Spescom install Nambia studios

A decade ofinnovation at FIFAWorld Cup

3D home moviesone step closer

Recruitment tipsand tricks

Burj Khalifa opening ceremony

Christie flies highwith Airbus 380

Sound advice from ITU

See us atSee us at

3D home moviesone step closer

A decade ofinnovation at FIFAWorld Cup

Spescom install Nambia studios

Recruitment tipsand tricks

Burj Khalifa opening ceremony

Sound advice from ITU

Christie flies highwith Airbus 380

1

Meet the next-generation video server.

To learn more, visit www.broadcast.harris.com/nexioamp.

POWER UP WITH NEXIO AMP™ — THE ADVANCED MEDIA PLATFORM.

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Featuring the industry’s most advanced HD / SD server architecture, best-in-class storage protection, integrated software codecs and automatic up / down / cross conversion for complete format transparency, NEXIO AMP™ does much more than simplify your workflow. It provides higher availability to your content and speeds up the deployment of new channels.

Take on broadcasting’s toughest challenges and change the way you think about video servers — with NEXIO AMP™.

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Integrated media services — Designed to support software-enabled Harris broadcast applications, including media analysis, channel branding, automation and multiviewer I/O monitoring

Come see us at CABSAT MENA stand — ZB-21

Europe+44 118 964 8200Sales.Europe@Harris.com

Middle East+971 4 433 8250Sales.MiddleEast@Harris.com

NEXIO_AMP_AVS.indd 1 2/8/10 9:05:16 AM

10 Increasing the digital media bottom lineThe power of digital media lies in its ability to get the rightmessage to the right people at precisely the right moment,transforming a marketing call-to-action into a measurablechange in consumer behaviour.

12 A decade of innovation with HBS and EVS For the past 10 years, Host Broadcast Services and EVS haveworked closely together to transform the host broadcast ofmajor sporting events.

18 Modern Videofilm finish James Cameron's AvatarAll the finishing work for James Cameron's Stereo3D film'Avatar' was completed at Modern Videofilm on the US WestCoast.

30 Bond upgrade audio for Emirates Palace ballroomThe magnificent seven star Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi,with its grand marble entrance and gold leaf atrium overlookingthe Persian Gulf, is one of the world’s most beautiful buildings.

54 Recruitment is no song and dance routine!We’re all in danger of having a serious excess of reality TV! Theplethora of music, talent and dance shows makes us realisehow limited most people’s singing or dancing capability reallyis! Unfortunately the same is often the case with recruitment.

AV SpecialistVolume 110

Contents

Publisher & Managing EditorKevan Joneskevan@avspecialist.tv

Feature EditorDick Hobbsdick@avspecialist.tv

Circulation Anne Ebrahimann@avspecialist.tv

Designer Rajiv Nairrajiv@avspecialist.tv

Advertising salesAfrica, Middle East, UK Richie Ebrahimrichie@avspecialist.tv

EuropeEmmanuel Archambeaudearchambeaud@defcommunication.com

Represented in North America by:Broadcast Media InternationalMichael Mitchell Tel: +1 631 673 3199michael@avspecialist.tv

Represented in the Middle East by:AV Specialist MENA FZ LLCPO Box 502314, DubaiUnited Arab EmiratesTel: +971 (0)4 391-4718Fax: +971 (0)4 345-2898

Published in South Africa by:Doddington Direct ccPO Box 3939, Honeydew, 2040,South AfricaTel: +27 (0)11 434-4227Fax: +27 (0)865253852

Represented in Europe by:Def & Communication48 Bd Jean-Jaurès, 92110 Clichy, FranceTel: +33 (0)1 4730 7180Fax: +33 (0)1 4730 0189

Publisher’s Note

With Cabsat fast approaching it’ll be interesting to see how this year’s attendance figures comparewith those achieved in the past. Although the global economic crisis was fairly obvious to most observersduring the last quarter of 2008, many Middle East broadcasters and suppliers adopted a ‘head in thesand’ approach and proclaimed loudly that the slowdown would not affect them in the Middle East.During a discussion at the IABM Executive breakfast held during Cabsat I was nearly burned at the stakeby local distributors for even suggesting that the Dubai economy would be adversely affected. How truemy predictions turned out to be: during 2009 broadcasters, post facilities and production companiesclosed their doors at an unprecedented rate. It wasn’t just the broadcast sector that was affected.Professional AV integrators were also hit by the slowdown in the local construction industry; scheduledinstallations at new hotels and entertainment centres simply dried up as construction stopped in itstracks. The staging and live events sector also went into freefall as events were cancelled or down-sized.

What does the future hold for 2010? Fortunately there are some positive signs on the horizon andthe global economy seems to be picking itself up. But predictions are that the Middle East will recoverslowly and it’s doubtful the market will ever return to the free-spending market we experienced just 18months ago. I look forward to seeing you at the show – please feel free to pop onto our booth and meetthe team.

The launch of the world’s tallesttower made headlines all over theworld for it’s lavish fireworksdisplay. Read all about it on page 26.

Ave qualified circulation(Jan - June 2009) 5437

Productn e w s

Omneon solutions at Cabsat At CABSAT 2010 Omneon will demonstrate HD

workflows including easy, flexible multi-format playout basedon the new MIP-5501, part of the MediaPort 5500 series. TheMIP-5501 will be featured performing back-to-back playout ofSD and HD clips on the same timeline, with real-time up- anddown-conversion enabling a mix of MPEG and DV formats.

A demonstration of the Omneon MediaDeck GXcomplete channel-playout solution will give show attendees thechance to see firsthand the system's sophisticated yet simplecapabilities including comprehensive wipes, squeezebacks,graphics, branding, and text. Omneon also will provide a "realworld" demonstration of an end-to-end HD production workflowsupported by Omneon storage. This practical model willillustrate how the Omneon Spectrum and Dolby DP600 can beused along with Apple Final Cut Pro to enable ingest, editing,and Dolby-E encoding of media while meeting the multi-language dubbing requirements of a 5.1 surround soundenvironment.

Over the last few years many small HD cameras havebeen released and are now widely used for various applications,including the broadcast and movie industries. The RS-250 seriesprovides a counterbalance range of 1, 8 to 5kg (height of thecentre of gravity at 100mm / 3.9") and a load capacity of 6kg.The "variable counterbalance system" enables the tripod head toaccommodate many different types of cameras, including hand-held/ shoulder HDV, XDCAM EX, P2HD and AVCHD cameras.The RS-250 is a full-fledged tripod head equipped withequivalent panning & tilting capabilities and low-temperaturecharacteristics similar to higher-end models in the same series,but at a more attractive price, making it extremely cost-effective.

During Cabsat Grass Valley will introduce the new T2Intelligent Digital Disk Recorder (iDDR) to the Middle Eastmarket. This is the next generation of its popular iDDR familyof playout and record devices for file-based SD/HDproduction and A/V presentation environments.

The new T2 iDDR brings improved efficiencies for liveand staged production and expanded I/O support for all ofthe most common production formats. This allows the newT2 to operate seamlessly within any type of tapeless orbaseband environment: as a standalone device or as part ofa large multi-camera production. "The original Turbo iDDRwas designed as a file-based VTR replacement device and itliterally took the industry by storm," said Jeff Rosica, SeniorVice President of Grass Valley. "The new T2 takes theexperiences learned from the first generation and adds newfeatures and functionality customers requested most. Wenow have a multi-purpose device that can do more andenables users to utilize it in ways they never could before tomake their operations more productive. This has been thegoal of our product engineers since the beginning."

Next-generation Intelligent Digital Disk Recorder

2

At Cabsat Snell will showcase a rich array of solutions forcreation, management, and distribution of content, all designed toease broadcasters' transition to digital, HDTV, and 3Gb/soperations. Making its first appearance in the Middle East, theKahuna CF+, housed in a single compact 6-RU frame, is themost powerful and cost-effective 2.5-M/E production switcher onthe market. This newest member of the Kahuna family serves as astand-alone solution for sophisticated switching and offers morechoice in space-constrained environments. The Kahuna CF+shares the same specifications of larger Kahuna systems, as wellas a compact full-function control surface and the intuitiveinterface that makes Kahuna switchers a familiar favourite amongtechnical directors and other users across the industry. TheKahuna CF+ supports external device control without the need foradditional boxes, ensuring smooth integration into studios whilereducing the cost, complexity, and power consumption of theinstallation.

Snell launches Kahuna CF+

Libec launches latest RS series RS-250

1

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Mini Converters instantly switch between all SD and HD formats, including NTSC, PAL, 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 1080PsF/23.98, 1080PsF/24, 720p/59.94,

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Redundant SDI Input

Most Mini Converters feature a redundant input and loop through SDI output. Connect a redundant SDI cable to the second input, and if the main SDI input is lost, Mini Converters will automatically switch over in an instant. That’s great for mission critical tasks such as live events.

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Standard 1/4 inch jacks are built in to most Mini Converters for professional balanced audio that switches between AES/EBU or analog. Unlike other converters you don’t need expensive custom audio cables.

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Mini Converters are built to the highest quality standards with low SDI jitter, so you get the longest SDI cable lengths combined with ultra low noise broadcast quality analog video and audio. Mini Converters are the world’s fi rst converters to include 3 Gb/s SDI on all models!

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The most advanced 3 Gb/s converters for SD and HD that include AES/EBU and analog audio!

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US$495Sync Generator

US$295

www.fujinon.de Medical TV CCTV Machine Vision Binoculars

Fujinon was awarded the Emmy Engineering Award by the

National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the devel-

opment of the Precision Focus technology. The third-generation

system guarantees crystal-clear HDTV images – even extremely fast-

moving objects can be tracked with ease. With the push of a button, the

PF system will automatically lock on to the object and pull the object into

perfect focus, which permits the camera operator to fully concentrate on the

action unfolding before their eyes. Fujinon. To see more is to know more.

Emmy awarded for outstanding achievement in engineering development: the Precision Focus System from Fujinon.

FUJINON (EUROPE) GMBH, MIDDLE EAST OFFICE, JEBEL ALI FREE ZONE, P.O. BOX 18408, Dubai, U.A.E., TEL.: +971 4 887 3074, FAX: +971 4 887 3053, fujinon@emirates.net.aeFUJINON (EUROPE) GMBH, HALSKESTRASSE 4, 47877 WILLICH, GERMANY, TEL.: +49 (0) 21 54 9 24-0, FAX: +49 (0) 21 54 9 24-290, www.fujinon.deFUJINON CORPORATION, 1-324 UETAKE, KITAKU, SAITAMA CITY, 331-9624 SAITAMA, JAPAN, TEL.: +81 (0) 48 668 21 52, FAX: +81 (0) 48 651 85 17, www.fujinon.co.jp

100003_EmmyII_210x297_GB_AV-Spec1 1 07.01.2010 11:15:56 Uhr

Autodesk has announced that it is ready to start shippingAutodesk Smoke 2010f or Mac OS X, a software-only editorialfinishing tool and the first Autodesk finishing product designedto run on the Mac. Smoke software’s proven editorial finishingtools harness the 64-bit power of Snow Leopard to provide aninteractive, all-in-one finishing experience.

“The business of post-production is evolving. Post-production and broadcast facilities alike are seeking moreaffordable, integrated creative tools that can help them standout from the crowd,” said Stig Gruman, Autodesk vicepresident of digital entertainment. “Smoke 2010 on the Machas been designed to help editors increase creative output,project quality and turnaround times. It brings production-proven finishing capabilities to the extremely talentedcommunity of artists already using the Mac in broadcast andpost-production.” Autodesk Smoke helped define editorialfinishing by combining the timeline workflow of a non-lineareditor with advanced visual effects tools. Customers have usedSmoke to help shape many high-profile television programssuch as House, NCIS and CSI New York.

Autodesk Smoke comes to the Mac

Product

5

n e w s

Riedel Communications, pioneer of fiber-based intercomand audio routing solutions, presents the industry’s nextgeneration of fiber-optic signal transport solutions at this year’sCabsat in Dubai. The Riedel MediorNet is the first step into aninnovative new age of fiber-based real-time signal transportsolutions for uncompressed multi-channel HD/SD video, audio,intercom and data. MediorNet combines signal transport, routingand signal processing and conversion into one integrated real-time network. MediorNet is not designed just for simple point-to-point links but offers a real network solution. This includes signalrouting, allowing the user to send any incoming signal to anyoutput or even to multiple outputs by just a mouse-click or, evenmore conveniently, by a router control system.

One device for signal transport,routing and signal processing

During Cabsat Advanced Media Trading will introduceFocus Enhancement’s new MC-HD1 Universal MediaConverter tothe Middle East market.

The MC-HD1 is ideally suited as a front-end to non-linearediting (NLE) and media asset management (MAM) systems or asa video conversion tool for live-production or post-production use.The MC-HD1 also makes it possible to monitor an SD down-conversion of any output source. The MC-HD1 features HD/SD-SDI, HDMI, component, composite (SD) and Y/C (SD),unbalanced/ balanced audio and dual channel AES/EBU digitalaudio inputs and outputs. In addition, de-interlacing/interlacing,frame-rate conversion, audio embed/ de-embed, SD/HD up/down scaling and adaptive audio delay compensation forincreased flexibility. The MC-HD1 is packaged in a compact 1RUchassis with a backlit LCD display for settings and status and aneasy to use scroll wheel for menu navigation. Settings can becontrolled and viewed using the MC-HD1's built in web server viaa simple network connection from any web browser. Externaldevices such as VTRs can be controlled via RS422 and outputsgenlocked.

MC-HD1 Universal Media Converter

During Cabsat,Advanced Media Trading willbe launching Glidecam’s newX-22 stabilization system to theMiddle East market. TheGlidecam X-22 is a highlyadvanced, professionalcamera stabilization systemdesigned for film and videocameras weighing from 10 to25 pounds. It incorporatesadvanced engineering andprecision machining, making itthe most sophisticated and

versatile system in its pricerange.

The X-22 system willallow you to walk, run, go upand down stairs, shoot frommoving vehicles and travelover uneven terrain without anycamera instability or shake.The complete X-22 system iscomprised of a Support Arm, aSupport Vest and a SupportSled. The system works byisolating your body's motionfrom your camera, while yourcamera is balanced in arelatively motionless andisolated state. The SupportArm can be boomed up anddown, as well as pivoted inand out, and side-to-side. It isthe combined low frictionbooming and pivoting action ofthe Support Arm that isolatesyour body’s motions from thecamera enabling you to createsuper smooth moving camerafootage.

Glidecam X-22 stabilization system

Wohler at Cabsat show:During the 2010 Cabsat show, Wohler will showcase

convenient and cost-effective solutions for audio monitoring in avariety of digital and HD broadcast environments. The range ofproducts on display combine multi-format support with robustfunctionality in compact designs, not only streamlining monitoringoperations but also enabling facilities to leverage new and legacyequipment to deliver quality services. One of the latest productson display will be their new AMP1-16 Series 16-Channel MultirateSDI Audio/Video Monitor. The AMP1-16 series monitors are theworld's first to simultaneously monitor the video and all 16channels of a 3G HD/SD-SDI signal in 1RU. Using three 4.3-inchOLED display screens, 16 channels of level meters, cluster-basedITU-1770-1 loudness metering, metadata, and video are allviewable at the same time. These units marry the power of flexiblemonitoring and output with a friendly help system andconfigurable front panel buttons, which can solo, mute, and recallsystem-wide presets. Available with optional Dolby D, E, andDD+ as it is released.

Productn e w s

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Sonifex are showing a new range of Redbox VideoEmbedders and De-embedders at Cabsat. Eamonn Heffernan,Sales Manager, said: "Our popular Redbox range hasexpanded significantly of late and we are pleased to show thelatest addition of 3G video embedders and de-embedders.Unlike most embedders and de-embedders that use DC inputsin small format cases, we have used 1U racks with AC inputs."

There are 4 units in the suite: the RB-VHEMA8 which isan 8-channel analogue embedder; the RB-VHDMA8 which isan 8-channel analogue de-embedder; the RB-VHCMA4 whichis a 4-channel analogue de-embedder and a 4-channelanalogue embedder and the RB-VHCMD16 which is a 16-channel de-embedder and 16 channel embedder.

Sonifex 3G HD video Redboxes showing at Cabsat

Nevion (formerly Network/VPG) will be showing live demosof its innovative video over IP solutions at this year’s Cabsatexhibition. It will be showcasing its range of industry-leadingvideo transport solutions aimed at the broadcast and mediaindustries – including real-time secure transport of HD and SDvideo over IP, the industry’s longest-reaching 3G-SDI transport,and green technology to reduce OPEX in fibre-based signalprocessing, routing and transport.

Nevion will show live demos of its video over IP offeringwhich includes visually lossless compression using JPEG 2000,protection switching and variable-rate transmissions. The newsolutions efficiently aggregate video signals across IP networksfor contribution and primary distribution - providing broadcasterswith high quality video over IP and network infrastructure costswith built-in and proven reliability to help make their networkmore productive.

Nevion to demonstrate state-of-the-art video over IP offering

Datavideo will use Cabsat to show Middle East customersa new addition to the company’s line of digital switchers andmobile video studios products. The Datavideo HS-2000 is acompact, full HD 1920 x 1080 broadcast quality HD-SDI mobilevideo studio that is ideal as a fly away kit.

The Datavideo HS-2000 is designed around the DatavideoSE-2000 five channel 10-bit HD-SDI, HD Component and DVIvideo and audio switcher. Other features include 14 pre-storedlogos, digital clock display, five user set up, title overlay and DVI-D connection for presentation software. The integrated audiomixer with balanced XLR connectors allows up to four channelsmicrophone or line audio inputs. The HS-2000 also includes amulti-image video output via Datavideo’s TLM-1700 a 17-inchesHD/SD monitor, a six way ITC-100 Intercom System completewith five ITC-100SL belt pack units.

Datavideo HS-2000 Mobile Video Studio

Ensemble Designs' Scan Converter for Broadcasters

Ensemble Designs has announced the release of theaward winning BrightEye Mitto scan converter forbroadcasters. "Broadcasters are looking for a better way toget web material to air," said Mondae Hott, Director of Sales."We've been overwhelmed with phone calls from stationengineers asking for demos and placing orders for Mitto."

A superior quality scan converter, BrightEye Mitto makesit easy to choose the desired video output format, 1.5 and 3Gb/s HD SDI or SD SDI. Mitto possesses proprietary scalingtechnology and exclusive multi-tap filtering. The regionselected for output determines if Mitto acts as an up-converter or down-converter. The filters automatically adjust inaccordance with the conversion being performed. Theincluded software allows users to simply use a mouse toselect which part of the computer video they want to output toHD or SD video.

Productn e w s

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Panasonic hasannounced the expansion ofits Professional AVCCAM lineof professional solid statehigh definition products withthe introductions of the AG-HMR10 handheld, battery-operated field recorder/playerand the AG-HCK10 compact,multi-purpose camera head.

Offering the unbeatablecombination of high quality,low cost and extreme mobility,the new AVCCAM recorderand camera utilize advanced

compression (MPEG-4/AVCHigh-Profile) and are ideal forapplications in videoproduction, sports coaching,healthcare, law enforcement,remote operation/surveillance, and much more.Equipped with an HD-SDIinput and output, the HMR10recorder is also suitable forback-up recording from anyHD-SDI-enabled camera orfor use in studio or eventproduction. Designed for usewith the HMR10 recorder, thesmall HCK10 camera headfeatures three 1/4” native HDresolution MOS imagers. Iris,focus, zoom control andpower are supplied from theHMR10 recorder. Cablesconnecting the camera torecorder will be available inlengths up to 10 meters .

Panasonic expands AVCCAM product line

Anton Bauer debuts Tandem 150Anton/Bauer will introduce its new Tandem 150 Modular

Power System to the Middle East market during Cabsat 2010.Ideal for remote and on-location shoots, the Tandem 150 unit isthe smallest and lightest charger and on-camera power supplypackage available on the market.

A fully automatic system, the Tandem 150 operates as aDC power supply once a camera or other device is connectedand turned on. This unique system functions by separating thepower/charger device from the power supply, allowing a userto simultaneously charge a battery and power a camera. Whena 75 watt draw is exceeded, the system automatically stopscharging and performs solely as a 150 watt power supply.Likewise, if the camera is turned off or the load is reducedbelow 75 watts, the Tandem 150 system instantly resumesnormal operation. The Tandem 150 Modular Power System alsoallows for high power applications, a feature previouslyunavailable with the Tandem 70 system.

Sachtler brings camera support to Dubai

At this year‘s Cabsat show, Sachtler will be presentingtheir multifunctional camera support tool SOOM, amongother products. “1+1+1=4 - that‘s the motto behind theSOOM HiPod systems,” said Stefano Finessi, regionaldirector for Vitec Camera Dynamic . An intelligentcombination of TriPod, TriSpread and the SOOM Tube turnthree products into one. Hence the mid-level spreader caneasily be converted into a baby-tripod. TriPod, TriSpread andTube are designed for 75mm heads. SOOM is the ideal toolfor stabilizing the camera even in tricky conditions such aslittle space or frequent relocating. The compact FSB 6 fluidhead works flawlessly with the SOOM system. It has apayload range of 1 to 6 kg and three horizontal and verticalgrades of drag each. The FSB 6 is ideal for all types ofMiniDV- and HDV-usage.

10

But, digital media has not beenthis effective for everyone,perhaps most notably, thefailure of Tesco’s, whoundoubtedly had access to

state-of-the-art technology. So what thenis the crucial success factor in digitalmedia? “Digital media places a highlysophisticated tool in the hands ofmarketing experts, but it is the contentthat creates the ultimate results. Whilethe power of the technology isunquestionable, digital media is littlemore than a blank canvas for marketingand advertising teams to deliver the rightcontent at the right time to the rightaudience,” says Ronald Henry ofSpectrum, leading supplier of digitalmedia solutions. “Similar to any otherhardware of software, if digital media isnot used properly, it will not yield thedesired results. Quality and serviceconsiderations aside, all digital mediahardware and software operate on the

same principle. So the differentiatingfactor is not the technology or software,but how it is applied. If you use areputable and experienced supplier, it isa given that the technology and thesoftware will work, but to get the results,what is required is 100% commitmentfrom the marketing team to producewell-planned content as a critical part ofthe sales strategy.” To harness the powerof digital media requires more ingenuity,creativity and effort than traditional

media, because of its dynamic andinteractive nature. In the early days manyretailers installed digital media at the tills.This is fine, if the objective is to increasebrand awareness, promote a service orproduct available at the till point, orincrease participation in an SMScompetition. But if the objective is toincrease sales of goods on the shelves,the message is not delivered at the righttime or to the right people. Shoppers willnever abandon their place in the queueto make an impulse purchase - by thetime they are in the queue theopportunity to boost sales of shelf goodshave passed.

Waste of opportunity “Worse yet, some businesses have

installed the technology to provideentirely irrelevant communications suchas re-runs of old comedies or trivia. It isa complete waste of an incredibleopportunity to communicate with acaptive audience and to provide contentthat is relevant to the context, contributesto the consumer’s interaction with thebrand and contains a call-to-actionwhich the consumer can executeimmediately – for example, super-sizinga meal in a fast-food outlet, or applyingfor a credit card or personal loan while inthe bank.”

Quality of contentHenry comments that these

examples clearly illustrate the fact that itis not the technology that creates results,but the quality and creativity of thecontent. The role of the technology and

Increasing the digital media bottom lineThe power of digital media lies in its ability to get the right message tothe right people at precisely the right moment, transforming a marketingcall-to-action into a measurable change in consumer behaviour. Itseffectiveness has been proven in numerous cases where sales havebeen increased by as much as 10%, a return that undoubtedly justifiesthe investment in the technology and the creative process.

11

software is to deliver this content at theright place and time. “A successful digitalmedia campaign is one that is createdaround a clear and measurable objective– for example, improving brandawareness or increasing sales. The keyto success is digital media content that iscorrectly aligned to the achievement ofthe objective.” Due to its extremeflexibility, there is very little restriction onthe content that can be used. Digitalmedia can carry content from Bluetoothand satellite, and external data can beembedded to create a truly interactivemedium. Messages can be tailored tomatch the time of day, the day of theweek or any other time-related factor, aswell as to a specific location, such as asuburb or provincial rugby team supportbase.

Careful planningWith careful planning, digital media

can also provide instant, measurablefeedback, for example, comparing salesduring a specific digital media campaignwith historical data, or making certainchanges to the content and measuringthe effect thereof by comparing salesdata before and after the change. Theopportunities to fine tune and re-inventcampaigns are unlimited. “For this

reason, we always encourage our clientsto implement a pilot project,” says Henry.“In addition to ensuring peace of mindthat the right investment decision isbeing made, it creates an opportunity totry various approaches in terms ofpositioning and content, and when awinning formula is devised, it can bereplicated in other sites.” “Digital mediais a compelling addition to any modern

marketing mix due to its dynamic,interactive and highly targeted nature,which can be controlled precisely toupsell customers at the right moment tomaximise sales. But, similar to anymarketing initiative, it requires thoroughplanning around a clear objective toensure the content is relevant to thecontext and will support the achievementof the objective,” concludes Henry.

www.electrosonic.co.za . 011-770 9800 or 031-533 0900 or e-mail sales@electrosonic.co.za

12

For instance, the novel MediaServer developed by EVS andintroduced by HBS at the 2006FIFA World Cup, was the first ofits kind and set a new industry

standard in terms of reliability,connectivity, and speed. Described as“the hit of the games” by manybroadcasters, it has been renamed theFIFA Max Centre for the 2010 World Cupand will enable FIFA Licensees (MRLs) toaccess 2010 FIFA World Cup footagefrom a dedicated set-up, including theability to browse, log, exchange contentmaterial, and access additional colourmaterial gathered by FIFA TV ENG Crews.The EVS Clips Compilation Channel isanother example, where broadcasterswere given access to content generatedat the venues and not included in themain match feed. The Live Slow Motionmachines generate over 1500 clips permatch and only a fraction of these areused on the main feed. Under normalconditions, ‘unseen’ angles are fed duringthe half-time interval and just after thematch, but in many cases this materialarrives too late to be included in the live

studio programming. The ClipsCompilation Channel provides access tothese ‘unseen’ clips instantly, bystreaming the best slow-motion angles tothe Media Server.

Host broadcasting over the yearsHost broadcasting has changed

considerably in the last decade. The hostbroadcast of global sporting events hasbecome so sophisticated in the last fewyears that the know-how of specializedcompanies has become somewhatobligatory. This vital function - once a costand a heavy burden for nationalbroadcasters of the host country – is now

For the past 10 years, Host Broadcast Services and EVS have worked closely together to transform the hostbroadcast of major sporting events. The long term collaboration between HBS and EVS has led to significantchanges in the way flagship events are brought to viewers the world over.

A decade of excellence withHBS and EVS

13

a logical and profitable business. Themore complex and sophisticated the hostbroadcast operation becomes, the moreimportant it is to build on experience.

Fully digital broadcastAmong the most impressive steps

taken by HBS and EVS is the first fullydigital host broadcast of a FIFA World Cup(2002 Korea/Japan) with its original “multi-feed” services. Another important step wastaken in 2006, during the FIFA World Cupin Germany. The internal sporting eventbecame the first to be fully covered in HD,and enabled the introduction of the MediaServer and the Clip Compilation Channel,promoting the delivery and sharing ofmedia in a truly tapeless environment. In2008 HBS France Production producedthe first dedicated Mobile InternationalSignal for the French Ligue 1. Livestereoscopic 3D coverage of the IIHFWorld Championship was also producedfor the first time that same year. The 3Dexperience was reproduced in April 2009,during the football match between theOlympique Lyonnais and Paris Saint-Germain FC. These productions were

carried out by HBS and with EVStechnology. The technological progressthat HBS and EVS have been able to bringforward in the past decade is actually themost significant in the last 50 years. Thisprogress is reflected in many differentways. For example, the number ofcameras used per match has doubledwithin 10 years, new camera technology(super and hyper-motion systems) hasbeen introduced, and the transition fromtape-based to tapeless recording andarchiving has become a standard. Majorsporting events have also seen theintroduction of the media server allowingconstant access to all matches, to multiplefeeds, and to all camera angles producedby the host broadcaster for the multilateralcoverage. We’ve also seen a transitionfrom Standard Definition to 16/9 and/orHigh Definition, as well as the introductionof dedicated mobile delivery.

From ingest to playoutAppointed as the Host Broadcaster

for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in SouthAfrica, HBS has decided to renew itssuccessful collaboration with EVS for the

supply of instant tapeless technology andsupport services during the production ofthis world class event. EVS technologieswill be employed at different levels of thehost broadcast production, including thelive production of the 64 matches in theOB facilities, where EVS systems will beused for the live slow, super slow and ultraslow motion replays, as well as thecompilation of the best clips and highlightscreation. EVS is also providing a full HDmultiple feed ingest and media exchangesolution on a Media Server, based on anadvanced XT[2] network infrastructure,offering instant access to any contentrecorded during the competition withenhanced search and low resolutionbrowsing systems. This allowsbroadcasters to easily interchange mediacontent. The media recorded and loggedinto the media server includes 9 differentfeeds from the pitch, plus ENG files from40 reporting crews.

Remote access to contentIn order to maximize the remote

access to the content, HBS has decidedto introduce the web-based server systemalready operated by HBS for the Ligue1Football production in France. The system(known as the EVS XT[2]Web) will enablebroadcasters to access, browse, andreview the ENG edited sequencesproduced by the HBS ENG team at thedifferent venues on a web-based solutionfor download in SD or HD.

XEDIO, EVS’ editing solution, will beoperated by HBS editing teams for theproduction of 24/7 news programs, andprovide remote access to file based ENGvia advanced web production systems.

Moreover EVS, via HBS, will beproviding different broadcasters (known inthe FIFA jargon as “Media RightsLicensees”) with browsing tools to access,review, clip, and import material for theirown production crews. Last but not least,EVS systems will manage the ingest ofdedicated mobile feeds with live streamingonto Apple XSAN and FCP editor forinstant delivery onto mobile networkservices.

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

Chart 1: Host Broadcast Evolution (1998 – 2010) as related to a FIFA World Cup Match (source: HBS)

Venues production While traditional league matches are

shot with an average of 12 to 18 cameras,a 2010 FIFA World Cup match will betracked with no less than 29 to 32cameras depending on the match. Inaddition to standard cameras, HBS will beoperating a series of Super and UltraMotion cameras. In order to insure theproduction of live replays, slow-motionaction replays, highlights, and closersduring a live football match, all cameraswill be recorded on EVS video productionservers installed in the Outside Broadcastfacilities (OB Vans) located in thebroadcast compound, at the venue,during the event.

Camera Plan (32) inc. semi-finals andfinal

About 130 XT[2] servers will bedeployed in the fleet of OB trucks workingat the different venues in South Africa.These advanced digital video recordersmanage the acquisition of all camerassurrounding the playing field. They arebased on a loop recording process, sothat not a single shot is ever missed. Theirlive oriented architecture (high level ofredundancy and fault-tolerance, insuringthat no failure can interrupt the workflow)guarantee a maximum level of control forinstant replays, highlights editing,compilations of best clips, and graphicoverlays managed by the OB productionteam during the matches. Each servercan simultaneously ingest and controlmultiple feeds (up to six feeds per server).

Dual media sharing networkDuring the production of a match all

the XT servers installed in the OBs arelinked together allowing operators andproduction teams to share content andcontrol media recorded on this XT[2]network. The XT[2]s are ganged togetherthrough a dual media sharing network (onthe one hand, the XNET[2] network basedon high bandwidth SDTI, and on the other,the standard Gigabit Ethernet network).Any feed recorded on one server can be

reviewed, clipped, and played out fromany other server. This allows operators toexchange clips and highlights with otheroperators, gathering all the bestsequences and actions that will then betransferred to the International BroadcastCentre in Johannesburg. During theproduction of the matches in the OBtrucks, the large number of In & Out XTchannels will be controlled by multiplesystems, such as the MulticamLSMremote controller for all live slow, super,and ultra motion replays, as well as multi-camera actions clipping, highlightcreations, and closers. In addition, EVSLSM controllers will be operated by HBSproduction teams to point offsidepositions of the players through the insertof a virtual offside line graphic overlayrecently integrated onto the system. Intotal, more than 150 LSM controllers willbe operated by highly skilled LSMoperators selected by HBS production forthe live ‘slomo’ and related live replayoperations.

Another tool used across the OBfleet is EVS’s IPDirector which is used formulti-camera ingest and XT[2] networkcontrol, browsing, and logging operations.In addition, a timeline editing module ofIPDirector, IPEdit will be operated by HBSfor the creation of highlights and clipcompilations. With IPEdit, HBS editors willbenefit from instant access and controlover the XT[2] recording channels, with noneed for media transfer, encoding anddecoding processes. The IPDirector isalso used to manage the transfer of clipsand sequences onto third-party post-production systems used by HBS.

Live editing operationsA total of 150 MulticamLSM systems

will be used at the different venues for alllive replay operations, including slowmotion, super motion (3 phases cameras)and ultra motion camera replays (EVS isused for all replay actions of Ultra Motioncamera sequences managing up to 1000frames per second). In addition, HBS LSMoperators will be using the system for thecreation of on-the-fly highlights andclosers played during slack periods or to

illustrate interesting actions happeningduring the game (e.g. goal, tackle, publicemotion).

Best clip compilation HBS production will be in charge of

compiling all the best sequences andreplays at the venues during the matches.These sequences compiled as one singlefeed (known in the FIFA jargon as “ClipCompilation”), will be transferred to theIBC and ingested to the media server tobe available to all HBS and MRLproduction teams. The creation andgathering of clips by the HBS teams in theOB vans at each venue will be managedwith EVS MulticamLSM and IPDirectorclipping and playlist management tools.The clip compilation will gather the bestactions recorded on the XT[2] serversduring the match, such as multi-cameraangles of goals, public reactions, supermotion and ultra motion sequences.

In order to facilitate the compilationof the best actions, replays, and clips,HBS teams working in the OBs withIPDirector software will have access inreal-time to all logs created by HBS teamsusing IPLogger interface at the IBC inJohannesburg. EVS IPEdit (the newtimeline editor of the IPDirector) will bemanaged by the OB team for theproduction of highlights and pre-gamesequences with transition effects basedon full timeline editing solutions. Due to itsdirect integration and control of the XT[2]servers, editors will be able to accessmulti-camera feeds instantly and to addsequences and clips on their timeline withsimple drag and drop operations. IPEditwill be operated for short form editing,such as highlight and closer creations.Because IPEdit also allows access to

multiple channels across the entire medianetwork (up to two simultaneous timelinescan be created per XT[2] server), HBSgains speed and efficiency.

14

Live virtual offside line creation For the first time ever, HBS will

introduce the creation of virtual offside linegraphics to the international feed. Theoffside line graphic overlay creation will bemanaged using the EVS EPSIO system.This new solution will allow LSM operators(using standard EVS LSM RemoteControllers) to instantly generate a virtualgraphic overlay with automatic recognitionof the playing field’s limits. The operatorhas only to manually trigger the offside

line with the jog wheel of the LSM remoteto adjust it properly. Due to a one-time-per-event calibration wizard, where eachcamera sends images of the playing fieldwith pre-defined angles into the system,EPSIO is able to instantly andautomatically recognize the playing fieldduring actions and virtually draw theoffside line along the borders of theplaying field. This one-second operation isselectable with just one button. The

special preview of the graphic overlay willguarantee the availability of the offsideline effects when the director decides toreplay the action.

Remote browsing and transferIn order to increase the availability of

multi-camera angles to the productionteams located in the IBC, additionalIPDirector browsing stations (IPBrowser)have been added to allow browsing andreviewing of unseen camera angles rightafter each match. The IPBrowser locatedin the IBC will be connected to theIPDirector database located in the OB

truck at the venues via an Ethernet line.Operators in the IBC will be able thereview each clip, as well as their related(unseen) camera angles. The operatorwill be able to transfer the Hi-Res clipback to the IBC for the preparation ofnews cuts and edits.

The media server: FIFA MAX In order to expand broadcasters’

creative capabilities during major sportingevents, HBS introduced the EVS MediaServer in 2006, offering the HBSproduction team and broadcasters 24/7access to all of the recorded media,including the director’s cut, multiplecamera angles, ISO camera, andcompilations of best clips. Moreover,ENG footage was made instantly availablefor production and post-productionoperations. The Media Server is a fullyintegrated cluster of EVS productionservers. Built on EVS Instant TapelessTechnology, the media server combinesoptimized hardware (XT[2] servers) andsoftware solutions to manage theexchange and distribution of media withthe maximum guarantee of speed andsecurity, including indexing (based onintelligent logging systems) of incomingfeeds and content, media backup andarchiving.

For the 2010 FIFA World Cup inSouth Africa, the EVS media server, knownas the FIFA MAX (Media Asset Exchange)will manage the ingest and the exchangeof no less than 3,000 hours of content inHD. During the competition, HBSproduction teams and Media RightsLicensees (MRLs) will be able to accessMatch feeds, Clips compilation, ENGmaterials & rushes, Analysis & statssequences and much more. During eachmatch, 11 HD XT[2] servers will berecording the 9 different feeds producedby HBS. The production of 2 simultaneousmatches at the beginning of thecompetition means that the system hashad to be optimized to support the ingestof 2 x 9 feeds simultaneously.

Logging operationsThe content recorded on the EVS

media server will be logged by HBSteams using EVS IPDirector systems. Intotal 8 logging stations will be used to adddescriptive tags (logs) to the audio/videofeeds recorded on the FIFA MAX mediaserver. Two loggers will be dedicated tothe CSF logging and to the clipcompilation per match (in the case of 2simultaneous matches 4 in total). Threestations will be dedicated to the logging ofENG material and the MRL contentcontribution imported onto the system.

One additional station will be used forsupervision.

ENG operations and web browsingHBS will have 40 ENG crews, one

for each of the teams participating in theevent and another 8 spread throughoutthe host country gathering FWC relatedfeatures, such as match and fan relatedcontent, South African culture, sights, andon-site events. All crews working withPanasonic P2 camcorders will send theirrough cut edits and rushes to theInternational Broadcast Centre on a dailybasis, immediately logged and madeavailable on the media server for HBSproduction teams and MRLs to browseand download locally. The rough cutoperations will be managed with EVS’XEDIO Media Dispatcher system, so as toselect, group, clip, log, and export P2 files- in the appropriate format - onto theMedia Server in Johannesburg. In total,about 20 to 25 hours of content will beproduced and shared every day.

In order to increase the availability ofENG cuts to MRLs, HBS developed a newweb-based solution offering web browsingand downloading capabilities forbroadcasters. The so-called “TV MRLs”and “Radio MRLs” are brand newcustomers who will be using new servicesdeveloped with EVS’ XT[2]Web platform.This platform combines broadcasttechnology with a web-server system andis currently being used by clubs, referees,and disciplinary commissions of the

15

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Ligue1 in France. The XT[2]Web systemwill offer remote video and/or audio webbrowsing and downloading of ENG editsto broadcasters that have opted for eitherthe TV MRLs or Radio MRLs services.Once ingested onto the media server,ENG edits and their associated metadata(logs) are automatically sent onto asecured web-server in proxy format(MPEG4 H264). MRLs that are abroadcan browse hours of ENG edited contentusing keywords and descriptive metadatato facilitate their search. Once they havefound and selected the media(audio/video or audio only) and dropped itinto their baskets, MRLs then have thepossibility to order the Hi-Res file either inSD or HD. The transfer operation will beautomatically managed using theSmartJog system linked to the EVSdatabase and media server. Hi-Res audiofiles can simply be imported locally via theXT[2]Web solution.

Mobile live feed and streamingHBS will be managing the

production of a mobile feed delivered toFIFA mobile subscribers via Telconetworks. In order to offer high qualityfootage, HBS will be providing a fullydedicated mobile feed. A dedicatedproduction team will be working on the

mobile feed production. A special mobileproduction will be substituting the maincamera feed with a dedicated camera -also filming from the main platform - inorder to provide closer shots and actionthat offer better visibility on mobiledevices.

Examples of dedicated Mobile feedcompared to the international feed(source HBS)

The dedicated mobile feedproduced at the venue will be ingestedinto the media server with live streamingon the Apple XSAN server, allowing anFCP editor working on the Mobile Contentproduction (voice-over, editing, and

specific team presentation) to work on theedit during the live production.

Media Rights Licensees browsing In order to fully benefit from the

exchange capabilities of the FIFA Maxmedia server, MRLs have the ability tochoose from different browsing sourcesand to import set-up options, including E-VS IPDirector for low resolution browsingon the Media Server, clipping, and importof Hi-Res HD clips (DVCPRO HD) locally.Depending on the option, a dedicated HDXT[2] server will be installed in thefacilities of the MRLs (in the IBC) with anextra IPDirector for Hi-Res browsing andclipping.

Today the production of Live Sports is about identifying and delivering valuable content in record time and using various media. To succeed producers count on technology that is fast and dependable.

With EVS’ newly developed XT[2]+ production server and its unique software suites, IPDirector and MulticamLSM, you can take full control of the action with: multiple camera recordings; Ultra Motion HD replays; integrated live graphic overlays; metadata management;non-linear and advanced real-time editing; powerful networking capabilities in addition to video transfer; synchronized playout.

EVS Instant Tapeless Technology also allows you to expand your workflow for tomorrow’s production needs with Live Slow Motion replays in 3D and remote access to content via the Web.

Are you ready to compete?

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addition to video transfer; synchronized playout.

content via the Web.

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18

Avatar is a massivelyambitious project thatcombines live actionStereo3D with cutting edge3D animation. Around 75%

of the shots in the movie are VFX shots,which are being completed at facilitiesall round the world and then broughttogether at Modern VideoFilm.

Simultaneous 3D release'Avatar' is a simultaneous

worldwide release in both 2D and 3Dand at three different aspect ratios. Todeal with the massive workload,Modern has set up a powerful andefficient post production pipeline usinga wide range of equipment. All theshots are re-named to a commonnaming strategy as soon as they arriveat Modern and are distributed onto thecompany's SAN. From there they arepulled into the Quantel Pablo systems

Modern Videofilm finishJames Cameron's AvatarAll the finishing work for James Cameron's Stereo3D film 'Avatar' was completed at Modern Videofilm on the USWest Coast. Every frame of the film, as well as all the trailers and promotions have passed through Modern'spipeline, which includes three Quantel Pablo Stereo3D systems. The work completed on Pablo includesconforming and Stereo3D checking, adjustment and quality control. Crucially, the Pablos have also handled all theStereo3D English subtitling required for the Na'vi language used by some characters in the film.

Blackmagic Design haveannounced that Modern Videofilm Inc.used four Blackmagic Design DaVinciResolve systems for color grading andfull 3D stereoscopic effects for JamesCameron’s latest motion picture, Avatar.

To handle the immense scope andcomplexity of color correcting the alienworlds of Avatar, Modern Videofilmdeveloped a network of DaVinci Resolvesystems all connected via optical fiber.Three systems were installed at ModernVideofilm’s main office in Glendale, CA,with the fourth system installed 56 milesaway at the Fox Studio lot. By building acolor correction suite directly on the Foxlot, Modern Videofilm was able tohandle the enormous number of real-time color corrections and 3D transfersbetween facilities. These requirements

included up to 120 color changes onsome EDLs, using hundreds of nodesand creating multiple versions for thetheatrical release.

Mark Smirnoff, President, StudioServices at Modern Videofilm stated:“The Avatar look and feel is veryspecific, and James Cameron and hiscrew knew exactly how they wantedevery frame to look. The sheer size andscope of what we were working onrequired the absolute best in colorcorrection and 3D, and DaVinci Resolvefits that need perfectly.” “Avatar andModern Videofilm really put the powerand flexibility of the DaVinci Resolve tothe test, and showed why the system isthe highest standard for color correctionand 3D,” said Grant Petty, CEOBlackmagic Design.

Blackmagic takes on Avatar

19

where they are first checked usingPablo's realtime Stereo3D toolset forstereo and technical quality, thenconformed against multiple lists fromeditorial, requiring speed and accuracy.The pipeline continues with grading andfinally, shots requiring subtitling for theNa'vi language are passed back to thePablos.

Running around the clock"We've been running our three

Pablos pretty much 24/7 for the last sixmonths," says Modern VideoFilmSupervising Editor, Roger Berger, whohas worked on a number of Stereo3Dprojects including James Cameron's'Ghosts of the Abyss'. "Such has beenthe interest in this movie that there hasbeen a huge demand for finished moviefootage for promotional events over thelast few months, each typically 10 to 20minutes in length - all before the shotsare finalised and of course needing tobe produced while we continued tofinish the movie itself. We've alsoneeded to produce different versionsand run 'bake offs' between them withJames Cameron. One of the Pablos hasan incredible 12,000 clips online, and allthree machines have been runningpretty much full throughout. With aproject of this complexity, it's a realbenefit to be able to bounce anywherein the entire movie at any time," Bergeradds.

Terrific support"Quantel has given us terrific

support. They're there for us and springinto action when we need them."Subtitling the Stereo3D versions is acomplex process as the subtitles mustsit at the right place in 3D space toavoid conflict with the 3D content. ThePablo's realtime Stereo3D toolsetenables the subtitles to be viewedinstantly and repositioned in 3D space inrealtime. Berger is enjoying the luxury ofbeing able to see the Stereo3D effectsas he creates them. "I can't imaginedoing this project without the Pablo'srealtime Stereo3D and the total flexibilityit gives me," Berger concludes.

The final word goes to MarkSmirnoff, President, Studio Services atModern VideoFilm. "At ModernVideoFilm we pride ourselves ondelivering total quality for our clients.This is about more than great equipment- it's about great people too; we areblessed with both at Modern. ThePablos are a key part of the pipeline andwe could not have done this moviewithout Pablo. "

James Cameron and Vince Pacechose Fujinon lenses forproduction of the ground breaking

3D epic feature Avatar. Lenses used onthe production included the FujinonHA16x6.3BE (6.3-101mm) and a specialdesign HA5x7B-W50 (7-35mm) modelspecially developed for Pace/Cameron3D production. “The road to success in3D is paved as a team effort,” Pacesaid. “Working with James Cameron,the goal for the FUSION camera system

was significant. Early on in thedevelopment phase, Fujinon steppedup with their sales staff, engineeringresources, and factory support todesign lens suitable for our exactingstandards in 3D. That relationship hasdeveloped over the last ten years andthe results are on the screen with therelease of Avatar. All of the cameraswere paired with Fujinon lenses and theresults were incredible.

“We’re very committed to the 3Drevolution at Pace Technologies – andour system is called Fusion 3D,” Pacecontinued. “We worked with Fujinon to

meet the exacting requirements ofstereographic capture. Sony HDC-F950cameras were used primarily during theAvatar shoot, and Sony HDC-1500cameras were used for some sceneswhen it became available. All the Sonycameras were paired with Fujinonlenses.”

Based in Burbank, Calif., PACE iswell known for their leading role in high-end 3D production. Pace Fusion 3Dsystems have been used for severalsuccessful box office 3D feature films,including Hannah Montana/MileyCyrus: Best of Both Worlds ConcertTour, Journey to the Center of theEarth, and Avatar. PACE is also wellknown for their beginnings. From astart point of nearly twenty years ago,Pace has designed and producedsophisticated underwater motion picturecamera enclosure systems andcomplex underwater lighting systems,built for big feature productions thatinclude Cameron’s The Abyss andTitanic. Vince and James have a longhistory of developing innovativeproduction equipment, and their latestefforts leading up to and includingAvatar have greatly changed 3Dproduction efficiency and creativity.Fujinon lenses have been a keycomponent in the innovativedevelopment process.

According to Pace, Cameron’sshooting style on Avatar was intimate.“He doesn’t hesitate to go handheld,”Pace explained. “He likes scenes beingin a state of movement, and he doesn’thesitate to get behind the camera’seyepiece, operating where he’s right upthere with the actors. Being able tomatch that style in 3D using the Fujinonlenses was an important factor in theAvatar effort.”

Vince Pace relies on Fujinon to capture live 3D action

Vince Pace, DP, Co-inventor of the Fusion 3Dcamera system, and founder of PACE isshown on the set of the current blockbusterfilm, “Avatar.” Sony HDC-F950 and HDC-1500cameras were paired with Fujinon lensesduring the shoot.

1

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21

Christie world tour shows off Airbus A350Following the Dubai Airshow in November 2009, eight Christie 3-chip DLP HD10 projectors will give visitors atprestigious airshows around the world an insight into the Airbus history books and the lowdown on its future A350wide-body jet. A four-minute immersive experience designed and produced by Master Image Films will be stagedat the Singapore Airshow in February 2010, followed by Berlin, Hamburg and Farnborough. The film will breathelife into an aircraft that has only ever been modelled in 3D using computer-generated graphics.

The project began in March 2009when Master Image Films(Toulouse), an Airbus partner for20 years, was asked to design asystem to allow Airbus to spread

the word about its future A350 wide-bodyjet and use the world's largest airshows asa platform to announce the start ofproduction. To design and complete theproject in record-breaking time - less thanthree months - the brief facing the Airbusteams was to put the innovation and eye-catching appeal into the simple idea of a1:1 scale model of the interior of theaircraft. In response to this real challenge,Master Image Films instantly came upwith the idea of transforming the aircraft'sinterior into an immersive movie theatre.

Given the project's narrowtimeframe, Bernard Birebent, CEO ofMaster Image Films, gambled onChristie's responsiveness to provide eightRoaster HD10 projectors. "Not only didChristie supply the eight Roadster HD10projectors at the drop of a hat, but theyalso delivered flawless technical supportand competitive equipment in terms ofperformance and price," explains MasterImage Films' CEO. "We knew that Christiewould provide reliable equipment capableof running non-stop at each show."

3D modelSince very few physical components

of the aircraft were available, the model ofthe A350's interior was created using 3Ddata from Airbus. The aim is to givevisitors an unrivalled immersiveexperience complete with archive imagesand CGI representations of the interior ofthe fuselage. In the centre of theprojection space, the visual field issurrounded by four projection surfaces onthe front, sides and ceiling. An image cantherefore be projected onto the frontscreen and developed towards thespectator using the side and upperprojection surfaces, making the imageappear to move and giving the sensationof speed in a world combining real and3D images screened and calculated by

Master Image Films. Basically, a journeyinside the fuselage of the future Airbus,alternately in the air and on the ground.

Master Image Films, a companyspecialising in the creation of event-basedand institutional content, was in charge ofcreating the entire corporate film in highdefinition using a Red camera and thegraphical environment. In addition to theoverall implementation of the life-sizemodel, Airbus called on Master ImageFilms' expertise to assess the feasibility ofthe project and carry out the technicalstudy for the sound and visualenvironment, right down to creating thefixtures and fittings inside the model.

Eight Christie projectorsThe eight Christie Roadster HD10

projectors were used with very short focallenses to suit the projection environment.Thanks to the illumination power andcompact design of the Christie HD10projectors, mirrors were used to concealthe projectors flat on the floor beneathglass plates. All the images were storedon clusters of rackable PCs and modifiedMacintosh Minis. The model's "hostesses"are responsible for launching theimmersive show from a touch-sensitivepanel controlling the Flex-programmed

automation (Adobe Integrated Runtime).This application is connected to a networkgateway custom-designed by Avant-Garde Imaging and communicates with aDataton Watchout system comprising over20 clusters.

22

High inflation, unemployment,general poverty and disease,were only a few of theindicators of the meltdown inZimbabwe. The

manufacturing industry was heavilyaffected and shortages became the orderof the day. The television and filmproduction industries endured theknockdown effects of the harshmacroeconomic environment. Advertisingtook so heavy a knock that the onlyadvertisements airing on national TV werein-house promotionals of drama, soapoperas, movies and musicalprogrammes. For one to transfer footagefrom VHS to DVD, for instance, oneneeded to fork out millions, then billionsand trillions of Zimbabwe dollars within amatter of days. If the organisation doingthe job was supplying the disc, it wouldnot be able to replace that disc thefollowing day, even if it was paid in cashon the day of completing the job. Theorganisation could waste five DVDs tobuy one. It was not worthwhile engagingin the business. If it was difficult to buyone DVD or CD, one can imagine howimpossible it was to buy a camera, adigital mixer or any other basic machineryrequired in production. I remember asound engineer, who quoted ahandsome figure for his services in amusical production, but at the end of it,could only by a non-rechargeable cell fora microphone that needed two cells!

Forex failureI remember that, the production

house for which I work, quoted trillions ofZimbabwe dollars for a job, when theexchange rate was Z$5 million for US$1.When the money cleared in the bank,less than two weeks later, the rate hadmore than doubled. By the end of thesecond week, it was Z$48 million toUS$1. Then the trouble did not end there.There were stringent bank regulationsthat only allowed companies to withdrawnot more than Z$20 million a day. Thatwas all our money, gone! In the end, wejust sponsored the series because,morally and legally, we could notwithdraw our services once we hadsigned an agreement. The only othersolution was to price our services in otherstrong currencies, such as the SouthAfrican Rand and the US Dollar, or the

Euro. But the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe(RBZ) crafted a policy that; anyone whowanted to price in foreign currency couldonly do so with authorisation from thecentral bank. And that authorisation camewith a cost too. Companies were requiredto deposit a prohibitive US$20 000 withthe RBZ before being granted the license.

Regional doom and gloomWith all that doom and gloom, how

was it possible to continue operating? Itproved possible in the end and with quitesome positive developments too. VideoPromotions, a production house based inHarare, devised a way where clientscould pay in fuel coupons or shares onthe Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. At leastthe company could hold on to some realvalue, while making ends meet. While theends met, the organisation went a stepfurther, producing a cookery series, theAfrican Food Adventure which aired onDSTV and the UK’s SKY channel. Theyproduced this 13-part series by workingduring their free hours, seekingsponsorship per episode, rather than forthe whole series. Another Zimbabwe-based organisation, Gary Thompson andAssociates, kept the ball rolling with A-

Academy, a talent search show in themould of South Africa’s M-Net Idols.Coincidentally, one of the past A-Academy top contestants, Eric Moyo wasthe Idols Number One man in 2008.

Adverse conditionsA-Academy was produced under

the most adverse conditions. Its costsincluded filming, editing, traveling andprizes for the contestants. With an agreedsponsorship deal from the onset, theinitial production costs had increasedbeyond the budget. Another productionhouse, Mighty Movies provided quality onZBC, with programmes such as TalkingBusiness with Supa while also providingOutside Broadcasting (OB) for live Cricketand soccer matches. The Culture FundTrust of Zimbabwe also assistedorganizations with funding to keep thearts industry alive, although one canjustifiably question the effectiveness ofthis assistance, given that not muchsuccess in the arts industry can beattributable to the fund. The selectioncriteria used by the fund could also havebeen questionable, given the governmenthand in the Fund. With the governmentpronouncing controversial indigenisationpolicies, it was difficult for companies thatdid not fit the indigenization bill to benefit.The discriminatory nature of the‘indigenisation’ policies also meantforeign investors shunned the localindustry.

Digital upgradeRecently local media reported that

ZBC had acquired digital broadcastingequipment worth more than US$9 million,which would go along way towardsimproving its quality and launching asecond TV channel by 2015. Theformation of an inclusive government andthe initial benefits it seems to havebrought to the economy- is a goodplatform from which to hope for a betterfuture. The new government- itsimplementation challenges aside- haspromised to liberalise the media. Thisraises the hope that the liberalizationdrive will stimulate demand for diversecontent, breathing life into the suffocatedTV production industry. After seeing theworst, there is only reason to hope thefuture is brighter for Zimbabwe’s TVindustry.

The last two years have seen an unprecedented economic crunch for Zimbabwe. This crisis was exacerbated by ageneral lack of political will to resolve issues largely perceived to be the causes of ‘the Zimbabwean crisis.’

Zim TV: Emerging from the woods

Tim Langefelt and Oswelled Ureke workingon African Food Adventure by VideoPromotions in Harare, Zimbabwe. Accordingto manager Gaby Memper, the last few yearshave been tough for Zimbabwe-basedproduction companies who have battled tokeep up to date with technical developmentsin the face of foreign exchange fluctuationsand rising costs. Despite the doom andgloom, he’s predicting that the future isbrighter for the country’s television industry.

In 2008 the SABC undertook torefurbish these studios, moving to anall-digital technology platform.Spescom Media IT was there toassist. Says Sean du Toit, MD of

Spescom Media IT: "SABC's RBF studios,which include music, drama andproduction studios, as well as outsidebroadcast vehicles, are top notch. Theyare equipped to serve the needs ofcommercial organisations who wish toproduce or create documentaries, recordmusic and variety shows, or even do liverecordings. To guarantee quality outputsand compete successfully with othercommercial facilities, it is important thatthese studios are equipped with thelatest technologies. This was a primarydriver for the refurbishment of the SABC'sMafikeng studios."

Increased radio productionThese studios were making use of

analogue equipment which had reachedend-of-life. Major faults and significantdowntime were the result. At the sametime, the radio production business in theregion had increased. Business wasfurther boosted by the studios newstrategic approach to advertising and theunearthing of new talent in the productionbusiness. There was thus increasingpressure on these RBF studios to acquirenew digital equipment. Three studios - aproduction, music and drama studio - aswell as an OB vehicle were refurbished. Anumber of Apple Mac Pro's and MacbookPro workstations were installed with coresystems comprising Pro Tools HD 2Accel systems,192 I/O interfaces,Digidesign Pre's and a mobile Digi003 LEsystem. In addition, Icon D-commandDesk Controllers for all the Pro Tool Rigswere supplied by Spescom Media IT.

ProTools HD2 AccelExplains Du Toit: "Designed for

handling large I/O and track countrequirements, the Pro Tools HD 2 Accelsystem combines two dedicated digitalsignal processing (DSP) cards with theprocessing power of the Apple Macs todeliver rock-solid performance, low

latency, guaranteed track counts andmore dedicated DSP for greater plug-inprocessing.

The Pro Tools HD I/O interfacesincorporate the latest advances in audio,synchronization and MIDI technology,working together with the Core system todeliver high sonic quality andfunctionality. Says Du Toit: "The 192Digital I/Os selected for this installationare high-definition audio interfacesspecifically designed to facilitate digitalinput from a variety of sources into thePro Tools|HD environment.

Significant benefitsThe Digidesign D-Command

controller utilises Pro Tools|HD Accel asits DSP mix engine and Pro Tools HDinterfaces and peripherals for systemI/O. Notes Du Toit: "With D-Command,operators have powerful hands-oncommand over every aspect of a ProTools project, including recording,editing, mixing and processing - withintegrated video and delivery." Thebenefits are significant. The studio isnow able to provide modern andappropriate technical facilities toprogram departments to facilitateprogram making. It is also able to makeavailable the most suitable and cost

effective solutions to its internal andexternal clients. In addition, studio staffhave been exposed to new technologiesand are enhancing their technical skills,ensuring the SABC retains a technicalcompetitive advantage in thebroadcasting and production market.

Concludes Du Toit: "Moving to adigital platform is no small feat. The newequipment must, in certain instances, beintegrated to legacy solutions and newprocesses and workflows need to beimplemented. However, this is a vital stepfor any audiovisual production facility thathopes to remain competitive. We believethis solution provides SABC Mafikengwith a sturdy foundation on which it canconfidently build future growthstrategies."

SABC Mafikeng's RBF studios godigital with Spescom Media The Radio Broadcast Facilities (RBF) of the SABC located around South Africa boast some of the mostsophisticated recording studios in the southern hemisphere. In Mafikeng, some two hours from Johannesburg,the SABC's RBF studios are in particular demand.

23

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The 2000 capacity seating standwas on dry land. Industry andoutstanding natural beautynestled side by side, with aworking dry dock right behind

the specially created venue, which wasalso adjacent to the Two OceansAquarium. The marina behind the stagewas constantly in motion with yachts andpleasure craft slipping in and out to sea,while the whole vista was overlooked inthe distance by the magnificentlandmark of Table Mountain.

Three week eventThe 3 weeks of the event spanned

the peak festive holiday season, andincluded the resident AquaCircus, aspecial daily performance devised byZip-Zap, a local Circus School dedicatedto developing the skills and potential ofyoung people from disadvantagedbackgrounds. Other highlights includedthe H2Opera, AquaJazz, AquaBallet andconcerts by a wide range of artists from

SA's favourite rockers, The Parlotones, tothe popular Afro-fusion of FreshlyGround and SA's greatest music export,Johnny Clegg. Gearhouse's Cape Townbranch supplied staging and roofing,lighting, sound and rigging to the projectwhich was managed by Richard Blamire.Gearhouse has worked with Hunta Liveon many previous occasions, and theyspecifically wanted one company toprovide all the production elements.

The stage - made from industrialplastic and consisting of 1200interlocking cubes forming a flat surface- was supplied and installed by Cubi-System from France. On top of this,Gearhouse built a 24 metre wide and 16metre deep Layher stage, covered by a14 x 12 metre Slick Dome roof with clearskins. A semi translucent part-paintedscrim at the back of the stage allowedthe boats and harbour behind to be seenduring the daylight shows, and when litin the evening, it came alive with a giantoctopus motif. The stage dimensions

included PA wings and some side stagedressing room tents. The pontoon wasloaded with a total of 45 tonnes ofproduction equipment including thestage and roof.

Wide sonic rangeThe system was designed by

Johan Griesel and consisted of 12 L-Acoustics dV-DOSC elements a side.There were 10 x L-Acoustics HiQ115wedges and both monitor and FOHconsoles were Yamaha M7s, withmonitors mixed by Bjorn Fielding. Micsand stands were also supplied as part ofthe generic audio package, with someartists bringing their own.

It was a 35 metre throw for thespeakers to reach the back of theseating stands, and obviously, the soundsystem had to cater for a wide range ofsonic scenarios from the 56 piece CapeTown Philharmonic Orchestra to soloists,live bands and backing tracks. Thebiggest challenge - and the most

Gearhouse gets into theAquaFestival SpiritGearhouse South Africa supplied technical production for the first Cape Town Aqua Festival, a lively 3 week artsevent, presented by M-Net and produced by Hunta Live, that featured a series of world class performances by localand international artists. This took place on a purpose-built floating stage moored in the North Wharf area of thebusy port's Victoria & Albert harbour.

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unpredictable - was always the wind - forwhich Cape Town is renowned!

Flexible lightingThe house lighting rig was designed

by Philip Chames, and also had to beflexible enough to deal with the widevariety of performers. The lighting fixtureswere rigged onto the Dome roof, andincluded 12 Martin Professional MAC 2KProfiles for moving lights. Source Fourprofiles were used for key lighting, andalso in the roof were 8 x 2K fresnels andbars of 6 PARs providing stage washes.Five 4-lite blinders along the crown of thestage were used for highly effectiveaudience illumination, and there wereadditional 4-lites in the roof of the stage.Front lighting was supplied by 500 Wattfresnels in the footlights position plus 2Super Trouper follow spots on the FOHtower. Four Studio Due CityColor floodspositioned behind the stage werefocussed into the marina, highlighting allthe yachts and enhancing this alreadyhighly atmospheric location at night.

All lighting was controlled through aHog iPC console. "It's always good towork on a new event, especially one thatis in such a unique setting," says RichardBlamire, who reports that everything went

extremely smoothly throughout. He had acrew of 15 on site each day, and for thebuild period there were about 50Gearhouse personnel on site includingstaging and roofing.

Seal of approvalOne of the more offbeat site

specific challenges for the crew and

technical teams was not impacting on thehome of the resident colony of Cape furseals who hang out on the jetties thatflanked the stage. The seals took anactive interest in the performances, oftenswimming into the area of water betweenthe stage and the dockside to take acloser look - and on occasion - joining inwith the operatic shows!

The house lighting rig was designed by Philip Chames. It has to be flexible enough to deal witha wide variety of performers and included 12 Martin MAC2K Profiles for moving lights.

Visit Digital Rapidsat Cabsat

Booth # ZC-1.

26

With the aim of giving worldaudiences and the mediaan unforgettable vision ofDubai, without being tooextravagant Pierre created

an event focused on the Burj Khalifa whichis pure, elegant and impressive. “Sincethe announcement of this record breakingtower, I’ve kept dreaming of the day that Iwould design the inauguration. Today thedream is real!!” Pierre beamed and wenton to reveal what went into making this

once-in-a-lifetime opening ceremony anunforgettable success. The 11 minutescenario consisted of a pre-show andthree acts; the Hymenocalis flower, heartbeat and the firework display finale. “Wedidn’t want to make the openingceremony about any celebrities, as thecelebrity is the Burj Khalifai tower. We wantto magnify the 828 meters of the tower forall that is it and not just to show off but tocreate emotions and express feelingsaround the tower and the show as it is

truly one-of-a-kind!,” Pierre clarified.

Signalled the launchThe pre-show began with His

Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin RashidAl Maktoum signaling the launch toilluminate the tower with the biggest andmost impressive 72,000 watt lightprojector ever used in the world. This wasfollowed by the first act which drewprominence to the very rare Hymenocalisdesert flower which was the architect’sinspiration for the design of the tower.After projecting the birth of the flower on alarge 1000sqm screen, lively waterfountains accelerated the rhythm of theshow before the act ended with asimultaneous water and firework display.

The construction phase of the toweris highlighted with the effect of a beatingheart replicated by a strong lightingpresentation from behind the tower whileanother set of lighting effects similar to aTetris game illustrates the building of thetower. The act ends with 320 space canonprojectors creating a shadow effectemphasizing on the outline of the tower.However arranging the 320 canonprojectors with light beams reach 10kminto the sky proved to be tough challengefor Pierre and his team. The last recordedtime this effect was used was thecommemoration of September 11 with nomore than 30 canons to symbolize thedisappeared World Trade Centre Towers.

The biggest challenge the teamfaced was to line the tower with kilometersof wire that were linked to computers tocontrol the lighting and fireworks, within aperiod of a mere month; checking anylight was a challenge in itself due to theheight of the tower!

A magnificent showThe finale act saw a magnificent

show of 10,000 firework effects on andfrom the tower, estimated to be thehighest ever in the world reaching 850m inheight and lasting three minutes. Thedisplay was carefully designed by famousChristophe Berthonneau of the Groupe FCompany who also produced the 1998World Cup at Stade de France and theNew Year’s Eve 2000 by the Eiffel Towerand the Olympic Games in Athens.Meanwhile the music for the event wasdesigned exclusively by renowned Frenchmovie soundtrack producer Mike Lanaroand recorded especially by thephilharmonic orchestra ‘Opera de Paris’.The opening ceremony which wasattended by members of the Royal family,VVIPs and other invitees is no doubtPrisme International’s strongest mostcreative project yet!

Prisme sets worldrecords with Burj Khalifaopening ceremonyThe launch of the world’s tallest tower the Burj Khalifa reached headlinesthe world over for its lavishness, artistic value and grandness, howeverputting together such an event is no easy task, according to PierreMarcout, CEO and Artistic Director of record-breaking event architectcompany Prisme International.

27

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from broadcast facilities. In fact, Nevion IP solutions were recently awarded a Star award for superior technology.

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encapsulation required for IP-based transport.

Visit us at CABSAT MENA, 2 - 4 March, 2010. Hall Zabeel, Stand ZD-2

InfoComm International is releasing anew certificate programme aimed atrecognizing those who have

demonstrated basic competency in theaudiovisual field. The InfoComm-recognized AV Technologist certificateallows employers to verify basic AV skills,while providing industry newcomers andnon-technical personnel a way toshowcase what they have learned.

To earn a certificate, AVprofessionals must score 80 percent orabove on a new, online test which is takenat the desktop, not at a testing centre.Content for the test is based entirely onthe newly-updated course, Essentials ofAV Technology. This 2-day course ispresented across Africa and the MiddleEast by the MECIA/ SACIA partnership,and can also be taken as an online class."We are debuting the AV Technologistcertificate programme to bridge the gapbetween those just starting in the industry

and InfoComm's more rigorous CertifiedTechnology Specialist programme," saidRandal A. Lemke, Ph.D., InfoCommExecutive Director and CEO. "AVemployers need a way to quickly train andassess new hires, and this new programprovides a way to establish basic AVcompetency. It is our hope that as AVprofessionals who secure this certificategain more experience they will developinto candidates for the more demandingCTS programme that is accredited byANSI to the ISO/IEC 17024 standard."

This certification programme hasbeen welcomed by AV professionalsthroughout Africa and the Middle Eastwho see it as a stepping-stone to full CTScertification. “This new certificate is idealfor individuals who’ve been in the industryfor a while to test themselves against aninternational standard and identify areasof weakness,” said Kevan Jones CTS,executive director of the SACIA/ MECIA

partnership. “Writing the exam is quick,simple and affordable. Now there’snobody in the AV industry that’s got anexcuse not to participate.”

InfoComm’s enhanced onlinetraining and certification programmeshave also defined their service offering inAfrica and the Middle East. “InfoCommInternational provides online training andcertification across Africa and the MiddleEast while MECIA/ SACIA will continue tohost InfoComm’s classroom trainingprogrammes. We share the samecommitment to training and continuedprofessional development, andencourage our members to participate inan ongoing programme of learning basedon international ISO/ ANSI standards.”

InfoComm’s advanced CTS Prepcourse was presented in Johannesburgduring February and will be presented inthe United Arab Emirates from 13-14April.

InfoComm’s new AV Technologist Certificate acknowledges essential audiovisual knowledge.

InfoComm offers new AV certificate programme

1

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Broadcast Master is a single,integrated system that enablesOrbit Showtime to centrallymanage program rights andscheduling, airtime sales and

final playlist generation for its SD and HDchannels. Broadcast Master is connectedto all of Orbit Showtime’s core processes— including existing automation, digitalasset management and financeapplications — permitting seamlessmanagement and data exchange ofcontract rights, schedules, mediainformation and airtime sales billingbetween systems. In addition, BroadcastMaster provides a framework that allowsusers to ingest and process material as itarrives and to easily create promotionalmaterial, product placements and

secondary event messaging. “When wedecided to replace our existing system ina bid to streamline our internal schedulingand media management processes, wechose Harris because we felt that theywere the ideal vendor to provide not onlythe technology, but also the localresources to help us achieve such atremendous switch with minimaldisruption to our day-to-day work,” saidMike Whittaker, vice president ofbroadcast operations and technology,Orbit Showtime. “We are anticipatingcontinued expansion and are confidentthat Broadcast Master can support us wellinto the future.”

“The complexity of the project,which included data migration in a liveenvironment, meant that the resources

and support from the regional office inDubai were key factors in its success,”said Said Bacho, regional director forHarris Broadcast Communications, MiddleEast. “This sale is a very significant winfor Harris in the region, as it is the largest‘per channel’ installation of BroadcastMaster in the Middle East. We arepleased to have provided Orbit Showtimewith a solution that has simplified itsworkflows and operational efficiency.” Thenewly merged Orbit Showtime platformbrings together 75 premium channels, thewidest choice of premium entertainmentin the Middle East and North Africa on asingle platform. The new platform isowned by Panther Media Group, acompany registered in DIFC and equallyowned by Orbit Group and KIPCO.

Harris has completed a large-scale installation of its Broadcast Master scheduling and media management suiteat Orbit Showtime, the largest pay TV DTH platform in the Middle East. The installation, which includes modulesthat integrate and automate workflows for sales, scheduling, content acquisition and media campaignmanagement, marks the largest deployment of Broadcast Master software in the region.

Harris completes installation at Orbit Showtime

30

Operated by the KempinskiHotel Group, among itsmany corporate conferenceand meeting room facilitiesis a giant ballroom.

Measuring a massive 80m x 25m it canaccommodate up to 2,800 people.AV system integrators, BondCommunications, were recently taskedwith replacing and retro-fitting a newsound system that would not only servethe ballroom space as a complete unit, orin its three separate, divisible modes, butdo so discreetly, aesthetically and withsimple control and operation.

The system also had to besufficiently flexible to deliver high specintelligibility across the frequencyspectrum for presentations but also becapable of concert style reinforcementfrom a conventional Left/Right stagesystem, when the venue was cranked upfor live entertainment. Bond decided thata combination of Martin Audio’s award-winning OmniLine scalable micro-linearray, in conjunction with a W8LCCompact Line Array would cover allbases. Bond sound engineer JonathanGoodwin contacted Richard Maunder,from Martin Audio’s Dubai-baseddistributors VTI, and Peter Child, MartinAudio’s Applications Engineer, wasbrought in to provide design support andEASE programme measurements.

Main stage system“It was decided to use line array

loudspeakers for the main front-of-housesystem as these have more ‘throw’ than aconventional loudspeaker and thedispersion pattern is very predictable thusoffering more control over the largecoverage area,” observed Child. Normally,to cover a distance such as the length ofthe Ballroom, a long line array, accuratelyarticulated and flown, would suffice anddelays would not be needed. However,with the relatively low ceiling height of theBallroom a different approach wasrequired. A shorter, five-box array ofW8LC’s each side, has been supported atthe bottom of the hang by a singleW8LCD Downfill box to maintain clarity,impact and fidelity; the addition of four

delay points, comprising time-alignedW8LCDs, evenly distribute the soundfurther down the room. Used only asrequired (rather than part of a permanentinstall), this delay system maintains thetonality and dynamics of the system.

Although mounted discreetly behindan acoustically transparent cloth theW8LC would generally function more than

adequately as a full-range system.However, also incorporated into thedesign are eight WS218X dual 18”subwoofers (four per side) providing lowend extension that can be used asrequired. The Emirates Ballroom also hasa further option, as Bond Communicationsonsite engineer Mitchell Schuh explains.“When more power is required the W8LCsystem can be demounted and replacedby a larger, temporary system, pulledforward and comprising six W8LC’s andtwo W8LCD’s per side.” For stagemonitoring, ten Martin Audio LE1200Sfloor wedges have also been supplied.

Conference sound comes goodIn conference mode 12 clusters of

16 OmniLine enclosures now provide theplayback. The design consists of twoOmniLine columns at each end of thethree conference sections so that thepoint of focus can change based on thephysical location of the presentation. Thisapproach ensures that intelligible speechand high quality music playback aredelivered as unobtrusively as possible.

System set-upOmniLine was set up using the

system’s dedicated optimisation software.

The magnificent seven star Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, with its grand marble entrance and gold leafatrium overlooking the Persian Gulf, is one of the world’s most beautiful buildings.

Bond upgrade audio for Emirates Palace ballroom

The magnificent Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi is one of the world’s most beautifulbuildings. Bond Communications were recently tasked with replacing the sound systemin the hotel ballroom.

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Peter Child first worked out thecalculations in the OmniLine softwarebefore exporting an XGLC file for later usein the EASE programme. “It was then justa case of inserting each of the 16 hangOmniLine GLL’s into their correct locationsin the EASE model and importing theXGLC file which automatically applied thecorrect inter-cabinet angles and EQ, asdetermined by the OmniLine software.” heexplained.

Amplification and controlThe system is powered entirely by

Martin Audio amplification. The WS218Xsubwoofers are driven by a pair ofMA18K’s, the main FOH system andW8LC/LCD delays are run from a total of18 x MA5.2K’s and the OmniLine system isassigned to nine MA6.8Q’s. Systemcontrol is via four mix racks housingCobraNet-enabled SymNet Express DSP(configured 12-in/4-out). “This enables meto route any source input to any of thezones,” states Schuh.

The DSP is set it up so that eachroom can be used in its singleconfiguration — and as further roomswere added, the installer created aseparate output on the console to providefull functionality over all four zones. “Thesystem needed to be really flexible

because it would be used for differentevents,” he said.

Any input can be routed to any zoneand the zone assigned to the mainsystem. It will also automatically send thedelay taps to the time-aligned OmniLineswhen the system is used in presentationmode. The OmniLines also help bring outthe HF of the installed W8LC system, and

boost the intelligibility, given the length andshape of the room. Summing up thesystem performance, Mitch Schuh says,“The aim of the system was to have it setup for ease-of-use, consistency andflexibility — and that’s what we haveachieved. For the size of the room andtype of events staged I’m extremely happywith the result — and so is the client.”

The sound system in the Emirates palace hotel is powered entirely by martin Audioamplification. It’s designed so that each room within the complex can be used in asingle configuration – and as further rooms are added to an event the system can beexpanded to provide full functionality. This provides a flexible solution that allows thevenue to be appropriate for a broad range of events.

For more information, go to www.omneon.com

©2008 Omneon, Inc. All rights reserved. Omneon and the Omneon logo are trademarks of Omneon, Inc. Active Storage for Digital Content™

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Welcome to the largest Arab community in the sky — only from ArabsatIn a world getting more and more interconnected, Arabsat is helping make the world a smaller place. As the largest satellite operator in the Arab world covering the Middle East and Africa—as well as Europe and beyond—only Arabsat offers the full spectrum of broadcast, telecommunications and broadband services. With the youngest satellites in the region, plus more satellites launching every year until 2012, this capacity will continue to grow and provide unprecedented reach, superior reliability and unmatched flexibility for broadcast and telecom operators. Indeed, Arabsat gives you the most powerful way to reach the largest Arab community in the sky, and much more. Join our premium neighborhood now!

www.arabsat.com

Our world. Now reaching farther than ever

More satellites in 2010, more capacity to let you reach farther than everWith new, more powerful, state-of-the-art satellites launching every year until 2012, the largest Arab community in the sky is growing faster than ever.

In 2010 alone, two more satellites are joining our fleet. Badr 5 at 26º East will bring unrivalled capacity for the coming HDTV revolution and provide

“hot” in-orbit backup for Arabsat DTH services, while Arabsat 5A at 30.5º East will provide unprecedented 100% coverage of the entire African

continent. Indeed, from the Middle East to the whole of Africa—and to Europe and beyond—Arabsat now offers more reach, reliability and

www.arabsat.com

flexibility like never before. Join our premium neighborhood now!

Welcome to the largest Arab community in the sky — only from ArabsatIn a world getting more and more interconnected, Arabsat is helping make the world a smaller place. As the largest satellite operator in the Arab world covering the Middle East and Africa—as well as Europe and beyond—only Arabsat offers the full spectrum of broadcast, telecommunications and broadband services. With the youngest satellites in the region, plus more satellites launching every year until 2012, this capacity will continue to grow and provide unprecedented reach, superior reliability and unmatched flexibility for broadcast and telecom operators. Indeed, Arabsat gives you the most powerful way to reach the largest Arab community in the sky, and much more. Join our premium neighborhood now!

www.arabsat.com

Our world. Now reaching farther than ever

34

Visit us at

Stand ZC-11

www.unitedbroadcast.com

Radio-Assist will integrate very wellinto our existing environment, andit will provide access to a robust

set of tools for managing every aspect ofour operation efficiently and cost-effectively," said Mulugeta Mahari,technical director for Radio Fana. "All ofthese features, plus NETIA's excellentreputation and impressive list of industryreferences, made Radio-Assist the idealchoice for us," added Ato WolduYemessel, general manager for RadioFana.

Operating from two main and twobackup studios in the capital city ofAddis Ababa, Radio Fana broadcasts adaily schedule of news, talk, and varietyprograms in different languages likeAmharic, Afan Oromo, Somali, andAfaregna (Radio-Assist's compliance with

the Unicode standard provides criticalsupport for Radio Fana's multilingualbroadcasts). NETIA will install Radio-Assist on 30 workstations across all fourstudios and will cover every aspect of thestation's content workflow. This includesan integrated news management system

that enables automatic ingest of newswires coming from the Ethiopia NewsAgency, and an archiving feature thatintegrates with the production system toprovide smooth and seamless digitizationof tape-based content. NETIA's DBSHARE provides automatic redundancyfor all metadata produced by Radio-Assist and provides an extra measure ofsecurity for Radio Fana's database.

"We are very pleased that we wereable to work with Radio Fana to tailor asolution specifically to its needs," saidMustapha Rezzoug, NETIA's Director ofProducts. "The multilingual support,integration of content from the local newsagency, and digitization of archives wereall very important requirements, and allwere easily met by our comprehensivesolution."

Ethiopia's Radio Fana installs NETIA Radio-AssistRadio Fana, Ethiopia's first national commercial broadcaster and multilingual radio station, has selected NETIA'sRadio-Assist digital audio software suite. Radio-Assist will enable Radio Fana to automate and streamline its entirecontent workflow from production to broadcast.

35

Visit us at

Stand ZC-11

www.unitedbroadcast.com

The new system from the Germanmanufacturer of intercom, fiber andradio technology integrates 16

regional 2M broadcast studios via IP intothe communications infrastructure. At theheart of the installation are two RiedelArtist 128 mainframes connected via aredundant dual fiber ring offering up to1,024x1,024 non-blocking ports. Theframes are equipped with redundantpower supplies, AIO connections andVoIP client cards.

Casablanca studio A total of 67 Artist 2000 series and

23 Artist 3000 series control panels areused at the studio in Casablanca and the16 regional studios. 2M uses 17 RiedelConnect IP interfaces to integrate theremote control panels of the regionalstudios. The Connect IP units allow for

matrix-to-matrix connections and matrix-to-control panel connections as well asfor the distribution of audio lines over IP.

The interface converts one AES3 streaminto compressed IP data and vice versa,thus integrating the whole installation.

Adds flexibility to workflow"We are absolutely satisfied with the

Riedel intercom solution. Connect IPadds a lot of flexibility to our dailyworkflow. The ability to directly integrateall our regional studios will be a largestep forward in how we manage ourbroadcast operation. Artist is the perfectsolution for our demands; plus theinstallation was very easy as well. Thesupport we got from Riedel's engineerswas excellent," said Sanae Benlhabib,chief technician at M2. Riedel RiFacesare used to integrate mobile radios intothe intercom system. Medium weightsingle and double ear PRO headsetscompleted the order.

Moroccan broadcast network 2M turns to Riedel The Moroccan public broadcast network 2M installed a comprehensive Riedel Artist digital matrix intercominstallation to replace its former system.

TV 2M attending the factory acceptance testat the Riedel headquarter in Wuppertal,Germany. Sanae Benlhabib (Chief TechnicalService Studies), Falahi Ahmed (Chief 2Mmaintenance and support), and BenddouAbderrahmane (Technical Chief of 2MStudios and OB Vans )

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It is important to be clear thedifference between IPTV and internettelevision or over the top services.Internet television – which can rangefrom YouTube to the websites of major

broadcasters – is alive and well, andgaining rapidly in popularity. YouTubemakes the staggering claim that, everyminute of every day, 13 hours of contentis uploaded to the site.

Managed television serviceIPTV is the provision of a managed,

orderly television service, in directcompetition with terrestrial, cable andsatellite broadcasters. These services areprimarily led by the transmission of linearchannels.The natural champions of IPTVare telecoms companies. They have seentheir revenues from fixed line telephonycollapse, and where the monopoly on

broadband data services has beenbroken they face competition in twodirections: on the one hand forcing theprice down and on the other calling forsignificant capital investments to get linespeeds up. So offering a new service –IPTV – and locking subscribers in to tripleplay (voice, data and video) contractslooked like a very attractive proposition. Atleast, it looked as if it might justify theinvestment in extending broadbandspeeds and reach.

Waste of bandwidthBut the counter-argument is that

broadband circuits are a terrible way todistribute broadcast television. IP is apoint to point protocol, and if you want tosend the same channel to a largepopulation, streaming it to eachhousehold individually is a massive waste

of bandwidth. So while there are IPTVofferings in the region – including du,Etisalat, Maroc Telecom, Qtel and JordanTelecom in the Middle East andMultichoice in South Africa – they are asyet not big players. A recent report byinternational management consultantsBooz & Co* looked at the potential forIPTV in the Middle East and North Africa.It hit upon the inescapable fact that “mosthomes in the MENA region get theirtelevision service from free to air satellitesor through illegal distribution, whichfeature relatively primitive service but costa household only a minimal amount, ifany, outside of initial distribution costs.According to a recent survey a majority ofviewers are satisfied with FTA offerings.”To my mind, the answer to the IPTVquestion lies in that quotation, if you turn itupside down. Audiences are content withgetting free to air, linear channels fromsatellite – or indeed from terrestrialtransmissions – and actually they aremuch the best way of delivering linearchannels. But they are regarded asprimitive services, and audiences aregetting more sophisticated. They wantinteractivity, to be able to pause television,and to watch to their own schedule notthat of the broadcaster. With no tightlylinked return path there is no way thatsatellite or terrestrial television can do this.

Catch-up TVBut IPTV is perfect for it. Catch-up

TV, video on demand, targeted andinteractive content all depends on a pointto point connection, which is what IPTVdoes best. To quote again from the Booz& Co report, “A particularly compellingimplementation option is to launch hybridIPTV/satellite solutions. These couldprovide the dual benefits of IPTV serviceswith the wide range and low cost of freeto air programming.” With the Middle Eastmarket in mind, they make another veryimportant point. “Some satellite contentmay be morally objectionable, and localsocieties may have an interest incountering this service and replacing itspervasive content with suitablealternatives. In light of this, a potentialstrategy for competing with FTA satelliteservices is to position IPTV in conservativemarkets as a controlled and decentalternative.” That is a specific applicationwhich may be extremely attractive in somemarkets, but there is a broader conclusionto be drawn from this, which is that IPTV,through its interactivity, could be thegatekeeper to content from broadcastlinear channels, its own on-demandservices, and maybe other sources too.The first requirement is for a hybrid set-

IPTV – sending television services over broadband connections using theIP protocol – is a technology that has been talked about for some yearsnow, but it has yet to make a real impact. Dick Hobbs examines the issuesaffecting the rollout of IPTV services in the Middle East.

Talking point – IPTV

37

top box, which accepts inputs from thesatellite dish or receiving antenna, andfrom the broadband network. This hybridSTB then has to have a user interfacewhich brings the two feeds together into acommon user interface. It is at this pointthat access control could be provided,ensuring that inappropriate content is notmade available to the viewer.

Common access opportunitiesWith this common access the

opportunities to drive what the viewer seesare multiplied. The EPG, the list ofchannels and programmes becomesdifficult to use when the number ofchoices gets beyond about 20, let alonethe hundreds of channels often availableon satellite today. And it is not at allappropriate for on-demand content.

The solution is to develop a new sortof user interface, which has much more ofthe home page feel, and which invites theviewer to explore along themes. Becauseit is interactive, each home page can betailored to the specific interests of eachhousehold or even each viewer. The set-top box can learn viewing preferences andoffer the content most likely to be chosen,wherever it is or however it is delivered. Ifthe household always tunes to live footballmatches when they are available, if a

game is coming up it will appear on thehome page, whether it is on a free to air orpay per view service. If every Saturdayafternoon a teenage romance is chosen,then when a Hannah Montana movie isavailable through video on demand it willappear on the home page. Content neednot be restricted to the linear channels andthe telco’s own VoD offering. It could alsobe a portal to other content sources likethe iTunes Store.

Telco-style servicesIt also means that advanced telco-

style services can be added to lineartelevision channels. Viewers could havesocial networking conversations whilewatching the football, on the same screen.Music channels could solicit SMScomments from viewers, sent through thesame user interface. Voting for realityshows could be live and interactive.

Video on demandMaking access to video on

demand services is one way of drivingrevenues. Other ways include onlinecommerce. If you see a great band onMTV, one click would tell you when theyare playing live in your city, and anotherclick could book tickets. Ultimately,targeted advertising could be introduced:the network knows where you live andthe set-top box knows what you like towatch, so appropriate commercialscould be downloaded to your STB inadvance and dropped into breaks,replacing ads which are not so suitablefor the individual in front of that particularscreen. The Booz & Co reportedconcluded “Careful positioning bytelecom operators can give IPTV a bigboost. From a demand perspective,consumers are likely to be receptive toits benefits: improved interactivity, aricher content portfolio, personalisation,and the convenience of one-stopshopping (including subscription, billing,maintenance and upgrades) for all homecommunication and entertainmentneeds. “But in a region where viewersare used to getting hundreds of channelsfor free, only a particularly compellingpackage of services will persuadeconsumers to start paying for IPTV.”

Almoe field mini line array for Dubai Beach World CupMartin Audio took part in the recent FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Dubai 2009, with local service providers Almoefeaturing a full line array sound rig.

This was the 15th edition of theCup since its establishment in1995, and the event in theUnited Arab Emirates was thesecond tournament to take

place outside Brazil. System designer wasAlmoe’s Head of Audio, Bruno Vitanza,who relied heavily on Martin Audio’sDISPLAYM software to make all theacoustical predictions for the purpose-built beach soccer stadium, which wasdesigned to accommodate nearly 6,000spectators. “DISPLAY was a great help,”he confirmed. “I just had to ‘virtually rig’the system on my PC and then when I didit for real I knew the line array wouldperfectly cover the areas I wanted … injust one take!”

For the main pitch Almoe fielded 16x W8LM Mini Line Array enclosures andeight WLXGS subwoofers, divided in two

towers with two rigs on each. “Each towerhad six W8LM to cover the central andside grandstand and two W8LM’s to coverthe top seats for the side stands,” saidVitanza. “One of the client’s requirementswas to leave unaffected the playing fieldas far as possible, and this we did.”Further coverage was provided for theVVIP area, where the Crown Prince andmembers of the royal family sat — eachspeaker individually powered and digitallycontrolled to add time delay and filters in

order to complement the Martin Audio linearray. Martin Audio’s DX1.5 dedicatedloudspeaker management systemprovided control, along with a pair of LabGruppen FP10000Q amplifiers in eachtower, — so that just one signal line wasrequired to each tower. The programmefeeds consisted of live DJ, video,animations and commentatorannouncements. Almoe’s senior audioengineer used Smaart to calibrate thesystem — achieving great results. “Duringrehearsals I was asked to increase thevolume to a maximum level withoutdistortion and it was incredibly loud forthe size of those boxes, and sounded sogood,” reports Bruno Vitanza. “The FIFAFBC director stated that he seriouslydoubted that they would run the system atthis level, so we had some headroom toplay with during the event.”

1

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Namibia broadcast meets electionmandate with DigideliveryWith Namibia's national elections, which took place at the end of November 2009, national broadcaster NamibiaBroadcast Corporation (NBC) needed to deliver fair and timely coverage of events leading up to the election andof the election itself. However, logistical obstacles made timeous broadcasting of regional news difficult. ADigiDelivery file exchange system from Spescom Media IT resolved the dilemma, boosting productivity, loweringcosts and enhancing NBC's service quality to boot.

Explains Vaino Ipinge, actingsupervisor, IT Maintenance atNBC: "With a vast geographicalarea to cover and nocomprehensive digital report

filing solution, getting reports from theeight different regional stations to NBCheadquarters for broadcasting has been aserious challenge. Journalists could filecopy (text) directly using NBC's integratediNews service, but not the audio andvisual components of the reports. "Wethus had to rely on courier companies, tofly the tapes to Windhoek or askjournalists to hand deliver the tapes - ajourney of more than 1000km in somecases. This resulted in delays of 24 to 48hours - not what you want from a nationalnews service."

All digital platformSpescom Media IT, tasked with the

transformation of NBC's operations froman analogue to all-digital platform,proposed the implementation ofDigiDesign's DigiDelivery, a file exchangesystem that fits seamlessly with the Avidproduction suite being implemented atNBC. Says Sean du Toit, MD of Spescom

Media IT: "The solution needed to enablefast digital delivery of reports from remoteregions and it needed to be simpleenough for everyone to be able to use.DigiDelivery, used in conjunction with alaptop and a broadband connection,provided a solution that met thosecriteria."

NBC regional officesAvid NewsCutter video editing

software and the DigiDelivery client wereinstalled on eight laptops that wereallocated to each of the NBC regionaloffices. This enabled reporters to dumpvisuals and audio directly from thecamera onto the laptop, make basic edits,write the accompanying copy and sendthe entire report 'package' via DigiDeliveryto NBC with the press of a button.

Notes Ipinge: "All that was neededwas the implementation of DSL lines inthe various regions. This provides thebroadband connectivity needed forsending large files. We also have 3Gaccess which we use as a failoversolution in case DSL connectivitydegrades. While the quality of connectivityis variable in the regions, we have thus far

not had any challenges that we could notresolve." Du Toit comments: "The solutionhas optimised workflows and enhancedproductivity. The reports sent viaDigiDelivery arrive on the server at NBCand an email is immediately generated toinform the recipient. The recipient canthen prioritise downloads and load articlesonto the Avid Unity server (the centralstorage system) that is accessible to crafteditors who refine the reports forbroadcast, from where they are sent tothe playout server for broadcast."

Streamlined NBC workflowConcurs Ipinge: "Moving to a digital

platform has streamlined our workflowsand DigiDelivery is an important part ofthe solution. It enables journalists to geton with what they do best, as well asenable NBC to up its game - deliveringnews as it happens to its most importantshareholders, the tax paying citizens ofthe country who fund our operations. "Weare very pleased with the service andongoing support provided by SpescomMedia IT. Their expertise and excellentcustomer service differentiates them andmakes them a trusted partner."

11

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Following the success of 3D inthe cinema there is a majorindustry push to establish 3D inthe home,” says Jim Bottoms,director at Futuresource, “and

today’s announcement by the BDAensures a unified route forward. Thequality and experience of High Definitionvia Blu-ray disc is unparalleled, and forthose consumers not yet convinced bythe HD experience, 3D will be anotherkey selling point and a highly persuasivereason to upgrade. Our research showsthat 3D-enabled BD players will beavailable in Q2-2010 to support the majorpush on 3D TVs that will start at CES andbuild throughout the year. Further interestwill be driven by owners of PS3 consoles,which will be able to play ‘Blu-ray 3D’content.

“At the beginning of 2009 manywere concerned that consumers mayretain their standard definition equipmentin the light of a tightening economicenvironment. However, in line withFuturesource expectations, consumershave continued to upgrade to HighDefinition, encouraged by falling prices,growing awareness and the fact thathome entertainment represents goodvalue for money in tough economictimes. Factor in the impact of a definitive3D platform, coupled with the consistentadvertising and education this will bringand we’ll see the robustness of thepackaged media business continue tosurprise the industry, with its lifespanprolonged for some time to come.”

Hollywood is currently releasingaround 30 major 3D movie titles perannum, and indications are that this isgoing to double over the next 12 to 18months. In the USA, titles such as Boltand Ice Age have generated more than50% of their theatrical revenues from the3D version, and consumers on bothsides of the Atlantic are demonstratingthat they are prepared to pay a premiumfor 3D content. With many high profile 3DBD title releases planned from the middleof next year, the industry’s eagerness tomaximise the 3D in-home experience willgo hand in hand with people’s eagernessto consume the content.

“Looking to the TV display market,manufacturers are already promoting 3D-ready sets and there is expected to be amajor US push on these devices early in2010,” says Mike Fisher, Convergence &New Technologies Consultant atFuturesource. “These TVs are aprerequisite to consumer adoption inmuch the same way as HD-Ready setswere used to seed the high definitionmarket five years ago.

“3D chipsets can be embeddedinto next gen hardware at relatively lowcost. Combine this with an integratedconsumer awareness programme and acoherent ‘3D-Ready’ branding strategy,and there will be few obstacles toconsumer adoption. Further, thedetermination of a number of leadinghardware brands to carve an earlyposition in the 3D TV and BD market willinevitably result in some attractive 3Dbundling deals, which we have factoredinto our detailed 3D hardware andcontent forecasts.”

With the World Cup in June andJuly set to be shot in 3D, this will help tosignificantly raise the profile of thetechnology. Given the positive impactthat this sporting festival always has onTV demand we can expect the retail tradeto put its full weight behind 3D veryquickly.

Mainstream adoption of 3D in the home moves one step closer In line with the BDA’s (Blu-Ray Disc Association) announcement in December on the finalisation and release oftheir ‘Blu-ray 3D’ specification, a recent strategic 3D report from Futuresource Consulting shows an upsurge in theadoption of High Definition and Blu-ray hardware in 2010, strengthened by a clearly defined 3D roadmap.

As part of InfoComm International’s AV Week, SACIA (the Southern African Communications Industries Association) are hosting an exhibition and conference programme that will focus specifically on the use of audiovisual technologies in business, government, education and Houses of Worship.

We are now inviting submissions from organizations, companies or individuals who are interested in presenting a paper. Presentations should focus on the successful application of AV technology and while manufacturers and dealers are welcome to submit papers, presentations should not be structured to sell or promote a particular brand or product.

Presentations can vary in length from 30-90 minutes based on relevance and content. Priority will be given to papers which address the use of AV technology throughout Africa and the Middle East.

When: 20-21 October 2010Where: Gallagher Conference Centre, Gauteng, South Africa

The SACIA ProAV Forum will comprise four half-day conference sessions each supported by local media and industry bodies specific to their market.

Each session will focus on the use of AV technology in:

• Government • Business • Education • House of Worship

If you’re interested in presenting a paper during the SACIA ProAV Forum please send a detailed synopsis to forum@proav-africa.org or call +27110836418

Call for papers

Promoting AV excellence in Southern Africa

The South African Communications Industries Association is a not-for-profit Trade Association committed to promoting the adoption of professional standards in the audiovisual industry throughout Africa.

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Iraqi Media Network is an Iraqigovernment-funded news andentertainment network that includes Al

Iraqia Television, Iraqia Sport, Al Atyaf,Iraqiya Moubashir, Al-Quran, Al-ShabakMagazine and Al Sabah News Paper. Thenewly installed dual-channel, highdefinition Clarity 5000 will support thenetwork’s wide variety of HD productionneeds simultaneously, including news,sports, studio production and playout.The system can interface directly withMOS-based newsroom systems,automation systems, and other criticalinfrastructure to ensure a seamlessworkflow for any application IMNrequires. With Clarity graphics deployedthroughout its operations, IMN hasestablished a flexible pool of networkedgraphics resources that can be

configured and applied as needed.Emad Hameed, Head of IMN’sEngineering & Technical Department inthe Baghdad headquarters says, “IMN’snew HD studio was designed to servemany different purposes. Pixel PowerClarity is therefore a good fit for thisenvironment because it is highlyadaptable, enabling our staff and oursystems to easily transition betweenfunctions.”

Configured for HD and SDWhile the latest Clarity 5000

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store, clip support, dedicated previewwith key on each channel, and user-definable inputs provide IMS with greatercreative flexibility without requiringadditional equipment. Reliability was alsoa critical factor for IMN. Clarity 5000incorporates numerous features asstandard equipment to ensureperformance and durability includingredundant power supplies and RAID-protected storage.

James Gilbert, Joint ManagingDirector of Pixel Power, says, “IMN’s newHD studio is a good example of howbroadcasters can achieve world-classresults without excessive complexity.When coupled with our high standards ofcustomer care, broadcasters feelempowered to take on ambitiousprojects such as IMN’s HD expansion.”

Iraqi Media Network choose Pixel Power for new HD studiosThe Iraqi Media Network (IMN) is deploying Pixel Power Clarity 5000 broadcast graphics technology for its newlybuilt, HD TV studio facilities in Baghdad. The new graphics technology joins six other Clarity graphics systemsfrom Pixel Power that have been installed by IMN during the last two years.

Photon Beard is a major provider of studio and portable lighting for the professional broadcast market worldwide, as a result of the proven build quality and reliability of our equipment. With our recent growth, we are now in a position where we are continually developing new innovative products, all designed andmanufactured at our UK factory.

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Over the last two years InfoComm International have

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Africa and the Middle East, and in partnership with the

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adoption of professional standards, training and industry

certification for the professional AV industry.

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GEN112 CTS Study GroupThis provides a forum for people to explore the new exam

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"We selected BTS trafficmanagement software atIBC2006 after comparing the

various available interstitial-managementapplications," comments Tolo TV CEOJahid Mohseni. "We were impressed bythe look and feel of the browser-baseduser interface though which Enterprise iscontrolled. Other key factors in our choicewere the option of remoteimplementation, online training and post-installation support. These allowed ourstaff to experience working with thesystem before making it a primary part ofour day-to-day workflow. It integratedseamlessly with our existing equipment,forming a system that is highly reliableand easy to use."

"This latest order sees theEnterprise system originally installed atTolo TV expanded with AdvancedScheduling and Sales modules," addsBTS Technical Director Craig Buckland."The Advanced Scheduling module allowsschedules to be generated in theplanning department and finalised in thepresentation area before being exportedto the automation system. Features suchas drag-and-drop of promos, automatictime-checking and automatic logoinsertion are available in the AdvancedScheduling module. The contents of

programme-break junctions areautomatically created using templates toensure items such as channel identifiersand commercial introductions areincluded in the correct places.Customisable graphic layouts are used tocreate and maintain long-term plans.

Graphic layouts"With the Advanced Sales module,

commercial spot placement rules can bedefined in the contract including dates,

dayparts, programmes and genres.Placement rules are checked during thebooking process and warnings given ifthey are violated. There are severalmethods to place spots, includingselectively or using an automaticplacement routine. A number of otherbooking processes help with filling anyempty airtime. Spot placement isimmediate, allowing reports and analysisto be produced showing planned andactual spot placements. Seamlessintegration between scheduling andadvertising sales avoids last-minutemerge problems and allows ad-sales alonger period of selling."

Tolo TV was launched in October2004, becoming one of the firstcommercial television stations to operatein Afghanistan and laying the foundationsfor a network offering a very broad rangeof content. Tolo TV's output includes localand international news, sports, current-affairs, movies, comedy, serials,documentaries, music, children'sprogramming, lifestyle and entertainmentshows. Tolo TV is broadcast free to airacross Afghanistan and regionally viasatellite. The network is part of theprivately-owned Moby Group which isbased in Kabul with offices in Dubai andWashington DC.

Tolo TV, Afghanistan, upgradesits BTS Enterprise systemTolo TV, the award-winning Afghan commercial television network, has upgraded its Broadcast Traffic Systems(BTS) traffic management installation. New software and additional modules have been added to the systeminstalled during 2006 at Tolo's headquarters in Kabul.

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46

Many viewers are irritatedwhen changing channels orcutting to a commercialbreak leads to a significantvariation in the audio levels

accompanying the picture. Viewersgenerally adjust the sound to their likingwhen they settle down to watch theirprogramme, only to find that changingchannels or interrupting the programmefor an advertising break requires them toadjust the volume control all over again.

The ITU's proposed new measuringtechnique will bring more uniformity toloudness in international programmeexchange and make television viewingmore pleasurable. Loudness variation hasbecome more noticeable with the adventof digital broadcasting because of highersound quality, so this development isexpected to be eagerly received byindustry and viewers alike.

Careless sound techniciansThere are many reasons for this

variance and according to Getu CherinetEwunetu, an engineer with the EthiopianRadio and Television Authority, theproblem is often created by carelesssound technicians or the improper

application of standards; “but more oftenthan not the problem is createdpurposefully by advertising agencies whocrank up the volume on their commercialspots in order to maximize impact,” hesays. His views are supported by YousifYousif from Al Aan TV in Dubai. “Weacquire programme material andadvertising content from hundreds ofdifferent sources and find that everyproducer sets his audio in a slightlydifferent way. It’s just not possible to applythe same standard to every commercial

spot or programme we ingest for playoutso our solution is to use the automaticgain control on our playout automationsoftware. It helps minimize the variation inapparent volume but cannot eliminatechanges altogether.”

A frustrating experienceEqually frustrating is the variation

viewers experience as they skip between

channels. Multichoice are the largest multi-channel broadcaster in Africa and haveinstalled very complex audio processingon their DSTV services that equalize thelevel between channels , and betweencontent within a channel. “But as thecountry moves down the DTTV trail we findourselves having to share a deliveryplatform with different broadcasters whoeach work according to different

A new ITU standard on audio levels for broadcast television is on the table aimed at putting an end to annoyingvariations in sound volume between programmes and advertising breaks.

Sound advice from ITU to keep TV volume in check

“Sometimes when you’re watching TV, a loud commercial message can really startle you,” saysMelvin Saldanha from Taj TV in Dubai. “Even before the first advert begins, your hands areitching for the remote control for a pre-emptive strike.” He declares it imperative that themaximum subjective loudness of advertisements be consistent and in line with the maximumloudness of programmes and junction material. “Consumers should not have their hearingassaulted in an attempt to grab their attention.” According to Saldanha, “TV programming ismade up of many different sources: new programmes and ads, archival material, live and pre-recorded broadcasts. It’s handled by many people. It may come to you through cable, satelliteor another distribution method and may use either digital or analogue technology. Because ofthe many steps involved from creating a program to watching it at home, there are manyopportunities for the sound volume to stray from ideal levels. It is not just a matter of level, it iscommon practice to over-compress audio and raise the normal level creating a signal lacking indynamic range. There is only one place to solve this problem and that is at Ingest. Loudnesscontrol needs to be linked with the general overall Quality Control (QC) of the audio signallevels. With the increased penetration of multi-channel audio, perceived loudness is replacingtraditional monitoring; this standard will also encourage transition to this model. Of course thisis speaking from a file based transmission system; understandably for some broadcasters theproblem is more complex. Many manufacturers have brought out automatic levelling systemsto be placed in the broadcast chain but a human-based audio QC check at the ingest stage,assisted by a loudness meter, would still appear to be the most desirable solution.”

47

specifications,” says Manny Coelho, headof media services at the broadcaster. “It’scritical that we all work to a commonstandard and the ITU specification is agreat place to start.” While viewers arequick to blame differences in loudness oncareless sound technicians or deliberatepolicies on the part of advertisers, it’s notalways their fault. There are a number oftechnical reasons for differences in'loudness' which are not easily controlled atthe broadcast studio. When sound ismeasured on a technician's VU meter, theequipment registers the strength of theelectrical sound signal, which is not itself adirect measure of how loud the TV soundwill be to viewers. Volume is also affectedby other things such as the range (ordegree of compression) of the sound.

An international standardTo rectify the problem, broadcasters

need a monitor or meter which displays'loudness' (rather than electrical signalstrength), and an agreement on a standardsetting level for loudness, so that soundtechnicians everywhere can make thesame adjustment. The draft new ITU-RRecommendation suggests how soundlevels should be measured and set ininternational programme exchange tomaintain more constant volume for viewers.

At its meeting in November 2009, StudyGroup 6 of ITU's RadiocommunicationSector (ITU-R) agreed a draft newRecommendation for the standard audiosetting in an internationally exchanged TVprogramme. This setting is termed the'target loudness', and the newRecommendation establishes a numericalvalue. Entitled 'Operational practices forLoudness in the International Exchange ofDigital Television programmes', the draftRecommendation will now be submitted tonational telecommunications

administrations for approval. The newstandard complements existingRecommendation ITU-R BS.1770, whichdescribes features of the 'loudness meter'that should be used by broadcasters tomeasure loudness. Work is underway toenhance BS.1770 with 'gating functions' inorder to eliminate periods of silence or low-level signals that do not appreciablycontribute to the perceived loudness of aprogramme, and this should be advancedat the next meeting of ITU-R Study Group 6in April 2010.

According to Getu Cherinet Ewunetu, an engineer with the Ethiopian Radio and TelevisionAuthority, audio problems are often created by careless sound technicians or the improperapplication of standards; “But more often than not the problem is created purposefully byadvertising agencies who crank up the volume on their commercial spots in order to maximizeimpact,” he says.

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48

By automating the movementof content through the newsproduction workflow, makingmedia readily accessibleacross production staff, and

accelerating the transcoding processesthat repurpose media for Webpublishing, broadcasters can offer timelynews content to viewers over all relevantdistribution platforms.

Digital workflowOmneon addresses all these

capabilities with a new workflow that’sbased on the Omneon media storageand processing platform. This platformincludes the company’s flagshipSpectrum media server, tightly integratedwith the Omneon MediaGrid activestorage system and three applicationservices: ProBrowse proxy generator andserver, ProXchange grid transcoder, andProCast content delivery network. Usingthe Omneon media storage and

processing platform, broadcasters canimplement a cost-effective newsproduction and delivery workflow built

with industry-leading solutions. Theplatform’s Web services applicationprogramming interface (or API) allowsnews production software vendors tointegrate their products with systemswithin the Omneon platform. Known asthe Omneon Media Services Framework,this integrated Web services APIsupports best-of-breed file-basedworkflows by easing third-partyintegration and providing unified contentmanagement capabilities across serverand storage systems.

Adding Efficiency to IngestThe Omneon Spectrum and

MediaDeck media server systems aredeployed at broadcast stationsworldwide to provide reliable ingest of allindustry-standard formats, includingMPEG-2, IMX, XDCAM HD, and DVCPRO25/50/HD. The new Omneon mediastorage and processing platform focuseson empowering the most relevant

In the world of broadcast news, stations are looking to achieve both greater efficiency in producing the broadcastnewscast and a greater capacity for distributing this content immediately to media consumers via the Web andmobile devices.

Optimizing the news production workflow

Jason Danielson is Omneon senior director,market development.

formats today for HD news workflows,DVCPRO HD or XDCAM HD.

The ingest of material into theOmneon platform’s media server iscontrolled by one of several best-of-breed news production systems thatsupport the entire news ingest-production-distribution workflow. Thissystem not only schedules andautomates multiple ingest channels, butalso provides tools for adding metadata,

either immediately as content arrives inthe system or later as the productionprocess permits. The news productionsystem also supports crash records aswell as allows metadata to be associatedwith incoming files from field devices andnetwork news file feeds.

Serving as multichannel ingestservers, the Spectrum and MediaDecksystems capture and encode channels toa compressed format for air and, at thesame time, generate MPEG-1 proxiesthat become available for review orediting just seconds after ingest begins.Thus, proxies may be createdimmediately at the point of ingest byOmneon ingest port hardware or by theOmneon ProBrowse proxy generator,which transparently provides access toproxies by the MAM system duringingest.

Solution Partners for Media The use of proxies across news

facilities enables a large number ofjournalists to make editorial decisionsabout incoming content and use theirown production tools to create timelynews segments for air. In large networkbroadcast operations, journalists cannumber in the hundreds. Newsproduction tools from companies suchas Ardendo, Dalet, Gallery, and Solutionsfor Media (S4M), among others, providethe timeline-based editing functionality,simple effects, and voiceover tools thesejournalists need to complete newssequences for air. The MediaGrid systemallows all of these journalists to accessand edit proxy material simultaneously,just seconds after material begins to bereceived. Finished pieces can beginairing seconds after a timeline iscompleted.

Complex news sequencesFor more complex news

sequences, journalists can create rough-cut edit decision lists (EDLs) that can beimported into a craft editor, typicallyApple Final Cut Pro, for finish editing ifneeded. The journalists’ news productionsoftware generates an XML file from theproxy rough cut, and this XML list isimported into Apple Final Cut Pro, whereit populates the edit timeline with therough-cut edit decisions. The OmneonProBrowse XML file also populates theFinal Cut Pro timeline with the full air-resolution clips so that the finish edit isperformed with the air-quality content.

For Avid-based workflows, theOmneon ConformTool, a media transferand format conversion application,ensures smooth compatibility byrewrapping the media to MXF OPAtom,creating the AAF file that associates thevideo and audio tracks of the clip, andproviding a drag-and-drop interfacethrough which users can import thedesired clips into the Avid bin for editing.

The flexibility of this collaborativeworkflow enables a pool of craft editors— as many as several dozen — to useAvid NewsCutter, Avid Media Composer,

or Apple Final Cut Pro to work onpromos and finish the news sequencesbegun by journalists.

Streamlining Editing ProcessesThe MediaGrid active storage

system supports edit-in-place for AppleFinal Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer, andAvid NewsCutter systems. Scalable incapacity, bandwidth, and mediaprocessing power, the MediaGrid systemintegrates with these leading applicationsto provide an editing experience that issimilar to what the editor experienceswhen connected to application-specificstorage from the edit system vendor.Editors experience no latencies or delayswhile reviewing timelines or jogging andshuttling through source clips, even asseveral dozen other editors access thesame content. Because the Omneonplatform supports the movement ofsequences between edit environmentswith ease, editors can enjoy convenientaccess to media, whether they’re workingwith one or multiple edit platforms.

Omneon’s new low-latency MXFencoding capabilities make contentavailable on the MediaGrid for editingeven faster than traditional edit-while-ingest approaches. By transferringcontent actively, the Omneon platformgives dozens of edit workstations accessto content within 10 seconds of the startof ingest.

Accelerate workflowThe Sony Cinémon workflow

accelerator for Final Cut Pro allowsXDCAM HD content ingested by the

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Journalists edit news segments and add voiceovers at BFMTV in France using desktop toolsfrom Dalet Digital Media Systems running on an Omneon media storage and processingplatform.

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51

Omneon Spectrum and wrapped in MXFOP1a to be edited immediately on FinalCut Pro systems without the need fortranscoding or rewrapping. As a result,broadcasters can very quickly and easilycombine the XDCAM HD materialacquired on Sony cameras with contentingested on the Omneon server systems.This same tool supports the fast,intelligent export of the finished newssequence from Final Cut Pro for playoutto air while the file export is still underway. Facilities leveraging both Final CutPro and Avid edit systems in a mixed editenvironment can use ConformTool toenable a transfer of timelines betweenedit environments. This functionality givesusers drag-and-drop or single-clickcontrol over the migration of sequencesfrom Apple to Avid edit systems. Theclose integration of the MediaGrid systemand ConformTool supports the offloadingof export and conform processes for bothFinal Cut Pro and Avid editingenvironments. ConformTool pulls filesfrom the MediaGrid system, flattens theminto a new file, and incorporates them intoan open MXF OP1a file that is ready forplayout.

Distributing Content:The key to the efficiency of an

Omneon-based workflow is that thecontent never moves. Proxy generation,shot selection, craft edit, conform andtranscode processes can work on thecontent while it continues to reside in theOmneon storage and processingplatform. This approach avoids the mostcommon cause of bottlenecks in abroadcast operation: transferring filesbetween islands of storage. In the

Omneon workflow model, contentremains on the MediaGrid system,allowing users to touch content asneeded while minimizing network traffic.

Using the Omneon storage andprocessing platform to perform grid-based transcoding of conformed content,Omneon ProXchange creates versions forplayout-to-air and for Web and phonedistribution. ProXchange performs faster-than-real-time conversion between a widevariety of acquisition, production, anddelivery video file formats. Rewrappingbetween QuickTime® and MXF self-contained and reference is performedwith preservation of all audio channels,timecode values, and clip metadata.

The integration of transcodeprocessing within the MediaGrid activestorage system streamlines file-basedworkflows by reducing the need forexternal transcoders and multiple filecopies. The system can processindividual clips manually or be configuredto run in an automated mode based onuser-defined settings for “watch folders.”For example, the ProXchange system cantake MPEG-2 50-Mbps I-Frame content,automatically create a transmission copyin MPEG Long GOP at a lower bitrate,and concurrently create an H.264 clip fordistribution to IPTV or the Web. Inaddition to automatic transcoding-in-place of content created for air, thesystem may be set up to provide contentfor review before users direct that contentinto subsequent production cycles.

Archiving News ContentBecause best-of-breed news

production systems include archivemanagement functionality and are tightly

integrated with newsroom computersystems, all scripts, voiceovers, and othertext related to a news story areassociated with the sound and video shotby news teams and can be archived backto MediaGrid or to a tape archive systemas desired. In either case, search tools ordatabase engines allow for quickfederated searches across past newsshows based on any of the elements thatwere used in the broadcast. These MAMsystems employ industry-standardarchive management systems to allowcontrol of virtually any of the dozens oftape archive options on the market, fromsmall tape vaults holding only eight digitaltapes to large robotic systems capable ofholding petabytes in nearline storage.

The Platform Makes the DifferenceAutomating and accelerating the

processing of media across the newsproduction workflow, the Omneon storageand processing platform streamlines theuse of sophisticated production tools indelivering timely news segments. TheOmneon Media Services Frameworkprovides a unified Web-servicesapplication programming interface thatallows best-of-breed news solutionsvendors to integrate applications quicklyand enables broadcasters to optimize theuse of the entire Omneon media storageand processing platform. By supporting abroad range of partner applications,Omneon systems allow broadcasters towork with the production andmanagement tools they prefer, usingworkflows that enhance collaborativecreative efforts and reduce overall timerequired to deliver finished news contentto multiple platforms.

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OmniBus Systems, the award-winning provider ofcomprehensive broadcast automation, content management andworkflow solutions, achieved another year of strong financialperformance in 2009, generating record levels of cash flow andprofitability. Building on the previous year's success, OmniBus haswon breakthrough sales to leading broadcasters and serviceproviders with its flagship iTX transmission and automationplatform. "2009 was an outstanding year for OmniBus, with thecompany expanding dramatically in all regions despite thedownward trend that has affected many areas of the industry,"said Mike Oldham, OmniBus Systems' CEO. "We've realized thissuccess in tough trading conditions because of the strength ofour next-generation, IT-based automation and transmissionplatform, OmniBus iTX. Difficult times make the economic benefitsof iTX more important to customers as they realize the high-endcapabilities of the platform. They can replace outdatedconventional technology, and benefit from an extended feature setand enhanced integration and flexibility — while still achieving bigsavings."

iTX sales were brisk in 2009, with more than 100 channelslaunched in the North American market alone. Many of the majornames in U.S. broadcasting and service provision are now listedamong the users of OmniBus products. Responding to thedemand for its products, the company has strengthened its sales,service and delivery teams with a number of appointments,including Iain Wood as regional manager for the Middle East andAfrica. "We are finding that the best talent in the industry is keen towork with OmniBus as we spearhead the industry transition tosoftware-based solutions operating on cost-efficient standard ITservers," Oldham said. "iTX sales have been growing because thesoftware platform allows broadcasters and media companies tomanage existing channels and launch new channels at a reducedcapital outlay and with lower ongoing operating costs. The iTXplatform replaces the functionality of traditional video servers,automation and graphics solutions and can be used to launchbroadcast, satellite, IPTV and mobile TV delivery services. Ourstrong financial position allows us to continue to invest in anaggressive R&D program to ensure that we maintain our clearlead in the industry. "In 2010 we expect our growth to be boostedby the expansion of HD broadcasting, and multi-format delivery,both of which are considerably easier to achieve with iTX," hecontinued. "We have also closed significant sales to contentdistributors and playout centers, along with station groupcustomers in the U.S. and Canada."

2009: Another year of expansionfor OmniBus Systems

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Achieving the highest attendee totalin the event’s seven-year history,Integrated Systems Europe 2010 attracted28,489 attendees to the Amsterdam RAIbetween 2–4 February, organiserIntegrated Systems Events hasannounced. The total represents a 14.4%increase from last year’s total of 24,912,which was itself a record. Thoseattendees saw products from 640exhibitors – up from 564 in 2009 andanother record for the show. Digitalsignage, professional audio, collaborativeconferencing, LED technology andbuilding automation all contributed to thegrowth in exhibitor numbers, confirmingISE’s position as the undisputed No.1show for professional AV and electronicsystems integration in the EMEA region.

100 first-time exhibits“We are delighted to have once

again hosted a record-breaking eventhere in Amsterdam,” comments MikeBlackman, Managing Director, IntegratedSystems Events. “To have posted asubstantial increase in attendance is areflection of the long-term strength of ourindustry, and a vindication of ourmarketing programme which was moreextensive than ever this year.” Exhibitorswere effusive in their praise for ISE 2010,with manufacturers from across thetechnology spectrum offering evidence of

three days of great business having beendone. “This is the best European show forthe AV market – clean, refreshing, andnew,” said Pauline Brooksbank, ManagingDirector at image-processing companyCalibre UK. “It’s a relaxed environment,and what’s good is that the bigger standsare split across the halls, so it’s easy toget around. Well done ISE on creatingsuch a great show!”

Record breaking eventPMC, which manufactures high-

quality loudspeakers for the home theatremarket, was one of over 100 first-time ISEexhibitors. The company’s Marketing Co-ordinator Samantha Thomas enthused:“ISE was a great success. We were veryimpressed with the turnout of trade

visitors, not only in quantity but in qualityand diversity as well.” The exhibitorrebooking process began on the secondday of this year’s show, and by the close,over 83% of the space for ISE 2011 hadalready been booked – up from 71% atthe equivalent time a year ago. “Ourremarkable percentage of rebookedspace for 2011 demonstrates that ourexhibitors did not merely have a busyshow – they enjoyed three days ofsubstantial new business opportunities,”adds Blackman. “This confirms our beliefthat the market for professional AV andelectronic systems integration still hasplenty of growth potential for the future.”

Conference programmeFurther optimism was expressed

outside of the show floor, not least at theISE DOOH Business Conference, theshow’s traditional curtain-raiser for thedigital signage and out-of-homeadvertising communities, where over 100delegates gathered to consider how thisnew market is likely to grow strongly in theyears to come. Elsewhere, recordnumbers of visitors attended theeducation sessions organised by ISE’stwo supporting associations, CEDIA andInfoComm International, while the ISETheatre hosted a wide-rangingprogramme of free panel discussions thatlikewise drew hundreds of attendees.

Record-breaking ISE 2010 wows AV industry and lays groundwork for future growth

Exhibitor rebooking surpasses 2009as attendance numbers surge

While you probably don’texhibit the “cringe factor”personally in this regard,you no doubt knowsomebody who does! Only

a few organisations are blessed with acomprehensive HR capability. If you haveone, don’t curse it, make the most of theirknowledge and experience. If not, thisarticle may help you on your way.

Climate controlOver the last year or so the

broadcast technology and ProAV marketshave had a tough time and some sectorscontinue to struggle. In many cases

reduced revenues and profits have led tocost reductions, headcount freezes andregrettably some lay-offs. How has thisimpacted recruitment? Many companieshave stopped expanding their workforceand have managed with the team theyhave or are only replacing critical staffwho decide to move on. Others areresorting to short or fixed term contracts.While we have seen problems withfinancial liquidity we have also seenproblems with human liquidity. Peoplehave, understandably, become riskaverse. In tough times “the devil youknow” is often the wiser approach thanrisking pastures new. Good people have

tended to stay put and this has acted toreduce the churn of talent in themarketplace.

Specialist recruitment agenciesTalking to specialist recruiters, it

seems that things are loosening up in theearly months of 2010. However, it alsoappears that salary and benefit packageshave tightened up with some employerstrying to achieve “more for less”. “In theUAE it’s almost ground to a halt,”commented Graham Day, Director ofTrimedia Middle East, “there are some

niche jobs but there are few vacanciesand almost none for ex-pats.”

For the most senior appointments,in companies that are venture capital orprivate equity backed, then people seemwilling to pay the going rate for the besttalent. Even so, at that level, there’s moreWe’re all in danger of having a serious excess of reality TV! The plethora of

music, talent and dance shows makes us realise how limited mostpeople’s singing or dancing capability really is! Unfortunately the same isoften the case with recruitment. Most managers have little or no training inselection or interviewing skills and are self taught.

Recruitment is no song and dance routine!

“Employment in the Middle East televisionindustry has almost ground to a halt,” saysGraham Day, director of Trimedia MiddleEast. “There are some niche jobs but almostnothing is available for ex-pats.”

Lee Barnett, director of BroadcastRecruitment at Caspian One reports thatduring the last years he’s had severalvacancies in the Middle East where he wasable to provide suitable candidates. “But thebudget for the post was removed before thecandidates were taken on,” he says. “Peopleare being laid off before they’ve beenappointed.”

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of a trend to trade absolute remunerationfor stock options or a strongerperformance related element.

For most appointments thoughsalaries and benefits are being squeezed.Lee Barnett, Director of BroadcastRecruitment at Caspian One reported thatlast year he had several vacancies in theMiddle East where he found goodcandidates but the budgets for the postswere removed before the candidates weretaken on. Such is life in the mediamarketplace – people are being laid offbefore they are appointed! Despite thisLee says there are still vacancies in theregion. “There’s increasingly an emphasison candidates with languages who can beemployed locally at conventional rates. It’sbecoming much less of an ex-patcommunity.” Graham Day confirmed this,“The budgets available for posts are onlylikely to attract locals or single ex-pats withno dependents willing to make a big timecommitment. There’s also a trend toshorter term contracts.”

On-the-job trainingIn South Africa, broadcasters seem

more inclined to seek staff with fewerqualifications at a lower rate and then dotheir best to grow them through on the jobtraining. Natalie Delport, owner of Portal toLearning in Johannesburg has seen clearevidence of that trend and also reports anincreased use of fixed term contracts andinterim employment. Natalie spends muchof her time recruiting trainees and helping“train the trainers”.

At the SABC they have a longstanding moratorium on recruitment butcontinue to appoint interns and trainees.Ron Morobe, Acting Group Executive fortheir Human Capital Services, says that:“Our interns see SABC as a preferredemployer and recognise that we provideone of the few broadcasting trainingopportunities in the country.”

In Europe, the second half of 2009went very quiet in the media sector butJeremy Burnell of JBA Executive says:“Most clients had a good Q4 and this,combined with increased merger andacquisition activity, has helped improveoptimism for 2010. Europe is picking upwhile growth markets such as Asia-Pacificand South America have maintainedhigher levels of activity throughout.”

There are some encouragingpockets of recovery across the region.According to Michele Dwayk at HarrisCorporation in Dubai, “We’re having somedifficulty finding the right talent. Keypeople are still in demand in the regionand finding candidates with the right skillsand experience profile has always been a

challenge.” Harris are recruiting severalstaff and increasing the number of salesand service engineers dedicated to theregion.

Recruitment realitiesIn any event, the recruitment scene is

challenging right now. There are morecandidates chasing fewer vacancies andrates of remuneration are under pressure.That might imply that employers haveplenty of people to choose from but, aswe’ve already established that’s notalways the case and they still have to findthem.

It’s in this area where there issignificant change with the emergence ofon-line and social media tools for findingthe right candidates. Traditional pageadvertising has largely given way to on-lineresources and communities wherecompanies look for talent. Sites likeLinkedIn and Twitter have started to play amajor role in this arena and this meansthat job seekers really do need to beactive in on-line communities to find thebest opportunities. In addition, sectorspecific tools are available like AVSpecialists very own AVJobSearch.

“We continue to use recruitmentagencies for specialist staff but we’re alsomaking increased use of LinkedIn andAVJobSearch” commented Michele fromHarris, “but the most effective way to findgood people is informal networking in thelocal industry community.”

Training and Up-skillingNotwithstanding the fact that there is

a pool of potential talent, companyrequirements are changing and it can stillsometimes be difficult to find the rightperson for the job. Changing technologies

Top Tips for Recruitment

1. Make sure you really know what type of person you need

2. Check carefully whether there is a candidate in your organisation already

3. Don’t just think about knowledge andskills, think about behaviour and personality

4. Make use of on-line recruitment sites,social media networks and your community

5. If you use a recruiter, make use of their experience in the selection process

6. Don’t just interview, get candidates involved with other people and other activities

7. Think whether some behavioural profiling would help make the right decision

8. Give all candidates a positive feeling about you organisation

Jeremy Burnell of JBA Executives reports that2009 was a quiet year for the media industry inEurope. “Despite this we’re very optimisticabout 2010,” he says. “Broadcasting is aglobal business and there’s strong demand forqualified staff in the Asia-Pacific and SouthAmerican markets.”

The SABC’s Ron Morobe asserts that theSABC is seen by many job seekers as apreferred employer who is able to provideongoing training to interns and trainees. “Wehave a standing moratorium on recruitment ofprofessional staff but continue to introduceyoung talent to the industry,” he says.

1

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and changing ways of working requirestaff knowledge and skills that are right upto date. The convergence of the IT,telecoms and media sectors is creatingdemand for hybrid experience. That’s allwell and good but who’s doing thetraining? Generally cash strappedcompanies have cut back on trainingalthough there are notable exceptions aswith SABC referred to previously. We’ll belooking in more detail at training in anupcoming edition of AV Specialist.

Gain new skillsNow is really the time for those in

work to make sure they take everyopportunity to gain new skills and newawareness as it will pay handsomerewards for the future. From an employer’sperspective this is a “double-edgedsword”. If you develop your people, doyou risk equipping them for a better jobelsewhere, leaving you high and dry? Theanswer may be yes but this is easilyovercome by creating a genuine “learningculture” in the organisation where staffsoon see that they can develop and growwithin their own organisation rather thantaking significant risks by going elsewhere.

Natalie Delport confirmed this,commenting: “Employers do development

one day and expect outcomes next day.It’s really not like that. It’s about creatinglong term behavioural change. The effectis compound. You need to set goals andmeasure outcomes. Interacting withpeople in this way can change the wholeculture of the organisation. Often you cando better by reinvesting in the people youhave rather than looking elsewhere.”

If you’re employed in the AVbusiness there’s no better time to thinkabout tackling your CTS certifications.

InfoComm's internationally recognisedCTS programme identifies job seekers ashaving up-to-date knowledge on thescience behind modern AV systems. Thetraining course has been presented inboth Dubai and Johannesburg during thelast few months and is scheduled to takeplace in both centres during April. Theexam can be written at any Promotrictesting centre in the region so AVprofessionals who are looking to enhancetheir career with an ISO-registeredqualification have no excuse not toparticipate in the training or write the test.

Selection PerformanceProbably the most important area for

management attention in hard times is inimproving your selection performance. It’shard enough to find the budget and thengo through the recruitment process.However, if you select the wrong candidateyou can do untold harm to theorganisation, your existing team and theapplicant. This is a skill area that fewmanagers have much experience of.

We turned to Bill McAneny of thePrelude Team for his help on this subject.Bill is an industrial psychologist who workswith companies to help them select theright people. He has particular experienceof the broadcast sector and of the MiddleEast. “The key to successful recruitment isto clearly identify the behaviouralcharacteristics you need as well as theskills and experience. Conventionalinterviews have a predictive delivery ofabout 20%. They are very subjective andare riddled with unconscious prejudice!They provide little or no personality orbehavioural review – frankly you might aswell chuck a ping-pong ball out of thewindow and see who it hits!” That allsounds fine but how do you go about it?

In-depth assessmentBill’s approach is to expose

candidates not just to interview but to arange of activities and a range of people.This is coupled with in-depth assessmentusing some standardised psychometricassessment tools. This way you find outabout their behavioural traits and you seehow they’ll fit into the company and theteam. Some readers will no doubt say thatis all too much trouble and expense but itreally does change the nature of theselection. Candidates come out withvaluable experience, a betterunderstanding of themselves and usuallyhave a high opinion of your company –even if unsuccessful. The upside gain isthat you improve the probability ofsuccess from say 25% to say 75%. That’sreally worth having!

Lee Barnett also has concerns in thisarea. “This is where a recruitmentspecialist can really help their clients. It’snot just about finding good candidates, it’salso about helping the client to choose theright one. Some of the most talentedpeople are not always the bestinterviewees and it’s really important tofind out who will be the best long term fitinto the organisation!

If you want to try out one of Bill’spersonality assessments go to the Preludewebsite and have a go!http://www.prelude-team.com/

ConclusionsSo, there’s little doubt that jobs are

scarcer and it’s tough out there.Candidates need to identify the skills indemand and equip themselves with theright knowledge and expertise for thefuture. They also need to network in theindustry community to have the bestchance to find the right job. In a poll onthe AV Specialist web site, candidatesrevealed that the three most popularplaces to look for jobs were socialnetworking sites; specialist recruitmentagencies; and industry websites. Bottomof the list were exhibitions and eventsfollowed by daily newspapers. Nosurprises with those results and theyreflect some good advice.

Arguably it’s an employers marketbut some specialists are still in shortsupply. The key for companies is tospecify the job thoroughly and thenconcentrate on getting the selection right.Use our “Top Tips for Recruitment” tofocus your thinking and your activity.

Times in the broadcast technologyand ProAV sector are changing fast. Aftera turbulent last twelve months it looks like2010 will be a pivotal year for the future ofthe industry in the Middle East and Africa.

In South Africa, broadcasters are inclined toseek staff with lower qualifications and thenprovide on-the-job training. Natalie Delportalso reports that there’s a growing trendtoward fixed-term contracts and short-termemployment.

Roger Crumpton is a freelance writer,commentator, facilitator and presenter. Hewas formerly the Chief Executive Officer ofthe IABM.

About the author

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The unfortunate trend in shortterm cost cutting is to reduce orin some cases, completelyeliminate the training budget. It’susually the easiest place to look

because training is viewed as overheadcosts. The quick slash and burn approachto help bring up the numbers typicallyresults in a return to the hands-on, learn-as-you-go, scattergun approach to skillcompetence. The organization is then leftwith those individuals who are willing tolearn in order to survive as opposed to askilled workforce that wants to grow. Whatmakes this strategy particularly dangerousis the unprecedented labor shortageunfolding in the United States and the‘free agent’ approach to career

development as seen among the currentcrop of full time employees. Allconventional wisdom supports the notionthat training is critical to the efficientfunctioning of an organization, but the link

between conventional wisdom andpractical reality gets lost when the idea isto keep the ship afloat. The oftentranslates into organizations having abunch of highly skilled employees whoare proficient in bailing water, but oncethe waters are calm and stability has beenestablished, no one knows how to row theboat.

Not a recreational luxuryTraining is not a ‘recreational’ luxury

to be implemented when times are good,but is an essential survival tool whentimes are pretty rough. It is important tomaintain an ongoing assessment of theinternal training needs of the organizationwhile anticipating the changes in the

The current competitive atmosphere has a number of companies trying to balance their restructuring and retentionneeds. In the midst of all that expanding and contracting decision making is one sure truth about remainingcompetitive. Maintaining a well trained, multi-skilled workforce is more than just an overhead cost consideration,but the recognition that without appropriate knowledge and skills, a company, irrespective of size, can lose itscompetitive and distinctive edge.

Multi-skilled workforce requires continued professionaldevelopment

external environment that will dictate newskills and knowledge. The corporate worldhas seen the emergence of E-Learning,Online Training, and Distance Educationas expanding compliments to traditionalin-class learning. These new approachesto training have helped to take some ofthe expense out of training (i.e. travel,hotel accommodations), but they alsorepresent the continuing education andtraining opportunities that are consistentwith the ‘lifelong’ learner philosophy thatis a guiding beacon for contemporaryorganizations. In fact, the growth of theInternet has helped to take a lot of thesting out of costly training by allowingaccess to training Websites and onlinecertification programs.

Importance of trainingAs the economic cycle continues to

spin toward its next step in the process,many organizations are weighing theimportance of training in lieu of otherseemingly pressing concerns. The doubtsare probably tied to an inability tomeasure the true impact of the trainingexperience, and, consequently, its trueworth. When all else fails, perhaps somereflective thought on the next quote andits corporate interpretation might shedsome light. “If you think education isexpensive, try ignorance.” In the businesssetting, that quote is taken to mean, “Ifyou think training is expensive, tryincompetence.” In South Africa, as inmany other countries, the Government isthe largest user of IT and AV technology.The task of buying the equipment theyneed is undertaken by the StateInformation Technology Agency, betterknown as SITA.

Procurement agencyThe Agency is responsible for the

procurement of all AV and IT technologyand manager Izak de Villiers explains thattheir purpose is to consolidate andcoordinate the State’s informationtechnology resources in order to achievecost savings through scale. They’re alsolooking to increase delivery capabilitiesand enhance interoperability. Izak viewsInformation Technology (IT) as a strategicresource for government, with SITAmanaging the IT procurement and deliveryprocess to ensure that the Governmentgets value for money. “The use of AVtechnology throughout Government andstate-owned enterprises has boomed inrecent years and today we’re finding everyschool, municipality, University, courtroomand government office has a requirementfor audiovisual equipment,” says Izak.“Since few of these organiations have in-

house AV skills the equipment needs tobe supplied by vendors who are able toprovide a solution that’s matched to thecommunication requirements of the user.We’re looking to work with vendors whohave the ability to provide a total solutionthat go’s beyond ‘box-drop’ selling. Wewant our suppliers to provide installation,maintenance, training and ongoingsupport so it’s important that we work withvendors who are capable of providingthese services to an acceptable standard;and finding suitable suppliers is harderthan you’d think.”

International standardsIn the latest SITA tender 431 the

Agency has mandated that suppliers ofAV technology to state-owned enterprisesmust be certified to internationallyrecognized AV standards - and they’veidentified InfoComm’s CTS credential astheir preferred standard. “In a market likeIT and AV technology that’s developing ata rapid pace, we can’t rely on past workexperience or outdated qualifications,” hesays. “InfoComm is an ISO-registeredstandards generating body for the globalAV industry and any individual who hasearned the InfoComm CTS credential hasclearly demonstrated their knowledge andunderstanding of advanced audiovisualsystems. More importantly, in order tomaintain their CTS status, qualifiedindividuals need to commit to an ongoingprogramme of professional development.

Ongoing professional developmentIndividuals maintain their CTS

credential by participating in a wide rangeof approved training programmesprovided by manufacturers, tradeassociations and consultants, as well asInfoComm’s own online Academy. Theirknowledge is current and we canpurchase products and services confidentin their ability to provide technical back-up, support, training and service.” Izakgoes on to explain that SITA haveimplemented a contract managementprocess that ensures the responsiblility forproviding a working AV solution liesexclusively with their supplier. “When weissue our tender document we’re nolonger asking suppliers to provide asolution in a box – we’re asking for asystem that will address thecommunications needs of Government.Our suppliers are required to ensure thesolution is fit for its intended purpose andif they don’t deliver we’ll hit them where ithurts – in their wallet; we’ll just keep themcoming back until their solution does whatwe want.” InfoComm training in SouthernAfrica is hosted by SACIA, a not-for-profittrade association whose objective is topromote the adoption of professionalstandards in the audiovisual industry.Over the last few months they’ve hosted anumber of InfoComm trainingprogrammes and are currently working toregister the CTS credential with SAQA, theSouth African Qualifications Authority.

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In a fast-moving AV industry formal qualifications can quickly become outdated so it's critical toparticipate in a programme of continuous professional development. infoComm's professionalCTS credential requires qualified individuals to earn renewal units by participating in industry-specifi training programmes provided by manufacturers, Associations, consultants and theirown online Academy..

New discussion system for smallto medium sized meeting areas

Bosch Security Systems used ISE to launch a newdiscussion system that combines new elegant styling withinnovative features designed and developed by Bosch expertsin Europe. The CCS 900 Ultro Discussion System is intendedprimarily for small to medium sized meeting areas such astown halls, local business centers and courtrooms. It offers ahost of design features that make it easy to manage meetings,including an advanced new patent-pending “Possible-To-Speak” function which gives a visual indication of when themicrophone is available for a delegate to take the floor.

The system’s superior speech intelligibility is assured byBosch’s proprietary DAFS (Digital Acoustic FeedbackSuppressor) technology, which has been proven over manyyears in the company’s conferencing and public addresssystems. With this new all-in-one system, users can listen toproceedings and easily participate directly in discussions.

During ISE Mitsubishi showed off a 149" prototype OLEDscreen. Believed to be the world's first scalable OLED screentechnology, the new system aroused considerable interest.OLED screens create light by a process of electro-luminescence (EL). Each pixel consists of an anode andcathode separated by a thin organic membrane. Its simpleconstruction means that the screen surface can be madeextremely light and thin. Using specially-developed driverelectronics, Mitsubishi has created an edge-less OLED displaymodule that can be joined together with others to createseamless screens of virtually any size and shape, includingcurves. The company believes this modular approach willdeliver the versatility required of the next generation of indoorDigital Signage displays. Unlike conventional LED systems, itsslim, lightweight construction means that large screens can beinstalled on virtually any building surface. Unlike LCD orplasma, Mitsubishi's OLED modules are truly edge-less so thatany shape of screen can be created without visible borders.

GREEN SLIM Projectors XJ-A155Casio has invented a mercury-free laser and LED hybrid

light source capable of high-brightness projection for use innext-generation projectors. Using this “clean and green”technology, Casio is releasing a line of GREEN SLIMprojectors. At present, high-pressure mercury lamps are usedas the light source for data projectors capable of producing 2000 or more lumens. Semiconductor light sources that do notcontain environmentally harmful mercury (such as laser andLED) are promising light sources for next-generation projectorsbut until now, mass production has not been feasible. Casiohas changed all this by creating an original mercury-free hybridlight source capable of generating high brightness bycombining a laser, a phosphor and an LED.

Extron Electronics is pleased to announce theintroduction of the FOX 4G Matrix 320x. This highperformance, modular fiber optic matrix switcher providescomplete, end-to-end digital A/V signal transmission androuting over fiber optic cable in very large environments suchas university and corporate campuses. It is expandable from16x16 up to 320x320, and supports digital switching at ratesup to 4.25 Gbps. With hot-swappable I/O boards, real-timesystem monitoring, and redundant, hot-swappable powersupplies, the FOX 4G Matrix 320x delivers highly reliable,enterprise-wide switching of fiber optic A/V and controlsignals for large scale, mission-critical environments.

"The FOX 4G Matrix 320x is ideal for the largest A/Vsystem applications requiring a highly robust, dependableswitching system using a fiber optic infrastructure," saysRainer Stiehl, Vice President of Marketing for Europe.

Mitsubishi Electric shows large screen OLED at ISE 2010

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Extron premieres highperformance switcher

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NEC Display Solutions will launch its latest top-of-the-range model of P-series public display in March 2010, with theNEC MultiSync P701. The 70-inch full high-definition monitor isa professional grade panel especially built for long-term useand features a sophisticated multistep overheating protectionsystem that enables it to be used even in the most demandingdigital signage applications. NEC Display Solutions’ P-series,consisting of the NEC MultiSync P401, P461 and P521 models,will be expanded by the new flagship model P701. With itsbrightness of 600 cd/m2, contrast ratio of 2,000:1 andresolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, the monitor delivers crisp,vivid digital signage content in full HD quality making it idealfor size-critical implementations in retail signage, controlcentres or in public buildings.“With the P-series’ numerousfeatures and expansion options, our latest P701 professionalpanel promises to deliver to the requirements of demandingdigital signage, conference or control room applications,” saidIan Gobey, General Manager of NEC Display Solutions MiddleEast. “It offers exceptional state-of-the-art technology for allkind of professional digital signage application and is built withreliability and variability in mind, aimed at environments thatrequire simplified installation and easy integration,” he adds.

Crestron TPMC-3X I/O 2,8” WI-FI touchpanel

NEC unveils 70-inch monitor

Crestron have launchedthe TPMC-3X handheld WiFitouchpanel that delivers thebest remote control availablefor home theatre and AVpresentation, marrying styleand ergonomics with theultimate in performance andcustomisability. Its sleekform factor is easy to hold,with large tactilepushbuttons,electroluminescent

backlighting, and a fullycustomisable touchscreen fora wireless control solutionthat is both intuitive and funto use.

Gone are the limitationsor previous generationremotes, and the frustrationof using them. The TPMC-3Xoffers seamless interactionwith AV and environmentalsystems, providing truefeedback of all your settings,and displaying metadatainformation for all your digitalmedia. Whether watching TV,choosing a movie or musictitle, adjusting roomtemperature and lighting,checking the security system,or even monitoring live videoright on the built-intouchscreen, the TPMC-3Xaffords a user experience likeno other handheld remote.

The new 1T-CT-570 DVI-D over Fiber Optic TransmissionSystem made its official debut at the ISE 2010 Exhibition.This new DVI Fiber Optic Extender consists of the 1T-CT-571Transmitter and the 1T-CT-572 Receiver and is a highperformance system used to transmit PC signals and HDTVvideo at resolutions up to WUXGA and 1080p respectivelyover distances up to 500 metres (1640 feet).

The 1T-CT-571 Transmitter connects directly to thesource device’s DVI output connector and the 1T-CT-572Receiver connects directly to the display or other destinationdevice’s DVI input connector. Four Fiber Optic cables providea RF immune, virtually lossless method for transporting thevideo signal to a remote location. No adjustments arerequired and setup consists of simply making certain that thesource device’s output resolution matches the destinationdevice’s capabilities, and ensuring that the cables aresecurely and correctly connected. Two 5VDC Power Adaptersare provided as standard, however most PC’s and othersource devices provide sufficient power through their DVIoutput for the 1T-CT-571 Transmitter to work without these.

TV One announces new DVI over Fiber system

JVC has announced the early-March launch of the DLA-SH7NL, a 4K2K D-ILA projector. It incorporates three 1.27-inch4K2K D-ILA display devices for high-quality imaging and dualultra-high-pressure mercury lamps for 5,000 lumens ofbrightness. Combining superb definition and resolution withlow-cost maintenance, the 4K2K D-ILA projector is expected tobe widely accepted for planetariums, museums, simulators andmedical institutions, as well as used for high-spec designingand monitoring. The new model joins the DLA-SH4K, a 4K2Kprojector launched in January 2008, and like its predecessor,the new DLA-SH7NL achieves ultra-high resolution ofapproximately 10 megapixels (4,096 x 2,400), or more than fourtimes full HD, plus a stunning 10,000:1 native contrast ratio.

JVC to add new projector to its 4K2K D-ILA line-up

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Samsung showcase innovativeportfolio of B2B solutions

Samsung used therecent ISE exhibition toshowcase its innovation inlarge format, digitalinformation display (DID)monitors, alongside itsexpertise in LED andinteractive solutiontechnology. Hosting a 400square metre exhibit areaSamsung showed its LEDproducts and interactivewhiteboard solutions,

targeting the booming DIDmarket, as well as e-Bookreaders, LED projectors, andthe latest display technology.

DIDs are mainly used toprovide information atairports, retail stores, andother public areas. They canalso be used as a part ofinterior décor to effectivelyprovide a wide array ofinformation. SamsungElectronics believes that theadoption of DID systemswould enable quick andprecise delivery ofinformation, enhance PR andexhibition activities, removethe need to print informationand advertisements, anddecrease maintenance costs,through easy systemchanges.

SMART Technologies announces the SMART Board 685ixinteractive whiteboard system - a high-definition, high-performance collaboration tool that virtually eliminates shadows,glare and projector light in the eyes. The fully integrated systemcomprises a SMART Board 685 interactive whiteboard and thenew wall-mounted, ultra-short-throw UX60 widescreen projectorwith a 16:10 aspect ratio and WXGA resolution (1280x800). Asmore and more developers of multimedia and video contentshift to a widescreen aspect ratio, the projector’s widescreenformat provide a future-proofed investment for school districts,post-secondary institutions and businesses. With high-definitionimage quality and easy access to other peripheral devices fromthe front of the room, the SMART Board 685ix interactivewhiteboard system delivers a top-of-the-line interactivewhiteboard experience. The UX60 projector uses TexasInstrument’s (TI) DLP Brilliant Color technology high-contrastengine to produce stunning color performance and vibrant,crystal-clear images. The DLP technology virtually eliminatescolor decay and maintains color quality even after years of use.

Digital Signage revolution helping‘Revitalise the High Street'

LG Electronics has uncovered a major interest in digitalsignage as one of the catalysts helping to lift the retail industryout of recession, according to a recent poll. As part of itsparticipation in ISE 2010 LG conducted a survey amongst asample of the visitors at the show to explore views on digitalsignage developments and their likely impact on town centresand the retail environment in particular. Some 79% of thosepolled believed digital display technologies will be veryimportant or vital to revitalising the high street in the yearahead.LG’s Future of the High Street survey revealed supportfrom 32% respondents for the resurgence of town centres, withmost believing it will be driven by retailers finding new ways todeliver better customer service.

TOA has launched the D-2000 series all-in-one digitalmixing system that combines the functions of auto mixing,matrix switching, and signal processing. While the system’stable-mounted remote console unit boasts an exceptionallysmall footprint, the D-2000 can be expanded to comprise upto four rack processing units for a total of up to 128 audioinputs and outputs. CobraNet compatibility means theprocessing modules can be connected to a LAN for remoteoperation. Brett Downing, Sales & Marketing Director at TOAEurope says: “The D-2000 is a very exciting product to belaunching. The D-2000 is unique and it directly reflects ourinvestment in delivering systems to users who increasinglywant to use sophisticated audio matrixing and processing forsmaller venues with single or multiple rooms such asmunicipal and corporate conference facilities, hotels andfitness clubs. We’ve got a real winner with the D-2000.”

SMART unveils new widescreeninteractive whiteboard system

TOA creates D-2000 series digital mixing system

projectiondesign presented its latest innovation inprojection technology with the preview of the innovative FR12Remote Light Source projector at Integrated Systems Europe2010. The patent pending FR12 Remote Light Source (RLS)concept relocates the lamps from the projector to a rack-mountenclosure up to 30m away from the projector head. Light fromthe 19-inch rack-mounted RLS illuminates the projector headvia an innovative Liquid Light Guide (LLG). The result is acompact, ruggedized, virtually maintenance-free projector headwith completely silent operation. There are no limits oninstallation orientation and lamp maintenance is entirelysimplified. The FR12 Remote Light Source projector is ideal for24/7 operation and applications where fan noise and heatmanagement are issues, as well as in any location whereprojector access is restricted. “At the forefront of creatingsome of the most exciting technologies and innovativeproducts, projectiondesign has made history by producinginnovative projectors that are compact, bright and high-resolution,” says Anders Løkke, International Marketing &Communications Manager at projectiondesign.

Harris demos latest digital advances

projectiondesign explores new territory

Harris showed the latest enhancements to itscomprehensive digital out-of-home (DOOH) solution atIntegrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2010. “Harris continues torevolutionize the way that businesses operate digital signagenetworks — large and small,” said Brian Cabeceiras, vicepresident of strategic marketing and technology for HarrisBroadcast Communications. “At the core, digital signage isabout enhancing the customer experience and maximizing abusiness’ return on investment. We’re unveiling a new versionof our digital out-of-home solution that expands monetization ofnetworks by supporting IPTV, mobile delivery and extensivecontent targeting, enabling further optimization of revenue.”

Comprising the Harris InfoCaster digital signage systemand the Punctuate business and advertising managementapplication, the Harris digital out-of-home offering enablesusers to ingest, schedule and distribute dynamic — andtargeted — content. Customers have a choice of three newInfoCaster hardware platforms that deliver smaller, more cost-efficient form factors for compact installations, yet are packedwith power and functionality.

At ISE Christie launched their unique MicroTiles digitaldisplay technology that creates a virtually seamless digitalcanvas in almost any size or shape - and offers spectacular,crisp visuals at any distance. The MicroTiles are modulardigital display tiles that can be stacked and clustered likebuilding blocks to create display walls of any shape or scale,using an entirely new, advanced optical design that producesunparalleled levels of brightness, contrast and colorreproduction.The Christie MicroTiles system represents ahuge step forward in large-format digital display technology,offering superior color and image reproduction, the widestpossible viewing angles, and a near absence of seams ondisplay walls, with only a 1mm gap between the tiles. Thegroundbreaking LED- and DLP-based system is designed forlong, reliable commercial use in public areas, with no lampsor other consumable parts to replace. The LED light engine, akey component of MicroTiles, is rated at 65,000 hours to halfbrightness usage, or nearly 7.5 years of continuous operation.

The new creative canvas

Coinciding perfectly with ISE 2010, Sharp’s new line-up ofprofessional LC displays seems predestined to grab theattention of the entire sector. The electronics group is the firstLCD manufacturer in the world to produce a high-performancemonitor with a diagonal of 152 centimetres (60 inches). Withthree other product innovations, Sharp is also marking its re-entry into the lucrative high-volume market segments forscreens with diagonals of 132 centimetres (52 inches), 119centimetres (47 inches) and 107 centimetres (42 inches).

“With our innovative line-up of professional monitors, anew era is dawning for Sharp,” says Peter Heins, ProductManager Professional Monitors at Sharp Electronics. “Thesecompetitive products mean that in future Sharp will also enjoyan excellent position in the high-volume market segment formonitors with a diagonal of 152 centimetres.

Four new professional monitorsfrom Sharp at ISE 2010

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www.avjobsearch.net

The Discovery HD Showcase channelhit the screens in December and isdescribed as the only global high

definition television brand offering thevery best factual entertainment, selectedfrom various Discovery channels as wellas exclusive content that can only beseen on Discovery HD Showcase

Offering breathtaking sound andmagnetic imagery, the channel covers avariety of programmes including science,technology, people, places and naturalhistory. Like other HD channels, thischannel will be available to Premiumbouquet subscribers in South Africa thathave PVR decoders that are HD capable.MultiChoice launched a PVR decoder thatis HD capable last year. In earlyDecember, MultiChoice announced thelaunch of SuperSport HD on its DStvplatform. The addition of Discovery HDShowcase brings the number of HD

channels on DStv to three. “This latestaddition demonstrates our commitment togrowing our HD offering on DStv. OurPremium subscribers will now enjoy awider scope of HD content, coveringSport, Documentary and generalentertainment from the three HDchannels” says Nico Meyer, CEO ofMultiChoice South Africa.

Premium digital contentMultiChoice provides premium

digital media entertainment, content andservices to multiple devices whichincludes Pay TV subscriber services toover 2.4 million customers. Its dynamictechnology platform and excellentbouquet of channels, built aroundcompelling and premium movie andsports channels has resulted in thecompany building a significant televisionbusiness across South Africa,

broadcasting more than 80 video, over 40audio and over 30 radio channels andmore than 3 interactive channels, 24hours a day on its DStv platform.

MultiChoice also owns M-Net/SuperSport which deliver premiumthematic channels and exclusive contentto the growing number of subscribers.MultiChoice’s newest company DStvMobile, is currently investigating andtrialing DVB-H technologies that will playa significant role in the transmission ofthe 2010 World Cup.

MultiChoice’s involvement in SouthAfrica goes beyond its core business.Through its corporate social investment,the company actively participates insocial transformation and throughtechnology, enables individuals andcommunities to help themselvesultimately leading to growth of theeconomy of the country.

MultiChoice scoops another High Definition channelMultiChoice subscribers in Southern Africa now see a bigger world of HD on their screens, with Discovery HD Showcase being the latest channel to be added to the growing list of HD channels on DStv.

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