BroadcastPro Middle East

| www.broadcastprome.com | July 20101REVIEWSony NEX-FS700 put through its paces

TECHNOLOGY INTELLIGENCE FOR TV, FILM AND RADIO

ISSUE 25 | AUGUST 2012

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

CASE STUDYDubai Media Inc. upgrades studio to HD

PRODUCTIONBehind the scenes with the crew of Hindistani for season 2

INTERVIEWChristopher O’Hearn on the rollout of TAM in the UAE

TOUR DU FORCEBrand new HD playout system

© Copyright 2012 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

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Ramadan Mubarak! Although life in the Arab world slows down a bit during this season owing to the holidays, the Holy month of Ramadan is also a time of rich pickings for broadcasters as they rake in the advertising dollars. Millions are spent on Arabic productions to broadcast during this period but ad rates also increase anywhere between 50 and 170% at this time compared to the rest of the year depending on how popular a channel is, and those !gures are not in"ated.

MBC 1, for instance, has for long maintained its position as the number one Ramadan broadcaster. It is no secret that MBC Group invests about 25-30% of its annual production budget — if not more — on its Ramadan programming and earns about 25% of its annual revenues during this period as well. There are about seventeen special programmes showing on MBC1 this season and around six on MBC Drama.

This time, MBC may face some competition from OSN’s Yahala channel. OSN Yahala, which was launched in October 2011, seems to be gradually gaining ground with viewers especially in Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest markets for both channels.

The pay TV network has made ambitious investments in Arabic productions. This year, OSN Yahala! has eight exclusive Ramadan

productions on the channel of which four are the network’s own productions. The network has also launched OSN Yahala +3 exclusively for the Ramadan season. The channel is primarily aimed at Egyptian viewers, as subscribers in the country do not yet have access to OSN’s PVR boxes.

Abu Dhabi Media and Dubai Media Inc. have also come with some exciting entertainment this year.

In the meantime, we also see broadcasters enhancing their online services as many viewers have begun to turn to their tablets and other mobile devices for entertainment.

OSN Play, Shahid.net from MBC, Wataniya Telecom’s online channel and Dubai Media Inc’s online platform are some of the few who will be competing for eyeballs this Ramadan. Not to be left behind, even YouTube has launched an online channel dedicated to Ramadan-themed programming this year.

It’s unfortunate though that the TV audience measurement system — the !rst in this region — won’t be rolled out until just after Ramadan in the UAE. It would have been interesting to see which channels and programmes make it to the top this season. But we have to start somewhere and hats off to the UAE for being the !rst to take this big step. Read all about it in this issue.

VIjaya Cherian, Group Editor,Broadcast Division

Ahmed Abdullatif Khalid Al Muhaideb, VP, Broadcasting & IPTV Services Technology, du flanked by senior engineer V. Jaya Kumar (l) and Muhammad Methar (r), director of teleport operations, du.

Welcome

Christopher O’Hearn on the roll out of the region’s !rst TV audience measurement system in the UAE4

INTERVIEW









PublisherDominic De Sousa

Group COONadeem Hood

Managing DirectorRichard [email protected] +971 (0) 4 440 9126

Publishing DirectorRaz [email protected] +971 4 440 9129

Group Sales ManagerSandip [email protected] +971 (0) 50 459 2653

Sales ManagerRaed [email protected] +971 (0) 50 714 04273

Group EditorVijaya [email protected] +971 (0) 55 105 3787

Deputy EditorSupriya [email protected] +971 (0) 55 1053776

PhotographyCris MejoradaJay Colina

Design DirectorRuth Sheehy

Art DirectorKamil Roxas

DIGITAL SERVICESManagerTristan Troy P Maagma

Web DevelopersErik BrionesJefferson de Joya

Circulation ManagerRajeesh [email protected] +971 (0) 4 440 9147

Production ManagerJames P [email protected] +971 (0) 4 440 9146

DIGITALwww.broadcastprome.comwww.cpidubai.com

Published by1013 Centre Road, New Castle County,Wilmington, Delaware, USA

Head OfficePO Box 13700Dubai, UAETel: +971 (0) 4 440 9100Fax: +971 (0) 4 447 2409 Printed byPrintwell Printing Press LLC

© Copyright 2012 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

www.broadcastprome.comSubscribe now

Ramadan Mubarak! Although life in the Arab world slows down a bit during this season owing to the holidays, the Holy month of Ramadan is also a time of rich pickings for broadcasters as they rake in the advertising dollars. Millions are spent on Arabic productions to broadcast during this period but ad rates also increase anywhere between 50 and 170% at this time compared to the rest of the year depending on how popular a channel is, and those !gures are not in"ated.

MBC 1, for instance, has for long maintained its position as the number one Ramadan broadcaster. It is no secret that MBC Group invests about 25-30% of its annual production budget — if not more — on its Ramadan programming and earns about 25% of its annual revenues during this period as well. There are about seventeen special programmes showing on MBC1 this season and around six on MBC Drama.

This time, MBC may face some competition from OSN’s Yahala channel. OSN Yahala, which was launched in October 2011, seems to be gradually gaining ground with viewers especially in Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest markets for both channels.

The pay TV network has made ambitious investments in Arabic productions. This year, OSN Yahala! has eight exclusive Ramadan

productions on the channel of which four are the network’s own productions. The network has also launched OSN Yahala +3 exclusively for the Ramadan season. The channel is primarily aimed at Egyptian viewers, as subscribers in the country do not yet have access to OSN’s PVR boxes.

Abu Dhabi Media and Dubai Media Inc. have also come with some exciting entertainment this year.

In the meantime, we also see broadcasters enhancing their online services as many viewers have begun to turn to their tablets and other mobile devices for entertainment.

OSN Play, Shahid.net from MBC, Wataniya Telecom’s online channel and Dubai Media Inc’s online platform are some of the few who will be competing for eyeballs this Ramadan. Not to be left behind, even YouTube has launched an online channel dedicated to Ramadan-themed programming this year.

It’s unfortunate though that the TV audience measurement system — the !rst in this region — won’t be rolled out until just after Ramadan in the UAE. It would have been interesting to see which channels and programmes make it to the top this season. But we have to start somewhere and hats off to the UAE for being the !rst to take this big step. Read all about it in this issue.

VIjaya Cherian, Group Editor,Broadcast Division

Ahmed Abdullatif Khalid Al Muhaideb, VP, Broadcasting & IPTV Services Technology, du flanked by senior engineer V. Jaya Kumar (l) and Muhammad Methar (r), director of teleport operations, du.

Welcome

Christopher O’Hearn on the roll out of the region’s !rst TV audience measurement system in the UAEPage 24

INTERVIEW









PublisherDominic De Sousa

Group COONadeem Hood

Managing DirectorRichard [email protected] +971 (0) 4 440 9126

Publishing DirectorRaz [email protected] +971 4 440 9129

Group Sales ManagerSandip [email protected] +971 (0) 50 459 2653

Sales ManagerRaed [email protected] +971 (0) 50 714 04273

Group EditorVijaya [email protected] +971 (0) 55 105 3787

Deputy EditorSupriya [email protected] +971 (0) 55 1053776

PhotographyCris MejoradaJay Colina

Design DirectorRuth Sheehy

Art DirectorKamil Roxas

DIGITAL SERVICESManagerTristan Troy P Maagma

Web DevelopersErik BrionesJefferson de Joya

Circulation ManagerRajeesh [email protected] +971 (0) 4 440 9147

Production ManagerJames P [email protected] +971 (0) 4 440 9146

DIGITALwww.broadcastprome.comwww.cpidubai.com

Published by1013 Centre Road, New Castle County,Wilmington, Delaware, USA

Head OfficePO Box 13700Dubai, UAETel: +971 (0) 4 440 9100Fax: +971 (0) 4 447 2409 Printed byPrintwell Printing Press LLC

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36

5 NEWS New installations; mergers

and acquisitons and more

33 LONDON 2012 Broadcasting the Olympics this year

44 PRODUCTION The Al Sharqi brothers on producing Hindistani II

48 CASE STUDY Dubai Media Inc. upgrades studio

52 IBC PREVIEW Sneak preview of what will

be on show at IBC 2012

REVIEW Sony FS700 put through its paces

in this issue

AUGUST 201214 COVER

64 OPINION

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5 August 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

Transcoding specialist ATEME has secured its !rst Middle East customer with the deployment of its TITAN platform in Saudi Arabia. Content aggregator Intigral undertook the project for both IPTV and OTT services in the Kingdom.

Intigral chose ATEME’s TITAN carrier grade transcoding solution because of its support for both !le-based and adaptive streaming video, and ability to deliver video content at the highest possible quality to multiple screens. Intigral, a joint venture between Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and All Asia Networks (ASTRO), is a one-stop shop meeting all the content delivery needs of operators in the Middle East.

Intigral !rst deployed ATEME’s !le transcoding software early in 2012, for delivering VOD to STC’s IPTV customers in Saudi Arabia, but has now replaced that with TITAN to support OTT streaming as well.

The high performance and support from ATEME for the of"ine VOD transcoding made it clear that TITAN was the right choice for expanding into OTT streaming, according to Intigral’s general manager for IPTV Operations and Technology Tony Saab.

“It was a very good experience and ATEME’s support was perfect,” said Saab.

“We were encouraged to upgrade our system with the TITAN.”

Intigral is presently aggregating content at its operations centre in Dubai and then distributing it to STC over a 155 Mbps !bre link. This service will include IPTV, VOD and OTT, and is claimed to be one of the !rst cases where all three delivery technologies are integrated via a single transcoding platform.

Intigral presently has 20 TITAN nodes and plans to install more as the service expands, according to Saab.

Currently, the platform serves 35,000 STC IPTV customers, but Intigral is aiming to have 70,000 by the end of 2012, and 200,000 to 300,000 by 2015. Intigral is planning to be an aggregator of content serving the wider Middle East region, as well as expanding in Saudi Arabia via OTT.

Apart from its support for both VOD and live streaming, Intigral selected TITAN for its "exibility and ability to meet all transcoding needs at different formats and bit rates, all with optimal video quality. Other important factors, particularly relevant for Intigral, were the ruggedised design ensuring high reliability in the !eld, and ability to manage Arabic subtitles for content in other languages such as English.

ERICSSON COMPLETES TECHNICOLOR ACQUISITION

Ericsson has completed its acquisition of the Broadcast Services Division of Technicolor, headquartered in France. The purchase price is reported to be US $24 million and the potential earn-out based on 2015 revenues of the broadcast services activity is estimated to be US $11 million.

Ericsson will absorb around 900 skilled professionals and Technicolor’s playout operations in France, UK and Netherlands. All acquired operations will work under the Ericsson brand as of July 3, 2012.

Speaking about the deal, Magnus Mandersson, executive VP and head of Business Unit Global Services, Ericsson, said: “With this acquisition, Ericsson has strengthened its position in the broadcast managed services market and reinforced our growth ambitions. Managed services is one of the main focus areas for Ericsson and we will continue to invest and expand this area.”

JAMAL AL SHARIF IS CHAIRMAN OF DUBAI FILM & TV COMMISSION Dubai Film and TV Commission held its inaugural board meeting last month. Jamal Al Sharif, MD of Dubai Studio City and Media City has been appointed chairman of the commission. The discussion focused on the commission’s mandate to increase local production and attract international players from the !lm and TV sectors. The commission identi!ed processes to decrease the cost of media production to enhance Dubai’s attractiveness to regional and international production companies and !lm studios. Developing an incentive scheme to foster local talent was also core priority for the board.

ATEME’S TITAN PLATFORM DEPLOYED IN SAUDI ARABIA

Tony Saab, Intigral’s GM for IPTV Operations and Technology says the company chose TITAN because of the product and support offered.

PRONEWS

Magnus Mandersson.

6 | www.broadcastprome.com | August 2012

DOHA TRIBECA FILM FEST HEAD QUITS JOBAmanda Palmer stepped down from her role as executive director of Doha Tribeca Film Festival last month. The 36-year-old is gearing up to launch her own talent agency and production company in Qatar.

Doha Tribeca Film Festival took the GCC by storm and attracted huge audiences both on site and with its social media activities.

Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Al-Thani, chairperson of Doha Film Institute (DFI) said “Amanda played an instrumental role in growing DTFF and positioning DFI as a recognised !lm entity over the past three years. Under her leadership”.

A replacement for Palmer has not been announced yet although the next edition of DTFF is scheduled to take place in October.

ABU DHABI FILM COMMISSION’S TOP MANAGEMENT AXEDSenior members of Abu Dhabi Film Commission were made redundant last month as part of restructuring efforts. The team included !lm commissioner David Shepheard and deputy director Marcelle Aleid. Abu Dhabi Film Commission presently comes under twofour54, which has undertaken some restructuring in recent months to streamline its operations and better align its content generation activities under a single vision.

Radio Riyadh, the radio arm of the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information, has purchased Radio-Assist 8 suite of digital audio software to be deployed at its regional stations in the cities of Jizan, Hail, and Tabuk. The software will enable easy media exchange with the radio’s headquarters in central Riyadh. The integration was undertaken by Saudi systems integrator First Gulf Company.

Part of a larger multi-year national media infrastructure project overseen by the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI), the extension of Radio-Assist brings more sophisticated production tools to the three stations and simpli!es their exchange of media with the Kingdom’s central Radio Riyadh station. NETIA technology already plays a key role in the restoration, digitisation, and preservation of audiovisual media of cultural and historical importance in Saudi Arabia.

“We are proud to be working with NETIA to extend state-of-the-art production and broadcast capabilities to regional stations and to facilitate and streamline the exchange

of content between the country’s radio broadcasters,” said Naim G. Saidi, CEO of First Gulf Company.

The Radio-Assist 8 range of digital audio software programmes cover the entire operation of a radio station, addressing acquisition, sound !le editing, commercial and music production, scheduling, multicasting, data security, and administration. The installation of Radio-Assist at Jizan, Hail, and Tabuk ensures the interoperability of media management systems across broadcast stations and provides the foundation for shared access to the extensive national archives being created by MOCI.

“Saudi Arabia is undertaking an ambitious upgrade to its national media infrastructure, and we’re pleased to be a part of this project,” said Thomas Dresch, project manager at NETIA.

“With this latest NETIA installation, key radio stations across the country have been able improve their local production capabilities while taking much greater advantage of resources and programming at Radio Riyadh.”

RADIO RIYADH OPTS FOR NETIA

Teshkeel Media Group’s animated series THE 99 will make its Middle East debut this Ramadan, airing exclusively on MBC3 and making its exclusive digital premiere on Yahoo! Maktoob. THE 99 make up a team of superheroes born of Middle East history and Islamic archetypes that possess values shared by the entire world. The superheroes are from 99 countries and from both genders.

Ashraf Younis, manager of MBC3 said the series “addresses our viewers in an edutaining and cultural manner, in line with our scheduling for this season”.

“We hope that our audience will

engage with those superheroes.”Ahmed Nassef, VP & MD, Yahoo!

Maktoob, added, “Fans have been waiting for THE 99 to come to life in an animated series, and we are thrilled to be the exclusive online partner for its debut in the region.”

“THE 99 can be viewed on Yahoo! Maktoob Screen, our revamped video destination, which is home to a wide variety of high-quality video content including the region’s !nest Arabic movies, plays, and TV series as well as our own original productions.”

The trailer can be viewed on http://en-maktoob.screen.yahoo.com/99-081408834.html

THE 99 ANIMATED SERIES TO PREMIERE ON MBC3

Amanda Palmer will start her own agency.

One of the heroes in The 99.

PRONEWS

HAWK-EYE QUALIFIES AS OFFICIAL LICENSEE OF GOAL-LINE TECHNOLOGYHawk-Eye Innovations has quali!ed for the licensing of its goal-line technology to football associations across the world.

Speaking about the deal, Steve Carter, MD of Hawk-Eye Innovations, said: “We are con!dent that Hawk-Eye can assist decision making for referees in critical goal-line situations that can affect the

outcomes of international games.”FIFA’s decision comes after extensive

trials over the past year to estimate not only the accuracy and reliability of goal-line technology, but also the implications on stadia infrastructure and the associated costs to different football associations. The solution requires no modi!cation or interference with the equipment on the !eld of play, including the goal posts and balls, which is crucial

to gaining the trust and con!dence of both players and of!cials.

Trials by FIFA demonstrated the accuracy and reliability of the system in situations where the ball is obscured to even higher degrees than has occurred in real-life games. This system is based on numerous high frame-rate cameras placed around the stadium focused on each goal mouth, monitoring the ball’s trajectory when it is close to the line.

The data from the cameras is fed into a central processing unit that analyses the position of the ball relative to that of the goal line. If the system recognises that the ball has crossed the goal line, it relays that information in less than one second to devices worn by of!cials on the !eld of play. Beyond making an instant de!nitive call, Hawk-Eye can deliver video replays that prove the validity of the decision made by the system.

1034_Sony pmw200_Broadcast_20.7x27 cm hi res.pdf 7/30/12 10:36:59 AM


MED FILM FACTORY PART II IN JORDAN Following a successful wrap of its !rst cycle in April 2012, Med Film Factory – reportedly the !rst specialised training of its kind for Arab directors and producers in the MENA region – completed its second cycle in Amman, Jordan last month.

Initiated by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan (RFC) in partnership with Sud Ecriture, Tunisia and the Huston School of Film & Digital Media, Ireland, and co-!nanced by the Euromed Audiovisual Programme of the European Union, Med Film Factory aims to support directors and producers, and enhance the !lmmaking industry in the region.

The !rst session of the eight-day Directors’ Workshop, which concluded on July 18, 2012, saw 10 participating directors work on their !rst or second feature !lm projects. They were mentored by international tutors, directors, script editors, !lm experts and technicians, in order to develop their creative skills and support them in !nishing their projects.

George David, general manager of the Royal Film Commission, con!rmed the importance of the training provided through Med Film Factory: “Throughout its !rst cycle, Med Film Factory has proved to be one of the best training opportunities in the region for Arab !lmmakers. Our aim is to have an excellent second round with the participation of talented directors and producers, needless to say wonderful tutors and experts.”

This edition saw participants from Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Tunisia.

Rabih El-Amine, one of the participants, con!rmed the importance of undergoing this specialised training.

“I believe this is a necessary exercise to understand what the process of !lmmaking implies. Also, the on-going meetings with the tutors and experts as well as the exchange between the participants themselves will enable me to progress at all levels.”

Two training sessions within the same cycle will follow this Directors’ Workshop: a Producers’ Coaching Programme in December 2012 and an Independent Film Assembly in Spring 2013.

DoP Diane Baratier with participant director Dima Hamdan and cameraman Abdullah Ramahi.

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See Vizrt at IBC / Hall 7 Booth #A10 Schedule an appointment at vizrt.com

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PRONEWS

JORDAN’S RUBICON GROUP SECURES MONSTER IN MY POCKET DEALJordan-headquartered Rubicon Group Holding (RGH) has acquired worldwide licensing, merchandising and digital media rights to the popular Monster In My Pocket brand of collectible monsters for boys from MEG, creator and owner of the intellectual property. The deal was jointly announced by RGH CEO, Randa Ayoubi and MEG CEO Joe Morrison.

According to the deal, RGH will create a global brand strategy for the IP, which includes developing and producing a broad range of animated Monster In My Pocket content for theatrical and television distribution, DVDs, game platforms, apps, and online and social media. The new content will be supported with a comprehensive licensing and retail development programme that includes the Middle East.

Speaking about the deal, Ayoubi said: “We are pleased to be working with MEG

and welcome the opportunity to expand our reach in the digital marketplace with creative new content for the Monster In My Pocket franchise.

“Our new association with MEG perfectly supports our corporate goal to partner with high-pro!le companies on well established brands that will bene!t from RGH’s expertise in producing the highest quality animation to achieve global success. This is an important new partnership for RGH and we look forward to a long and pro!table association with MEG.”

Morrison added that Monster In My Pocket is “an iconic brand, based on famous, well-known ‘real’ monsters”.

“It’s an evergreen brand that has a very active worldwide ‘monster-geek’ fan base. We are delighted to partner with RGH to bring new content across all media platforms to monster lovers around the world.”

Shure distributor Nicolas Kyvernitis Electronics Enterprises recently supplied Dubai rental !rm Glow Productions with the UHF-R series of wireless microphones together with the new PSM1000 personal monitoring solution.

The deal includes four channels of the UHF-R series with the latest UR4D+ version of receivers providing the cascade feature,

the UR1M micro-bodypack transmitter, the UR2/KSM9 handheld transmitter with the KSM9 microphone cartridge. The purchase also includes the latest personal monitoring solution from Shure, the PSM1000 with also four channels provided by two dual channels P10T and four P10R diversity receivers. The same was used for the Red Hot Chili Pepper worldwide tour recently.

“Glow Productions, although a new rental !rm in the market, has already produced a number of top-level shows for both corporate and private entities,” commented Shajahan K K, Shure product manager at NMK.

“As most of its work requires high levels of production, it has also procured top-of-the-line equipment to support its jobs.”

GLOW PRODUCTIONS INVESTS IN SHURE

RGH CEO Randa Ayoubi says the deal is another feather in the Jordanian company’s cap.

VITEC VIDEOCOM SECURES US $6.67M DEAL IN KSASaudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) has invested in several Vitec Videocom brands including equipment from Litepanels, Sachtler and Vinten as part of a project that will see two of its SD studios upgraded to HD. The US $6.67 million deal is part of a contract awarded to Saudi-based systems integrator First Gulf Company to implement the next-generation TV and radio exchange network of the Saudi Arabian government’s nationwide media transformation programme.

First Gulf Company will design, supply and install two of the MOCI’s studios with a full HD broadcast solution. Studio B and E will be upgraded to HD. Studio E is !tted with six Vinten Quartz Two pedestals, six Vinten heads, two Vector 430s and four Vision 250s. Studio B is currently being equipped with a range of Sachtler’s heads and pedestals. The "uid heads that have been selected include two modular designed Sachtler Video 60 Plus Studio heads and four featherweight Video 25 Plus FB heads.

The heads will be supported by six Sachtler versatile Vario Pedestal 2-75. In addition, the studio will be !tted with LED lighting from Litepanels, including 15 Litepanels 1X1 Flood LED Daylights with barndoor and 15 Litepanels 1#1 Spot LED Daylight with barndoor.

Saudi Arabia’s ambitious broadcast plans, overseen by Saudi MOCI, will transform national TV and radio media provision for the country’s growing demographic. The expansion programme encompasses the region’s entire broadcast chain, including digitisation of HD terrestrial TV, expansion of TV and radio contribution/distribution infrastructure, OB and SNG vehicles, studios, production and post-production, and archiving and playout facilities.

Gavin Mendonca from rental house Glow Productions with the new Shure kit.


The world’s !rst cinematic summit dedicated entirely to the future of cinematic innovation will be held in Dubai on December 8 and 9 prior to the Dubai International Film Festival, which will be held from December 9-12, 2012.

The Summit is a collaborative effort between the Center for New Cinema (CNC), Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) and Naseba. The event will explore the economic value of cinematic technology for multiple sectors including telecom, video gaming, advertising, and even extending across industries such

as healthcare, defence, and oil exploration. The event will feature speakers from Hollywood and the technology sector.

Speaking about the agreement, DIFF chairperson Abdulhamid Juma said: “Today, more than ever before, cinema and the entire media ecosystem are being transformed by ground-breaking innovations in technology. Providing access to powerful new tools for storytelling is crucial to the achievement of our ultimate goal — enabling talent and !lms to !nd critical and commercial success. We are delighted to

host the inaugural Cinematic Innovation Summit in association with our partners CNC and Naseba. The summit will be an annual event that furthers Dubai’s commitment to the development of cinema and the !lm industry.”

The Summit will look at the future of cinematic technology in the next 10-20 years, including innovations driven by arti!cial intelligence and cognitive science, limitless game-style interactivity between audiences and characters, ultra-realistic 3D projections and “augmented reality”, making viewers feel they are inside the movies they are watching and more. Each of these is expected to have wide applications beyond cinema.

The summit will bring together a group of 200 executives from the world of !lm, games, technology and !nance. Con!rmed speakers include Lauren Shuler Donner (producer of the X-Men !lm franchise), Alvy Ray Smith (Pixar co-founder), Dean DeBlois (writer/director of Oscar-nominated How to Train Your Dragon 3D and Lilo & Stitch), and actor Stephen Lang, best known for his role as Col. Miles Quaritch in Avatar.

PRONEWS

From left: Sophie Le Ray and Watson of Naseba; Shivani Pandya and Abdulha-mid Juma of DIFF; and Shawn Brixey and John Davis of CNC.

Avid has delivested its consumer business as part of a move to focus its efforts on its “media enterprise, and post and professional customers”. According to details revealed by Gary Green!eld, CEO of Avid in a conference call last month, the company is selling its consumer focus product lines in a series of separate transactions. The move will also see an estimated 20% reduction in its workforce. Some employees in Dubai and India were also made redundant following this announcement.

Avid’s consumer audio products have been sold to inMusic, the parent company of Akai Professional, Alesis and Numark, among others. InMusic is headquartered in Rhode Island. The products involved in this deal include M-Audio brand keyboards, controllers, interfaces, speakers and digital DJ equipment and other product lines.

Avid will continue to develop and sell its Pro Tools line of software and hardware,

as well as associated I/O devices including Mbox and Fast Track.

Separately, the company’s consumer video editing line is being sold to Corel Corporation, a consumer software company headquartered in Canada. The products involved in this transaction include Avid Studio, Pinnacle Studio editing software, and the Avid Studio App for the Apple iPad, as well as other video capture products.

The divested product lines contributed approximately US $91 million of Avid’s 2011 revenue. As part of the transactions, certain employees of Avid will transfer to each acquiring company. Proceeds from these transactions will be approximately $17 million, subject to a closing inventory adjustment. A portion of these proceeds will be held in escrow.

20% of Avid’s permanent employee base will also be impacted by the divestitures and headcount reduction plans.

AVID DIVESTS CONSUMER BUSINESS; 20% STAFF TO BE AXED

WORLD’S FIRST CINEMATIC INNOVATION SUMMIT IN DUBAI

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13

Professional !at panel display purchases were soaring in the period before the Wall Street crash of 2008, as broadcasters and producers sped towards replacing ageing CRTs. But, that trend slowed dramatically even before the most critical and most desired type — the master monitor category — could take hold. Professional video displays come in three varieties: truly professional models, computer displays and consumer models. Nearly all are !at panels and very nearly all are HDTV quality or higher. Some provide 3D and fewer allow the accommodation of 4K or higher resolution, although that is

a very narrow number at present. Most tend to be, like their consumer cousins, LCD, but a good amount are now OLED and some are plasma. But, the commonality is that sales of professional !at panel displays are up and the previous trend towards buying mainly consumer models has slowed.

These !ndings come from the recently published Professional Video Displays World 2012, from D.I.S. Consulting Corporation of New York in June 2012.

Last year’s global displays study showed lagging resistance by professionals when considering master monitors – generally

measuring between 24 and 26 inches (diagonally measured) and their newer smaller 17 inch variety due to misgivings regarding quality and durability. This year, that resistance seems to have been melting and master monitors are being widely accepted.

Smaller screen sizes have been attracting many new brands. In just the past several years, as "at panels and professional models have proliferated, small screen sizes have been particularly appealing and that has attracted dozens of new brands into the professional market. The new brands have come from Japan, from China and the West as well. The biggest competition has been seen in the 0 to 17 inch screen size range, where most are LCD and most of HD quality.

Features tend to drive professional sales and set apart pro models from their consumer or computer competition.

It is hard to say where the professional market will head over the next few years, but clearly, higher resolution – and 4K particularly – is a major driver, especially as digital cinematography and the whole production and post-production work"ow are changing and embracing 4K as the defacto standard for motion picture production display. While this is certainly under way, it is not without dif!culties, not the least of which is that while work"ows call for both small and large-sized screens, it is actually quite a task to create 4K monitors below 30 inches. This peculiarity will likely remain a challenge to work"ows until the smaller sizes can be created. Beyond that issue, 4K must battle the popularity and much wider use of HD models and the still gradually expanding demand for 3D capable monitors. But one thing is for certain, there’s no going back to CRTs. Meanwhile, professionals remain somewhat sceptical about the durability and reliability of their professional-grade displays, something that dampens their success and feeds the habit of buying, instead often less costly consumer models or utilising computer displays. PRO

August 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

PROTRENDS

Professional displays rebounding

Douglas I Sheer is CEO and chief analyst of D.I.S. Consulting.

© 2012 D.I.S. Consulting Corporation - All Rights Reserved

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14

PROEXCLUSIVE

Samacom’s brand new 16-channel High De!nition playout system will enable it to offer end-to-end services to clients and strengthen its position as the Middle East’s largest teleport. In an exclusive interview with Vijaya Cherian, the du team, systems integrator Tek Signals and key supplier Pebble Beach share details of the project


Opposite page: Ahmed Abdullatif Khalid Al Muhaideb, VP, Broadcasting

& IPTV Services Technology, du.Below: Senior engineer Jaya

Kumar (l) and Muhammad Methar (r),director of teleport operations, du.

PROEXCLUSIVE

Dubai-based Samacom, the largest teleport in the Middle East and North Africa and the ninth largest in the world, will go on air with a brand new, fully-automated 16-channel High De!nition (HD) playout system from its facility in August. Samacom, which uplinks more than 220 channels from its facility, is the uplink arm of telecom operator du. It is responsible for uplinking more than 90% of the channels that originate in the United Arab Emirates while also facilitating playout for several international channels including some in India and the United Kingdom. This project was undertaken by Abu Dhabi-based systems integrator Tek Signals in conjunction with du’s team.

The new playout will enable the du team to offer a more comprehensive end-to-end solution to its clients.

At the heart of the new playout system is Pebble Beach’s Neptune automation system, which is a different solution from what du previously operated. Other key parts of the work!ow include Tektronix Cerify content veri"cation, Rhozet transcoding and Omneon servers.

“The requirements of our clients have changed substantially since Samacom began its playout

“With the new QC system, the work can be completed in one third of the time and this can save money … allowing us to operate more channels with our existing resources. Besides this, … HD capability and multiple language support was key”V. Jaya Kumar, senior engineer — Broadcast Playout Systems Technology, du

operations in 2001,” explains Ahmed Abdullatif Khalid Al Muhaideb, vice president of Broadcasting and IPTV Services Technology, du. Al Muhaideb worked for more than 18 years with state broadcaster Dubai TV before moving to Samacom.

“Although the system was quite state-of-the-art back then, today, it seems quite rudimentary owing to the lack of regional language support, HD support and so on. The new system is capable of delivering HD, provides unicode support which means multiple languages are no longer an issue and we also have rich graphic

In BriefClient: Samacom/duSystems Integrator: Tek Signals

Key Solutions* Pebble Beach Systems* Omneon servers* Tektronix Cerify * Evertz router* Rhozet transcoding


PROEXCLUSIVE

“Scalability is a given in any installation today but !exibility and a future-proof technology that anticipates at least some of the new requirements that clients are likely to have in the future is key for us”Ahmed Abdullatif Khalid Al Muhaideb, VP of Broadcasting and IPTV Services Technology, du

functionality. Additionally, we had to look at other requirements that were likely to come up in the future and based on this as well as the price-performance ratio, we chose the solution that we thought best meets our needs.”

The new installation is presently designed to operate 16 channels but can be expanded to accommodate 100 channels or more. It brings more functionality to du empowering the uplink facility to offer end-to-end solutions to customers.

“There are several improvements over what we previously had. We did not have a comprehensive monitoring function on the previous system, for instance,” explains senior engineer of Broadcast Playout Systems Technology, V. Jaya Kumar.

“Now, we have an integrated monitoring system that allows us to monitor every aspect of the system whether they be servers, services

or applications. This gives more con"dence to our operations team and clients as well.”

He also points out that the team previously worked with islands of systems rather than an integrated solution.

“Working with discrete systems was de"nitely not ideal from an operational point of view. Also, while our playout and graphics was always automated, our Quality control (QC) was undertaken manually. With the new QC system, the work can be completed in one third of the time and this can save money while allowing us to operate more channels with our existing resources. Besides this, of course, HD capability and multiple language support was key. Previously, we were stuck with just a few languages. Our clients are not necessarily all from the UAE and may want to operate the playlist in their respective languages. Unicode support enables us to run different fonts from different languages on a single platform.”

The new work!ow exists alongside the old system and in some cases, has been integrated.

Samir Isbaih, regional manager Middle East, Pebble Beach Systems elaborates where the new work!ow takes over.

“Du continues to use the same work!ow for both ingest and media delivery. They will still

Ahmed Abdullatif Khalid Al Muhaideb, VP of Broadcasting and IPTV Services Technology

with a staff member at du.

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receive media from different locations and in different formats whether they be tape or FTP into a central storage and then, we come in with the whole playout chain. Neptune primarily handles the media management and playout side of things. They couldn’t scale up the previous system so one of the

PROEXCLUSIVE

main bene!ts of the new system is that they can scale it up as much as they want.”

Isbaih adds that several broadcasters in the UAE including MBC and OSN have Neptune installations at their respective facilities.

“Besides the fact that this is a seamless, fully redundant playout automation with no single point of failure on the automation side, this system also enables du to provide Disaster Recovery (DR) services. Should there be a breakdown at any broadcast facility, a client can quickly move its content and uplink from du.”

The new work"ow itself is fairly simple. The ingested media is delivered onto an Omneon MediaGrid central storage server, where the Neptune system automatically detects its arrival and instigates the QC process, which is handled by the Tektronix Cerify content analysis platform. Neptune then checks these !les for Pass or Fail status, and the !les are transferred either into the Transmission Ready folder, or into an Edit folder if it ‘fails’ to meet QC. Cerify generates a full status report on all media so that the speci!c nature of any reported errors can be identi!ed.

In addition to instigating the QC process when new media is detected on the MediaGrid, Neptune also generates low-resolution copies of all new media via a Promedia Carbon transcoding solution.

Samir Isbaih, regional manager Middle East, Pebble Beach Systems.

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PROEXCLUSIVE

“Working with low-res !les saves a lot of time and money,” explains Al Muhaideb.

“Viewing, adding metadata and simple editing is faster and ef!cient when done on low-res !les.”

Operators at du have access, via !ve desktop PCs, to segmentation, viewing and cuts-only edit functionality using Pebble Beach Systems’ Razor!sh application. Using the Omneon API, operators can also generate a high resolution clip from these low-res clips without the need to use craft edit resources.

Main and backup Omneon playout servers each provide 16 playout ports, and the Neptune automation system also features fully redundant main and backup Device Controllers and Database Servers with automatic failover, and no single point of failure.

Neptune’s comprehensive alert system reports, for example, lost communication with the server, missing subtitle !les and port failures. It also offers a range of ways in which these alerts can be communicated, for example via an audio !le, via GPI, by means of an email alert, or by ‘nudging’ a window in the UI to immediately notify the operator in the event of a problem.

Schedules are received from du’s playout customers in XL format and automatically translated for use by Neptune, which then moves all required media into the main and

backup transmission server, having scanned through the possible locations for media and automatically restored the required !les if appropriate.

Each of the 16 playlists controls both the main and air protect playout servers, with coloured icons on the main playlist indicating the status of the main and backup server ports at any time. Neptune manages a complex graphics work"ow, with ‘Now, Next, Later’ graphics automatically populated using the automation API and updated in real time.

As du’s clients also reside abroad, it wanted to have a facility whereby its clients could remotely access the system and make changes to their playlist and server ports at will.

Du has always worked with Omneon servers. When it needed more, it chose Omneon again “because we have had a good experience with the product and the support from Harmonic is remarkable”, points out Jaya Kumar.

“In this case, we just chose the latest version of Spectrum MediaDirector, which is a higher bandwidth server. Pebble Beach, however, is a new experience for us but it’s a more modern automation system that has an elaborate work"ow and can handle multiple requirements.”

Muhammad Methar, director of teleport operations adds that du was careful to go with Pebble Beach’s tried and tested product rather than its latest offering.

“Besides the fact that this is a seamless, fully redundant playout automation with no single point of failure on the automation side, this system also enables du to provide (DR) services”Samir Isbaih, regional manager Middle East, Pebble Beach Systems

Samir Isbaih of Pebble Beach Systems and Ali Rasheed of Tek Signals. MediorNet

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PROEXCLUSIVE

“We didn’t go for the latest Marina solution although we have it in the contract that we can upgrade to that once it is more widely used. We speci!cally chose Neptune because it is a solid solution. We also chose Pixel Power’s graphics solution.”

Perhaps one of the most important requirements with this install is "exibility.

“Scalability is a given in any installation today but "exibility and a future-proof technology that anticipates at least some of the new requirements that clients are likely to have in the future is key for us,” explains Mohaideb.

“And while we may have installed a similar system, our requirements are very different to that of broadcasters. If we have 16 different channels, you need to remember that they cater to 16 different clients who have totally differing requirements. So one channel may be graphics heavy, the other may be more basic but may require SMS and chat bars and still others may require last minute ad inserts. Client requirements are varied and this system needs to have the "exibility to accommodate each of those requirements,” he adds.

Systems integrator Tek Signals claims this is a fairly unique project in the Gulf region.

“This is an example of an IT and broadcast install,” explains Ali Rasheed, broadcast IT manager, Tek Signals LLC.

“The client wanted a sophisticated front end utilising the latest broadcast and IT technologies in terms of thumb nails, advanced graphics systems and interactive functionality to cope with client requirements. Besides the standard broadcast environment, we have a

complete compliance recording system in place. Other than that, the backbone is an Evertz router with a multi-viewer system on the Q-Link basis. This is a new technology introduced by Evertz. We also use an Evertz SPG with network NTP protocol, where timing is locked over the network. All of the engineering machines are on KVM. This provides the user with a single point of centralised control while also being connected over the network to provide clients with remote access capabilities. Each client can remotely control their playout channel from their own facilities with appropriate rights and restrictions,” he adds.

The project was awarded to Tek Signals in February 2012 and commissioning and training was undertaken last month.

Substantial integration had to be undertaken with the existing work"ow.

“We had to integrate the existing Omneon sever with the Omneon MediaGrid centralised storage. The centralised storage and automatic control check the existing !les in terms of quality control and are being moved to the new set up. By the end of the commissioning, most of the data would have been migrated to the new system.

“This was a turnkey project for us. The whole installation was undertaken with in-house engineers and technical resources. Around 20 people worked on this project. We have a three-year support in place for this project and will entertain a high level of serviceability for them as part of this project. We will have dedicated service engineers to go from our DMC of!ce although they won’t be based at their site,” he adds. PRO

Ahmed Abdullatif Khalid Al Muhaideb !anked by Muhammad Methar (l) and V. Jaya Kumar (r).

www.riedel.net

RiLink

Tel: +971 - 4 433 8108


How long have you worked on this project?I have been working on it for about 18 months but the project was started way before that. I should think two-and-a-half years. The National Media Council, Dr. Amina at TECOM and others at the federal level were already working on it. I came at a point where the tender had already been awarded.

How did you come to be involved with this project?I’m a professional project manager so I was fresh from doing the English Premier League at Abu

Dhabi Media, where I worked along with Karim Sarkis (former executive director of TV and Radio at ADM), who was one of the drivers of the people meter project. I was asked to project manage it technically initially. There are established standards to do these projects and it has been installed in dozens of countries so we were not inventing any wheels here. I came in initially as project manager. But in the course of that, I learnt more about the audience measurement systems and the share holders asked me to stay on and run the company through the launch phase.

As the UAE gets ready to roll out the Arab world’s !rst TV Audience Measurement system, Christopher O’Hearn, GM of Emirates Media Measurement Company (EMMC), the company that heads the project, shares details of Tview with BroadcastPro ME

PROINTERVIEW

David Gatward, MD, 3Sixty.

UAE to roll out TV Audience Measurement system

UAE to roll out TV Audience


PROINTERVIEW

“In most markets, you could record the top ten or twelve channels, which would be the big legacy players like the BBC and that would give you about 60% to 70% of the viewing. Here, we are recording 54 channels and we are not even guaranteed half the viewing because of the pan Arab nature of this market”Christopher O’Hearn, general manager, Emirates Media Measurement Company

Which company was awarded the TAM contract?There are about three main companies that do this type of audience measurement in the world. We are working with Kantar Media, which is owned by WPP. Kantar does a lot of projects in Europe and has also done a massive system for China.

The operation of the panel (the households selected to participate in this project) and data gathering has been outsourced to Kantar Media.

What kind of an audience measurement system are you rolling out in the UAE?This is an electronic audience measurement system. Obviously, there are others like IPSOS that do sampling and polling. Electronic audience measurement is a lot better because there are lots of technical issues with sampling and polling and running a panel. A lot of expertise is needed to make sure the sample is correct and the panel is managed properly. Con!dentiality is also crucial. There is a !rewall between the gathering and processing of data, which is Kantar’s job, and EMMC (of which I am GM), which maintains a relationship between the clients, and sells the data.

What have you named this system?We have called it Tview. It would be Tview ratings and the Tview panel while most other countries add TAM as the suf!x. So, for instance, Australia has OzTAM and India has INTAM.

Are you working with any of the other Arab government entities such as the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) as they are also planning a similar TAM rollout early next year?We are working with them in terms of giving them the bene!t of our experience, putting together the tender proposals and evaluating the candidates and we

recognise that in the longer-term, it is in everyone’s interests to have a pan-Arab system. Even if they choose a different vendor, it’s likely that it won’t be that different because they all use the same de!nitions of ratings, viewings and so on.

What are some of the challenges of putting together a project for this region?This market has some very unique elements. For instance, the diversity of this market is incredible. In most other countries, you have a reasonably homogenous majority population. We don’t have that here. In most markets, you could record the top ten or twelve channels, which would be the big legacy players like the BBC and that would give you about 60% to 70% of the viewing.

Here, we are recording 54 channels and we are not even guaranteed half the viewing because of the pan Arab nature of this market.

The single largest homogenous group is between expat Arabs and Indians but among Indians, you have the Hindi speaking lot and the Malayalam speakers that seem to form the chunk of viewers.

Among Arab expats, you will see there is considerable difference between different groups like the Levant, the Gulf and the Egyptians and so on.

Secondly, TAM systems are traditionally deployed on a country level because that’s how people tend to view it. But in the GCC, there is a common language running across different countries. For instance, you will !nd Indians across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other parts of the Gulf so there is a pan viewing and likewise, with Arabic. This is why we are working with Saudi Arabia because this needs to operate on a pan Arab or pan-Gulf level to actually work.

Thirdly, there are cultural issues to address because piracy is rampant with speci!c populations here. And we have other cultural issues such as privacy and

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PROINTERVIEW

access – there isn’t a survey culture here. It has been a big learning curve for us.

Would it be correct to call this the most state-of-the-art TAM system? Would that de!nition work here? I don’t think so. We had to start somewhere and we have begun with a simpler version of audience measurement. The latest trends in the market are cross platform measurement and we are not ready for that. To progress to more complex measurement, it is good we start with more basic and established models from other markets and even with that, we have a lot of learning to do here. We have to learn to walk before we run.

So which channels are part of your 50+ list and is that selection based on some criteria?There were several criteria for selecting channels. The share holders who put up seed capital for this project are Abu Dhabi Media, Sharjah Media, Rotana Media, Etisalat and du so obviously they wanted to include a reasonable portion of their bouquet. To make this project successful, we had to ensure we included channels like MBC, and some of the Indian and Asian channels.

The most important thing was to select channels, in which people were buying spot advertising. We have mostly free-to-air and some paid channels on that list but we have not included paid sports

channels because they usually offer sponsorship, bulk buying and so on rather than spot advertising.

We would, of course, like to record all 400 channels but there is a cost per channel and so, we have had to make a trade off in terms of the most watched channels, the most signi!cant in terms of advertising and how that is being bought. We consulted some of the media buyers, narrowed our list down to 90 channels and then narrowed it down even further to the must-have channels.

Since then, we have added some more and have made the barriers to adding channels very low. So Sky News Arabia, for instance, said it wanted to be added to the list and it’s relatively cheap to add a channel. We want to encourage people to come to us and have their channels included.

How much does it cost to be included in this?The startup fee for a channel is only US $ 2000 and there’s an annual subscription on top of that. The minimum starting level is about $12,000 but it can go up to around $90,000. It is based on the ad revenue a channel gets, which is the best way to ensure it is fair to the different players in the market here.

In other markets, they use share of audience for example but here, we have channels with high share and low ad revenue. It wouldn’t be fair for Asianet to pay the same as MBC for example.

If a channel is already part of the list, they only have to pay the annual subscription.

Obviously, the share holders have helped to fund the system and have paid a lot more to support the channels.

Are you happy with the list you have right now?I am happy with the list as a trade off. It has the main commercial channels there, especially the MBC channels and a selection of Arabic channels, Hindi and Malayalam channels.

Unfortunately, with even this list, we only cover between 40-50% of the viewing but if you look at the other 350 channels that make 50% of the viewing, we are still talking about very small incremental gains with the addition of each channel. However, we are constantly looking at those that are coming under the radar. There are some Egyptian channels, for instance, that are not on our list and some Indian channels that are showing promise. We will monitor those. Our aim is to expand the number of channels rather than replace them.

Tell me a bit about the panel that has been chosen for your measurement?850 households have been selected to be part of this. Everybody has an equal chance to be on it and it follows some criteria including nationality, location, socio-economic variables and so on. It

“The latest trends in the market are cross platform measurement and we are not ready for that. To progress to a more complex measurement, it is good we start with more basic and established models from other markets and even with that, we have a lot of learning to do here. We have to learn to walk before we run”Christopher O’Hearn, general manager, Emirates Media Measurement Company

29 July 2012 | www.broadcastprome.com |

PROINTERVIEW

is designed to re!ect the TV viewing population of the UAE. All of the seven emirates have been included although we have more from Dubai and Abu Dhabi because there are more viewers here.

We have tried to construct a picture of the UAE population and then tried to "ll the panel to re!ect that.

What technology are you deploying at people’s homes?It looks a bit like a set-top box. It is connected to the TV screen and takes samples from the audio feed, which is later matched to off-air audio. As soon as the TV is turned on, the box knows something is being watched.

Each household is provided with a remote and each person in that household is identi"ed on the remote with a button. One spouse would be Button A, for instance, and the other would be Button B and the child Button C and so on.

When the person switches on the TV, they are supposed to press the relevant button and when they leave the room, they are supposed to depress the button again to indicate their exit.

That way, we not only know the programme was watched by the household but we know the individual pro"les of the viewers. Of course, they are anonymous when it comes to reporting.

“The startup fee for a channel is only US $2000 and there’s an annual subscription on top of that. The minimum starting level is about $12,000 but it can go up to around $90,000. It is based on the ad revenue a channel gets, which is the best way to ensure it is fair to the different players in the market here”Christopher O’Hearn, general manager, Emirates Media Measurement Company

Who manages these households?Kantar Media will manage the panel and train them. Panel management is a critical part of running a TAM system and there are established models. Sometimes, the panel receives a cash incentive. The incentive persuades them to come on to the panel but experience shows that it does not affect their behaviour when they are on the panel.

A whole psychology goes into managing that panel. If a household is not pressing its buttons, Kantar will impress upon them the importance of doing it and train them and if they still don’t do it, they will take them off the panel and replace them.

What kind of measurement data can you obtain from this?We get individual demographic data on who

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watches what programme and at which times. That data is uploaded via a mobile SIM card that is in each box every night after 3 a.m. and the data is then processed. The audio signals from the household boxes are matched with the off-air audio signals, alongside the monitoring of programmes and spots, and that’s how we know what they are watching. Around lunch time, we release minute-by-minute data at an individual level. Every day, broadcasters and advertisers can see how their ads fared the previous night. If there was a long ad break in the middle of a popular programme and everyone left the room, the ad spot will have a lower rating than the programme and that changes the dynamic of how we measure the audience. You’re no longer guessing.

What, according to you, are some of the new audience measurement systems on the market?Companies have been doing people meter TV

measurement for at least ten years. The people meters themselves are reliable and accurate systems but there are new systems on the market like portable people meter systems. They look like a pager device but they allow you to measure out-of-home viewing as well. This is where people are moving to because with this, you can also measure radio. Still others are looking at online video measurement.

We have a very complicated viewership model. Given what we know about this market, it would have been dif!cult to put in a more complex mode of measurement. I can’t imagine what it would be like to do portable people meters. But once companies begin to see the bene!t of this system, we will be ready to move towards a more sophisticated system.

Who bene!ts the most?The agencies and the advertisers will get more accurate and reliable measure to what they are buying. The broadcasters are involved in that kind of transaction as well.

There is also the programming aspect to it. From a broadcast point of view, you get to know what people are watching, which programmes are watched the most, when people stop watching and how to change your

“The audio signals from the household boxes are matched with the off-air audio signals, alongside the monitoring of programmes and spots, and that’s how we know what they are watching”Christopher O’Hearn, general manager, Emirates Media Measurement Company

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The nature of TAM in the UAE: The TAM system in the UAE follows the international standard of having people meters in private households. The system is the latest technology which makes it suitable for the future and capable of measuring digital television from whatever source it may come. The system is also capable of measuring time-shifted viewing, which is a rather important feature in these PVR times.

The advantages of deploying a TAM system:One signi!cant bene!t is the continued and strong trading currency for all parties within the television industry and that goes for broadcasters and media agencies as well as the advertisers.

Being based on international standards, it is now possible to trade and compare with other parts of the world. From a programming side, there are, likewise, important bene!ts. The minute-by-minute data delivered every day gives the broadcasters valuable insights into how individual programmes are performing and they can, based on these data, take quick action if needed.

Your company’s role in this project:The role of Kantar Media is to deliver timely correct and reliable data every day and to keep the service running to international standards and furthermore, make sure that

our clients are up to date on what is happening around the world in the television environment.

New trends in audience measurement and where we can see some of this in action:At the moment, video consumption via the internet is the big thing. web sites and features like the BBC iplayer are the biggest new focus area globally and, therefore, measurement of that and adding it to the daily rating service is getting more and more important.

At the moment, this is being introduced in a number of countries e.g. Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Singapore.

What percentage of increase in advertising or other bene!ts have been noted in other markets with TAM deployment:An increase in advertising is extremely dif!cult to predict as not

that many countries are new to TAM. Remember, nearly all markets in Europe, the Americas and Asia etc. have had TAM services for decades and many things have happened since those introductions.

However, I have no doubt that the introduction of TAM in the UAE and the Middle East will bene!t TV advertising within the region. Just the fact that it is aligning itself to the rest of the world makes it signi!cantly more attractive to international advertisers.

Any unique aspects to this project:The !rst thing that comes to mind is the uniqueness of the Middle East region in terms of a wide range of countries speaking the same language and having a number of broadcasters transmitting across the region. It will be very interesting to follow the development of TAM within this region over the coming years. PRO

Keld Nielson, global business development director of Kantar Media gives a wider perspective on TAM systems in the market

schedules to ensure people don’t flip channels. There is also the overarching aspect to it, which is having an internationally recognised way of accurate, open method of conducting audience measurement and what they like and don’t like.

That is important to a multi-national advertiser, who probably is accountable to someone in London and who wants to know how his advertising dollars are being spent. Clearly, we hope to see an overall increase in the ad budget of the TV market.

There are reports about how this will help everyone on a Gulf-wide basis. It will bring more money into advertising and that will mean more budget will become available for programming and it makes advertising more creative and entertaining. At the end of the day, it is all about the viewers. PRO

PROINTERVIEW

Keld Nielson, Kantar Media.

Each person in a household “panel” will have to press a button when they watch TV.

Q & A with Kantar Media


Broadcasters from the Middle East will soon be joining a whole host of other broadcasters from across the globe and descending on London for the 2012 Olympic games. One thing London is not famous for is its abundance of space. So, in a packed, busy, and expensive city, how will broadcasters and producers from the Middle East and elsewhere manage the logistics including the all-important feeds to base – wherever they are in the world?

Content everywhere London 2012 will play host to 205 nations, taking part in a total of 300 events. The Paralympics, which takes place following the Olympic games,

PROVIEWPOINT

Fighting for space at London 2012With 300 events across 32 venues, smaller broadcasters will !nd it challenging to ensure resources for production and connectivity at London 2012, writes Alan Mercer, operations director, SatStream

will host 147 nations. These events will take place at nine different venues within the Olympic park, a further 13 venues across London, and another 10 venues across the UK. With so much sporting action across a large number of venues, it will be a real challenge to organise and manage such a huge amount of live and post-produced coverage for media audiences around the globe.

For larger broadcasters, such requirements won’t be an issue, as they will already have organised access to full facilities at the Olympics media centre including production and connectivity to base. These broadcasters are also likely to have pool feeds and an army of SNG and OB trucks scattered across London and the UK to ensure they have access to all relevant feeds. The real challenge comes for the smaller broadcasters, who will be required to use their initiative and !nd their own sites from which to send content to the home broadcaster, with the added challenge of ensuring they have resources for production and connectivity – and as close to the action as possible.

Space and connectivityIn any big city, the problem of space can be a big issue at any time, but a high-pro!le event such as the Olympics will naturally bring a whole host of additional broadcasters, people and services into the city. For those broadcasters travelling from other countries, space will be a big issue.

Over recent years, new technology has revolutionised editing and playout, which can often be managed using desktop editing on small-scale equipment, such as laptops. Many smaller broadcasters will need to improvise in terms of production: for example, any suitable backcloth will need to be used in pieces to camera, although preferably with an Olympic or London theme, of course. Post-production will be sited in temporary facilities, again as close to the action as possible.

Connectivity, however, will remain one of the biggest challenges for smaller broadcasters covering the Olympics. Live and pre-recorded feeds need to be managed with requirements going way beyond ‘improvised’ connectivity solutions such as ADSL and 3G.

The strain on the public internet networks will be immense. As an example, it’s expected that there will be an extra 500,000 visitors to London during the Olympics and Paralympics, most of who will be using all forms of internet access to receive news feeds, send images, emails, check out venue details on the internet etc. Watch those bit-rates fall!

Add to that the fact, as discussed above, that the Olympics won’t be centralised in one venue, but instead there will be a whole host of events taking place at venues across the country. The


broadcasters need to somehow gather those feeds quickly and ef!ciently. For those with adequate budgets, feeding by satellite or dedicated !bre is an option, whereas for some, the public internet will be the only option, which harks back to the connectivity issues discussed above.

Adding valueAnother major challenge when being forced to improvise at an event such as this, is the fact that most broadcasters will need post and pre-production services. Adding voice, graphics and editing packages to conform to broadcast quotas will be key requirements, and such requirements may once again be a huge issue for those broadcasters with no speci!c studio or production space booked locally.

Live feeds will make the process much more challenging and make the need for an appropriate location all the more crucial in addition to, of course, connectivity requirements. Here, the quality of service is paramount – 100% availability and reliability are pre-requisites. If commentary or voice-over is to be added, then the space needs to be extremely well-thought out both in technical and environmental terms. Again, this is not something that can be achieved in the local coffee-shop – a lack of infrastructure in an inappropriate environment will inevitably lead to frustration and disappointment.

PROVIEWPOINT

The rapidly developing trend of multiplatform content delivery adds yet another challenge for those broadcasters without a base. The London Olympics is almost certain to be one of the !rst of its kind to reach out to such a vast array of connected devices, from large "at-screen TVs to the most miniature of smartphones. In fact, what better example of an event where multi-platform truly !ts a purpose? Sporting fans across the world will be watching the action and poring over the results at different times of the day and night. For viewers in the Middle East, for example, the action won’t start until at least midday and then go on into the night. Many people will be simply going about their daily routine, but will want to keep up with the action. It may be a case of logging onto an internet feed in their lunch break, or watching on their mobile phones on their way to or from work, then sitting in front of the TV in the evening – both live, and on-demand.

As a consequence, making Olympics coverage available for multiplatform delivery will add a whole extra angle for broadcasters and mean that not only will they need space and connectivity, but also the means to repurpose and encode content for delivery to any number of devices and platforms, worldwide.

Going for goldBroadcasting the Olympics will come with its challenges, more so for those broadcasters travelling from across the globe and without a !xed production space in which to handle the hundreds of hours of feeds locally and to customise, package and deliver to the host broadcasters back home. There are numerous improvised solutions possible – and undoubtedly, many broadcasters will do so to good effect. However, I don’t expect it will go smoothly. Unpredictable service outages, producing and post-producing content in unsuitable conditions and unreliable connectivity are but a small selection of the challenges ahead. PRO

“Connectivity will remain one of the biggest challenges for smaller broadcasters covering the Olympics. Live and pre-recorded feeds need to be managed with requirements going way beyond ‘improvised’ connectivity solutions such as ADSL or 3G”Alan Mercer, operations director, SatStream

Alan Mercer is operations director at SatStream

YahLive, the commercial arm of UAE-based satellite operator Yahsat, has allocated both sat-ellite capacity and a number of HD channels to provide broad-casters with connectivity and service, from London to the Middle East, to facilitate their TV coverage of the forthcom-ing London 2012 Olympics.

Collaborating with its European strategic partners, YahLive will provide local connections and uplink facilities, including DVB/S2 MPGE4 encoding for satellite broadcasting services to the Middle East via YahLive’s Y1A satellite.

“Our orbital location

of 52.5E provides an ideal line-of-sight for direct reception within the MENA region. Using YahLive’s connectivity, broadcasters can transmit their Olympics TV coverage on a demand basis or HD channel on a 24/7 basis for the duration of the Olympic games.”

YahLive provides capacity for London 2012 Olympics

36 | www.broadcastprome.com | August 201236 | www.broadcastprome.com | August 2012

PROREVIEW

So here it is — the Sony NEX-FS700 — the long-awaited big brother to the FS100. And was it worth the wait? Indeed, yes.

At !rst glance, the FS700 looks very similar to the FS100 except for a bigger snout thanks to the addition of the ND !lter wheel with " (2 stops), 1/16 (4 stops) and 1/64 (6 stops) options on an easy accessible switch. This is a great add-on that the FS100 was missing. And then, the big heart-stopping attraction – the 4K Exmor Super 35” CMOS image sensor in the FS700 is a massive upgrade over the CMOS chip featured in the FS100 and includes 11.6 megapixels with high sensitivity and high signal-to-noise ratio.

The 11.6MP gives almost three-and-a-half times

more resolution than the FS100 at 4352x2662. The 11.6MP sensor can deliver a richer image with !ner details and you can obtain a wider range of colour of the AVCHD !les it records. The internal recording is still 4:2:0 though.

The rest of the controls and connections are in the same location as the FS100 except they are bigger, making it easier to !nd without groping in the dark. There is also a tape measure hook and hold switch feature that prevents accidental changes to the setting while shooting.

Now, let’s look at the lens. The lens supplied with the FS700 is the Sony 18~200 mm 11x zoom (optical) F3.5 – 6.3. This will get you started but if you want to undertake more creative

Sony FS700 testedBroadcastPro Middle East was given exclusive access to the much-awaited Sony FS700 camera. We partnered with Dubai-based DoP and steadicam operator Tom Lebaric to put the Sony FS700 through its paces


shooting, the FS700 comes with Sony’s E-mount interchangeable lens system which means you can use it with a wide variety of Sony’s NEX lenses. You can also further expand its compatibility by purchasing a lens adapter.

A mount lens adaptor for auto focus alpha lenses is an option too. A very helpful feature is the expanded focus of 4X and 8X magni!cation with movable area of expansion that is really helpful in those critical focusing moments.

On one of my test rounds, I tried the camera under very low light conditions and was very impressed with the amazingly low noise. For HD video, the effective pixel count is 8.4 megapixels which is suf!cient to produce a 4K image, and 7.1-megapixel still images in photo mode.

The sensitivity range on the FS700 camcorder goes from 0dB (ISO 500) all the way up to 30dB (ISO 16000).

Another great feature is its four HyperGamma settings, which is the same as the F3 camcorder.

If you are one of those cameramen who travel and !lm a lot in different parts of the world, you’ll !nd the switchable option between 50 Hz and 60 Hz to allow 24p shooting and PAL/NTSC restrictions a great advantage for your intercontinental shoots. Clearly, this is what they call a world cam.

For recording full HD video, the NEX-FS700 uses AVCHD compression. When recording full HD, it can use 60p, 50p, 60i, 24p, 25p, or 30p frame rates—all with embedded time code and audio. It can also output full HD video directly using the 3G HD-SDI terminal with native 23.98, 25, and 29.97 progressive frame rates.

MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 AVCHD recording format works well with Avid Media Composer and Premiere Pro software, as I tried to edit the FS700 footage in both NLE systems.

Sony has worked on ergonomic improvement too, and is a noticeable change from the FS100, thus making detachable handle and grip handy.

PROREVIEW

This hand grip has four buttons for quick access to its most needed controls: a focus rocker, auto aperture push, still image capture, and a start/stop record button.

Very similar to the FS100 menu, the FS700’s menu system is easy and simple to navigate, featuring dedicated buttons with quick access to important controls.

The camera includes a removable shotgun microphone and two XLR inputs located near the front. The second channel XLR input is moved to the right front side of the camera to make room for a 3G-SDI link on the back. In order to access the audio control buttons, you must open the LCD panel on the back of the camcorder.

The 3.5 “LCD screen (920 000 dots) is sharp and bright; it can rotate and tilt up and down. Unfortunately, it cannot tilt side to side, which is a bit of a challenge if the camera is mounted on

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Xeon and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

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PROREVIEW

a tripod above head level. However, an external monitor can resolve this. For shooting in bright sunlight, there is a clip on VFtube that easily attaches to the LCD. Incidentally, the monitor seems to feature touch focus and touch focus transition, like in the Epic.

The display offers video/!lm selections for distance (meters/feet), sensitivity (dB gain/ ISO) and shutter (speed/angle). On the left side near the back, there are a few dedicated buttons that help in assisting with exposure control, including Histogram display and Zebra patterns.

The NEX-FS700 is equipped with a single SD memory card slot that works with SDHC/SDXC memory cards as well as Sony’s memory stick cards. You can record full HD video directly to the SD card, but you will not be able to record 4K video in this manner, as 4K output will only be available with the 3G HD-SDI terminal. However, without the !rmware upgrade, you can still use the SDI terminal as an HD-SDI output for uncompressed 1080p footage.

In a gistPROS* A vast choice of SLR and DSLR lenses

that can be used with FS700 E mount !exibility, such as Canon, Nikon, PL lens with inexpensive adaptors

* Built-in ND "lters made of glass* Clear image under low light

conditions and low image noise* Top handle, strong and sturdy with

numerous screw holes for add-ons and side handle improvement over FS100 (Zoom rocker)

* 60/50Hz switchable camcorder enabling both PAL and NTSC recording

CONS* LCD screen placement, no improvement

from FS100. If the camera is above head level, you cannot see the screen

* 480 fps is half the vertical resolution, and 960 is quarter vertical resolution

* 4K can be captured on external recorder only, and "rmware upgrade is needed

Lebaric tested the camera under various lighting conditions.

“The FS700 is 4K ready, and with the !rmware that will be available at a later stage, it will output 4K resolution via 3G SDI connector on a dedicated external recorder”Tom Lebaric, DoP and steadicam operator, Dubai

Lebaric on a test shoot in Abu Dhabi.


PROREVIEW

Nevertheless, the FS700 is 4K ready, and with the !rmware that will be available at a later stage, it will output 4K resolution via 3G SDI connector on a dedicated external recorder. When that is ready, the FS700 will be ready to compete directly with Canon’s latest 4K model — the EOS C500 digital cinema camera. The difference is that the Canon model costs three times more.

Being a steadicam operator myself, before even trying the famed high-speed shooting mode, I tried the camcorder on my Steadicam Flyer LE24. Although the camera was very light on my steadicam, and required extra weights to be added on, it balanced very well statically and dynamically. I was very impressed. Walking, as well as running shots were smooth and steady.

This camera also has a super slow motion !lming feature, achieved by high frame rates of 240, 480 and even 960fps at lower resolutions and for the !rst time, we can see super slow motion !lming in this price bracket.

Slow motion is not recorded in real time,

however. It needs to be buffered !rst, and it can record around nine seconds of 240 fps footage. (Full HD 1920x1080 is only possible at 240 fps, whilst at 400 fps resolution, it is cut by half and at 800 fps, by a quarter), thus making it, in terms of image quality usable at only 240 fps.

After buffering, this footage has to be recorded to an SD card, which takes about 30 seconds. However, if you decide not to keep the clip, you can cancel it while it is being recorded to the SD card. The best thing about slow motion shooting is that you have the option to choose whether you want to record those nine seconds before, in the middle or after you press the record button, so you do not miss the action you are trying to capture in high speed.

Shooting in slow motion is great fun and I am sure that soon we will see a lot of slow motion clips around, as everyone will want to experiment with it. We hope no one overdoes it.

The FS700 seems ideal for documentaries, indie !lmmakers, commercials, or B camera, if you have an F3 already.

The bottom line is that Sony has upped the ante in the market by delivering a 4K ready, super slow-mo camera in an under US $10,000 price tag and that, is a remarkable achievement. It will compete with the DSLR shooting cameras now while it can easily beat other 4K cameras that cost three times more. PRO

Tom Lebaric is a DoP and steadicam operator based in Dubai.

“This camera also has a super slow motion !lming feature, achieved by high frame rates of 240, 480 and even 960fps at lower resolutions and for the !rst time, we can see super slow motion !lming in this price bracket”Tom Lebaric, DoP and steadicam operator


PROREVIEW

Nevertheless, the FS700 is 4K ready, and with the !rmware that will be available at a later stage, it will output 4K resolution via 3G SDI connector on a dedicated external recorder. When that is ready, the FS700 will be ready to compete directly with Canon’s latest 4K model — the EOS C500 digital cinema camera. The difference is that the Canon model costs three times more.

Being a steadicam operator myself, before even trying the famed high-speed shooting mode, I tried the camcorder on my Steadicam Flyer LE24. Although the camera was very light on my steadicam, and required extra weights to be added on, it balanced very well statically and dynamically. I was very impressed. Walking, as well as running shots were smooth and steady.

This camera also has a super slow motion !lming feature, achieved by high frame rates of 240, 480 and even 960fps at lower resolutions and for the !rst time, we can see super slow motion !lming in this price bracket.

Slow motion is not recorded in real time,

however. It needs to be buffered !rst, and it can record around nine seconds of 240 fps footage. (Full HD 1920x1080 is only possible at 240 fps, whilst at 400 fps resolution, it is cut by half and at 800 fps, by a quarter), thus making it, in terms of image quality usable at only 240 fps.

After buffering, this footage has to be recorded to an SD card, which takes about 30 seconds. However, if you decide not to keep the clip, you can cancel it while it is being recorded to the SD card. The best thing about slow motion shooting is that you have the option to choose whether you want to record those nine seconds before, in the middle or after you press the record button, so you do not miss the action you are trying to capture in high speed.

Shooting in slow motion is great fun and I am sure that soon we will see a lot of slow motion clips around, as everyone will want to experiment with it. We hope no one overdoes it.

The FS700 seems ideal for documentaries, indie !lmmakers, commercials, or B camera, if you have an F3 already.

The bottom line is that Sony has upped the ante in the market by delivering a 4K ready, super slow-mo camera in an under US $10,000 price tag and that, is a remarkable achievement. It will compete with the DSLR shooting cameras now while it can easily beat other 4K cameras that cost three times more. PRO

Tom Lebaric is a DoP and steadicam operator based in Dubai.

“This camera also has a super slow motion !lming feature, achieved by high frame rates of 240, 480 and even 960fps at lower resolutions and for the !rst time, we can see super slow motion !lming in this price bracket”Tom Lebaric, DoP and steadicam operator

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PROPRODUCTION

The second season of Hindistani — the award-winning home production from pay TV network OSN — is being broadcast during Ramadan on OSN Yahala, which was launched last October and has quickly become one of the most watched channels on the network’s bouquet. With double the budget, only 30 episodes to !lm as opposed to 40 last year and a longer time frame to plan and shoot, Hindistani Season 2 is said to be a massive improvement from Season 1. The entire project was undertaken by Dubai-based production house Yara Media, which is run by brothers Usama K. Al-Sharqi and Aws Al-Sharqi.

Hindistani stood out from other Arabic drama series in the region owing to the addition of a Bollywood-style musical element to this comedy series that is set in Saudi Arabia and looks at some of the issues in Arab society. The new series, which was scripted by Usama K. Al-Sharqi, executive manager!of Yara Media Services, looks

primarily at issues faced by the Arab youth. Owing to the strong Bollywood element in the

series, Hindistani was primarily shot in India. “There is so much energy with Indian

productions. We are not used to that in our Arabic productions, which are usually fairly slow-paced. Here, with comedy, fast cuts and a song-and-dance sequence, we have a very energised production. You rarely "nd so much colour and vigour in the Arab world. We learnt that from India,” explains director Aws Al-Sharqi.

Of the 400-strong crew and artists that worked on the production, at least 90% were hired from India. The main characters in the drama and a few technical experts from the Arab world alone #ew down for the production. However, the logistics of transporting the crew from Mumbai to Hyderabad was a signi"cant challenge.

“Most of the people travelled by train while some came by plane,” explains Aws’ brother

Hindistani beckonsThe second season of Hindistani, a popular Saudi comedy series that includes a Bollywood-style song-and-dance sequence is being shown on OSN Yahala as part of the channel’s Ramadan programming. We go behind the scenes with the Al-Sharqi brothers of production house Yara Media

Title of the DramaHindistani

Directed by: Aws Al-Sharqi

Screenplay: Usama Al-Sharqi

Starring: Asaad al-Zahrani and Malayeen

Executive Producer: Aws al-Sharqi

Production House: Yara Media


PROPRODUCTION

The second season of Hindistani — the award-winning home production from pay TV network OSN — is being broadcast during Ramadan on OSN Yahala, which was launched last October and has quickly become one of the most watched channels on the network’s bouquet. With double the budget, only 30 episodes to !lm as opposed to 40 last year and a longer time frame to plan and shoot, Hindistani Season 2 is said to be a massive improvement from Season 1. The entire project was undertaken by Dubai-based production house Yara Media, which is run by brothers Usama K. Al-Sharqi and Aws Al-Sharqi.

Hindistani stood out from other Arabic drama series in the region owing to the addition of a Bollywood-style musical element to this comedy series that is set in Saudi Arabia and looks at some of the issues in Arab society. The new series, which was scripted by Usama K. Al-Sharqi, executive manager!of Yara Media Services, looks

primarily at issues faced by the Arab youth. Owing to the strong Bollywood element in the

series, Hindistani was primarily shot in India. “There is so much energy with Indian

productions. We are not used to that in our Arabic productions, which are usually fairly slow-paced. Here, with comedy, fast cuts and a song-and-dance sequence, we have a very energised production. You rarely "nd so much colour and vigour in the Arab world. We learnt that from India,” explains director Aws Al-Sharqi.

Of the 400-strong crew and artists that worked on the production, at least 90% were hired from India. The main characters in the drama and a few technical experts from the Arab world alone #ew down for the production. However, the logistics of transporting the crew from Mumbai to Hyderabad was a signi"cant challenge.

“Most of the people travelled by train while some came by plane,” explains Aws’ brother

Hindistani beckonsThe second season of Hindistani, a popular Saudi comedy series that includes a Bollywood-style song-and-dance sequence is being shown on OSN Yahala as part of the channel’s Ramadan programming. We go behind the scenes with the Al-Sharqi brothers of production house Yara Media

Title of the DramaHindistani

Directed by: Aws Al-Sharqi

Screenplay: Usama Al-Sharqi

Starring: Asaad al-Zahrani and Malayeen

Executive Producer: Aws al-Sharqi

Production House: Yara Media


PROPRODUCTION

and executive producer Usama Al-Sharqi. “We also had the budget this year to get a more

popular Arab actor like Asaad Al-Zahrani to act alongside Malayeen, who was the female lead in the previous series as well. This series has seen signi!cant collaboration between both Arab and Indian artists and the use of some fairly new technology as well.”

“We used the Sony PMW F3 cameras for this shoot and were perhaps the !rst in Mumbai to use the Super 35mm XDCAM EX technology,” chips in director Aws Al-Sharqi.

“Initially, I asked the Director of Photography (DoP) Manoj Soni, who is well known in Bollywood, to use this camera for just one day to shoot a number of different sequences before we began to shoot the episodes. But the HD results were so amazing that we decided to shoot the entire series with these cameras.”

Four Sony PMW F3 cameras with cinematic lenses were used for the shoot although the team employed RED cameras for the shows and songs.

Each song-and-dance sequence required 30 to 50 dancers while the introductory sequence included a whopping 400 dancers.

Executive producer Usama Al-Sharqi adds that besides trying to control such a large number of dancers and technicians in summer, “every element of the shoot had to be carefully planned to ensure we did not exceed our budget”.

“Locations, interior design, stars, cast, and such a vast number of dancers already put huge pressure on budget. We had more than 300 technicians participate in this production with 90% of them being Indian and the rest, Arabs. If we did not pay attention to every element to ensure there was minimal error, we would have suffered signi!cant

losses in terms of budget,” explains Al-Sharqi. A great deal of effort went especially into the

musical element, explains director Al-Sharqi. “Each song required great effort and travelling

between countries just to produce the vocals. The music was composed in India, the lyrics in Dubai and the vocals were done in Saudi Arabia by the

“Here, with comedy, fast cuts, and a song-and-dance sequence, we have a very energised production. You rarely !nd so much colour and vigour in the Arab world. We learnt that from India”Aws Al-Sharqi, director, Hindistani

From left: Actor Asaad Al-Zahrani; Khulud Abu Homos, SVP Programming and Creative Services at OSN; actress Malayeen and director Aws Al-Sharqi.


As part of its Ramadan programming, OSN Yahala! will broadcast new celebrity cooking shows, educational Islamic programming, drama, entertainment and talk shows.

Commenting on the breadth of new and exclusive content, Khulud Abu Homos, SVP Programming and Creative Services at OSN says: “This Ramadan, our focus has been to create an exclusive content proposition for our customers. We understand that viewers have different preferences and we have kept this in mind when putting together our programming for Ramadan so there’s something for everyone.”

As part of OSN Yahala! HD’s new offerings, cooking themed dramas titled Yamak Ahmet, Znood El Sitt and Saudi Chefs are being broadcast.

Yamak is the famous chef who prepares feasts for the popular series, Hareem Al Sultan.

He will share his recipes while taking viewers to the early Ottoman days to experience the life and magic

of Ramadan during that era. Adding to the gastronomic indulgence is Znood El Sitt — a comedy drama series with four celebrity actors set in old Damascus that will have you laughing throughout but wait for the end of the show when the four starts get together and prepare mouth watering authentic delicacies.

Another brand new series, Saudi Chefs, sees the coming together of two expert cooks, Chef Yousef Khumayes and Chef Hani Zain who demonstrate their passion for food in their own style along with nutritionist Lama Sultan.

Sisters’ Soup is another OSN production presently being shot in Lebanon. The show is about three sisters, one guest and lots of entertainment! Celebrity hosts, Mais, Mai and Dana Hamdan create an atmosphere !lled with daring questions, fun games, challenges and surprises along with pre-shot footage with the guest where the sisters take them shopping and more.

Adding to the list of new and exclusive series is Al Ghish Mamnoua, where star host Muna Abdal Wahab takes her celebrity guests back to school. She places them on the hot seat in her classroom-style set and puts them through an exam of their lifetime. Guests include Handeen Sabahy (she was a candidate for Egypt’s presidency) and Nawal Al Saadawy (internationally renowned Egyptian feminist).

Abu Homos adds: “For those looking for more spiritual guidance and content during Ramadan, we will showcase a series of documentaries and host a weekly session with Prof. Dr Abdul Rahman Abbad, who is the"Secretary General of the scholars and preachers in Palestine.”

OSN Yahala!HD will also include the continuation of the popular and closely followed Hareem Al Sultan Season 2 – which is exclusive to OSN.

PROPRODUCTION

famous singer Adel Khamees. In Damascus or Beirut, the vocals were done by another famous singer Hadiyah. This was a long and exhausting exercise but luckily, Yara Media has an of!ce in each of these countries making coordination easier.”

Even choreographing the dances was a slight

challenge and the moves needed to be simpli!ed to ensure the Arab actors could also participate. In addition, the director had to translate the meaning of the lyrics to the dance designer to ensure the dance was performed meaningfully.

Once the shoot was completed, the footage was then brought back to Yara Media, where the post production team primarily used Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 for editing. In addition, Adobe After Effects CS6 was used for special effects in the songs and in the introduction.

“Shooting in Bollywood was very exciting because you are working with a very professional team,” explains director Al-Sharqi.

“When I began shooting in India three years ago, I faced some dif!culties especially with the language, but over time, we have established a common understanding and they are very skilled in their work. Of course, dealing with artists from different countries and having a mix of a foreign and Indian technical team is quite tough. Despite that, we have managed to elicit a very creative performance from both. We shot in new locations this year and the characters have lent themselves to a different style of comedy that I am sure will truly appeal to the Arab audience.” PRO

What’s cooking this Ramadan on OSN Yahala!

The team on location in India.

A screenshot from Znood El Sitt.

World Class Automation

Over 30 systems controlling more than 200 channels in territories across the

Middle East including JMC, OSN, Arabsat, Al Jazeera Children’s

Channel, Bahrain TV, Dubai TV, MBC & ERTU.

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visit us at IBC 2012

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PROCASESTUDY

State broadcaster Dubai Media Inc. (DMI) has upgraded one of its Standard De!nition (SD) studios (Studio C) to a full-"edged High De!nition (HD) facility with complete 3G support. The upgraded studio became operational last month. The multi-million dollar project is part of the broadcaster’s overall strategy to achieve 3G/HD functionality across DMI’s technology department in the next couple of years. The upgrade was completed earlier this summer by Dubai-based systems integrator Qvest Media.

As part of the upgrade, the studio is equipped with Grass Valley’s 3G LDK 8000 world cam series along with Snell’s Kahuna production switcher and Miranda multi-viewers. Although equipped with eight cameras, the facility is wired for ten camera chains and can support a further two if required. The studio recording and playback is also wired to enable expansion to a tapeless solution with integration to DMI’s Avid ISIS 7000 central editing system for ease of editing and playback of programmes.

The upgraded facility includes a large working

Dubai Media Inc. ups the ante with 3G studioDMI recently upgraded its SD studio to a HD facility with 3G support. BroadcastPro Middle East was given an exclusive tour of the newly-upgraded facility

The 3G studio at DMI features the new GV LDK 8000 camera.


space for each operational area with state-of-the-art audio and video monitoring that can display full HD 1080P signals. The spacious work area was included for operational convenience.

“The objective was to install a state-of-the-art full HD TV production facility that will enable all DMI channels to produce high-quality content,” explains Omar Alzoubi, chief engineer, Broadcast Systems, Dubai Media Inc.

“This is also the start to moving all of DMI’s channels from SD to HD in a phased manner. Creating content in HD will help us to realise this objective. We replaced our old SD cameras and gallery equipment with full HD studio equipment that supports 3G specs. The main objective in choosing this equipment was to ensure the best quality possible, to work with ease in a multi-format environment of SD, HD and 3G, and move seamlessly between formats and aspect ratios. This will afford more !exibility for production from this studio as we are beginning our HD migration, where a mixed standard environment is inevitable.

“At the same time, we had to ensure that the technology was future proof. As of date, the best broadcast quality is possible and achievable through HD 1080P, 3G broadcast equipment and

“This studio is the !rst step to achieving our HD tapeless work!ow across the technology department. The remaining studios at DMI will also be converted to HD in a phased manner”Afzal Lakdawala, head of Technology Planning & Projects, DMI

PROCASESTUDY

systems. We have chosen future-proof systems.” All of the hardware for the cameras, vision

mixer, router and multi viewer are located in the central apparatus area. This also houses the video, audio and data patch panels, Waveform Rasterizers and high-quality video/audio monitoring kit. The studio !oor is equipped with Grass Valley’s LDK 8000 cameras while the Snell Kahuna 360 vision mixer, Sony’s HDCAM SR VTRs, RCPs, the Miranda multi-viewer, VIZRT solutions and teleprompters are located in the studio gallery. The audio control room is kitted out with an SSL C100 audio mixer.

While the studio will be used to produce HD content that enhances the present quality of recording and transmission, DMI will also now be able to create HD archive material for all of its

From left: Afzal Lakdawala, head of Technology Planning

& Projects reviews the new work!ow with chief engineer

Omar Alzoubi.

The newly upgraded PCR.

In BriefClient: Dubai Media Inc.Systems Integrator: Qvest Media

Key Solutions* Snell Kahuna 360 vision mixer * GV LDK 8000/71 cameras* Canon lenses* Sony SRW 5800 VTRs* SSL C 100 audio mixer* Miranda Nvision router* Miranda Kaleido X* BDL Autoscript Prompters* Vinten Osprey Elite tripods* Jimmy Jib cranes


channels that produce programmes from this studio. Afzal Lakdawala, who was recently promoted

to head of Technology Planning & Projects at DMI says the studio is the !rst step to achieving “our long term goal of producing and preserving our content in HD”.

“Alongside this project, we are also implementing a tapeless work"ow as the output

of the studio will be recorded on our central ISIS production server and once recorded, it will become immediately available for further editing on Avid Media Composer. This studio is the !rst step towards achieving our HD tapeless work"ow across the technology department. The remaining studios at DMI will also be converted to HD in a phased manner. Also, the transmission chains for DMI channels will be migrated to HD to ensure we have a complete end-to-end HD work"ow from production all the way to transmission.”

The entire installation along with the cabling supports 3G. The output of the gallery records directly onto an ISIS storage for tapeless recording. ISIS is connected with eight Avid Media Composers for further editing and hence, the entire work"ow from acquisition to editing is tapeless.

“The studio supports 3G, HD and SD signals. But looking at our work"ow, we are presently working on HD using IMX 50 for HD production but the aim is to ultimately produce 1080P content for which we might shift to a better !le format in the near future,” explains Lakdawala.

Extensive training was provided so that the existing team could work on the new system.

“The only new work"ow that required more attention and training was the tapeless recording and further processing of the media. This was undertaken successfully,” explains Alzoubi.

DMI under its new CEO for Strategy, Technology and Executive Affairs, Mohammad Saeed Al Shahi has explored an aggressive overall broadcast strategy for the next !ve years and we hope to see that project materialise in phases. PRO

PROCASESTUDY

“The main objective in choosing this equipment was to ensure the best quality possible, to work with ease in a multi-format environment of SD, HD and 3G, and move seamlessly between formats and aspect ratios”Omar Alzoubi, chief engineer, Broadcast Systems, Dubai Media Inc.

Staff at the upgraded production control room at DMI and left bottom, chief engineer Omar Alzoubi.

One of the sets at the upgraded studio.


PROPRODUCTS

Modular interface provider LYNX Technik AG is launching a new yellobrik L-Band to !ber transmitter and !ber to L-Band receiver set at IBC 2012.

The yellobrik OTX 1910 is a !ber optic transmitter sending analogue radio frequency (RF) L-Band signals over a single-mode !ber cable."This unit offers a switchable 13 or 18V LNB power selector and an internal 22 KHz on/off low-noise block tone generator for selecting high or low frequency ranges. "

The yellobrik ORX 1900 is a !ber to L-Band receiver for accepting and restoring RF signals from a single-mode !ber."It accepts a wide range of optical inputs including two RF outputs for signal distribution or monitoring.

Both yellobriks support L-Band ranges from 700 MHz to 2300 MHz. They can be used as standalone or housed in the 1RU yellobrik rack frame for larger system applications.

Together, they provide an ideal !ber solution for a number of satellite applications, as well as transporting L-Band signals to satellite receivers."This solution set is also suitable for transporting L-Band RF signals from remote television sites to headend facilities and any other application that requires a high performance alternative to coaxial cable transmission of L-Band signals.

The yellobrik OTX 1910 and ORX 1900 will be available shortly after the product is introduced at IBC 2012.

ROSS BLACKSTORM This !le-based work"ow support player from Ross features an improved video server engine with new end-of-clip action, Targa Playlist support, and FTP improvements.

Other features include a TimeCode Support with LTC out or ATC insertion

from .mov timecode track, and Dashboard Version 5.0 equipped with multi-monitor, unicode character, and timecode UI client support.

The BlackStorm 102P Playout Server is a two-channel high de!nition 1 rack unit video player.

It supports the Quicktime (.mov)

!le format and a selection of codecs, providing an easy to use and intuitive client/server interface that is fully integrated into the Ross DashBoard Control System.#

The 1RU chassis is designed to use off-the-shelf hardware and is built on Dell server hardware.

LYNX Technik L-Band debut

The yellobrik ORX1900 is a !ber to L-Band receiver for accepting and restoring RF signals from a single-mode !ber”

BLUE LUCY IN THE CLOUDBlue Lucy Media (BLM) is launching a metered licencing system for all of its advanced software-based content acquisition, production tool and metadata management products at IBC. BLM software is deployed on IT hardware in the normal way, but users only pay for time when the software is in production use. Automatic licensing eliminates manual key entry, and quarterly billing for the

service enables users to stay on budget. BLM’s model provides the option of storing and processing master content within their own facility with the ability to store and manage selected content locally while providing the advantages of the cloud as a pay-per-use and/or pay-as-you-go service. BLM aims to dramatically reduce the high costs and inef!ciencies of media production by implementing a commodity IT-based infrastructure.

VISLINK TO DEMO MSATThe broadcast version of Vislink’s Advent Mantis “MSAT” Man Portable Data Terminal will make its European debut at IBC 2012. MSAT is a portable tri-band satellite antenna system designed for ease of use and rapid deployment.

At 12.5 kgs, the Advent MSAT can easily be carried by one person. The system’s fully integrated design means that set up takes only minutes from arrival to satellite acquisition, making it ideal for rapid deployment !eld applications.

The antenna comes with a 65 or 90cm re"ector as standard and can be con!gured to be used in Ka, Ku and X bands.

WITH YOSPACE, IT’S PERSONALContent distribution specialist, Yospace, promises personalisation of video streams at IBC. It will replace content and advertising in real time at the headend, delivering single streams without buffering, freezes or lost video.

#Yospace’s approach interfaces closely with the broadcaster’s own playout automation system allowing it to switch to alternate content with frame accuracy,. This means the viewer is unaware of any content substitution.

The system can scale to any number of simultaneous viewers and content replacement because this feature and streaming distribution are offered as a cloud service. A commercial break can be tailored for each individual viewer thanks to suf!cient granularity in the subscriber management system. Taken together Yospace solutions enable broadcasters to support the delivery of linear programming to alternative platforms with a powerful commercial proposition.

Think REAL.Real Image

3D Modeling and Animation | Architectural Visualization Character Animation | Film Production | Full HD Solutions

Dubai T : +971 4 3371616 F : +971 4 3371656 www.realimage.tv

Toronto T : +1 416 5832266 F : +1 416 5832267 www.realimagecanada.com

PROPRODUCTS

TERADEK CREATES A BONDCompact HD H.264 video encoder specialist Teradek’s solutions are now available through its Dubai-based distributor Advanced Media Trading. The Teradek Bond is a camera-top cellular bonding solution that !ts in the palm of your hand."The device supports up to !ve 3G or 4G modems simultaneously from any cellular provider, which

enables news crews to broadcast live from the most challenging environments, like Super Bowl XLVI."Since Bond requires low upfront costs and no recurring fees, it is an affordable alternative to the bulky and high-cost commitments that are common with existing bonding solutions.

For the !rst time in the region, the video-over-cellular setup is ready for evaluation with a

combination of Du and Etisalat 3G and 4G modems in the distributor’s showroom in Dubai. This setup includes Teradek CUBE 250 the H.264 HDMI encoder, Teradek Bond with connected 3G and 4G modems and the Bond Sputnik server to recombine the various video feeds from Bond into a cohesive stream that can then be sent to an H.264 decoder (like Teradek Cube 450, the HDMI receiver) or played back online.

“The Bond works perfectly over local providers’ network and decreases the costs and loads for wireless transmission on !eld dramatically. It’s the SNG in your palm,” said Pejman Ghorbani, product manager, Advanced Media.

Several of the Bond cellular solutions were used to televise Super Bowl XLVI early this year."The Teradek Bond being the world’s smallest bonding cellular solution was utilised by multiple TV networks across the country and by media outlets like the New York Post to transmit comprehensive pre- and post-game supplemental coverage live on air and to the internet in HD.


DPA Microphones is highlighting its international reputation for distortion-free sound and ergonomic design at IBC 2012 by showing a range of high-quality microphones that are ideally suited to broadcast applications.

DPA’s new d:facto vocal mic, which made its debut earlier this year at Prolight + Sound, will be available at IBC.

The d:facto hand-held vocal mic bridges the gap between live stage performances and studio recordings. Offering natural sound, high separation from nearby sound sources and extreme sound level handling, this microphone is ideal for live music broadcasting as it combines a supercardiod pattern with superb de!nition to give high separation and true sound colour on stage. In common with all DPA mics, d:facto features superior gain before feedback, while the inbuilt 3-step pop protection grid removes unwanted noise.

Crystal Vision will be previewing its new real-time chroma keyer, Sa!re 3 at IBC with a signi!cant increase in performance and features making it ideal for all live virtual productions, from studio to sport.

The enhanced chroma keying uses an extremely sophisticated algorithm, giving excellent results with minimal sensitivity to camera noise.

New key processing features including shaping and softening of edges, key noise reduction, colour spill processing and two-dimensional compensation for uneven illumination of the backdrop all combine to create a realistic key. Working with 3Gb/s, HD and SD sources, Sa!re 3 makes it easy to set up a realistic chroma key and can use multiple points on the backdrop as well as on the foreground object to automatically set up the optimised processing.

It includes foreground colour correction to help create a natural-looking composite picture as well as up to ten frames of foreground delay adjustment for offsetting the delay caused by the graphics generators.

Sa!re 3 forms part of a space-saving modular system, with this single height 100mm x 266mm module allowing up to 12 chroma keyers in 2U alongside any Crystal Vision interface products.

Crystal previews SafireDPA’S D:FACTO MICS

BROADCAST PIX IN CONTROLBroadcast Pix has unveiled its Video Control Center 3.1 software, which delivers PowerAux multi-screen support for 1 M/E systems, multi-lingual #uent-view features, support for Grass Valley K2 servers, and additional enhancements. Using a system’s programme output and dual PowerAux outputs, three “programmes” of different content can be generated using a 1 M/E Granite or Mica system, and each can have up to six key layers on top. It is ideal for driving any combination of image magni!cation (I-MAG) screens, internet feeds, and live television productions, because the multi-screen technology maintains one frame of constant delay across all outputs for continual lip sync throughout the presentation.

OpenAPI

Mulitisite-Cache ASAN

Multimedia AttachmentsFederated Search

New Regional Playout-ArchitecturePlayout-Architecture

Integrated System Integrated System Management

SCISYS – innovative software solutions for media broadcast

Came and visit SCISYS at the IBC, Amsterdam at the RAI in Hall 3, C44.Or arrange a meeting: [email protected] 20

12

We do Radio! since more than 20 years

dira!Content Management · Production · Playout

Media Broadcasting Solutions

RZ_Anz_SCISYS_IBC-daily_207x270_120726.indd 1 26.07.12 13:48

PROPRODUCTS

TERADEK CREATES A BONDCompact HD H.264 video encoder specialist Teradek’s solutions are now available through its Dubai-based distributor Advanced Media Trading. The Teradek Bond is a camera-top cellular bonding solution that !ts in the palm of your hand."The device supports up to !ve 3G or 4G modems simultaneously from any cellular provider, which

enables news crews to broadcast live from the most challenging environments, like Super Bowl XLVI."Since Bond requires low upfront costs and no recurring fees, it is an affordable alternative to the bulky and high-cost commitments that are common with existing bonding solutions.

For the !rst time in the region, the video-over-cellular setup is ready for evaluation with a

combination of Du and Etisalat 3G and 4G modems in the distributor’s showroom in Dubai. This setup includes Teradek CUBE 250 the H.264 HDMI encoder, Teradek Bond with connected 3G and 4G modems and the Bond Sputnik server to recombine the various video feeds from Bond into a cohesive stream that can then be sent to an H.264 decoder (like Teradek Cube 450, the HDMI receiver) or played back online.

“The Bond works perfectly over local providers’ network and decreases the costs and loads for wireless transmission on !eld dramatically. It’s the SNG in your palm,” said Pejman Ghorbani, product manager, Advanced Media.

Several of the Bond cellular solutions were used to televise Super Bowl XLVI early this year."The Teradek Bond being the world’s smallest bonding cellular solution was utilised by multiple TV networks across the country and by media outlets like the New York Post to transmit comprehensive pre- and post-game supplemental coverage live on air and to the internet in HD.


DPA Microphones is highlighting its international reputation for distortion-free sound and ergonomic design at IBC 2012 by showing a range of high-quality microphones that are ideally suited to broadcast applications.

DPA’s new d:facto vocal mic, which made its debut earlier this year at Prolight + Sound, will be available at IBC.

The d:facto hand-held vocal mic bridges the gap between live stage performances and studio recordings. Offering natural sound, high separation from nearby sound sources and extreme sound level handling, this microphone is ideal for live music broadcasting as it combines a supercardiod pattern with superb de!nition to give high separation and true sound colour on stage. In common with all DPA mics, d:facto features superior gain before feedback, while the inbuilt 3-step pop protection grid removes unwanted noise.

Crystal Vision will be previewing its new real-time chroma keyer, Sa!re 3 at IBC with a signi!cant increase in performance and features making it ideal for all live virtual productions, from studio to sport.

The enhanced chroma keying uses an extremely sophisticated algorithm, giving excellent results with minimal sensitivity to camera noise.

New key processing features including shaping and softening of edges, key noise reduction, colour spill processing and two-dimensional compensation for uneven illumination of the backdrop all combine to create a realistic key. Working with 3Gb/s, HD and SD sources, Sa!re 3 makes it easy to set up a realistic chroma key and can use multiple points on the backdrop as well as on the foreground object to automatically set up the optimised processing.

It includes foreground colour correction to help create a natural-looking composite picture as well as up to ten frames of foreground delay adjustment for offsetting the delay caused by the graphics generators.

Sa!re 3 forms part of a space-saving modular system, with this single height 100mm x 266mm module allowing up to 12 chroma keyers in 2U alongside any Crystal Vision interface products.

Crystal previews SafireDPA’S D:FACTO MICS

BROADCAST PIX IN CONTROLBroadcast Pix has unveiled its Video Control Center 3.1 software, which delivers PowerAux multi-screen support for 1 M/E systems, multi-lingual #uent-view features, support for Grass Valley K2 servers, and additional enhancements. Using a system’s programme output and dual PowerAux outputs, three “programmes” of different content can be generated using a 1 M/E Granite or Mica system, and each can have up to six key layers on top. It is ideal for driving any combination of image magni!cation (I-MAG) screens, internet feeds, and live television productions, because the multi-screen technology maintains one frame of constant delay across all outputs for continual lip sync throughout the presentation.

OpenAPI

Mulitisite-Cache ASAN

Multimedia AttachmentsFederated Search

New Regional Playout-ArchitecturePlayout-Architecture

Integrated System Integrated System Management

SCISYS – innovative software solutions for media broadcast

Came and visit SCISYS at the IBC, Amsterdam at the RAI in Hall 3, C44.Or arrange a meeting: [email protected] 20

12We do Radio!

since more than 20 years dira!

Content Management · Production · Playout

Media Broadcasting Solutions

RZ_Anz_SCISYS_IBC-daily_207x270_120726.indd 1 26.07.12 13:48

PROPRODUCTS


Axon Digital Design will highlight the increasingly important role that modular core processing technology plays within modern broadcast work!ows, which are characterised as multivendor systems where third-party interoperability and some form of uni"ed control mechanism is essential. Within this environment, the way in which the various third-party system components ‘glue’ together and are controlled and monitored is critical to the success of the overall work!ow.

One key focus at the Axon stand will be the latest version of Axon’s Cortex software application, which makes the implementation of multiple video and audio signal paths easier, more ef"cient and cost-effective.

Cortex provides comprehensive tools to con"gure, monitor and maintain a diversity of devices including Axon’s Synapse range of control modules and other third-party products. The new Cortex Tally and

JVC Professional Europe Ltd. has announced the DT-X Series of portable ProHD LCD monitors. Ideal for !eld and studio applications, the new seven-inch AC/DC monitors offer 1024x600 resolution with a 160-degree viewing angle and can display 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p video signals at a variety of frame rates.

There are three models in the DT-X Series, with scaled I/O options and features for specific needs. The basic DT-X71C model offers one HDMI and one composite video input, while the DT-X71H adds two HD/SD-SDI inputs and an HD/SD-SDI loop through output.

The DT-X71F includes an additional HD/SD-SDI loop through output and one HDMI converted to SDI output. All three models include stereo audio input.

Other features include an adjustable 16:9/4:3 display, dual three-colour tally

lights, underscan and overscan, image "ip, customer editable video title, Canon DSLR scale zoom-in, and safe mark display.

The DT-X71F, the most feature-rich model in the series, also includes a waveform, vector scope, RGB histogram, red/blue peaking focus assist, zebra, false colour, blue only, internal colour bars, image rotation and 16-channel SDI (two-channel HDMI) audio meter.

Each monitor is powered via a four-pin XLR 12V DC connector with included AC adapter or an optional snap-on JVC BN-VF823 7.2V battery. DT-X71 series monitors also ship with a cold shoe mounting adaptor and hood. When mounted to the GY-HM150, the DT-X71 serves as a full-size studio camera monitor.

The DT-X71C has a list price of £430, the DT-X71H is priced at £740, and the DT-X71F is priced at £1220. All models are now available in the market.

JVC unveils ProHD portable monitor series

I-MOVIX IN SLOW-MOSlow-mo solutions provider I-MOVIX will release its X10 real time continuous ultra-motion system at IBC. The I-MOVIX X10 is the industry’s "rst live ultra-motion solution to deliver real-time, continuous extreme slow motion in full HD at a groundbreaking 300 fps (or 600 fps in 720p).

I-MOVIX claims that X10 outstrips the performance of existing continuous super-slow motion systems, which are restricted to three times slower than real time, or 75 fps.

Developed in partnership with EVS, the I-MOVIX X10 system is used with an EVS XT3 production server under LSM control and provides a familiar user interface and controls that any broadcast crew can use immediately without any special training.

Axon Cortex

Mnemonic options provide a user to interface for signal processing and routing equipment using native protocols and/or GPI units in order to operate various display and tally devices. The Generic Devices option

allows for interfacing to a number of third-party devices using their native control and/or monitoring protocols. Axon will also showcase a number of actual customer-installed Cortex applications.

TOUCHDOWN.

MKH 8070 Long Gun Microphone Capturing the Moment.The MKH 8070 is in a league of its own. Its excellent directivity and off-axis linearity make it your ideal team member for major broadcast and sporting events.

It will reliably capture that magic moment from a distance with a true and natural sound, even under the toughest sonic and climatic conditions.

Part of the flexible MKH 8000 series, just add the MZD 8000 and it is a digital mic.

www.sennheiser.ae

Sennheiser Middle EastOffice # 345, Bldg. 6E/BDubai Airport Free ZoneP.O. Box 371004Dubai, UAETel: +971 4299 4004Email: [email protected]

facebook.com/sennheiserme

MKH 870 Broadcast Pro ME.indd 1 04/04/2012 16:56


PROPRODUCTS

58

JÜNGER AUDIO INTRODUCES M*AP Dynamics specialist Jünger Audio will use IBC 2012 to unveil its M*AP audio loudness processor. This processor combines an audio monitor controller and a loudness measurement device in one unit, thus providing comprehensive quality control and loudness monitoring for anyone working in a production or broadcast environment.

Designed for quality checking surround (5.1) and/or stereo programmes, M*AP can be used for live monitoring and also to ensure compliance with government regulations on loudness such as the US CALM Act, the UK Ofcom regulations and the French CSA regulations, etc.

The unit comes with alarm signals that alert the operator when pre-set loudness thresholds are exceeded. These signals can be delivered by simple GPOs and/or SNMP traps, which carry actual loudness values. Loudness measurements can be performed over a long run or over a fraction of a programme, or both.

These measurements can be triggered by automation systems via GPIs or via the network.

For no extra cost, the M*AP’s SDI board acts as an embedder as well and comes with video delay to compensate for any kind of audio delay. This feature is ideal for those looking to maintain lip sync in QA suites or control rooms.

DIGITAL RAPIDS’ KAYAKKayak, the new dynamic work!ow platform from Digital Rapids, will make its debut at IBC. The same technology foundation powering Digital Rapids’ new solutions such as Transcode Manager 2.0 for end-user applications, Kayak is available as a comprehensive work!ow technology platform for customers, systems integrators and software developers. Kayak enables them to design, deploy and manage customised work!ows that empower their businesses with the operational ef"ciency, agility and insight they need to thrive in the expanding multi-screen media landscape. Kayak’s innovative approach streamlines operations and harnesses technology from both Digital Rapids and a rich third-party partner ecosystem.

RASCULAR AT THE HELMAt IBC 2012, Rascular is launching the latest version of its !agship product Helm. In a major product advance, Helm is now integrated with Ross Video’s openGear protocol. Helm allows customers to pick best-of-breed technologies – branding devices, routers, video servers, VTRs, multi-image display processors and modular gear - from a range of different manufacturers and provides a single, integrated, user-de"ned PC-based control/monitoring surface for operators.

By integrating with Ross Video’s openGear platform standard — which is designed from the ground up as

an open protocol — Helm now has the potential to control any and all technology that adheres to the openGear standard.

In combination with the recent

announcement that Helm is now also integrated with Snell’s RollCall protocol, the range of technology with which the platform integrates now spreads across the industry.

Oxygen DCT has consolidated its reputation for constant innovation with the launch of the Evolution ProFlex range of monitors. This latest addition to the popular Evolution Pro range is targeted at more budget conscious installations by offering broadcast picture quality at consumer pricing levels.

Addressing the gallery and studio market, Oxygen DCT’s low cost, high performance Evolution ProFlex broadcast monitors give budget conscious control rooms and galleries access to professional grade monitoring, thus negating the need to use large domestic televisions that don’t offer the same level of picture quality.

There are seven different sizes in the range, from a super 9.7” to a high performance 10 bit, 1.06 billion colour 55” model and an emormous 70” screen. The Evolution ProFlex range is designed to be !exible and is capable of being driven by multi-viewer systems with between four and 64 signals on a single screen. These types of monitors are typically found in control rooms, galleries and outside broadcast vehicles and are the perfect antidote to using low cost domestic or semi-professional monitors. Unlike consumer screens, these monitors are a consistent ergonomic design that will not change model or design every six months as occurs in the consumer market. They also have broadcast colour reproduction with adjustable colour controls, contrast and backlight setting allowing broadcast users to colour match panels together.

The 9.7” screens were initially developed in conjunction with ITN, which installed

them in its new Channel Four News room. Following further requests from other customers Oxygen DCT decided to develop a full range of sizes for galleries and outside broadcast vehicles. Each screen is equipped with the latest, high performance LCD panels and low energy LED backlighting. ProFlex monitors are designed to be flexible with control from either rear mounted buttons or a plug-in remote control panel. DVI and HDMI inputs are standard whilst 3G-HD-SDI is optional. Prices for the Evolution ProFlex start from just £355 for the 9.7” to £477 for the 21.5” and £3,330 for the 55” model.

Oxygen DCT’s Evolution Pro series is the most extensive range of video monitors in the industry and includes the Evolution Pro-X series monitors, which are suited to grading and other colour critical viewing applications.

Oxygen DCT ProFlex monitors

| www.broadcastprome.com | August 2012

PROPRODUCTS


NEVION HAS THE EDGENevion’s IP Media Edge Processor (VS909-IPME) is a multi-functional processing module in the Ventura family of modular media transport solutions that incorporates advanced techniques for the IP-domain processing and protecting of any IP encapsulated media !ow. The VS909-IPME provides for the application of a wide range of security, protection, duplication, address translation and quality assurance features including Forward Error Correction (FEC), Nevion’s Streaming Intelligent Packet Switching (SIPS), Launch Delay Offset (LDO), as well as multicast, unicast, VLAN, RTP, and more."

Focusing on processing IP !ows to optimise network performance, the VS909-IPME is a key addition to Nevion’s universal video IP adapter, universal audio IP adapter, and universal MPEG-2/H.264 video/audio codec.

THOMSON FLEXSTREAM 2Flextream 2.0 from Thomson Video Networks frees up bandwidth provisioned for the processing of service components such as audio, teletext, subtitling, and closed captioning, allowing it to be reallocated to improve video quality. With Flextream 2.0, users of Thomson Video Networks’ ViBE encoders have the capability to activate new Flextream mechanisms to boost overall statistical multiplexing system performance and ef#ciency while simplifying operations through easier con#guration and monitoring.

MIRANDA NVISION ROUTERThe new NVISION 8140 provides all of the advanced features of an enterprise class router in a 144 x 288 matrix contained in just 8RU, and is designed for mobile production suites and smaller studios. Part of the NVISION 8500 Enterprise Class router series, the compact NV8140 includes robust features typically found in larger routers —" redundant power supplies, control cards and crosspoints — but provides them in a form factor that’s perfect for space- and power-constrained environments.

Avid has released the Avid DS 11, the newest version of the company’s editing, graphics creation, colour correction, and compositing solution. With new features such as hands-on colour correction with Avid Artist Colour integration, expanded !le format and hardware support, 16 channels of embedded audio, total conform to Media Composer 6 and Symphony 6, and more, DS 11 enables customers to maximise creativity and enhance productivity through more integrated, "exible work"ows.

“With DS 11 our customers have all the editing, compositing, painting, conforming, and !nishing tools they need to create and deliver projects fast,” said David Colantuoni, senior director of product management at Avid.

“We’re pleased to deliver enhanced integration and "exibility in DS 11—providing our customers with the highest quality tools that can help them spend more time on creating rather than rendering or exporting to other applications.”

Features include Avid Artist colour and Avid Artist transport integration; resolution-independent canvas; blending modes in

timeline; long-GOP support; Avid DNxHD 444; HDR !le support; 16-channels embedded SDI audio; RED; Media Composer 6/Symphony 6 conform and third-party hardware support.

Avid DS 11 software is available now. Pricing begins at SMRP $10,299 USD for professional licenses and each comes standard with a copy of Media Composer 6 software. Upgrade pricing begins SMRP $5,199 USD. Avid DS 11 can also be purchased as a turnkey hardware/software system for an additional cost.

Avid makes the cut

HAIVISION INTRODUCES VIPER 1.1 Haivision has announced the availability of Viper 1.1, the latest revision of its compact appliance combining dual-channel HD encoding, low-latency secure streaming, video on demand, and a contextual multichannel record-review-publish work!ow — all within a single chassis. With the new release, the company is also introducing the Viper VF, a companion to the Furnace IP video distribution system, tailored to installations where many rooms need the ability to record independently and then publish the assets to a central video-on-demand system.

“The Viper was conceived to address the speci#c

challenges of institutions that need many rooms to record multichannel content actively at any time without relying on networks or central server resources,” said Peter Maag, chief marketing of#cer of Haivision.

“Today, the Viper is the most powerful media appliance, whether it’s serving as a stand-alone, out-of-the-box IP video system or addressing the needs of distributed content recording.”

A user-controlled multi-stream appliance, the Viper is designed for capturing, streaming, and publishing events relying on multimedia sources — such as lectures that include both the instructor and an interactive computer display, corporate presentations combining a

podium shot with rich media presentations, or medical skills labs or procedure rooms with multiple camera

angles or sources. The Viper streams and

records two real-time, full-frame-rate, HD H.264 streams containing

either HD video or computer graphics content. The multistream content can be streamed and recorded simultaneously, and accessed securely through Haivision’s patented, browser-independent InStream player."

Viper appliances enable users to set up multichannel sessions, initiate simultaneous streaming and recording, and make content available automatically for on-demand viewing — all through a simple, user-friendly touch-screen interface. Remote viewers can watch live multistream HD content simply by clicking a Web link and launching the “zero-install” InStream player."

With the new Viper VF for distributed multistream recording, users can record, review, and publish content, leveraging a powerful centralised Furnace video-on-demand system. To simplify contributor and consumer privileges, users can assign media rights for each Viper via the central Furnace conditional access administration.

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PROPRODUCTS

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MOSART NEWSCAST AUTOMATION 3.0Mosart’s Newscast Automation 3.0 includes interfaces with Harris Nexio and Grass Valley K2 video servers; Calrec and Stagetec audio mixers; Casper, Xpression, and Pixelpower graphics; and Brainstorm virtual studio and Camerobot systems.

The Mosart open-systems compatibility is extended with new support for Octopus and Annova’s OpenMedia in addition to ENPS, iNEWS, Dalet News, and NorCom. Mosart now supports eight manufacturers of audio mixers, !ve manufacturers of vision mixers, nine brands of video servers, nine graphics systems, and six camera robotics systems — as well as simultaneous usage of gear from multiple camera robotic vendors.

This year, Mosart launched a Virtual Audio Fader Panel that gives the director and production staff more control and a better overview of audio faders and levels — both those on air and those coming up next.

Content repurposing/reuse and media asset management (MAM) integration are enhanced with the Mosart delivery of news as-run information to continuity control systems such as Snell’s Morpheus. Through the news as-run integration, continuity and MAM systems are now able to reuse individual stories or events from earlier recorded Mosart productions. Mosart can also be user-con!gured to query MAM systems for metadata information."

COBHAM IN A MESHCobham will launch MediaMesh, a powerful new concept in fast-setup !eld newsrooms for major breaking stories. The new MediaMesh creates expandable networks for live production from the !eld employing many cutting edge technologies to empower end users to broadcast without boundaries.

MediaMesh uses ground-breaking wireless technology to enable a journalist in the !eld to establish quickly and simply all the technology required for a live broadcast.

This includes a broadcast quality transmission path for live two-ways, the capability of controlling the camera remotely from the studio,

!le transfers and a high capacity internet connection, access to the base newsroom computer, and cellphone access. All of this is managed by equipment packed into a single pelicase.

For a typical story, the journalist will establish a base in a hotel room, with the camera on a balcony and a Ka-band satellite uplink on the roof. All equipment is connected over wireless, with standard Wi! also available for the journalist’s laptop and other devices.

If a dish is not available then connection with base can be over the public 3G/4G cellphone network, or via the hotel’s ethernet connection to the internet. If the requirements

of the story develop, the capabilities and the area covered can be simply extended by adding additional nodes to the MediaMesh.

Television audiences now expect that, wherever a big story breaks, there will be a journalist on the ground with solid information and good pictures,” explained Stuart Brown, broadcast systems director of Cobham.

“With MediaMesh, all the equipment to do that is in a single box, designed for fast and foolproof set-up. It means the journalist spends as little time as possible establishing the connection back to base and the maximum amount of time researching the story.”

At IBC2012, expect to see Brainstorm Multimedia’s “eStudio” on-air graphics and virtual studio engine, which is the fastest platform upon which all other Brainstorm products run, including EasySet 3D, a cost-effective, trackless virtual set solution.

EasySet 3D provides a comprehensive 3D real-time environment with stereoscopic capabilities, integrated chroma keyer, up to four SD/HD inputs, and a live switcher mode with up to 12 live simultaneous productions for easy transition between 3D cameras from a single PC.

Brainstorm’s “Transition Logic Technology” is now integrated into EasySet 3D to provide full interaction with any

Brainstorm graphic element, including complex 3D Augmented Reality applications.

IBC delegates can also see Brainstorm Easy On-Air Graphics, an intuitive toolset for live streaming based on building highly creative designs on pre-defined templates, no matter how detailed or complex. Easy On-Air Graphics simplifies workflows and content creation, enabling template editing, playlist creation and live playout from a single user interface.

Brainstorm’s “BrainNews” graphics control system, is fully compatible with Avid Command, enabling news departments to integrate real-time 3D graphics without input from designers.

Brainstorm in the studio


TEDIAL TARSYSTedial will maximise the bene!ts of !le-based platforms with its Media Asset Management (MAM), Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) and Business Process Management (BPM) solutions. Following in-depth feedback from customers, Tedial has redesigned the interface to its Tarsys MAM solution, enhancing operator experience and providing additional features for cataloguing, editing and exporting media to third-party systems. The new GUI has been speci!cally designed to simplify collaborative working between professionals in any media enterprise.


PROGUEST

One dreary UK day in February 2011, I recall reading an article by an end user in Broadcast Pro Middle East about the role of systems integrators in the Middle East often being limited to that of box shifters and what their role should ideally be.

Fast forward a year-and-a-half and I am now in the Middle East working for a systems integrator to address!the issue that was highlighted as well as many others.

It was argued that systems integrators must become real business partners to their clients, sell solutions rather than products they have a vested interest in.

After numerous visits to different clients in plus 40 degrees heat (and yes, I am told to look forward to even hotter conditions!)! I can see the end user’s point of view.

The market is a melting pot of different companies claiming to be integrators, partners of integrators and even, manufacturers here are integrators.!

So how can a customer go about selecting the right integration partner?

Well, almost certainly, the partner should be present locally. Their service and after-sales support for any mission critical system should just be a stone’s throw away. Remote monitoring is an argument against it but I have already seen three cases in two months where people have had to "y in

from external countries to resolve problems. Typically, they go three weeks back and forth over email and telephone before somebody jumps on a plane to "y down and #x something.!A systems integrator who produces a turnkey system should be giving clients one phone number to call in case of problems. Asking customers to maintain numbers for more than100 different suppliers!is not the best use of their time.

Running an integration company takes strong #nancial backing and running large projects needs cash "ow.!As an end user, you do not want your projects to be delayed because your systems integration partner has a cash "ow issue.

It’s important to be knowledgeable but it’s equally important to have a good solid experienced team of local solution architects and engineers. Wiring resource is crucial.!Today, we see a need for international experience coupled with local staff, who are willing to be trained to narrow the skills gap and to keep the experience in the market.

Project management, correct process and scope of works de#ned with customers at the start of projects are vital to the success of projects #nishing on time and on budget for both parties.!Looking at historical contracts, a lot of these documents are

missed or not adhered to resulting in delays and unexpected costs.

Sadly, customer training on various component parts within a system, cameras, switchers, routers etc seems to be done on PowerPoint instead of providing hands-on training.!As a systems integrator, I am in favour of people doing more total work"ow solution training.

In addition, to provide the best possible advice to an end user, a systems integrator needs to be independent of manufacturers. Only when this is the case can the end user be sure he is getting an unbiased opinion of his solutions.!This is also one of the core!values a true!systems integrator can promote to its customer base.

In the real world, to take on the challenge of becoming a real partner for the customer takes big investments both #scal and time wise, so I’d like to leave clients with one #nal thought. If there is a wish for the system integrator to be a natural partner for the end user and provide resources, knowledge, design, after sales and training, a tender or RFP should not be selected solely on price or surely, one is asking for trouble. PRO

Project management, correct process and scope of works de!ned with customers at the start of projects are vital to the success of projects !nishing on time and on budget for both parties

Paul Wallis is responsible for business development at Salam Media Cast

Systems integrators must go beyond box shifting, customers must look beyond price to performance

LET’S GO THERE.

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Call Miranda to learn more. In the production world, the clock is always ticking.

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