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.”
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.
25 February 2009
The first pan-Pacific quantative research commissioned by the ABC has revealed strong figures for the ABC’s international radio and online broadcasting arm – Radio Australia.
“The survey results indicate that Radio Australia is gaining support in the Pacific, and positioned as the market leader for international broadcasters. These figures show how we have reinvented ourselves by broadcasting in target centres through our 24 hour FM transmission, as opposed to five years ago, where we only broadcast into the Pacific via shortwave transmission,” remarked Radio Australia’s CEO Hanh Tran.
Comprehensive and detailed results were gathered measuring audience response to brand awareness, listening frequency, favourite programmes, listenership in the last day and listenership in the last week, means of accessing media and more.
The survey figures shown below indicate audiences in each location that have listened to an! ABC Radio Australia programme in the last seven days:
PNG [Papua-New Guinea] (Port Moresby and Lae) 27.3 per cent;
Fiji (Suva and Nadi) 22.8 per cent;
Vanuatu (Port Vila and Santo) 58.2 per cent;
Solomon Islands (Honiara) 56.9 per cent;
Samoa (Apia) 22.7 per cent.
Conducted by Fijian-based Tebbutt Research, the assessment was commissioned across five Pacific nation capitals and major urban centres to measure the local weekly audience listenership of ABC’s Radio Australia.
Surveyed locations included Port Moresby and Lae in Papua New Guinea, Honiara in Solomon Islands, Port Vila and Santo in Vanuatu, Suva and Nadi in Fiji and Apia in Samoa.
“Radio is a mature medium in the Pacific with numerous local services based in each region, making the range of choice for local audiences diverse. Establishing distinctive content in this important neighbouring marketplace has been a priority for us and something we have worked hard! over the past five years at achieving,” stated John Westland, manager of Radio Australia’s partnerships.
Local audiences in each urban centre have the ability to connect to the ABC’s international radio service through locally leased 24 hour FM transmissions, rebroadcasts on local radio stations or shortwave radio.
Radio Australia continues to broadcast via shortwave but now also broadcasts via 11 FM transmitters in major urban centres throughout the Pacific, with an expected three more transmitters to be included in the Northern Pacific by the end of the year.
Radio Australia’s Pacific FM network: PNG – Port Moresby and Lae 101.9 FM; Solomon Islands – Honiara 107 FM; Vanuatu – Port Vila and Santo 103 FM; Fiji – Suva and Nadi 92.6 FM; Samoa – Apia 102 FM; Tonga – Nuku’alofa 103 FM, Kiribati – Tarawa 90 FM; Cook Islands – Rarotonga 93 FM.
Radio Australia’s Asian FM network: Cambodia – Phnom Penh and Siem Reap 101.5 FM; East Timor – Dili 106.5 FM; Laos – Vientiane FM 96
