Day: Feb 12, 2019

New Cobalt Digital Image Processor Offers Simultaneous HDR/SDR Production

Posted on by contentntek in News, Production & Post Production, Products

Already installed in a select group of trucks and studio facilities, the dual-slot card provides an ideal hardware platform for Technicolor High Dynamic Range Intelligent Tone Management (ITM) software. This enables the use of current SDR infrastructure, reducing the need for new camera purchases and other capital expenditures to produce HDR footage.

The 9904-UDX-4K provides clean and accurate SDR-to-HDR and HDR-to-SDR conversion. Using the Technicolor conversion process (SL-HDR technology) generates a single layer video stream to distribute SDR with dynamic metadata, allowing for inverse conversion back to the original HDR. When a network service provider transmits the SDR feed, it will automatically deliver a full HDR experience to compatible TVs and set-top boxes.
For HD and 4K live sports, the 9904-UDX-4K allows production truck operators to seamlessly create SDR signals from HDR sources. Plus, legacy SDR sources such as cameras, servers, and graphics systems can be converted for HDR productions. As a result, the 9904-UDX-4K eliminates the need for sports productions to use separate SDR and HDR cameras and processing paths.

“Using existing HD and 4K equipment to deliver HDR content – instead of separate truck and camera crews – is a much more affordable way to produce live sports for multiple delivery platforms,” said Chris Shaw, Cobalt executive vice president of sales and marketing. “Cobalt’s 9904-UDX-4K, coupled with Technicolor’s technology, helps broadcasters keep operating expenses low and future-proof their equipment investment.”

Technicolor HDR ITM technology manages brighter lights and darker shadows to deliver sharper, more realistic images in real time. While it allows manual adjustments on the fly and the use of preset profiles, its dynamic adjustment capability enables an operator who may not be an HDR specialist to achieve outstanding results.

The 9904-UDX-4K offers diverse input choices, including 12G-SDI on every I/O and quad-link 4K, and includes frame synchronizer and scaling as standard features to allow for a wide range of output formats. It also converts a variety of signals for use in live production. Other features include audio embedding/de-embedding, options for full RGB color correction, and 3D-LUT that provide a 33 cube LUT for color mapping and grading.

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Call for Presentations Now Open for IP Showcase, 2019 NAB Show

Posted on by contentntek in Event

Industry partners, the Audio Engineering Society (AES), the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the Society of Motion Picture and Technology Engineers® (SMPTE®), and the Video Services Forum (VSF) — all co-sponsors of the IP Showcase at the 2019 NAB Show — today announced a call for presentations for the event. The IP Showcase is an education and demonstration pavilion at the NAB Show in Las Vegas that will highlight the benefits of and momentum behind the move to standards-based IP for real-time professional media applications. The submission deadline for speaking proposals is Feb. 25.

The presentation stage at the IP Showcase Theater has been visited by hundreds of attendees each day at past shows since 2016, often with standing-room-only crowds. With the growing interest in IP implementation by broadcasters worldwide, attendance is expected to be even greater this year. Presenting at the IP Showcase Theater provides an unmatched opportunity for companies to offer their unique viewpoint on IP video and audio for production, using SMPTE ST 2110 and AES67, and the latest developments in the AMWA NMOS technology stack.

End users, industry associations, solutions providers, and technology developers are all invited to share their knowledge and perspectives on how the developments in IP signal transport will impact the broadcast industry today and in the future — especially related to SMPTE ST 2110-10/20/21/30/31/40, AMWA IS-04/IS-05, and JT-NM TR-1001-1.

Speaking times are limited during the four-day exhibition, and companies are encouraged to act quickly and submit proposals early. The selection committee is looking for the following types of presentations:

  • Tutorial (basic, intermediate, advanced)
  • Case study
  • Panel discussion
  • Market/business case analysis
  • Point-of-view/advocacy
  • Standards progress/update

Preference will be given to presentations related to the following technology areas on the Joint Task Force on Networked Media (JT-NM) Roadmap:

  • AES67
  • SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards for Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks
  • AMWA NMOS specifications such as IS-04, IS-05, IS-07, and IS-08
  • Timing and synchronization using SMPTE ST 2059-1/2
  • JT-NM TR-1001-1 framework for installing, configuring, and interconnecting equipment

Broadcasters and end users are particularly encouraged to present their insight and experience related to deployments of the technology areas above. Systems integrators, service providers, and manufacturers are also encouraged to apply. Product marketing presentations are discouraged, as the theater is an opportunity to discuss advances in working with media using open IP-based technologies.

Other topics and technology areas will be considered. More details and the submission form are available at http://www.ipshowcase.org/call-for-presentations/.

The IP Showcase will take place at Booth C12534 in the Las Vegas Convention Center during the 2019 NAB Show, April 8-11.

Vinten and Sachtler Launch New Ground Spreader for flowtech Tripod; Asiaworks First to Deploy

Posted on by contentntek in News, Production & Post Production, Products

Vitec Group brands Vinten and Sachtler, creators of the revolutionary flowtech carbon-fibre tripod, today announced the launch of a new ground spreader for the flowtech75 and flowtech100 models. Especially valuable in electronic newsgathering (ENG) and electronic field production (EFP) applications, the fast-deploying spreader connects the three tripod legs at ground level for added stability on even terrain.

With sturdy but lightweight construction, the flowtech ground spreader can be instantly attached or removed. A unique foot control enables operators to change the tripod’s footprint without having to bend over; they simply step on one of the foot buttons to extend the spreader arms to the full radius. Since the spreader feet are removable, operators no longer have to carry a separate set of feet if they choose to use the tripod without the spreader for low-angle shots.

Camera operators with AsiaWorks, a leading independent media company with locations in Bangkok, Beijing, Singapore, and Jakarta, were the first in the world to have the opportunity to use the flowtech100 equipped with the new ground spreader. The team leveraged the gear during several events in late 2018 throughout Singapore, including the New Economic Forum, the Fintech Festival, and several ASEAN Foundation events.

“It’s obvious from the design of this tripod that Sachtler and Vinten understand the value of time when you’re working on set,” said Andrew Fisher, head of operations, AsiaWorks. “There are many features that save moments throughout the day — from the standout quick deploy legs to the newly designed ground spreaders — moments that add serious value to our productions. The new ground level spreaders are a great option for setting your camera up quickly to shoot from low angles and are easily operated with a simple foot press.”

 

“Not only is flowtech the world’s fastest-deploying tripod, but it’s also the most versatile,” said Tobias Keuthen, director, global product marketing management, Vitec Production Solutions. “With the launch of flowtech100, we introduced a detachable, carbon-fibre midlevel spreader that ensures fast and stable setup on uneven ground. This new ground spreader extends that stability to on-location shooting where the terrain is flat, giving videographers a solution for every type of shoot.”

The flowtech ground spreader weighs 800 grams (1.80 pounds) and features a built-up radius of 38-57cm (15-22.4 inches). The new ground spreader can be purchased individually or as part of a tripod and system package.

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