TVT477.Digital September 2022

Welcome to the
September 2022
issue of
TVT477.AD_.indd 1 8/18/22 2:00 PM

contents September 2022
volumn 40, issue 9
10 18
16 24
10 News Outlets Strategize on 20 Learning About RF
Election 2022 Coverage
AR, LEDs, multimedia offerings and non-
partisan coverage drive newsgathering
Doug shares his RF knowledge from
more than 50 years in the industry
By Doug Lung
equipment
guide
user reports
28
this campaign season audio
By Susan Ashworth
22 Doing Your Homework When 4 • Lawo
Selecting a Cloud Provider guest • Blackmagic
12 Future Is Now With Asking the right questions to gain access editorial • Calrec
IP Production to the right tools and services
Recent necessities made IP a reality By Karl Paulsen
before anyone imagined 6
By Bob Kovacs
24 Metaverse or Metamucil? in the
How can our expertise in broadcast tech news
16 Are You Ready for Some help us understand the next big thing?
Football? By Dennis Baxter
27
What the networks have in store for
the NFL season eye on
By Mark R. Smith 26 Audio and the Evolution of the tech
TV News Team
How stations are adapting to the
18 The Ongoing Evolution of new normal 34
LED Lights By John Davis people
It’s no longer just about the amount of 28
light, but about the quality of the light
By Bruce Aleksander
twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | September 2022 3

guest editorial
Vol. 40 No. 9 | September 2022
LPTV: Changing FOLLOW US

www.tvtech.com
twitter.com/tvtechnology
Our Name Is Only

CONTENT
Content Director
Tom Butts, tom.butts@futurenet.com
the Beginning
Content Manager
Terry Scutt, terry.scutt@futurenet.com
Senior Content Producer
George Winslow, george.winslow@futurenet.com
Contributors Gary Arlen, Susan Ashworth,
James Careless, Kevin Hilton, Craig Johnston,
As the organization representing Low Power, Class A and Full Power Tele- Bob Kovacs and Mark R. Smith
Production Manager Heather Tatrow
vision Stations, the LPTV Broadcasters Association lobbies and represents Managing Design Director Nicole Cobban
our members in front of Congress and the FCC. We also answer member Senior Design Director Cliff Newman
inquiries about station operations.
ADVERTISING SALES
We believe that calling a station “Low Power” attaches a stigma to our Vice President, Sales, B2B Tech Group
members so we are now asking our members to change it to “Local Power,” as Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com
they are the fabric of their communities.
SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE
Since I joined the LPTVBA in June as executive director, we have appointed To subscribe, change your address, or check on your current
Alixandra Steir as our new membership account status, go to www.tvtechnology.com and click on
director. In the year since the foundation of About Us, email futureplc@computerfulfillment.com,
call 888-266-5828, or write P.O. Box 8692, Lowell, MA 01853.
the LPTVBA, there has been amazing growth through
our founder and president, “SuperFrank” Copsidas and LICENSING/REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS
TV Technology is available for licensing. Contact the Licensing
former Executive Director Michael Lee.
team to discuss partnership opportunities. Head of Print
We believe we can grow this organization to new Licensing Rachel Shaw licensing@futurenet.com
heights, but we also believe that we can do more for our
MANAGEMENT
membership and others in the broadcasting community. It is our organizational belief that infor- Senior Vice President Group Elizabeth Deeming
mation and knowledge are key to growing our organization and that includes making our newslet- VP, B2B Tech Group, Camel King
ters more informative and interactive, which allows for more engagement with our members. In Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance
Head of Design Rodney Dive
addition to our webinars and informational videos, we are looking to begin a monthly, open Zoom
meeting with members. FUTURE US, INC.
Our hope is that our members will collaborate and learn from others in the broadcast industry. 130 West 42nd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036
This is not a new initiative, but rather an evolution, much like the evolution from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC
3.0. We either change with the times or become irrelevant—and LPTV should never be irrelevant as All contents © 2022 Future US, Inc. or published under licence. All rights reserved. No
part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way
there are so many small businesses that own and operate LPTV stations. without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited
(company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office:
In addition to being at the NAB Show earlier this year, we are attending more state broadcasting Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication
is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to
sponsored events to show the LPTV community that the future of LPTV is NextGen TV and as the press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such
information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard
new standard continues to evolve and is deployed, LPTV is leading the way. to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites
mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their
We continue to look for ways for our members to benefit from this transition, but also find ways contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent
and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
to help our members afford this change. As an organization we need to be more collaborative—not If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have
the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically
only with our members but with other organizations like the ATBA and the NAB. We believe that grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in
part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published
these efforts will help grow LPTV’s influence in the industry and lead to positive changes for all worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated
products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every
broadcasters. care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents,subcontractors or
licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material
In sum, as an organization, we are trying to expand our reach and grow as we advocate for our is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend,
adapt all submissions.
current and future members during the transition from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0. As we always say, Please Recycle. We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived
“we are not Low Power but LOCAL Power.” from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The
paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable
managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic
standards.
Peter Saad TV Technology (ISSN: 0887-1701) is published monthly by Future US,
Executive Director Inc., 130 West 42nd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036-8002. Phone:
978-667-0352. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional
mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TV Technology, P.O. Box
LPTV Broadcasters Association 848, Lowell, MA 01853.
ps@lptvba.org
Recognize Excellence!
Honor an individual or product by entering your nomination for the
2022 Tech Leadership Awards! Deadline is Sept. 22.
Apply at www.techleadershipawards.com/2022.
4 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

in the news
Ad-Supported Disney+ Tier To Nexstar to Acquire 75% Stake in

Launch Dec. 8 The CW Network
BURBANK, Calif.—Disney+ “With our new ad- IRVING, Texas—Nexstar Media DMAs, accounting for 32 percent
will launch its ad-supported supported Disney+ offering Group has entered into a of the Network’s national reach.
subscription offering in the and an expanded lineup definitive agreement to acquire Nexstar said that the proposed
U.S. at $7.99 on Dec. 8 and of plans across our entire a 75% ownership interest transaction is expected
that it will increase streaming portfolio, in The CW Network to create value for
standalone sub we will be providing LLC. When the Nexstar shareholders
prices for Disney+ greater consumer deal is completed, by solidifying the
and Hulu services. choice at a variety Warner Bros. Company’s revenue
The price hikes of price points to Discovery (WBD) opportunities as the
come as streamers are cater to the diverse needs and Paramount Global, largest CW affiliate,
struggling with increased of our viewers and appeal to the current co-owners of diversifying its content
programming costs and are an even broader audience,” The CW, will each retain a 12.5 outside of news, increasing
under increased pressure said Kareem Daniel, percent ownership interest in The its exposure to the national
from Wall Street to reduce chairman, Disney Media & CW and will continue to produce advertising market, establishing
losses. As of Dec. 8, Disney+ Entertainment Distribution. original, scripted content for the it as a participant in advertising
without ads will increase to “Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ network. Financial terms of the video-on-demand services
$10.99, a $3 pop. feature unparalleled content transaction—which is expected to and improving The CW ratings,
As of Oct. 23, Hulu’s and viewing experiences close in the third quarter—were revenue, and profitability, by
prices will increase to $14.99 and offer the best value in not disclosed. prioritizing programing for the
a month without ads, up streaming today, with over Nexstar is the nation’s largest Network’s broadcast audience.
$2 and $7.99 with ads, a $1 100,000 movie titles, TV local television broadcasting Mark Pedowitz will continue to
increase. Disney previously episodes, original shows, company and the largest CW serve as The CW’s chairman and
announced that prices for sports and live events affiliate group with 37 CW and CEO, with responsibility for day-
ESPN+ would increase on collectively.” CW Plus affiliates, including to-day operations.
August 23. George Winslow affiliates in five of the top ten George Winslow
NAB Launches 2022 Election Toolkit

for Broadcasters
WASHINGTON—The NAB has launched its 2022 Election
Toolkit, an online resource for local television and radio
broadcasters to help them cover 2022 local, state and federal
elections and combat misinformation.
The 2022 Election Toolkit includes information on identifying
false statements online, suggested tactics for hosting debates,
voter registration resources and guides for finding local polling
places. Broadcast-ready public service announcements
encouraging voter participation are also available in both
English and Spanish.
“Local broadcasters are a trusted and reliable source of news
and information, which takes on heightened importance in
combating disinformation as Americans exercise their right to
vote,” said NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “The toolkit
will equip radio and television stations in helping voters make
informed decisions at the polls—an essential component in
ensuring the vitality of our democracy.”
As part of the effort, the NAB is also encouraging
broadcasters to share examples of debate offerings, civic news
coverage and voter education public service efforts by emailing
advocacy@nab.org.
To download the toolkit, visit www.nab.org/electiontoolkit.
George Winslow

in the news
OPINION
Are You Local Enough?
W
hich media know more are all “eminently more targetable.”
about the local politics Together, they “gained $1.7 billion over
and ballot issues affecting 2012 spending levels, while radio, TV and
the Joplin, Mo.—Pittsburg, newspapers lost nearly $1.3 billion…,” it
Kan., DMA? Morgan Murphy Media’s says.
KOAM-TV? or Facebook? In the years since, targeted
What about in Santa social media advertising has
Barbara, Calif.? News-Press & only gained momentum—led
Producer Evan Shapiro to Gazette’s KEYT or Instagram? by Facebook, which CNBC
How about Raleigh-Durham, reported in October 2020
Keynote NAB Show N.C.? Capitol Broadcasting earned 3% of its quarterly
New York Opening Co.’s WRAL or YouTube? U.S. revenue from political
The answer to each and campaign ads. Bloomberg
NEW YORK—Award-winning film producer question is obvious: The reported the same month that
Evan Shapiro will keynote the 2022 NAB local broadcasters serving with two weeks to go before the
Show New York opening event, Oct. 19. In their markets with reporting election, YouTube had run out
his presentation, “Bringing Media Into the by journalists who cover the Phil Kurz of space to run political ads.
Current Century, Now,” he will examine issues, candidates and political Wouldn’t it be great if
the shifts occurring in today’s media fortunes that affect local viewers. broadcasters had an IP-based delivery
landscape. Presumably, viewers seeking the technology that allowed politicians to
Chris Brown, NAB executive vice information they’ll use to help make voting reach the exact audience they desire with
president and managing director, decisions are the same people politicians the exact message they wish to convey?
Global Connections and Events, said, and backers of various ballot initiatives Oh, wait a minute. They don’t just have
“With an impressive resume of award- wish to reach with their ads. one in the form of NextGen TV. They
winning projects, unique insight into the But a curious thing has happened. While actually have two when FAST channels are
competition for audience’s attention and still raking in gobs of political ad dollars, considered. I wonder how long it will be
influential thinking about the future of the broadcasters have seen a decline in their before they use them to their full potential.
business, Evan Shapiro is a sought-after share of dollars compared to other media. While TV newsrooms clearly know their
voice for preparing media professionals A final analysis of political ad spending in local markets, politics, candidates and
for the challenges and opportunities of 2016 from Borrell Associates reports the issues better than digital/social media,
tomorrow.” share of dollars devoted to broadcast TV key to competing effectively for ad dollars
Shapiro’s address will take place in the dropped from 57.9% in 2012 to 44.7% in with these alternative platforms is offering
Content Theater located on the show 2016. a viable way for politicians to target the
floor following welcome remarks by NAB What gained share? Digital, cable and specific voters they wish to reach with their
President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. direct mail, which as the report says specific messages. l
“We are excited to have Evan share his
perspective with our community as we kick
off the return to an in-person NAB Show
New York,” Brown added.
Shapiro is an Emmy and Peabody
Award-winning producer of film, TV and
podcasts. He is a professor of Media
Studies at New York University and
Fordham University schools of business.
He also is the co-host of a podcast called
“Cancel Culture.”
Shapiro will also participate in an
exclusive interview on NAB Amplify as
a preview to his NAB Show New York
keynote address.
To register for NAB Show New York at
Credit: Getty Images
the Javits Center, Oct. 19–20, visit

https://nabshow.com/ny2022.
Tom Butts

New HyperDeck Shuttle HD
The desktop HyperDeck that’s the perfect
live production clip player and master recorder!
HyperDeck Shuttle HD is a recorder and player that’s designed to Supports SD Cards and UHS-II Cards
be used on the desktop! That means it’s more than a master recorder HyperDeck Shuttle supports recording to common SD cards and UHS-II cards
as it can also be used as a clip player. You get support for ProRes, so you don’t need expensive custom media. When using H.264, the files are so
DNx and H.264 files in NTSC, PAL, 720p and 1080p video formats. incredibly small you get very long recordings even on smaller low cost cards.
Plus SD cards, UHS-II cards and USB-C external disks can be used This means you can record up to 157 hours of H.264 in 1080p59.94 on a 1 TB
for recording and playing media. card. That’s over 6 days of recording in HD using a single 1 TB card!
Elegantly Designed Professional Broadcast Deck Record to External USB-C Media Disks
HyperDeck Shuttle HD is perfectly designed for the desktop. This means the If recording to other types of media is required, the USB-C expansion port lets
front panel can be operated with a single hand! The design is the same depth you plug in an external flash disk for recording. USB-C flash disks have unlimited
and angle as ATEM Mini Extreme, so they match perfectly when used together! capacity because they can be physically larger than an SD card or SSD. Plus, it’s
Scrolling media is fast as the machined metal search dial has a natural inertia, even possible to record to a disk you’ll use for editing, so you don’t need to waste
and the soft rubber surface feels nice to the touch. time copying files before starting post production.
Traditional Broadcast Deck Controls HyperDeck Shuttle HD

HyperDeck Shuttle includes a control panel that’s very fast to use. The buttons
are similar to a traditional broadcast deck. Simply press the record button and
you instantly start recording the video input to a file! It will record in the file format
$495
that has been set in the record menu. There are other buttons for playback,
to cue to the start of the clip and to move to the next clip.
www.blackmagicdesign.com Learn More!

elections 2022
over the country,” said Kate O’Brian, head of

national network news group at E.W. Scripps
Co., which produces the Newsy channel.
Newsy is unique, she said, because it
provides a linear stream available in every
possible distribution method (except cable)
and is free everywhere. “For the consumer,
no matter what story we’re doing, we bring
A number of news something that others are not able to bring
stations use Vizrt’s
Engine graphics free: 24/7, live content,” she said.
platform to provide AR That will dovetail directly into the
coverage of election network’s 2022 election coverage. The
returns.
journalists within the network’s 14 bureaus
are reporters and producers who are local to
those bureaus, O’Brian said. In addition to
News Outlets a national producer and political reporter,

the network has reporters across the country
in places other people don’t—Phoenix,
Strategize on Election
Nashville, Seattle, Denver and more.
“That creates a kind of coverage for us that
is deeper and broader, which gives us and
2022 Coverage
gives our audience an advantage,” O’Brian
said. Newsy also has a partnership with 61
local Scripps television stations as well as
an additional group of reporters providing
AR, LEDs, multimedia offerings and nonpartisan coverage additional political coverage.
drive newsgathering this campaign season When it comes to the visual look of the
network’s November election coverage,
Newsy will shortly roll out the “Inform Your
from others depends on the network’s core Vote 22” moniker. The network also plans to
By Susan Ashworth priorities. differentiate itself by covering stories that may
be passed over by other networks, O’Brian said.
SAN FRANCISCO—With dozens of information FROM THE GROUND UP “It’s why we chose to put our bureaus in these
platforms to choose from (and a proliferation For news network Newsy, the priority is random places—it’s not a random choice.
of often-less-than-objective sources out there) about reporting and producing from the [Those bureaus] represent the country.”
how do modern TV news outlets plan to tackle ground up. Rather than seeing itself as a bells
the 2022 election this November? and whistles organization, the head of the INTERSECTION OF DATA
For every station group and news Scripps news group said her election coverage AND GRAPHICS
broadcaster prepping for this year’s midterm team is focused on contextual stories, solid Heading into the November elections,
elections, one fact stands immutable: reporting, deep dives into political profiles Telemundo finds itself faced with a delightful
Objectivity reigns supreme. Only second and live election news coverage. challenge: how to best cover a significant
to that are the technology choices and “The hallmark of Newsy is that it’s a number of election races involving Latina
newsgathering trademarks that a network will nonpartisan, news-driven channel focused on politicians.
employ to better connect with viewers and communicating with our audience through “One of the things that NBCUniversal
strengthen that loyalty. the visual medium, which means beautifully has done is to make diversity one of its
What sets some election coverages apart produced packages that appeal to viewers all strongholds,” said Jeffrey Liebman, director

elections 2022
of news operations for Telemundo. “This camera frameup of a wide expanse, that open
[election] year it’s important to be covering space offers a breathtaking background for
Latina races.” “What was very successful any number of creative possibilities,” he said.
Telemundo will work with the other AR options may include an augmented
networks under the NBCUniversal banner in the last election was reality version of Capitol Hill—appearing in
—including the NBC News Group, MSNBC, the tremendous amount of the Miami building’s circular rotunda with
CNBC and others—by pooling resources its wide, winding staircase—in which the roof
when it comes to election data graphics. The data we were able to use of the virtual Congressional dome flips open
network uses several Vizrt Engine graphics to really tell stories and to reveal animated election numbers and
platforms for graphics creation; datamining statistics inside.
for onscreen graphics and charts is handled convey to viewers what The network also plans to make prodigious
through the NBC technology department. “We
want the entities to work together so that
the status of the election use of LED flatscreens in its election staging.
“They are wonderful for storytelling and can
our election environment is streamlined,” numbers were.” be used easily as touchscreens,” Liebman said.
Liebman said. JEFFREY LIEBMAN, TELEMUNDO
“The significant use of AR graphics and LED
As a news organization, Telemundo knows technology ends up being much less expensive
that much of its viewership is situated on than constructing a huge stage,” he said.
the coasts, so the network is prepping for the storytelling, he said. But even if you can put a lot of magic on the
ability to program news late into the night for This year, the Telemundo team has screen, the bottom line will always be about
West Coast viewers. expanded that AR graphics team which plans the content. “It’s about numbers and how NBC
“What was very successful in the last to take advantage of the cavernous, two- parcels out those graphic numbers in both
election was the tremendous amount of data story, glass foyer that hosts the Telemundo English and in Spanish,” he said. “And it works.”
we were able to use to really tell stories and news space in Miami, which also serves as
convey to viewers what the status of the a production hub for other NBC properties. PROVIDING CONTEXT
election numbers were,” he said. Oftentimes, “That area gives us a lot of creative freedom For Sinclair Broadcast Group, its 2022
the minute-by-minute returns that were that has proven ideal for things like AR,” election coverage will showcase its
coming in were driven by augmented reality Liebman said. “If a news program requires a commitment to providing context that goes
11
live production
Future Is Now As quickly as the IP production steamroller

was upon us, that doesn’t mean it was easy or
without growing pains.
With IP Production
“There were several hurdles that needed
to be overcome to make this a reality and
they have been conquered for the most part,”
said Steven Bilow, senior product marketing
Recent necessities made IP a reality before manager at Telestream. “For example, the
anyone imagined nondeterminism of IP switching versus SDI
used to be a big roadblock. But now, with
technologies like ST 2110 and, especially for
come at a better time. widely distributed sites, ST 2022-6, as well
By Bob Kovacs “Live production over IP is a definite reality as ever-increasing format efficiency with
now,” said Ulrich Voigt, vice president for technologies like JPEG-XS, these latencies
WASHINGTON—If you work for a broadcaster, product management at Vizrt. “It has reached have largely been overcome.”
you know that distribution over IP is supplant- a level most of us did not expect.” The inherent flexibility of IP has users and
ing SDI as the best practice, both for in-studio manufacturers thinking of ways to structure
and remote activities. IP is simply the “better CHANGING QUICKLY systems to capture and distribute signals in
mousetrap,” with more flexibility than SDI, at Liam Hayter, senior solutions architect novel ways. Producers and content creators are
costs that are no greater and often less. for NewTek thinks he knows why the change pushing the technology into situations where
One of the interesting benefits of working happened so quickly. SDI dares not go.
in an IP production environment is that “[It’s] the acceptance of lightweight, high- “We believe completely in the cloud and IP’s
it is better understood by corporate IT efficiency, and crucially low-latency software- ability to transform live production in a way
departments than the traditional way of based compression as an acceptable tool for that dramatically expands who and how video
working in an SDI “island” that is strictly the broadcast,” he said. “Early in the IP transition, is produced and delivered,” said Paul Shen,
concern of the television engineering staff. At there was much chasing of uncompressed zero- CEO of TVU Networks. “It’s what drives us to
a time when skilled broadcast engineers are latency IP delivery, but this becomes heavy and keep creating—empowering content creators is
retiring in great numbers, the transition to unwieldy—particularly when globally everyone, at the core of everything we do.”
IP production infrastructures could not have in every scenario, needed to work remotely.” One of Shen’s users is the Confederation of
beyond a typical 15-second news sound coverage, Sinclair stations will take advantage effort to provide unmatched coverage on every
bite. Its “Beyond the Podium” segments that of social media platforms to gather our platform in every market.
will air as election coverage kicks off will viewers’ questions for candidates, allowing Sinclair’s Capitol Hill bureau will provide
showcase meaningful content that separates for a more direct conversation from the local daily stories on key topics and issues
Sinclair from its competitors, said Scott communities that Sinclair serves,” Livingston impacting the country while local resources
Livingston, senior vice president of news for said. “We will also stream as many candidate will be leveraged to provide comprehensive
the station group. press conferences and forums in real time on coverage in important swing states. “We will
“As it has done with previous news our digital platforms,” Livingston said, in an also provide live coverage from Capitol Hill
with our national interactive mapping to
track the results across the country and the
impact on the balance of power in Congress,”
Livingston said
Sinclair will also continue its “Connect to
Congress” series, a multimedia initiative that
kicked off in February that enables members
of Congress in Sinclair’s news markets to
speak directly to their constituents on a
regular basis through their local TV news
stations. The program relies on broadcast,
digital and social media technologies to get
viewers answers to local issues.
Telemundo, Newsy and Sinclair share
challenges facing nearly every news outlet come
election night: breaking through the noise of so
many virtual platforms. The way forward, each
said, is to unearth fresh content for viewers
and knowledgeably expand that news across
Telemundo’s cavernous, two-story, glass foyer, which hosts the network’s news space in Miami, could also
serve as the backdrop for AR graphics to illustrate election returns. platforms with the penultimate goal of helping
the electorate make informed decisions. l

live production
Independent Football Associations (CONIFA), a

soccer organization based in Latin America. In
June, CONIFA produced and broadcast the Copa
América, a professional soccer tournament
from the remote Chilean city of Linares, with
practically no equipment, minimal personnel
and on a shoestring budget.
“With the TVU ecosystem, four or five
people in different countries participating in
production and transmission, a few pieces of
basic equipment, and a couple of smartphones,
we were able to stream live to the whole
world from one small city in southern Chile,”
said Diego Bartolotta, president of CONIFA
Americas. “Before the Copa América, I was a
bit incredulous that we could achieve a quality
broadcast of a professional football game
with only interconnected phones. But [this
In late June, TVU Networks worked with CONIFA to successfully produce and broadcast a
broadcast] totally changed my perspective.” professional football tournament from the remote Chilean city of Linares, with practically no
equipment, minimal personnel and at a low cost.
NO IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT
Although IP is now widely accepted for now needs to handle not only HD-SDI but also added. “The pandemic has been a catalyst to
broadcast infrastructure, existing SDI cabling the ability to go 4K.” adopt NDI as one viable IP technology, as it
does not necessarily need to be replaced was the only one supporting cloud, remote and
immediately. There are a few ways to keep MONITOR AND MEASUREMENT work-from-home scenarios.”
both the IP and SDI gods happy. Of course, high-quality broadcasts are not
“With SDI/IP gateways, there is no possible without tools to monitor and measure NEW OPTIONS
immediate need to make SDI equipment the quality of the signals. As the use of IP The people producing content focus on
obsolete,” said Chris Scheck, marketing production has mushroomed in the past few getting good images and sound, and combining
content manager for Lawo. Hardly anyone years, manufacturers of test and measurement them in interesting and entertaining ways.
is seriously considering this option, because gear have been racing to make monitoring However, even they are discovering that IP gives
their CFO wouldn’t like the idea, and and measurement practical, and for it to make them options that were never before available—
because [in some situations] there is still no sense in a live production environment. or were hopelessly expensive or complex.
equivalent IP solution.” “Point-to-point SDI connections used to be For example, it’s easy to have bidirectional
“The idea was always to phase out SDI far easier to troubleshoot than IP connections. signals in an IP environment. And since IP is
naturally by no longer purchasing non-IP gear, In some ways they still are,” Bilow said. “But literally available everywhere, it is not a huge
but even that remains tricky as some tools are the sophistication of tools, such as Telestream’s technical consideration to get a feed from
still firmly rooted in the SDI domain,” Scheck Inspect 2110 and PRISM, to allow proactive India, Korea, Egypt or Peru. What was once
said. “What will happen, however is that SDI monitoring and problem identification in large- complicated and expensive in a satellite uplink
routers will disappear over time, because IP scale media networks has come so far in the world is far easier and much cheaper with IP.
natives like Lawo’s .edge can replace them past five years that it’s now possible to identify The Covid pandemic pushed broadcasters to
at a lower cost, while also offering almost and diagnose even complex problems in a embrace IP production systems and techniques
unlimited scalability of the number of SDI reasonable amount of time.” faster than they would have otherwise, but the
inputs and outputs.” Bridging current SDI systems to the IP reality is that the advantages of IP are obvious
At least one vendor sees a healthy SDI world can be done with gear from a variety for at least larger productions. Depending on
universe in the foreseeable future. of vendors. One of the first to come up with what you’re doing, it can definitely make sense
“As a big part of our business and an OEM a solution was NewTek, which developed for smaller productions as well.
supplier to major broadcast equipment its Network Device Interface (NDI) line of One final thought: SpaceX now has a
manufacturers, we can confidently say interfaces and processors. constellation of thousands of satellites that
that SDI is quite healthy,” said Francesco “Five years ago, ‘IP’ in broadcast mainly can deliver modestly high-speed IP circuit
Scartozzi, vice president of sales and business referred to the SMPTE ST 2110 family of anywhere in the world, and the company is
development for Matrox Broadcast and Media standards, which is designed to be used on- adding satellites at the rate of 50-100 per
Group. “That’s not to say that the IP is not prem with mainly physical equipment,” Voight month. With the ultimate goal of having tens
being adopted, but SDI is still quite prevalent. said. “If we look at IP production happening of thousands of satellites and the capability
At the lower end of the broadcast pyramid, today, we see a clear mix of ST 2110 on-prem to deliver upload/download speeds of more
SDI is very well suited, whether it’s for 3G and NDI hybrid as on-prem and cloud. than 100 Mbps, this literally means that high-
SDI and 12G SDI for those moving toward 4K. “We see NDI being used today at almost quality video can originate from anywhere in
As a supplier to those vendors, we can see every large media entity, at least as the world. At a moment’s notice.
these customers are refreshing all the SDI ‘commodity’ IP production technology and Think of what clever content creators and
equipment with newer SDI equipment that ST 2110 for the high-end infrastructure,” he video producers can do with that capability. l

www.voiceinteraction.ai
TRUSTED SOLUTIONS FOR

THE
BROADCAST INDUSTRY
Presenting our award-winning platforms at stand 7 A.55
AUTOMATIC broadcast TRANSCRIPTION

CLOSED CAPTIONING compliance AUTOMATION
Exclusive preview of Media Monitoring System 7.0

An award-winning AI platform that goes far beyond ordinary compliance solutions,
now with a new appearance and redesigned tools.
KNOW MORE AT VOICEINTERACTION.AI/IBC2022

fall sports preview
Are You Ready for getting closer to being able to do so natively.

The bandwidth required has been the chal-
lenge.”
Some Football? Fox Sports primarily relies on Sony cameras

and produces most games “in 1080p and sends
the content out in 720p, aside from some key
games during the season,” he said, such as the
What the networks have in store for the NFL season Thanksgiving and Christmas broadcasts, which
will air in 1080p HDR.
And for edgier shots, Davies said that Fox
Sports and the other networks are continuing
to work with the league on refining its drone
program. As it’s happened, broadcasting for
another league is providing insights.
“We’re still figuring out how to handle
drones in the NFL, though we’re doing it
extensively with our USFL broadcasts, which
basically serve as a ‘Petri dish’ for the NFL,” he
said. “So drones will be part of our coverage
one way or another. We use one per game.”
For audio, Fox is using six parabolic mics
around the field, but the league also requires
the networks to work with NFL Films.
“The NFL has allowed microphones to be
put on centers and guards, for example,” said
Davies, “and as part of the process, NFL Films
provides the player audio for effects at the line.
So, they typically mic the players and get us
the audio, and we feather this in with audio we
get from traditional systems, like our parabolic
microphones and shotgun mics, from Skycams
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) runs with the ball while Arizona Cardinals offensive among many others placed around the field.”
guard Justin Pugh (67) blocks during a regular season NFL football game between the Arizona Production techniques will be fine-tuned as
Cardinals and the Detroit Lions on Dec. 19, 2021 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. the season progresses, Davies added.
more for the B game. And we’ll try to ensure PYL-ING ON

By Mark R. Smith that every camera we use during a game is CBS Sports is planning on refining picture
super slo-mo, except for A, B and C.” quality and take advantage of advances in
BALTIMORE—As the 2022 NFL season gets That means during a Super Bowl broadcast, data tracking, according to Jason Cohen, vice
underway this month, Michael Davies knows which has in recent years included about 120 president of remote technical operations, who
what’s at stake. The senior vice president of cameras, even the pylon cams (which all of the pointed to the network’s moves last season
field operations for Fox Sports is contemplat- networks will employ) can be used for super to accentuate the shallow depth of field “with
ing new technical options on the road to the slo-mo shots. That requires using software a cinematic quality” via the Sony F5500 and
network’s 10th presentation of Super Bowl LVII from the cloud. Steadicam. He also discussed last year’s col-
to accentuate its broadcast on Sunday, Feb. 12, “How that works is pretty straightforward,” laboration with the NFL and Second Spectrum
from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Davies shared. “You record the clip, send it to use next-generation data to track player
What will they be? He doesn’t know yet, up to the cloud and then it’s returned for air. movement via a chip that was embedded in a
which means the crew “will try different things Pylons, POVs, etc., can’t be super slo-mo, so given player’s shoulder pad. That led to CBS
during the season that we will eventually use we add that option with software, though we’re featuring “RomoVision” and winning an Emmy
during the Super Bowl broadcast. Award for technical achievement.
“That data can be leveraged in many ways,”
REPLAY’S THE THING he said, “and RomoVision gives us the X’s and
One area Davies plans to focus on en route, O’s on how players ran routes and why a play
however, is the clarity and quality of replays. “Audiences are expecting worked—or didn’t.”
Credit: Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
“Audiences are expecting more and more su-

per slow motion, for that clear, smooth replay.
more and more super The next big thing on Cohen’s radar is its
enhanced pylon system. “Traditionally there
We plan to expand that option by about 10% slow motion, for that have been cameras out of each of three [of the
across the board,” he said, “so we may include
a couple more replays for the A game on a giv-
clear, smooth replay.” four] pylons set in each end zone. This season,
CBS has partnered with C360 that uses one
en Sunday, for about 10 total; and maybe one MICHAEL DAVIES, FOX SPORTS 4K camera from each of four pylons that has

fall sports preview
ESPN camera crew during graphics “will remain the same, with a slightly
a Monday Night Football more robust approach via augmented reality.”
game at AT&T Stadium. Platt said EN1’s new design “will be like
walking into the same house, yet like walking
into a new one,” adding that the broadcast
will be sent back to ESPN headquarters in
Bristol, Conn., “in 1080p HDR, as we’ve done
for several years, with viewers seeing it in
1080p.”
NBC is also adding more slo-mo, pylons
and graphics as part of an evolving approach
with “Sunday Night Football.”
“This year, we’ll have an additional super
slow-motion reverse camera angle that will
cover game action [from] a new perspective,”
said Rob Hyland, coordinating producer. “We
have also added pylon cameras in each end
zone, as well as RF line to gain cameras on
an embedded 191-degree sensor,” Cohen said, Jimmy Platt, director of Monday Night Foot- the near and far sidelines.”
“which allows us to follow action seamlessly ball. The update includes 27 new Sony 5500s, Adding separate or offering new looks
into the end zone, instead of having to keep which will give the “Monday Night Football” during this season’s NFL broadcasts will be the
switching cameras.” broadcast “a more cinematic feel,” said Platt; recurring theme among the major carriers on
Credit: Allen Kee/ESPN Images

plus four Sony 4800s and two F5500s; and new the way to Feb 12.
REBUILT TO LAST Canon lenses, featuring 122xs and 24xs. “Overall, we’re just marching to Super Bowl
ESPN’s EN1, the main truck in its five-truck Almost all of ESPN’s 52 cameras, including LVII, knowing that new options will manifest
compound has received a complete overhaul 19 manned, will offer high frame rates “with an themselves during the season,” Davies said.
and upgrade to SMPTE 2110 according to average of 6x for replay,” he said, adding that “There’s still much in discussion.” l
17
lighting technology
gering drunken sailor. Apparently,

so do some designers. We’re see-
ing that play out now with some
novel, and occasionally brilliant,
designs. As in nature, only the
adaptable ones survive.
Advances in LED chip density
and optical design are leading
these changes. Lumen-per-watt
performance has already out-
paced the original Department of
Energy’s hypothetical limits. Like-
wise, the bar for acceptable color
has been raised to near perfection.
The shape of light fixtures
The Ongoing Evolution

reflects its component’s parts. The
industry started with Dual In-Line
Package (DIP) LEDs, which natu-
of LED Lights
rally gave us the original flat-panel
“soft” lights. Since then LEDs have
evolved at a breathtaking rate.
The best we have today are
Surface-Mounted Diode (SMD)
It's no longer just about the amount of light, but about the and Chip-on-Board (COB) LEDs.
quality of the light The density and brightness of
these LEDs is increasing the way
that computer chips did in their
early days, but the luminous cap-
O
f all the incandescent light is cent versions of “workhorse” sule is still quite large compared
cultural a dinosaur. From an light fixtures have suffered in to either arc or incandescent
advances energy standpoint, the transition. One case in point lamps. That’s limited the optical
that have LEDs are roughly is the LED Fresnel, because design potential of fixtures
fostered humanity, eight times more today’s version has a completely to date, but the components
the most important efficient than tung- different optical path than the themselves are evolving with the
may have been the sten-halogen lamps. incandescent one. By comparison, clearing of each technical hurdle.
discovery of fire. The “Two steps forward lighthouses from two centuries
ability to harness and one step back” ago have better optical design COLOR TAKES CENTER STAGE
the heat and light of is the dance of tech- than today’s LED Fresnels. It’s no longer just the amount
fire helped elevate EXPERTISE nological innovation. Those who work with “classic” of light, but the quality of the
humanity from So, it is with lighting. studio lights will have noticed light. Color has taken the center
just another spe- BRUCE Early LED fixtures that only a few inches in the stage. LEDs are a discontinuous
cies scrambling for ALEKSANDER remind me of the middle of LED Fresnel lens are spectrum source and getting the
survival, to become spacefarers. dawning of the automotive age. now illuminated at “flood.” It still right color mix is complicated.
Harnessing light is a quest that Carl Benz’s first car was basi- works, but because the area of Like a dish out of a gourmet
threads its way through history— cally an internal-combustion illuminated lens is so small, the kitchen, it’s the mix of quality in-
LEDs being the latest chapter in engine bolted to a horseless beam no longer “wraps” the face. gredients that create the desired
that story. carriage. Likewise, early LED As with all lights, the relative taste. Likewise, the best light
The development of LEDs fixtures were little more than flat size of the illuminated aperture fixtures today are made by those
follows a repeating path of light boards with rows of LEDs. The directly impacts the quality of the who understand the nuanced rec-
source breakthroughs. In previous more sophisticated efforts were shadows. Such nuances may seem ipes for beautiful color. The worst
eras, oil lamps, gas lighting and clusters of LEDs packed in the minor, but they are also the subtle examples are like cold burgers
incandescent fixtures all went shells of traditional incandescent tools of lighting as an art. from a fast-food chain: Slightly
through a process of becom- fixtures. In retrospect today, these Charles Darwin said, "It is not green and sickly-looking.
ing more refined and perfected were clunky, if significant steps the strongest of the species that Both LEDs and camera sensors
during their time. Right now, forward. survive, nor the most intelli- are discontinuous spectrum de-
LEDs are just emerging from the gent, but the most responsive to vices, so getting the right light to
awkward teenage years. THE CASE OF THE change." stimulate the sensors requires an
In evolutionary terms, the LED FRESNEL Nature tries out many designs informed understanding. Lights
advent of LED is nothing short Many of the refinements that in evolution with a randomness interact with cameras almost as
of a revolution. By comparison, we had in the classic incandes- that’s been described as a stag- paired devices. If the spectral fre-

lighting technology
quencies don’t match up, nothing will one day find that replacement THE CHANGING SHAPES OF of a Swiss Army Knife: some of
looks right. Fortunately, there is studio fluorescent lamps are sim- LIGHT FIXTURES the “tools” work passably well,
a shorthand way to evaluate the ply unavailable. I’ve already seen Generations of professional but none are the equal of the
color quality of light fixtures. some sites selling “gently used” use and refinement have given us single-purpose version. I can’t
Color quality distinguishes the fluorescent lamps—if your man- the traditional lighting fixtures imagine a grip truck filled with
best from the rest. agement needs to see the writing that serve the industry today. them but they will offer more
CRI (Color Rendering Index) on the wall to move forward, con- But the advent of any new light utility for those working out of
and TLCI (Television Lighting sider them. Besides, your anchors source, such as LED, brings unique their car trunks. One multi-tool
Consistency Index) scores will shouldn’t have to dodge red hot requirements that require new doesn’t do everything, any more
give you a reasonably accurate shards of glass from exploding shapes. One such new form has than one size fits all. Perhaps it’s
basis for comparing light fixtures: incandescent lamps. been the “mono-light” lamp-head. fine for a travel kit, but not for
a “perfect” score for CRI and To help with the transition, Mono-lights use either pro- lighting a full studio.
TLCI is 100. Anything over 90 is some manufacturers are offer- prietary or universal accessory And so, we’re in the midst of
fairly good, but scores of 95 or ing LED upgrade kits for their mounts (such as Bowens) to ac- great change in our lighting tools.
higher are considered the new earlier lights. This could be a cept a broad range of accessories. This evolution will eventually lead
benchmark for excellence. There good choice for fixtures with These fixtures are designed to to a clarification of form, but we’re
are quite a few competing scales good, original build-quality. I emulate the qualities of sin- a long way off from the equilibri-
evaluating color quality, but applaud the effort to find a more gle-purpose light fixtures with a um we had in the era of incan-
CRI and TLCI scores are readily sustainable equipment life cycle. matching attachment. They offer descent. The one constant we
available from most manufactur- Reusability makes good sense. an adaptability that reminds me have today is our need to tell our
ers today. This, too, will change stories—a task for which lighting
over time. continues to play a key role. l
Still using incandescent and
fluorescent? The clock is ticking.
With the ongoing lamp industry
Still using incandescent and fluorescent? Bruce Aleksander invites comments
The clock is ticking.

from those interested in lighting at
consolidations and changes, you TVLightingguy@hotmail.com.
rf technology
Learning About RF
Doug shares his RF knowledge from more than 50 years in the industry
A
s I approach my 300th other RF topics non-engineers interference.
RF Technology column would find useful. As RF frequencies increase and wavelength
for TV Tech, I thought One thing that helps in gaining decreases to a millimeter or less, antennas
it might be useful an understanding of how RF works can even start looking like optical devices. At
to describe some of the things is finding ways to see it work. satellite and microwave frequencies, parabolic
I’ve learned in more than 50 Radio frequency electromagnetic reflectors are commonly used. These also turn
years of working with broadcast fields are similar in many ways to out to be quite effective at light and infrared
transmitters. Throughout my much higher frequency energy, wavelengths, as anyone who has had an LNB
career, I worked with concepts such as light. Just as buildings cover melt when the sun moved behind the
and systems that were difficult to block some light and create shad- satellite the dish was looking at knows.
understand, but through experi- EXPERTISE ows, they also block RF.
ence and help from experts I was However, the shadows are not ANTENNAS AND WAVELENGTH
fortunate to meet I was able to Doug Lung completely dark, as some light finds Keeping in mind the relationship between
understand them better. its way in by reflection from other frequency and wavelength can also help in
You’ve probably had similar objects and scattering in the at- evaluating antennas. Antennas that have to
experiences, from things as basic as learning to mosphere. RF behaves the same way, although work on lower frequencies, like low-band
drive to creating spreadsheets on a computer the amount of reflection and scattering in VHF-TV (54–88 MHz), FM radio (88–108 MHz),
or configuring an IP network. One element of the atmosphere will vary with frequency and have to be larger than those used for high-VHF
this is being able to understand how these sys- wavelength, which is the frequency divided by TV (174–216 MHz) or UHF TV (470–608 MHz)
tems or tasks work on an almost intuitive level. the speed of light. to work efficiently. This doesn’t mean small
That provides the basis for additional learning antennas won’t work at the lower frequencies
and expertise even across different fields. COMPARING RF TO LIGHT for reception, just that the antenna itself will
I’ve found many people who have built Like light, RF energy can be focused. In be less efficient.
a good understanding of IT are also transmit antennas, this concentrates the One solution is to add an amplifier. Howev-
quick learners when it comes to RF sys- power on the ground and can be used er, the amplifier will add its own noise, reduc-
tems. Over the years, I’ve noticed more to target specific areas while avoiding ing sensitivity, and because the small antenna
of my readers are not engineers with others where coverage isn’t needed will be less directional (focused) it will pick up
RF backgrounds, but people, often with or interference has to be reduced. In more surrounding noise and interference. For
experience in other fields, who are in- receive antennas, the focusing provides best results, a low-noise amplifier should be
terested in RF. This month’s column is gain, which, like a telescope, increas- located at the antenna where it can offset the
for them, as I’ll be covering some basic es the intensity of the signal coming loss in the line to the TV and provide a good
principles. If you have had experience from one direction and reduces signals match to the line.
with RF, I welcome your comments on from other directions that may cause On the transmit side, matching the resonant
frequency and impedance of the antenna to
the transmitter is more important. Without
getting into the math, matching the imped-
ance is like connecting two pipes of the same
Doug has installed a number of

transmitters and antennas throughout the
U.S., and worked on the antenna design for
One World Trade Center.

rf technology
diameter together with the faucet on one a great way to explore RF spectrum.
end supplying water at the optimum rate for I got an email from a reader who was
the pipe and the device (say, a turbine in this I’ve found many people seeing some odd behavior picking up distant
analogy) at the other end. The water flows
smoothly with the least amount of loss.
who have built a good stations in Chicago. He was interested in try-
ing out different antennas and locations, so I
The same analogy applies in a system with understanding of IT are suggested he get a tinySA. He did and is now
a transmitter, transmission line and antenna.
However, if the impedance of the components
also quick learners when able to see how antenna type, orientation
and location impact the signal. He noticed
isn’t matched, it will lead to excessive current it comes to RF systems. the ripple (“spikes”) and I explained those
(causing heating) and voltage (potentially were due to reflections. With a bit of time and
causing arcing) at different points in the sys- tinySA, he now understands more about TV
tem, depending on wavelength. EXPERIMENTING WITH RF reception than many people today who work
Most broadcast systems are well-matched, The best way to get comfortable with RF is in broadcasting.
unless the antenna is damaged so problems to experiment with it. While difficult to do on A clarification: In my article “RF at the NAB
are more likely to occur when a connector the transmitter side (unless you are a licensed Show—ATSC 3.0, Part 1” I said Saankhya Labs
starts to lose contact, increasing loss and heat amateur radio operator) there is a lot that can developed their multi-standard ATSC 3.0
leading to contamination in the line, perhaps be done on the receive side. Google my article tuner in cooperation with Coherent Logic.
due to carbon created by overheating from a “Inexpensive Tools for RF Field Measure- Vasanth Shreesha from Saankyha said, “The
bad contact. In most cases failures will create ments” for more information. Saankhya ATSC 3.0 receivers use our own
a mismatch in the line, which can be located at The Airspy Software Defined Radio (SDR) chipset (SL3000 or SL4000)” and they were not
the base of the tower either by sending a very is a great way to explore the RF spectrum. developed by Coherent Logic.” l
short pulse up the line and looking for the time It cannot demodulate broadcast TV signals,
it takes for the return reflection, or sweeping but it will show the TV signal’s spectrum and
Email me at dlung@transmitter.com. I try to answer all
the frequency across a band of frequencies signal strength. A handheld spectrum analyzer emails promptly, but if I’m busy and the email gets buried,
(and different wavelengths) and looking at the like the TinySA (Google my column “tinySA: I might miss it. If you don’t get a response within a week or
time domain response across the frequencies. Finding Interference and Aiming Antennas”) is so, email me again.
Because these measurements involve “sweep-
ing” between frequencies, this is often called
“sweeping the line.”
TV ANTENNA SPECS DEBUNKED

One of the things that bugs me when reading
reviews for TV antennas or looking at ads is
comparisons based on range in miles or anten-
na gains that include a built-in amplifier. More
responsible manufacturers will include the gain
of the antenna at different channels. Most are
based on gain above an isotropic antenna (with-
out going into details, a “perfect” antenna) as
“dBi” rather than gain above a dipole or “dBd”
(like a set of rabbit ears with total length of half
a wavelength). Gain in dBi will be 2.15 dB high-
er than gain in dBd. Ideally the specifications
will specify whether the gain is in dBi or dBd.
The range numbers in antenna ads should
be ignored, as they eliminate too many factors,
such as the height of the transmit antenna
above ground. Just as light diminishes quickly
after the sun sets, when the transmitter’s an-
tenna is below the radio horizon the signal will
drop off quickly. Google my TV Tech column
“Estimating Coverage: Quick Analysis for Facil-
ity Mods,” for more information.
For a transmit antenna 2,000 feet above
average terrain, the radio horizon is 63.3 miles
away. As the signal drops off quickly beyond
this distance (as with light past sunset) ranges
of more than 70 miles only would apply from
mountaintop to mountaintop or for very high
transmitter sites.
cloudspotter’s journal
Doing Your Homework When

Selecting a Cloud Service Provider
Asking the right questions to gain access to the right tools and services
L
egacy IT infrastructures cations (such as ERP, supply that cloud? What are those costs to imple-
can no longer provide chain management or human ment the ground-to-cloud solutions ini-
those needed services that resources)? Or is the potential tially? And what will be the expected usage
will allow the organi- cloud provider a technical com- periods for cost of operations?
zation to remain competitive. pute-centric solution provider
Continuing to add expensive (such as high-performance NOT ALWAYS EQUAL
hardware in order to maintain computing—HPC or data and/or Noting further that some providers may
massive IT-centric data centers database analytics). Perhaps your indeed suggest that their cloud is engineered
are gradually, if not assuredly, organization’s needs are focused to support every application, which will, in
coming to an end. As evidence on marketing or web-scaled ap- turn, require a bit more investigation on your
of this trend, according to IDC, EXPERTISE plications such as ecommerce or part to assure that your needs are best suited
worldwide spending on public mobile? Do you have an explicit in their cloud vs. another’s cloud. Remember,
Karl Paulsen
cloud services grew 26% in 2019 need to support social network- not all clouds are created equal. Fig. 1 pro-
to a total of $233.4 billion, up from $185.2 ing or video streaming and delivery services? vides examples found today in many of the
billion in 2018 (Oracle’s “IaaS for Dummies,” cloud provider services, some of which may
5th edition). CLOUD-TO-CLOUD OR SINGLE SOURCE be useful in live M&E applications; and other
Those users who are ready to migrate Be sure you know the nature and best ap- services may need to be created to support
services to the cloud need to understand and proaches on how the cloud providers’ services the specifics of certain use cases—including
even directly ask their potential cloud service match your needs. You may find that more live “production in the cloud.”
providers some important questions. than a single service provider will be required, The next major decision is to investigate
thus you need to know if there are means to the effort, costs and requirements to migrate
KNOW YOUR NEEDS interact with more than one cloud provider— your applications to the cloud. Again, looking
Fundamentally one needs to understand that is “cloud-to-cloud” services. at the M&E model for live production, know
which types of applications your poten- If you’re in the media and entertainment what is required to move the live studio or
tial provider would be set up to run. Know industry and you plan to provide live cloud field content into the cloud, including mini-
and itemize what your (the user’s) needs production services, can the actual appli- mum and maximum bandwidth needed, the
will be. Are those needs enterprise applications you need or will enable be usable in content compression expectations, and espe-
cially the overall set of latencies that will be
expected. A live music video concert will have
completely different requirements compared
to a remote sporting venue or a talking head
interview with guests that are half a globe
away from the primary cloud’s site.
SCALE, PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL

Another consideration is the scale of the
environment. Users or service providers
should not be expected to rewrite your (or
their) applications in order to fit their cloud
agenda. Performance and control are equally
important compared with or against the other
objectives such as compression and latency.
SPECIALIZED ADAPTATION
As cloud adoption increases, operating
expenses for managing an organization’s IT
components also will grow in complexity.
This is similar, to a degree, for cloud im-
Fig. 1: A depiction of cloud system solutions shows future and current applications plementation. Users should engage a cloud
typical to systems such as project management, construction or implementation. provider that is simple and straightforward

to manage; minor changes, typical in live
production applications, should be easy to
alter or augment without having to engage
a consultant or third party to make those
adjustments.
Do scripts and updates require a knowledge-
able human who knows the cloud’s operating
environment in detail or are changes allowed
using a simplified set of menus? Further-
more, changes should be expressed in billable
dollars—that is, what will it cost to make those
changes and for how long will those costs be
expected in terms of length of run time or
upticks in computer processing costs?
CHANGE IS EXPECTED
How automated are those changes going to
be and how long does it take to “spin up” those
changes? How will those changes impact the
databases? Are these system-wide, autono-
mous or some other factor to functionality
going to “upset the applecart” or run the risk
of collapse and/or create a reduction in per-
formance? How much “manual labor” will be Fig. 2: Overall systems available in cloud computing and distribution or communications solutions
to end user devices. Note example services shown include “platform” considered “PaaS” and
needed to install, update, adjust or monitor the “infrastructure” as “IaaS.”
applications you expect or need to run?
Given the topics expressed earlier, does predict the costs for all the services they need. design for the services are keys to ensuring
the primary cloud service provider offer For example, be sure that at the conclusion sufficient profitability and use of cloud ser-
a multi-cloud solution? Can and how are of a particular service experience that unnec- vices. Leveraging the time, cost and resources
loads distributed should there be a crash or essary services are terminated and shut off to are the pinnacle to success in a cloud service
a need to connect across global regions? Is preclude the continual “meter is still running” implementation.
your cloud provider in a competitive mode impact. But also understand the balance of Like any three-legged triangle, each leg
or just a simple service provider mode? If any “startup” costs that would be incurred as of this “stool” must support other remain-
multi-cloud operations appear to yield better the session starts up or is being configured. In ing legs. Traditional practices used in the
performance capabilities, do both sections of other words, costs can creep in from any cor- development of these new cloud-based
the two cloud providers play nice together or ner of the equation or operation—be certain applications will typically be too slow or too
will there be hurdles (costs, egress, perfor- these costs are identified, are manageable cumbersome when deployed as a “cloud-na-
mance) that must be overcome that might and can be mitigated during times when the tive” solution, so expect to spend time, money
not yield a net-net benefit? services are not in active duty. and resources in finding new means to deploy
your applications and needs.
COST, SECURITY AND TRUST CONTRACT CONSIDERATIONS Monitoring and continual analysis of the
Security is always of concern, whether on Extensible, contractual costs may help mit- complete solution will become a new factor in
prem or in the cloud. Do the expected cloud igate the larger expenditures, but understand the implementation of any enterprise-grade
provider’s security practices allow for harmo- those contract expectations before engaging. cloud solution. If your new potential service
nization, or do they conflict with each other? If your service does not pan out from a benefit provider offers these tools, learn how and
Can your potential provider be configured to perspective, be certain you can back out of the when to use them—they will be necessary to
mesh with corporate security practices? Is ze- contract easily and without additional penalties. ensure that peak performance for least cost
ro-trust a mandated practice within your orga- Also, since services are continually adjust- can be achieved and monitored.
nization and will the cloud provider’s practices ed or added to for each cloud provider, you Cloud services (as shown in Fig. 2) mean us-
align with those policies? Will the security may find that, after six months of services, ers need to rethink the business and technolo-
practices be easy to accomplish, or will there another new provider now offers similar gy approaches to their business. When reach-
need to be overlapping tools employed that services at less cost—and you should be ready ing out beyond the cloud provider’s traditional
could reduce performance, increase complexi- or prepared to move providers if the overall services, be certain you ask all the questions of
ty or add latency to the live applications? savings are worth the effort. each potential provider. Get the best answers
Costs are always inherently a part of the you can and then be sure the contract(s) you
delivery equation. Pricing models are often CODE AND EFFICIENCIES engage in meet those expectations. l
confusing and, in some cases, will put addi- Applications require code and develop-
tional layers of costs especially when moving ing the efficiency of that code is paramount
Karl Paulsen is chief technology officer at Diversified and
data into the cloud and then extracting. Users to improving the performance of the cloud a frequent contributor to TV Tech in storage, IP and cloud
should insist they fully understand and can services employed. Having the right tools and technologies. Contact him at kpaulsen@diversifiedus.com.

virtual reality
Metaverse or
but perhaps the metaverse will include taste,
touch and smell. So, what role or influence will
the metaverse play in the broadcasting space?
Metamucil? ALERTED BY SOUND

Without much consideration I conclude that
the metaverse is in conflict with broadcasting
How can our expertise in broadcast tech help us understand because the metaverse is computer-rendered
the next big thing? into the VR, AR, XR and MR space, which re-
quires a different level of attention than what
broadcasters currently expect.
consumer goes beyond looking into the digital For example, sports broadcasting is often a
By Dennis Baxter space to also moving through and interacting shared experience. I would argue that most con-
with the space. To achieve this fully immersive sumers are not particularly interested in The
I
n my search to understand what the experience, the metaverse seems to depend Super Bowl, but the event provides an oppor-
metaverse is and how it might apply to on the cocoon-type experience necessary to tunity to drink, eat and socialize, and clearly
broadcasting, I have found a suitable control and stimulate the senses. As with tele- television is perfect for sports because the
definition that describes the metaverse as vision, the metaverse seems to still be tied to consumer never misses anything. The consumer
technologies that are a creative platform used basic human senses such as sight and hearing, is alerted by the sound that something eventful
for developing enhanced experiences. Sounds has taken place and the producer is obligated to
something like ATSC 3.0. show multiple replays with endless commen-
If the metaverse is a computer-assisted tary of the play, the strategy and the game along
production platform, then I can see broad- with a lot of unnecessary laughing.
casters embracing computer-enhanced The metaverse is Additionally, news and hosted programs such
productions using limited goggle-based described as where the as talk shows and sports are often consumed
augmented reality to supplement the broad- in the background. Essentially a lot of televi-
caster’s content. For example, the content consumer goes beyond sion is a low-attention pastime and I argue
producer might let the consumer experience a
lap around the racetrack or take a swing at the
looking into the digital that consumers like it that way as opposed to a
goggle-intensive experience.
pitch of a major league athlete. space to also moving Recently I heard a newscast that stated the
Traditional broadcasting is still dependent

on seeing the picture with support from the
through and interacting metaverse is “the future of the internet.” I guess
it could also be argued that, if the metaverse
sound. The metaverse is described as where the with the space. is the future of the internet, then by logical

virtual reality
extrapolation it could be reasoned that the

future of broadcasting may be linked to the
metaverse since ATSC 3.0 is built on internet
protocols. If the future of broadcasting is 3D,
then the metaverse and internet may be a path
forward from 2D to 3D visuals. The concept of
the metaverse as a production platform seems
plausible with a goggle experience like VR,
however research has shown that people still
want to watch television on the big screen.
The metaverse has also been described as
moving beyond just looking at a screen or
AND KVM
picture to also interacting with that screen
or picture. It is possible for computers to
generate believable graphic content for a fully
immersive goggle experience, but in my mind,
FEELS RIGHT.
this is more of a gaming experience than a
passive viewing experience like watching
drama, movies, news or sports.
TELLY-VERSE
Perhaps the metaverse is an “extended re- G&D is quality you can feel. When working in the control room.
ality” that has already been contemplated by With every click. When installing the server racks or at the
television engineers and producers. Hyped- workplaces. In 4K or 8K. Dedicated or over IP.
up and interactive sound seems to be defined
and described by the metaverse as well as G&D simply feels right.
the “telly-verse.” I see the convergence of
sensory technologies and use of extended
data enhancements as “Next Generation
Television” and not defined by a meander-
ing definition of a bold new meta-universe
promising nirvana.
Perhaps future broadcasting experiences
will also include the additional senses of
smell, taste and touch, which clearly benefit
an extended reality approach to television. I
think the metaverse relates to television in a
way that you can “dial-in” or vary the expe-
rience. For example, the addition of smell to
a cooking show delivers more entertainment
value than the smell of a locker room. Dial in
more smell or turn off the smell-o-rama.
As contemplated, the metaverse certainly will
impact many areas of our lives and be beneficial
in education, travel experiences and training. I
envision that the metaverse will piggyback and
augment the televized entertainment experi-
ence and provide broadcasters additional tools
that give complete control over the consumer’s
entertainment and educational experience.
The metaverse will not define future broad-
cast experiences, but it will refine the actual
reality of the broadcast experience. l
Dennis Baxter has contributed to hundreds of live

events including sound design for nine Olympic Games.
He has earned multiple Emmy Awards and is the VISIT US
author of “A Practical Guide to Television Sound
Engineering” and “Immersive Sound Production—A LIVE AT
Practical Guide” on Focal Press. He can be reached at
dbaxter@dennisbaxtersound.com.
TVT477.AD_.indd 6 8/23/22 10:33 AM

TVT477.Dennis.indd 25 18/08/2022 18:33
tomorrow’s newsroom
Audio and the making sure talent is hitting all their marks and
the robotic cameras are pointed in the right
direction.
Evolution of the TV FEWER PERSONNEL

The shrinking news studio: Virtual production
News Team
sets continue the great downsizing of the news
studios and with this comes a much smaller
console. Consoles that used to take up half a
room now take up half a desk, thanks in part to
How stations are adapting to the new normal AoIP networking. AoIP carries much of the load
that once sat on the console and simplifies the
layout of the board overall.
No audio operator onboard: The person
By John Davis overseeing the audio is likely to be the same
one running the video switcher, and both
NEW BERN, N.C.—Gone are the newscasts of of those duties are likely to fall to the sole
yesterday when one person ran the Chyron, producer on set. Bottom line: the news studio
another person ran the switcher, yet another on console has evolved to be far easier to navigate
the mixer, and several technicians along with a than ever before.
director and producer overseeing cast, cameras IP accessibility rules: Booking satellite time
and live breaking updates. Today, many of those for a guest interview and rushing them over to
jobs are done by the producer, the director and a studio for a three-minute segment is so 2019.
perhaps a teleprompter operator, who may or Web conferencing is in along with IP overall,
may not double as a presenter. and embedders/de-embedders and HD/SDI are
That’s two or three people with their heads out. By connecting routing, mixing and studio
on a swivel trying to manage all the work once control through Ethernet cabling, AoIP opens
done by seven or more people during a typical up accessibility and gets rid of outdated wiring
newscast. The TV news team has evolved and
so has the audio mixing system in six key areas.
Bringing audio into and layers of audio infrastructure.
For example, we’re seeing more and more
the overall production stations that are dropping an I/O Blade (which
ALL PART OF THE WORKFLOW workflow as an element, are basically our AoIP access units) at various
Audio is a workflow: Production automation mic or talent workstations in the studio
systems now manage audio as part of a rather than mixing as you and then running a cable back to a central
workflow that needs to be coded, normalized go, requires a much tighter rack room. We’re also seeing more stations
for levels, and slotted in as elements in the connecting the wall of plug-in mics and other
newscast. This has been true for some time in working relationship auxiliary XLR devices to the control room
larger markets, but hometown news operations between the audio mixer using something like our WheatNet-IP high-
are now also adopting these systems.
Bringing audio into the overall production
and the automation density I/O Stagebox One and a cable.
AoIP mixing consoles come with expansive
workflow as an element, rather than mixing system. IP audio networks that can scale all the way up
as you go, requires a much tighter working to several network elements and geographic
relationship between the audio mixer and report or sporting event, hands-on mixing is locations, such as across a WAN for use in REMI
the automation system. For this reason, AoIP generally the norm. Today’s newsroom console or other remote broadcast applications. l
console systems today interface easily to the has evolved to include more backend functions
automation and some also provide a means for on the AoIP network and more upfront John Davis is a support and systems engineer
fully integrating the automation and mixer into functions on the surface. for Wheatstone.
one native IP audio environment. Tactile faders on the one hand and
Motorized faders are the new VU Meter: touchscreens on the other make it easier
Those swiveling heads now doing many to adjust EQ, fix levels and mix in
different jobs rely on motorized faders feeds for the producer
tracked to the automation to indicate or director who
that newscasts are going along smoothly. is busy
Consoles that have motorized faders let
producers monitor the faders as they fly and
make adjustments when needed.
Occasional mix-ups: The two or three
Credit: Wheatstone
newscasts produced in the day of a television

station are typically done with production
automation whereas for the occasional news

eye on tech | product and services
Avid Vizrt Group

Avid Media Production NDI 5.5
in the Cloud NDI 5.5 is Vizrt’s latest update to
Avid’s Avid Media Production in its media over IP protocol, offering
the Cloud solution is designed to new routing tools, enhanced audio
streamline distributed TV news and capabilities, improved features, and
sports production. Avid Media Pro- performance on remote connections.
duction in the Cloud allows teams NDI 5.5 supports the needs of cloud,
to leverage their existing Media- on-premises, and hybrid workflows in applications across broadcast
Central workflows, along with integrated Avid NEXIS cloud storage and and beyond. It boasts simple but effective changes to the NDI tools
Avid’s MediaCentral | Stream IP ingest solution, all from the cloud. launcher, allowing more control by users, faster connections with talk-
The combination of these tools enables journalists in the field to back when bringing in remote video sources via NDI Remote, multiple
quickly access, edit and publish content. Teams can use Avid’s Media- source support in NDI Webcam, and more.
Central | Collaborate and other iOS and browser apps to plan and con- NDI Router, an all-new, free-to-use app in the NDI Tools suite, allows
tribute to stories remotely while tracking all aspects of story production. users to route NDI sources as custom inputs to selected outputs with
MediaCentral’s openness gives editors the flexibility to choose Avid a simple click. NDI AudI/O now allows SDK users to connect any audio
Media Composer or Adobe Premiere Pro to start working immediately device as an NDI source without the need to use third party software
on material as it comes in for fast turnaround of stories that are ready to applications and use instead as an independent source, significantly
air and stream across broadcast and digital outlets. simplifying workflows, saving time and removing a layer of complexity.
z For more information, visit www.avid.com. z For more information, visit https://www.ndi.tv.
AJA Video Digital Nirvana

Mini-Config v2.26.4 Update Trance 4.0
Mini-Config v2.26.4 is a free software Trance 4.0, Digital Nirvana’s self-service SaaS tool
update for AJA’s line of Mini-Converters, for transcription, closed captioning and subtitle
covering a broad range of 4K, HD, and SD generation now includes elaborate account man-
conversion needs spanning broadcast, agement, modular rights for users and advanced
production, post, and proAV. The update pro-captioning window for enterprises and
adds input signal preprocessing controls individual users. With its new modular application
to HA5-12G and HA5-4K Mini-Converters, approach, Trance 4.0 can be used as a combined or individual tool for tran-
allowing professionals to accept sources with high jitter. scription, captioning, text localization or conformance of existing captions.
A simple Frame Rate Converter (FRC) that uses a frame drop/frame The new and improved transcription window can also now be used
repeat methodology to convert integer input video frame rates to as a standalone app rather than being part of a three-step transcription,
non-integer (e.g. p60 to p59.94) or non-integer to integer (e.g. p59.94 to captioning and subtitling workflow that only outputs after each step is
p60) has been added to HA5-Plus and HA5-Fiber Mini-Converters. Also completed. Updates to the pro-captioning window make it more us-
added is a 1.5G-SDI Internal Signal Generator that enables 12G-AM and er-friendly and efficient. Machine-generated timecodes can be adjusted
12G-AMA Mini-Converters to allow the embedder path to function with- using spectrogram and manual inputs and the window now enables
out the need to connect a source to the SDI input. HDR and Colorimetry users to upload media, generate automatic captions and display using
metadata are now also displayed for these models in Mini-Config. desired presets defined by the user or organization.
z For more information visit www.aja.com. z For more information, visit https://digital-nirvana.com.
Marketron Brightline
ROI Calculator LED Upgrade Kit For
Marketron’s ROI Calculator is for broad- Fluorescent Fixtures
casters who want to measure the success
of their ad campaigns against competing Brightline’s new all-in-one ret-
media companies. For broadcasters, two rofit package allows customers
aspects make up revenue projections: to upgrade existing S1.2 and S1.4
over-the-air (OTA) revenue and third-party fluorescent fixtures to LED lighting,
(audience extension) digital revenue. The offering extended fixture life, maintenance savings and lower energy
calculator helps broadcasters look into the usage. The simple design of the do-it-yourself (DIY) kit makes it possi-
future of their revenue and understand the impact of third-party digital, ble to upgrade the fixtures in minutes. The kit costs 25% of the purchase
especially if the station isn’t currently selling it. price of a new LED fixture, and Brightline has announced a disposal
The tool allows users to create realistic projections for OTA and program for old fixtures, offering a $75 refund for each..
third-party digital revenue based on the broadcaster’s 2021 actuals. The DIY kit contains everything needed to upgrade Brightline fluores-
Using information from BIA Advisory Services, eMarketer, and other cent fixtures, regardless of age, type of dimming or control and includes
industry sources, the calculator takes the data entered and projects a new fixture, back, front cartridge, diffusion, mounting bracket and all
revenue for both inventory types through 2024. necessary screws.
z For more information, visit www.marketron.com. z For more information, visit https://brightlines.com.

equipment guide | audio
Tomorrowland Taps Lawo mc² for

Boundless Flexibility and Reach
USER REPORT recording of their live performances. a V__pro8 and transmitted the result to the
Most of the close-camera microphones main control room at the Media Village.
were mixed using the mc²56’s AFV feature All audio signals from all stages were mixed
By Bart Ooms (audio follows video) to perfectly match the and distributed as stems and groups from the
CEO fast video cutting approach for up-tempo mc²56 and processing core and handed over
Knallen Maar!
music. Audio signals were assigned to a dozen to Belgian radio stations and the rest of the
summing and group busses and routed to world.
ANTWERP, Belgium—Tomorrowland, one of the designated video recording devices and What I like most about Lawo mc² con-
the largest electronic music festivals in the V__pro8 embedders via VSM. From there, the soles—apart from their pristine sound—is
world, held its 2022 Summer edition during signals went to the final control room at the the flexibility, endless routing capabilities,
the last three weekends in July. As a service Media Village over an external high-speed modular layout possibilities, and the divine
provider for production companies, public audio network. user interface. I just love that central console
and private broadcasters and top-tier events, window! The signal window is really intuitive
we were asked by Euro Media Group (EMG) DOLBY ATMOS and clutter-free, which is a big help in com-
to take care of the “Mainstage” sound for TV We also used this network to transmit and plex routing scenarios. No “cross-point view”
broadcasts and radio streams from a big OB receive audio signals to/from the Dolby Atmos for me, please… just show me the sources and
truck stationed behind the main stage. control room where the immersive mix was destinations, and I’m happy. l
While some people might think Tomorrow- prepared on yet another mc²56 console. That
land is just another EDM festival with simple control room received our main ambience Bart Ooms started out as an intern at Mo-
left and right stereo feeds from the DJ booths mix and additional FX microphone signals. tormusic Studios in Belgium and then joined
and a few ambient mics, the Tomorrowland The Dolby Atmos mix stems were transmitted Alfacam, first as an audio assistant and then as
team continuously strives to surpass itself. back to the OB truck behind the main stage for audio chief. After Alfacam’s demise, he went on
This year’s three weekends (Friday, Satur- Dolby Atmos encoding and decoding. to head DB Video’s audio department, simulta-
day, Sunday) were among the most complex We used several V__pro8 devices to de-em- neously working at five Tomorrowland editions
music events on the planet for audio and bed these signals and send them to the mc²56 as guarantee engineer in charge of audio and
video distribution. We used about 180 input where they were mixed—along with the re- intercom for the broadcast department.
channels on our mc²56 console to handle the quired commercials—into the main transmis- He is currently the CEO of Belgian-based
sources coming from the main stage. Three sion busses, again using the AFV algorithm. Knallen Maar! He can be reached at info@knal-
other stages were connected to their own We embedded the resulting bus signals using lenmaar.com.
dedicated mc²56-equipped OB truck, and the
remaining 12 stages provided at least five
audio channels consisting of the DJ outputs,
ambience microphones and a voice mix for
radio purposes.
Yet another big OB truck with a large mc²56
desk served as the main transmission and
distribution hub.
DISTRIBUTION PATH
Around 60 audio channels (music, vocal
and ambient mics) were ingested using Lawo’s
DALLIS I/O stageboxes and CCUs. These lines
were sent to the console inputs and processed
with delay for perfect sync to the slowest
camera input. Effects were added using the
WAVES VST plug-in server on the console and
outboard gear such as a TC Electronics System
6000.
All incoming audio signals, summing and
group busses were furthermore recorded using
three separate multitrack computers: for ar- Bart Ooms used Lawo’s
chiving purposes on the Media Village server, mc² for Tomorrowland 2022
Summer music festival.
as backup and for artists who had requested a

Enhancing Hybrid Event Audio

With Blackmagic Design
USER REPORT in Fairlight audio mixer can easily handle SMOOTH AUDIO PRODUCTION
complex live sound mixing—the audio is Our team recently produced a three-day
de-embedded from all the SDI video inputs religious conference that included IMAG, as
By Jimmy Reid and passed to the audio mixer, where each well as live streaming. Two Blackmagic Studio
Chief Technology Officer input channel includes 6-band parametric Camera 4K Pros, paired with ATEM Studio
Event Stream Team EQ and compressor, limiter, expander and Converters, simplified both the workflow and
noise gate as well as full panning. the cable management. The cameras’ dual na-
BALTIMORE—Combining a live in-person Prior to using the ATEM 2 M/E Constel- tive ISO ensured the quality of the IMAG, while
event with a virtual online component is now lation HD’s Fairlight mixer, our biggest ob- the ATEM 2 M/E Constellation HD’s Fairlight
ubiquitous. Yet, this was not the case in 2018 stacle was managing audio sync with video mixer—used with the front-of-house mixer—
when I began asking my colleagues about sources, particularly image magnification, ensured smooth and consistent audio between
expanding my company’s services to include (or “IMAG”), common in many client pro- the HyperDeck Studio HD Plus recorders and
hybrid events—people told me I was crazy, that ductions. In addition, I had to use outboard the audio mixers from wireless mics.
hybrid events would never be relevant. audio gear to manage EQ, compression, and With Blackmagic Design gear, we’re confi-
Today, Event Stream Team is a full-service audio flow which often required lugging a dent that we’ll deliver top quality in any situa-
video and webcast production business with full-size audio mixer to events. Using the tion. I am proud to say that Event Stream Team
more than 120 active clients ranging from ATEM’s built-in Fairlight mixer vastly im- is now considered one of the go-to teams for
nonprofits to government and state agen- proved workflow by providing the capability live streams and hybrid events in the area. l
cies, providing hybrid events for everything to create macros to control audio sources
from workshops and conferences to plays, and settings. Jimmy Reid has more than 25 years’ expe-
talk shows, and more. I serve as the chief We use the ATEM’s Fairlight mixer to rience producing audio and lighting for social
technology officer of our family-run business manage the audio mix of SDI and ana- events. After falling in love with the art and
along with my wife, business partner and CEO log sources, including gain structure, EQ, science of live video production, he started live
Auset Reid, and our children who are training dynamics, and audio sync. One of the main streaming studio recording sessions. Today,
as technical directors, audio engineers, and benefits is the ability to save the configura- Jimmy, business partner Auset Reid and their
camera operators. tion file for the many types of gigs that we kids run Event Stream Team out of Baltimore.
do, plus, the compact design of the ATEM 2 He can be reached at 240-745-5267 or sales@
THE RIGHT AUDIO SOLUTION M/E Constellation HD is perfect for portable eventstreamteam.com. For more information,
In order to ensure high-quality video and live production. As a bonus, the switcher is visit eventstreamteam.com.
audio for hybrid events we use Blackmagic extremely quiet due to its high-efficiency For additional information, contact Black-
Designs’ ATEM 2 M/E Constellation HD live thermal system, which comes in handy when magic Design at 408-954-0500 or visit
production switcher with built-in Fairlight we’re working in a courtroom or museum. www.blackmagicdesign.com.
audio mixer at the core of our workflow.
We previously used an ATEM Television
Studio HD and recently upgraded to take
advantage of the ATEM 2 M/E Constellation
HD’s newest features. The switcher’s built-
The Event Stream Team

uses BMD’s ATEM 2 M/E
Constellation HD live
production switcher with
built-in Fairlight audio
mixer to improve audio
for hybrid events.

buyers briefs
Solid State Logic DPA Microphones

S500 4097 CORE Micro Shotgun
SSl’s S500 large format con- Microphone
figurable control surface takes DPA’s 4097 Micro Shotgun is ideal for small spaces
a modular approach, offering a because of its compact footprint and clear audio
range of touchscreen and hard- pickup. It offers a highly directional pickup pattern
ware tiles that can be combined with DPA’s famous flat off-axis response and low
with an optional meter bridge, with- self-noise. It features 16 mV sensitivity and can
in a collection of console frames to handle high SPLs.
create a completely scalable control The 4097 is designed to be one of the most natural-sounding
system and includes an `m’ variant. location sound microphones available, capable of capturing crys-
The core control elements always present in an tal-clear audio from any position. With its linear response, low distor-
S500 large format console are Fader Tile, large Multi tion and extremely large dynamic range, the 4097 sounds great in
Touch Screens, Channel Tile and Master Tile. Other key features include any environment. Used with the Interview Kit, it can also serve as a
full AoIP routing and control directly from the console; native immersive boom mic for single-person productions.
workflows including 7.1.4 busses; industry-leading processing tools, and
digital audio handling, which offers “the SSL sound.” z For more information visit https://www.dpamicrophones.com.
z For more information visit https://www.solidstatelogic.com.
Avid
Pro Tools HDX Thunderbolt 3 MTRX
Studio Desktop System
The Avid MTRX Studio desktop system bundle includes Pro Tools |
Ultimate—the industry-standard DAW—as well as an HDX Core PCIe
card—the heart of any DSP-accelerated Pro Tools system. An ultra-versa-
tile MTRX Studio audio interface offers self-contained I/O, monitoring, and
routing, optimized for music and post-production facilities of all sizes.
Finally, an HDX Thunderbolt Desktop chassis enables users to operate
this industry-standard system without being tied to a PCIe-equipped
computer. Taken together, the Avid Pro
Tools | HDX Thunderbolt 3 MTRX Studio
Desktop System is designed to be a per-
fect centerpiece of a studio.
z For more information visit
https://www.avid.com.
Wheatstone
Studio Technologies Tekton 32 Audio Console
Model 209 Wheatstone’s Tekton 32 is a full-featured IP audio console that packs the
latest IP audio innovations into a super-compact frame that fits even the
Studio Technologies’ Model 209 Talent Console is designed for a most stringent television applications and budgets. Tekton 32 provides 32
variety of podcast, voiceover rooms, and fixed/REMI broadcast ap- input channels (layered on 16 physical faders) and a ton of flexibility via
plications and features a unique combination of microphone input, the most advanced and reliable IP audio network in broadcast, all in a 39 x
headphone output, remote control, and tally-output resources. The 17 x 3⅛-inch frame.
unit supports AES67 and Dante Audio-over-Ethernet technology for It’s designed for any broadcast environ-
integration into contemporary applications. ment (newsrooms, remote vans or sports
An installation requires just a PoE connection, microphone and venues, production houses) and is
headphones, or an earpiece to establish a complete audio “position.” based on WheatNet-IP, an audio
Additionally, remote control inputs and tally outputs allow person- services network that utilizes IP
nel to deploy the unit in more complex applications. Careful circuit (& AES67) to enable audio to
design and rugged components ensure excellent audio quality and be intelligently distributed
long, reliable operation. to devices across scalable
networks.
z For more information visit https://studio-tech.com.
z For more information visit https://wheatstone.com.

Liberty University Calrec’s shared Hydra2 network router core

allows us to adapt to whatever we are tasked
with so we’re able to accomplish a lot of dif-
Relies on Calrec for

ferent projects with little lead time.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of using Cal-
rec is the ability to quickly build a show from
High-Quality Audio
scratch, while the integration with Evertz
via Hydra2 to TDM allows us to have 1,536
channels going from our six Calrec consoles
to our router, providing an incredible amount
of versatility.
USER REPORT these shows, with a full band that can include Calrec really does have a solution for every
up to eight vocalists. broadcast requirement, including radio,
Type R for Radio was purchased as part of alongside a variety of networked and virtual
By Louis James a new radio studio build and is being used products, and the work that we’re doing here
Manager of Broadcast Operations for live radio shows and podcast recordings. Liberty University is certainly proof of that.
Liberty University The second Brio was purchased to upgrade a It’s incredibly rewarding for us to be able to
smaller control room, and the second Artemis prepare our students for a future in a profes-
LYNCHBURG, Va.—At Liberty University, we replaced a Summa console, which was moved sional broadcast environment, and we have
have an active and growing Digital Media and into our mobile production unit. We also Calrec to thank for that.
Journalism department, and for this we need wanted both of our main production control Louis James has been the manager of
best-in-class technology to help our students rooms to have the same console, making it broadcast operations at Liberty University for
thrive in areas such as media production, even easier to move shows between rooms. the past four years. He oversees the school’s
broadcast journalism, sound design and audio broadcast audio and comms divisions, which
engineering. VIRTUALIZED MIXING is particularly rewarding because he had been
That is why we work with Calrec audio We purchased Calrec’s VP2 based on what a student there. Prior to his current job, he
consoles, and it explains why our roster of we experienced and learned while doing spent two years here working as a broadcast
Calrec solutions is growing. Currently, we use production during the Covid-19 pandemic. audio engineer and is a skilled broadcast A1
Calrec’s Type R for Radio, Summa, Artemis The VP2 is a virtualized mixing system with freelancer. He can be reached at lejames1@
and several Brio consoles. no physical control surface; it uses Calrec’s liberty.edu. l
Our most recent expansion of Calrec Assist software for setup and control so that For more information visit
technology includes a trio of new consoles in- we can work even more flexibly. Working with https://calrec.com/.
cluding Artemis and Brio consoles and we’ve
gone remote with the addition of Calrec’s VP2
virtualized mixing system.
HANDS ON EXPERIENCE
The Calrec equipment is used across a
variety of live and pre-recorded sports and
entertainment shows as well as providing
students one-on-one broadcast audio training
on industry-standard technology. Students
receive hands-on experience on Calrec con-
soles and the opportunity to operate as an A1
on certain productions. Additionally, academ-
ic classes can utilize the school’s production
control rooms during classes.
More specifically, the consoles are being
used to live stream various NCAA Division 1
sport competitions on ESPN+ as well as three
linear FBS Football Broadcasts on other ESPN
networks. We also use the studios for our
weekly Emmy Award-winning syndicated live
sports talk show “Flames Central,” as well as
for more corporate and entertainment shows.
This includes Liberty University Convocation,
which is hosting guests this semester such as
Dr. Tony Evans, journalist Shannon Bream,
and New York Times Best Selling author Jon Louis James’ teams at Liberty University use Calrec’s Type R for Radio, Summa, Artemis and
several Brio consoles.
Acuff. There is also a music component to

NUGEN Audio
Halo Vision Plug-in
NUGEN’s Halo Vision is a Web and Spectrum, along with
customizable, real-time visual expanded versions of NUGEN’s
analysis suite operating in Frequency Haze and Location
up to 7.1.2 channels for the Haze functions, and a True Peak
AAX, VST3 and AU formats to meter per channel. Halo Vision
support engineers’ decision- can be customized, rearranged
making and troubleshooting and resized to suit any specific
processes. It features a variety workflow, perfect for a broad
of modules that provide audio spectrum of immersive sound
professionals with a clearer projects.
understanding of every aspect
of their sound. These include a z For more information visit
Correlation Matrix, Correlation https://nugenaudio.com.
Telos Alliance Pliant Technologies

VIP CCU-08 CrewCom
Telos Infinity Virtual Intercom Platform (VIP)
is the first fully featured cloud-based inter-
Control Unit
com system. It delivers sophisticated comms Dolby The CCU-08 CrewCom Control Unit is Pliant’s
virtually, making cloud-based media pro-
duction workflows available on any device—
Dolby Atmos latest addition to its CrewCom system, giving
users the ability to use up to eight 4-Wire ports
smartphone, laptop, desktop, or tablet. Users Dolby Atmos is a pioneering immersive while retaining all the same features of the
can even use third-party control devices, like audio experience that delivers premium, current companion CCU-22 and CCU-44 units.
Elgato’s Stream Deck, to control Telos Infinity multidimensional sound. Today, Dolby The CCU-08 Control Unit contains no radio
VIP. It allows users to harness Telos Infinity Atmos devices are widely available and is frequency-agnostic and can therefore
IP Intercom’s award-winning performance, across all device types—from TVs to control and monitor any device across CrewNet
scalability, ease of integration, and operational/ sound bars, to even smartphones—and regardless of radio frequency bands being uti-
cost efficiencies anywhere—at home, on-prem, price points. Content available in Dolby lized. With the combination of CrewCom Radio
site-to-site or in the cloud.. Atmos continues to grow, spanning a Transceivers, it supports up to 82 radio packs,
variety of categories such as blockbuster 18 in Normal mode and 64 in the recently re-
films, top streaming series, AAA games, leased High Density mode, across all RF bands.
www.telosalliance.com.
Billboard charting songs, live sports, and
even podcasts. This makes Dolby Atmos
https://www.plianttechnologies.com.
easily accessible for anyone looking to
upgrade the audio experience they offer
in a product or service.
https://www.dolby.com.
a well-featured, easy-to-use, competitively priced 16-channel IP-ready

Wohler audio monitor which comes standard with 3G-SDI and analog inputs,
iAM-AUDIO1 (1U) & 2 PLUS (2U) loudness monitoring and phase status. Developed as a direct result of
customer feedback, it shares many of the same features as Wohler’s
Wohler’s iAM-AUDIO1 (1U) audio monitor has three screens—and while iVAM1-3, but without video monitoring. Users can license other signal
the 2 PLUS (2U) has two screens, they both offer the same features formats and processing options—including
and benefits and include Loudness Dolby, AoIP, Toslink and 8-channel
monitoring as standard. Both are analog—as and when needed, either
16-channel audio monitors that are initially or after purchase.
also offered in 8-channel versions:
iAM1-8 and iAM2-8. z For more information visit
The new iAM-AUDIO-1 PLUS is https://wohler.com.

buyers briefs
Clear-Com
Arcadia with HelixNet
Clear-Com’s Arcadia with HelixNet integration offers expanded
licensed port capacity and expanded FreeSpeak beltpack capacity,
as well as a 5 GHz scanning tool for FreeSpeak Edge systems. The
integrated platform supports all FreeSpeak wireless & HelixNet wired
intercom + 2W/4W. It speaks Dante with up to 64 ports for third-party
Dante devices and is compact and powerful with support for over 100
beltpacks in 1RU. Arcadia with HelixNet is future-proofed with licens-
ing options for future expansion. Comrex
z For more information visit EarShot IFB
https://www.clearcom.com/arcadia-ip-intercom/.
Comrex’s EarShot IFB hardware-based system delivers live audio
feeds over VoIP networks to callers, providing telephone-based live
studio program and IFB audio to field-based remote broadcasts,
like TV ENG reports. The FCC deadline to retire POTS networks was
August 2, 2022, and POTS couplers for IFB will soon go extinct. EarShot
IFB interfaces to VoIP telephone circuits using the SIP protocol, making
it possible to replace up to 30 POTS lines with one simple box. VoIP
phone lines can be delivered from cloud-based VoIP providers, VoIP-
based PBXs, and via hardware gateways devices that bridge legacy
phone circuits (e.g. T1/E1, POTS) to VoIP.
RTS z For more information, visit https://www.comrex.com.
RTS Digital Partyline
RTS’ OMS (OMNEO Main Station) and DBP (Digital Beltpack) gy. Its unique hybrid design supports both digital partyline
mark the beginning of a major new product family: RTS and matrix keypanel modes. It is lightweight and ergonom-
Digital Partyline. OMS is a uniquely versatile and cost-effec- ic, with a full-color icon-based menu navigation for quick
tive solution capable of interconnecting wired/wireless and setup and intuitive operation.
IP/digital/analog devices.
z For more information visit:
OMS is available in five configurations to grow with https://products.rtsintercoms.com.
the user’s needs—simply upgrade via software license
updates. DBP is a four-channel/four-button wired beltpack
that runs on PoE and connects using OMNEO IP technolo-
products & services marketplace

people on the move
For possible inclusion, send information to tvtech@futurenet.com with People News in the subject line.
BO BANDY KENNAN OLIPHANT DIANA WILKIN MICHAEL PICCOROSSI

SVP of Marketing News Director of WXYZ & WMYD VP/GM of KOKH, KOCB Chief Digital Officer
Marketron E.W. Scripps Sinclair Broadcast Group C-SPAN
Marketron has promoted Bo Kennan Oliphant has been apoint- Sinclair Broadcast Group Michael Piccorossi has joined
Bandy to senior vice president of ed news director of E.W. Scripps’ has named Diana Wilkin VP/GM C-SPAN as the network’s first chief
marketing. Since joining Market- WXYZ and WMYD stations. He of KOKH (Fox) and KOCB (The digital officer. In the new role, he
ron in 2019, Bandy has made an had been serving as the interim CW). Previously, she was presi- will help guide C-SPAN’s digital
impact across the entire company, news director and prior to that was dent of affiliate relations at CBS strategy, while working with multi-
including successful launches of assistant news director. He began Network and SVP of network ple departments to produce digital
the Marketron NXT and Marketron his career in Detroit, taking more distribution for Fox Broadcast- products designed to improve
REV, the company said. Prior to challenging positions in Louisiana, ing. She also worked as VP/GM the C-SPAN user experience,
joining Marketron, she managed Indiana and Ohio. He then served of several stations, including analytics and results. Piccorossi
marketing and communications as executive producer in S.C.; WPEC in West Palm Beach, Fla., joins C-SPAN from Pew Research
strategy and execution for both assistant news director in Miss.; WAWS/WTEV in Jacksonville, Center, where he’s been for more
B2B and B2C companies, including manager of coverage and content Fla., KGPE in Fresno, Calif., and than 12 years and most recently
technology startups, video game in Tenn.; and as senior manager of WSFX in Wilmington, N.C. served as the managing director of
giants and telecoms. broadcast in Cincinnati. digital product and strategy.
GERARDO LOPEZ TAMRON HALL ALLEN HILL PREMAN NARAYANAN

Vice President, News Director Board Member, Industry Chief Information Officer VP of Ad Operations &
CBS News and Stations’ Boston Ambassador Federal Communications Information Services
Properties NABLF Board of Directors Commission Hearst Television
Gerardo Lopez was named VP Tamron Hall, Emmy Award-winning Allen Hill has been appointed chief Preman Narayanan joins Hearst
and news director at CBS News talk show host, journalist, producer information officer for the Federal Television as vice president of ad
and Stations’ local businesses in and author, has been appointed Communications Commission. He operations and information ser-
Boston, including WBZ-TV (CBS), to the National Association of formerly worked at the U.S. General vices. He oversees Hearst Televi-
WSBK-TV (MyNetworkTV), the Broadcasters Leadership Founda- Services Administration’s Federal sion’s linear and digital advertising
CBS News Boston streaming tion (NABLF) Board of Directors. Acquisition Service as deputy operations and business opera-
channel and CBSBoston.com. She also will serve as industry assistant commissioner for category tions departments and will help
Lopez formerly served as news ambassador and work with NABLF management, Office of Information set the strategic direction of the
director at KTKR-TV and WGNT- on campaigns and fundraising Technology Category; and as direc- company’s advertising technology
TV, the E.W. Scripps-owned CBS efforts to shape the future of the tor of telecommunication services, and information systems. Since
and CW Network affiliates in Nor- foundation. Hall will help NABLF where he oversaw contracts that 2013, he has worked at Effectv,
folk, Va. Previously, he was news honor community service efforts by provided government agencies with most recently as vice president of
director at KJRH-TV in Tulsa, Okla. broadcast radio and TV stations. telecommunications services. IT and technical operations.

TVT477.Digital September 2022

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

TVT477.Digital September 2022

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

TVT477.Digital September 2022

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Welcome to the

TVT477.AD_.indd 1 8/18/22 2:00 PM

twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | September 2022 3

Vol. 40 No. 9 | September 2022

LPTV: Changing FOLLOW US

Our Name Is Only

4 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

Ad-Supported Disney+ Tier To Nexstar to Acquire 75% Stake in

NAB Launches 2022 Election Toolkit

6 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

Are You Local Enough?

the Javits Center, Oct. 19–20, visit

8 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

Traditional Broadcast Deck Controls HyperDeck Shuttle HD

www.blackmagicdesign.com Learn More!

over the country,” said Kate O’Brian, head of

News Outlets a national producer and political reporter,

10 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

Future Is Now As quickly as the IP production steamroller

12 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

Independent Football Associations (CONIFA), a

14 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

TRUSTED SOLUTIONS FOR

AUTOMATIC broadcast TRANSCRIPTION

Exclusive preview of Media Monitoring System 7.0

KNOW MORE AT VOICEINTERACTION.AI/IBC2022

Are You Ready for getting closer to being able to do so natively.

Some Football? Fox Sports primarily relies on Sony cameras

more for the B game. And we’ll try to ensure PYL-ING ON

“Audiences are expecting more and more su-

16 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

Credit: Allen Kee/ESPN Images

gering drunken sailor. Apparently,

The Ongoing Evolution

18 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

The clock is ticking.

Doug has installed a number of

20 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

TV ANTENNA SPECS DEBUNKED

Doing Your Homework When

SCALE, PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL

22 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | September 2022 23

Metamucil? ALERTED BY SOUND

Traditional broadcasting is still dependent

24 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

extrapolation it could be reasoned that the

Dennis Baxter has contributed to hundreds of live

twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | September 2022 25

TVT477.AD_.indd 6 8/23/22 10:33 AM

Evolution of the TV FEWER PERSONNEL

newscasts produced in the day of a television

26 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

Avid Vizrt Group

AJA Video Digital Nirvana

twitter.com/tvtechnology | www.tvtech.com | September 2022 27

Tomorrowland Taps Lawo mc² for

28 September 2022 | www.tvtech.com | twitter.com/tvtechnology

Enhancing Hybrid Event Audio