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."

AJA Video Systems is now shipping HDR Image Analyzer 12G, the powerful, real-time HDR and WCG monitoring and analysis platform featuring 12G-SDI connectivity. Developed in partnership with Colorfront, HDR Image Analyzer 12G supports up to 8K/UHD2 HDR monitoring and analysis for high raster content over 12G-SDI, with the simplicity of single-cable connectivity for higher bandwidth workflows.

JVC has announced new firmware for its range of CONNECTED CAM models – now shipping – including the handheld GY-HC500 and GY-HC550 4K camcorders and the GY-HC900 broadcast camcorder, available in ENG and studio configurations. The latest firmware upgrade (v0110 for the GY-HC500/550 and v3.0 for GY-HC900, available free to existing customers) lets the cameras record to both SSD and SD media in a wide variety of formats, including Apple ProRes 422 recording and backup mode recording to an SSD drive.

The GY-HC500 and GY-HC550 handheld models feature class-leading streaming and IP connectivity, with the new firmware delivering 10-bit Apple ProRes 422 50/60p recording in both 4K and HD to SSD. The update on all CONNECTED CAM models also enables HEVC/H.265 live streaming via the KA-EN200 streaming encoder; this adapter can be inserted directly into a slot on the GY-HC500, GY-HC550 and GY-HC900 camcorders, supporting up to 1920x1080 resolution and reducing network bandwidth by half compared to H.264. Other features added by the new firmware include support of SRT protocol and Network Time Protocol, plus integrated broadcast overlay graphics on JVC’s GY-HC900 broadcast camcorder.

Customers will be able to see the range of JVC CONNECTED CAM models at the KitPlus show in London at the end of this month. 

Blackmagic Design today announced that LA based event production company No Static AV (NSAV) used an Ultra HD live production workflow featuring URSA Broadcast cameras and ATEM switchers to deliver in house AV and IMAG for the annual Baby2Baby fundraising gala, which raises millions of dollars for the nonprofit and the children living in poverty that it serves.

Held at the 3Labs event space in Culver City, CA, the Baby2Baby gala brings together celebrities, entrepreneurs and philanthropists, and the evening hosts the top chefs in Los Angeles, an exclusive auction and inspiring program, all while honoring this year’s Giving Tree Award winner, Chrissy Teigen. Past honorees include Amy Adams, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Garner, Kerry Washington, Kate Hudson, Drew Barrymore and Jessica Alba.

With no shortage of AV deliverables, NSAV used its mobile production unit featuring a custom made flypack designed specifically with the Baby2Baby gala in mind. The unit relied on several Blackmagic Design products, including four URSA Broadcasts complete with URSA Studio Viewfinders, four Camera Fiber Converters and four Studio Fiber Converters for fiber connectivity between the cameras and switcher, an ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4K and ATEM 1 M/E Advanced Panel for live switching, and a Smart Videohub 20x20 router to distribute content throughout the venue. NSAV also used an ATEM Camera Control Panel for remote camera control and Teranex AV standards converter for on the fly conversions.

NSAV praised the image quality from the URSA Broadcasts and the ease of use of the live production gear. The URSA Broadcasts were used for IMAG and the content was also recorded in camera in 4K and in 1080 at the mobile production unit. Camera Fiber Converters and Studio Fiber Converters were necessary for fiber communication between the cameras and the switcher, giving the team real time control of all camera aspects, and the ATEM Camera Control Panel allowed NSAV to properly adjust color correction, shading and shutter speed during rehearsals and the live show.

Crystal Vision has released three IP gateways which work with ST 2110 video as well as ST 2022, increasing their usefulness in broadcast systems. IP inputs and outputs are individually selectable between ST 2022 and ST 2110, allowing use with both protocols at the same time if required. Designed for transporting uncompressed video over 10GbE IP networks, Crystal Vision's IP gateways are software apps that run on the MARBLE-V1 media processor hardware and offer an extensive set of features that make it easy to get and keep IP systems working.

SoundView Broadcasting, a global broadcast service provider, has invested in a PlayBox Neo multichannel playout system for its headquarters in the heart of New York City's TV and motion picture district.

"The new installation comprises latest-generation AirBox Channel-in-a-Box servers in content ingest, master playout and backup configurations," comments SoundView Broadcasting Director of Operations Sarmad Zafar. "They are straightforward to install, configure well and perform very reliably. We also have fast access to support from PlayBox Neo USA if needed. The PlayBox Neo user interface is very operator-friendly, easy to learn and displays exactly the information needed at each stage of the operation from ingest right through to transmission."

"We have provided three of our full size 3U servers for this project," adds PlayBox Neo US Director of Operations Van Duke. "Each is configured with AirBox Neo-19 playout software and TitleBox Neo-19 channel branding software. Servers 1 and 2 include ANSI/SCTE 35 insertion cue messaging. Servers 2 and 3 are additionally loaded with PlayBox Neo Multi-Backup Manager. Server 3 has been installed in an offsite disaster recovery facility."

Magewell has announced a versatile new conversion product that seamlessly brings together the worlds of IP-based streaming and baseband AV presentation equipment. The new Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI multi-protocol, SRT-compatible streaming media decoder will make its first public appearance in stand 8-G475 at the ISE 2020 exhibition in Amsterdam.

While earlier Pro Convert models transform professional AV signals to and from NewTek’s NDI® AV-over-IP technology, the new Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI decodes a standard H.264 (AVC) or H.265 (HEVC) compressed video stream into a high-quality HDMI output for connection to baseband monitors, projectors and switchers. Supporting a wide range of streaming protocols for maximum source compatibility, the low-latency decoder is ideal for applications including multi-site video distribution between corporate, educational and church campuses; remote production; surveillance monitoring; digital signage and more.

The Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI is Magewell’s first product to support the SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) open source protocol. Enabling secure, resilient, low-latency video delivery over unpredictable networks, SRT ensures high-quality streaming experiences even over the public internet. Magewell is a proud member of the SRT Alliance. Other supported protocols include RTSP, RTMP, UDP, RTP and HTTP streaming.

EditShare®, a technology leader that specializes in collaboration, security, and intelligent storage solutions for media creation and management, today announced that the leading A/V, broadcast, and post-production reseller and systems integrator Key Code Media has joined the EditShare Channel Partner Program. Unique to the industry, the EditShare Channel Partner Program enables top systems integrator and reseller Key Code Media to offer the full technology portfolio of media engineered shared storage and management tools, including OPEX and CAPEX models, on-premise, hybrid, and cloud configurations, across all markets and market tiers. The partnership expands the network of EditShare-certified technology sales agents and media workflow design experts and serves as the foundation for answering EditShare customers’ evolving needs for high-performance video production and distribution workflows and solutions.

Olympusat CEO Tom Mohler applauds PlayBox Neo’s completion of a large-scale playout system upgrade for Olympusat, a leading provider of broadcast media services. The project includes the enhancement of 26 servers to the latest-generation Version 19 Channel-in-a-Box Neo, TitleBoxNeo and SafeBox Neo.

"We invested in PlayBox Neo Channel-in-a-Box two years ago with an installation at our engineering center in Culver City, California, and we are very pleased with it," said Olympusat Operations Manager Michael Kohl. "Van Duke and his colleagues at PlayBox Neo worked closely with us during the original install to integrate our existing ad sales management tools. Upgrading to Neo-19 software makes our workflow even more efficient. The PlayBox Neo team has added extra engineering features including support for SCTE commands and N+M redundancy."

Olympusat CEO Tom Mohler congratulated both the Olympusat and Playbox teams for the seamless upgrade process: “I want to thank both sides for their teamwork and professionalism as we continue to deliver high quality content to our network audiences."

The final ISE exhibition in Amsterdam before the show’s move to Barcelona is shaping up to be a big one for video capture, conversion and streaming innovator Magewell. Exhibiting in stand 8-G475 from February 11 to 14, the company will feature the global debuts of new products alongside the first ISE showings of several recently unveiled solutions.

Making its world premiere at ISE 2020, the ultra-compact, power-efficient Eco Capture SDI 4K Plus M.2 card captures 4K video at 60 frames per second over a single-link, 12G-SDI interface for use with popular AV software applications. Four additional models in the Eco Capture family will also be shown, as well as the company’s popular Pro Capture series of PCIe cards and USB Capture line of external capture devices.

Magewell will also showcase the industry’s broadest range of low-latency NDI® hardware converters to help simplify the transition to AV over IP for both integrators and end users. The Pro Convert family now offers six NDI encoder models and two decoders, including the recently-released Pro Convert for NDI to HDMI decoder for transforming NDI streams into high-quality HDMI baseband outputs.