IT Managers, Content Creators Streamline Digital Media Workflows

&production post-production

16 www.mediacastermagazine.com September 2014 September 2014 www.mediacastermagazine.com 17

Digital media content, driven by new high resolution formats, ren-dered special effects files and the need for content delivery to multiple devices, is challenging the capacity and performance level

of many data and media processing systems. Due to the growing popularity and data demands

of 4K video (and even 8K now), storage consider-ations are becoming more important because of increasing demands to manage, centralize and share digital media assets.

So emerging technologies like private clouds are being used to provide expanded storage resources across shared production workflows. For instance, highly available storage platforms (SAN and NAS devices) are being deployed in production studios to create a fault-tolerant shared storage pool from which all collaborators can access digital media files, download

them to their local workstation for editing, and then upload them back to the shared storage device for further collaboration.

IT managers will appreciate how storage arrays, when part of a con-solidated network solution, can boost system performance, and offer more visibility and control of important digital media assets.

The Alberta branch of Mediaco, a technical media company specializing in live events, is just one company seeing major growth in the amount of data it needed to handle, and the company’s IT manager, Ron Dyck, realized it was time to adopt a longer term strategy.

As with many of the company’s peers, data was stored on external drives, kept in a cabinet and moved from workstation to workstation. Dyck’s first concern was the risk of data loss. Hard drives are particularly

Increasing demands for higher resolution production quality and content delivery to multiple devices mean producers must have even more storage capacity and media flexibility.

IT Managers, Content Creators Streamline Digital Media Workflows

By Paul Chan

“The problem with discrete drives is that each one is a single point of failure,” Dyck described, “and there is no efficient way to

back up all of your data.”

MDC_Sept14_CCSA issue de.indd 16 14-09-16 2:32 PM

http://www.mediacastermagazine.com



vulnerable because they can be easily dropped, lost, stolen, or damaged by static electricity, and the inconvenience of backing up collection of separate devices causes back-ups to fall between the cracks. “The problem with discrete drives is that each one is a single point of failure,” Dyck described, “and there is no efficient way to back up all of your data.”

Dyck was also concerned that there was no way to assign access rights to individual files. Once somebody had a key to the cabinet where the drives were stored, they could potentially access any data in the company.

After considering several possibilities, including connecting the existing drives through a drive bay, and networking storage to individual workstations, Dyck saw the sensible answer was to migrate to a centralized storage solution that could accommodate all of the company’s data storage problems.

The company then decided on two Storageflex 3945N-24 NAS central storage arrays – one for the Calgary office and the other for Edmonton. Essentially, this made all media assets available on the network and allowed Mediaco to move all of their data to an integrated storage system that could be accessed and controlled through a single interface.

The first storage system was 48TB; the second one purchased is 30TB, and both have room for expansion. Each drive in the unit is a 3 TB 7,200 RPM SATA-600; they’re set up in a RAID6 hardware configuration.

The arrays immediately transformed the way Mediaco Alberta handled its media assets, and key improvements were realized, like removing the single point of fail-ure for discrete drives are replacing it with the array’s RAID fault protection system. Files are nevertheless easy to find using the familiar Windows file tree, and permis-sions can be assigned by the administrator using the Windows Storage Server.

The admin can also set up automated backups for all data on the centralized system.

Mediaco’s editors and producers also noticed the improvements immediately. With as many as five people able to work on a “deadline due” project simultane-ously, the new centralized storage system “blows away” the performance that creative workers were used to with the older system, Dyck added.

As well, file transfers that took hours now take minutes. This means that an edi-tor can quickly copy a completed project into the archive section without having to keep an eye on the task for a large part of the day.

It is also much easier to cut and paste file segments – a practice that is becom-ing much more common for the business. For example, excerpts from a train-ing video might be included in a webinar, podcast, or web promotion. A CEO’s speech at a conference might be excerpted for presentation at a charity event. Or a Mediaco account manager might bring a customer employee up to speed by showing clips from the company’s previous annual meeting.

Mediaco’s creative workers are now saving hours each week that might have otherwise been spent waiting for files to copy over, going back and forth between separate physical drives, searching for files, or setting up backups on an individual basis.

For broadcast companies with growing data repositories, the centralized array is a powerful tool that enables media asset data to be stored in hierarchical fash-ion according to frequency of use. For example, ongoing projects can be stored in quickly-accessible hard drives, long term files unlikely to be accessed within a 30-day window, can be stored on inexpensive optical storage with slower access speeds, and items that fall in between can be stored on drives with medium access speeds. The array can also segment data according to its sensitivity.

By making data management seamless, storage systems let users take good care of all the valuable digital assets found in busy media production environments.

New storage arrays make can make all needed digital media assets available on a multi-user

network, and they can be accessed and controlled through a single interface.

Paul Chan is president of Storageflex Inc., a Markham, ON-based manufacturer of network data storage solutions.



Independent Cable Operators Annual Conference

CCSA CONNECT

mediacasterbroadband & content®

$8.00 September 2014

Also In This IssueBNN Birthday,

Access7Mobile, Haivision Lawncast

and more


http://issuu.com/action/page?page=11




[email protected] | T 1. 866. 355. 3566 www.dw.de

Healthy mind, healthy bodyDid you know that going for a walk is a good way to relieve stress? And that good nutrition is fun for kids, too? In Good Shape (� t&gesund), the weekly health magazine on DW, brings viewers all this and more. We cover the latest � tness trends, exciting innovations and e ective alternatives to traditional medicine.

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mailto:[email protected]

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contentsmediacasterbroadband & content

volume 1 number 1www.mediacastermagazine.com

Lee RickwoodEDITOR

[email protected]

James A. Cook SENIOR PUBLISHER

(416) [email protected]

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(416) 442-5600 ext 3596

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EDITORIAL DEADLINEFive weeks before publication datemediacaster is published quarterly, serving Canada’s cable and related industries, by Business Information Group.

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Copyright © 2014 by Media caster® Magazine. All rights reserved. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the per mission of the Publisher.

4 Software Tools Let Cablecos, Telcos Offer Better Customer Service

6 Seeking Digital Media File Format Interoperability

8 Digital Media Community Joins with Top Broadcast Conference

9 Digital Stocks Rising as Specialty Channel BNN Celebrates 15th Anniversary

10 Tanglewood Lawncasts Powered by Haivision Video Streaming Solution

11 CCSA Annual Conference Agenda

14 New HD Mobile at Access Communications

16 IT Managers, Content Creators Streamline Digital Media Workflows

By Paul Chan

18 Tools of the Trade

On the cover: Located in the heart of Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world famous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel stands as a landmark in the picturesque alpine town of Banff, Alberta.

11
















&distribution delivery

4 www.mediacastermagazine.com September 2014

TO DISCUSS AUTHENTICATION FOR DIGITAL DEVICES, PLEASE CONTACT LUC PERREAULT:

[email protected]

Reaching more than 20 MILLION Canadians every month

A s the number of cable, DSL, broadband and fibre con-

nected subscribers continues to grow worldwide, more

and more providers are working with new software tools

to manage network bandwidth capabilities, control residential

gateways and offer new products to subscribers.Consumers are warming to more and more over-the-top, online media

services like Netflix, and there’s an increasing demand for higher qualities

streaming services with the introduction of Ultra HD or 4K media production

and distribution options.

Telecom and cable providers can also monitor and manage a wide

range of subscriber devices and activities using such tools, from amount of

bandwidth used to average session time and more.

As a result, an almost endless array of customized reports can be gener-

ated so operators can maintain and enhance service offerings.

That’s the promise embedded in a new product release from Vancouver-

based broadband technology management solutions provider Incognito

Software, for example.

Stephane Bourque, president and CEO of Incognito Software, says

software suites such as those offered by Incognito offer an important

window into how operators look at their network’s operation, capabilities

and future requirements.

He describes how Incognito’s recent Auto Configuration Server 2.0

release supports a wide number of access networks, and uses TR-069 for

zero-touch provisioning and management of WiMAX networks, DOCSIS

gateways, VoIP equipment, Wi Fi access points, and IPTV deployments by

both cable and telecom providers.

The TR-069 remote control application protocol, for example, can quickly

enable a growing number of popular customer service offerings by cable and

telco providers, including set-top boxes for IPTV and OTT content delivery,

local and-or cloud storage, VoIP, parental controls and Wi-Fi management.

The reports generated by such tools help cable and telco companies

manage not only their own infrastructure, but the information lets them

interact with customers and better manage subscriber relations.

From a subscriber standpoint, Incognito’s Auto Configuration Server 2.0

also supports device backup and restore, so operators can automatically

Stephane Bourque, president and CEO of Incognito Software, the Vancouver, B.C.-based broadband software provisioning and

activation solutions provider.

SOFTWARE TOOLS LET CABLECOS, TELCOS OFFER

BETTER SUBSCRIBER SERVICE

replicate settings in a subscriber’s replacement device. With the ability

to add a user-friendly online portal, subscribers can now obtain detailed

information regarding both their account terms and their existing network

devices for an added level of visibility and control.

Reporting tools like ACS let operators can see usage stats showing

heavy users and usage trends, existing quotas or bandwidth caps, as well

as key congestion times or bottleneck nodes on the network. Operators



TO DISCUSS AUTHENTICATION FOR DIGITAL DEVICES, PLEASE CONTACT LUC PERREAULT:

[email protected]

Reaching more than 20 MILLION Canadians every month



&distribution delivery


Client: Aboriginal Peoples Television Network • Publication: Mediacaster MagazineCreation Date: 08/18/14• Modifi ed Date: 20/08/2014/1:50 PM

This November on APTN

Mohawk Girls

Cashing In Blackstone Arctic Air

Longmire

This fall APTN will air new seasons of award winning programs including Blackstone, Arctic Air, Cashing In and Longmire. Plus, don’t miss the highly anticipated Mohawk Girls world premiere.

www.aptn.ca Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Réseau de télévision des peuples autochtones

see when and how to throttle for heavy or peak use, and they can make

adjustments to ensure end user quality of experience as the operator gets

maximum efficiency from existing network infrastructure and investment.

What’s more, Bourque noted, solutions like Incognito’s can extrapolate

from existing data and make predictions about future requirements.

“We can help operators with anticipated an projected usage rates and

requirement trends,” he described, “and extrapolate out to 18 months

what a network should look like an dhow it should function, based on the

system’s analysis and calculation.”

The system captures and integrates data already available from cable

modem terminations systems (CMTS), and its generated reports can have

multiple uses, including for billing purposes, customer relations, account

management, network operations, engineering, C level analysis and more.

Incognito also recently upgraded its Bandwidth Activity Reporter, so

operators can extract and analyze data from multiple network, billing, and

customer relationship management sources to provide comprehensive

network intelligence, usage reports, and service metrics.

The solution acts as a raw IPDR stream collector, data refinement

engine, and reporting platform that automatically collects IPDR records

from customer equipment to generate usage details from a network-

wide perspective and from a per-subscriber perspective, regardless of its

DOCSIS version or vendor

“Operators must find better and more efficient ways to monitor and

measure their networks,” Bourque added, “to not only prioritize their net-

works based on existing demand, but also to capitalize on new revenue

opportunities.”

Incognito has offered tools for network provisioning and broadband

management since 1999.

Distribution network monitoring and management is supported by new software tools for WiMAX networks, DOCSIS gateways, VoIP equipment, Wi Fi access points, and IPTV deployments.

Seeking Digital Media File Format InteroperabilityDigital media equipment manufacturers, broad-cast distributors, advertisers & ad agencies, and media industry organizations are among those looking to create greater efficiencies and cost savings in the exchange of file-based digi-tal media content.

They’ve come together in a new Joint Task Force (JTF) on File Formats and Media Interoperability, launched by its sponsor groups, including the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), International Association of Broadcast Manufacturers (IABM), American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s), and Association of National Advertisers (ANA).

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is participating as an observer.

The group’s initial focus will be to gather and analyze requirements for a machine-gener-ated and readable file interchange and delivery

specification — including standardized and common structured metadata — for the pro-fessional media industry. Use case examples include promo, spot, and program delivery from a provider to a broadcaster.

“The JTF represents a diverse group of sponsor organizations with an extensive global reach, and together we will gather and analyze information not only about user requirements, but also about current standards and specifi-cations,” said Clyde Smith, Senior VP of New Technology, Fox Networks and a member of the NABA Technical Committee that initiated the creation of the group. “With this information we can rationalize the complexity of the current media landscape and make useful process and technology recommendations that improve workflow interoperability while reducing the attendant costs of file-based operations.”

In one of its initial actions, the JTF has published a survey designed to collect data on user requirements. Open to any member of the

media industry, the survey asks participants to create a one-sentence “user story” by identify-ing the nature of their work, the specific function they seek, and the business value that would be provided by that function.

“The work of this JTF is critical to eliminate costly, time-consuming steps and to adopt new automated processes in the media and entertain-ment supply chain. Together, the work advances, efficient operations, and interoperability create the foundation for improved audience measurement,” said Bob Liodice, president and CEO of the ANA.

Other JTF activities will include the collec-tion of data on existing products for transcode, transform, and file QC, and their ability to be driven by data from UML, XML, API, script, and other machine-to-machine communication mech-anisms. In addition to analyzing and publishing this data within a formal report, the JTF will analyze the data in terms of current, planned, and unplanned standards activities and publish recommendations for future activities.



Client: Aboriginal Peoples Television Network • Publication: Mediacaster MagazineCreation Date: 08/18/14• Modifi ed Date: 20/08/2014/1:50 PM

This November on APTN

Mohawk Girls

Cashing In Blackstone Arctic Air

Longmire

This fall APTN will air new seasons of award winning programs including Blackstone, Arctic Air, Cashing In and Longmire. Plus, don’t miss the highly anticipated Mohawk Girls world premiere.

www.aptn.ca Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Réseau de télévision des peuples autochtones


http://www.aptn.ca


Digital Media Community Joins with Top Broadcast ConferenceThe converging worlds of new media and tradi-

tional broadcast are now side-by-side.

That’s the view from Las Vegas, where the

largest North American broadcast TV and radio

industry conference will now include New Media

Expo, the digital media eco-system event that cov-

ers content creation, distribution and monetization

topics with bleeding-edge techniques employed

by social media marketers, bloggers, podcasters,

Web TV producers and interactive storytellers.

Building on the success of last year’s New Media

Lounge at the 2014 NAB Show, New Media Expo

(NMX) and the National Association of Broadcasters

(NAB) have agreed to expand their collaboration.

“We are delighted that New Media Expo will

be collocating with the NAB Show in 2015,”

said Chris Brown, executive vice president,

Conventions and Business Operations at NAB.

“The world of media continues to evolve rap-

idly, and an entirely new video ecosystem has

emerged on the Web – an increasingly important

ecosystem that NMX serves well. Bringing that

audience together with the NAB Show audience

promises to drive tremendous synergy.”

“We believed this co-location was inevitable

for years now so we are beyond excited to

be side-by-side with the NAB Show,” added

Rick Calvert, NMX CEO and co-founder. “The

Media Revolution is happening and this is just

the latest sign of the convergence of new and

traditional media. There are so many exhibitors,

services and educational sessions our commu-

nity can benefit from at NAB Show.”

New Media Expo features some of the

most recognized bloggers, podcasters, Web TV

content creators, and social media visionaries

during more than one hundred educational ses-

sions, as well as a traditional tradeshow.

In addition, New Media Expo will facilitate

its popular Speed Networking sessions at NAB

Show, a non-traditional method of introducing

content creators and brands during a series of

one-on-one meetings to discuss how they can

collaborate and partner together.

NMX will co-locate its entire event and intro-

duce tens of thousands of new media content

creators and disruptive businesses to the NAB

Show, April 13 - 16, 2015.

New Media Expo was born in 2006. Originally

called BlogWorld & New Media Expo, the event

name was changed in 2011 to New Media Expo;

it uses the popular hashtag #NMX on social

networks like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

New Media Expo was co-founded by trade

show industry veterans and media evangelists

Rick Calvert and Dave Cynkin.

With more than 98,000 attendees from 150

countries and 1,600+ exhibitors, NAB Show is

the ultimate marketplace for digital media and

entertainment. From creation to consumption,

across multiple platforms and countless nation-

alities, NAB Show is home to the solutions that

transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace

content delivery to new screens in new ways.

The National Association of Broadcasters is

the premier broadcast advocacy association,

seeking to advance radio and television inter-

ests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs.WWW.BTN.COM

The Nation’s Premiere College Sports Network40 Football Games135+ Men’s Basketball Games450+ LIVE EventsEmmy-Nominated Original PProgrammingAvailable on computers, tablets and smartphones via BTN2Go1#

industry news



http://www.btn.com

September 2014 www.mediacastermagazine.com 9

Canada’s 24-hour all business and financial news Cat A cable and

satellite specialty channel celebrated its 15th anniversary this month,

but as much as the channel had planned its on-air retrospective, it is clearly

focused on expanding, enhancing and digitizing its media content and

delivery platforms.

“BNN is a mainstay in thousands of homes and offices across the coun-

try, with one of the most-informed and engaged audiences in Canada,”

said Grant Ellis, General Manager, BNN. “Our growing online and radio

presence is expanding that reach even further.”

Ellis told Mediacaster Magazine prior to the anniversary festivities that the

station’s digital strategy is an active and forward-looking one, built to serve

the “extraordinarily active” and digitally-savvy segments of its audience.

“Digital in the best way for people to learn about investment,” he said assur-

edly. “Nothing else comes close. If you want to go deeper on a topic, in order

to buy and sell a stock, or plan for your retirement, you need a method of

discovery, a way to make those decisions that only interactive can provide.”

In addition to its specialty channel programming and expansive website,

BNN content airs live every weekday on SiriusXM radio channel; video

streams are available from BNN through its partnership with video stream-

ing service provider NeuLion, and now, through the recently released

mobile app, BNN GO.

Ellis noted that continued development and new features will be added

to both the app and the website going forward.

It’s part of what Ellis called “the biggest digital push in our history.” He

could not reveal the details, but noted that more interactivity, more data,

and particularly more access to video would be very important to the sta-

tion’s continued success.

“Video is at the core of what we do; that’s what we have over the com-

petition,” he said. “No one does video the way we do, thanks to the access

and resources we have available here.”

Having introduced a new and more functional video player, Ellis said

his team is well aware that even those “data junkies” want to see busi-

ness leaders speak for themselves: “They want to be able to call up CEO

interview, see what was said five months ago and five minutes ago. The

audience wants to hear a CEO respond to questions in real-time, see their

body language and hear their passion for their company.”

Launched on Sept. 1, 1999, BNN was originally known as Report on

Business Television (ROBTv), and was associated with The Globe and

Mail’s financial section.

It launched from the facilities at 720 King St. West, but BNN moved in

December 2010 to Bell Media’s flagship HQ office and production complex

at 299 Queen St. West in downtown Toronto. New studio facilities were

unveiled at that time, with back-end support that

includes both highly wired network infrastructure,

along with experienced IT and production staff.

Ellis describes himself as “a Day One’r” but his

term at BNN was interrupted by a stint with the

Financial Post; he returned to the specialty chan-

nel just this past May.

Despite its longevity, Ellis says the BNN style is

much like a business start-up: versatility, flexibility

and raw energy drive his team.

The old journalism mentality of just writing stories

is long gone, replaced by new multi-platform sensi-

bilities that are based on good story-telling, while tak-

ing advantage of the nature of the delivery platform.

“News is always the sharpest point, and it

opens up the broadest audience,” he says. How

the audience reacts or interacts from there is

based on a lot of factors – human interest, demo-

graphics, business requirements, and techno-

comfort levels.

BNN sees its digital strategy as empowering

the viewer to decide: they may not want to be

taken to the next story; they may want to drill

down on the story that was just presented, and

use the digital discovery process to garner the

information they really need.

Digital Stocks Rising as Specialty Channel BNN Celebrates15th ANNIVERSARY

production

BNN GO, a new mobile appplication for iOS and Android devices, is on the leading edge of a major digital push at the Bell Media specialty service.





Tanglewood Lawncasts Powered by Haivision Video Streaming Solutions

An interactive, front row experience is being offered to mobile device

users at one of the world’s most renowned classical concert settings.No matter where they sit, patrons with a compatible smartphone or

tablet can get video streams with additional camera angles, supplemen-tary information and more.

Montreal-based video technology company Haivision is working with the Boston Symphony Orchestra to deliver an enhanced mobile viewing experi-ence at Tanglewood, the Orchestra’s outdoor summer home.

While the partners have worked together on this specific musical performance application, it is clear that similar solutoins can be applied in many live event settings, such as sports and gaming, corporate and education, theatrical and concert events, and more.

In the Tanglewood pilot program, dubbed the Tanglewood Lawncast, participating audience members are offered access to exclusive digital media content – including program notes, performer interviews, and live camera feeds of the concert – via their iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.

Users can select from multiple camera angles, with views described as Conductor, Percussionist, Orchestral Full View or Soloist; archived content is also available. The camera views are part of a multi-camera broadcast of concerts that is pro-jected onto large video screens located inside and on top of the concert hall.

Launched as a pilot program earlier this summer, the Lawncast initia-tive has now been expanded and additional content types were delivered to some 400 participating audience members at two recent concerts staged last month.

Lawncast was designed and implemented by engineering, programming and installation A/V company North American Theatrix using Haivision stream-ing media technology, in particular, its enterprise-grade Makito X encoders.

The Haivision solution is used to deliver HD video to mobile audi-ences in under a second, program coordinators describe. Each single rack-mountable encoder can deliver up to 12 channels of High Profile HD

1080p60, and models single or dual channel SDI and DVI connectivity.Audiences can watch the video streams on their iPads, iPhones and

Android devices using Haivision’s InStream Mobile, a free media player that can be used to deliver high performance media experiences to mul-tiple simultaneous mobile viewers without a dedicated streaming server.

Haivision’s Makito X HD encoders support up to 1080p60 resolution with extremely low end-to-end latency. InStream Mobile brings that, low-latency HD video to iPads, iPhones, and Android devices.

“With Lawncast, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s goal is to give audi-ence members more ways to engage and see the orchestra up close,” said Bernadette Horgan, Director of Public Relations. “Haivision video streaming solutions are helping us deliver this unique program so audiences can have an enhanced concert experience using their mobile devices.”

Patrons participating in the Tanglewood Lawncast pilot program have access to multiple camera feeds—including one focusing on the con-ductor and another on an alternate view of the orchestra—that are part of the multi-camera shoot used to create the concert broadcast that is projected onto the large video screens located inside and on top of the concert hall.

The pilot program takes place on a specifically designated area of the lawn; only those seated in the specified area can access the enhanced content.

Tanglewood is the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home, with an annual average attendance of more than 300,000 visitors. As well as hosting scheduled concerts and performances, Tanglewood is also the home of the Tanglewood Music Center, an advanced training facility for young professional musicians.

A view from the lawn as Andris Nelson conducts the Boston Symphony at the Tanglewood 75th Anniversary Gala this past summer.

Interactive mediacasts of the concerts at Tanglewood can be delivered using Canadian technology;

supplemental content includes extra camera angles.

Haivision’s Makito X HD encoders support up to 1080p60 video resolution.

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SATURDAY, September 20th 12:00 pm 4:00 pm Board Meeting (CCSA Board Members) .............................................................................. Angus Room 6:30 pm 10:00 pm Board Dinner (CCSA Board Members) ......................................................................................... Offsite SUNDAY, September 21st 1:00 pm 3:45 pm Interactive Workshops and Sponsor Promos (CCSA Members) ................................... Cascade Ballroom Introductory Speaker Regulatory 101 Government Relations 101 I ♥ Local Cable: A Case Study 3:45 pm 4:00 pm Break 4:00 pm 5:00 pm Shareholders Meeting (CCSA Shareholders) .............................................................. Cascade Ballroom Board Meeting (CCSA Board Members) ....................................................................................... Angus Room 7:00 pm 9:30 pm ‘Wild West Welcome’ (All Delegates) .................................................................................... Mountainview BBQ (offsite)

MONDAY, September 22nd (All Delegates)

7:00 am 8:00 am Hot Breakfast................................................................................................................ Cascade Ballroom Tom Pentefountas, Vice-Chairman, Broadcasting, CRTC

8:00 am 12:00 pm Showcase............................................................................................................. Alhambra Room 12:30 pm 1:30 pm Lunch ................................................................................................................ Cascade Ballroom

1:45 pm 2:30 pm The Future of Video Laura Martin, CFA, Needham & Company, LLC ....................................................... Van Horne Ballroom

2:30 pm 2:45 pm Break

2:45 pm - 4:30 pm Interactive Session: Beyond Customer Care: Making a Connection ................................................... Van Horne Ballroom

6:00 pm 6:45 pm Connect with Cocktails .................................................................................................. Riverview Lounge 6:45 pm 10:00 pm Board of Directors’ Hosted Dinner................................................................................ Cascade Ballroom I ♥ Local Cable Awards Member/Supplier of the Year Awards James Mullinger, Comedian TUESDAY, September 23rd (Optional) 9:15 am 9:30 am Transportation to Golf........................................................................Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course 10:00 am 4:00 pm Golf (includes boxed lunch, reception with hors d’oeuvres / beverages, and awards/draws) or

1:00 pm 4:00 pm Bow River Float Trip (includes tour guide, snack, followed by reception with golfers providing hors d’oeuvres / beverages, and draws)

Updated: August 22, 2014




CCSA Event Packages: Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014

Bow River Float Trip : $200 + tax1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

This float trip is both a unique and peaceful way to experience the Canadian Rockies. Board a large oar-powered rubber raft and be launched off for a leisurely float down the Bow River. The qualified river guide has a wealth of interesting stories and bits of folklore to share with everyone.

The luxury motorcoach will be waiting at the take-out point for the return transfer to the Banff Springs golf Course to join the golfers for a reception featuring hors d’oeuvres, beverages and a chance to be entered into a draw.

Bow River Float Trip includes:

• Transportationinprivateluxurymotorcoach

• Professionaltourdirector

• RaftFloat

• Snack(water,fruit&locallymadegranolabar)

• Receptionfollowingwithgolfers-includingentryinadraw

Recommended attire:

Sandals,comfortableclothes(nojeans),warmclothes/jacketincaseofinclementweatherandadaypacktocarrypersonalitems.

Golf Day Package: $250 + tax (Club rentals are $68 + tax) Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

TheFairmontBanffSpringsGolfCourseinAlbertaisacaptivatingandchallenginglayoutsetintheheartofCanada’sRocky Mountains. The course winds along the Bow River under the snow-capped peaks of Sulphur Mountain and Mount Rundle.

Golf Day Package includes:• ScheduledreturntransportationfromFairmontBanffSpringsHoteltothecourse• GreenFees,Golfcart,Barcart• Boxlunchoncourse• Receptionfollowingwithhorsd’oeuvresandbeverages

*DelegatesparticipatingintheBowRiverFloatTripwilljointhegolfersforthereception.*The club rental fee includes a souvenir tee bag with 2 logoed golf balls




CCSA Spousal/Guest Package

Option A: CCSA Evening Social activities + Monday excursionCost: $300 + tax

Option A package includes:

• Sunday,Sept.21stEveningSocial–‘WildWestThemedParty’(7:00–9:30pm)

• Monday,Sept.22ndCanadianRockiesCave&Basin/HotSpringsSoakExcursion(11:00am-4:00pm)

• Monday,Sept.22ndConnectwithCocktails,AwardsDinner&Entertainment(6:45pm-10:00pm)

ThehistoryofBanffandCanada’sNationalPark’ssystemstartsattheCaveandBasininBanff!Avisittothis

national historic museum will be filled with discovery and how the hot springs affected the preservation of Canada’s natural

attractions.NotriptotheCave&Basiniscompletewithoutavisittothenaturalcaveandhotspringitself.

Atrip toBanffUpperHotSpringsforamineralsoak is includedtoenjoythewarmmineralwaters like theearlyexplorers.

EnjoyarelaxationmassageatPleiadesMassageandSpawhilethere.

Option B: CCSA Evening Social activities

Cost:$150+tax

Option B package includes:

• Sunday,Sept.21stEveningSocial–‘WildWestThemedParty’(7:00–9:30pm)

• Monday,Sept.22ndConnectwithCocktails,AwardsDinner&Entertainment(6:45pm-10:00pm)

Pleasenote:SpousesandGuestsarealsowelcometoregisterfortheTuesdayGolf/BowRiverFloatpackages.

RegisterforthespousaleventsandGolf/BowRiverFloatpackagesviatheregistrationlinkontheCCSAwebsite




L ong before the North American Indigenous Games staged their Opening Ceremonies in Regina this summer, community tele-vision producers at Saskatchewan’s Access Communications

Co-operative were planning their media coverage, and seeking out a new HD production vehicle to support some rather ambitious plans.

The non-profit co-operative cable and communications service provider acquired its new mobile, with live and location production capabilities that Production Manager Wade Peterson says equal that of TSN or Sportsnet.

In fact, ‘the big boys’ have already made some use of the mobile’s capa-bilities, and Peterson added that other broadcasters have made inquiries as to its availability, as well.

“We’re always trying to move forward, both in the content we provide and in the technology we use to present it,” Peterson said. “This mobile

allows us to bring a level of detail and depth that is rarely seen in community programming, as well as giving us the flexibility to do so in every corner of the province.”

The truck is as good as brand new, Peterson added, in that it was acquired from a U.S. based production company that, due to an expanding contract, needed an even bigger truck. That company only used the vehicle five or six times, before Peterson got a hold of it.

The mobile is a complete broadcast station capable of video editing, creating graphics, real-time replay, and audio editing, he noted, with some six or seven crew members working inside during a live shoot, and as many as ten or more –depending on camera configuration – working outside. The truck has six triad connections, but another 32 BNC ports.

The 28’ long by 12’ high mobile was on location throughout the

NEW HD MOBILE AT ACCESS COMMUNICATIONS

Saskatchewan’s Accces Communications acquired and refurbished a multi-camera HD mobile for its community programming and production efforts.

production




Indigenous Games from July 20th to July 27th, providing wall-to-wall coverage in full HD of the sporting event; Access partnered with specialty channel operator APTN on expanded coverage of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Peterson, reached by Mediacaster Magazine as his crew set up to cover the lacrosse competition, noted that the mobile is also used to cover other local events, but despite the early sporting focus, he said that the truck will be used on all kinds of productions, from dance recitals to charitable fundraisers and more.

Not only did Access7 cover the Aboriginal Games, but it also made the feed available to viewers online via the Web, as well as to viewers served by other community channels though Canada and the U.S.

Access made the coverage available to members of the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance, CCSA, as well as the NCTC, he noted.

“Access’ coverage of this event and free sharing of the content it cre-ates is a wonderful example of how independent cable operators, working together, can support Canadians as creators, citizens and consumers,” said Chris Edwards, VP, Corporate & Regulatory Affairs, CCSA, at the time. “We would like to thank Access Communications for sharing this initiative with us and for making it possible for CCSA members across the country to exhibit this major cultural event to their customers.”

Satellite time was booked for the potential cable distribution, with both HD and SD feeds available as required. Online, Peterson said, viewers have logged in from as many as eleven different countries, putting a whole new spin on the concept of ‘community channel’.

A spin he is proud to take.“We hope we are laying the groundwork here, and that this kind of

coverage will continue for these Games, and other community events. It’s a huge commitment on the part of Access Communications,” and as he added with some sense of relief, “but the Games only happen once every four years.”

But in between those Games, much happens at the community level that will be part of his production duties.

“Community channels produce thousands of hours of unique, local programming each year; programs that evoke and capture the spirit of each individual community,” said Jim Deane, President and CEO of Access Communications. “Through our Access7 community channels, we are proud to provide a local voice to the people of the communities that we serve.”

Access Communications is a 100% Saskatchewan-owned non-profit co-operative that is committed to providing exceptional communications and entertainment services, and offering viewers a variety of local per-spectives and experiences. The company reports that it reinvests 100% of its earnings into the 220 communities it serves.

CCSA represents more than 115 independent cable, telco and IPTV companies that serve over 700,000 Canadians in communities in all provinces and territories, including many isolated communities across the North. CCSA membership includes television distribution companies operated by many small, family-owned companies, a large number of First Nations and more than 20 not-for-profit community cooperatives.

Inside the mobile is a complete broadcast production environment, with tools for video editing, creating graphics, real-time replay and audio editing, with some six or seven crew members working inside during a live shoot.

production





Digital media content, driven by new high resolution formats, ren-dered special effects files and the need for content delivery to multiple devices, is challenging the capacity and performance level

of many data and media processing systems. Due to the growing popularity and data demands

of 4K video (and even 8K now), storage consider-ations are becoming more important because of increasing demands to manage, centralize and share digital media assets.

So emerging technologies like private clouds are being used to provide expanded storage resources across shared production workflows. For instance, highly available storage platforms (SAN and NAS devices) are being deployed in production studios to create a fault-tolerant shared storage pool from which all collaborators can access digital media files, download

them to their local workstation for editing, and then upload them back to the shared storage device for further collaboration.

IT managers will appreciate how storage arrays, when part of a con-solidated network solution, can boost system performance, and offer more visibility and control of important digital media assets.

The Alberta branch of Mediaco, a technical media company specializing in live events, is just one company seeing major growth in the amount of data it needed to handle, and the company’s IT manager, Ron Dyck, realized it was time to adopt a longer term strategy.

As with many of the company’s peers, data was stored on external drives, kept in a cabinet and moved from workstation to workstation. Dyck’s first concern was the risk of data loss. Hard drives are particularly

Increasing demands for higher resolution production quality and content delivery to multiple devices mean producers must have even more storage capacity and media flexibility.

IT Managers, Content Creators Streamline Digital Media Workflows

By Paul Chan

“The problem with discrete drives is that each one is a single point of failure,” Dyck described, “and there is no efficient way to

back up all of your data.”





vulnerable because they can be easily dropped, lost, stolen, or damaged by static electricity, and the inconvenience of backing up collection of separate devices causes back-ups to fall between the cracks. “The problem with discrete drives is that each one is a single point of failure,” Dyck described, “and there is no efficient way to back up all of your data.”

Dyck was also concerned that there was no way to assign access rights to individual files. Once somebody had a key to the cabinet where the drives were stored, they could potentially access any data in the company.

After considering several possibilities, including connecting the existing drives through a drive bay, and networking storage to individual workstations, Dyck saw the sensible answer was to migrate to a centralized storage solution that could accommodate all of the company’s data storage problems.

The company then decided on two Storageflex 3945N-24 NAS central storage arrays – one for the Calgary office and the other for Edmonton. Essentially, this made all media assets available on the network and allowed Mediaco to move all of their data to an integrated storage system that could be accessed and controlled through a single interface.

The first storage system was 48TB; the second one purchased is 30TB, and both have room for expansion. Each drive in the unit is a 3 TB 7,200 RPM SATA-600; they’re set up in a RAID6 hardware configuration.

The arrays immediately transformed the way Mediaco Alberta handled its media assets, and key improvements were realized, like removing the single point of fail-ure for discrete drives are replacing it with the array’s RAID fault protection system. Files are nevertheless easy to find using the familiar Windows file tree, and permis-sions can be assigned by the administrator using the Windows Storage Server.

The admin can also set up automated backups for all data on the centralized system.

Mediaco’s editors and producers also noticed the improvements immediately. With as many as five people able to work on a “deadline due” project simultane-ously, the new centralized storage system “blows away” the performance that creative workers were used to with the older system, Dyck added.

As well, file transfers that took hours now take minutes. This means that an edi-tor can quickly copy a completed project into the archive section without having to keep an eye on the task for a large part of the day.

It is also much easier to cut and paste file segments – a practice that is becom-ing much more common for the business. For example, excerpts from a train-ing video might be included in a webinar, podcast, or web promotion. A CEO’s speech at a conference might be excerpted for presentation at a charity event. Or a Mediaco account manager might bring a customer employee up to speed by showing clips from the company’s previous annual meeting.

Mediaco’s creative workers are now saving hours each week that might have otherwise been spent waiting for files to copy over, going back and forth between separate physical drives, searching for files, or setting up backups on an individual basis.

For broadcast companies with growing data repositories, the centralized array is a powerful tool that enables media asset data to be stored in hierarchical fash-ion according to frequency of use. For example, ongoing projects can be stored in quickly-accessible hard drives, long term files unlikely to be accessed within a 30-day window, can be stored on inexpensive optical storage with slower access speeds, and items that fall in between can be stored on drives with medium access speeds. The array can also segment data according to its sensitivity.

By making data management seamless, storage systems let users take good care of all the valuable digital assets found in busy media production environments.

New storage arrays make can make all needed digital media assets available on a multi-user

network, and they can be accessed and controlled through a single interface.

Paul Chan is president of Storageflex Inc., a Markham, ON-based manufacturer of network data storage solutions.



tools of the trade


LIVE-LINK MINI REMOTE CAMERA INTERFACE SYSTEMThe Live-Link Mini Remote Camera Interface

System offers one SDI path in each direc-

tion, supporting a wide range of SD-, HD-,

and 3G video signals.

The system features integrated party-

line and 4-wire intercom support, line-level

“dry” and powered “wet” tal-

ent cueing (IFB) and is fully

compatible with SMPTE stan-

dards. The camera and truck

units interconnect through one

single-mode fiber for quick

and reliable field deployment,

and incorporate standard opti-

cal, video and audio connec-

tors for maximum flexibility.

The camera-end unit features

an integrated battery mount,

which allows for the use of a

broadcast-standard rechargeable battery.

Unlike other systems from the Live-Link

family, the Live-Link Mini’s camera-end unit

does not provide microphone- or line-level

inputs for supporting on-air audio signals.

Instead, it relies on the associated camera

or camcorder to embed on-air audio signals

into audio group 1 of the source SDI. This

minimizes the camera-end unit’s size, reduc-

es cost and simplifies setup. The embedded

audio signals are transported, along with

picture data, to the associated Live-Link Mini

truck-end unit.

The Live-Link Mini truck-end units come

in two flavors to accommodate different mis-

sions. The standard version of the truck-end

unit is powered by 12 volts DC and relies on

the SDI output to provide the on-air audio

to the connected equipment. The advanced

version of the truck-end unit offers flexibil-

ity in powering and adds analog audio de-

embed outputs. A source of either AC mains

voltage or 12 volts DC can provide power for

the advanced version.

The advanced version de-embeds the

four channels associated with group 1, con-

verts them to analog and presents them on

four balanced line-level outputs.

The Mini is the newest system from Live-Link.

HARTING’S NEW STRAIGHT AND ANGLED COMPONENTS

HARTING has introduced new M12 X-Code

components – straight and angled PCB recep-

tacles and M12-to-RJ45 panel adaptors as well

as an M12 gender changer – for its har-speed

M12 X-Code connectors.

Like the har-speed M12 X-code itself, these

new parts have been developed to facilitate 6A

Gigabit Ethernet installations increasingly com-

mon in machine and plant automation.

The new straight and angled receptacles and

adaptors meet the requirements for Cat 6A and

Performance Class EA, with maximum transfer

rates for 1/10 Gigabits. A mounting bracket

also is offered for the M12 X-Code gender

changer.

HARTING created the har-speed M12

X-Code connector to meet the continuing

growth in demand for eight-wire connectors to

manage data from Cat. 6A processes, like the

optical technologies – cameras and inspection

systems – monitoring high-speed production

lines.

HARTING’s har-speed X-Code connectors

and components make it possible to deploy an

M12-cabling system conforming to IEC/PAS

61076-2-109. The X-code connectors’ mating

face shields the connector area and the cod-

ing of the mating face, while ensuring fault-free

plugging with other 8-pole M12 connectors.

A connection error with other 8-pole M12s is

impossible. The har-speed M12 lineup features

standard and slim design connectors, the latter

with a 16.5 mm external diameter for high den-

sity integration on devices where space is at a

premium. It also offers over-molded variants in

different lengths as well as a crimp connector

for on-site assembly.

In related news, Harting recently named vet-

eran sales executive Claude Langlois to head

up its expanding sales and customer engage-

ment for the Canadian market. As sales direc-

tor, Langlois will be based at Harting Canada

headquarters in suburban St-Laurent, QC.

HARTING har-speed M12 X-Code Connectors

DIGITAL SPUTNIK LIGHTS UP AERIAL SHOOTSDigital Sputnik’s drone mountable DS LED

Heli System, developed in co-operation with

Intuitive Aerial’s Black Armored Drone, supports

new aerial lighting capabilities.

The small drone is able to carry a lightweight

light configuration, with output equivalent of

1.5kW HMI The system is controllable over

Wi-Fi using an iOS app.

Based on the DS LED system, the lightheads

are universal and compatible with the DS LED

System and DS Mürsik Frames. The DS LED

system offers high output with tuneable colour

temperature from 1500K - 10000K, with the

option to adjust tint (+/- green).

The DS LED lighting system offers an array

of features, including power supply for as many

as three LED light modules controllable sepa-

rately or in groups; three LED light modules with

RGBW-power LEDs or Daylight White LEDs;

as well as a variety of lenses and diffusers for

shaping light output. Digital Sputnik’s drone mountable LED lighting system




tools of the trade

STARLITEHD CALLS IN 3G-SDI FIELD MONITOR

French monitor company Transvideo has launched

a new concept on-board field monitor, StarliteHD.

The portable system matches up with new

compact camera systems, with its small 5” HD

OLED touch screen monitor, about the size of

a smartphone and weighing 190 grams. The

housing is machined in avionics aluminium.

The 3G-SDI field monitor includes built-in high

resolution waveform monitor and a precision

vectorscope, the manufacturer describes, while

an embedded recorder delivers dailies in H.264

on to SD cards.

Details on a line of planned accessories, from

battery support to detachable sun hood and

more, are still to come from the manufacturer.

MULTI-DEVICE NETWORK MONITOR FOR CABLE OPERATORSZanaware Technologies’ new Device View Manager (DVM) is a self-contained, multi-device, probe-

like system for the real-time monitoring of devices throughout their entire video network.

The DVM provides video operators a one-stop shop for monitoring the operational health of every

network device, via continuous configuration interrogation, SNMP monitoring, syslogs and data traps.

Through continuous QAM and stat-mux analysis, a single DVM unit does the work of many

network probes installed at the outputs of dozens of devices. With built-in auto detection of new

devices, DVM dynamically updates operators’ network monitoring capabilities with out intervention.

The DVM’s advanced network monitoring includes a ‘Live View” feature, so operators can

view each outbound program stream, to check for tiling, macroblocking, or other issues. The

program stream is transcoded to MPEG4 (H.264) for easier, lower-bandwidth transmission over

larger or slower networks, the manufacturer describes.

COBHAM’S MIMO DELIVER HIGH DATA RATESCobham Antenna is introducing a new Multiple In

Multiple Out (MIMO) antenna range, with almost omni,

directional, sector, hemi-omni or blade omni antennas,

all with at least two connectors.

Cobham’s MIMO range makes use of polarisation

diversity; vertical and horizontal (V+H), ±45° dual-slant

or even right and left hand circular polarisations. The

antennas contain two orthogonally polarised elements

which are interleaved within a single aperture. This

avoids the need for multiple units placed a number

of wavelengths apart and results in compact antenna

units which are highly efficient, compared with two

separate antennas contained within one housing.

With demands for data rates, speed and throughput increasing rapidly,

MIMO antennas are now becoming fundamental elements of communi-

cation networks. Anticipating these changing requirements Cobham has

developed this wide range of MIMO antennas to suit many applications and

markets including commercial, military and security.

MIMO systems take advantage of multipath transmissions by combin-

ing the various signals received at different parts of the receive antennas.

MIMO has become an important part of modern and efficient wireless

communication and helps to minimise the risk of drop out due to a weak

RF signal, especially in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios.

Cobham’s Multiple In Multiple Out (MIMO) Antennas

NEWTEK, MUSHROOM DEVELOP BONDED STREAMING SERVICESMushroom Networks is working with the NewTek Developer Network to integrate its Broadband

Bonding technology into NewTek’s line of TriCaster multi-camera live video production systems.

Broadband Bonding aggregates up to eight 3G/4G cellular data cards into a single high-speed

live streaming connection anywhere cell service is available

TriCaster 40 systems plug directly

into the Mushroom Streamer 4000,

for example, without any loss of

TriCaster’s advanced production

features. Users can seamlessly oper-

ate the two products without the

need for any involved configuration

for production and delivery of live

streamed video content.

Streamer utilizes bonding technol-

ogy optimized to stream video to

Web via aggregated 3G/4G wireless

data cards. Webcasters can plug in

the encoded video and audio feed

from their encoder or video, add the USB modem cellular air cards to the Streamer, and begin

streaming high-resolution and high frame rate video to the Web.

NewTek TriCaster live production systems integrate with bonded

cellular solutions from Mushroom Networks. Transvideo has added a 3D SDI HD field unit to its line-up of

professional monitors and display devices.



tools of the trade


PLAYBOX MULTI-CHANNEL INGEST SERVERPlayBox Technology has intro-duced its new CaptureBox PRO for capture of multiple channels of HD or SD content from a SDI and IP sources.

CaptureBox PRO can handle a wide range of input signals, accepting HD/SD SDI, analogue sources and MPEG transport streams. All four video sources can be monitored on a single screen and controlled via a new streamlined user interface. Audio levels can be monitored as loudness/true-peak displays and adjusted when required. The ingested materials are available for playback seconds after ingest commences.

The CaptureBox PRO feature set also includes capture list import from third-party traffic systems, support for CEA-608/708 closed-captioning and automated VTR control via RS-422 with batch-capture listing.

PlayBox Technology’s new CaptureBox PRO

Ultra High Sensitivity HD Digital Camera from Flovel

FLOVEL HIGH SENSITIVITY CAMERAFOR-A’s Flovel Company has unveiled a new ultra high sensitivity HD camera.

The Flovel FZ-B3 camera with HbCMOS sen-sor technology, is rated with a low-light sensitivity of 0.003. Its three CMOS colour image sensors, with some 1.32 megapixels megapixels (effective rating) enables operators to capture images with low noise at high sensitivity.

The compact camera records in 1080i

(59.94Hz or 50Hz) and 720p (59.94Hz or 50Hz) HD-SDI formats. A BB/3 level sync compatible gen lock connector is featured.

The camera has a 2/3” bayonet mount for lenses, and a rotation filter mechanism installed, with The FZ-B3 marks FLOVEL’s latest addition to its high-end HD specialty camera line, which includes the FZ-B1 ultra high-sensitivity camera for day and night observation.

PACKETV IPTV VIDEO NETWORK AND ASSET MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONVisionary Solutions is shipping its PackeTV IP video network and asset management solution for on-demand delivery of live and recorded video, with support for multiple screens and networks.

PackeTV supports a variety of applications from corporate com-munication to video monitoring, training, and distance learning to legacy cable system replacement with TV over IP.

HD and SD, MPEG-2/H.264 video content can be delivered to TVs, set-top boxes (STBs), PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other IP-connected devices across a wide range of networks, includ-ing LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, cellular, and public Internet.

Its open-standard solution is compatible with a wide range of equipment, including VSI encod-ers and decoders, and features the same modu-lar architecture as the encoder and decoder product lines allowing customers to upgrade as

their budget permits. Through an intuitive, Web-based user inter-

face, administrators can dynamically create and

manage video assets for distribution across any type of network. Video assets are fully protected via AES 256/128-bit encryption, and access can be controlled right down to the individual user and group level through seamless integration with Microsoft Active Directory.

Visionary Solutions’ IP Video Network and

Asset Management Solution

NO PC NEEDED FOR ATHORING, DUPLICATION AND RECORDING TO DISC WITH JVC DECKSJVC Professional has introduced two new models to its line of professional Blu-ray/hard disc drive combo decks.

The SR-HD1350US and SR-HD1700US can create Blu-ray or DVDs directly from live video inputs or from video files stored on built-in hard drives, without a PC.

With up to 6x dubbing speed with BD-R discs, additional features include the ability to pause during direct-to-disc recording, record directly to DVD in DVD-Video format, and cre-ate BDMV and BDAV discs from live sources.

The units support BD-R or BD-RE (eras-able) Blu-ray discs, as well as DVD-R (SL/DL) or DVD-RW DVDs. Unprotected DVD and Blu-ray discs can be easily duplicated as well. Authored discs can be produced with auto-start or repeat playback for retail point-of-sale displays and other applications.

Both decks feature a variety of inputs for compatibility with current and legacy equip-ment, including composite, S-Video and iLink (IEEE-1394) interfaces, as well as an SD/SDHC media card slot (SDXC memory cards can be read via a USB card reader). HDMI and other outputs provide flexible monitoring options.

The SR-HD1350US includes a 320 GB hard drive, while the SR-HD1700US has a 500 GB hard drive. The SR-HD1700US also offers additional features, including the ability to transfer NLE footage via LAN, compat-ibility with .MOV or .MXF files up to 35 Mbps created with JVC ProHD camcorders, and external control via LAN or RS-232C.

One of two new JVC Recordable Blu-Ray

Combo Disc Models




tools of the trade

NEW IP ENCODING AND EPG SOLUTIONS R.L. Drake is demonstrating a new stand-alone, single HD-SDI input MPEG-2 and H.264 digital encoder for local public access networks and program delivery.

Using the new PEG-NE24-IP encoder, operators can efficiently transport SD and HD video and audio signals over existing HFC networks, eliminating the need for expensive dedicated links or bandwidth-hungry analog sub-band solutions. The encoder sends signals from a local origination site back to the headend or hub loca-tion, so they can be mul-tiplexed and broadcast, making it ideal for multipoint distribution applications. The PEG-NE24-IP can produce both HD and a secondary SD program from one single HD source through an SFP interface that includes cop-per and fiber output options, depending on the SFP mod-ule chosen by the user.

Powered by a separate 110V AC power unit, the PEG-NE24-IP encoder pro-vides operators with a small, modular, desktop solution that is compact, cost-effec-tive, and reliable.

Drake is also launching the EEG-QIP, an MSO solu-tion for producing program-

ming guides for TVs without set-top boxes. The EEG-QIP allows operators to create and deliver a simple programming guide to TVs with clear-QAM tuners or properly mapped DTAs utilizing existing guide data. The unit automatically refreshes the guide information every five seconds with branded information and related content.

FOR-A FOCUSED ON 4K FOR-A has introduced several new 4K products for capturing, process-ing, switching, viewing, and recording full 4K images.

There is a new version of the FT-ONE 4K super slo mo camera, and a new ZE-ONE 4K zoom extraction system to frame and extract specified 4K image areas.

Other 4K products debuted by FOR-A include a family of multi-viewers. MV-4200 is a compact, 2 RU unit multi-viewer that accepts 4K signals, and is capable of handling up to 68 inputs and 8 outputs.

The new MV-42HSA and MV-1620HSA multi viewers include 3G Level A/B support and 4K to HD down-converted output. The MV-1620HSA accepts up to 16 channels of mixed 3G/HD/SD-SDI/analog composite signals for monitoring on up to two screens, and can also be cascaded with other units to display up to 64 sources simultaneously.

FOR-A also has new file based products, including the new LTR-200HS archive recorder that supports new LTO-6 tape technology and Avid DNX-HD. It features HD/SD-SDI input/output, broadcast qual-ity codec, and MXF wrapping and unwrapping.

FOR-A’s new LTS-60 media archiving server for LTO-6 drives is described as a small-scale archiving and backup solution that supports 4K archiving.

VIDEOFLOW OVER UNMANAGED NETWORKS VideoFlow will unveil a new product in its range of Digital Video Protection (DVP) solutions for deliver-ing live, high quality video (SD, HD and above) over unmanaged, best efforts networks.

The new DVP100X handles up to 80 streams and 80 virtual private network (VPN) tunnels simultaneously reaching 300 Mbps, the company describes, so that large multi-point networks can be created to deliver live content over unman-aged networks with no packet lost and nullified transit jitter.

The DVP100X provides broadcasters, tele-ports and operators a platform for broadcast quality, live video over standard Internet connec-tions thereby eliminating the need for expensive service level agreement (SLA). In addition, the DVP100X offers secured video connections with IPsec for maximum security level.

The DVP100X solution consists of two prod-ucts: the Protector stores the packets in the case a packet retransmission is needed, while the Sentinel eliminates the jitter by locking to the video stream, monitors the health of the video stream and requests packets to be resent from the Protector only if required. The DVP100 Fortress for the transit network which acts as Protector and Sentinel in the same time hence allow isolating the distribution network from the contribution network further reducing the cost of delivery by decreasing the required uplink bit rate for a point-to-multipoint delivery as well as the additional overhead for packet recovery.

VideoFlow has four key technology patents covering Live Content Delivery Networking (LCDN) with over a dozen patents pending.

Drake’s HD-SDI MPEG Encoder

New 4K Multi-viewers from FOR-A



tools of the trade


CARRY-ON PICTURE MONITOR FROM RUIGE The Ruige TL1730HDA-CO

Ruige is unveiling a new compact transport-able picture monitor.

The TL1730HDA-CO monitor comes with a detachable folding sunshade plus a transit case that’s rated as resistant to impact, water, dust and high temperatures.

The Ruige TL1730HDA-CO has a 1920 x 1080 resolution 17.3 inch screen based on a 10 bit IPS panel with a wide 178 degree horizontal and vertical viewing angle. Images are displayed on screen with 300 cd/m² image brightness, 600:1 contrast ratio, three millisecond response time and 0.1989 x 0.1989 mm dot pitch.

The monitor’s mode can be switched between 16:9 and 4:3; it is equipped with 3G/HD/SD-SDI, HDMI and composite inputs

plus a dual channel analog audio input and a red/green tally feed. These are augmented by 3G/HD/SD-SDI and composite video out-puts plus a SDI-de-embedded audio output, 3.5 mm headphone feed and integral two watt loudspeakers.

The case dimensions are 528 x 355 x 45 mm; weight is approximately 7.5 kg.

The TL1730HDA-CO operates for up to six hours from a 130 watt-hour standard broadcast lithium battery, connected via V mount or Gold mount battery plate. A universal mains adapter is provided.

SOUND DEVICES DEBUTS VIDEO DEVICES New video devices by Sound Devices, including the new PIX 270i and PIX 250i, are part of the manufacturer’s push into broadcast and digital media production markets.

The network-connected PIX 270i and PIX 250i video decks offer significant advantages for production workflows, providing time-sav-ing tapeless, file-based recording and playback with the ability to remotely control, set up and transfer high-quality files over Ethernet. The units record edit-ready Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD files and allow simultaneous multiple-drive recording, giving production staff peace of mind with their rock-solid redundancy and

backup capabilities (four drives for PIX 270i and two drives for 250i). Their extensive audio capabilities, including 64 channels of both MADI audio and Dante audio-over-Ethernet for PIX 270i (a world’s first for a video deck) and the PIX 250i’s 16 tracks of audio, make each unit a comprehensive, cost-effective tool for high-performance video capture and presentation.

Over the next several months, the company will brand all video-related products as Video Devices, including the PIX 240i, PIX 250i, and PIX 270i recorders. All future video products will also be branded Video Devices.

NOA HANDLES WEB CONTENT, FILE FORMATS, ARCHIVE MEDIANOA is introducing new products for digitizing, archiving, description and retrieval of AV and other media content in its line-up of ingestLINE, mediARC, actLINE and jobDB line-ups.

The new MediArc for Web, for example, allows users to access archival content for a large user base, with new fea-tures such as an extension to show video content, and easier navigation based upon an index of shot detected scenes. Video proxy files can be located more rapidly and various video segments can be easily processed to an order basket for export.

The new NOA VideoScanner, meanwhile, decodes a list of dedicated production formats to a lossless compressed mezzanine format, produces an index of detected shots and allows for unified handling in the subsequent archiving process.

VideoScanner is described as a valuable tool for streamlin-ing day-to-day TV workflows, and making required file format production more efficient.

DEJERO RELEASES NEW COMPACT LIVE+ BROADCAST SERVER Dejero has launched a new version of its rack-mounted Dejero LIVE+ Broadcast Server in a compact, 1U form factor.

Dejero’s LIVE+ Platform, including porta-ble transmitters and software for laptops and smartphones, can manage and bond wire-less connections (3G/4G/LTE, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, microwave, and satellite) together for delivering broadcast quality imagery.

The new LIVE+ Broadcast Server includes dual-redundant power sup-plies and RAID hard drives designed for increased broadcast reliabil-ity when receiving video transmis-sions from field-based transmission devices including the LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitter, LIVE+ VSET, LIVE+ Mobile App, and LIVE+ NewsBook.

The updated 1U LIVE+ Broadcast Server supports two live feeds simultaneously from dif-ferent LIVE+ transmitters and outputs real-time genlocked HD or SD video that feeds into the playout workflow. In addition to live video, the

server can also receive store-and-forward video clips, edited video packages or other files that may be used at the broadcast facility to com-plete a story. Dual 400W redundant power sup-plies ensure broadcast continuity if one power supply fails, and they can be hot-swapped while

the server is in use. For data redundancy and protection of stored data, the LIVE+ Broadcast Server now includes 2 x 1TB RAID hard drives. In addition, the new server features a quad-core Intel Xeon high-performance processor for all-day, everyday reliability.

Dejero-LIVE+ Broadcast Server is now

available in a 1RU form factor.

The new MediArc for Web lets users access archival content in a large user base.

The new portable HD monitor from Ruige.





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IT Managers, Content Creators Streamline Digital Media Workflows