Vitec has acquired Datapath, a developer of real-time video processing for large-scale video walls, AVoIP content distribution and KVM control in mission-critical control rooms, commercial applications and creative environments.

“Datapath is a highly respected Pro AV industry leader, renowned for its engineering excellence, intuitive video-wall and control-room solutions, and decades of heritage in video hardware and software development,” said Nicolas Quesne, deputy CEO of VITEC. “Its portfolio complements our IPTV distribution technologies and opens new opportunities in the control-room sector. This move marks an exciting new phase for VITEC as we continue our growth as a company.”

The acquisition strengthens VITEC’s video wall and video distribution portfolio, offering customers access to expanded engineering capability, customer support, distribution and geographical reach, the company said.

Datapath's video wall processing, multidisplay graphics and AV-over-IP engineering expertise will be integrated into VITEC’s solutions, allowing it to offer a broader range of capabilities to support IPTV distribution applications. Once the integration is complete, nearly 50% of VITEC’s workforce will be engineers, it said.

“Bringing VITEC and Datapath together will allow us to accelerate product development and offer an even broader range of solutions, features and services,” Phil Webster, vice president of R&D for VITEC, said. “We’ve worked hard internally to align systems and strengthen both businesses, and we’re excited to integrate our combined expertise.”

Webster led the Datapath R&D team and is now responsible for the engineering teams across the entire VITEC portfolio of video streaming solutions.

Datapath’s product names and categories, including its video-wall controllers and processors, AV-over-IP solutions, capture cards and control-room solutions, will remain within the VITEC portfolio. VITEC said it intends to maintain familiarity while enhancing support and development capabilities for Datapath.

Datapath serves customers in more than 100 countries across the professional AV, defense, education, security and health care industries.

More information is available on the Vitec website.

HONG KONG/SYDNEY—VITEC has appointed Kevin Dowd the company’s regional business development director, APAC. He brings more than 25 years of business development experience across China and the broader APAC region, where he has worked for international technology companies including MultiDyne, Accord Networks, RGB Networks, Broadstream, Haivision, Polycom, deCarta (now part of Uber) and Viewcast.

Jamie Hind, VITEC’s regional director, APAC, welcomed Dowd to the team saying, “It’s an exciting time for us in the region and Kevin brings a huge amount of experience and knowledge with him—we are looking forward to seeing him help drive the long-term success of VITEC across Asia.”

Dowd has directly sold and managed multimillion dollar projects in markets including telecoms, healthcare, military, finance, government, broadcasting, education, and public relations. Having lived in Shanghai and Hong Kong since 1995, the company says he has established a network of some of the largest broadcasters, government agencies, financial institutions and telecommunications service providers in APAC, and at various levels of local and central governments in China and throughout Asia.

Fluent in Mandarin, French and Japanese, Dowd will be based in Hong Kong.

NEW YORK—EZ-TV is VITEC’s enterprise-grade IPTV and digital signage platform, which combines broadcast-quality IPTV distribution with digital signage capabilities into an all-in-one integrated solution. The company says the platform is designed “to integrate with any IT environment and run on all types of networks: LAN, WAN and Wireless.”

The EZ TV platform offers an IPTV experience with live streaming, on-demand video, digital recording, mosaic player and time-shifted TV. EZ TV content security and user-access controls are certified by military units and content providers for local and multi-site applications. The EZ TV Digital Signage module uses hardware-based endpoints to deliver digital content with dynamic data and full HD and 4K content—all managed from a centralized server.

According to the company, more than a million enterprise users and TV displays are powered by the EZ TV platform, and it is “the in-house IPTV solution of choice” for news and media organizations, military units, government agencies, arenas and stadiums of colleges and professional sports teams.

To learn more, stop by VITEC’s booth 714.

PARIS—Vitec has announced that it will feature its newest IP video products and services, including its new MGW Diamond+ OG encoder, during IBC2022, Sept. 9-12, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre.

“Since the last IBC in 2019, Vitec’s IPTV and digital signage product portfolio has been strengthened by the acquisition of Exterity,” said Vitec senior vice president of sales Bruno Teissier. “This deal has opened a new chapter for Vitec and puts the company in a strong position to capitalize on the growth of businesses deploying IP video streaming solutions across their enterprises.”

Making its EMEA debut at IBC 2022, the MGW Diamond+ OG is a 4K/multichannel HEVC, H.264 and MPEG-2 encoder in an openGear (OG) card format. It is designed for a wide variety of contribution or point-to-point streaming applications via IP within production studios, broadcast facilities and corporate server rooms, the company said.

Among the encoder’s applications are site-to-site primary distribution; remote production over unconstrained networks, remote/at-home production over the internet, such as for REMI; and standard IPTV distribution, it said.

Offering support for Ultra-HD and high dynamic range (HDR), the encoder can capture and stream 4K 60p from its 4x3G-SDI or 12G-SDI inputs. The company plans to add SMPTE 2110 input support via 25Gbit SFP interface, it said.

The MGW Diamond+ OG supports 4:2:2 10-bit encoding, multichannel audio encoding and Zixi, SRT, RIST and Pro-MPEG transport protection technology for reliable video and audio transmission over lossy networks, Vitec said.

The company also will preview ChannelLink, a central hub that enables IP content delivery anywhere at any time with the same ease of use as legacy baseband video matrices. ChannelLink delivers reliable reception of IP channels from the field and live retransmission, thereby serving as an efficient gateway across any IP network, it said.

ChannelLink is well-suited to stream management, routing, rebroadcasting and IPTV stream reflection via WAN/internet connection. In a broadcast application, the new product simplifies content delivery of live channels from news agencies, sports venues, and entertainment halls.

More information is available on the company’s website.

See Vitec at IBC Stand 7.A39. 

CASSOLA, Italy & PORTLAND, Ore.—Vitec Imaging Solutions has announced that it has agreed to acquire Audix and its affiliates and that the deal is expected to close shortly. 

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

"Audix is the perfect addition to our existing audio range, in a high-tech, growing category," said Marco Pezzana, Divisional CEO at Vitec Imaging Solutions. "The brand will significantly increase our total addressable market, advance our audio technology capabilities and, most importantly, bring great people with intimate knowledge of the audio industry, who will be a real asset to the company and enable us to accelerate the delivery of Vitec’s audio strategy and delight the content creator community with easy to use, high fidelity audio capture solutions."

Audix is a leading, high-quality microphone brand for studio and live performance audio based in Portland, Oregon, that focuses on premium, professional vocal and instrument microphones, designed for studio, commercial and live applications, with audio technology designed and manufactured in the U.S., Vitec said. 

As part of the deal, Vitec also announced that the Audix team and facility in Oregon will become Vitec Imaging Solutions’ Audio R&D Centre of Excellence, which will work on the acceleration of in-house microphone product design, development and manufacturing across all Vitec audio brands. 

The deal means that Vitec's audio capture strategy is now structured around three core brands in the $1 billion microphone market:

• Audix: Microphones for Studio Recording and Installed Sound. Under the global umbrella of Vitec Imaging Solutions, Vitec will add sales, marketing and e-commerce capabilities to develop the U.S. brand worldwide, while maintaining its high level of innovation, with a primary focus on fast-growing wireless applications. Audix will open its vertically integrated, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the U.S. to the rest of Vitec’s audio brands, ensuring the innovation is applied across our whole audio portfolio to the benefit of all Vitec brands’ users, Vitec said. 
• Rycote: Microphones and Noise Cancellation Accessories for Professional Broadcasting and Filmmakers. The Rycote brand is dedicated to the broadcast and production segment. While Rycote windshields and mounts will continue to be made in the UK, Rycote’s broadcast microphones will benefit from the additional manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Vitec said, by allowing them to extend the range, further enhance product performance and better serve the US market.
• JOBY: Mobile Microphones for Content Creators. The JOBY brand is Vitec’s largest volume offering, servicing the 40 million monetizing social media influencers for whom great audio quality is a critical component of their success. Going forward, the development of JOBY microphones will move to the U.S. to accelerate the innovation process in the largest content creator market.

PARIS—Vitec, which develops advanced video encoding and streaming technology, has formed a strategic partnership with Zest Technologies designed to offer the broadcast market complete end-to-end workflows.

Vitec’s growing product roster will now be included in Zest’s portfolio of solutions offered to broadcast customers.

“Our broadcast product range has been evolving in our desire to work with a market leader who can add value end to end, and not be simply a reseller, Zest Technologies is a great fit,” said Mark Rushton, business development director at Vitec.

Zest Technologies was founded by Lorna Garrett, who has previously worked with Vitec. Zest came about after Garland Partners Limited, which Garrett was a co-founder with Malcolm Harland, was acquired by LiveU in February.

“Broadcast applications are a demanding environment,” adds Lorna. “Products have to be fit for purpose, both for the circumstances in which they will be used and in the results they will deliver. VITEC fits the bill on both counts, and I’m delighted to include them in Zest’s portfolio of solutions.”

For more information, visit www.vitec.com or www.zest-technologies.co.uk.  

PARIS—Vitec is getting involved in space, as the company announced that it has collaborated with NASA to provide IPTV technology to monitor and maintain equipment on the Orion spacecraft that will be used for human missions to the moon and Mars.

IPTV technology brings enhanced capabilities that allow for video technology to be “the eyes” for NASA as to any potential problems, Vitec says.

“NASA needed a decoder that could be compatible with video feeds coming from sophisticated—but proprietary—on-board IP cameras developed by NASA and its contractors to capture video in space,” said Richard Bernard, senior product manager, Vitec.

Vitec worked with NASA to develop video decoders that are compatible with proprietary and open standards workflows. A result of this work was Vitec being able to adjust stream capture module capabilities to manage a range of feeds used for the Orion missions under different conditions and circumstances.

Vitec also claims that its hardware decoding platform ensures that video frames can be decoded and rendered on industry video standard outputs, such as HDMI or SDI, at any frame rate, frame resolution or bitrate for distribution with those working on the Orion mission at the space center.

For more information, visit www.vitec.com.  

PARIS—VITEC, a provider of video encoding and streaming solutions, has announced a green initiative with the goal of becoming completely carbon neutral by 2021 in all facets of its business operations, including the manufacturing of its video products.

In June of 2020, VITEC signed the United Nations’ “Climate Neutral Now” initiative, which consists of numerous global organizations in the practice of measuring, reducing and offsetting carbon gas emissions to help achieve climate neutrality. VITEC took its first steps toward this goal by calculating its greenhouse gas emissions for the 2019 fiscal year and purchased carbon offsets to bring its 2019 carbon impact to net-zero, the company said.

VITEC has also shared that a recent report has identified areas across its global offices and supply chains where VITEC can continue to reduce its greenhouse gases. These efforts reportedly include opportunities to modernize energy use, materials, travel and shipping.

The carbon-balanced video products that VITEC intends to develop will support the environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives of customers, the company said. VITEC is also encouraging its employees to help develop carbon-balanced MPEG and IPTV video products.

“Technology providers have a responsibility to contribute to the rescue of our planet, and I want VITEC to be among the front runners,” said Philippe Wetzel, CEO of VITEC. “This initiative is important to me, our global employees and the communities we serve. We have always tried to make positive green choices when developing new facilities or processes. The sooner we reach carbon neutrality, the sooner we will see benefits for our businesses and partners.”

The complete VITEC green initiative can be viewed online at www.vitec.com/green-initiative.  

ATLANTA—Video encoding and streaming provider Vitec has introduced the MGW ChannelLink IP distribution gateway for use in broadcast, corporate and government sectors.

MGW ChannelLink acts as a central hub where IP channels from the field can be received and transmitted live over any IP network. It can receive a large number of input streamers and translate them into a multicast or unicast MPEG Transport Stream over UDP or an SRT-protected stream.

The system can be used for stream management, routing, rebroadcasting or IPTV stream reflection over WAN or the internet. It can simplify content delivery of live channels and is designed to meet stringent security criteria.

Vitec says that MGW ChannelLink has the lowest processing time for IP-based channels. It can be used in conjunction with Vtiec’s MGW Ace encoder and decoder in its ultra-low latency HEVC profile to provide end-to-end latency without compromising video quality. It is also capable of remote production and contribution over the internet.

MGW ChannelLink is fully interoperable with third-party encoders and decoders. The compression-standard-agnostic gateway is compatible with MPEG-2, H.264 and HEVC codecs, any resolution or frame rate and is engineered to support future transport protocols, Vitec says.

Users can manage all incoming channels and view information and statistics. The gateway also serves as a centralized location for aggregating content and monitoring incoming streams, with a large number of channel sources being sent to a single IP address associated with the MGW ChannelLink. In addition, the system’s interface is designed to simplify channel source-to-destination routing.

For more information, visit www.vitec.com.  

ATLANTA—The third acquisition it has made in the last 18 months, Vitec has announced that it has acquired IPtec Inc., calling it part of Vitec’s growth in broadcast contribution and remote production.

IPtec is a developer and manufacturer of systems for low-latency transfer of telemetry and video-over-IP networks, and is respected in the military and broadcast verticals, according to Vitec.

“IPtec introduces the benefits of JK2, MPEG-2 and legacy H.264 4:2:2 10-bit codec support, as well as full duplex encoder/decoder and a telemetry-to-IP gateway that complement Vitec’s portfolio of high-quality, low-latency HEVC codecs,” said Kevin Ancelin, vice president of worldwide broadcast sales for Vitec. “Together, our solutions will provide customers with a purpose-built technology platform capable of delivering broadcast-quality media streams even under the most extreme conditions.”

The impact of the acquisition will be felt as soon as this month, as Vitec has announced that it will start to integrate IPtec’s product families into its lineup. This will include the VPN Series video network processors, which will be merged into Vitec’s HEVC portfolio offering. Vitec also plans to add the TNP Telemetry Network Processor Series that addresses the need for transmitting timing-sensitive data signals over IP networks.

For more information, visit www.vitec.com. 

BURY ST. EDMUNDS, England—The Production Solutions division of the Vitec Group has announced the hiring of Sergio Brighel in the role of vice president of studio solutions development and support, with a focus on securing new sales opportunities and increase revenue.

For the last 20 years Brighel has served as a director of Trans Audio Visual. His experience with TAV includes the design, installation and management of end-to-end broadcast production systems.

In his new role, Brighel will report to Vitec CEO Alan Hollis. His responsibilities will include driving product quality and performance improvements and boosting customer support in the field. He will also help to accelerate the development of Vitec Production Solutions’ on-site system installation and support service.

“Sergio is an important addition to the senior management team, and he will be fundamental in maintaining our leadership position and delivering on our studio growth strategy,” said Hollis.

OTTAWA—Ross Video has announced that it has a new member to the family of companies that support its openGear signal processing platform in Vitec.The openGear system is a modular platform that allows other company’s cards to work with it, which Ross says numbers in the hundreds of cards from dozens of companies.

In addition to signing on board with openGear, Vitec has announced its first product that works with the platform, the Vitec openGear IP decoder card. “The Vitec openGear IP decoder card is a perfect complement to our HEVC contribution solution where channel density and system reliability is paramount,” said Richard Bernard, Vitec senior product manager.

Ross will showcase the openGear platform at its booth, SL1805, during the 2019 NAB Show.

LAS VEGAS—Attendees who visit the VITEC booth during this year’s NAB Show will get the chance to see demonstrations of the company’s new zero-latency MGW Ace Encoder and MGW Ace Decoder products.

Both systems are powered by the VITEC HEVC GEN2+ codec with HEVC video quality up to 4:2:2 10-bit. The codec enables the devices to deliver 16-millisecond glass-to-glass latency.

The MGW Ace Encoder and Decoder units provide flexible connectivity options, including HD-SDI and HDMI, and are backward compatible with H.264. In addition, the MGW Ace delivers bandwidth-efficient HEVC in a compact, low-power-consumption form factor.

VITEC will display the MGW Ace devices at its booth, SL6005, throughout the show. To register for the NAB Show, visit www.nabshow.com.

SEATTLE—When a news photographer jumps out of a vehicle to cover a breaking news story, the last thing they need is a science project when putting together the video gear. Makers of camera support, portable lighting and battery packs go to great lengths to make their gear on the go quick and easy to deploy.

CAMERA SUPPORT

Tripods have always been important for steadying the camera shot, but they’re even more important now to support the camera while the video journalist also reports the liveshot.

Miller Camera Support addressed the need for one-handed tripod deployment with its Sprinter tripod. “We have a dual, independent locking system with two levers that are side-by-side at the top,” said Miller Regional Manager Gus Harilaou. “That allows opening the tripod with one flip of the lever, and it deploys both the bottom and the top stages of the tripod. The tripod is opened in a few seconds.”

The Sprinter tripod is paired with Miller’s Compass X18 fluid head. “This is basically for any newsgathering where guys have little cameras, whether that would be handheld or full-blown shoulder-mount cameras,” Harilaou said. “CX18 has a capacity range to take any payload from zero to 35 pounds.”

Vitec brands Vinten and Sachtler co-developed the flowtech tripod family designed for fast moving news coverage. “What makes it so appealing to the news folks is the speed of deployment, which can determine whether you get a shot or not on a breaking news story,” said Tobias Keuthen, director of global product marketing management.

Keuthen noted that the flowtech’s unique clamping mechanism was placed on top of the tripod where the head fits, helping news photogs deploy more quickly. “You don’t have to bend over; you can open the braking clamps for all three legs from the top of the tripod and extend the legs easily,” he said. “You can close the clamps also without bending over, and you can adjust the legs for working on stairs or uneven ground.” The company just added a 100mm bowl version of the flowtech for larger payloads.

Several years ago, Libec launched its Hands Free Monopod (HFMP) designed for free stand operation, according to Jose Larios, manager of sales and marketing for the company. “Our monopod is different by the fact that the base is wide, and it allows the user to put it into a vertical position just by simply stepping on the base,” he said.

The HFMP can stand on its own on the wide base to allow a oneman- band photojournalist to securely position the monopod then step in front of the camera for a liveshot standup. Libec conducted some focus groups to determine what users wanted from a monopod, Larios said. “And when we found out what were the best features, applications and benefits that are going to our product, we put that into place when designing the Hands Free Monopod.” This included placing a fluid head on the top.

Shotoku found that stringers and news departments at smaller stations were turning to lower cost camcorders and even DSLRs to capture video, which opened its market to lower cost, simpler tripod systems. “Our tripods for these customers vary from the SD 20 with really basic level features like fixed drag and counterbalance,” said Graham Ramsey sales director, manual and robotic products for Shotoku.

Two slightly higher level versions—SD 80 and SD 150—can handle higher payloads of 8 kilos and 15 kilos, respectively, and feature a step counterbalance system, and step drag system. To keep things simple for working faster, “with the SD 20 you can leave the balance and drag settings exactly where they are,” Ramsey added. “You don’t have to change anything, take off tensions or lower drag settings, or anything like that.”

LIGHTING

Lighting equipment has come a long way since the introduction of LED fixtures, with time-saving features like dimming without color shifts and the ability to dial in a desired color temperature.

Video journalists are not necessarily lighting experts, according to Kevin Crawford, vice president of engineering at Frezzi in Hawthorne, N.J. “A lot of these people don’t really know about how to light up a scene, so our Skylight product provides a wide, flat, optical field,” he said. “This thing is brain-dead simple to use, and throws a lot of light.”

For working fast in the field, the Skylight can be powered by a broadcast brick battery pack or off AC. It provides high CRI single source 5600K daylight light without pixelation or color fringing.

Fluotec’s StarMaker color-tunable panel fixture has found a home in ENG vans for a number of years, and the company’s upgrade to the StarMaker HP model will make it even more desirable to news crews said Fluotec Chief Marketing Officer Jose Maria Noriega.

“The StarMaker HP now has the same technology as our Cine Light, so it has a much better CRI of 97.7, and it now delivers an output of 37 percent more light than the previous version,” he said. “Incorporating our NEBULA Diffusion Chamber Technology makes a 70 degree throw and softer light than when it’s used without this attachment. And this allows you to use barn doors. Although most panel manufacturers put the barn doors on the light, but they throw a multi-shadow on the background. Our diffusor attachment behaves as a single source point of light, which is very controllable by barn doors.”

With the built-in battery attachment, there’s no need to run cables.

Litepanel’s most popular ENG light is its Astra Bi-Color, according to Byron Brown, program product manager for parent company Vitec Videocom. “It can be easily hand held or put on a stand, it can be installed with a battery adapter, you slip the battery on it and you’re ready to go.”

The color agility of the Astra Bi-Color is another feature that allows for working fast, Brown added. “What we find oftentimes is that guys out in the field will start off with the light dialed in to daylight, and then warm it up to taste,” he said. “The color temperature dial on the Astra also has color temperature readings, so if you know your favorite reading is 4500K, you just dial it to that number and you’re there.”

For situations where a photographer needs a longer throw of light, Litepanels also has the Astra Bi-Focus, with lenses to narrow and intensify the light.

Tama Berkeljon, managing director at Outsight in Australia, said its most popular light for ENG shooters is the bicolor Creamsource Micro. “It’s punchier, and you’ve got more options for diffusing it or softening it back,” he said. “It’s extremely flexible and can be deployed in seconds with a battery attached.”

Accessories include diffusion and lensing, Berkeljon added. “Dropping in lenses changes the beam angle from 30 to 60 to 100 degrees,” he said. “Unlike most bi-color fixtures, the Micro maintains constant power output across the whole CCT range, so users always get the unit’s full potential. There is no reason to have to choose between a bi-color or daylight system. And because of the Micro’s wide 10-32V operating voltage, users can power the fixture from a single 90WH battery, or directly from a car.”

Zylight spotlights its F8 200 LED Fresnel as its most popular with ENG camera crews for its durability and outdoor IP protection. Charlie Collias, director of fixture sales for the Cypress, Calif.-based company.

It’s also very quick to deploy when breaking news is happening. “Its 5 inches thick and packs into a milk crate, pelican case or in padded travel cases we sell,” Collias said. “In other words, the F8 200 is easy to find space for in a van to bring it along, and doesn’t take up much room. The camera person can pull it right out of the bag, place it on a stand and throw a camera battery on the rear and it’s good to go.”

BB&S Lighting recommends a pair of fixtures for speedy ENG work, one for closer work and a second when some throw is needed. “Our Reflect 1-foot or 2-foot wedge-shaped LED fixtures feature an internal reflector system that spreads a 160 degree beam angle,” said Toby Sali, partner in BB&S. “They can be used singly or ganged up in banks. They give you instant and soft lighting.”

Where the subject is some distance away, he points to their Compact Beam Light. “the front is 6 inches, and it’s 5 inches across. It is a 40W draw, like the other one, and it is a 7 degree, 11 degree, 14 degree or 17 degree beam light. So it isn’t a hard light. It doesn’t give you a ridge like a LEKO ellipsoidal profile light. It’s got 15 percent roll-off on the edges.”

During the fluorescent lighting era, Kino Flo sold a lot of its Diva lighting fixtures to news shooters who liked the soft modeling light it produced. “As LEDs took over, we developed a fixture called the Diva Light 21, which is the latest version of our LED Diva Light,” said Scott Stueckle, who handles sales and public relations for the Burbank, Calif.-based company. “It’s lighter weight from any other Diva Light we’ve had. It still has all the functionality. You can pull it out of the case and you can run full daylight and tungsten.”

One high-end feature of the latest firmware for the Diva 21 is the ability to color match the light to a particular camera. “Cameras have different sensors, different spectral curves that they use to see light—they don’t all see light the same way,” Stueckle said. “We’ve pulled out all those spectral sensitivity curves of those cameras, and we’ve downloaded them onto our software profiles. You can also go in and pull up a Panavision or Panasonic or Sony or Canon camera, and lock those color profiles in.” If a news shooter has to change cameras, it’s easy to change the Kino Flo fixture’s color properties to match, Stueckle added.

POWER SUPPLIES

A news shooter can have everything else going fine, and when the power runs out the shoot rudely and quickly comes to an end. Battery makers have gone to great lengths to provide high-capacity battery packs that are also feature rich.

Anton/Bauer unveiled its Dionic XT battery family last year and it’s found a quick market for news photographers, according to Chris Gaughan, product manager for Vitec Videocom’s Anton/ Bauer brand, who said Dionic battery packs are designed to live on the back of a camcorder “and you’re ready to go at a moment’s notice. You pick up your camera, push a button, and it’s running.”

Another feature that assures the shooter isn’t chasing a news story with a nearly empty battery pack is a fuel gauge display. “When the battery’s not under load it tells you how much battery is left, gives you a percentage,” Gaughan said. “When the camera’s running, it gives you the run time you have left, based on the load. And by touching the back of the battery you can cycle through and see what kind of current you’re drawing and temperature of the cell pack.”

Jet-hopping news crews were the focus of IDX System Technology when it designed its Dual C 98 battery packs. “Because it’s at 98W—under 100W—you could carry 15, 20, 25 on the plane,” said Jun lshizekai, associate manager of marketing & regional west sales. “It features two D-taps and one for USB, so it has enough accessory ports to fill all of a camera guy’s needs.”

Dual Cs have a five LED fuel gauge on the side, and because the individual LED is either fully lit, blinking or dark, it actually indicates battery power remaining in 10 percent increments, lshizekai added. “There’s also an LED on the Vmount side, and if you’re in total dark and it’s hard to see to change batteries, you can turn this LED on. It stays on for 30 seconds to let you maneuver around when remounting a battery pack on the camera.”

PAG’s PAGlink batteries provide the ability to gang several battery packs together on the back of a camcorder, creating a number of advantages, according to John O’Keefe, marketing consultant for PAG. “Unlike the conventional Gold Mount batteries, a single battery with a single capacity, PAG makes 90Wh and 150Wh battery packs that can be linked together,” he said. “For most guys who are shooting news, they would probably want just two, and that would let them shoot for eight hours without having to change batteries.”

PAG’s Power Hub sandwiches between two battery packs, and will let the shooter power a light, wireless microphone, small monitor and similar accessories off the camera when both batteries are linked. “The battery closest to the camera acts as your hot swap and the camera drains from the rear battery,” O’Keefe added. “That power hub is in the middle, and you can remove the rear battery without interrupting power to the camera and accessories.”

Frezzi’s FLD 100 battery packs are 100 Wh capacity, the company’s largest legally transportable battery. “It’s got a push to test fuel gauge, so it doesn’t drain the battery when it’s not being used,” said Crawford.

“It’s weatherproof, fully sealed. It can be charged with our existing desktop chargers; and it has a small port that’s used with a portable power supply to charge it, like a small desktop charger, a single channel. So if you have a little go bag and you don’t want to bring a desktop charger, like a four position station, you could use this little power supply to charge it that way.”

WASHINGTON—The Government Video Expo, held Nov. 27-29, has an image of the U.S. Capitol building in its logo, but the reality on the floor is bigger than one building or just the federal government market alone. Indeed, a glance at attendee show badges on the exhibition floor or at the conference shows an eclectic mix of media professionals from many arenas.

While attendees included personnel from local, state and federal governments and all the agencies and contractors within that leviathan, this base was joined by representatives from state and local emergency personnel, defense-related contractors, educational institutions, houses of worship, and plenty of regional production types and broadcasters.

The conference schedule also reflected this. While many presentations and speakers were quite government-specific, broader topics such as live streaming, LED lighting advancements, SMPTE 2110, and high dynamic range video appealed to many modern media professionals.

TOPICS AND TRENDS

The SMPTE ST 2110 Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks suite of standards has been the hot topic at trade shows of late, and it was on the minds of many at GV Expo. The importance of the new standard was reflected in the addition of the day-long SMPTE in DC: Essential Technology Advances for Media Pros Conference, which attracted a number of local broadcast and media professionals eager to dig deep into the implications of IP on their media operations.

On the exhibit floor, the big buzz words were 4K, UHD and IPTV, according to Tommy Goodson, president of AudioVideo BrandBuilder (AVBB) Corp. “What we’re hearing at this show in particular is a lot about IPTV, with 2110 on the agenda … everybody who has come by is preparing for 2110.”

AVBB—a master distributor and manufacturer rep primarily for test and measurement specialist Phabrix and streaming company Teracue—said it was seeing great interest in the 2110-friendly Phabrix line, including the Sx-TAG model and the Qx IP, a fully flexible 2110 rasterizer.

Also popular was Teracue’s iCUE Grid Video Wall, is an IP Video Wall Presenter for multiple content sources within the video wall. It allows complete on-the-fly control over visualized live and/or on-demand content in any resolution.

AR/VR was present on the exhibition floor within products and at the conference, but the technology is a bit less in-your-face at trade shows now. The same can be said for artificial intelligence, which also had a decent presence on the conference schedule, but was not plastered on every booth on the exhibition floor as has been seen at events over the last few years. This may reflect the technology maturation, as AI or AR/VR are now established products or part of established products.

An example is Quantum’s StorNext media workflow file system. More than a year ago the company had announced it would offer Veritone Inc.'s multi-engine AI platform in a StorNext-managed environment. At GV Expo, the incorporation was a reality and AI is now just part of an overall system. There were no flashy robots on display representing the brave new world of AI, but representatives from Veritone did attend Day One of the show.

StorNext has applications across broadcast, security, defense and other environments that generate lots of data that needs to be evaluated and used. NewTek’s Tricaster multicamera production system also has a broad range of applications. It was on show at the booth of Washington Professional Systems, a dealer/integrator from nearby Wheaton, Md., that is also a NewTek Elite Dealer selling the systems across several market areas.

“The Tricaster product line is versatile enough that it is not just a broadcast switcher, there is so much more under the hood that allows it to be used in many AV environments,” said Jeremy Morris, Sr. Engineer & Certified Tricaster Operator with WPS. WPS’s booth also demonstrated products from Crestron, Christie and others.

WPS also had Sony broadcast and robotic cameras on hand, but the media world has seen a merging of the consumer and professional areas over the last several decades, so it makes sense that Sony had its own consumer electronics presence at the show as well. Highlights at this stand included still cameras capable of shooting some impressive video, and high end consumer camcorders such as the FS5 Mk II and the FS7 Mk II, both of which can shoot in 4K.

Sony professional cameras, along with units from Hitachi and JVC, were also present at the large, central booth of Digital Video Group (DVG), a supplier and system integrator of broadcast and production systems.

Alex Martin, DVG CEO, said the company was looking to expand its government business with its offerings, which also included asset management and shared storage from Avid, bonded cellular transmission units from LiveU, and more. Martin said show trends that cut across customers included the real need for 4K and preparing for SMPTE 2110.

PRODUCTION AS BREAD AND BUTTER

Whatever the resolution of the video is, and whether it is sent around a facility as an SDI stream or as an IP packet, production needs will always include camera support and lighting. These needs were front-and-center at Vitec.

On display was the Vinten flowtech 75 set of two-stage carbon fiber tripod legs with a removable mid-level spreader, rubber feet, and a 44-pound payload. This established unit was joined by the flowtech 100, which was only launched a few months ago. Compatible with all major 100 mm fluid heads, flowtech100 supports a payload of up to 66 pounds, making it ideal for heavy-duty ENG/EFP and a wide range of wildlife, commercial, and documentary productions.

Joseph Teodosio, Training & Product Specialist for Vitec, said the first day of the show drew a nice mix of local TV stations, government and military and house of worship (HOW) customers: “The LitePanels Gemini has been a real draw with its very high quality light, and the new flowtech 100 is also attracting people.”

Greg Smalfelt, senior cable television engineer, Communications Production Division, and Josh Bass, cable TV engineer, both with Fairfax County, Va.’s Channel 16, came to see the 100. “We’re an existing customer but we wanted to see the 100 for our bigger cameras, and get some questions answered,” said Smalfelt.

Panasonic was also out in force with a range of production kit for needs ranging from broadcast to HOW to government video entities. The AU-EVA1 compact cinema camera and a new class of PTZ remote cameras and controllers capable of operating in 4K 60 and 50p were joined by the AV-HLC100 small switcher, which is capable of direct streaming to YouTube or Facebook Live.

Smaller scale routing and switching needs were also key at AJA, where the company’s affordable Kumo routers and KiPro Ultra+ recorders were on display. Eastern region territory manager for AJA Dan Wingard said the duo were perfect for many of the potential customers walking the aisles. “We see everything from Federal, state and local government people through to community colleges, really a little bit of everything,” said Wingard.

Barbizon, a distributor of lighting, rigging, projection kit and more, said there was a lot going on in the world of LEDs in 2018. One of the big things this year is that a lot of the LEDs are now IP-rated, which has nothing to do with packets of data but is a measure of the protection an item will have against solid objects (dust, sand, dirt, etc.) and liquids, according to Kearston Dillard-Scott, Outside Sales representative for Barbizon. “Variety is also a trend,” said Dillard-Scott. “Many of the fixtures that were bi-color just from warm to cool can now do full RGB.”

Project Manager for Barbizon Sam Herbig added that the quality of an LED fixture’s light was increasing, and consistency within a product line has greatly improved from a few years ago: “It’s boring, but for anyone lighting to a level it is important,” said Herbig.

IP packets play a large role in an interesting product from Comrex that was on display, and due for shipping before year-end after being launched at the 2018 NAB Show: The VoIP-based Earshot IFB. The hardware-based system delivers live audio feeds to callers and is designed to provide telephone-based live studio program and IFB audio to field-based remote broadcasts, like TV ENG reports or in other applications.

Comrex also had an app called “FieldTap,” which allows a user to connect to Comrex codecs in studio from a cellphone with high-quality wideband audio.

According to Chris Crump, senior director of sales and marketing for the Devens, Mass.-based company, the Comrex LiveShot Portable IP video codec for live wireless newsgathering are in use across government sectors, particularly emergency management and security entities, along with community broadcasters. LiveShot delivers live, two-way, HD video and audio over a range of IP and cellular networks at latencies as low as less than 200mS, he said.

MISSION CRITICAL

Many government and defense video applications are defined as “mission critical,” a niche Oregon-based Planar covers with its narrow pixel pitch direct view LED and LCD panels. “These are purpose-built for mission-critical and mission-command applications, with higher image quality for indoor applications," said Alberto Reyes, director of federal business development for Planar. “We’re now finding other applications as well, any discerning 24/7/365 application in a signage environment really.”

Advances in projection display were evident at the booth of Christie Digital Systems.

“We’re trying to take a leadership position on RGB laser phosphor technology, said Jon Litt, senior manager, Business Development, Government, for Christie. “We’re also trying to bring it to a price point where it would work for more applications.”

Litt said the technology offered tremendous image fidelity, quiet operation, and the ability to run for years with little or no maintenance. Longevity is also a key selling point for the company’s DirectView LED screens, which Litt said had an expected lifespan of 100,000 hours or more while offering exceptional contrast.

HIGH SECURITY CAPTIONING

Captioning is often a government requirement and EEG has been offering encoders that connect broadcasters to iCap, the largest closed captioning and subtitle delivery network in the world, according to the company. While iCap provides 24/7/365 connectivity to thousands of certified caption partners around the globe, new at GV Expo was an option that allows customers to connect to an iCap network via a private VPN, with no public internet connection as part of the process.

“Some customers don’t want any public internet as part of the network, and now that is an option with iCap On-Prem,” said Dave Watts, marketing manager for EEG. iCap On-Prem is a companion product to EEG’s cloud-based delivery network, and it enables the deployment of iCap to private on-premises clouds for customers who require this configuration to accommodate extremely stringent internal security policies. Also on display was an automatic captioning product that relies on Ai and context recognition, and a SMPTE 2110 product.

Security was also key for IBM Watson Media, the end-to-end streaming platform formerly known as UStream: The tagline on the product’s data sheet is “Engage your employees with security-rich video.”

S. Scott Grizzle, WW Cloud Video Solutions Engineer with Watson, said the use cases between a broadcast customer and an enterprise or government customer were different, but there was a lot of crossover. He added that many customers across product sectors were become increasingly interested in video enrichment, where software can identify elements such as scenes, people, animals, etc. and place this information in to metadata.

Equipment aimed at consumers can do a lot of what many media pros need done in 2018. It is perhaps with this in mind that show organizer Future US just announced the launch of The Video Show, a new dual-event venture for December, 2019. The Video Show will pair The Photography Show, now an established U.K.-based event, with the iconic Government Video Expo, which celebrated its 23rd edition this year. 

The event takes place Dec. 3-5, 2019 at the Washington Convention Center. 

ATLANTA—VITEC today announced its acquisition of Santa Clara, Calif.-based Telairity, a provider of H.264 encoding solutions. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

"Telairity customers have been asking for a compelling reason to upgrade their broadcast links,” said Matt McKee, formerly of Telairity and now VITEC director of broadcast sales. “VITEC HEVC solutions offer the highest levels of network efficiency, video quality, and reliability especially for Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and contribution applications."

VITEC’s MGW Ace encoder is powered by its own HEVC Gen2+ all-hardware compression chip. The encoder provides best-in-class HEVC video quality up to 4:2:2 10-bit and encoding latency as low as 10ms, the company said.

VITEC will be exhibiting in Booth 500 at the 2018 Government Video Expo, Nov. 28-29 in Washington, D.C. 

SUNNYVALE, Calif.—VITEC will be on the exhibit floor with its MGW Diamond, a small, power-efficient quad channel HEVC and H.264 HD/SD video encoder. MGW Diamond features an encoding engine with the ability to output up to eight streams simultaneously. MGW Diamond is suitable for multichannel applications where stringent size, weight and power (SWaP) characteristics are demanded. MGW Diamond captures up to 4x 3G/HD/SD-SDI or Composite inputs and streams live up to eight channels, addressing diverse applications within sports, enterprise, defense and surveillance markets.

For data-sensitive applications, the MGW Diamond supports KLV/STANAG metadata ingest from various sources (SDI or IP); real-time image cropping and video scaling; Forward Error Correction (FEC) streaming; and JITC-compliant output streams. It packs the capabilities for delivering Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) or Situational Awareness (SA) video generated by ground vehicles, manned or unmanned airborne platforms and marine vessels.

VITEC’s IPTV and Digital Signage Solution for Sports Venues enhances the fan experience with best-in-class viewing and creates new opportunities for fan engagement—and revenue-building—through digital video streaming. Understanding the unique technical and operational requirements for operating an IPTV network in a sports and entertainment venues is key to developing an effective and reliable solution.

VITEC will be on the show floor in booth N925. To register, visit the show website.

BRUNSWICK, OHIO—The BEAT (Brunswick Educational Access Television) is an award-winning program run almost entirely by middle and high school students. Since 2000, more than 500 students grades 6–12 have written news stories, conducted on-camera interviews, edited, shot, and directed more than 2,000 programs that air on Educational Access Channel 22. In 2011, the students began to take over management of the station.

What started out as primarily a video program—with students working solely behind the camera—has become a training ground to learn about every aspect of production. Our students must be proficient behind the camera, be good storytellers and write/produce stories, and be comfortable in front of the camera. In return, they get real-world experience before they leave high school.

Since The BEAT is sponsor-supported and receives no funds from the city or school district, we work hard to build relationships. That’s why our partnership with The Vitec Group and its brands is so special. In fact, Vitec brand Vinten was one of the companies that helped us get started years ago by donating a tripod—and the donations have kept coming. Our entire studio and all on-location gear came from our relationship with Vinten, and to this day we only use Vinten and Sachtler tripods—seven in total.

The Vinten tripods are a perfect fit for our studio cameras—JVC ProHD 750s with On-Q accessories—because they can handle the extra weight. Meanwhile, we use Sachtler tripods with a variety of cameras for multicamera sports production, concerts, single-camera shoots to gather news and footage, you name it. With Sachtler and Vinten tripods, we have gear that’s very flexible in any location. We can easily drop the tripod down, set up very quickly, and start panning, tilting, and zooming to grab quick camera shots. With lesser equipment, we would have to compensate for the pans, tilts, and movements, something I don’t want our students to have to do. Thanks to Sachtler and Vinten, we’re not only training students to shoot good video, but we’re giving them gear that supports them as they learn.

I’m amazed at how durable the Vinten and Sachtler tripods are—they’ve been through years of use with no breaks. The durability and reliability have really paid off in the form of no repair or replacement costs. Furthermore, knowing how to use and care for high-end, industry-standard equipment looks great on students’ resumes.

We’re drawn to The Vitec Group and look to them first before we purchase any gear. They are tomorrow’s video professionals, after all, and the Vitec Group always has their backs.

John Wasylko is video program advisor for Channel 22, Brunswick Educational Access Television (The BEAT). He may be contacted atjwasylko@bcsoh.org.

For more information please visitwww.vitecgroup.com.

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SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—Mark D’Addio will need to update his business cards, as Vitec has announced that it has promoted D’Addio to the position of senior vice president of sales and marketing. D’Addio was previously the vice president of business development and has been with the company for more than seven years.

Mark D'Addio

“Mark is a seasoned expert who is well-known and respected in the industry for pinpointing the solutions that meet unique market needs,” said Philippe Wetzel, president and CEO at Vitec. “This promotion strengthens our commitment to the growing market and providing high-quality, reliable and affordable broadcast-grade video solutions.”

Vitec is a provider of video encoding and streaming platforms. 

AMSTERDAM—On the opening day of the 2017 IBC Show, Sony Electronics unveiled Venice, the next generation of the company’s CineAlta camera systems and Sony’s first Full-Frame digital motion picture camera. Thanks to a new color management system, Venice can exceed Rec. 2020 color space. In addition, its 36x24mm full frame sensor features more than 15 stops of latitude to fit challenging lighting conditions. The Venice’s image sensor captures images up to a maximum resolution of 6048 x 4032 (through a planned firmware upgrade); at the same time, Venice can natively capture in almost any format, with almost any aspect ratio, up to full-frame or Super35.

The built-in 8-stage glass ND filter system streamlines camera setup and raises the efficiency of the shooting process. Venice fits evolving businesses: Sony gives users the option to customize their camera by only enabling the features needed, according to their individual production requirements. Licenses will be available to expand the camera's capabilities with new features including 4K anamorphic and full-frame. In addition, the sensor block is interchangeable: as sensor technology advances, in the future users will have the opportunity to upgrade just the sensor, without the need to invest in a brand new camera. 

Under the Vitec Group umbrella, Sachtler and Vinten introduced their flowtech lightweith 75 carbon fiber tripod, what the company calls, “a revolution in tripod technology.” Vitec says the flowtech 75 is easier and faster to deploy than any other tripod with a newly designed quick release brakes that enables the legs to be deployed simultaneously and quickly adjust to both the required height and the ground’s surface, eliminating the need to bend over or manually adjust multiple brakes on each leg. The versatile hinge lock of flowtech 75 allows extremely low, ground level shots along with higher shots, eliminating the need for carrying an extra set of baby-legs to the shoot. Thanks to its carbon fiber construction, the flowtech 75 features exceptional torsion stiffness, ensuring that the tripod won’t twist during panning movements. Tested under extreme conditions, flowtech 75 enhances both performance and reliability, with a payload capacity of 20 kg (44 lb).

Addressing increasing requirements for closed captioning, Telestream premiered Timed Text Speech, a file-based auto-transcription service for subtitling and captioning workflows. Using speech-to-text technology, artificial intelligence, and thanks to cloud-based processing, Timed Text Speech is faster-than-real-time, according to the company, and instantly creates a text transcript of a video, then populates it directly into a captioning project with the correct timing so that each phrase is automatically displayed at the right time. Designed for enhanced efficiency, Timed Text Speech allows operators to review instantaneous transcription results while the speech engine is processing the rest of the video program. Massive subtitling of large archives is also possible. 

According to the company, when combined with Telestream MacCaption/CaptionMaker closed captioning software, Timed Text Speech becomes part of an all-in-one transcription and subtitling/captioning tool that allows users to easily transcribe, transcode, convert, troubleshoot, modify, and deploy caption data alongside video – regardless of the delivery platform. Timed Text Speech currently works with English, French, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish language. Telestream says more and more languages are planned for later releases.

In the IBC Future Zone, in what the company says is a “world’s first,” Igloo Vision has launched a 360° 8K monitor. Housed inside an Igloo projection dome, the new monitor allows 360° filmmakers, content creators and developers to work across the entirety of their content without the need to wear VR headsets. It also enables production teams to work collaboratively on immersive content: each member of the team can easily point out details, see what everyone else is looking at, make eye contact, and read each other's facial expressions. 

To demonstrate the capabilities of the new monitor, Igloo is live-streaming 360° 8K content from across various exhibition halls. Igloo Vision’s product line includes various types of projection domes. The 6-meter projection dome showcased at the IBC can easily accomodate up to ten people, while the 21 meters dome can host up to 750 people for large-scale simulations, as well as immersive events and corporate hospitality happenings.

The IBC Show runs through Tuesday, Sept. 19 at the RAI in Amsterdam.

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—Vitec has installed its EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Platform at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Ballpark is the new spring training facility for the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros Major League Baseball teams. The installation now enables system operators to manage and stream HD, low-latency, in-house video feeds and cable channels as well as create digital signage for both organizations to more than 230 displays and menu boards throughout the venue. 

Utilizing Vitec’s hardware-based IPTV and signage end-points, users benefit from low-latency playback, real-time updating of electronic program guide, video-on-demand, time-shifted TV, real-time analytics and user-controlled mosaic viewing of multiple channels in any format including H.264 and HEVC up to 4K.

With EZ TV’s digital signage capabilities, system operators can create digital signs and update menu boards integrated to POS vendors. Using Vitec’s end-point behind the display, operators can turn screens in the network into a new monetary opportunity. This eliminates the cost of needing two separate media players for video streaming and digital signage, or having to switch players to change the screen’s functionality. The onboard administration and analytics tools empower the organization with campaign information vital to pulling in untapped revenue streams. EZ TV becomes a central distribution, creation and monitoring hub for live and on-demand content shown on every display throughout the facility.

The installation is a home run for fans that now can enjoy the game and other video footage when out of their seats; suite owners receive the automatically updated electronic program guide and access to nonlinear content that cannot be seen in homes.

PARIS—Vitec, a worldwide leader in advanced video encoding and streaming solutions, will showcase its new cutting-edge generation of the advanced, high-quality HEVC Gen2 codec for the MGW Ace 4:2:2 10-bit HEVC encoder and MGW Ace decoder solution; the 4K HEVC MGW Vision encoder; the market-leading, broadcast-grade IPTV and digital signage platform, EZ TV; and the sophisticated PX Media Library media management solution, in booth 7.G23 at IBC 2017, being held Sept. 15-19 at the RAI Amsterdam. 

At IBC 2017, Vitec will showcase its point-to-point HEVC streaming solution. The MGW Ace Encoder and Decoder is the industry's first entirely portable, hardware-based end-to-end 4:2:2 10-bit HEVC encode/decode solution. Using Vitec's proprietary second-generation HEVC codec (Gen2), the powerful, yet compact, MGW Ace encoder provides an unmatched level of pristine video quality. In addition to offering unprecedented HEVC bandwidth compression, the MGW Ace solution provides H.264 encoding/decoding capabilities to ensure a smooth transition to the HEVC world. Offering a wide selection of I/Os and low power consumption using Vitec's HEVC compression chip, it's a perfect solution for streaming video, audio, and KLV metadata while in the field or on the move. For point-to-point applications, when paired with MGW Ace decoder, the solution delivers bandwidth-efficient, error-free video streaming over any network, including the internet, with embedded Pro-MPEG FEC or Zixi™ stream protection technologies.

In addition, Vitec will demonstrate its 4K HEVC encoding/decoding solution. Using the latest HEVC compression, the MGW Vision delivers an UHD IPTV contribution solution for several markets, including broadcast, in-house IPTV, and enterprise — anywhere UHD is critical. This IPTV encoder is designed with support for 4:2:2 10-bits, providing flawless video quality that is especially important for broadcast applications.

PX Media Library

Vitec will also display its EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Platform, the ideal streaming solution for a range of organizations and applications; most recently, it was selected as the platform of choice for a growing number of sports arenas as well as enterprise facilities, including Notre Dame's Campus Crossroads Project, the Kansas City Royals, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the European Space Agency. 

Vitec's EZ TV allows any organization to centrally manage IPTV and signage content from a single interface, and automate video streaming workflows and signage campaigns over existing IP infrastructures. Vitec's hardware-based IPTV and signage end-points benefit users by providing low-latency playback, real-time updating of the electronic program guide, video-on-demand content with new assets updating while events take place, time-shifted TV, live video access from PCs and mobile devices, and user-controlled mosaic viewing of multiple channels. The digital signage features offer easy-to-use signage authoring, administration, and analytics.

At the booth, attendees will also see Vitec's PX Media Library, a timesaving meta-solution that enables media professionals to seamlessly tag, edit, manage, organize, and share media files. PX Media Library streamlines media management and allows users to take advantage of proven solutions for sports, content distribution, broadcast, film festival, scientific institute, and government applications. This open system is easily adaptable to industry-specific workflows and includes an intuitive user interface along with customizable, easy-to-configure workflows that keep users ahead of the competition by enabling them to stay organized in today's media-crowded world.

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—Vitec will show its stuff for the College Sports Video Association at the annual CSVA Conference in Atlanta this year. Making the trip to the conference will be Vitec’s EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage Sports Venue platform.

The EZ TV is an integrated IPTV and digital signage platform that allows arenas and stadiums to stream live and on-demand video, as well as campaign content, over an existing IP infrastructure. The system offers low-latency playback, real-time updates to the electronic program guide, video-on-demand content with simultaneous updates of new assets, time-shifted TV, live video access from PCs and mobile devices, and user-controlled mosaic viewing of multiple channels in any format, including H.264 and HEVC up to 4K.

The unit’s digital signage features offer signage authoring, administration and analytics. The IPTV and signage end-points feature discrete hardware processes for video and graphics, providing support for digital signs that blend live streams, video files, social networking widgets and dynamically updated data including scores, calendars and catering menus.

The 2017 CSVA Conference will take place from May 15-18 at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—The Air Force Academy has recruited Vitec’s EZ TV IPTV streaming platform and MGW 1100 carrier-grade blade encoders for use at its Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD) in Colorado Springs, Colo. The streaming platform will provide delivery, recording and management of live and on-demand video streams over the Academy’s existing IP network, allowing the organization to create, store, view, stream and share HD and SD video.

CCLD Collaboration Room

The EZ TV IPTV platform features scalable architecture that enables the CCLD to distribute up to nine channels of live and on-demand video content to any screen in the facility or directly to a cadet’s desktop via the browser-based EZ TV Player. EZ TV can also be distributed to mobile devices.

EZ TV supports the HEVC (H.265) compression standard, as well as HD and SD live and on-demand streams in MPEG-1/2/4 and H.264 formats. Administrators can use the system to create and manage video assets and distribute them across a network with AES 256/128-bit encryption. Integration with Mircosoft Active Director also provides access control. In addition, administrators can view real-time dashboards to measure and generate reports on content consumption, user activity, network bandwidth utilization and other insights.

AMSTERDAM— At the IBC Show, Vitec will debut its MGW Ace Decoder, a compact, professional-grade HEVC/H.265 decoder. Combined with the MGW Ace Encoder, the company says the appliances will provide the industry's first entirely portable, hardware-based, end-to-end 4:2:2 HEVC solution, delivering reliable, error-free, low-latency, and bandwidth-efficient streams suitable for IPTV, broadcast, and point-to-point applications. 

The MGW Ace Decoder delivers broadcast-quality decoding of HEVC streams up to 1080p60 4:2:2 10-bit. Connectivity options for the single-channel HEVC decoder include 12G-SDI, HDMI 2.0, separate SD-SDI, and composite outputs, which can be activated simultaneously. Targeting broadcast setups, the appliance offers two pairs of audio decode, carried over SDI/HDMI as well as separate analog balanced or unbalanced stereo audio and digital AES outputs. Feeds can be received from two configurable Ethernet ports to match any network topology.

Pro-MPEG and Zixi technologies are integrated into the decoder, offering one- and two-way error-correction protocols for broadcasting artifact-free over public networks securely and reliably. For point-to-point applications, when paired with MGW Ace Encoder, the solution provides a bandwidth-efficient, artifact-free video streaming solution over any network including the Internet. 

Its flexible FPGA architecture supports ongoing video improvements up to 4K60p, offering a “powerful future-proof solution,” the company said. "The MGW Ace Decoder is designed to support bandwidth-efficient H.265 streams, as well as legacy H.264 streams and up to 4K60p format in the near future, ensuring our customers can stay ahead of the game," said Richard Bernard, product manager at VITEC. 

Combined with the MGW Ace Encoder, the decoder is the ideal turnkey HEVC solution for delivering bandwidth-efficient H.265 streams for broadcasters, houses of worship, corporate IT, military units, and government agencies, reducing operational expenses and extending the reach of video services to remote destinations with bandwidth constraints. As part of the compact portable design, VITEC also offers a rackmount option to integrate the appliance into a 1U 19-inch rack.

VITEC will demonstrate the MGW Ace Decoder and MGW Ace Encoder portable solution, as well as the MGW Ace Decoder paired with the MGW Vision Encoder enabling 4K60p 4:2:2 point-to-point streaming at IBC2016 on stand 7.G16. 

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

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

Vitec is located at booth SL6305.

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—During President Obama’s recent, historic, trip to Cuba, Feature Story News (FSN) provided live streams of footage with the use of Vitec’s MGW Ace encoder and MGW D265 decoder. The footage was streamed live to FSN’s headquarters in Washington D.C., and to the master control rooms of its global clients, including Turkey, South Africa, China, the U.K., Germany, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

The Ace system features H.265 compression and streaming technology, and Zixi error correction. In addition, it features 100 percent hardware-based HEVC compression to stream 1080i video.

Vitec is a provider of video streaming technology headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

LAS VEGAS—At the 2016 NAB Show, Vitec will demonstrate its IPTV Sports Venue Solution, with digital signage capabilities. This streaming technology allows stadiums or arenas to stream high quality, live, on-demand or recorded video over IP. With its integrated EZ TV platform, it optimizes displays and IP infrastructures, boosts fan engagement and generates revenue opportunities. The IPTV Sports Venue Solution features low latency across all displays, synchronized playback, efficient scalability, and intuitive Web-based admin capabilities.

MGW Ace

Also on display will be Vitec’s MGW Ace appliance, the first 100 percent hardware-based HEVC (H.265) portable device for encoding and streaming video. It features HEVC bandwidth-efficient compression, legacy H.264 capabilities, and Zixi stream protection for reliable, artifact- and error-free content delivery. When paired with Vitec’s MGW D265 portable HEVC IP decoder, the MGW Ace becomes an end-to-end, on-the-go streaming solution for broadcast, enterprise, government, and other markets.

Vitec will also show MGW Pico Tough, the world's smallest, most power-efficient MIL-STD certified MPEG-4 H.264 HD/SD video encoder that encodes and streams real-time video with frame-accurate metadata from any video source. Its fanless, pocketsize enclosure can be used on unmanned and manned vehicles, in fly-packs, and on-person in extreme conditions.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Vitec will be in booth SL6305. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—Vitec and the Orlando Magic have teamed up to install Vitec’s IPTV Sports Venue Solution at the team’s home arena, the Amway Center. The system includes EZ TV IPTV middleware, HD Blade Encoders and Vitec’s IPTV set-top-boxes; they also installed Four Winds for digital signage. The installation was part of an upgrade to the arena’s video and signage systems that saw them change to a Cutting-Edge IPTV system and Digital Signage System.

EZ TV System

The EZ TV system helps deliver instant replays during games and events, as well as allowing fans in suites to playback on-demand content. The unit is capable of recording up to five streams of video on a centralized server with network storage. It also delivers content for the team’s 20 live channels and manages an additional 60 broadcast cable channels going to more than 300 Vitect set-top-boxes throughout the venue. Content also goes out to 700 Four Wind digital signage screens.

Features of Vitec’s EZ TV IPTV system include real-time network DVRs, Electronic Program Guide for TV and PC users, and the ability to extend the IPTV streams to desktops, laptops, tablets and phones.

Orlando Magic fans will be able to experience the Vitec system for the first time on Oct. 28.

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—Vitec has unveiled the latest version of its IPTV transcoding platform, the MGW Prism. The new version adds HEVC (H.265) transcoding and a redesigned management interface with clustering support.

MGW Prism

The MGW Prism is able to transcode video streams to H.264 or HEVC SD/HD streams for delivery to CDNs, remote locations, or other IPTV viewers using less bandwidth. The system can also generate up to 16 profiles per video source and a combiner for generating adaptive bit rate streams using containers like Apple HTTP Live Streaming, Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streaming, and MPEG-DASH without having to offload to external servers.

The Prism also features KLV 0601/STANAG 4609 metadata pass-through, which allows satellite companies to ingest IP streams from airborne vehicles and relay them with lower bit rates using H.265 or H.264, while retaining metadata on the output stream.

VITEC, a provider of video encoding and streaming technology, demonstrated the new MGW Prism at IBC 2015.