8 September 2006
Stand no 7.229, IBC, Amsterdam
Autocue, leading provider of newsroom automation and prompting solutions, is introducing a transformation to the world of prompting at this years IBC with the introduction of network-based architecture.
The company has taken a radical new approach to deliver this leap forwards in prompting versatility, reliability and usability. The QNxt system uses an IP architecture and comprises QMaster software on a PC, which communicates over an Ethernet link with a QBox unit co-located with the prompter. By providing a level of intelligence at the prompter a number of real world user benefits immediately open up. Prior to this innovation every prompting solution has relied on a single composite video source produced by a central PC leading to an inherent lack of flexibility and potential entire prompter system failure.
Kieran Smith, Autocue CEO, explains, The QNxt architecture is Autocues answer to longstanding customer demand for a versatile, robust and modern approach to prompting. By introducing a level of intelligence at the prompter, Autocue unleashes functionality in the field or studio previously only dreamed of. The benefits include: wireless operation, local presenter or remote operator control over any distance – and individual control of each prompter in a multi-prompter environment. This allows off-air presenters to scroll through the script individually while the on-air presenter continues. By also being light and portable, the QBox provides presenters with much greater flexibility in their interaction with the camera. Smith continues, With presenters able to self-operate and the ability to operate remote prompters from a central location, staff costs can be reduced. This, combined with the increased reliability and flexibility provided by the system, means the prompting world is set for real change.
QNxt comprises QBox and QMaster. QBox is the hardware component – approximately the size of a car radio that is located at the prompter and contains the script and local prompting applications. It communicates with the central control PC via an Ethernet link, allowing high-speed IP communication wired or wirelessly. This allows the camera and prompter to be untethered. QBox will work with any third-party on-camera unit too. QBox offers a range of connectivity options including IP, USB, IEEE1394, FireWire, Serial and Bluetooth.
A further element of the QNxt product line is QPro, a software-only prompting system. This is a limited-capability product that allows remote operation of a prompter but without the high level functionality of QBox.
This QNxt product line is incorporated within Autocues QSeries range. As a consequence, QSeries now includes the entire portfolio of Autocue software applications, ranging from prompting with QNxt through production and scripting with QNet, to newsroom products with QNews and QSmart. QSmart is an affordable newsroom system targeted at developing and small market stations, and was launched at NAB this year; IBC 2006 sees its European debut.
Imagine an outside broadcast scenario where the script is sent to a presenters mobile phone, they load the script via Bluetooth onto the QBox and then make final edits using the QBox script editing application, explains Smith, continuing, The cameraperson is using a shoulder-mounted ENG camera or DVCam with an 8 lightweight prompter and has the QBox attached to their belt, all running off their battery belt. The cameraperson is thus entirely unhindered and is free to get the best dynamic camera shot, while the presenter scrolls the script using the wireless hand control. This is just one of many exciting examples of the benefits of the QNxt technology in action.
Autocue has appointed Frank Hyman to the position of Sales and Marketing Director.
8 September 2006
35 Radio One stations on-air with Harris HD Radio transmitters
and/or multicasting solutions by the end of 2006
Harris Corporation’s Broadcast Communications Division today announced that Radio One, the nation’s seventh-largest radio broadcasting company, has exclusively purchased Harris transmitters for its third round of HD Radio(TM) conversions. Radio One will install Harris transmitters at 18 stations (17 FM and one AM) through the end of the year. All FM stations will receive
Z-Series(TM) transmitters with the Harris(R) FlexStar(R) family of HD
Radio(TM) products (HDI-100 Importers, HDE-100 Exporters and HDX-FM
exciters) for multicasting. Harris also will supply a DAX(TM) transmitter with its DEXSTAR(R) exciter for the AM installation, and will deliver FlexStar(R) products to three existing HD Radio installations to initiate multicasting.
Radio One was the first commercial radio broadcasting group to purchase HD Radio transmission equipment in 2003. Since then, the company has exclusively purchased Harris transmitters. A total of 35 Radio One stations will be on the air with Harris transmitters by the end of 2006. The incorporation of FlexStar(R) HDI-100 importers at certain stations will allow Radio One to launch supplementary channel programming alongside its main HD Radio channel program.
“Radio One’s early HD Radio experiments came at a time when only beta test sites existed for commercial HD Radio,” said John Mathews, vice president of engineering, Radio One. “My experience with Harris, which began with a training session at the company’s Quincy, Illinois facility, instilled the confidence that its HD Radio product research and development was ahead of its peers as far back as 2003. The consistent transmission performance and product support we have since received from Harris, coupled with its continued advancement of multicasting technology, have kept us firmly in the Harris camp for HD Radio.”
Most FM stations in Radio One’s second round of HD Radio conversions will install Harris(R) Z-Series(TM) solid-state transmitters, which feature the industry’s most successful FM amplifier design. Dallas station KSOC-FM will use the Harris proprietary Split-Level(TM) combining method, which sums the output from an existing analog FM transmitter and a common amplification FM-HD Radio transmitter. This increases combining efficiency, reduces existing FM transmitter power requirements and improves overall system efficiency.
“Radio One’s decision to exclusively install Harris transmitters for HD Radio shows enormous confidence in our ability to deliver technically superior transmission systems that also meet the business requirements of its HD Radio conversion plans,” said Debra Huttenburg, vice president and general manager of Harris Broadcast Division’s Radio Broadcast Systems business unit. “Radio One has been a true pioneer in delivering HD Radio to the public. We are pleased to have played an important role in its early HD Radio deployments and to continue to be an important factor in future conversions.”
8 September 2006
Swedens largest television broadcaster, TV4, has renewed its contract with ENPS, Associated Press electronic news production system, for another five years. The broadcaster, which started operating with this world-renowned newsroom technology in 2002, is now on track to mark a decade with ENPS in 2012.
TV4 is Swedens largest commercial channel, and made broadcast history in 1995 when it became the worlds first tapeless digital TV station. It has spearheaded interactive initiatives across the internet, teletext, digital text and mobile platforms.
The main installation in Stockholm now supports more than 300 reporters, writers, editors and producers using 300 workstations. TV4s largest department, News and Sports, uses ENPS to produce morning and evening programmes in addition to several daily bulletins. TV4 also offers the channels TV4 Plus, TV4 Film, TV4 Fakta and TV400. Tv4.se is one of Swedens largest media sites on the Internet.
Sweden has a reputation for innovation in technology, and we are thrilled that TV4 have chosen to extend their contract with us, said Eric Bowman, APs Director of International Business Development, Newsroom Systems.
ENPS has a firm hold in the Scandinavian market, and TV4 is a key client in a stable of broadcast organisations, all reliant upon ENPS for innovative, reliable, and scalable news technology.
As newsroom system of choice for Swedish Broadcasting Corporations SR, the national public-service broadcaster ENPS works at the heart of this impressive venture, connecting over 2000 journalists across 28 sites, to enable an integrated local, regional and national operation.
ENPS also has a long-standing partnership with Norwegian state broadcaster NRK. Norway’s largest broadcaster first installed ENPS in 1999, and now boasts an installation of more than 1800 workstations. It comprises 17 offices producing television and radio news and entertainment programming for regional stations and national networks all linked to the company’s main Oslo facility.
Other Nordic clients include Reykjavik-based 365 Media (Iceland), MTV Nyheter (Norway), TV2 Lorry (Denmark), TV2 East (Denmark), TV2 Nord (Denmark), TV Trøndelag (Norway), Luleå University of Technology (Sweden), Sjónvarp Føroya (Faroes-Denmark) and TV2 Bornholm (Denmark). TV 2 Bornholm recently marked its 3000th day using ENPS.
Visit ENPS on Stand 7.430 at IBC 2006 in the Amsterdam RAI
8 September 2006
Pharos Communications announces the opening of a new 36 square metre training facility at the company’s Reading headquarters. Equipped with six desks, three computer workstations and an overhead electronic projector, the resource will be used to instruct clients and staff in the operation of Pharos media management, process control and automation systems.
Patrick Keys, Pharos Communications’ Support, Training and Investigations Manager, comments: “The day-to-day operating routines for Pharos broadcast process control systems are inherently easy to learn and have become even more so with the latest versions of Mediator, Pilot and Playtime. We will continue our existing practice of training clients’ senior creatives who then share their experience with on-site colleagues. We have progressed a long way from the days when each process in the broadcast chain required a dedicated box of kit, another control panel to get your head round and another set of configuration presets. Pharos systems are tailor-made to match each client’s workflow far more precisely than was ever possible with off-the-shelf hardware. We haven’t eliminated the need for training but we have made it faster, easier and more enjoyable.”
See Pharos on stand 10.421 at IBC2006, Amsterdam RAI, September 8-12
8 September 2006
New Platforms, Fresh Futures is WRNs exclusive one day Digital Radio Forum, bringing together speakers and industry experts from the UK to discuss and debate the future potential and impact of key digital radio platforms for the UK radio industry: Sky, Digital Radio Mondiale and mobile. The Forum takes places at the Oval Conference Centre on Tuesday 19th September 2006.
The day starts with a keynote speech from Peter Davies, Director for Radio and Multimedia at Ofcom. Other top level speakers at the Forum include:
Paul Fairburn, Managing Director for Digital Radio Platforms, Chrysalis Radio
James Cridland, Director of Digital Media, Virgin Radio
Ian Valentine, Technical Alliances Director, Sky Interactive
Simon Hughes, Senior Product Marketing Manager, New Product Development and Sales, BSkyB
Steve Buckley, Managing Director, CM Solutions
Andrew Flynn, Head of Engineering, CVC
David Muniz, Commercial Director, Gaydar Radio
Allen Cooper, Research Director, Intermedia
In addition, there will be experts from WRN leading and participating in each session.
Tim Ayris, WRNs Marketing Manager, who is organising the Forum, says WRNs clients and contacts within the UK radio industry will have the opportunity to hear how radio broadcasters that represent the entire vital spectrum of radio businesses in the UK, are using and adapting to new digital radio platforms to reach listeners and increase revenue streams.
The full list of speakers and the latest agenda can be found at www.wrn.org/forum and with limited spaces remaining, those wishing to attend should contact Tim Ayris: tim.ayris@wrn.org.
New Platforms, Fresh Futures is part of a series of events under WRNs Forum brand which has been created to provide a space for broadcasters to meet quickly and conveniently. In October 2005, the inaugural Forum event, a two day meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, saw WRNs European client base come together to discuss current issues and developments that are impacting their businesses on a daily basis.
In March 2006 a series of online Forums, hosted and organised by WRN with participation from industry practitioners and experts from the UK and abroad, examined broadcast and platform solutions, new technology, pan-European co-productions and how stations interact with their listeners. These online Forums are archived at www.wrn.org/forum
8 September 2006
Harris Corporation announced the release of Layout Designer, a new software application that provides configuration, layout design and control of the Harris® NEO® SuiteView modular multiviewer. The next generation of the NEO® SuiteView Layout Manager, Layout Designer offers customers an improved user interface, enhanced onscreen feedback, and simple-to-implement alarms and audio monitoring.
With Layout Designer, users can configure their NEO® SuiteView system settings, add and configure onscreen input audio and video alarms, calibrate display devices and modify individual Picture-in-Picture (PiP) layout settings to create custom display layouts.
“Layout Designer was developed to make our customer’s experience with the NEO SuiteView multiviewer easier and more productive,” said Tim Thorsteinson, president of the Harris Broadcast Communications Division. “This simple, yet powerful software is designed to be the primary interface with the hardware, allowing the user to work more efficiently. With Layout Designer, users can arrange the video and audio components into multiple layouts that work best for their applications.”
Layout Designer can read and edit all preset layouts/files stored on any locally or network-connected NEO® SuiteView system. When installed on a local or network PC, Layout Designer communicates directly with a NEO SuiteView multiviewer via an RS-232 serial communications port or TCP/IP. With Layout Designer, users can define which input PiP channels are visible on the output display; add objects such as PiPs, audio meters and alarms to a layout using a Windows® drag-and-drop operation; resize and position PiPs with pixel accuracy using direct-entry; configure onscreen alarms and bar meters for up to eight embedded audio, analog audio, and AES digital audio channels for each PiP; configure analog audio and AES digital audio monitor outputs; and monitor all connected multiviewer systems for audio and video alarm conditions.
Beginning September 8, 2006, Layout Designer is included with the purchase of each new NEO® SuiteView and is available as an upgrade to existing customers.
