Day: May 20, 2019

Boston Bureau Productions Makes the Move to LTN Managed Network Solutions

Posted on by contentntek in Distribution & Delivery, News

LTN® Global has become the exclusive IP transmission provider for Boston Bureau Productions (BBP), which operates more than 40 studios across the United States. BBP relies on LTN Managed Network Solutions for reliable and cost-effective transport of video content to broadcast networks worldwide.

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“We moved away from our existing open internet hardware solutions to LTN Managed Network Solutions because LTN provides us with the monitoring, support, and quality that our customers demand,” said Sean Gately, CEO at Boston Bureau Productions.

Founded in 1998, BBP has a rich history in live news and sports production. In addition to producing telecasts for the NFL’s New England Patriots and the New England Revolution of the MLS, BBP contributes live remotes to networks and other newsgathering organizations around the world. These events are among the more than 200 live events managed by LTN every day.

BBP_BOS_Wide LTN

LTN’s 24/7 Network Operations Center provides support for over 2,000 global locations across the most reliable, multicast IP network. The company’s monitored and managed network seamlessly routes video traffic around congestion and corrects for jitter and packet-loss issues. With a latency of less than 300 milliseconds, LTN’s network is an ideal solution for live interviews.

“The mission-critical nature of live TV demands a reliable, fully managed, fixed low-latency network,” said Chris Myers, executive vice president of business development for LTN Global. “Through our managed network solutions, we provide Boston Bureau Productions with the monitoring and support necessary to make every live project a success.”

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Trans7 doubles-down on digital with Grabyo

Posted on by contentntek in News, OTT & Streaming media

Trans7 has partnered with Grabyo to evolve its social and digital video strategy and grow audience engagement beyond TV.

Trans7 is the home of news, entertainment and sports in Indonesia. It is the official broadcaster of MOTOGP (2006-present), FIFA World Cup 2018 under TRANSMEDIA and Indonesia Open (2008-2018). The country is firmly a mobile and social first market, with consumers spending more than 4hrs per day on mobile internet and 3hrs per day on social media.

Indonesia added 24m new social media users in 2018, the third highest increase globally, with a total of 130m Facebook users and 53m Instagram users. To meet the needs of this fast-growing, digitally-savvy audience, Trans7 will transform its social, mobile and OTT video strategy using Grabyo’s cloud-based video platform.

Capturing digital audiences in today’s market is more challenging than ever. Consumers expect to access high-quality content on any device, at any time. Broadcasters, rights holders and publishers must deliver tailored viewing experiences across all of the platforms where consumers spend their time.

Video engagement peaks when content is live and Trans7 will take advantage of Grabyo’s browser-based clipping tools to deliver real-time clips and live video in seconds. The broadcaster aims to unlock the value to being first to market with content using Grabyo’s rapid editing and distribution tools, reaching vast social audiences across Indonesia with quality content and driving content engagement and viewing for its linear broadcasts.

Elliot Renton, Head of APAC at Grabyo, comments: “Grabyo is excited to be working with Trans7 to support their strategy across social media. Using our suite of video production services in the cloud, Trans7 will be able to super-serve Indonesia audiences on all platforms. The huge engagement we have seen in the pilot phase is really encouraging as Trans7 grows its reach and further strengthens its position as a go-to destination for digital video content.”

 

Anita Wulandari, Marketing Public Relations Division Head of Trans7, adds: “We are committed to growing our digital offering in line with what our consumers expect and we’re delighted to team up with Grabyo. We believe in a cross-platform strategy, and we will deliver high-quality social media content and digital video services. Trans7 can lead the market with innovative ways to deliver new video experiences. Our audience is looking for content across a number of platforms and Grabyo presents the best possible solution for us to drive success through user engagement and future monetization opportunities”.

Grabyo’s browser-based tools will enable the Trans7 to clip, edit and publish videos from Trans7 directly to social media in seconds. Grabyo is fully integrated with all major social media platforms and enables video publishing to websites, mobile apps and OTT.

NFL Team Chooses VidOvation and ABonAir to Overhaul Its Stadium’s Wireless Camera Coverage

Posted on by contentntek in News, Production & Post Production

“Reliable and low-latency wireless is critical when sending live in-house video feeds to the big screen, yet it can be very difficult to achieve in a stadium filled with people. The ABonAir AB512 is the only system that not only succeeds but excels in this challenging application and environment,” said Jim Jachetta, executive vice president and chief technology officer at VidOvation. “The AB512 system feeds live, extremely low-latency video to the in-house production workflow — seven milliseconds instead of 30 to 90. The AB512 is a great choice for sports venues because it provides superior wireless performance and the industry’s best video quality at a significantly lower cost than comparable systems.”

In addition to holding regular NFL games, this stadium has hosted several NFL championships and other high-profile events to capacity crowds, making wireless camera coverage a challenge because potentially tens of thousands of people are also using the wireless network. The AB512 replaces the venue’s legacy wireless system, the high latency of which made camera control and production very difficult and sometimes caused glitches in the broadcast.

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ABonAir’s AB512™ Wireless Camera System

The AB512 system operates on the unlicensed 5-gigahertz RF band. The system continuously scans that spectrum looking for a channel with the best performance and will dynamically change channels without dropping a single bit. The system uses multiple ABonAir Fiber Coverage Extenders to support unwavering wireless RF coverage throughout the nearly 70,000-seat venue — on the field, in the stands, and more — over fiber-optic cable instead of bulky coax. Importantly, the transmission happens at an industry-low seven-millisecond delay instead of the 30- to 90-millisecond latency of other wireless systems. This low delay enables the team’s camera crews to transmit video directly from cameras to its media center or OB trucks wirelessly without interruption.

The wireless coverage can be easily expanded at any time for coverage outside the venue to capture tailgate and fan activity in and around the venue. The AB512 system can support up to 256 Fiber Coverage Extenders, providing a virtually unlimited coverage area.

The AB512 system also meets all the team’s other requirements for reliable, flexible wireless transmission: dynamic modulation, forward error correction, automatic re-requests, and adaptive variable bit rate built on a bidirectional wireless radio. Finally, the AB512 system integrates camera control, paint, and intercom with extremely low latency — something the legacy system could not do.

The one-of-a-kind ABonAir AB512 wireless video link reduces delay to a mere seven milliseconds for live event coverage, multicamera productions, and any other application in which latency of two to six frames or 30 to 90 milliseconds is unacceptable. Such low latency makes it possible to produce multicamera and live shows without worrying about lip sync problems caused by the lag or delays from the simultaneous operation of multiple cameras. The system features an RF spectrum analyzer that automatically selects and hops to the best RF channel without dropping a single bit, while modulation and bit rate adapt themselves based on RF link conditions. Users get long-range, high-performance, broadcast-grade transmission of live video at distances up to two miles.

The team’s new AB512 wireless camera system will be operating in time for the start of the next NFL season.

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MEDIAPRO strengthens its presence in Latin America with 7 new OB Units in Chile

Posted on by contentntek in News, Production & Post Production

MEDIAPRO takes another step to reinforce its presence in Latin America and incorporates 7 new Outside Broadcast (OB) units to its fleet to enhance coverage of all the events the group produces in Latin America.

MEDIAPRO has already made significant investment in OBs totaling 26 in Latin America to guarantee the very best quality in the retransmission of major events such as the veteran Viña del Mar International Song Festival, the Lollapalooza Festival or the Telethon, soccer championships like the national championship in Chile, the Copa Libertadores de America, the Copa Sudamericana and the qualifying stages for the World Cup. In total, the number of OB units owned by MEDIAPRO comes to 84.

The group will act as Host Broadcaster for the Pan American and Parapan American Games, which will be held in Lima from 26th July to 11th August and from 23rd August to 1st September, respectively. MEDIAPRO will produce more than 1,000 live hours, 17 highlights programs of 50′ each, a two-hour final highlights program and hundreds of other highlights programs. This is the largest production in Peru’s history and will also be the first time the games will be produced in 4K format.

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MEDIAPRO will allocate 14 OB units to these important sporting events and fly pack systems and about 300 cameras distributed in 22 competition venues. A team of more than 650 professionals will manage production and other complementary services like RHB booking for those who have acquired the rights to the event, the Olympic committees, sports federations and national and international media. This will be the first time that the same operator is in charge of all these services.

MEDIAPRO Chile, with a major deployment of 7 OB units equipped with HD technology, 3 link-up systems and 3 POV (point of view) camera systems, was awarded the tender to implement video assistant referee (VAR) system for the national championship for the 2020 and the 2021 seasons with a total of 240 matches per year.

The MEDIAPRO group is involved in the production of 16 national soccer competitions around the world, including top-level leagues, in Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Kenya, Angola, Slovenia, Serbia, Colombia, Bolivia and Mexico. The MEDIAPRO group teams produce events for the UEFA champions League, FIFA Confederations Cup, FIBA, Euroleague, FIFA World Cup, Arab games, African Cup of Nations and Formula 1. With its fleet of OB units, the Group delivers more than 6,000 productions a year worldwide.

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SMPTE Announces New Cover Art Contest for 2019 SMPTE Journal Progress Report

Posted on by contentntek in Event, News

SMPTE® is requesting creative submissions for the cover of the 2019 SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal “Progress Report” issue. The Progress Report issue provides an overview of the latest industry developments with a particular focus on Standards Community (SC) work. The winning design will be featured on the cover of the September issue of the Journal and showcased along with runner-up entries on the SMPTE website (smpte.org). The contest winner also will earn complimentary SMPTE membership for one year. The deadline for submissions is June 15.

“As part of our work to celebrate the industry’s technical evolution, we’re looking to highlight imaginative visual representations of progress across our industry — and the creative minds and talents of the people behind those images,” said SMPTE Education Vice President Sara Kudrle, who is also product marketing manager at Imagine Communications. “In other words, we’re excited about making a great Progress Report cover and recognizing industry colleagues for their creative talents.”

Dianne Purrier, managing editor of the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal, will join members of the Progress Report committee in curating entries and in selecting the winning cover art and runner-up submissions.

“SMPTE has undertaken a variety of initiatives to increase engagement and inclusion with the broader community of motion-imaging professionals, both creative and technical,” said Purrier. “This new cover art contest is just one way we’re working to showcase the talent and skill of industry professionals, and I’m eager to see the first submissions. For those who specialize in technical aspects of motion imaging, we also encourage submission of technical abstracts and papers to the Journal. We’re always looking for new and interesting perspectives on the technology driving the evolution of media and entertainment!”

The award-winning SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal offers readers a view into the technical world of motion-imaging science. Each issue covers a particular topic, and past issues have focused on themes such as file-based workflows, compression, 3D, audio, distribution formats, advances in lighting, sustainability, and digital cinema.

The benefits of submitting technical manuscripts include peer review, publication, the opportunity to take a deep dive into a specific topic, and inclusion in a respected, well-established award-winning journal known for thought leadership and timely perspectives on critical topics.

The Journal cover art design competition is open to SMPTE Members and nonmembers, students or industry professionals. By submitting a design, the creator grants SMPTE unlimited, worldwide, and perpetual royalty-free usage rights to that work. Entries must be original work, must respect any copyright or third-party rights, and must be accompanied by credits and sourcing links for any stock art or imagery incorporated into the final design. The design can incorporate type, photography, illustrations, and/or graphics. Interested individuals can find examples of previous Journal covers here along with image specifications and submission instructions.

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Eutelsat selects ground infrastructure providers for its KONNECT satellite programme

Posted on by contentntek in News, Satellite & Transmissions

With 75 Gbps of capacity, KONNECT is a new generation multi-beam satellite scheduled for launch at the end of this year. Once in service in 2020, the all-electric satellite will serve the broadband Internet market on a large scale throughout Western Europe and Africa.

General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies’ solution will provide seven 9-metre antennas to support traffic exchange between the satellite and its ground network system, ensuring a best in class performance and speed of deployment on a cost-efficient basis.

Eutelsat’s long-standing partner, Hughes, a world leader in satellite broadband networks and services, will provide its Jupiter platform for KONNECT’s ground network system, including baseband equipment and new generation user terminals.

Yohann Leroy, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technical Officer of Eutelsat, said: “Ground infrastructure was the last missing link in our KONNECT satellite programme and this has been bridged thanks to orders placed with Hughes Network Systems and General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies, two trusted partners and references in their respective fields. The satellite, which has just completed its construction and is currently starting its test phase, will thus benefit from high-performance ground and in-orbit infrastructure on a cost-efficient basis to deliver competitive services to our customers.”

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Interra Systems BroadcastAsia 2019 Show Exhibitor Preview

Posted on by contentntek in Event, News, OTT & Streaming media

Responding to the increase in OTT viewing, service providers are competing to deliver the best video and audio experiences.

At BroadcastAsia 2019, Interra Systems will demonstrate its cutting-edge content quality control (QC), monitoring, and classification solutions for the media industry. Interra Systems’ solutions can be deployed in the cloud, on premises, or a combination of both. Designed to simplify content management, improve efficiencies, and provide exceptional audio-video quality on every device, these solutions allow content creators and distributors to respond to the increase of video streaming through a pragmatic approach that is best suited for their organization.

End-to-End Video Quality Assurance for Streaming Media for Live and VOD Content

Interra Systems’ BATON ABR QC and ORION-OTT monitoring solutions set the industry benchmark for delivering high-quality streamed video. BATON ABR and ORION-OTT perform deep QC checks and monitor VOD and live content from ingest to distribution points. By carrying out exhaustive checks at pre- and post-transcode stages, along with comprehensive, delivery-specific checks and monitoring, this powerful solution assures exceptional QoE for every stream on every device.

Superior Monitoring for Live Event Streaming With ORION-OTT

As video streaming consumption continues to grow, OTT-specific monitoring solutions become even more critical. Interra Systems’ ORION-OTT can monitor a large number of streams for ABR compliance along with audio-video quality checks in real time. The high-performance solution suite also supports closed captions, ad verification/compliance, and DRMs on both Windows and Linux operating systems.

Centralized Monitoring With ORION Central Manager

Providing an aggregated view and status collected by ORION and ORION-OTT monitoring points, ORION Central Manager gives unprecedented visibility and power for proactive monitoring. It offers a real-time view of linear and OTT services, alerts, and QoE information for each video, ensuring fast and efficient resolution of issues.

When complemented by the company’s BATON for QC and ORION for 24/7 linear workflow monitoring, BATON ABR and ORION-OTT product suites provide broadcasters with a total solution for streaming superior quality services.

WINNOW, an AI and ML-based Solution for Classification and Categorization

Interra Systems’ innovative new WINNOW solution, which is powered by advanced AI and machine learning (ML) technologies, will be highlighted at BroadcastAsia. WINNOW can detect and tag specific scenes and images, such as violence and strong language, according to user-defined rules. Based on Interra Systems’ widely recognized computer vision and ML technologies, WINNOW helps video service providers streamline their content for target markets across different geographies. WINNOW can be used with Interra Systems’ BATON, an automated QC product, and supports deployment on both cloud and on-premises environments.

Automate and Simplify Any QC Workflow With BATON

The latest version of BATON supports integration with WINNOW, the company’s new system for content compliance, classification, and identification. New features include REST API support for test plans, tasks and reports, video compression scores, HDR quality checks, auto-scaling of BATON setup in Amazon cloud/on-premises, support for DRM techniques, and enhanced audio language detection capabilities. Additionally, it boasts new format support for VAST, P2 package, encrypted DCP content, AVC-Intra, WebM and Vorbis, and more.

Assure Standards Compliance, Debugging With VEGA Media Analyzers

Interra Systems’ VEGA Media Analyzer is a premier tool for standards compliance, debug, and in-depth analysis of encoded streams. Recent updates to the VEGA family AV1 format includes support for Windows 10, the latest HEVC HM reference code, HEVC-interlaced streams, VP9 streams (4:2:2, 4:4:4), PCAP streams, WebM, ALS Audio, Dolby AC-4 audio, and AVS Plus video. VEGA ABR software provides in-depth analysis, debug, and troubleshooting of complex ABR streams, making the solution an indispensable tool for checking the quality and integrity of manifest files and variants.

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