PlayBox Neo announces the completion of a new AirBox Channel-in-a-Box playout system for Plovdiv Orthodox TV (PPTV), commissioned by the Metropolis of Plovdiv. It includes a server running Neo-19 ingest, transcoding, titling, scheduling and transmission modules. The new installation augments and upgrades existing AirBox CIAB infrastructure commissioned when PPTV commenced broadcasting 10 years ago.

"This investment provides us with latest-generation software running on new dedicated hardware," says PPTV Technical Director Yuriy Todorov. "It includes many refinements which make our day to day channel management operations more efficient than ever. Particularly appreciated is the low-glare graphic user interface which our presentation colleagues find eye-friendly throughout the duration of a working shift."

"Also appreciated is Neo-19's very logical display structure which provides the information essential to each phase of the content sourcing, finessing and scheduling process without peripheral distractions. Supplementary information, if or when needed, is easily accessible from the main GUI.

"A great strength of Neo-19 is that it alerts the operator if any aspect of a prescheduled playout process still needs attention. The PlayBox Neo system also gives our staff the option of working with full automation while retaining the ability to insert live content whenever required."

FOR-A Corporation of America today announced PBS39/WLVTTV, part of Lehigh Valley Public Media based in Bethlehem, Penn., upgraded its control room last August with a FOR-A HVS-2000 HANABI video production switcher and ClassX broadcast graphics system. The new equipment has improved the on-air look of the station’s original programming as well as its live production workflows.

For example, the HVS-2000 can load and playback graphics from the ClassX, so the TD can access them during live productions. As a result, PBS39’s graphics designer does not have to be in the control room for “routine” productions. “When I saw how well the two integrated together, plus the price, it seemed like an obvious choice,” said Andrea Cummis, chief technology officer.

The ClassX also supports the use of RSS feeds for updating election results and other data in graphics, a feature that was not supported by the station’s older graphics system. Cummis said the system “worked great” for local primary election coverage last year, but she is looking forward to using the system to its full potential for Election Night in November.

Hebden Bridge, 18th February 2020 — Calrec has announced Graham Murray as Business Development Manager, effective immediately. Murray now represents Calrec in the Middle East. His goal is to further develop Calrec’s business in this territory and maintain its already strong presence. Murray has over 30 years of sales experience across the broadcast, studio and post-production industries in the UK and around the globe. 

Leader Europe has provided two LV7300 rasterizing waveform monitors to the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden. They were chosen as part of an extensive UHD/HDR upgrade carried out to the facilities used to relay stage performances for live viewing by cinema audiences in Europe and for distribution to other venues around the world.

"We needed instruments that would operate reliably in our current HD-SDR production environment and in the 4K-HDR standard to which we aspire," comments ROH Media broadcast engineer and production mixer Mark Thackeray. "The Royal Opera House in London has been broadcasting live to cinemas in 5.1 surround sound for 10 years. In any one season we transmit 12 or more productions."

"Our first 4K-HDR project was a documentary in 2017 for NHK. Leader lent us an LV5490 portable waveform monitor for that production as we needed the ability to capture, monitor and deliver Rec. 2020 wide color gamut video. The instrument functioned well both as an engineering reference and with its intuitive CINEZONE and CINELITE toolsets which are particularly useful during live production.

"For permanent installation, we decided on two LV7300 rasterizers which provide a full set of 12G/3G/HD/SD-SDI measurement facilities that our production staff can view on a larger display screen. The instruments are useful both to ensure accurate color matching of camera channels and for ensuring that we are delivering the best possible signal quality right through the production chain."

Ikegami representatives head to the Dubai World Trade Centre in March for CABSAT 2020, the largest broadcast media show in the Middle East region. The exhibition together with its supporting conference and workshop will be held from March 31st through April 2nd. Highlights of the Ikegami exhibit on stand C4-20 will be the UHL-43 compact HDR camera which was shown in prototype at CABSAT 2019 and is now fully deliverable, the UHK-430 system camera with IP interface and the HQLM-3125X master grade video monitor.

The Ikegami UHL-43 is a compact HDR camera designed for applications such as robotic studios, outside broadcasting of live events, parliamentary television and point-of-view image capture.

Ikegami's UHK-430 is a 4K-native studio camera system with simultaneous HDR/SDR processing. Its three 2/3 inch CMOS sensors provide full 3840 x 2160 UHD resolution plus the depth of field needed for studio and outdoor production. The camera is equipped with a B4 bayonet mount compatible with 2/3 inch UHD and HD lenses. An optional SE-U430 expander accommodates large studio or OB lenses.

Ikegami's recently introduced HQLM-3125X is a 31 inch 4K-UHD master-grade monitor with 4,096 × 2,160 pixel 10-bit resolution and high brightness (1,000 candela per square metre).

Sinclair Broadcast Group, one of the largest television broadcast companies in America, is deploying Marquis Broadcast’s Analysis Parking software with a new enterprise monitoring dashboard for its many facilities across the United States. During its expansion, Sinclair Broadcast Group has always focused on optimising best practices for its news technology and operations. Part of this focus was to streamline and simplify the management and monitoring of multiple Avid NEXIS^® systems, helping users manage Avid projects and valuable storage space more efficiently.

Sinclair Broadcast initially deployed Marquis Broadcast’s Analysis Parking in three major sites. The software understands the relationships between Avid projects, folders, bins and media, and runs automated Avid NEXIS analytics and visualization processes, enabling each station to maximise the use of space on their Avid NEXIS storage systems.

Paul Spinelli, director of engineering at Sinclair Broadcast Group, explains: “As a group, we’re continually evaluating new technologies that can realise further operational benefits and efficiencies. Our goal is to standardise technologies and workflows across all our Avid news operations, which now total over 60 sites. The new systems enable the recovery of large amounts of blocked-out – but usable – space and offers detailed enterprise-wide analytics on our Avid storage.”

VUALTO, an expert in cloud-based OTT video delivery and orchestration, has partnered with ATEME, a leader in video delivery solutions for broadcast, cable, DTH, IPTV and OTT, for automated encoder integration within the VUALTO CONTROL HUB (VCH) video orchestration tool, which allows for multiple origins and encoders to be integrated seamlessly. The VCH is vendor agnostic and interoperable with a host of technology partners.

The VCH now has full integration for ATEME’s TITAN Live and TITAN Mux encoding solutions, providing integration with the TITAN Live API to automate live event streaming workflows, the ability to set specific inputs and outputs dynamically using the VCH channel configuration, provides support for redundant setups and has capabilities for on-premise and in cloud.

The automated integration with VCH makes streaming easier, removing the requirement for manual configuration and risk of error, which can be a particularly cumbersome process when using a redundant setup. The addition of ATEME’s TITAN solutions has also facilitated an extension of the VCH plugin set.

Combining the two technologies provides broadcasters with a premium quality streaming service, which is flexible, agile and entirely suited to their business model and end goals.

Calrec’s Type R for TV is a new virtual mixing console with its design allowing customers to take advantage of these new workflows. It’s flexible and integrated native IP core gives customers a way to benefit from virtual working practices by integrating with station automation systems. Type R for TV is driven by station automation and is compatible with popular station automation systems including Ross Overdrive, Sony ELC and Grass Valley Ignite. Type R is the best of both worlds – it provides fully automated programming with real-time adjustment of unpredictable external factors via a standard web browser. Type R’s small, adaptable and highly portable hardware elements can be easily added if desired.Powered by standard POE switches, Type R has three different panel options. If broadcasters prefer a physical surface then banks of 6 x faders can be added, or adaptable soft panels like Calrec’s Large Soft Panel (LSP) and Small Soft Panel (SSP) can be used.

VP2 virtualized mixing system

Calrec’s VP2 virtualized mixing system has no physical control surface and utilisesCalrec’s Assist software for setup and control. VP2’s 4U core comes in three DSP sizes; 128, 180 and 240 input channels, and incorporates Calrec’s powerful Hydra2 networking solution. As with all Hydra2 products this can be controlled by a station automation system.

VP2 enables a station to reap many of the benefits of using a Calrec console, but without a physical control surface. Calrec’s Assist UI can be accessed from multiple locations via a web-browser. Control can be limited to basic functions or full control can be awarded to delve deeper to fine tune the setup or recall different shows as needed.

Riot Games’ 2019 League of Legends World Championship final in Paris relied on Calrec’s RP1 remote production technology for the English language feed for viewers in North America, Europe and Oceania.

Dave Talavera, Audio Engineer with Riot Games, said, “When it came to building our new European facility in Berlin two years ago, we knew, given our experience with remote production, that was the path that we wanted to continue down. Calrec was the only company that had come up with a remote production solution for IFB and they are still very much at the forefront of this. This was essential for the remote production of the English language feed for the final in Paris.”

Media Links®, manufacturer and pioneer in Media over IP transport technology, announces the appointment of Andrew (Andy) Armstrong to the newly created position of Vice President of Sales, North American Cable Markets.

Andy has a comprehensive understanding of the media workflows and business needs across the North American cable / MSO industry. In this new role, Andy will establish new revenue opportunities for Media Links through his thorough understanding of the challenges that cable service providers face.

Al Nuñez, Media Links Senior Vice President of Sales for Americas & EMEA comments: “We welcome Andy to the Media Links sales management team. Andy’s extensive experience in cable television spans more than 25 years, and his highly regarded reputation and technology expertise will be valuable as the company expands to serve the ever important cable sector.”