INSID SO - americanradiohistory.com€¦ · NOVVABEil II eeri 2008 Eno!to'adeas Milli I 11'3511" I...

NOVVABEil 2008 II to'adeas Eno! eeri www.broadcastengineering.com

I Milli I 11'3511"

SO INSID ERSTANDING MPEG-4

new toolbox provides mor options and better video

EDITING LONG -GOP VIDEO

Tips to improve your video clips

MAINTAINING ATSC COMPLIANCE A tutorial on the standards

" s;oicioiV-Agoikiiet-ileie-siV-itt-1-1-40-

"ilisliz1;1 141

. ; .-=- I"'''-'""-...; ' ''' li 1 tr '''-IV. IA, IAD 4W al/ AP

:4;

,*///// /.

WHEATSTONE D-9 Audio Control Surfaceat WPEC-TV, West Palm Beach, Florida

Hands ON or Hands OFF,Wheatstone TV Gets the Job DoneALL Wheatstone D -Series digital audio control surfaces have traditional

layouts, making them operator friendly-no long learning curve required.From our smaller D-7 through the D-9, D-10 and feature -rich D-12, right onup to our D-5.1 master audio control console, all Wheatstone networkedaudio control surfaces are also AUTOMATIONREADY, giving you the best of both worlds.

Choose Wheatstone digital for yourtelevision audio solutions!

D-5.1 Master Control

copyright© 2008 by Wheatstone Corporation I tel 252-638-7000 iwww.wheatstone.com/tvconsoles.html I [email protected]

File basedSTANDARDS

CONVERSION

AMBERFIN iCR. AS MANY STARPERFORMANCES AS THE WALK OF FAME

There's a new star in Film and Broadcast. AmberFin iCR,the ultimate performer playing every role superbly fromcontent capture through to distribution.

It maximizes the value of your content assets, faster andat the best quality, placing emerging opportunities inyour hands.

AmberFin iCR has enabled its customers to digitize over700,000 media assets, enabling them to move into newemerging markets with their content.

AmberFin 1CR enables file based standards conversionfor international program exchange - reducingconversion time and costs vs. tape based operations.

AmberFin

Everybody's watching

AUTOMATEDINGEST for

Avid and AppleFinal Cut Pro

Amber=in iCR eliminates any incompatibil ty barriersand easily creates content in any format.

AmberFin iCR has enabled broadcasters to meet theirtechnical and legal obligctions for captioning, ensuringno fine; are incurred.

AmberFin iCR ensures buiness flexibility forbroadcast playout by conerting betweendifferent server brands on the market.

Now you know why we receive suchstunning accolades throughout the industry.Turn the content you have intc the contentyou need, with AmberFin.

For more information and to receive your FREE report worth over $1,000on "Monetizing Content in Film and Broadcast" visit: amberfin.com/be

FREE

REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTSVOLUME 50 I NUMBER 11 I NOVEMBER 2008

BroadcastEngineering,FEATURES

62 TV production spacesThe first article in this two-part serieshelps you plan TV production areas.

BEYOND THE HEADLINESDOWNLOAD

14 Beyond HDWill 1080p improve the quality of HDTV?

FCC UPDATE20 News from the DTV front

Stations have an opportunity totransition to digital early.

DIGITAL HANDBOOKTRANSITION TO DIGITAL

24 MPEG's upgradeThis tutorial will help you understandMPEG-4's distinctive features and functions.

COMPUTERS & NETWORKS30 File -based delivery

Thanks to technical advances and fallingprices for bandwidth, the delivery of file -based content is more common.

PRODUCTION CLIPS34 Editing long -GOP video

H.264, with fidelity range extensions,provides an alternative to editinglong -GOP MPEG-2 images.

w;thtlf ';I .1 6

NOVEMBER FREEZEFRAME QUESTION

1) The difference between a quantized signal and its original is alow-level signal known as quantization error, or noise. The leveland characteristics of the quantization noise for a sine wave aredefined by the type of quantizer, the quantization resolution andone more factor. What is that factor (B), given the following for-mula: SNR = 6.02B + 1.76?a)

b)

c)

d)

Error rate in samples per secondSampling frequencyNumber of bitsBaud per second

2) For signals other than a sine wave, other formulas apply. How-ever, in general, each added bit of resolution cuts the noise levelby how many dB?a) 0.5dB

b) 3dB

c) 1dB

d) 6dB

4 broadcastengineering.com I November 2008

121111.:41:-

ON THE COVER:CBS' "The Early Show" features a street -fro- t studiocreated by production des gr er Jack Morton/PDG and leaddesigners Jim Fenhagen and Larry Hartman.Photo courtesyTOMI Stud o.

even twins have their own personalities.

the beauty of P2 H [F,

Like twins, Panasonic's new AG-HPX170 and AG-HVX200A full production

quality P2 HD handheld camcorders are as alike as they are different. They

both offer a 13X Leica Dicomar zoom lens; 1080i/p and 720p and 4:2:2

independent -frame recording; variable frame rates; a new, advanced 3-CCD

progressive imager with spectacular quality; and the reliability and flexibility

of a fast, file -based workflow.

Why might you prefer one over the other? The HVX200A features a DV

tape drive in addition to two P2 card slots, allowing you to move easily

from SD to HD and from tape to solid-state. If you have already transitioned

to a solid-state file -based workflow, the two -slot HPX170 offers additional

high -end features, including HD -SDI, metadata input, Dynamic Range

Stretch and a 5 -year limited warranty (upon product registration).

The HVX200A and HPX170. Distinctly different, yet uniquely alike.

Learn more at www.panasonic.com/p2hd.

ilL/i1,3 when it counts

AG-HVX200A

variable frame rates

4.2mm - 55mm

Lightweight - 5.5 lbs

3.5" flip -out LCD

2' HD and SD fa -mats

20 variable frame rates

3.9mm - 51mm

Lightweight - 4.2 lbs

Wave form/Vectorscope

3 focus assist functions

Panasonic ideas for life© 2008 Panasonic Broadcast

TABLE OF CONTENTSVOLUME 50 I NUMBER 11 I NOVEMBER 2008

SYSTEMS INTEGRATIONSHOWCASE

42 KM5C-TV, KCWE-TV offer HDlocal news from new studiosThe stations updated facilities to sup-port the transition to high definition.

TRANSMISSION& DISTRIBUTION

52 Maintaining QoSProviding high -quality videoover IP is challenging.

COUNTDOWN TO 200956 Maintaining ATSC compliance

Keeping up with the A/53, A/52 and A/65standards will ensure proper signal reception.

NEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWSFIELD REPORTS

74 Time Warner and Dolby conduct studyabout the best way to manage audio

TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSITION78 Video encoders

Effective compression limits theintroduction of artifacts.

NEW PRODUCTS82 Neutrik's convertCON and more ...

DEPARTMENTS10 EDITORIAL12 FEEDBACK87 CLASSIFIEDS89 ADVERTISERS INDEX90 EOM

NOVEMBER FREEZEFRAME ANSWER

Question 1: c

Question 2: d

A thorough discussion of sampling is available in "Digital Audio101," by Aldo Cugnini, from the September 2007 issue of BroadcastEngineering. It is also available at http.//broadcastengineering.com/audio/digital audio/index.html.

6 broadcastengineering.corn I November 2008

eee

N VI- iM11111C) R

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111I

1111,1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

1111I1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111I

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111I

1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111rnifill

Utah Scientific 400 Series

11111 1 11111111111111111111111111

IIIIIIIIIIIII

111 Orb

t11..l11,1111tu

The Firsts Just Keep On Coming...

The Best In The Business

What else would you expect fromthe #1 router company in the business?

Utah Scientific has been bringing you breakthrough innovation; for more than 30 years.

Here are just a few of our most recent milestones:

2003 'The industry's first 10 -year no fee warranty - Still an industry best

2004 The first digital router with 3Gbps architecture - 711e UTAH -400

2006 The first IP router for broadcast applications - The UTAH -400 iP

2008 The first 1k X 1k router in a single equipment rack - The UTAH-400/XL

2009 - Wait till you see what's coming next!

Our passion for innovation is just one more reason that Utah ,cientific is your first choice

for routing and master control systems.

www.utahscientific.com

snellwilcox.com/sinclair

When you're responsible fo-

ihe transition to HD news at

one of the country's a-gest

--k/ station groups, you neec

to ensure seamless integration

of SD and HD material. shot's

why Sinclair's Mark \ladeau

put Kahuna at the heart ofhis HD transition s.rctegy

Kahuna combines unmatched

switcher and DVE power with

=ormatFusion -, a revo utionary

Snell & Wilcox techroocyhat enables the seamless

ntegration of SD mctericl, such

Os graphics, camera feeds and

Drchives into HD product ors.

411 without the video °day Dnd

oost associated with externcl

onverters.

To find out why Sinclairchose Kahuna, visitsnellwilcox.ccmisinclair

0 2008 Snell & Wilcox L miredSnell & Wilcox, Kohuna, =canal Fcsion

cnd Putting Pictures to Work are

trademarks of the Snell & WIcax Group. KAHUNA

MARK NADEAU, SENIOR DIRECTORSINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP

KAHUNA

SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP STANDARDIZES ONKAHUNA FOR MOVE TO HD NEWS PRODUCTION

Putting Pictures to Work SNELL & WILCO)

EDITORIALDEPARTMENT

Answerthe phone!

hat will you be doing on the morning ofFeb. 17, 2009?

I'm guessing a lot of Broadcast Engi-neering readers will be answering viewer

telephone calls. Those callers will be asking, "Where's yoursignal? Are you off the air?"

After you explain that the station is still transmitting,but only in digital, what do you say to, "What do I have todo in order to get your signal?"

A community -wide analog shutoff test was conductedtwo months ago in Wilmington, NC. The results showedthat despite massive promotion, viewers were hardly readyfor DTV.

Elon University's associate dean of the School of Com-munications, Connie Book, initiated a research projectwhere students documented the stations' switchover andthen collected demographic and DTV-relevant informa-tion from viewers who called the stations for help duringthe test.

The results showed that viewers were highly incapableof resolving their DTV reception issues. Although manycallers had converter boxes, the students working thephones still had to instruct callers on a variety of DTVreception issues, ranging from how to connect an antennato the STB to the need for a better antenna.

The less -than -stellar initial DTV launch was predict-able according to Barry Goodstadt, senior vice presidentfor the market research firm Centris. Goodstadt has been

sounding an alarm since last February when his companyreleased its own research predicting that DTV coveragewill not live up to expectations, primarily because of view-er antenna issues.

In a telephone interview conducted by Broadcast Engi-neering contributor Michael Grotticelli, Goodstadt said hefound the initial reports of viewer antenna problems dis-turbing. "In the scheme of things, Wilmington is a fairlyflat area," he said. "We have found on average that 54 per-cent of over -the -air households will have trouble and esti-mated that number would be half in Wilmington."

While acknowledging that the Wilmington results maynot be predictive, Goodstadt said the anecdotal evidenceisn't good news for TV stations. "The fact is that even vis-ible [problems related to consumer antennas] suggest thatother areas where there is variable terrain will have biggerproblems, which will be much more apparent," he said."Wilmington, in effect, is the tip of the iceberg."

Did he say iceberg?Last month, Nielsen revealed that more than 9 million

households in the United States are unprepared for theFebruary 2009 DTV transition.

Additionally, 12.6 million other households have at leastone TV set that will not work after analog transmitters godark. Combined, the findings show that nearly one in fiveAmerican households is either partially or completely un-ready for the transition. Does that trouble anyone?

Broadcasters can legitimately say we are ready, but isour audience?

In light of the reception issues raised in the nation's firstlarge-scale test and the overall importance of the matterto both broadcasters and viewers, other cities have plansto conduct their own DTV tests. Although, one mightwonder how many of those 60 -second tests are scheduledmore for political cover than technical discovery.

Even so, the many reception factors such as stationchannel changes, terrain effects and justifiable consumerignorance make just about anything this industry does inpreparation for the shutoff better than just standing by asthe iceberg moves ever closer.

EDITORIAL DIRECTORWhat plans do you have to help viewers with

the DTV transition? Share your station's plans at

http://community.broadcastengineering.com/forums/80.aspx.

BE

10 broadcastengineering.com November 2008

71ECHNOLOGY[um

STAR2008

iy//,

BroadcastEngineering,

IBC,,20e,Ozr

Rethink whcts oossi ale with one careNow there's no need for multiple cards for video and audio processing. Our new

XVP-3901 delivers all the essential functions on a single module. It offers up/down/

cross conversion, with simultaneous 3Gbps/HD and SD outputs. There's also integral

fiber I/O, full AFD support, and background keying. Multi -channel audio performance

is equally impressive, with advanced processing of 16 embedded and 8 discrete

(AES) channels. It's time to rethink what's possible.

Rethink what's possible

www.miranc a.com/xvp

FEEDBACKDEPARTMENT

Flying the not -so -friendly skiesIn response to your October editorial, "IBC was great, minus the travel,"

you hit it right on the mark. I have been flying for approximately 40 yearsand see the progressive deterioration of simple creature comforts on com-mercial travel.

I raised three wonderful children and am often shocked to witness howmodern parents simplytheir children. There were many times when strangers went out of their wayto compliment my wife and me on the outstanding behavior of our childrenwhile in restaurants or other public venues.

That said, I doubt that any amount of public complaining will changethings, nor will we ever see the day when there is an adults -only seating sec-tion on an airline. My preference, when I can justify the almost $6 per gallonof avgas price, is to use private aircraft, where there is always an adult -onlyseating section. While there are no trips to the galley or restroom, it surebeats the security lines, waiting periods and lack of legroom seating. Unfor-tunately, it is a heck of a long trip to Europe.

Oh well, thank goodness for the Bose noise -cancelling headphones!Lanny Nass

CBS

Back to the futureDear editor:

In Anthony Gargano's "Back to thefuture" article in your August issue,he states:

"The first cable television system isusually recognized as the system builtin Astoria, OR, in 1949 by appliancedealer Ed Parsons. Ed wanted to selltelevision sets but found that a bitchallenging because Astoria didn't re-ceive any signals. That's hard to imag-ine in this era of hundreds upon hun-dreds of channels to select from over

cable, satellite and telco fiber. Backthen, off -air was the only option, andthere were less than 100 television sta-tions in the United States.

Ed, armed with an FM receiverto tune TV audio, explored the sur-rounding countryside to find a placewhere he could receive a signal. Whenhe did, he strung some cable fromthat spot to his newly sold receivers,thereby giving birth to CATV."

I believe this is incorrect. ServiceElectric Cablevision was started in1948 by John Walson in Mahanoy

City, PA. He has been nationally rec-ognized as being the founder of thefirst cable operating system. However,there are a few other individuals whoargue the fact that they started cableyears later. Mr. Walson, the founder,was the first.

Sam Lesante, Jr.VP/CPO

Sam -Son ProductionsHazleton, PA

Anthony Gargano responds:Many thanks for your comment,

Sam. Actually, truth be known, Istarted out my career working onwhat broadcasters would have thenreferred to as the "dark side" - thecable television industry. My first jobwas working for Milt Shapp in 1964at Jerrold Electronics, one of the pio-neering equipment suppliers to thecable industry. Jerrold was eventu-ally acquired by General Instrument,which itself was subsequently ac-quired by Motorola.

Through working at Jerrold, I hadthe pleasure of knowing JohnnyWalson. He was a character and areally great guy. And yes, he alwayslaid claim to building the first cablesystem. To this day, the claims ofwho really built that first system re-main unresolved, and attribution ofthat honor varies by institution orpublication.

For my article, I cited EdParsons as being the first becausethe National Cable Television Centerand Museum in Denver, now calledsimply The Cable Center, attributesthat honor to him. But knowing thediffering opinions as to whom thehonor belongs, I was careful to usethe term "usually recognized."

By the way, Milt liked to claim thathe built the first real cable televisionsystem!

Great stuff, Sam. Thanks for reading.

Test Your Knowledge!See the Freezeframe question

of the month on page 4.


INFINITYTMDIGITAL MEDIA CAMCORDER

THOMSONimages & beyond

TM MB EN ON MDmom= meIMIhm gm' IND SIMINI

011-81011581101110001115011011051110110.10 NMI101111000011011111100011050111011011110

01000miumin

01111158awl*. psisipoisin

1111,010111101110.111118111011110011

101110601110M

mow-

Bills.".1- WImein. nut

10111081101801110

nogg AmWV 0 Ma

ONO 000111 0 011102 MEM010100 _MEM

0 If 010111111 11111011011

0110011100 I103111000111

050101014

NO MORE PLAYING WITH BLOCKSWhen it comes to compression blocking artifacts, the Grass ValIeyTM

Infinity Digital Media Camcorder from Thomson doesn't play

around. With JPEG2000, Infinity gives you block -free

HD image capture at 4:2:2 10 -bit image quality - try that with

other camcorders.

No truncated samples. No disturbing artifacts. No compromise of

image quality. Finally, what you see is what you get.

To get the complete picture and a free DVD on the power of Infinity,

visit http://www.grassvalley.com/infinitydvd.

THOMSON

DOWNLOADBEYONDTHE HEADLINES

Beyond HDWill 1080p improve the quality of HDTV?

oesprinter?there

stil1

haveIt seems they have gonethe way of the horse -

and -buggy and round tube TVs, aterm that the consumer electron-ics industry is using to put the lastnail in the shipping crates for CRT -based displays.

In 1984, I bought my first com-puter and first printer, a dot matrixmachine that could print at 72 dotsper inch (DPI), which also hap-pened to be the resolution of theMac Classic display. The term whatyou see is what you get (WYSIWYG)was coined to describe the benefitsof a graphical user interface andprinter that could reproduce whatyou saw on the computer screen.Unfortunately, the results had morein common with the mechanical TVdemonstrated by John Logie Bairdin 1926 than a modern ink jet or la-ser printer.

Much the same can be said about

BY CRAIG BIRKMAIFR

the evolution of TV from the ear-ly experimental days through theworldwide deployment of 525 -line(NTSC) and 625 -line (PAL/SECAM)systems to today's SDTV and HDTV

Commercial TV became possible thanks to theround tubeTV, like this one from Zenith.

systems with 480, 576, 720 and 1080lines. We are only a decade into theera of HDTV, yet some folks are al-ready talking about moving beyondHDTV. In fact, the consumer elec-tronics industry is now promot-ing 1080p displays, despite the factthat nobody is broadcasting 1080 at

FRAME GRAB A look at the issues driving todays technology

Broadcast and unicast mobile TV video services to growUsers will increase from 57 million in 2007 to 566 million in 2013.

2007 57

2013 566

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Broadcast and unicast mobile TV and mobile videoservices estimated user base

Growth in millions

Source: NSR www 1151:C0M

50p or 60p, or is planning to in thenear future.

The trouble with dot matrix print-ers, and legacy TV systems, is thatthey did not offer enough resolution

to deliver high -quality,alias -free images. Despitethis shortcoming, how-ever, TV has prospered,based primarily upon thecontent that is delivered,rather than the quality ofthe pictures. While digitaltelevision can deliver out-standing quality pictures,the unfortunate reality isthat what we watch today isoften compromised by the

decision of program distributors tofocus on quantity rather than quality.

So what gives with the seemingdisconnect between the quality ofthe images that go into the transmit-ter and the push for displays that of-fer far more resolution than a broad-cast can deliver? And why are peopletalking about even higher resolutionsfor TV image acquisition?

Decoupling andoversampling

Baird's television system used acamera with a rotating disk to samplethe image. The display had a rotat-ing disk that recreated those samples.The major advancement that madecommercial TVs a practical realitywas the development of the roundtube TV, aka, a scanning CRT display.

John Logie Baird first demonstratedhis mechanical TV system in 1926.


The Ultimate File -BasedAudio Processor. Now withNew UpmixIng i-unctionality.

Dolby DP600 Program OptimizerFor file -based broadcast and postproduction environments, the Dolby® DP600Program Optimizer ensures loudness consistency from program to program,between programs and commercials, or between the channels within yourservice. Postproduction, terrestrial networks, affiliates, and cable, satellite, andIPTV operators can equally benefit from the DP600, which automatically analyzesand normalizes the loudness of programs in standard broadcast file formats.

The DP600-C version adds faster -than -real-time encoding, decoding, andtranscoding of Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby E, and MPEG-1 LII formats.

New for both DP600 configurations is an optional software upgrade that addsintelligent file -based upmixing functionality based on a newly developed Dolbyalgorithm. It automatically creates 5.1 -channel programs from stereo or Lt/Rtsources, and easily integrates into a work profile along with loudness correction,encoding, decoding, or transcoding.

The Dolby DP600 Program Optimizer is the complete audio processing answerfor file -based work flows that saves time and money. For more information, visitwww.dolby.com/dp600.

DP600 and DP600-C Applications

Broadcast media file QC and loudnesscorrection

Broadcast media file transcoding

File -based program upmixing

VOD file analysis and loudnesscorrection

Loudness correction for digitalprogram insertion (DPI)

Dolby and the double -D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. © 2008 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. 508/197138/19852


The camera electronically scannedthe image on a pickup tube from topto bottom, and the display scannedthis image onto the surface of theround tube display. We could delvedeeper into interlaced vs. progressive

This image was taken from John LogieBaird's mechanical TV system.

scanning, but for the purpose of thisdiscussion, the important takeaway isthat everything was tightly coupled.The camera and the receiver/displayall operated synchronously using thesame scanning parameters.

With digital television, all thathas changed. Image acquisition (thecamera), image processing (pro-duction, master control and trans-mission) and reception/display arecompletely decoupled. Today, a TVprogram may be displayed on a 65inHDTV display, a notebook computer,an iPod or a cell phone. Low -qualityimages can be viewed on high -qual-ity displays, and high -quality imagescan easily be encoded for delivery atmultiple resolutions.

In most cases, the limiting factorin delivered image quality is not thecamera or the TV. It is the band-width of the channel that is beingused to deliver the compressed bitsto the receiver, which in turn mustdecode these bits and present themon a display - any display, no mat-ter the resolution.

A modern digital TV receivermust deal with video formats atmultiple resolutions, convertingthem to the resolution of the localdisplay for presentation to the view-er. And that DTV display may beconnected to additional sources ofbits, which have different character-istics from a video signal, like videogame consoles and multimedia PCs.Some TVs are even shipping withintegrated Web browsers that bringthe world of Internet content to thebig screen in the family room.

There is one golden rule when itcomes to the creation and delivery ofhigh -quality imagery, whether it isvideo, digital photography or com-puter -generated images. It is desir-able to start with higher quality thanyou plan to deliver. The term for thisis oversampling. In laymen's terms,it is the difference between a dot

The limiting factorin delivered imagequality is not thecamera or the TV.

It is the bandwidthof the channel that

is being used.

matrix printer that creates charactersand images at 72DPI versus a laserprinter that produces characters andimages at 300DPI. More samples al-low the digital imaging system to re-produce higher frequencies withoutaliasing artifacts.

Oversampling is highly beneficialin cameras as it helps to eliminatesampling errors and minimize the ef-fect of noise on the sampling process.When we oversample and then resam-ple to a lower resolution, we improvethe overall accuracy of the image.This pays significant dividends whenthe imagery is digitally compressedfor emission. Reducing the number ofsamples that must be encoded, alongwith improving the accuracy of the

samples, makes it possible to deliverhigher quality images in bandwidth -

constrained channels.You do not want to push the sam-

pling system and the compressionsystem to the limits. But this is whatmany broadcasters have chosen todo with HDTV. By selecting the in-terlaced 1080i format, they are com-promising the acquisition system intwo ways. First, interlace is a spatial/temporal undersampling system. Thisadds stress to the MPEG compressionsystem, which is optimized for frame -based images (progressive scan). Sec-ond, most current camera designscannot oversample the 1920 x W80format. Many of the less expensivecameras use sensors that only have960 to 1440 samples per line. Thisresults in less accurate samples thatrequire more bits to compress.

Progressive image acquisition andprocessing improves the quality ofthe samples, which reduces stress onthe MPEG encoder. And the lowersample rate leaves more room in the19.3Mb/s ATSC payload to handlepeak bit -rate requirements. Oversam-pling to create 720p further improvesthe image quality.

Display oversamplingIn the decoupled world of DTV,

oversampling plays a significant rolein display quality as well. One of themajor limitations of NTSC and PAL(in addition to the use of interlace) isthat the scanning lines become visibleas the display size increases, and theartifacts associated with interlace ac-centuate the perception of the scan-ning lines in the raster. NTSC wasdesigned to produce a sharp pictureon a 19in display viewed at seven pic-ture heights. As larger CRT displaysbecame more common, the percep-tion of both image artifacts and theraster was more apparent. The moveto HDTV was driven primarily by theneed for more samples to create sharpimages on larger displays.

Today we find many display reso-lutions in the marketplace, some ofwhich are different than any of the


BlackmagicdesIgn

New Multibridge Pro has SDI, HDMI and Analogediting with multi channel audio for only $1,595

Multibridge Pro is the most sophisticatedediting solution available. With a hugs rangeof video and audio connections and the world's

first 3 Gb/s SDI. Advanced editing systems for

Microsoft Windows"' and Apple Mac OS X- are

now affordable.

Connect to any Deck, Camera or Monitor

Multibridge Pro is the only solution that features SDI, HDMI,component analog, NTSC, PAL and S -Video for capture and playback

in SD, HD or 2K. Also included is 8 channels of XLR AES/EBU audio, 2

channels of balanced XLR analog audio and 2 channel HiFi monitoring

outputs.Connect to HDCAM, Digital Betacam, Betacam SP, HDVcameras, big -screen TVs and more.

Advanced 3 Gb/s SDI Technology

With exciting new 3 Gb/s SDI connections,Multibridge Pro allows twice the SDI data

rate of normal HD -SDI, while also connectingto all your HD -SDI and SD -SDI equipment.

Use 3 Gb/s SDI for 4:4:4 HD or edit your latest feature film using real

time 2048 x 1556 2K resolution capture and playback.

2KDIGITAL

FILM RESOLUTION

World's Highest Quality

Multibridge Pro includes 3 Gb/s SDI and DualLink 4:4:4 SDI for connecting to decks such asHDCAM SR. Unlike FireWire, Multibridge Pro has

a 10 Gb/s PCI Express connection for powerful HD real time effects in

compressed or uncompressed video file formats.

Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac OS X

Multibridge Pro is fully compatible with Apple Final Cut Pro', AdobePremiere Pr6", Adobe After Effects-; Adobe Photoshop"1 Fusion- and

any DirectShow- or QuicxTime- based software. Multibridge Proinstantly switches between feature film resolution 2K, 1080HD, 720HD,

NTSC and PAL for worldwide compatibility.

Multibridge Pro

$1,595

The Drawn Together images are courtesy of Comedy Partners. Learn more today at www.blackmagic-design.com


ATSC formats. The good news is thatvirtually all flat -panel and projec-tion displays being sold today offerprogressive scanning. But the con-sumer electronics industry is pushingconsumers to purchase displays with1080p resolution, often in display siz-es where the viewer will not be able toresolve this level of detail.

As a rule of thumb, 1280 x 720 res-olution is adequate for displays withdiagonals up to 50in; 1920 x 1080 isonly needed for displays larger than50in at typical entertainment viewingdistances. But that excess resolution isnot necessarily a bad thing; it helps tosuppress the perception of the displayraster, and it may be useful for otherapplications, such as viewing a Webpage on the TV display.

In this, modern TVs are much likecomputer displays. They can presentproperly sampled video images withhigh quality, and they can presentcomputer -generated samples thatwould cause aliasing in video images.Thus a smaller (e.g., 32in) 1080p dis-play may have more resolution thanthe viewer can see when sitting atfive to seven picture heights, but thatresolution may be useful when view-ing a Web page - albeit by movingcloser to the screen to see the addi-tional details.

We are also seeing HDTV displaysthat are oversampling in the temporaldomain as well. In Europe, 100Hz dis-plays have been common for severaldecades to help minimize the percep-tion of 50Hz flicker. Many manufac-turers are now selling 120Hz HDTVdisplays, with image processing en-gines that can improve the quality of24p source images.

In the United States, we have livedwith improper presentation of 24psince the inception of TV service at60Hz, which became 59.94Hz whencolor was added. This required aframe repetition technique known as3:2 pulldown. In a theater, the projec-tor typically operates at 48Hz or 72Hz,displaying each frame two or threetimes. To convert the 24p source to 60video fields, one frame is repeated forthree field periods, the next for twofield periods. This disrupts the mo-tion adding to the problems that existwith the low 24p acquisition rate.

New 120Hz HDTV displays wouldallow each film frame to be displayedfive times, eliminating the uneven mo-tion rendition of 3:2 pulldown. Butthese displays go a step further and cre-ate in-between frames using sophisti-cated motion -compensated predictiontechniques. The result is smoother mo-tion that one would see in a theater.

Beyond HDTV?There is a great deal of interest in

new imaging systems that offer reso-lutions well beyond today's HDTV.For applications where the imagery ispresented on very large screens, thisis both desirable and practical. For aconsumer television system, however,there are many things we need morethan increased resolution.

First and foremost, we need to de-liver high -quality samples, even if thismeans reducing the resolution slightlyto make the content fit the channel'sbit budget. The vast majority of digitalcontent offered today is significantlyover -compressed. Needless to say, try-ing to squeeze 1080 at 60p into an ex-isting ATSC channel is only going toworsen the delivered image quality.

Next, we need to get rid of interlace,both as an image acquisition formatand as an emission format. And finally,we need to take full advantage of thebenefits of oversampling, both duringimage acquisition and at the display. Ifwe do these things, we will move be-yond the limitations of what is rapidlybecoming a legacy HDTV system. BE

Craig Birkmaier is a technology consultantat Pcube Labs.

ISend questions and comments to:[email protected]

Multichannel Fiber -Optic Wiring Syste

LWB-1 6M & LWB-6The Latest Outside -Broadcasting Solutions

Otari, Inc. (Japan)phone: +81-424-81-8626

fax: +81-424-81-8633

:nail: [email protected]

/17gma'11,flCigHTBROADCASTING

Transmission of max. 256 -channel audio,HD -SDI video, intercom, serial data and AC power

via hybrid fiber-optic camera cables

Otari Singapore Pie, Ltd.phone & fax: +65-6738-7807

mail: [email protected]

Otari U.S.A. Sales Inc.

phone: +1-818-734-1785

fax: +1-818-734-1786

mail: [email protected]

51706111www.otari.com


FUJ:FILM FUJINON

Inspiring images...remarkable value.

HD lenses for every production...every budget. Optimized optics Value priced Full feature control

-L,Z.L.*-FPOIPER

DIGIT AL

Two times extender

Widest angle RS -232 Interface

Broadcast and Communications Products DivisionFUJINON INC. 10 High Point Dr., Wayne, NJ 07470-7434 Phone: (973) 633-5600. FAX: (973) 633-5216

FUJINON CORPORATION 1-324 Uetake, Kita-Ku, Saitama City, Saitama 331-9624 Japan Phone: 81-48-668-2152

A 14

ZA17X7.6BERM ZA12X4.5BERM

www.fujinon.corn

FCC UPDATEBEYONDTHE HEADLINES

News fromthe DTV front

Stations have an opportunity to transition to digital early.

While the final transi-tion date has longbeen set at Feb. 17,2009, some stations

may want to terminate their analogoperations before then. For stationsin that category that are willing tohold off until Nov.17, the FCC hasworked out an analog turn-off planwith minimal regulatory hurdles.

Early transition opportunityMost stations will be able to drop

their analog channels on Nov. 17without prior commission approval ifthey broadcast notices on their analogfacilities for at least 30 days, beginningon or before Oct. 18. These noticesmust alert the audience about the an -

DatelineDec. 1 is the deadline for TV

stations in the following statesand territories to file their biennialownership reports: Alabama,Connecticut, Georgia, Maine,Massachusetts, New Hampshire,Rhode Island and Vermont.

Dec. 1 is the deadline for TVstations and Class A stations inthe following states and territoriesto place their 2008 EEO public filereports in their public files and postthem on their Web sites: Alabama,Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia,Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota,Montana, New Hampshire, NorthDakota, Rhode Island, SouthDakota and Vermont. LPTV stationsoriginating programming in theselocations, which are not required tohave public files, must post thesereports on their Web sites and keepthem in their station records.

BY HARRY C MARTIN

ticipated termination date and informthem about how they can continue toreceive the station. Stations choosingthis option also will have to notify thecommission of their plans at least 30days in advance through a filing usingthe FCC's CDBS data system. Stationswith flash -cut construction permits

prime time) for the 30 days prior toturn-off.

Early transition inWilmington, NC

The FCC's evaluation of the earlyDTV transition in the Wilmington,NC, market was positive. According

Wilmington has 180,000 households ofwhich 14,000 rely on over -the -air signal

delivery. On the first day of the Wilmingtontest, about 800, or 6 percent, of the 14,000

residents called the FCC helpline.

cannot avail themselves of this proce-dure and must seek STAs if they wantto cease analog operations.

Licensees wishing to cease analogoperations prior to Feb. 17, 2009, arerequired to notify the public in over -the -air messages containing the fol-lowing information:

the station's call sign and commu-nity of license;

the fact that the station is planningto reduce or terminate its analog op-erations before the transition date;

the date of the planned reductionor termination;

what viewers can do to continueto receive the station, i.e., how andwhen the station's digital signal can bereceived;

information about the availabilityof digital -to -analog converter boxesin their service area; and

the street address, e-mail address(if available) and phone number ofthe station where viewers may registercomments or request information.

Stations turning off their analogon or after Nov. 17 must air four suchannouncements daily (at least one in

I - . v

to the commission, "the vast major-ity of the 400,000 television viewersimpacted by the change ... seemed tobe prepared for it." This should not besurprising. The FCC and the local sta-tions blanketed the community withtransition information for weeks.

Wilmington has an estimated180,000 households of which 14,000rely on over -the -air (i.e., noncable,nonsatellite) signal delivery. On thefirst day of the Wilmington test, about800, or 6 percent, of the 14,000 resi-dents called the FCC helpline. Andthis occurred in a market that hadbeen overwhelmingly blanketed withinformation. It remains to be seenhow smoothly the nationwide transi-tion will go in other markets, where itwill not be possible to mount the samelevel of concentrated public educationas was done in Wilmington. BE

Harry C. Martin is a past president of theFederal Communications Bar Associationand a member of Fletcher, Heald andHildreth, PLC.

13Send questions and comments to:[email protected]


111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

I11111111111011111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

iilililili11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

LIKM:giScAentific4005eries

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111.111

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIi11111n+.+++111.11111111111111111111111111111111111'

....iiiri.1011111111111111111111111111

...i1111111111110111i1111111111111111111111

'1111#40111111111111111111111111111111111111111

w111111111111111'11;++,.i11111111111111111111111

1VH111411111,-.11111111111111111111111111111

.111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

The UTAH-400 Router Gives You The PowerWhen you get your hands on a UTAH -400, you've got allthe routing power you'll ever need.

The Utah Scientific family of routers is so powerful, with so many frame choices, you can build the perfect-sized system for your application and budget.Power at hand for as many signals as you want, in whatever formats you throw at it, up to and including

3-Gb data rates, and internal conversion on inputs and outputs as need: d.Yet the real power is in the reliability.With multiple redundancy op:ions, round-the-clock support, and thebest warranty in the business, you can't get a more solid system.On the other hand, it's also flexible, expandable, and affordule. Contact us today and we'll spec a UTAH -400

that's just right for you.

Note: while the UTAH -400 offersmore power to broadcasters, as an extra bonus, is actually

consumes 25% less energy than similar systems,providing cooler, cleaner, and less -expensive operation.

The Best In The Businesswww.utahscientific.com

VddieltANTY/111111164111111111I Utah Scientific

CO 2008 Sony Electronics Inc All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Features and specifications aresubject to change without notice. Sony. Professional Disc, XDCAM. HDNA and the HDNA logo are trademarks of Sony. Images on monitors are simulated.

SONY

.101f.

.101/141 WY

6

MIMI M11.NM. NNW In he ev Mall1.11111,1".0 ront, MI REN.0

12:34:47:12.MY., MEV ,

- II 115

wilt,1-1DNAHigh Definition. It's in our DNA.

So many formats, one solution.The world's first Gigabit Ethernet HD AV/IT recorder.Solve infrastructure headaches with Sony's innovative PDW-HD1500. It's a Gigabit Ethernetdata drive that can write any flash memory file format from any codec onto affordable,exchangeable Professional Disc"' media. Once your files are on optical disc, the possibilitiesare endless. Preview from a web browser. Transfer over data networks. Exchange contentusing the affordable PDW-U1 PC drive. And archive with powerful digital asset management.

It doesn't stop there. The HD1500 is also an XDCAM HD recorder that delivers spectacular1920 x 1080 resolution, rich 4.2:2 color, and complete surround sound with eight channelsof uncompressed audio. Need to archive and exchange files from the latest flash memoryand optical disc camcorders? Sony's PDW-HD1500. Problem solved.

(!) click: sony.com/xdcam for an interactive video on the ultimate AV/IT workflow solution.

TRANSITION TO DIGITALDIGITAL HANDBOOK

MPEG's upgradeThis tutorial will help you understand MPEG-4's

distinctive features and functions.

Although MPEG-2 con-tinues to enjoy wide-spread deployment overbroadcast and DVD me-

dia, MPEG-4 is rapidly catching up,thanks to advances in algorithms,processing power and storage. Andwhile the original video codec ofMPEG-4 - called Part 2 or Visual- delivered the ability to performobject -based coding, the feature wasquickly superseded by the efficiencyimprovement provided by AdvancedVideo Coding (AVC), i.e., MPEG-4Part 10 (ITU H.264).

Tool kitMPEG-4 provides a more en-

hanced toolkit than its predecessors,yielding up to HDTV resolution withas much as a 50 percent reduction inbandwidth. Some of the key featuresof MPEG-4 are listed in Table 1.

MPEG-4 Visual first introducedthe concept of video objects and vid-eo object planes. In contrast to codingan entire picture, a background image

BY Al DO CUGNINI

MPEG-4 profiles

Simple Visual Profile

Advanced SimpleVisual Profile

Core Visual Profile

AVC Baseline

AVC Main

AVC Extended

AVC High

Features

Similar to MPEG-2 coding

B -frames, global motion compensation andinterlace

Binary shapes (video objects) and B -frames

Low delay and lower processor load

Interlaced video, B -frames andCABAC encoding

Error resilience tools

Fidelity range extensions and high -quality,high -resolution formats for HDTV anddigital cinema

Table 1. MPEG-4 adds new features to the compression toolkit.

can be coded over which a foregroundvideo object plane is separately coded.One typical application of this is insynthetic or computer -generated im-ages (e.g., animation), where objectsroutinely move in front of a fixed or

FRAME GRAB A look at tomorrow's technology

Number of cable subscribers who have used VOD increasingIn 2008, 43 percent of cable subscribers utilized video on demand.

50 ->cocno cm 40

(=,

co -0" 0)CD cn

-C2 =t03

30

)7 ,,.. 2C..) ""cn >co

0.)O. 20

cn

1 0-co

C-3

Source Leichtman Research

10%

2004 2007

Year

43%

2008

www.leichtmanresearch.corn

slowly moving background image.In fact, a sophisticated encoder

can make use of this technique whencoding live -action video as well, withscene -detection algorithms capableof detecting moving foregroundobjects such as people and faces.However, while this type of codinghas relevant applications for videoconferencing systems, its widespreaduse has not grown, perhaps in partbecause of the amount of processinghorsepower needed.

AVC featuresAVC introduces various new pic-

ture coding tools for interlaced pic-tures, such as picture -adaptive frame/field coding and macroblock-adap-tive frame/field coding. These allowseveral choices: coding each fieldseparately; combining two fields to-gether and coding them as a frame;or combining two fields into a framewhile splitting pairs of vertically ad-jacent macroblocks into either field


* * * **

. * -A'r k

4. A

h,

(1' .

-

r 4.

4.. .

' ,

a

.. ,

, 111;-:

wco

46733)

sapcs-

ZY

),

tir)_c .

o42

2tz,

a>cui

CD

z lcci)

..-,0:3

CD

gE

>"

,t)_c

.4:-_,

c.)o >-.-,

o4;

7)L

I)u)4:-E

3' o ccc'

E c

.46

a§ L-

:I-as

121-0

o §to co

toco

a3o c

(7)>

,'32

2_o -ro T

D_

2,0

EE

2C

) 172-3'w0 .-F_,

cwso

(I)(13

(r)m

.2, 0

4-,24->

, ra4-;c

8.

E-0i

,_ 0el i

3 oo 0 2

73 E0

rr- -0 c 72>

,,_

iti1 =

D co 0 4-

O 0

0 0,a)

la .51)(10

-,-0 -o »' Ea)

()5° s --R

,xiz

(1)

11._ ,

g . .. + - a

8-0

:.-,E

d'75

92c u)

Om

17--.

(1)C

D°

Om

CD

C --C

4-'..,(1)

(g 4;):C

I.0 -0N

co.E

_o-c

a)97,_

>.4_,

IDa

.47,c,3

.E.. -0c

.

cp0

c.)L

..

( I 5 2 3-8

,!(15

CD

1 : 18'g

c . '

0: :012

oa co

cl)E

44>1

0CD

(I)>4-': I 1

0 0O

+-L

o-

d-c

cO>

, 034)

,548

6-u)

-coa)

o -0co

''-'1)_0 J0

c cr)>

. -0c E

°E

win

2 8 6 4_0>49u.),n, 1

$2.

,0,5

.0.

A,,

>, 4-

CC

?)C

4,(C

f)a)

0 ;c

to4.0

Ecol

El

Tal

u)=

o4.0

34)

"C)

ci

8::.).°

u.


macroblocks or frame macroblocks.AVC thus enables different macro -blocks to be coded as either field orframe within the same picture. In ad-dition, the prediction method for eachcoded macroblock can be one of sev-eral different types, such as intra, inter,forward, backward and bidirectional.Macroblocks can also be partitioned

into smaller horizontal and/or verticalsubmacroblocks.

While MPEG-2 uses fixed anchorframes to predict the intercodedframes, AVC introduces the conceptof multiple reference frames for in-terprediction. A reference frame in-dex identifies one of several lists ofreference frames so that predictions

NTT Electronics ^4- Real High Pof;rifirm-15)

impactContact us to experienceSTUNNING compression technology!!

COWER

ARM

AMONG

WITtledronics

orr^ toR1-2 E

(----World's first

AVC/H.264 & MPEG-2HD/SD Encoder/DecoderHVE9100 / HVD9100

Main FeaturesBased on NTT Electronics' state of the art LSIAVC/H.264 and MPEG-2 support

4:2:2 and 4:2:0 supportEl Low Latency Mode (Approx. 250msec.)

Greatly enhanced audio featuresZero Lipsync errorBuilt-in Ethernet interface (optional)

4:2:2Low

Latency '

Built-in SNMP functionality and HTTP menuBuilt-in BISS-1/E functionality (optional)

Markets and Applications7 Broadcast contribution

Satellite, cable, terrestrial distributionVideo over IPStorage, and server applications

To see NTT Electronics solutions, visit http://www.nel-world.com/products/video

NEL America, Inc. E-mail [email protected] http://nel-america.com/

NTT Electronics Corporation E-mail mm_i@yoko nel co jp http //www nel-world com

can efficiently account for back -and -forth scene cuts and object occlu-sions. (See Figure 1 on page 28.)

AVC also adds error resilience toolsthat can help to reduce the visibilityof artifacts when errors occur. Theseinclude additional picture and slicetypes, such as switching intraframes(SI-frames) and switching predictiveframes (SP -frames), and flexible mac-roblock ordering. SI- and SP -frames(or slices) are coded to allow efficientswitching between different pictures,allowing correct pictures to be built upin a decoder (even when there is miss-ing information) by using a choice ofdifferent reference frames (or slices).SI- and SP -frames can also be used tofacilitate bit stream switching.

AVC also expands on the way thatthe various symbols, such as motionvectors and residual data (transformcoefficients) are coded, by add-ing techniques for variable lengthcoding (VLC). VLC is a reversible,lossless procedure for entropy cod-ing that assigns shorter bit stringsto frequent symbols and longer bitstrings to less -frequent symbols.Three types of coding are available inAVC: Exponential-Golomb (or Exp-Golomb) coding, context -adaptivevariable -length coding (CAVLC) andcontext -based adaptive binary arith-metic coding (CABAC).

Exp-Golomb is the baseline en-tropy coding method of AVC, whichrelies on a single code word set thatis used for all syntax elements exceptfor the residual data. The fixed tablesof Exp-Golomb, however, as well asthose used in MPEG-2 and other co-decs, do not allow an adaptation tothe actual image transform statistics,which may vary over space and time,as well as for different source materialand coding conditions. With CAVLC,intersymbol redundancies are ex-ploited by switching VLC tables forvarious syntax elements, dependingon already -transmitted coding sym-bols. In this way, CAVLC is more ef-ficient than the MPEG-2 VLC.

To encode pixel data, AVC uses asimpler transform than the discrete


-r E C 1-1 N 1:73 L- O Go V

Reliable, Cost Effective and Easy to UseSD, HD and Streaming Fully Automated Playout Solutions

It's All in a PlayBox ---

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111110111111111111111111111111111wHoll"""

New media opportunities call for new technologies.PlayBox develop technologies for mission critical brcladcast applications for many years.

Automation Subtitling DVB Streaming Traffic

Talk to one of our systems experts or visit www.playbox.tv :

PlayBox UKPlayBox BulgariaPlayBox RomaniaPlayBox TurkeyPlayBox Adria

+44 1707 66 44 44+359 2 9703050+4 021 3170778

+90 53 2505 6464+381 11 3117286

PlayBox GermanyPlayBox USAPlayBox India

+49170 98 33 160+1 404 424 9283+31 9811913333

PlayBox Asia Pacific 16012 288 0760PlayBox Latin America Sales +598 96 471910

NATJoin PlayBox Booth


cosine transform (DCT) used inMPEG-2. The new transform (andquantization) can be carried out us-ing integer arithmetic and a singlemultiply per coefficient, enabling areduction in complexity. Transformcoefficients are then coded using run -length and level. If there are runs ofzeroes in the transform (as is com-monplace), the level of the precedingcoefficient is coded, along with the

MPEG-2

number of zeroes afterward. AVC goespast MPEG-2 in additionally codingthe number of trailing ones (Tls).From a statistical standpoint, mostblocks of video contain relatively lit-tle detail information. Therefore, thelevel (magnitude) of non -zero coeffi-cients tends to be higher at the start ofthe transform array (near the DC co-efficient) and lower toward the higherfrequencies. CAVLC takes advantage

AVC

Figure 1. MPEG-2 is limited to showing each frame in succession. AVC, however, can usemultiple reference frames.

of this by adapting the choice of theVLC lookup table depending on thenumber of non -zero coefficients andtrailing ones in neighboring blocks.

The CAVLC method, however, can-not adapt to the actual symbol sta-tistics (i.e., the statistical occurrenceof the symbols themselves). CABACadapts to the statistics of the actualbits in the data stream by using a con-text model that describes the probabil-ity of occurrence of one or more bitsof a data symbol. This model may bechosen from a set of available models,depending on the statistics of recentlycoded data symbols. An arithmeticcoder (a form of VLC) then encodesthe data according to the selectedprobability model. Finally, the selectedcontext model is updated, based onthe actual coded data. The system es-sentially learns the best way to code thesymbols. (See Figure 2.)

CABAC compresses data more

KinoFlo ParaBeamHD Studio Light

ParaBeamsmake HD images look

their best. Soft light quality is soimportant we designed TrueMatchlamps calibrated to match the spectralresponse curves of HD. Parabolicreflectors intensify the light, whilehoneycomb louvers spot the light to90°, 60° or 45°. Cool soft light keepsthe talent happy, while advancedelectron' .deliver DMX dimming on asmall footprint.

Please Light Responsibly.

www.kinOfiO. OM 2840 North Hollywood Way, B ii bank, CA USA voice +1 818 767 6528



efficiently than CAVLC, but requiresconsiderably more processing powerto encode and decode. Consequently,it's not commonly used in low-costarchitectures such as handheld de-vices. Nonetheless, experimentalresults have shown the superior per-formance of CABAC compared toCAVLC. To evaluate the quality ofdigital video processing, the peak sig-nal-to-noise ratio (PSNR, a measureof the encoding error) of processedvideo signals can be calculated. Fortypical test sequences in broadcastapplications, bit -rate savings canaverage 9 percent to 14 percent, at arange of acceptable video quality ofabout 30dB to 38dB PSNR.

An amendment to the MPEG-4standard added the Fidelity RangeExtensions (FRExt), forming the AVCHigh Profile. This includes high-per-formance characteristics such as 10 -bitand 12 -bit per sample quantization;

DataPreprocess

Context(nearbysymbols)

Contextmodeler

Arithmeticcoding

Bit stream

Figure 2. CABAC can adapt to the statistics of the actual picture data, resulting in veryefficient coding.

4:2:2, 4:4:4 and RGB color sampling;very high bit rates; and lossless codingof portions of video. Scalable videocoding was also recently added to AVC,enabling the encoding of bit streamsthat include sub -bit streams at smallertemporal or spatial resolutions.

AVC support is required for allBlu-ray disc players, so very highlevels of video performance are nowavailable to viewers, but of course

at a cost. Notwithstanding the im-provement from AVC, with the digi-tal transition about to leapfrog injust a few months, and HDTV salesstill growing, don't expect MPEG-2to fade away anytime soon. BE

Aldo Cugnini is a consultant in the digitaltelevision industry.

ISend questions and comments to:[email protected]

PEACE OF MIND

Your network is complicated e ough.Relax with Scopus Digital Video Solutions. Alm

Efficient Bandwidth Utilization: MPEG-4 encoding DVB-S2 modulationPremium Channel Offering: HD encodingAdvanced Video Processing: Statistical multiplexing Splicing/DPI

SCOPUSVideo Networks

www.scopus.net/peaceofmindContact us now: 609-987-8090

November 2008 I broadcastengineering.com 29

COMPUTERS & NETWORKSDIGITAL HANDBOOK

File -based deliveryThanks to technical advances and falling prices for

bandwidth, file -based content delivery is more common.BY BRAD GIL MFR

Five years ago, file -based con-tent delivery was makinginroads with broadcasters,but it was still a somewhat

unusual way to deliver video. Now,file -based content delivery is thenorm. Thanks to the deployment ofkey enabling technologies, less expen-sive networks and a rise in file -basedcontent delivery to the consumer, file -based delivery is coming of age.

For decades, content was deliveredto the broadcaster by one of two meth-ods. Network programming was deliv-ered on a network satellite, and syndi-cated programming and commercialswere delivered by overnight courier.The network programming feed madesense because there was a single sourcedistributing the same content to manystations. The overnight courier wasan efficient way to do point-to-pointdelivery, where many different com-mercials were being sent from manyoriginating points to many differentbroadcasters. While satellite transpon-der and shipping costs were not insig-nificant, they were, and in many casesthey still are, the most cost-effectiveway to distribute content.

Almost as soon as the Internetcame into being, broadcasters andcontent distributors began lookinginto ways to deliver content over thisnew medium. But financial and tech-nical hurdles stood in the way. Whenit was developed, the Internet excelledat moving text from one place to an-other. Because even a small video clipis many times larger than the averagetext file, the cost of bandwidth wasone of the major stumbling blocks tomoving video over IP. Second, therewas the last mile problem. You mightbe able to get high-speed connectiv-ity between two cities, but it may beimpossible to get a high-speed link

over the last mile from a telephonecompany central office to the broad-cast facility.

Today, bandwidth costs are falling,and while it may still be a determiningfactor in whether a particular project isable to move forward, in many cases, af-fordable connectivity for video distribu-tion is available. Let us look at some keyenabling technologies that have madefile -based content delivery practical.

Digital videoIt almost goes without saying that

digital video technology is the key-stone of file -based content delivery.From where we sit today, digital videois a given. But it was not clear at thetime that the industry would be suc-cessful in creating a single ubiquitousdigital video standard. Without itsdevelopment, file -based content de-livery would be impossible.

Video and audiocompression

Without the development and de-ployment of interoperable, efficientvideo and audio compression, file -based content delivery would be justa dream. Compression ratios of 10:1,then 100:1 and now beyond have al-lowed broadcasters to lower theirtransmission costs with an acceptableimpact on quality. The industry hasbeen extremely well served by the de-velopment of compression and wouldnot be where it is today without it.

Extensible MarkupLanguage

A comparatively new invention isExtensible Markup Language (XML).XML has allowed broadcasters andcontent distributors to include meta -data about the files they are sending.The industry has recognized what a

critical role metadata plays in the con-tent distribution chain. The adoptionof XML allows us to use many of thesoftware tools developed in the com-puter industry for the constructionand manipulation of metadata.

Fiber connectivity both betweenand inside broadcast facilities is nowcommonplace.

Material eXchange FormatThe Material eXchange Format

(MXF) is a wrapper that allows a con-tent delivery service to wrap togethervideo, audio, closed captioning andmetadata in a single container. Thecontainer can be streamed from thecontent delivery service to the broad-caster and played directly, or it can besaved as a file. The power of MXF is in


www.yamahaca.corn

a sure thing.When it came to choosing a digital console fortheir newest truck - Natalie Michele, Sure ShotTransmissions, Inc. based out of New Middletown,Ohio went with their best bet. Installed in a count-less number of broadcast mobile trucks, Yamaha'sPM5D has developed a reputation for strength,reliability and stellar performance. A crystal cleardecision with features such as auto -mix minus,flexible routing and surround sound capability, thePM5D continues to remain a cut above the rest.

When you need help, time zones shouldn't matter. Yamaha provides coast to coast24/7 technical support. With dedicated staff and regional service centers, assistanceis around the corner. If we can't fix it over the phone, we'll put a part or a personon the next plane out. It's that simple.

*YAMAHA

commercial audio

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. P 0. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90626.6600

©2008 Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.


its object model - the way metadatais arranged in the wrapper. A receiv-ing application can decode the meta -data in the MXF header and quicklydetermine if the content meets de-livery specifications without detailed

Many fiber-optic cables have beeninstalled over the last 15 years, makingfile -based content delivery a reality.

analysis of the contents of the file.Furthermore, the items in the file andthe way they are referenced in themetadata have been standardized toincrease interoperability.

Error correctionError correction has been around

for many years. In fact, error correc-tion has been available for files sentacross the Internet since the Internet'sinception. However, the industry isnow discovering standardized ways ofimplementing error correction thatallow interoperability among differ-ent implementations.

Peer -to -peer networkingPeer -to -peer (P2P) networking has

been used on the consumer side of theInternet for quite some time. P2P getsaround a number of issues with broad-casting over the Internet. It can be dif-ficult to send the same file to hundreds

or thousands of sources simultaneously,because traditionally, the sender mustestablish a one-to-one conversationwith each receiver. Clearly, a traditionalbroadcaster would be overwhelmed ifit had to electronically talk to each re-ceiver. P2P allows portions of a file tobe sourced from any number of send-ers, so the load of sending the file canbe distributed beyond a single source.Several professional implementationsof P2P have been created, and the im-plementation of this technology on thebroadcast side is increasing.

One-way IP transmissionBecause of the unavailability and

high cost of connectivity, satellitetransmission can still be the best wayto reach some facilities. For file -baseddistribution, engineers came up withclever ways to modify existing IP tech-nologies. IP was designed assuming thatthere would be a two-way conversation

Your wish is our command centerOptima can bring your vision of the ideal mobile command & communications center to life.

Our vast modular line of cabinet and console options provide a wealth of configuratior

possibilities. This saves you time, effort and money. Our rugged design includes several levels

of reinforcement for even the harshest environments. Plus, our experienced team of design en-

gineers can apply creative ergonomics and logistics. With Optima, your future looks bright.

Optima EPSCabinets 8 Enclosures

An ILMA cernpny

Phone: 770-496-4000 Web: www.optimaeps.com

Email: [email protected]

MI. 1. V

Cabinet Enclosures - Mobile

Command/Communications

Consoles - Mobile

Desk Consoles - Mobile

ELMAYour Solution Partner



between the sender and the receiver.The predominant method of error re-covery in IP requires that the receivernotify the sender that a packet has beenlost so that the sender can retransmitthe lost information. Without a returnpath, this and many other protocols de-signed to work over IP will fail. A fewsmart people have figured out how tomake file -based delivery work using IPeither without a return path or with alow -speed return path. Without thesemodifications, file -based delivery ofcontent using IP would be impossible.

Large-scale fiberdeployments

Over the last 15 years, the telecomindustry has laid tens of thousands,perhaps hundreds of thousands, ofmiles of fiber-optic cables. No oneknows exactly how much; the carri-ers keep this a closely guarded secret.At this point, fiber passes by mosthomes and businesses in metropoli-tan areas, and fiber is installed in allmajor league and most college sportsvenues. Some, but not all, last -mileproblems have been solved by a mas-sive investment in fiber by the tele-com industry.

File -based deliveryFile -based content delivery is in-

creasing. Of course, when you consid-er the effective bandwidth of an over-night courier truck loaded with tapes,it is difficult to beat. Even so, demandfor file -based delivery is growing.

There are several factors driving this.First, file -based delivery allows just -in -time delivery of content. For example,if an advertiser wants to change a com-mercial, it can do so closer to air usingfile -based delivery technology. Second,there are costs associated with fillingthe overnight courier truck with tapethat go beyond the shipping costs. Thecosts associated with a national tapeduplication facility are significant. Fi-nally, depending on the technologyused, file -based content delivery en-sures that the copy created at a broad-caster's facility is either a bit -perfectcopy of the original, or it does not ar-

rive at all. This eliminates tapes thatare rejected for duplication -relatedtechnical errors.

File -based content delivery is not apanacea. Traditional delivery mecha-nisms will probably coexist with file -based delivery for quite some time. Butthe technical advances described in thisarticle coupled with falling prices for

bandwidth mean that file -based con-tent delivery is here to stay. BE

Brad Gilmer is executive director of theVideo Services Forum, executivedirector of the Advanced Media WorkflowAssociation and president of Gilmer& Associates.

111

Send questions and comments to:brad [email protected]

The First Word In Prompting Solutions:

> autoscript

Ir=ATONALR ETADIUNHE EVENTEN INSIDE.

ANAVICS

USA 1-203-338-8356UK: +44 (0) 207 538 1427www.autoscript.tv

Autoscript leads the teleprompterbusiness with :he most complete

line of innovative on -camera,executive, and software solutions,

engineered and manufacturedto exceed expectations.Perhaps that's why more

professionals look to us....

ussales autoscri [email protected]


PRODUCTION CLIPSDIGITAL HANDBOOK

Editing long -GOP videoH.264, with fidelity range extensions, provides analternative to editing long -GOP MPEG-2 images.

When HDV was intro-duced, editors quicklydiscovered that whenthey exported a pro-

duction back to HDV tape, the processoften took hours. Many saw long ex-port times as a reason to avoid long -GOP formats. At the same time, somemarketing campaigns promoted theidea that long -GOP MPEG-2 was dif-ficult to decode, making editing cum-bersome. Also, so-called experts ad-vised editors new to HD that MPEG-2

BY STFVF MULLFN

should be decoded in the VTR, sent viaHD -SDI and stored as uncompressedvideo. Or, if that weren't possible, dur-ing capture, it should be transcoded toa better 4:2:2 codec.

Folks were also warned that if theyedited long -GOP natively, the use ofFX would result in poor quality be-cause renders would be re -encoded toMPEG-2. And, worse, repeated re-en-codings would further destroy quality.

The result of these warnings was

a fear of native long -GOP editing.

MPEG-2 editing mythsThe all too frequent claim that during the capture or import of long GOP

MPEG-2, it must be converted to a "better" codec is false. All MPEG-2-based formats can, and generally should, be edited natively. Interframesource files require the least storage space and the least disk bandwidth.

Expanding file size during import in no way can improve or preserveimage quality. Moreover, native editing typically enables more streamsof video to be edited in real time. NLEs obtain YCrCb frames from uncom-pressed source files, on -the -fly decompressed intraframe source files,and on -the -fly decoded HDV, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX and XDCAM HD 422source files. (As part of a decode, 4:2:0 MPEG-2 video is upsampled to 4:2:2.)Therefore, no matter the source format on disk, exports are always madefrom 4:2:2 uncompressed video.

When you play back a timeline, you are viewing 4:2:2 uncompressedvideo that is output directly via HD -SDI or HDMI, or converted to RGB. Wheneffects are rendered in real time, the render engine outputs 4:2:2 uncom-pressed video. When you manually render effects, the render engine's un-compressed 4:2:2 output may either be sent directly to a file or compressed.Obviously, compressed files have the advantage of requiring far less spaceand typically do not require a RAID -based editing system.

For example, with HD MPEG-2 source video, Avid Xpress Pro HD andMedia Composer can render effects to compressed DNxHD files. And,beginning with Apple Final Cut Pro 6, one can request that effects appliedto MPEG-2 source video be rendered to ProRes 422 files. Moreover, you canrequest Apple's Color application to render to ProRes 422 files.

Therefore, clips with applied effects will not be re -encoded to MPEG-2.Likewise, graphics are never encoded to MPEG-2 during editing. The onlytime MPEG-2 source files will be re -encoded to MPEG-2, or any interframeformat, is when you request an export to MPEG-2 or H.264 to create DVD orBlu-ray optical discs.

Thankfully, as NLEs were enhancedto support various types of MPEG-2and more editors came to understandwhat really went on inside their NLE,this fear has lessened. (See "MPEG-2editing myths.")

There remains, however, the issueof long export times - even with acuts -only MPEG-2 timeline. The rea-son for the delay is that when a clipis trimmed during editing, the begin-ning and/or end of each clip likely hasits GOP structure broken.

To obtain a perfect GOP seriesduring MPEG-2 output, starting atthe first frame in a timeline, everyGOP is decoded to a sequence ofYCrCb frames. Then, each series ofsix, 12 or 15 YCrCb frames are en-coded into GOPs.

Smart GOP splicingWhen you watch ATSC HD MPEG-

2, transport stream sources are real-time spliced with frame accuracy.MPEG-2 data streams are spliced byshortening the GOP of the last clip(called the outgoing GOP), shorten-ing the GOP of the next clip (calledthe incoming GOP) or shorteningboth GOPs.

Because MPEG-2 allows shorterthan six-, 12- or 15 -frame GOPs, itwould seem the task is a simple one.Figure 1 shows an example where four

BBPBB BBPBB BBPBB

becomes

B BBPBB BBPBB

Figure 1. In this example, the fourframes shown in red have been trimmedfrom a GOP. This causes the I -frames(in orange) to be closer together. WhenI -frames occur too frequently, thestream data rate can become too great.


Set your workflow free.

Master Control

www.crispincorp.com

Asset Management& Archiving

Automation with a Human Touch.To run any broadcast facility year in and year out, you need to be consistent and well ordered.Sure, good equipment is essential, but most important is quality selection that only comes fromthe human touch. As broadcasting grows ever more complex, automating operations is becominga necessity. However, most automation systems. by package design, enforce a rigid, fixed -architectureregime and database dependence. Such systems are foreign to your natural workflow - limiting your

fi eedom of selection, your ability to grow and the flexibility to change course as the wind blows.

With Crispin, Automation is not the end of Autonomy.

At Crispin, we realize that automation doesn't have to mean the end of autonomy. We enhanceperformance, not just command it. Our systems are modular in design and database independent,providing an organic workflow to your operations by using only the pieces that match your opera-tions, plans and budget Crispin Software is designed by people with master control room experi-ence and serviced by people with experience inside TV stations. Be it Total Automation, MasterControl, Newsroom Automation, Ingest & Media Prep or Archiving and Asset Management, throughmodular design, our systems grow as you do, offering frame accurate workflow precision in tinemost demanding broadcast and cable network environments.

7 Years Free Support - Because it's the right thing to do.

We back this up with our amazing Crispin4Life -7Year Free Support Plan, plus unrivaled customerservice, both unmatched in the industry. However, most importantly is our commitment to per-sonal attention and working closely with you to develop a highly individual, fail-safe, broad horizonautomation solution with an intuitive human touch. Look no further. Join the list of top broadcastersaround the US that trust and rely on Crispin technology day in - day out, and set your workflow free_

Crispin.


B I B B P B B I B BP B B I

1/4 I 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/4 1/4 I 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/4 1/4 I

0.36 1.44 0.36 0.36 0.72 0.36 0.36 1.44 0.36 0.36 0.72 0.36 0.36 1.44

100% 100%

Table 1. A simulation of HD -1 (720p30 HDV) GOP splicing

B I B B P B B B P B B I

1/4 I I/4 I/4 1/2 I/4 1/4 1/4 1/2 I/4 1/4 I

104%

I B B P B I B B

0.47 1.39 0.35 0.35 0.69 0.35 1.39 0.35 0.35 0.69 0.35 1.44

100% 87% 100% 0.61 4141

Table 2. A simulation of HD -1 (720p30 HDV) GOP splicing after removing two frames

frames (in red) have been trimmedfrom a GOP. While this appearssimple, look again at the generatedseries of three GOPs. You will notethe I -frames (in orange) have movedcloser together.

I -frames add - relative to P- and B -frames -a huge quantity of data to thedata stream. Normally, these I -framepeaks are smoothed by the P- and B-

frames that naturally occur before thenext I -frame. However, if I -frames oc-cur too frequently, the stream data ratecan become too great.

One way to prevent this error, asdescribed in a Sarnoff patent on abroadcast MPEG-2 splicer, is "toadjust the ... levels between thefrom -stream and to -stream suchthat ... the resulting spliced trans-port stream will not suffer overflow,underflow or other undesirable de-coder buffer memory behavior." Thegoal is to decode and encode onlyGOPs that lie on a splice boundary.The re -encode is controlled by afeedback loop that adjusts encodercompression based upon the cur-rent data rate.

Feedback control when splicingGOPs is not only important for HDVthat uses CBR encoding, it is also im-portant for XDCAM HD, XDCAMEX and XDCAM HD 422, as wellas AVCHD - all of which use VBRencoding. The feedback -controlledprocess limiting decoding and en-coding to only those GOPs that lieon splice boundaries is often calledsmart GOP splicing.

Simulation of smartGOP splicing

To learn more about smart GOPsplicing, I created a simple simula-tion of HD -1 (720p30 HDV) GOPsplicing. In Table 1, the dark and paleblue cells represent two untrimmed,

IBBPBB IBBPBB BBPBB

becomes

BBPBB BPBB BBPBB

Figure 2. Removing an I -frame (in red)would create an illegal GOP (in blue).

six -frame, closed GOPs. The left -mostyellow cells represent the last B -framefrom the GOP preceding the outgo-ing GOP. The right -most yellow cells

200

180

160

140

120

100

2

represent the first I -frame of the GOPfollowing the incoming GOP.

Notation within cells indicatesthat each I -frame is 1.44MB; each P-

frame is one-half (I/2) of an I -frame(0.72MB); and each B -frame is one-fourth (I/4) of an I -frame (0.36MB).Therefore, the total data in one GOPis 3.6MB. The bit rate for five GOPs (1second) is 18Mb/s - the video datarate used by 720p30.

The upper half of Table 2 has thefinal B -frame of the outgoing GOPand the initial I -frame of the in-coming GOP - as represented inTable 1 - trimmed away. The lowerhalf of Table 2 displays the two newfive -frame GOPs created by the re -

encode process.Notice the re -encoding process has

handled the difficult situation created

4 6

Frames removed

8 10

Figure 3. Relative data rate as a function of removing two, four, six, eight and 10frames from two six -frame GOPs


3cQ

rt

0

00imo

www.for-a.com Head Office (Japan)

Tel: +81 (0)3-3446-3936

USA Western (CA)Tel: +1 714-894-3311

USA Eastern & Midwest (NY)Tel: +1 212-861-2758

USA Southern (FL)Tel: +1 352-371-1505

Latin America & Caribbean (FL)

Tel: +1 305-931-1700

Canada (Toronto)Tel: +1 416-977-0343

UK (London)Tel: +44 (0)20-8391-7979

Italy (Milan)Tel: +39 02-254-3635/6

Korea (Seoul)Tel: +82 (0)2-2637-0761

China (Beijing)Tel: +86 (0)10-5170-9870

FOR.INNOVATIONS IN VIDEOand AUDIO TECHNOLOGY

CHANGEto FOR -A's State of The Art Video Processors

FA-9100/RPSAll in One Signal Processor including;

Up/Down/Cross Cony., HDV, Dolby E, Logo Generator,

and Brand' New Frame Rate Converter Option

FRC-3000 NEWA Braid' New Frame Rate Converter

with Motion Compensation Technology

FRC-7000Best Quality of HD Frame Rate Conversion

with Motion Compensation Technology

HD Frame Rate Converter

FRC-3000 NEW

- EIA 1U compact size

- Supports conversion between various HD formats:

1080/60i, 59.94i, 50i or 720/59.94p, 50p

- Vector motion compensated HD frame rate conversion

- Automatic scene cut detection

- Smooth conversion of crawling and scrolling titles

- Embedded audio and 8 -channel audio Mux/Demux support

- Optional Dolby E encoder/decoder, AC -3 decoder card

HD Frame Rate Converter

FRC-7000- The flagship model of FOR -A's frame rate converters

- Supports conversion between various HD formats

- Optional formats supported: 1080/30p, 30PsF, 29.97p,

29.97PsF, 25p, 25PsF, 24p, 24PsF, 23.98p, and 23.98PsF

- Vector motion compensated HD frame rate conversion

- Automatic scene cut detection

- Smooth conversion of crawling and scrolling titles

- Optional 16 -channel audio Mux/Demux card CEI

- Optional Dolby E encoder/decoder, AC -3 decoder card IMO

Multi Purpose Signal Processor

FA-9100/RPS- Input/Output of all HD, SD, digital and analog formats;

HD/SD-SDI, HD/SD-analog component, Y/C and analog composite

- Digital/Analog audio support

- 12 -bit internal processing for high image quality

- High -quality A/D converter and D/A converter

- Powerful frame synchronizer performance

- Audio Mux/Demux support

- Powerful video and audio delay circuit

- Standard support for SNMP monitoring

- Scramble connection support

- Optional functions available;

- Up/down/cross converter

- Color corrector

- HDV/DV interface

- Dolby E decoder

- Dolby E encoder/decoder

- Logo generator Ili

- Frame Rate Converter 121.

- Automatic Level Control ME

- FA-910ORPS: Redundant power supply model also available


B I B B P

1/4 I 1/4 1/4 1/2

0.47 1.44 0.36 0.36 0.72

104%

I B B P

0.47 1.39 0.35 0.35 0.69

100% 87%

B I B B P

1/4 I 1/4 1/4 1/2

0.36 1.44 0.36 0.36 0.72

113%

I B B P

0.36 1.27 0.32 0.32 0.64

100% 71%

B I B B P

1/4 I 1/4 1/4 1/4

0.36 1.44 0.36 0.36 0.72

120%

I B B I

0.36 1.20 0.30 0.30 1.20

100% 50%

B I B B B

1/4 I 1/4 1/4 1/4

0.36 1.44 0.36 0.36 0.36

132%

I B I B

0.36 1.09 0.27 1.09 0.27

100% 38%

B

1/4

0.36

1

1.44

B I

1/4 I

0.36 1.44

180%

I I

0.36 0.80 0.80 1.44

100% 22% 100%

Table 3. Simulated data rate increaseabove 100 percent as a function ofremoving two, four, six, eight and 10frames from two six -frame GOPs

B

1/4

0.36

B

0.35

B

1/4

0.36

I

1.27

B

1/4

0.36

B B P B B I

1/4 1/4 1/2 1/4 1/4 I

0.36 0.36 0.72 0.36 0.36 1.44

I B B P B I

1.39 0.35 0.35 0.69 0.35 1.44

100% 0.61

P B B

1/4 1/2 1/4

0.72 0.36 0.36 1.44

B B P

0.32 0.32 0.64 1.44

100% 061

B

1/2

0.36

B B I

0.30 0.30 1.44

100% 0.60

I

I

1.44

I

1.44

100% 0.62

when the I -frame of a GOP is trimmedaway. As shown in Figure 2 on page 36,simply removing an I -frame wouldcreate an illegal GOP (shown in blue).

Table 2 and Table 3 have bit ratevalues (shown in red) that indicatethe data rate relative to a nominal

18Mb data rate. In Table 2,0.63 this value is 104 percent and

indicates the increased datarate created by trimming away twoframes. Values above 100 percent in-dicate an overload.

Figure 3 shows data rate increase

above 100 percent as a function ofremoving two, four, six, eight and 10frames from two six -frame GOPs.

To prevent data rate overload, asmart GOP splicing system, after de-coding all frames in a pair of GOPs,

encodes them using higher com-pression. Therefore, the amountof data in each frame is reduced.For example, Table 2 shows I -frame data has been reduced from

1.44MB to 1.39MB.Table 3 shows the progressive

shortening of outgoing and incom-ing GOPs. In the second example, thefinal two B -frames of the outgoingGOP plus the initial I- and B -frameof the incoming GOP have beentrimmed away.

Table 2 and Table 3 have a value(below the data rate value) that indi-cates the quality of the two GOPs afterre -encoding. As you can see, increasedcompression causes a relatively sig-nificant loss of quality as the pair ofGOPs is trimmed shorter. Thankfully,the lowest quality transitions occur atthe shortest durations.

The Sarnoff patent addresses thisissue by this statement, "With respectto rate control (which ultimately de-termines overall picture quality ofthe recoded portion of the transitionclip), ... due to masking in the humanvisual system, a small degradation in


There are no second chances in live broadcast. That's whyevery major US network uses a Calrec console for networknews applications.

Whatever the story, we are making the headlines. From the smallestregional news stations to the largest, multi -control room, national newscenters - demanding producers choose Calrec to deliver hard-hitting,must -watch news content.

Our consoles are renowned for automatic redundancy and incrediblyintuitive control surfaces - all you need to get you on the air fast, and

If that sounds like good news to you, get the full story at calrec.com


video quality at a scene change is of-ten imperceptible to a viewer?'

Given that a six -frame GOP carries3.6MB, the average amount of datafor each frame is 0.60MB. Knowingthis value, we can estimate the qualityof the frames in the four GOPs cen-tered on the transition. The values inblue cells in Table 3 present averagepost re -encoding data within the twotransition GOPs as well as the pre-ceding and following GOPs. Figure 4shows these values, in megabytesfrom Table 3.

port smart GOP splicing, both NLEstypically render effects to DNxHD.Therefore, timeline segments whereeffects have been applied are no lon-ger interframe video and will need tobe encoded.

Second, some NLEs support a lesspowerful version of a smart GOPsplicer. During export, these NLEsscan a timeline looking for those ed-ited clips - with no applied effects- that begin with an I -frame. Theseclips are marked so they are not de-coded and encoded during export.

0.66

0.65

0.64

0.630,)

0.62

0.61

0.60

0.59

0.58

0.57

GOPs

Figure 4. Simulated average data size as a function of removing two, four, six, eight and 10frames from two six -frame GOPs. Average data size (in purple) is 0.622MB per frame.

Although quality does vary depend-ing on GOP length, average data size(shown in purple) is 0.622MB perframe. When compared to the nominalvalue of 0.60MB, the result indicates asmart GOP splicer keeps overall qual-ity reasonably consistent for the fourGOPs centered on the transition.

Smart GOP splicingrestrictions

There are restrictions to using asmart GOP splicer when exportingto MPEG-2 - or any interframeformat.First, even though MediaComposer and Xpress Pro HD sup -

All other clips must be re -encoded.Obviously, these NLEs do not offerthe potential of significantly reducedexport times.

This type of smart GOP splicing isused by Final Cut Pro when alreadyexported sequences - which inher-ently begin with an I -frame - areloaded without trimming into a mas-ter sequence. This sequence can thenbe exported without re -encoding.

Third, smart GOP splicing worksonly when the export codec is thesame as the source codec. Obviously,this is the case when HDV-sourcedprojects are exported to HDV tape.

With productions now needing to beburned to optical discs, it might seemthe technology would be of less value.However, it continues to be used inseveral ways.

Some NLEs use smart GOP splic-ing to burn AVCHD-based red -laserdiscs from AVCHD source files thatwere recorded to solid-state mediaand hard disks. Given the huge com-puting load imposed when AVCHDis encoded, it helps make this long -GOP format practical to use. More-over, because smart GOP splicinghas value only when the sourcefiles are AVCHD, it promotes thesupport of native AVCHD editing.This in turn eliminates the need toconvert AVCHD to a far less stor-age efficient codec when importingsource files. In this way, AVCHD isreplicating the history of long -GOP,native MPEG-2 editing.

Professionals who create long -formwork, where multiple rough cuts areproduced before effects are applied,

Smart GOP splicingonly works whenthe export codecis the same as the

source codec.

can also benefit from smart GOPsplicing. Rather than distribute rough -cuts on standard -definition tape orDVDs, high -definition MPEG-2 canbe burned to optical discs. Red -laserDVD discs can be burned using theBD -5 and BD -9 (double layer) Blu-ray option. (In this case, the MPEG-2data rate is limited to 25Mb/s, ratherthan 40Mb/s.) Alternatively, Blu-rayDiscs (BDs) can be burned. Bothoptions make use of MPEG-2 as themedia codec. And, both types of discscan be played on any BD player. BE

Steve Mullen is owner of Digital VideoConsulting, which provides consultingand conducts seminars on digital videotechnology.


You want it all?

No problem.Meet the FS1-a 1 RU Universal HD/SD Audio/Video Frame Synchronizer and Converter.

It's a multiformat world, and the new FS1 brings it all together...at a breakthrough price.

Turn SD into HD, HD into SD, or HD 1080 into 720 (and vice versa), with FS1's hardware -based

10 -bit up/down/cross-conversion.

Embed and disembed audio.

Mate analog and digital. Video. Audio. HD captioning. Whatever.

FS1 not only interfaces to all of your equipment, but also with your facility via its LAN -based

web -server and SNMP monitoring. Push a button, or talk to it from across the web.

Put FS1 in the middle of your facility, and see how it makes nice with your gear, your

multiformat needs, your engineers...and your budget.

FS1 rear panel

-

/NJ". Fs! C;1-"-,..

N'crrir)

Check out our website, or give us a call to find an Authorized AJA Converter Dealer near you.

www.aja.com800.251.4224 ^JAN.

VIDEO SYSTEMS

SYSTEM DESIGN

Contributing to the openness of the 52,000sq-ft, all -digital facility is a second -floor balconythat overlooks the studio and newsroom.

KMBC -TV, KCWE-TVoffer HD local news from new studio

Sometimes an organizationneeds a nudge before it canmake progress. That wasthe case with our stations,

KMBC-TV and KCWE-TV, located inKansas City, MO, owned and operat-ed by Hearst -Argyle. The nudge thatcaused us to design and build a newtechnical and studio facility was theexpiration of our lease on the LyricOpera House, the historic structurein which KMBC, the local ABC af-filiate, had been located since it beganbroadcasting more than 60 years ago.It was also where KCWE-TV, a CWnetwork affiliate, joined us in 1996.

Although the Lyric was home for allthose years, it was not the ideal loca-

BY JERRY AGRESTI

tion for a television station. Our stu-dio was beneath the opera stage, whichis still used for performances, and thetechnical and business functions weresituated on various other fragmentedfloors in the building, as well as inoffice spaces in a building across thestreet. It was not only the facilities' lay-out that was less than optimal, but alsoour equipment over time had naturallybecome outdated. We recognized thatthe equipment and systems needed tobe upgraded to support our transitionto high definition.

New digsIn 2002, our team at KMBC/

KCWE began working with archi-

tects Rees Associates of OklahomaCity, OK, to identify a new locationand design a facility that would im-prove efficiency, provide us a betterplatform from which to seize oppor-tunities such as those afforded by theWeb, and position us for HD opera-tion. Broadcast Building Companyhandled construction management,and Beck Associates performed thesystems integration. Our new pur-pose-built facility, located in an of-fice park in southeast Kansas City,went on the air in August 2007.

From the new building, KMBC/KCWE now broadcasts three televi-sion and two Web channels, includ-ing five -and -a -half hours of locally


Engineers: How to be Ready forHD and 3Gb/s

When rack space is at a premium and you need asolid sync pulse generator with every signalimaginable - HD, 3Gb/s, SD, time code,AES and more -look to the new BrightEye 57 from Ensemble Designs.Source ID Slates and Cyclops (a nifty moving elementin the test signal) help you identify your sources andcheck that nothing is frozen in a frame sync somewherein the signal chain. Plus you can create custom testsignals and load them into the front of the unit with aconvenient secure digital card.

Currently used in remote trucks, broadcast,news helicopters and flight packs world-wide,BrightEyes are rugged and reliable.

Call us today for a hands-on demo.

New Sync Pulse and Test Signal Generator

HD, SD, 3Gb/s, composite,Tri-Level Sync,AES, time code outputs

Reliable and Easy -To -Use USB and front panel control Create custom test signals 5 -Year Warranty

DESIGNSPO Box 993 Grass Valley, CA 95945 USA

Tel 530.478.1830 www.ensembledesigns.com

SYSTEM DESIGNSHOWCASE

produced HD news each day alongwith a 24 -hour weather channel,quickcasts and other content for theWeb sites. All programming is simul-cast in SD and HD. We are proud thatKMBC was the first to broadcast itsnews in HD in Kansas City, which isthe No. 31 U.S. television market.

Physically, the layout is approxi-mately 52,000sq ft comprised of twostories. One unusual feature thatvisitors remember is that the secondfloor is a mezzanine that overlooksthe studio and newsroom. This floorhouses the sales, traffic, program-ming, community affairs, businessand executive offices.

The departments directly involvedwith producing local programming- news, engineering and creative ser-vices - are efficiently located on thefirst floor, where our 4500sq-ft studio

The 841sq-ft technical core contains 40 36 -in deep racks, with expansion space foran additional eight racks.

flows into the 9000sq-ft newsroom.About 90 percent of the newsroomand all of the technical areas sit on an18in raised computer floor. The tech-

nical core is 841sq ft and currentlycontains 40 36in-deep racks, with ex-pansion space for an additional eightracks. Production control and audio

ADC patch panelsAutoscript telepromptersAvid

AirSpeed ingest and playout serversInterplay asset managementNewsCutter video editing softwareNewsCutters with AdrenalineUnity ISIS file system

Canon HJ22x7.6 lensesCaterpillar generatorCisco

RoutersVoIP phone system

CompuSat automationDa-Lite Millennium mirror systemDeSisti lightingEASi satellite dishesETC dimmer console and electronicsEvertz

Fiber equipmentL -Band routerMVP multi -image display processorVIP multi -image display and monitoring

Harmonic6050 IRDs

MV45, MV500 and MV100 encodersProStream multiplexers

HarrisADC aLtomationNEXIO :3600 series serverNEXIO 1000 series servers

Hearst -Argyle Television HATSAT satellite systemMEsstech MassMedia Box digital file ingestMRC digital microwaveNEC LCD displays

PanasonicJVCPRJ tape°IasmasRSP projector

Pathfire diva media managementPowerware 180kVA UPS

SeaChange color enginesSony

HDC-14J0 camerasMVE800A d gital multi -effects processorMVS-8CJOG HD production switcherSD -XD :amaras

Utah ScientificMC -2023 master control processorMC -40 In aster control panelUTAH -230 routing switcherUTAH -400 routing switcher

Vitec105 parvtilt headsVinten Radamec Fusion robotic pedestals

Wheatstone D-10 console


Think about it.two inputsfour outputs700 hours ofstorage

4et rrl C .44 K,

The MAXX-2400 from 360 Systems.Only $29,995.

360 Systems' new MAXX-2400 deliversmore video server at a lower cost, thananything else in the industry. By far.

6v$

360 Systems' new MAXX-2400 lets you ingesttwo feeds at once, while playing two others.You can also play four programs at the sametime; and while all that's going on, ask it toexchange content with an NLE through itsfast Ethernet link.

Six Terabytes of RAID -6 internal storageprotects your content, and delivers over 700hours of cost-effective space. The MAXX-2400provides total redundancy on power andcooling as well, plus hot -swap power anddrives.

Take a closer look, and you'll find a fullcomplement of features that enhanceworkflow and content quality, like RemoteWorkstation software that lets you set upwork areas wherever you need them - foringest, trimming, playlisting or review.

But more important than features, theMAXX-2400 is all about quality and reliability.It's design is field -proven, with thousands ofImage Servers in service around the world.

Whether you're running a national network,a mid -market station, or a cable access channel- stop by our web site for the complete storyon the MAXX-2400. It's about the business ofbroadcasting - delivering quality, and helpingyou take more to the bottom line.

www.360systems.com servers©360systems.com Tel (818) 991-0360 31355 Agoura Road, Westlake Village CA 91361

TV ONE'S HD -SDI

VIDEO & AUDIO

PROCESSORS

NOW SHIPPING

TV One's C2-7310 Up/Down/Cross Con-verter is the first HD video processor thatpays just as much attention to audio as tovideo, offering full SD/HD-SDI audio em-bedding and extraction plus many otherunique processing features.

The superior audio processing capabil-ity of the C2-7310 allows the user to mix,route, process, delay and framerate con-vert any of the incoming 32 stereo audiochannels: 8 de -embedded from each ofthe 2 HD -SDI inputs plus the 16 externalAES3-id inputs. A DARS reference input isa standard feature. After processing theaudio, 16 stereo channels can be outputdirectly as AES3-id and up to 8 stereochannels embedded into each of the 2 HD -SDI outputs. Because of its dual -channelnature, each of the HD -SDI outputs maycontain completely different embeddedaudio. A variety of A2-7000 series exter-nal format converters are available toprovide inputs and outputs as AES3-id onBNC (A2-7312), AES3 on XLR (A2-7302) oranalog stereo (balanced or unbalanced)on XLR (A2-7342.)

17'' "' 374;'::'1, 44841 SISTS1

""f-1"C2-7310

1"W

A2-7302

0 , 00 0 0 0-v4

A2-7312

A2-7342

[email protected]

WWW.TVONE.COM

1.800.721.4044

take up a total of 865 sq ft, and mastercontrol and live ops require about thesame amount of space, 861sq ft.

Technical infrastructureThe technical infrastructure of

KMBC/KCWE's broadcast facility isbuilt around routing switchers fromUtah Scientific - a UTAH -400 (V-288 frame, loaded 3G, HD 176 x 144)and a UTAH -200 (VAA-16 frameanalog video and stereo audio 16 x16). The routers are wrapped withADC patch panels and Harris DAs. IPconnectivity throughout the facility iscertified 1Gb/s and is carried over Cat6E cable. The 10Gb/s backbone con-necting the Cisco routers in variousIDF rooms is carried over fiber.

Harris ADC automation man-ages program and interstitial play -out through two Utah ScientificMC -2020 master control proces-sors. Both stations are run from asingle master control room; programstreams are switched using UtahScientific MC -400 master controlpanels and electronics. In the courseof the design process, chief engineerEd King and I recognized it would beadvantageous to have a master controlpanel that would optimize flexibil-ity for the operator during breakingnews stories. In response, Utah devel-oped the MC -400 panel, which makesit easy for a user to bypass automationcontrol when necessary. Because it'sso flexible, we use an MC -400 mastercontrol panel as a low-cost emergency

Design team

About 90 percent of the newsroom andall of the technical areas sit on an 18inraised computer floor.

backup for our production switcher.Syndicated programming is re-

ceived via satellite either directly fromthe syndicator, through Pathfire orfrom HATSAT, which is Hearst Ar-gyle's program feed center in Orlando,FL. We have a dish farm installed atthe station by EASi, consisting of two7.3m, six 4.5m and four 3.8m dishes.All feeds from the dishes come intothe building via Evertz fiber equip-ment and then are routed to the re-ceivers using an Evertz L -Band routerunder CompuSat control.

Content is transcoded by a

Masstech MassMedia Box and thenpushed to Harris NEXIO 4000 seriesservers and a two -frame SAN withabout 460 hours of SD storage. HDplayback is through a Harris NEXIO3600 series server, all under the di-rection of Harris automation. We areusing Harmonic MV500 and MV100

BBC Construction ManagementBeck AssociatesFX Group

Gates Service GroupKM BC/KCWE

Martin Faubell, VP of eng. Hearst -Argyle TelevisionWayne Godsey, president and general mgr., KMBC-TVJerry Agresti, dir. of eng.Edward King, chief eng.Hank Palmer, IT mgr.Jeff Maloney, eng. supervisor

Rees Associates


emcoreempower with light

Optiva® 3Gb HD -SDI - the newestaddition to our optical family.Optiva® OTP-1 HDP and OTP-2HDP fiber optic links transmit uncompressed

SMPTE 424M, 292M and 259M compliant video - perfect for transporting

uncompressed dual -link 424M HD -SDI within remote OB van/truck video feeds,

broadcast studio camera feeds, and HD post -production facilities.

The OTP-2HDP link transports two independent SMPTE 424M compliant video

signals on two fibers.

The OTP-1 HDP and OTP-2HDP cards are compatible with Optiva® Series

1 RU and 3RU 19" rack mount chassis, as well as 1 and 2 slot stand-alone

enclosures, creating flexible, compact, mountable systems. Each card is

compatible with the OptivaView® SNMP Management Suite.

Supports up to two independent uncompressed ArGENUINE

3 Gbps HD -SDI signals 0°0SMPTE 424M, 292M and 259M compliant 0 0

000Singlemode options up to 20 km opLTomm

TECI-NOLOGYTransmitter local loopback and complimentaryre -clocked receiver outputs

m Compatible with OptivaView® SNMP Management Suite

OTP-1HDPSingle 3Gb HD -SDI

with Loopback

High -Definition 1080p Fiber Optic Video Matrix Switching

11=11111 =MINMEM 1111P

S war mem,. SITT/ "FM-

MM. =MEM tagarsra

=MN =MOM S MEMO 31311.1311

OLX-6000288 x 288 Optical Matrix Switch

Switching and multicasting high -definition 1080p signals over optical

fiber is quick and simple by routing the OTP-1 HDP and OTP-2HDP

links through the OptiLinx® switching platform, making this the perfect

solution for large screen, high -resolution presentations with each

display connected to the OptiLinx® switch using a single optical fiber.

Manage and control your connections from your desk with the

LinxView® Remote Management Software.

OPTILI FTC LI NXVI ENNT"

858.450.0143 [email protected] www.emcore.com/hc NASDAQ: EMKR

SYSTEM DESIGNSHOWCASE

"MN

encoders for both HD and SD chan-nels. Once the video is encoded, it isrouted to ProStream multiplexers viaan IP connection. Presently, most ofour broadcasts are in SD, so KMBCand KCWE use an SD master con-trol switcher that enables automatedrouting of the HD channels. However,that will change to HD -only air pathsearly in 2009.

Currently, the system generatesa combined ASI stream that is sentover an MRC digital microwave anddemultiplexed at the transmitter site.This ASI stream is simultaneouslysent via fiber to the transmitter as abackup STL. The TSL equipment forreturning ENG and city cams to thestudio from the tower uses HarmonicMV45 encoders with a ProStream

TECHNOLOGIES GROUP

High Power Monitoring SolutionsFor Your Analog, Digital, or Combined

Broadcast Application

Transmitter Power MonitorDesigned for in -line calibration .

NIST Traceable

5% Accuracy

Built in calibrated coupler ports

0-4 Vdc outputs for simple integration

RIMElectronic Corporation

Call 866.695.4569 or visit

[email protected]

-V- asurement

It has always been true that reliable performance from your RFproducts means less downtime, less maintenance, and fewerheadaches. This is even truer in today's digital environment.

The advancement of digital technology is transforming theentire Broadcast industry and Bird is prepared. The TPMis your out -of -box solution for monitoring your HD Radio(IBOC), digital Television or even combined Analog and DigitalBroadcast applications.

and an me t Your World

mux combination, and the signal isdecoded at the studio using Harmon-ic 6050 IRDs.

In the studio, we shoot our lo-cal news broadcasts in HD 16:9 onfive Sony HDC-1400 cameras withCanon HJ22x7.6 lenses and Auto -script teleprompters. Three of thecameras are supported by VintenRadamec Fusion robotic pedestals,while the other two are stationarypedestals supporting Vitec 105 pan/tilt heads. Camera system control iscentered in production control nextto the technical director position. A64 -input Sony MVS-8000G HD pro-duction switcher and a two -channelMVE800A digital multi -effects pro-cessor handle news switching.

News content is shot in the fieldon Sony SD -XD cameras in 16:9 for-mat. Once at the station, it is ingestedby Avid NewsCutters and AirSpeedsthrough Interplay into a Unity ISISsystem. As the stories are edited, theyare pushed to AirSpeed DDRs, config-ured for 1+1 redundancy, for playbackto air. Some content is edited in thefield, also with NewsCutters, and sentback to the station via microwave. It isthen checked into Interplay, stored onthe ISIS and pushed to AirSpeed.

For now, all archiving is done onDVCPRO tape, which also provides uswith a backup for the news playbacksystem. The KMBC newsroom has sixedit cubicles alongside two enclosedAvid edit rooms. Also important tothe newsroom, and indeed through-out the station, is a Cisco VoIP phonesystem managed by a centralizedHearst NOC. The phones are GigE-capable and provide connectivity forthe computers and workstations inthe newsroom and business cubicleareas. This saved on wiring costs.

Our creative services departmentalso has three Avid NewsCutters withAdrenaline that are connected to theISIS system. An additional NewsCut-ter edit station located in the news-room is used exclusively for newspromotion, which is also shot onSony XD cameras.

In the studio, we have a wide range


ADVERTISEMENT

n the world of digital news cre-ation, speed is necessary, but re-liability and format flexibility areeven more crucial. Content pro-

ducers, looking to install industry -standard platforms that can handlethe rigors of daily production whileimproving productivity, are increas-ingly turning to Hewlett-Packard(HP) and its family of ProLiant bladeservers to achieve their goals. That'sbecause HP's open platform servers,with their IT -centric way of handlingdata using off -the -shelf components,reduce cost of ownership while en-suring 24/7 reliability.

This new generation of server plat-forms has changed the way content ismanaged and stored. For broadcast-ers and production companies, it hasmeant increased efficiencies and theability for a wider range of users toafford shared storage networks thatpay for themselves in a year or two.

"Everything has moved to a file -based workflow, and this is somethingHP understands implicitly;' saidStephen McKenna, vice president ofthe Media & Entertainment divisionat HP. "Media storage has becomejust as important as editing software,so HP, with its product lines andcomputer networking experience, hasassumed a larger role in all types ofmedia production installations."

HP continues to target the mediaspace with its ever-expanding lineupof server products by working withkey technology partners with an es-tablished foothold in the broadcastindustry. One such partner is DaletDigital Media Systems, a provider ofnews production and asset manage-ment systems with more than 100

HP serves up the clearchoice at the right price

installed sites worldwide. The twocompanies recently supplied the mainproduction systems for Warner Bros.Television's syndicated TMZ televi-sion show, airing on FOX affiliates.

TMZ offers numerous short videoclips during its half-hour program,and represents the new generation ofTV newsgathering. One of the chal-lenges of designing and installing asystem robust and flexible enough toproduce the pioneering rich mediaTV show was to devise a way to allowthe staff to leverage the same fast, flex-ible and lean production processes ituses to put together content for theTMZ.com Web site. This had to be acollaborative environment that couldrecognize any incoming format, allowthe editors to search and retrieve clipsfrom a large database, and then turnaround packages - sometimes min-utes before they go to air.

The show's management chose anewsgathering and production systembased on the Dalet Plus News Suite andseveral standard HP ProLiant serversalong with an HP storage area networkand an HP tape library for archive.Each day, content is ingested and thenlater quickly located and retrieved fromthe centralized HP storage. A rough -cut edit decision list (EDL) is generatedon a Dalet workstation before it goesonto to a Final Cut Pro editor for HDfinishing. The XML EDL instructs theFinal Cut Pro editor where to find theoriginal material stored on the HPSAN. Once files are finished, they aresent back through the Dalet system,where a show rundown is created andconstantly updated before being playedout from an Omneon Spectrum server.

The Dalet Plus News Suite includes a

or10011.moan nom. ow,

variety of intuitive modules for the cre-ation of stories, including scripts, videoand graphics, the operation of the TVshow, and the repurposing of contentfor the Web. This includes such mod-ules as Media Logger, Media Cutter,Rundown Editor, Archiving, On -Airand centralized Ingest. All are used byTMZ staff in one way or another.

One of the key elements of thestorage area network infrastructure(with 30TB of capacity) at TMZ isthat it accommodates eight of Apple'sFinal Cul Pro edit workstations work-ing alongside 89 Dalet workstations(often working simultaneously).Quantum Storage Systems' StorNextsoftware works in tandem with HPStorage Works EVA disk arrays to

Advertisement I November 2008 I broaricastengineering.com 49

ADVERTISEMENT

enable the editors to get material onand off the disc drives very quickly.Now shows contain more materialthan other entertainment news - be-cause it's right at the editors' fingertips- and are finished faster. In TMZ'suniverse, like that of the World WideWeb, speed is critical.

11.11.11.0

11.14.111.11

°Wet InterWeb

Dalet News Suite

months-going from initial installa-tion in mid -July to on air in September2007. Desbois said it was "the fastestdeployment I've ever seen."

TMZ now has the same flexibilityyou'd find in a news production envi-ronment. They can change things onthe fly and reorganize a show rundown

14P EVA 0100Disk erre..

of Oa X 300 011

CluantumletortleatMetadat

controller.

Delo. CetalogueNS -SQL end Indexeson certified cluster

Shot Neve. Suite

D eist ConversionServersapplication servers

QuantumStorNeirtHAS gateway,

different levels of service on the samenetwork, which keeps costs downwhile still making the content avail-able to anyone on the network whoneeds it."

As for the HP/Dalet partnership,both parties feel their combined of-fering facilitates unique, customized

(04 40./1j1tl=tat>rio4ff-12 HU lanes

D alet News Suite20 workstations forscripting, rundownediting and preview

Millet Media Cutter89 workstationsfor rough editing

HP 11.151. 0000laps library

oWert OrgaMrt workstation in galleryfor back-to-back playout

Otnmsn SputumMedia Server

Delet SmutI workstation for feedingest and VTR front's,'

As'

Key up Ethernet MINI Mrssg" ItS.422

ifl analegue Dale Nen SAa TI2.001.1OD* Octal Meta System uptale. MOW

"What makes this type of systeminteresting is the high level of flex-ibility and the ability to handle band-width intensive HD content quickly,"said Benjamin Desbois, general man-ager of Dalet U.S. "The Dalet plat-form running on HP servers allowseditors and producers to concentrateon the content itself and not the toolsused to create that content. This hasallowed TMZ to run a very tight shipand produce content before manyothers in the market."

Another advantage of work-ing with standard platforms is thatinstallation of the equipment usu-ally goes a lot smoother than whenoutfitting traditional basebandvideo facilities. For the TMZ project,National TeleConsultants (Glendale,CA) installed the systems in two

at the last minute. Due to the project'ssuccess, Warner Bros. also employedthe Dalet/HP solution for "The EllenDeGeneres Show," which leverages HPProLiant servers and HP storage.

Because the Dalet Plus News Suiteis software based, and the HP serv-ers incorporate a modular design,customers can pick and choose thefeatures and modules they need with-out having to purchase features theydon't. This keeps the technology af-fordable and allows customers to getmore for their money.

"The HP servers provide a goodplatform for collaborative produc-tion environments, and we highlyrecommend them for anyone needingreadily available bandwidth for SDand HD content," Dalet's Desboissaid. "They can also accommodate

solutions to fit any business model orbudget. Cross -platform productionis a reality to today's media world, soDalet and HP have worked hard todeveloped preconfigured systems thatare guaranteed to work together inthe real world. The systems they aredesigning support not only traditionalTV but also the Web and new mobiledevices. The speed of data manage-ment inside the HP servers facilitates ahighly productive workflow to make itall possible. It's the clear choice at theright price ... and it's available now.

For more information on HP's ProLiantservers for content distribution, visithttp://www. hp. com/media/entertainment/.

dolet """"1111111 Neill $gslems

invent

50 broadcastengineering.com I November 2008 I Advertisement

SYSTEM DESIGN

of monitors, everything from typi-cal XVGA screens to Panasonic 42inplasmas that use either HD or SD in-put cards, depending on where theyare located on the set. For projection,we have one Panasonic RSP posi-tioned in a corner of the studio with a114in diagonal screen using a Da-LiteMillennium mirror system. Studiolighting consists of a combinationof DeSisti florescent and tungstenfixtures. Some of the fixtures areequipped with SeaChange color en-gines. The dimmer console and elec-tronics are ETC.

Moving to the production controlroom, the monitor wall consists of sixNEC 46in LCD displays driven by anEvertz MVP system that incorporatesboth SD and HD inputs. One moni-tor is for the audio booth, while theother five are in production control.An Evertz VIP system provides redun-dancy in case of a monitor failure. Foraudio, we are using a 24 -fader Wheat-stone D-10 console with three remoteanalog/digital cage routers.

Power from the local utility comesthrough a 1600 A main; the entirebuilding is supported by an 800kWCaterpillar generator. A Powerware180kVA UPS supplies all the powerfor the tech side, including a cleanpower drop at all workstations in thenewsroom, sales, traffic, executive andengineering offices. To effectively testthe generator, we switch the entirebuilding's electrical load over to it atleast once a month.

A multi -unit, chilled water systemmoderates Kansas City's notoriouslyhumid summer temperatures for per-sonnel as well as our equipment. Thesystem offers redundancy or addi-tional cooling when it's required. Theair handler unit that services the sec-ond floor has been designed so that itcan redirect its flow to the tech core incase of an air handler failure.

ConclusionIt seems almost inevitable that you

start a project with what seems likeplenty of lead time, but in the endthere's a rush to the finish. As the end

of the lease on the Lyric Opera Houseloomed in the spring and summer of2007, crews worked 12- to 14 -hourdays to ensure that we could vacatethe old building and be up and run-ning well before the start of the fallratings period.

With all hands on deck, we madeour deadline, and we continue to

SHOWCASE

be proud of the results. We are con-fident that our new facility, be-sides being beautiful to employeesand visitors, as well as functionalright now, will also have the flex-ibility to meet our needs well intothe future. BE

Jerry Agresti is director of engineering forKMBC/KCWE-71/.

INTRODUCING THE NEW 1200 SERIES

HIGH-PEFORMANCE TRUE -DIVERSITY

BROADCAST WIRELESS MICROPHONES

IN AN ALL NEW FREQUENCY RANGE

Gold Mmmt1zeoGRX/AB

IDX. "V" MountI 20OUR X/VM

Whether you use a Panasonic- or Ikegami° camera with "slot -in"receiver capabilities, or use the Anton -Bauer° Gold Mount',' or a V -Mount battery,there's an Azden 1200 designed specifically for your use.

The all new receivers and transmitters include: New compander circuit for more natural sound

Improved frequency response with lower noise levels

New DTV-compatible (188) frequencies covering 4 UHF TV bands

True diversity system with 2 complete front -ends and high -gain

antennas

Proprietary Diversity Logic Control circuitry for reduced crop -outs

Dielectric filters throughout, for improved image rejectior and

superior diversity isolation

High 5th -order filters for improved S/N ratio

Multi -function LCD shows channel, frequency, battery info, AF level,

and diversity operation

Transmitters also feature: New circuitry, powered by only 2 -"AA"

batteries, new plug-in transmitter with 48V phantom power capability

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

For full specifications e-mail [email protected] or visit our Web site: www.azdencorp.com

Bodypack transmitter(1200BT) with reducedcurrent -drain for improvedbattery life, is availablewith an Azden EX -503H or

Sony' ECM -44H levellermicrophone.

Plug-in XLR

transmitter (12001(T)works withphantom power.


TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS INTEGRATION

Maintaining QoSProviding high -quality video over IP is challenging.

0 riginally designed tobe opportunistic ratherthan guaranteed datadelivery channels, IP net-

works have been enhanced to deliverstreaming or real-time video serviceswith a high, reliable quality of service(QoS). With such enhancements inplace, broadcasters can use IP servicesfor many of their core transport re-quirements, including digital news -gathering, special event coverage andnetwork distribution feeds.

Broadcasters seeking to improvethe QoS of their video-over-IP de-livery services should understandthe differing approaches to provi-sioning video services within theIP-related protocols, potential net-work impairments and emergingmethods of improving the QoS ofvideo-over-IP services.

Video-over-IP provisionsIn the IP stack established in Re-

quest for Comment (RFC) 1122,the Internet Engineering Task Force(IETF) defined a four -layer hierar-

BY DAVID GLIDDEN

chy. (See Table 1.) Protocols such asFTP and HTTP are in the applica-tion layer. The Transmission ControlProtocol (TCP) and User DatagramProtocol (UDP) exist in the trans -

Layer

Application

Transport

Internet

Link

Content

FTP, HTTP

TCP, UDP

IP

Ethernet

Table 1. The IP four -layer hierarchy asdefined by the IETF in RFC 1122

port layer. The IP sits in the Internetlayer, and the physical Ethernet con-nection resides in the link layer.

IP is a connectionless or datagramnetworking service that, by itself,does not provide end -to -end deliveryguarantees. IP is not concerned withwhether IP datagrams arrive at theirdestination delayed, damaged, dupli-cated or at all. Delivery guaranteesare the responsibility of the transportand application layers. The IP, howev-er, does provide for addressing, type

FRAME GRAB A look at the consumer side of DTV

Of households that own a DVR, 70 percent own just one.Thirty percent of DVR households own more than one DVR.

70%

DVR householdswith only one DVR

Source: Leichtman Research Group

30%

DVR households withmore than one DVR

wwwleichtmanresearch.corn

of service codes, fragmentation andreassembly of data as well as the pro-vision of security information.

Two major methods of QoS whenprovisioning video-over-IP servicesare integrated services (IntServ),which allows for specific requests forpriority service, and differentiatedservices (DiffServ), which classifiesservices by general type.

DiffSery facilitates QoS by provid-ing instructions to routers using theinformation in the type of service(ToS) field in the IP datagram header.Information in this field, for example,can specify voice-over-IP services,streaming video or non -real-timevideo, as well as provide differing pri-orities to each.

Alternatively, the video-over-IPnetwork can use the IntSery archi-tecture to provide a specific QoS foreach service flow. IntServ-based net-works use the Resource ReSerVationProtocol (RSVP) to ensure that therequired network resources are avail-able for the video service.

Multi -Protocol Label Switching(MPLS) facilitates QoS in a packet-

switched IP environment by addinga header that includes three bytes forthe QoS. MPLS supports both theI ntSery and DiffSery architectures.

At the transport layer, eitherUDP or TCP can be used. UDP is aunidirectional transport protocolthat doesn't receive feedback aboutwhether the packets have been suc-cessfully received and decoded. How-ever, it can time packet transmissionagainst an external clock, making ituseful for real-time audio and videostreaming applications. TCP requiresfeedback in the form of acknowledg-ment messages, so it enables the reli-able transmission of video packets.

Classes of serviceWhen contracting for video -over -


Chant 32M 1-4 4.1,atusI on 1k

Modulator Receiver Decoder 31878

Since 1951, TV professionals and broadcasters have relied onSENCORE to support them at every technology transition in the video industry

Receiver DecodersDigital Media GatewaysTranscoders

MPEG Analyzers and MonitorsIPTV MonitoringStreamers and Modulators

Video I/O Cards and AdaptersRF Analysis EquipmentSDI Monitors and Analyzers

All Sencore products are backed by the absolute BEST customer service in the industry

www.sencore.com Visit us at TeIcoTV, CES, and NAB 1.800.SENCORE


IP service, broadcasters typically en-ter into service -level agreements withthird -party providers. These agree-ments specify the minimum or guar-anteed levels of network performance,including availability, packet deliveryratio, packet loss ratio, network delay,delay variation, service response timeand the time to repair a faulty link.

Priority

1

2

3 Spare

Type of traffic

Best effort

Background

4 Excellent effort

5 Controlled load

6

7 Voice <10ms latency and jitter

8 Network control

Table 2.The eight priority levels for service, asdefined in the IEEE 802.1p standard

Video <100ms latency and jitter

The broadcaster will also be con-cerned about the video (or packet)transmission rate and the class of ser-vice. Desirable transmission rates, ofcourse, vary depending on the type ofvideo content being transported and theencoding scheme, with HD MPEG-2content for network distribution re-quiring significantly higher transmis-sion rates than SD H.264 content.

IP network providers use classes ofservice or priority queues to managethe flow of multiple services acrosstheir networks. Real-time video trafficshould be given a high priority classof service. The IEEE 802.1p standardestablished eight priority levels forservice. (See Table 2.)

Network impairmentsMany of the attributes guaranteed

in the service level agreement can bemeasured to demonstrate a specificQoS. These attributes include the

network availability percentage andnetwork impairment measures, suchas packet loss, packet reordering, net-work delay, switching delay and jitter.

Packet loss occurs when IP rout-ers receive packets faster than theycan forward them onto the network.Packet reordering measures signifi-cant impairments in received videoquality when packets take differentpaths and arrive at the receiver in adifferent order. Network delay mea-sures or specifies the typical amountof time that it takes for packets tomove across the network (in millisec-onds). In a service level agreement,this average can be specified over aweek or month.

Switching delay causes problemswith real-time video when a largenumber of routers in the transmissionpath create a large traffic queue, whilejitter is the variation in the timing ofwhen packets arrive at the destination.

BLAMINGTHE GEARIS LIKESHOOTINGYOURSELFIN THE FOOT.

LEFT OR RIGHT?

The biggest error in video transport is tocriticize the system. You are the system.

And if it's not delivering, you need the

Streambox platform. Have the flexibilityto stream live or file -based HD or SD

video over TI lines, the Internet or otherIP networks. Integrated error correctiongives you unrivaled reliability. So what will

it be, pass the blame or take the credit?

2,1 St reamboxInnovation is in the box""

Choose your platform wisely. Learn more at www.streambox.com or call +1.206.956.0544 ext 222.



While some jitter is inevitable, it mustbe minimized in a network design ifvideo is to be successfully decodedand played out in real time. Receiversaccommodate jitter by buffering theincoming traffic.

Media delivery indexTo improve video-over-IP services,

the IETF issued RFC 4445, which spec-ifies a media delivery index (MDI) todetermine the quality of the deliveredvideo service. The MDI is calculatedthrough two measurements: delayfactor and media loss rate. These twomeasurements capture many of thenetwork impairments encountered invideo-over-IP services.

Delay factor measures the timedifference between the arrival of me-dia data and the drain (or playout)of media data, measured for eachpacket. The delay factor, measuredin bytes per second, indicates the

amount of jitter that must be accom-modated in the receiver buffer. Whendesigning a network, the delay factorwill be used to indicate how muchlatency the network must accom-modate to ensure that receive buffersdon't underflow from running out ofreceived packets.

Media loss rate counts the numberof lost or out -of -order packets overa time interval. Typically, seven 188 -byte MPEG transport stream (TS)packets are contained within a singleIP packet, so the loss of one IP packetcould result in seven lost MPEG TSpackets. Because receivers may not beable to reorder packets in the correctorder, it is also important to count thenumber of out -of -order packets as ameasure of network performance.

To calculate media loss rate, sub-tract the actual number of packetsreceived during the measurementinterval from the number of packets

that were expected, and then scale

that calculation to one second. TheMDI is the ratio of delay factor (DF)to media loss rate (MLR), displayedas: MDI = DF:MLR. If an MDI equals90:10, the delay factor is 90ms, andthe link lost an average of 10 packetsper second.

Testing to ensure QoSBroadcasters using video-over-IP

services can ensure that their servic-es deliver a consistent and effectiveQoS by capturing and analyzing QoSmetrics. An increasing array of com-mercial test equipment can calculateand display measures like the medialoss rate. In addition, broadcastersshould ensure that their services aremeeting desired QoS levels by usingsuch metrics in the management oftheir services. BE

David Glidden is an industry consultantand former industry executive.

Don't take a chance with your liming needs. Trustthe name broadcasters have cc unted on for precisionmaster clocks cnd timing -related products for over35 years-ESE. Our products accurately synchronizebroadcast operations using a cnoice of GPS, MAN,Modem, Crystal or line frequercy for affordable,reliable, perfect time.

Visit www.ese-web.com to witness world -class timingsystems that are designed for easy installation,set-up and operation.

142 Sierra StreetEl Segundo. CA 90245 USA

Tel: (310) 322-2136

Fax: (310) 322-8127www.ese-web.corn


COUNTDOWN TO 2009SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

Achieving ATSCcompliance

Keeping up with the A/53, A/52 and A/65 standards willensure proper signal reception.

VVith the dawn of digital -

only TV broadcastingjust a few monthsaway, full -service

broadcasters and digital transmissionplants are finally drawing the scrutinyand attention they deserve.Many arefinding that encoders and PSIP gen-erators that once were in compliancewith all applicable ATSC standardsand FCC regulations are now outof compliance, if for no other rea-son than the underlying standard(s)changed but the equipment did not.

Digital transmission will be yourstation's sole bread and butter withina few months. As a result, complyingwith all current ATSC standards andapplicable FCC rules is the best, if notonly, way to ensure that broadcast sig-nals are usable by all receivers.

Transport stream multiplexWe need to first start with what a

transport stream multiplex really is.Whether operating one or three TVstations, broadcasters use one or moretransport stream multiplexes to sendcompressed (retail) signals to viewersin their homes and businesses.

Unlike the limited options permit-ted with analog broadcasting and itssingle service per broadcast channel,the multiplex offers a nice toolkit,with just a few rules on how to use it.The ability to place a content streamon any packet ID (PID) carries withit the responsibility to provide view-ers with a way to find and process thatcontent stream.

Standards and constraintsThe ATSC has published three stan-

dards that build upon the MPEG-2

BY JOHN WILL KII

work to create the digital televisionsystem used in the United States,Canada, Mexico and other countries.These are the Digital Television, Digi-tal Audio and PSIP standards, knownrespectively as A/53, A/52 and A/65,each of which the FCC has adoptedinto its regulations.

MPEG-2 transport streams caninclude one or more packetizedvideo and audio data elementarystreams, which can make up one ormore MPEG-2 program services.For receivers to render the elemen-tary streams into a usable TV chan-nel, the transport stream multiplex

ATSC standardsused in

broadcastingimpose constraints

on MPEG-2transport streams.

must include metadata describingwhere to find elementary streams aswell as simple combining directions.Broadcast metadata can generally bethought of as having two classes: sig-naling metadata (useful mostly to re-ceivers) and announcement metadata(useful mostly to viewers).

Fundamentally, ATSC standardsused in broadcasting impose con-straints on MPEG-2 transportstreams. The best-known constraintis "Table 3," which attempted to limitATSC broadcasters to a handful ofvideo formats. While this is still anA/53 provision, the ATSC has noenforcement powers, and the FCC,

which does, has pointedly chosen notto adopt Table 3. So broadcasters arefree to use any screen dimension thatis evenly divisible by 16.

One ATSC constraint is that eachprogram element is the sole user ofeach PID. Another key constraint isthe encapsulating of analog (CEA-608) and digital (CEA-708) closed -

captioning into video elementarystreams.

The MPEG-2 specification pro-vides for a program association table(PAT), found in a specific locationthat signals where to find each ofthe program map table (PMT) sec-tions that describe the individualvirtual channels in the multiplex.While MPEG doesn't specify howoften these should be transmitted,A/53 requires that a PAT appear ina transport stream at least once ev-ery 100ms, while each PMT sectionshould appear at least once every400ms. (See Figure 1 on page 58.)

PAT and PMT descriptorsIt is important that all entries in

the PAT and PMT sections be accu-rate; otherwise, some receivers maynot render a virtual channel or evenfail to tune in a multiplex. Each pro-gram_number value may be onlyused once.

Likewise, each PMT section mustinclude the program_number valuesignaled in the PAT for that virtualchannel. Each elementary stream inthe transport stream must be listedin at least one PMT section or thatstream is unusable.

ATSC A/53 imposes a few oftenoverlooked requirements on the PMT.First, each must include a program


Broadcast the best results.

Only with the Scan Do® HD.DVI Computer Video to HD/SD-SDI Scan Converter

with Genlock Input and Fiber Optic Output.

*J I! nn HD

is 4 II NO

HE LOCKED

El El EE.1 BRIGHTNESS

cONTRASI .1 HOW

HE HUE EH V ow(

SA1URRTION 116 V

SHARE/ASS

D

trthittED.

G0410CN1

OOP

INCil I THROUGH °limn

HEM SIN

OUTPOST

101100

ITASE4

OPHCAL

61 AHEREACED

EH 11 Oa E6.1116,,

10.

SE El 111.A.

REMOTE -

RS211

0

e

CSI t::7,7g:%!="

"M-Mimmi HDWhen it comes to HD Scan Conversion, thereis only one brand to turn to. The brand thatcontinues to set the benchmark that all othersare measured.

The award -winning Scan Do'', of course!

The all new Scan Do® HD converts your high -

resolution DVI computer sources into a SMPTE

standard HD or SD -SDI signal for broadcasting on air

or integrating into a professional video productionsystem. Best of all, Scan Do' HD does not require that

you install any special software or hardware on your

computer. Simply plug it in, set your resolution and

your broadcasting the best results... in HD or SD!

What else would you expect from a Scan Do?

Tune in to Scan Do® HD today at scandohd.tvor call 631-273-0404 for more information.

CSICommunicationsSpecialties, Inc.commspecial.com

pis"kerFib -rnkoj ISOHD/SD..sco

' overOne fis.,Com at

--Mspeciatc..0today! in

Features at a glance:

Converts DVI-D (up to 1920x1200) to HD/SD SDI.Advanced scaling algorithms and 10 bit processingprovide exceptionally clean and accurate broadcastquality output.

Supports VGA & Component Videowith CSI's Model 2100 HDMI/DVI Converter

Supports HD SDI resolutions up to 1080i perSMPTE 292 and SD SDI resolutions per SMPTE 259.

Genlock with full phasing control locks HD/SD SDIoutput to tri-level sync or black burst.

Ethernet port enables control and upgradevia your facilities LAN or via the Internet.

Includes fiber optic output (SMPTE 292 and 297)and two coaxial outputs (SMPTE 292 and 259).

Complete set of Image processing controls andbuilt-in variable flicker reduction.

Zoom & Shrink horizontally and vertically whilemaintaining the aspect ratio or set eachindependently!

Precisely position your image horizontallyand vertically.

Quickly store and recall your favoriteconfigurations through the remote control ports!

Learn more at scandohd.tv

Scan Do & Fiberlink are registered trademarks of Communications Speck3Ities, Inc. CSI Logo and the triangle designs are trademarks oO Communications Specialties, Inc,©2008 All Rights Reserved. Specifications subject to change without notice.


ATSC packetization characteristics

Packet IDUnique

PIDt_S_C a_f_c p_u_s_i pointer_field

0 True '00' '01' True 0-182

ATSC maximums

ms persection

Sections perprogram_number

Bytessection

perInstances

400 (ATSC) 1 1024 Current next

Listed inMGT

False

Max b/sper PID

80,000

Section syntax

Syntax Bit index # of bits Mnemonic

table_id

section_syntax_indicator

'0'

0

8

9

8 uimsbf

bslbf

1 bslbf

1

reserved

section_length

program_number

reserved

version number

current_next_indicator

section_number

last_section_number

reserved

PCR_PID

reserved

program_info_length

descriptor()

For i = 0 to N

stream_type

reserved

elementary_PID

reserved

ES_info_length

descriptor()

Next

CRC_32

10

12

24

40

42

47

48

56

56

59

72

76

88

88 + varA

96 + varA

99 + varA

112 + varA

116 + varA

128 + varA

2

12

16

2

5

1

8

8

3

13

4

12

varA

8

3

13

4

12

varA

bslbf

uimsbf

uimsbf

bslbf

uimsbf

bslbf

bslbf

bslbf

bslbf

uimsbf

bslbf

uimsbf

uimsbf

bslbf

uimsbf

bslbf

uimsbf

32 rpchof

Note: Bit index is only indicated for the first time through the loop.

Figure 1. The program map table (MIT) is comprised of sections for each programnumber represented in a transport stream, each section of which contains thepacket ID (PID) and characteristics of each elementary stream in the programservice. Image courtesy EtherGuide Systems.

smoothing buffer descriptor. Thereare two fields in the descriptor: sb_leak_rate, which is the maximum ratefor bits leaving the buffer, and sb_size,which signals the size in bytes of thesmoothing buffer. While A/53 seemsto imply that a value of zero is per-mitted for both of these fields, suchsettings would specify a buffer withzero length and no purpose. Typicalvalues for sb_leak_rate are 1000 (sig-naling 400,000b/s) up to the maxi-mum bit rate for the program, and atypical value for sb_size is 512.

Additionally, when an MPEG-2video stream is described in the PMT,there must be a data_stream_align-ment_descriptor in the element's de-scriptor loop, with descriptor_lengthequal to one and alignment_typeequal to two (for video_access_unit).

PSIP and MPEG-2Now, we turn to making sure that the

PSIP properly describes the MPEG-2arrangement. PSIP has a broadercontext and scope than MPEG-2 PSI(including analog channels), extend-ing up to 128 hours (16 days) into thefuture, whereas MPEG-2 PSI is aboutthe "here and now."

It is important to note that there issome overlap between MPEG-2 PATsand PMTs and ATSC PSIP, and com-pliance requires the overlapped datato be consistent. Perhaps most impor-tant here is that the MPEG-2 PAT andthe PSIP terrestrial virtual channel ta-ble (TVCT) both have the same valuefor transport_stream_id. Otherwise,receiving equipment in homes and atcable TV headends will be fouled up.Of course, the transport_stream_idvalue must be the one assigned toyour station by the FCC.

AC -3 descriptorsSometimes, consistency even

means technically inaccurate. Thebest example is the AC -3 descriptor,which contains a field that indicatesthe number of audio channels in anAC -3 stream. So, the thinking goes,that means the AC -3 descriptor mustchange when an interstitial message


World -Class HD Picture QualityDelivered in an SD Channel

Fujitsu IP-9500 MPEG-4 AVC HD Encoder

World -Class Solution for HD ENG/SNG and Contribution Encoding Best -of -class HD picture quality 300ms encode/decode latency HD bit rates as low as 4 Mbps Compact, low power 1RU configuration

Al Jr V-titA

Inn

http://us.fujitsu.com/video FUJITSU


with only stereo audio airs withina TV program with 5.1 audio. Thisthinking is incorrect.

The AC -3 descriptor is bound tothe concept of a TV program (event),and a message or spot within a pro-gram is still part of the program. A/65provides for the AC -3 descriptor toalso appear in the PMT, but that de-

scriptor is still bound to the televisedevent, because it must have the samevalues as the AC -3 descriptor in theevent information table (EIT).

TVCT descriptorsWith some PMT section overlap,

the TVCT lists all virtual channelsthat broadcasters want to inform

The Futureof BroadcastNewsGathering!

An ISO 9001:2000 Certified C entrant( W Wtv.gotowti.com

viewers about. However, the TVCTentry for a channel includes a shortname, such as "KGET-DT," andcan include information on analogchannels. In the receiver, the pro-gram_number in a TVCT entry isused to match the entry with theappropriate PMT section, and thesource_id is used to link to an-nounced events. TVCT entries can-not have any duplicate source_ids,and the sections must be transmit-ted at least once every 400ms.

On the redundancy side, the TVCTentry for a digital channel must includethe service location descriptor, whichduplicates much of the functionalityof the PMT for the same channel.

When transmitting a channel de-scription, the channel extended texttable (CETT) and its unique PIDmust be properly listed in the masterguide table (MGT), and the ETM_location field must be set to one ortwo. Otherwise, the CETT won'tbe associated with the virtual chan-nel in most receivers. Likewise, de-scriptions of televised events won'tbe matched up with the appropriateEIT entry unless the ETM_locationfor the EIT entry is set correctly.

All PSIP tables (except the systemtime table) must have their summarydata listed in the MGT, which shouldbe transmitted at least once every150ms. And now with an ATSC-compliant transport stream, proudlyassert the "GA94" (Grand Alliance'94 or ATSC) registration descrip-tor, located in PMT sections and theTVCT. Sadly, this registration de-scriptor is seen more often than trueATSC compliance. BE

John Willkie is the founder of EtherGuideSystems and is a member of the ATSC Siand SMPTE S22-WG10 subcommittees.

REA

BroatleNnomee mgbe -news e

r ,

at www broadcastengineering com


HD Transmission. Uncompressed. Wireless.

CW-5HDUncompressed wireless system for both HD -SDI and

SD -SDI video and two channels of SDI embedded audio

Multiple formats of video

Latency less than 1 ms

0-- Transmission range up to 150ft (50m)

Conservative 12W power consumption

Sleek and lightweight 1.7Ibs, and no visible antenna

\NEVIre iire r..ereee.e,e,,,

CAM WAVE

ID Powering Hi-Def

For more information: 1-310-891-2800 - www.idx.tv

BY ANTONIO ARGIBAY, ;IA

he television production! space, commonly referred' to as the studio, is still the

primary location for con-tent capture in the television indus-try. The purpose of this two-part ar-ticle series is to explain the :elation -ship that the studio has to the otherspace3 that are necessary fcr a suc-cessfi:1 production anc to establish

technical design criteria for the TVstudio you need.

This first article prepares you forthe most important aspect of design-ing a studio - the formative think-ing referred to as planning. In addi-tion, it will also discuss architecturalsystems. Next month's article willcover electrical systems, and venti-lation and fire suppression systems.

62 broadcastenginee-7ng.com I November 2008

Both articles will contain informa-tion to help you understand the re-lationships among all the systems in-volved - systems that mike a spacefunction as intended.

Why buildproduction spaces?

For designers and architects, theprimary question is, "Way build a

spacesThe first article inthis two-part serieshelps you planTVproduction areas.

CBS'"The Early Show" features a street -front studio created by production designer Jack Morton/PDG and lead designers Jim Fenhagen and Larry Hartman PhQto courtesy TOMI Studio.

studio for content capture at all, when,today, more and more content is cap-tured outside the conventional studioenvironment?" Using this question asa starting point to determine the re-quirements for the studio space youare considering is critical to successfulplanning. You will be surprised by thevariety of reasons people have, someas banal as wanting to have a space

that looks like a television studio inorder to retain funding. Others maywant to create speculative, flexiblespace because they happen to own alarge space with high ceilings, or theremay be a need to accommodate a newproduction with specific require-ments. Then there's the obvious -the need to plan a production studiothat will streamline the production

process and provide the most efficientworkplace for the type of productionyou envision.

The processThe planning process for spaces

should always begin with a missionstatement, success criteria or a char-ter - some device that can be used toevaluate all of the steps in the process

November 2008 1 broadcastengineering.com 63

FEATURETV PRODUCTION SPACES

- Key

to ensure that they are consistent andmoving toward the final goals.

The second document you needis an architectural program. Thisdocument outlines the quantita-tive (dimensions and areas of all therequired spaces and a circulation

Staff! TalentAudience

Support

Technical

III Production

1111 Service

The most critical aspect of plan-ning those relationships is the con-trol of circulation. Having evaluatedmany facilities over the years, Merid-ian Design has observed that the flowof people - talent, support and tech-nical - has to be separate from the

111111111 . 11111111111111111111Parking-1111111111

Audienceload -in

Makeup

Wardrobe

Rehearsal

Dressing

Green

Productionoffices

Post production

Make-up

Wardrobe

Rehearsal

Dressing

Green

Audienceload -in

Controlroom

Studio 1

Controlroom

Studio 2

Controlroom

Studio 3

Control100111

Studio 4

Staging

Lighting storage

Special effects eggScenery

propstorage

Loading/deliver

Scenicconstruct

shop

Figure 1. This flow diagram shows the people vs. stuff concept, where the flow of peopleneeds to be separated from the flow of things that feed the TV studio space.

factor of between 25 percent and35 percent) and the qualitative aspectsand requirements. It should addressfunctionality in terms of the type ofproduction foreseen. Asking ques-tions is one method of getting criteriaestablished. For example, how manysets will be located in the space? Whatare the hours of operation? Howmuch flexibility is required to accom-modate the show's format? How oftenwill the set change?

TV production facilitiesvs. TV studios

The TV studio itself is part of a larg-er organism - the television produc-tion facility. 'While a TV studio is theprimary source of content capture, itsexistence and functionality are totallydependent on its relationships to theadjacent support spaces.

flow of things that feed the TV studiospace - things like scenery, lifts andother equipment. We call this peoplevs. stuff. (See Figure 1.)

The people sideThis important aspect of plan-

ning has to be modified to fit yourproduction needs. For example, asoap opera's production flow is muchmore demanding in terms of scenerymovement than that of a news opera-tion, even though both are daily oc-currences. The size of your existing orplanned facility is also important andmust be taken into account. The con-cept, however, stays the same; only thescale of the application differs.

Staying with the people spaces, let'sconsider organizational categoriesthat will help define proximities. Inthe diagram for the spaces to be occu-

pied, there are two categories: techni-cal and support.

The technical spaces are definedas those required for the personneland equipment needed to capture theproduction's images and audio. Thesespaces typically include video con-trol, audio control, graphics, equip-ment racks rooms and other similarspaces, all of which are critical aspectsof production, even if provided in amobile unit.

The support spaces are required forthe people working on the produc-tion so they can come together anddo their part in an organized, coher-ent manner. Two primary groups ofpeople are production staff, who havelargely administrative tasks and workin offices, and talent -related person-nel, who occupy a variety of rooms,such as wardrobe, green rooms, hairand makeup, rehearsal, and dressingrooms. A third group, the audience,is present in some cases as a require-ment or a possibility in the future.

The final consideration on the peo-ple side is the need for spaces that sup-port their needs -a place for them toeat conveniently and efficiently in largegroups, as well as bathrooms in greaterquantity than normally provided foroffice occupancy. This is because theiruse is peak -driven. Everybody has ashort time to use the facilities, and theyneed them without delay.

Once you have grasped these re-quirements for the planned facility,you can begin to plan the desired sizesfor the spaces. This is a critical aspectof planning, because every space has arange of sizes. Whether for technical orsupport, a minimum area is requiredto perform functions adequately.Variations outside this range are eitherwasteful, inefficient or, in the worst -case scenario, nonoperational.

The stuff sideThe stuff side of the diagram rep-

resents all the materials that flowin and out of the studio space. Thespaces are characterized primarily bytheir access to loading, scenery con-struction or storage, lighting shops


HM

R54

40U

NIV

ER

SA

L IR

EMULTI -FORMAT

RECEIVER/DECOD:R

MPES-2

MPEG-4

HD

SD

Tie

rnan

unl

ocks

mul

ti -f

orm

at d

ecod

ing.

HM

R54

40 M

ulti

-for

mat

Rec

eive

r/D

ecod

er

Dec

odes

MP

EG

-2 o

rM

PE

G-4

AV

C in

eith

er H

D o

rS

D

Ful

ly C

ompa

tible

with

the

AV

C40

00 s

erie

sen

code

rs

Dec

odes

up

to e

ight

chan

nels

of a

nalo

g an

d di

gita

laud

io

NT

SC

/PA

L C

ompo

site

&S

DI o

utpu

t

AS

I, D

VB

-S, D

VB

-S2

and

MP

EG

ove

r IP

Inte

rfac

es

ITT

Ii

OM

TE

CH

TV

TIE

RN

AN

VID

EO

, IN

C11

1111

le

ww

w.ti

erna

n.co

m(8

58)

805-

7000


(storage and maintenance), grips/ca-bles storage and staging areas. Manytimes, these areas are provided withelectrical vehicles for moving scen-ery carts and with lifts to access highareas of the studios, requiring park-ing, charging and maintenance areas.Additionally, the stuff side is operatedby people who need support spacesof their own, such as locker rooms,bathrooms and break space.

The stuff spaces require a size anal-ysis in order to determine how muchspace will be devoted to each func-tion and each production require-ment. A telenovela or soap opera ismuch more scenery -intensive than asitcom, which is much more scenery-

intensive than a talk show; therefore,the staging area must be designedaccordingly.

Nonhabitable spacesConsiderations other than those of

occupied spaces are the location andrelationship of spaces related to themechanical and electrical systems,which allow the TV studio space (andtechnical support areas) to function.Their location and size are major con-siderations in planning the space. Thefuture flexibility of the spaces sur-rounding the studio, as well as short-term initial cost and functionality, isgreatly influenced by a coherent de-sign of the mechanical and electricalsystems. It is for this reason that wealways install those systems on thelevel above the studio floor.

Air-conditioning equipment is akey component of a television pro-duction facility. Many times in exist-ing facilities, a lack of planning leadsto less than optimal installations, re-sulting in noisy, nonintegrated andwasteful systems that are costly tooperate. Our recommendation is al-ways to have this equipment indoors,because rooftop fan -unit equipmentis left exposed and is less likely to bemaintained. A minimum of 50 per-cent of the TV studio area should bematched for air-conditioning (100percent if redundancy is required)and 25 percent for power and light-

ing. Similar allowances should bemade for mechanical and electricalspaces serving technical areas, suchas those described above. These facili-ties need to be far enough away thatthey are not a source of noise butclose enough that they don't require acostly investment in copper and duct-work in order to make your facilityfunction adequately.

Flexibility and permanenceThere are many reasons to design

facilities that are flexible, such aschanging of technology, productiontechniques and even format. To thisend, it is important to realize thata TV studio is permanent, and its

The futureflexibility of the

spaces surroundingthe studio is greatly

influenced by acoherent design ofthe mechanical andelectrical systems.

flexibility depends on how it is de-signed and located within the overallfacility, whether it is new or existing.

At the core of its design is its size.We recommend that you build thelargest possible studio for the produc-tion you envision. That being said,here are some average sizes for a one-

or two -position studio:3000sq ft to 4000sq ft for news;4000sq ft to 6000sq ft or more for a

production shooting at opposite endsof the studio;

8000sq ft to 12,500sq ft and largerfor a soap opera.

Studio heights will increase pro-portionally with the size of the stu-dio. A small studio should have aminimum clear height (excludingeverything but lighting) of 15ft, a me-dium studio 25ft and a large studio35ft. A minimum width of 45ft is rec-ommended for smaller studios and100ft for larger studios, as this allows

shooting to both sides along the longsides of the studio.

Architectural systemsAll of the components and systems

integrated to create a TV studio arethere for a reason and are practicalby nature. The architect is gener-ally responsible for acoustics, finishes,egress and general code compliance.

When taken individually, thesecomponents and systems, whichmake up the entirety of a TV studio,are all, in one way or another, multi-disciplinary. There is a danger in for-mulating a design without having anunderstanding of how these systemsare interrelated. It's critical to have anarchitect who is equipped with visu-alization tools, 3-D capabilities andacoustical understanding, along withthe structural, ventilation, electricaland fire -suppression experience thatis necessary to weave together the re-quired elements.

The conductorof the orchestra

The preparation and planning ofthe project details must be executed inthe right order and in the correct pro-portion to achieve a successful projectimplementation phase. One guidingconcept is that of the orchestra con-ductor, wherein the architect respon-sible for the overall project carefullyweaves together the different disci-plines represented by the other consul-tants and does so in the right balancein order to achieve a coherent, evenlyplanned project.

However, the architect is no merecoordinator. He is responsible forthe critical systems in all projectsand acoustics. In similar manner, thefinishes, most importantly those ofthe TV studio floor, are key for anydesigner and builder of a TV studio.Additionally, every component thatis integrated into a studio has an ar-chitectural element that is charac-terized by size, weight and physicalproperties. These are a key concernfor planning, dimensioning and co-ordinating the construction. Finally,



the architect is the critical player inplanning the structural requirementsand their integration with the systemsthey support. This includes adequatestructure for the long spans, supportsfor rigging, catwalks and penetrationsinto the studio space.

AcousticsIn all TV studio projects, acous-

tics is a key issue. Two primary areasare critical to the project's success:room response and sound transmis-sion. The first focuses on how theroom will respond to sounds. In mostTV studios, this is not a particularlycomplicated matter. However, if thecontent creation space contains glass(such as in a street -front studio), re-flections need to be controlled. Thesecond area focuses on the designof an envelope that will block soundfrom entering and leaving the space.If you did your homework correctly,you will have already established de-sign criteria for acoustics in the pro-gramming phase.

Room responseRoom response is affected pri-

marily by the ability of surfaces toabsorb or diffuse sound and by theproportions and geometry of theroom. Generally speaking, TV studiosare designed to be acoustically dead,with little reverberation time. This isusually achieved simply by providingabsorbent materials in all possiblesurfaces, with the exception of thefloor. The material typically used isrigid fiberglass boards that have beencovered with a surface treatment toprevent fraying. However, with recentemphasis on the use of green prod-ucts, recycled cotton fibers properlytreated for fire retardation are becom-ing more desirable, albeit costlier.

In small- and medium-sized stu-dios, there are two reasons that setelements can be problematic if theproduction designer fails to consultwith acoustical experts on the proj-ect. First, the set in a small studiooccupies proportionally more space,thus being more acoustically signifi-

cant. Second, shiny, hard, reflectivesurfaces look great on camera butperform poorly acoustically.

The proportions of the TV studioare of some concern, and the small-er the studio, the greater the con-cern. Most studios are used primar-ily for voice purposes. However, if thestudio is frequently used for music,

particular attention should be paid toproportions, as they are responsible forresonant room modes. If music is partof the daily routine, such as in varietyshows, or if there is an audience, roomacoustics, in general, become moreimportant. While a detailed discussionis beyond the scope of this article, notethat the preferred proportions, when

Smart Thinking.

With Sundance Digital, good broadcasting and good business gohand in hand. Using our automa icn software, you can improve theefficiency, accuracy, productivity and profitability of your broadcastand news )perations. By integrat ng digital television and informationtechnolog es, we give you the capability to manage your entire broadcastworkflow. As a result, you'll get g -eater control, more flexibility andunprecedented speed. That's what we mean when we say we'll improveyour on-a_r product - and your bottom line.

How's tha: for smart thinking?

And speaking of great ideas, we've combined everything you expectfrom Sundance Digital - except onal service, open technology, reliableproducts - and added the powe- of an industry leader. Now, as partof Avid, we have even more resoLrces to serve your business.

Smart. Real smart.

www.suidancedigitel.com972.444.8442

SUNDIygBROADCAST AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS

A part of Avid.

November 2008 I broackastengineering.com 67


viewed in plan or in cross-section, arenonmultiples of each other. A cubeshape, for example, is the worst. Di-mensions containing integer multiples,such as 20 units wide by 40 units longby 10 units tall, are problematic. Theacoustical consultant should be active-ly involved early in the determinationof room size.

Sound transmissionSound transmission is the ability

of the construction (which definesthe production space) to diminish theamount of sound energy transmittedthrough it, either as an external sourceor as an internal source. The objectiveis to design the systems that enclosethe studio so that the space can func-tion adequately without interruptionby outside noise sources and so thatthe events in the studio don't disturbother studios or spaces nearby.

Acoustical considerationsWe often refer to links in the chain

as an analogy of the system we needto design. Doors, walls, floors andceilings have to be designed to func-tion at the same level. If one ele-ment is underspecified and forces thewhole system to function below ex-pectations at that level, the resultantunderspending in one area leads topotential overspending in the othersystems. An acoustical consultantshould be engaged as part of the teamto provide measurements, establishcriteria and recommend systems thatare in balance.

The final acoustical considerationis the noise generated by the air-con-ditioning/ventilating system, which isthe biggest source of noise within yourspace, once the proper isolation is inplace. The two sources of noise relatedto ventilation are equipment noise andair noise at point of discharge.

Studio floorThe studio floor is one of the most

important components that make upa studio. Without the necessary de-gree of floor level, cameras will roll bythemselves, causing uneven images. If

the floor contains bumps and imper-fections, the camera will move abrupt-ly as it hits mounds and valleys. Thesetwo aspects of the TV floor are referredto as level and true -to -edge. Typicallythe level is a maximum 0.25in over adistance of 50ft. True -to -edge is thelocal flatness of any given area, whichshould typically not exceed 0.0625in,the maximum gap in any part betweenthe floor and a metal straight -edge. Agood way to inspect this is with a long,straight metal tube. Shine a light be-hind it to look for gaps and measurethem with thin plastic, such as a creditcard. If the card fits under the tube, thefloor level is unacceptable.

Most floors are cast in concrete, amaterial that cannot achieve thosetolerances. So how do we surmountthis problem? To do that, turn to self -leveling concrete toppings or trow-eled, cementitious toppings. In se-lecting a solution, it is best to knowhow the floor will be finished by sce-nic elements (vinyl tile, wood, epoxypaint, back -painted plastic sheets,etc.). Some self -leveling toppings,however, can be used as a finishedhigh -gloss floor (Stonlux). Others,such as Ardex, are self -leveling butmay require grinding to meet theflatness criteria and are not finishedfloors. In the U.S. market, Dexotexis the better known manufacturer ofhand -troweled finished floors.

Not all production environmentsare suited for a concrete finishedfloor, due to its inability to acceptnails used to secure scenic elementsthat are often made of wood. In thoseinstances, you could use floors madefrom medium density fiberboard(MDF). The installation of this mate-rial, an organic material that absorbsmoisture, must be carefully coordi-nated with the moisture level in theconcrete. It is typically installed ina staggered pattern over a series oflevel, water -sealed wood strips spaced16in on center, with the void betweenthe strips filled with cement. It is bestto spline the edges of one board to theother to ensure the floor level fromone to the other, and then finish the

flooring system with a light sanding.Finally, the structure of the floor

has to be taken into consideration. Itshould always be decoupled from theadjacent floor slabs. If the studio isat ground level (and there are no re-curring impact noises that shake theground), it will suffice to provide ajoint between the studio slab and oth-ers adjacent to it. In other cases, suchas in studios with occupied spacesbelow and in situations where it isn'tstructurally feasible to separate adja-cent slabs, a floated floor is the onlysolution to ensure isolation fromairborne and structure -borne noise,such as vibrations and impact noiselike hammering.

The two primary types of floatedfloors and methods of building themare spring -isolated and resilient -mounted. The spring -isolated floorconsists of a steel -reinforced concreteslab cast on top of the structural slab,with isolators spaced along its extentsat even intervals, typically 4ft. After aminimum of seven days of curing, theslab is jacked up by turning spring -tightening screws from above theslab. This solution is relatively expen-sive and, for optimum performance,should be specified only through closecoordination with the structural engi-neer and the acoustician.

The resilient -mounted system is lessexpensive, does not require jacking upand requires less curing time but ismore limited acoustically, providinglargely structural decoupling. Typically,it is a system of neoprene or resin -cov-ered fiberglass cubes covered with ply-wood and has a concrete slab pouredover it, with only minimal mesh -typereinforcement. Both systems shouldbe specified by the acoustical con-sultant based on the specific projectrequirements.

Wall constructionThe wall system in a studio pro-

vides lateral acoustical protectionfrom adjacent spaces. (See Figure 2.)Additionally, the walls provide placeson which to secure scenic elementsthat are usually tied above or on the


Exterior wall

Steel structure

Steel mesh on top ofacoustic insulation

Scenic anchor

Liner wall f"aming structure

Gypsum board layers

Top sway brace

Liner wall

Intermediatesway brace

Self -leveling topping/over new slab

Floating concrete slab

Fire -retardanttreated woodfloor

Foll-out acousticfloating floor system

Figure 2. An acoustically isolated wall and floor construction are important whendesigning a TV studio. The wall system provides lateral acoustical protection fromadjacent spaces.


studio floor and braced laterally to thewall. They are also treated with absor-bent material to deaden the sound inthe room.

Typically, studio walls are built oftwo walls that are, ideally, complete-ly independent. This decoupling ofwalls is a primary requirement foracoustical isolation and is simple inconcept. However, it is more difficultin practice, especially if it is a highwall. This double wall is designed sothat the outer wall of the studio ex-tends from the floor to the undersideof the structure and is tightly sealedwhere penetrated by ducts, conduitsand other structural members. Theinner wall is built on the isolated ordecoupled floor slab to ensure it willnot vibrate along with the unisolatedstructure. This separation further en-sures that impact on the outer wallwill not be transmitted structurally.

It is not unusual to build the outer

KEEP IT

UNDER CONTROLProven real world technology,performance, and superiorreliability for minion atNcalapplications.

Cheetah V5 -DV I Extender Modules - High peformance single fiber or coax video -ransports over long distances

Long Range: Extends DVI, VGA or component video over long dstancesvia a single fiber or coax.

OVersatile: Go anywhere with stand-alone. throw down modules OR make.compact with 4 extenders in a 1RU frame.

(a)Easy Operation: Quick and easy setup via USB 2.0 interface and localmonitor connections for DVI or VGA.

LEARN MORE TODAY. Visit QuStream.com or call

DVI Routing: Construct easy DVI routing systems supportingresolutions up to 11920x1200 @ 60Hz

Compatibility: Operotesseemlessly with all HD -SDI and RGBHVQuStream routers from 64(64 up to 1024x1024 using a commonsystem controller.

uStreamVESA

108 2008 0Gtreorn Corporation. Rights Reserved

FORTES DTI/

November 2008 1 broadcastengineering.com 69


wall with concrete masonry units forlarger TV studios, as the outer wallmay be the outside wall of the build-ing itself. However, usually - espe-cially in the smaller to medium-sizedstudios - the wall is made of steelstuds, with multiple layers of gypsumboard on each side, as required tomeet the acoustic design criteria. Thecavity between the gypsum boards isthen filled with fiberglass or mineralwool for cavity absorption.

The interior wall, often referred toas the liner wall, is almost always madewith multiple layers of gypsum boardon the studio side and fastened to met-al framing, with the cavity filled withfiberglass or mineral wool for absorp-tion. The inner wall, unlike the outerwall, is unfastened at the top. It mustremain independent of the structureto maintain isolation, and, as such, isunstable structurally. The inner wallmaintains structural integrity by lat-eral isolators called sway braces. Thereis a large variety of products that aredesigned to restrain lateral movementof the inner wall. Generally, theseproducts are attached to the outer wallby means of a neoprene cushion thatprevents a hard connection betweenthe two walls.

It is important to note that whendesigning tall walls, special consider-

ation must be given to structural re-quirements, such as the ratio of wallthickness to height, location of isola-tors (when required) and their coor-dination with support points for rig-ging. As mentioned above, the wallsare largely finished with soft, absor-bent materials, which are then pro-tected with an inexpensive materialsuch as wire mesh. However, this walltreatment must be interrupted at fre-quent intervals with the installationof horizontal wood members that canbe used where screws are needed.

Doors and otherwall openings

The weakest link in the wall systemis the need for openings to make thespace usable. The number of doorsand their sizes is determined by sev-eral factors. All doors are there for apurpose and fall into one of two cat-egories: doors for people to use andlarge doors commonly known as el-ephant doors.

Depending on studio size and use,people doors are placed in convenientlocations in quantities necessary tosatisfy safe egress. Studios that haveaudiences require specific planning sothat they have enough doors to handlethe occupancy and take into consider-ation the distance from the audience

to the doors. Others need only one ortwo entrances for people, dependingon the size - one typically close tothe support spaces, such as controlrooms and dressing rooms, and theother close to the staging area to beused by stage hands and technicianswho access the studio. Elephant doorsare used to move scenic elements intoand out of the studio from the stag-ing area. The smallest recommendedsize is 10ft x 6ft, typically used insmall production spaces that have in-frequent changes of scenery or don'trequire movement of tall sets andmotor vehicles. A more appropriatesize for those studios is a minimumof 12ft x 8ft. For specialized produc-tions, such as those for filmmaking,doors should be much larger than theminimum.

When doors are opened, outsidenoise immediately penetrates the stu-dio space. While sometimes this is notacceptable, it is at least manageable. Insuch cases, the door should be a trueacoustic door with a sound transmis-sion coefficient (STC) of at least 51,which, while it will not protect fromsomebody knocking (impact), willgive substantial protection againstairborne sound. We recommend us-ing two doors of lesser quality to cre-ate a vestibule, or sound lock, which

NO MORE MANUAL AUTOMATIONOld Way fl autoXeTM MC New Way

Master control resources are at a precious premium with the demands of ourdigital and multi -platform world. VCI Solutions' autoXeTM' MC automationsystem provides a new way to automate your operation; allowing operators

to spend more time managing other tasks at hand.

oc 0See a demo at www.vcisolutions.com

Call or e-mail to learn how autoXe can automate your operation:512.837.3737 or [email protected]

vcisolutions



offers the best protection.Sound locks for elephant doors

are impractical due to space con-straints. In smaller doors, up to12ft x 8ft, it is practical to provide oneset of doors on the outside wall andanother on the inside wall, thus creat-ing a zero clearance sound lock. Doorslarger than that become increasinglyheavy and need systems to mechani-cally aid their operation. The morepopular doors are motorized, slidingor vertical -lift doors with cores of 4into 6in, partially filled with concrete orother mass-producing component,depending on the desired STC rating.

Other openings that should notbe overlooked are those that bring inwires for power and broadcast. Typi-cally, power is brought inside in con-duits or electrical wire -ways. Thesematerials must be interrupted so thatthe rigid conduit does not bridge theindependent walls or make a hardconnection between the two. Toeliminate bridging the walls, it is

necessary to use a flexible conduitthrough the penetration, includingproper grounding to ensure continu-ous ground for the power system. Thebroadcast wiring is usually in a cabletray in order to provide quick andeasy access to the substantial amountof wiring. The cable tray should bestopped at either side of the wall, al-lowing the wires to penetrate througha metal box or conduit that is filledwith easily removable, compressiblematerial that seals the opening.

Ceiling systemsThe space between the ceiling

structural slab and the bottom of thelighting grid is by far the most com-plex coordination challenge in a TVstudio. Here, one must interweavethe HVAC distribution, acousticalabsorption and isolation, electri-cal distribution, production lightingsupport and control systems, andrigging points for scenic elements, aswell as the structural elements of thelong -span studio roof. (See Figure 3on page 73.) The art in the design ofthis area is all about coordination of

111"'"H 111111111111111111

111111

the many design professionals andtrades people responsible for the vari-ous systems. Informed by the client'sproduction requirements, it is thearchitect's responsibility to performthis coordination during the designprocess, and it is the general contrac-tor's responsibility during the con-struction phase.

Some of the issues related to theceiling will be covered in next month'sarticle. However, issues such as light-ing support systems and air distribu-tion, which are future topics, have ar-chitectural, structural and acousticalimplications, so some of those issuesare worth mentioning now.

TV studios need wide open

Broadcast equipment gets hot - ncw, mc re than ever, you need a morepowerful thermal solution that removes that heat before it fries your gear.

Middle Atlan-ic Products new High CFM split rear door has up to 16configurable fans to power hot air out - more power than anyother solution!

And, this hoi air is directed straight up towardsyour return air ducts - not into

your hot aisles.

Total air movement up to awhopping 3520 CFM

Low profile door - onlyextends about 2"

Split door saves spaceand eases access

Call us for details 800-266-7225 I www.midd eatlant c.com

EXCEFTIONAL SUPPORT & PROTECTION PFODUC1ST" Middle Atlantic Products



A lighting system supported by catwalksrequires an extra 30Ibs per sq ft in terms of loadrequirements.

spaces without columns. Structurally,that implies long beams to span thespace. Many times in my career, cli-ents have enthusiastically shown mean existing large warehouse space, freeof columns, only to find that that roofwould have to be heavily reinforcedat a substantial cost. This is becausestructures are typically designed tofulfill specific needs. A warehouseroof is designed to keep the rain out,whereas a TV studio roof has to carrya much greater load, in addition to therain. That load can vary, dependingon the size of the studio, the lightingsupports strategies and the acousticalisolation to be hung from it.

Small studios are usually much lessaffected, because the spans are small-er. As studios become larger, such as

those used for telenovelas, soap operas,audience variety shows and sitcoms,the weight -to -span ratio increases ex-ponentially, meaning more weight inlonger spans. In planning the studioas new construction, there is a benefitto being able to incorporate the struc-tural components efficiently. Add al-lowances above code requirements fordesigns, including the following dis-tributed loads: 7lbs per sq ft for acous-tical isolation; 35Ibs per sq ft for ducts;electrical and piping, and 251bs per sqft for the lighting and grid.

If you choose to use a lightingsupport system based on catwalks,another 301bs per sq ft should beadded. That puts the requirementsomewhere between 671bs and 971bsper sq ft. We also recommend struc-tural provisions for concentratedloads, as often productions need tohang heavy elements. The amountdepends on the size of the studio. Wetypically plan for suspending a weightof 30001bs from the areas dedicated toconcentrated loads.

In large studios, there is typically astructural steel subframe below theacoustical barrier ceiling from which allother elements are hung. It is impracti-cal to create a studio in which the struc-ture is buried behind layers of acousti-cal construction. The subframe usually

is made of steel beams 10in deep, creat-ing a grid of 10ft to 12ft hung directlyfrom the primary structure.

Ceiling considerationsThe ceiling is the surface that com-

pletes the acoustical enclosure of thestudio. In most cases, whether youhave another occupied floor aboveyou or just a roof, an isolated ceilingis necessary to maintain the acousti-cal standards established in the designcriteria. The amount of mass and thequalities of the acoustical ceiling aresubject to the recommendations ofthe acoustical consultant and can varyfrom a hung acoustic tile ceiling to amultilayer gypsum board ceiling. Theceiling, however, is always installed upto the interior wall of the studio andis never attached, allowing indepen-dent movement.

Often a ceiling has a layer of ply-wood and one layer or more of gyp-sum board, if required. Then the ceilingis suspended with a spring neopreneisolator. The isolators are typically lo-cated in two directions at 48in on cen-ter. Over the years, plywood has provento be a practical material for the attach-ment of small speakers and to make theinstallation of the gypsum board moresecure. Above the ceiling, it is importantto provide a minimum of 6in fiberglass

Reduce Operating Expenseswith Dynamic Hubbing

WALT.(1.11TRfll.

FLORICALTV AUTOMATION

sales@flori om www.florical.com 352.372.8326

Monitor and ControlFrom anywhere

Without KVM switchingWithout "remote desktop"Ideal for disaster recovery

ReportsCreated automatically

Emailed directly to youDiscrepancy reports, missing -

material lists, and more

Hands -Free

Traffic InterfaceFinds & converts log to schedule

Finds dub list, populates ingest dataFinds and runs purge list

BXF Live Log capability


Buildingstructure

Acoustically -linedduct

Ceiling tile

Primarygrip pipe

Lighting connectorstrip

Figure 3. CNN studio ceiling detail

Clamsuppert

Spring isolator

Pre -actionsprinkler

Ceilingsupport

NStudio light


batt insulation to absorb sounds in thecavity. Below the ceiling, it is recom-mended that a minimum of 2in of ab-sorbent material be installed.

The architect must work with theventilation engineers and others to care-fully coordinate the location of the iso-lators and the ducts. We usually createone drawing to show those locations,plus two more drawings to documentthe other ceiling information, becauseshowing it all in one drawing createsclutter, making it impossible to read.

The ceiling area of a TV studio iscongested, offers many challenges andhas to be specifically tailored to thedesired size and planned productionneeds. Many of the systems in thisarea will be covered in next month'sarticle, which will review electricalsystems lighting, power and systemsintegration (low voltage). BE

Antonio Argibay, AIA, is a principal ofMeridian Design.

Marshall Multi -ChannelDigital Audio Monitors

A BLEAND READY

TO SHIP

Marshall 12-0 COI BD 5251 SP

to I./

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Four user -configurable slots witha variety of input/output modules to choose from

High -Quality, Ultra-Nearfield 16 -Channel Audio Monitoring Systems for Space Critical Environments Ideal for TV facilities, post production, VTR bays, mobile production, and satellite links Four different models available in 1RU and 2RU Mainframes Dolby® Digital / Dolby® E Decoding (with optional ARDM-0552 module)

Dolby is a rerpstered trademark of Dolby laboldlori!s

Marshall Electronics TFealx:

310-333-0688 LCDracks.comNovember 2008 I broaticastengineering.com 73

FIELD REPORTNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

Time Warner's soundA study with Dolby revealed how to best manage audio.

BY IVAN t ARSEN AND JEFFREY RIEDMILLFR

Time Warner Cable currentlyserves more than 8.5 mil-lion digital video subscrib-ers and provides an enor-

mous amount of programming to itscustomers. As the cable industry con-tinues to evolve and new digital toolsbecome available, companies such asTime Warner Cable need to refine theway they ingest audio content. To thisend, the cable company recently com-pleted a study on how to best main-tain consistency of audio levels acrossprogramming, commercials, local adspots and other inserted content.

Time Warner Cable Media Sales'Southwest Region Operations Centerteamed with Dolby in conducting atest focused on its ingestion of digitalcontent. This particular operationscenter supports more than 230 inser-tion servers, with five cable multiplesystem operator (MSO) partners. Italso maintains more than 25 physicalinsertion locations, ingests about 1000pieces of content weekly, and insertsand monitors content on more than2450 channels. It manages designatedmarket areas (DMAs) in Colorado,Kansas, Nebraska and Texas, whichcomprised the testing region.

The study targeted digital programad insertion applications, which totalmore than a quarter million ad in-serts daily. The study focused on theproper use of dialog normalization toimprove subscriber experience, andboth real-time and non -real-time(file -based) system components wereconsidered. First, the provisioningpractices of local (headend) digitalsimulcast encoders was investigatedby analyzing content over which localcontrol was possible (via the dialognormalization value and incomingloudness levels with baseband sig-nals). Also considered were loudnesslevels of pass -through services (forwhich local control is not possible).

A snapshot ofingest content

In the study, 18,695 commer-cial ad spot files were analyzed, andamong these files (all of which werestereo audio), 500,000 data pointswere collected. The file -based adspot content used MPEG-1 LII audioalmost exclusively at the acquisitionpoint. Unlike Dolby Digital content,MPEG-1 LII does not contain au-dio metadata (and therefore, does

2000 -

*au'

1500

1000 -a)

E

Z 500 -

not contain a dialog normalizationmetadata parameter that the de-coder can use to maintain consistentloudness levels among programs, adspots, and so on).

Working with Dolby, the South-west Region Operations Centerrefined their existing file -based ap-proach that included the deploymentof the Dolby DP600 program opti-mizer. Simple workflow adjustmentsto Time Warner Cable's approach

These will causelistener complaints.

0 ,., r-rxuriAl-15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15

dB erroraudio too quiet II audio too loud -->

with regard to static dialnorm blindly assigned by transcoder

Figure 1. File -based transcoding with static dialnorm for Group I

3000 -

2500 -

co)

0 2000 -v9-

Is 1500

E

z 1000 -These will cause

listener complaints.500 -

-15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15

dB error<-- audio too quiet II audio too loud -->

with regard to static dialnorm blindly assigned by transcoder

Figure 2. File -based transcoding with static dialnorm for Group II



have improved consistency and pre-dictability for its viewers, the ulti-mate goal. In addition, the processis scalable, and therefore relevant toall distribution stages, from pro-gram creation to networks and localstations. Overall, the results of thisstudy provide a practical blueprintapplicable to any broadcaster wish-ing for consistent, repeatable andpredictable results in quality controlprocedures and the proper setting ofdialogue normalization parameters.

Due to the lack of dialog nor-malization metadata, Time WarnerCable's ad spots had previously beentranscoded in a blind fashion, usinga commercially available transcoderwith a default set of Dolby Digi-tal metadata settings, but qualitycontrolled using a LM100 and thenprocessed appropriately matchingdialogue normalization with con-tent loudness. Specifically, all were

transcoded to a static dialnorm valueprior to final QA.

Steps to improvesubscriber experience

The blind file -based transcodingwith a static (default) dialog normal-ization value leads to unnecessary lev-el shifts away from the Dolby Digitaldecoder reference level (in the set -topbox or A/V receiver). The master con-trol center used a Dolby DP600 pro-gram optimizer to analyze and sub-sequently nondestructively correctthe success rate of blind transcoding,using the system's adaptive and auto-mated speech -based ITU-R B5.1770measurement method.

The analyzed (and subsequentlycorrected) ad spots were divided intotwo groups for analysis. Group I con-tained locally produced content, pri-marily ingested via FTP directly fromad agencies. Group II comprised ad

spots delivered via a popular ad con-tent aggregator.

For Group I, only 34 percent ofmaterial had correct dialog normal-ization (after the blind transcode).(See Figure 1.) Group II did not farenearly as well, with only 6.7 percentsuccess. (See Figure 2.)

In both groups, the incorrectly setvalues were dispersed over a fairlywide dynamic range. Group II faredeven worse in this regard. While themajority of content was spread overa smaller loudness range, that distri-bution of individual loudness valueswas centered at approximately 3dBabove the correct dialog normaliza-tion value.

Subsequently, the automated anal-ysis and correction engine on theDP600 was used to correct the dialognormalization value within each ofthe ad spots. This process does notrequire a decode/re-encode cycle. It

DEDICATIONCOMMITMENTPERFORMANCEGet out in front and stay there...second place has never been an opt on.

ScheduALL is the industry's leader ofEnterprise Resource Management softwareto the global broadcast and media market.

ScheduALL,+1.954.334.5406

www.scheduall.cornN iami I London I Los Angeles



recomputes dynamic range controlmetadata parameters (i.e., it does notimpact program dynamics), in addi-tion to correcting the dialog normal-ization value, in faster than real time.

The difference between blind-transcoded files and files correctedusing the DP600 was dramatic. Forcorrected files, the level was muchmore in balance with the surround-

ing program content. A comparisonof corrected and uncorrectd ad spotaudio levels as they relate to the sur-rounding program audio levels canbe seen in Figures 3 and 4.

Lastly, the study also required en-suring that the dialog normalizationvalue on every digital simulcast en-coder was correctly provisioned. Thecorrect dialog normalization value

for each digital simulcast service wasderived via long-term dialog mea-surements using a Dolby LM100broadcast loudness meter.

Checklist for successOverall, the results of this study

provide a practical blueprint appli-cable to many broadcasters wishingfor consistent, repeatable and pre-

-10

-15

20

03

25

30

-35

-40

Ad spot nunir- . "ilif."0111"..... -....-' pSpeech S

dialog loudness = -12dialnorm = -31

...i-' *. Non speech

.Subscriber turn-up/turn-down boundarieswith regard to mode target level

..

Program enddialog loudness = -33dialnorm = -31

Program begindialog loudness = -31dialnorm = -31

.tit, .

'. ..

tt. --. .II. .ii .

nee 'II.- .0 10 20 30 40 50

Time (seconds)

60 70 80 0

Figure 3. Diagram showing a program -to -ad spot to program transition, with ad spot dialnorm incorrectly set at -31dB

Ward -Beck Systems Ltd. I 10-455 Milner Avenue I Toronto, Ontario M1B 2K4

North America: 800.771.2556 I Phone: 416.335.5999 I www.ward-beck.comopenGealf 11:1 Dolby E

1,A RT. N G 12.

A sound soluton for embedded audio. Extracts and displays 16 channels of audio from HD or SD SDI signal streams. Solo listening toeach channel DSP based, makes it readily configurable to suit your application.

Now Available WithDolbyE/AC3 Decoding



dictable results during the qualitycontrol process as well as ensuringthe proper setting of dialog normal-ization parameter for every piece ofcontent.

There is an increasing amount ofdocumentation supporting properuse of Dolby Digital metadata anddialog normalization as a meansto improve subscriber satisfaction.

Loudness issues that have hamperedthe consistency of cable broadcastaudio can be easily addressed if theindustry moves forward togetherwith the proper use of dialog nor-malization (or by a local decode/re -encode stage at the headend). Ifcontent providers, post -productionhouses and manufacturers through-out the industry continue to work

with networks and programmers,together we can ensure proper pro-visioning of dialog normalization,consistent levels for all program-ming, reduced complaints and betterviewing for all. BE

Ivan Larsen is regional technical servicesmanager with Time Warner, and JeffreyRiedmiller is technology architect,broadcast, for Dolby Laboratories.

10

15

20

-es

a25

0

-30

-35

-40

Speech Non speech

Subscriber turn-up/turn-down boundarieswith regard to mode target level

-digoltoudness

= -12dialnorm = -12 Program begin

dialog loudness = -31dialnorm = -31

.Program enddialog loudness = -33dialnorm = -31 -

-

. ... __..

. ..

. ......

0 10 20 30 40 50

Time (seconds)

60 70 80 90

Figure 4. Diagram showing a program -to -ad spot to program transition, with ad spot dialnorm correctly set at -12dB

rious? Please visit our website www.riedelnetRIIIRIEDEL

The Communications People

WORLD -CLASS DIGITAL INTERCOM SOLUTIONS

Riedel Commurications Inc. 1721 l!ctory Blvd. Glendale, CA 91201 USA www.riedel.net


TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSITIONNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

Video encodersEffective compression limits the introduction of artifacts.

1

, - here are few places in mod-ern video technology wheretechnical complexity ishigher than in video encod-

ers. First, the purpose is to wring outof a running video as much of thedata as possible without destroyingthe watchability of the content. Sec-ond, this needs to be done in a waythat produces an output stream thatconforms to tight specifications. Thereason is related to a fundamental de-cision made at the time the standardsare written. MPEG-2 encoders are in-tended to put the complexity and costburden on the encoder, making thedecoders cheap to build and deploy.

I would like to point out that thereare two types of encoders: those thatpreserve quality by eliminating lossesof content as much as possible andthose that maximize the compressionat the expense of quality, though in acontrolled manner. The psychophys-ics of the process is reasonably well-known. For example, detail is less vis-ible in motion and in deeply saturatedcolors. So an encoder can throw awaycontent in areas of high motion, whereredundancy between frames is great,to maximize the compression ratio.

Many tools abound for doing this inthe MPEG toolkit, including run lengthencoding, entropy coding, motionvectors and block matching, predic-tive frames, and the basic tool used toconvert spatial data into the frequencydomain, using discrete cosine trans-form (DCT). (See Figure 1.) By creatingblocks that code spatial frequency in thevertical and horizontal direction andthen applying quantization to the re-sulting matrices, it is possible to quan-tize the high frequencies to a low level,leaving the visible low -frequency datato be coded with the highest precisionpossible. This preserves the quality thatpeople actually perceive as most impor-tant. You might say the trick is to figure

BY JOHN LUFF

out what will not be missed, and thento design the math to do the transformwith a minimum of calculation.

Video encoding is complexIn the end, despite years of

development, the engineering andscience of video encoding remainscomplex, perhaps increasingly so.It is arguable that in highly refinedproducts, the complexity is highest.

Figure 1. Every 8 x 8 image block iscoded as a weighted combination ofthese 64 DCT basis functions.

For example, when an encoderprocesses video, it first looks at thecontent and guesses how it shouldencode specific areas of the pictureto achieve the best result. By lookingat the results and the residual errorsin the content, it is possible to do asecond pass at encoding using datagathered by the first pass to make thesecond one more effective at reducingthe data rate while maximizing picturequality. In doing so, a varible bit rateencoder can hold available bits fromeasy pictures and apply the resourcesto complex, hard -to -encode pictures.This two -pass encoding requiresmemory and processing horsepower,which costs real dollars in anyplatform, software or hardware.

It is also often assumed that withmodern computers, software can be

as fast as special-purpose hardwareat completing complex tasks giventhe speed of modern processorsand techniques. As a general rule,that is possible, but in the case ofvideo encoding, the sophisticationof the processing and the amount ofdata that must be processed in realtime makes most general-purposecomputing platforms too slow forthese tasks. This is especially true forreal-time encoding of low bit rate HDcontent, particularly H.264.

Reducing a 1080i30 HD signal(1.24Gb/s of picture content) to19.39Mb/s requires that 98.44 per-cent of the content has to be thrownaway in real time, without making thepicture so bad that no one will watchit. To drop it to 12Mb/s, as is done inmany cases today, means a staggering99.04 percent of the picture has to bedropped on the cutting room floor.That amounts to a slim 0.19 bits forevery pixel (Y, R -Y, B -Y taken as onepixel). Or perhaps it makes sense to sayfive pixels are represented by one bit.

Advanced codingis in demand

This level of complexity, along withthe simple fact that bits representbandwidth, which equates to dollars,means that encoders capable of high-level compression without visibleartifacts are highly desirable andvaluable. The inevitable desire tocut bandwidth leads to research intoadvanced coding. This is why H.264 hasstarted replacing MPEG-2 for manyapplications. The tools available in themore recent H.264 specification allowhigher levels of compression withoutintroducing obnoxious artifacts.

There is a downside, of course. AnH.264 encoder that uses the full toolkitis much more complex. And thoughit can produce pictures with eitherimproved picture quality or reduced

78 broadcastengineering.corn November 2008

One name says it all.

44 II

real Real Broadcast Network (RBN), the leading global provider of live,multi -format, media services - featuring ViewCast Niagara systems.

With more than 300,000 Osprey® video capture cards deployed globally, ViewCast® sets the standard in

the streaming media industry.

Building on the legendary quality of our Osprey technology, we continue to develop industry leading

solutions that the top broadcasters, network service providers, and CDN5 like RealNetworks® rely on every

day to meet their most critical video content delivery needs.

Our award -winning Niagara® encoding solutions re -purpose and stream video quickly and easily - in

multiple formats - for any audience, with professional -grade performance. And our SCX® software provides

simultaneous remote management of multiple Niagara encoders over the network through a single,

easy -to -use interface.

Claiming your stake in the global digital market place requires solutions you can count on. And, when it

comes to innovative, next generation streaming solutions, one name says it all.

ViewCastLearn more at www.viewcast.com/B1108

USA 800.540.4119 I Europe, Middle East, Africa +44 1256 345610

©2008 ViewCast. Inc All rights reserved. Osprey®. Niagara®, and Niagara SCX® (and design)T" are registered trademarks of ViewCast, Inc3701 W Plano Parkway. Suite 300 Plano. TX 75075. RealNetworks® (and design)" is a registered trademark of Real Networks. Inc

TRAINING DOESN'T COST,1Broatkast IngineerInt Specialized Training

Mlorofell Internet Explorer presided by Ptimedla Business

fan., I,

0Q. 4mw..6lpeada ono

BroadcastEnineetingSPECIALIZED TRAININ

.0

Why support education and training ter a broadcast

or production start?

ter Intolocy monng lagerAges sloes, Do.mreets andmet .roof up.to

latest

.mattment and systems,Han, the demands of HD

and handtrngcreated workflow POWs,

.sed dna., nesnaketcost tt

MPEDAtIlit TAMINimo,

1111MAILABIE SESSIONSO

Ilmlentronlin, Div standard,

Wireless lenmeloom

. DIV em Blvadova.

HD Who ape c014

IT lot Broadcast Oesmon

, steer NA,. In blonitanto

Sal( n010101 lInnkanns

IT PAYS.Is technology moving faster than your staff'sskills? Do you have engineers and operators

that aren't up-to-date on your latest equipmentand systems? Have the demands of HD andhandling multi -formats created workflowproblems or caused on -air mistakes? Thesefailures can cost you money.

Broadcast Engineering is excited to offer you an introductoryseries of training workshops targeted specifically to broadcastoperations and engineering staffs.

These courses are designed to:introduce new technology, solutions and operations toyounger staff members, andprovide a structured and thorough review for your moreexperienced staff.

All this is contained in a self -paced, complete programaccessible from any computer.

Log on to www.broadcastengineering.com/webcast/bestto learn more, or to enroll.

Leave the teaching to the experts,the consultants at Broadcast Engineering.

POWERED BY

BroadcastSPECIALIZED TRAINING

sq OBOR

BroadcastSFECIALI2E0 r?

OBOR TRAINING DOESN'T COST, IT PAYS.09DIGITAL Visit broadcastengireering.com/webcasthest

It seemsreasonable to

assume that futureimplementationswill embrace an

ever wider array ofcompression tools.

bit rates, it costs more. Over time,the cost of encoders is coming downas the hardware that implementsthem becomes more ubiquitous.Like all things, volume begats pricereductions. However, there is a limit.Volume production in the consumermarketplace is numbered in themillions, tens of millions or hundredsof millions. In our small industry,that number is more likely in thethousands or tens of thousands. Thismeans R&D costs have to be spreadacross a smaller universe of products,with perhaps a longer lifetime.

There are special cases where this

TECHNOLOGY IN TRANSITIONNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

volume production problem has amajor effect on compression productdevelopment. The H.264 standardincludes 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 coding modes.The latter provides higher compressionratios and thus is applicable to theconsumer. Coding at 4:2:2 is idealfor backhaul of content intended forlater processing, but unfortunatelythat capability is only needed for low -volume products intended for a nichemarket. Over time, the ability to code4:2:2 streams will be included in newersilicon integrated circuit solutions,making high -quality MPEG-4applications cheaper to implement.In the meantime, other applicationsmight be stuck with MPEG-2, where4:2:2 is required and 4:2:0 is just outof the question since MPEG-2 4:2:2 isreadily available today.

Compression technology, whichhas spawned an amazing array ofapplications not possible before, has

continued to march. JPEG, originallydeveloped for still images and adaptedas motion JPEG to video, begatMPEG-2 with more complexity and aricher feature set nearly 20 years ago.Now a newer JPEG effort, JPEG2000,has been popularized for digitalcinema and other applications wherethe highest quality, approachingmathematically lossless performance,is appropriate. Other coding schemawill be developed for other purposes.We already see consumer decodechipsets that do MPEG-2 and MPEG-4(H.264) for both broadcast and DVDapplications. It seems reasonable toassume that future implementationswill embrace an ever wider array ofcompression tools.

John Luff is a broadcast technologyconsultant.

BE

laSend questions and comments to:john.Ouff@penton,com

tbcconsoles.com

TBC's Trac Series

is an advancedtechnical furnituresystem for controlroom consoles, editdesks , and flatpanel monitorwalls. Trac Seriesproducts provideyour facility witha complete rangeof highly adaptablesolutions fromone company.

technical furnitLr(u der must be placed prior

steTrts for video proc uctio


NEW PRODUCTSNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

X -Band Gepco 1T -DA -124

0001111111110-.-

Audio cables feature wide frequencyresponse, RF/EMI noise rejection andG -Flex jacket compound, which offersadditional flaccidity and flex life; usevideo -grade foam dielectric to reducecapacitance; made from finely stranded,oxygen -free copper; shielded with a dense95 percent copper braid to provide addi-tional noise rejection; available in dual-shield versions.

800-966-0069; www.gepco.com

OTP-1HDP

TV One

Dual audio distribution amplifier con-sists of two separate distribution am-plifiers in a single case -a 1 x 4 analogstereo distribution amplifier via 3.5mmministereo connectors and a 1 x 4 S/PDIF distribution amplifier via RCA co-axial connectors; inputs between the twoamplifiers don't cross over, and there isno analog-digital conversion betweenthe two; features an audio bandwidth of20Hz to 20kHz; signal processing systemensures a low signal-to-noise ratio plusflat equalization curves throughout thebandpass spectrum.

800-721-4044; www.tvone.com

EmcoreStasis Flex

Optiva module transmits two indepen-dent 3G video signals; able to transmitup to 30 424M -compliant video signalsthrough a single 3RU 19in chassis; sup-ports full 1080p, 50/60Hz SMPTE 424M -compliant video, as well as SMPTE 292M,259M, HD -SDI and SDI video broadcastformats; fits easily into Optiva 1RU and3RU rack -mount enclosures or stand-alone desktop enclosures.

505-332-5000; www.emcore.com

Anton/Bauer

Camera support system redistributesweight of a handheld camera onto theoperator's torso and over the shoulder;features adjustable mechanism that pro-vides the operator with complete flexibil-ity in forward/back, in/out and up/downpositions; can be used as a stand-aloneunit; accommodates various peripherals,including wireless receivers, hard drivesand transmitters.

203-929-1100; www.antonbauer.com

Niagara Pro II ViewCast

Encoding appliance captures, encodes,streams and compresses files for profes-sional -grade digital video and audio de-livery; supports SD -SDI video and AES/EBU digital audio capabilities; streamsmultiple resolutions at multiple bit ratesin multiple streaming formats, includ-ing MPEG-4, Adobe Flash Live, Win-dows Media (Silverlight-compatible) andRealVideo; individually customizesstreams with bitmap overlays; includesfront -panel LCD status display, con-trol buttons and multisegment LEDaudio meters.

800-540-4119; www.viewcastcom

ProQ Nucomm

ver

Nuiamrnise

moon (moo

DTV IFB receiver features dual UHF/VHF antennas, two advanced silicon tun-ers and sixth -generation VSB demodula-tors; contains an MPEG Layer 1/Layer 2audio decoder that can decode two inde-pendent sound programs, providing up tofour audio channels and using bit rates aslow as 32kb/s for each; can map the IFBaudio channels to the XL R outputs, inter-nal speaker or headphones; displays real-time status information on a front -panelLCD display.

908-852-3700; www.nucomm.com

Broadcast Loudness Control at its best !

WwW. jun 0r.=audio. comp

_Ringer -

the "E.signed for For TV, IP, Sat, Radio, OB andStudios, Jtinger Audio allows every day thou-sands of broadcasters to consistently controlPeak and Loudness, regardless input levels,unattended, 100% sure

and ITU BS1770 compliant I

\j`4 LEVEL MAGIC 5.1and Metadata Managment


NB -9 nanoBox Eyeheight RFX-PHT-II

Free-standing desktop chassis accom-modates any of the company's range ofsingle -height cards, including legalizers,safe -area generators and SDI -embeddedaudio shufflers; operates from a 7.5V DCsupply and comes with an external powerbrick working from universal AC mains;includes British, European and NorthAmerican plug fittings; can be controlledfrom company's FP -9 remote panel viaRJ45 connection.

623-328-5800; www.eyeheightcom

Flow EditShare

Shared storage system comprises ingestand browse applications; ingest acquisi-tion solution captures in one format andsimultaneously outputs to multiple for-mats including Apple ProRes 422, AvidDNxHD and low-res proxy formats; fea-tures multichannel ingest with indepen-dent control over each channel, full meta -data capture and the ability to edit whilerecording; browse enables users to quicklylocate media; supports proxy viewingoutside the nonlinear editing applica-tion for optimal viewing in the EditSharespace, annotation of metadata forms andthe ability to drag and drop media into anAvid or Final Cut Pro bin.

617-782-0479; www.editshare.com

EX 0.75 16x9

Aspheric wide converter provides 25percent greater angle view while main-taining full zoom capability; reducesgeometric distortion and chromatic ab-errations; improves off -axis wide-angleperformance; contains four multicoatedoptical glass elements; attaches securelyto the front of the Sony PMW-EX1 andEX3 via bayonet mount.

661-295-3313; www.16x9inc.com

RF Central

HD-upgradable, portable 2GHz digitaltransmitter comes with 5W power out-put standard (7W upon request); sup-ports 480i, 720p 1080i formats, as well asanalog, digital AES and fully embeddedaudio; accepts either composite or com-ponent analog video or HD -SDI digitalsignals; has an ASI input; offers multiplemodes of COFDM modulation, includingQPSK, 16QAM and 64QAM.

717-249-4900; www.rfcentraLcom

SpeakerLUX Wireworks

Flexible loudspeaker cable with 49 -strand13 -gauge bare copper is available in two,four, six and eight conductors; features aflexible PV black satin finish, pressure -extruded jacket and color -coded insula-tion; produces lay -flat cable; eliminatesthe need for plastic or string fillers.

800-642-9473; www.wireworks.corn

Verite Series JVC

HD LCD monitors in 17in, 20in and 24inversions use JVC's third -generation imag-ing technology to minimize delay betweeninput signal and image display; feature10 -bit 4:4:4 video processing, advancededge artifact elimination, deinterlacingand computer -automated calibration ofblack level, white level, color temperatureand gamma; include a built-in waveformmonitor with over -level indication andultra -low latency circuitry for lip -syncaccuracy.

973-317-5000; http://pro.jvc.com

NV9000 NVISION

Router control system can control 250routers, 400 control panels, and up to 250physical and 512 virtual levels; includespurpose-built system controller hardwarefoundation; features include redundantpower supplies, solid-state hard drive, sixnetwork control points and the NV9000-SE configuration utility.

530-265-1000; www.nvision.tv

You askthe questionsCobalt Digitalwill supply

the solutions!

111111111111

HD / SD -SDI Signal Processing

for Video & Audio

Up / Down / Cross Conversion / ARC

Audio Embedding / De -embedding

Audio Channel Mapping

Color Correction

Dolby Decoding

Frame Synchronization

A to D / D to A

Remote Control and Configuration

Cobalt Digital Inc.Toll free: 800 669 1691

Direct: 217.344 1243Fax 217 344 1245

sales@cobaltdigital cornwww cobaltdogital.corn

The Preferred Route to Digital Conversions

COBALT


United States Postal ServiceStatement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only)

1. Publication Title: BROADCAST ENGINEERING2. Publication Number: 0007-19943. Filing Date: 9/25/084. Issue of Frequency: Monthly5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 126. Annual Subscription Price: Free to Qualified7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not Printer): Contact Person: Jo Ann DeSmet

Penton Business Media, Inc, 9800 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS 66212-2216 Telephone: 913-967-16698. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not Printer): Penton Business Media, Inc. 249 West 17th St, Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10011-53909. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor- Publisher: Jonathan Chalon, Penton Business Media Inc.,11 River Bend Dr. S., Stamford, CT 06907-0949; Editor: Brad Dick, Penton Business

Media Inc., 9800 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS 66212-2216; Managing Editor. Susan Anderson, Penton Business Media Inc., 9800 Metcalf Ave., Ovedand Park, KS 66212-221610. Owner - Full name and complete mailing address: Penton Business Media, Inc., 249 W 17th St, Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10011 - 5390; PentonBusiness Media Holdings, Inc. (owns 100% of the stock of Penton Business

Media, Inc.), 249 W 17th St, Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10011 - 539011. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None12. "Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates) (Check one)

The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: N/A"13. Publication Title: BROADCAST ENGINEERING14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: August 2008 "Average No. Copies No. Copies of Single

Each Issue During Issue PublishedPreceding 12 Months" Nearest to Filing Date

15. Extent and Nature of Circulationa. Total Number of Copies (Net press run)b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail)

53,005 51,841

(1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internetrequests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser's proof copies, and exchange copies.) 32,540 32,547(2) In -County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet requestsfrom recipient paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser's proof copies, and exchange copies.) 0 0

(31 Sales Through Dealers and Corners, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS® 14,630 14,836(41 Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First -Class Mail®)

c. Total Paid and/or Requested Distribution (Sum of 15b 111,121,13), and (411 47,170 47,383d. Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail)

(1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, BulkSales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) 1,587 1,598(2) In -County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Salesand Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources)(3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First -Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limitmailed at Standard Mail® or Package Services Rates) 0 0(4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources)

e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d 111,121,131, and (411f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e)g. Copies not Distributedh. Total (Sum of 15f and 01i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15f times 100)

16. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the November 2008 issue of this publication.17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner Jo Ann DeSmet, Senior Audience Marketing Manager

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits materialor information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penatties).

PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 Facsimile

3,924 3,287

51,094 50,6701,911 1,171

53,005 51,841

92.32% 93.51%

Date 9/25/08

If you could create the perfect equipment

asset management software, your life

would be much simpler.

Lucky for you we're into simple.

Anytime, anywhere. That's the beauty of our 100% web -based asset and service management

system. Made by broadcasters for broadcasters, Zeus allows an infinite number of users to

access the site from any Internet connection at anytime. Isn't that simple?ZeUS-

BROADCASTwww.zeusbroadcast.com


NEW PRODUCTSNEW PRODUCTS & REVIEWS

convertCON Neutrik

Three -pin cable connector can be trans-formed from a male to female connectorby sliding the housing back and forth, al-lowing for the use of one connector be-cause it can mate with either a male orfemale three -pin XLR connector; sharesfeatures and benefits of XLR XX series;features an improved chuck -type strainrelief that provides higher pull-out forceand makes assembly easier and faster.

732-901-9488; www.neutrik.com

Acrobat Riedel Communications

o

11111111111111Digital wireless intercom system includesone or more Cell Controllers with up to80 Cell Antennas, wireless belt packs andVoIP-over-DECT platform; enhancedchannel agility allows system to use com-plete DECT frequency and channel spec-trum by allocating calls to any free RXor TX timeslot; Cell Controller handlesVoIP-over-DECT cell management andconnects to any party line or matrix in-tercom via eight analog four -wire portsand 12 GPIOs; Cell Antennas connect viaEthernet and have a range of 275m underline -of -sight conditions or 75m indoors.

818-241-4696; www.riedel.net

PRC-EX1 Petrol

One-piece rain cover for Sony PMW-EX1 and HVR-Z7 cameras is constructedof clear polyurethane for quick, easy ac-cess to all camera features; enables workwith the flip -out LCD screen fully open;hot shoe connector in the cover's rigidfront hood section anchors and stabilizesit on the camera; durable, waterproofrubber fabric surrounds and protects theviewfinder.

845-268-0100; www.petrolbags.com

Broadcast*sirLIFETIMETELEVISION

Let Broadcast Engineering keep you up-to-date on thelatest industry news, technology developments, newproducts and services...and more.

Apply for your free subscription today. Log on tobroadcastengineering.com and click on "subscribe."

And...you can also sign up for any of the industry'sleading e -newsletters from Broadcast Engineering.

broadcastengineering.com BroadcaslEngineering

dScope Series III

Plagued by Pops and Glitches?

Dgital audio broadcast syste-ns are more complex and prone to problems

than ever before. F-om drop -cuts and glitches to unwanted noise anddistortion, Prism Sound's dScope Series 111 is the world's mostadvanced audio aralyzer tc help isolate the cause - fast.

dScope helps you deliver flawless audio.

C311 now to arrange your deno

Email: [email protected]

al +1-973-983-9377 -1-,LfrK +44 (0)1353 648888

www.prismsound.z.om / //g


BroadcastEngineeringeWEBCAST SERIES

Broadcast Engineering is proud to continue an

ongoing series of monthly webcasts covering key

technical and operational issues. In these one -

hour long events, attendees can learn while at

their desktops or home computers. A broadband

connection is all that's needed.

The topics are taught by experienced and trained

engineers, consultants, and operations managers.

The focus is on quick, solid and useful instruction.

These are not product demonstrations or promotions.

These webcasts will provide solid technical and

operational training for professionals. And, the

bonus is they are free!

Visitbroadcastengineering.com/webinar/print

today to register!

BROADCAST ENGINEERING LIVE

COMING IN NOV.Video compression &artifacts

Presented by Aldo CugniniNov. 11, 2008 - 2:00 pm EST

As viewers replace their analogTVsets, they will increasingly be aware of any compres-sion or conversion artifacts that stations broadcast.This engineer -level class will help you better under-stand how compression works and the effects it canhave on image quality. You'll learn how preprocess-ing and signal conditioning can reduce compressionartifacts and improve your signal quality.

Sponsored by:

MaxVieweVision. Knowledge. Control.

COMING IN DEC.Understanding TV audiosystems

Presented by Jim StarzynskiDec. 9, 2008 - 2:00 pm EST

Audio used to be an afterthoughtfor television engineers. Not today-as viewersequip their homes with wall -sized audio systems.Jim Starzynski will lead a discussion about TV audiosystems. Attendees will learn how surround sound,Dolby E and multiplexed audio can improve their sta-tion's image with viewers.

Sponsored by:

V t/Pi'(-)'c"-i

CLASSIFIEDS

Broadcast Division

World's FirstHigh 4:2:2 ProfileH.264 & MPEG-2

Encoder

NTT HVE9100TM

Broadcast Grade High4:2:2 Profile AVC H.264and MPEG-2 encoderfor SD and HD

HD -SDI in/out, ASI in/out Superior image quality

and low delay (less than850 milliseconds)

Optional IP output

858-613-1818www_dveo.com

Help Wanted

TALLYMAPPERTM

Tally Routing & Mapping One Button Operation Store Maps Internally Edit From a PC/Laptop

-41111111111111111111111111IF0 0

L 0

L

A Compact Solution,Ideal for Mobile Units and

Multiple Production Setups.

VideotrameTMControl System Solutions

Tel: 530-477-2000www.videoframesystems.com

Help Wanted

For Sale

FlAcoustics First'F.i r -F,, ro 888.765-2900Materials to Control Soundand Eliminate Noise."'http://www.acousticsfirst.com

SKY WEB INC.*FREE CONSULTATION*

Satellite TV SystemsDIRECT VFOR BUSINESS

Corpora -e Offices Stadiums Broadcast Ops - Local Feedback

RF SIGNAL DISTRIBUTION HD UPGRADESSales, Design and Engineering Services

1-(888)-759-9321

See cost -effectiveRackmountMonitor Kits at

http://www.flatmonitors.comCall toll -free: 1-866-484-2454

Help Wanted

WI AscentIII Media

Ready for your next career challenge? Ifyou'd enjoy working on groundbreaking,world -class, technology projects forsome of the media industry's mostprestigious firms, our SystemsIntegration group may have a positionfor you!We're Seeking:

Senior Systems Design EngineersSenior Project EngineersSystems Integration Professionals

We're movingto expanded 4acilities

in Mahwah, NJ!

To apply for our teamSend your resume to:

recruiting ©ascentmedia.com


CLASSIFIEDS

A PENTON MEDIA PUBLICATION

Business Services Business Services

architects for the broadcast industry t 301 654 1600www.lawsonarch.com

Help Wanted

ASSISTANT CHIEF ENGINEER

WBTV, the CBS affiliate in Charlotte, NC is seek-ing an Assistant Chief Engineer. The successfulcandidate will posses strong leadership skillsand have at least 5 years of experience in Broad-cast Engineering with a solid IT background.WBTV is searching for a dynamic team leaderwith strong talent managing several missioncritical projects. The diverse candidate abilitieswill include: Experience in HD, automation, IT,with strong maintenance skills. This will be ahands-on position that will report directly tothe Director of Operations and Engineering.Please email or fax resume w/cover letter andsalary requirement to: [email protected] orfax 704-374-3614.

BROADCAST ENGINEER

ROSCOR Corporation, a leading Chicago areabased video systems integration company, hasopenings for experienced, highly motivated,and goal -oriented communications systemsengineers. The position includes system de-sign, checkout and commissioning of mediabased integrated solutions, including broad-cast and corporate communication customers.Solid background in television systems, trans-missions systems and satellite communica-tions system design. Excellent compensationand benefits package. Apply immediately forthis challenging and exciting career opportu-nity within a growing company.

Send resume to:Email: [email protected]

Fax: 847-803-8089Mail: 1061 Feehanville Drive

Mt. Prospect, IL 60056

BROADCAST ENGINEERING

TO REACH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS PIKE YOUR AD TODAY!

JULIE DAHLSTROM

P 312.840.8436 [email protected]

Help Wanted

ASSISTANT CHIEF ENGINEER

KGAN/KFXA, Cedar Rapids, IA FOX and CBSaffiliates are seeking an Assistant Chief Engi-neer. The successful applicant will have an indepth knowledge of digital and analog tech-nologies as used in a broadcast environment,as well as a complete understanding of ITnetworks, high power UHF Transmitters,broadcast equipment and microwave RF tech-nology. For more information and to apply on-line go to www.sbginet and follow the employ-ment links. EEO/Drug Free

CHIEF ENGINEER

WANE -TV is seeking a Chief Engineer to assumethe responsibility for the technical facilitiesin Fort Wayne, IN. Position involves technicalplanning, project management, staff develop-ment, and administrative functions. This is adepartment -head level position that requiresdose interaction with other departments andthe ability to effectively present informationand respond to questions from managers, di-ents, customers, and general public. Candidatemust be able to prepare and administer capitaland operating budgets for technical facilitiesand ensure station compliance with all FCC andOSHA regulations. The ideal candidate will havean extensive knowledge of TV broadcast stationsystems and integration in a progressive mediaenvironment. Broad RF experience is necessaryin areas including broadcast, microwave, andsatellite communications. Practical knowledgeof electrical, plumbing, HVAC and basic con-struction techniques are important. Candidatemust be able to design, install, and documentnew systems as we progress through high defini-tion production and pursue new media avenuesthrough digital distribution. Technical degree inElectrical Engineering or related field or equiva-lent level of experience. SBE Certification is pre-ferred. Candidate must have 5+ years experiencemaintaining modern broadcast equipment. Nophone calls please. Send resume to: Alan Riebe,Station Manager, WANE -TV, 2915 W. State Blvd.,Ft. Wayne, IN 46808. WANE -TV is an Equal Op-portunity Employer-M/F

BroadcastEngineering®www.broadcastengineering.com

Editorial Director. Brad Dick, bradtficdpenton.com

Edna:Wald Edinolt David Austerberry nditodbroadcastengineeringwoddcom

Managing Editor. Susan Anderson, susan.andersongpenton.com

Assoc. Editor. Collin LaJoie, collintajoie@pentoncom

Assoc. Editor. Angela Snell, angela.snellapenton.com

Assoc. Editor. Spring Suptic, spring.suptic©penton.com

Sr. Art Director. Michael J. Knust, mikeknusapentoncom

Art Director Robin Metheny, robin.methenApenton.com

Technical Consultants: Computers & Networking - Brad Gilmer

Antennas/Radiation - Don Markley

Digital Video -Aldo Cugnini

Transmission Facilities - Donald L Markley

Legal - Harry C. Martin

New Technology -John tuff

Industry Watcher - Anthony Gargano

New Media -Craig Birkmaier

Division VP/Group Publisher .ratan Chalon , [email protected]

Marketing Dir. [email protected]

Dir., Online Product Development Dean Muscio, [email protected]

Vice President of Production: Lisa Parks, lisa.parkApenton.com

Production Manager: Daniels, kathydanielsOpenton.com

Classified Ad Coord.: '." axey, [email protected]

Dir., Audience Marketing: .3ra Kummer, barbara.kummenOpenton.com

Group Show Director/1.01: :' Morabito, sharon.morabitApenton.on

Ibnton MediaPenton Media, Inc.

249 West 11th Street

New York, NY 10011

Chief Executive Officer John French, johntrenchapenton.com

Chief Revenue Officer. Darrell Denny, [email protected]

MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Sustaining Member of:

Society of Broadcast Engineers

Member, American Business Media; Member, BPA International,

The Missouri Association of Publications

etw BPA...N

rnlesour I emaciation or pubilcialone

BE US/Canada SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation

to qualified subscribers. Non -qualified persons may subscribe at the fol-

lowing rates (Prices subject to change): USA and Canada, I year, $99.00,

2 years, $171.00, 3 years, $242.00; Outside USA and Canada, 1 year, $116,

2 years, $204.00, 3 years, $292.00 surface mail )t year, 5193.00, 2 years,

$347D0, 3 years, $506.00 airmail delivery).

BE World SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation to

qualified subscribers. Non -qualified persons may subscribe at the follow.

ing rates (Prices subject to change): USA, 1 year, $94.00, 2 years, $160.00,

3 years, $226.00; Outside USA, I year, $110, 2 years, $193.00, 3 years,

$215.00 surface mail (I year, $182.00, 2 years, $336.00, 3 years, $490.00

airmail delivery).

ARCHIVES AND MICROFORM: This magazine is available for research

and retrieval of selected archived articles from leading electronic databases

and online search services, including Factiva, LexisNexis and Proquest. For

microform availability, contact National Archive Publishing Company at

800-521.0600 or 734-761.4100, or search the Serials in Microform listings

at napubco.com.

REPRINTS: Contact Penton Reprints to purchase quality custom reprints or

e -prints of articles appearing in this publication at :::458 51. Website:

www.pentonreprints.com. Email: [email protected]

PHOTOCOPIES: Authorization to photocopy articles for internal corporate,

personal, or instructional use may be obtained from the Copyright Clearance

Center ICCCI at 978-750-8400. Obtain further information at copyrightcom.

PRIVACY POLICY: Your privacy is a priority to us. For a detailed policy

statement about privacy and information dissemination practices related to

Penton Media products, please visit our Web site at www.penton.com.

EDITORIAL and BUSINESS OFFICE: Penton Media, 9800 Metcalf, Over-

land Park, Kansas 66212 913-341-1300 penton.com

Copyright 2008, Penton Media, Inc. All rights reserved.


AD INDEXBroadcast Engineering is not responsible

for errors in the Advertisers Index.

Page Advertiser WebsiteHotline Address SALES OFFICES

AJA Video

Amberfin

41

3

800-251-4224 aja.com US/CANADAamberfin.com/be WEST

Autoscript 33 203-338-8356 autoscript.tv George Watts Ill

Azden Corp

Bird Technologies Group

51

48

516-328-7500

866-695-4569

azdencorp.com (360) 546-0379; Fax: (360) [email protected]

bird-technologies.com

Blackmagic Design 17 blackmagic-design.com

Calrec Audio Ltd 39 +44(0)1422842159 calrec.comEASTJosh Gordon

Cobalt Digital 83 800-669-1691 cobaltdigital.com (718) 802-0488; Fax: (718) 522-4751Communications Specialties Inc 57 631-273-0404 commspecial.com [email protected]

Crispin Corporation 35 919-845-7744 crispincorp.com

Dolby Laboratories Inc 15 dolby.com/dp600 MIDWESTElma Electronic Inc 32 770-496-4000 optimaeps.com Emily Kalmus

(312) 840-8473; Fax: (913) 514-6301Ensemble Designs 43 530-478-1830 ensembledesigns.com [email protected] 55 310-322-2136 ese-web.com

Evertz Microsystems Ltd.

Florical Systems Inc.

IBC

72

877-995-3700

352-372-8326

evertz.com

florical.com INTERNATIONALEUROPE

For. A Corporation of America 37 714-894-3311 for-a.com Richard WoolleyFujinon Inc. 19 973-633-5600 fujinon.com +44-1295-278-407

Fujitsu Computer Products

Harris

59

BC 800-231-9673

us.fujitsu.com/video Fax: [email protected]

broadcast.harris.com/

newsforce

Hewlett Packard 49, 50Israel

hp.com/media/entertainment Asa TalbarIDX Systems Technology 61 310-891-2800 idx.tv Talbar MediaJunger Audio

Kino Flo

82

28 818-767-6528

junger-audio.com +972-3-5629565; Fax: [email protected]

kinoflo.com

Marshall Electronics Inc 73 800-800-6608 lcdracks.com

Middle Atlantic Products Inc 71 800-266-7225 middleatlantic.comJAPANMashy Yoshikawa

Miranda Technologies Inc 11 514-333-1772 miranda.com/xvp Orient Echo, Inc.NTT Electronics Corp 26 nel-world.com/products/video +81-3-3235-5961; Fax: +81-3-3235-5852

OBOR Digital 84 407-352-6501 [email protected]

Omneon

Opticomm

25

47

866-861-5690

858-450-0143

omneon.com/

mediagridperforms CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGJulie Dahlstrom

emcore.com/hd (312) 840-8436Otari Inc 18 818-734-1785 otari.com Fax: (913) 514-3684

Panasonic Broadcast 5 panasonic.com/p2hd [email protected]

PlayBox 27 404-424-9283 playbox.tv

Prism Sound 85 973-983-9577 prismsound.com REPRINTSQuStream 69 800-328-1008 qustream.com

Penton Reprints888-858-8851

Riedel Communications 77 914-592-0220 riedel.net www.pentonreprints.comScheduAll 75 954-334-5406 scheduall.com

Scopus Video Networks 29 609-987-8090 scopus.net/peace of mind LIST RENTAL SERVICESSencore 53 800-SENCOBE sencore.com Marie Briganti, Walter KarlSnell & Wilcox 8-9 snellwilcox.com/sinclair (845) 620-0700

Sony Electronics Inc. 22-23 sony.com/xdcam(845) [email protected]

Streambox 54 206-956-0544 streambox.com

Sundance Digital 67 972-444-8442 sundancedigital.com

TBC Consoles Inc 81 1 -888 -console tbcconsoles.com Customer Service:913-967-1707 or 800-441-0294Thomson/Grass Valley

Tiernan, A Radyne Company

13

65 858-805-7000

grassvalley.com/infinitydvd

tiernan.com

Broadcast Engineering, November 2008, Vol. 50, No. 11 (ISSNTV One 46 800-721-4044 tvone.com

Utah Scientific

VCI

7, 21

70

800-453-8782

512-837-3737

utahscientific.com 0C)7-1994) is published monthly and mailed free to qualified

persons by Penton Media, Inc. 9800 Metcalf Ave., Overlandvcisolutions.com Pa -k, KS 66212-2216. Periodicals postage paid at Shawnee

ViewCast 79 800-540-4119 viewcast.com/b1108 Mission, KS. and additional mailing offices. Canadian Post

Ward -Beck Systems Ltd

Wheatstone Corporation

76

IFC

800-771-2556

252-638-7000

ward-beck.com Pliqlications Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Canada return

address: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ONwheatstone.com/ N6C 682. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Broadcast

tvconsoles.html Engineering, P.O. Box 2100, Skokie, IL 60076-7800 USA.

Wireless Technology Inc

Yamaha Commercial Audio

60

31

gotowti.com CORRESPONDENCE: Editorial and Advertising: 9800 Metcalf,

Overland Park, KS 66212-2216 Phone: 913-341-1300; Edit fax:yamahaca.com 913-967-1905. Advert. fax: 913-967-1904. © 2008 by Penton

360 Systems 45 818-991-0360 360systems.com Media, Inc. All rights reserved.


EOMDEPARTMENT

What's in your TS?You cannot afford to be stumped by this question.

BY ANTHONY R GARGANO

or years, the mainstay toolsof television engineers instations and facilities allaround the country have

been the trusty waveform monitorand vectorscope. Throughout studios,edit rooms, engineering facilities andbroadcast centers, TV stations largeand small, as well as broadcast andcable networks, are replete with theseworkhorse test and monitoring in-struments. And, for simple go/no-gotesting, there is the ubiquitous videomonitor. Tap virtually anywhere intothat NTSC video signal path and ei-ther video or a blank screen appears,quickly telling you whether there is asignal or not and what the content ofthat signal looks like visually.

In the early days of television,Tektronix - then a nascent manufac-turer of oscilloscopes for general testand measuring applications - intro-duced a version of one of its scopes,the 524AD. According to the operatingmanual, it was "specifically designedfor maintenance and adjustment oftelevision transmitters and studioequipment." This was one of the firstsuch instruments dedicated to televi-sion signal measurement and analysisusing visual display parameters. Nextwere dedicated full -rack -width wave-form monitors and vectorscopes, fol-lowed by the half -rack displays thathave been so prevalent over the pastseveral decades and ultimately evolv-ing into today's multifunction singleunit displays.

In analog television, broadcastershave long been concerned about syncand burst measurements, white leveland black level settings, differentialphase and gain ... the list could go onand on. As analog goes dark, we facea new glossary of terms and a new setof monitoring and measurement con-cerns. The relatively easy to view andmeasure analog signal is now being

replaced by an SDI signal that is beingcompressed and encapsulated into atransport stream (TS). That TS car-ries multiplexed, packetized data rep-resenting one or more programs and

Closif

wk.

Test andand measurement equipment hasevolved from its early days. Shownhere from top to bottom are Tektronix's524AD oscilloscope for general test andmeasurement, Tektronix's 526 vect-orscope, Harris' Videotek TVM-950multifunction display, and Rohde &Schwarz's DVM 100 real-time MPEG-2monitoring system.

services and is then 8-VSB modulatedto carry it to off -air DTV receivers.

Enter the new lexicon. With a newset of critical concerns - bit errorrate (BER), modulation error ra-tio (MER), program clock reference(PCR) drift and jitter, and Programand System Information Protocol(PSIP) table errors - waveformmonitor and vectorscopes designedduring the 8 -track era cannot quitecut it in a digital world.

But, your friendly purveyor of testinstruments can come to the rescue.Welcome to the world of MPEGmonitors and analyzers. In the digitalworld, test and measuring is impor-tant. Forget the graceful degradationof analog signals slowly sinking intonoise and distortion, and welcome tothe cliff effect. In our digital world,the video is either there or not there.If it is there, it is either pristine orpixelized. Have excessive PCR jitter?Get ready for the "why is my screenblank?" phone calls. There are a myr-iad of problems that can cause thatviewer screen to go blank. Need a re-fresher on MPEG measurements? Youcan find helpful articles on the Broad-cast Engineering Web site. And, don'toverlook that heretofore mentionedfriendly test equipment purveyor. I'msure he would be happy to provide anMPEG test and measurement primerduring the course of demonstratingthat box he wants to sell to you.

Remember that infamous techni-cian who thought he was having aprivate viewing of a porn film? ThatTS is capable of carrying multiple ser-vices; better know what's in it. It's al-most February. What's in your trans-port stream? BE

Anthony R. Gargano is a consultant andformer industry executive.

111Send questions and comments to:[email protected]


The Best Multi -Viewers, the Best Control System and the Best Routers -Viw-rrim fir,.1

US & International Sales905.335.3700

[email protected]

, , ,,

US West Coast Sales818.558.3910

[email protected]

Multi -Image DisplayThe Complete Control Room Solution

The industry's best image quality The industry's largest multi -image display system The industry's largest range of routers Any input on any display at any time

Ultimate ControlFor Multi -Viewers, Routers and Modular Equipment

The flagship of the Evertz Advanced Control System Streamline your entire system interface

3G Routing SystemsHD/SD/3Gbps Multi -Format Routing Platforms

The EQX can handle up to 576X576 in a single frame Ideal for mission -critical, demanding 24/7 environments

Processors / Monitoring & Control / Fiber / Master Control & Branding / Time Code / Distribution & Conversion / Multi -Format Routing / Management Software

1-877-995-3700 www.evertz.com

New York Sales Asia Pacific [email protected] [email protected]

Washington DC Sales703.330.8600

[email protected]

UK Sales011 44 118 935 [email protected]

The industry's fastest HD/SD news platform

"Anytime we can

manipulate the rundown

on the fly, slam in a

little breaking news and

get it to air before thecompetition ... we love that.

NewsForce- just works

great for us."

Randall Smitn,Senior Director,KVOA News Tucson

NmwsFoRcc_Tm

FAST. FORMAT TRANSPARENT. INTEROPERABLE.

NewsForce- is the comprehensive suite of lightning -quick newsroom tools from Harris, including a new generation of MOS-enabledVelocity- editors and full integration of Apple® Final Cut Pro®.

NewsForce- makes all content available to all users instantly-even during ingest-by harnessing the speed and reliability of theNEX10- SAN. Nothing is faster than having every element you need the moment you need it.

NewsForce accelerates your news workflow with:

Proxy, field and on -SAN workgroup editing Ingest management and rundown- Optimized digital asset management

outlaon -air py Seamless integration with your newsroom sequenced Instant high -resolution conforming

computer system Fully integrated 3D multichannel graphics for fast play to air

To learn more, visit www.broadcast.harris.com/newsforceNorth America +1 800 231 9673 Caribbean and Latin America +1 786 437 1960.

® aSSUred COCon rnUn iCatiOn S: www.harris.comBroadcastmmunications RF Communications Government Communications Systems Harris Stratex Networks

INSID SO - americanradiohistory.com€¦ · NOVVABEil II eeri 2008 Eno!to'adeas Milli I 11'3511" I...

Documents

Transcript of INSID SO - americanradiohistory.com€¦ · NOVVABEil II eeri 2008 Eno!to'adeas Milli I 11'3511" I...