5 March 2009
Wohler Technologies Inc., today announced that Tata Sky, a joint venture between the TATA Group and STAR, is using a range of Wohler monitoring systems to support direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television service that delivers 170 channels to more than three million connections across India. As Tata Sky, the fastest growing DTH provider in India, expands its channel offering, the company’s Wohler gear provides mission-critical monitoring for uplink, downlink, master control, and transmission areas.
Tata Sky’s New Delhi facility includes eight AMP1-S8SDA eight-channel multiformat audio monitors; four AMP1-VS, one AMP1A-LP, and nine AMP1A two-channel stereo audio monitors; four AMP1A-LP10S monitors capable of handling up to 10 stereo analog inputs; and two LM26-24 24-channel level meters. All of these Wohler systems provide convenient functionality in a compact design. The AMP1-S8SDA, for example, offers exceptionally high-quality audio monitoring, processing and monitoring up to eight channels from an SDI bit stream, two sets of four AES/EBU signal pairs (balanced and unbalanced), or eight balanced analog channels all while occupying just one rack space in a standard 19-inch wide rack.
“With its commitment to providing DTH services that offer superior-quality pictures and audio, Tata Sky sets a high standard for India’s television industry,” said Carl J. Dempsey, Wohler’s president and CEO. “Our monitoring systems offer ease of use, reliability, and convenience even in complex multichannel facilities, and we anticipate a continued rise in adoption of Wohler monitoring gear in India as this exciting market continues to grow.”
5 March 2009
Radio Netherlands Worldwide is focussing on the crisis in Zimbabwe this week. On Friday March 6 the English service will produce a special edition of its current affairs programme Newsline. For this broadcast, RNW is working closely together with the independent Zimbabwean radio station Voice of the People.
The special broadcast will be carried in full and transmitted live on short wave by Voice of the People. The station has around one million listeners in Zimbabwe. This is the first time journalists from RNW and VoP have worked together so closely on programme content.
Listeners can send in questions to put to the guests during the Newsline special on Friday. The programme will also contain an interview with President Mugabes former finance minister, Simba Makoni. Apart from Africa, the programme will available on short wave and satellite in other English-speaking parts of the world as well as on our website www.radionetherlands.nl
Radio Netherlands Worldwide provides independent news in countries with little or no press freedom. Working together with local partners, RNW can bring the news closer to the people and help provide them with more diversified news coverage. You can find more information about the broadcast schedule and our broadcasts on www.radionetherlands.nl
3 March 2009
GlobeCast has today announced that its African DTH platform has successfully started transmissions on SES ASTRAs Astra 4A (Sirius 4) satellite. African broadcaster VoxAfrica is one of the first channels to sign up for the new platform which provides sub-Saharan Africas widest and most powerful coverage.
VoxAfrica called on GlobeCast to provide capacity and distribution its programming to Africa. The new platform on Astra 4A, located at 5° East is the first Ku-band DTH platform with coverage over sub-Saharan Africa, providing broadcasters with the opportunity to reach households across the continent.
GlobeCast has contracted one transponder on the satellite that facilitates uplink from Europe and is compliant to distribute services to IPTV or terrestrial network headends. The new platform, which is an alternative to the pay TV bouquets in sub-Saharan Africa, responds to a strong demand for free-to-air Ku-band coverage of this crucial region. Several African broadcasters are already in contact with GlobeCast to secure positions in this coveted space to secure positions in this coveted space and extend their audience to 56 African countries.
2 March 2009
Quantel today announced that its eQ and Pablo HD online finishing and color correction systems running the new V4.1 software will be able to carry out conforming, editing, effects, color correction and deliverables production on 2K (2048×1024) RED projects. This means that, for the first time, the acclaimed Quantel RED workflow is now available for finishing 2K projects in a cost-effective online environment.
eQ and Pablo HD are in wide use with post houses and broadcasters around the world finishing everything from commercials and promotions to longform dramas and budget-sensitive movies.
Weve been talking to many RED users who want to finish at 2K but up to now felt that Quantel quality was out of their reach, said Mark Horton, Quantel Strategic Marketing Manager. Now, the same toolsets that are used on Oscar-winning movies can be applied to finishing a broad range of RED-shot high resolution projects, whether digital intermediate, longform or commercials. And of course it means sparkling results that do full justice to the quality of the originally shot material, all with an online workflow that is second to none for speed and efficiency.
V4.1 software will be released in April 2009, and will be a free of charge upgrade for V4 users. RED 2K support requires appropriate hardware.
2 March 2009
SPE Networks Asia (SPENA), GlobeCast and MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd (MEASAT) announced today the signing of an agreement to distribute the AXN HD channel in the Asia-Pacific Region, starting with the Korean market from 1 March 2009.
GlobeCast will pick up the AXN HD channel feed from SPENAs facilities in Singapore directly to GlobeCasts Parkview Square facility. GlobeCast will then deliver the signal via its RIBU fibre network to GlobeCasts Hong Kong teleport for uplink to MEASAT-3s platform and transmission to the Korean audience, initially via MPEG-4/DVB-S and subsequently moving to MPEG-4/DVB-S2.
AXN HD, first launched in Spain in late 2008, delivers 24 hours a day of action TV series, movies, adventure, reality and lifestyle sports programmes. The award-winning shows in the high definition programming line-up includes CSI, Contender Asia and Numbers.
GlobeCasts recent HD deals with MEASAT include The History Channel HD and National Geographic Channel HD, amidst its wide pool of SD channels. GlobeCasts presence in Hong Kong and partnership with MEASAT in particular provides a premium content delivery solution and wide reach to international HD channels seeking to launch their channel to Asian audiences. In addition, GlobeCasts Singapore playout facility allows regional channels to launch a new feed or to expand regionally, and localise their channel.
2 March 2009
STATS and Vizrt will team to provide live, in-booth demonstrations re-creating their breakthrough holographic effect technology for attendees at the 2009 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nev., April 20-23.
STATS (Booth SL5011) and Vizrt (Booth SL5508) are exhibiting from neighboring locations at NAB. Demonstrations of the holographic effect will take place multiple times per day during the conference and can also be scheduled by appointment. CNN debuted this technology to great fanfare during its 2008 presidential election coverage.
The holographic effect proved very effective in drawing viewers to CNNs election night coverage, with an estimated 13 million viewers tuning in. It made remote interviews possible during the Nov. 4 broadcast between CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer and CNN correspondent Jessica Yellin. The technology was used again for a subsequent interview between CNNs Anderson Cooper and musician will.i.am later in the evening.
The holographic effect is a landmark technology in live broadcast that will redefine the remote interview for years to come. The end result creates the realistic appearance of an intimate face to face exchange. The transmission is seamless, provides high optical quality, and eliminates the traditional split-screen view and production sequences of typical remote interviews.
This innovative video treatment is comprised of STATS video processing and tracking technology, along with Vizrts real-time tracking and rendering software. The impression of the holographic interview is completed in fractions of a second to allow a live broadcast.
This is a breakthrough product with expansive capabilities in news, sports and entertainment, said Brian Kopp, STATS Vice President of Strategic Planning. Virtual studios can be setup in major bureaus, allowing for interactive interviews across a national network. Specific uses include news broadcast, award shows, talk shows, film promotion and premiers, and a variety of sporting events.
The impact of the use of this technology is far reaching, added Bjarne Berg, CEO for Vizrt. “Weve shown that broadcasters are limited only by their creativity. Multi-participant interviews are possible, changing the scale of the hologram subject or using the image in post-production to create intriguing promos. We are excited to be able to demonstrate it and show broadcasters how they can use it to their advantage. “
At the time of CNNs 2008 election coverage, SportVU was Vizrts partner in creating the CNN holographic effect. Last December, SportVU was acquired by STATS LLC. All of SportVUs key principals continue in innovative capacities with STATS, including Managing Director Shimon Katzubes.
