WASHINGTON—Advanced HDR by Technicolor announced its participation in the Pearl TV NextGen TV Converter Box Program.

Unveiled at the 2026 CES Show, the program aims to support the development of affordable, ATSC 3.0-enabled converter boxes for the U.S. market.

To help advance the program, Advanced HDR by Technicolor said it is adjusting its intellectual property (IP) offering to ensure affordable viewing experiences can be delivered without compromising picture quality.

In addition, Advanced HDR by Technicolor said it is helping lower the cost of devices through a single-stream transmission architecture that carries dynamic range metadata at standard definition bandwidth. Since the vast majority of TV viewers do not require UHD features to enhance their viewing experience, the capability to add high dynamic range (HDR) to Full HD video resolutions through Advanced HDR by Technicolor gives viewers the best possible video quality at the lowest possible converter box cost.

It also helps broadcasters avoid the infrastructure investment required to transmit parallel SDR and HDR streams for different display capabilities, while device manufacturers (including TV, tablet and mobile phone makers) can meet HDR compliance at lower bill-of-materials cost.

As a result, end users automatically receive picture quality scaled to the capability of any display, regardless of whether they own a standard definition (SD), high-definition (HD), or ultra-high definition (UHD) device. This helps to deliver on NextGen TVs promise of further improved viewing experiences while at the same time continuing to support legacy SDR video streams at the best possible quality.

“The unique combination of single stream distribution and dynamic management of HDR and SDR provided by the Advanced HDR by Technicolor solution creates an economically beneficial situation across the ecosystem,” said Rick Dumont, head of business development for Advanced HDR by Technicolor. “We optimize the NextGen TV viewing experience for consumers with HDR or SDR displays, delivering premium video quality in full HD HDR. With Advanced HDR by Technicolor being designed for a low memory footprint implementation, it also relieves part of the tremendous pressure that consumer device makers are under with today's memory device shortages that drive up memory pricing.

For a converter box program targeting price-sensitive households, the combination of backward compatibility and transmission efficiency also means that HDR can be included as a baseline feature rather than an upgrade offered for those who can afford to pay for premium services.

"Getting NextGen TV into every American home starts with making the converter box affordable, and that takes industry leaders willing to step up. Advanced HDR by Technicolor's commitment to special IP pricing does exactly that, lowering the barrier for manufacturers and accelerating the transition. We're grateful that they've joined the growing coalition turning this device from a concept into a reality for store shelves and ultimately for consumers throughout the U.S,” said Pearl TV managing director Anne Schelle.

LAS VEGAS—Viewers who want to take the enhanced viewing capability of NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 outside to patios and other areas, will be able to do so with Sylvox’s new outdoor TVs that are designed to transform backyards into cinemas, gaming arenas, and entertainment hubs—all while withstanding rain, sun and extreme temperatures.

At this week’s CES (Venetian Expo, Halls A-D, Booth 51727), Sylvox has been displaying its Sylvox Cinema Pro Outdoor TVs with Helio QLED technology that deliver 3,500 to 5,000 nits of brightness for cinema-grade visuals in bright outdoor environments. They are the first outdoor TV sets that come with built-in ATSC 3.0 reception capabilities.

[Also Read: More TV Tech Coverage of News From CES]

"Sylvox is committed to pushing the boundaries of outdoor entertainment," Sylvox founder Golden Young said. "With CES 2025, we're proud to unveil innovations that transform outdoor living spaces into immersive entertainment hubs."

The Sylvox Cinema Series transforms outdoor spaces into theaters with Helio QLED technology. Featuring up to 5,000-nit brightness and theater-grade features, it delivers immersive movie nights under the stars, vibrant sports viewing in bright daylight, and stunning entertainment for outdoor gatherings year-round, the company reported.

For more information, visit sylvoxtv.com.

SAN JOSE, Calif. —Harmonic has announced that Vivo Worldwide Productions is using Harmonic's comprehensive playout and distribution solutions at Caliente TV, a new sports TV channel in Mexico. 

In the deployment, Harmonic’s VOS360 Media SaaS and ProView IRD and stream processor are being used to simplify all stages of media processing, playout and distribution to affiliates and partners.

"Caliente tasked us with rapidly launching its new linear channel, which ignited our search for a flexible video platform," said Juan Carlos Velazquez, director of Vivo Worldwide Productions. "Harmonic's team of experts exceeded our expectations, enabling us to deploy Caliente TV within two weeks. The Harmonic solution streamlines the full playout to distribution workflow, empowering Caliente TV to focus on reinventing sports coverage. Adopting Harmonic's SaaS solution gives us the flexibility to easily add extra channels and more cutting-edge graphics in the future."

The comprehensive offering from Harmonic provides Caliente TV with a powerful solution for its video workflows, the companies said. 

The cloud-based VOS360 platform unifies the entire media processing chain for Caliente TV, including playout, advanced graphics, transcoding and SRT distribution to leading Mexican pay-TV operators. The VOS360 Media SaaS is based on a flexible business model that allows Caliente TV to only pay for what they use. Harmonic's ProView IRD and stream processor supports the reception of broadcast-quality video over the internet, simplifying implementation.

"Vivo Worldwide Productions is a powerhouse for producing live sports content in Mexico, and we're thrilled to have them as a customer," said Gil Rudge, senior vice president, products and America sales, video business at Harmonic. "As one of the only technology providers that offers a complete solution for media processing, playout and distribution, Harmonic is enabling Caliente TV to deliver top-notch live sports viewing experiences with unparalleled agility, resiliency, video quality, security and scalability. Using our award-winning VOS360 Media SaaS and ProView 8100 IRD, Caliente TV can bring exceptional video quality and advanced graphics to its new sports TV channel."

Further information about Harmonic and the company's solutions is available at www.harmonicinc.com. 

TEANECK, N.J.—Leica Camera AG has announced that the Leica Cine 1, the company’s first-ever cinema TV and its first entrant into the home cinema market, will be available for sale starting September 6 at Leica Stores and select retailers across the United States.

The Leica Cine 1, which was shown at CES in January, combines state-of-the-art laser technology with Leica's industry-leading image quality and is the first time that the unmistakable quality of Leica imagery can be experienced on 100- or 120-inch displays in 4K quality, the company said. 

"Cinematic experiences have always been about the perfect blend of artistry and technology, and at Leica, we are proud to embrace that timeless tradition with our first Cinema TV," says Matthias Harsch, CEO of Leica Camera. "With the introduction of the Leica Cine 1, we continue to push the boundaries of optical excellence and innovation, inviting enthusiasts and professionals alike to embark on a visual journey like no other. Our commitment to precision engineering and uncompromising quality ensures that every frame on the Leica Cine 1 is a testament to our rich heritage, blending cutting-edge technology with the unparalleled artistry of Leica lenses. As the world enters a new era of immersive entertainment, we invite you to witness our convergence of cinema and technology, where Leica's legacy of optical brilliance truly comes to life."

Leica Cine 1 features innovative triple-RGB laser technology that delivers particularly bright images and ensures breathtaking color rendition with a service life of over 25,000 hours, Leica reported. 

Its Leica-engineered Summicron lens is precisely matched to image size to ensure consistently high imaging performance, the company reported. 

In addition, the Cine 1 uses the brand's own image processing (Leica Image Optimization - LIO) to optimize picture quality with special algorithms, thus achieving particularly natural color reproduction, detailed color gradations, and excellent contrast transfer. 

The Cine 1 also has an integrated, high-performance Dolby Atmos audio system for the perfect home cinema experience, the company said. 

The Leica Cine 1 uses the Google's smart TV platform. Hard drives or additional tech such as Blu-ray players or game consoles can be connected via the built-in HDMI and USB inputs, while the screen mirroring function makes it easier than ever to cast entertainment from any personal device. 

In addition to its technical specifications, the Leica Cine 1 features short-range laser technology that consumes significantly less energy than an OLED TV of a comparable size. The approx. 24x16x6 inch projector can easily be integrated into the design of any room and offers an interesting alternative to more heavy and dominant LED displays.

Sales for the Leica Cine 1 in the U.S. (at a price of $8,995 for the 100-inch model, and $9,495 for the 120-inch model) will begin on September 6, 2023. Detailed information on the availability of the cinema TV in selected Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store and TV/Hifi and home cinema retailers, as well as accessories and installation service, will also be available at www.leica-cinematv.com. 

The current TV landscape has transformed as viewing habits have changed, streaming giants battle it out for subscriptions and new players and emerging direct-to-consumer offerings enter the fray, shaking up the status quo.

In an always-connected era, consumers are tech-savvy and demand round-the-clock entertainment at the touch of a button—anytime, anywhere. And they want it at the best value for money possible. Since the turn of the century, we have seen the dramatic rise of on-demand content services and major changes in the way consumers want to access content across multiple devices—place and time shifting. 

Moreover, the way in which audiences are willing to pay for this content is also evolving.

Traditional TV advertising remains the principal revenue source for content owners and service providers, totaling $166 billion in 2019. But revenues are declining—in 2020, there was a 12% year-over-year fall, due partly to the impact of Covid-19. Although starting from a lower base, OTT video ad spend is on a healthy growth curve.

On the subscription side, traditional cable and satellite pay-TV revenues are also declining, with subscriptions set to fall to just a 40% share of TV services in 2026, compared to 81% in 2016. In contrast, spend on OTT subscriptions rose 34% in 2020—in the U.S. market, consumer spend is set to reach $76 billion by 2024. 

Although the various forecasts differ by a few percentage points, a likely picture is that OTT subscription and ad revenue will eventually eclipse all other sources of income—with some estimates suggesting $221 billion by 2025. 

THE RISE OF DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER

On the production side, content costs are increasing as new media players enter the bidding for key producers, brands and sports rights. In response, traditional media is consolidating to secure intellectual property, reduce overhead cost and pool technology investments.

However, further back in the content supply chain, rights owners and content creators are bypassing incumbent distributors and creating direct-to-consumer OTT offerings. Sports TV is a key battleground with players like Formula One, MLB and NHL all creating domestic and global offerings that remove a layer of distribution and capture a greater share of revenue directly from consumers.

These early pioneers are not alone. Individual and small-scale content creators are growing, enabled by low-entry barriers for semi-professional production and low-cost distribution models that utilize platforms including YouTube, Twitch and Patreon.

It is a complex and fast-evolving landscape—difficult to navigate for traditional broadcasters that have to fend off rivals from the world of telecommunication that see “content” as an opportunity to create stickier broadband and 4G/5G bundles. At the same time, broadcasters are up against internet rivals who are jostling for the number one spot with different goals such as supporting retail sales via “Prime-Style” subscriptions or tying users into walled garden ecosystems like Apple or Google.

Broadcasters, caught between a rock and a hard place, are trying to attract and retain eyeballs to support advertising revenue and ultimately create innovative, unique content that not only consolidates traditional viewership but engages new audiences. In short, the market is in a state of flux. Over the course of the next few years, we will see who comes out on top—and those who struggle to adapt to this changing landscape.

NEWS VIEWERSHIP HOLDS STEADY

However, several interesting trends are worth further investigation. One of the areas where traditional broadcasters have retained a consistent viewership is within the news. 

The three main news networks in the U.S. have experienced only a mild decline in viewership over the past three years, primarily due to the rise of alternative news sources such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. What is more interesting is at the local level. The Pew Research Centre for Journalism and Media showed that local TV news is still more popular than national news networks, and the hours-per-day of local TV news consumption has grown by 62% between 2013 and 2018. 

Although traditional local TV advertising revenues have declined over the last few years, digital advertising around news content has seen strong double-digit growth leading to only a marginal overall shortfall.  

These data points suggest an overall positive growth trend for local TV news and point to an optimistic future. Local news can harness opportunities in new technology and innovative Electronic News Gathering (ENG) methods to power more news quantity, quality and diversity, while internet networks can provide a greater reach for localized news and enhance cost-efficiencies.

HOME ADVANTAGE

The localization trend also plays into the other big success story for traditional TV—live sports. Although the world’s two most popular sports leagues, the NFL and English Premier League, have seen a multi-year decline within their home nations, audiences have increasingly tuned in from around the globe.  

For example, the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup was the most watched sporting event of that year, with the tournament achieving a cumulative live audience of 1.6 billion viewers. And in esports, international viewership is surging—live streaming audiences are set to hit 920 million by 2024, growing approximately 10% year-on-year.

Sports that may have been too niche for traditional TV in the past—such as formula E, MMA, darts, rowing and competitive cycling—have found audiences on DTT, cable and increasingly OTT services where they can support an FTA (free-to-air) model that is backed up by digital advertising. Local sports—as grassroots as a town’s football, cricket or rugby club—may well tie into the desire for local news delivered via OTT, as long as production costs can be kept low and the production quality can remain acceptable to viewers.

GETTING AHEAD OF THE CURVE

The current TV landscape is exciting—success is up for grabs for those who are willing to innovate. Increased localization opportunities and future-proofed distribution models present just some of the promising avenues for growth. The digital revolution has ushered in a consumer shift that is forcing many to reevaluate their business structure, and media players now face more competition than ever before. 

For more than a year, our industry has witnessed the economic impact of the global pandemic, and in that time, data points and longer-term trajectories may have been skewed. The status quo between content producers, distributors and consumers has irreversibly changed, while innovation in future-ready production and distribution models has accelerated. Right now, media players need to be bold to stay ahead of the curve—and to shape a successful roadmap for the future.

Neil Maycock is CMO and general manager, playout for Grass Valley. 

WASHINGTON—On May 9, 1961, then newly appointed FCC Chairman Newton Minow called television a “vast wasteland,” criticizing the medium for its violence, inanity and impact on children.

“When television is good, nothing—not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers—nothing is better,” he told Congress. “But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite each of you to sit down in front of your television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland.”

Sixty years later, in an interview with Chicago TV station WTTW, the former FCC chairman updated his assessment of television, expanding his criticism to cover social media and “fake news.”

“I think the issues for the next generation are the government’s role in social media,” Minow said, adding that he was proud of the strides television has made in educational TV but that local stations needed to remain diligent in ensuring unbiased coverage to their viewers. He also supports reinstating the FCC’s “Fairness Doctrine,” which was repealed in the 1980’s.

Minow’s interview can be viewed here.

WASHINGTON—A $1.5 billion public relations campaign across TV, radio and digital platforms to promote the COVID-19 vaccine is in the works by the White House, according to a report from STAT.

Congress and the Biden Administration have set aside the $1.5 billion in funds, which come from the COVID-19 relief package recently passed, to target three groups that are reported to be more reluctant to receive a vaccination: young people, people of color and conservatives, STAT reported. The campaign is expected to begin in the coming weeks.

As for the content of the campaign, administration officials are aware that messages from President Joe Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci may not be effective with some of these groups, so there are plans to recruit celebrities and local officials to promote the pro-vaccine message.

Shortly after taking office, President Biden announced that his administration would kick off a public vaccination campaign with the goal of convincing every American adult to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

This new campaign will be in addition to already seen efforts by the administration to utilize broadcast to tout the need and safety of the vaccine. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have appeared on TV and radio, as has Dr. Fauci, Yale’s Marcella Nunez-Smith and National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins.

For more information on the campaign plan, read STAT’s full story. 

SALT LAKE CITY—People turned on the TV more amid the stay-at-home-orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and VerizonSpecials.com has put together a state-by-state breakdown of how much time Americans spent watching TV this past year.

Overall, Americans watched 17% more TV in 2020 than they did in 2019, with no state earning an average of less than two-and-a-half hours per day.

Mississippi led the way this year, with its residents averaging nearly four hours and 23 minutes per day watching TV. Compared to 2019’s report, Mississippi increased by 25%, allowing it to knock off West Virginia, which topped the list in 2019.

Joining Mississippi in the top 10 was Arkansas (in hours:minutes:seconds, 4:20:24), West Virginia (4:18:36), Alabama (4:16:12), Louisiana (4:07:12), Rhode Island (4:02:24), Kentucky (3:52:48), Nevada (3:51:00), Georgia (3:49:48) and Michigan (3:46:12).

Rhode Island, with a 45% increase year-over-year, went from 15th in 2019 to sixth. Inversely, Delaware, which along with West Virginia and Louisiana was in the top three in 2019, fell out of the top 10 completely.

Alaska was the state with the lowest average time watching TV in 2020 with two hours, 38 minutes and 24 seconds, followed by Utah (2:54:36), Idaho (3:05:24), Minnesota (3:06:00), Washington (3:09:36), New Mexico (3:12:00), California (3:13:12), Montana (3:15:00), Oregon (3:15:00) and Colorado (3:16:48).

Even though Alaska watched the least amount of TV this year, VerizonSpecials reports that it still watched 25 more minutes of TV than Utah did in 2019, which was the least in that report.

Across the country, sports was the most-searched TV genre.

The full report is available on VerizonSpecials.com.  

ARLINGTON, Va.—The Consumer Technology Association has released retail sales revenue projections for the tech industry in 2021. How will the TV market follow the record-setting 2020?

As detailed in its twice-yearly “U.S. Consumer Technology One-Year Industry Forecast,” CTA expects the demand for TVs—which saw a record number of TV shipments—to remain high heading into 2021. While TV shipments are expected to drop by 8%, per CTA estimates, that would still come to about 43 million units, which would be the second-highest volume on record; revenues, meanwhile, would decline just 1% to $22 billion.

Some areas of growth for TV in 2021 are likely to include sets over 70 inches (3.3 million units, up 6%) and 8K UHD TVs (1.7 million units, up 300%), according to CTA.

Related to the TV market, streaming and software spending is projected to continue its meteoric rise. After growing 31% in 2020 over 2019, a record $112 billion is expected to be spent on streaming and software (11% growth).

Overall, the technology industry is projected to reach $461 billion in 2021, which would represent a 4.3% increase year-over-year.

“Tech demand in the first several months of 2021 will look a lot like the last few months of 2020,” said Rick Kowalski, director of industry analysis and business intelligence, CTA. “Streaming services, 5G connectivity and digital health devices will push consumer tech forward in the year ahead as innovative technologies prove their resilience during challenging times. The industry’s ability to meet societal needs in a variety of circumstances will bring growth in 2021 as the world emerges from the pandemic.”

For more information, visit www.CTA.tech/forecasts.  

WASHINGTON—The nation was shocked on Wednesday, Jan. 6, as a group of rioters incited by President Donald Trump’s false accusations of the 2020 election being “rigged” and “stolen” and vitriol against the news media stormed the U.S. Capitol as a joint session of Congress was in the process of certifying the electoral college vote for President-Elect Joe Biden.

Local broadcasters and cable networks provided full coverage of the unprecedented scene. Those on site were also targeted by parts of the mob.

William Turton of Bloomberg posted a video on Twitter that shows the rioters approaching and then attacking members of the media.

Paul McLeod from Buzzfeed News also tweeted on many of the interactions with the media, including the above charge, which he provided quotes from rioters boasting about it. He also posted a photo that showed a noose being made out of a camera cord. After the 6 p.m. curfew that was instituted for Washington D.C. by Mayor Muriel Bowser, McLeod tweeted parts of the mob that were still around the Capitol “chased out a TV crew while threatening and cursing at them.”

A pair of Washington Post video journalists covering the events were also temporarily arrested for being out after the 6 p.m. curfew.

“We are saddened and disheartened by the actions unfolding in our nation’s capital,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith in a statement on the riots. “To the journalists risking their lives to bring this unprecedented scene to Americans across the nation, stay safe and vigilant.”

Four people died during the riots, as well as 14 Metropolitan Police Department Officers were injured, but no reports have indicated that those numbers include anyone from the media.

Away from the scene, many advertisers pulled commercials that were scheduled to air around news coverage, according to Business Insider. Many news broadcasts ran uninterrupted during the events.

Outside of traditional news broadcasts, late night talk shows spent extended time commenting on the tragic events, including an initially unplanned live broadcast of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”

Just hours after the Capitol had been breached and Congress and staffs sheltered in place, they returned to the Congress floor and in the early hours of Thursday, Jan. 7, certified the electoral college for President-Elect Joe Biden, who will be inaugurated as the 46th president on Jan. 20.

SAN FRANCISCO—It’s impossible to look forward at the state of the media and entertainment media industry without taking a glance backward at the past year. And that view is one littered with debris: shutdowns, layoffs, regulatory stalemates, cancellations. 

It’s been a year of stops, starts, overhauls and renovations. But also hope and a reaffirming of what many have known for some time: Viewers are not only clamoring for more content, they also recognize that broadcast television remains a steady force when it comes to news in the midst of a crisis.

‘INTRINSIC VALUE’ 

“I believe the pandemic has confirmed and underscored the intrinsic value of traditional broadcast television and radio,” said Adonis Hoffman, CEO of The Advisory Counsel, LLC, a D.C.-based law firm. “We cannot even begin to count the number of messages, programs and the type of content that was devoted to information, education, coverage of the pandemic.” 

The head of the nation’s primary broadcasting association agreed. “I believe the past few months have served as a reminder to viewers about the enduring value of local broadcast TV,” said Gordon Smith, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. “From the pandemic to West Coast wildfires, nationwide protests about racial inequity to the 2020 elections, we have witnessed many historic newsworthy events over the last nine months that led to increased viewership of broadcast television.” 

In early March, the industry got a clear-eyed view of the extent to which the coronavirus pandemic impact would have when the NAB Show announced it was canceling the in-person portion of the 2020 annual Las Vegas gathering. The organization has canceled the show only one other time, during World War II. 

As the largest show in the industry, the annual NAB Show is a significant money maker for the association. In 2019, the show brought in revenue of $46 million as well as 90,000 visitors and more than 1,600 exhibitors. In an interview in March, Smith called cancellation of the 2020 show an “agonizing” decision. It not only impacted the 90,000 individuals that were expected to attend but cost untold amounts in missed networking connections—a vital reason why many in the industry attend the show in the first place. 

The organization scrapped calls to reschedule the convention for later in the year and instead put together an all-virtual event, the “NAB Show Express.” Looking ahead to 2021, NAB said more than 540 companies have contracted to exhibit at the NAB Show when it returns to Las Vegas, Oct. 9–13, 2021.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Entering a new year, it’s become clearer how significant an impact the coronavirus has had on the media business, be that on television, radio or streaming. 

“[The pandemic has had] an incredible impact on both TV and radio,” said Mark Fratrik, senior vice president and chief economist for BIA Kelsey. “Many different verticals have decreased their advertising spending by a considerable amount. Of course, the amazing amount of political advertising mitigated some of that. But many different leisure and entertainment verticals, e.g. movies, basically stopped advertising or cut back severely.”

According to an estimate by the research firm IBISWorld, M&E is forecast to see a decline of 6.7% due to halted content production. Growth that had been seen over the last few years—as broadcasters began shifting into digital distribution—bolstered revenue. But the coronavirus offset these trends, which led to a decrease in total ad spending in 2020 and halted production of new TV content for a time.

Nowhere was this felt more perhaps than in live sports. Ads run during National Football League games are typically the most expensive in the market due to their large audience share. But viewership dropped as the pandemic caused cancellations or postponements. According to The Wall Street Journal, a drop in ratings for the NFL led advertisers to drop advertising prices in 2020, an unheard of occurrence.

The NFL responded by negotiating to get the NFL Network on a larger array of OTT platforms this year, including YouTubeTV, Vidgo and fuboTV and making it available on smart TVs such as VIZIO’s SmartCast, which last month launched an exclusive specialty "NFL Channel."

2021 A TRANSITION YEAR?

Yet even without the annual convention and in the midst of a pandemic, progress across the industry has continued in several ways. Or as BIA Kelsey’s Fratrik said: “It will take some time for local TV to come back but by 2022, it should.” 

ATSC—which marked 2020 with the launch of consumer sets and station deployments— said that while many stations in the top 40 markets would deploy NextGen TV to viewers by the end of 2020, it revised that mile marker slightly to mid-2021. Deployments picked up steam by the end of the year though, with five markets launching in December alone, including its two largest markets, Seattle and Detroit. 

“I think we will continue to see the steady drumbeat of local TV stations launching NextGen TV service in markets across the country,” NAB's Smith predicted. ATSC has said that it expects NextGen TV to be deployed in more than 60 markets representing 70 percent of viewers by the middle of this year. 

Another bright spot came from the influx of political advertising dollars spent. 

Although local TV stations continue to feel the effect of new competition in both attracting audiences and in selling advertising, “the amazing amount of political advertising spent in 2020—and continuing until Jan. 5 in Georgia—shows the importance of local television in the local advertising marketplace,” Fratrik said. 

Other bright spots on the horizon include the rescheduled XXXII Summer Games to be held in July and August of 2021 in Tokyo. In 2011, NBC agreed to a $4.38 billion contract with the International Olympic Committee to broadcast the Olympic Games through the 2020 Summer Olympics, giving NBC rights to all media platforms including TV, internet and mobile. NBC and the IOC also agreed to a $7.75 billion extension to air the Olympics through the 2032 games. A recent article in Forbes reported that NBC had sold more than $1.25 billion in advertising for this year’s games, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the available ad space. 

That’s not to say there hasn’t been fallout. A study reported in Japan Times projected that postponing the games was predicted to reduce Japan’s annual gross domestic product by ¥7.8 trillion (USD $75 billion).

THE STRENGTH OF STREAMING

While the lack of such high-profile programming in 2020 was a significant downside, it’s hard to put a number on it, Fratrik said, as the U.S. economy was already in a downward slide and advertising plummeted in the early months. “Overall several billions of dollars were not spent by national and local advertisers as a result of the pandemic and the economic downfall and the lack of the Olympics,” he said. 

What has remained strong throughout 2020: direct-to-consumer streaming. Nielsen went so far as to say that the pandemic catapulted streaming to serve as the present—and perhaps the future—of content consumption. According to the August 2020 Nielsen Total Audience Report, streaming among OTT-capable homes accounted for 25% of the time that consumers spent watching TV. 

Legacy broadcasting companies are going all-in with streaming, perhaps best marked by the launch of VUit, a new OTT app developed by Syncbak, which aggregates local programming. Backed by Gray TV, Raycom and ViacomCBS, among others, the new service, which debuted in September, touts itself as the “Netflix of Live, Local and Free.”

“Large TV groups such as Tegna, Sinclair and Gray are heavily involved in providing local streaming services and selling advertising on those platforms,” Fratrik added.

Another way to put it: “The media industry is surprisingly optimistic given the totality of 2020 events,” said Josh Steinhour, an analyst with the research firm Devoncroft Partners “This is perhaps due to the near singular fascination of the industry and investor communities with direct-to-consumer subscriber counts.”

According to the Nielsen report, streaming comprised one-fourth of all television minutes viewed, led by Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Amazon and Disney+. Nielsen also found that the pandemic is having a significant impact on news consumption. “As consumers are spending more time at home and in their local communities, the pandemic is causing a spike in local news reliance and consumption,” Nielsen said.

According to Peter Katsingris, senior vice president of Audience Insights at Nielsen, local news providers are showing they are dialed in to this new way that consumers are consuming news, and local news has responded by reaching consumers in an effective way.

“When it comes to the consumption of local news, we asked [in the survey] about genres of what they watched during the day [and] news was the top genre,” he said. “Local news is something that is really hitting home for… people who are impacted and working from home. They’re home and really [want to] have up-to-the minute information on what’s going on.”

Not surprisingly TV viewing soared in 2020. The October 2020 Nielsen Local Watch Report revealed overall weekly news viewing is up nearly one hour and 20 minutes when compared to September 2019. And the demographic of those who are watching is changing as well with news viewing by younger audiences aged 18–34 increasing by 134% from 2019 to 2020.

A report from the firm Research and Markets found that the M&E market is expected to stabilize and reach $133.7 billion at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% through 2023.

‘TIL WE MEET AGAIN

What else lies ahead? The makeup of trade shows is certain to change, Steinhour said. “To my knowledge there is no data set in existence describing a negative impact to the industry from the lack of trade events in 2020,” he said. “We need global events to bring together the industry community. I do not claim to have the answer for how trade events will evolve, but I can say with confidence future shows will not resemble the 2019 vintage.” 

What the industry should look at now involves action outside of the U.S. According to Steinhour, several European countries have or are in the process of passing Netflix-type taxes. “These are taxes on revenue, levies, or in-country spending mandates on large, familiar U.S. digital companies,” he said. “Regardless of the structure of the tax, the intention is to protect local content production. This will happen everywhere.” 

Others point to the ongoing importance of improving diversity in the broadcast world and embracing the rollout of ATSC 3.0. 

And others, including the NAB’s Smith, said that the most important thing broadcasters can do is to meet with their legislators and explain how legislation, regulatory actions and judicial decisions affect the day-to-day operations of stations. “Members of Congress are aware of the influence local broadcasters have in their communities, and they want to hear from them,” he said. 

Fratrik added that all broadcasters need to remain aware of their local economic conditions as we head into 2021. “There is wide variation among the states as to the severity of the lockdowns, the impacts on employment, and thus, the level of advertising being spent,” he said. “There is significant hope that the distribution of the vaccine will lead to more states opening up. Local broadcasters need to monitor those events and plan accordingly.” 

WASHINGTON—The NAB Leadership Foundation’s Celebration of Service to America Awards will return to television in 2021, following its inaugural broadcast of the event this year that aired nationwide.

A pre-recording of the Celebration of Service to America Awards, which honors local radio and television stations for their community service work, was produced in lieu of the annual live event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Nielsen, the 2020 program reached an audience of 7.5 million people, with 617 TV stations carrying it in 210 markets. The recording aired in August and September.

The 2021 ceremony will have a professionally produced broadcast for TV, expected to be available to stations next summer. There is no word on whether the traditional live event will return for 2021.

“Congratulations to all the award winners and thank you to our partners for making the 2020 Celebration of Service to America Awards a success,” said Michelle Duke, president of NABLF. “We appreciate the generous support of stations that aired the event and look forward to once again producing and distributing our legacy event next summer.”

Highlights and finalist profiles from the 2020 ceremony can be found at ServicetoAmericaAwards.org. 

NEW YORK—Nielsen is working on the Nielsen ONE, a new single, cross-media system that is meant to drive more comparable and comprehensive metrics across platforms, the company has announced. Nielsen ONE is eyeing a Q4 2022 launch, with the intention to fully transition the industry to cross-media metrics by the fall 2024 season.

Viewers are watching video content across multiple different platforms, Nielsen has found. Between March and August 2020, Nielsen reports that U.S. adults spent 12.2 trillion minutes watching content on digital, 11.1 trillion minutes with linear and 2.8 trillion minutes streaming. As a result, advertisers and publishers are seeking a single view of audiences across all platforms and mediums.

Nielsen ONE will use a single metric across linear and digital to transact that will be the standard across the industry, Nielsen says. A single, deduplicated number will provide visibility into total video consumption regardless of platform device for marketers, as well as offering a better understanding of unique audiences; frequency and reduced double counting; inflated metrics; and advertising waste, per Nielsen.

“With Nielsen ONE we are delivering a single, comparable metric for TV and digital that will provide video consumption across all platforms, services and devices,” said Karthik Rao, COO, Nielsen. “For media buyers and sellers, this means better monetizing their assets and maximizing their investments.”

Nielsen has begun unifying its technology platform as part of its transition to Nielsen ONE. This includes:

• ONE Platform: A unified, cloud-based platform that allows integration and normalization of big data sets, including automatic content recognition (ACR) data and return path data (RPD), as well as direct integrations with digital platforms and connected TV (CTV) providers. It will also be underpinned by a flexible technology stack that enables large scale models using machine learning techniques to deliver comparability and consistency across sources. 
• ONE Panel: Nielsen panels and meters will combine into a single-source, geographically representative panel that gathers viewing across devices including TV, CTV, mobile devices and computers. The Nielsen ONE panel uses it ID resolution system to validate audiences and deduplicate exposures across ads and content. 
• ONE Product: A single cross-media product that provides reach and frequency metrics by delivering a holistic, deduplicated view of both content and ad performance regardless of screen, device or platform. ONE Product features technology that measures every single ad on linear TV at the subminute level to account for exact commercial minutes. 

Nielsen had previously announced it was future-proofing its digital measurement, evolving its national TV currency to include addressable measurement and expanding CTV coverage to include additional smart TV manufacturers and digital video platforms in 2021.

Starting in Q4 2022, Nielsen will release parallel cross-media ratings that will deliver metrics at subminute levels for individual ads and content. Nielsen expects this measurement to become the foundation of cross-media buying and selling process across the entire industry by the fall 2024 season.

“With the rapidly evolving landscape and on-going shifts in consumer behavior, it is no longer acceptable to take a siloed approach to our clients’ video plans,” said Doug Ray, CEO, Dentsu Media. “Cross-media measurement is paramount to maximize reach across platforms with the right frequency. We are encouraged by Nielsen’s commitment to single measurement solution and unified framework that will drive comparability across TV and digital video so that our clients can better allocate dollars and maximize ROI.”

For more information, visit Nielsen’s website. 

NEW YORK—As discussion on race and representation in America’s culture have risen to a new level in recent years, a new report from Nielsen shows that while progress has been made, there is room for improvement in terms of representation of more racial/ethnic groups, as well as how they are represented on screen.

Nielsen’s “Being Seen on Screen: Diverse Representation and Inclusion on TV” report acknowledges that in 2019 of the 300 most viewed TV programs 92% of all programs had some presence of diversity (women, people of color or LGBTQ) in its recurring cast. However, digging deeper into the details, Nielsen explains that “presence is not the same as representation.”

According to Nielsen’s findings, while 52% of the estimated U.S. population is female, women’s share of the screen (representation among the top 10 recurring cast members) is at 38%. People of color make up an estimated 40% of the U.S. population, but have just 26.7% share of the screen. The only group that exceeds its actual presence compared to estimated population is LGBTQ (4.5% of estimated population), but they still have just 6.7% share of the screen; and only 2.3% of the top 300 programs have non-binary representation.

Nielsen breaks it down further between not only more specific ethnic/racial designations, but also based on the platform they are viewed on, be it broadcast, cable or streaming. Streaming offers the most diversity, having the lowest share of screen percentage for white characters (64.7%) and a near even split between male and female characters (51.1% male, 48.9% female). On average streaming also has the most inclusive representation of people of color.

Broadcast offers the highest share of screen for Black and South/Southeast Asian characters, but is lowest among LGBTQ. Cable, inversely, has strong LGBQT numbers but is the lowest in representation of all peoples of color.

Other findings regarding screen share revealed that Hispanic/Latinx women are consistently one of the least represented group among all platforms. In addition, Native American’s share of screen (0.4%) is less than one quarter of their presence in the estimated U.S. population across all TV.

Nielsen makes the point that the amount of time that viewers typically spend watching TV content across platforms (six hours per day) can serve as an external force for identity formation and the associations we make of others. “Therefore, the presence of diverse people on screen and the context in which they are presented can be among the most influential factors in developing our personal attitudes and beliefs,” Nielsen states in its report.

One example that Nielsen gives is the representation of Black males and females in news/weather. Black males have a 15.26% share of the screen for news and weather, however, despite making up half of the black population, Black females have a less than 1% share of the screen.

“The first step to creating an inclusive society is for people to feel seen and be seen,” the Nielsen report concludes. “The stories told, the characters portrayed and the experiences shared on screen help people feel empowered and learn about those who are different.”

The full Nielsen report is available for download online.

STANFORD, Calif.—A new study by Stanford University has found that watching TV while also scrolling social media can lead to memory loss.

The research, published in Nature, found that people who reported engaging in multiple forms of digital media at once, such as watching TV while texting and browsing social media, had a poorer memory than those who concentrated on just one.

The research team gave 80 adults aged 18 to 26 a memory task during which they recorded neural signals of attention lapsing, memory and pupil size.

Participants’ ability to sustain attention was measured by how well they were able to identify a gradual change in an image. They were briefly shown images of objects on a computer screen. After a 10-minute delay, they were shown more images and asked to identify if they were bigger or smaller, more pleasant or unpleasant, or if they had seen the image previously.

They also completed questionnaires to measure their level of media multitasking, impulsivity, everyday attention and mind wandering.

Results showed that attention lapses in the moment prior to remembering impacted on behavioral and neural memory signals and were associated with greater likelihood of forgetting.

“Limiting potential distractions can be useful in memory preparedness and reducing mind wandering or mind blanking,” said the report authors.

Time to put the phone down and concentrate on the TV.

The pandemic of the last six months has laid bare the stark differences between the haves and have nots in this country and around the world. There are those haves who are fortunate to be able to work from home and there are the “have nots” who are deemed essential and have to work on the front lines, dealing with the public in the hospitals, grocery stores and related service industries.

It’s also revealed the advantages the “digital haves” have over the “digital have nots.” The difference represents the “digital divide” in this country between those who have access to broadband and those who do not—and nowhere is this more evident than in education. Students who have easy access to broadband clearly have advantages over those who do not; this was noticeably evident prior to the outbreak and has become even more pronounced since, especially now that we are in September and the start of a school year starkly different than ever before seen in our lifetimes.

Last year, the FCC issued a report that put the number of Americans lacking access to fixed terrestrial broadband connectivity at 21.3 million; however, a study by BroadbandNow Research in February indicates the number is closer to twice that.

School districts around the country are scrambling to distribute laptops to millions of students who will be forced to learn from home in the largest distance learning effort ever undertaken by this country. Millions of students who live in areas without broadband could fall behind even further than their classmates. Some will be able to access hotspots at designated locations such as libraries and other public facilities, but the fact remains that broadband has become a basic utility that for many, especially students, can now be equated with heat, transportation and health care.

But for many of those students, television can be their lifeline to keeping up with their peers. Yes, that device that for decades has prompted parents to criticize and deride for turning our brains to mush can also serve a vital purpose. Even before the digital divide became a thing, studies showed that “Sesame Street” alone made a quantifiable and important tool for teaching low-income and rural students who did not have access to the same resources of their fellow students.

The New York Times reported on the use of television as a learning tool last month, and while much of it focused on third-world countries, parents and educators in the U.S. as well, know the value of television in the age of homeschooling, especially when turning the TV to the right channel can be a lot less of a hassle than programming a computer.

“Television holds promise as a low-cost complement to online schooling and a lifeline for students with few other resources,” the Times said. “A vast catalog of educational programming exists, but analysts say policymakers have mostly missed an opportunity to make use of it.

“How many parents right now are just trying to figure out how to get through the day while their kids are just watching TV or on the iPad?” Melissa S. Kearney, a professor of economics at the University of Maryland, who has published research about ‘Sesame Street’ told the Times. “We could do a lot of good if people who are in a position of trust with those families could point them to some of that positive content.”

In last month’s issue of TV Technology, columnist Armstrong Williams promoted the use of ATSC 3.0 (aka “NextGen TV”) as a vital tool and link for helping to bridge the digital divide by advocating a mandate to include 3.0 chips in all new TV sets sold in the U.S.

Today, ATSC 3.0 signals are scarce but growing and 3.0 sets are also scarce and expensive, but ATSC 1.0 is ubiquitous and the ability of many PBS stations and their “diginets” are helping to “fill the educational/digital gap” to students stuck at home. LPTV stations are also playing an important role as well. To learn more, check out http://public.pbs.org/DistanceLearningResources.

During the pandemic, PBS has proven the importance of its role as an educator but with the arrival of ATSC 3.0, that role could become even more vital. In May, TV Technology Contributing Editor Phil Kurz wrote about how current events are prompting educators to think about the possibilities 3.0 can bring to educators.

“It is mind-blowingly exciting what kind of educational opportunities there will be with 3.0,” Angee Simmons, National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) vice president of content told TV Technology. “It’s not just for the kids who can afford it. It breaks through all of these barriers we face everyday—whether it’s because you are living in poverty, or you are living in a rural area with no access. This breaks down those divisions.”

Recently, we’ve all been forced to re-think much of our everyday lives—how we work, how we play and everything in between. In the face of a pandemic, our health, our families and our livelihoods come first. But we still crave our old customs: a meal, a movie, a ballgame. Now, when we need them most, we miss our distractions.

Sports in this moment may feel like an all-too-guilty pleasure. But for so many of us, they are a balm. At a time when the usual routines have been disrupted, the familiar rhythms of our games provide relief. The NBA and NHL have returned to play. Major League Baseball ultimately moved forward with its season. Boxing, UFC and the PGA are again holding events, and the NFL expects to kick off its season in September as planned. In many ways, major-league spectator sports appear to be conducting business as usual, except for one thing: no spectators.

HUNGRY FOR COMPETITION

Still, all those empty seats at stadiums and arenas across the country should not be misinterpreted as a lack of public interest. If anything, the audience of consumers hungry for sports content is more ravenous than ever. According to eMarketer’s forecast on digital sports viewers, 36.5 million people in the U.S. will watch live sports digitally this year. And thanks to continued organic growth and accelerated cord-cutting, digital live sports viewership is set to rise more than 14% in 2020. For sports properties seeking new ways to engage viewership, or options for better leveraging existing channels, the current moment should be considered as a pivotal one.

Even before the spring sports shutdown, fans on- and off-site had demonstrated a revealing trend to over-the-top media services: idle hands. Whether standing in front of the live action or seated on the couch at home, sports viewers are increasingly engaging with second-screen companions. Messaging friends. Checking fantasy scores. Buying concessions. Participating in trivia. Watching highlights. Fans from all generations are using devices—sometimes second and even third screens—to amplify their sports enjoyment. The games, they’ve discovered, are a gateway to additional entertainment. Fans don’t turn their attention from the field to their phone because they’re bored. They love the experience. They just want more of it.

Today’s advances in technology, shift in the consumption of sports and its offerings are empowering fans to stay connected from home. Scarcity and premium VIP experiences can keep demand high, regardless of price. Fans are willing to pay to watch games of their favorite team or subscribe to a seasonal membership.

FAN FIRST

The opportunities for OTT providers are obvious, especially at a moment when fans are arguably as thirsty for sports as they’ve ever been. This increase in digital engagement is likely to continue. Leagues and teams have started to recognize that need, underscoring that notion.

But the competition to capture that second-screen audience is already on. Sports organizations are now asking a litany of questions: how do teams keep supporters engaged with “fan-first” digital experiences? What’s the best way to offer relevant digital pay-per-view or subscription packages? How can organizations generate digital revenue?

Sports organizations now have the opportunity to take control and build stronger direct connections with their fan base. That’s all happening online—using “Netflix-style” sports channels. Regarding smartphones, tablets and Apple watches: media properties and the leagues themselves are hustling to be the first (and best) source of content on these devices, and they’re beginning to learn how to monetize those offerings.

PLUS: Recreating the Sports Fan Experience Virtually

To earn back some of the lost revenue at the gate, sports organizations at all levels are looking to live stream their games or competition online—behind closed doors—enabling fans to do so with a “digital ticket.” By selling these digital tickets using pay-per-view or subscription functionalities, it not only keeps the supporters connected and engaged with clubs but also guarantees income until fans can return to stadiums.

The industry bigwigs aren’t alone, either. OTT entities could learn a lesson from the grassroots creators. On Twitter, for instance, ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) has turned breaking NBA news into a cottage industry. Animators have parlayed original, sports-themed shorts into massive viewer numbers on Instagram. TikTok may be the latest blockbuster medium for content ranging from highlights to interviews to news, commentary and who-knows-what’s-next.

Secondary screen engagement is here to stay, and it will be those OTT properties with both the content that most resonates with fans and the will to deliver it to them that finish ahead in this market. The public awaits.

George Meek is CEO of InPlayer, a leading monetization and subscriber management platform with more than 400 customers worldwide. George has almost two decades of experience selling broadcast technology and almost as long operational experience in scaling high-growth technology companies.

SAN BRUNO, Calif.—YouTube has firmly established itself on people’s TV screens, as the company announced that more than 100 million people in the U.S. watch YouTube or YouTube TV on their TVs each month.

YouTube says that it reaches more people ages 18-49 than all linear TV networks combined, but that it has seen a “dramatic shift” in viewing patterns as viewers are increasingly watching the platform on connected TVs. According to a study by Comscore, YouTube makes up 41% of ad-supported video streaming watch time.

The launch of such services like YouTube TV, which is a vMVPD service, have likely helped in this change, but YouTube has instituted other initiatives contributing to these statistics. The company launched YouTube Select, which includes popular creator content and a dedicated streaming TV lineup. There are also a number of YouTube Originals that have gained popularity.

YouTube shared additional information on its ad strategies and more in a blog post. 

LOS ANGELES—TV viewing habits are actually poised to go up in a post-coronavirus world, according to a new survey from E-Poll.

According to the E-Poll survey, 21% of respondents said that they intend to watch more TV shows, movies and streamed programming after “things return to normal;” 14% said they intend to watch less, but that comes out to a 7% net increase.

Nielsen forecasted at the beginning of the stay-at-home orders that content consumption would rise significantly during this time. According to a new report from Nielsen on streaming video viewing on TVs from March 23-April 19, U.S. audiences reached 654.6 billion minutes; a comparable four-week period in 2019 saw 301.4 billion minutes.

Another factor into why TV and streaming viewing may continue to be popular even after coronavirus is that people reportedly will be concerned about attending large gatherings, including entertainment offerings like movies, concerts and sporting events.

As far as when things might return to normal, a third of E-Poll respondents said they expect that to happen in the next three months. A majority think that it will take six months or longer.

The full E-Poll report is available online.

Adaptive storytelling. You might be thinking—what is it? Why does this matter? First of all, adaptive storytelling is the future of TV. I feel more confident about this than almost anything else. This is bigger than IP. IP video is big, but this is bigger because this impacts everything. It's not just how content is created and delivered but what content is created and delivered. 

In Western Europe and America, we're probably one of the only generations that grew up having a TV set in the living room. In our mind a TV set is “something.” But then to the rest of the world, it's something totally different. A mobile phone is what a TV set looks like. This is amazing. This is the best thing that ever happened because it used to be that to watch a live show you needed to sit in front of the TV set at home to watch, let's say, the 9:00 news. This is obviously no longer the case.

Mobile devices have made live video accessible everywhere in the world in a period of about 10 years. It's already happened. There are now about 5 billion mobile devices out there. Every human on Earth can watch live video anywhere. You don't need to be at home. I mean, who really thinks about what time the news is coming on anymore?

To a traditional TV station, this is scary stuff. This is reality. So, when people say, “TV is at a crossroads,” it really, genuinely is.

CONSIDER THE NEWSPAPER 

The best analogy to see where all of this is going is to think about printed media. Think of a newspaper—it was a printed page with a fixed aspect ratio. Look at what happened to the newspaper market. Things were not going so well. The smart ones adapted as they went online. It is no longer the same thing. 

The New York Times has a video player on their web page. They have interactive content and targeted ads. They’ll let you know when there's a “local” thing, so they know something about you, they know a little about what you like, etc. That has fundamentally changed this concept of how to present a piece of content to you. This is what the future looks like for news media. 

A SIMILAR CHANGE IS COMING FOR TELEVISION 

TV is at a similar crossroads. The way we move forward is this concept called “adaptive storytelling.” The goal is to take stories and make them acutely personal to people. What's fueling this decline in traditional TV viewership is that everybody is now going on social media because those are personal stories. So, the challenge for broadcasters is how to make stories go from being this “fixed thing”—that once came out of the antenna—and transform it into something that's more personal to their viewers. Something that takes a lot of different shapes. 

The obvious reference here is the shape of their viewing device. It is now as crazy to think that we should be looking at all video at a 16:9 aspect ratio as it would be to say that we should read a newspaper or a web page always at a fixed size. It just doesn't happen anymore. People are looking at video everywhere: on web browsers, in their car, on their phone, their tablet. We need to make it easy for producers to push out video and make it so it can be truly viewed on all of those devices. It's got to be quick, easy and cost effective to do, but it's got to go further because that is just the beginning. That's just changing the size of the screen. 

We've got to make it so that you can deliver real customized content to your viewers. That is what makes the website so special for the news media. There is no reason that when you watch a game that the graphics shouldn't be in the color of your team. There's no reason that stories shouldn't be customized to your particular interests. There’s no reason when you're looking at a show that you shouldn’t see your local weather in your local time. Add to that whatever is relevant to you locally—sponsorships that are local and personalized to you. 

#SDVS 

All of these things are going to happen, and there is only one way to get there: through software. An approach we call software-defined visual storytelling (#SDVS) will enable this, which I describe in more detail in this article.  

We're going to create the tools that enable this, and it will be what really drives the future of video and TV on the web. I'm utterly convinced that this is going to be the thing that changes this industry. It is exciting, and it is an exciting time. That is why I come to work excited and with a purpose. 

Dr. Cross is head of research & development for the Vizrt Group.

As the world’s largest gathering of consumer electronics technology, the annual Consumer Electronics Show has greatly expanded its focus over the years as more household products become digitized and then connected. The days where TV sets were once the biggest stars are long gone but even today, some of the new entrants at the 2020 show prompted some head scratching.

For example, why would Impossible Foods, one of the world’s largest developers of meat-alternatives be showing at an electronics show? The company used the gala event to roll out their latest experiment in ultra-processed food: fake bacon; nevertheless the connection between their newest concoction and electronics is tangential at best.

Although one could certainly draw a straight line between TV watching and food, the main themes at this year’s show were traditionally consistent with the trends in recent years, namely, 5G, AI, IOT (now referred to as the “intelligence of things”) and for television: 8K.

While sales numbers are still in the single digits for 8K sets worldwide, TV manufacturers were all aboard the high resolution bandwagon at this year’s CES. The fact that there is little to no 8K content available has not deterred manufacturers who claim that their upscaling and display technologies will satisfy consumers’ thirst for the best pictures available.

Concerns over how the variety of televised programming is displayed on their new UHD sets was a priority for the UHD Association, a consortium of studios and set manufacturers promoting high resolution television. Specifically, the association used CES 2020 to formally roll out “Filmmaker Mode,” a setting that will be adopted by most major TV manufacturers to ensure that the correct viewing mode is being used.

As it currently stands, many 4K and 8K sets come out of the box with default modes that don’t necessarily represent how content is to be viewed. Viewers have complained about movies shot in 24 fps being displayed in video mode (aka what has been referred to as “the “soap opera effect”). Needless to say, Hollywood has not been pleased.

“Most people today are watching classic films at home, where existing technology presents all media in exactly the same way, whether it’s a football game or ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’” said director Martin Scorsese. “With Filmmaker Mode, different works will be presented accurately, as they were created and designed by the filmmaker. Filmmaker Mode is a long overdue and welcome innovation.”

Some sets currently on the market offer viewers the ability to activate a “cinema mode” in the TV’s settings, however, Filmmaker Mode will be activated automatically, through metadata embedded in the content. LG, Panasonic and Vizio were among the first set makers to commit to offering it in their 2020 television products; Samsung, Philips/TP Vision, and Kaleidescape will also offer Filmmaker Mode in its TV products this year as well.

Samsung dazzled attendees with its modular “The Wall,” returning to CES this year, offering four new sizes in addition to its largest option—a whopping 292 inches. The Wall includes Samsung’s “MicroLED” screen technology that allows consumers to customize the size of their screens.

Samsung has also upgraded its AI Quantum Processor for its QLED 8K TVs and redesigned the sets in an “ultra-thin” form factor as well introducing its concept of the “Infinity Screen,” which produces a screen-to-body ratio of 99%. LG, as well introduced displays with a 3.5 mm ultra low narrow bezel and providing a wider viewing angle.

But perhaps the TV product that garnered the most buzz was “Sero,” which, with the simple press of a button, rotates to vertical mode to view content created from smartphones. Gone are the vertical bars that characterize the display of vertical videos on horizontal sets.

Our sister brand TechRadar summed up its review of the Sero thusly:

“As a conceptual and cultural piece, the Samsung Sero TV is incredibly interesting. It’s a relic of the internet era, and one that will have a certain appeal to anyone who uses their phone more than their TV. To that end, optimists might say that the Sero could be the bridge that gaps the divide for a younger generation that watches less and less traditional TV while pessimists, very rightly, might just call it a passing fad.”

Once again, CES proves that when it comes to television, there are still no new ideas (or fads) too outlandish to try.

Viewers who are fed up with ongoing TV blackouts caused by battles between broadcasters and pay-TV operators could confront a “permanent” blackout of their local TV channels if Congress doesn’t reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELAR) before it expires at the end of 2019, according to advocates for the elderly.

Passed in 1992, STELA ensures that satellite TV subscribers in rural areas are able to receive their local TV channels. Without such legislation, they could instead end up receiving TV stations from locales outside their viewing area.

In an op-ed published in The Hill today, Debra Berlyn, president of Consumer Policy Solutions and the executive director of Project GOAL, a project to raise awareness of both the benefits and challenges of innovative new technologies for the aging community, called recent sporadic blackouts “unjust” and called on legislators to include provisions that would curtail rising retransmission costs that are the source of most local TV station blackouts.

“While these unjust and sporadic blackouts are a concern for all of us nationwide, 870,000 consumers [sic] will confront a permanent blackout of their TV service in just a few short months,” Berlyn wrote. “This can be avoided if members of Congress act quickly and reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELAR) before it expires at the end of the year.

“The current situation has created space for retransmission fees to continue to skyrocket and, unfortunately, those growing fees are passed down to consumers,” Berlyn added. “A stronger good faith measure is needed as part of STELAR so that broadcasters cannot threaten station blackouts unless their request for increased fees is met. Consumers have a stake in this as they are the ones bearing the costs. This provision would limit this unfair negotiating tactic and prevent the TV blackouts that consumers do not deserve and don’t understand. They just want their TV service.”

Berlyn added that the elderly in particular are among the most vulnerable if STELAR isn’t reauthorized.

“While all consumers should be concerned, older adults have a special interest too because they watch a significant amount of TV and depend on access to local programming,” Berlyn wrote. “The TV is often their go-to source for important content including local news, weather, traffic and community information that is, at times, critically important.”

As a public, education, and government (PEG) channel in California, Napa Valley TV is up against top-tier TV networks in the fight for viewers. 1970s-style lousy video just won’t wash! Add the fact that a $20 annual membership fee gives each NAPA Valley TV volunteer the right to uses its production equipment, and the channel needed a video switcher that is as easy to operate and robust as it is professional-grade – in HD/4K, of course. 

Find out how Napa Valley TV built the channel’s HD/4K anchor without going under. Learn how it is:

• capable of handling multiple cameras and supporting network-level switching 
• easily operable with the push of a few buttons
• loaded with virtual sets and LiveMatte keying functions; including keying graphics on the virtual set’s monitors
• affordable and simple to install – and tough!

Click here to download the full white paper.

Too much screen time with TV and on social media exacerbates the symptoms of depression among adolescents, according to new research findings published in JAMA Pediatrics.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Montreal, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center in Montreal and the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, found that increasing social media use, TV viewing and computer use by a single hour within a year increased the severity of depression in that year among adolescents. No link was found between video game use and depression.

The findings indicate that adolescent use of social media and television should be regulated to prevent depression and to reduce worsening symptoms over time.

The researchers drew on responses from 3,826 adolescents (with 3,659 participants supplying usable data) to online self-assessments in which adolescents were asked to rank on a scale of zero to four the extent of their depression in seven symptom categories, such as loneliness, sadness and hopelessness.

They were also asked about their screen time each day playing video games, watching television, visiting social media sites and using the computer, excluding video games.

Students at 31 Montreal-area schools completed the assessment and were studied from grade 7 to 11. Data was collected between September 2012 and September 2018.

“We found an association between social media and depression in adolescence,” the researchers wrote.

Repeated exposure to what they termed “idealized images” lowers the self-esteem of adolescents and triggers depression. “Furthermore, heavier users of social media with depression appear to be more negatively affected by their time spent on social media …,” they wrote.

The researchers suggested that further research should be conducted to examine whether social media algorithms affect this process.

When it came to TV, the study found that adolescents who are less prone to depression are more likely to watch television. The research “demonstrated that the tendency to engage in high mean levels of television over four years was associated with less depression,” they wrote. However, “any further” growth in TV use in the same year pushed depression symptoms higher.

“[W]e argue that watching more television over time increases the likelihood of upward social comparison to occur, in turn potentially triggering and enhancing depression,” they wrote.

Computer screen time also appears to be tied to youth depression as well. However, increased time using the computer was positively associated with the belief in one’s ability to perform computer tasks, which may lessen the overall severity of depression, the researchers suggested.

The research findings were published online July 15 in an article entitled “Association of Screen Time and Depression in Adolescence.” 

NEW YORK—People always say that children are the future, so what does that future look like, especially when it comes to media consumption habits. A new survey from Morning Consult focuses on the habits and values of Generation Z adults (ages 18-21 for the survey), and traditional TV as a vital source of news did not fare overly well.

Only 12% of respondents to the survey say that they get most of their news from TV, which dwarfs in comparison to other adults (42%). Specifically with the traditional broadcast networks (CBS, NBC and ABC), Gen Z adults are 10 points less likely to watch than older generations.

Instead of TV, 49% of Gen Z adults chose to get most of their news from social media, compared to 17% with other adults. They also are more likely to frequently visit digital-first publications like Buzzfeed, Daily Mail, Vox and New York Magazine than their elders.

The Morning Consult survey also dives into consumer habits, aspirations and political identities. To see the full “Understanding Generation Z” report, click here.

“The Value of Video: Using Today’s Media Supply Chain to Optimize Ad Delivery” webinar will take place on May 16 at 2 p.m. ET. Registerhere.

NEW YORK—While TV upfronts dominate much of the inside baseball media news this week, there is an ongoing, underlying truth television networks, station groups and local broadcasters must acknowledge and deal with when it comes to TV as an advertising medium, says TVB EVP and Chief Communications Officer Abby Auerbach.

“TV is undervalued because of misperceptions out there,” says Auerbach. In many cases, those misperceptions stem from competitors eager to claim a bigger slice of the advertising pie. In other instances, the quest for the next shiny new thing on the part of marketers and advertisers may contribute to the misperceptions.

However, whether it is total time spent watching or the number of people reached, TV still dominates the media landscape, offering ad agencies and their clients the powerful medium they desire to reach and impact consumers as they decide what goods and services to buy, she says.

Auerbach, who will present “Valuing TV in a Multiplatform World,” Thursday, May 16, at 2 p.m. EDT during a live TV Technology webinar sponsored by Imagine Communications, says that while many people perceive that the public spends more time on digital platforms and with social media than watching TV, the reality is far different.

“People spend more time with TV than their computers, smartphones and tablets combined,” she says, pointing to a 2019 comparison study that found people spend five hours and 24 minutes a day with broadcast and cable TV (of which just over three and a half hours is with broadcast television) versus 1:02 with social media and 51 minutes streaming TV.

Similarly, when it comes to the sheer number of viewers, TV crushes the competition despite the common perception that digital has surpassed television, she says.

Quoting Dave Morgan, founder and CEO of Simulmedia, Auerbach points out that “Judge Judy” has more audience ad minutes—in other words, more people watching ads—in 30 minutes than all of the people watching all of the videos on YouTube all day.

“TV reaches more adults in a day than YouTube and Netflix reach in a month,” she says. Auerbach points to research showing more than 180 million adults 18 years of age and older watch television daily while 114.5 million and 85 million adults watch YouTube and Netflix, respectively, in a month.

Part of the reason for misperceptions that result in undervaluing TV are differences in how TV is measured versus other media. For example, for TV to be regarded as viewable, 100% of the picture needs to be visible. For digital, it’s 50%.

“In other words, all video impressions are not the same,” she says. Another example is the duration a video must be watched to be regarded as an impression. With digital, the duration is two seconds, while for network TV the duration must be 30 seconds—and for spot TV it has to be five minutes.

Trust also plays an important role, and here again, television outshines digital and social media, she says. Eighty-three percent of people polled this year agree with the statement “I trust the news I see/hear on this media source” when it comes to local broadcast news versus social media at 45%.

During the May 16 webinar in which Auerbach is presenting, Imagine Communications VP Ronnie Bell, will make a separate presentation examining the role of automation technology, ad optimization, systems integration and standardization.

The free webinar will give attendees the opportunity to direct questions to both presenters. Full disclosure, I will be moderating the webinar.

Register online now by visiting the online registration landing page.

Mexico City, Mexico — Televisa, the television studio and broadcast behemoth, has added Point Source Audio’s EMBRACE EO-8WL microphones for use in their popular telenovela and music competition reality productions. Headquartered in Mexico City, Televisa is considered to be one of the largest mass media conglomerates and content creators in Latin America. The vast majority of its programming is for the Hispanic market with much of its content airing in the United States. The microphone purchase was made through Point Source Audio dealer Magnum Digital based in Mexico City.

David Camacho is the sales manager at Magnum Digital and oversaw the sale to Televisa. Camacho was equally impressed by this new solution Point Source Audio provided to his customer, commenting that “They had been using ‘normal’ lavaliers and it used to take a lot of time to wire an actor; EMBRACE mics have allowed them to wire the actors so much faster.” He further emphasized, “There were always noise problems with clothing, jewelry, or chest hair when using traditional lavs; the EMBRACE products solved all those issues.”

The EMBRACE microphones hold two patents and were originally designed for use in theatre but have been finding their way into many new applications including television broadcast. Unlike traditional lavalier mics where the placement on the actor can lead to extraneous noise being picked up from clothing, jewelry or other elements, the EMBRACE microphones have a patented over-the-ear mic mount that can be customized for each actor which allows the mic to sit closer to the mouth and away from clothing. The earmount lavaliers maintain consistent placement from the mouth regardless of head movement and conceal easily.

Measuring only 4 mm in diameter, the EMBRACE model EO-8WL is an omnidirectional microphone that can be ordered in beige, brown, or black making it ideal for concealing. The EO-8WL boasts an IP 57 waterproof rating so it is protected from water, sweat, and makeup. The microphone ships with interchangeable X-Connectors compatible with all popular wireless systems including Sennheiser, Shure, Lectrosonics, Audio-Technica, and others. A windscreen, left and right earmounts, and an assortment of clothing clips are included.

“We’ve been very happy with all of the Point Source Audio products," states Camacho. “They sound great and our customers see them as problem solvers. Their compatibility with every pro wireless system on the market is also a big advantage.”

Point Source Audio will be showcasing EMBRACE microphones for broadcasters at upcoming industry events including the NRB Convention in Anaheim, March 26-29, booth 722; and the NAB Convention in Las Vegas, April 6-11, booth C2357. To learn more about Point Source Audio products, please visit www.point-sourceaudio.com

About Televisa
Televisa is a mainstream media company; a leader in the production of Spanish audiovisual content. A cable operator and a pay TV system via satellite in Mexico. Televisa distributes the content it produces through various open TV channels in Mexico and to over 50 countries through open TV channels, 26 pay TV brand-channels, cable operators and additional internet services. www.televisa.com

About Magnum

“Magnum” is a Mexican company founded in 1981 with a wide experience in the implementation of integral professional audio & video solutions as well as content transmission via internet and storage for the broadcast, live and post-production markets, while supplying technical support through an authorized and specialized service center of all the products and brands it represents. www.magnumdigital.com.mx

About Point Source Audio

Point Source Audio (@PSA_audio) manufactures and distributes worldwide their SERIES8, EMBRACE, and CONFIDENCE collection of miniature microphones—a unique line of headset, earworn and earmounted microphones known for their robust bendable boom and waterproof features. The company also holds two patents for the EMBRACE concealable microphone as well as the patent for the world’s first modular in-ear comms headset that is supporting the hearing health for audio, lighting and camera techs using headsets everywhere from sports to space. Founded in 2004, Point Source Audio is headquartered in Petaluma, Calif. For more information call (415) 226-1122 or visit www.point-sourceaudio.com. Follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PSA_audio.

DALLAS—There’s just something special about watching television on a big screen in the living room—at least that’s what a majority of U.S. broadband households subscribing to OTT services say.

New data from research firm Parks Associates reveals 52 percent of these broadband households watch their OTT TV programs, movies, live event coverage and other content on a TV connected to the internet.

"While the total number of hours consuming videos has declined, consumers are watching more internet video on the largest screen available," says Parks Associates Research Analyst Billy Nayden. "The number of hours consumers report watching video on a TV increased for the first time since 2014, with connected devices enabling internet video services on TV and shifting consumers away from PC and mobile viewing.”

What is now developing among OTT competitors is a “battle for the living room,” which is spurring device makers and content producers to find “the correct product mix to maximize both profit and utility,” he says.

OTT business models based on subscriptions currently dominate the field, according to Parks Associates’ new “360 View: Digital Media and Connected Consumers” report. However, with each new service that comes on the scene, the potential for a subscription overload to develop grows.

"As consumers' taste for OTT experimentation wanes, they will start to resist the push to add another monthly subscription to their households," says Nayden. "Many providers are starting to lead with freemium and ad-based models, in anticipation of this pushback."

The report also offers a bright spot for local TV stations. It finds that local broadcast channels and programs are the most enjoyed type of programming.

“Generally, people really enjoy broadcast television,” says Brett Sappington, senior director of research at market analysis firm Parks Associates. “In surveys, we ask about different genres, different categories of programming, and live broadcast television is by far the top service.”

“We often asks survey participants: ‘Which types of content would you have the most difficult time losing in your channel package?’ Local broadcast is clearly the top one consumers want to retain,” he says.

Parks Associates also is detecting that as consumers evaluate their TV options, there’s an uptick in those supplementing their OTT services with over-the-air TV antennas, says Sappington.

Other Parks Associates findings:

• 55 percent of U.S. broadband households choose watching TV or movies at home as their top two favorite leisure activities;
• 19 percent of consumers subscribe to either Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime Video and another OTT service vs. 13 percent in 2017; and
• Consumers watched video about four fewer hours every week in 2018 than in 2016 –25.7 hours vs. 29.5 hours per week.

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.—The latest models of TVs from Samsung are now available, including the company’s QLED 4K and 8K lines. Samsung describes the 2019 models as its largest screen size offering ever with models that offer TVs from 43 inches to 98 inches.

The range of offerings for Samsung’s QLED 4K and 8K TVs are designed to meet the specific needs of any household, per the company’s press release. The QLED 4K line features four models—Q60, Q70, Q80 and Q90, available in sizes from 43-82 inches—while the Q900 represents Samsung’s 8K offering and features five available sizes from 65-98 inches.

Among the special features of these latest offerings is the Ultra Viewing Angle technology available in the Q80 and Q90 models. Ultra Viewing Angle restructures the TV’s panels so the backlight passes through the panel with lights evenly on the screen with the goal of reducing glare and enhancing color. The Q80 and Q90, as well as the Q70, also offer Direct Full Array technology featuring a panel of concentrated zones of LEDs that automatically adjust to provide deeper blacks and purer whites.

All of the QLED 4K models and the Q900 8K model TVs feature proprietary Quantum Processors that can upscale lower resolution content to match either 4K or 8K pictures, as well as optimizing sound quality based on the content on the screen. The Quantum Processor 8K, specifically, is also able to boost the sound experience by tailoring audio settings to a room’s layout, per Samsung.

The new models will also provide updated Smart TV capabilities primarily based on discovering and watching content. An improved AI algorithm for the Universal Guide takes a user’s subscription services, favorite content and TV viewing habits to establish customized viewing recommendations. Users can also use the New Bixby feature on the 2019 models and are expected to soon be able to control their TVs via voice controls with an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device.

Samsung’s OneRemote now has Far Field Voice capability so customers can control their TV even when they are away from their remote.

Additional features for the QLED models include offering iTunes movies and TV shows and Apple AirPlay 2 support; Real Game Enhancer for improved gaming experience; and a greater variety of artistic options for the TV’s ambient mode.

Samsung also unveiled updates to its Frame and Serif lifestyle TVs. The new models provide QLED picture quality in addition to new Smart features.

For a full breakdown of Samsung’s 2019 QLED TV lineup, visit samsung.com.

Insight TV, the world’s leading UHD 4K broadcaster and producer of native UHD content, announces a unique six-part series called City Beats, which takes viewers on a musical journey to uncover the vibe and the spirit of the people in various European cities, both through their personal stories and the soundtracks that underscore their lives. The show is hosted by London-based DJ and electronic music producer Carly Foxx, who each week will create a different track from the sounds and musical influences she uncovers while exploring different cities in Europe.  The series will launch on Insight TV channels and Insight.TV in the summer. 

City Beats continues Insight TV’s reputation as a storytelling channel that taps into the heart of different communities via trending topics and current affairs – this time, through music.

In each episode, Foxx will immerse herself in the culture of a European city and create a track from scratch by sampling (recording sounds of) people, places and things that she uncovers, whilst paying homage to the feel and music history of each city. She will meet breakout artists, local legends and colourful residents, and her new track will encompass all the musical inspirations from her journey. At the end of each episode, Foxx will debut her new dance track in front of a crowd of club-going music lovers. The first few episodes will take place in London, Paris, Ibiza, Amsterdam and Berlin.

 “Our goal with this new series is to take viewers on an immersive musical experience through an iconic European city and tell the story of a city through music — exploring its culture and musical influences. We think Carly Foxx is the perfect host for such a journey given her experience in the world of professional music, and we’re delighted that she’s part of this exciting, creative new series from Insight TV,” says Frank le Mair, Executive Producer at Insight TV. 

Fremont, CA - January 9, 2019 - Blackmagic Design today announced that season one of the popular Australian television comedy “Stage Mums” was shot using its URSA Mini 4.6K and Pocket Cinema Camera digital film cameras. The show’s editing, audio editing and color correction were also completed using DaVinci Resolve Studio.Airing on a Network Ten in Australia and available on Tenplay, “Stage Mums” takes a tongue in cheek look at the lives of two stage mothers who will go to any lengths to give their daughters opportunities to showcase their amazing talents, most of which don’t work out exactly as planned. Created by Anna Waters-Massey and produced by SundayArvo Productions in association with OZPIX Entertainment, the series was filmed on Australia’s Gold Coast, and recently had its debut broadcast season, which comprised of an entirely Australian cast and crew.With a highly stylized look and feel to match its over the top comedy, “Stage Mums” combines a familiar run and gun reality show look with the bright, warm and hot feeling that comes from shooting on the Gold Coast. Director of Photography Andrew Condor and internationally acclaimed filmmaker, actress and producer Amie Casey decided to use URSA Mini 4.6K as the main camera for the most recent season in order to capture the stylized look.“We definitely wanted ‘Stage Mums’ to be bright and colorful and relative to the style of high quality Australian television, allowing us to build a product that Australians can get behind and be proud of while becoming a beloved series internationally,” explained Casey. “As a producer, one of the great things I loved about working with both Blackmagic Design cameras was the portability. Our production days were fast paced and largely location based, and working with such easily maneuverable cameras while not having to compromise on quality was a dream come true.”Condor used an URSA Mini 4.6K as the A and B camera and the Pocket Cinema Camera for BTS and as a second unit insert and pick up camera. Both cameras made use of a Rec. 709 LUT and were used in multiple locations and in a variety of different natural and artificial lighting situations.“The Ursa Mini 4.6K is a giant for quality in a lightweight, compact body! It was the perfect camera for ‘Stage Mums’ as I wanted a smaller camera package for a run and gun feel, but I didn't want to compromise on quality of the image. Its compact size allowed us to get shots where bigger cameras just would not fit, and we often found ourselves in very small shooting locations, but we were always able to fit both cameras to keep the style of the show consistent,” said Condor. “The 15 stops of dynamic range and the low light capabilities really came in handy with our tight schedule and even tighter lighting budget.”Shot on a very tight schedule, and with the reality, on the run production style, Condor wanted to work with a smaller team of people around the cameras.

“That's where the URSA Mini 4.6K comes into its own. My excellent B camera operator, Colin Larsen, and I were able to control everything in an instant and keep the flow of the show going. We had a few slow mo shots, and being able to shoot up to 120fps without quality loss was fantastic. We also had a lot of locations where we were constantly dealing with different levels of illumination, and I loved the quality of the built in ND filters so that we didn't have to concern ourselves with ’in front of lens’ filtration,” he said.Post production for the series is completed at Sound Vision Studio by post producer Robert Merlini. DaVinci Resolve Studio was used for color correction, audio and video editing and final HD and UHD delivery for the various channels, including Australia’s Channel 10 Peach, Tenplay and US platform Seeka TV.“DaVinci Resolve Studio was the obvious choice for the overall look and feel of the show. Its color features helped to no end in our final product. I also used the Fairlight audio editing page for the the sound mix and was amazed at the functional mix features that helped create the end sound,” Merlini said.He continued, “We really benefitted from DaVinci Resolve Studio not having unnecessarily complicated processes for preparing final deliverables. On the Deliver page, we were able to batch compile and process the file in all of our delivery file formats. DaVinci Resolve Studio made this a breeze. To be able to deliver to the broadcaster exactly to their specification was the perfect way forward for us.”Stage Mums can also be viewed at www.stagemums.com.

Press Photography

Product photos of URSA Mini 4.6K, Pocket Cinema Camera, DaVinci Resolve Studio and all other Blackmagic Design products are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/images

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Bahakel Communications is a family-owned communications business with 14 TV and radio stations primarily based in the south. When we decided to move to IP networking to share live productions between three of our six TV stations, we wanted to push the envelope of IP without getting into unproven territory. We needed the system to work reliably and that meant the right IP networked audio console.

We planned to produce most of the newscasts and weather reports for WCCB-TV, WOLO-TV, Columbia, S.C., and WFXB-TV, Myrtle Beach, N.C. from our WCCB newsroom in Charlotte.

RELIABLE IP AUDIO NETWORK

We were looking for the ideal IP networked console to replace our Wheatstone TV80, which had served us faithfully for the past two decades. We didn’t have to look far—we found it in Wheatstone’s Dimension Three, a capable board like our TV80, yet with the proven WheatNet-IP audio network that could handle mic control, IFB and final mixing for all three stations from our main studio in Charlotte.

For our purposes, Dimension Three was perfect. It was layered, had a very capable touchscreen interface on the bridge, and more busses than we’d ever need (16 mix-minus and 16 AUX sends on every channel, plus two stereo and two 5.1 surround master busses), plus stereo and 5.1 surround panning… with EQ and dynamics processing available for each input, each subgroup and each program bus.

Most important to us was the proven reliability of the IP audio network behind Dimension Three; WheatNet-IP is an AES67-compatible audio network known to be reliable and fail-proof.

THREE FOR ONE

The Dimension Three IP audio console now handles mixing, mic control and IFB for all three stations from the Charlotte studio. This is done through I/O BLADEs, the access units that make up the Wheat- Net-IP audio network. All studio cameras, mics, IFB, prompter, weather system, and set monitors in the Columbia newsroom are linked to Charlotte by IP. In Charlotte, it all goes through production and master control, and is then re-encoded with all the subchannels and sent back to Columbia via IP transport for transmission. The same setup is used for some programming for WFXB-TV in Myrtle Beach. Mid-day weather is presented from the Columbia newsroom, through WCCB-TV production, and fed back via IP to WFXBTV for air. News and weather can originate from any of the three locations for all or any of the three stations, as was the case during Hurricane Matthew.

When the storm hit in late 2016, we broadcast live updates for all three communities from each of the locations as it developed, and we continued to broadcast updates even during a mass evacuation in Myrtle Beach without losing connectivity. As WFXB-TV’s building sat empty and dark, we remotely produced live updates for the Myrtle Beach community from our studio in Charlotte.

Recently, we expanded on the WheatNet-IP audio network with Wheatstone’s EDGE and AuraIP-8 BLADE for an eight-channel audio link over Ethernet IP. We now use the system for transporting multiple Columbia radio stations’ audio back to WOLO-TV’s master control in Charlotte for EAS compliance.

Bob Davis is director of engineering and operations for Bahakel Communications LTD. He can be reached atbdavis@wccbcharlotte.com.

For more information, visitwww.wheatstone.comor call 252-638-7000.

Hisense has begun shipping the next iteration of its four-year-old TV collaboration with Roku.

The R6E, a smart 4K Ultra HD set with HDR10, is more sharply priced than its predecessor, the R7, with a suggested opening retail step of $298 for the 43-inch model.

Other screen sizes, and corresponding MSRPs are:

• $328 for the 50 inch;

• $398 for the 55 inch;

• $498 for the 60 inch; and

• $648 for the 65 inch.

That compares to a suggested $799 retail for the 65-inch R7.

Like the R7, the R6E features a 120Hz refresh rate, up to 30 watts of sound, and access to half a million movies and TV shows that can be streamed from more than 5,000 channels, thanks to its onboard Roku OS.

[Read: Is 8K Gaining Traction?]

Peter Erdman, marketing and business development VP at Hisense USA, said the latest Roku addition was prompted by “a positive response from consumers about the R7.”

The R6E will start hitting retail shelves and websites this month, beginning with Walmart.

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It works in gaming, it works in retail. Heck, it even works when it comes to M&Ms.

Study after study proves that a major key to success in 2018 is customization.

Yet for one European news media service, an inflexible legacy distribution system was blocking the way to such customization.

That was the reality that Euronews was facing. A pan-European news organization with multiculturalism at the heart of its DNA, Euronews was founded nearly 25 years ago by 10 European public broadcasters looking to cover world news from a European perspective in multiple languages 24/7. But this network — seen as groundbreaking when it launched in 1993 — was being held back by an inability to adapt programming to the specific needs of individual countries.

So this pioneering broadcaster began searching for an answer to two key questions.

•How does a multilingual broadcaster better serve a segmented audience in the wildly diverse digital environment of 2018?

•How does one better reach an audience while juggling complex multilingual content production on one hand and managing intricate multiplatform distribution on the other?

In other words, how do you reach an Italian teenager surfing on her mobile phone while simultaneously connecting with a 70-year-old multilingual professor looking for over-the-air breaking news in Ukrainian?

Connecting with Audience via Customization

“We have been operating a ‘one size fits all’ policy since launch because that was the limit of the software we were using,” said Duncan Hooper, digital editor in chief for Euronews. “We found that we could no longer take our brand or product further so we [made a change] to help us break out of those limits and to create a specific identity for each channel with content customized for each audience.”

For Euronews, now the continent’s biggest news channel, that change came in the form of a new broadcast infrastructure with customization at its center.

The result: weeks after the launch, Euronews was already producing more than double the amount of television content that it did under its legacy infrastructure. Additionally, by synchronizing the production of content between its television and digital platforms, Euronews is now producing 20% more content for their digital channels and managed to grow traffic to their website by 66% since the beginning of 2018.

For Euronews, the answer came in the form of a new production and distribution platform that allowed it to transition from a single multi-language channel to 12 separate cross-platform channels that can now be individually tailored to local audiences.

After its installation in fall 2017, Euronews is now generating adapted content with enhanced graphics across TV, social media and the web. The broadcaster is able to set up a separate identity for each of its language channels and deliver pictures and graphics in different languages for audiences in 165 countries.

Journalists and other editorial and creative personnel have more individual control over their content. Under the new system, journalists can now access any video, graphic or script created by another reporter and directly customize that content on the platform. Collaboration between departments is proving to be seamless.

“Journalists can collaborate better, share content seamlessly, and transform an original story with minimal effort to adapt it for each language and audience,” said Francois Schmitt, Euronews COO.

And dependency on technicians is reduced. Using this new system, Euronews can now store all assets in a single, unified environment, which allows for a smooth, automated flow of content from ingest to output.

Now, the 500 users that work at Euronews offices in Athens, Brussels, Budapest and Lyon are connected and collaborating on a single platform. The solution — called Dalet Unified News Operations — handles production, orchestration and delivery of stories in a way that was not possible for Euronews a year ago.

Euronews is now able to adapt its output to the needs of the consumers it serves, “empowering the uniqueness of our multiculturalism,” said Michael Peters, CEO of Euronews. The new production platform is transforming Euronews into a robust, agile and innovative organization, he said.

“[We are becoming] the first glocal news brand by reinventing our approach to broadcast journalism from production to distribution,” he said.

Detractors said Euronews’ multiplex approach to news coverage lacked the ability to adapt programming to the specific needs of individual countries. That’s no longer the case. Now, Euronews is producing double the amount of television content that it did under its outdated infrastructure. By synchronizing the production of content between its TV and digital platforms, Euronews is producing 20 percent more digital platform content than before the adoption of the Unified News Operations solution.

“The most positive thing about the Dalet system for all the journalists has been their empowerment,” Hooper said. “They are no longer reliant on other people to make things happen since they can create content and publish online, on social and on TV. They then have the power to adapt the content to tell the story that they want to tell rather than having to tell the same on each platform regardless of language.”

“[This technology] has enabled us to give more individuality to our storytelling.”

Euronews’ strategic transformation project has been nominated for an Innovation Award at IBC 2018. Lauded as one of the most coveted awards in the media industry, the competition celebrates technical and creative excellence, acknowledging collaboration between organizations like Euronews and Dalet to achieve clever and innovative solutions for real business challenges.

Arnaud Elnecave is vice president of marketing for Dalet. 

Additional Resources

Euronews Customer Story— The world's first "Glocal" Media: a strategic transformation with Dalet

Dalet Unified News Operations Solution — Discover Dalet’s story-centric, integrated news production and delivery solution for TV, radio, web and social

Representatives from the former DOW Stereo shared this video marking the 20th anniversary of the retailer’s first HDTV sale — a 56-inch Panasonic model — complete with plenty of rich nostalgia. How many faces do you recognize? 

Vizio is bringing ATSC broadcast tuners back to its entire 4K TV lineup.

The company is launching four new 4K smart-TV lines that feature more high dynamic range (HDR) formats, higher peak brightness levels in all but the entry-level series, more backlit local-dimming zones in select models to improve black levels, and its first quantum-dot TV in two years.

The new TVs are also the company’s first TVs that can be voice-controlled through smart speakers and mobile phones via Amazon Alexa. Like last year’s models, the new models can also be voice-controlled through speakers and phones via Google Assistant.

The flagship TV is the $2,199-suggested P-series Quantum, a 65-inch model with quantum-dot display, 192 local dimming zones, 2,000 nits of peak brightness, black levels said to be “comparable” with OLED displays, and wide color gamut reaching 98 percent of the DCI P3 digital-cinema standard, or 80 percent of the Rec. 2020 standard. It’s Vizio’s first quantum-dot TV in two years after phasing out a 65-inch Reference-series TV.

As quantum-dot film comes down in price, Vizio “will see how far we can spread it” in its lineup, but the company has no current plans to do so, said John Hwang, senior director of product management.

The quantum-dot TV is among 19 smart 4K TVs that Vizio is unveiling in the D, E, M and P series of 4K smart TVs. The entry-level D series also includes some HD and FHD smart and non-smart models. Like before, all models feature full-array backlighting instead of edge-lit LED lighting for better light uniformity and contrast, Vizio said.

All 2018 smart TVs run on Vizio’s SmartCast OS, which incorporates onscreen apps and Chromecast built-in, which enables the TV to stream any one of thousands of Chromecast-enabled apps running on a mobile device.

ATSC REVISITED

All TV models feature ATSC 1.0 tuners, which in the 2017 lines were available only in the entry-level D series. Vizio brought back free over-the-air ATSC tuning in force because the company recognized that although “a large percentage” of consumers don’t watch over-the-air TV, people who have cut the cord with traditional pay-TV services see value in free ATSC broadcasts, Hwang said.

[Read: Vizio Makes ATSC Tuner-Free 4KTVs]

Because linear TV is “still a strong use case,” Hwang added, Vizio is bringing YouTube TV’s vMVPD service to its selection of embedded smart-TV apps in the spring as well as its own over-the-top (OTT) free-TV service, which it is developing with Pluto TV to let viewers stream more than 100 free Internet channels.

The as-yet unnamed service, which will include some Vizio-exclusive channels, will give users access to OTT linear-TV channels through the TVs’ onscreen GUI as well as by using the channel up/down buttons of the TV’s remote. The service will feel like a traditional pay-TV service without the set-top box or subscription fee, the company said. Channels will offer news, sports, movies, talk shows, concerts and the like.

Pluto TV’s own OTT linear-TV service is available on 2017 and 2018 Vizio smart TVs, but Vizio promises its free linear-TV service will offer content not available through the Pluto service.

HDR, peak brightness: In its 2018 lineup, Vizio is also stepping up picture performance, in part by adding more HDR options. Hybrid Log Gamma appears for the first time in Vizio TVs and will be available on all 4K models, while Dolby Vision, previously available only in the M and P series, migrates down to the “step-up entry-level” E series. Like before, the HDR 10 format appears in all 4K models.

To goose up the peak brightness levels of specular highlights on a sustained basis, Vizio expanded its user-selectable Extreme Black Engine feature down into the E series and upgraded its performance to reduce blooming, said Hwang. The feature is tied to the TVs’ multiple backlit local-dimming zones.

A longer version of this article is available on TWICE.

For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.

NEW YORK—The TV business has long looked to the Super Bowl as a tent-pole sales event that can rival Black Friday. And according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), this year’s Patriots-Eagles game won’t disappoint.

The trade group’s annual Super Bowl survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, shows that 8 percent of American adults plan to buy a new TV for the Feb. 4 contest, unchanged from last year.

Explained Phil Rist, Prosper’s strategy executive VP, “Consumers are carrying strong spending momentum from the holiday season into their Super Bowl festivities. Fans aren’t afraid to spend a few extra dollars to make this year’s game the best one yet.”

A separate survey by online services firm InstartLogic also bodes well for Super Bowl LII advertisers, which will include a considerable contingent of tech companies. According to its poll of more than 1,000 adults, nearly half (46.7 percent) rank watching the ads as the most important online activity during the game, while a whopping 87.2 percent admit to being affected by Super Bowl commercials.

A running ad tracker by Adweek points to at least five Big Game advertisers with their hands in the CE sauce, including Monster, Verizon, Groupon, Squarespace and Hulu. Here’s a quick Adweek rundown:

· Fresh from CES, Monster spokestar Iggy Azalea will appear in the company’s first ever Super Bowl spot.

· Verizon Wireless, which finds itself in the uncomfortable position of defending its No. 1 status from T-Mobile, will make its first Super Bowl appearance since 2011, when it touted the recently released iPhone 4.

· Groupon, ranked 28 on the TWICE Top 100 CE Retailers Report, will air a 30-second, fourth-quarter spot with comedienne Tiffany Haddish, the merchant’s new celebrity spokesperson.

· Web-hosting service Squarespace will follow up last year’s Emmy Award-winning spot featuring actor John Malkovich with a camp-side cameo by Keanu Reeves.

· Hulu is back for a second year but is keeping its Super Bowl plans under wraps.

This story first appeared on TV Technology's sister publication TWICE. 

DALLAS—Why watch YouTube on your phone when you can watch it on your big screen TV? That seems to be the though process of many U.S. households according to a new report from Parks Associates. The latest findings on connected entertainment research deliverables shows that more than 50 percent of U.S. broadband households now watch internet videos on a TV screen.

With more TVs connected to the internet either directly or through connected devices there is evidence of a shift in video consumption habits of consumers. “The fact that one-half of broadband households watch internet video on a television shows that we are well past a tipping point,” said Brett Sappington, senior director of research at Parks Associates. “The market has fundamentally changed.”

Additional findings in the report include that 88 percent of computer-based viewing is from non-linear sources. OTT continues to grow, as 72 percent of non-pay-TV subscribers are signed up for an OTT video service and use it as their primary source of content. Also, 49 percent of broadband households in the U.S. subscribe to Netflix.

“The abundance of alternatives is clearly impacting the traditional TV industry,” said Sappington. “ Well over 60 percent of households now subscribe to one or more OTT video services, and one-third subscribe to two or more services. Traditional players have taken notice and many have launched their own OTT offerings in an effort to get out in front of the shift.”

Read the full report here.

LAS VEGAS—Samsung is bringing newly developed metal-core quantum-dot technology to select 4K Ultra HD TVs.

Samsung's Q9F TV

The enhancements will boost peak brightness to 2,000 nits from 1,000 and 1,200 nits in last year’s line, expand color volume by 20 percent, and deliver wider off-axis color accuracy.

The technology, appearing in the top-end Q9F, Q8 and Q7 4K TVs, expands color gamut to 99 percent of the P3 standard from 96 percent in the company’s top 2016 quantum-dot models, producing a “noticeable” improvement, said TV product marketing GM Brandt Varner.

All of Samsung’s 2016 4K TVs met Ultra HD Alliance (UHD-A) performance criteria, and Samsung’s “target” is for all 2017 models to meet the criteria, Varner added before the show.

Also at CES, Samsung is:

• Expanding its 4K Blu-ray player selection to two;
• Sticking only with HDR 10 high-dynamic-range technology in its new 4K TVs and 4K Blu-ray players, leaving out Dolby Vision HDR technology;
• Officially retiring the SUHD moniker applied to 2016’s highest performing 4K TVs, which used a previous generation of quantum-dot technology; and
• Offering about the same number of curved TVs as it did in 2016, though its flagship Q9F series will be flat in contrast to its 2016 flagship series, which was curved.

To make the TVs look better in the home even before they’re turned on, the company is:

• Launching a new wall-mount system for the top Q9F and Q8 series to simplify DIY installation and deliver a “near-zero gap” between the wall and the TV chassis.
• Improving the appearance of on-wall installs in the Q9F and Q8 series by using a “virtually invisible” clear, thin 15-foot optical digital cable in place of a thicker round cable to carry audio and video to the TVs from the company’s One Connect A/V-switching box. The box was also available in last year’s lineup. A 36-inch optical cable is also due.
• Introducing a new cable-management system that hides all wires inside the stands of most 4K TVs before emerging to connect with the company’s One Connect input-switching box.

No SUHD: In retiring the SUHD designation, Samsung is replacing its SUHD lineup with the MU8 and MU9 series, which drop their predecessors’ quantum-dot displays while still delivering 1,000-nit peak brightness, Varner said. The MU8 models will deliver the wide color gamut of their predecessors, and the MU9 models will deliver a wider gamut than their predecessors, thanks to a new non-reflective screen, he said.

Also new are the entry-level MU6 and MU7 series, which like their predecessors lack quantum dots.

All MU series except the MU9 will feature both curved and flat models, while MU 9 will feature only flat screens.

The number of models and screen sizes in all of the new 4K series was unavailable.

Metal-core dots: In describing the performance of the Q series’ metal-core quantum dots, Varner said the technology delivers peak brightness of 2,000 nits with “no tradeoff between high luminance, wide color gamut and high contrast.” Color saturation doesn’t drop as brightness goes up, he added.

The new technology also “improves diffusability,” expanding the direction of light to reduce the rate at which the perception of color changes at off-axis viewing angles, Varner said. Additional details were unavailable.

New Features: For the Q series TVs, an optional wall-mount bracket slips inside the back of the TVs, and the TVs hang like a picture frame from a flat rectangular plate attached to the wall to deliver a “near-zero-gap” between TV and wall. The TV can be straightened by hand and locked into place without any tools, so the wall plate doesn’t have to be installed completely horizontal, Varner said. The TVs tilt down up to 15 degrees for mounting over a fire place.

Q series models will also add such new features as no-lag PC gaming, thanks to the addition of Steam’s app for accessing PC games through Steam’s Cloud service without having to connect a PC.

The Q series also adds an improved smart remote, which makes it easier to find key cable-box functions, and a new smartphone app. The app puts the TV’s UI on the small screen and lets users continue to watch live TV on the big screen as they use the phone’s display to browse through the content of such smart-TV services as Netflix or Amazon.

UHD Blu-ray: In expanding its UHD Blu-ray selection to two, the company will offer a basic model and a step-up model, both with curved fronts like the lone 2016 model. The step-up model adds multiple features, including a display and a Bluetooth transmitter, which streams audio to headphones from the player and from a connected AVR.

The step-up model also adds Blu-ray-to-mobile and mobile-to-Blu-ray capabilities. With the former, users stream 4K disc content to a tablet or phone at home while someone else watches TV programs on the TV screen. With mobile-to-Blu-ray, users stream content from the phone to a TV through the 4K Blu-ray player.

The step-up also adds dual HDMI outputs, one to carry Blu-ray surround sound to older audio/video receivers that lack HDMI 2.0 inputs with HDCP 2.2 copy protection.

All Samsung TV remotes will also now control all Blu-ray player functions

Neither player offers optional store-and-export capabilities, which store disc content on a hard drive for quick access and export disc content to a mobile device for on-the-go viewing.

For the latest news on CES, visit our sister publication, and publisher of the official CES Daily, TWICE magazine.

LAS VEGAS—Sony is kicking off the new year by unveiling its newest lineup of 4K/UHD TVs, all of which are HDR compatible. The XBR-X930D/XBR-X940D and the XBR-X850D, in addition to supporting HDR picture quality, features backlighting technologies and an ultra-thin design.

XBR-X930D

The XBR-X930D 4K HDR LCD TV comes in 55-inch and 65-inch models, while the XBR-X940D is a 75-inch model. All models feature X-tended Dynamic Range PRO to adjusting backlight levels with a unique algorithm; expanded color with TRILUMINOS Display; 4K X-Reality PRO for increased detail for TV broadcasting, DVD, Blu-ray, Internet video and digital still photos; 4K Processor X1 to improve color accuracy, contrast and clarity; supports Google Android TV; voice search and voice command via the remote; and Sony’s Content Bar. Only the XBR-X903D features the new Slim Backlight Drive technology, which uses a grid array local dimming backlighting structure to distribute the backlight source to specific screen zones.

The XBR-X850D series includes 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch and 85-inch models. It features all of the same technology as the XBR-X930D and XBR-940D models except for the Slim Backlight Drive technology and X-tended Dynamic Range PRO. The XBR-X850D TV series and up will feature the Consumer Technology Association’s “4K HDR Ultra HD” logo, meeting the definition for HDR set by the CTA. All three TVs will be available in the early part of 2016.

In addition, Sony announced a new streaming app from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, ULTRA. Set to be launched later in 2016, ULTRA will allow users to purchase and stream 4K HDR movies and TV shows—both new and classic titles from Sony’s library—directly onto Sony 4K HDR TVs.

Sony unveiled this and its new TVs and CES 2016, which is running from Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas, and is just one example of how HDR is being showcased at the conference.