23 February 2009
Vizrt, a leading provider of real-time graphics and integrated video workflow solutions for the media industry, will introduce Viz Video Hub version 1.2.1 at the 2009 NAB Show, Booth SL5508, from April 18-23 in Las Vegas, Nev. As a scalable, upgradeable solution for IT-based production and archiving, Viz Video Hub is currently in operation at several of the worlds leading broadcast, sports and media companies.
Enhanced capabilities within version 1.2.1 give Vizrts Video Hub plug-and-play media asset management (MAM) system an extended support for archive functionality through a Tape Robot feature. The Tape Robot support enables broadcasters to archive video assets directly within Viz Video Hub. The functionality includes capabilities for ingest and playout, transcoding, browsing, craft editing, and more on a smaller scale.
With these additional capabilities, Viz Video Hub can serve as a pivotal component anchoring the entire Vizrt workflow, spanning newsrooms, editing stations, channel branding, control rooms, and every production task from ingest to playout, said Petter Ole Jakobsen, Chief Technology Officer of Vizrt.
With its new support for Viz Link workflow, Viz Video Hub 1.2 allows graphics solutions, including the Viz Trio HD/SD CG graphics engine, Viz Content Pilot for real-time template-based graphics creation, and Viz Multichannel for channel branding, to search for video clips on the MAM storage, retrieve and edit them, and add them to graphics and templates. (Viz Video Hub also stores and manages associated metadata using the Dublin Core standard.)
The Viz Link support enables video assets contained in the Viz Video Hub to be quickly and easily retrieved and repurposed by Vizrt graphics solutions such as Viz Content Pilot, Viz Multichannel and Viz Trio. Additionally, the video assets of Viz Video Hub can be directly accessed from within the Escenic Content Studio software for managing and publishing media content to web, mobile, and other new media distribution platforms. Viz Video Hub 1.2.1 helps media organizations maximize the value of their media assets by making them accessible throughout the organization.
Viz Video Hub 1.2.1 is directly tied to Viz Ingest Manager, a control interface for automating the recording of live feeds, as well as Viz Capture from tape, and ensures that these systems automatically update content onto multiple Viz Video Engine video servers. Based on the schedule in the user interface, Viz Ingest Manager will control video servers to record the material indicated in the schedule. The base license comes with support for eight concurrent ingest feeds.
Video Hub 1.2.1 increases support beyond 80 concurrent clients and a greater number of Viz EasyCut licenses. Ideal for newsrooms, Viz EasyCut is a nonlinear, timeline-based editing tool, bundled with Video Hub, that can access Video Hubs assets so they can be edited into new clips.
With the integration of Viz Video Hub 1.2.1 and Viz Escenic Content Studio, web journalists can now search and add video content stored within the Viz Video Hub to their online news stories directly from the Escenic Content Studio interface. File transfer and conversion are handled as background processes.
Vizrt will also preview Viz Video Hub 2.0, which features a new control interface for transcoding and streaming service as well as a whole new user interface experience. Viz Video Hub 2.0 will also support tighter integration with Escenic Content Studio 5. The integration will allow automatic updating of the Escenic software with all of the assets from the Viz Video Hub.
23 February 2009
The Associated Press has appointed Henrik Eklund as Director of Digital Partnerships and Distribution in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Eklund is formerly CEO at Kamera, one of the world’s leading mobile and online distributors.
“Henrik brings to AP great experience in the digital and mobile marketplace and will lead our rapid business growth in these two critical areas,” said London-based AP Vice President of Sales-International Daisy Veerasingham, who announced Eklund’s appointment to the new position.
Eklund, based in Stockholm, will focus on opportunities in digital and mobile distribution to grow AP’s digital business in the region.
In his role as CEO at Kamera, Eklund developed a highly successful global business in more than 25 countries. The company packaged and delivered multiplatform TV for Web sites and mobile operators. Prior to Kamera, Eklund founded PAN Interactive, one of the leading game publishers and distributors in Europe and was previously a management consultant, specializing in business process re-engineering.
Eklund holds a degree in business administration from Gothenburg University in Sweden.
23 February 2009
GlobeCast will be announcing the launch of its new African DTH satellite platform, along with other recent expansions in terms of coverage and services, at the first Satellite MENA in Dubai next month. At stand C3-21, the content management and delivery company will also be highlighting recent developments in its global distribution and contribution services for broadcast.
Also being highlighted at Satellite MENA is GlobeCasts recent acquisition of NETIA, a specialist in content management software. An animation on the GlobeCast stand will allow the visitor to see the creation of a channel from contribution all the way through to playout and distribution, including information on NETIAs software and how it facilitates this process.
With local offices on five continents and a global satellite and fibre distribution network, GlobeCast offers tailor-made solutions for specific broadcast requirements. Hundreds of channels are entrusted to GlobeCast every year, among them long-term partners in the Middle-East such as Arabsat and ASBU for worldwide distribution of an Arabic programs bouquet, Al Jazeera International, Abu Dhabi TV and many others.
23 February 2009
Wohler Technologies Inc. today announced the appointment of Jeff McNall as manager of national sales and market development. In his new position with Wohler, McNall will liaise with the company’s engineering and sales teams and work along with its customers to develop specific solutions to their needs, not just in the broadcast realm, but also in the broad range of markets looking to take greater advantage of smart media technologies.
“Over an impressive career to date, Jeff has worked with many of the industry’s leading companies, helping to identify and address both their technical and practical needs,” said Kim Templeman-Holmes, VP of global sales and marketing at Wohler. “As we expand our sales and product development efforts, Jeff’s skill in guiding delivery of the right solutions to the right clients from concept through to product will be key to our continued growth. We are confident that his experience in sales, marketing, technical operations, and product development will further our tradition of providing solid audio and video monitoring solutions.”
Prior to joining Wohler, McNall spent 25 years in the broadcast television industry. His responsibilities included marketing activities for remote monitoring solutions with Sony® Electronics, operations at major market television stations, engineering in live sports production, and technical operations coordination for the Olympics. His most recent work was with Dolby®, where he successfully launched Dolby 3D into more than 500 movie theatres around the world. McNall graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in radio and television.
“Wohler has a long history of getting feet on the ground and figuring out how to provide clients with the tools and functionality they need,” said McNall. “The company builds solid products with great technology, and I look forward to bringing their value not only to users in the broadcast realm, but also in other sectors as we extend awareness and adoption in corporate, worship, government, entertainment, and other facilities.”
While the appointment of McNall further strengthens the company’s sales and market development efforts, two new R&D appointments enhance Wohler’s ability to design and deliver convenient and cost-effective monitoring solutions to its clients. Andrew Hutton has joined the company as FPGA hardware designer and will work primarily on hardware and firmware design. Heading up the TSG (Technical Services Group) department Mark Handa will serve as the liaison between Wohler’s engineering/manufacturing departments and customer service.
23 February 2009
At NAB 2009 German S4M Solutions for Media will showcase its integrated broadcast management systems as well as software solutions for the professional management of digital video assets. S4M presents the latest member of its product family: ClipJOCKEY a studio production tool tailored to the needs of TV broadcasters and production companies.
ClipJOCKEY supports the daily processes carried out in control rooms. At the same time, it enables migration into a file-based environment. The tool corresponds to a scope of features that amongst many others is provided by VPMS, S4Ms video production management system. The difference: As a stand-alone solution ClipJOCKEY focuses on core workflows in control rooms and covers the special needs of TV broadcasters and (post)production companies regarding ingest and playout functionalities. For instance, MOS-enabled news formats can be carried out tapeless. Likewise, the pre-production of magazines may be accomplished without tapes. Especially to that end, S4M has developed the add-on mode allowing the same comfort that hitherto was only possible in a tape-based context. In doing so, a multi-channel link feature supports key-fill applications and multi camera productions.
As a partner at the Microsoft stand Cologne-based S4M also showcases Dynamics Media, an all-in-one broadcast management system based on Microsofts business management solution Microsoft Dynamics AX®. Dynamics Media is a ready-to-deploy system that consists of two modules: Dynamics AdSales concentrates on air time sales tasks and traffic management, whereas Dynamics Broadcast enables licence, material and asset management, as well as program planning.
At a joint booth with Annova Systems, Solutions for Media also presents other fully installed enterprise solutions managing individual stations, station groups, and networks: licence and rights management (S4Rights), program planning and scheduling (S4Schedule), traffic, adsales and optimisation (S4AdSales) and video content management (VPMS). Moreover, S4M and Annova demonstrate Annovas enterprise newsroom solution OpenMedia and S4Ms VPMS in action in one single workflow.
17 February 2009
WRN, the London-based TV and radio transmission company, has appointed a new managing director to lead the company.
David Treadway, WRN’s Business Manager, takes over as MD succeeding Tim Ashburner, one of the company’s founders.
Treadway has worked extensively in radio and in cable TV, as well as in finance at investment house 3i.
