20 MANAGEMENT
August 2015
Danmon completes major projects in Europe
Systems integrator Danmon Systems Group has completed a major turnkey project for Danish public service broadcaster TV2 FYN-Denmark .
The project centred on the delivery , installation and commissioning of a complete HD facility upgrade at TV2 FYN-Denmark ’ s studios in Odense , central Denmark .
The HD facility upgrade includes a Snell HD router and vision mixer , Studer audio production desk and a new reference sync system . The additional equipment is closely integrated with Mosart playout automation , which also controls TV2 FYN-Denmark ’ s robotic studio cameras . Custom wiring was installed in the central apparatus room , including cabling for the HD router .
Describing Danmon as the logical partner for the project , Ken Petersen , technical manager at TV2 FYN-Denmark , said : “ Practically all TV viewers in Europe now possess HD-capable displays , so the time had clearly arrived for us to transmit in 1080i . Initiating an upgrade to HD was also a good way for the station to celebrate its 25th anniversary .”
Staying in Europe , Danmon has also successfully installed a qualitycontrol system for one of Europe ’ s
largest state broadcasters . The new installation is now fully operational and being used at a secure site for checking the network ’ s archived film , video and audio content during the process of ingest for longterm digital storage .
Jonathan Hughes , head of systems integration at ATG Danmon , described : “ The project centred on designing and integrating eight quality-control stations , including one equipped for 5.1-channel surround-sound monitoring , three enclosed booths and four headphone-equipped monitoring areas .”
The equipment supplied and integrated included a four-channel ingest and playout server with a large amount of storage , router control , video waveform rasteriser , picture monitors plus audio equipment .
Hughes continued : “ The server allows operators to review ingested files quickly and easily , and compare the original video tape content alongside newly created media in order to access the quality . This is achieved using a split-screen display so they can see the VTR and server outputs as a single view .”
Danmon Systems Group has recently delivered , installed and commissioned a complete HD facility upgrade at TV2 FYN-Denmark ’ s studios in Odense , central Denmark .
India ’ s 9X Media has been a user of the OASYS integrated playout system since 2008 .
9X Media expands TV network with OASYS
Mumbai-based TV network 9X Media is launching a regional music channel using its existing OASYS integrated playout system from BroadStream Solutions .
Since its inception in 2008 , 9X Media has been deploying the OASYS system , which provides 9X Media channels with on-screen graphics , including lower thirds , squeeze backs and picture-inpicture , among others .
The OASYS system is the “ fastest and most easily scalable ” playout system in the market today , and has saved 9X Media an “ incredible amount of time and resource ”, according to Nikkhil Shirodkar , VP , Network Operations , 9X Media .
He continued : “ When it comes to integrated graphics capabilities , I haven ’ t seen a better system than OASYS . We ’ ve even developed our own in-house automation based completely on XML , which enables a producer to change the entire look and feel of the channel by simply filling in an Excel-based form . A single file is all that is required for triggering all graphical elements , which otherwise would have required additional mastering and scheduling .”
One of 9X Media ’ s core values has been to embrace new technology , revealed Shirodkar , leading the company to choose the OASYS system in 2008 , a time when the concept of a channel-in-a-box was relatively nascent and buying a legacy solution would have been the safest option .
And it has proved to be one of the best investments 9X Media has made . Shirodkar explained : “[ This is ] not only because the automated playout has freed up our editorial staff to work entirely on larger projects , but also because of how the OASYS software has continuously evolved to give us more flexibility as we move forward .”
Leader Instrument ’ s new LV 7390 rasteriser .
Leader adds new rasteriser to its range of instruments
Leader Instruments has added to its range of broadcast-quality test equipment and signal analysers the LV 7390 , a multi-standard rasteriser capable of measuring up to four SDI signals at the same time .
Compatible with 3G-SDI , HD-SDI and SD-SDI , the 7390 incorporates a full-resolution HD-SDI rasterising output , which allows operators to check detailed video and audio parameters on the display screen of their choice .
Operated from the front panel or via a plug-in pointing device , the LV 7390 can be customised to show a variety of waveform combinations . Measurement capabilities include waveform and vector display , plus a reference marker that can be placed at any location on the user ’ s external screen .
Integrated into the LV 7390 is Leader ’ s Cinelite feature , which enables an operator to confirm at a glance the brightness distribution of an entire moving or still video image . Levels of specific points in the image can be checked and managed on an intuitive graphical basis . Using Cinelite , the gain of multiple sources such as cameras can be adjusted quickly and precisely using a specific reference point .
As the attenuation of a transmission line or processing system is equivalent to its line length , SDI signal measurements can be displayed numerically in terms of the length of a coaxial cable . This , said Leader , is ideal for checking the safety margin of a digital signal chain .
Ericsson helps BT Sport launch UHDTV channel in the UK
As part of a multi-year broadcast and media services deal , Ericsson will provide support for BT Sport ’ s launch of three new TV channels and an interactive red button service in the UK .
Ericsson will be responsible for designing , building and running BT Sport Europe , free-to-air service BT Sport Showcase , and BT Sport UHD , which is said to be the “ first ” 4K Ultra HD ( UHD ) channel to launch in the UK , featuring live football and other premium content .
Ericsson will also deliver BT Sport ’ s new BT Sport Extra ‘ red button ’ service , which will enable viewers to choose between eight live UEFA football games broadcast simultaneously — including UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League games .
As part of the deal , BT Sport has also extended Ericsson ’ s existing six-year contract for BT Sport 1 and 2 by an additional three years . This contract includes playout and media management services and access services for both channels .
Thorsten Sauer , head of broadcast and media services at Ericsson , stated : “ We are very proud that BT has selected Ericsson to help launch a new range of high-profile TV services , including the UK ’ s first UHDTV channel .
“ This partnership is a significant win for our business and really underlines our role as a trusted partner to some of the world ’ s leading broadcasters and sports rights holders . We will continue to work hard to deliver high-quality , innovative services .”
Ericsson and BT Sport have been working on developing 4K UHDTV together for some time , combining in 2013 for the “ first ” full multi-camera production of a sports event captured in 4K UHD and transmitted live internationally via satellite and fibre . Last year , Ericsson received the NAB Technology Innovation Award for its pioneering work in UHDTV .
Ericsson will help to deliver BT Sport ’ s new BT Sport Extra ‘ red button ’ service , which will enable viewers to choose between eight live UEFA football games broadcast simultaneously .