The leader in intelligent storage solutions, GB Labs, has announced a development partnership with ATTO Technology, Inc., a global leader of network, storage connectivity and infrastructure solutions, and has qualified ATTO 360™ Tuning, Monitoring, and Analytics Software with GB Labs CORE.4 operating system.

A network built with ATTO FastFrame™ Ethernet adapters and ThunderLink® Thunderbolt™ adapters can be optimised to perform far better than what’s commonly expected of Ethernet networks. ATTO 360 Tuning, Monitoring, and Analytics Software helps users easily and quickly tune networks to achieve maximum performance.

GB Labs CEO-CTO Dominic Harland said, “Any storage system can only be as good as the quality of the connection it has to creative workstations or processing platforms. This is especially true of our high-end Space and FastNAS platforms, which are so powerful and intuitive that they can actually be let down by a substandard link to the workstations they are there to drive.”

North Carolina (NC) State University has transformed its live course production capabilities with a networked video infrastructure, based on the SMPTE ST 2110 standard for connectivity, around its campuses in Raleigh, N.C. Technology from Imagine Communications is at the heart of NC State DELTA (Distance Education and Learning Technology Applications) providing a quantum leap in capacity and operational efficiency.

DELTA already had dedicated fiber runs linking their centralized operations center located in Ricks Hall Annex with six other buildings on the main campus and two additional buildings located up to 10.5 kilometers (6.5 miles) away on their Centennial Campus. Fiber links were being used simply as single-mode, point-to-point connections, providing the capacity for just four video signals per classroom transmitted back to the operations center. In addition to replacing systems that were beyond end of life, it was important to DELTA to provide much greater capacity if it was to meet its commitment to the wider university community for high-quality educational media supporting distance learning in an efficient, effective and service-oriented environment. For the year 2018-2019, this included more than 130 live courses and greater than 7,000 hours of classroom recordings, to support almost 50,000 students enrolled in online and distance learning courses.

The new system uses just 16 fibers to provide extensive networked capability, leaving 20 strands from the original installation free for future expansion. By taking a networked IP approach, the new system gave the DELTA team the capability of 32 x 32 HD signals from each remote building. This is achieved thanks to bidirectional 100 gigabit ethernet capacity across the fiber network.

12th Man Productions, the sports broadcast and post facility for Texas A&M University, has moved to IP connectivity to provide a common production platform for all its sports venues. A cornerstone of the new installation is the Selenio™ Network Processor (SNP) from Imagine Communications.

The A&M campus in College Station, Texas, incorporates seven sports venues, spread across the site, which host as many as 110 events a year. As well as offering broadcast outputs from any event at any location, 12th Man Productions also provides in-stadium big screen entertainment and information. The football stadium, Kyle Field, was rebuilt in 2014, and as part of that project, a central studio was planned.

Today, fiber circuits connect every field back to the Kyle Field stadium, allowing resources to be allocated to any venue dynamically. Four control rooms allow two venues to broadcast live, while also producing big screen shows at two more venues. This calls for a large number of feeds in each direction, supporting monitors, multiple digital signage networks and big screen replays, as well as feeds for home and visiting teams. There is also a need to provide for official replay facilities in many sports. All signals are handled as uncompressed HD, minimizing latency by eliminating the delays of compression math, and allowing for live remote production even when venues are 10 kilometers from the control room.

PSSI Global Services, the industry leader in live event management, transmission and connectivity solutions, has partnered with Telstra, in collaboration with R&S Consulting, to expand global media network connectivity.

Through this partnership, PSSI Global Services will utilize Telstra’s robust Global Media Network (GMN) to provide expanded connectivity throughout the world, including a critical point-of-presence at PSSI International Teleport (PIT), allowing even more transmission options for PSSI Global Services customers.

“With our customer-based approach, PSSI International Teleport is becoming a major point of connection for fiber networks across the globe,” said Bill Sciolla, vice president and general manager of PIT. “This partnership with Telstra helps position us as the leading hub for live worldwide broadcast distribution as we continue to expand our satellite, fiber and IP connectivity.”

To facilitate the partnership, PSSI Global Services and Telstra established redundant high-throughput services through PIT with full access to the GMN, including support for ASI, SDI and data connectivity. The redundant solution protocol includes two diverse routes for each transmission, assuring SLA level availability.

Dejero, an innovator in cloud-managed solutions that provide Emmy® award winning video transport and Internet connectivity while mobile or in remote locations, is providing various support options to broadcasters and to public safety bodies who need to create and deliver reliable, high-quality live content or communications during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

"This unprecedented situation has presented major challenges for both broadcasters striving to continue its live news reporting while staff adhere to government requirements, and for emergency teams striving to mobilize and respond quickly in times of great network stress,” said Bogdan Frusina, founder of Dejero.

"We commend the critical services that broadcasters and public safety organizations are providing to the public during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and as circumstances are constantly changing, we are doing everything we can to ensure that video and general-purpose connectivity needs are met, and we continue to provide the high-level of technical support that our customers expect, even with our transition to remote work for the vast majority of our employees.”

Dejero, an innovator in cloud-managed solutions that provides Emmy® award winning video transport and Internet connectivity while mobile or in remote locations, is returning to NAB with an exciting display of technologies that include enhancements to its renowned contribution, distribution, and connectivity solutions.

Shining a spotlight on the capabilities of their latest EnGo mobile transmitter, WayPoint receiver’s support of SMPTE ST 2110, the importance of first- and last-mile connectivity, and cloud-based content distribution, Dejero’s NAB booth is guaranteed to appeal to a wide spectrum of broadcasters and media organizations.

Second Emmy Award Win

In January 2020, it was announced that Dejero had been awarded a second prestigious Technology and Engineering Emmy® Award and will be honored as recipients at a ceremony taking place at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 19th, during NAB 2020. The award, in the category of Video over Bonded Cellular Internet (VoCIP) technology, recognizes Dejero’s innovation in the industry, and is attributed to the development of its patented Smart Blending Technology and unique Hybrid Encoding Technology. The technologies work in concert to form a tightly integrated system that responds in real-time to changes in network quality and video content complexity. This has helped transform how broadcasters contribute live content from the field using cellular networks, providing newsgathering crews with greater flexibility in terms of the location from where they can transmit a live shot, at a fraction of the cost of conventional uplink technology.

Last year, Dejero was awarded its first Technology and Engineering Emmy® Award for 'excellence in engineering creativity', honoring a decade of achievements in the field of live transmission driven by its vision of reliable connectivity anywhere.

New EnGo 260 mobile transmitter makes NAB debut

The latest version of Dejero's renowned EnGo mobile transmitter will be on display at NAB for the first time. Featuring Dejero's Emmy® Award-winning Smart Blending and Hybrid Encoding technologies, the 5G-ready EnGo 260 weighs 30% less than its predecessor, features a screen that is 85% larger, and now includes a 3-hour internal rechargeable battery and global modems for simplified international travel. Built with aircraft aluminum construction and polycarbonate ABS bumpers, the professional-grade EnGo is designed for durability to withstand on-the-go daily use by news, sports, and live production crews.

Compact CuePoint low-latency return video

At NAB, Dejero will be unveiling a new, smaller form-factor CuePoint server for use in field environments where it can be easily racked into mobile carts or vehicles. This follows the launch of the 1RU CuePoint 100 at last year's NAB. The low-latency return feed servers simplify talent cueing, production and confidence monitoring, and real-time teleprompting in the field. With as little as 250 milliseconds of latency, CuePoint servers keep teams at the broadcast facility and remote location synchronized, by sending video and audio, alongside teleprompting feeds, to production teams in the field to facilitate the creation of compelling live content. Up to eight return video and teleprompting feeds from the broadcast facility can be seen in the field by the talent on a tablet or dedicated monitor above or below the camera, or on multiple mobile devices by camera operators, field directors, and technicians.

WayPoint support for SMPTE ST 2110

The Dejero WayPoint 204 receiver makes the IP transition easier for broadcasters embracing the SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards. As the first Dejero product to support SMPTE ST 2110 standards for professional media industries, WayPoint 204 reconstructs video transported over multiple IP connections from Dejero transmitters, decodes HEVC or AVC, delivers four channels of balanced IFB, and provides four outputs supporting SMPTE ST 2110. For broadcasters using SDI workflows, Dejero will be debuting a new, smaller form-factor of the WayPoint at NAB for use in field environments, where it can be easily racked in mobile carts or vehicles.

New GateWay 200 series for reliable general-purpose connectivity in the field

A new fanless networking appliance for nomadic and mobile connectivity, Dejero GateWay 200 provides fast, reliable, and secure access to the public Internet, private networks, and SaaS providers while in nomadic or mobile situations. Recently added features include increased reliability on any type of IP connection and faster file transfer methods. Dejero will also show how the GateWay can be used for backup connectivity as part of a disaster recovery plan, and other use cases that solve first- and last-mile connectivity challenges of broadcasters and media organizations.

IronRoute for Media - cloud-based content distribution

The IronRoute for Media solution is tailored to the needs of broadcasters and media organizations by combining the link diversity, service quality, and centralized management benefits of software-defined blended connectivity, with the flexibility and scalability benefits of a cloud-based workflow for cost-effective global distribution over IP networks. IronRoute blends broadband and cellular (3G/4G/5G) alongside satellite connectivity from Intelsat’s global network. The cloud-based solution also simplifies the simultaneous distribution of live and file-based content to multiple locations anywhere in the world, whether it be network affiliates, station groups, or to other broadcasters and media organizations in point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and multipoint-to-multipoint scenarios.

To see these new developments and find out about more exciting announcements that will be made at the show, visit Dejero at booth C1307.

www.dejero.com

GB Labs, innovators of powerful and intelligent storage solutions for the media and entertainment industries, today announced that M for Media, an Abu Dhabi-based media production house that produces TV shows and adapts international formats for the GCC and MENA region, has installed GB Labs’ FastNAS shared storage system.

M for Media’s Andre Aouad said, “I first heard about GB Labs from the creator of MIMIQ for Avid systems, who forwarded some information that he thought would interest me.

“It did, particularly because, at the time, we had no existing storage and it was rapidly becoming a problem because of the volume of work we were taking in. You can’t keep running back and forth with arms full of hard disks. It’s unproductive, and it was beginning to show. However, GB Labs soon came up with the ideal solution.”

Supplied and installed by partner, MediaCast, the GB Labs FastNAS F-16 Nitro system installed at M for Media can be accessed by up to 10 users of Avid Media Composer, simultaneously if required.

As leaders in intelligent storage solutions, GB Labs recently introduced even more acceleration for FastNAS storage systems with the introduction of new 25 GbE connectivity.

GB Labs CEO-CTO Dominic Harland said, “Ultimately, the engine of the newly 25 GbE-enabled FastNAS is our powerful CORE.4 OS, an ultra-high-performance operating system that serves media files with intelligence layers that deliver high stability and unparalleled quality of service. We are delighted to have been referred to M for Media by acknowledged experts, which is further evidence of our growing reputation for excellence.”

According to Aouad, “Recognising that we needed to make a change, we had made numerous enquiries for recommendations for a shared storage system and felt that GB Labs offered the best value and highest performance ratio versus any other solution on the market. Once we had taken the decision, we were up and running with FastNAS very quickly and the benefits we expected were almost instantly felt.

“We have had a very positive experience with FastNAS and are already looking forward to working with GB Labs on future projects.”

FastNAS media production storage systems are available in a range of configurations, including FastNAS F-8 Nitro Studio; FastNAS F-8 Nitro; FastNAS F-16; FastNAS F.16 Nitro and FastNAS F-16 Nitro MAX.

For more information, visit www.gblabs.com

Imagine Communications has delivered core technology for a major refresh of an outside broadcast truck for NEP Belgium. As well as providing state-of-the-art and future-proofed solutions, a key part of the challenge was the very tight timescale allocated to complete the refurbishment. Imagine Communications was able to deliver on the tough timetable with the support of its Belgian dealer and partner, VP Media Solutions.

“Our Unit 14 still had many kilometres in it, but with a technology platform that was life-expired,” said Geert Thoelen, transitions manager at NEP Belgium. “We wanted a solution that would fit into the existing space, would give us all the functionality we need today, and be ready for the future, including increasing use of IP connectivity. And we could really only take the truck off the road for little more than a month earlier this year, so our partner had to be capable of moving swiftly to install and commission.”

Imagine Communications was able to comfortably meet the requirements. The new infrastructure is built around the Platinum™ IP3 router. In a single 15RU chassis, this router provides very high-density switching of today’s SDI-HD signals. It is also capable of seamlessly integrating uncompressed video over IP, so is ready to form the basis of a migration to IP connectivity — for example, to introduce Ultra HD signals. In Unit 14, the Platinum IP3 router is also fitted with the Platinum SX Pro multiviewer cards, adding functionality while reducing rack occupancy and power consumption.

Imagine’s Magellan™ SDN Orchestrator provides overall system control in the truck. It is specifically designed to provide unified operational interfaces in a hybrid environment, easing the transition between traditional, SDI-connected technology and software-defined, IP-connected architectures.

Black Box, an industry-leading provider of IT connectivity solutions, today announced that C.N. Rood and VP Media Solutions have joined its channel partner program. VP Media Solutions (Belgium and Luxembourg) and C.N. Rood (Benelux region) will offer their broadcast customers the complete Black Box high-performance KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) solution portfolio, including the award-winning Emerald™ Unified KVM extension and matrix switching platform, which allows users to access both physical and virtual machines.

"We are delighted to be partnering with two well-known and highly respected suppliers to the Benelux broadcast industry," commented Bertrand Favier, Benelux sales director for Black Box. "By working with C.N. Rood and VP Media Solutions, we gain a larger platform that augments the already established position of Black Box in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Working more closely with Black Box, they gain even greater technical and support resources in delivering solutions to customers in this region."

CueScript, the leading developer of professional prompting solutions, will bring the industry’s first patent-pending SMPTE 2110-enabled prompting monitor, the CSMV2, to Europe for the first time at IBC2019 on Stand 12.F41.

Gravity Media, the leading global provider of complex live broadcast facilities and production services, has agreed to acquire Chief Entertainment Pty Limited, a leading Sydney, Australia-based provider of live studio and production services, from Telstra Corporation Limited, Australia’s leading telecommunications and technology company. Gravity Media currently operates in Australia under the Gearhouse Broadcast, HyperActive Broadcast and Input Media brands and this acquisition will complement the existing Input Media production centres in the UK as well as its Melbourne production and Sydney post-production facilities. The transaction has not yet completed and is expected to complete by the end of August, subject to certain conditions being satisfied.