Modulus Video Introduces MPEG-4 AVC HD and SD Video Receiver-Encoder Systems for Telco Operators

Source: Modulus Video

Modulus Video, Inc., the leading provider of MPEG-4 AVC video encoding systems for IPTV, today introduced several new configurations of its MRE2000 series receiver encoder, each designed to meet the unique needs of telecommunications operators. With configurations to support both high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) video, the new models provide telcos with the video headend functionality needed to quickly and cost-effectively launch IPTV services. The new products will be on display at NXTcomm, June 19-21, McCormick Place, Chicago, Booth 1119.

“With these new Modulus Video MRE2000 configurations, we are completely putting to rest the idea that the IPTV opportunity is only accessible to big operators,” said Bob Wilson, Chairman and CEO of Modulus Video. “With the performance and value offered by these revolutionary products, the door stands wide open for any telco operator to quickly deploy a complete video headend and begin delivering compelling SD and HD services.”

Modulus Video MRE2000 systems dramatically simplify headends by uniquely incorporating in a single 1RU chassis, direct RF signal input, demodulation, decoding and signal processing with the world’s most sophisticated MPEG-4 AVC HD and SD video encoding.

The latest MRE2000 systems provide cost conscious telecommunications operators with an efficient video headend with fewer components, greater reliability, reduced cost and the best video quality. The new models introduced today include:

Two new HD Receiver Encoder configurations:

• MRE2511 series offers support for direct MPEG-2 over UDP compressed input, along with optional ASI support.
• MRE2521 series offers support for analog off-air, digital terrestrial and direct MPEG-2 inputs.

Two new SD-only Receiver Encoder configurations:

• MRE2011 series offers support for direct MPEG-2 over UDP compressed input, along with optional ASI support.
• MRE2021 series offers support for analog off-air, digital terrestrial and direct MPEG-2 inputs.

The entire MRE2000 family of receiver encoders can be ordered immediately. The complete line, as well as Modulus Video’s ME2000 MPEG-4 AVC video encoders, will be on display at NXTcomm, June 19-21, McCormick Place, Chicago, Booth 1119.

http://www.broadcastequipmentguide.com/modulusvideo_06_22_07.php

Scopus Introduces Piccolo for Digital Simulcast

Source: Scopus Video Networks

Scopus Video Networks (NASDAQ:SCOP), a provider of digital video networking solutions, announced today the introduction of Piccolo – an integrated “Headend-in-a-Box” solution for Digital Simulcast. This all-in-one compact and cost-effective system, which integrates all key video processing elements for digital simulcast, is ideal for cable operators who want to embark upon digital simulcast with a simple, quick and cost-effective solution.

Piccolo integrates, in a small rack enclosure, real time MPEG encoding, grooming, rate shaping, splicing and edge decoding functions working with a single network management system. Scopus’ Headend-in-a-Box employs Scopus UE-9240 – four MPEG-2 encoders in 1 RU platform, the IVG-7000 digital video processor and the UID-2912 high density edge decoder all integrated with the NMS-4000 network management system. Installation and technical support are simplified as all components are manufactured by Scopus.

“This compact simulcast solution fully addresses the needs of cable operators that want an all-in-one solution,” said Mario Rainville, AVP product marketing of Scopus’ U.S. operations. “Our compact headend is the all-inclusive answer to digital simulcast needs, including network management, integration and single point of contact for technical support. As a full solution provider for digital simulcast, Scopus enables cable operators to transform their business plans into reality.”

A demonstration of the Scopus Integrated Digital Simulcast “Headend-in-a-Box” will be displayed at the Scopus booth #1886 during the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida June 19-22.

http://www.broadcastequipmentguide.com/scopusvideonetworks_06_22_07.php

LG Electronics, Harris Corporation Submit MPH In-Band Mobile DTV Technology for ATSC’s Mobile Standard

Source: Harris Broadcast

LG Electronics Inc. and Harris Corporation, joint developers of the Mobile-Pedestrian Handheld (MPH™) in-band mobile digital television system, submitted a proposal to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) for a standard that would enable broadcasters to provide high-quality digital television (DTV) signals to a wide range of mobile and portable devices.  The ATSC is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards for digital television systems.

The ATSC Technology and Standards Group requested proposals from companies offering systems aimed at facilitating the delivery of DTV programming and data to mobile, pedestrian and handheld devices via the digital broadcast signal.  LG and Harris submitted a proposal detailing their technology for the delivery of mobile and handheld DTV, which is backward-compatible to the current standard. 

The broadcast and consumer electronics industries have identified mobile and handheld DTV as important new opportunities for the future of local broadcasting — providing new revenue streams for device manufacturers and broadcasters, and new services to customers.  These new mobile and handheld services, using ATSC-compatible broadcast transmissions, can help spur the adoption of handheld devices by consumers who want value-added services that are currently not available through regular broadcast TV delivery models.  With MPH™, consumers can view their favorite programs from local broadcasters, watch movies and sports, check local news and weather information and access pay services — even when traveling in fast-moving vehicles or using handheld video devices away from home.

Developed by Harris Corporation and LG Electronics Inc. and its U.S. research subsidiary, Zenith, the MPH™ in-band mobile DTV system provides robust DTV signals to mobile, pedestrian and handheld devices.  Harris, a known leader of television transmission systems, and LG Electronics, a leading developer of receiver systems and DTV standards, designed MPH™ to be fully compatible with the ATSC A/110 standard for distributed transmission.  As such, the system provides a highly compatible, commercially deployable system that has already been accomplished, tested and demonstrated.  

Until now, reliable reception of signals transmitted by terrestrial broadcasters has not been possible in fast-moving vehicles or pedestrian handheld devices such as mobile phones or laptop computers.  Unlike the cellular-based approach, MPH™ technology uses only the single, existing transmitter from commercial and public broadcasters.  For broadcasters, this new technology enables new and potentially lucrative revenue streams.

“As long-time, active members of the ATSC and key players in the development and marketplace implementation of digital television, LG Electronics, its U.S. R&D lab and Harris look forward to working closely with our fellow ATSC members and with ATSC staff on mobile DTV,” said Dr. H.G. Lee, president and CTO of LG Electronics.  “We share the ATSC’s enthusiasm for this promising new technology, which we believe will enhance and complete the digital television experience for consumers and broadcasters alike.”

“In light of the sense of urgency surrounding this next generation of DTV technology, Harris and LG look forward to participating in the ATSC mobile DTV process while continuing to work with broadcasters and other stakeholders to develop a robust, mobile terrestrial DTV market,” said Tim Thorsteinson, president of the Harris Broadcast Communications Division. “The MPH™ system strikes the right balance for broadcasters looking to deliver both high-definition programming to fixed receivers and programming and datacasting to mobile and handheld devices.”

MPH™ is a multiple-stream system, with the main service stream for existing DTV and HDTV services, and the MPH™ stream for one or more mobile, pedestrian and/or handheld services. Key attributes of the MPH™ system include: 

• Backward compatibility with the existing ATSC 8-VSB transmission and receiving equipment,
• Capability to receive broadcast signals at high (mobile) speed with a single antenna,
• Use of practical, small handheld receivers without the need for multiple antennas,
• Power savings in handheld receivers,
• Flexibility in both data rates and robustness,
• Data-rate efficiency, and
• Use of advanced video and audio coding in the MPH™ stream.
  

Another advantage of the MPH™ system is that it does not require outside service providers or spectrum-pooling arrangements.

In their response to the ATSC RFP, Harris and LG Electronics provided a technical overview of the MPH™ system, which enhances a portion of the ATSC broadcast symbol stream for increased capability in the areas of Doppler and multipath. “The enhancement is achieved by a combination of improved forward error correction (FEC) and added training signals.  The MPH system uses time multiplexing of legacy ‘main’ or ‘normal’ transport packets with enhanced packets, such that the only modification to the main packets is their timing. In addition, the enhanced packets and added training signals are coded so as to be compatible with legacy FEC, assuring 100 percent backward compatibility with legacy receivers.  Legacy receivers regard the MPH™ packets as NULL packets whose content is ignored.”

Other excerpts from the RFP response:  “The special physical layer processing of MPH™ data has been designed so it can all take place at the transmission exciter, without special processing at the service multiplexer.  The service multiplexer needs only to be set up to provide all the main and enhanced data as part of a normal ATSC packet stream, with sufficient NULL packets to allow for addition of FEC symbols in the exciter. The existing single legacy studio-transmitter link is all that is required,” the companies explained to the ATSC.

“MPH™ is highly flexible in its use of data capacity, and can be controlled statically or dynamically to take from less than 200 kbps (e.g., for a single audio or data service), up to multiple Mbps (when only a single SD program is required in the main channel).  The MPH™ stream itself can consist of a single or multiple services, and the use of MPH™ places no restrictions on use of the main stream for a single HD or multiple HD and/or SD programs.  There is no hard limit to the number of MPH™ services allowed; there is only a total data rate limitation. MPH™ has also been designed for full compatibility with the ATSC A/110 standard for Distributed Transmission (single-frequency networks),” according to the RFP response.

Fox News Channel Deploys Streambox for Mobile Newsgathering

Source: Streambox

Streambox, Inc. today announced that Fox News Channel has selected the company’s newsgathering solutions for facilitating high-quality real-time broadcasts from field reporters to the network’s headquarters in New York City. Fox News Channel is deploying portable encoders, as well as rack-mount video transport systems, for delivery of live video from the world’s hotspots via satellite and T1 networks.

With this new deployment, Fox News Channel crews can capture and deliver live video reports from the field with nothing more than a camera, a Streambox portable encoder, and a satellite or other IP network connection. The equipment will also be utilized for high-quality store-and-forward video feeds.

C-COR and Harmonic Introduce Turnkey Switched Digital Video Solution

Source: C-COR

C-COR Incorporated and Harmonic Inc. are accelerating the rollout of switched digital video (SDV) with the first comprehensive, pre-integrated solution for the cable market. The offering brings together Harmonic’s compression and edgeQAM technology leadership with C-COR’s expertise in pioneering on demand and advertising management, enabling operators to quickly build and efficiently manage the widespread rollout of SDV. Components of the solution include C-COR’s nABLE(TM) Session and Resource Manager and Harmonic’s NSG(TM) 9000 universal edgeQAM and ProStream(TM) 1000 stream processing platform with Mentor(TM) re-encoding technology. The joint solution will be demonstrated at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2007, at Harmonic’s booth #373 and C-COR’s booth #1678.

“This solution gives cable operators access to a comprehensive and open switched digital video solution, including everything they need to quickly and cost effectively meet their deployment goals,” said Basil Badawiyeh, Vice President, On Demand Strategy, C-COR. “Our work with Harmonic results in a switched digital video offering that brings together the ability to reclaim bandwidth capacity, audience measurement and advertising capabilities packaged in an open and end-to-end environment.”

“Switched digital video is garnering significant attention as a way to free up valuable bandwidth. Integrated solutions simplify deployment and management for operators,” said Gil Katz, Director of Cable Solutions, Harmonic Inc. “In working with C-COR to develop an end-to-end switched digital solution, we are making it possible for operators to deploy the best technology components in an open environment that reclaims capacity needed for next-generation applications.”

The joint offering leverages the experience and market leadership of both companies. C-COR brings expertise in architecting and managing services and content delivery in more than 200 on demand sites and 100 digital advertising systems worldwide. Harmonic brings an unmatched track record in on demand video delivery, powering more than 2.5 million streams of narrowcast video with the NSG family of edgeQAMs. Harmonic’s high quality, low bit-rate compression solutions for MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) video services are also deployed by most of the world’s leading cable, satellite and telco operators.

C-COR’s modular broadband capacity solutions, operational service support and array of revenue-generating video services enable service providers to build and maintain a sustainable, competitive network. C-COR’s on demand product line is deployed in markets of all sizes around the world including New York and Los Angeles. The company’s nABLE back office management software was the industry’s first open and interoperable back office on demand software and is the cornerstone of the C-COR Unified Management and Delivery Platform, providing complete service and content delivery of on demand, time-shifted TV, switched digital video, linear and advanced advertising capabilities. C-COR’s switched digital video solution is an open architecture, software-centric approach that helps operators more efficiently manage their valuable HFC bandwidth while continuing to capitalize on targeted advertising revenue streams.

Harmonic’s ProStream 1000 with Mentor re-encoding technology is the world’s first ultra-dense, fully integrated MPEG-2 standard definition re-encoding platform. Its unique processing technology delivers the best possible CBR video quality by combining resilient and compliant decoding with an extremely powerful and flexible compression engine. The high density NSG 9000 universal edgeQAM is a proven and deployed solution for on-demand, broadcast, SDV and modular CMTS applications. Harmonic’s open SDV architecture is interoperable with leading session management, OSS, and encryption systems, maximizing flexibility and scalability of the system.

http://www.broadcastequipmentguide.com/c-cor_06_22_07.php

SMPTE Technical Conference & Exhibition 2007 Call for Papers Deadline Extended

Source: SMPTE

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) extended submission deadlines for its Call for Papers for their 2007 Technical Conference and Exhibition.

This event, set for Oct. 24-27 in Brooklyn, N.Y., will bring together technology thought-leaders from the post-production, filmmaking and broadcast industries.

SMPTE is seeking proposals for papers delivered during technical sessions and tutorials that will be conducted during the conference, providing attendees with vital information on the latest advances in motion imaging technologies. Proposals addressing the specific topics discussed in technical sessions and tutorials will be given priority. Planned sessions include: digital intermediates, stereoscopic (3D) imaging, digital cinema exhibition, animation, advancements in film technologies, electronic display technologies, color management, metadata and file management, digital asset management, IP content networks, content security, digital audio for cinema and consumer technologies.

Technical paper proposals must be submitted to SMPTE by July 13, 2007.

Paper Submission Information
Interested participants should submit their one-page proposals (between 200-500 words) in abstract form and include topic heading, paper title, a brief description of proposed paper, name of author/presenter, company, mailing address, telephone/fax numbers, and e-mail address. Previously published papers and product-specific presentations will not be accepted. Details on the submission process can be found at www.smpte.org.
Proposals must be sent via EDAS. Visit http://www.smpte.org/events/call_for_papers/ for full submission instructions.

Proposals must be received no later than July 13, 2007

Questions can be addressed to Dianne Purrier at dpurrier@smpte.org.

Selected presenters will be required to provide electronic versions of their technical papers and presentations to SMPTE by September 14, 2007, for publication in the SMPTE Technical Conference and Exhibition 2007 Proceedings.

http://www.broadcastequipmentguide.com/smpte_06_22_07.php

Codex Digital announces ground-breaking portable field recorder

Source: Codex Digital

Codex Digital, specialist in high-resolution media recording systems, is launching a new, high-resolution portable field recorder with the potential to revolutionise digital cinematography and the production of motion pictures and high-end TV.

No larger than a toaster, the Codex Portable’s cutting-edge design is packed with powerful, ground-breaking features, and the industry’s most advanced technology – creating brand new opportunities for single and multi-camera production. The Codex Portable can record from virtually every digital camera from HD to 4K.  It is quick to deploy – on set, at a sports event or up a mountain – and takes production workflow to unprecedented levels.

The new system has been designed to meet industry demand for a compact and rugged field recorder. It complements the original, award-winning Codex HD, 2K, 4K media recorder/server, which has already redefined tapeless digital cinematography and is now being used on major studio productions in the US and Europe.   Using visually-lossless compression, the Codex Portable brings cinema-quality disk-recording to every production where uncompressed recording is not an absolute demand, but total portability is.

Constructed from carbon fibre and with rubber-sealed connections, the Codex Portable is tough, weather-resistant, and weighs only 9 lb / 4 Kg. It is powered from standard camera batteries, and can be carried on an operator’s shoulder or back, or secured on camera equipment such as dollies and cranes. A large record button and illuminated status ring mean the Codex Portable is always ready-to-go, and near-silent operation lets it get right into the action.

Taking its key, unique features from its larger sibling, the Codex Portable adds immediate full-frame playback and review of footage on a daylight-readable touchscreen. Also unique is its secure wireless system, which enables instant shot monitoring, or remote-control of the system, from any networked computer or PDA. The Codex Portable even features a special “Mutter Track” microphone input, which allows the user to add comments during a take for shot-logging and notes.

Technical Features:
The new Codex Portable is filled with unprecedented technical capabilities to pack all the benefits of the Codex tapeless workflow into its remarkably small package.

Top-line features include two dual-link HD 4:4:4 inputs, Infiniband and Ethernet data-connections, 10Gbps optical I/O, timecode and control ports, eight channels of audio, HD and SD monitoring of all formats up to 4K, and MP4 wireless video output.

Recording:
The Codex Portable is the first portable disk-recorder to handle all formats up to 4K at cinema-quality, and the first to handle both video and data-mode cameras. 

Flexible I/O configurations mean the Codex Portable can record from virtually every digital camera available today – including all HD cameras in video mode, plus data-mode from cameras such as the ARRI D-20 TM and DALSA’s Origin®. It can also record Red Digital Cinema’s RED ONE™ camera in 4K data-mode, when it becomes available.

Recording is made to hot-swappable, shock-mounted RAID diskpacks that can hold up to three hours of continuous recording at the system’s highest quality – the first portable recorder (disk or tape) to offer such capability and capacity. The compression method used is JPEG2000, a wavelet-based industry standard, which is visually indistinguishable from the original and is comparable to the highest-quality mode of HDCAM-SR tape.

Stereoscopic 3D & Multi-camera shoots:
The Codex Portable has the unique ability to record from two 4:4:4 cameras simultaneously – either independently for A and B cameras, or locked together for 3D stereoscopic acquisition. It is also the first to record from four 4:2:2 cameras simultaneously, and to allow the complete synchronisation of multiple recorders. With this feature, six synchronized Codex Portables can act as a 24-track video, 48-track audio-recorder – enough to record an entire concert or sports event at cinema-quality in a package no larger than a couple of tape decks.

Workflow:
The Codex Portable is the first portable recorder to provide multiple standard file-formats, for the seamless transfer of shots to all post-production workflows.

After recording, the Codex Portable’s diskpacks may be plugged directly into the matching Codex Transfer Station. This copies them (much faster than real-time), backs them up, and then delivers the material, plus the associated metadata, across local or worldwide networks.

In conjunction with the Transfer Station, the Codex Portable can deliver shots in all industry-standard formats, including DPX, BMP, BWAV, QuickTime, AVI  and MXF files. It can even provide native-mode files that editing-systems can use with no importing at all.

The result is a clean, fast system in which the production moves completely seamlessly between shooting and post-production, on-set or off, with no intermediate steps or delays.

“We have developed our new portable with a no-holds-barred approach,” said Paul Bamborough, a co-founder of Codex Digital. “There are huge advantages in shooting direct to disk, and we are making those available to all productions – cinema or TV – who want the highest quality but who also need complete portability.”

Codex Digital expects to ship production Codex Portable systems in late 2007.

http://www.broadcastequipmentguide.com/codexdigital_06_22_07.php

Concurrent Announces New Content Storage Solutions

Source: Concurrent

Concurrent, a worldwide leader of on-demand technology that is shaping the future of television, announced today the launch of the MediaCache 1000, the first in a line of non-volatile flash SSD (solid state drives) storage products. The MediaCache, along with Concurrent’s full MediaHawk line of products and services, will be on display in booth 649 at the Society of Cable Television Engineers (SCTE) Cable-Tec Expo, at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Florida, June 19-22, 2007.

“The MediaCache 1000 is an important first step towards addressing the future storage requirements of VOD systems,” said Bob Chism, CTO of Concurrent. “We believe that the VOD market will continue to move away from spinning media to solid state drives. The launch of this product and the development of this product line once again prove that Concurrent is a technology leader looking far ahead of the competition.”

Concurrent’s MediaHawk(TM) VOD platform optimizes the price and performance of the VOD system by leveraging a multi-level caching strategy that is matched to the respective storage technology. This strategy allows Concurrent to provide the ideal combination of high performance and reliability, with a scalable solution that makes economic sense. The new MediaCache 1000 leverages the reliability and throughput density of SSD; its nonvolatility allows it to retain memory even during sudden power outages, providing three times the reliability of traditional disk-based storage, while supporting over five times the streaming throughput. It uses 45% less power and, like other products in the MediaHawk line, utilizes commercial off-the-shelf hardware. Just like DRAM SSDs, flash SSDs are extremely fast since these devices have no moving parts, eliminating seek time, latency and other electro-mechanical delays inherent in conventional disk drives.

Concurrent has already trialed and received some orders for the MediaCache 1000, with plans for full product availability in the third calendar quarter.

http://www.broadcastequipmentguide.com/concurrent_06_22_07.php

News About Ikegami & Toshiba’s News Production System

Ikegami & Toshiba Provide Details Of Advanced New Tapeless HD ENG Camera, Editing, and Production Systems

June 11, 2007

Source: Ikegami

Officially announced on the opening day of NAB 2007, Ikegami and Toshiba Corp. have formed a strategic joint-development partnership to develop and promote an advanced video production/editing system for broadcasters and video professionals. Key concepts and components of the new video production/editing system disclosed by the two companies include the use of semiconductor flash memory as the main storage medium.

With the transition to digital, high-definition broadcasting now gathering pace, video production professionals increasingly require highly capable, integrated solutions that seamlessly connect all parts of the video production workflow, from news acquisition in the field, through editing and archiving, to feeding edited programs to transmission platforms. The advanced system promoted by Ikegami and Toshiba brings ideal solutions to all of these processes. It offers a superior storage platform based on open standards, and delivers enhanced levels of productivity and innovation throughout the video broadcast workflow.

Commenting on the significance of the partnership, Masaki Matsubara, President and CEO of Ikegami said: “We look forward to promoting innovation in the broadcasting industry by working closely with Toshiba. The combination of our expertise in video production fields with Toshiba’s wide-ranging experience and technological excellence in broadcasting systems—especially master control facilities for broadcasters, transmitters, and play-out servers, plus its advanced semiconductor flash-memory technologies—promises an ideal partnership.”

Shunichi Kimura, Corporate Vice President and President and CEO of Toshiba’s Social Infrastructure Systems Company also remarked: “Our alliance with Ikegami, an industry leader in professional cameras, reinforces our efforts to strengthen Toshiba’s position in the global broadcasting industry. We look forward to providing broadcasters and production companies with high value solutions.”

Product Concept
The collaboration between Ikegami and Toshiba blends each company’s expertise to bring new levels of workflow innovation to all stages of video production. The total system comprises the “GFCAM”*1 Hybrid Tapeless Camera; “GFSTATION”*2, an entirely new central video management and recording system based on flash memory; and “GFSTATION PORTABLE,”*3 a portable version of GFSTATION. All image and sound data are recorded to “GFPAK”*4, a removable medium that can be used with all system components. The network connectivity of all system elements creates a highly efficient, highly productive tapeless environment.

Note 1: GFCAM, the newest member of the Editcam family, combines Ikegami’s unsurpassed image quality and flash memory technologies. GFCAM is a development code name.

Notes 2, 3, 4: GFSTATION, GFSTATION PORTABLE, and GFPAK are all development code names.

1. Flash Memory Solution
(1) GFPAK
The new system’s main removable storage medium, GFPAK, used with the GFCAM, GFSTATION, and GFSTATION PORTABLE, is based on semiconductor flash memory. Flash memory offers distinct advantages over optical disc-based and other solutions: with no moving parts, it is rugged, highly impact- and vibration-resistant, and maintenance is easier and much cheaper; it is also a long-life, semi-permanent medium, supporting rewrite cycles in the order of tens of thousands, another significant factor in reducing running costs. GFPAK also integrates proprietary technologies and enhanced error protection that protect data integrity, and supports high-speed random access that boosts working efficiency.

A single GFPAK can store up to 128 minutes of HD images, affording ample recording time when used in the field.

Depending on the application, an alternative hard disk-drive based memory pack is also available. Both the flash-based and HDD packs have the same profile and interface and are completely interchangeable in system components.

2. Workflow Innovation
(1) Multitasking with GFSTATION
The GFSTATION is a multi-task platform built around high-capacity internal flash memory. It is the home for video sources transferred via a network to a non-linear editor, an import terminal for uploads from external sources, and an IN/OUT editor supporting instant direct editing during file transfer from a GFPAK. IN/OUT editing is also possible during recording, via the GFSTATION’s front-panel or its universal controller.

(2) Meta Data and Proxy Data Solutions
As the GFCAM records high-resolution image data, it also simultaneously records proxy video and other meta data. Proxy video, a low-resolution MPEG 4 mirror of the high-resolution image and sound, has the same time code as the original, and can be quickly delivered over a network, or accessed on location, for initial viewing and to support scripting and editing. By recording INPUT/OUTPUT points set by a PC, replay of materials according to these points is easily done either on GFSTATION or GF STATION PORTABLE. Other meta data recorded during acquisition supports workflow efficiency by logging all key facts on the shoot—the date, location, program name, and equipment used.

3. Open Solutions
Every component of the system is built around open standards, including such codecs and formats as MPEG2 Long GOP/I-Frame and MXF. This approach supports broadcasters and production companies in making a gradual transition from existing systems to a new tapeless environment, and also facilitates interoperability with diverse third-party equipment and systems. Ikegami and Toshiba will draw on this open standard approach in forging partnerships with developers of non-linear editors.

Key Specifications
The main specifications of key component equipment are detailed below. Ikegami and Toshiba are proceeding with their joint development of the system, targeting commercialization in April 2008. In order to fully reflect specific requirements from the broadcasting industry, the companies will now start to propose the system in major markets, starting with the United States and Japan and then other markets.

Hybrid Tapeless Camera GFCAM (Suggested List Price: US$25,000)
¨      2/3 inch, 3 image sensors
¨      HD 1080i/720p format support
¨      MPEG2 LONG/I Frame Multi-codec
¨      4:2:2 digital component recording
¨      MXF file recording
¨      NTSC or PAL MPEG2 recording
¨      Retro Loop function, Time-lapse function, Intelligent Recording
¨      Freeze Mix function
¨      Thumbnail display

Flash memory-based recorder GFSTATION (Suggested List Price: US$45,000)
¨      128GB(4hour/HD 50Mbps) internal memory
¨      HD 1080i/720p format support
¨      MPEG2 Long/I-Frame Multi-codec
¨      Up-converter/Down-converter for playback
¨      Color LCD monitor installed
¨      Thumbnail display
¨      JOG & SHUTTLE dial provided
¨      MXF file transfer
¨      IN/OUT editing
¨      Playlist delivery

Portable Recorder, GFSTATION PORTABLE (Suggested List Price: US$18,000)
¨      Compact half-rack size
¨      HD 1080i/720p format support
¨      MPEG2 Long/ I-Frame Multi-codec
¨      Up-converter/Down-converter for playback
¨      Color LCD monitor installed
¨      Thumbnail display
¨      JOG & SHUTTLE dial provided
¨      IN/OUT editing

Removable Media GFPAK (Suggested List Price: US$950 for 32GB version;
US$350 for 120GB HDD version)
¨      16GB/32GB/64GB NAND Flash Memory Pack
¨      120GB Hard Disk Pack
¨      High-speed transfer based on the S-ATA standard

Have you ever wondered why engineers measure audio levels? Or why they use the db scale? Or what Leq(m) and Dynamic Scales are?

DK-Technologies’ New Guide Helps Engineers Get To Grips With Audio Metering Basics

June 11, 2007

Source: DK-Technologies

Have you ever wondered why engineers measure audio levels? Or why they use the db scale? Or what Leq(m) and Dynamic Scales are?

The answer to these and many more audio metering questions can be found in Audio Levels and Readings, a new booklet from Danish manufacturer DK-Technologies, a company with more than 20 years experience in producing sophisticated audio and video devices for the music recording, broadcast and post production industries.

The booklet, written by independent audio consultant and AES member Eddy Bøgh Brixen, is supplied free of charge to everyone who purchases an audio meter from DK-Technologies. It is also available as a download from the DK-technologies website (www.dk-technologies,com).

Karsten Hansen, CEO of DK-Technologies, says: “Good audio requires technological as well as musical skills. Customers who have purchased an audio meter from DK-Technologies have already invested in a high quality product that offers a wealth of useful features. The aim of this booklet is to reinforce their purchase by providing useful information that will help develop their understanding of audio levels and readings. We know that our customers want to create perfect audio and the combination of our products and our expertise can only help them move further towards this goal.”

Audio Levels and Readings offers engineers a basic insight into the world of audio levels and metering and covers many useful topics, from the basics such as what is an audio signal and how does one measure level, through to more complex issues such as Loudness, A-Weighting and how analogue levels relate to digital scales. 

Written in an easy to digest style, the booklet is recommended as a quick reference for those who want to brush up on their audio metering knowledge. Engineers who want to take the subject further can do so by purchasing Eddy Bøgh Brixen’s Audio Metering book, which is also available via the DK-Technologies website.

About DK-Technologies

DK-Technologies develops and produces audio meters, video sync and test signal generators, as well as video waveform monitors and colour analysers both for LCD and CRT monitors. Alongside its worldwide distributor network, DK-Technologies also operates branch offices in Denmark, Germany, UK and USA.

 

http://www.broadcastequipmentguide.com/dktechnologies_06_11_07.php