWiT.tv, NewTek and Panasonic. The company will also demonstrate LiveU Solo, its new plug-and-play live streaming bonded solution for the online media market. LiveU Solo lets users live-stream seamlessly into any web streaming workflow by connecting automatically to content delivery networks such as YouTube Live and Wowza Streaming Cloud.

Moseley will show its range of wireless broadcast communications products, such as the DTV Short Haul Link, a compact inter- city relay system that can transmit digital data (including video) at standard data rates to 155 Mbps and enhanced data rates up to 310 Mbps.

Riedel Communications will highlight its STX-200 Skype interface, which runs Skype TX software and can be used to integrate remote Skype feeds into a studio presentation. The STX-200 is compatible with standard free Skype clients to allow incoming studio video feeds from a range of participants.

TVU OneTeradek will showcase its Cube compact H.264 encoder/decoder, designed to stream live HD video directly to the Web, point-to-point over the Internet, and to iOS and Android devices. The company will also demonstrate its Core Cloud Platform that allows users to configure, monitor and record Teradek codecs in real-time or route video feeds to any number of destinations anywhere in the world.

TVU Networks will show its TVU One, TVU Me, TVU Grid and TVU Anywhere. TVU One delivers the same transmission resiliency, HD picture quality and sub-second latency of a full-size mobile cellular backpack solution but in a ultra-compact size and weight form factor. TVU Me is an IP video marketplace that enables broadcasters to purchase live or recorded video content from other broadcasters, freelancers and independent production crews from around the world. TVU Grid is a powerful, simple IP-video switching, routing and distribution platform that can seamlessly switch live IP video content and share live video streams between multiple remote locations.TVU Anywhere is an app for iPhone or Android devices that enables reporters to instantly capture and transmit live video from their smart phones.

VidOvation’s VidOlink family of long-range wireless transmission systemsVidOvation will launch two new products in its VidOlink family of long-range wireless transmission systems. The VidOlink Ranger2 is a lower-cost long-range transmission system that uses OFDM to transport video within line of sight on the 5.8 GHz band, while the VidOlink Tally & Control is a complementary means of adding tally and camera control unit (CCU) functionality to new or existing wireless camera systems using the 403-473 MHz band. It can also send data via VidOlink’s RF-over fiber SMPTE units, delivering RF, data, and power to the receive point with a single cable.

Vislink will spotlight its HEROCast, a tiny broadcast-quality HD micro-transmitter, that pairs with a dedicated wireless receive unit, PROCeiver, to provide a complete action sports video link. HEROCast was developed with GoPro and is designed to work specifically with the GoPro HERO 4 and HERO 3+ product lines to transmit live HD video.

SATELLITE
DTV Innovations will feature their Gryphon video encoder, which provides lowlatency encoding for a range of signals including MPEG-4 with 4:2:2 10-bit HD. It includes an internal demodulator for DSNG, ENG or other applications and accommodates up to 16 audio channels. Also look for the Falcon decoder that complements the Gryphon with decoding of MPEG-4 HD video. It includes a satellite demodulator.

Enensys will highlight its One Beam ISDB-Tb DTT network optimization technology. Designed for Latin American markets, One Beam ISDB-T/Tb allows a standard (MPEG-2) transport stream to be used within the delivery network, removing the need for proprietary equipment to deliver and receive the BTS stream.

Frontline Communications will spotlight its new automatic Ka/Ku-band dual-feed satellite antenna system, which the company co-designed with AvL Technologies. The mobile satellite antenna permits dual-band capability on the ViaSat network.

SAPEC will feature its Gredos line of video encoders and integrated receiver decoders (IRD) for digital satellite newsgathering. Gredos now supports Carrier ID, and the family includes the Gredos GHM encoder with integrated DVB-S2 modulator (upgradable to DVB-S2X) and the Gredos GHR IRD.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM--Audiences were able to see the workings of a complete IP-based ecosystem recently, when a “Live IP” debate was broadcast online directly from the VRT Live IP Studio, produced entirely using IP technology.

The LiveIP Project is a collaboration between Belgian broadcaster VRT, the EBU and partners including Grass Valley, Nevion, EVS and Lawo. Discussing the project, and offering their perspectives on the transition to IP production were Brigitta Nickelsen, director of business development at Radio Bremen, Mick De Valck, director of technology and operations of VRT, Charlie Cope, technical executive at BBC Sport, and Hans Hoffman, head of media fundamentals and production technologies at EBU.

‘ALMOST NO GLUEWARE’

The venture uses existing open standards SMPTE 2022-6, AES67 and PTP, and has also proposed a number of basic principles including the sharing of resources, optimizing investment, creating efficient remote production, and automation.

As part of the webinar Michel De Wolf, founder of Belgium-based creative engineering company DWESAM, reported live from the IP control room, where audiences could see how technology including Grass Valley switchers, and intercom tech from Trilogy, is utilized. The facility features “almost no glueware” explained De Wolfe, and no SDI router. “This is fantastic,” he continued, “all this is supplied to us by a fully managed network, from a Nevion product called VideoIPath, a service and network management system that provides connection management, service assurance and network inventory capabilities for service providers and broadcasters. The move to IP is only one step in a greater evolution, said De Wolfe, which will also involve an evolution in data centers, moving dedicated equipment to software, and increased virtualization.

So what kind of benefits will such IP-based systems bring on a practical level? The BBC has been working on remote operations for major events since 2008, and the BBC’s Charlie Cope described major events like the Olympics as points of “dramatic change.”

There are issues of scalability around major events, Cope continued, resulting in “peak load around our facilities;” if you have the flexibility to move facilities, “there’s benefit in there.”

TRIAL REMOTE PRODUCTION

On Jan. 15, 2016, VRT accomplished a trial remote production of a live musical concert using IP and open standards across the whole production chain. The concert venue in Brussels was connected to the LiveIP control room at VRT at a different location in the city, by a single 10km optical fibre cable, carrying an IP network.

“The combination of CWDM technology and IP for broadcast allows us to transport approximatively 25Gbps for all four IP cameras, 10 microphones, intercom, telepresence and controls over one optical fibre cable, without any delay,” said Karel DeBondt, project manager at VRT. “This made our remote production so easy and transparent that you immediately forget that your program is being produced 10km away from the stage upon which it takes place!”

For the IP project to evolve and succeed, a level of know-how is essential, the webcast participants agreed. However, Hoffman argued that engineers who have a solid skillset of technology domains, including both audiovisual and IT, are “a rare breed in the market.” These skillsets can be found in companies based on the west coast of the US, he continued, but are lacking in Europe. If such skills can be found here, they are costly. This is something universities need to focus on, added Hoffman, as IP is not an easy technology, but a cutting-edge technology, which we need to be able “dive into the details” of.

Nickelsen, however, believes that at the rate the technology is developing there is not time for universities to train people. She shared her “dream” for a media system in Europe in which technology will enable us to bring good value content wherever our audiences are. We need to be provided with the best production equipment, she continued, to distribute over every channel and to put as much money as possible into content production. This, she said, “will guarantee our existence.”

LiveIP presents an opportunity to learn in a real-life scenario, and events such as the recent webcast provide debate and thought leadership to the industry through the IP transition.

Details of further projects can be found on the LiveIP website.

This article first appeared in TVB Europe. 

AG-DVX200PJ

NEWARK, N.J.—Take control of Panasonic’s AG-DVX200PJ 4K camcorder from an iPad with the new AG Remote Operation Panel application.

With the AG ROP, users are able to remotely control the DVX200PJ’s picture quality adjustment, zoom, focus and REC start/stop. The ROP app can be used when the DVX200PJ is being utilized with a jib, crane or other mobile application.

The AG ROP app is available as a free download in the Apple App Store.

PITTSBURGH and HILVERSUM, THE NETHERLANDS—Cloud and IP technologies are beginning to disrupt traditional live television production, and a groundbreaking example can now be found in the Netherlands. That’s where the NEP-owned DutchView and Infostrada Creative Technology companies are about to launch a new centralized cloud-based system for live production.

The operation, slated to go live this month, will use the companies’ fiber network to deliver IP video from cameras in sports venues and studios to a centralized data center. This data center, which holds most of the broadcast production equipment, is also linked via fiber to a gallery, or studio control room, and other rooms where the monitors and the director and other staffers might be located.

“It gives you the potential to put the cameras for an event in City A, have the central infrastructure for producing the event in City B and the control room in either the same building as the data center or somewhere else, in City C,” said George Hoover, chief technology officer of NEP, which is the largest provider of mobile production services in the U.S. and owns a number of production companies around the globe.

George Hoover This marks a major change from the way live events are typically produced. In the U.S., sports producers usually send large mobile trucks and crews to stadiums, which results in very high-quality video, but also requires that the equipment and crew can’t be used while trucks are in transit.

In contrast, this centralized remote facility that might be used several times a day is more flexible, allowing different clients to pick the right equipment for their needs. “We can assign only the equipment they need for their shows and we can deliver the production in a very cost-effective manner even though it is a very high-end setup because we get much better utilization of the equipment,” said Peter Bruggink, chief technology officer of DutchView and Infostrada Creative Technology, who spearheaded the project.

MAKING THE MOST OF LESS
Some aspects of this innovative approach to live production can be traced back to unique features of the Dutch market. “The Netherlands is a small country, but the audience is used to a lot of U.S. and U.K. content and they compare the quality of locally created content, which is produced on about 10 percent of the budget, to that programming,” Bruggink said. “So we’ve always had to find ways to produce and create very high-quality content in very efficient ways.”

A new cloud production system for live TV developed by DutchView and Infostrada Creative Technology, part of the NEP worldwide network, uses fiber to connect remote facilities or studios to a central data center, which holds the broadcast equipment and is also connected to rooms for audio, shading and other production activities. To help cut the cost of using traditional mobile production through mobile trucks, the company began exploring the idea of remote production, in 2005. After building their own fiber network, they launched remote editing services in 2006 and started offering remote production facilities in 2007. That operation allowed clients to send uncompressed video from studios up to 100 kilomeyters away to their centralized production facilities in Hilversum. “That was really quite revolutionary at the time,” said Bruggink.

In the last year and a half, they have been working to expand those remote or cloud-based production operations to live sports and entertainment events. “We had a lot of meetings with the same vendors that are now working on the IP studio at [the Belgian broadcaster] VRT in the EBU project,” Bruggink said. But they ultimately felt that the technology was not ready for an all-IP operation and decided to take a hybrid approach using a Snell switcher that can handle both baseband video and IP.

JPEG2000 IN THE FUTURE
Other notable vendors include Grass Valley cameras, Lawo audio consoles, and EVS and Riedel intercoms for communications.

That allows them to use IP for most of the infrastructure (uncompressed IP video is sent from the studio or stadium to a central data center); the galleries, audio and shading rooms are connected via IP.

RTL, Holland’s largest commercial broadcaster, and some public broadcasters are planning to use the system for sports and entertainment shows, Bruggink said.

Some features of the setup are unique to the Dutch market and not easily transferred in the United States. The NEP companies own their own fiber network, something U.S. mobile companies don’t do, and the distances are relatively short, which makes the use of uncompressed video possible. But in the next phase of the project, Bruggink said they plan to use compressed JPEG 2000 video over outside networks, which will allow the system to work over long distances.

Hoover says that remote production systems in the U.S. are likely to first be launched by newer networks, such as the Pac12 Network, which is already using remote production over IP for a number of its events, or for smaller events, where it doesn’t pay to send a large OB truck. “There is really an opportunity to deploy IP across the production platform in smaller three-or four-camera events where it doesn’t make sense to roll a huge truck,” Hoover said.

PIERRE, S.D.—I like the TriCaster Mini for reasons that will resonate with anyone who produces video content.

It’s compact and lightweight, which makes it incredibly easy to transport. It can be set up quickly, transforming a dark conference room into a broadcast-ready set in less than five minutes.

I can also attest to the fact that it’s easy to use and even easier to learn. I run Lifewrx Media, a video production company that produces content for OaheTV, the public, education and government channel here in Pierre. I’m a one-man operation so I often work with other production companies. I’ve worked with organizations that have dozens of staff, many of whom I’ve watched teach themselves to use the Mini in two or three minutes.

NewTek’s TriCaster Mini
COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER PRODUCTS
One of the greatest things about NewTek’s TriCaster Mini is that it integrates easily with so many other products.

I put the TriCaster Mini’s compatibility to the test the first time I used it earlier this year to broadcast South Dakota’s Quasquicentennial Statehood Celebration, not only across OaheTV, but to viewers across the state. The celebration featured a performance by the South Dakota State Symphony and speeches by numerous dignitaries, including the governor, lieutenant governor and state Supreme Court justice.

Of all the events I’ve produced, it was important that every component worked together seamlessly for this one—which they did.

With HDMI cable, we pulled three camera positions back to the TriCaster Mini, which acted as the on-air live switch. The HDMI-based TriCaster Mini was routed via a Blackmagic HDMI converter to an SDIbased Leightronix Incode X One, which connected directly to a wired cable modem and public Internet connection.

For close-up shots we used a Canon 5D Mark III with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L lens next to the C100. For wide crowd shots we used the Canon XA10. A Panasonic AG-AC7 AVCHD captured the moment the building’s painstakingly restored stained glass was lit for the first time.

At the heart of the equipment rack was the Ultra Nexus video server and PEG Stream encoder. Packages used included Leightronix PEGvault, Total Info and PEG Central.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
I had only learned of the TriCaster Mini two weeks before the event, which made the Quasquicentennial a “trial by fire.” But based on the experiences I’ve had with NewTek products for more than 15 years I was confident the Mini would exceed expectations.

I’m happy to report it did. It made it easy for us to switch cameras throughout the event. It also provided ISO recording capabilities thanks to its ability to record individual cameras through external hard drives. In turn, the flexibility of ISO recording allowed for timing changes in post-production editing.

I felt comfortable using the TriCaster Mini for the first time during such a high-profile event because it’s a NewTek product. I know firsthand that NewTek prioritizes simplicity, affordability and ease of use in order to level the playing field for small operations like mine. Even though I haven’t had problems, it’s reassuring to know that customer support is there if we need help.

NewTek was critical to our success with the anniversary event, which we completed within budget. NewTek helped us raise the expectations of OaheTV viewers, who definitely liked what they saw. Moving forward, the rest is up to us.

Patrick Callahan founded Lifewrx Media LLC in 1997, and started as General Manager of OaheTV the same year. He can be contacted atPatrick@lifewrx.com.

For additional information, contact NewTek at 210-370-8000, or visitwww.newtek.com.