AV Specialist Vol. 123

See us at

Register now at

.ibc.org/r

ConfExhib.indd 1 13/6/12 19:27:37

Olympic glory forTait Technologies

Digital Signage – the right information in all the right places

Fighting corruption inthe boardroom

Video arraignment forawaiting trial detainees

Record projection atBuckingham Palace

Movie magic comeswith a digital wrapper

Movie magic comeswith a digital wrapper

Record projection atBuckingham Palace

Video arraignment forawaiting trial detainees

Fighting corruption inthe boardroom

Digital Signage – the right information in all the right places

Olympic glory forTait Technologies

AV Cover 123.qxd 9/1/12 3:36 PM Page 1

Find out more technical details now

The new HA19x7.4B from Fujinon

Now there’s nothing more to wish for. With

Fujinon’s exclusive GO-Technology, a combination of state-of-

the-art glass materials and EBC-Coating, this new lens offers

exceptionally high image resolution from centre to corner and

the lowest distortion in its class. The HA19x7.4B with a 2.2x

extender is the best present you could ever give yourself.

Fujinon. To see more is to know more.

www.fujifilm.eu/fujinon

A 19x zoom with everything you could wish for

Visit us in Amsterdam,

IBC 2012, Booth 11.C20,

7 – 11 September 2012

120043_HA19x_QR_210x297_GB.indd 1 06.08.12 13:43

10 Everything I Know I Learned From Live EventsOne of the first things actors have to learn (aside from their lines)is what to do when another actor misses a cue. The answer isimprovise, but actors have to make improvisational choiceswithin the context of the scene and with a completeunderstanding of what is supposed to happen next.

14 AV remand system introduced to SA courtroomsVideo communication is increasingly common throughout legalsystems worldwide. It spans facilities and applications, includingvideo arraignment from jail, virtual visitation in prisons, andremote testimony in courtrooms and judges’ chambers.

18 Planet RadioTV combines the best of radio and TVPlanet Image Productions have launched Planet RadioTV(PRTV), Africa’s first RadioTV offering, based in Johannesburg.PRTV

20 Tait's engulfs entire Olympic stadium moving images The opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games saw themain stadium transformed into a huge array of LED video pixels,mapped to the space inhabited by the entire audience.

38 Soweto Theatre lights up with ETC In the dark days of apartheid South Africa, theatre was one ofthe most important means of exposing racist rule. And now, withthe opening of the stunning Soweto Theatre in Johannesburg, ithas become important once again.

AV SpecialistVolume 123

Contents

Publisher & Managing EditorKevan [email protected]

Feature EditorDick [email protected]

EditorBev [email protected]

Circulation Renate [email protected]

Designer Rajiv [email protected]

Advertising salesAfrica, Middle East, UK Lorna [email protected]

EuropeEmmanuel [email protected]

Represented in the Middle East by:AV Specialist MENA FZ LLCPO Box 502314, DubaiUnited Arab Emirates

Represented in South Africa by:Doddington Direct ccPO Box 3939, Honeydew, 2040,South AfricaTel: +27 (0)11 083-6418Fax: +27 (0)86 525 3852

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

AV Specialist supports SACIA membersin the quest for truth, honesty and thepursuit of excellence in all aspects of theaudio visual profession.

Publisher’s Note

During August the eye's of the worldfocussed on London for the SummerOlympics. South African athletescelebrated with 6 medals and OscarPistorius reached the semi-finals of the400m race - becoming the first athlete tocompete in both the Olympic andParalympic Games.

With IBC coming up shortly I thought I’d use my column as a short

promo for the event and encourage all our readers to participate. IBC is well

known as an exhibition for broadcast technology and that’s certainly one of its

key features, but the IBC convention goes so much further than the exhibition

floor. Three of the key areas for me are the awards programme, the conference

programme and the social networking activities that take place – not only on the

show floor but also in the many hotspots that seem to attract delegates as the

sun dips below the yardarm.

From the highly sought after Innovation Awards to the celebrated

International Honour for Excellence, the IBC Awards gives the industry's finest the opportunity celebrate great

achievements and elevates the winners to the world stage: news of the IBC Awards is picked up by the media from

all over the globe. These prestigious Awards encapsulate everything that is positive about electronic media and

entertainment, highlighting collaboration and those who push the boundaries. Past winners include Manolo

Romero, Managing Director, Olympic Broadcasting Services, ESPN, FIFA, Sony, BSkyB and Sir David

Attenborough, so if you get a chance, try and attend the glittering IBC Awards Ceremony on Sunday 9 September.

The conference programme is also world class. It attracts the industry’s most influential and authoritative

speakers. Join in this 6-day programme packed with headline-grabbing keynotes, master classes, revered

technical papers and posters, Q&A’s, panel discussions and more. There is nowhere else you can network with

representatives of Microsoft, The Walt Disney Studios, Facebook, Sony, the BBC, Google and the European

Commission. Only IBC combines such invigorating debate and a definitive overview of the roadmaps that will

govern the future of electronic media and entertainment.

And then finally my favourite. IBC is a grand opportunity to meet friends and colleagues from the global

broadcast industry. The show attracts more than 50 thousand people from almost every country on the planet. It’s

truly a melting pot of technical and creative excellence that deserves recognition as the leading event for the global

broadcast industry.

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 8:04 AM Page 1

Find out more on www.dalet.com/galaxy

Discover Dalet Galaxy and see the future of MAM on stand B77, Hall 8 @ IBC 2012

Take your business to the next level with Dalet’s advanced, fully integratedMedia Asset Management platform.

With Dalet Galaxy, propel your program preparation, promo production, archives, news, sports and radio workflows to new heights.

NewTek has unveiled TriCaster 40—the latest entry inits TriCaster family of live production systems. TriCaster 40creates a new entry point for broadcasters and producerswho need full-resolution, HD, multi-camera live productionand streaming capabilities, at a breakthrough price. Theeasy-to-operate, integrated, desktop system is the first onthe market to offer such a comprehensive set of real-timevideo production capabilities for under US$ 5,000. "With theTriCaster 40, our goal is to make high quality broadcastvideo accessible to virtually any creative person andcompany who quite simply could not have fulfilled theirvision before," said Dr. Andrew Cross, NewTek CTO. "Theopportunities for this new breed of media producer continueto expand, as we see exponential growth in online viewing,as reported by the many leading organizations that trackmedia consumption and viewership. In addition, the numberof new outlets that are creating and delivering video contentis on the rise—from cable channels to major Internetcompanies. TriCaster 40 not only brings people anunprecedented level of production quality, but also givesthem the ability to reach their audience in a way—and at aprice—never before possible."

NewTek unveils TriCaster 40

Productn e w sGrass Valley unveils

Trinix NXT multiviewer Recognizing that customers need to monitor more

sources at a single location, Grass Valley has introduced thesecond-generation of its highly popular multiviewer option forthe Grass Valley Trinix NXT routing switcher. The tightlyintegrated multiviewer incorporates their latest FPGA-basedscalar technology to enable multiple views combined withgraphical images to display audio, clocks, mnemonics, andtally alarms on single or multiple displays. This allows users toproactively preserve 24/7 operations, reduce maintenancecosts, and troubleshoot problems before they escalate.

The new TMV-2 Multiviewer option is targeted at liveproduction, studio operations, and especially OB vanoperators—due to its compact size and fully featuredmonitoring capabilities. With its flexible 32x8 architecture, theTrinix NXT Multiviewer offers the lowest power consumption (80watts), the highest scaling quality, and the lowest signallatency (20 milliseconds) of any multiviewer on the markettoday.

Axon will showcase a radically different router solution onits stand at this year’s IBC convention. Their new SynCrossrouting solution is a good example of an Axon product – small,light and smart. Developed in response to customers’ needs,SynCross is a Synapse-based modular video routing systemcapable of switching 3Gb/s, HD and SD SDI signals, as well ascompressed domain signals such as ASI/DVB and SSI/SMPTE-310. The SynCross routing system occupies from just one slot inAxon’s Synapse frame for a 8 input/ 8 output system, whilst upto five slots for a system with 40 inputs and outputs. It is asimple and intuitive task to expand a SynCross system up to 40inputs and outputs (square and non-square), either digital,analogue video, HDMI or a mix of these options. The routingsystem can be controlled via Ethernet, Cortex Control Panels orby Cortex – the company’s innovative software-based monitoringand control system.

Reinforcing its stated aim of becoming the leading supplierof broadcast cameras worldwide, Hitachi comes to IBC 2012 withnews that its new 16-bit SK-HD1200 1080P/3G production camerais shipping in Europe. The SK-HD1200 is Hitachi’s fourthgeneration HDTV camera that employs market leadingprogressive scan CCD image sensors and highly-developed andpatented 16-bit digital signal processing technologies. Thecamera represents the company’s highest performance, multi-standard HDTV studio and field production camera that satisfiesregional TV systems worldwide having 50Hz or 60Hz AC linepower and both analogue and digital signal outputs.

Hitachi ships new 3G SK-HD1200 camera

Axon enhances SynCross routing solution

3

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 8:04 AM Page 3

Harris Broadcast Communications extends its valueproposition for the Selenio media convergence platform at IBC2012 with a new networking module that multiplies connectionoptions for live signal contribution — maximizing flexibility whentransmitting content between locations.

The Selenio Networking Module enables broadcasters,production companies and telecom operators to use circuit-switched transport networks to transmit and receive video, audioand corporate IT data between two Selenio frames. Commonapplications include mobile contribution from stadiums andother remote events to a host studio, as opposed to using moreexpensive satellite connections; or networking multiple studiolocations together to deliver live (news, sports) or pre-recordedprogram content. The new module offers direct connection —no bridge device required — to a variety of six common globaltelecom interfaces (DS-3, OC-3, OC-12, E3, STM-1 and STM-4).This reduces equipment requirements while ensuring that userscan make simple and reliable connections to the most commonlandline interfaces worldwide – all from a single space- andpower-efficient solution.

Harris simplifies remotebroadcast contribution

During IBC Harmonic will introduce enhancements to itsSpectrum media server family. The recently introduced SpectrumChannelPort integrated channel playout device boasts newcapabilities and advanced onboard features that further simplifychannel playout, and the new Spectrum MediaStore 5000 high-performance disk-based shared storage system brings thebenefits of serial attached SCSI (SAS) drives to Spectrum mediaserver systems. "Harmonic's goal is to provide broadcasters andother service providers with solutions that help them producevideo content more efficiently and cost-effectively, and thecapabilities of both ChannelPort and MediaStore 5000 reflectthis priority," said Krish Padmanabhan, senior vice president ofvideo products at Harmonic. "Each of these Spectrum serverfamily products addresses the challenges that our customersface in distributing a greater volume of content with fewerresources.

Harmonic enhancements to Spectrum Media Server

Product

4

n e w s

During IBC Matrox will showcase their Matrox MXO2 family -a full range of HD/SD input/output devices for editing, H.264encoding, and streaming workflows. These affordably priced unitsallow users to get the most from industry-leading applications,including Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium, AppleFinal Cut Studio and Final Cut Pro X, and the new Avid MediaComposer 6. Matrox MXO2 units are also the only I/O solutions onthe market that enable lightning-fast creation of H.264 files for Blu-ray, the web, and mobile devices. In addition, Matrox MXO2devices can be used to stream from any camera, anywhere,making them ideal for internet broadcasts of live events such asnews, sports, concerts, religious services, and corporatemeetings. They work with Mac and PC laptops and desktopsystems — in the studio, on the set, in the field, and in OB vans.

Matrox encoding systems

Chyron has introduced the HyperXLP, a dual-channel-capable broadcast graphics platform that sets a new standard forperformance in a compact 1-RU design. Ideal for live news,sports, and OB productions, HyperXLP occupies just a quarter ofthe space of a standard HyperX system and consumes half asmuch power. High-speed solid-state storage ensures theHyperXLP's dependable performance and low profile makes it theperfect solution when rugged design and space conservation area must.

"The HyperXLP is a triple threat: blazingly fast,environmentally friendly, and ready for the demands of mobileproduction," said Bill Hendler, chief technology officer at Chyron."With features including a high-speed multi-core processor, solid-state storage, and native stereoscopic 3D graphics capability, thesystem offers performance worthy of even the most advanced livenews and sports broadcasts." HyperXLP leverages Chyron'saward-winning Lyric PRO graphics creation and playback softwareto deliver unmatched performance for its compact size. Whendeployed with an optional second channel, HyperXLP can meetvirtually any broadcast graphic demand.

Chyron's new HyperXLP On-Air graphics system

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 8:04 AM Page 4

Now you can get incredible quality uncompressed SDI and HDMI video capture and playback using removable solid state disks! HyperDeck Shuttle is the perfect quality broadcast deck you can hold in your hand. HyperDeck Shuttle lets you bypass camera compression for the highest quality on set recording, and is perfect for digital signage or instant replay and program recording with live production switchers. Video is recorded to QuickTime™ fi les, so you can mount and edit directly from the SSD eliminating time wasting fi le copying!

Absolute Perfect Quality

HyperDeck Shuttle lets you bypass all video camera compression for perfect uncompressed 10-bit SD/HD video. Get deep color dynamic range for color correction and perfectly clean keying. Only

uncompressed gives you a mathematically perfect “clone” recording between capture and playback. Only uncompressed lets you trust your recording and there is absolutely no higher quality possible!

Record and Play Back Anywhere!

HyperDeck Shuttle is machined out of a solid block of aircraft-grade aluminum for incredible strength! Take your HyperDeck Shuttle into the fi eld, on set

and to live events. With an internal battery, just recharge and go! Only HyperDeck Shuttle gives you recording and playback in a compact solution that fi ts in your hand!

Solid State Disk (SSD) Recording

Simply plug in a fast 2.5” solid state disk into HyperDeck Shuttle and start recording! SSD’s are used in desktop and laptop computers so prices are constantly falling while sizes are getting bigger! Plug

the SSD into your computer and the disk will mount right on your computer’s desktop! Files are stored in standard QuickTime™ 10 bit format so you can use the media in Mac™ and Windows™ video software!

Use Cameras, Switchers and Monitors

With SDI and HDMI inputs and outputs, HyperDeck Shuttle works with virtually every camera, switcher or monitor! Plug into televisions or video projectors for instant on set preview or get exciting live action

replay with ATEM production switchers. Even use it for digital signage. Just press play twice for loop playback! Imagine using pristine uncompressed recording on your next live event!

Learn more today at www.blackmagic-design.com/hyperdeckshuttle

HyperDeck Shuttle

Introducing HyperDeck Shuttle, the perfect uncompressed SSD recorder for SDI and HDMI

Introducing HyperDeck Shuttle, the perfect

US$345

• Future Zoneshowcasing the latest developmentsin broadcast technology

• IBC Connected Worldincluding demonstration areain Hall 14

• IBC Big Screenproviding the perfect platformfor manufacturer demonstrationsand the Saturday Night Movie

• IBC Production Villagepresenting the latest cameratechnology in a purpose builtenvironment

• IBC Awards Ceremonyacknowledges those who have madea real contribution to the industryhosted on Sunday 9 September

IBC2012Discover More

RAI Amsterdam

Conference 6-11 September : Exhibition 7-11 September

IBC is at the cutting-edge of new technology in therapidly evolving electronic media industry. It couplesa comprehensive exhibition covering all facets oftoday’s industry with a highly respected peer reviewedconference that helps shape the way the industrywill develop in the future.

Take advantage of a variety of extra special features including:

IBC Fifth Floor International Press Centre 76 Shoe Lane London EC4A 3JB UK

T +44 (0) 20 7832 4100 F +44 (0) 20 7832 4130 E [email protected]

www.ibc.org

• Future Zoneshowcasing the latest developmentsin broadcast technology

• IBC Connected Worldincluding demonstration areain Hall 14

• IBC Big Screenproviding the perfect platformfor manufacturer demonstrationsand the Saturday Night Movie

• IBC Production Villagepresenting the latest cameratechnology in a purpose builtenvironment

• IBC Awards Ceremonyacknowledges those who have madea real contribution to the industryhosted on Sunday 9 September

IBC2012Discover More

RAI Amsterdam


IBC is at the cutting-edge of new technology in therapidly evolving electronic media industry. It couplesa comprehensive exhibition covering all facets oftoday’s industry with a highly respected peer reviewedconference that helps shape the way the industrywill develop in the future.

Take advantage of a variety of extra special features including:

IBC Fifth Floor International Press Centre 76 Shoe Lane London EC4A 3JB UK

T +44 (0) 20 7832 4100 F +44 (0) 20 7832 4130 E [email protected]

www.ibc.org

ConferenceLeading the electronic media and entertainment agenda through innovation and debate, the IBC Conference is attended by the most infl uential thinkers from the leading companies in the world.It is split into four carefully selected streams – Advances in Technology, Content Creation and Innovation, The Business of Broadcasting, and Added Value – ensuring that all the fi elds contributing to the future of the industry are represented.

The conference consists of: 6 day, 4 stream conference programme 300+ world class high profi le speakers over 60 conference sessions

•••

Hot topics being discussed this year include:

Broadcast DeliveryCinemaCloudConnected TVSocial MediaSportTransmediaWorkfl ow

••••••••

For more information please visit: www.ibc.org/conference

ExhibitionIBC welcomes over 50,000 attendees from over 160 countries & 1,300+ key international technology suppliers each year. In addition, attendees can take advantage of a variety of extra special features including:Future Zone showcasing the latest developments in broadcast technology

IBC Connected World including demonstration area in Hall 14

IBC Big Screen providing the perfect platformfor manufacturer demonstrationsand the Saturday Night Movie

For more information please visit: www.ibc.org/exhibition

IBC Production Village presenting the latest cameratechnology in a purpose built environment

IBC Awards Ceremonyacknowledges those who have madea real contribution to the industryhosted on Sunday 9 September

RAI Amsterdam


IBC Fifth Floor International Press Centre 76 Shoe Lane London EC4A 3JB UKT + 44 (0) 20 7832 4100 F +44 (0) 20 7832 4130 E [email protected]

Register now at

www.ibc.org/register

ConfExhib.indd 1 13/6/12 19:27:37

Fujifilm Europe will use the IBC Show in Amsterdam tointroduce an all new Long focal length HD Field for the firsttime in Europe; the XA77x9.5BESM!

The new lens is perfectly suited for mobile vans, instadiums, for sporting events and large arenas, where a HDtele-photo lens would be beneficial in capturing detail andclose up images from far distances. It features their patentedOS TECH image stabilisation; the unique advanced diagnosticFIND System (Focused Intelligent Network Diagnosis) for quickservice checks after long shootings; dustproof and anti-fogging technology; 16-bit optical encoding output for highpositioning accuracy in virtual environments; an advancedback focus system allowing very close macro shootings andalso fading in and out for more creativity. All this comes at avery attractive price point.

New Fujinon lens for HD sport

During this year’s IBCevent Sachtler will present anew fluid head, as well asseven new tripods. The new75mm fluid head broadens theselection for professionalDSLR filmmakers andvideographers with cameraset-ups weighing up to sixkilograms (13 lbs.). It will beavailable with three differentcarbon-fiber tripods – one witha telescopic tripod, one with amid-level spreader and onewith a ground-spreader.

Additionally, four new solidprofessional tripods will soonbroaden the FSB family. Thismeans the tried-and-testedSachtler clamping used on100mm and 150mm tripodsfor an especially quick set-up,will also be available for thefirst time in the 75mm range.Apart from the presentation ofnew products, Sachtler willshowcase its dependablecamera support classics suchas the Cine 7+7 HD and Cine30 HD fluid heads as well asthe beloved EB/EFP Video 18S1 and Video 20 S1 fluidheads. In addition, the brandwill present new features ofthe artemis Cine HD Promodular camera stabilizersystem, which, for example,uses HiCap cabling and HotSwap technology to providean uninterrupted power supplywhen changing batteries.

Productn e w s

7

At this year’s IBC, EVS will help the broadcast industryprepare for the future with its new production systems andsolutions. From meeting the needs of newsroom operations,shaping the future of sports broadcasting and helping to turnaround TV productions, EVS’ solutions are designed to boostperformance through flexibility, speed of delivery, and reliability.

The future of sports, news and TV broadcasting requireseven more customisation, with faster production facilitiesdeveloped to help the industry deliver dynamic content in eventighter deadlines. EVS will unveil its new Breaking Newstoolset, which relies on EVS’ ingest and playout servers forultimate speed and reliability of newsroom operations. Theinfrastructure is borne out of years of live production workflowexpertise, and is the first and only ingest and playoutinfrastructure on the market that can be used acrossproduction areas from news to sports, entertainment and otherprograms.

Fast turn-around for live sports,news and entertainment production

Atomos, the creator ofaward-winning field recordersNinja-2 and Samurai, as wellas the small, but perfectlyformed, Connect converters,will be showing their smartproduction tools working withan impressive array of leadingDSLRs, camcorders andcinematic cameras at thisyear’s IBC show. Over the pastyear, Atomos has beenworking closely with cameramanufacturers to implementfeatures that will be welcomedby production professionals

working to a tight budget."Camera manufacturers

have been very receptive toour suggestions and extremelyco-operative", said JeromyYoung, CEO and Founder ofAtomos. "For example, wehave been working with Canonto implement HDMI-basedtimecode and start/stoptriggering, and Nikon's cleanoutput via HDMI makes theNinja-2 by the far the mostproductive and affordablesensor-to-timeline recordingand monitoring solutionavailable. We're very proud tobe able to showcase thesesolutions at IBC".

Visitors to the annualconvention in Amsterdam willbe able to get hands-on withNinja-2s and Samurais workingwith the latest D800 and D4DSLRs from Nikon, SonyFS100, FS700 and F3camcorders, Canon C300 andXF305, JVC 750 and the REDEpic.

Seven New Tripods at IBC2012

Smart Production Tools for AnyWorkflow and Any Budget

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 8:04 AM Page 7

APS_AV Specialist_June/July 2012

Adler Power Solutions

www.falconelectronics.co.za

Head Offi ce, JohannesburgTel: +27 (0) 11 630 1000|E-mail: [email protected]

Branches Cape Town|Durban|Bloemfontein|Port Elizabeth

Distributed by

C O M M I T T E D T O S E R V I C E E X C E L L E N C E

9072/14370

The Basic APS 5way and 10way “power-duct” in the

BS 546 South African style receptacle is now approved by the SABS and meets all quality and performance standards.

The Concept PDU comes in various multi-socket vertical confi gurations which is fully

customised to meet specifi c client requirements.

The APS Concept PDU was specially designed to meet the increasing demands of various IT

equipment fi tted inside server racks today.

The Basic APS 5way and 10way “power-duct” in the 10way “power-duct” in the 10way

BS 546 South African style receptacle is now

The 10way

customised to meet specifi c client requirements.

The to meet the increasing demands of various IT

equipment fi tted inside server racks today.

The to meet the increasing demands of various IT

was specially designed The The

APS_AV Spec Jun12.indd 1 6/6/12 3:58:25 PM

At IBC 2012 Avid will demonstrate the largest range ofintegrated media production technology the company hasever presented at the event. Avid is featuring new andupgraded solutions for advanced asset-based workflowsspanning distributed production, multi-platform distribution,server and storage, and video editing/audio mixing solutions,demonstrating how customers in news, sports, TV, and post-production can make the most of their media, achieve theircreative vision and improve their productivity.

A show highlight includes the European debut of Avid’scloud-based, real-time, remote editing solution, InterplaySphere. Sphere allows you to take your newsroom anywhereby giving you the freedom to acquire, access, edit, and finishcontent from whatever geography or time zone you’reworking in. Now, everyone can work in a completely fluid,collaborative environment.

United Broadcast &Media Solutions hasintroduced the Nila SL spacelight to the Middle East &Africa. Nila is the industryleader in environmentallysustainable, high-brightnessLED fixtures durable enoughto meet the needs of theharshest productionsituations. In addition to otherindustry leading products likethe Nila BOXER and NilaJNH, the Nila SL produces ahigher light output of up to 6K

at a power consumption ofonly 500W.

The Nila SL’s versatilityis arguably the best ratedamong lighting instrumentavailable today. Being bothpowerful enough to illuminatesubjects up to 400’ away andwhile still being able toprovide a great and up-closesoft light source. Nilasholographic lenses allow theuser to specify a preciselyangled beam that can helpminimize the need fordiffusion material, flags andbarn doors. The lensesenable users to dial in aperfect soft box look withoutthe actual box. The SL canalso be rigged as a spacelight and is available in a kitthat includes its own diffusionbag and rigging hardware.

Eco-friendly LED lighting

Sony has introduced their new PMW-200 videocamera to the Middle East and African market. The PMW-200 is a light and compact 1080p video camera andanother addition to the vast array of XDCAM professionalcamcorders belonging to the electronic giant. The PMW-200 features three ?-inch Exmor CMOS sensors with fullHD 4:2:2 50Mbps recording, a 3.5-inch articulating WVGALCD monitor and the capability of recording to SxS media.

With ?-inch sensors enabling the camcorder toperform exceptionally even within challenging lightingconditions the PMW-200 inherit the operational versatility ofthe PMW-EX1R. The PMW-200 comes with a Slow & Quickfunction that enables it to capture at 1fps to 60fps in 720pmode and 1fps to 30fps in 1080p mode while providingthe user with a lot of versatility and creative flexibility.

The PMW-200 is designed to record on SxS cardsbut it also supports SD cards, memory sticks and Sony’snew XQD cards via adapters.

Sony launch PMW-200 camera

Avid takes your newsroom on the road

Productn e w s

9

JVC Professional hasannounced the DT-X Seriesof portable ProHD LCDmonitors. Ideal for field andstudio applications, the newseven-inch AC/DC monitorsoffer 1024x600 resolutionwith a 160-degree viewingangle and can display 576i,576p, 720p, 1080i, and1080p video signals at avariety of frame rates. Thereare three models in the DT-XSeries, with scaled I/Ooptions and features forspecific needs. The basic DT-X71C model offers one HDMIand one composite video

input, while the DT-X71Hadds two HD/SD-SDI inputsand an HD/SD-SDI loopthrough output. The DT-X71Fincludes an additionalHD/SD-SDI loop throughoutput and one HDMIconverted to SDI output. Allthree models include stereoaudio input.

Other features includean adjustable 16:9/4:3display, dual three-colourtally lights, underscan andoverscan, image flip,customer editable video title,Canon DSLR scale zoom-in,and safe mark display. TheDT-X71F, the most feature-rich model in the series, alsoincludes a waveform, vectorscope, RGB histogram,red/blue peaking focusassist, zebra, false colour,blue only, internal colourbars, image rotation and 16-channel SDI (two-channelHDMI) audio meter.

JVC unveils ProHD portable monitor series

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 8:04 AM Page 9

10

There are three criticalsuccess factors thatdetermine whether anorganization has the capacityfor change:

"The only people who know wherethe edge is are the ones that havebeen over it."

A colleague said this once to memany years ago, and I have neverforgotten its significance. At the timewe may have been assessing anemployee or freelancer, and thecontext would have indicated that theindividual in question lacked theexperience to move at the pace weneeded. Live Events run along arazor's edge of deadlines, near

misses, and endless surprises.Planning is mission critical, but as aCaptain Barbossa says in Pirates ofthe Caribbean – the Curse of theBlack Pearl, "the code is more whatyou'd call guidelines than actualrules." It is important to have people incharge of processes that are as goodat bending the rules as they are atfollowing them. And when the rules no

longer work, then the effective processowner will know how to get itchanged.

"We make a plan so we canchange it."

My clients will recognize this asone of my favourite sayings. It comesout in meetings when a team memberexpresses frustration over theperceived futility of planningdiscussions. "It's all gonna changeanyway!" The purpose of mostplanning meetings is to make theprocess more transparent. If all theplayers understand the reasoning andfactors involved in creating the originalplan, they will be better prepared toimprovise when the time comes. And

One of the first things actors have to learn (aside from their lines) is what to do when another actor misses a cue.The answer is improvise, but actors have to make improvisational choices within the context of the scene and witha complete understanding of what is supposed to happen next. Good actors can rebuild a broken scene byrecasting the lines of other characters as their own to keep all the players on track. Great actors can do thiswithout the audience and often the crew ever realizing what just happened. Businesses have to master this kind ofimprovisation in order to be consistently successful. .

Everything I know I learned from live Events

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 8:04 AM Page 10

11

the time will come. Many companieseschew planning as a waste of timebecause circumstances change soquickly. Instead these companiesoperate in reaction mode, which oftenfails because it becomes too easy tolose track of the final outcome. ThePlan is what keeps us pointed towardsthe goal.

"Start with facts, then at least weknow something."

If you don't know where to start,gather some data. Facts are yourfriends. You may not agree with thefacts, because they often representlimitations. But, knowing what youcannot change will simplify thediscussion of what you will change.Early in my career I was a flyman in atheatre and the road company riggerdidn't measure the grid heightcorrectly. As a result all the chainhoists trimmed at the wrong heightmaking it impossible to fly the setpieces out of view. The Stage Managerwas very philosophical about it. "Well,”he said, “we can lower the stage orraise the roof. However, we can't doeither in time. How about we reset thepick points correctly?" He then directedthe scenic crew to clear the stage andtake an early coffee break while weworked overhead. Although hiscomments were tongue in cheek, hismethodology was intended to teachhis panicky department head how tohandle the situation. The StageManager gathered the relevant data,kept his eyes on the goal, and chosethe next logical thing that needed tohappen to accommodate the new

plan. If there had been no plan ororder for loading in the show, hewouldn't have known which stepswould be affected by the miscalculatedrigging points. Teaching a companyhow to be proactive instead of reactiveis all about institutionalizing processchange. Many leaders aredisappointed to learn that becomingproactive isn't about establishing hardand fast rules that you cannot deviatefrom. Proactive firms research, plan,and adjust over and over again. Itlooks something like this:

1. Establish who owns the process; they have to be involved in change.

2. Recognize that many steps are dependent upon an earlier step.

3. Recognize the natural checkpointsin the process when several sub-steps come together.

4. When something goes wrong, reset to the last checkpoint and choose a new path.

5. The first step in the new process isthe one that allows the dependent steps to occur in the right order.

6. Let all the other process owners know about the change so they can adjust accordingly.

7. Ensure that those adjustments will flow properly so everyone can reach the intended goal. If not, return to step 1.

8. Repeat.

Something Integrators can learnsomething from Rental-Stagers aboutproject management (ok, somestagers need to learn this too) is thatthe key to successful planning is to

build flexibility into processes. Allowextra time, but don't use it withoutknowingly changing the plan. Provideadditional labour to absorb some ofthe time of INEVITABLE changes. Usethe natural checkpoints in the processwisely. Know that if you are behind onschedule that catching up will requireusing additional resources be theypersonnel, time, or reducing thescope. If you miss two checkpoints ina row, then the project is out of controland more drastic measures areneeded.Business owners can applythe same type of thinking to help thecompany reach its goals. Some part ofmanagement's time needs to be spenton the company in lieu of processingcustomer-driven projects. We call thisworking "on" the business instead of"in" the business.

Tom Stimson has thrived for overtwenty-five years in the informationcommunications technology industry.As a Consultant, Tom helpscompanies define their goals andthen design a plan that will take themthere.

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The Volicon systems,delivered and installed bysystems integrator VisualEngineering Services, givethe commission a scalable

platform for monitoring and regulatingthe growing number of broadcastchannels across the capital city andUganda as a whole. "Volicon is theworld leader in logging andmonitoring, and its solutions comewith superb local support from VisualEngineering Service, so the Observerwas the logical choice for ouroperations," said Godfrey Mutabazi,executive director of UgandaCommunications Commission. "TheObserver makes it convenient for ourstaff to recall and review recordedcontent, whether from within ourfacilities or when on the road. As weextend our monitoring activitiesbeyond Kampala, the simpleexpansion of our Volicon installationwill facilitate monitoring of more radioand television channels across abroader geographic area."

Promotes developmentUCC regulates and promotes

development within Uganda's rapidlygrowing and evolving communicationsindustry. As part of its mission tofacilitate growth of communicationsservices for sustainable development,UCC has installed new Observersystems at its Kampala facility. TheVolicon Observer system captures,streams, and stores 90 days ofcontent, offering simultaneous users24/7 access to live and recordedvideo from their desktop computers orsmart devices. An intuitive,streamlined user interface for bothMac and PC platforms allows users toaccess and review video with ease,whether working locally or remotely.With the ability to play, pause, andsearch recorded content using eithera desktop or mobile device, UCC staffcan quickly ensure that broadcastsmeet regulations governing technicalaspects, as well as advertising andcontent. The Observer's content

export module allows users to exportclip material to DVD.

Monitoring capacityUCC is using Volicon's Observer

scheduling module to extend itsexisting monitoring capacitystrategically across the country'sincreasing number of broadcastchannels. This approach ensures thatUCC will be able to build out itsObserver platform systematically, evenas it takes on monitoring of a risingchannel count. Volicon's patentedVirtual Media Network (VMN)technology provides a uniquearchitecture that allows for efficientexpansion and scalability from smallto large deployments, seamless andefficient streaming throughout theorganization, and optimized videologging and monitoring.

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has installed Observer digital video monitoring and loggingsystems to enable monitoring for 40 radio stations and 10 television stations in Kampala.

Uganda Commission buildsmonitoring operations

Godfrey Mutabazi, executive director ofthe Uganda CommunicationsCommission

The UCC was established toimplement the provisions of TheCommunications Act Cap 106 Lawsof Uganda with a principal goal ofdeveloping a moderncommunications sub-sector andInfrastructure in Uganda, inconformity with theoperationalization of theTelecommunications Policy. Thecommission aims to promotesustainable national developmentthrough availability and access toreliable, cost effective, andaffordable communications serviceslargely delivered through anenabled private sector. UCCrecognizes that successfulrealization of its vision entailseffective coordination and prudentfostering of the interests of severalstakeholders including Government,investors, consumers and thegeneral public.

The Mission of UCC is: “tofacilitate sustainable developmentof communication services that areuniversally accessible througheffective regulation. Underlying therealization of this Mission is theimplementation of the RuralCommunication Development Policyaimed at providing access to basiccommunication services, bringingPublic-Private Partnerships onboard in selected areas especiallyin the establishment of a NationalBackbone Infrastructure (NBI),increased consumer empowermentand ICT awareness, promoting andrelying on competitive pressure aswell as regulatory and fiscalincentives to ensure affordabilityand availability of services.

About the UgandaCommunications

Commission

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Leveraging the exceptionalperformance, high-qualityH.264 encoding, low up-frontcost, and energy-savingcapabilities of the AVN

encoders, the Qatar NationalConference Centre is able to offerinnovative AV services within one ofworld's first public venues built to theU.S. Green Building Council'sLeadership in Energy and EnvironmentDesign (LEED) Gold Certificationstandard.

Steamless integrationQNCC selected Svetlost Teatar, a

Moscow-based AV systems designerand integrator with experienceconnecting theatre and relatedtechnologies, to facilitate theinstallation. Working with SvetlostTeatar, QNCC engineers seamlesslyintegrated the AVN encoding systemsinto the facility's IP network, without theneed of any additional infrastructure forAV transport, thus reducing operationalexpenses. Both the AVN220 andAVN443HD encoding solutions streamSD and HD video and audio over alocal area network that runs throughoutthe entire complex to support regionaland international conventions,exhibitions, gala events, concerts,theatrical productions, and banquetshosted at the QNCC.

Perfect choice"Visionary Solutions' AVN

encoding solution was the perfectchoice for the live video streamingneeds at QNCC, thanks to its ultra-dense design and sophisticated H.264compression technology, which reducecosts as well as deliver a superior-quality video stream in real time," saidDejan Ljubisavljevic, senior R&Dmanager at Svetlost Teatar. "The newhigh-quality A/V technologicalinfrastructure, powered by VisionarySolutions' encoding, has alreadysupported more than 130 world-classevents in just seven short months." TheQNCC is utilizing the AVN220

encoders to compress SD video intoMPEG-2 real-time streams. In addition,AVN443HD encoders deliver a full-frame rate SD or HD IP video streamusing standard H.264 hardwarecompression and optimizedtransmission technology. Eachencoder consumes less than 5 wattsof power and efficiently dissipatesheat, without sacrificing performanceor video quality, making them the idealchoice for QNCC's green-technologyfacility.

Cutting-edge technology"We're proud to partner with the

Qatar National Convention Centre andVisionary Solutions on this cutting-edge technology facility," saidDmitrovic Milos, system integrator atSvetlost Teatar. "Visionary Solutions'encoding systems were extremely easyto integrate within the QNCC's existingIP network, as well as with a variety ofexternal devices for a flawlessinstallation." The AVN220 andAVN443HD are housed in theMPP1700 Media Processing platform.The MPP1700 provides a high-densityrack-mount chassis with an optionaldual-redundant power supply. It iscapable of holding up to 17 single slot

encoder blades, or a combination ofdual- and single-slot blades.

"The Qatar National ConventionCentre sets the standard fortechnological innovation andefficiency," said Mike Piper, vicepresident of marketing at VisionarySolutions. "We understand thechallenges that today's A/V operatorsface in delivering excellent streamingvideo quality while simultaneouslydecreasing operational costs. The AVNfamily of encoders is designed toconsume far less energy than typicalencoding solutions, in addition todelivering an unmatched price-performance ratio and superior videoquality."

The Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) in Doha has selected Visionary Solutions' AVN220 and AVN443HDencoders to support real-time streaming of SD and HD video and audio signals cost-effectively during live eventsand conferences.

Qatar National Convention Centre supports real-time video streaming

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But the movement toward usingvideo to solve thorny problemsin the legal system, such asobtaining testimony frominmates several jurisdictions

away, has its hurdles. Unlike telemedicineor distance learning, applications of videocommunication that have becomeincreasingly easy to implement inhealthcare and education markets,deploying video in courts and prisons,especially in existing facilities, can actuallybe difficult. As a result, some suchimplementations have been scuttled.

No secure place in jail“There was no secure place in jail

where you could marshal people and getthem in front of a camera," says JayFarbstein, owner of Jay Farbstein &Associates, a US-based architectural firmthat specializes in law-enforcementfacilities. "Or if there was such a location, it

was inconvenient for the defence counsel,who preferably would want to be there inperson. There was a whole family offacility-related issues that caused it not towork.” When it does work, video can havea profound effect on the legal system.Some research suggests that judges ruledifferently when the accused appears byvideo rather than in person. For example,one study compared rates of bail forcertain offenses before and afterimplementing video. “They found that thebail amounts jumped substantially after

implementation of video,” Farbstein says.“There’s some speculation about why. Ithas to do with the judges’ confidence intheir ability to evaluate the defendants. Wehave a lot to learn about how thesesystems work and the impact they have.”

Conclusive researchTo be fair, there isn’t much

conclusive research about how AV affectslegal proceedings. But people agree, poorAV systems can have an adverse effect.And depending on the application, goodAV systems must accurately reflect in-person experiences or they, too, can havean adverse effect — which would makethem poor systems “Judges want to seethe body, the movement, themannerisms,” says Dickson Stewart,principal consultant at Electronic Interiors.“If you look back to the old witness box, itwas open in front. They wanted to see thedefendant twitch.”

Video communication is increasingly common throughout legal systems worldwide. It spans facilities andapplications, including video arraignment from jail, virtual visitation in prisons, and remote testimony in courtroomsand judges’ chambers.

AV remand system introduced to SA courtrooms

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That’s because body language isimportant in law enforcement. But it canbe tough for judges and others, despitethe benefits of video communication, toget a read on someone when there areflaws in the AV system, such as poorlighting or equipment a layperson can’toperate. And more so than in any othertype of building, AV systems must bethoughtfully integrated into a court houseor detention facility. Although it’s showngrowing interest in using video, the legalsystem lags behind, for instance, highereducation. Therefore AV consultants andintegrators, architects of courts andprisons, and legal professionals mustcollaborate extensively if they’re to realizethe benefits of AV and videocommunication.

Plan, Plan, PlanSecurity and cost savings are two

major reasons that many jails andcourthouses are implementing videoarraignment systems. In South Africa, aparticular focus revolves around the stateof prisons and the condition of holdingawaiting trial prisoners.

The poor condition of South Africanprisons felt the glare of internationalspotlight recently when Clare Montgomery,counsel of British citizen Shrien Dewani,who is accused of murdering his wife whileon honeymoon in Cape Town, argued inpreparation for an application for hisextradition before a London court. Shestated that one of the challenges to theextradition would “centre on prisonconditions in South Africa” intimating thatshould he be held in detention whileawaiting trial in the country, his humanrights would be violated. This is not a newcomplaint about prison conditions in SouthAfrica and has been repeatedlyhighlighted by the various human rightsorganisations over the years.

Awaiting trial detaineesAwaiting trial detainees often have to

wait in prison before appearing before acourt of law to face charges. In a briefingto the Portfolio Committee on CorrectionalServices, the Justice Crime Prevention andSecurity (JCPS) cluster, pointed out that asof 12 October 2010 there were a total of46 432 persons being held in detentionwhile awaiting trial. Of this number 2 080had been in prison for more than twoyears with the vast majority of these (1516) having been detained for more thanthree years. Worryingly, since 2009 therehas been a gradual increase in thenumber of people awaiting trial for morethan two years in South African prisons.Many detainees have also been granted

bail and could be living at home butbecause they are too poor to afford thebail amount, remain behind bars.

Fortunately, it appears that the longheld concerns around the conditions ofthose awaiting trial finally started to makeit onto government’s radar. Most notablewas the approval of the “White Paper onRemand Detention” by the cabinet inOctober 2010. The White Paper wasdeveloped in consultation with all othergovernment departments who‘accommodate’ persons awaiting trial, andproposes the establishment of a specific‘Remand Detention Branch’. This structurewill be used for ‘coordinating the provisionof services in relation to remand detaineesin South Africa’ and includes a 7-pointplan that makes significant use of audioand video conferencing technology.

Audio Video Remand systemMinister Jeffrey Radebe launched the

Audio Video Remand (AVR) system inMitchells Plain, Cape Town in June 2011.“80% of Awaiting Trial Detaineestransported to courts are for the merepurpose of postponement,” explainsSonwabo Mbananga from the Dept. ofCorrectional Services. “The chain duty ofsigning them out from correctionalcentres, their transportation to Courts andback to correctional centres, is not onlytime consuming and thereby delay courthearings due to late arrivals, but also takeup many of the human resources whichcould optimally be used otherwise. Section159 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 wasamended to enable this innovativesolution.”

An early example of this initiative wasdemonstrated in the trial of Patrick Ndlovu,a 15-year old youth accused of murderingEugene Terre’Blanche, former leader of theAfrikaner Weerstands Beweging (AWB).

The trial was held behind closed doors toprotect the youth’s identity, but the Dept.of Correctional Services was obliged torecord the event and provide videofootage to media outlets who havefollowed the proceedings via closed-circuittelevision, with cameras set up to preventthe boys identity. Despite this care, JudgeJohn Horn ruled most evidence againstthe teenager inadmissible because policehad failed to follow South Africa's childprotection law in handling the case.

Expertise in AV designWhat AV professionals may find

when they start talking to the people whowork in and build courts and prisons isthat they’re less familiar with the

The poor condition of South Africanprisons felt the glare of internationalspotlight recently when ClareMontgomery, counsel of British citizenShrien Dewani, who is accused ofmurdering his wife while on honeymoonin Cape Town, argued in preparation foran application for his extradition before aLondon court. She stated that one of thechallenges to the extradition would“centre on prison conditions in SouthAfrica” intimating that should he be heldin detention while awaiting trial in thecountry, his human rights would beviolated.

15

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1www.sacia.org.za

The $75 billion audiovisual industry provides critical support to largecorporations, small businesses, retail outlets, education and healthcareinstitutions, entertainment venues, the government and more. AV helps uscommunicate better, protects critical infrastructure, assists with life-saving diagnoses, educates students around the world and keeps society informedand entertained. To learn more about the audio visual industry in Southern Africa visitwww.sacia.org.za

technology and its applications thanpeople in other markets who’ve beenexposed to modern AV systems longer. “Iwish I had a nickel for each time a facilitydesigner said mid-project, ‘I thought all ofthat stuff was wireless now,’” says DicksonStewart. In some cases, planning aheadcan be a hard sell. One example is urgingthe client to put in raceways now tosupport an application that the architect orAV integrator knows from experience willbe added later. “It is sometimes difficult tohave end users invest in infrastructure thatmay not be used for years,” Stewart says.“I cringe every time the term ‘abandonedconduit’ is used when it has actually beenprovided for future technologies that wereeither unknown or unaffordable at the time.When a designer hears an owner claimthey will never need to add newtechnologies, red flags should go up.”

One tip for planning ahead is toidentify all of the legal services that involveface-to-face contact. Then look for waysthat audio and video could be usedinstead to achieve the client’s goals, suchas reducing costs and increasing security.Religious services, education and drugcounselling are three examples of servicesthat typically are provided in person todaybut not necessarily tomorrow.

“It’s about envisioning what might bepossible and ensuring that we have powerand conduit in place,” says ZakhileNkwanyana from the Dept. of Justice. “It’salso about envisioning what stands in theway of a successful AV design that mayspan a slew of facilities that are at differentstages of technology adoption. Manycourts and prisons have started down the

path of video communication with one-offsystems. Learning what those are iscrucial. It’s one thing to propose installinga system that supports remote videotestimony; it’s another to deliver a systemthat’s interoperable with the myriadprotocols and end points that might spanthe various jurisdictions involved.”

Flexibility amid RigidityAs in the healthcare market, courts,

prisons, and related facilities aren’t easilyor inexpensively modified once they’rebuilt. Plus there are always safetyconsiderations that dictate every aspect ofa building’s architectural and AV design.“It’s very difficult to provide raceways andwiring later on,” says Nkwanyana.“Courtrooms have very high levels offinish, which is expensive, and detention/correction has very hard construction.”

Even so, it’s sometimes possible todesign in flexibility for the future. “We knowthat the judge’s bench and the courtroomdeputy’s bench won’t be moving, but theattorney tables may need to move at somefuture date,” says independent AVconsultant Gideon Taljaard. “We caninterchange those [panels] like a puzzlepiece and move the furniture around, withthe access hatch coming up underneathunder wherever the configuration is. Wecan configure the courtrooms at a futuredate any way we want with thesemoveable tiles.” “Architects are kind ofstuck in the middle with all of these videoissues,” says Joe Bocchiaro, InfoCommVice President of Standards and IndustryInnovations. “You think that you have videoarraignment and I think that I have it. Butwhen we go to call each other, we can’t.

The architects have gotten frustrated bythis.” Part of the frustration comes fromencryption and other security features thatlaw enforcement applications require.“Especially in the government space, thelast few years, there have been a lot ofproprietary systems, and a lot of that hadto do with encryption,” Bocchiaro says.“There were proprietary systems becausethere weren’t good commercial encryptionsystems. Now there are.” To helparchitects identify those and other AV-related issues so that they don’t becomeexpensive, embarrassing problems lateron, InfoComm has begun working with theAmerican Institute of Architects (AIA) todevelop AV guides and other informationfor designing courts, correctional facilities,and more.

“We’re about to launch a task forcethat will help the AIA investigate optionsand come up with some best practices forthe use of video for judicial purposes,”Bocchiaro says. “We expect to exposeissues that have broad effects on allaudio-visual systems by using judicialvideo as a case study. Architectural,technological, logistical and human issuesare all on the table. AV encompasses all ofthem.” As this initiative evolves, SACIA willwork closely with InfoComm and the SouthAfrican institute of Architects to ensure thatsimilar standards are applied in SouthAfrica. Such outreach should lead tobetter-integrated AV systems that delivermore precisely what courts (and otherclients) actually want.

17

According to Justice Minister JeffRadebe, South Africa has developed a 7-point plan that makes use of audio andvideo technology to accomodatepersons awaiting trial. The Audio VideoRemand (AVR) system was launched inMitchells Plain, Cape Town during June2011.

The trial of Patrick Ndlovu, a 15-year oldyouth accused of murdering EugeneTerre’Blanche, former leader of theAfrikaner Weerstands Beweging (AWB),was held behind closed doors to protectthe youth’s identity. The Dept. ofCorrectional Services was obliged torecord the event and provide videofootage to media outlets who hadfollowed the proceedings via closed-circuit television, with cameras set up toprevent the boys identity being discloseduntil the trial had been concluded.

Eugène Terre'Blanche founded theAfrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB)during South Africa’s apartheid era.During the 1980s and early 1990s, hebecame known for threatening civil warto maintain white rule in South Africa.After the country's transition to post-apartheid democracy, he revised hisstances and urged his followers to pushfor independence in an independentAfrikaner homeland, which he frequentlyreferred to as a "Boerevolkstaat".Terre'Blanche led the organisation untilhis death in 2010 when he was hackedand beaten to death on his farm,allegedly over a wage dispute.Terre'Blanche's supporters have said thatthe murder is part of a larger pattern ofanti-white "farm murders" in South Africa

m

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PRTV is an online radio andtelevision service that isbroadcasted live ontelevision, radio and onlinestreaming, which means

you can constantly stay connectedthrough a mobile device. Targeting 18to 40 year old listeners, the stationfocuses on African music with itsbroadcast offering split between 80%African music and 20% internationalmusic.

“At PRTV we intend to changethe way consumers view, listen andinteract with television, radio andInternet mediums. It is an excitingplatform that synchronises threemediums providing outstandingopportunities for consumers andadvertisers alike,” says MabelMabaso, chief operations officer anddirector at Planet Image Productions.

RadioTV is completelyautomated and relies on unique audioswitcher software, which executescamera cuts automatically. Thesoftware identifies the radio talent’svoice and determines which camerashould be on air along with therelevant graphics. Camera switchingdoes not require human interventionand the existing workflow ismaintained without any additionalcosts.

Audience angagementAdditionally, RadioTV offers a

complete set of 3D graphicstemplates including supers, titles,logos, promos and other elementsand support the playback of full framevideos. It supports multi-cameraproduction in both HD and SDresolution, providing the rich quality ofTV broadcasting. It also providesgenlocked clean cuts and high qualityvideo play out.

Listeners and viewers are alsoable to interact directly with the stationthrough Skype and could then beseen live on the channel whileconnected. This opens up new waysfor the public to connect with the restof the audience and in this way,

become integrated into the mediumsof PRTV. Planet Radio was establishedin June 2011 and the concept was sowell received that by December 2011

the station had over 30 thousandlisteners. A number of listenersrequested to see the DJ’s in action onTV and the PRTV concept was born.

“The launch proves to the worldthat Africa is a continent of creativity,innovation and that we are proud toproduce and consume our ownAfrican talent by telling our stories tothe world. We are on the forefront ofdigital media,” concludes Mabaso.

Planet Image Productions have launched Planet RadioTV (PRTV), Africa’s first RadioTV offering, based inJohannesburg.

Planet RadioTV combines the best of radio and TV

18

PRTV is an exciting platform thatsynchronises three mediums providingoutstanding opportunities for consumersand advertisers alike,” says Mabel Mabaso,chief operations officer and director atPlanet Image Productions.

Planet Radio was launched in June 2011 and the concept so well received that byDecember 2011 the station had over 30 thousand listeners. “The combination of radioand television demonstrates that South Africa is at the forefront of digital media,” saysMabel Mabaso, director at Planet Image Productions.

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The design for Qatar TV's newBroadcast Centre focuses onadaptive and flexible workflows,

while being future-proofed foremerging technologies, such as 3Gb/s 1080p. This ensures that QatarTV will be able to serve its viewers foryears to come, without fear oftechnical obsolescence.

Grass Valley is providing thesystems integration, installation, andcommissioning for this multi-milliondollar project. The experience andknowledge of Grass Valley's best-in-class system architects are vital inensuring that Qatar TV achieves itsstringent deadlines.“This project iscore to the development of Qatar TV,and we needed a technical partnerwith a track record of proventechnology,” said Samer Younes,Consultant Engineer of Qatari TVSDC.“We want to build a world-classplayout centre that is flexible andsupports evolving requirements, usesthe latest service orientatedarchitectures, and is enabled for futuretechnical growth in order to provideour audience with continuous, high-quality service."

Turnkey developmentThis initiative calls for the

complete turnkey development anddelivery of the new broadcastingcentre. Grass Valley system architectsscoped the requirements anddesigned the complete system, withsupport from a third-party systemintegrator. The project also includestraining Qatar TV staff on the newtechnologies and workflows, and a

continuing service agreement.“Grass Valley is a world-class

company with vast experience indelivering this type of project in atimely and cost effective manner,which is why we selected Grass Valleyas our trusted provider on thismodernization project,” said Younes.

Maximum efficiencyFor maximum efficiency, key

technologies such as Grass Valley’sTrinix NXT router with integratedmultiviewers is being used alongsidethe Maestro master control system,offering an exceptional combination ofintegrated features, expandability, andcontrol options.

“Qatar TV required a state-of-the-art broadcasting centre to match itsambitions to serve its audience withhigh-quality service,” said Alan Wright,Senior Vice President, Europe, MiddleEast, and Africa for Grass Valley. “Wehave great experience in completingthis sort of project, and we understoodtheir innovative ambitions for thefuture. Qatar TV’s new home will be ashowcase for modern broadcastworkflows.”

The Qatari Television Support and Development Committee (TVSDC) has selected Grass Valley for a majormodernisation project for Qatar TV. Grass Valley will be providing a complete master control room solution for thenew Broadcast Centre in Doha.

Qatar TV builds for the future with Grass Valley

Share ideas onLinkedInJoin the SACIA LinkedIn group and share theonline discussion about products and issuesimpacting the future of the professional AVindustry in Southern Africa.

To find us, click the Groups Tab in your LinkedIn profile and search for SACIA

“We have great experience in completingthese project and understand theirambitions of Qatar TV,” says Alan Wrightfrom Grass Valley EMEA office.

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Developed by TaitTechnologies, the pixel tablethas become the latestproduct to emerge from theexpanding range of Tait’s

available rental systems. Producing over70,500 pixel tablets for the entire stadiumseating grid saw video emerge from itstwo dimensional world to become 3D; theaudience members integrated into theshow itself. “The assembly of dispersedLED pixels to form very large videoimages has been with us for some time,”explained Frederic Opsomer, CEO of TaitTechnologies, who drove the developmentof this stunning new device. “But neverbefore has it been done on such a scale,and with such organic animation.”Opsomer is referring to the fact that theLED Pixel Tablets were placed firmly in thehands of the opening ceremony audience;all seventy-thousand five hundred ofthem.

Extremely durable“Little box or big box, it’s all the

same challenge,” explained Opsomer, “Towork for such an event, the product has tobe waterproof to IP65, safe to use,durable. With so many in use, it also hasto pass the most stringent EMC testing.The LEDs themselves are extremelydurable; we might expect them to work forten years in continuous use. Because theOlympics placed a firm focus onsustainability we have designed thisproduct with an afterlife in mind.”

The cabling infrastructure for theOlympic stadium was some 370km, andwas installed by a local crew of ten withinfive weeks. The total system installationtook just ten weeks with five techniciansand six local crew members. Because ofthe nature of its use over the eight weekperiod of the Olympics, the system wasinstalled as a permanent installation.However, rapid deployment options areavailable for shorter, temporaryinstallations.

Barco FLX platformLogistically this was big undertaking,

“The backbone of the system is based onthe tried and tested Barco FLX platform,”

continued Opsomer. “Tait has invested intheir drivers and control, Barco deliveredthe PCB; the design, manufacturing and

assembly of the tablets was provided byTait. Testing at the independent EMClaboratory in Belgium was exhaustive, butit had to be; the implications of seventy-thousand plus devices for the RFenvironment are of potential nightmareproportions.”

The pixel mapping of the contentinto the stadium runs on the Ai InfinityServer from Avolites/Immersive. Opsomersays, “We chose Ai from Avolites becauseof Avolites substantial and long history inthe field of entertainment; and quitesimply this is one of the only serversystems that can handle mapping onsuch huge scale. The Olympics was a oneshot event, it had to be perfect, and thestrength of the company reputation isreassuring to all those involved. Managingthis volume of mapping is easy with the Aisoftware.”

Content for the pixel tablets wasprovided by Crystal CG, the official digital

The opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games saw the main stadium transformed into a huge arrayof LED video pixels, mapped to the space inhabited by the entire audience.

Tait engulfs entire Olympic stadiumwith moving images

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imaging services provider of London 2012Olympics. “It was an absolute pleasure towork with Crystal as a content provider forthis project. Content is such an integralpart of the viewer’s experience and thecontent provided really showcased oursystem to the highest ability” saysOpsomer.

Landscape video opens unlimitedopportunities for the use of this type oftechnology in live events and architectural

environments. Communication of anymessage on a large scale can beachieved without limits. “We think this is ablank canvas that event organisers arereally going to enjoy,” says Carol Scott,Director of Sales and Marketing, TaitTechnologies. “Having resolved thelogistical problems down to manageableand affordable proportions, this becomesa realistic tool with which to enhance yourevent communication.”

During IBC, in one of her first publicforums post-Olympics, Barbara Slater,BBC’s Director of Sport, will comparenotes with a distinguished internationalpanel of broadcasters, recounting thehighs and lows, challenges and triumphsof broadcasting the world’s biggestsports event. IBC delegates will beamong the first in the world to get acomplete analysis of how it all wentdown behind the scenes at London2012, accompanied by amazingOlympics footage.

IBC analyses the SummerOlympic Games

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The advent of affordable,interconnected, high-definitionflat digital displays has enabledcontent providers, includingadvertisers, to replace static

screens by timely targeted contentdelivered to the audience. According to anew report published by the ITU(International Telecommunications Union)digital signage “is a network of digitaldisplays that are centrally managed andaddressable for targeted information,entertainment, merchandising andadvertisement”.

While digital signage is now found inmany different scenarios the highest

revenue comes from, and hence the majorfocus of the industry is on, digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising. Digital signageis not to be confused with television,broadcasting or a PC running aPowerPoint presentation in an infinite loop.The content either follows a pre-arrangedlinear playlist with clearly defined timeslots for different content elements, or adynamic playlist evolving according tomany criteria including user inter-action.Content changes can also be triggered bylocation information or environmentalsensors. Digital signage incorporatesdifferent technologies relying on a set ofstandards: displays, network infrastructure

for content delivery, communicationprotocols, and software and hardware formanagement and playback of content.Propelled by advances in the field ofdisplay technologies (such as touch-screen technology), radiofrequencyidentification (RFID) and near-fieldcommunication (NFC), personalization ofcontent and user interaction has becomeincreasingly relevant. Other trends includecustomized application programminginterfaces (APIs) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) models that allow digitalsignage network operators to set up theirnetworks and control and monitorcampaigns via a remote location or the

The global advertising landscape has seen a dramatic transformation over the past decade. While traditional printadvertisements in newspapers and magazines have witnessed a decline that threatens the existence of someprint news media outlets, market share and interest in interactive advertisement on web, mobile and otherinnovative media has skyrocketed.

The right information in all the right places

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 1:23 AM Page 22

web. The fact that most digital signagesolutions are proprietary systems impedesthe integration of various applicationsacross different networks or vendors. Aslong as products from different vendors donot interoperate, it will remain challengingand costly to build and expand large-scaledigital signage networks.

US$ 4.5 billion industryAccording to the ITU, spending on

digital signage systems, includingdisplays, media players, software andinstallation/maintenance costs, will morethan triple from close to USD 1.3 billion(2010) to almost USD 4.5 billion (2016).This rapid growth is associated with fallingcosts and increasing market penetration inthe post-recession period. Furthermore,advances in areas such as LED and touchtechnologies provide businesses withunique and cost-effective ways ofdisplaying information more impressivelyand more efficiently than ever.

Content is keyWhile the United States represents

the largest regional market, developingeconomies in Asia, Latin America and theMiddle East are seen as majorcontributors to the predicted uptake ofdigital signage. Many cities in countriesincluding Brazil, China, India, Malaysia,Singapore, Thailand and the UAE arewitnessing a retail boom spurred byeconomic growth, increasing incomes andrising standards of living. Digital signageinstallations in the areas of retail, financialsystems, hospitality and transportationcould accompany and fuel this transition.

With the technology now mature andincreasingly widespread, design andselection of the content displayed is a keyfactor in achieving the desired effects.Crafting and conveying an appealing andappropriate message that engages theconsumer, far from being a trivial task, is askill involving aspects of market research,psychology, aesthetics and business. Inmany digital signage applications, it isessential that content is regularly updatedand adapted to the market environment.While the playback of audio messages isan option, the predominant media used indigital signage networks are visual, assound may be perceived as noise byconsumers and staff present in the vicinityof the audio sources. The presentation ofcontent with audio requires morebandwidth, more processing power andhigher-quality end terminals. This canoverload the communicationsinfrastructure and limits responsiveness incontent delivery. The content reproducedwith digital signage can be as diverse as

its source. It is typically produced bymarketing and sales professionals,professional audiovisual/web advertisingagencies and freelancers, based onaggregator services (RSS feeds or feedsdeveloped by ICT service providers) orgenerated by the user.

Technology overviewOver the past decade, display

technologies have seen major advances inresolution and drastic cost reductions.

Heavyweight, cumbersome and power-hungry CRT screens have essentiallyvanished from the scene and made wayfor ultra-flat LED, LCD and plasma panelsin all sizes and resolutions, which can bedeployed in any of the scenariosdescribed earlier. Other application-specific parameters include casing,mounting and layout. Outdoor settingsmay make brightness control and dust,heat and water resistance indispensable.But development does not stop here:scientists and display engineers keeppushing the limits to further reduce costand increase performance, quality ofexperience and energy efficiency. Displaysbased on organic LEDs (OLEDs) arebecoming increasingly dominant in thesmall to medium screen size devicesegment (smartphones, portable digitalmedia players and laptops), and will maketheir way to larger indoor and outdoorpanels once manufacturing is profitable.

Recent developments in 3DRecent developments in 3D are also

interesting and it appears reasonable toassume that “glasses-free 3D” screentechnology will have a significant impacton digital signage if it succeeds in theconsumer electronics market. Remotemanagement of displays can beadvantageous, in particular to manage on-off behaviour, colour settings, and audio

23

Digital billboards, along with screens associated with airports, train stations, subwaystations and store windows have become the “live poster” of the DOOH industry. Theywork by grabbing the attention of passing consumers for a brief period of time. Thesescreens are mostly focused on establishing brand identity or value, and parcel outvisually attractive or active content in short bursts. Many consumers are already familiarwith the digital screens installed at airports that present a quick advert, and perhaps aweather forecast during the short trip from one gate to the next. That contrasts with anexterior screen on a taxi which functions as a moving billboard. These particular types ofnetworks are often referred to as digital out of home (DOOH) networks where theadvertiser is concerned about the reach and frequency verses in-store media that isconcerned with sales uplift and is often referred to as digital signage.

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volume. It can be observed that anincreasing amount of functionality is beingadded to displays and this means that theimplementation of digital signage terminalsis now easier than it used to be.

Evolution of Media players As one might imagine, the role of the

media player is not limited to presentingthe right content on the right display at theright time. Media players used in digitalsignage also offer interfaces for remotemonitoring and configuration services.They are responsible for managing proof-of-display log files and implementaudience measurement or user interactioncapabilities. Finally, they have to becapable of providing support for the mostcommon multimedia formats, unicast aswell as multicast protocols. The offlinecharacteristics of media players enablescheduled caching and downloading ofmedia content and related resourcesbased on a set of rules. Media playerbehaviour and performance can bemanaged by the head-end equipmentusing a pre-established communicationprotocol.

Content managementManagement and delivery of content

to the media player is organized in thehead-end through dedicated systems thathave the ability to create, change anddelete play schedules and to transfer theselists and the associated content. Content isstored internally or externally anddescribed through metadata. The systemsare capable of meeting the requirements ofdifferent application scenarios and appearfor the most part in the form of robust andfeature-rich “thick clients”. More complexsystems can assign and manage roles todifferent classes of user (e.g. editors,contributors, freelancers) and allow forcompositions combining remote and localcontent. In addition to content-relatedfeatures, content management systemsalso implement tools for statistical analysis,audience profiling and log file auditing.

Trends in digital signageFalling hardware costs mean that

large-scale public display networks arebecoming commonplace in many settings.However, the full potential of digitalsignage as an innovative interactivemedium, as compared to traditional staticmedia, has to some extent remaineduntapped. Some argue that theadvantages need to be exploited in orderto achieve the commercial breakthrough ofdigital signage technologies.

One way of increasing interactivity isvia the consumer’s mobile device: with

almost six billion mobile cellularsubscriptions worldwide, many of themincluding access to high-speed 3Gservices, mobile devices are virtuallyubiquitous. All handsets feature at leastsome basic interfaces, including SMS, andshort-range radio technologies such asBluetooth and NFC. If the display point isequipped with the same interface, an SMSor the proximity of a consumer andhandset can start a video clip or issue acoupon on the display or handset.Integration of information from the

consumer’s social network application(Facebook) running on a smartphonecould customize the information presentedon the digital sign, and enable, forinstance, targeted promotion.

Many products in supermarkets anddepartment stores now carry RFID tags forlogistical purposes. Nutritional data on afood item and the item’s expiry date caneasily be displayed on digital signageinstallations with RFID tag reader features,making such installations a part of the so-called Internet of Things.

The wandering throngs in Times Square point their mobile phones and digital cameras atthe 230 flickering signs that ascend more than 20 stories over New York City’s centralpublic square. It’s a head-on collision between 350,000 daily pedestrians and 385,000square feet of saturated colour. The signs on Times Square grow larger and climb higherthan ever as digital technology has transformed both the displays and the way peopleuse this elongated bowtie intersection.

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Biometric recognition of consumers Biometric recognition and its

incorporation in digital signage is anotherhot topic. Under discussion is technologythat can track heat paths to show aconsumer’s movement around a retailenvironment while gaze tracking can beused to identify the area of a sign, whichthe consumer spends most time lookingat. Biometrics can help identifying anddistinguishing between frequent customers(previously enrolled) and first-timecustomers – priceless information formarketers. More controversial arebiometric recognition technologies capableof determining the age, gender andethnicity of passers-by. Microsoft Surfaceis an example combining some of thesefeatures and it gives a hint to what thefuture of digital signage could look like.Five infrared cameras embedded in thehousing of a flat panel display are capableof recognizing and locating the fingertipsof users touching and interacting with thedisplay. Natural user interfaces (NUIs) likethese enable users not only to passivelyconsume but to actively participate andengage with the medium.

An experience for all senses? NTT Japan has taken the idea of

engagement somewhat further andlaunched digital signs equipped witharoma-emitting devices in order tostrengthen the impact of marketingcommunications. Branded as KaoruSignage (aroma signage), the productcombines digital signage and NTT’s KaoriTsushin (fragrance communication) onlineservice, which instructs specified web-connected devices to emit mood-heightening aromas.

The strength of the fragrance can beadjusted to meet the requirements of thescenario. A broadband connection enablesvideo, sound and fragrance settings to betransmitted to multiple locations. NTTbelieves that aromas increase the chancesof passers-by seeing the sign,remembering the product being advertisedand eventually buying it.

Cloud-based digital signage The cloud computing paradigm has

been seeing a breakthrough in a wide areaof applications over the last couple ofyears. Many digital signage serviceproviders are following the trend andoffering digital signage Software as ametered and managed Service (SaaSmodel), payable per hour of use or numberof operations. SaaS has emerged as apopular solution because it is reliable andcost efficient and can be deployed rapidly

on digital signage networks of any size.

ConclusionNo longer limited to New York’s

Times Square, the London Stock Exchangeor the commercial areas of Shinjuku,Tokyo, digital displays are becomingincreasingly omnipresent at Points of Wait,Sale and Transit. Many of them are part ofextensive networks of connected displaysthat are managed centrally andaddressable for targeted information,entertainment, merchandising andadvertising – an emerging mediumdescribed as digital signage. While thenumber of service providers andmanufacturers of digital signagecomponents and solutions is increasing,the associated standards ecosystemappears to be rather incomplete. Somegroups and initiatives are calling forinteroperability to facilitate the rollout of

large-scale digital signage networks, fosterinnovative applications and avoid vendorlock-in. These groups include advertisingindustry associations, technical suppliers,national interest groups and a number offormal standards development bodies,such as ITU-T. ITU-T Study Group 16 hastaken an important first step by startingwork on a “Framework for Digital SignageServices”. Recognizing that a usefulfoundation has been laid for the similarIPTV application space of IPTV, much workremains to be done in order to achieve anall-embracing digital signage suite ofstandards. This suite would also includescreen-media formats and associatedadvertising units, network requirements,security and privacy enhancing solutionsand test cases. Extensive collaborationwith the digital signage industry and itsinterest groups should contribute to takingthe next steps without duplication of effort.

Most digital signage implementations in retail have focused on large plasma screenshung high in the store and broadcasting video-only content. However, some recent andplanned pilots are taking the dynamic messaging capabilities of digital signs down to theshelf edge.

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 1:24 AM Page 25

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Part of a larger multi-year nationalmedia infrastructure projectoverseen by the Saudi Ministry of

Culture and Information (MOCI), theextension of Radio-Assist brings moresophisticated production tools to thethree stations and simplifies theirexchange of media with the kingdom'scentral Radio Riyadh station. NETIAtechnology already plays a key role inthe restoration, digitization, andpreservation of audiovisual media ofcultural and historical importance inSaudi Arabia.

Exchange of content "We are proud to be working with

NETIA to extend state-of-the-artproduction and broadcast capabilities toregional stations and to facilitate andstreamline the exchange of content

between the country's radiobroadcasters," said Naim G. Saidi, CEOof First Gulf Company.

The Radio-Assist 8 range of digitalaudio software programs covers theentire operation of a radio station,addressing acquisition, sound file

editing, commercial and musicproduction, scheduling, multicasting,data security, and administration. Theinstallation of Radio-Assist at Jizan, Hail,and Tabuk ensures the interoperability ofmedia management systems acrossbroadcast stations and provides thefoundation for shared access to theextensive national archives beingcreated by MOCI.

"Saudi Arabia is undertaking anambitious upgrade to its national mediainfrastructure, and we're pleased to be apart of this project," said ThomasDresch, project manager at NETIA."With this latest NETIA installation, keyradio stations across the country havebeen able improve their local productioncapabilities while taking much greateradvantage of resources andprogramming at Radio Riyadh."

First Gulf extend Radio-Assist installation at Radio Riyadh NETIA is working with systems integrator First Gulf to extend the Radio-Assist 8 suite of digital audio software atRadio Riyadh to include three regional stations in Saudi Arabia, located in the cities of Jizan, Hail, and Tabuk.

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Medi 1, a NETIA user for almost15 years, has been usingRadio-Assist for production and

scheduling since the station movedfrom analog to digital in 1998. TheTangier, Morocco-based station was thefirst Radio-Assist customer outsideEurope, and its adoption of Radio-Assist 8 and the Air-DDO broadcastmodule is the latest milestone in itscontinuing quest to deliver high-qualitymultilingual radio services to audiencesacross the region. "After our long andsuccessful relationship with NETIA,Medi 1's move to Radio-Assist 8 lastyear is a logical progression, and onethat we were confident would bring usyet another step up in the efficiency andquality of our operation," said AhmedAbakkali, IT manager at Medi 1 Radio."Our staff is now completely familiar

with the system, so the switch to Air-DDO will be an easy upgrade that willstreamline our service even more."

The Radio-Assist 8 Air-DDObroadcast module is the result ofseveral years of research and reflection,and focuses as much on the

ergonomics as on the technology.Spread over two monitor screens, Air-DDO's GUI simultaneously displays thefour broadcast channels, as well asaccess to numerous help andpreparation tools — including on-airmonitoring, playlist modification, trackediting, recording sounds, and more."It's a real pleasure to work with thepeople at Medi 1 Radio, who have beenloyal and enthusiastic Radio-Assistcustomers for so long," said JeanMichel Bombois, operations projectmanager at NETIA. "Radio isexceptionally important in the regioncovered by Medi 1, and the station isalways keen to deliver an outstandingproduct. Now, with the adoption of Air-DDO, Medi 1 can be assured ofsubstantial gains in efficiency andproduction quality."

Morocco's Medi 1 benefits fromincreased automation NETIA, a leading software manufacturer of media asset management and radio automation solutions, hasannounced that Medi 1 Radio will go live by the end of 2012 with NETIA's Air-DDO, the broadcasting module of theRadio-Assist 8 automation system.

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 1:24 AM Page 27

Question: When selecting a vendor for your next AV installation, which of these items is the LEAST important item you should consider?

a. Price quoted for the projectb. Installation quality of the installations deptc. Company reputation in the marketplaced. Financial stability of the supplier

Answer: (a) In today’s tough economic climate it’s obviously important to consider price as an important factor in choosing a supplier for your next AV installation. But choosing a supplier based on price alone is a sure-fire path to failure and an ineffective AV solution. Chose a vendor based on their ability to provide an AV solution that meets your requirements and make sure you’re buying from a reputable organization with certified staff and the resources to back-up your installation on a long-term basis.

SACIA is the leading trade association for the professional AV industry in Southern Africa. We promote the adoption of professional standards in the local market and our members commit to truth, honesty and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of the audiovisual profession.When you’re looking for a reputable supplier with a proven track record in the professional AV market, our members are a good place to start. For more information on SACIA and a full list of members, please visit www.sacia.org.za

An informed business choice

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.

29

The channel has a variety ofuses for real-time 3D graphics,such as the “screen furniture”of multiple tickers, side panels,maps and Breaking News

alerts constantly animating around thevideo window. In addition, the newscontent includes full-frame 3Danimations in its stories, as well asdisplaying maps and background storygraphics displayed on a large video wallin the studio. The Viz World map serverallows news producers to generateanimated 3D maps instantly from theirnewsroom system, providing usefulgeographical context for every newsstory. Everything is generated with aconsistently branded look that isuniquely Sky News Arabia.

System efficiencySystem efficiency, which could

deliver breaking news first, was theprimary objective in designing the Vizrtworkflow. This was achieved by buildingin a high level of automation into thegraphics templates used by operatorsand in the newsroom. This provides avery high quality 3D animation, withconsistent branding ready to take to airwithin seconds of a story breaking. This

can be added to and enhanced as moreinformation becomes availablethroughout the day. This results in twodistinct workflows to deliver a well-rounded channel output: reliabletemplated news graphics (by thegraphics design company, AstuceMedia) integrated with Sky NewsArabia’s iNews newsroom system for

ultra-fast population by producers andeditor. These are enhanced by longer,full-frame graphics designed by the in-house design team, who can respondquickly to news priorities passed tothem by the editorial team. Thesegraphics can be built into the storyvideo, to explain key points, as well asused interactively by the studio talent onthe Newswall in the studio.

Quality of finishRoland West, Creative Head for

Sky News Arabia, explained the choiceof Vizrt’s graphics system. "When we setout to create Sky News Arabia, the keyrequirements to delivering a successfulgraphics package were quality of finish,ease of use, unity of platform and abreadth of graphic presentation. Havingbuilt on the knowledge shared by SkyNews UK and Vizrt through acollaborative relationship, we havesuccessfully launched the channel on agraphics system capable of achievingthe quality and speed that Sky Newsdemands." Martin Burkhaulter, CEO atVizrt added: “Sky News Arabia’srequirements presented us with agenuine challenge. The workflow isextremely streamlined. It relies a greatdeal on graphics automation ofsophisticated templates that arepopulated by news producers. The

emphasis is very clearly on speed andgetting breaking news on air with theminimum of delay. I feel sure this is akey factor that will set Sky News Arabiaapart from its competitors. Goodintegration between all aspects of theVizrt graphics system was fundamentalto a smooth and fast workflow, whichmeant that sticking with one systemthroughout was absolutely the rightdecision. The success of their launchon May 6th has already proven whatgood TV journalism, backed up by fullyintegrated graphics created by theirlocal design team, can do.”

Challenging projectOliver Pitkin, Project Manager for

Sky News Arabia added; “This wasalways going to be a challengingproject– particularly in integrating a well-proven Sky News UK ethos andworkflow into a Middle Eastern contextand broadcasting everything in Arabic.We pre-built the entire technicalinfrastructure in a warehouse providedby TSL in the UK and then shipped it toAbu Dhabi. We have had terrific supportfrom Vizrt at every stage of the process.We continue to receive support andadvice from Vizrt locally and we expectour well integrated Vizrt core to becomethe backbone of the Middle East’sleading channel for breaking news.”

Sky News Arabia puts Vizrt at the core of its News graphicsSky News Arabia, the new 24-hour free-to-air Arabic news channel, launched in May using a sophisticated Vizrtsystem to deliver its live news graphics. Vizrt is the sole news graphics provider for the Abu Dhabi based channel.This is a departure from the news graphics workflow used by Sky News in the UK, sister channel to Sky NewsArabia, which uses both Vizrt and another provider.

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BTV is the state broadcaster forBotswana in southern Africaand has been using Quantelnews production tools since2001. The upgrade provides

BTV with the latest Quantel V5 softwarewhich makes all journalist and editing PCscompliant with the latest Windows 7operating system as well as adding a hostof new editing, workflow and managementfacilities.

Upgrade workstationsAlso included in the deal are

upgrades of BTV’s craft editingworkstations to the new Quantel Qube,which provides fast GPU-based imageprocessing along with increased mediastorage. In addition to the upgrades, BTVhas invested in Quantel's QTube globalmedia workflow solution. This will enableBTV users in regional bureaux spreadacross Botswana to access the Quantel

production system in the capital,Gaborone. The QTube system isconfigured to allow users in BTV's eightregional centers to simultaneously viewand edit live content captured in theEnterprise sQ system over standardinternet connections.

Great engineering supportDirector of Botswana TV’s

Department of Broadcasting Services,Lesole Obonye said, "This major upgradedemonstrates our complete satisfactionwith Quantel production systems and thecompany’s great engineering supportservice. We have been using Quantel for

all aspects of our production for over adecade and have always been happy withthe combination of incredible power andspeed of the Quantel servers linked to asimple-to-use editing interface. The abilityto extend this interface into our regionalbureaux using QTube is another big stepfor us. This will enable us to combinecontent from different locations to addcontext and value to our news output,giving our viewers an even betterexperience."

Public service broadcasterAlthough Government owned,

Botswana Television operates inaccordance with the conventional normsof a public service broadcastingorganization and enjoys a reasonabledegree of editorial independence thatallows it to portray Botswana's politicaland socio-economic fabric as it is.

Programming aims at reflecting thedemocratic tradition of Botswana byadhering to the principle of balancedreporting, showing both sides of the storyand adhering to objectivity. "Building anInformed and educated nation is one ofpriorities,” says Obonye, “and we haveinvested in technology that allows us todeliver quality education, information andentertainment to the people of Botswanaand beyond. We aim to serve ourcustomers in a transparent andresponsible manner by exploiting newtechnologies, as well as by training andmotivating employees to take pride in theorganization.”

Quantel Sales Director, MartinMulligan concludes; “Botswana TV hasbeen a loyal customer of Quantel’s formany years and we are delighted that thebroadcaster has chosen once again tomove forward with our solutions.”

Botswana TV (BTV) has purchased a major upgrade for its Quantel Enterprise sQ news production system.

Botswana TV upgrades andglobalizes workflow with Quantel

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 1:24 AM Page 30

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The work – formatted for the wide-screen canvass of BuckinghamPalace - featured 32 animated

mosaic portraits of HM The Queenmade up form a total of 201,948 self-portraits submitted by children fromaround the UK. All these portraits havebeen carefully scrutinised by GuinnessWorld Records and certified asindividual artworks.

Landmark achievementAshton designed and created the

finished projection portraits working withMoscow-based Boris Glazer, using abespoke version of his Mazaikasoftware to encode all the photos andcompose the 32 images from all theimages. For the show, the componentimages all ‘flew’ together to make theindividual portraits of The Queen, which

were based on a template imagesupplied by Royal photographer, ArthurEdwards. Says Ashton, “Obviously I’mextremely proud of this land-markachievement. It was a big challengeand a lot of fun working on the project,with an incredible response fromchildren and young people nationwide

who really engaged with the concept. Itwas hugely inspiring to deliver a workbased on all their originalcontributions.”

Children aged 4 – 16 were invitedto produce their own self-portraits byFace Britain encompassing all levels ofskill and in any medium, includingdrawing, photography, textiles, paintingand graphics. Ashton worked closelywith CT’s Scott Burgess to design theprojection system and CT supplied allthe hardware for the installation,including the 24 Barco and Panasonicprojectors, complete with weatherisedhides and crew.

The show ran for three evenings atthe end of April and attracted massivepublic interest. It was also the first timethat video projections have been usedon the front of The Palace.

World Record projection atBuckingham palaceUK-based projection artist Ross Ashton of The Projection Studio had his ‘Face Britain’ video projection work ontothe front of Buckingham Palace officially confirmed as a Guinness World Record for the ‘most artists working on thesame art installation’.

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 1:34 AM Page 31

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Next generation UnifiedCommunications (UC)platforms simplify thecomplexity and enableorganisations to deliver any

communication service to any user onany device, anywhere in the world. Theyalso provide the base for a number ofinnovative emerging technologies,including presence, intelligent video andcontextual collaboration. Organisationsare tasked with delivering greatcustomer experiences, with fast problemresolution, enhanced productivity andfaster execution, at a lower cost thanever. On top of this, end users aredemanding anytime, anywherecommunications using any device and avariety of media, including socialnetworking. These challenges evolveover time, so new services must be ableto be deployed quickly and easily toenable organisations to continue tocommunicate effectively.

Unified communications serviceHowever, without first addressing

the communications network andbringing it up to a level where thesetechnologies can be leveraged, it isimpossible to deliver a true, unifiedcommunications service. Manyorganisations also have legacyequipment, and a rip and replacestrategy is not financially viable. Thelatest generation UC platforms enableorganisations to create acommunications core which simplifiesthe concept of truly unifiedcommunications. These platforms act asa middleware layer that aggregatesservices from a variety of devices,including traditional PBXs, tablets,mobile phones and so on, and bringsthem together to offer centralisedaccess to all communication services.Through this core, every communicationservice within the organisation isdeliverable to any user, through anydevice and with any medium, to anylocation, with high quality and costeffective delivery. The UC platform alsothen serves as a springboard that

enables organisations to incorporate thelatest generation of productivity andexperience enhancing solutions.Presence is one exciting possibility thatis opened up when using a UC platform.Presence is not limited to onlinecommunication tools such as instantmessenger and VoIP, but can also beapplied to many other tools. Using sucha platform it is possible to aggregatepresence data from many differentsources, including tablets, mobilephones, instant messaging applicationsand so on, delivering a combinedpresence that can be made availableboth within and external to theorganisation. This enhances productivityand ensures that people cancommunicate effectively on a variety ofmedia.

Video streamingAnother technology that becomes

more viable is that of video conferencingand streaming. One of the issues withvideo in the past has been that lack ofbandwidth on one side of theconversation has rendered highdefinition impossible for all participants.This compromises the quality of theservice for all. Using new UC platformshowever, video can be leveragedintelligently according to the networkand bandwidth capabilities of the

organisation. Video streaming can bedelivered in HD or SD, depending on thenetwork capability, the user’s device andthe user preferences, and can becustomised according to eachparticipant’s needs. Bandwidth is onlyused as necessary to provide theappropriate video quality, and ifbandwidth availability is reduced, theconsumption will adjust accordingly.These innovations make the concept ofvideo conferencing far more viable,particularly in a still bandwidth scarceenvironment like South Africa

Universal collaborationCollaboration, the latest buzzword

in the IT space, is also made possibleusing a UC platform in an agilecommunications environment. Thisenables truly universal collaboration witha consistent experience across devices,regardless of platform or operatingsystem. It also enables access tocontextual information duringcollaboration sessions, which enhancesthe experience and providesopportunities for further improvement toproductivity. Predictive contacts providean address book ordered by relevanceto the current communication, along withconversation logs across all mediaincluding voice calls, emails, messagesand so on. Contextual collaboration alsoprovides contextual access todocuments, email attachments, desktopcontents, folders and so on, as well asrelevant information on all participants inthe communication such as contactinformation and preferences, presenceand calendar. Together, thesetechnologies help organisations to bringtogether the right people with the rightinformation in the right context, using themedium of their choice. This in turndelivers better business results in real-time. Contextual collaboration through avariety of media is the communication ofthe future. With next generation UnifiedCommunication platforms andassociated add-on technologies,organisations are equipped tocommunicate now and in the future.

Do you have the tools to communicate into the future?Today’s organisations face a host of challenges from all directions when it comes to communication, exacerbatedby evolving business challenges and customer demand for ever increasing functionality. Social networking, BringYour Own Device (BYOD) and the explosion of mobile communication technology only serve to complicate analready complex issue.

“Today’s organisations face a host ofcommunication challenges,” says PaulFick, division MD at Jasco EnterpriseSolutions.

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With the advent of the RedOne camera on the high-end, and the 5DmkII on thelow-end, there was a hugeshake up in the world of

movie-making, certainly from a costperspective. This paradigm-shift also puta proverbial nail in the coffin of traditionalemulsion film, and naysayers need lookno further than Kodak’s recent financialwoes for clear evidence of this. Ask anyVisual Effects artist who worked on amovie shot on film and they would be thefirst to celebrate the simpler workflowsaround which current post-productionpipelines revolve. But progress is alwaysa double-edged sword. Cameras such asthe Red Epic, the Panavision Genesis andthe Arri Alexa, are all central to digitalfilmmaking, but each has its quirks andeach has its strengths.

Red One / EpicWhat a fantastic camera! It shoots at

4K (4 times larger than HD), but is slightlycompressed. When doing green screen

work or pushing colour correction heavilyin post, the footage can start to buckle,with subtle jagged edges becomingapparent, revealing unwelcomecompression artefacts. The Red’s biggestadvantage is, by far, its resolution, whichimmediately affords filmmakers a lot oflatitude when it comes to finishing.Directors can really play with footage inpost, zooming by up to 300% withoutimages losing clarity. Movies shot on Redto look out for are Judge Dredd, TheHobbit, Prometheus, Girl with the Dragon

Tattoo, and the remake of Total Recall.

Arri AlexaThe shoots at full 1080p, but Arri

elected to (and very wisely so) focus their

development on image fidelity instead ofmaking another 4K monster. The camerahas fantastic fidelity that holds upexcellently in the grade, giving filmmakersa closer match to the beauty of traditionalfilm. The Alexa is fast becoming afavourite amongst VFX supervisors,primarily for the quality of the greenscreen plates the camera is capable of.

Movies to look out for shot on Arri: Skyfall,The Avengers, and Hugo.

Sony F3The Sony F3 is a somewhat

lightweight contender in the HD movie

camera arena and sits far below Sony’sCine Alta cameras in the rankings. At thetime of its launch, the camera could only

put out 4:2:2 imagery to an externalrecorder. This is a shortcoming if oneconsiders its closest rival, the CanonC300, does this natively to an onboardmemory card. Green screen work with theF3 is possible, but not ideal. Compressionartefacts, although minimal, become veryapparent in keyed shots containing finedetail.

Canon 5Dmk II / IIIVery few cameras have ever caused

such a stir amongst guerrilla filmmakers.Here you have a stills camera that canshoot full 1080p video and hasinterchangeable lenses, features which

Visual Effects is a broad term that encompasses the realms of animation, compositing, matte painting andphysical model building. There are countless techniques, technologies and tools that help VFX artists to achievetheir special brand of movie magic, but the one factor they have little control over is the quality of the footage theyreceive.

Movie magic is only as good as thecamera it’s shot on

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were historically limited to pro-levelcameras. Amazing productions have beenshot on this camera, including an episodeof House, but in the visual effects world,it’s a dirty word. This camera shoots to anMpeg-4 codec which is an end-resultcodec, not a production codec, in fact it’snot much better than the quality of a clipon youtube.

Another major drawback to thesecameras is rolling shutter. The 5D doesn’tcapture frames instantaneously, it scansthe image from top to bottom over 1080lines per frame. This means when you panthe camera, all vertical lines turn to jellyand feel like they’re wobbling about. ThemkIII has improved on this, but theproblem is still there. The 5D is not aserious film camera and any Visual Effects

studio worth their salt would turn youaway at the door if you brought them 5Dgreen screen clips. I would adviseindependent filmmakers to take a seriouslook at Blackmagic’s new cinema cameraas a viable alternative. It is capable of somuch more than any of its competitors ina similar price range.... and includes a fulllicense of Davinci's Resolve gradingsoftware.

Canon C300The C300 is Canon’s first foray into

pro-level digital film cameras. It shoots

1080p at 4:2:2 natively and can put out4:4:4 to an external recorder. It’s availablein either PL or EF mounts, has a prettygood looking picture and costs a gooddeal less than Sony’s lacklustre F3. It’sstill not all that when it comes to VFXthough. Canon’s first salvo seems to havebeen fired at Arri’s Alexa, but next yearsees the launch of the Canon C500, whichclearly has Red in its sights. This camerawill shoot full 4K, record 4:4:4 RAW andhas all the bells and whistles itscompetitors have.

35

George Webster is VFX supervisor atLocoVFX in Johannesburg.

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BSI provided six radio camerasystems with two return visionsystems, all in High Definition,with receivers and a fibre-based infrastructure, which

had multiple antennas to allow completecoverage of the pit lane and paddockgarages. These were used with Panasoniccamcorders with full camera controlprovided by BSI for the races, all on the7GHz frequency.

Forecasts of humidity and verychallenging weather conditions hadcaused speculation about theperformance of wireless equipment in thefirst two races of the series. BSI, whichwas founded to deliver on-board camerasfor NASCAR and now dominates point-of-view motor racing coverage in America,provided a small team of skilled RFengineers on site to set up and manageall of the RF equipment during the races.

Technical Director Tony Valentinocommented, “It was a clean shoot – thekey to success lies in preparation andplanning, which was all done in advanceto ensure that everything worked right firsttime. A lot of thought went into getting itright, so that we could just turn up, plug inand switch on and have all of ourcameras fully operational right througheach race.” Commenting for Sky Sports,Darren Long said: “The RF environmentsin and around the F1 venues are some ofthe most difficult to deal with so when Sky

Sports were looking for a RF supplier, weneeded one who had a proven trackrecord of working in these environments,and a team that had the expertise todeliver in any difficult condition. BSI havedelivered 100% of the package we askedfor and Sky Sports have been very happyat the service we've received.”

In February this year Sky Sportslaunched its Sky Sports F1HD channel onwhich it will broadcast live coverage ofevery race in the F1 season as well as

every practice and qualifying session, plusa range of support programmingincluding the weekly preview show ‘TheF1 Show’ and the F1 Legends series. Inaddition, the channel will also show liveGP2 and GP3 coverage showcasing theemerging stars of motorsport.

Although a new provider outside theUSA, BSI has scooped a contract toprovide RF cameras, links andinfrastructure for the entire series of 20races.

Broadcast Sports Inc.(BSI)’s new UK office, which supplies wireless video and audio systems outside the USA,provided unbroken RF coverage of the Grand Prix from Australia and Malaysia on Sky Sport’s F1HD. This was inspite of torrential down pours in both countries. In Malaysia, rain was so heavy that the race was stopped for aperiod, due to poor visibility and water on the track..

BSI’s roving RF cameras winthrough torrential rain

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38

And to help performances looktheir best, the new building hasbeen fitted out with over 200ETC Source Four luminaires,including 72 Source Four

Fresnels. Supplied by Johannesburg-based ETC dealer Prosound, the SourceFour luminaires provide the workhorses inthe main auditorium and almost entirelyaccount for the overhead rigs in the twostudio spaces.

“ETC Source Four Fresnels were alate entry into the competition,” saysDenis Hutchinson, theatre consultant onthe project. “ETC flew a unit out to SouthAfrica for me to test and I was verypleasantly surprised. To the eye at leastthe output is comparable to a 1200WFresnel and of course you are onlyrunning 750W, so from the greenperspective it’s a better unit. They are very

nicely and solidly built and the way inwhich the lamp is housed is very solid. Ithink they will work very well for thisvenue; and of course virtually all theluminaires in the studio spaces will usethe same lamp. This means the theatredoesn’t have to carry stock of lots ofdifferent lamps, which is also very usefulin terms of ongoing running costs.”Prosound managing director Ian Blairadds: “With the installation of ETC’sSource Four lighting range, the SowetoTheatre will stand out as a theatre ofinternational quality, rivalling not justJohannesburg and Cape town, but alsoLondon and New York. Over and abovethe Source Fours themselves, we also

supplied the theatre with a large amountof accessories, including barn doors, tophats, irises, gobo holders, boom armsand lens tubes. “The choice to install theSource Four lighting range will give thetheatre’s patrons an enhanced visualexperience that will match any productionin the world today. We’ve already hadsome fantastic feedback from bothvisitors and staff, and are honoured toable to help regenerate the area.”

The new theatre in the heart of theworld’s most well known townshipdeliberately resembles a giant child's toy,with walls clad in bright blue, yellow andred tiles – contrasting with the communityhalls where plays in Soweto were onceperformed. Theatregoing fell during the

1970s and 1980s, when crime was rifeand people were afraid to leave theirhomes at night; now, with homeentertainment, criminals are being keptbusy at home with their TVs and computerconsoles. Crime has reduced and thestreets are once again safe for locals.

The new Soweto Theatre is made upof two variable configuration studiotheatres of 180 and 90 seats, along with amain proscenium auditorium with 420seats. The schedule is alreadyoversubscribed, with its first monthsdedicated to youth, comedy andWomen’s Day events. The venue is alsothe host for the TV talent show Idols. Inthe long run, it is set to move from areceiving house to a production house.

In the dark days of apartheid South Africa, theatre was one of the most important means of exposing racist rule.And now, with the opening of the stunning Soweto Theatre in Johannesburg, it has become important once again.

Soweto Theatre lights up with ETC

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Between 2009 and earlier this year,another technical upgrade projectequipped the 1,200-capacity

Théâtre du Liban with Meyer Sound MICAline array loudspeakers and furnished thecabaret-style 600-seat Salle desAmbassadeurs with new M’elodie linearray loudspeakers. “After hundreds ofsuccessful shows, I had no thoughts ofreplacing the old systems with anythingother than Meyer,” says Tony Khoury, whohas been head audio engineer at Casinodu Liban since 1996. “I wanted newertechnology but with the same naturalsound quality and amazing reliability. In 16years, I had zero loudspeaker failures.That made me a Meyer Sound believer.”

Both systems were designed byKhoury, in consultation with Meyer SoundDesign Services, using the MAPP OnlinePro acoustical prediction program. For thetwo-level Théâtre du Liban, Khoury plotted

a configuration with seven-per-side MICAline arrays each flown under a 600-HPsubwoofer, with additional deep bass fromdual ground-stacked 700-HP subwoofers.Four M1D line array loudspeakers and fiveUPM-1P loudspeakers supply front fill andbalcony delay respectively, with everything

tied together by a Galileo loudspeakermanagement system with one Galileo 616processor.

In Salle des Ambassadeurs, thenewer of the two rigs deploys seven-per-side M’elodie line array loudspeakersalong with twin UPQ-2 loudspeakers as acenter cluster, four UPJunior VariOloudspeakers for left and right side fill, 10M1D loudspeakers for under-balcony fill,two 700-HP subwoofers, and a Galileoloudspeaker management system with aGalileo 616 processor. “The new linearrays have given me much moreheadroom, and even better uniformity oflevels and imaging throughout the rooms,”states Khoury. “Since we completed theinstallation at Salle des Ambassadeurs,we’ve had seven concerts and all thebands were surprised by the punch of thesystem and the clarity of instrumentalsounds.”

When Lebanon’s Casino du Liban celebrated its grand re-reopening back in 1996, the opulent gaming resortentertained visiting jet-setters in two completely remodeled venues—both featuring Meyer Sound technology.

Meyer Sound renewed at Lebanon’s Casino du Liban

The Volicon system, delivered,installed and supported by systemsintegrator Concilium Technologies,

gives SuperSport a reliable, rapid, andstraightforward means of performing on-going compliance monitoring andreporting, as well as ad verification, for all64 channels. "Our mission is to be thebest and most successful provider ofpremium pay-TV sports coverage acrossthe continent of Africa, and Volicon'sObserver system is proving to be anexceptionally valuable and reliable tool formonitoring and maintaining the integrity ofour extensive broadcast offering," saidEddie McAlone, technical director ofSuperSport Media Solutions. "Staff fromengineering to sales can provide proof ofwhat was broadcast, and do so quicklyand with ease." The Volicon Observersystem captures, stores, and streams

broadcast content and gives SuperSportstaff instant access to live and recordedcontent from an easy-to-use, Web-basedGUI. Users throughout SuperSport canmonitor the content going out to air or dialback as many as 90 days to find andprovide proof that content aired properly.The ability to play, pause, and searchrecorded content on either a desktop ormobile device aids each department andits staff in maintaining and demonstratingthe quality and compliance of its programsand commercials. The quality ofexperience module for Observer supports

agile monitoring and troubleshooting atSuperSport by providing real-time alarmsfor faulty video, audio, and closedcaptioning. Volicon's patented VirtualMedia Network (VMN) technology providesa unique architecture that allows foroptimized video logging and monitoring,seamless and efficient streamingthroughout the organization, and efficientexpansion and scalability. "SuperSportputs a massive volume and variety ofcontent on the air, and the Observerdramatically simplifies monitoring of allthis content for regulatory and contractualcompliance," said Russell Wise, vicepresident of global sales at Volicon. "Withthe means to provide unequivocal proof ofcompliance very quickly, SuperSport canturn more of its time and resources towardcreating and delivering quality sportscoverage."

SuperSport, one of the world's leading sports broadcasters, is using Volicon’s Observer digital video logging andmonitoring system to record 64 channels (currently eight HD and 56 SD), all locally packaged.

Africa's SuperSport employs Volicon for compliance monitoring

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Despite anti-corruption andbribery legislation being inplace, the problem seemsto be growing in Africa.According to a recent

survey by the anti-corruptionorganisation, TransparencyInternational, in four out of six countriespeople paid bribes to speed up servicedelivery, while in South Africa morebribes were paid to avoid problemswith the authorities.

Whilst the figures are alarminglyworrying, it is no complete surprise thatin South Africa, there has been a flurryof high profile prosecutions of publicfigures who have had the whistle blownon their own criminal activities. Theconvictions of presidential advisorSchabir Shaik and police chief JackieSelebi are a vivid example thatdemonstrate the willingness ofauthorities to fight corruption andunethical business practices.

However, companies should beaware that under new legislation thespotlight is now on business activitiesin the boardroom. Bribery andcorruption in both the public andprivate sectors is a given and has beenaround for hundreds of years, butthose companies who are turning ablind eye will ultimately pay a highprice. While some argue that briberyand corruption is embedded in thebusiness culture of Africa, the tide isfast turning where ethics and legislationcombine to combat such criminalactivity with unlimited fines and prisonsentences for those who do notcomply. At the crux of this tide forchange is the international crackdownon bribery, not only in a particularcountry, but also for any organisationdoing business with that country.

Foreign corrupt practicesThe United States were fast of the

mark to deal with corruption andbribery when they introduced theForeign Corrupt Practices Act in 1977which enforced accountingtransparency requirements, and thebribery of foreign officials for business.This piece of legislation has forcedmany US companies to conduct anassessment of any new foreignbusiness partner, to ensure there areno traces of corruption historically.

Africa’s fight against corruption and bribery hits the boardroomThe fight against corruption and bribery is a global phenomenon which has gained momentum in recent yearsworldwide. However, the problem is that if anything, it’s getting worse, and especially so in Africa. The fight is morethan a moral obligation; it’s a reality that is now criminally enforceable with severe penalties for those who flout thelaw.

Schabir Shaik is a South Africanbusinessman and former adviser toPresident Jacob Zuma. In 2005 he wasfound guilty of corruption and fraud, andsentenced to 15 years' imprisonment oneach of the two counts of corruption, aswell as three years on the count of fraud,to run concurrently. He was released onmedical parole after serving two yearsand four months of his 15-year prisonterm, in 2009.

• Continually monitor and review procedures designed to prevent corruption and bribery amongst employees, clients and suppliers

• Devise and practice good corporate governance and ensure the Board Directors buy into compliance and procedures of the new legislation

• Review supplier relationships to ensure all comply with the law

• Instigate and make public through mass communication and clear transparency, the anti-bribery and corruption policies for both internal and external stakeholders

• Develop and put into practice internal controls, ethics and compliance programmes

• Ensure due diligence in all business practice and procedures are followed and well documented

Tim Marshall’s Top Tips for Fighting Corruption

and Bribery:

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What’s more, it means that anybusinesses in Southern Africa lookingto do business in the states must havea clean sheet for bribery and corruptionin business practice.

Likewise, the United Kingdomintroduced new legislation which cameinto force last year (Bribery Act 2010)which goes a step further in tackinginternational bribery and corruption.The key elements of the act make itcriminally enforceable for offenceswhich include offering or paying abribe; requesting or receiving a bribe;bribing a foreign public official andimportantly, companies can now beprosecuted for failing to prevent briberyfrom being undertaken on behalf of anorganisation.

Anti-bribery provisionsThe South African Companies Act

(Section 43) also makes provision foranti-bribery provisions with the onusnow on a company to comply, andrequires a company’s social and ethicscommittee to monitor their anti-corruption processes and procedures.

“It goes without saying thatcorporate governance, ethics andbetter business practice is the future,not only internationally but within South

Africa as well, as South Africanbusinesses will be forced to ensurethey have their own controls, policiesand procedures in place by theirforeign business partners,” said TimMarshall, CEO, Trifecta CapitalServices.

“It is now up to all businesses toensure they have taken preventativemeasures to wipe out bribery andcorruption within their organisation orface unlimited fines and imprisonmentas a result. The companies taking apro-active and visible stance againstcorruption and bribery are likely to bethe ones who win in the foreseeablefuture.”

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Jackie Selebi is the former nationalcommissioner of the South African PoliceService and a former president ofInterpol. In January 2008, Selebi was puton extended leave as national policecommissioner, and resigned as presidentof Interpol, after he was charged withcorruption. In 2010 he was convictedand sentenced to 15 yearsimprisonment.

Barco LED displaysSpectacular LED displays for rental and fixed installations

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both live events and fixed installations.

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corporate foyers, fashion shows or car shows,

Barco has the right LED solution to answer your

specific needs.

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NEC Display Solutionshas unveiled the MultiSyncX401S, a 40-inch LCD publicdisplay that combines

efficiency - thanks to itsEdge LED backlight - withelegance due to the super-slim and light design. Beingthe best in classprofessional public displayproduct with Edge LEDtechnology, the MultiSyncX401S is an ideal solutionfor retail signage as well asmission-critical signageapplications for airports/transportation, control roomapplications and even for SRinstallations and solutions intotems and furniture. TheX401S rounds out NEC'shugely popular XS Series,and will join the 46- and 55-inch models in the sameseries.

Super slim public display with Edge LED backlight

Smallest, lightest and brightest20k lumens projector in the

marketDigital Projection has announced the launch of its latest

addition to their Titan projector range – the Titan Super Quad.Delivering a stunning 20,000 Lumens output the Titan SuperQuad offers the best performance on the market today in everysignificant area. It is at least 40% smaller than any othercomparable projector. Using state of the art design,construction and thermal controls allows Digital Projection toproduce this class-leading product. No projector of this sizeproduces close to the 20K Lumens output of the Titan SuperQuad. Couple this with four long life lamps offering up to 8000hours life means cost of ownership is further reduced and it isfriendly to the environment. The Super Quad is also the quietestprojector in its class on the market. The liquid cooling andDynamic Thermal Control, including the 18 fans, are allindividually regulated. This enables the ability to mount in anyposition, in any environment, as the projector will automaticallyadjust itself. This is a constant process, which brings manyadvantages, amongst others, to be run at 100% output 24/7.

Kathea has announced the availability of the latest versionof Polycom RealPresence Mobile 1.3. This update expandsavailability to the HTC One S, HTC One X, and HTC Jetstreamtablet, along with the new Apple iPad. RealPresence Mobile 1.3also includes an innovative camera control feature to remotelycontrol the camera on the other end of a video meeting allowingusers to zoom in, pan, or tilt the camera to get a better look atthe subject or the environment. When combined with PolycomRealPresence Platform, customers can scale to support 10,000devices. Says Steven Robertson, UC Product Manager atKathea: “This feature is especially important in many verticalmarket applications such as healthcare, for more in-depthpatient consultations; educational settings, for panning theclassroom or zooming in on a speaker or presentation; andmanufacturing plants, to closely examine the products on thefactory floor.

displayLED showcases dramaticnew generation digiFLEX tile International screen specialist displayLED has launched a

new generation of the flexible LED tile, digiFLEX. The newdigiFLEX is a more robust version of displayLED’s previousaward winning flexible screen, upgraded to be productionfriendly in concert touring environments while simultaneouslyproviding camera friendly imagery in television studios. Theproduct also opens up creative and dramatic opportunities forarchitectural applications and for creating stunning displays forthe conference and exhibition market.“The new digiFLEX is arugged, rental-friendly product with robust connections andhandling for touring use,” says Tom Mudd, displayLED’stechnical manager. “With a magnetic installation system,digiFLEX is extremely easy to use, allowing any metal surfaceto be covered with this LED video skin. If you can make theshape in steel we can cover it in digiFLEX.”

Kathea announces PolycomRealPresence Mobile 1.3

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43

Sharp launches the ILED70 in South Africa

Sharp has officially launched the ILED70 in South Africa -the latest interactive LED display solution that makes copyingdiscussion notes a thing of the past using Sharp’s new infraredtouchscreen technology. From training and brainstorming tobusiness presentation, interactive working is a proven methodfor obtaining the best possible results in the minimum amountof time. The new ILED70 Touch Monitor makes it simple toexchange knowledge between several people. With a diagonalscreen size of 176.6 cm and full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080pixels, the display precisely renders every detail. Using itsinnovative detection software, any changes and comments canbe immediately integrated in existing drafts on the monitor andthen optionally saved or printed out. “The Interactive LED ismuch more than a white board, it is a 70” “tablet” in yourboardroom.

Barco has introduced the new OverView M series ofLED-lit rear-projection video walls. This new series joins theexisting OverView O series, allowing them to offer everycustomer the video wall solution that best suits his or herneeds. The first range of OverView M video wall cubes to hitthe market are the 4:3 aspect ratio versions, available withscreen diagonals of 60”, 67” and 80”. Widescreen models willbecome available as well. With the OverView M series, Barcoanswers the market’s call for industry-standard video wallswith good color reliability, image quality, and brightness. Thismakes this new series the standard video walls fordemanding small- to medium-sized control rooms. The seriesbenefits from the many advantages of LED lighting, includinglong lifetime, low power consumption, and great uptime.

Barco’s unique liquid cooling system also greatlyreduces the temperature of the LEDs, resulting in asignificantly longer LED lifetime. Furthermore, the Sense5automatic white point and full color calibration systemensures uniformity of color and brightness levels. This systemworks with an advanced color sensor that continuouslymeasures the primary color levels of the entire wall, andadjusts as necessary.

Barco expands family of LED video walls

Extron Electronics is pleased to announce theimmediate availability of the SW2 DP two input DisplayPortswitcher, and the DP DA2 two output DisplayPort distributionamplifier. They are HDCP compliant, and support data ratesup to 10.8 Gbps and computer resolutions up to 2560x1600@ 60 Hz, including HDTV 1080p/60. The SW2 DP and DPDA2 feature EDID Minder, an Extron-exclusive technology,which maintains continuous EDID communication betweenconnected devices for reliable video content display. The DPDA2 also features Key Minder, an Extron-exclusive technologythat continuously authenticates HDCP encryption between alldevices, ensuring the simultaneous distribution of sourcecontent to both displays. Additionally, dual-mode support onthe DP DA2 allows source signals to be distributed to multipleHDMI, DVI, or VGA display devices with appropriate adapters."The SW2 DP and DP DA2 are among the first DisplayPortswitcher and distribution amplifier products for the pro AVindustry," says Casey Hall, Vice President of Sales andMarketing for Extron. "These products enable AV systemdesigners to take advantage of DisplayPort technology,delivering exceptional performance in a wide range of AVenvironments."

Extron now shipping DisplayPort switcher

New Crestron touch-panel creates elegant statement

Crestron has announced details of its new 7” surface mounttouch-screen, the TSW-750. The designer, edge-to-edge glasstouch-panel, provides a space-saving screen with a clean andcontemporary appearance and includes Core 3 UI graphics andhigh-performance video for the ultimate user experience.“Crestron’s new TSW-750 combines technically advancedfunctionality with a clever and elegant design,” says Robin vanMeeuwen, Managing Director at Crestron UK. “A single Cat5 servesup power, control, H.264 video and Rava SIP intercom. It provides ahigh screen resolution and clear display, within a thin profile screen,making it perfect for the contemporary home or modern officebuilding.” Featuring a brilliant 7 inch capacitive touch screendisplay and five soft-touch buttons, it delivers the ultimateexperience in unobtrusive, space-saving design.

AV 123.qxd 9/2/12 1:37 AM Page 43

US sales of the newly launched digiLED MC range ofindoor / outdoor modular LED tiles have provided the basis forstrong international growth. The range, including mesh andsolid versions, was developed following extensive consultationwith audio-visual professionals in the USA, and receivedphenomenal feedback at InfoComm this June. The product hassold over 6,000 tiles in its first four months of availability, andhas already been deployed on high profile global productionsincluding Bruce Springsteen’s current world tour, the BlackEntertainment Television (BET) Awards in Washington DC andThe Donny and Marie Osmond Show. Using high precisioncomponents, the screens are manufactured in China to US andEuropean standards and certified by the German standardsorganisation; the TUV lab. The MC range features mechanicallyidentical tiles with a range of pixel pitches that can be mixed tocreate screens with higher and lower definition areas. Thisopens possibilities for creative screen builds with differing sizesof pixel pitch in the same structure.

displayLED’s new MC range impress at InfoComm

44

The digital signage universe continues to mature inthe public eye and at this year’s InfoComm show,Tightrope Media showed off recent developments to itsCarousel digital signage system that deliver a richerexperience for viewers, and new creative and reportingcapabilities for end users. The advances integratesmoothly into the existing Carousel system, retaining itsinstallation- and user-friendly characteristics for systemsintegrators. The web-centric Carousel solution is renownedfor location-based data, delivering weather and otherrelevant information to local viewers. At InfoComm 2012,Tightrope extends local weather options, supporting multi-day forecast creation (up to seven days) and text-basedcrawls from WeatherBug. Carousel operators can buildforecasts with temperature information and graphics tovisualize the sun, clouds, rain and other climateconditions.

Tightrope amplifies the CarouselDigital Signage experience

WolfVision’s VZ-8 SeriesVisualizers have become aworldwide standard in a largenumber of universities andenterprises in recent years,

and the new fourth generationof this popular VisualizerSeries was on show at thisyear’s InfoComm 2012 in LasVegas. The new units build onthe outstanding success ofthe existing VZ-8 Seriesmodels and now come withan elegant redesignedhousing, and feature a superbnative 1080p HD camera.

The new VZ-8lightVisualizer provides all thebasic features that every userrequires. Besides the native1080p HD resolution at 30 fps(frames per second), newfeatures include a basic LANport and HDMI in- and4output.

Hitachi introduce CP-AW2519NUltra Short Throw interactive

projectorAt InfoComm Hitachi introduced the CP-AW2519N

Interactive Projector, featuring their proprietary StarBoardSoftware, which works on Mac and PC platforms. The CP-AW2519N Interactive Projector has all the functionality of aninteractive whiteboard built into it, eliminating the need foradditional hardware. The new CP-AW2519N offers easy setupeven in rooms where space is limited, with an ultra-short-throwlens that enables it to be mounted close to a wall or projectionsurface. This prevents obstructed images and shadows, withno light shining in the presenter’s eyes. The CP-AW2519N alsocomes with a stand to project the image onto a table-topsurface.For better performance, the CP-AW2519Ncommunicates via IR and Ultrasonic technologies. Thisincreases reliability and eliminates lag time from pen toprojection for a more natural writing experience.

Next Generation imaging from WolfVision

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Christie used the recent InfoComm show in the USA tolaunch six new 3LCD projectors across two platformsDesigned for small-to-medium sized venues in highereducation, houses of worship, corporate environments andgovernment agencies, the newest models are packed withhigh-end features, yet affordable for various venueapplications. They feature both Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture, allowing end users to display two input signals orvideo teleconferencing for collaboration. With the lens memoryrecall, users can to lock-in and quickly recall up to three lenspositions for use with multiple protection locations. “Ourcustomers now have the full range of offerings across our3LCD spectrum,” said Phil Lord, regional sales manager forChristie’s Africa office. “And the ability to have wirelesscapabilities is something our customers have asked for andChristie has met market needs with this platform.”

Christie introduce six new 3LCD projectors

Launched at ISE this year, the 7000 Series LCDprojectors are designed for applications such as largemeeting rooms and lecture theatres, as well as otherprofessional uses such as rental and digital signage.Available in three resolutions, the XL7100U / XL7000U (1024 x768 pixel XGA), WL7200U / WL7050U (1280 x 800 pixelWXGA) and UL7400U (1920x1200 pixel WUXGA), the 7000Series projectors offer high-performance and low cost ofownership, together with a number of eco-friendly features.Based around a long-life, inorganic liquid crystal panel, the7000 Series offers an impressive light output of up to 6000Lumens at 2000:1 contrast ratio. Lamp life of up to 4,000hours and less than 0.3W power consumption in standbymode makes the 7000 Series economical to own and run.

Mitsubishi has combined a number of performance-enhancing innovations to deliver a very high quality image.

Mitsubishi now shipping full 7000 Series

LG Electronics has launched its extensive LED displayproducts. These new LED displays offer noticeably reduced totalcost of ownership (TCO) through innovative software andimpressive energy savings of approximately 30% relative toconventional LED displays. “LG’s display products are ideal forenterprise customers looking for versatile display solutions for usein numerous types of locations and conditions, whether indoors oroutdoors,” says D.Y. Kim, President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE.“Also, we have brought down the total cost of ownership throughthe application of new software and energy saving technologies.”

The foremost benefit of LG’s LED products is the reducedTCO through a combination of unmatched energy savings and arange of new features. Through LG’s Smart Energy Savingtechnology, LG’s LED displays consume approximately 30% lesselectricity than other LED displays.

LG to dominate commercialdisplay market

Vaddio supports new Canon,Panasonic and Sony cameras

During InfoComm Vaddio announced its support of newCanon, Panasonic and Sony PTZ cameras, including theCanon XU-80, Canon XU-80W, Panasonic AW-HE120,Panasonic HE50H, Sony BRC-H900, Sony EVI-D90 and theSony EVI-D80. All cameras are configured with Vaddio’scabling systems to deliver high quality video, power and controlover standard Cat. 5 cabling. “Vaddio remains committed tosupporting the best available camera technologies bydeveloping our ease of installation Cat. 5 systems and CCUpackages built around the top cameras in the industry,”explains Tom Mingo, VP of Sales at Vaddio. “In addition to thesupport for installation of these cameras, Vaddio supportsthese new models by integrating their control protocols into ourcomplete line of automated and operator controlled systems.”

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Nelson Baumgratz named InfoComm Educator of the Year

InfoComm has presented its“Educator of the Year” Awardto Nelson Baumgratz, CTS-D.The award was presentedduring InfoComm 2012, thelargest professionalaudiovisual and informationcommunications trade showworldwide, held at the LasVegas Convention Center inLas Vegas, Nevada. Nelson has been an AVprofessional for more than 30years, specializing in diverseareas from transmitter designand manufacturing, to ITconsulting and systemsdesign. He currently runs and

co-owns EAV – EngenhariaAudiovisual, an AVengineering design companylocated in Brazil. He has beena member of InfoCommUniversity faculty since 2008,teaching dozens of classesthroughout Latin America. Healso consults to SACIA andhas delivered regular coursesfor us in South Africa. Heserves as a faculty advisor atFAPCOM, a technology andcommunication school in SãoPaulo, Brazil, and is helping todevelop a two-year technicaldegree based on InfoCommcurricula.

SACIA launch regional chapter for KwaZulu Natal

During July SACIAhosted regional networkingevents for members based inKwaZulu Natal and theWestern Cape. Attendance atboth events was very positiveand in Natal, local membershave formed a provincialchapter to promote theadoption of professionalstandards on a local basis.The local chapter is chairedby Gerrie Coetzee from

Electrosonic and is looking toengage with the localbusiness community in orderto raise SACIA’s profile in theprovince. “We have a thrivingAV industry in KwaZulu Nataland it’s critical that we playan active role in promotingstandards,” says Gerrie. “Wealso need to build stronglines of communication withour industry colleaguesaround the country.”

SACIA expand influence to broadercommunications industry

At the SACIA Board retreatheld in June, Bruce Genrickswas elected chairman of theAssociation until 2014. Hetakes over from Gary AtkinsCTS-D who has served aschairman since theAssociation was establishedin 2010. "I have thoroughlyenjoyed my two years aschairman of the Associationand am pleased at theprogress we've made inpromoting the adoption ofprofessional standards in thebroadcast and professionalAV industry," says Gary. "I willcontinue to support Bruce andthe new Board as theycontinue in their quest for

truth, honesty and the pursuitof excellence in all aspects ofthe audio visual profession." Bruce is the managingmember of Electrosonic SAand has served on the SACIABoard since it wasestablished. "I feel reallyhonoured to have beenelected by the board, and willstrive to continue the excellentwork that Gary has done overthe past two years. Havingdone the ground work inestablishing SACIA, we nowneed to carry the momentuminto the next phase. I amconfident that together withKevan and the rest of theboard, and with theassistance of the members ofSACIA, we can create evenmore value for our members,"says Bruce. Other Boardmembers are WynandLangenhoven, Thys Venter,Sobi Mokholo, Elaine Shellardand Kevan Jones.

Ethics workshop scheduled for 5 October

At SACIA’s annual Boardretreat held in June it wasdecided that we shouldreinforce our commitment topromoting ethical businesspractices in thecommunications industry.We’re currently working withmembers to develop a codeof ethical business practiceand have asked the SouthAfrican Ethics Institute toassist in developing a formalprogramme that isspecifically relevant to our

industry. On 5 October we’rehosting a networkingbreakfast in Johannesburgthat will focus on ethicswithin our industry and we’reasking members to comeprepared with examples ofethical conflict they’veexperienced within theirbusiness activities. Anymembers who would preferto communicate thisinformation confidentially areinvited to liase directly withKris Dobie at the EthicsInstitute [email protected].“EthicsSA is committed tostimulating and advancingawareness of ethics in SouthAfrica and also in othercountries on the Africancontinent where we areactive,” explains Kris.

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Broadcast Workflows course takes offOver the last few months LeithMurgai has been a regularvisitor to South Africa. He’spresenting the IABM’s new 2-day “Broadcast TechnologyWorkflows” course that’sproved to be such a hit withthe local broadcast industry.Over the last three monthswe’ve had almost 60 peoplethrough the programme andit’s set to run again inJohannesburg on 2-3 October.Delegates have come fromthe broadcast and supply-sideof the industry and wecontinue to get positivefeedback. From a vendorperspective currentlyrepresenting IP Video

streaming solutions, I had aunique perspective from whichto attend the course,” saidDavid Sales, product managerat Kathea. “I found the courseto be a very enlightening andan eye opening window intothe world of broadcasting. TheCourse provided me with agood overview of the industrywith its associated bestpractises and future trends. Iwould especially like tocompliment the presenterLeith Gill Murgai for the way inwhich he delivered the contentfrom his wealth of experienceand expertise in the broadcastindustry. Well worth theinvestment.”

On our way to IBC

During September SACIA willbe joining the InternationalAssociation of BroadcastManufacturers at the annualIBC show in Amsterdam. “Overthe last year we’ve developed aclose working relationship andhosted many IABM courses inSouth Africa,” says SACIA’sexecutive director Kevan Jones.“During IBC the Association willbe launching four new training

courses aimed at thebroadcast sector and we’replanning to present these tothe market in South Africaduring early 2013.” The IABM is one of 8 foundersof the IBC convention – they’vepositioned themselves as theauthoritative voice of thebroadcast industry and seek tosupport member companiesvia a range of benefits,discounts, events, advisoryservices and training.The IABM also operates aseries of awards programmesto recognise technologicalinnovation and provide financialsupport for young broadcastengineers which are designedto stimulate the development ofour industry on an internationalbasis.

Training for staging and live eventsMembers of SACIA involved inproviding products andservices to the staging andlive events industry haveformed a task group toexplore opportunities todeliver training to this nichesector. We’ve had some initialdiscussions with a number oflocal and internationalstakeholders, and will bemeeting with PLASArepresentatives to talk aboutthe UK’s National RiggingCertificate and its relevance inthe South African market. A

number of riggers fromGearhouse South Africa haverecently undergone their finalassessment as NRC riggingsupervisors – level 3.Managing Director, Ofer Lapidexplains that “the UK hasalways been a mentorship forthe live events industry. It’simportant to keep ourstandards current alongsideEurope and this is one way toachieve this,” he says. Anyoneinterested in joining this taskgroup is welcome to [email protected]

Getting the most from your AV install team

SACIA has commissionedMark Hull from SMYP todevelop a structured trainingprogramme for AV installers inSouth Africa. The course willbe based on internationalstandards and industry best-practice, and will be backedup by a SACIA-recognisedcertification programme.“We are currently working withthe MICT SETA to develop asector skills plan for our

industry,” says SACIAexecutive director KevanJones. “Leading serviceproviders are contributingtheir energy to moving thisprocess forward and weenvisage running our firstcourse during Q1 2013.”In a recent survey amongstSACIA members, the skillsshortage in the AV installsector was identified as themajor drawback to growth inour market. “The Dept ofManpower has definedtraining and skillsdevelopment as a keyobjective and we’re planningto work closely withgovernment agencies toensure we deliver training thatis relevant, timeous andaffordable,” says Kevan.

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Opened during June, the newoffice underpins thecompany’s long commitmentto the territory. It will providefacilities for demonstrations,

customer and Partner training, as well asinventory management.

The move has been in the planningfor almost a year, and Dale Miller, ChristieEMEA Vice President, said: “Over the last3 years we have been working to developthe right relationships to grow ourbusiness. As an organisation we investheavily in training and believe this lies atthe heart of quality service and support.So we look to the same commitmentsfrom our Partners.” He adds, “Just over ayear ago Stage Audio Works put theirservice team through our advanced levelservice training to become Christie’s firstCertified Partner in South Africa. Inaddition to their investment in a significantspares and product inventory, Stage AudioWorks went and took the Christie trainingthey had received to their own customersboth in South Africa and in Africa. That’swhen we knew we were ready to makeadditional investments. And we arelooking forward to developing furtherprogrammes with Stage Audio Works andother like-minded Partners.”

Heading the operation as TerritoryManager, Africa, will be Phil Lord, a 12-year veteran of Christie, who has spenthalf that time in South Africa. “Christie iscommitted and dedicated to supportingthe African market,” he says. “And with thehelp of our Partners we have beengrowing the business for some time. Weall felt there were additional commercialopportunities that could be realised byfurther Christie investment and now is the

time to add extra resources.” The newoperation will be based in Fourways,Gauteng. Alongside office and servicefacilities, it will provide larger space forproduct demonstrations, training andstorage of critical spares inventory for ourPartners to draw on. As with other Christiebranch offices, Christie Africa will offer anopen door policy to Partners andcustomers who can use the facilities fortheir own customer meetings.

Central hub for businessPhil Lord confirms that logistically,

Johannesburg represents the obviousbase. “It is the ‘central hub’ for business inSouth Africa and the best location forsupporting the Africa territories.”

Christie believes that the Africanmarket has massive growth potential overthe next ten years, and investing in localresources and training now will ensure thatChristie will be well placed to enjoy thebenefits of that expansion over a longerterm, and establish Christie as a majorplayer within the African continent.”

The advantages of creating adedicated Christie office are self-evident.“We will be able to offer local technicaland customer support as well as quickresponse times to our trusted Partners andend users — with more efficient service”continues Lord, who will be supported byexperienced office manager AnnaliseHodgson, as well as a local technical

engineering resource, in addition toChristie’s extensive, global serviceresources. Christie, through its existingPartner network, including Stage AudioWorks, will sell, service and support theAfrican continent (as far as Egypt)including the Indian Ocean and Israel, theonly exceptions being the French-speaking North African countries, whichwill be managed by the Christie office inFrance. “Trusted Partners like Stage AudioWorks has been putting a tremendousamount of time and effort to educate themarket in the last couple of years, and theopening of the Christie new office in SouthAfrica will only reinforce the flourishingbusiness relationship with this loyal,cornerstone Partner in the region.” Lordconcludes.

Commenting on the new office,Gustav Barnard, Stage Audio WorksTechnical and Education Manager said:“Our position as a distributor ofprofessional AV equipment is key withinSouth Africa and the African continent. Wehave contributed to develop the Christiebrand in the region to a diverse range ofcustomers by providing them the technicalsupport they need, holding product stockand offering real value-added solutionsincluding financing and Stage Plus flight-cases for a gig-ready package. We arelooking forward to having Christie onboard locally to support us and strengthenour position further.

Christie has announced the opening of a new office in South Africa — its first in the Southern hemisphere.

Christie sets up new African office in Johannesburg

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AV Specialist Vol. 123