IT -based storage ar. · broadcast engineering By Ron Quartararo The author provides a decision...

www.broadcastengineering_com

7.47.47/=%//7/' A 747////. %//// .,/// % %///A 7/

%//// %//// :V&A 7///A %%//. %A%////. / =V/ , A 7A// / / ..,//%, %///A 7,7/A

7///A ///// % :WA' A %/A% 4% A 7///A / VAX %WM MIC 4%AVA'/A %//M "MK MO

77/. A :WM %WA WM NO. 4 A A mall -NO

Video rout!' gNew solutionsfor old needs .-

IT -based storagetechnology - ar.Fast and efficient.Pick two.

A PRIMEDIA PUBLICATION

THIS IS NOT AN AUDIO CONSOLE

D-9

OTHERSURFACES

can sharecommon audio

resources

CENTRAL FRAMEcan control a 1024 x1024 mixing based

router

Engineering

Audio Control

IT'S A DIGITALCONTROL SURFACE

THE D-9 interfaces to WHEATSTONE's router -based BRIDGE MIXING SYSTEM-a digital

network that lets multiple control surfaces shirecommon audio resources, accessing signals aid

sending mixes throughout your facility.

I/O CONNECTIONS can be atpoint -of -use and accessed by any

control surface

DEDICATED DSPs and

controls, redundantautomatic failover CPUs,mix engines and powersupplies are all integralto the system. Compo-nents interconnec via

CATS or fiberopticcables for single -wiresystem integratic n.

A traditional intuitive surfacelayout gets your operators up

and running FAST-even in full5.1 surround mode.

TRUE RELIABLE mixing power; ease and clarityof operation-take ADVANTAGE of the

WHEATSTONE BRIDGE Network System!

Engineering

Talk to your STATION ROUTERbi-directionally for smooth

integration

[email protected] / tel 252-638-7000 / www.wheatstone.corn Copyright 2005 by Wheatstone Corpo.ation

The new Harris PowerCD'digital transmitter sets anew standard for power andintelligent manageability.

We're about to change your view ofwhat a digital transmitter can be.When you have a strong vision for the future, it'sreflected in your products. At Harris, we created the

new PowerCD® digital transmitter with the power,

efficiency and built-in intellligent manageability to

help broadcasters excel. A Linux-based Graphical

User Interface is layered atop dedicated subsystem

controllers. Extensive parameters and fault mapping

quickly and intuitively guide the operator in dailyoperation. Through integral TCP/IP and SNMP

technology, you can monitor and control the transmitter

over your data network....and with local controlreserves, we give the same user interface as thelocal transmitter control panel. PowerCD also

integrates adaptive correction, automatically adjusting

levels to ensure optimum performance, efficiency

and extended operating life. Overall, thePowerCD

delivers maximum power -per -tube with industry -

leading electrical

savings. Finally, we POWERCDmade our new INTELLIGENT TRANSMITTER

design more space efficient and environmentallyfriendly and we use a highly reliable and innovative

water cooling system technology. So add more

power and efficiency to your digital broadcasts.

Choose Harris PowerCD, the industry's most

intelligent transmitter.

For immediate information,call 888-711-7295, or visitwww.intelligenttransmitter.com/harris.

/11?RlIS assuredcommunications-Broadcast Microwave RF Government www.harris.corn

t

COSI Avant ems, .010EMAGENMEMS

:7=0 tpla Gal IIAM NO NNW.. 001A00.00 ser0N

NIX3r0

A:NA....000.0000,1.CAO.I.I.V.0:110 00 IN! VOA

ScAstINs acace.w400c70!?0, AAA.. NA MIA AZ.04.10o co 00. 0;00 crei;c0:ISANOry INC AMNIA%

0741:070C0==y0"'*,AncirAWNS .11.0 NA 0041 n00 01M0 c' *00[0.0' Aar

SACno 100ANNIION. 0/040

maw .00 Wm CNN rodAmo SI IN

NN0/0000,CO CO al0,0.0 '0.00

COI CO 10 010svs,COY 23 OS al

00 AC. II IS 1.AS MAU 1

OS 10 IS00 es,

mmt, LAD eNt 20 SIAcEcA /I 10 OSm Ns 01

A no.O.AFARIA ERE STRIA, DIE FAAMN GARDENS COMMUNFIr tO0A, ocEma cow., wf NES INWERS ...RE Am, AMO vALOA000 RESPONDED 0 7HE S MAN ONENOOSE BOmED TO DIE GROOM, MO SEVERN. OTHERS SOSTNNEO AMOR DAMAGE 'HEREwERF NO REROIMS OF MACES

F PFC.*, JOHN DOE SAO CADSE OF ME ME wAS OMER sDEStrOADON NEIASER,OF A ONG°, Of IAGoi SCHOOL SDENTS RECENTLY ACOMMEO Or ARSON iv ME AREA WERENOT YET CONSCEREO SOSSECDS. NOW. OrE AIEIGH0ON AAS RESORTED 10 NAVE $EENTHErf LOITERING OH trE GROOMS Of DE SUBOAAMON EARLIER MD< wEEN

OwNERS OF DE MIN1.0 NOOSE wERE OUT OF NE INALDINN Al DIE TUE OA TIE EINEEsyS AIN SANAS MEMBERS oNn. SEvERAL wS utes wHEN THE,' REDA.. TO ilk

Radically familiar.Avid iNEWS Instinct.

The newsroom is changing. You're doing more than ever. That's why you inspired us to

design the revolutionary Avid® iNEWS' Instinct"' system. An advanced tool that will seem

radically familiar. Everything yoJ need to build the story-feeds, footage, VO, g-aphics-

at your fingertips. The power to send a package straight to production-or play to air

with the push cf a button. you're a journalist. Trust your instinct.

Avid. do more:

Get the complete story at www.avid.com/instinctor call 800.949.AVID

ootage courtesy of NBC 10 - Philadelphia. C 2005 Avid Technology, Inc. All right.. reserved. Product features,epecificabons, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without mtge. Avid, and InMind, areegisterec trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States ar i/or other countries. MEWSs a trademark of (News, LLC. All other trademarks contained herein are the propette of their respective owners. Avid

MAY. VOLUME 47 NUMBER 5 0

THE JOURNAL OF DIGITAL

FEATURES60 Routing switchers

Engineering

By John LuffVideo routing is still the hub of all broadcast and productioncenters. An examination of multi -format, HD and SDI routingtechniques and technology.

66 Tutorial: Data storage's growth inbroadcast engineeringBy Ron QuartararoThe author provides a decision tree framework for selectinggeneric, general purpose storage upgrade paths for video-

centric storage platforms.

76 Special report: HDTV lens design:Management of light transmissionBy Larry Thorpe and Gordon TubbsThis month's article looks at light transmission, includingtransmission, aperture control, relative light distribution andspectral transmittance.

BEYOND THEHEADLINES

660,014.

-,iii";1111,11U1.111MN.

1111= XN1_1111111 \ 1%1

Download

16 Affordable HD at NAB

FCC Update

24 FCC stresses emergencyinformation obligation

DIGITAL HANDBOOKTransition to Digital

26 Carrying the bits

Computers and Networks

34 Workflow integration

Production Clips

43 Pre -scaling graphics forHD editing

BroalcastEngineering

410111BroadcastAT rill PA( 1'.'A i4.0.4 e.. ..

som,/,,,, rm.,/ s w- no NU . lil ' 1

ITImer..1ntornclo..... Iron

PPPRRImow^

ON THE COVER:Magna Entertain-ment provides livebroadcast feeds toracetracks aroundthe world.

(continued on page 101

6 broadcastengineering.com MAY 2005

For the most stunning imageE, the AJ-SDX900

24p/30p/60i 2/3" DVCPRO50 camcorder

faithfully captures the full beauty and majesty

of the nost breathtaking vistas. With its 24p

and 30p frame rates, true progressive scanning,

studio -grade 4:2:2 recording and cine-like

gamma curve, the 16:9/4:3 SDX900 delivers

film -like images like no other SD camera. Its

applications are as limitless as your imagination.

Learn nore at www.panason c.com/dvcpro

See the exquisite imagery trom the AJ-SDX900for yourself. Obtain your free AJ-SDX900 DVDby visiting www.panasonic.com/dvcpro. Hurry,supplies are linited.

Panasonicideas for life

Lk I LkiittIx*

otal content delivery solutions.se

IR...I )

vt)).

1111,41k

-14t

*it

A world of possibilities is well withinreach. From content creation toviewer consumption, surroundyourself with Harris' full spectrjmof enterprise -wide solutions. Niow

deliver the right content to the rightperson on the right device at theright time. Our latest breakthroughsinclude the new H-Classil contentdelivery platform, 5.1 surround

sound and transmission systems formobile video. No matter where yourturn, Harris' mission -critical solutionsand unparalleled customer supporthave you covered from every angle

klARRIS® assuredcommunications-Broadcast Microwave R F Government Systems www. h a rris.corn

MAY. VOLUME 41 NUMBER 5 A A I. .7. : I " I 11!

HE JOURNAL OF DIGITALE LTEEVISIONI S I ON

SYSTEMS DESIGNDESIGNitt INTEGRATION

Cystems Design Showcase

48 Creative Group's HD enhancements

Transmission & Distribution

54 Measurements for DTV

NEW PRODUCTSat REVIEWS

ION Technoloov

88 Video broadcasting goes to the races92 Using AutoNorm for

dialogue normalization

94 Morrow Technologies'spectrum analyzer

delti Report

86 Testing Audio-Technica's AT2020

Technology in Transition

98 HDTV hardware

New Products

100 Shotoku's TP-64VR and more...

DEPARTMENTS12 Editorial

14 Reader Feedback

102 Classifieds

105 Advertisers Index

106 EOM

FreezeframeProvide the introductionyears (typically the NAEwhere first shown) for tiefollowing SD digital tapeformats. Hint, see GrahamJones' new book, ABroadcast EngineeringTutorial for Non -Engineers,

Focal Press. The book is also

available from the NABpublications store.

D1, D2, D3, Digital Betecam,D5, DV and MiniDV,DVCPRO, DVCPR050, D3

Digital -S, DVCAM, BetacamSX, Digital8 and IMX.

Readers submitting winlingentries will be entered kit°a drawing for Broadcas:Engineering T-shirts. En-erby email. Title your entri"Freezeframe-May" in tiesubject field and send itto:[email protected] answers received byJuly 1st, 2005 are eligitie towin.


Nothing gets closer to reality thapMaxell High Definition Media.

maxell

DsD3 maxell

Expanding Memory &

Professional HD productions demand peak levels of reliability,

versatility and durability. To that end, Maxell Professional HD Media utilizes Ceramic

Armor Metal Particle technology to provide superior signal-to-noise, significantly reduced error ratesand exceptional C/N. Maxell D-5, HDCAM, and DVCPRO HD - for high -definition video that rivals reality.

To learn more, call 1.800.533.2836 or visit www.maxellpromedia.com

Recordable Media Data Storage Portable Energy Technological Partnerships

Ghosts ofbrands long gone

Ihe engineer leans into the biting Las Vegaswind and presses toward his goal. Off in thedistance, he sees his target: the Las Vegas

Convention Center. His mission: Acquire new tech-nology for his station. The list is long and time is shortas our intrepid technology manager challenges the el-ements in his quest to get the best products he canafford from a vast array of providers.

He examines his shopping list: editing system, auto-mation, cameras, production switcher, graphics plat-form and servers. It's a long list because his stationhesitated to buy new technology after it purchased aDTV transmitter two years ago. Now it's time to com-pletely renovate the facility and bring it into HDTV.

Unfortunately, our engineer isn't looking ahead; hewalks smack into a light pole and falls unconscious.

He dreams ... The convention hall is just ahead. Ithas three exhibit areas: the North, South and East halls.

"My first stop will be to see the new Ampex DCTVTRs. Then it's cameras," he thinks. His list includesseveral players: Ampex, RCA, Philips, BTS, and Bosch."Certainly the Philips LDK-54 video recording cam-era will be a hot item," he says to himself.Also on his must -see list: the Dubner CBG-2 and

Abekas A51 graphics and effects systems. For produc-

tion switchers, it's the Grass Valley 3000 or Abekas 6000.Server options include an AirSPACE from Pluto or a

ColorGraphics DP4:2:2. Then there's the new companyPinnacle and their MediaStream. "Didn't that used tobe a Hewlett-Packard MediaStream?" he wonders.

Perhaps he'll buy a new Dynair Dyna Mite analogrouter. Oh, don't forget automation systems. There'sVital, Louth, Lake Systems, Columbine, Encoda - andconsider Jefferson -Pilot for traffic. Lots to choose from.

Our engineer reaches the convention center and en-ters the main hall. That's funny; there are only two halls,a radio hall and a TV hall. He rubs his head and entersthe TV hall. His eyesight fuzzy, the hall appears morelike a ghost town, with only a few people on the exhi-bition floor. Company banners float in space: RCA,Ampex, Dynatech, Editing Machines ...

He needs a landmark, so he decides to look forAmpex, where he's sure he'll be able to get his bear-ings and see the DCT VTRs. But where's Ampex? Hesees Abekas, but no, that banner morphs into Accom.A nearby Discreet banner transforms into AutoDesk.

"Who the heck is AutoDesk?" he asks himself.To his right, Pinnacle fades into Avid. Is this a dream?

Have companies changed names? No, that can't be.Where are the good ol' American broadcast brands likeRCA, General Electric, Ampex and Pacific Recorders?They are gone and have been replaced by newcomerslike Sony, Panasonic, Thomson, JVC and Avid. Fortu-nately, Grass Valley seems to have returned from thedead, he notices.

The convention booths slowly slip away as our engi-neer begins to wake from his bumped head.

"What happened?" he asks Susan, his station man-ager, who's standing next to him.

"You bumped into that pole and went out like a light.You were calling out names I've never heard of- RCA,Ampex, Dynatech, Dubner - who are they?" she asks.

"Ghosts I think," the engineer replies. "Ghosts ofbrands long gone."

,.404e 4-41editorial director

BE

Send comments to: editorOnrimedialtusiness.com www.broadcastengineering.com


MAKING IT HAPPENWith complex HD playout, you need powerful monitoring and control.

You need smart systems that instantly report failures, and automatically presentsolutions to keep you on -air while you undertake emergency maintenance.

Miranda has pioneered the deployment of advanced multi -image displayprocessing, integrated with monitoring and control over IP.

With our Kaleido and iControl monitoring systems plus our advanced HD/SDsignal probing, you'll remain fully in control.

So if you're planning a new HD system, call Miranda. We'll help you make ithappen.

Miranda Technologiestel.: 514.333.1772 - [email protected]

WWW.MIRANDA.COM

Reader F ack

mit,i

NAB2005 IrIt's a jungle out there-

rr-2004 ExcelleRiance iwards

EXhiblIESA011,1 inadelplace

FASittack

,.)AKYM

Set me straight, pleaseDear Mr. McGoldrick:

I enjoyed reading your article in theMarch issue of Broadcast Engineering.After recently visiting showrooms ofa few reputable, nationwide retailers,I am even more confused than to be-gin with. Here is my dilemma: I re-side in a rural setting without cableservice and I do not considerDIRECTV as a viable option. There-fore, I rely entirely on VHF & UHFanalog/NTSC OTA reception fromseveral TV translators operating in myarea and occupying spectrum betweenchannels 2 and 61. Occasionally, someof these translators transmit programsin the widescreen mode. What com-bination of monitor resolution andtype of the receiver/tuner (NTSC,ATSC/QAM) integrated or not, willresult in the best possible quality TVpicture on Plasma TV with 16:9 aspectratio receiving only VHF & UHF ana-log/NTSC OTA broadcasts?

JoHAN SORENSSEN

Paul McGoldrick responds:You have entered the perfect world

of retail spin. There is nothing to bedone to improve the display of anNTSC over -the -air (or cable) signalother than to use the best decoder youcan afford. A decoder built in to thereceiver is probably fair to good, butyou would do better with a profes-sional decoder where the filtering is

optimized - but the price can bedaunting. The transmitted/displayedaspect ratio has nothing to do with thisquestion. It is what it is.

Personally, watching a decodedNTSC signal on a 42in display woulddrive me close to insanity.

Going the distanceMr Robin:Would the use of unbalanced 7551

cable for AES transmission still allowfor long distances without any loss? It'sbeen practice to use long cables, 50mor 100m, for AES transmission on bal-anced 11011 cable with XLRs, but I wasat SSL in the UK, and they told methey were using BNCs with 7551 cablefor their digital transmission.

BEST REGARDS

SERGIO CASTRO

REFLEXION ARTS, SPAIN

Michael Robin responds:11051 impedance in AES/EBU digi-

tal audio distribution is outdated. Inan ideal world, impedance matching,return loss, cable losses and tightlycontrolled source signal amplitudespecifications don't matter. So the ini-tial AES/EBU standard that specified110V source impedance, 25051 desti-nation (input) impedance, up to five25011 input impedance receivers inparallel with an unspecified cable im-pedance as well as widely varyingsource signal amplitudes would beacceptable.

In the real world, this is not the case!Due to poor and unpredictable per-formance, as a result of inevitable andunpredictable standing waves, thestandard was revised keeping the samesource impedance of 11051 but chang-ing the receiver input impedance to11051 and advising not to use morethan one receiver across the feedingcable. The cable impedance was stillunspecified, and the wide source sig-

nal amplitude variations still remainedfairly loose. Things work most of thetime, but the performance is unpre-dictable when the expected cablelength is 50m to 200m. This might beacceptable in a small studio but not ina large teleproduction facility withvarying and unpredictable signal dis-tribution patterns.

Video guys are accustomed to tightlyspecified impedances, return loss andsignal source amplitude. To satisfythem, a 755/ unbalanced digital au-dio signal distribution standard wasdeveloped. This standard tightly speci-fies the source impedance, coaxialcable impedance, receiver input im-pedance, return loss and source sig-nal amplitude as is customary in a welldesigned video facility. As a result, thetypical acceptable cable length is1000m.

Now one can find 11051 equipment,2501/ equipment and 7551 equipment,which are essentially incompatible, soa wide variety of impedance and sig-nal amplitude adapters are availableon the market to help the knowledge-able user. It is surprising that the 110/25011 unbalanced digital audio distri-bution concept is still alive today. Oldhabits die hard! BE

Janua Freezeframs:Q. By what date must stations havefully implemented the ATSC A/65BPSIP standard?A. February 1, 2005

Winners:Karl Sargent, CA Oregon BroadcastRich Brochman, KESQ TV -3Rich Lohmueller, Harris

Test your knowledge!See the Freezeframe question of themonth on page 10 and enter to win

a Broadcast Engineering T-shirt.

Send answers to bdick@primediabusiness corn


loP

OPPLing di 3 first complete affordable HD

,

AFFORDABILITY THROUGH INNOVATION

011e

KaN,/a<. HD

Concerto

LDK 6000

Bells an'd whistles withoutcosting an arm and a leg.

Now you can affordto have high standards.

Kameleon

PVS 3000

A,,, i.=_

Multi -format. Future -proof. Superior quality. We don't think that's too

much to ask. It's why when you choose Grass Valley', you're gettingproducts that not only exceed industry benchmarks, but elegant toolsthat fit your budget. And maximize your on -air look.

Our HD solution in a kit.A comprehensive kit of products that offer you an affordable,

complete HD solution. Kayak"' HD 1 M/E production switcher Concerto"- 64 multi -format routing matrix LDK 6000 mk II multi -format HD/SD camera Kame0eon- Media Processing System for HD/SD

PVS 3000 HD/SD Profile® XP Media Platform

Lowering the cost barriers.What's more amazing than a to:al HD solution delivered in one kit?

Just call and ask about the price.

To learn more, contact your local Grass Valley sales representative,

or visit: www.thomsongrassvalley.com/station

A 01110MSON BRAND Grass valley

Dowel ad " -Milirliii111,11111411111111PIM

Affordable HDat NABBY CRAIG BIRKMAIER

he buzz at NAB2005 in-volved two convergingthemes: IT and HD. The in-

formation technology revolution isgobbling up what is left of traditionalvideo -centric products targeted atbroadcasters and the "new media" pro-fessionals that now dominate NAB at-tendance. Driven by massive volumesand the reality that HD video is justanother form of data to be processed,products based on IT technologiesnow dominate the show floor. Com-puters have had high -resolution pro-gressive displays for years. Apple Cin-ema Displays are used routinely to cre-ate HD video programming usingApple's Final Cut Studio tools, whichnow include Final Cut Pro 5, Sound-track Pro, Motion 2 and DVD StudioPro 4. Apple boldly claims users can"edit anything," and industry partnersare stepping forward to put this claimto the test.

Coming into NAB, the HDV formatwas the big buzz, with Sony claiming

to have shipped more than 30,000 ofits three -chip 1080i HVR-Z1Ucamcorders. Apple announced sup-port for long -GOP MPEG-2 editingin Final Cut Pro, the compressiontechnology that allows HD images tobe recorded at 25Mb/s onto standardDV tapes. But HDV appears to be

images at 1280x720 at 24p. These im-ages can be recorded on standard DVtape using long -GOP MPEG-2 com-pression. However, 1280x720 at 24p isnot part of the original HDV specifi-cation created by NC, Sony, Canonand Sharp. The new JVC camera is alsocapable of outputting 1280x720 at 60p,

The information technology revolution isgobbling up what is left of traditional video -centric

products targeted at broadcasters and thenew media professionals

more of a marketing term than a for-mat, as a variety of incompatible prod-ucts were announced that use long -GOP MPEG-2 to record a variety ofHD formats at a variety of bit rates.

JVC introduced the GY-HD100U, anHD camcorder that uses three 1/3inprogressive scan sensors to acquire

I ±. = 11 .1 11" 1IllII I IIr,III IIIBundled TV, phone and Internet pollCable system operators top list for best service and value

Electric utilitycompany

8%Internet service

provider

Local phonecompany

21%

Source: Knowledge Networks' Home Technology Monitor

Cable systemoperator

30%

Satellite TVoperator

22%

www.knowledgenetworks.corn

but this cannot be recorded using theinternal DV tape drive. JVC alsoshowed a prototype of a new HD ENGcamera that will record long -GOPMPEG-2 at 25Mb/s to DV tape and athigher bits rates to a hard disk driveto support the demands of higherframe rates.

The HD camcorder creating the big-gest buzz in affordable HD atNAB2005 does not use long -GOPMPEG-2 compression or tape.Panasonic showed a prototype of a P2HD camcorder, which records a vari-ety of HD and SD formats to solidstate memory cards using the compa-nies trio of DVCPRO intraframecodecs: DVCPRO 25 (SD 4:1:1), DVC-Pro 50 (SD 4:2:2) and DVCPRO HD(100Mb/s for multiple HD formats).The AG-HVX200 camcorder will fea-ture three 1/3in progressive sensors.The actual sensor resolution has notbeen announced. ComplementingApple's edit anything theme, the AG-HVX200 supports the following for-mats: 1080/60i, 30p and 24p; 720/60p,30p and 24p; and DVCPRO 50,DVCPRO or DV (480i); and 720p


Channel 242: Birds of the Rainforest

As experienced through Dolby Digital for HDTV.

Viewers don't want to just watch TV anymore.

They want to experience it. And Dolby® Digital 5.1

lets them do just that in rich, HDTV surround

sound. In fact, Dolby Digital 5.1 is already

setting the standard for HDTV audio on most

major terrestrial, cable and satellite services.

Today, viewers expect the very best viewing

experience in sports, movies, live events and

episodic programs. And with Dolby Digital 5.1

you can give it to them.www.dolby.corn

DOLBYDolby and the double -D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.© 2005 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. So5/16o53

DI

mode (in which it may also capture atvariable frame rates like Panasonic'sVaricam).

Broadcast Engineering will providemore detail on these and otherHD camera/camcorderproduct introductionsin our June NAB wrap-up issue.

1080/60pInterlace survived the tran-

sition to HD because of the diffi-culty and cost associated with acquir-ing and displaying HD images withmore than 1000 lines. When the Japa-nese developed the 1125/60 HD sys-tems in the late '70s, virtually all dis-plays were CRT -based, and the scan

Minh Links

rates associated with progressivelyscanning 1000 lines at 60fps were dif-ficult to support in both professionaland consumer products.

The HD trend: flexibility. ThisPanasonic AG-HVX200 camcorderrecords in a variety of formats.

JVC ProHD GY-HD100U

http://pro.jvc.com/prof/Attributes/press res.jsp?tree=&model id=MDL101539&itempath=&feature_id=08

Panasonic AG-HVX200www.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prModelDetail?storeld=11301&catalogld=13251&itemld=93190&modelNo=Content04142005103002811&surfModel=Content04142005103002811

Sony HVR-Z1U

http://bssc.seLsony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayModel?id=78439

Faroudja DVP-1080 HD Digital Video Processorwww.faroudja.com/prod dvp-1080.phtml

Gennum GF9330 High PerformanceSDTV/HDTV Deinterlacer

www.g enn um. c om/ip/parts/gf9330.htm

Silicon Optix Realta chip withTeranex Hollywood Quality Video

www.siliconoptix.com/chipProducts/Realta/PressRelea se/realtapressrelease.cfm?CFID=&CFTOKEN=1e0c36477e50e9fd-

8DCCFA52-7E90-E2A3-859455958728530E

NHK, which did most ofthe research behind the1125/60 system, found thata progressively scanned sys-tem with fewer lines wouldprovide the same benefits.However, it opted for 1125interlaced lines for many ofthe same bandwidth conser-vation reasons that contrib-uted to the choice of inter-lace for the television sys-tems we have been using fornearly a century. Interlace isa crude compression schemethat trades off spatial reso-lution for temporal resolu-tion. However, modern digi-tal compression techniquesactually work better withprogressively scannedsources.

Modern display technolo-gies are now up to the taskof displaying 1920x1080pixels (or more) at 60fps to75fps. Apple's 30in monitorhas plenty of room for a1920x1080 window insideits spacious 2560x1600 ras-ter. Several consumer elec-tronics manufacturers haveannounced new HD rear -and front -projection sys-

tems using the new 1920x1080 at 60pDLP chip from Texas Instruments.The ability to display HD images at

these high spatial and temporal reso-lutions does not necessarily mean that1080/60p acquisition and productiontools are imminent, or even necessaryfor most applications. In reality, 720pis more than adequate for most con-sumer displays. The additionalsamples are only necessary when thescreen size is larger than 70in diago-nally or when the viewer is sitting closeto the screen, as is the case for high -resolution computer displays.

For applications where 1080/60pmakes sense, upconversion from otherHD formats produces excellent results.The goal is not to present more infor-mation per se, but to eliminate theperception of the raster when it isblown up to large sizes. The ability tode -interlace video formats of variousresolutions for presentation on pro-gressive displays is one of the mostimportant developments in the digi-tal television transition.

Most of us still watch programs thatare delivered using interlaced SDTVformats. Thus, it is critical to de -

For applications where

1080/60p makes sense,

upconversion from other

HD formats produces

excellent results.

interlace this content for presenta-tion on the wide range of new displaytechnologies that are replacing thevenerable old CRT. In addition tode -interlacing, many of these image-

processing chips also perform 3:2pulldown removal for 24p sources andother forms of advanced image pro-cessing to improve the quality ofdisplayed images in both SD and HD.

One company exemplifies theprogress that has been made in this

(Continued on page 22)


like.no.other SONY®

PointsIND-232W 23" idescreen monitors'

Anyone can build a flat panel monitor. The real challenge is creating flat panels that actually match SMPTE C phosphors

or EBU color. The real test is matching color across an entire wall of monitors at the touch of a button. Our latest LUMA'

LCD monitors with ChromaTru- technology accomplish all this, and more. Sony's two-piece design also gives you incredible

mounting flexibility. Compared to CRTs, Sony's LUMA monitors are far smaller, lighter and more energy efficient, impervious

to flicker, immune to magnetic fields and less vulnerable to ambient light. So they're the perfect choice to replace the industry

benchmark, Sony's own PVM Series. Finally there's an LCD that can match up with CRTs. So ty LUMA series monitors.

RECEIVE UP TO $500 CASH BACK BY MAIL ON SELECT LUMA PRODUCT PURCHASES FROM APRIL 1, 2005 - SEPTEMBER 30, 2005!

VISIT WWW.SONY.COM/LUMA FOR MORE PRODUCT INFORMATION AND COMPLETE OFFER DETAILS.

Two-piece multi -format units

Rack -mount units

One-piece SD units

45 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Reproduction in whole or in pad without written permission is prohibited. Sony, ChromaTru, "like.no.other" and LUMA are trademarks of Sony.Jwable area measured diagonally. Monitor images simulated.

Dew ALA !

(Continued from page 18)area over the past decade. Teranex, animage processing company spun outof Lockheed Martin in the late '90s,developed a variety of image process-ing algorithms to run on the special-ized image processing chips Lockheeddeveloped for military applications. As

the HD era began,Teranex chal-lenged video in-dustry veterans, such as Snell &Wilcox, with platforms to handlede -interlacing and interformatconversions. For the past threeyears, Teranex has been working

Belden Delivers Flexibility To YourAudio and Video Digital Conversion.

Analog, DigitalDigital or Data -More Broadcast EngineersChoose Belden Than Any OtherBrand of Cabling Products.

Why? Because broadcast engineers know that

Belden has ar extensive line-up of digital

cabling products - including data cables -

and the quality to match.

Whether you're installing cable in a television

or radio studio, a video post -production facility,

an indoor or outdoor sports arena, a film

production studio, a church. a government

chamber, or an entertainment venue -

any area where a high quality signal is

important - Belden has the digital cable

to meet your needs.

BRILLIANCE

To make your selection process easier, we're

offering a 4th Edition of our "Digital Studio

Cable Guide." This Guide will help your

understanding of digital cables, SDI and

AES/EBU specifications, HD

Radio concerns, key electrical/

distance parameters, and why

Installable Performance is

important to cable performance.

Look to the leader. Call the Belden CDT

Electronics Divison at 1-800-BELDEN-4

and get a free copy of the definitive

"Digital Studio Cable Guide." Or download

a copy from Belden's Web site at:

www.belden.com/tb65.pdf.

Belden CDT

Performance Delivers The Future

2001E4.1(1.1 CDT Inc

Many camcorders now support thenew HDV format, including the HVR-Z1U from Sony.

with Silicon Optix to develop a chipcapable of performing 1 trillion op-erations per second for both profes-sional and consumer applications. Sili-con Optix acquired Teranex last year,and the companies introduced theRealta chip at CES. The chip is beingdesigned into several upscale con-sumer products, offering the same ca-pabilities to consumers that broadcast-ers paid six figures for at the turn ofthe century.

On a similar note: Faroudja, now asubsidiary of Genesis Microchip andGennum, has also introduced power-ful new image processing chips thatare capable of converting virtually anyvideo source to 1080/60p.

There has been much progress in therealm of high -resolution image acqui-sition and display as the IT revolutiongobbles up the world of video as wknow it. B

Craig Birkmaier is a technology consultanat Pcube Labs, and he hosts and moder-ates the OpenDTV forum.

SENDSend questions and comments to:

[email protected]

ATTENTION READERS!Sign up now for

BroadcastEnuineerinh

,MP' Technology Upu-,

at www.broadcasterigineen

110010

View an onlineproduct demowhenever yousee this logo.www.broadcastengineering.co


The new DV 15 Fluid -lead is the perfect combination with arrydigital ENG camco-der. It is ye-. another example of Sachtlertproven quality being used to support the new generation ofcameras. And with its central locl-ing for immediate leg release, thenew Hot Pod is the 'astest tripod in the world. Its maintenance -free pneumatic gas spr ng affortlessly lifts the camera over six feethigh. So why .vait? Opirni your equipment now. With Sachtler!

sachtlercorporation of america709 Executive Blvc.Valley Cottace, NY 10989Phone: (516: 867 4900Fax: (516) 62'3 6844ema I sachtle rUS (es aol.com

3316. West Victory Blvd., Burbank CA. 91505Phone: (818; 845-4446

www.sachtlercom

Jet 0-1/1-1- 1/11, Mal -L.- -

FCC stressesemergencyobligationBY HARRY C. MARTIN

The FCC hit three SanDiego TV stations with finesranging from $20,000 to

$25,000 for failure to make emergencyinformation accessible to people withhearing disabilities. Shortly after thosefines were announced, the commis-sion issued a reminder to broadcast-ers, cable operators and satellite tele-vision services that they are requiredto make emergency information ac-cessible to people with hearing and vi-sion disabilities.

"Emergency information" is definedby the FCC as "information about acurrent emergency that is intended tofurther the protection of life, health,safety, or property, i.e., critical details

r%sa+gs I i Ck

June 1 is the deadline fortelevision, LPTV, Class A and TVtranslator stations in Michigan andOhio to file their 2005 renewalapplications, biennial ownershipreports and EEO program reports.

June 1 also is the date TVstations in Illinois and Wisconsinrrust begin their pre -filing renewalannouncements in anticipation oftheir renewal application filing date

Augist 1.July 1 is the NV buildout

deadline for N stations in top -100markets that are affiliated withABC, CBS, NBC or Fox. After thatdate, affected stations will loseinterference protection beyond theservice areas of their then -existingfacilities.

Round 2 DIV channel electionswill be solicited by the FCC laterthis year, after Round 1 electionsare fully processed.

information

regarding the emergency and how torespond to the emergency." While theprimary focus is on local matters, onoccasion, matters of national impor-tance may also be of local concern andcould, thus, trigger this requirement.

The types of situations that mightgive rise to emergency informationinclude tornadoes, hurricanes, floods,tidal waves, earthquakes, icy condi-tions, heavy snows, widespread fires,discharge of toxic gases, widespreadpower failures, industrial explosions,civil disorders, school closings andchanges in school bus schedules aris-ing from such conditions. The FCCemphasizes that this "list of emergen-cies is not intended to be exhaustive."

According to the commission, in or-der to provide the necessary informa-tion to people with hearing disabili-ties, TV stations and other video pro-viders must use captioning, crawls,scrolls or the like. Emergency infor-mation should not block any closedcaptioning, and vice versa.

As for people with vision disabilities,video distributors must aurally de-scribe the emergency information inthe main audio if the information isprovided during a newscast. If emer-gency information is provided insome other context (e.g., by an emer-gency crawl or scroll), it must be ac-companied by an aural tone.

The FCC's recent reminder is note-worthy because it says nothing aboutany agency deference to the "goodfaith judgments" of TV licensees.When the commission first adoptedrequirements in this area, it stated, "Indetermining whether particular de-tails need to be made accessible, wewill permit programmers to rely ontheir own good faith judgments." That

language suggests that a reasonablemeasure of discretion was left to videodistributors to decide what elementsof emergency information need to bespecially transmitted. That is what theSan Diego TV licensees believed.

But in the San Diego forfeiture de-cisions, the commission limited thescope of that good faith judgment dra-matically. While the licensees hadprovided the required emergency in-formation for the hearing disabled inits most essential emergency broad-casts, they had not broadcast the nec-essary access information in otheremergency programming. The licens-ees argued that they were merely ex-ercising the good faith judgment thatthe FCC had incorporated into thestandard. The FCC was not persuadedand suggested that the licensees' inter-pretation of that language was too "ex-pansive:' Not surprisingly, the follow-up reminder does not even allude tothe good faith judgment question.

The recent fines in combination withthe reminder send a clear signal tovideo distributors: The commissionexpects all emergency informationtransmitted conventionally will also bemade accessible to persons with hear-ing or vision disabilities. BE

Harry C. Martin is president of the FederalCommunications Bar Association and amember of Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth PLC,Arlington, VA.

SENOSend questions and comments to:

[email protected]

Broadeastkineeringetrorrfs tfitr

at www oadcastellguieentig.com


evolve.

think video. think Terayon.Digital video changes everything - how we brand, communicate, entertain and inform.

Terayon accelerates your ability to evolve and capitalize on new business opportunities

brought on by this digital revolution. Terayon enables you to deliver picture perfect results

where it matters most - on the screen and on your bottom line.

TERA Y Nwww.terayon.com [email protected] evolve faster.

1111P1FRCarryingthe bitsBY MICHAEL ROBIN

igure 1 shows the simplifiedir))A. block diagram of a Rec. 601

4:2:2 encoder. Each of thethree component video channels (E'y,VBy and E' Ry) consists of a low-pass(anti-aliasing) filter and the associatedA/D. A clock generator controls thesampling process. The output of each

0 converter features a conductor (pairof wires) for each of the bits plus anadditional conductor carrying theclock. The clock is required to syn-chronize the various serializer func-tions as well as the D/A converters inthe decoders.Information is carried word -by-

word, meaning the bits are carried inparallel. This requires a large number

E'B -Y

Clockgen

LPF A

13.5MHz

E'R -Y

LPF A

6.75MHz

LPF A I)

13.5MW/s

CB

6.75MW/s

C

6.75MW/s

Timemultiplexer

SequentialCBY CR

words

27MW/s

Figure 1. Simplified block diagram of Rec. 601 4:2:2 encoder with timedivision multiplexed 27MW/s bit -parallel output

destination. This is relatively easy todo inside a studio, but it creates a

The information is carried word -by -word, meaning

the bits are carried in parallel.

of conductors of equal length to en- nightmare in a large teleproductionsure that the bits arrive in time at the center. It is feasible to carry the bits

At 14 - A

Audience share statisticsNonbroadcast network viewing is on the rise

100

80

60

20

0

I , 1111111

Nonbroadcast networks combined Broadcast networks combined

1997/1998TV season

2001/2002TV season TV season

2002/2003

Prime time viewing

2003/2004TV season

Source: FCC www. fcc.gov

in parallel in a studio environment,but not on a telco distribution system.

Therefore, since the beginning ofdigital technology, various scenarioswere developed aimed at using a singleconductor to carry the bits in sequence(bit -serial). All of them have some-thing in common: They use the con-cept of self -clocking, which means thatthe bit -serial signal has to carry infor-mation allowing the receiver to regen-erate the missing clock signal.

The channel codingThe channel coding describes the

manner in which the ones and zerosof the data stream are represented onthe transmission path. There are manychannel coding standards. They allaim at optimizing some aspect of thebit -serial digital signal, such as thespectral distribution, the DC contentand the clock recovery.

The simplest and most commonlyused channel code is NRZ. NRZ is ex-emplified by logic "one" having a well-defined DC level and logic "zero" hav-ing a well-defined lower DC level. Thebit -serial digital signal is self -clocking.

The receiver contains a clock regen-erator. The regenerator recreates the


Now is not the time for....

A Wardrobe Malfu tion.

New performance standards for the

broadcasting industry. Trust the experts.

Features

Up to 13 seconds delay inhigh definition

Up to 78 seconds in standard definition

10 -bit video processing

Primary and auxiliary/alternate SDIvideo inputs

24 -bit audio processing

AES/EBU digital or analog audio

4 primary audio inputs

4 auxiliary/alternate audio inputs

Audio and video can be switchedtogether or independently

Fits in standard 2U -high rack space

HD /SD - Audio/Video Delay SystUp to 78 Seconds

Anyone who didn't believe in broadcasts' ability to attract an audiencelearned a valuable lesson when a "wardrobe malfunction," resulting in

less than two seconds, set off an intense media blitz that changed thebroadcast industry.

The popular Pipeline audio/video delay is now available in standarddefinition and high definition as the HD/SD Pipeline with a serial digital

interface housed in a space -saving 2U -high rack -mounted box.

The HD/SD Pipeline also features 10 -bit video processing, with a primary videoinput complemented by an auxiliary/alternate video input. Audio processing is

24 -bit, with four channels in and out, along with four auxiliary/alternate audiochannels. Audio in all channels can be selected as AES/EBU digital or analog

and can be switched with, or independent of, auxiliary video.

Prime Image has more than 20 years of leading the industry with high performancebroadcast and production solutions.

rime NoimiA, image-

Performance by definition.

Tel (408) 867-6519Fax (408) 926-7294www.primeimageinc.com

Iran NO Di tal * ss

clock through a

phase -locked -loop(PLL) controlled oscil-lator (VCO). The PLLderives its referencefrom the zero -to -one -to -zero digital signaltransitions. The NRZcode may result in longstrings of ones and ze-ros. These long mo-notonous data stringshave no transitions, resulting in longperiods of time during which the PLLreference is not refreshed.

Binary 0

NRZ

NRZI

1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0

Figure 2. NRZ- and NRZI-channel coding characteristics

bility of the clock VCO. In addition, theNRZ code has a zero frequency (DC)component, which varies with the na-

Figure 3. Simplified block diagram of a Rec. 601 4:2:2 serializer

The accurate sampling of the bit -

serial digital signal in the receiver dur-ing these periods depends on the sta-

ture of the data stream, as well as a sig-nificant low -frequency content, mak-ing it inappropriate for AC -coupled re-

ceivers. For these reasons, the NRZcode is not used in its basic form in bit -

serial digital video transmissions.Bit -serial digital video transmissions

use a derivative of the NRZ code, thenon -return -to -zero inverted (NRZI)code. Figure 2 above shows an ex-ample of an NRZ-coded digital signaland the derived NRZI-coded signal.

NRZI codes logic zeros as a DC level(zero or one) and logic ones as a tran-sition. When the NRZ-coded digitalsignal is a long string of ones, the de-rived NRZI-coded signal is a squarewave at one-half the clock frequency.As shown, for a given binary sequence,an NRZI-coded signal has more tran-sitions per unit of time than an NRZ-coded signal, resulting in improvedclock regenerator PLL operation.

Provided that the system limits themaximum number of zeros in thedata stream, the receiver clock regen-eration works quite well. The stan-dards meet this requirement by re-serving the all -zero word for syncpurposes only. The NRZI, while su-perior to the NRZ coding, still has aDC component and a significant low-

frequency content.

Figure 4. Block diagram of a scrambler


like.no.other

it

Even if you can't be everywhere and do everything, you can still know what's

going on in your broadcast or productior facility. Know it all with M2M:

machine -to -machine remote monitoring from Sony Professional Services. It's

the best way to track usage patterns, spot discrepancies, and head off service

issues before they become costly, catastrophic, failures. We can set you up

with comprehensive monitoring in-house - or Sony can keep an eye on

things for you. We already monitor and parse over 1 million pages of machine

logs every day for mission critical applications at sports arenas, movie studios,

production houses and broadcasters all over the world.

Sony Professional Services. For those in the know.

VISIT WWW.SONY.COM/M2M OR CALL 866-293-8839

0 2005 Sony Electronics Inc. Al/ rights reserved. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Reproduction in whole or in pet without written xrmission is prohibited.Sony and "like.no.other" are trademarks of Sony

Professional Services

"We selected Omneon servers andshared storage for playout, and have

since connected our productionprocesses. Omneon is the one

solution that fits our tight budget,meets all our requirements today and

supports us as our needs change."

Helge BlucherVice President

Detroit Public Television

Detroit Public Television operates on a verytight budget with limited resources. When itcame time to select a media server, theyneeded a cost-effective solution that gavethem both operational efficiencies and theflexibility to satisfy multiple requirements.

With Omneon EpectrumTM media servers,Detroit Public TJ implemented a solution thatworked across their entire operation. Builtaround :he concept of Smart ScalabilityTM'Omneon Spectrum systems can be configuredto meet precise format, channel count,bandwidth and storage specifications. What'smore, Omneon Spectrum systems can then beexpanded in smart, manageable increments-without replacing the original system and inmany cases, without taking the systemoff-line.

To learn more about the unique advantages ofan Omneon Spectrum media server systemvisit www.omneon.com.

It's not justwhat you serve.

It's who.

OMNEON

it 'tion

The scrambling conceptA further improvement in the

receiver clock recovery is obtainedthrough scrambling. The scramblerrandomizes long sequences of zerosand ones as well as repetitive data pat-terns, which could result in clock re-generation difficulties. It helps elimi-nate the DC content and provides suf-ficient signal transitions for reliableclock recovery.

Figure 3 on page 28 shows the blockdiagram of a Rec. 601 4:2:2 serializerconsisting of a scrambler, followed byan NRZ-to-NRZI encoder. The scram-bler produces a pseudorandom binarysequence, which, in turn, is combinedwith transmitted data in order to ran-domize it. It consists of a nine -stage

G 1(X) = X9 + X4 + 1. The scramblercan produce long runs of ones. Theseare converted to transitions by anNRZ-to-NRZI converter consisting of

A further improvement

in the receiver clock

recovery is obtained

through scrambling.

a single stage shift register with anXOR gate. The polynomial of theNRZI converter is: G2(X) = X + 1.

Figure 3 shows a simplified blockdiagram of a Rec. 601 4:2:2 serializer

Serialdatainput Cable

paYzer Descrambler

Serialclock

LPF VCO Timinggenerator

10 -bit paralleldata out

8

7

0.6543

2

1

0

Clock

Figure 5. Simplified block diagram of a Rec. 601 4:2:2 deserializer

shift register (nine sections of clockedMaster Slave D -Flip -Flop marked D inthe diagram) with associated feedback.The feedback signals are combined by"Exclusive OR" adders (marked 0 inthe diagram) with the following inputversus output truth table:

0 ( at input A ) + 0 ( at input B ) = 0 ( at output )0 ( at input A ) + 1 ( at input B ) = 1 ( at output)1 ( at input A) + 0 ( at input B) = 1 ( at output )1 ( at input A) + 1 ( at input B) = 0 ( at output )

The scrambling function is classifiedusing a shorthand method of describ-ing the feedback connection known asthe "Characteristic Polynomial." Forthe nine -stage register illustrated inFigure 4 (page 28) the polynomial is:

using the scrambled NRZI. The result-ing signal is often called pseudo -noisebecause it has a noise -like spectrumand, as a result, the required band-width remains unchanged. By com-parison, the AES/EBU digital audiosignal distribution uses a different

channel coding calledthe Bi-phase Mark(BPM), which doublesthe bit rate and, there-fore, the requiredbandwidth. While thisis acceptable with the

relatively low bit rate of digital audio(3.072Mb/s), it is unacceptable withthe high bit rates of SDTV (270Mb/s)and HDTV (1.485Gb/s).

Figure 5 shows a simplified blockdiagram of a Rec. 601 4:2:2 deserial-


Digital Audio Routing System

NEXUS is the integrated solution for digital audio routing:each 19" base device is a rcuter, format converter and audioprocessor in one compact unit. Connected via glass fibre, theyform decentralize° networks of any desired size - with mini-mum cabling and maximum reliability. A unique concept thathas won over users in hundreds of installations throughoutthe world.

Large rooting capacity and dynamic signal path circuit

Delay -free signal Drocessing Excellen: audio quality through 28 -bit TrueMatch converter

Numerous specia DPS functions Modules for all ccmmon audio formats available Programmable GPI contacts for signalization and external control

Compact, light arid extremely reliable in operation

Incustriegebiet SeeD -?6155 ButtenheimPhone: +49 9545 440-0Fa <: +49 9545 440-333sa [email protected]

1 .

SALZBRENNERSTAG ETECMEDIAGROUP

0003

0

-J

stX

(.9

0

Transiti to II

ScrambledNRZIdata in

Serialclock

ScrambledNRZ data

'V

NRZseriadata put

Figure 6. Block diagram of a descrambler

izer. Cable losses are rewarded by aself-adjusting equalizer. The originaldata is recovered by an NRZI-to-NRZconverter, followed by a descrambler.

Figure 6 above shows the block dia-gram of the descrambler. The logic ar-rangement is identical to the one usedin the scrambler, except thatfeedforward is used instead of thefeedback. The same random sequence,which is added to the signal before

transmission, is subtracted at the de-coder, resulting in the recovered databeing identical to the original data. BE

Michael Robin, a fellow of the SMPTEand former engineer with the CanadianBroadcasting Corp.'s engineering headquar-ters, is an independent broadcastconsultant located in Montreal. He isco-author of "Digital Television Fundamen-tals," published by McGraw-Hill andtranslated into Chinese and Japanese.


michael [email protected]

MIA OOOOO OOOOOOO taw.

DigitalTel

FundamentalsDESIGN AND INSTALLATION OFVIDEO AND AUDIO SYSTEMS

,ItIBIN end 101fti

The SecondEdition of Michae'Robin's bookmay be ordereddirectly from thepublisher by calTrrg800-262-4729. Thebook is availablefrom severalbooksellers.

ELECTRONICS

Built to take 1NN?)4

the stress.Our rugged XLR connectorswithstand twice the stressthan the ones you're using now:

100 pounds of pull 50.000 bends under stress Best in irdustry signal clarity Dependable connections

Put Pomona connectors to the test. Torequest a FREE SAMPLE connector, goto www.pomonaelectronics.com/sampleor call 1-800-490-2361

When everything is ridingon your connections,choose Pomona.

Copyright 02001 Pomona Electronics. Ad No 01834


The w

orld is tuning in to high -definition. Vyv <

deliversaccess to the exploding H

D audience through tie largest

end -to -end HD

video fiber network in the U

nited States.

Relied on to deliver global events from

the Academ

yA

wards to the S

uper Bow

l in HD

. In fact, Vyv <

deliversm

ore HD

content than anyone else, transmitting over 50

terabytes a day, including over 16,000 live sport ng eventsevery year, and 24 -hour broadcast content for the topcable new

s networks. T

rust Vyvx w

ith your next I -D project.

ww

w.accessvyvx.com

"IIIM

INN

.4/1),L IC

V,,

.o..I lip,. Vy

.tnp,11.111t :nark, of W

ilTel C

omm

nors rations Inc.O

tnor trademarks are the property of their respective ow

ners.

O

I

I-

WorkflowintegrationBY BRAD GILMER

Recently, I was part of a teamthat launched a new, na-tionwide cable satellite

music channel. Because we startedfrom scratch, we looked at a numberof different options for our facility.

In the end, we outsourced the origi-nation and uplink of the channel.However, all management, program-ming, traffic, commercial sales andpromotion are handled in-house. Be-cause the channel is music video ori-ented, we decided to use a radio mu-sic scheduling system for program-ming the music elements, but a con-ventional traffic system to schedulehalf-hour and hour programming.Just to make things a little more com-plicated, we selected a hosted trafficsystem. The actual traffic computer islocated at the traffic vendor's location,and we connect to it via the Internet.Figure I shows a simplified drawingof the configuration.

parts of the day. A clock describes whatkind of events will be played in whatorder during any given 60 -minuteperiod. The program director createsseveral clocks for different times ofday. For example, he or she may cre-ate clocks for morning drive, morn-ing, day, evening drive, night and over-night. A clock might say, "Play an IDat the top of the hour, followed by a

the tools available in a television traf-fic system. Our music video networkplays music video blocks, but it alsoairs conventional half-hour and one -

hour precompiled multisegmentshows. A television traffic system is theperfect tool to use in this environment.The challenge we faced was to get thetwo systems to work together. We de-cided to have the two systems create

The key to radio automation is that the schedulermodule automatically places songs on the log

based upon the song's classification, the clock inuse at the time, and other parameters.

hot -hit, followed by a rock title, fol-lowed by another hot -hit, followed byan oldie, followed by a commercialbreak, etc."

The key to radio automation is thatthe scheduler module automatically

Hosted trafficapplication

6- I

VPN " Mergeapplication

Music schedulingsoftware

Log to automa

Figure 1. Simplified diagram of traffic system

This operation is different frommany conventional television net-works because of the music schedul-ing software. In radio, each piece ofmusic in the library is classified intogroups such as hot -hit, rock, oldie andso on. It is the responsibility of theprogram director to classify the mu-sic and to create clocks for different

places songs on the log based on thesong's classification, the clock in useat the time, and other parameters suchas "do not play this particular songmore than three times in a 24 -hourperiod." This saves a tremendousamount of manual work.

While the music scheduling softwareworks well, it does not contain all of

separate logs, and then merge them to-gether into one log to send to ourorigination and playout facility.

In the end, the TV traffic systemcompany modified an existing merg-ing application so it would take thetwo logs and produce a final log. Werequired some custom developmentand while a few minor bugs remain,the system works well. I wish I couldsay the same for interfacing the trafficsystem to the automation interface.

As I mentioned earlier, we do nothave the physical computer for thetraffic system at our facility. Instead,the system is located in a data centermaintained by the vendor. The trafficsystem clients at our facility connectto the hosted traffic computer over theInternet. We established a Virtual Pri-vate Network (VPN) between the twofacilities - actually, between indi-vidual client computers in our facilityand a router at the hosting location.Once the VPN is connected, we run aCitrix client application on the desk-top. This client connects to a Citrixserver at the hosting location. (Citrix


m4"Echolab

It's about Personality, Creativity, Individuality.

Nnihio:tvidentitYA switcher as unique as you

tPattrns

11111,1*, Svionetry Sof t

El IIIII

WIWI nwnl II IMO/

glomH0140401V

Renwkahle technology, unbeatable value!

$18,995 Now ShippingThe feature set for the inuedibly compact Echolab dentity4 (id4) switcher is staggering. Included as standard - 6 Keyers (2 Downstream), 4 Chromakeyers, 5 Pattern Generators.2 x 2D DVE's with Rotation, 16 SDI Inputs, 16 SDI Outputs (2 Program, Preview, Clean -Feed, & 11 Tmed Aux Outputs with a dedicated Aux Monitoring Output), 2 Matte Generators,2 DVE Border Generators, Frame Buffer with Alpha Channel, Photoshop Support, Dual Power Supply, Ethernet Connectvity, Full Tally and GP10...and that's just for starters.

The sleek new panel fits in a standard rack, is perfect for all production environments and space -limited operations including flight packs and OB vans. The Nova id4 hasindustry standard 'look ahead' preview architecture and provides broadcast quality 10 -bit NTSC / PAL Serial Digital Video. The Nova id4 provides high-speed, next -genera-tion interconnectivity, 10/100 -Mb Ethernet ports, supporting simultaneous connections to the outside world through Web. TFTP & XML-RPC servers .

The Echolab Nova id4 has six keyers for unprecedented layering in a switcher of this size. This offers amazing power in terms of creathe control. Four upstream effects keys support

luma, chroma, & preset pattern keys. Two of the four effects keyers have integrated DVE's. Two downstream keyers allow title keying for graphics, logos, andbugs. As well the inter -

connectivity, smart architecture and advanced 'system -on -a -chip' firmware of the Nova identity4 allow us to offer a lifetime guarantee of free upgrades to the core software.

Our Nova id4 X model indudes a customized PC workstation offering the ability to integrate PCI based products such as DPS dip sore, Echolab 3XD DVE's, Inscriber Inca, VTR

control and a whole lot more! In addition, the id4 panel 's USC (Universal System Control) interface also steamlines switcher functions and delivers a whole new level of workflow

control of external devices right from the control panel itself.

For those of you with mix and match analog and digital sources, Echolab now offers a complete range of interface conversion perfect for the Nova. Given its impressive standard

feature set and 3 Year Warranty, the Nova id4 can only be compared to switchers that are twice its price.

Oh, and it just won these NAB 2005 Best of Show Awards. STAR 2005NAB2005 PICK HITEDITORS CHOICE AWARD

VI (.1W I \ 1 \

www.echolab.com / identity4

omiutir :111twork 411M11111 '1111111n111111411111111.1I I

OO

I

is an application that provides remoteconnectivity over the Internet.) Whenthe connection is complete, traffic sys-tem users are presented with a virtualtraffic system on their desktop.

As the traffic person works with thesystem, client session data is passedover the Internet between the host andthe desktop. While overall the systemhas worked well, we have had unex-plained interruptions in this virtualtraffic system connection. We are stillworking to find the problem. It wouldbe easy to blame the outages on theInternet, but this is a system with anumber of components, so the prob-lem may be at the hosting site, withinthe configuration of the Citrix envi-ronment, or in the desktop environ-ment. Overall, the hosted solution hasbeen satisfactory, but the interruptionshave made work difficult at times.By far, the most challenging part of

this project has been the connection

equipment in the past, so we gave it atry. It failed completely.

None of the traffic elements madeit to the automation system. Obvi-ously something had changed. Wecontacted the nonresponsive vendor,and after several weeks, it providedus with marginal support. After try -

group within SMPTE that is workingto standardize data interchange. Thisgroup, called the Working Group onData Exchange, has taken on the taskof standardizing the various data ex-change elements required in thebroadcast environment. The grouphas more than 100 members and

When the connection is complete, traffic system

users are presented with a virtual traffic system

on their desktop.ing four or five different interfaceconfigurations, we were finally ableto get information to pass betweenthe two systems. We were successfulbut only with the most basic log ele-ments. We still needed to pass sec-ondary events to control IDs andlogos. As soon as we added these ele-ments to the log, the conversionfailed. Once again, we contacted the

Figure 2. Typical interchange elements between traffic and automation

between the traffic system and theautomation system. This should be afairly straightforward interface. As youcan see from Figure 2, we are exchang-ing playlists, dub lists and as -run logsbetween these two systems.

This is a very common interface re-quirement - I have been workingwith systems exchanging these sorts oflists for many years, and I assume youprobably have, too. In this particularcase, one of the vendors was almostcompletely unresponsive. Becauseeach vendor had its own proprietaryinterchange format, something had togive. One of the vendors was willingto work with us. It had an interface thathad worked with the other vendor's

nonresponsive vendor, and afterquite some time, we were able to getthings working but not without trialand error.

Not to belabor the point, but it turnsout that our problems were not over.When we started working with as -runlog data, we wrote a conversion thatworked for a while but then quit. Oneof the assumptions we made about theas -run conversion was invalid, butthere was no documentation of anykind on the as -run log format, so wehad no alternative but to guess untilwe got it right.

Good news on the horizonThe good news is that there is a new

meets regularly. It has made a lot ofheadway in defining a data dictionaryof interchange terms and XMLschema for the exchange of thingssuch as playlists, purge lists and as -runlogs. The group is also developing acommunications framework for inter-change between different systems.

The focus of the group is on pro-gramming systems, automation sys-tems, traffic systems and content de-livery systems, though many other sys-tems will also benefit from this stan-dardization effort. Speaking as thehead of a group of users who haveprovided input to the group, we areextremely pleased with the progress sofar. When can we buy it? BE

Brad Gilmer is President of Gilmer &Associates, Executive Director of theVideo Services Forum and ExecutiveDirector of the AAF Association.

Send questions and comments to:

[email protected]

FILEINTERCHANGE

HANDBOOK

BRAD GILMER

To order BradGilmer's book, RoeInterchangeHandbook forImages, Audio andMetadata, fromFocal Press, visitwww.focalpress.comor call 800-545-2522.The book is also

vailable from most major booksellers.


BroadcasiEngineerinh

Technoloqyllpdatee -newsletter

at www.broadcastengineenng.com


Standard definition? High definition? WithKahuna you don't have to worry. It canhandle either of them - separately or atthe same time. It can even incorporateSD sources into HD productionswithout upconversion.

1,7

KAHUNA

SNELL & WILCOXEngineering with Vision

KAHUNA - THE PRODUCTIONSWITCHER THAT

DEFIES DEFINITION

Kahuna is the most versatile switcheron the market. And the most economical.Kahuna lets you take control of yourtransition to HD without having to re -equipwith all -HD sources - and without havingto put an upconverter on every SD input.

Even if you have no plans to go HD justyet, you can install Kahuna in SD only.Then when you are good and ready,upgrade to full multi -format SD/HDoperation, with no operational disruption.

HD

HDTRANSITION

VAriN CO

4 M/E Control Panel

KAHUNA - DESIGNED JUSTTHE WAY YOU WANT IT

Each of the four comprehensive M/Ebanks has: Four keyers able to perform luma,

linear, and chroma keying

Five transition wipe generators

Still store and clipstore

RGB color correction Four utility buses

Timeline, DMEM and Macro capability

Each keyer in the system is equipped with:Its own FormatFusion engine tointegrate SD and HD sources

DVE send -and -return architecturethat enable images to be manipulated

MEM MIN MIN 1111111111111Ulla MI II Pi II 01

IN111111111111111N 11111111111NINNIII N

111111.1111111111111111 11111MINIIINN N

11111111M1111111111

111111111111111111117 01

1111111111111111111111

113111111111111111111

1111111111111 1111111111111

111111.11111111111111

11111111111111111111 N

111111111111111111111111111111111IC WIC WIC SAC INC INC BNC STOP ;01001 1180 SIM 5100 4100 Sint 1100 11-00 4100sT,,

0, al 04 as O4 7 ar' Q 03 In in in In IS 00 10 i

11111111Ellill1/111 11111111111111111111 N

/11111111111111111111111 111111111111111111111 11111

11111111[11111 MI EI IIiMIII MI11111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111 1111111N11111111111111

1111111.1111110113111111 101111111116111N111 INN

Every source has its ownuser -configurable mnemonicidentificationKAHUNA

Kahuna is the first production switchersystem in the world to offer simultaneousstandard definition and high definitionoperation in the same mainframe withthe same control panel.

KAHUNA

11..B`


AT LAST.COMPLETE FORMAT FREEDOM

41

£

Even more remarkably, thanks to anew technology called FormatFusion,it enables you to integrate any SDmaterial, such as camera feeds,graphics or archives into live HDproductions, seamlessly, withoutthe need for upconversion.

Kahuna is a truly multi -format system thatputs you in control of your transition toHD. It gives you the flexibility to useexisting SD equipment, without the costof completely re -equipping with HD.

FORMATFUSION


KAHUNA - THE WORLD'S FIRST TRUE MULTI -FORMATSD/HD PRODUCTION SWITCHER

Example of HD Output from a Single M/E Using Mixed SD/HD InputsHD background B

Animation via one ofthe internal clip stores

Benefits Legacy -compatible and future -proof Feature set and formats field-upgradable

through software

Puts you in control of your transition to HD Competitively priced throughout the range Integrates SD sources into HD productions No need to replace all SD equipment No need for expensive upconversion

Can cut SD and HD simultaneously Resource -sharing maximizes WE use

Familiar, intuitive control panels Robust system design ensures reliability

Compact size, less weight, lower powerconsumption

Features 1, 2, 3 and 4 M/E versions All functions, options and PSUs contained

in a compact 11 RU chassis

Wipe bar providedby Utility Bus

HD background A

HD camera studio shot`squeezed back' usingpicture resize engine

SD charactergenerator outputusing FormatFusionand resize engine

SD hand held camerashot using FormatFusionand resize engine

Accepts all SD and HD standards Up to 80 field-upgradeable inputs Up to 40 assignable outputs 4 keyers per M/E with flexible layering Each keyer able to perform luma and

linear keying

Each keyer with high quality chroma keying Each M/E with 4 FormatFusion and

resize engines

Independent keyer transition engine

Every M/E has 4 stores for stills and clips Clipstores with 12 seconds of

uncompressed HD

Five transition wipe generators per M/E Input and color effects RGB color correction

4 utility buses per M/E for video in borderand multi -program outputs

DMEM and GMEM snapshot save andrecall memories

RGB & YUV color correction for all SD & HDoutputs with full broadcast specificationlegalizers on each output (including auxiliary)

Programmable clean feeds per M/E Integration with external equipment such as

VTRs, DDRs, audio desks, external routersand edit controllers

Powerful machine control Full source name displays Highly intuitive color touch -screen GUI Very powerful macro facility DMEM and GMEM snapshot save and

recall memories

Off-line PC applications supporting stilVcliptransfer to switcher system

Multi -panel and multi -frame capability

Options Four twin channels / 8 channels of 3D DVE

effects with warps, lighting and trail store

KAHUNA www.snellwilcox.com FORMATFUSION

Pre-scaling graphics forHD editingBY MIKE NANN

t first glance, the creationand scaling of graphics tothe correct size for incor-

poration with HD video in a nonlin-ear editing system may seem straight-forward. However, the adage "lookscan be deceiving" comes to mind.

Graphics -related issues such as colorspace conversions, color sampling andpixel aspect ratios have been coveredin detail before, and the full rastersizes for HD video frames are well-known - 1920x1080 and 1280x720.Simply create your graphics to thesesizes, and you're ready to import theminto your NLE - or so it seems.

While this simple process is usablefor bringing HD graphics into mod-ern editing systems, there often areinternal factors within an NLE thatcan make this workflow less thanideal. For instance, prescaling full-size HD graphics to sizes other thanthe full raster may be advantageousboth in terms of quality and produc-tivity. Otherwise, some NLEs mayperform some unexpected automaticre -scaling of the graphics that editorswould otherwise prefer to control.And, on some NLE systems, pre -scaling the images may result in im-proved real-time layering and effectsperformance. Counterintuitively, inmany cases, the best results in bothquality and performance may beachieved by prescaling graphics tolower than full raster size, beforebringing them into an NLE.

One size doesn't fit allThe key factor that can make pre -

scaling HD graphics desirable relatesto the frame size (in pixels) of thegraphics, versus the actual frame sizeat which the NLE processes the HDvideo. For example, not all 1080i iscreated equally. While NLE operators

may think they're mixing graphicsand video of the same frame size, thatmight not actually be the case.

This issue arises when full -resolution(1920x1080 or 1280x720) graphics aremixed with HD video that is beingprocessed natively in a compression

u

size graphic in the editing process mayresult in the mixing of a 1920x1080graphic with video at a 1280x1080 or1440x1080 frame size. Various formatsand their native frame sizes are shownin Figure 1.

Similarly, as an alternative to proc-

Frame size (sub -sampled or full -raster) by format1920x1080 full raster

HDV

Panasonic DVCPRO HD

Panasonic D-5 HD

Sony HDCAN1

Sony HDCAN1 SR

Avid DNxHD

Canopus HG

Leitch LWC-1

1440x1080

1280x1080

1920x1080 full -raster)

1440x1080

1920x1080 full -raster)

1920x1080 :full -raster)

1440x1080

1920x1080 :full -raster)

Figure 1. Common acquisition formats and their native frame sizes

format that has been subsampled fromthe full HD raster. While formats suchas Panasonic's D-5 HD and Sony'sHDCAM SR support the full raster(as does the HDV format in its 720p

essing HD media natively in its acqui-sition format, some NLE manufactur-ers offer their own compressionschemes, optimized for post -produc-tion. While some of these codecs sup -

Letting the operator control the down -scaling ofthe graphic manually prior to importing into NLE

provides better control of the scaling quality.

variant), many other common HDformats do not. For instance, HDV, aswell as Sony's HDCAM, uses 1440luma samples per line, for a 1440x1080recorded frame size. DVCPRO HDsubsamples to 1280x1080 in its 1080 -line mode, or 960x720 for 720p.

If the nonlinear system works withmedia in any of these acquisition for-mats natively, the addition of a full -

port the full HD raster, others are sub -sampled similarly to the acquisitioncodecs mentioned above.

This means that those subsampledformats will face the same frame sizemismatch. Resolving this will invari-ably be handled automatically by theNLE. However, there are disadvan-tages to doing this that might make itpreferable to avoid it in the first place.

0

Iz

r

co

00

MAY 2005 broadcastengineering.com 43

Pr I I

Scale up or scale down?There are two fundamental ways to

O resolve the differing frame sizes of theCO graphics and the HD video: scaling theO graphics down to the size of the video

or scaling the video up to the size ofthe graphics. The particular method

- used varies between different NLEs,

as to the scaling and interpolationmethodologies for reducing the sizeof these images. These systems mayprovide operator controls for non-standard image sizes that the userspecifies to be scaled, but they seldomprovide adjustments for the internalbehind -the -scenes format conversion.

scaling. Some NLE systems offer real-time rescaling (hardware- or software-

based) that can result in even better -

quality results than common graph-ics software. However, as mentioned,this single re -scaling method mightnot be ideal for all graphics and offersno manual control.

Figure 2. Scaling algorithm examplesLeft: Section of original 1920x1080 image, zoomed in to 300 percent (top) and 1200 percent (bottom).Middle: Same section downscaled to 50 percent using nearest neighbor interpolation, zoomed in to 600 percent (top) and2400 percent (bottom).The hard edges are retained, but the edges now appear moreRight: Same section downscaled to 50 percent using bi-cubic interpolation, zoomed in to 600 percent (top) and 2400percent (bottom).The result is much smoother, without the jagged look of the nearest neighbor algorithm, but the edgesare visibly softened.

often influenced by the constraints oftheir internal pipelines. Both methods,however, have downsides.

In the first case, the NLE (internally,without user intervention) scales thegraphic down appropriately (with theassociated pixel aspect ratio change)to match the smaller frame size of thevideo content. On NLE systems thathave internal processing limited tothe subsampled raster size - such assystems that support only specificcompressed HD formats - this is theonly viable method. Because scalinga graphic is not a computationallyintensive process, it can be handledquickly - likely without affecting theNLE's real-time performance. Thequestion then becomes: Why not justlet the NLE do it?

The answer: control over quality. Let-ting the operator control the down -scaling of the graphic manually priorto importing into NLE may give youbetter control of the scaling quality.Many NLEs offer few (if any) options

In contrast, dedicated paint andgraphics software usually offer awealth of such choices. Different scal-ing algorithms offer a variety of resultsbased on adjusting image characteris-tics, such as hard edges, smooth gra-dations and overall complexity. Algo-rithms, such as nearest neighbor orsimple pixel duplication/removal,maybe best for preserving hard edges,but can also result in harsh, jagged -looking images. Other image conver-sion methods such as bi-cubic interpo-lation offer smoother results and havevariation within their implementa-tions, which may help preserve bothsmoothness and detail, but may resultin a visual "softening" of the image.

The advantage of prescaling from agraphics application is that the opera-tor gets to visually determine whichinterpolation method will maintainthe highest quality. Furthermore,graphics software often provide im-age filters that can reduce some of theundesirable side effects of down -

In short, while prescaling graphicsdown to a lower pixel resolution thanthe full HD raster does lower theiroverall precision (and thus quality), ifan NLE is going to downscale thegraphics anyway, then depending onyour NLE's internal scaling method-ologies, it may be advantageous to letthe operator do it while maintainingcontrol over the results.

Scaling up the videoThe second way that the nonlinear

editing can resolve the frame size mis-match is to expand the subsampledcompressed video back to full rasterfor mixing with the full-size graphic.This has the advantage of maintain-ing the optimal quality. The down-side is that it takes a lot more CPUhorsepower to scale the multipleframes per second of HD video up tofull raster size than it would a graphic.The net result is that the process canhave a negative impact on an NLE'sreal-time performance, especially


Winning StrategiesMaster Your Move to HD withIntegrated Multi -dimensional

HD Servers and Shared Storage

Winner of AIM Award 2005

HD SERVER

MIS SERVER

MPEG BRANDING

ne,...111611113.11

High -Definition NEXIOTM Server Systems

Make the move onto integrated high-performance platforms running our flexiblesoftware architectures.

HD NEXIIOre - server integrates the first software -based agile codec forhigh -definition video, allowing baseband high -definition record and playback, whilesupporting up and down conversion of content for simulcast applications from thesame shared storage file system.

Digital Turnaround ProcessorTM, (DTP) - uses patented software for real-timecompressed video processing, enabling broadcasters to overlay motion graphics andlogos on pre -compressed h gh-definition and standard -definition streams.

MPEG-2 transport Stream (MTS) - server provides ASI input/output interfaceswith the ability to de -multiplex a multi -program transport stream (MPTS). Storesindividual programs and re -multiplexes any new MPTS created by seamlessly splicingindividual HD and SD clips, thereby bridging the gap in workflow between SD andHD broadcasting.

Master Your Move to HD with NEXIO Server Systems

Canada +1 (800)387 0233USA East +1 (800)231 9673USA West +1 (888) 843 7004Latin A.merim +1 (305) 512 0045

e LEITCHwww.leitch.com

"Very few systems

integrators bring this

level of expertise to

the table ... Roscor is

a vital part of ourteam, and is directly

responsible for the

success of our facility"

Bob ReedDirector of technical Operations,

Total Living Network

ROSCOR ANALYSIS & DESIGN,

IMPLEMENTATION & TESTING,

TRAINING & SUPPORT RESULTS

SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

WWW.ROSCOR.COM/SI

Leitch's VelocityHD supports both uncompressed and full -raster compressedformats in real-time.

when the segment involves multiplevideo layers, each of which must bescaled up.

For example, on one NLE system,superimposing a 1920x1080 graphi-cal overlay over an otherwise real-timesegment of two layered video clipscaptured from DVCPRO HD requiresrendering to get the video up -scaledfor full -quality output. In contrast, su-perimposing a 1280x1080 graphicaloverlay over the same segment can bedone in real-time.

Thus, prescaling the graphic downto 1280x1080 can save considerabletime in the workflow process. Thismeans that if a graphic is used as anoverlay that runs the duration of anhour-long program, the short timetaken to prescale the graphic may savehaving to render the entire project inthe NLE, which is a long process.

Of course, prescaling the graphicdown to 1280x1080 imposes a qual-ity penalty (relative to letting the NLEprocess the graphic and up -scale thevideo at 1920x1080), but at least theusernow has the ability to make thatdecision. In high -demand environ-ments, such as near -to -air applica-tions, the need for real-time produc-tivity may outweigh any loss in im-age quality.

When not to pre -scaleThe above discussion outlines how

prescaling can minimize or eliminatethe problems associated with mixingfull -resolution graphics with HDcompressed video that has been sub -sampled from the full HD raster. How-ever, some NLE systems support com-pression formats that can handle thefull HD raster. These systems also fea-ture full -raster internal processing,and can easily combine full-size HDgraphics with video content in thesecompressed formats without any in-ternal re -scaling of video or graphics.These systems maintain the sameframe size (1920x1080 or 1280x720)throughout the workflow.

Similarly, NLEs that support uncom-pressed HD editing will also handlethe full HD raster when using uncom-pressed media. Full-size HD graphicscan be mixed with uncompressedHD video clips without re -scaling.Working with uncompressed HDvideo creates other issues. For in-stance, many of the new affordableHD editing systems offer better real-time layering and effects performancewith compressed media than withuncompressed (if they supportuncompressed at all). And naturally,working with uncompressed HD


video requires far more storage andhigher bandwidth than when operat-ing with the compressed domain.

The moral of the story is that it isimportant to thoroughly understandhow an NLE internally processes bothgraphics and video. This will help op-erators make the best decisions as towhether it's beneficial to prescalegraphics before ingesting them intothe NLE.

If the NLE provides full -quality, real-time performance on uncompressedvideo or full -raster compressed for-mats, then prescaling may not be ad-vantageous. If, however, you plan towork in the compressed domain withsubsampled compression codecs (in-cluding native acquisition formats), itmay be beneficial in terms of qualityor performance to prescale first.

Protect your HDWith the enhanced pixel resolution

of HD, there is a natural inclinationto take advantage of it by using de-tailed and intricate graphics. However,be careful because the extra detail canend up working against you when thefinished HD project is distributed.

As explained above, if the NLE sys-tem will be working at less than fullraster, the graphics may be down -scaled or subsampled, resulting inlower horizontal resolution. It's alsoimportant to remember that, for theforeseeable future, a high percentageof HD content will be downconvertedto SD for at least some of its distribu-tion, which means a loss in bothvertical and horizontal resolution.

Detailed graphics that look excep-tional when created at full -raster HDresolution may lose considerable de-tail (making elements such as text allbut unreadable) when converted to SDfor playout.

Here are a couple of solutions. If allof the graphics will effectively be usedas downstream keys in the NLE (super-imposed over other video layers), it'soften best to first downconvert a ver-sion of the finished HD project with-out the graphics in place. Then, add thegraphical overlays (which have been

specifically designed for SD) separatelyto this downconverted version. Thisprocess protects the HD version, whilemaintaining the best possible graphicsquality and readability for the down -converted SD distribution.

This isn't always possible, of course,as graphics are often layered betweenother elements in the overall project.

Even so, keep in mind the potentialfuture downconversions that may oc-cur when creating graphic elements,and you can avoid many of the asso-ciated pitfalls. BE

Mike Nann is the technical marketingmanager, Professional Post Production, forLeitch Technology.

The UniqueAzden 1000IntegratedUHFReceiver Gold Mount 1000URX/AB

Whether you use the Anton -Bauer Goll Mountor a V -Mount battery, there's an Azden 1000 that'sbeen designed to snap right onto your battery,and to give you maximum performance with noadditional batteries needed in the receiver. Usingthe latest production techniques and tie highestquality components, we've made a bullet-proofreceiver which is ideal for broadcast cameras.

121 UHF channels (723-735MHz) user -selectable, with LCD readout True diversity system with 2 complete front -ends and high -gain antennas Proprietary DLC (Diversity Logic Control) circuitry for reduced dropouts State-of-the-art dielectric filters throughout, for improved image rejectionand superior diversity isolation High 5th order filters for improved S/Nratio Multi -function LCD shows channel number and frequency, batteryinfo, AF level, and diversity operation Ultra small, lightweight, switchable,Earphone -out w/level control

Note: Order cablesspecifically for your cameraand battery configuration.

1AZDEN

IDX "V" Mount100OUDXNM

Bodypack transmitter (100081) withreduced current -drain for improved batterylife, is available with Azden EX -503H,Sony ECM -44H.

Plug-in XLR transmitter(1000X1) works withdynamic mics.

P.O. Box 10, Franklin Square, NY 11010 (516) 328-7500 FAX: (516) 328-7506

E -Mail: [email protected] Web site: www.azdencorp.com

MAY 2005 broadcasteingineering.com 47

The intensity of competitionin the New York City videoand audio post industries is

constantly growing, creating a need foradvanced approaches to the design,construction and maintenance of postfacilities. Creative Group, a 10 -year -old company with an equal focus onboth video and audio post, recentlycompleted an ambitious relocation in-tended to place it in the forefront ofservices for HD.

The planThe initial causes for Creative

Group's move from its older, two -floor, 11,000sq-ft home on Manhat-tan's East Side to a new, one -floor,25,000sq-ft facility were twofold:1) The company had run out of roomfor expansion in the old location.2) The company felt that it would en-

joy an increase in business traffic bymoving closer to Times Square.

The new facility was to be compre-hensive by post standard, encompass-ing a variety of editing suties. In or-der to maximize the effectiveness ofhaving so many diverse but closelyworking resources in-house, one of theforemost design goals was improved

Creative Group's new facility has 20 rooms, which include two Sony HDlinear editing suites, six Sony component digital linear editing suites and sixDiscreet flame/smoke nonlinear compositing/editing suites.

48 broadcastengineering.ccm MAY 2005

ilher.-

E 4 0 0 0

PU

RE

CO

DE

R

HD

and SD

Encoding S

imultaneously

Front P

anel Monitor

Advanced "P

UR

EP

EG

" Technology

Enhanced Low

Bit R

ate Perform

anceA

bsolute Finest P

icture Quality

Satellite and T

errestrial Interfaces1 M

B/s to 160 M

B/s

TIE

RN

AN

Raili'llt. C

,;,?/rim

,

Phoenix: 602-437-9620

San D

iego: 858-458-1800U

K: 44-1420-540233

Am

erica: 858-458-1800S

ingapore: 65-6225-4016B

eijing: 86-10-65831975w

ww

.radn.comw

ww

.tiernan.com

4.61 4e /Sf°S 4c,,,i8 connectivity through a4;,0

<(well -designed infrastruc-

ture. The company needed toC: be able to interconnect Win-

dows -based,419F Mac -based (both OS9 and OS X,) and SGI computers, pro-viding all of them with conventionalnetworking capabilities along the way.

RedesignAdequate storage is key to the suc-

cess of the nonlinear suites. The threeProTools suites work off of a Rorke4TB SAN with a 40 -slot AIT backup.Discreet logic platforms each have lo-cal 4TB RAIDs connected by gigabitEthernet and supported by a DiscreetBackdraft administrative workstationfor archiving and utility functions.Although the facility is wholy digitalin both HD and SD, analog signals canbe accommodated when necessary.Five T1 lines supply connectivity andredundancy for Internet traffic andthe VoIP phone system.

In addition to building an infrastruc-ture that would be HD bandwidth -capable, the company had to be surethe facility would be fully functionalfor 1080i, 720p and 24p. The companyinstalled an array of HD crosscon-verters, downconverters andupconverters in its suites thatsupported all three standards,including Snell & WilcoxHD5050, Leitch Juno 3800and Panasonic UFC1800.Moving from what had

come to feel like a tight andcramped environment, thenew design included morespacious rooms, benefitingboth the clients and CreativeGroup talent - the latter ofwhich the company places ahigh priority on attractingand retaining. The linear edit suites are368sq ft, and the audio suites measurea spacious 675sq ft. The audio rooms'VO booths feature floating concreteslab construction with acoustically iso-lated walls and ceilings. Consoles de-signed by Sterling Modular havemoveable wings to allow both themixer and client to sit in the sweet spot

during critical listening.Benchmark Media Systems helped

address the issue of RF interference, astrong possibility given the facility'sTimes Square location. The solutioninvolved custom -designed audiopatch bays from Audio Accessories,featuring capacitive decoupled signalshielding, shunting offending sourcesof interference to the ground. Mogami

outer system for HD and digital au-dio control routing expansion.

A single distributor, Sony, equippedthe facility. Two systems integratorswere used: Sony SIC and Max Video.Along the way, gear choices and work-flow were closely interconnected. Cre-ative Group's guiding workflow prin-ciple was to create a one -stop -shop fortheir clients, where production, edit -

Consoles designed by Sterling Modular

have moveable wings to allow both themixer and client to sit in the sweet spot

during critical listening.

low -capacitance cable was used on allcritical analog pathways, such as mon-itoring feeds, minimizing high -frequency roll -off on long wire runs,some of which extend as far as 200ft.

In the machine room, CreativeGroup and Fiskaa Engineering weredetermined to head off HVAC com-plications. Measures were taken toensure that all technical areas haveadequate cooling capacity as well as re-dundancy, using twin 15 -ton Liebert

ing, graphics, sound design andsearches on the custom 500,000 -plusfile music/sound effects databasecould be done under one roof.

At the heart of the design was the de-sire for an infrastructure in which sig-nals and materials could be movedaround with ease. The 1TB storageserver from Dynamic Network Factorywas central, creating a common shar-ing ground where engineering staff,operators and clients can transfer im-

age or audio files, After Effects,Web postings, word docu-ments, or any other type ofdata. The server acts as an ef-fective intermediary betweenWindows, Mac and SGI ma-chines, which may otherwisehave had problems commu-nicating properly.

With it's newly remodeled facility, Creative Groupdesigned and edited the 2004 promotion campaignfor USA Network's "The 4400!'

units. A star grounding system wasinstalled, which connects directly tocold water pipes in the basement.With a fast-growing roster of play-

back devices, including dedicatedDigibeta and other available VTRs, thedesign team left plenty of capability,in terms of physical space, in routerframes and surrounding racks to the

The HD buzzHD had been only a small

portion of Creative Group'stotal business until it per-formed the post for the

theatrical release, "Bowling for Col-umbine," by director Michael Moore.At that point, HD projects picked upconsiderably, giving the facility signifi-cant experience to draw off of. Besidesbeing invaluable when specifyingequipment for the HD linear editingsuites in the new facility, this experi-ence also helped guide the physical


your show matters

KC ET Los Angeles

KLRU AustinKQED San Francisco

MPTV MilwaukeeNETC Lincoln

WEDU Tampa

VVIPR San Juan

WMHT Schenectady

We test drove multiple digital audio consoles

but the Euphonix Max Air console outperformed

them all in regard to intuitiveness and value.It is truly a great console - easy to use and

very well priced for the quality.

Lee Young - Director of Engineering, KQED

PBS is among the many TV stations and groups that have selected

Euphonix to meet their broadcast audio needs. Euphonix is totally

committed to providing the most effective and reliable audio

mixing solutions for on -air and live -to -tape applications. We will

do whatever it takes to get you on -air and keep you on -air with

support, training, and technical expertise that is second to none.

Be Sureeuphoni x.com

The System 5 and Max Air models can be tailored to exactly meet

your current and future production needs with a simple upgrade

path and comprehensive features including surround, full integration

with your 'acility router, automation connectiviity to external GPIs,

and a modular I/O system. Most importantly, the consoles are easy

to learn and operate in a fast paced on -air environment.

©2005 Euphonix, Inc, All rights reserved 220 Portage Averue Palo Alto, CA 94306 Phone, (650) 855-0400 Fax- (650) 855-0410

I 71 Z;t4('CJaS

\ce and networking designof the HD rooms them-

selves and eased the incorpo-ration of HD capability into the

Discreet suites, which feature sixflame and smoke Tezro-based systemsthat are SD/HD-capable.

To handle the increasingly diversedemands of HD, one of the two HDlinear suites is equipped with a SonyMVS8000 switcher with eight chan-nels of DME, while the other utilizesa Sony HDVS7000 switcher with twochannels of DME. Both engage a Sony9100 editor, with Snell & Wilcox andLeitch converters and a PanasonicUFC1800 format translator. High -quality sound was a priority in thesesuites, so Genelec 5.1 surround moni-toring and Dolby DP -572 decoderswere installed.

To assure consistency and maximumflexibility for booking time, all five SDlinear suites are identically equipped,

using a Sony DVS7000 switcher withtwo channels of DME, a Sony 9100editor and Genelec stereo monitoring.

One of the more notable aspects ofthe equipment list lay in the three au-dio suites, which are identicallyequipped and fully functional for 5.1surround. Taking into account thecompany's original focus on video, itput a strong emphasis on the resourcesdedicated to the audio section with thethinking that a powerful offering therewould spark a commensurate increasein HD business.

Each suite runs Pro Tools HD, with48 channels of I/O. Critical listeningcomes via an array of six Meyer HD1monitors with high -quality mic pre -amps, including Manley VoxBox andMillennia STT-1. Mix -to -picture takesplace while viewing an NEC 61inplasma display. In addition, an arrayof Dolby solutions are employed.AJD, D/A and distribution is by Bench -

EquipmentAdobe After Effects, PhotoshopAJA I/O

Autodesk 3dsmax, flint, smokeAvid Symphony, AdrenalineChyron Duet, MAX CGsD&K MSD600M digital meteringGenelec 5.1 monitorsGraham -Patten DESAM 8000

console

Leitch Juno 3800 converterMeyers HD1 monitorsPanasonicVTRs

UFC 1800 upconvertorRorke 4 TB SAN

Sony

MVS8000 switcherHDVS7000 switcherDVS7000 switcherHDW-F500 HDCam

DigiBeta, DVCAM, IMX VTRsTascam DA88, DA98Z -Systems 32x32 router

MiegaPikelifFle oltitkihj

Competitor's best resolution

Our new triple rackmount V-R653P-HDSDI has 1.2 TFT-MegapixelHigh Definition displays. Representing the leading edge of imagingtechnology, each screen will accept ALL Digital HD or SD formats, in-cluding 1080-24P, 1080-50/60i and 720-50/60P

Marshall TFealx.:. 830100--830303--ggr LCDRacks.corn infoComm ® booth#T709


Creative GroupJoseph Avallone, presidentCharlie Suydam, chief engineerJoe Castellano, pErtner/editorTroy Krueger, senicr sound designer

Fiskaa EngineeringThomas Fiskaa, ccnsultant

Max VideoJohn Durbeck, consultant

Rafferty Bros.Donnelly Mechanical

Sony SICEddie Son Ly, consultantHoward Dixon, consultantAndy Knierian, consultant

A SquaredAndrew Thompson, architect

Sterling SoundJim Maher, acoustic consultant

mark, combining with a Z -Systems32x32 router to move all audio signals.

In light of the size and scope of the

move, the technical glitches wereminimal. Most notable among themincluded the fact that once the SonyHDS-X3700 and Klotz Vadis routershad been installed and connected,Creative Group found itself chal-lenged by initial technical difficulties,including unexpected audio clicks, aswell as control routing problems. Ex-tensive troubleshooting revealed thatthe cause was inappropriate clockchoice. By using a digital audio refer-ence signal word clock, as opposed toa video reference, the team was ableto solve what was otherwise an ex-tremely confusing situation.Above and beyond any difficulties

that came with implementation of thetechnical plant at the new facility, thegroup encountered an even largerchallenge on a logistical level - keep-ing the old facility running whilebuilding and transferring personneland equipment to the new facility. The

company accomplished this by usinga combination of systems integratorsinstead of just one, which allowed itto maintain an aggressive schedule ofmoving all of the rooms over thecourse of 10 weeks.

As the company continues to expandits new facility, especially in terms ofHD capability, the staff considers themove to be successful. Demand forHD services is healthy, and the audiosuites are heavily booked not only forpromo work, which is the mainstay ofits business, but also for DVD mixingand production. Most important tothe company leaders is the feeling thatthey have created an inviting atmo-sphere for some of the industry's toptalent to do high -quality work in awide variety of formats. BE

David Weiss is a New York City -basedjournalist and technology writer. He is theNew York Metro editor for Mix Magazine.

Why Pay Extra for Service and Support?

Ten -Year Warranty

# 24 Hour Service Support Line

Full Support of All Legacy Pr

a a-

111111111111111111:::::::::1:1:

iniiiimiiiiii111111111111111111

1111111111111111 I 111111111 11 I

niniiiiii11111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

tit,

muumuu' mm11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 III I III l l l l l l 1111111111111111111 II 1 11= z= = =

1111111111111111111

== = = == = = 1111111111111111111

1 1 1 1 1 1 1111111111 1111111 r

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

111111111 11111i 1

1r

11111111

11111111

Utah Scientific gives you all three at no charge.

When you are choosing a routing or master controlsystem, remember to consider the cost of support.

Only Utah offers these first-class support servicesto all customers at no additional charge.

1-141-14"07Z1477FICNew Direct ons in Digital Switching

www.utahscientific.com


Ilirl!All":11,11 rilrirriMINPPPIJI

Measurementsfor DTVBY DON MARKLEY

Like it or not, DTV is not onlycoming, it has fully arrived.With essentially everyone

operating a DTV facility at some level,it's now possible to get a good idea ofhow successfully the new medium isperforming. We aren't talking about agood controlled test environment, butsome general observations, primarilythe result of a lot of antenna measure-ments and the subsequent comments.

DTV basicsThe VSWR considerations on DTV

antennas aren't much different thanthe requirements that have been stan-dard for NTSC systems for years. ForNTSC, the basic goals have been anantenna VSWR around 1.05 with asystem VSWR of under 1.0:1 acrossthe 6MHz. band. Emphasis was alwaysplaced on the visual carrier, aural car-rier and color frequencies becausethose were where the greater amountsof energy existed in the transmittedsignal and where the most effect wouldbe observed in the received signal.

Reflected signals at or very near thevisual carrier will result in a good old-fashioned ghost in the received signal.This is probably the most objection-able result of high VSWR as far as theviewer is concerned, which brings upanother point that engineers are likelyto forget. The purpose of all the tun-ing isn't just to make ideal meter read-ings in the transmitter building. Thegoal is the best possible signal qualityfor the viewers - distortion- andghost -free to the fullest extent practi-cal. Luckily, that goes along with thegood meter readings - usually.

With regard to VSWR at color andaural frequencies, the result is distor-tion. That distortion shows up in theaudio as degraded frequency response,increased harmonic distortion, in-creased cross talk and decreased sepa-ration in stereo systems. At color fre-quencies, the result varies but can re-sult in "smearing" of color informa-tion. It's the old "the blue of the eyesisn't supposed to appear on the lips"syndrome. The entire thing gets worse

Percenta e of American on -demand usa!eOne in ten Americans are heavy on -demand media consumers

Medium24%

Light27%

SOURCE: Arbitron/Edison media research

Heavy11%

None17%

Very light21%

www.arbitron.com/www.edisonresearch.com

when it is realized that the televisiontransmitter really wants to see 50 +jOSZ across the television channel. Asa general rule, the more the channelimpedance varies from that amount,the greater the degradation of thetransmitted signal. However, the worstproblems occur around the threemore critical frequencies.

For DTV, there really isn't any smallpart of the channel where the poweris significantly greater than the re-mainder of the channel and where sig-nificant information is carried. Theinformation is essentially spreadacross the entire channel and not sig-nificantly susceptible to minor ampli-tude variations. Reflected signals showup at the receiver essentially the sameas multipath signals would appear, thatis, the same signal, reduced in ampli-tude, arriving slightly later in time.The current generation of DTV re-ceivers will cope with multipath sig-nals that are as large in amplitude asthe direct path desired signal. There-fore, the total system can cope withminor reflections, even though largeramounts of VSWR may distort the sig-nals so badly that the bit error rate(BER) is increased.For DTV, the initial goals were to

keep the antenna down to around1.05:1 and the entire system under1.1:1 across the channel. However,there is a significant amount ofthought that DTV systems will per-form quite adequately as long as theaverage value of VSWR is well below1.1:1. In other words, some excursionsslightly above 1.1:1 might be accept-able if the majority of the responseacross the channel is lower. As there isno critical frequency in the ATV sig-nal, what were previously thought tobe undesirable variations may not beas bad as originally feared.


our team +

world ide experience

PR

OV

EN

EC

HN

OLO

GY

DIG

ITA

L TX

UP

TO

10kW D

TV

Suitable for analog transm

ission (20 kW p.s.)

Configurable for D

ual Cast transm

ission

(digital or analog by automatic sw

itch)

10tLD

MO

S T

echnology

Broadband standardized design

N*.

Fully redundant, hot sw

appable PA

s

S,N

,N4r1

(fault proof operation)

mc:N

.R

emotely controllable

I .

10

11116114100L-'

1224 Forest P

arkway U

nit 140,est D

eptford, NJ 08066

56.423.0010 tel- 856.423.7002 fax

ales@dm

tonline.us - ww

w.dm

tonline.us

Iran mi sion & Di tribution

C

CC

wF-

2

2

V)

0

U)

>fn-

Testing problemsMore work needs to be

done in this area involvingreal stations and on -air sig-nals, not just simulations inthe lab. There are a few prob-lems involved in such test-ing. First, it requires takinga station off the air, detuningthe antenna and taking mea-surements over a clean path- preferably short. Second,it is necessary to schedule thenecessary engineers, riggersand equipment to do thetests. A third issue is gettingsomeone to either pay thebills for all those people orgetting them to simply ab-sorb their costs in the inter-est of gaining knowledge.

So far, it has been difficultto meet all those problems at the sametime, but it is being worked on. Until

dBm Ref level: -40 dBmRef offset: 0.0dBm

-40

-50

60

-80

-90

-100

-110

-120

-130

-140

Detector : RMSTrigger mode : Free runTrace : Clear/white

RBW: 100kHzVBW: 30kHz SVVT: 1s

Start frequence : 433MHz Stop frequency : 513MHzAnalyzer Channel UHF 4/5 Ch: 19 Span : 20MHz

Figure 1. Spectrum analyzer display of adjacentTV chan-nels, DTV channel 19 (center) and NTSC channel 20(right). Note NTSC signal's visual, chroma and aural car-rier components. Image courtesy the Freberg Engineer-ing Company. A copy of John D. Freberg's NABO5 paper isavailable for purchase from the NAB publication office.

such research is completed and evalu-ated, the wise course is to attempt to

meet the above criteria -that is, the antenna at orbelow 1.05 and the systemat or below 1.1. This seemsto result in good perfor-mance by the DTV trans-mitting system.

DTV diplexingOne desire of a lot of sta-

tions has been to diplextheir DTV signal onto thesame antenna as theirNTSC signal when they areeither first adjacent or theyare only separated by a fewchannels. The separationby several channels is sim-plest to deal with. Unlessthe antenna was specifi-cally designed for broad-band operation, it won't

work. Most NTSC UHF antennas aredesigned and tuned for a specific

Master Control Intelligent Master ControlWorld leader in scalable multi -channel playout

QMC scales from a single channelto over 60, with the flexibility tomeet your needs using a uniqueselection of HD and SD channels,control panels and upstream routers

QMC-2 HD or SD operation from a common hardware platform

Handles dual stream Dolby E for 16 channel audio

Dual logo stores and up to three external keyers


CALREC BROADCAST SYSTEMS

!1171117^S Y S T E M PLUSTHE EVOLUTION OF BROADCAST

AUDIO PRODUCTION

rl

Waft UM ri - r""141 IfietWek"ror"-----' 0.119.

MEM-t110111111

AN [I l -f F1=I A ON nfikii " im.-rA... .......

COMPATIB_E WITI-H:=1.77.71"'NETWORKING

South and Mid West States: Tel: (615) 871 0094 Email: ericj§redwoodweb.comNorth East States and Canada: Tel: (212) 586 7376 Email: [email protected] States: Tel: (818) 841 3000 Email: [email protected]

Contact: Calrec Audio Ltd, Nutclough Mill, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX7 8EZ, UKTel: 01144 1422 842159 Email: [email protected] Web: www.calrec.com

The System Plus platform representsa new milestone in facilities which arenow available across the Alpha, Sigma

and Zeta range.

Zeta System Plus offers broadcastersa wealth of upgraded specificationsincluding a fully adaptable and flexiblecoloJrTFT metering system thatenables user defned metering schemesfor individual programmes. Also newis the provision br SNMP reporting toan external network for sophisticatedstatus reporting.

MI Up to 48 channel/group faders

Up to 108 egavalent mono channels

MI Automatic redundancy on PSUs, DSP and

control processors

All cards and Danes are hot-swappable

Comprehensi-Je colourTFT metering withfull configurablity

E stereo or rrono audio groups

E auxes, 16 multitrack outputs

2 man stereo or 5.1 surround outputs

Smultaneous LCRS, stereo and mono

cutouts availabe fium each 5.1 man output

Console operates independently of PC

II Console and acks boot from poweron in less than 20 seconds

Full control system reset in less than 15conds with no loss of audio

CALRECFind out why the world's biggestbr3adcasters trust Calrec withth sir most crucial creativedecisions at www.calrec.com

Tr n II dub

0I-

cc

Cl)

O

I-

to-

channel. All the initial tuning work isdone to optimize the antenna over6MHz with the understanding thateverything outside of that bandwidthmay go to the bad place as far as thedesigners are concerned. As NTSC sig-nals on adjacent channels were not al-lowed, no one really cared about out -of -channel impedance values.

If one is lucky, and the antenna isn'ttoo old, diplexing on n±1 may be pos-sible. Antenna designs in later yearshave tended to have a little betterbandwidth that extended outside thechannel a bit. To determine if this isthe case, a network analyzer can beused to evaluate the input impedanceof the antenna on the additional chan-nel. This is done by looking at the an-tenna in the time domain mode overthe additional desired channel. If theVSWR at the antenna is fairly low, itmay be possible to add a fine match-

ing section at the antenna to achievesatisfactory operation. Such operationmay even be possible in systems withround, truncated or rectangular wave -guides. The transitions to and fromwaveguide will often have to be rede-signed to allow additional tuning, butsuch hardware is far cheaper than hav-ing to replace the entire antenna.

In any case, the only reasonable wayto attempt such diplexing is to obtainthe existing VSWR data on the desiredchannel and then go directly to themanufacturer. Other problems mayexist that rule out any combining sig-nals. For example, if the transmittingantenna is directional, what will thepattern look like on the new fre-quency? However, it has been shownthat diplexing on single channel an-tennas can often be done by accept-ing some slight increase in VSWR onthe DTV channel. Again, it required

careful measurement, adjustment andcoordination with the manufacturer.

This article has primarily been con-cerned with the effects of VSWR onanalog and DTV signals. The measure-ment of the transmitter output re-garding distortion, BER and othervariables is a much broader category.Readers are advised to review the ex-cellent articles that were presented inthat area at the recent NAB conference.In particular, "Understanding DTVTransmission Measurements" by JohnD. Freberg is an easy read with a lot ofvaluable information. The paper canbe found in the "Conference Proceed-ings," which are available from theNAB store. BE

Don Markley is president of D.L. Markleyand Associates, Peoria, IL.

Send questions and comments to:

[email protected] hLI

Where do you want to go?Avenue will take you from

SD to HD.Analog to Digital.AES to Embedded.And more...

gE188881", IsmOh, and the control system rocks.

Avenue module; include

video and audio converters,

up/downconverters,

frame syncs an J SPG's.

SignalIntegration

System

DESIGNSTel +1 530.478.1830 Fax +1 530.478.1832

[email protected]

PO Box 993 Grass Valley CA 95945 USA


Revolutionary WirelessCellCom digital wireless intercom. Truly new, trulyrevolutionary. The first stand-alone wireless tooffer small group and person -to -personconversations among beltpacks.

Complete programmability with up to sixcommunications routes per beltpack

The ability to remote and customize coverageareas, and connect with two wired party -lineand four digital matrix channels

Ten beltpacks per base - all license -free, abovethe UHF television bands and with no need forfrequency coordination.

Cell Corn . Join the revolution.1F

dik Clear-ComCOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

© 2005 Clear-Com Communication Systems 1 www.clearcom.comAmericas & Asia 14065 Hollis Street, Emeryville, California 94608, USA I T: +1 510-496-6666

Europe, Middle East & Africa 1 7400 Beach Drive. Cambridge Research Park, Cambridge, CB5 9TP, UK I T: +44 Va) 1223 815000

77:1

11V

11

DIG

ITA

L V

IDE

O R

OU

T

RCIRING SWITCHERSB OHN U

outing switchers are a keyelement of modern videofacilities of all types and

sizes. From single buss switchers tobehemoths as large as 2048x1024 ca-pable of switching one to many levels,these routers represent critical ele-ments without which few facilitiescould operate. They provide manyapproaches to workflow and techni-cal design, simplifying what wouldotherwise be far more complicated,and in some cases impossible. Thus, itis appropriate that we review the stateof the art periodically.

Signal typesAnalog routing switcher technology

dates back at least four decades, andserial digital routing has been avail-able since shortly after SMPTE andEBU published the specifications forthe SDI interface known generically asSMPTE 259M. SMPTE 259M definesa copper interface on coax and in-cludes specifications for levels, jitter,connector type (751/ BNC) and otherimportant data for equipment manu-facturers. HDTV signals with a datarate of 1.485Gb/s are similarly definedin SMPTE 292M.

Another important signal to note areMPEG compressed signals, which areoften carried over a DVB-ASI infra-structure at 270Mb/s. With a short-hand nomenclature of ASI, it has thesame bit rate as SMPTE 259M, but iscoded as NRZ, as opposed to SMPTE259M, which is NRZ-inverted (NRZI).What is important is that NRZ signalsare polarity sensitive. Most commondigital hardware can pass ASI today,but caution is always wise when mak-ing that assumption.

SMPTE 310M defines a lower bit rate(19.3Mb/s or 38.6Mb/s) explicitly forcarrying ATSC bit streams, which also

can fit in many routing switchers. To-gether these standards, along withcomposite analog 525 and 625 NTSCand PAL, represent the majority ofdigital signals that end up being cre-ated or passed in a modern plant.

There are many other types of sig-nals, most of which can be properlyrouted with today's multirate switch-ers. Even so, it is important to knowexactly what types of signals yourrouter will encounter so bandwidthrequirements, connectors, format andsignal conversion, and analog anddigital factors can all be carefully con-sidered before making a selection.

The audio bugabooWith today's programming video,

audio is no longer a second-rate sig-nal, or as video engineers used to say,"The noise that accompanies the pic-ture." Rather, audio is often equally asimportant as the image. Audio rout-ing can be handled by embedding itin the SDI signal (up to 16 tracks inan HDTV signal) or by carrying it asa discrete signal. Both analog 60011 au-dio and AES-EBU digital audio arecommon, with AES over coax as anunbalanced IV signal or on 11011twisted pair interface when desired.

The ability to route signals like theseobviously requires sophistication andcare to insure the integrity of the sig-nal. All signals should be switched syn-chronously if possible. So long as allsignals are locked together, that is im-minently doable. Video signals areswitched on line 10, but AES signalsmust be sample aligned to make noise-less switching possible. Techniques,sometimes called soft switch for AES,are often employed, which perform abrief cross fade to avoid instantaneousimpulse distortion in the recon-structed analog audio.

broadcastengineering.com 67

ROUTING SWITCHERS

switching contentHowever, with today's increasingly

complex audio mixes, simple XYswitches may not be sufficient. Thishas lead some audio routing equip-ment manufacturers to develop timedomain multiplexing technology.These routers offer interesting possi-bilities, including the ability to pull anAES pair apart and treat them as dis-crete mono signals, which can later berecombined or even mixed within therouter. This is a powerful feature forseveral reasons, but when combinedwith an input circuit that allows foranalog inputs, the implication is huge.

Such routers, available from GrassValley, Leitch, NVISION, Pro -Bel andothers, effectively allow a facility withboth analog and digital audio inter-faces to act as if it were all operatingon one interconnection standard.Legacy hardware needn't use convert-ers, multiple levels of routing, tie linesor other approaches. This can be quiteeffective as facilities transition fromlegacy analog to digital systems.

Embedded audio offers another wayto simplify a routing structure. Largefacilities, where audio and video aretreated as a single program element,

Embedded audio offers

another way to simplifya routing structure,

can simplify from multiple levels.There is, of course, a down side: Thecost of embedding and de -embeddinghardware necessary for some sourcesand destinations can offset part of thegain in cost efficiency a single leveldigital video router might offer. Inaddition, it is important to look at thetotal cross point count needed for eachsignal type. If only a handful of audiosources are needed with analog I/O, itmight be best to embed. However, if alarge amount of conversion hardwarewill be needed, it may well be cheaperto just buy a second level for the router.It's important that a thoughtful analy-sis be undertaken before making anydecisions here.

New video solutionsSimilar to the above audio

router designs, several manu-facturers offer internal con-version of analog and digitalsignals in their video routers.In general, these SD videoconversions are acceptable formonitoring needs. However, itis best to evaluate perfor-mance of these circuits to besure that the quality of the in-ternal conversion meets yourmonitoring needs. Someproducts may use less sophis-ticated conversion for bothspace and cost reasons. Ifhigh -quality conversion isneeded, it may still be best touse external high -quality con-verters. Even so, this approachcan have significant impact onmonitoring, permitting theuse of lower -cost monitorswith analog inputs to viewdigital signals in a mixed formatrouter.

Large systems made up of multipleframes usually require input distri-bution amplifiers. Though notunique, Grass Valley offers passivesplitters and combiners with internalcircuits that can recover the gain lostin the splitters. This is cost-effectiveand can be done as part of any in-stallation by purchasing wide band-width RF components readily avail-able from more than one manufac-turer. Consider that this approachmay be more reliable because feweractive components are needed.

Optical and compressedsignals

In a similar vein, some manufactur-ers have added optical I/O to theirproducts. Optical interfaces allow forthe use of much longer cables, espe-cially for HD signals. For example, youcould feed a remote secondary routerin a system of managed tie lines with-out the need for external electrical -optical conversion hardware. In thefuture, we will likely see photonic rout-ing, i.e., optical only, as a serious op -

Routers, like this one from Pro -Bel, offer theability to handle analog and digital audio asone interconnected standard.

tion for this industry. However, at thistime, the cost of photonic routing maybe too high for wide scale deployment.At least two manufacturers are ex-

ploring adding compressed outputs torouting switchers, with IT Ethernetconnections for trunking lightly com-pressed signals between islands. It isnot clear how ubiquitous such a strat-egy might become, but it is worthkeeping an eye on.

ReliabilityToday's routers must be sophisti-

cated and highly reliable, resulting instrategies for improving reliability thattake into account real world needs andMTBF for individual components.Today's large routers are often built

on crosspoint architectures that usechip sets as large as 256x256 in a singlemodule. The impact of a complete fail-ure of such a module could be devas-tating. With so many circuits out ofservice at once, an entire facility couldbe rendered inoperative. Fortunately,the more likely failure modes wouldresult in a much smaller impact.

However, when evaluating routers,consider the impact of a single board


ADDED mobility with the newMabirlr,M=i12ireSitriPESA understands mobile video production. This is proven by our commitment to offer one of

the most flexible routing switchers in the world. The Cheetah SD/HD multi -rate digital routing

switcher is the perfect solution for mobile truck applications. When size matters, the Cheetah

is your answer. When flexibility is a concern, the Cheetah flexes. Features include an optional

10 -bit D to A output card capable of supporting legacy analog equipment and our new HD

to SDI output conversion card providing the greatest cost and space -saving solution ever.

When the road to success depends on the right equipment, Cheetah is your next right turn.

35 Pinelawn Road Suite 99E Melville, NY 11747 USA Tel: +1(631) 845-5020 (800) 328.1008 Fax: +1(631) 845-5023

For More Information On These and Other Products Visit WWW,PESACCM

ANALOG AND SD/HD DIGITAL VIDEO

SIZES FROM 64K64 UP TO 512x512

NEW ADVANCED 3500PR0 CONTROL

OPTIONAL 10 -BIT D TO A OUTPUT CARD

OPTIONAL HD TO SDI CONVERSION OUTPUT CARD

PESAS witchingS ystems

ROUTING SWITCHERS

switching contentfailure. For instance, the impact wouldaffect only eight sources if inputs aregrouped eight to a card. If the inputcard supports 64 signals, a singleboard failure could affect 64 sources,representing a much larger impact.Careful assignments of inputs to dis-tribute the risk across multiple boardsand systems can help prevent a cata-

strophic impact.Main and backup feeds should not

go through the same electronics.NVISION, Utah Scientific and othersoffer hot spare modules, which can re-place cross points and in some casesinputs. With both the main andbackup feeds continuously monitored,such systems can detect failure and au-

WE CAN TAKE YOU TO THE FUTURE - TODAY

apAi 4

0

THE EVOLUTION OF AUTOMATION

901110.IS 102720

TO DOM4==...aILES-WALK 1.20,

Ior. over Wore

tMato oar gar

0000100

00 WO 0

000010;

Multi -channel playout

Soo..., toSETA i..i v9E04

v 1 1 le

Scalable and flexible achitecture

Real-time, frame precise control

Complex event support with MediaBalltechnology

MXF ccmpliant

Rooting Master Control Sip& pi.,

ww.pro-bel.com

UK +44 (0) A +1 631 549 5159 France +33 (0) 1 45 18 39 80 Asia +852 2850 8383

tomatically switch between inputs.Fortunately, an argument can be madethat even though the total number ofcircuits within a router may increase,by virtue of redundant electronics andmonitoring circuits, the multiplicativeeffects of MTBF results in a system nomore likely to experience signal fail-ures than traditional designs.

Router controlDespite all the fancy monitoring

and signal processing that routersmay offer, operators see only a con-trol panel. A decade ago most con-trol systems connected using propri-

ROUTING4:2:2 DIGITALSIGNALS

ITU-R BT601 defines the picture cod-ing standard, using the shorthandnotation of 4:2:2. This represents themethod used to sample the plainbefore being coded for transmission

ver SMPTE 259M. The intent of theorthand is to describe the relative

ampling rates for the Y, CRand CBamples, with Y being sampled atoughly four times the calor

subcarrier (actually 13.5MHz), andthe color difference channelssampled at half that of the luminance(6.75MHz).

Readers are cautioned that 4:2:2 isalso a nomenclature used in MPEGstandards to denote a completelydifferent concept related to the rela-tive coding of V, C in the horizontaldirection, and C in the vertical dire::tion. The net result is a data rate270Mb/s for either 525 or 625 pictures, an important fact for much Dfour technology today. SMPTE 292

efines a similar NRZI bit stream withimilar 4:2:2 coding based on aample rate of 74.25MHz. SMPTE 292Iso defines an optical interface. -he

picture coding standards for HDTVare 296M for 720 line systems andSMPTE 274M for 1920x11 .1


etary, or at least broadcast -specific,communications over coax ormultipin cable using low bit -rateasynchronous communications. To-day, many routers rely on TCP/IPcommunications, facilitating inter-connections using ubiquitous IT -based network structures.

Whether on a common switch fab-ric with other services, a segregatedVLAN or a separate IP network re-served for routing control and status,this approach leverages inexpensiveand robust bandwidth that can be ex-tended easily across wide area net-works as needed. This can add powerand flexibility to a facility's workflow.In fact, new and enriching complex-ity becomes available because of theexpanded bandwidth that is availableto control new router functions.

The LDS Church Conference Center inSalt Lake City uses two interconnect-ed NVISION 8256 -Plus 256x256 ex-pandable video routers.

Using IT technology facilitatesgraphical user interfaces and softwarepanels that can reside on general-purpose computers. Although somemanufacturers still use proprietarycontrol busses for reasons that shouldnot be ignored, be sure to explore thefull range of options TCP/IP technol-ogy can provide. Compare thestrengths and weaknesses carefullybased on your particular application.

Finally, today's routers often useSNMP and proprietary schemes tobecome self -monitoring. A router canprovide remote monitoring of its in-ternal health and status, includingtemperature, power supply voltages,fan speeds and module failures, re-porting all this and more back to acentralized control point. With system

management software packages, engi-neers can be provided with a fullcomplement of control, monitoringand logging features to keep tabs onwhat is really the backbone of mostbroadcast and recording facilities. BE

John Luff is senior vice president ofbusiness development at AZCAR.

Over1,000,000,000 seconds

of precision timing

WHEN you require the best, most accurate in precisiontiming look only to ESE. Designed for "PrecisionTiming", ESE Master Clocks & Accessories havebeen the industry standard for over three decades.

Whether using GPS, WWV, Modem, Crystal or line frequencyaccuracy - all ESE Master Clocks can drive digital or analogslave clocks, as well as interface with video and/or computerbased systems. Call or visit our web site for more details.

3 -Year Warranty

142 Sierra Street El Segundo, CA 90245 USAPhone: (310) 322-2136 Fax: 310.322.8127

www.ese-web.com


DATA STORAGE'S GROWTHin broadcast engineeringBY Ron Quartararo

The IT world is rapidly chang-ing the landscape of broad-casting. The fundamental

change began with the ability to con-vert analog video into a well -organized digital package of bits andbytes. Though digital formats haveexisted for years (D1, D2, D3, DigitalBetacam, etc), only recently have videopackages become storable, manage-able, and transferable files. This trans-lates into much greater efficiency, bothin the speeds at which video can bemoved and the ways in which it canbe manipulated.

The basic difference between data inthe broadcast world and data in thetraditional IT world is that this data isa broadcast engineer's lifeline. It istheir product. It's the news packages,spots, promotions and programming,all of which depend on modern tech-nology to deliver business value. If ane-mail server becomes disabled, acompany and its employees are incon-venienced. If a video server becomesdisabled, things could get very ugly,very fast!

Another basic distinction betweenvideo and data is the enormous sizeof video files. An uncompressed two-hour SD file could easily chew up sev-eral hundred gigabytes of storage.Storing files in uncompressed formrequires massive storage capacity andcreates significant challenges when itcomes to transporting the content.

The digital age beginsBefore digital compression, video

could only be transferred in real time.And while video could be routedaround a facility digitally using serialdigital interface, a one -hour programwould still take an hour to transfer.Along came digital compression, andwith it, greater efficiencies in transfer

rates and storage.Video post production was revolu-

tionized in the late 1980s with the in-troduction of nonlinear editing - theability to manipulate video contentdigitally with the kinds of tools thathad previously changed the face ofword processing and document pub-lishing. Then, in the 1990s came theintroduction of broadcast videoservers - high-performance, highlyreliable computers taking the place ofVTRs. Both systems used digitallycompressed video along with theirown proprietary file systems, storagesystems and video formats. While theyincreased productivity exponentially

Only recently have

video packages become

storable as files.

within their operation, rarely did theycommunicate with one another. Theproblem became interoperability:what to do with the data once the pro-prietary storage devices were full.Typically, the content was played backout to videotape where it sat on a shelfuntil needed. This meant the tapewould need to be re -ingested or re -encoded back into the broadcastserver if it was to be aired again or sentback to the NLE system if it needed tobe edited or re -purposed.

Managing digitalThe issue then became, how does a

broadcaster manage the growing stor-age needs of the new IT -based con-tent it is accumulating? The answercame from traditional IT storage ven-dors, who pioneered the introductionof large robotically automated, tape -


L9 wooBupeati!fil,alseopecuq SOOZ AVVY

based libraries capable of holdingthousands of hours of content.

In 1986, one of these libraries couldhold 120 terabytes via 6000 tape car-tridge slots. Today, an automated tapelibrary can hold 2.6 petabytes via 6500slots, with throughput over 500Mb/s,enabling the storage of more than100,000 hours of video at a hefty

greater impact as more broadcastersmove to HD environments wherestorage and bandwidth requirementstypically increase by a factor of six.

Bearing archivemanagementThe process of taking an IT storage

device and plugging it into a video

The process of taking an IT storage device and

plugging it into a video server, however, was

fraught with challenges.

50Mb/s in a single library.Additionally, files can now be trans-

ferred at speeds of up to 10x real time.New tape drive technology will con-tinue to push the envelope for densityand throughput. This will have a

server, however, was fraught with chal-lenges, including proprietary file sys-tems, the need to communicate withautomation systems and the need totransfer content from library to serverand back again on demand. The solu-

tion was borne from a niche group ofsoftware vendors who developed mid-dleware known as archive managers.

Archive managers solved this prob-lem in several ways. First, they inte-grated with broadcast automation sys-tems so that they could take com-mands from those systems when a re-quest for content was made. As play/programming lists were created, au-tomation systems made commands ascontent was deleted and online diskstorage space became available. In ad-dition, as new content was ingestedinto a video server, the automationsystem would be programmed to senda duplicate copy to the archive for fu-ture reference. This insured that airedcontent could simply be deleted withthe master residing in the tape archive.

As archive systems developed, inter-mediate disk buffers would be addedbetween the broadcast servers or NLE

IN.

Fair and Balanced Color=

Iis true. Kino Flo 's telegenicParaBeam 400 studio fixturedelivers 3,000 Watts worth of

tungsten soft light on 2 Amps-with-out the heat and without compromis-ing your picture's color quality! TheParaBeam's cool brilliance owes to

a special parabolic reflector that practiccillyiwnslight waves into projectiles.

As for image quality, the fixture uses Kino Fdesigned True Match lamps that display prosional tungsten and daylight balanced illuminati(CRI 95). A center mount lets you rotate betweehorizontal and vertical beam. Slide in your choiceof focusing louvers to spot the beam down to a90', 63" or 45° pool of light.DMX, analog and manual con-trols can din- the light to black.Like all Kino Flos, the ParaBeamis flicker free and dead quiet.

If you think the ParaBeamlooks good on paper, wait 'tilyou see how it looks on video.

niugBeam

818 767 7517 fax2840 North Hollywood Way Burbank CA 91505 818 767 6528 voice www.kinoflo.com

fischer

connectors

www_fischerconnectors.com

1053- HETV No Epoxy - No Polish Incorporates Corning UniCam

Fiber -Optic technology Fast and easy cable t2rmiration

15-30 minutes from start :o finish True field install-abi ity Outstanding increase in ccnnector

simplicity and convenienceSignificant decrease in assembly labor costs

_ou5

TCORNING

Triax American aid International Standard

versions, Series 10t2 and 1051 Compatible with 3/8" and 1/2" cables Superior shielding Waterproof rugged design Ideal for multiplex signal transmission1 Precision self-locking connector for

low contact resistance and long life

Fischer Connectors, Inc.1735 Founders Parkway

Alpharetta, GA 30004Tel 800 551.0121Fax 678 393 5401

mail@fischerconnectors cornscherCONNECTOR S

NRCSnews production

Archivemanagerservers

Transcode

Automation On -air serversmaster control

111

Performancedisk Capacity Tape archive

disk

Ingest 1MetaData

server

GegE

SAN

Creativepost/edit

Sharedfilesystems

Browsingstations

Figure 1. Digital content archive architectural overview

systems and the tape libraries. The content lifecycle management. Con- within X number of days on the server.purpose was to facilitate hierarchical tent lifecycle management works by Content frequently re -aired is storedstorage management, now known as storing content needed for play out on intermediate, less expensive disk.

Connected with NVISION

Stop by our booth at NAB and check out our complete range ofrouters, master control switchers, and terminal equipment.

New products for 2005 include:

> NEW -- Synapse Modular Media SystemMore than 100 modules provide an unprecendented level of multi -function signal processing.

> NEW -- NV7512 Expandable Digital Audio Router512x512 in only 14RU, linearly expandable to 2048x2048. Handles AES, MADI, and analog I/O.

> NEW -- NV5256 Machine Control Router256 bi-directional ports in only 8RU, expandable to 512ports in only 16RU

> NEW -- NV5128-MC Master Control SwitcherEnhancementsSD/HD capable processor with enhanced squeezebackeffects, and more..

Visit our new web address: www.nvision.tv

in Digital Audio, Pioneers in HDTV


Digital Video broadcasting doesn't get any better than this

THALES

Digital VideoBroadcasting SolutionsWhether it's Encoding,PSIP, FTV (ACAP),Multiplexing,Content Distr bution,Bouquet Creation,Data Broadcasting,Redundancy,Contribution Security,or Test & Measurementsolutions - Thales cando it all. Thales has thescaleable and flexiblesolutions that today'sbroadcasters need andcan rely on in the future.Digital Video broadcastingdoesn't get any betterthan this.

INI/1 www.thales-bm.corn

And all remaining content is housedin the tape library representing theultimate content repository.

Extending this model even further,archive managers can now manage aremote disaster recovery (DR) site

of content and transfer it into and outof storage libraries has enabled themove toward a tapeless environment.Because digital tape libraries and disksubsystems are agnostic in terms of thevideo formats supported, multiple for -

The ability to store massive amounts of

content and transfer it into and out of storagelibraries has enabled the move toward

a tapeless environment

where a second tape library sits with aduplicate set of all video files. If an ac-cident were to occur in the primarylocation, the archive manager can pullcontent from the DR library and moveit across a WAN to the primary broad-cast facility for play out or re-editing.

Changing storageThe ability to store massive amounts

mats can be stored and recalled fromthe same storage device, creating im-mediate efficiencies. Over time, thecost of maintaining and repairingVTRs for each tape format will dimin-ish as more content is ingested anddigitally archived.

There is also a favorable trade-offbetween storing content on expensivevideotape versus much more eco-

nomic and faster data tape. Today, anLTO3 tape can hold approximately 30hours of DV 25 video at an estimatedstreet cost of about $5 per how, orroughly 70 hours of MPEG-2 10Mb/sat a cost of about $2 per hour. In ad-dition, while there are certainly signifi-cant cost savings in media, there arealso clear savings in terms of the over-all hardware footprint. Imagine howmuch floor space a 200,000 -hour DV25 news library would take up versusa 60sq-ft data tape library.

There are also clear productivitygains to be realized, such as no longerhaving to re -ingest content that hasbeen played out to tape because thedisk on the server is full. Also, contentoften needs to be shared between serv-ers playing out different channels,which means continually re -ingestingthe same files. A centralized digitalcontent archive solves these problemsby maintaining content in digital form,eliminating the need for re -ingestion.

2GHZ Relocation Solutions

ru._....,We p oven it at NAB...

TWO 6 MHZ Live Shots...One 12 MHZ Channel

Available Muff

Don't just replace - upgrade to the best!Easy -to -use products

Superior warranty / seruice plans

BMS BROADCAST MICROWAVE SERVICES, INC.

12367 Crosthwaite Circle Tel: +1-858-391-3050Poway, CA 92064 U.S.A. Toll Free (U.S.): 800-669-9667www.bms-inc.com Fax: +1-858-391-3049

E-mail: de pt100@b n c.co m


www.sony.com/imready

The new Vegas+DVD Production Suite- which includes Vegas 6, DVD Architect 3 anda Dolby Digital Professional AC -3 Encoder - prcvides advanced solutions for today'sdemanding workflows, and new technology fo- tomorrow's HD production.

Whether you're editing independent films, documentaries, events or feature productions,Sony Vegas 6 software provides a next -generation video and audio platform for workingwith DV, SD or HD content.

An industry standard, Vegas 6 software now includes: comprehensive HDV support;SD/HD SDI capture, editing, and export using Blackmagicdesign's DeckLink boards;enhanced multi -processor support; ne> t -generation DVINGA external monitoring;project nesting; AAF import/export; VST effects; broadcast WAV support and superiorframerate conversions. DVD Architect 3 software now features dual -layer authoringand burning; mastering to DLT, DDP, CMF; CSS and Macrovision° encryption tools;

Photoshop' (PSD) layer support; multi -angle selection and more. The Vegas+DVDProduction Suite also includes: Boris Grafitti Ltc, Boris FX Ltd for Vegas, and Magic Bullet

Movie Looks HD5O.

Functionality for today and tomorrow. The Vegas+DVD Production Suite -

It's ready when you are.

For a free demo or to learn more: wwwsony.co-n/imready

like.no.other'Sony HVF-Z1U Professional Camcorder shown

with optional ECM678 shotgun microphone

Some of these issues have been ad-dressed by the broadcast vendors whohave steadily added more disk storageto their servers and created shared file

- continues to grow. An importantfactor is the cost ratio of disk vs. tape:100 to 1. That's a lot of money.

In 2005, it is now common to see

There is a growing need for professionals to

understand IT as well as broadcast engineering ...

in the business sense.

systems and SANs for their post andnews operations. Even so, digital con-tent creation and distribution has out-paced that fix and, therefore, the needfor tape libraries - large and small

digital infrastructures being built fromthe ground up for television stationsas well as larger cable and broadcastnetworks. Central to these facilities istheir respective digital storage and

archiving infrastructures. As HD con-tinues to proliferate, this need will in-crease. So too will the need for broad-cast engineers and IT professionals topeacefully co -exist and become moreimmersed in each other's pursuits.There is a growing need for profes-sionals that understand IT as well asbroadcast engineering - both in thetechnical sense, but just as importantly,in the business sense. Clearly, the needto understand and embrace data stor-age and digital content managementis integral to this new paradigm. BE

Ron Quartararo is the Broadcast/Media &Entertainment manager for StorageTek.

IRView an online product demo

whenever you see this logo.KINN www.broadcastengineering.corn

Photography: Tom Campbell

Takes you below the surface.Discover a whole new world with ERGhigh -resolution HD monitors. With ultra -sharpimages and vibrant color, they'll let you seethings you've never seen before. ERG offers youan entire range of award -winning HD mon torsto suit your needs, from rack -mountedmonitors with four convenient inputs andeasy -to -read data displays to portablemonitors with rugged design and low powe-consumption, like the new ERG HDM-EV85. Nomatter which HD monitor you choose, you IIfind yourself immersed in the image.erg-ventures.com, [email protected].: +1-949-263-1630, Japan: +81-3-3760-.3- 61

HD Monitors


aam a sea 'est

Technical Excellence,AdvancetVeatures,4141.

0

An Affordfible Price

15P%(/44,1-1 2000 0 0 0

ometimes it takes a new company to turnadvanced technology into reality. In the serverbusiness, the new name is 36o Systems. In truth,we've spent the last 33 years designing advanceddigital technology into broadcast products.

Now, the Image Server 2000 delivers a level of technical excellence

unique to the broadcast industry. Its true next -generation designincludes an exceptionally broad set of features, and a high standardfor reliability. But most important, the Image Server 2000 estab-lishes a new, reasonable price for broadcast video servers.

Join the hundreds of broadcast professionals who made the ImageServer 2000 their first choice. Visit www.360Systems.com for thecomplete story on the next -generation Image Server z000.

Sales line: (818) 735-8221E-mail: [email protected]

What Can an Image

Server 2000 Deliver

at $11,999? Three video channels

12 audio channels

SDI and composite video

AES digital and +4 analog audio

100 hours of RAID -5 storage

MXF file transfers over

Gigabit Ethernet

Premium quality video to

50 Mb/sec

VDCP, Odetics, P2 and

GPI control

On -screen GUI for full control,

plus trimming, segmenting

and playlisting

Only 30/2" of rack space

NEW Multi -Format

Server Option Import and play DV -format video

Play TARGA graphics with

Key -and -Fill

Control by Ross Synergy'

switchers© 2004 360 Systems. Prices and specifications are subject to change without notice.

SPECIAL REPORT:HDTV lens design:Management of light transmissionBy Larry Thorpe and Gordon Tubbs

Broadcast engineers have acomfortable familiaritywith electronic transmis-

sion. They understand related issuesof channel transmission losses, inter-ferences, reflections, ghosts and otheraberrations. The optical lens system,meanwhile, is in some sense a micro-cosm of the larger electronic transmis-sion system, with many direct paral-lels. The optical system caters to amuch higher frequency portion of theelectromagnetic spectrum than doesits radio/television cousin.

The multi -element lens is all aboutlight transmission. As outlined in pre-vious papers, skillful management of

Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)is an inherent part of contemporarylens design. So too, management oflight transmission through two dozenor more optical elements is an equally

from the output optical port of thelens is a measure of the sensitivity (oroptical speed) of the lens in question.

The shaping of the spectral re-sponse of that light in its passage

The optical lens system is in some sense a

microcosm of the larger electronic transmission

system, with many direct parallels.

complex task. In that context, two as-pects of that transmission system areof primary importance: The amount of light that emanates

through the many elements compris-ing the lens system has a direct bear-ing on the color gamut reproductioncapability of the lens/camera system.


1/0. -111 MINI 111/61 MIA I

CIneSound

11/22/20E4 h23,51:5988,00,00:06

10.17e.11222222 7

mrc.:

tft cwa

INPUT D. Dun Till

Aois, e474f ..11 1 t1P.

ON /41,

UNIT II) 01 CRC

US Patents 6,069,607, 6,532,024, and 6,828,981UK Patent 2,330,475 Other US and International Patents Pending

Six New ModelsAny Budget - Any Application

S dr, r

7TM-440H D/SD"- - -

IP

. L.

4111, M. 0, .

VTM-420HD/SDamma mo--aga

In_ 1.alt. In -VTM-3306EG

- I le OD

VTM-310G ot,. t . to VTM-300G

e

VIM -450E HD/SD

The New VTM-400 and VTM-300 Series ofHigh Definition and Standard Definition TestInstruments - Ergonomically Enriched andEnvironmentally Friendly

Now Featuring: Illuminated Labels and User Controls with Precision,

Positive Tactile Feel

State -of -the -Art "Whisper Quiet" Cooling System

The Most Comprehensi've and Advanced Feature Set forAudio and Video Measurement

Contact Videotek today to learn more aboutour advanced, precision instruments!

VIDEOTEK°A ZERO DEFECTS COMPANY

www v deotek cam

Videotek Toll Free USAVideotek USAVideotek EuropeVideotek Asiawww.videotek.com

(800) 800 5719(610) 327 2292+49 8093 90 4082+65 6356 5830

e LEITCHwww.leitch.cont

Challenges inHDTV studiolens design

In the management ofthe light flux passing through the

lens optical system that forms the fi-nal image for presentation to the cam-era sensors, there are four core issuesrelating to light transmission that are

SPECIAL REPORT:

HDTV lens design:Management of light transmission

sion between the blue and red wave-length extremities, a significant con-tributor to the colorimetric perfor-mance of the lens/camera system.

We will begin with the efficiency ofthe light transmission through thecomplex multi -element optical systemthat constitutes the studio lens.

The characteristic shown in Figure

rived from the ratio of thelens' effective aperture (D) to thefocal length (f). This quotient D/f iscalled the aperture ratio.

Aperture: Both geometricand photometric

The studio lens has a built-in me-chanical iris system that facilitates re-

mote control of theamount of light trans-mitted by the lens. Thisis a mechanically variableopening, or aperture,that alters the diameterof the group of light rayspassing through the lens.It allows a known degreeof control over thebrightness of the imagebeing formed at the lensoutput port. This im-portant operationalcontrol is calibrated tofacilitate the precisemanagement of the lighttransmitted by the lensto the HD camera imagesensors. This, in turn, fa-cilitates the manage-ment of the lens/cameradynamic range whenimaging scenes that have

enormous contrast ranges.In the traditional television or video

world, these calibration steps aretermed F-numbers, and the nature ofthis control is known as a geometricaperture system. The actual value ofthe F-number is the inverse of the ap-erture ratio - in other words, f/D.

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

20

10

0

--aMmrim.

400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660

Wavelength in Nanometers

680 700

Figure 1. Spectral transmittance of a typical HD studio lens, showing both the amountof light that reaches the output port and the attendant careful shaping of the spectralresponse

Inextricably intertwined. They are:1) Transmittance of the lens - the

maximum amount of light the lenscan transmit.

2) Aperture control- the calibratediris mechanism to precisely control thedegree of light passed by the lens.

3) Relative light distribution - the

1 is a typical HD studio lens specifica-tion. It shows the spectral transmit-tance characteristic of an HD lens thatexhibits an average transmittance of82 percent. For a lens comprising inexcess of 30 separate optical elements,this is an impressively high number.Powerful computer -aided design, ad -

The true merit of the F-number calibration is its

accurate depiction of changes in light level for agiven lens system.

inescapable limitation of an opticalsystem. It curtails the degree of lighttransmitted at the peripheries of theimage relative to that at the center ofthe lens optical system.

4) Spectral transmittance of the lens- the shaping of the light transmis-

vanced optical element materials andexotic multilayer optical coatings oneach of those elements contribute tothis efficiency of light transmission.

A traditional optical measure thatdefines image brightness at the centerof the lens output optical port is de -

Geometric apertureThe F-number expresses the optical

speed of the lens on the assumptionthat 100 percent of the incident whitelight is transmitted through the lens.This is impossible in the real world oflens design, as indicated in Figure 1.For video shooting, this is of no greatimportance. The true merit of the F-number calibration is its accurate de-piction of changes in light level for agiven lens system. F-number valuesare expressed as a geometrical series


Easy to clean. Innovative. Reliable. Canare'sHybrid Fiber -Optic Camera Connectors featurea high -quality new fiber design that ensuresoptimal performance.

Tech Notes

Outer diameter of the clad is 0.125mm with a core of 0.010mm

Although the cables have superb transmission quality, even a

minuscule speck on the core can have a disabling effect and

cause a signal to be lost. Canare recommends proper

maintenance and verifying the connector before use. Simply

detach the alignment sleeve along with the insulator part for

easy cleaning.

before cleaning after cleaning

California I 531 5th St., Unit A San Fernando, CA 91340Tel: 818 365 2446 Fax: 818 365 0479

New York I60E, 42nd St., Suite 2306 NY,NY 10165Tel: 212 682 9661 Fax:212 682 9480

FC SeriesSMPTE 304M and ARIB Compliant

Stainless Steel Body Shell

AdPC Polish

Insertion loss 0.5dB; RL45dB

Visit us at Infocomm 05 Booth # 1747"Affordable, compact, simple and smart solutions"

Discover our all new Optic Products and more!

Hybrid Fiber Optic camera connectorsPalm size camera cable checkerConverters and CWDM New Mid size video jacks-Front or rear mount video panel jacks

;47. A 4Y9 E www.canare.com

MonitorVideo Quality

at thePixel Level

Get reliable answers about the

quality of your feed. You'll seedifferences in signal quality

immediately - and be able to do

something about it.

Eliminates concerns about human

error, equipment malfunction and

system failure. Our products canprovide automated monitoring of

video quality at the pixel level in real

time.

K -WILL supplies a full line of highquality test and monitoring equip-ment that give broadcast engineers

a forensic view of the signal they're

putting out and the power to make

immediate adjustments.

DigitalTV Magazine's"EDITOR'S PICK OF SHOW AT NAB -2004TSI-2000 provides centralized monitoring of videonetworks with automated, real-time assessment ofthe quality of MPEG-2 video transport streams.

QuMax-2000'sflexible architecturecan be customizedfor real-time on -airquality monitoring,dubbing and inspectingvideo quality written toservers.

Recommended by ITU Document J.144The VP series includes the VP21S, which performsbefore and after quality evaluations in real-time ofSD video. An HD product is also available.

sk4

K -WILL Corporation100 Hamilton Ave., Suite 103

Palo Alto, CA 94301PH: (949) 553-9701

[email protected]

SPECIAL REPORT:


starting at one with a common ratio cameras also employ thisof square root of two as follows: method of calibration - one that

is described by T -numbers. T -number1.0, 1.4, 2.0, 2.8, 4.0, 5.6, 8.0, 16.0, values take into account the reality that

22.0, 32.0 100 percent of the incident light is notpassed through the lens. The values

Each doubling of the number indi- carefully factor in the transmission ef-cates a precise halving of the previous ficiency percentage of the lens. There -amount of light exiting the lens- fore, any two lenses having the same

T -number values take into account the reality that

100 percent of the incident light is not passed

through the lens.

output port. This relationship has longserved the broadcast studio operationwell. It is important to remember,however, that given that the spectraltransmittance of lenses made by dif-ferent lens manufactures invariablywill not be the same, any two lenseshaving the same F-number may actu-ally have different optical speeds. Thisneeds to be carefully accounted for inside -by -side tests between differentlenses using appropriate light meters.

Photometric apertureThe moviemaking world has always

been cognizant of the true amount oflight passed by the lens, and lenses forfilm cameras have long employed an

T -number will have identical opticalspeed. A later paper will explain thiscalibration in cine lenses for digitalmotion picture cameras.

Relative light distributionRelative light distribution is a famil-

iar term to optical designers, and it re-fers to a physical phenomenon that issometimes called peripheral illumina-tion. The specified lens F-number in-dicates the brightness of a lens at thecenter of the optical axis. The bright-ness at the edge of the image is invari-ably less (due to the unavoidable va-garies of optical physics) and is ex-pressed as a percentage of the centerillumination. This peripheral illumina-

tion is affected by ( a) the

Figure 2. Shows how the light distribution ismeasured relative to the light level at pic-ture center on a 2/3in HDTV optical image

alternate calibration system known asphotometric aperture. The new cinelenses for digital cinematography

Cosine 4th Power Law and(b) optical vignetting.

The Cosine 4th Power Law,familiar to optical designers,states that the rate of lightfall -off in peripheral areas ofthe image (peripheral illu-mination) increases as theangle of view increases. Thisis true even for a perfect lens,if such could be built. Theamount of this fall -off isproportional to the cosine ofthe angle (at which the lightrays are entering with re-spect to the optical axis of the

lens) raised to the fourth power.Vignetting is caused by the physical

fact that the lens mechanical barrel


ANOTHER INDUSTRY FIRST...

Based upon ourproven field history,and the combination of both MCL and MITEQ'scommitment to quality, reliability and service,MCL is now proud to offer the industry's First3 -year Warranty, including the traveling wavetube, on our state-of-the-art 400 and 750 wattrack -mounted HPAs.

For additional information, please contact a MCL Sales Representativeat (630) 759-9500 or visit us at mcl.com

ManiMITES com=z.,

Commttted to providing comprehensive solutions for

GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS

eclipses part of the pe-ripheral light, whichcauses a 360 -degree

darkening of the edges ofthe optical image. This can be elimi-

nated if the diameter of the lens op-tics is sufficiently increased. Accord-ingly, it is less a challengewith the larger studio lensthan it might be with thenecessarily smaller diam-eter portable EFP/ENGlenses. Vignetting also de-creases as the lens isstopped down. This alsoimproves the relative lightdistribution problem.

Relative light distributionis expressed as a percent-age ratio between the cen-ter image brightness andthat of off -axis points. Thisis traditionally specified

SPECIAL REPORT:


along the radial termed image height,as shown in Figure 2. A typical pub-lished specification for this opticalbrightness distribution is shown inFigure 3.

As is clear from Figure 3, the light -distribution shortfall is more acute

a-

100

80

60

40

20

0

= 4.7mm

2 4

Image height (mm)

F/5 6

F/2 8

F/1 9

5.5

Figure 3. The relative light distribution behav-ior for a typical HDTV studio lens at one spe-cific focal length

The Measurable Differencein Precision and Clarity

HDTV Video Coax

1100 Digital Audio Twisted -pair

Analog Audio Cable

- Fiber and Triax Camera Cable

Network and Automation Cable

GEPCOI\ II RNATIONAL,

*3 cm"

'1117IT I

when the lens operates atmaximum aperture (with iris wideopen). The light distribution charac-teristic will alter when the focal lengthis changed, and the effect will increasetoward the wide-angle setting.

Spectral response andcolor reproduction

The goal of the lens -design team isto achieve a lens design that transmitsthe maximum amount of light, or, inother words, to minimize the attenu-ation of the amount of light enteringthe front port of the lens as this fluxpasses through all 30 -plus optical ele-ments. At the same time, those manyelements that comprise the lens sys-tem must be optimized so that theywork in concert to shape the spectralresponse of the output light flux, pre-determining the color reproduction ofthe system. It does this by closely cor-relating with the separately specifiedspectral response of the camera prismbeam splitter and the spectral re-sponse of the camera's CCD (orCMOS) imager.

The lens spectral transmittancecurve is designed in close collabora-tion with the major camera manufac-turers because it must accommodate

The goal of the lens -design team is to

achieve a lens design

that transmits themaximum amount

of light

subtle variations in their respectiveshaping of their camera optical beam-splitter characteristics, the spectral re-sponse of their individual CCD (orCMOS) imagers (and associated IRcutoff filters), and the final design oftheir respective linear matrix circuits,which ensures that the overall lens/camera system colorimetric responsemeets the published standards of


Outstanding in the field.

Outstanding TV measurement performance is finallyavailable in a compact, portable package.

The unique new R&S®FSH3-TV gives you all

the functionality you need for demanding TV

broadcast and cable TV system field service

measurements. It's compact, portable, and

battery -powered, and works in almost

any lighting conditions.

The R&S®FSH3-TV is a combination spectrum

analyzer and full -featured TV measurement

demodulator. It comes with TV measurement

software, pre -amplifier, and tracking generator.

It weighs just 6 pounds, and is tough enough

for the demands of daily use. It's outstanding

in the field.

The R&S®FSH3-TV gives you everything you

need in the field, at a very reasonable price:

- Spectrum analysis to 3 GHz

- Digital TV measurement demodulator

- Battery -powered field portabi ity

It supports analog and digital broadcast

and digital cable standards used

throughout the world.

Find out more - go online or call us.

ROHDE&SCHWARZRohde & Schwarz, Inc.

1-888-837-8772 www.rohde-schwarz.com/USA

SMPTE 274M/296Mand ITU 709 - as out-lined in Figure 4.

While attempting tomeet the nominal specifications con-

tained in the standards, which, inci-dentally, have no published tolerances,the lens designer also seeks to imple-ment a spectral characteristic that will

HDTVManagement

capability - and this can only beevaluated by careful subjective testing(a topic of a later paper).

SummaryAs stated in our second paper in this

series, the contemporary lens is anengineering marvel. Our previouspapers exposed the challenge posed to

Lens

Lensspectral Xtransmittance

Beamsplitter

Prismspectralshaping

CCDimagerIImager

X spectralresponse

Sample andhold andamplifier

X

A/D

Linear matrix

Figure 4. The four core elements of the HD lens/camera system that deter-mine the colorimetry prescribed in the ITU-709 and SMPTE 274M/296MHDTV production standards

maximize the total range of colors thatcan be reproduced by the lens/cam-era imaging system. The proprietarydesign techniques used by each opti-cal manufacturer will invariably pro-duce variances in this color gamut

the optical designer in the all-impor-tant domain of preserving high im-age sharpness while the camera opera-tor is exercising zoom, iris, and focusoperational controls.

At the same time, as these factors are

seSPECIAL REPORT:

lens design:of light transmission

being optimized, the de-signer is preoccupied with ekingout every degree of transmission effi-ciency possible to raise the optical sen-sitivity of the lens. And, at the sametime, the careful shaping of that spec-tral transmission characteristic mustbe crafted in sync with the separate de-sign optimizations being wrought bydifferent associated camera makers.

But, the challenge does not endthere. We'll see in the next paper, whilemanaging all of these design variables,the designer must simultaneouslywrestle with an extensive list of opti-cal aberrations and distortions thatalso vary - sometimes in a quite con-trary manner - when the lens opera-tional controls are exercised. BE

Larry Thorpe is the national marketingexecutive and Gordon Tubbs is theassistant director of the Canon Broadcast& Communications Division.


BroadcastEngineering

/77c'Technology Upda

network

F I astillnc

Contact Network ElectronicsPhone 800 420.5909

ussalesCenetwork-electronics.com

11075 South State Street, Suite 27

Salt Lake City, Utah 84070

LATEST TECHNOLOGY

It's a competitive world. You need the latest and thebest technology to stay at the top of your game. OurMTBF numbers are industry leading and will give youpeace of mind.

QUICKEST DELIVERYNo more waiting! Our huge inventory guaranteesspeedy deliveries. 50-100 small routers usually ship in5 working days; 10 routers or less can ship the sameday.

FASTEST SERVICE

Through our Advanced Replacement Policy you willreceive a new unit BEFORE you send the old one back- no questions asked!

ROUTERS FIBER OPTIC TRAN

HIGHEST INNOVATIONNeed space? Need flexibility? Need expandability?Our compact routers, signal processing products andoptical modules address every format in the mostconfigurations available today.

3 YEAR WARRANTY

Worry free! Stress free! Our extensive warranty givesyou peace of mind for 3 years. And if you want evenmore ask about our NET -CARE system that extendsyour coverage to 5 years or longer.

TOTAL PICTURE

A full range of products to accommodate every need,every format, every budget. Our TSS (TechnicalSystem Sales) Group is ready to design your systemto suit your requirements at prices you can afford.

SPORT SIGNAL PROCESSINGwww.network-electronics.corn


High flying solutionsfor sky high quality

What's more, our variety of end -to -endIP-based solutions take video contributionto new heights in cost effectiveness,and flexibility.

Use Optibase's all -digital video contribution solution to transmit video over IP

Broadcasters save money by sending multiple channels over leased lines or satellite

Single or multi -channel configurations offer the right solution now, with flexibility to grow

Full support for a wide range of broadcast -quality resolutions and bit -rates

Rack -mount, appliance -based solutions deliver exceptional reliability and ease of use

To learn more, check out www.optibase.com/video_cont or [email protected]: 1-800-451-5101; 1-650-230-2400

optibaseVideo Innovations

TestingAudio-Technica's AT2020BY ROB FRITTS

latestdio-Technica sent its

latest microphone, theT2020, to the folks at

Broadcast Engineering, who asked meto give it a thorough testing. My find-ings: This mic stands up to the soundsof rampant guitars, concrete -crackingdrum beats, piercing screams of ag-gression and passionate lyrics.

On stageThe first test was in a bar on stage

with multiple sound sources. I placedthe AT2020 at center stage for the leadvocal of a punk rock band. The mic,with its high sound pressure levels(SPL), handling capability (144dB)and wide dynamic range (124dB,1kHz at maximum SPL), nevershowed any signs of overloading, evenwhen the lead vocalist was screamingout the lyrics.

Isolation was key in getting a goodsounding vocal, and the microphonehas a fixed cardioid polar pattern thatprovided ample isolation of errone-ous sounds. The AT2020 is a side -ad-dress condenser microphone andshowed slight fluctuations in fre-quency response (5kHz) when theperformer moved side -to -side. How-ever, the performer had to work themic in a tight space to avoid thoseslight variations.

He was also mainly 3in to 4in awayfrom the microphone. I noticed a bigdrop in amplitude starting at 6kHzwhen the performer backed off of themic 9in to 12in. This microphone per-forms best between 2in and 6in anddirectly in front of the capsule.

In the studioThe second test was in a studio en-

vironment while recording narrationfor a National Geographic documen-tary. The narrator had a low, deep

voice with great presence at 5kHz. Themic handled this presence in a natu-ral -sounding way, but I was a little dis-appointed in the overall low -fre-quency response. The sound was notthe warm, deep sound that I know thenarrator possesses. By no means didthe mic sound harsh or too bright. Itwas good enough to use in this appli-cation, but it just did not have thatrich, warm sound of more expensiveand larger diaphragm mics.

The mic handled proximity effect oflow frequencies well - even when thenarrator popped his Ps. I was im-pressed with the mic's performancewhen recording a sibilant -soundingsource. The sibilance was not harshbut rather smooth. The mic showed aslight bump in amplitude at about9kHz, which helped project the voice.

Next to stringsThe microphone's lack of warmth

showed problems when trying torecord an acoustic guitar. I placed themicrophone 6in away from the baseof an acoustic guitar and recorded aperformance in an isolated studio.This mic is a better vocal, narrator orradio microphone than an acousticguitar microphone. However, itsounded good when placed 6in infront of a Marshall guitar amp. Themicrophone handled the high SPLswell and sounded natural and flat be-tween 300Hz and 5kHz.

Against a competitorFor kicks, I tested the AT2020 against

a Neumann U87 condenser micro-phone using a male and a female nar-rator. With the male voice, each micshowed good presence and a naturalsound. The Neumann U87, as I ex-pected, had a warmer -sounding char-acteristic than the AT2020.

Audio-Technica's AT2020 features acustom -engineered low -mass dia-phragm, providing extended fre-quency response.

On a female voice, the AT2020 rep-resented the sound naturally andhandled the sibilance smoothly, notharsh or too bright sounding.

A good mic for the project/studio market

With the AT2020's low price in rela-tionship to that of the Neumann, it'san exceptional value for a smooth,natural -sounding instrument, with allthe performance advantages of a high -quality studio microphone. It seemsto fit perfectly in the project/home stu-dio market. BE

Rob Fritts is the senior mixer forHenninger Digital Audio.

ATTENTION READERS!Sign up nnvi for

Broadcast},

77//1- Technology Updatee -newsletter

at v.0 v. bro,i(iL astctiqiiiotqw; ,11


we spend more time in here.

so you don't have to.Engineering you can trust. Products you can depend on.

Reliable performance from your RF productsmeans less downtime, less maintenance,and fewer headaches. Spend your valuabletime doing your job instead of managingyour equipment.

For over 60 years, Bird has been providingtrusted RF products and backing them up withbest -in -class service. Our customers trust ourtechnology - from easy integration and set-upto dependable, worry -free performance.

We understand the demands of your world.

TEILIALtithalaflaiA

NEW'BPM-E(Broadcast Power Monitor -enhanced)Measure, monitor and protect yourBroadcast Transmission System.The BPM-E provides power andVSWR remote monitoring any-where in the world via a userfriendly web interface

RF Digital LoadsOil or Air Cooled

- Greater than 10 dB Peak to AveragePower Handling Capability

Low maintenanceExcellent VSWR performance

WorldRingElectronic Corporation

866-695-4569 I [email protected] I www.bird-technologies.com

U

1-

0CC

O.

Videobroadcastinggoes to the racesBY DWIGHT CRUMB

The broadcast engineeringworld tends to think ofbroadcast as being sent only

to the home. However, there are manyother applications that use the sametechnology to broadcast audio andvideo to other venues. Horse racinghas done this for years, and there is an

is handled by the system's network op-erations center (NOC).The NOC consists of a multichan-

nel master control and wagering con-trol terminal (i.e., a gaming console).For each program stream, the mastercontrol operator monitors multipleavailable tracks, selects wagering infor-

Providing live broadcast feeds to racetracks around the world requires the sametechnology as a TV station, but without the transmitter. Live feeds and interstitialsplay on the monitors above the casino floor.

extensive network between racetracksand off-track betting locations aroundthe world.

Magna Entertainment recently in-troduced a new way for fans to enjoyhorse races. The system, the HorseWizard, is a simplified wagering ma-chine that allows the beginning horse -

player to wager on races from multiplevenues around the world on Vegas -stylegaming consoles. The selection of races

mation for the game console andswitches audio and video for the as-sociated track. To keep the action mov-ing, specially produced race packagesare inserted into programs when thetiming between races allows.

PlanningIn late July 2004, representatives of

Magna's broadcasting division metwith Distinctive Video Engineering to

discuss the feasibility of the plannedbetting system to be on -air Sept. 3.Originally, it was planned that switch-ing program material between venuescould be achieved through remotechannel selection of the horseplayer'sconsole. However, it was determinedthat the associated break-up glitch

would not be the profes-sional look that was de-sired. Distinctive VideoEngineering presented theconcept of a multichannelNOC using Quartz mastercontrol switchers and anOmneon video server forinterstitial content.

The NOC was built at theSanta Anita Park inArcadia, CA, which is alsohome to HRTV, Magna'sin-house horse racingchannel, because most ofthe required signals al-ready existed there. Asmall storage room underthe grandstand and adja-cent to the broadcast cen-ter was selected. Duringthe first week of August, itwas cleaned out, the oldfloor was jack hammered,a new concrete floor was

poured and the walls were painted.Equipment was ordered on Aug. 4.High Tech Furnishing quickly builtand installed the NOC's 11 -bay -wideconsole in time for installation of thesystem on Aug. 16, concurrent withthe installation of the sprinkler systemand air conditioning. The system cameonline on time on Sept. 3.

The NOC is designed for up to threeoperators to work together, each han-


111

==10.1(200 - ever PLRIP

Spread Spectrum, Frequency Hopping, 2.4Ghz Digital Wireless Intercom

Dual Channel, Frequency Agile system with PC monitoring Software

Systems Wireless and Audio Specialties Group

FULL SERVICE COMPETITIVE PRICING TECH SUPPORT

888.810.1001HME

www.hmepro850.corn

T.

cn

}-

O

cc

cluing two program streams. Each op-erator is seated in front of three bays.The left bay is one program stream,the center bay is for server control andthe third bay is the other programstream. Between each set of three baysis a shared quality control station. Asbudget was a concern, it was decidedto go with 9in black -and -white moni-

erate multiple programming streamsdue to variations in gaming regula-tions at the different wagering sitesthroughout the world that precludesome sites from receiving some tracks.The design was for up to six programstreams, with three being imple-mented in 2004. Those three feedscurrently go to Santa Anita Park;

The operators each handle two live program streams sourced from theOmneon servers and real-time races.

tors for track previewing. Each opera-tor has six routable monitors acrossthe top row of his set of three bays.The lower row has a pair of 9in colormonitors for preview and program forstream one, two black -and -white

Golden Gate Fields in Albany, CA;Laurel Park in Laurel, MD; and Ma-gna Racino in Ebreichsdorf, Austria.

Showing a new race every five min-utes is not always possible, so to keepthe action moving, Magna wanted the

Showing a new race every five minutes isnot always possible, so ... Magna wanted the

capability to add interstitial content.

monitors for the server channels anda pair of 9in color monitors for pre-view and program for stream two. Thefour monitors located in the baysbetween operators have four fixedIRD feeds, as these are shared.

Signal flow and challengesThe NOC needed to be able to gen-

capability to add interstitial content.Another requirement of this systemwas to supply clean, professional tran-sitions between the various venues.

The video signal flow starts with theIRD to import the program materialfrom a racing venue. The output is ananalog signal that feeds into the exist-ing HRTV analog satellite router. This

Grass Valley Venus router needed tobe increased in size from 48x32 to64x64 to accommodate the additionalrequirements. For each programstream, two outputs from the satelliterouter feed into a pair of Leitch DPS-575 frame syncs that not only synchro-nize the incoming feed but also con-vert it to embedded SD -SDI.

The outputs from the frame syncsfeed into a Quartz 32x32 Topaz SDrouter, which functions as the cross -point matrix for the designed sixchannels of Quartz master control pro-cessors. Other SDI devices, includingthe Omneon server, are also connectedto the Topaz router. Outputs from therouter feed the master control switch-ers, the server -ingest channels and thetwo quality control stations.

One challenge was the two -stagerouting required. This routing processneeded to be totally transparent to theoperator. The control system performsthis function flawlessly. When the op-erator selects a particular satellite feedon preset, the control system first de-termines which of the two frame syncsfor that channel is not on -air. It thencontrols the Venus router to route theassociated IRD's analog signal to thecorrect frame sync. The control sys-tem then switches the selected framesync through the Topaz router to thepreset input on the master controlswitcher. When it is time for that sig-nal to be used, the operator triggersthe switcher and it performs the tran-sition to put the new racetrack on air.One other positive feature of the

switcher is its ability to assign any ofthe sources on either the 64x64 Venusand/or the 32x32 Topaz router to anyof the input selection buttons on theQMC control panel. The electroniclegend pushbuttons automatically up-date to keep the operator informed asto what sources are assigned to thatbutton. Reassignment of any buttonis a simple and intuitive matter of justa few key strokes.

The Omneon server has 78 hours ofstorage at 10Mb/s. It is configuredwith two MIP 1003a MediaPorts foringest and one MIP 3006 MultiPort,


One of the racks during construction with the routercontrol interfaces and video over IP encoders above theQuartz equipment.

with six channel playout. Inputs to the MIP 1003a are bothroutable. The MIP 3006 was chosen to allow for the de-signed six channels of programming. The system uses threeof these channels, allowing spare capacity for HRTV to ex-periment with. The horse racing channel is currently us-ing this spare capacity for inserting commercials into itsown program stream.

One of the Omneon server's many strong points is itsability to be expanded while in service. There are ongoing

The system uses three of the six

channels, allowing spare capacityfor HRTV to experiment with.

discussions to take advantage of this feature and to en-large the server as HRTV grows.

Another challenge in the project was creating a cost-effective method of distributing the different programstreams to the venues. At first, satellite distribution wasused, but a lower -cost solution was needed.

Currently, both Golden Gate Field and Laurel Park arereceiving MPEG-2 compressed video. As these races arefast moving, live sporting events, latency was an issue. It

was determined that at least a 2.5Mb/s data rate was re-quired, which is why dual T1 lines were chosen. Each Tiline can carry up to a 1.544Mb/s data stream. The two Tiline are switched together and connected to the encodingand decoding equipment over an ethernet connection.Another advantage of the T1 lines are their bidirectionalnature. The company is looking into using the return band-width to get clean feeds from these tracks for HRTV.

As with all television facilities, the only constant is change.In the past 12 years, Magna's broadcast center has grownfrom a leased seasonal facility to a permanent, year-round,daily broadcast operation with multiple program streamsfor on -track, off-track and in -home viewing. BE

Dwight Crumb is the systems engineer for Distinctive VideoEngineering.

A

View an online productdemo whenever you a.

- -41100110001

see this logo.www.bro

DK-tectnolinies

"Audio Monitoring

See 3" Cont ro...what you hear!

Direct volume control of active loudspeakers Supports: Stereo / 4.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 / 7.1

Digital and Analogue outputsmuitive surround sound visuElisation

by JeUy-lshTM Comnlete level & phase information Accepts: Analogue, AES, SDI, I-DTV

solu ions in Audio & Video -


Using AutoNorm> for dialogue normalization

BY TIM CARROLL

oudness issues have plaguedtelevision broadcast for dec-

ades, and digital television isturning out to be no different. Luck-ily, the audio format specified by the

O ATSC is AC -3, better known as DolbyDigital. And it has some built-in fea-tures that, when used properly, can

O help to alleviate the problems.CC Unfortunately, these features oftenCI. sit dormant and unused. The results

are clearly audible in most televisionmarkets, and many broadcasters note

LLI a dramatic increase in complaints.Now is the time to get this problemback on track, and we present an in-novative way to do just that.

Reviewing the standardBasically, the Dolby Digital signal is

divided into two sets of data: com-pressed audio data and informational/control data called metadata. Themetadata describes the audio signalsit rides with, reporting such things asthe number of audio channels present(audio coding mode), how to re -mixthe audio if more channels are presentthan speakers to reproduce them(downmix coefficients), user select-able dynamic range control and theloudness of the program (dialoguelevel or dialnorm).When developing the Dolby Digital

system, Dolby Laboratories deter-mined that dialogue is the anchor ofmost programs and is what most view-ers use to judge the loudness of thatprogram. Yes, cannon shots or carcrashes may be loud, but they are notsustained events.

Dialogue, on the other hand, occursthroughout most of a typical program,and is, therefore, a logical choice for aloudness anchor. This is done by mak-ing a long-term A -weighted measure-ment of typical dialogue, that is sec-

tions without screaming or whisper-ing, and referencing this value to full-scale digital.All decoders use the difference be-

tween the measured value and the in-ternal reference level of Dolby Digital(-31dBFS) to directly control a 1dBper step attenuator. For example, if atypical motion picture is measuredand found to have an average dialoguelevel of -31dBFS, then the differencefrom this measurement and the inter-nal reference level is zero and the de-coders will apply no attenuation.

If a typical sitcom has a dialogue levelof -21dBFS, then the decoder will ap-

Automatic normalisationTaking this pioneering work to the

next logical step, Linear Acoustic de-veloped AutoNorm, a real-timemethod to automatically apply thesemeasurements to audio signals andcompressed bit streams. The dialoguelevel parameter generated by themeter is further processed, and theninserted into precompressed DolbyDigital streams, metadata streams, andeventually Dolby E and HD -SDIstreams. The initial release is with theStreamStacker platform, which al-ready allows for multiplexing andsplicing Dolby Digital streams and

In these somewhat early days of multichannelaudio in DTV, transporting metadata is certainly

becoming more commonplace, but by no means isit a risk -free process.

ply 10dB of attenuation. It should beobvious that this can be a useful tech-nique for matching the loudness ofone program with the next. And ifdone correctly, it would result in allthe channels matching each other.Imagine that!

How loud is it?Measuring dialogue loudness has al-

ways been a challenging process. Ini-tially it involved expensive meters,cross -conversion charts, and plenty ofpatience and time to get a single cor-rect value. This quickly led to the pa-rameter being ignored in many cases.Dolby Laboratories developed theLM100 broadcast loudness meter tomake this an easy and almost auto-matic procedure. While this meterdoes its job well, it still requires op-erator intervention to apply the resultsto the system.

frame synchronizes all of thesestreams to a local plant reference.

The LA -5124 AutoNorm demulti-plexer and Bitstream Splicer are theDTV station side of the StreamStackersystem and have a serial connectionthat interfaces directly with the serialport of the LM100. As the meter ismeasuring the compressed DolbyDigital stream, the dialogue levels arereported to the StreamStacker, whichprocesses them and inserts them intothe outgoing bit stream. Several pa-rameters can be adjusted, which helpto weight the incoming dialogue levelvalues if desired and protect the bitstream in case of loss of the values dueto connection or measurement failure.(See Figure 1.)

Why is this unique?Classic attempts to control program

loudness have all relied upon control -


Network/backhaul

Localchannelaudio

Up to20.4 channels

upMAX 22512ch to 5.1 conversion

AC -3encoder

Dolby LM100broadcast loudr ess meter

Dialnorm

StreamStacker LA -5124 PlusAutoNorm

2 channel PCM - AC -3 (Dolby digital)5.1 -channel PCM ---- Serial control

Charnel 24WXYZ-DT

A

AC -3

4SO110IWO

Figure 1. Shown here is AutoNorm as it might be implemented at a typical DTVstation. Note that this shows such options as local audio being upmixed, andsplicing between network and local AC -3 (Dolby Digital) streams.

ling the peak -to -average ratio of pro-grams, and therefore reducing theirdynamic range. While this works wellin many cases, it has two drawbacks.First, the dynamic range of the pro-gram is sacrificed to protect againstthe occasional offending loud com-mercial or program. And second, it isnot reversible.

The Dolby Digital system includes adynamic range system that defaults toapplying dynamic range control butallows users who desire more or a fulldynamic range to scale their decod-ers. Loudness matching is tied moreclosely to the dialogue level parameter,and this is not adjustable by the con-sumer. The dynamic range processingsystem in Dolby Digital relies on aproperly set dialogue level. Otherwise,inappropriate amounts (i.e., too littleor too much) will be generated andthe system becomes ineffective.

Catch it in transmissionIn these somewhat early days of

multichannel audio in DTV, trans-porting metadata is certainly becom-ing more commonplace, but by nomeans is it a risk -free process. Manythings can cause metadata to go miss-ing or be incorrect, with the resultbeing inappropriate audio delivered toconsumers. Since the final catch pointremains the transmission area of theterrestrial, cable or satellite broad-caster, it seems to be the most logicalplace to check and, if necessary, regen-erate proper dialogue level values.

Now that measurement of the dia-logue level is a straightforward pro-cess, we bring the circle to a close byallowing the measured values to beinserted into pre -encoded Dolby Digi-tal streams at the point of transmis-sion. This will allow the long-termloudness of a television station to be

automatically adjusted just before thesignal is sent on to consumers.

While dynamic range control mightstill be necessary in certain situations,such as controlling the instantaneousloudness of locally inserted commer-cials, the original dynamic range ofnormal programming will be pre-served and loudness kept even. Sev-eral television stations in major mar-kets have these systems on the air, andthe long-standing problems of loud-ness are on their way to a permanentresting place in history. BE

Tim Carroll is the president of LinearAcoustic and the former product managerfor the Professional Audio Division atDolby Laboratories.


BroadcastEr gineering

.r -fit -: Technology Updatee -newsletter

at www.5roadcastengineermg corn

How do you ensure DTV quality?

StreamScope-

To test drive the StreamScope real-time ATSC transport stream monitor

andl analyzer, call 1-866-TRIVENI.

001C

orrme,

StreamScope MT30, the industry's most sophisticatedMPEG monitoring and trouble shooting tool, from theleader in ATSC data and metadata systems. Offersadvanced, time -saving trouble shooting featuresdemanded by experts, yet provides intuitive, easy -to -use interface needed by novices. Sophisticatedserver -client architecture. Remote fleet monitoringvia WAN.Triveni Digital is your expert partner inquality DTV service delivery.

Triveni Digital Seminar Seriescoming to a city near you.

"PSIP and MPEG Compliance in Practice"City DatePhiladelphia, PA 12 -May

Atlanta, GA 17 -May

Orlando, FL 19 -May

Chicago, IL 24 -May

Columbus, OH 26 -May

St. Louis, MO 7 -June

Denver, CO 9 -June

Dallas, TX 14 -June

Houston, TX 16 -June

Boston, MA 21 -June

Portland, OR 23 -June

San Francisco, CA 28 -June

Los Angeles, CA 30 -June

Visit www.TriveniDigital.com/Seminars Free to SBE/SMPTE/SCTE members S BE Credits for attendance


MorrowTechnologiesspectrum analyzerBY JOHN MORROW AND DEBBIE MUCCIOLO

It's breaking news. Your ENGtruck pulls up, and the cameraman jumps out to capture the

action. The technician raises the mastand lines up the shot. The link is es-tablished, and you're feeding live sig-nal. The competition powers up theirtransmitter, and your feed to the sta-tion drops off. Unlikely?

With the move to digital COFDMtransmissions in ENG, this scenario isall too likely. While COFDM is de-signed to work well in multipath en-vironments, interference can affectsignal levels.

COFDM signals are susceptible tothe cliff effect and to oversaturation;both result in the failure of the receivechain to produce a useable signal. Thecliff effect refers to the drop off inreception resultingfrom marginal signallevels. When analogsignals degrade, thepicture quality de-grades with an in-crease of sparkles orsnow. However, digi-tal signals lack the cor-responding degrada-tion of picture quality.When the signaldrops below the mini-mum threshold, thedigital picture simplyand abruptly disap-pears. Conversely,oversaturation occurswhen the signal levelexceeds the maximumthreshold. This causesexcessive intermodulation or sideband re -growth, preventing the re-ceive chain from decoding the signal.

all GI air

In either situation, the picture qual-ity does not give any indication of theproximity of the signal to the relativethreshold until it's too late.

Antenna alignment is critical, andtraditional alignment methods are nolonger practical. In the analog world,technicians using a TV monitor andwaveform monitor easily align, trans -

dress how close the signal is to thethreshold of the receiver. Is it right atthe edge, ready to drop off? And whatdo you do when your ENG truck iscompletely digital?

What about BER?Bit error rate (BER) and modulation

error ratio (MER) can indicate a

The key to effectively managing COFDM signals

lies in the use of a spectrum analyzer at the

au, central receive site.

mit and receive antennas. In the digi-tal world, the picture is either perfector simply not present. Using an ana-

4 a el. 4 t t N., 9%,

AVG1000

signal's proximity to the threshold.BER refers to the number of bits thatmust be corrected by the receiver over

a period of time. BERsignificantly increaseswhen a signal ap-proaches the thresh-old. Unfortunately,BER only identifies

4 a the problem when the1 2 1 threshold is near.

MER is a ratio com-puted to anticipatesystem performance.MER increases in pro-portion to signal deg-radation or over -saturation, providingwarning that thethreshold is approach-ing. BER and MER arerelative measures

&worm..

0

TM SawI elan Mark

7 a a

ISM

Figure 1. Carrier -to -noise = 16dB

log signal to establish the link and thenswitching to digital can make antennaalignment faster, but it does not ad -

based on already es-tablished links. They

do not provide useful information whentrying to establish a link or when tryingto identify the cause of a problem.


4., t

2rl

ek r 4t,'ri Pm r ma n on 411

ill 3113m II LIM75 375000 14kr

Figure 2. Averaged, with markers

tea 4V O. fin.Pew30.0

Proactive monitoring andquantifiable measurement

The key to effectively managing COFDMsignals lies in the use of a spectrum analyzerat the central receive site. This allows measure-ment of the signal's power level and thecarrier -to -noise ratio, ensuring optimal an-tenna alignment and reception power. Whenmeasuring carrier -to -noise, use of the aver-aging function will provide an accurate, quan-tifiable figure. Set a marker at the peak of thesignal, and set another marker in the noise.The delta between the two markers is dis-played at the bottom of the spectrum analyzerscreen. Figure 1 shows a signal with a 16dBcarrier -to -noise ratio. Figure 2 shows that samesignal, averaged, with the markers clearlyindicated.

Asel20S

x

to. NomeAT Swimmer

1114

II

01 2

Using a spectrum analyzerto view saturation

Saturation of the receiver is also clearly visible ona spectrum analyzer. Figure 3 shows a COFDM sig-nal with sideband regrowth. Note the increasednoise level at the edges of the carrier, resulting in asloped rather than a fiat noise floor. Monitoring asignal's carrier -to -noise and power level providesa technician with conclusive information to assessantenna alignment.The spectrum analyzer can also be used to iden-

tify interference. Prior to establishing a link, theanalyzer will show the presence of any signals thatmay cause interference. If the interference occursafter the link has been established, the technicianshould see changes in the signal, which vary de-pending on the source of interference. Proactive

w' 1m1 1 a...* w114010.411Pelelle'51,N,r-3

Figure 3. Sideband re -growth

Ns CO An -

r TNi.z,.. mar wj 1111 II 411 4.4 4.114' 4PPP. 4eile

11.1.118118111111.

.

PIA11.1114M.

4.0,ON a*/

Figure 4. 65MHz center frequency

monitoring gives a technician the opportunity to takecorrective action before the interference causes the sig-nal to drop.

The use of offsets is a common practice in ENG trans-missions. Say a field team setting up a link is unawareof the previous use of an offset. Monitoring thereceiver's IF signal with a spectrum analyzer will revealthe offset. Illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 (on page 96)are two spectral traces displaying an offset of 5MHz.The spectrum analyzer clearly displays the center of thesignal at 65MHz (Figure 4) instead of 70MHz (Figure5), indicating the use of a 5MHz offset.

Remote connectivity is the keyA spectrum analyzer is the only reliable tool for quickly

diagnosing and eliminating digital RF problems.However, traditional spectrum analyzers are expensive


Al died Ti chnoloi 6:6 :i! Oii

cc

di

IH

cc

Q.

and are designed foruse in manned receivesites. Because manycentral receive sites arein isolated locations,the use of a spectrumanalyzer would seemimpractical. Even withan inexpensive, scaled -down model, a spec-trum analyzer in thisapplication would ne-cessitate the ability toaccess and control itremotely.

Fortunately, MorrowTechnologies has devel-oped the VC70BMS, areal-time, remote accessspectrum analysis tooldesigned specifically for use in ENGoperations. This analyzer is physicallysmall in size and is engineered for

W.. ,011=23= 1111=1),Z=111=111 1.111d0 I le

Oster FdWmw,

sP to. 4 Fr

VG rte..4.-WA, tesmes,

roe AefloomTo

00 I', 402-2'111

I.

3

A.

r. -

Figure 5. 70MHz center frequency

more rugged environments. It has fullfunctionality, and it can tap into the70MHz IF output of the central re-

ceiver. The analyzer isaccessed and controlledremotely from thestation's transmissioncenter or other networkoperations center. (SeeFigure 6.)

While traditionalspectrum analyzers aredesigned to cover abroad range of fre-quencies, the VC70BMShas a focused 60MHzto 80MHz frequencyrange, thus eliminatingadditional circuitry andinherent cost.

The analyzer featuresVirtual Front Panelsoftware that allows any

authorized PC to access the remoteunit. The software has all the controland display functionality of a tradi-

a

The guy you want sitting next to you...

Di ital Sigma Update 1oroabsiumeerm

1&,14-Technolo y Update

emirBroattrzlEnuermil

(_) Technology Update)Strategiclontent .Management

From Ingest to Playolit

111 h',,,'4181!

TE

lififiifkiia'(Efigiffing is that guy.Want information about what's going on at the FCC that might affect the way you do business?Say no more.

How about news regarding the ever-changing technical data, specs, interfaces, industry trends,

and equipment needed to stay that crucial techno-step* ahead?

Well look no further than Broadcast Engineering's E -Newsletters:

RF Update Digital Signage Update News Technology Update Sports Technology Update Strategic Content Management Show Updates

And the great thing is, we'll never ask to borrow money for lunch.

Subscribe today and thrive tomorrow: http://www.broadcastengineering.com

"Testimonial courtesy of Kevin White, Independent Program Producer

TRUSTED, Technology Industry Leader


NrimsCt nterLIVE

Central recieve site70MHz IF output

VC70BMS

oommm000Imooemoeninclen ED if] f.)00000a0000inoompflommoo

LAN/WAN/Internet/mode

Studio/master control

VigilComfront panel

Figure 6. Configuration for remote monitoring of the central receive site

tional spectrum analyzer such as reso-lution bandwidth, video bandwidthand markers. The software can simul-taneously display spectral traces frommultiple units, allowing monitoring ofmultiple receive antennas or multiplereceive sites. Multiple users can simul-taneously view the same receive sitefrom PCs in a station's transmissionarea, the engineering offices and any-where else the software is installed. Anengineer from home can assist a tech-nician troubleshooting a problem.When installed on a PC in the ENG

truck, users can gain remote accesswith a cell phone.

The analyzer is a self-contained unitwith a built-in PC, eliminating theneed for additional equipment, soft-ware and systems integration. It canbe accessed by a variety of communi-cation methods, including dial -up,LAN, Internet and wireless - all eas-ily configured via the VFP. Simply in-stall the analyzer by connecting it tothe receiver's 70MHz output, powerand communications outlet. The ana-lyzer is available in a compact 10in x

Curious? Please visit our website: www.riedel.net

8.75in x 2.312in modelweighing under 51b or a1RU 19in rack -mountmodel, making remotedeployment a breeze.

The transition to digitalENG necessitates changesnot only to transmit andreceive hardware but alsoto the tools and methodsused to monitor andmaintain signal quality.Historically, the TVmonitor approach hasbeen the de facto indus-try standard for analogtransmissions. The re-mote spectrum analyzerwill become the new stan-dard for monitoring and

control in the digital domain. BE

John Morrow is CEO and Debbie Mucciolois project manager of MorrowTechnologies.

ATTENTIONOMbt RS!Sicjn up now for

bi-weekly

a: www.broadcastengineering.corn

RiIRIEDELThe Communications People

ARTigTHE ADVANCED

OC MMUNCATIONSPLATFORM*

*Decentralized master -less intercomarchitecture matrix size 1.024 x 1,024full summing. non -blocking. redundantdual ring fiber optic network. AES3 audiointuitive configuration softwars

FIRSTDIGITALBELTPACK*,

*2-chaniel intercom operation om standard XLR cables noise -free digitalaudio qi_ality easy analog -style set-up incl daisy -chaining Successfullyutilized at the 2004 Olynpic Games and the 2005 Academy Awards.

Burbank. CA 92505 USA Phone: +1 818563 4100 Fax +1 818 563 4345 www.riedel.net


ahIIIIIJIII ,11IIII

HDTVhardware

U.1 BY JOHN LUFFCC

he title of this column is par- tiple manufacturers. Not much bigger grammable logic have replaced com-ticularly apropos to the sub- than a conventional 525/625 cam- plex multicomponent systems. Soft-ject of HDTV hardware, for corder, in fact smaller than a single im- ware has replaced hardware as the

(J) developments over several years have age orthicon of barely 40 years ago, long lead time item in the develop -- begun to turn HDTV into a real busi- HDV represents a cost reduction in ment of new products, but allowedness. The "Technology in Transition"column is all about change, and this HDV represents a cost reduction in entry-levelyear's NAB gave plenty f eviden

O that HDTV is indeed in transiton.ce

HDTV system technology of at least 99 percentCC

Q.Over the last 10 -plus years, we have

from a decade ago.seen several generations of HDTVhardware shown in private and pub- entry-level HDTV system technology hardware designed with sufficientlic forums and often purchased in such of at least 99 percent from a decade ago. processing bandwidth to evolve as

u.Ilow volumes that it must have seemed Nonlinear HDTV editing can be done new code is released.more a science project than a business for less than $20,000. HDTV switchers What defines the shift in the profes-intended to sustain itself. Not long ago, cost about the same as their SD -only sional marketplace is a series of devel-HDTV cameras cost $250,000 equivalents in the 1990s. opments in the last three years thatand more, a lens cost nearly The miniaturization of make HDTV economically practical for$200,000, and a single VTR HDTV technology has production and emission. Until per -tacked on $360,000. A reel of a lot to do with the haps three years ago, high -end HDTVtape cost $1000 for the first un- trends. ASIC's switching and digital effects were justcompressed HDTV recorder from and pro- plain ridiculously expensive - $1 mil -Sony (circa 1994). lion for a practical production system,

more than double the cost of SD -only.The MPEG Today there are several manufacturerssolution offering high -end capability in HDTV

Something had systems at a premium of around 30to change if percent over SD -only systems that areHDTV was to be- similarly equipped. Snell &come a reality in the Wilcox introduced a pro -marketplace. Early duction switcherprojections said a sta- (shipped this year)tion would need $30 that does both SDmillion to build an and HD at theHDTV infrastructure - same time. Thisa number that certainly precluded sta- kind of innovationtion profits! o,.. a

would not have beenThe enabling change was compres- possible a few years

sion, then called "bit -rate reduction." ago, but drives new ap-MPEG-2 could deliver HDTV in .;

plications and markets.20Mb/s instead of the 1.5Gb/s required With HDV and simi-for uncompressed signals. Recording lar cameras readilyand transmission became technically available in both 1080ifeasible, and that has changed every- and 720p from severalthing. NAB this year marked the intro- With HDV and similar cameras available in both manufacturers this720p and 1080i, such as Sony's HDV camcorderduction of the HDV consumer and shown here, broadcasters will find HDTV news pro- year, HDTV news pro -professional format endorsed by mul- duction at the local level attractive. duction at the local


level might well be attractive to somebroadcasters. There is no cost penaltyof any consequence. That kind ofchange makes innovation by program-ming professionals much more likely.A decade ago, who would have thoughtHDTV editing on a laptop would bepossible when an hour of recordingmedia cost half of the cost of a laptop?

Lower conversion costsAn important element in all of this

is the reduction in the cost of conver-sion between HD and SD formats.Early converters were half -rack ormore, but now the functions of scal-ing and aspect ratio conversion can bedone on a single card run by a wallwart and unceremoniously hung inthe back of a rack as a black box hid-den and forgotten. Four rack units canhold up to 15 converters now. I/O op-tions include fiber for long-distancetransport of the high bit rates needed.

The rest of the infrastructure all ex-ists. Early HD routing cost $250,000for 32x32. Now a 16x16 router costsbarely $9000, and a full 128x128 framecosts under half of what 32x32 cost in1997. Indeed, multirate routing ishardly an extravagance today, butrather a proper hedge for the futureeven if considering an SD -only projecttoday. Routing is indicative of wherethe industry seems to be going. Whybuild or buy two different flavors ofanything if one will cover both?

What's next?With this kind of watershed change,

what happens next is hard to predict.Consumer interest in HDTV has fi-nally begun to show as more than astatistical curiosity. That interest hasspawned new display technologies, aswell as production techniques in-tended to satisfy both 4:3 and 16:9audiences. Few barriers remain in pro -

Broadcast Engineering

--idadcaslEngh

I I

sup, rig ions

I I I '

The evolution of broadcast

As the television industry continues to redefine itself,Broadcast Engineering is there. Broadcast Engineering is theindustry's preferred resource for learning about the ever -evolvingtelevision market. Stay current on the latest technology developments,new players, products and decision -makers.

To start your FREE subscription with the industry's #1authontative source of technical information*, go towww.broadcastengineering.com and click on SUBSCRIBE NOW.

'2002, Paramount Research S Wond Edition.

redefining television

viding the rich and full experience thatconsumers expect. With HD DVD ex-pected late this year, it is reasonable topredict further consumer uptake.

While HDTV equipment and appli-cations will continue to mature overthe next few years, it seems all but cer-tain that it will not be long beforemanufacturers essentially stop build-ing products that support SD -onlyuse. The cost penalties are droppinglike a stone in a well, and the capabili-ties no longer produce compromises.Introductions like HDV are not evo-lutionary; they are revolutionary, forthey challenge the view of the state-of-the-art for technologists and usersalike. This could be a very interestingyear indeed. BE

John Luff is senior vice president of businessdevelopment at AZCAR.


[email protected].

LINKComplete

Coverage & Freedom

Link Research Ltd the Market Leadersfor Digital Wireless Camera Systems

Complei 0177 of movementunrivalled performance make the Lin/.

digital wireless camera systems thechoice with users world wide

Free your imagination and visi-

W ww.linkres.co.ukTel US: 562-698 856C

Email: saleselinkres.co.uir

MAY 2005 broadcastengireering.com 99

I-0

O

O

a.

VIRTUAL ROBOTICSPEDESTALShotoku TP-64VR: A lightweight, two -stagemanual pedestal designed to be used with avirtual system; high -resolution encoders, whichare mounted on the wheels and column, pro-vide precise real-time camera position data of X, Y, heightand pedestal base angle to the Serial Position Interface (SPI);provides reliable and accurate high-speed data.

949-754-9005; www.shotoku.tv

GRAPHICS PLAYOUTAND MANAGEMENTQuantel Picturebox sQ: Plays outmoving sequences in the form ofclips as well as stills; can upgrade toHD; has an optional slo-mo lever; ison the same network as bothPaintbox and Picturebox, so therecan be a number of independentviewing and editing stations;features an Integrated GraphicsArchitecture (IGA) computer thatmanages the database.

203-972-3199; www.quantel.com

CONTENTMANAGEMENTSYSTEMOmniBus Systems OPUS: Fullyintegrated with the OmniBusColossus automation system anddriven by G3 technology; designed toensure efficient ingest, review,annotation and storage managementof content, with on -demand deliveryto automation for on -air transmis-sion; includes OPUSMediaFramework, OPUS Logging,OPUS PinPoint, OPUS View, OPUSIndex and OPUS MediaFlow.

704-319-2231; www.omnibus.tv

UNIVERSALENCODERScopus Network TechnologiesUE-9120: Encodes two MPEG-2channels simultaneously; advancedmultiplexing capabilities includeencoder cascading and saveexternal multiplexing; integratesanalog cue tone detection and DPICue Tone insertion (SCTE-35) toeliminate the need for an externalCue Tone detection device; providesIP output as a standard feature inaddition to ASI.

609-987-8090; www.scopus.net

SINGLE-CHANNELCHARACTERGENERATORPixel Power Clarity300: Is availablewith three different software profiles;internal video clip player providesuncompressed 4:2:2:4 recording andplayback from an internal disk arrayof up to four hours; storage can beexpanded externally; can playbackand record up to four audio channels;can be expanded to offer video clipplayback and dual 2-D livesqueezeback capability.

954-943-2026; www.pbrelpower.com

TELEPHOTOZOOM LENSThales Angenieux 26 X 7.8 AIF HDENG/EFP: Offers a focal range of7.8mm to 203mm and an aperture off/2.2; weighs 4.1lb; rectangularsunshade minimizes light interfer-ence; includes selectable zoom/focus sensitivity adjustments, ananti -breathing feature to maintainfield of view when focusing andRS -232 control; features AssistedInternal Focus (AIF) technology.+33 477 90 78 00; www.angonieux.com

M PEG IMXCAMCORDERSony MSW-970: Captures highpicture quality using MPEG-24:2:2P@ML 50Mb/s I -frame compres-sion; features three -chip 2/3in typeSony Power HAD EX CCDs; has 14 -bit A/D Conversion and AdvancedDigital Signal Processing (ADSP);records audio in either 20- or 16 -bitresolution; LSI achieves a low -powerconsumption of 27W; remotelycontrol camera settings and basicVTR functions.

800 -686 -SONY

www.sony.com/professional

1 00 broadcastengineering.com MAY 2005

A PRIMEDIA Publication

ENG CAMCORDERPanasonic AJ-SPC700: Uses P2storage; combines a 2/3in 520,000 -pixel IT 3-CCD camera with 60 fieldsinterlace recording in 25Mb/sDVCPRO/DV and 50Mb/s 4:2:2DVCPRO50 format on a P2 card;

switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspectratios; features three recordingmodes, a built-in memo microphoneand a shot marker indication onvideo clips; has five P2 card slots,providing up to 160 minutes recordcapacity at DVCPRO and 80 minutesin DVCPRO50 with 8GB P2 cards.

201-392-4127

www.panasonic.com/broadcast

HD CAMERAGrass Valley LDK 4000: Supports1080i or 720p production; featureslow -power consumption and GrassValley's HD Dynamic Pixel Manage-ment (HD-DPM) image -sensortechnology; includes a camera head,a base station and an HD triax cableadapter; choose between an 2in or5in viewfinder.

503-526-8200www.thomsongrassvalley.com

MULTIPLEXER,DEMULTIPLEXERLeitch HMX6800+ multiplexer andHDX6800+ demultiplexer: Accom-modate two or four balanced orunbalanced AES signals; support1080i and 720p standards; meetfacility -specific standards formultiple languages and compressedsignals; correct common audiochannel problems; multiplexerembeds up to four AES/EBU inputsinto any or all of the four audiogroups; demultiplexer de -embedsand provides up to four AES/EBUoutputs, and auto -detects betweenSD and HD inputs.

859-311-5533; www.leitch.com

DV-TO-SDI DECODERMiranda DV -Bridge CAM: Decodes25Mb/s DV stream to digital video;supports DV, DVCAM and DVCPRO

formats; SDI output features embed-ded audio and time code (DVITC);digital audio outputs lock at 48KHz;has four -pin and six -pin IEEE 1394

ports; supports 32kHz, 44.1kHz and48kHz DV audio sample rates.

514-333-1712; www.miranda.com

I/O SYSTEMAvid DNxchange: Encode HD -SDIsignals from cameras, switchers,routers and decks to Avid DNxHDmedia; once material is encoded, HDmedia can be moved over theexisting SD -SDI infrastructureswithin a facility; converts DNxHDmedia into uncompressed HD filesand outputs the media to any devicewith an HD -SDI interface.

800-949-2843; www.avidcom

BroadcaslEngineeringwww.brodcastengineering.com

Editorial Director. Brad Dick, [email protected]

Editor World Mort David Austerteny, editodbroadcastengineeringivald.com

Managing Editor. Susan Anderson, sanderscrAprimediabusiness.com

Assoc. EditorteVehmstr: Chevonn Payton, cpaytonaprimediabusiness.com

Assoc. Editor. Spring Suptic, ssuptic@primediabusinesscom

Asst. Editor. Angela Daunis, adaunistprimediabusiness.com

Sr. Art Director. Midiael J. Knust mkhusgprimediabusiness.com

Art Director. Robin Moesbach, rmorsbach@primediabusinesscom

Technical Consultants: Computers & Networking - Brad Gilmer

Antennas/Radiation - John H. Battison

Digital Video - Michael Robin

Transnission Facilities - Donald L Markley

Legal- Harry C. Martin

New Technology - John tuff

Industry Watcher -Paul McGoldrick

New Media - Craig Birkmaier

Sr. VP Peter L May, omaygprimediabusiness.com

Group Publisher. Dennis Triola, [email protected]

Marketing Dir.: Kirby Asplund, kasplund@primediabusinesscorn

Online Sales & Marketing Dir: Samantha Kahn, [email protected]

Vice Preisdent of Production: Lisa Parks, Iparks@primediabusinesstorn

Sr. M Prod. Coord.: Kathy Daniels, kadanielstrimediabusiness.com

Classified Ad Coord.: Mary Corcoran, [email protected]

D ir., Audience Marketing: Barbara Kummer, bkumrnaprimediabusiness.com

Group Show DirectorADI: Sharon Morabito, smocabito4primediabusiness.com

PRIMEDIABusiness Magazines & Media

President John French, [email protected]

COO: Andrea Goldschlager, agoldschlagergprimediabusinesssorn

Sr. VP, Business Den.: Eric Jacobson, ejacobsongprirnediabusiness.com

Primedia Inc.: 745 Fifth Ave., NY, New York 10151

Chairman: Dean Nelson [email protected]

President and CEO: Kelly Conlin, kelly.conlin@i

Vice Chairman & General Counsel: Beverly Chell, beverly.chell

MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Sustaining Member of, - - Society of Broadcast Engineers

Member, 4nencan Business Media; Member, BPA International

'media.=

eBPA.10.10.

BROADCAST ENGINEERING, ISSN 0001.1994, is published mcnthly (except

semiqnonthly e June and Cecemberl by PRIMEDIA Business Magazines & Media

Inc., 103 Malt Ave., Overland Park, KS 66212 Iprimediabusiness.ccol. Current

and back issue and additional resources, including subscription request forms and

an editorial calendar, are available on the World Wide Web at

broadcastereineenng.com.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulatice to qualified subscribers.

Non -qualified persons may subscribe at the following rates (Prices subject to

change): USA and Canada, 1 year, $70.00, 2years, $135.00, 3 years, 82C0.01 Outside

USAand Capia,1 year, .00,2 years, $165.00,3 years,245.00surface mailll year,

155.00,2 yeas, 82%.00,3 years, S410.00aimiail delivery). For subscriber seNices

to order single, copies, write to Broadcast Engineering, 2104 Harvell Circle, Bellevue,

NE 68305 USA all E66-5057173 IUSAI or 402-551113 (outside USA) or visit

wmv.broadaisteeineenng.corn.

ARCHIVES AND MIC01OF0Mk This magazine is available for research and

retneval of seeded archived articles from lading electronic databases and online

searchservices,includingFectiva,LexisNexisandProquest Formerofcrmavailabihty,

oantact ProQuest at B00-521-0600 or 734-761-4700, or search the Serials in Micro-

form listings ,5 proquestcom.

REPRINTS: Contact FosteReprints to purchase quality custom reprints or e -

prints of articles appearing in this publication at 866 -436.83661219 -B19 -

B366 outside the U.S. and Canada). Instant reprints and permissions may

be purchased directly from our Web site; look for the RS iCopyright tag

appended to the end of each article.

PHOTOCOPIES: Authorizabon to photocopy articles for internal corporate, per-

sonal, or insurctional use may be obtained horn Copright Clearance Center IC,CCI

at 978-750-0400. Obtain further informahce at copirightcan.

PRIVACY POUCT1 Your privacy is a priority to us. For a detailed policy statement

about pr vacyand informatice dissemination practices related to Primedia Business

Magazines and Media products, please visit our Web site at

wwwpnmed abusiress.com.

CORPORATE OFFICE Primedia Business Magazines & Media, 9800 Metcalf,

Overland Pare, Kansas 66212 913-341-1300 primediabusiness.com

Copyright 2085, PRIMEDIA Business Magazines & Media hr All nghts reserved.


BROADCAST VIDEOOVER IP

ACT -L3 VIDEO TRANSPORT

2StreambokPower To Do More'

PROFESSIONAL QUALITYSYSTEMS FOR IP/T1/E1

ND Encoder/Decoder3Mbps - 12Mbps

SDEncoder/Decoder64Kbps - 7Mbps

ENGPortable Encoder

64Kbps - 5Mbps

Call or visit today! www.streambox.com [email protected] 206/956-0544 x222

0 TL ightingTower Lighting Specialists

www.otlighting.com

OTLEXTRA LONG LIFE

TOWERS LAMPS

GUARANTEED

50,000 HOURS.

THE LAMPS

CAN SAVE YOU

THOUSANDS

FOR

OF DOLLARS.

1 f

1-800-647-911043, Durkee Street, Office 719

Plattsburg, N.Y., 12901Developed in conjunction with

nib

Your Single Source for Broadcast Solutions'"

'Dry

qualisty n.the highestor fineststandard.

Call Toll -free at 877 - ERI - LINE Visit Online at www.eriinc.com

?.... l vow On...* Yob

:1:1111,11Ital I: ROOYou'll find everything you need to know about advertising in 2005!


'The world's largest full -service e,

USED & NEW'pro video and audiodealer on the planet!

LOGIN NOWand start saving today!

% to

,DISCOUNTS!

BROADCAS TORE.COMLA 818-551-5858 NY 212-268-8800

See us at NAB Booth #5U6358

For Sale

AcousticsFirstrM

TZZ:888-765-2900Full product line for sound controland noise elimination.Web: http://www.acousticsfirst.com

CertificationAre your engineers

Certified?

SBESBE Certification

The Industry Benchmark

www.sbe.org (317) 846-9000

A PRIMEDIA Pu ication

Broadcast ngmeeringwww.broadcastengineermq.com

For advertisinginformation contact:

[email protected] ,

A

TALLY

MAPPERTM Tally Routing & Mapping One Button Operation Store Maps Internally Edit From a PC/Laptop

A Compact Solution,Ideal for Mobile Units and

Multiple Production Setups.

VideoframeTMControl System Solutions

Tel: 530-477-2000www.videoframesystems.com

For Sale

HD EncodingWorkstati

ea Ume, PC -basedI -Ugh -resolution (1.080i)

The 1-11) aestro

Input HD -SDI. output DVB-ASI

Based on the LSI Logic DoNliNoTm chipset

Perfect for post production HD contentdistribution

PC platform prcvides flexibi ityand connectivity

For more information on the HD Maestro or anynyFo ,,,(1( It icts, call 858 613-1818. Or visit

www.dveo.com

D IPro Broad,' t Doosin

C71,r/

L For Sale

Precise i -nage acquisition, superb detail,comprehensive functionality at an

AFFORDABLE PRICE!

SONYHVR-ZU1

1080, HDVCAMCORDER

iM*

AuthorizedProfessional

Reseller

WEST COAST LEADERIN BROADCAST AND INDUSTRIAL

gradtPRODUCTION PACKAGES

vkaE tee818.840.1351

stud io-exchonge.com

816 N. Victory Blvd. Bt. rbank, CA 91502 FAX 818.840.1354

BROADCASTENGINEERING.COM


Help Wanted Help Wanted Help WantedSenior Maintenance Engineer -Pro-

duction & MaintenanceMPT has an opening for a Senior Mainte-nance Engineer. Duties will include repairsand maintenance on broadcast equipmentand systems. We require a degree in electri-cal engineering or equivalent combinationof education and experience, and three (3)years broadcast maintenance experience,to include digital video and audio experi-ence. Working knowledge of television sta-tion operations preferred. Excellent State ofMaryland benefits package. Salary $42,840 to$48,450.

Please send resume and cover letter,including position title, to:

Maryland Public TelevisionHuman Resources Department

11767 Owings Mills Blvd.Owings Mills, MD 21117

[email protected]

ENGINEERING MAINTENANCETECHNICIAN

We are seeking a broadcast professional witha balance of experience between broadcastTV and computer (IT) maintenance. Success-ful candidate will have demonstrated knowl-edge of computer systems, networks, videoservers, and station automation. Positionrequires a minimum of 5 years experience inbroadcast television with extensive knowl-edge of and experience maintaining analogand digital video -audio systems, switchers,cameras and VTRs.

Send resume & cover letter(no calls) to:

James D. GilbertDirector of Engineering, WPVI-TV

4100 City Ave., Suite 800Philadelphia, PA 19131

Fax 215-5814515james.d.gilbert @abc.com

EOE

TRANSMITTER SUPERVISOR

Maintain proper operation of transmittersand equipment primarily at transmitter siteslocated in Salisbury and Annapolis, MD. Maybe required to travel to other sites through-out Maryland. Must be available to worknights, weekends and holidays for emer-gency calls. We require a degree in electri-cal engineering, or equivalent combinationof education and experience; at least fiveyears broadcast transmission maintenanceexperience, including digital transmission;two years supervisory experience. ExcellentState of Maryland benefits package. Salary$49,980 to $56,355.

Submit resume and cover letter to:Human Resources Department

Maryland Public Television11767 Owings Mills Blvd.Owings Mills, MD 21117

Fax: [email protected]

EOE

Director of Broadcast Services &Engineering

Alabama Public Television (APT)APT, a statewide public television networkcated in Birmingham, AL, operates 9 transmit-ter sites with 18 transmitters, over 2200 milesof two-way digital microwave and a satellitedistribution network. APT is also licensee ofpublic radio station WLRH in Huntsville.

APT is seeking a dynamic and energetic lead-er with a minimum of 15 years of experiencein broadcast delivery systems, supervisionof engineers and master control personnel.This position will be involved in grant appli-cations, budget development and forecast-ing, writing equipment bid specifications,tower lease negotiations as well as day- to-day operations. Must be knowledgeable ofRF transmission digital and analog technol-ogy as well as automation/monitoring andcontrol systems.

This is a State of AlabamaMerit System position.

To apply for this position,please contactTracey Orr,

APT Personnel Manager(205) 451-0134

or email [email protected].

Operations ManagerMedia General Broadcast Group www.mgbg.cornWCBD-TVWCBD-TV2 in beautiful Charles-ton, SC is seeking a Operations Manager.Responsilities include supervise the mainte-nance of all technical equipment, hiring andtrain maintenance, IT and Master Controlstaff. Maintain accurate programming, main-tenance, and transmitter operating logs. Pre-pare and operate within a budget. Candidatesneed 3-5 years experience maintaining televi-sion systems, including audio/video systemsand computers. M/F/V/D Drug Screen.

Send resume to HR Dept.210 W. Coleman Blvd.Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

or email to [email protected] fax to 843-2164871

Skycam, LLC is seeking a fulltime EIC tojoin our team of professionals providing fan-tastic aerial shots with our Skycam 4 pointand LX 2 point camera systems. EIC must bemechanically inclined, have live broadcast,fiber optic, electronics repair and computerhardware experience, an understanding ofbasic computer software operations and bewilling to travel extensively. Robotics experi-ence a huge plus. Candidate must be a quickstudy and easily grasp complex electro/me-chanical systems. The work is hard and therewards are great. Not interested in fulltime?We are also seeking progressive thinking free-lancers.

Please send resume toRoy Patton

Skycam, LLC6120 S. Yale Ave.Tulsa, Ok. 74136

ASSISTANT CHIEF ENGINEER

WISN-TV, a Hearst -Argyle television stationand ABC affiliate, is looking for an Assistant -Chief Engineer with drive, ambition and dedi-cation to quality control of local newsproduction and day-to-day engineeringoperations. The candidate must have anengineering degree or equivalent experi-ence and a minimum of five -years broadcastengineering experience; or an equivalentcombination of education, training andexperience to meet the requisites of the job.Applicants must have a knowledge of LAN's,WANs and computer networking in general.A solid engineering and broadcast perspec-tive is required with knowledge of digital stu-dio systems. We are looking for a personwith a positive, news -oriented team atti-tude with some skills in business manage-ment, accounting, and human relations.

Priority will be given to the applicant withprevious experience in electronics mainte-nance, project management, RF engineeringand previous technical management. Avalid driver's license is required.

Fax resume to: 414-342-2657E-mail: [email protected]

or mail to:Tony Coleman,

Director of Engineering, WISN-TVP 0 Box 402

Milwaukee, WI 53201EOE

SignaSysFrom Concepts To Completion

SIGNASYS is seeking motivated,experienced, customer -orientedEngineering professionals to joinour team. If your passion is cuttingedge technology in a creative, fast-moving environment, stop! Immedi-ately send your resume!

Ideal candidates should have work-ing technical knowledge of broad-cast audio/video equipment, con-nections, & related environments.Experience should reflect five yearstechnical & three years experi-ence commissioning projects withdemonstrated ability to deliver ontime.

SignaSys is looking for someonewho fits well with the values of theexisting management team: cre-ative, honorable & an unwaveringdetermination to succeed.

Immediately send your resumeto [email protected]

in San Jose, CA.http://www.signasys.com


Ad kidexBroadcast Engineering is not responsiblefor errors in the Advertisers Index. S ffIC's

Page Advertiser Web siteHotline Address

Avid Technology 4-5 800 -949 -AVID

Azden 47 516-328-7500

Belden 22 1-800-belden4

Bird Technologies Group 87 866-695-4569

Broadcast Microwave Services 72 800-669-9667

Calrec Audio Ltd. 57 +44 1422 842159

Canare Cable Inc. 79 818-365-2446

Clear -Corn Communication Systems 59 510-496-6666

DK Audio 91 +454485 0255

DMT USA 55 856-423-0010

Dolby Labs Inc. 17 415-558-0200

Echolab 35

Ensemble Designs 58 530-478-1830

ERG Ventures Co. Ltd. 74 949-263-1630

ESE 65 310-322-2136

Euphonix 51 650-855-0400

Evertz Microsystems Ltd. IBC 905-335-3700

Fischer Connectors 69 800-551-0121

Fluke Corporation / Pomona Electronics 32 800-490-2361

GEPCO 82 800-966-0069

Harris Broadcast 3 888-711-7295

Harris Broadcast 8-9

Kino Flo Inc. 68 818-767-6528

K -WILL Corporation 80 949-553-9701

Leitch BC 800-231-9673

Leitch 45 800-231-9673

Link Research Ltd. 99 562-698-8560

Marshall Electronics Inc 52 800-800-6608

Maxell Corp. of America 11 800-533-2836

Miranda Technologies Inc. 13 514-333-1772

MITEQ 81 630-759-9500

Network Electronics 84 800-420-5909NVision Inc. 70

Omneon Video Networks 30

Optibase 85 800-451-5101

Panasonic Broadcast 7 800-528-8601

PESA Switching Systems 63 800-328-1008

Prime Image Inc. 27 408-867-6519

Pro -Bel 64 631-549-5159

Quartz USA 56 888-638-8745

Radyne 49 602-437-9620

Riedel Communications Inc. 97 818-563-4100

Rohde & Schwarz 83 888-837-8772

Roscor Corp. 46

Sachtler Corporation of America 23 516-867-4900

Salzbrener Stagetec Media 31 +49 9545 440-0

Snell & Wilcox Ltd. 37-42

Sony Electronics - Business Systems 19-21

Sony Electronics - Business Systems 29 866-293-8839

Sony Pictures Digital Media 73 800-577-6642

Systems Wireless 89 800-542-3332

Terayon Communications 25

Thales 71

Thomson/Grass Valley 15

Triveni Digital 93 1-866-triveni

Utah Scientific 53

Videotek Inc. 77 800-800-5719

Vyvx 33

Wheatstone Corporation IFC 252-638-7000

360 Systems 75 818-735-8821

avid.com/instinct

azdencorp.com

belden.com/tb65.pdf

bird-technologies.com

bms-inc.com

calrec.com

canare.com

clearcom.com

dk-technologies.com

dmtonline.us

dolby.com

echolab.com/identity4

ensembledesigns.comerg-ventures.com

ese-web.comeuphonix.com

evertz/comfischerconnectors.compomonaelectronics.com/sample

gepco.com

intelligenttransmittercom.hams

harris.com

kinoflo.comkwillcorporation.comleitch.com/x75leitch.comlinkres.co.uklcdracks.com

maxellpromedia.commiranda.com

mcl.comnetwork-electronics.comnvision.tvomneon.com

optibase.com/video_contpanasonic.com/dvcpropesa.comprimeimageinc.compro-bel.comquartzus.com

radn.com

riedel.netrohde-schwarz.com/usaroscor.com/sisachtler.comaudiorouting.desnellwilcox.comsony.com/lumasony.com/m2msony.com/imreadyhmepro850.comterayon.comthales-bm.comthomsongrassvalley.com/station

trivenidigital.com/seminarsutahscientific.comvideotek.comaccessvyvx.com

wheatstone.com360systems.com

US/CANADAWESTGeorge Watts Ill(360) 546-0379; Fax: (360) [email protected]

EASTJosh Gordon(718) 802-0488; Fax: (718) 522-4751jgordon5@ bellatlantic.net

MIDWESTEmily Kalmus(312) 840-8492; Fax: (913) [email protected]

INTERNATIONALEUROPERichard Woolley+44-1295-278-407Fax: [email protected]

ISRAELAsa TalbarTalbar Media+972-3-5629565; Fax: [email protected]

JAPANMashy YoshikawaOrient Echo, Inc.+81-3-3235-5961; Fax: [email protected]

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGOVERLAND PARK, KSJennifer Shafer(800) 896-9939; (913) 967-1732Fax: (913) [email protected]

REPRINTSFosteReprints(866) 436-8366;International inquiries,(219) 879-8366

LIST RENTAL SERVICESMarie Briganti, Walter Karl(845) 732-7054(845)[email protected]

Customer Service:913-967-1707 or 800-441-0294

BROADCAST ENGINEERING & World EditionMay 2005, Vol. 47, No. 5 (ISSN 0307-19941 is publishedmonthly and mailed free to qualified persons by PrimediaBusiness, 9800 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS 66212-2216.

Periodicals pottage paid at Shawnee Mission, KS, and addi-

tional mailing offices. Canadian Post Publications Mail Agree -

Trot No. 4097023. Canada return address: DHL GlobalMail, 7496 Bath Road, Unit 2, Mississauga, ON L4T1L2 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BroadcastEngineering, P.O. Box 2100, Skokie, IL 60076-7800 USA.CORRESPONDENCE: Editorial and Advertising: 9800 Metcalf,

Overland Park. KS 66212-2216 Phone: 913-341-1300; Edit.fax: 913-967-1905. Advert. fax: 913-967-1904. © 2005 byPrimedia Business. All rights reserved.


EOM : " I I.

RepetitivemessagesBY PAUL MCGOLDRICK

We live in an era of spin,

constantly being toldthe same thing from

multiple sources. TV stations broad-cast taxpayer -paid messages to pass onpolitical propaganda while posing asindependent news. Civil servants de-clare political scare mongering on thehold phase pf department telephonehelp lines. What is going on?

Advertising gurus have said over theyears - and my experience absolutelyconfirms it - that it requires between10 and 20 exposures of a message fora customer to accept it. That doesn'tmean that there is going to be a sale- that additional step requires botha desire for a product or service andthe wherewithal to acquire it. Butwhen you're a salesman and you see apotential customer's acceptance, thenyou're in line to change the acceptedinterest into something more.

Selling is between people; it alwayshas been, always will be. On a dailybasis in retail, potential customers areturned off by service that is too in yourface, too lax, too condescending oreven downright hostile. This happenseven when the customer is really in-tending to acquire a proffered prod-uct. Such behaviors are not the bestway to survive in retail. In professionalsales, there are similar messages thatyou must avoid: Don't embarrass thedecision maker in front of his or herstaff; don't fluff up the product; don'texaggerate corporate capabilities.

But you do have to overcome a ma-jor hurdle on many occasions in bothsituations: want vs. need. A customer'swants are often at a great variance to acustomer's needs, which is somethingthat must be gotten over if you wantthe sale not only to happen but also to"stick:'

The political messages that are nowbeing thrown at us - to sell to us -on a daily basis, particularly from whatI would call talk television, are newsprograms that are on the edge of be-ing merely political forums (or per-haps it's the reverse). They thrive onpre -arranged positioning and phonytalk with word repetition by the con-tributors in order to drive home themessage: "Social Security is broke;""we've turned the corner;" "freedomis on the march:' It is in the style of

local stories (preferably of the man-

bites -dog or sob variety) and the in-evitable freeway chase in the biggercities. Then comes the plug for one ofthe station's shows, followed by sports(why do sports commentators alwayshave such inane smiles?) and, ofcourse, our local weatherman, usuallya quasi -meteorologist.We are driving intelligent people

away from domestic broadcasting fortheir news. The intelligent ones arethose who don't mentally link Saddam

The rise of talk television and its spin is becausethe networks have failed to do their jobs.

the advertiser hidden under the guiseof an "expert" opinion. How did welet this news advertorial happen? Howdid we allow the system to be spun atthe White House, where phony daypasses are given to invented corre-spondents? How brazen does a systemhave to be for the majority of us tojust look at it and tell ourselves we arebeing duped and regarded as stupidin the process?The older, retired network reporters

would tell you, now that their jobs arenot in jeopardy, that the rise of talktelevision and its spin is because thenetworks have failed to do their jobs.It is because the networks have dra-matically reduced the number of feeton the ground, relying instead onfeeds from the likes of AP, AFP orReuters. Most local news program-ming is equally damned. They leadwith some national/internationalagency stories - just to show that thestations are not parochial hacks -then move to some inconsequential

Hussein and 9/11; those who worrymore about Medicare's gargantuanproblems rather than Social Security'seasily solvable ones; and those whohave watched Control Room and real-ize that the ex -BBC employees at MJazeera are making a more honest at-tempt to bring facts from the battle-field than our networks.

Those who want the complete pic-ture now get their news from the likesof the BBC, London's Daily Telegraph,the amazingly unbiased Christian Sci-ence Monitor and, progressively more,from blogs. Unless they wake up, thenetworks are going to be increasinglymarginalized in what they used to doso well. BE

Paul McGoldrick is an industry consultantbased on the West Coast.


[email protected]


THE LEADER IN HDTV...

...and Multiviewers ...and Fiber Optics

41FIFA,A.1.t!, AL)- an son lam =I=

areitippv t" ellarEn'tM

Nrr.:rtam /4 1 12/_

PL., in .1 OM =I = . IM 4 =1 ' MI '. EA ,ii..;:-.... .1 ,... 0,1 , - .. ,

i

..... .., ,.. .... ,.

. .... .m. ' .. jilt -- ,,e, .... Alit -- dm MIN ml.

.1 NM MO 10 i ! II. ' NM mm IN OM 111M a II . 0111,,,TIM M Mt MP

lOPLAili 491111Aillek"'- Arl!

JO" Aitir It%fliter---0.9111witrli11.

...and Distribution & Conversion

...Closed Captioning

...Production & Post Production

...Time Code

and Much More...

U.S. West Coast Sales818-558-3910

[email protected]

U.S. & International SalesTele: [email protected]

New York Sales Washington [email protected] [email protected]

ever z,www.evertz.com

iDrJer your nsw 2005 Catalogfron- your Evertz Representative

UK. [email protected]

Beijing [email protected]

0

Standard Definition

Embedded Audio

Fiber Interface

Analog

Web Server

NTSC/PAL-M/PAL/SECAM

Dolby E/AC-3 de -compression

AIk

SDTV and HDTV Versions

SDTV Upgradeable to HDTV

Up/Down/Cross Conversion

Aspect Ratio ConversionJer

Processing Amplifiers

/ Synchronization

Noise Reduction

51-1D

High Definition

Multi -Channel Audio

AES/EBU

Digital

DVI-D and DV

Streaming

10831/720p

Production/Editin News Broadcast Mobile Satellite

X75T"HDX75T"SD

Hp/so

King of Processors

Winner of Three Awards

Analog/Digital/Up/Down/Cross Conversion witqSynchronization Starts With eXtra Processing Power

The X75 eXpands video processing to include "anything in" to "e-e-ything out"and simultaneous analog/digital and up/down conversions with field SD to HDupgradeabilty. Aspect ratio conversion, 3D adaptive decoding, T3C, SD/HDlogos and noise reduction are all part of the vast array of X75 videc capabilities.

For all audio applications, 8 or 16 channels of audio processing wtF embeddedSD/HD, analog and digital interfaces are provided. Integrated Dolby®decompression and voice-over brings even more functionality.

Less equipment required for your SDTV and HDTV video processing applications Multiple paths of processing for video and audio IP-enabled for control, monitoring and streaming including SNMF

Master Your Move to HD with the X75 HD/SDwww.leitch.com/X75

Canada +1 (800387 0233

USA East +1 (8001231 9673

USA West +1 (888) 843 7004

Latin America +I (305) 512 0045

LEITCHwww.leitch.:om

Date post:	07-Oct-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	tranhanh
View:	214 times
Download:	0 times

IT -based storage ar. · broadcast engineering By Ron Quartararo The author provides a decision...

Documents