Nigeria feature filmdances the Tango

3D television buzz

Cultural diversity in Masada

Emerging markets send out strong signal

Cartoon network boostsArab animation

Cartoon network boostsArab animation

Be aware of yourmarket space

3D television buzz

Nigeria feature filmdances the Tango

Cultural diversity in Masada

Emerging markets send out strong signal

Be aware of yourmarket space

Making broadcast pay in today’s connected world requires unprecedented creativity.

With a decades-long legacy of technology leadership, Harris is the only company that

offers an end-to-end workflow engineered to address all tomorrow’s standards —

and the unique challenges faced when baseband meets broadband.

HDTV. Mobile TV. 3DTV. Connected TV. Wherever you and your viewers converge,

Harris has the technology to transform your creativity into a thriving business.

www.harrisbroadcastlive.com

Where Creativity, Technology and Business meet.

Get inspired at the Harris stand.

Hall 7 Stand G20

Middle East & South Asia+971 4 433 8250

CTB_Ad_AVS2.indd 1 8/11/10 12:57:01 PM

16 Cultural diversity as opera come to MasadaAs site specific works go, they are rarely more special than this- a World Heritage site on the tip of the Dead Sea - the lowestplace on earth at 400 metres below sea level - overlooked bythe distinctive and majestic Masada Mountain, arguably bestknown for the mass suicide of the Sicari rebels in 74AD, duringthe first Jewish Roman war.

24 Are you aware of the space in which you operate?“Market research” is often seen as something ethereal andmore associated with big brands in fast moving consumergoods or the automotive sector or whatever. It’s notsomethingthat most media technology folks seem to talk aboutorconcern themselves with.

30 Gearhouse SA helps close World Cup in styleGearhouse South Africa was contracted by ceremoniesproducers VWV Group to deliver all technical aspects of theamazing Closing Ceremony of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup

50 Emerging markets send out strong signalInternational study compares national crisis management andeconomic governance in the world’s major economies – quickand short-term responses instead of long-term strategies – nofine-tuned, concerted action on global level.

AV SpecialistVolume 113

Contents

Publisher & Managing EditorKevan Joneskevan@avspecialist.tv

Feature EditorDick Hobbsdick@avspecialist.tv

Circulation Anne Ebrahimann@avspecialist.tv

Designer Rajiv Gopalanrajiv@avspecialist.tv

Advertising salesAfrica, Middle East, UK Richie Ebrahimrichie@avspecialist.tv

EuropeEmmanuel Archambeaudearchambeaud@defcommunication.com

Represented in North America by:Broadcast Media InternationalMichael Mitchell Tel: +1 631 673 3199michael@avspecialist.tv

Represented in the Middle East by:AV Specialist MENA FZ LLCPO Box 502314, DubaiUnited Arab EmiratesTel: +971 (0)4 391-4718Fax: +971 (0)4 345-2898

Published in South Africa by:Doddington Direct ccPO Box 3939, Honeydew, 2040,South AfricaTel: +27 (0)11 083-6418Fax: +27 (0)865253852

Represented in Europe by:Def & Communication48 Bd Jean-Jaurès, 92110 Clichy, FranceTel: +33 (0)1 4730 7180Fax: +33 (0)1 4730 0189

Publisher’s Note

VFX Dubai have recently comletedworking on RAK - The tree of life, anatural history film commissionedby the Government of Ras AlKhaimah.

Ave qualified circulation(Jan - June 2010) 4514

After the feeding frenzy created by the FIFA 2020 Footballtournament you’d have thought things might have quietened down inAfrica but by many accounts, business is booming. The next month willsee many of the region’s broadcasters heading north for IBC where theconference and exhibition are always a highlight of the global broadcastindustry calendar. This year’s Conference promises to be even moreagenda-setting than ever, as it dissects the deployment of stereoscopic3D, examines the rise of social media and its implications for content,and looks in detail at the world of sports broadcast. One of the uniqueelements of the exhibition is IBC’s New Technology Campus where

cutting-edge innovation becomes reality, allowing attendees a glimpse into the future. In October theindustry moves on to a few local events. In South Africa SACIA are hosting their ProAV Forum, anindustry outreach programme designed to profile the effective implementation of audiovisual technologyacross the government, business and education markets. The event incorporates an exhibition,conference and social networking activities and is set to reinforce SACIA’s commitment to professionalstandards in the audiovisual industry. The keynote address will be delivered by Robert Simpson; afrequent writer and lecturer on Audio Visual and Lighting Control topics. Robert’s books include "EffectiveAudio Visual", "Videowalls - The Book of the Big Electronic Image" and “Lighting Control – Technologyand Applications”. In 2008 he was awarded the InfoComm Distinguished Achievement Award. Takingplace at the same time is Nigeria’s Africast exhibition that’ll once again take place in Abuja, the countriesFederal capital. Africast’s vision is to serve as a gateway into the African broadcast market and to alignAfrican broadcasting with global trends and standards. To that end, the Africast event includes a MasterClass on Digital Broadcast Operations. Themed “Africa in Digital Transition: Options and Perspectives”,Africast’s conference programme will encourage intense discussions on Africa’s choices andapproaches to the digital transition. It will also give manufacturers and dealers in broadcast hardwareand content the opportunity to connect with the decision makers in the Nigerian and African broadcastenvironment.

Productn e w s

OConnor introduce O-Gripsprofessional camera hand grips

Pioneering fluid head and tripod innovator OConnor, aVitec Group brand, has introduced the O-Grips Handgrips.Constructed with a solid titanium core for extreme durabilityand reliability, O-Grips feature smooth-functioning, single-handle ball joints with a maximum payload capacity of 44 lbs(20 kg) – making them ideal for work with both smaller andlarger cameras. These are the first professional camerahandgrips capable of fitting all three standard rod systems(15mm and 19mm Studio, and 15mm LWS) via the single,easy to use O-Grips bridge. OConnor O-Grips can be usedwith all common camera configurations (several optionalaccessories will be available).

Modular O-Grips are infinitely stackable for customapplications and can be configured to create double or evenmulti-joint handles. Each grip is fully adjustable and is capableof a half sphere of stepless articulation. In addition, bycombining two grips, the range can be extended to a completesphere.

After the successfuloperation of the virtual offsideline during this summer’sflagship event in South Africa,EVS’ sports graphic tool willbe presented at this year’sIBC show with newly addedfeatures, such as the support

of 720p video format and extraanalytical graphic overlays(distance to goal and free-kickcircles). Epsio allows you toenhance your live productionworkflow and is now anintegral part of yourXT[2]+/LSM. LSM operatorscan instantly control theoffside line graphic overlay,allowing you to optimize yourlive production workflowwithout additional resources.Based on patented algorithmiccodes for real-time andautomatic drawing of the fieldand its limits, the EVS Epsio iscertain to take you to the nextlevel.

Blackmagic Designhas announced thatUltraStudio Pro, the world’sfirst broadcast qualitySD/HD capture andplayback solution for USB3.0 computers is nowshipping! UltraStudio Procombines the latestbroadcast technology intoan attractive ultra-thindesign that fits into modernclient friendly postproduction environments.UltraStudio Pro includes themind blowing speed of thenew USB 3.0 interface,which is ten times the

speed of regular USB, andruns at a massive 4.8 Gb/sspeed. USB 3.0 easily hasenough speed for thehighest qualityuncompressed 10 bit HDvideo with the maximumreal time effects possible!UltraStudio Pro’s innovativedesign looks great on thedesktop while hiding thecables behind the unit. Withdozens of audio and videoconnections built in, thenew style of design iscritical to keeping cableshidden and editors cankeep their studio neat andclean! UltraStudio Pro’schassis is machined fromsolid metal with high gripsilicon feet, so it’s strongenough to withstand harshbroadcast environmentsand won’t move aroundwhen heavy cables areconnected. UltraStudio Proalso includes audio levelmeters for accurate audiolevel calibration.

UltraStudio Pro now shipping

3

Digital Rapids is bringing their comprehensive range ofsolutions for transforming and distributing media to IBC 2010.Digital Rapids connects content to opportunity, providing theleading solutions for bringing television, movie and web content towider audiences and the latest viewing platforms. Scaling fromstandalone appliances to integrated, multi-solution globalworkflows, our systems provide unparalleled productivity, quality,flexibility and efficiency while streamlining our customers’operations and lowering their costs. One of the latest products tomake its IBC debut is the new Flux family of video capture andpre-processing hardware. Flux HD boards are the first cardsoptimized for encoding and streaming to feature dual-link and 3G-SDI input support. The Flux hardware builds on the advancedvideo processing technology that has earned our solutions theirreputation for industry-leading encoding quality. Working inconjunction with the Digital Rapids Stream software, Flux cardsenable real-time, multi-format media capture, encoding andstreaming for applications including post production, Internet TV,IPTV, VOD, mobile video, archive and more.

Transforming media at IBC

Even more features for EVS’ Sports Graphic Tool

THE FASTEST WAY TO SUPER SLOW-MOTION.

Sometimes it is better to be slow.

Bring expanded functionality to your next sports production by combining the unique features of the Grass Valley™ LDK 8300 Super SloMo Camera and the Grass Valley K2™ Dyno Replay System.

The LDK 8300 is the world’s only slow-motion camera that can capture the action at 1X, 2X, and 3X speeds, at 1080i or 720p, all at the touch of a button. With its switchable matrix you can critically analyze action up to 180 frames per second to reveal the intricacies and high emotions of any sporting event. Add the K2 Dyno replay system with the optional ChannelFlex™ application for K2 Summit and K2 Solo, and you have unmatched fl exibility for cost-effective super slow-motion and synchronized 3D production.

FEATURING™

switchable matrix you can critically analyze action up to 180 frames per second to reveal the intricacies and high

For more information, please visit

www.grassvalley.com/ldk_8300

Visit us at IBC 2010 Stand 1.D11

Slo-Mo_Bundle_AV_Specialist_7.12.10.indd 1 7/12/10 10:33:16 AM

Vislink has announced that IBC 2010 will see theintroduction of the new MRC MobiLink - a high capacity,versatile and easy to use radio for outside broadcast andportable microwave applications. "We have designed the mostcapable radio on the market today that combines a split-boxdesign with a broad range of IP and streaming video inputs,H.264 HD CODECs and modulation schemes including DVB-S2 for maximum versatility," said Vislink Product MarketingManager Eric McCulley. MRC MobiLink further expandsVislink's visionary range of IP-enabled products, which arerevolutionising file-based workflow management in the field byextending the studio into ENG.

Vislink introduce MRC MobiLink

Product

5

n e w s

Argosy will showcase the latest addition to the MirandaNVISION Compact router series at IBC 2010. The smallestrouter in the series, the 8x8 Compact routing matrix is ideallysuited to utility routing applications and provides a routingsolution for space conscious production environments. The 8x8router is also extremely lightweight making it suitable for outsidebroadcast, Electronic News Gathering (ENG), Digital SatelliteNews Gathering (DSNG) and flyaway applications. As with theother components of the Miranda NVISION Compact routerseries, the 8x8 router has a comprehensive array of formatsincluding 3Gbps/ HD/SD, analogue video and analogue audioand AES. The 8x8 NVISION Compact router is housed in a 1RUfor maximum space efficiency. The system has multiple controlcapabilities including Ethernet or serial control, local buttonpanels, and remote hard or soft panels. Powerful, easy to useconfiguration software is supplied as standard to simplify keytasks like salvos and partitioning, as well as integration withother Miranda NVISION and third party routing systems.

Argosy launch Miranda NVISION Compact Router

Ross Video raises the bar in high end production switcherswith Vision Octane, the world’s first 8 MLE switcher. Vision Octaneis extremely powerful with 35 Full Screen HD Animation Stores, 24Channels of 3D DVE with WARP capability, 96 inputs, 48 outputs,and an unprecedented total of 56 Keyers - 32 Full Keyers, 12AuxKey Mixer / Keyers on the aux bus outputs and 12 DVE keycombiners. Vision Octane can be loaded with any number ofMLEs from 1 to 8, match any application, and be combined withup to 9 different control panels. At IBC Vision adds an optionalinternal Multiviewer! This multi-head multiviewer has access to allinternal and external sources. Source labels with transparency, fullprogram and preview tallies, and user selectable sourceassignments make this an excellent and cost effective solution forproduction control rooms. The entire Vision Series ships with anew 3G infrastructure as a standard feature, fulfilling the promiseof Vision being a cutting edge product continuously evolving withthe marketplace. Stereoscopic 3D capabilities and comprehensiveiMag MultiScreen support will also be shown.

Ross Video raises the bar

Vinten is launching two new heads at IBC2010 in directresponse to user demand. The new Vector 750i deliversunsurpassed precision for virtual and augmented reality in outsidebroadcast and studio applications. Developed in collaborationwith leading global customers, including Telegenic in the UK andSport Vision in the US, the Vector 750i is the first encodedpantographic head from Vinten. It incorporates a new IntelligenceModule allowing semi automatic set-up, slide plate tracking andkinematic compensation, all of which ensure stable and preciseplacement of virtual graphics into the live environment. Thisinnovation coupled with the feel of the Vector 750, preferred byoperators around the world, has ensured that the Vector 750i iskeenly anticipated by production companies working withonscreen graphics, such as those that feature heavily in high-profile sports events like the upcoming Ryder Cup andCommonwealth Games.

Vinten launches new intelligent Vector heads

SRW-9000, a camcorder for life.

For further information contactSony Professional Solutions MEA FZ LLCUnit C-50, P. O. Box 502050International Media Production ZoneDubai, United Arab EmiratesTel: +971 4 391 8400Email: middle.east@eu.sony.comwww.pro.sony.eu/mea

The SRW-9000 from Sony is a real

breakthrough in programme and

movie technology for high end

professionals. It’s a new breed of

camcorder for life. By thinking beyond

the conventional, we’ve revolutionised

the format to deliver new opportunities

in acquisition, workflow efficiency and

storage archive. So you get a brilliant

movie camera today that’s also a

long term investment (and partner) for

the future:

• 35 mm and memory upgrade options

• Open workflow with MXF and SR Lite

• New ultrafast SR memory

• Best in class tape archiving with new

lower pricing

For a closer encounter with the new

camcorder for life, visit our website.

692_Sony_AV Specialist_21x29.7 cm ƒ.indd 1 8/5/10 2:12:35 PM

Canon has redefined the professional handheld videocamera market with the launch of the XF305 and XF300 – tworevolutionary, file-based video cameras that are the first modelsto use the new MPEG-2 Full HD (4:2:2) recording codec recentlyadopted by Canon. Designed to offer exceptional image qualityand seamless workflow compatibility for a wide range ofprofessional uses, the new XF models feature technologyunrivalled in their class. An outstanding, all-new camera systemcomprises a Canon L-series HD Video Lens, 3CMOS sensorsystem and highly advanced DIGIC DV III processing. MPEG-2,Full HD video is recorded as industry-standard MXF (MaterialeXchange Format) files to Compact Flash memory cards, usingdata transfer rates of up to 50Mbps and rich 4:2:2 coloursampling, capturing more colour information for post production.XF305 and XF300 combine excellent imaging systems with adesign that delivers advanced mobility and versatility. The broadfeature set and adaptability of these models will allow users toshoot in almost any situation and for any given purpose, fromindependent filmmaking to commercial broadcast.

Redefining professional handheld video

At IBC2010, Snell will showcase new solutions to help itscustomers drive productivity, improve reliability, gain operationalefficiency, and provide more flexibility for content restoration, livestudios, remote productions, post-production, playout, andcentral operations. Enterprise control, configuration, andmonitoring will be highlighted, together with Snell's latestadvances in production switching, real-time restorationconversion, and routing. Snell will introduce enhanced audiomonitoring capabilities for its recently launched MV-Series ofmultiviewers at IBC2010. The MV-Series offers flexible and cost-effective solutions for combining and displaying multiple images(or "tiles") on a single or dual video display device. Designed for arange of applications including control rooms, studios, and OBtrucks, the MV-Series offers users highly versatile andconfigurable viewing capabilities.

Productn e w s

7

The CopperHead 3000Series is the newest additionto Telecast Fiber Systems'patented CopperHead familyof camera-mountable fiberoptic transceivers, providinga single fiber optic linkbetween any professionalcamera or camcorder andthe broadcaster's truck,control room, or "videovillage" position. TheCopperHead 3000 Series canhandle all vital camera

signals and can beconfigured for specificapplications such as ENG ormulticamera use. At IBC2010,Telecast will introduce theCopperHead 3050 —specifically designed to meetthe unique requirements ofelectronic news gathering(ENG) and satellite newsgathering (SNG). Alsomaking its European debut isthe CopperHead 3200, whichoffers an affordable yetpowerful multicasting solutionfor a range of HDbroadcasting applications.Both systems deliveruncompressed HD video andsimultaneously transportbidirectional digital (SDI orHD/SDI) and analogue (NTSCor PAL) video, as well as alltwo-way camera control,audio, video, data, sync,tally/call, prompter, andintercom signals between thecamera and the base station.

Third-Generation CopperHeadCamera-Mounted Transceivers

PAG, the camera power and lighting specialist, hasintroduced a new version of its budget broadcast battery, thePAG L95e. The 95 watt-hour Li-Ion battery is compatible withAnton-Bauer chargers and camera mounts. The PAG L95e(Model 9310A) is a 14.8V 6.5Ah battery that has a maximumcontinuous output current rated at 7 amps. It has been designedas a high-quality, low-cost replacement for the Anton-BauerDionic 90, and is directly compatible with cameras thatincorporate the Anton-Bauer battery mount. The significantadvantage of the new PAG L95e is that it can be charged usingexisting stocks of Anton-Bauer Li-Ion compatible chargers. Thereis no need to replace chargers or purchase additional chargeadaptors, enabling the switching of battery systems to be simpleand economic. PAG claims that its L95e has a better quality toprice ratio than any other battery in this market. Premier-qualitymaterials and branded Li-Ion cells are used in its construction. Itfeatures a comprehensive electronic protection circuit which isitself protected from the results of damage to the cell pack. PAGasserts that no other manufacturer protects its Li-Ion batteries asthoroughly, and guarantees the battery for 18 months.

Budget Broadcast Battery

Snell at IBC2010

Sony introduces new solutions

Sony is introducing acomprehensive response tothe business issues facingprofessionals in the mediamarket. Their ‘MediaBackbone’ will link thevarious devices andsolutions used throughout acontent creation workflow,providing network-basedmanagement of AV files andmetadata; and fullyexploiting the advantages offile-based operation. TheMedia Backbone combinesSony's deep technological

expertise in the AV area withIT-based systems providedby Sony and othermanufacturers. A keyhardware component of theMedia Backbonearchitecture is ELLCAMI, aresolution-independent multi-format ingest andtranscoding platform. Basedon Sony’s Cell processortechnology, each system canbe configured to meet anumber of challenges facedby broadcasters and postproduction facilities.

Productn e w s

9

The use of video wallsfor creating bright, high-resolution displays has beengrowing in popularity over thepast years with installationsinto control rooms andstadiums as well as beingused for digital signage andpublic information displays.Video processing plays amajor role in video wall setupand TV One demonstrateshow their products providevarious solutions at IBC 2010.Using four standard videowall monitors in a 2x2arrangement, four TV One 1T-C2-750 dual DVI scalers and

a 1T-DA-554 DVI DistributionAmplifier, TV One are able toprovide a cost-effectivesolution that includes manyextra features at no extracost. The integral CORIO2scaling engines of the four 1T-C2-750 units each zoom aquarter of a backgroundimage fed from a single DVIsource via a distributionamplifier in order to producea larger, complete imageacross the four monitors withno loss of image quality.Because each of the 1T-C2-750 units possess 2 DVIinputs and advancedfunctionality, additional videosources, computer graphicsand logos could also beintroduced and keyed overthe background image withpixel level precision to beviewed in the correspondingsection of the video wall.

Belden to demonstrate HD leadership at IBC

With a proven track record in reliability and high qualitywhich is required for the registration of “live” events, Beldenoffers a broad product portfolio for HD and 3G applications.People visiting the Belden booth will be able to see the latesthigh quality solutions for a wide range of broadcastapplications. Belden specialists will be on hand to demonstratehow physically robust Belden cables offer excellent support forthe high frequencies needed for digital video. It is here thatBelden delivers Installable Performance, providing sufficientheadroom so the cable will still work after installation.

The main emphasis will be on cables for both studio andfield use, as well as cables for use in permanent installations.Key innovations and features include the Belden CommercialAudio Range for the public A/V and live performancemarketplace. The range is highly cost-effective, yet delivers thetraditional Belden professional quality and high performance.Most cables have been developed with halogen-free (HF)design according to IEC 332-1 standards and all are based onan oxygen-free copper conductor, improving the quality of thesignals and enabling the range to deliver the best audioperformance.

At IBC2010, Omneon will demonstrate its mediastorage, processing, and distribution infrastructure forenabling efficient content production workflows anddistribution of content across multiple platforms. As theindustry looks for ways to cope with the demands forbroader distribution of content, Omneon will demonstratehow its video file-based infrastructure can help contentowners and producers create more content using the toolsof their choice, streamline workflows, accelerate mediaprocessing, and quickly package content for delivery tomultiple destinations. At their stand, an Omneon MediaGridactive storage system will be integrated with a high-performance production server to enable fast access toincoming media used in live and near-live broadcastproduction.

Omneon at IBC2010

TV One demonstrates cost-effective Video Wall

10

As we all know by now, Avatar isthe highest grossing movie ofall time, and a very largeproportion of its box officereceipts came from showings

in stereoscopic 3D. That was how I saw it,and it is certainly an impressive technicalachievement. But the buzz surroundingthis cinema event has led many people tosuggest that there could be a big boom instereo 3D for television. At the last minuteHBS, the broadcast authority for the FIFAWorld Cup, has added 3D coverage of 24games, and ESPN is making a great dealof noise about showing them. About adozen stereo 3D channels have beenannounced, mainly in the US but also bySky in the UK. Significantly, a couple ofthe high profile announcements in theUSA are of channels which are beingsponsored by consumer electronicsmanufacturers, who see the prospect of3D as a way of saving their profits nowthat HD sets have become commodityitems. But if Avatar is a hit in theatres,surely 3D will be a hit at home, too? Well,I do not agree, so please allow me to setout the case. It will call for some technical

talk along the way, but I will try to makethings as clear as possible. First, we needto be clear what we are talking about, andwhy it is important to include the wordstereoscopic when we talk about 3D.These are not true 3D images, they aresimply different images for left and righteyes, and hence stereo.

See in threeHow do we see in three

dimensions? Basically there are two setsof mechanics: convergence andaccommodation. Our eyes are around65mm apart, which is known as theinterocular distance. The closer an object

gets to us, the more we have to angle theeyes in towards each other to bring it intoalignment. We know this from thechildhood game of bringing a finger fromarm’s length right up to the tip of ournose to go really cross-eyed. This angleis known as convergence. We also haveto pull focus to make an object sharp, bysqueezing the muscles of the eye. This isknown as accommodation. In the realworld, our brain processes convergenceand accommodation and works out whereobjects are relative to each other. If we settwo cameras at the interocular distance,then arrange some mechanism by whichthe left eye sees only the left camera, theright eye sees only the right camera, thenyou should be able to match theconvergence of the original scene. All theobjects are in focus on the plane of thescreen, though, so your brain has to turnits accommodation processing off. But forconvergence this trick works really quitewell, as anyone who saw Avatar willconfirm. If the left image on screen is tothe right of the right image then the eyeswill have to converge and the object willappear in front of the screen – this is

In his series of articles aimed at provoking a debate, AV Specialist features editor Dick Hobbs looks atstereoscopic 3D and wonders what all the fuss is about.

Talking point – the third dimension

11

known as negative parallax. If the left andright images coincide then the imageappears on the plane of the screen. And ifthe left image is to the left of the rightimage (positive parallax) then the objectappears behind the screen.

Nothing’s the sameI want to point out here the first big

difference between cinema and televisionstereoscopy. The interocular distance is65mm, whatever you are looking at. Thatis how far apart your eyes are. Unlike justabout anything else we do in media, thatis not a relative number depending on thesize of the screen: it is absolutely fixed. Ifyou are in the cinema you are a long wayfrom the screen, so the convergence forthe screen itself is relatively small, about0.2

0. When you are much closer to the

screen, as you are at home, you need fourtimes as much convergence just to alignthe screen in your eyes, 0.8

0, and this

limits the amount of additional negativeparallax you can add without giving youraudience a headache, which limits howmuch you can show in front of the screen.

In the real worldIt also limits how far back you can

place objects in the 3D space, too. In thereal world, when our eyes have zeroconvergence we are looking at infinity. Butwhen the objects are on a screen in frontof us, to get a sense of depth wesometimes need to force the positiveparallax so far that our eyes actuallydiverge, not converge – the eyes arepointing away from us. That is thought tobe one of the big causes of headachesand nausea. What this means in practiceis that the depth of a stereo 3Dprogramme to be seen in the home has tobe much shallower than a movie.Research done by USC in Berkeley, withDavid Seigle and John Sanders of 3Dspecialists In-Three, suggests that for thecinema the movie director is free to placeobjects anywhere from infinity behind thescreen to about 2.5m in front of it. In thehome, that space is restricted to 1.25mbehind the screen to 0.5m in front of it.The result is that you stick to theseguidelines and get a compressed, barelythere stereoscopic image, or you exceedthem and risk making your viewers sick.

AccommodationFor my second important message

on why I am unconvinced by stereo 3D inthe home, I need to remind you that itdepends on convincing our brains to turnoff its second big depth cue,accommodation: the change of focus inthe eye. This, incidentally, is one of the

reasons why there is a significantproportion of the population who “cannotsee” stereoscopic 3D: the inability toignore one important set of cues. If youadd in those who have problems for otherreasons then you build up a substantialportion of the audience who will not beable to appreciate it. There seems to beno agreed figure for this, so I asked myoptician: she thought that it could be closeto 50% of the population.

Bizarre viewing experienceBut here is the bizarre thing: even

though they cannot appreciate thestereoscopic effect, they still have to wearthe glasses. Even if you only have oneeye, the screen will look impossiblyblurred unless you wear stereo 3Dglasses. Back to the fundamental issue ofaccommodation. It is not a problem in thecinema where it is dark and the only thingyou can see is the screen, so you have noneed to change accommodation. But inthe home, where it is not completely dark,there are real-world 3D objects which areat different distances, and soaccommodation will be used. You willreach down to pick up a drink or a snack.You will look across to talk to a friend orpartner. When you do this, you will destroythe 3D effect on the screen, which will taketime to build up again. I can certainly seegaming, which is a completely immersiveexperience, making tremendous use of 3Din the home. But however compelling thetelevision event, however exciting thesports action, I do not accept that you willnever look away from the screen.

Production costs soarAs I said at the beginning of this

article, Avatar showed just how successful

and satisfying stereo 3D can be. But ittook many years to make, and – on bestestimates – around $300 million. Not thesort of budget available to television, andnot practical for live sport. Producers anddirectors have to find a way to makesatisfying stereo 3D, live or on modestpost production budgets. Based on someof the demonstrations I saw at NAB, noteveryone has grasped this fact yet. I donot normally rush to criticise, but Sony’sshowreel shown at their NAB press eventin April was truly awful. I am the leastnauseous person I know, but some of thebasketball footage they showed had mereaching for the sick bag. And the golfcoverage – live from the Masters –showed all the schoolboy errors of 3Dshooting, like having objects in front of thescreen which suddenly disappear as youpan.

Effective 3D productionI recently saw some very effective 3D

television, produced by the MariinskyTheatre in St Petersburg with technicalsupport from UK specialist CanCommunicate. This was very simple, withfew cameras holding long, steady shots.The most effective was a low anglelooking across the stage, with a real senseof depth as the soloist moved around thecorps de ballet. From what I have seen,there are two golden rules (which theMariinksy production followed admirably).First, long and relatively static shots whichallow the audience to explore the 3Dspace. You could argue that if Avatar wasnot in 3D half an hour or so could havebeen taken from its running time just bytightening up the edits. Second, low shotswork really well, with the action coming toyou. That works really well in ballet and

While 3D movies have become an undisputed hit in commercial cinema, the rollout of 3Dtelevision is far less secure. Many viewers report nausea and headaches from prolongedviewing and 3D set manufacturers have issued a health warning, suggesting that 3Dtelevision has the potential to initiate epilectic attacks in viewers pre-disposed toward thisillness.

www.cebit-bcs.com

Broadcast, Cable & Satellite Eurasia 14th International Trade Fair and Conference for Satellite

Communication, Broadcasting and TV Content

6 -10 October 2010Tüyap, Büyükçekmece, İstanbul

Halls 8, 9 & 10

Parallel to

Contact Supporters

Phone : (0212) 334 69 21Fax : (0212) 334 69 34eMail : daniela.thumfart@hf-turkey.com

Organizer

Egypt

NigeriaGhana

Kenya

Sudan

Tanzania

Israel

Jordan

Saudi Arabia

LebanonIraq

UAEQatar

Oman

Yemen

Poland

France

Germany

Spain

Sweden

UK

Finland

Syria

RussiaCanada

Brazil

USA

Mexico

Chile

Peru

Azerbaijan

Georgia

KazakhstanUkraine

Uzbekistan

Turkmenistan China

India

Indonesia

Malaysia

Vietnam

S.Korea

IranPakistan

BulgariaKosovo

Albania

Romania

Greece

Croatia

Libya

South Africa

Algeria

Senegal

Morocco Tunisia

Media Supporters

Argentina

Bosnia H.

BECAUSE YOUR TARGET WILL FIND YOU!

No chance to miss the target in Broadcast, Cable & Satellite!

Intensive promotion in selected markets

International Buyer Program

Anatolian Buyer Delegations Program

Visitors to-be-your customers from these industries:

• Electrical Contractors• Construction Sector• Architects and Building Contractors• Hotels• Hospitals• White Goods

• Electrics – Electronics• Universities• Shopping Malls• TV Channels & Production Companies• Other related sectors

Product Groups to be displayed

at the fair• Sound, Light & Led Special Display

• Satellite Communications

(Receiver, LNB etc.)

• Broadcasting, Studio Equipments

• Fiber Optics

• Radio Communication Systems

• Central Distribution Sys., Cable TV

• Fire & Security Systems

• Intercom Systems

• IPTV• CCTV

THIS FAIR IS ORGANIZED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE UNION OF CHAMBERS AND COMMODITY EXCHANGES OF TURKEY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW NUMBER 5174

13

opera, or in sports where a lot of theaction is close-up like rugby. Unfortunatelythe big sport money-maker globally isfootball, and that works really badly in 3D.Football relies on wide shots which allowthe viewer to appreciate the shape of theaction – and they have absolutely nodepth content so 3D is wasted. Thepositioning and movement of the 3Dcameras mean that it is impractical forthem to double as cameras for the regular2D shoot. If you are going to introducestereo 3D then it means another crew,another truck – and another set ofnegotiations with the stadium for morecamera positions and lost, revenue-earning seats.

ConclusionThere was a great deal of noise at

NAB this year about stereo 3D television,although to be fair most manufacturerswere arguing for slow and steadyprogress, using existing equipmentwherever possible rather than suggestingthat broadcasters and producers rush outto reinvest. Not until we have learnt a littlemore about the technical, creative andcommercial issues. Consumer electronicsmanufacturers are, naturally, very excitedabout it. To see 3D in the home you haveto buy a new set, and because it will say3D on the box they can charge a premiumprice. Internally, it will use alternatingdisplays – the screen will flash left thenright – which requires the addition of asingle chip for around $25. To watch it youneed active glasses which cost around$100 a pair, and the offers so far suggestonly one pair of glasses will be packagedwith each set. The alternative, a polariseddisplay, can be viewed with much cheaper

glasses – below $10 a pair – but themanufacturing process is much morecomplex, adding as much as $1000 to thefactory gate price.

Whatever anyone tells you,autostereoscopic displays – 3D withoutglasses – is very many years away fromsuccess. Ultimately, though, it will be theconsumer who decides on this one. Asviewers get the chance to try watchingdifferent content in stereoscopic 3D, theywill decide whether it is worth the premiumprice for receiver and subscription, andindeed if it is worth the trouble of puttingon geek glasses just to watch television.

Dick Hobbs is a freelance writer, consultantand industry analyst. He is widely recognisedas a leading commentator on trends intechnology and applications, a lively speakerat conferences, and a contributor to many ofthe leading publications in the broadcastindustry. He is also technical editor of the IBCTV News.

Please add www.avspecialist.tv to your SAFE SENDERS list

Is our mail in the junk?As the internet becomes ever-more invasive, computer-savvy consumers are using

SPAM filters to separate legitimate email from the hoard of promotional messages that invade our email INBOX every day. They’re very smart and very useful. But sometimes these filters are a little too smart for their own good – shifting essential email into your

Junk mail folder and cutting you off from critical information.

To ensure that you receive reliable email communication from AV Specialist, please add www.avspecialist.tv to your SAFE SENDERS list.

We promise: We’ll only send you information that’s relevant and adds value to your business.

AV Specialist conforms to the US Federal Trade Commission’s CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act) which establishes requirements for sending commercial e-mail and gives consumers the right to ask e-mailers to stop spamming them.

Datavideo EMEA Offi ce - Datavideo Technologies Europe BV Floridadreef 106, 3565 AM Utrecht - The Netherlands - Telephone: +31 30 261 9656 - www.datavideo.info

HD & SD Mobile Video StudiosStand 7.D39

HD & SD Monitors

HD & SD Recorders

S h a r i n g t h e V a l u e

AV Specialist August 2010. DVEU Advert.indd 1 23/07/2010 14:15:03

15

Releasing the guidelines, theDirector of ITU’sTelecommunication Development

Bureau, Sami Al Basheer Al Morshidsaid, “The transition to digitalbroadcasting is a major challenge facingall countries, but in particular, developingand least developed countries. We hopethat our members will take full advantageof this very practical set of guidelinesdesigned to help them through theprocess.” Al Basheer added, “ITU willalso help countries implement theguidelines through country-levelassistance and regional initiatives.”

The transition to digitalbroadcasting has become an importantglobal issue. It will provide a greaternumber of channels with higher qualitywithin the same available bandwidth

along with advanced applications andfeatures, such as interactivity andelectronic programme guides. Thistransition also frees up spectrum — theso-called “digital dividend” — which canbe used for enhanced broadcastingapplications and wireless mobile

broadband, leading to greaterconvergence of services. This is a keysolution to extend Internet access tocurrently underserved areas.

The guidelines provide informationand recommendations on policy,regulation, technologies, networkplanning, customer awareness andbusiness planning for the smoothtransition to Digital Terrestrial TelevisionBroadcasting (DTTB) and theintroduction of Mobile TelevisionBroadcasting (MTV). These guidelinesare applicable to the GE06 Agreementplanning area (corresponding to thegeographical region situated to the westof meridian 170° E and north of parallel40° S, except the territories of Mongolia,and including the Islamic Republic ofIran).

ITU sets guidelines for digital transition Guidelines to help countries manage their transition from analogue to digital broadcasting were presented in Juneduring the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-10) in Hyderabad, India. Delegates atthe Conference also benefited from a hands-on demonstration of ITU’s Spectrum Management System forDeveloping Countries (SMS4DC).

www.electrosonic.co.za . 011-770 9800 or 031-533 0900 or e-mail sales@electrosonic.co.za

1_0262-KRAMER_WORLD@FEET.indd 1 10/2/09 1:08:51 PM

Surrounded by boundlessexpanses of barren desertand a rapidly receding sealine Masada Mountainincisively defines the raw,

craggy landscape in the background tothis picture, an area inhabited solely bysnakes, lizards and scorpions and otherreptilians, untouched by humanity formany centuries.

Performing Verdi's seminal "Jewishopera" Nabucco at Masada was a longterm dream of Hanna Munitz, thetenacious director general of The IsraeliOpera. Two years and a huge amount ofdiscussions, political negotiations, 4directors and one immense logisticaloperation later, her incredible visionbecame reality. The technicallyambitious, ground-breaking and trulyunique production was the first culturalevent to draw international tourists toIsrael, and the first in the country tounite the very best local and globaltalents and resources in the industry inthe middle of the desert. Apart frombeing the first time the Masada site had

been used in this way, it was also thefirst time in Israel that one company -Jerusalem and Tel Aviv based StageDesign - has delivered all aspects of amajor technical production includingmost of the site build. Stage Design isheaded by the charismatic Eyal Lavee -most definitely the 'Man With A Plan' plusan appealing impish grin and unfazabledetermination!

International opera standardsPlanning was an operative word as

the task of building a 90 thousandsquare metre site from scratch in dusty,remote scrubland got underway to meetinternational opera standards - anundertaking not for the faint hearted!Stage Design has worked with Munitz forsome time, and won the contact todeliver the main site infrastructure and allthe technicals following a smaller openair project with the Opera last year.Lavee was sensible enough, early on, torealise that the enormous logisticalexercise of staging a show of this statureand profile under these circumstanceswould benefit from bringing onboardexternal technical partners to handlecertain aspects, and so he lookedinternationally for the stage sound andlighting equipment suppliers.

International partnershipIt was vital that whoever he chose

had the right attitude to working inunorthodox conditions and the samepassion for the project in addition to theappropriate equipment. "I needed peoplewith expertise, who were good teamplayers and could keep smiling throughan exceptionally tough build," heconfirms. They don't grow on trees! Theycame in the form of UK-based BritanniaRow, with whom he's worked before, whosupplied the sound, with lighting fromBlackburn, UK based rental house HSL.HSL were a new partner, but came highlyrecommended by several contacts,including former business partner, OferLapid, MD of Gearhouse South Africa.

Lavee comments, "Both HSL andBritannia Row have been fantastic towork with - from all the organisation anddelivery right through to the crews onsite, who were highly professional andgreat fun to work alongside. Everyonehas been stressed with the harshworking environment and all haveproduced spectacular results". As soonas the project was green-lighted at theend of 2009, Lavee asked Elad Mainz tojoin him as co-technical director, righthand person and energiser to helpactivate the plan.

Cultural diversity as opera come to MasadaAs site specific works go, they are rarely more special than this - a WorldHeritage site on the tip of the Dead Sea - the lowest place on earth at 400metres below sea level - overlooked by the distinctive and majestic MasadaMountain, arguably best known for the mass suicide of the Sicari rebels in74AD, during the first Jewish Roman war.

16

Elad Mainz was forced to use camels totransport the massive line arrays used onthe Masada site. He sourced the camelsfrom one of the local Bedouin tribes,whose collection of beasts included asuper-strong version capable of lifting 400Kgs, and therefore taking a balanced loadof 2 searchlights per lift! Known for theirirascible personalities, Mainz commentsdryly. "It's difficult working with camels - youcan't always trust them".

17

Site BuildOther than the stage sound and

lighting, everything else was sourcedfrom Israel. Stage Design undertook allthe construction work, including the 60metre wide stage with set designed byNitzan Rafaeli, which included a largehydraulic section on the middle, alabyrinth of entrances, exits, tunnels andquick change rooms and extensivebackstage and green room facilities.

They also supplied and installed theseating tribunes to accommodate 6500people, colour matched to the sandydesert landscape; built the massive 19metre high by 24 metre wide gantrieseach side of the stage and another huge19 metre high ground supported gantryat FOH. Nothing could obscure MasadaMountain as the backdrop, so the sidegantries were built as high as they couldwithin the wind-speed calculations. Theywere each ballasted by concrete blocksanchored to the floor - for which theydrilled down over a metre - plus 3bespoke heavy duty aluminium diagonallegs, designed by Total Fabrication in theUK. Stage design built all the props andsupplied lighting for the vast receptionand lavish VIP areas - designed byGiyora Porter - and did all the otherconstruction work needed to create thepublic areas. These included everythingyou would expect at a leading operahouse like cloakrooms, wheelchairaccess, posh toilets, bars, food outlets,merchandising stalls, etc,.

Porter's foyer designs took thecolours and texture of the landscape andthe style of the original architecture builtby King Herod The Great on top ofMasada mountain between 37 & 31 BCEas his starting points. He created astunning aesthetic for this walk-througharea that gently ascended the hill fromthe entrance towards the venue. All thefurniture, plants and accessories weresupplied by Faza Productions from TelAviv.

30m water screenLavee sourced a 30 metre wide

water screen that was installed on 100metres of decking to catch and recyclethe 40,000 gallons of water. The screenwas rear projected onto for two strategicmoments in the opera, first with fire andlater on with water effects. The prep forall this started 5 months in advance,utilising 3 different workshops, and thephysical site build started 6 weeks aheadof the opening night. They were subjectto extremely stringent regulationsimposed by the National Parks & Natureauthorities as to what could and couldn't

be done on site. Whilst a large amount ofexcavations were involved, the goal wasto have minimal environmental impactacross the 90,000 square metres.

It was a gruelling project foreverything involved - people andequipment -, contending with 47 degreeheat, humidity, wind, dust and frequentsandstorms - and there were also manyother curved balls to field. With the mainsite layout created and levelled to GiyoraPorter's master plan, Masada Mountaintook its place as the dramatic natural setpiece behind the stage.

Moving the lightsThen there were brain-teasers like

getting the 60 x 5K and 7K xenonsearchlights that lighting designer AviYona Bueno (Bambi) wanted to fill the1700 metre space between the back ofthe stage and the foot of the 400 metrehigh mountain - a treacherous stone andboulder strewn landscape - impassableby vehicle or human carrying any weight.

With all the technology on theplanet available, the most ancient provedthe best solution ... only camels couldoffer the strength and the surefootedness to achieve the task! Knowingthis in advance was a major factor indeciding the choice of the xenon Panthersearchlights - which Lavee found inChina during a xenon fact-finding missionwith Tim Dunn from Gearhouse SouthAfrica, who also invested in the sameunits for the closing ceremony of theSoccer World Cup. An average camelcan carry a total of 250 Kgs, and the

units that Stage Design ended uppurchasing weigh 170 Kgs fully flight-cased. Elad Mainz sourced the camels -via word of mouth - from one of the localBedouin tribes, whose collection ofbeasts included a super-strong versioncapable of lifting 400 Kgs, and thereforetaking a balanced load of 2 searchlightsper lift! Known for their irasciblepersonalities, Mainz comments dryly. "It'sdifficult working with camels - you can'talways trust them". It was a long-windedexercise, but in his own time and pace,the camel worked hard at getting thexenons into their optimum positions.

Power was supplied by over 50generators spread site wide, includingbacks ups for all the main productionareas and 6 at the base of the mountainto feed the 5K xenons illuminating it. InIsrael, it's often a question of "knowing orasking the right people" to get thingsdone, and the Israeli National ElectricityCompany had a cable running 2kilometres to the east of the site, andwere obliging enough to build a new sub-station that delivered 1000 amps of 3-phase to site. This was used to power allthe front-of-house facilities and the stageright lighting. As you can imagine, thecable runs were phenomenal!

LightingHSL's Mike Oates jumped at the

chance to quote on the project, "It wasalways going to be a huge challengefrom many angles, not just the logistics,but that's exciting and it's what we likedoing," he confirms.

Czech lighting manufacturer Robelighting also came to the party big time.Bambi became involved in the projectshortly after its inception. He has beendesigning for over 30 years across avariety of disciplines all over the world,and is Israel's best known LD. As theevent drew nearer and his creativevisions evolved, he honed down hislighting requirements to include somevery specific elements which weren'tactually available in any one fixture!

He needed very powerful movinglights because of the throw distancesinvolved onto stage, but he also neededthe beams to stay contained,concentrated and bright. Despite thehostile environment and searing heat, theRobe fixtures once again provedthemselves to be the toughest and mostrobust moving lights on the market.Creatively, it was a challenge to lightNabucco's large stage with the onlyback-lighting being that projected ontothe Mountain and the xenons in thewilderness area and along the base of

©2010 JVC Professional Europe Ltd. E&OE. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

JVC’s new GY-HM790 camera.Full featured. Cost conscious.

For more information on the GY-HM790, contact our sales team

on +971 4 803 6210, or email exportsales@jvcpro.co.uk.

Introducing the new GY-HM790 studio camera – versatile enough to play a central role in the studio or out in the field, the camera’s

innovative modular design offers the ultimate in connectivity. It features superb picture quality, delivering HD broadcast-standard

1080i, 1080p, 720p or 576i live output in uncompressed 4:2:2, while accessories including a remote camera control unit, genlock,

timecode and interchangeable lenses complete the package. The GY-HM790 delivers all the benefits of ProHD: XDCAM EXTM

codec and native QuickTimeTM

.MOV files for seamless workflow editing with Apple Final Cut Studio and other non-linear editing

systems. The camera also features SD compatibility and records to two hot-swappable SDHC cards.

For UAE, please contact Oasis Enterprises LLC at Al Shirawi Group, P.O.Box 93, Dubai.

W: www.oasisppd.com T: +971 42821337 F: +971 42822617 E: info@oasisppd.com

For Middle East & Africa, contact JVC on +971 4 803 6210 or exportsales@jvcpro.co.uk.

#108 - GY-HM790 ad (AV Specialist).indd 1 13/08/2010 13:20:03

19

the mountain which could only be usedsparingly. Bambi laid down his basicwashes with PARs, used the RobeColorSpot 2500E ATs for tight key lightingand effects and the Source Fours forsecondary key lighting and specials andfor general spotting. The REDWashesproved excellent for throwing intenseblankets or slices of saturated colouracross the stage, their homogenised LEDlightsources bringing a visibly contrastingquality of light to the MSR sources of theColorSpots.

SoundBritannia Row's crew of 9 were

chiefed by Josh Lloyd, and the show mixwas engineered by Richard Sharrattwhose task was to achieve a perfectunamplified sound throughout the venue.Opera goers are notoriously hostile toany hint of reinforcement, so the heatwas - quite literally - on to get theimaging pin-point perfect across everycentimetre of the sound field - whateverthe meteorology decided to throw intothe mix! The L-Acoustics Kudo systemwas spec'd by Lloyd following a site visitin February, and a previous one byBritro's Bryan Grant. He took StageDesign's CAD drawings of the site, fedthem into L-Acoustics Sound Vision

modelling software and looked for thebest solutions. The main arrays were 13Kudo elements per side, with outfillhangs of another 7 per side, primarily tobenefit the top of the seating banks at 50metres away. The FOH desk was a MidasXL8, a piece of kit that Lloyd has workedwith extensively and comments is a"great" sounding desk. He stressed theimportance of a desk needing to soundreally transparent for an orchestra mixwith the brief being to 'sound natural'.Monitor world - the domain of GrahamBlake - was ensconced under the stage,nestled amidst the dressing rooms. The 8principals were mic'd with omnidirectionalDPA 4066s concealed in their hair lines,complete with the miniscule but great

sounding Senheisser 5215 body packs.There were also aerial mics all over stage- a combination of Shure and AKG PZMsplus Sennheiser 416 and 816 shotguns togive an additional 20 channels of chorus.Environmentally, humidity was theirbiggest issue as it effectively blankets thePA, but luckily, nature bestowed a seriesof balmy, low wind, clear sky beautifulevenings almost as if blessing the show!

Masada MagicSo, when Hanna Munitz held her

breath as the first chords were played onPress Night, the already incredibleambience of the setting was furtherenhanced by the magic of a full moonand clear twinkly, starry sky.

It was an intensely emotionalmoment for all unfolding as her once"crazy" idea became a tangibleimaginative asset that captivated anation, in the process generating somuch interest that the initially planned 2nights of performance were expanded to6. Her creative risk taking, combined withthe technical experience, acumen anddetermination of a great production teamready to think laterally and meet multiplechallenges with multiple solutionsproduced a world class event, settingnew standards to inspire others!

�

�

�

Committed.

AXONglue and beyond

Legalization

Video Delay

3D

Low Latency

16 ChannelCWDMTWINS

Audio Description

Dolby® Digital Plus

EmbeddedMetadata

Dolby® Pulse

Up, Down, Cross and Standards

ConversionTeranex based Algorithms

Dolby® E

Integrity Checking

Poweredby LinuxMulti-view

Keying and Mixing

Voice-over Functions

3Gb/s

Linear Acoustic

Logo Insertion

Embedded Audio

Processing

Loudness Control

HD

SD

Analog

AFD ready

Dolby® Digital

See us at IBC2010 Booth 10.A+B21

Whether you’re looking for ‘glue’ or a lot more, AXON is

your partner of choice. Check out our website and see the

depth and breadth of our solutions in this demanding area of

broadcast interoperability and compliance.

Select AXON as your technology partner and you will be in good

company. Many major broadcasting companies around the world

have made the same choice, and they also discovered that AXON

is really all about ‘glue and beyond’. www.axon.tv

0180031_Adv_AVSpecialist_210x297.indd 1 10-08-2010 10:56:57

21

News and current affairs area core function of NBC sowe cannot afford to lagbehind,” explains MbenoMurangi General Manager

for Engineering & IT at NBC. “Budgetshave been very tight, however, andsince most of the studio equipment wasmore than a decade old we were facinga number of challenges. With the 2009national elections looming, it becameimperative that we upgrade to increasethe quality and efficiency of our studiooutputs and, importantly, provide timelyand relevant election coverage." With anolder analogue tape system in place, aswell as outdated studio cameras andaudio equipment, NBC was dailybattling the problems typical of oldertechnology, namely dropout on tapedfootage that was incorporated intonewscasts or programmes, breaks instudio output, and ongoing problems interms of satisfactorily recording studiointerviews. "What was needed," saysMurangi "was modernization of theentire setup.

Migrate to tapelessThis meant migration to a

digital, non-linear, tapeless system, withsophisticated multi-functional cameras,audio and video production equipmentand systems". Thomas Makore, MD ofSpescom Media IT explains how theSouth African found a solution thatmatched NBC’s needs. "The studiosolution we designed for NBC will allowthem to professionally and easily recordnews and magazine programmes instudio, as well as record outside events,then efficiently edit and processfootage," he says. This was achieved byre-designing the studios from scratchand upgrading them from analogue todigital systems.

Complete studio upgradeIn the studios, professional digital

Sony cameras were supplied, completewith Vinten pedestals and AutoCueprompters. Ross multiformat visionmixers were installed and all monitoring

is now done using Axon DigitalMultiViewer systems on large-screendisplays. Audio was also upgraded withnew Sony radio mics, new Soundcraftaudio mixers, and modern limitercompressor technology. Everything wasbrought together with a new ClearComcomms system including cable-lessradio earpiece units for the presenters.

New digital strategy"The studio refurbishment is an

important part of NBC's new digitalstrategy,” Says Makore. “Better qualityoutputs will give the broadcaster a slickmodern feel, enabling it to successfullycompete for advertising spend, andpresent more readily digestible contentto viewers." According to MBC’sMurangi, "the studio refurbishment hasenhanced our delivery, speeding up thebroadcasting process. We are also

delivering better quality outputs withmore variety as we are able to nowconduct face to face interviews and in-studio discussions easily and withconfidence." Not only is content of abetter quality but the newer equipmentenables the broadcaster to move fromcurrent 4:3 transmission formats to 16:9HD formats when it is ready to do so. Inthe transmission centre, compliancerequirements are now also met with theAxon TRACS2, which records andstores whatever is broadcast by thestation for a 90 day period. In addition,NBC is taking the first steps in terms ofcreating a new digital archive.

Building a digital archive“While 90% of the video and film

footage NBC now has may never beused again, they have the option toselectively convert older historical

Namibia overhauls news studios with Spescom MediaNamibia Broadcast Corporation (NBC) has overhauled its news and magazine studios with the assistance ofSpescom Media IT, an initiative that will see the quality of NBC's news and current affairs content improveexponentially - along with the efficiency and productivity of the news teams.

The Namibia Broadcast Corp. recently appointed Spescom Media to upgrade their news studios."With most of our studio equipment more than 10 years old we were facing a number ofchallenges," explains Mbeno Murangi, general manager for Engineering and IT. "We were battlingwith many problems typically found by studios using older technology - tape drop-out and breaksin studio output. The system provided by Spescom is a modernization of our entire news system."

FUJINON (EUROPE) GMBH, MIDDLE EAST OFFICE, JEBEL ALI FREE ZONE, P.O. BOX 18408, Dubai, U.A.E., TEL.: +971 4 887 3074, FAX: +971 4 887 3053, fujinonm@emirates.net.aeFUJINON (EUROPE) GMBH, HALSKESTRASSE 4, 47877 WILLICH, GERMANY, TEL.: +49 (0) 21 54 9 24-0, FAX: +49 (0) 21 54 9 24-290, www.fujinon.deFUJINON CORPORATION, 1-324 UETAKE, KITAKU, SAITAMA CITY, 331-9624 SAITAMA, JAPAN, TEL.: +81 (0) 48 668 21 52, FAX: +81 (0) 48 651 85 17, www.fujinon.co.jp

www.fujinon.de Medical TV CCTV Machine Vision Binoculars

The transition to HD requires substantial invest-

ments. Be wise and chose Fujinon’s attractively

priced ZA series HD lenses – the smart solution.

Thanks to the reduced (by one) zoom factor. The ZA series offer full

HD quality and the same user-friendly controls as incorporated with

the renowned HA series. Fujinon. To see more is to know more.

Taking a fresh look at HD.

The Fujinon ZA series

ZA22x7.6ZA17x7.6ZA12x4.5

IBC 2010, AmsterdamSeptember 10 –14, 2010Booth 11-C20

100139_Eule_210x297_GB.indd 1 21.07.2010 12:24:02 Uhr

23

footage while building a new digitalarchive,” explains Eric Lawrenson,Technical Manager at Spescom MediaIT. “As NBC's storage and servercapacity, as well as bandwidthincreases, it can introduce full digitalmedia asset management, transitioningfrom text-based physical assetmanagement which is time consumingand inefficient.”

Media asset managementDigital media asset management at

NBC will be enabled through use ofMedia Archive, Blue Order's enterprisemedia asset management platform. "Byautomating routine tasks and enablingbroadcast teams to work morecollaboratively, this solution will assistNBC to more productively use contentsuch as video, film, audio and graphics,”explains Lawrenson. “For example, thissolution enables a low resolution copy ofarchive footage to remain on the server,creating a metadata layer that allowseditors to easily scan through and selectfootage they want from the highresolution media stored on the XD-CAMdisks.” The studio solutions dovetail withother strategic investments in NBC'sbroadcast infrastructure. This includesdigitisation of report submissions from

NBC's eight satellite offices across thevast and remote geography of thecountry with a DigiDesign DigiDeliveryfile exchange system. This has doneaway with the 24-48 hour delay ingetting news reports and footage toNBC's Windhoek headquarters forbroadcast. It also includes therestructuring and automation of thebroadcaster's final control andtransmission functions - which hasenhanced reliability and performance ofthe station. "NBC has laid a solidfoundation for its studio work with thisinvestment.

Solid FoundationMany broadcasters today are

struggling with limited budgets andlegacy equipment. The answer is tostrategically migrate to moresophisticated digital technologies asNBC has done, enhancing efficienciesand quality and ensuring theorganisation can maintaincompetitiveness,” concludes Makore.“The experience and expertise SpescomMedia IT brings to the table enables ourcustomers to exploit their investments tothe fullest extent, gaining maximumbenefits - then slowly scale up asbudgets permit."

Digital media asset management at NBC willbe enabled through use of Media Archive, BlueOrder's enterprise media asset managementplatform. "By automating routine tasks andenabling broadcast teams to work morecollaboratively, this solution will assist NBC tomore productively use content such as video,film, audio and graphics,” explains Lawrenson.

It’s maybe worth changing theterminology a bit and asking – “areyou market aware?” Most executiveswould then respond in a much morepositive vein saying – “of course I

am!” in this feature we take a look asmarket awareness and market researchand review what you can do to be right upto speed with what’s going on in thespace in which you operate. It’ssurprising how many of the people whooperate in the broadcast, mediatechnology and Pro-AV business knowso little about what’s going on. Beforegetting too defensive about thisassertion, stop and think about thefollowing issues:

Is your industry growing at present inrevenue and profit terms? Are the top tenplayers increasing their market share orlosing it? Are your customers spendingmore this year compared to last? Howdo people rate your company comparedto your main competitor? There aremany more questions that could beposed like these and surprisingly manysenior executives in the industry don’tactually know the answers.

This argument is not all about buyingand paying for market research(although that might help), it’s aboutdeveloping a market awareness habitthat has an immediate and continuingimpact on your business performance.Here are six simple principles that areworth taking on board:1. Know how the industry or your

specific sector is doing2. Know how your competitors are

doing.3. Know how your customers or

potential customers behave and what they think

4. Know what’s important to your customers’ business and where they

are spending their money5. Know what people think of your

company and your products6. Know the change issues that are

affecting your industryThere is a myriad of ways you can

gain an insight into each of these issues

and most of them don’t involve spendingmuch money, if any at all! It’s all aboutbuilding up a scan of what is going upand frequently updating it.

“Market research” is often seen as something ethereal and more associated with big brands in fast movingconsumer goods or the automotive sector or whatever. It’s not something that most media technology folks seemto talk about or concern themselves with. Well that’s a potential mis-judgement - researching your market issomething that any business savvy executive should be doing on a continual basis.

1broadcast technology and the Pro-AVsector. These are rich sources ofinformation and are often relied uponby the major companies to track themarket. The IABM publish a GlobalMarket Study for the Broadcast andMedia Technology Market andInfocomm publish a Global AV MarketDefinition and Strategy Study for thePro-AV market. Reading either ofthese studies will provide you with acomprehensive understanding of themarkets and how they are expected todevelop over the immediate yearsahead. They do not come cheap so, ifyou don’t have a budget for the RollsRoyce solution, it’s time to think abouta DIY approach. There are two quickways to get tabs on the market whichare really quite effective. First of all tryand identify three to five of the topcompanies in the market segmentthat interests you. They will most likelybe public companies listed on a stockexchange. If they are, simply go toGoogle Finance and build yourself avirtual portfolio and find their recentquarterly reports and track them asthey appear in the future. You canmonitor their stock movements if youwant but more relevant is their resultsannouncements and presentations.You can quickly get a good insightinto how they are doing and theyoften reference independent marketresearch information to createcontext.

If they are not public companiesthink about using the various nationaland regional company reportingdatabases or even things like Dunnand Bradstreet. Secondly use GoogleAlerts to track any companyannouncements so you know what’shappening with the industry majors oryour competitors. If you want you canbuild up your virtual portfolio and thenstart tracking aggregate sales and/orprofits to create your own ad-hocmarket valuation. It won’t be longbefore you have a good feel for whatis happening.

Are you aware of the space which you operate?

How is the industry or your sector doing?

24

This is one area that can costmoney but doesn’t have to. There arehighly detailed and definitive marketstudies available for both the

25

2This is also quite straightforward.

As with the industry wide view usethings like Google Finance and GoogleAlerts to make sure you get notice ofwhat’s happening with yourcompetitors. It’s also worth subscribingto a few of the industry e-newslettersand RSS feeds that track product,people and order announcements. Ifyou then use a desktop search tool youcan easily set things up to get notified ifyour target company makes anannouncement.

Next, set yourself a routine ofmaking monthly visits (or whatever) toyour competitors’ web sites. Check outtheir news releases but also look forwhite papers, case studies and thingslike presentations to make sure youknow what they’re up to. It’s also worthjoining the relevant communities onsocial networking sites like LinkedIn orTwitter as they will also provide you witha feed of relevant competitiveinformation and other useful industrygossip. A word of warning though, findyour own way to control the amount ofinformation you get and how much timeyou spend accessing it or this task canrun away with you. In days gone by, youwould have had to employ a privatedetective for this stuff but thanks to theinternet it’s usually all there for everyoneto see – provided you look!

Know how your competitors are doing

3We’ve done the really easy stuff,

this gets a bit more challenging but theinformation is there for those who wantit. There are lots of different ways oftackling this one – here are just a fewideas. Use on-line survey tools likeSurveyMonkey or Zoomerang to setup a simple market survey. You canincentivise people to respond byoffering them a prize or by making acharitable donation for each responseor even by offering to share the resultswith everyone who participates. Thesecan be initiated by email or on yourwebsite or by using communities likeLinkedIn or Twitter. These surveys canalso be done at trade shows and auseful way to engage in dialogue withcustomers and prospects as opposedto the “can I help you?” clanger!

Another approach is to make apoint of attending relevant conferencesas a delegate from time to time. Thismight seem a luxury but a day or twospent in a less combative environmentmixing with customers and competitorscan be worth its weight in gold.

It’s also worth remembering thatindustry magazines, publications fromindustry associations and yourcompetitors’ white papers often featurecase studies that give good insightsinto customer needs and behaviour.

Know how your customers orpotential customers behave and

what they think

4

work today. Devoncroft Partners, run bybroadcast marketer Joe Zaller does anindustry wide survey for that sectorcalled “The Big Broadcast Survey”(BBS) , which looks at industry trends,budgets and how customers perceivethe brands of broadcast technologyvendors. This study asks customerstrends are most important to theirbusiness, how much they’re spendingon technology, what projects they havebudgeted for the year, and when theyare upgrading their infrastructure forthings like HD and file-basedoperations.

Knowledge is power. If you knewwhich industry trends are the mostimportant to the future of yourcustomers business, and where theyare planning to spend their money overthe next year or two, you would be onyour way to better engagement withcustomers and better sales for yourcompany. Trends drive major projects,which in turn often drive productpurchase. Of course trying to surveythousands of customers around theword about their business and theirbudgets sounds like a daunting (andexpensive) undertaking, but there arethird-party companies already dong this

Know what’s important to yourcustomers’ business and wherethey are spending their money

5Most companies are not very

good at doing this. The innate selfbelief that most of us have in who weare and what we do means that weseldom consider that others may seeus very differently. Again, you can dothis with your own surveys assuggested above or you can get a thirdparty to do it for you. Joe Zaller ofDevoncroft specialises in this type ofwork and commented: “The BBSprovides broadcast technology vendorswith a comprehensive overview of howthey are perceived by the globalmarket, segmented by both geographyand customer type, which enablesgranular analysis of their brand. It turnsout that there can be a significantdifference in the way a company isperceived in different parts of the worldor by different types of customers. Thisinformation helps companies createmore effective marketing and customerengagement strategies.” If you dodecide to do it yourself find a way to doit that ensures customers open up andreveal their true feelings. It is humannature that people will often not tell youthe truth when asked directly what theythink of you. Introducing anindependent element needn’t beexpensive. You could use a retiredemployee, a placement student or acommercial research company. Make

Know what people think of yourcompany and your products

quantel.com

We’ve developed new technologies that lead the world:

• File-based workflow• HD Broadcast• Stereo3D

Out with the old. In with the new.

That’s why it’s a record year at Quantel.

On-line Finishing and Color Correction: Pablo/iQ/eQ/Genetic EngineeringNews, Sports and Program Production: Enterprise sQ/Mission/Final Cut Pro

Quantel–delivering success

Delivering Innovation

J1435_P06_AV_Specialist:Studio systems 13/7/10 10:48 Page 1

27

Zeus III Innovations in 1 Rack UnitConnect to your existing party line systemZeus III is the first intercom matrix with two built-in party line interface channels.

Manage the system from anywhereUse the intuitive AZedit software toremotely configure your intercom system from anywhere in the world.

Toggle other devices with relaysZeus III features two relay connections, for easy linking to other devices such as lighting and paging amps.

Innovating the futureof global communications

BBBBiiiiggggg iiiiinntttteeeerrrrcccoooommmmmmiiinnn a smmmaallllll ppppaaaaccckkkaaggggeeeee

Bosch Communications SystemsHeadquarters Europe, Africa & Middle-East: EVI Audio GmbH, Sachsenring 60, 94315 Straubing, Germany UAE: Robert Bosch Middle East FZE, Phone: +971 42123-363

www.rtsintercoms.com/zeus3

See us in

Hall 10, Stand F38

ZeusIII_AVSpecialist_190x135_inset.indd 1 16.08.10 16:19

6Last, but by no means least,

make sure you understand thechange issues affecting your industry.This means the industry and not justyour sector. Sometimes changes inthe industry as a whole have a habitof creating change to a sector thatno-one had envisaged. One thingimpacting technology suppliers at themoments is the trend for outsourcingtechnology infrastructures and thatsuddenly means that the nature of thecustomer is changing and that mayaffect who might be buying yourproduct or service in the future.Monitoring the change issues costsnothing but does involve quite a bit ofpersonal diligence. It means makingtime to monitor what’s going on. Thatmeans routinely doing the obviousthings like reading e-newsletters;checking market research companywebsites; getting involved in yourindustry or professional associationand finding and studying whitepapers, case studies and conferenceproceedings. It should also meanbeing part of the debate and not justan observer of it.

Know the change issues that areaffecting your industry

About the AuthorRoger Crumpton is a freelance

writer, commentator, facilitator andpresenter. He was formerly the ChiefExecutive Officer of the IABM. Accordingto Roger, staying “market aware” is a bitlike dieting. It’s easy to decide to do itand then have an initial effect but it’smuch harder to change your behaviourto stay market aware month in, monthout, year round. But, just like dieting,you’ll feel better for it in the long termand it won’t just affect your salesperformance, it will impact the overallhealth of your business for the long term.

sure that different customer types,buying different products and servicesand in different regions are surveyedand that way you’ll get acomprehensive view. What is crucial isthat the customer understands that thepolling in independent andunattributable. It’s also important thatthe customer understands that theirview is valued and that the companyconcerned will reflect on the view that isgiven. Ironically, what is most difficult isusing any subsequent analysis tocreate real change in the way you dobusiness.

AdleRac strategically positioned itself to support all Data Centres with its ever-increasing stringent demands.

We have aligned ourselves with the best KVM and Power Management Companies the international industry has to offer.

ATEN has recently celebrated its 30th Anniversary, it truly has the best OVER IP KVM and LCD Solutions the market has seen. Their R&D Team ensures that we stay abreast with every demand realised within the world of KVM. Their latest CC2000 Management Software released allows for total control of all their OVER IP Products within a network.

Server Technology recently released “POPS” (per outlet power sensing), allowing for accurate power measurement at the outlet level.

The concept of a “Green Data Centre” has increased the demand for PUE within Data Centre Facilities today which has mapped a road for Server Technology to be known as a true power management house... You cannot save what you are not measuring!

AdleRac EV Racks took on a new look as we evolved to biometric access control and fi nishes that compliment your offi ce and your pocket. Our modular range of server racks housed the latest CISCO Nexus 7000 range of switches, at the most recent Cisco Networkers

Live Show.

Feel free to call our experienced sales team to discuss challenges you might be facing in your Data Centre today!

www.adlerac.co.za

Remote Power Management

AdleRac EV racking

Head Offi ce, Johannesburg: 51-57 Gibbs Road, Devland 1813, Johannesburg, South AfricaTel (S-board): +27 (0) 11 983 7000Fax : +27 (0) 11 938 9895 E-mail: info@adlerac.co.za

Distribution: Cape Town: 021 486 8700Durban: 031 581 6300Bloemfontein: 051 432 4063Port Elizabeth: 041 391 0800

KVM Solutions

Data Centre Racking Solutions

AdleRac_Data Center Solution_AV Specialist_Aug/Sept 2010

AdleRac_DC_AV Spec Aug10.indd 1 7/21/10 2:48:54 PM

29

The tests were completed by Cinecert,a technology development andconsulting firm that is the only

organization in North America licensed byDigital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) toadminister the CTP. “We are very pleasedto confirm that the Christie CP2220,featuring Texas Instruments’ Series 2 DLPCinema technology, has passed all therequirements of the CTP,” said John Hurst,CTO of CineCert. “We are dedicated tohelping the exhibition communityunderstand all of the technicalrequirements for passing the CTP andhelping manufacturers get through thetesting process quickly and efficiently.”

Hollywood studios require exhibitorsworldwide to install DCI compliantprojectors in their theatres; and passingthe CTP is the only approved path to DCIcompliance. Christie’s latest generation

projector, the Christie CP2220 – from theChristie Solaria Series of 4K-readyprojectors – was tested by CineCert, andtheir tests confirmed that the projectormeets the highest level of technicalperformance, interoperability, and rigorouscontent security requirements as specifiedby DCI’s Compliance Test Plan. “With over12,000 digital cinema projectors installedworldwide, Christie helps set the standardsfor quality, reliability and performance,”said Brian Claypool, Senior ProductManager, Entertainment Solutions. “Nowthat CineCert has confirmed the ChristieCP2220 meets the CTP’s requirements,exhibitors have another level of assuranceabout our commitment to providing themwith industry-leading products andservices.” Recognized as “the future of4K,” the Christie CP2220 projector is builton the proven, highly reliable 1.2” DLP

Cinema chip, the only one to offer a 4Kupgrade path using Christie’s easy “15minutes to 4K” process. Smaller thanother 1.2” DLP Cinema-based projectors,the Christie CP2220 provides exceptionalinstallation flexibility with a motorized lensoption that is the fastest and mostaccurate available. With more light outputthan any mid power projector on themarket, the CP2220 also offers the lowestcost of operation. “With more than 80years in the industry, Christie has earnedthe trust of the exhibition community byconsistently providing products of thehighest quality and reliability. This newdigital cinema landmark – meeting thestrictest requirements for DCI compliance –is further proof of Christie’s commitment tothe market,” said Craig Sholder, VicePresident, Business Development andCinema Solutions at Christie.

Christie, the leader in digital cinema projection technologies, announced that it is the first digital cinema projectormanufacturer to pass the full range of tests required by the Compliance Test Plan (CTP) for the DCI Digital CinemaSystem Specification (DCSS), including all procedural and design review aspects.

Christie first to achieve full DCI compliance

The directors of Grass Valley viewthis as positive news for the company. “Aswe take steps towards becoming anindependent business, we believe we canprovide even greater focus, flexibility andagility towards our customers. We will alsocontinue to enhance our responsiveness,while continuing our focus on bringing tomarket innovative products, integratedsolutions and systems, as well asprofessional services and customersupport structures which meet or exceedyour needs in this fast-changingbusiness,” said Jeff Rosica, head of GrassValley Broadcast & Professional business.

Complete product portfolio The offer to acquire the business

includes the complete product portfolio,

the R&D centers and manufacturingfacilities, as well as all current customercontracts and support agreements –everything that is part of the Grass ValleyBroadcast & Professional business. Mostimportant, because the business depends

on its ability to design, manufacture, selland support its market-leading products,the offer of course includes the greatpeople within Grass Valley, from thedesign engineers in our R&D centers tothe sales and customer support teamsaround the globe – and the many otherpeople in between. “It will continue to bebusiness as usual for our customers andpartners with respect to how they interactand conduct business with our company,and how the Grass Valley team willcontinue to support you. While we recentlycompleted the celebration of our 50thanniversary – an achievement very fewcompanies in our industry can claim – allof us at Grass Valley are looking forwardto an exciting future, and continuing toserve you for another 50+ years!

During late July Technicolor announced today that it has received a binding offer to acquire its Grass ValleyBroadcast & Professional business from Francisco Partners -- a leading technology-focused investment companythat recognizes the value of the Grass Valley brand, the strength of the new and refreshed product line, and thepotential that can be realized through independent ownership of the company.

Francisco makes binding offer to acquire Grass Valley business

30

The 30 minute show at SoccerCity Stadium in Sowetohappened just ahead of theFinal match, which saw Spainwin their first World Cup, beating

Holland 1-0. It reflected the vibrancy,energy and colour that characterised oneof the most successful World Cuptournaments ever. It featured a cast of740 including 40 ‘elephant operators’ plus35 headline artists.

Mark Ransom was technicalproduction manager. Technical directorMik Auckland and David Proctor, DavidZolkwer and Adrian Bourke from JackMorton Worldwide acted as consultants,bringing their vast experience inproducing world class events to theequation. A spectacular lightshow wasdesigned by Gearhouse's Hugh Turnerand Tim Dunn. Dramatic large formatvideo pitch projections - for the first timein South Africa - helped make the visualseven more memorable. There were manychallenges in staging the first majorentertainment event in a brand newvenue. Gearhouse engaged in someserious statistics and logistics, starting

the get-in for the Closing Ceremony assoon as the opening match had beenplayed, a month previously. Allsite/technical logistics and crew co-ordination were handled by projectmanagers, Eyal Yehezkely and BonniMeyer respectively, while Bill Lawfordorganised the arrival of 8 containers ofequipment by sea freight and a further 50tonnes by air freight, representing amassive investment by Gearhouse for theshow.

Logistics and administrationMeyer took care of the logistics,

crewing and administration, whichincluded the management of up to 140crew on site at peak times includinglocals, while Yehezkely looked after thetechnical operation, including brainteasers like where to position twoprojection and four follow spot platforms -built by Gearhouse Structures andIn2Structures - which were flown in theroof well of the venue's upper concourse.These had to be custom designed by TimDunn and approved by the several sets ofauthorities and structural engineers

involved with the stadium. The spotplatforms were flown on 16 2-tonnemotors and the projection ones on 10.

LightingThe lighting scheme was designed

and specified by Hugh Turner and TimDunn, with Dunn also programming andoperating the show. As with all stadiumshows, it was a case of creating lots ofbig, bold, epic looks and statements -Think big, light big - and with 468 of themost powerful moving lights available,they had plenty of opportunity to impress.

Simultaneously, illumination had tobe a careful balance so it fulfilled thecreative criteria of looking dynamic oncamera as well as for the 94,000 capacityaudience at Soccer City..... whilst also notinterfering with the pitch projections.

Big financial investmentGearhouse invested heavily in

Panther 2K and 5K searchlights andVari*Lites for this gig. The 120 Vari*Liteswere bought via South African distributorDWR and is the biggest sale of Vari*Litesin South Africa to date. A massive amount

Gearhouse South Africa was contracted by ceremonies producers VWV Group to deliver all technical aspects ofthe amazing Closing Ceremony of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup - including rigging, power, sound, lighting andlarge format projection (which was contracted out to French-based ETC) - utilising the dynamics, skills andservices of most companies in the Gearhouse Group.

Gearhouse SA helps close World Cup in style

The lighting scheme was designedand specified by Hugh Turner and TimDunn, with Dunn also programming andoperating the show. As with all stadiumshows, it was a case of creating lots ofbig, bold, epic looks and statements -Think big, light big - and with 468 of themost powerful moving lights available,they had plenty of opportunity to impress.

31

of work went into programming the show.Dunn & Turner spent a week before theget in pre-programming the show's basicbuilding blocks on the MA Visualiser, afterimporting a detailed re-drawn schematicof the stadium architecture and structuresinto the system. They then spent 7overnight sessions in the stadium buildingthe show and recording it on thegrandMA, which contained hundreds ofcomplex cues.

ProjectionUK based large format projection

specialist, Ross Ashton, was appointed tohelp co-ordinate the stunning pitchprojections, and he worked closely withETC Paris who are the best known globalexponents of the genre, and were broughtin by Gearhouse SA to supply all thehardware and control solutions. The ETCParis team was led by PatriceBouqueniaux, and this is the first time thatmonumental projection has been used inSouth Africa.

The dramatic 55 metre squareprojections in the middle of the field-of-play were delivered by 18 x Christie 18KRoadster projectors, mounted on the 2platforms flown along the east and west(long) sides of Soccer City. The projectorswere configured in 16:9 format and rigged

in 6 stacks of 3, covering the pitch thatwas divided into 6 areas. The show's videocontent was produced by VWV, whoengaged Johannesburg based Ministry ofIllusion for the graphic scenes. Eachprojector received its own video feed andkeystone correction to eliminatediscrepancies between their opticalcentres. The show – conceptualised andproduced entirely by the VWV Group –was a fast-paced, lively and accessiblemix of contemporary African music,

dance and theatre, including a family ofthirteen elephants (life-sized puppets) anda sensational performance by Shakira ofher Waka Waka 2010 World Cup themesong. It has been internationally acclaimedas the most exciting World Cup ClosingCeremony to date, right up - in terms ofquality and entertainment value - in theleague of high profile sporting eventceremonies, and together with the wholetournament, a real achievement of whichSouth Africa can be proud.

The new sales represent a total of sixseparate orders. First, theorganization equipped three TV

studios with three OnAir 3000 digitalaudio consoles and peripheral equipmentsuch as active audio monitors,headphones, telephone hybrids anddistribution amplifiers, as well as fullengineering services, commissioning andtraining. ERTU then equipped a completemusic recording studio (Studio 45) with aVista 8, satisfying the requirement for anaudio multi-layering mixing console.Some of the Studer OnAir 3000’s areconfigured for 18 channels, some for 24-channel operation (for both on-air andproduction operation). ERTU has alsoupgraded 11 on-air and 19 differentproduction studios with peripheralequipment such as headphones, active

audio monitors, microphones andrecording equipment.

According to Studer’s businessconsultant for the Middle East and Africa,Mohamed Ali (of ICT), the enhancementof existing facilities is in line with theUnion’s policy of continually reviewingand renewing their equipment as part ofstudio development throughout the

country. “ERTU has added many recentradio and TV channels, ordered eight OBVans, which will be equipped with StuderOnAir 2500’s — and these will be usedfor various TV OB applications.

In conclusion, Mohamed Ali states,“These orders further cement the strongbusiness and personal relationship thatStuder continues to enjoy with ERTU, andwhich now stretches back over a numberof years.“Besides the confidence theyhave in the brand’s reputation andreliability they are familiar with theoperating system, and know they candepend on first class technical support.”A spokesman for ERTU responded, “Themanagement and staff have becomeaccustomed to using Studer systemsover a number of years and continue tobe more than satisfied with the products.

In recent months the Egyptian Radio and TV Union (ERTU) has extended its long relationship with Studer digitalconsoles by placing a sequence of orders that bring a further 39 OnAir 3000 desks and a Vista 8 into the nationalbroadcaster’s estate. All will be located at ERTU headquarters in the Maspero TV building.

ERTU invest with Studer for growing broadcast capabilities

DPS 29.7x42 cm

www.arabsat.com

Get ready for more reach, more choices and the comingHD-TV and 3D revolution with Arabsat’s newest satellite With the launch of Arabsat’s new state-of-the-art BADR-5 satellite, the largest Arab community in the sky now reaches farther than ever across the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. BADR-5 is the latest addition to Arabsat’s constellation of BADR satellites at 26º East, bringing more reach, more in-orbit redundancy, more entertainment choices, more possibilities and more power to experience the HD-TV and 3D revolution of the future. Join the largest Arabsat community in the sky and tune in to the future, today.

DPS 29.7x42 cm

www.arabsat.com

Get ready for more reach, more choices and the comingHD-TV and 3D revolution with Arabsat’s newest satellite With the launch of Arabsat’s new state-of-the-art BADR-5 satellite, the largest Arab community in the sky now reaches farther than ever across the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. BADR-5 is the latest addition to Arabsat’s constellation of BADR satellites at 26º East, bringing more reach, more in-orbit redundancy, more entertainment choices, more possibilities and more power to experience the HD-TV and 3D revolution of the future. Join the largest Arabsat community in the sky and tune in to the future, today.

34

Morocco's Luxe Radio, a new radiostation dedicated to luxury andthe art of living, was recently

launched deploying the latest version ofthe Radio-Assist 8 suite of digital audioautomation software. The NETIA softwarenot only supports and streamlines theend-to-end production and broadcastworkflow at Luxe Radio, but also makes iteasy for the station to leverage its officialInternet portal, Anaka.ma, the firstMoroccan luxury magazine online.

"Luxe Radio is the radio of taste,elegance, and refinement, withprogramming that responds toMoroccans' passion for art, fashion,luxury, and lifestyle," said AbdessamadAboulghali, president of Luxe Radio. "Weare proud to showcase the exceptionalartistic talents and creative elementswithin our country and to share with

listeners the finer aspects of living in theinternational global village. As we strive todeliver the best of Moroccan andinternational life, NETIA's Radio-Assist 8software suite provides a complete,intuitive, and efficient platform thatensures the quality and continuity of ourradio and Internet broadcasts."

This project was implemented inclose partnership with systems integrationcompany AVTM - EUROCOM Morocco,based in Casablanca, which ensured theintegration and technical implementationof the whole project.

One of just four new stations tohave received a private broadcast licensefrom Morocco's Higher Council ofAudiovisual Communication, Luxe Radiobroadcasts from Casablanca to six cities:Rabat, Marrakech, Agadir, Essaouira, ElJadida, and Casablanca itself. The NETIAinstallation in Casablanca includes 15workstations tailored to the jobs ofjournalists and technicians, with twodedicated to playout and a backup usedto provide redundancy. The system alsomanages scheduled streaming of theaudio broadcast to Anaka.ma, wherelisteners can tune in via Internet radio.

Newly launched radio station builds streamlined, highly automated production and broadcast workflow on Radio-Assist 8 software suite

Morocco's Luxe radio takes to the air and internet

35

The service will be provided to hotels,shopping malls and officecomplexes. Later in the year the

service will be extended to gatedresidential communities and residentialapartments. DVB over IP enablescustomers to receive their favourite DStvchannels delivered over a closedmulticast Internet Protocol (IP) network.The channels are then distributed toindividual DStv IP decoders. Gerdus VanEeden MultiChoice Chief TechnologyOfficer says “Commercial customers nowhave access to a range of services thatwere previously restricted by bandwidth.The exciting features and benefits of thisservice enable these establishments toenhance their services and add uniquevalue to their customers' experience. Weare proud to launch DStv into the world ofIPTV .” One of the benefits is that severaldigital services such as telephony,internet, DStv and even security can bemade available over the same physical

network, resulting in significant costsavings to the commercial customer.

Significant cost savingMultiChoice identified a need in the

market to address the current limitationsand conducted trials before launching thesystem. Soccer City is one of the firstrecipients to implement the system intheir suites and control room. Thesolution supports both Standard

Definition and High Definition televisionservices; as well as surround sound,multiple language options, 8 dayelectronic TV guide, central PINmanagement on both Parental Controland installation Menus and a TV link. Italso offers an interactive portal andcommercial establishments such ashotels, stadiums and office complexescan tailor-make the portal to suit theirrequirements.

MultiChoice’s innovative spirit has opened up a whole new world of digital broadcasting, to accommodate theevolving needs of its customers. Digital Video Broadcast over Internet Protocol (DVB over IP) was recentlylaunched to commercial establishments.

DStv first to launch DVB over IP

Member Benefi ts Include• Discounts on professional industry

education and publications

• Regional Roundtables, tradeshows and in-person networking opportunities

• Access to a robust social media program

• Members-only business tools and templates

Tune into the Benefi ts of Membership at InfoComm International

InfoComm is dedicated to advancing AV — be a leader in the development of the future of the industry. Strengthen your business and save money at the same time — join InfoComm today!

Middle East & AfricaPh +61 (0) 2 8206 0979 africa-me@infocomm.orgwww.infocomm.org/emea

InfoComm International is the leading non-profi t industry association serving the

professional audiovisual industry.

INT_MemberAd_210x297_v2.indd 1 3/30/2010 4:08:10 PM

37

The Tablet Story Viewer (TSV) allowspresenters and field reporters to readand review stories directly on their

ENPS-enabled iPad. Paper copies nolonger need to be printed and distributedfor studio use, and field reporters can nowhold not only their story, but also the fullcontext of the show, in their hand duringan outside broadcast. In live breakingnews situations, presenters can quicklyrefresh the iPad client, and immediatelysee the latest story updates. “We believethe ENPS Tablet Story Viewer will givepresenters new flexibility while on air, andfield reporters new options while coveringstories. This is something our customershave been asking about and we think itwill gain rapid acceptance in themarketplace,” said Lee Perryman, Directorof Broadcast Technology at the AssociatedPress. The TSV also automatically stores afull copy of the running order and its

stories, providing the comfort of a paperscript that presenters and reporters canstill hold in their hands, just in case.

The TSV integrates seamlessly withthe ENPS mobile client, allowing field staffthe additional ability to work withassignments, contacts, search andmessaging. The ENPS TSV works with thelarger ENPS Mobile line of products, whichinclude ENPS clients Web, as well as for

iPad, Blackberry, iPhone, a wide array ofother Smartphones. ENPS Mobileprovides unparalleled access tonewsroom resources for the widest arrayof users and devices. In this way, when ajournalist is finished gathering elements forthe story, putting it together is simple. Thejournalist logs in through the ENPSSmartphone or Web client and startwriting. No VPN required. At IBC, ENPSwill also showcase the ENPS ‘DigitalPublishing Engine’, which enablesjournalists to publish multimedia contenton-air, online, and to mobile devicesthrough intuitive drag and drop integrationwith existing CMS workflow.”

ENPS is the world’s most advanced,reliable and widely-used news productionsystem, with leading market share andused by almost 60,000 reporters, writers,editors and producers in more than 700newsrooms in 60 countries.

Throw away the paper, leave the laptop in the newsroom. ENPS now allows presenters and field reporters to dotheir jobs using an iPad or Android-based Tablet PC.

ENPS’s iPad client brings newsroom to fingertips

11

3

2

3 ways to stand out from the crowd

For studio professionals who are performing color-critical work on adaily basis, Barco now presents its new RHDM-2301 High-Definitionreference monitor. As the first true Grade-1 LCD with this level of imagequality, Barco’s RHDM-2301 display offers three ways to stand out fromthe crowd:

Colors that lastAdvanced calibration and stabilization technology keeps your colors lasting.

Excellent motion handlingThe RHDM-2301 prevents motion blur and produces CRT-like quality that issecond to none.

Accurate colorsA native 10-bit panel, calibrated LED backlights and 48-bit processing areyour guarantee for the highest color accuracy on the market.

1

High-Definitionreference monitor

Distributed by Questek Advanced TechnologiesPhone: +27 11 706 0405 • Fax: +27 11 706 0308Fairway Office Park, 52 Grosvenor Road, Bryanston, South Africageorge@questek.co.zawww.questekadvanced.co.za

39

The installation was managed byLagos-based rental and installationcompany, PF Syztems, who

originally installed a 40-channel Allen &Heath ML3000 VCA console at FOH witha 40-channel GL4000 at monitor positionwhen the church was first opened 3 yearsago. Increased attendance and a switchto four consecutive services, coupled withincreased complexity in dealing withmultiple stage requirements, promptedthe 7-000 capacity church to enquireabout possible ways to streamlineworship services.

PF Syztems has an iLive system,comprising an iDR-48 MixRack and iLive-T112 Control Surface, in its rental stockand due to the excellent service providedby that system, they recommended thatthe church should upgrade to an all-digital A&H system, arguing that thechurch would get the best value for

money compared to other digital desks. PF Syztems’ engineer/consultant,

Olushola Aremu, comments: “Irecommend iLive desks to every FOH andmonitor engineer. The iDR-48/iLive-T112system is a great digital system to workwith; it’s user-friendly, portable and is aparticularly good mixer for monitor mixing.The fact that you can control the entiremix from a Notebook via a wirelessnetwork makes it so flexible. Setting it up

is very fast and easy as Allen & Heath hasdone a good job in removing the manycomplications involved in setting updigital desks.

The system eventually installed atDaystar consists of an iLive-T80 surfaceto manage monitors, an iLive-T112 atFOH, with iDR-48 and iDR-32 MixRacksdigitally split via ACE on stage to providethe required 60 channels, whilst retainingtrim controls at both surfaces. Theengineers and stage techs are delightedwith the amount of control the systemprovides, especially the full dynamic andEQ processing on each channel, plus 8channels of onboard FX. “It’s been anawesome experience so far. It’s great toknow that you can access your strips andassign them to do whatever you want todo at anytime, even when mixing awayfrom the surface,” comments Daystar’smonitor engineer, Funminiyi Adedeji.

One of Nigeria’s fastest growing churches, Daystar Christian Centre in Ikosi, Lagos, has upgraded its audiosystem to an Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system.

Expanding Nigerian church installs iLive

41

The ambitious plans announcedat MIPTV in Cannes, will see thedevelopment of a number ofprojects focused on thedevelopment of Arabic

animation. As well as the AnimationAcademy, the new partnership will see theopening of the Cartoon Networkdevelopment and production studios, allof which will be based at twofour54.

Revolution in animation Tony Orsten, CEO of twofour54 said,

“Cartoon Network is planning torevolutionise the creation of Arabanimation. When we launched twofour54this is exactly the type of partnership weenvisioned – one that impacts across thefull content creation chain – from trainingthrough to broadcast. This partnership willnot only facilitate the creation of Arabicmedia content, but also supports our aimto develop a sustainable media andentertainment content industry here inAbu Dhabi.” The first phase to becomeoperational will be the new CartoonNetwork Animation Academy anddevelopment studios, which will launch inSeptember 2010. Working closely withtwofour54 tadreeb, the region’s premier

vocational media and entertainmenttraining academy, the academy will offeryoung Arabs innovative, animationfocussed training, with the specific aim ofdeveloping animation skills across theregion. The courses will offercomprehensive vocational training in allaspects of animation. This training will becomplemented by a programme ofmaster classes, which will be presentedby Cartoon Network and highly regardedindustry experts. A key attraction will bethe internships to the Cartoon Network’s

international studios will be offered to theacademy’s leading students.

Abu Dhabi based studiosThe new animation development

studios, also launching in September, iswhere ideas and concepts for animationwill be generated and trialled beforetaking the best Arabic creative conceptsthrough to production. Young Arabs willbe given the opportunity to engage withCartoon Network experts who will providethe guidance, knowledge and toolsrequired to ensure that their creativeanimation ideas turn from concept intoreality.

Producing commercial productsLaunching in early 2011, the

production studios is the final phase ofthe partnership. These studios willtranslate viable ideas from thedevelopment studios into a commercialproduct – Arabic animated programmingfor the region.Speaking on behalf ofTurner Broadcasting Jeff Kupsky,President TBS EMEA, said, “We are verypleased to be working with twofour54 onthis project to stimulate the talent thatexists here. It will allow us work with themto develop innovative local content tocompliment Cartoon Network’s globalbrand and programming strength.” AlanMusa, VP & GM, Middle East, Africa &Pan Region said, “Cartoon Network hasbuilt a strong reputation in the MiddleEast so it made tremendous sense for usto invest directly in the region. Demandfor quality Arabic animation is on the riseand our projects in Abu Dhabi willfacilitate further growth in the industry.”

Training and skills development“The academy will offer training

programmes that will develop the skills ofthe region’s animators and find the talentthat exists in the region and thedevelopment studio will ensure theircreative animation ideas get off theground. This is a very exciting opportunityfor Arabic content creators and we lookforward to working with twofour54 torealise the potential in the region.” “All ofour partnerships, including this CartoonNetwork agreement, add to the twofour54ecosystem,” added Wayne Borg, ChiefOperating Officer, twofour54. “The trainingacademy is raising standards andproducing talented individuals who areable to fill the new jobs being created.Cartoon Network is one of the world’smost recognisable cartoon brands andwill provide tremendous opportunities fortalented young Arabs to create animationrelevant for the region.”

Cartoon Network, a part of Turner Broadcasting System, a Time Warnercompany, is providing a massive boost to the fledgling animation industry inthe Middle East & North Africa region with news that it is to open adedicated animation training academy at twofour54 Abu Dhabi.

Cartoon Network boosts Arab animation industry

Tony Orsten, CEO of twofour54 said,“Cartoon Network is planning torevolutionise the creation of Arabanimation. When we launched twofour54this is exactly the type of partnership weenvisioned – one that impacts across thefull content creation chain – from trainingthrough to broadcast."

Spescom

Spescom Media iT(FP)-Aug10.indd 1 16/07/10 10:39:55 AM

Spescom

Spescom Media iT(FP)-Aug10.indd 1 16/07/10 10:39:55 AM

43

NEW!1100 SERIES

INTERCOM

PANEL

During early August pupils at threeschools in Tembisa townshipexperienced the best education

technology can offer when they werelinked together through interactive videocommunication and white-boardtechnology. Imago Communications, acompany that supplies and distributes hi-tech video communications, has made asubstantial investment with regards toresources, time and money to bringhundreds of pupils in the Gautengtownship the best education technologyavailable. The company’s management isaware of the problems faced by themajority of South African schools, fallingmatric pass rates and shortages in mathsand science teachers, but believes theycan make a real difference in theeducation landscape.

Close the education gapThrough the LifeSize suite of high

definition video conferencing productsdistributed and installed by ImagoCommunications, interactive white-boardtechnology supplied by Traceboard andSatlink’s wireless connectivity onespecialised teacher can teach thousandsof children from anywhere in the world.Suddenly with the Virtual InteractiveCommunication (VIC) project initiated by

Ukwanda Innovation & Training, theopportunity to close the gap between well-resourced private sector and lessequipped public schools is here. With thebest sound and picture quality which isaccessible, live, on demand and highdefinition video transmission, ImagoCommunications will provide learners theopportunity to go on virtual trips.

Great sound and pictureIn the past projects have failed

because the quality of the sound andpicture was poor, but ImagoCommunication is providing the best,ensuring this will no longer hold back theeager pursuit of young minds. The visualcommunication and interaction allowsschools to bring guest speakers tochildren and top teachers can reach even

the remotest classrooms. The interactivewhite-boards are also able to recordlessons and so has the potential tobecome an e-library resource for learnersand will help teachers collaborate andadvise each other. Managing Director ofImago Communications, Clint Cronjebelieves there is no other way to close thegap between middle class and poorerschools than through this technology. “Weall know that the department of educationis under enormous pressure to performwith very few resources. Distance learningis already a medium of communicationand teaching in South Africa. Currentlythe University of South Africa (UNISA)utilizes video conferencing technologiesas a medium to enhance its educationoffering by utilizing international lecturersto compliment its current curriculum.

Just because a child goes to school in a poor, under-resourced classroom, doesn’t mean they can’t travel theworld or receive the best education technology can offer.

Imago stand behind the future of education in South Africa

44

Situated in Cape Town, BlackGinger has a staff of 65craftspeople in hugelyspecialised fields, andspecialises in animation and

visual effects. There is a large researchand development department, designingsoftware ahead of their needs, and Fluidsand Hair are just two of the specialities forwhich they have developed software.Black Ginger’s feature experienceincludes Free Willy 4 and more recently,TangShang (Aftershock), the largestChinese movie made to date. Theproduction company, Shy the Sun, hadalready worked with Black Ginger on theproduction of a Baker’s commercial, so itwas an obvious choice to approachHilton when they were asked by OgilvyAdvertising to produce an M-Netcommercial. After much debate, it wasdecided to shoot in miniature – primarilyto keep costs down.

M-Net Magic goes 3DHilton had worked on a number of

stereoscopic projects in the past and withthe resurgence of 3D movies such asAvatar, he proposed that the project be inStereo 3D. The concept would fulfil thebasic promise of Magic from M-Net. Dueto budget challenges, bringing in aclassic motion-control rig such as Milowas obviously out of the question, soHilton approached Peter Constantatos inJohannesburg with the idea of using hisold motion-control rig. With one of theBlack Ginger software developers in tow,he set off to see if it was possible to usethe rig and create a programme to controlit for use in this multiple-pass Stereo 3Denvironment. With hugely positivefeedback from the Black Ginger Researchand Development team, the rig wasacquired. This then necessitated thedevelopment of a programme whichwould operate in a stop-motionenvironment. This was developed in-house and would allow the rig to talk tothe computer and talk back to the rig.This was done using Gateway, Dragonand Houdini. Dragon (originallydeveloped for the film Coraline) was usedto control and manage the stop motionand Houdini was used to control thecamera data for the motion control rig.Gateway assisted by working out S3D

and translating the Houdini data to themoco rigs’ unique language.

Small-scale challengesThen came the analysis of the

challenges facing them. Shooting S3D incomputer graphics is prettystraightforward – the rules governing sucha shoot are pretty simple – such as nofast cuts – the eye needs at least twoseconds to adjust to new focus points.Another point is that no objects shouldbreak the edge of frame. However,shooting in a miniature environmentposed its own set of challenges. Theabove considerations were there, but,since the scale being used was 1/14,and, as the decision to shoot S3D hadbeen made, the first challenge was howto set up cameras with a much reducedinter-ocular distance.

Finding an affordable solutionThe obvious choice would be a

mirror-based rig with two camerasshooting into angle-controlled mirrors.Once more, cost reared its ugly head. Asthis was a miniature shoot, and would ofnecessity take a longer time using an HDmovie camera, such as Red or film-based35mm animation camera, this was out ofthe question. The final decision wasmade to shoot on a stills camera, thechoice in this instance being the Canon5D. Using the full functionality of stills,such as very long exposure times, thiswould then enable the use of small

f-stops to increase the depth of field. Thislast point was critical, since in 3D filmingthe best possible scenario is thateverything in the frame should be infocus. The human eye and brain in theprocess of stereopsis will compensateand create natural depth of field. In a 3Dmovie it is natural for the viewer’s eye todrift over a frame and focus at differentareas in the frame. In two dimensional TVwork, depth of field is used to createpseudo 3D effects.

Convergence creates flexibilityHere, since the entire production

would be shot stop-motion, motion-control was of the utmost importance asa number of passes were to be used. Theleft-eye pass would be done first, then theright. There would also be passes for thevisual lighting effects. For each pass, fulluse was made of the developed softwareto calculate inter-ocular distances(sometimes as little as 3mm),convergence, and to smooth out pre-plotted camera moves. Due to the timeconstraints, the convergence set-upwould remain a constant, althoughaltering the convergence within a shot ispossible with the software that BlackGinger has developed. “Convergencegives more flexibility if you’re shootingthings like miniatures”, Hilton explains.“Miniatures cannot be easily shot inparallel; as they tend to feel likeminiatures, convergence helps toincrease the sets’ perceived size”.

In just five years, Black Ginger, run by Hilton Treves, Marco Raposa de Barbosa and Marc Bloch, has grown froma small post-production facility with six staff members, to a large, highly efficient, internationally recognized VFXstudio.

Black Ginger see a 3D future

45

NEW!MULTI I/O

BREAKOUT

PANEL

Tedius and tiringSince each shot is effectively made

up of a series of still frames, and, sinceeach exposure could be as much as 4seconds in duration, filming was, if notdownright tedious, then at the least, it wasextremely tiring. Hilton says “Unlike moststop-motion, which moves every two orthree frames, we are doing this for everysingle frame – thus every frame becomesa key frame”. Long days indeed – andthere were 21 of them! “Our compositingtool, Nuke, was extensively used onAvatar – and we can now set up astereographic pipeline allowing us togenerate cameras and camera data,shooting the left and right eyesautomatically. And we can see the resultsimmediately in Anaglyph”. Black Gingerare now partner-content developers withRealD and have installed a full RealDproduction pipeline to ensure the highestpossible quality and accuracy for materialto be distributed to the RealD theatresaround South Africa. When shooting theminiatures, at any point in the script whenlive action needs to be inserted, scalemodels of the actors are positioned in theset. Using computer graphics, thesefigures are then removed and replacedwith real actors. The software also scalesdistances and inclination when shootingthe actors on green-screen. Thechallenges facing Johan Horjhus, lightingcameraman, were also extreme. Lightingin miniature is challenging enough, butwhen frame-by-frame lighting effects andstop-motion are added to the equation,the prospect becomes pretty daunting.“With stunning models, amazing artdirection by Ree (who also developed thecharacters in the commercial), andincredible technical back-up from Black

Ginger”, Hilton says, “Jannes has hadeverything going for him to enable him tocreate an incredible first in the country – aStereo 3D commercial in miniature, usingstop-motion”.

Work on a larger scaleHilton adds that, in retrospect, future

S3D model work would be done on alarger scale – possible 1/8 to 1/6, toobviate a lot of the problems which had tobe overcome in this shoot, more obviouslythe depth of field considerations. Inconclusion, Hilton says “The thing I loveabout this industry is innovation andevolution. And I'm really excited about theprospects of S3D - it opens up a wholenew way of working and seeing. Thefuture is Stereo!”

Lighting in miniature is challenging enough, but when frame-by-frame lighting effects andstop-motion are added to the equation, the prospect becomes pretty daunting. “ Withstunning models, amazing art direction by Ree (who also developed the characters in thecommercial), and incredible technical back-up from Black Ginger”, Hilton says, “Janneshas had everything going for him to enable him to create an incredible first in the country –a Stereo 3D commercial in miniature, using stop-motion”.

About the AuthorRod Stewart, well-known DOP, has more than 60 features films to his credit. A great proponent of educationand training in the industry, Rod becameHonorary Professor of Cinematography in2003, and at present runs Master Classesfor post-graduate students at AFDA.

46

Nigeria’s impressive movielegacy dates back to the1960s. Nowadays,‘Nollywood’ boasts one of thelargest movie industries in the

world. Between 1,000 and 2,000 titlesoriginated on video are released eachyear, all of which are put onto DVD or VCDand the demand is increasing from withinAfrica and worldwide. Ali-Balogun,however, is earnestly addressing the issueof the quality of movies from his country.As he explains, “Our industry needs todevelop a cinematic culture. Althoughthere are many incredible stories to be toldon film which would attract largeaudiences, movies from Africa face a greatdeal of competition, particularly thoseaimed at international release. I amseeking to encourage African filmmakersto move away from the video format andembrace the universally and professionallyaccepted format of 35mm, which providesready access to international filmfestivals.”

Kodak comes to the partyAli-Balogun continues: “Kodak was

instrumental in enabling me to achieve myobjective of shooting on 35mm and wasphenomenally supportive throughout thewhole process of making Tango With Me. Ifirst met Kodak officials at their stand atthe Cannes Film Festival in 2006 anddiscussed with them my desire to shootthe feature on 35mm. I spoke to themagain the following year and they weremore than cooperative. They came toNigeria, met with the Nigerian FilmCorporation and offered me a fantasticdeal. Through their vision meeting mine, Iwas able to make this project happen.”

Passion for filmmakingKodak recognised Ali-Balogun’s

professionalism and his passion forfilmmaking, and offered him acomprehensive package comprising filmstock, processing and telecine transfer totape for the rushes at Kodak Cinelabs inDubai. They also provided the 35mm print

for theatrical release. With direct dailyflights from Lagos to Dubai, turnaroundtime is very short, and Kodak’sinfrastructure guarantees the best possiblequality and services. The negative cutting,post production and final print is beingdone in Kodak Cinelab, Sofia, Bulgaria.Kodak’s one-stop-shop makes 35mmaffordable for Nigerian filmmakers whowish to follow Mahmood Ali-Balogun’sexample and bring the unique film lookback to Nigeria; the look that audienceslove and all digital formats try to emulate.

Exploring serious issuesAli-Balogun explains why he opted

for film, instead of taking the digital routefor his landmark movie: “I believe thatwhen it comes to movies, digital is inferiorto film. Film is still the best medium in theworld and I knew that Tango With Mewould lend itself to the film feel.” His long-awaited movie, which explores seriousissues in society, was shot on KODAKVISION2 500T 5260, KODAK VISION2200T 5217 and KODAK VISION2 100T

5212. Ali-Balogun enhanced productionvalues with an experienced American crewand British director of photography KeithHolland, who is currently Los Angeles-based. They were supported by anefficient Nigerian team. Ali-Balogun invitedcolleagues from the Nigerian movieindustry to observe aspects of the filmshoot and involved three students from theNigerian Film Institute (NFI) in the makingof Tango With Me.

Unusual camera positionsDP Holland, recalls the two-and-a-

half month shoot which took place in andaround Lagos: “Mahmood and I workedwell together and he was open to many ofthe ideas I suggested. He is a gooddirector and related well to the actors,leaving me to create the movie’sphotographic style. It was a pleasure toshoot on 35mm film and select theappropriate stocks for each situation.”Holland frequently placed the camera inunusual positions, using foregroundobjects to give depth and texture. “In one

Africa is not considered the easiest country in which to make a film, let alone a feature on 35mm, but respectedNigerian director/producer Mahmood Ali-Balogun aims to instigate change. His motive for selecting Kodak 35mmfilm for his big budget psychological drama, Tango With Me, centres around his determination to alter the“subsistence digital nature” of the Nigerian film industry. He strongly believes that Africa in general and Nigeria inparticular have the ability to create internationally-acclaimed movies.

Nigerian feature film dances the Tango

Mahmood Ali-Balogun(director), Keith Holland (DP) and other crew members shooting inNigeria. "“Kodak was instrumental in enabling me to achieve my objective of shooting on35mm and wasphenomenally supportive throughout the whole process of making TangoWith Me," says Ali Balogun.

47

www.evs.tv

Be the First to Break the News

Multi-Format HD/SD

File Ingest with no Transcoding

Virtual Editing

Central Media Management

Direct Playout, No Rendering

Modular Production for News

Visit us atVisit us atIBC 2010IBC 2010

BoothBooth8.B908.B90

www.evs.tv

scene in Tango With Me, the lead actor issitting at a glass-topped table drinking histroubles away. I placed the camera underthe table and framed his face through theglass, which had a shattered texture.During the shot I racked focus from theglass to his face, symbolising thefragmentation of his life and his marriage. Ialso used a lot of backlighting, which canbe challenging in practical locations withlow ceilings, and I manipulated the moodwith colour. I used an 85 filter undertungsten lights to create that warm lookand tungsten emulsion under daylightlights as the way to produce the coolmood, as with the sad drinking scene.”

Innovative cameraworkHolland used longer focal length

lenses whenever possible to give a shallowdepth of field and concentrate theaudience’s attention on a particular aspect.“Ali-Balogun took the footage to KodakCinelabs Dubai and supervised thetransfer,” notes DP Holland, adding thathe’ll definitely be putting a clip from thefilm onto his reel. “Mahmood reported atthe telecine stage that everything waslooking ‘gorgeous’ and he’s asked me tomeet him at a lab in Europe to completethe colour timing.” “Forgiveness is thecentral theme of Tango With Me.

Communication, faith and loveIt is a story of how communication,

faith and love can conquer maritaldifficulties and I believe it will haveuniversal appeal” says Ali-Balogun, areligious family man who is well known forhis evocative documentaries. During hisdiverse career, he directed and producedHuman Trafficking Nigeria, Child AbuseNigeria, Environmental Pollution, ThePeople’s Constitution, Dance of the

Maiden and The HIV/AIDs Pandemic. Hehas also been responsible for numeroustelevision commercials for major agencies,which have raised the quality ofcommercials shot in Nigeria.

Collaborative art“Filmmaking is my passion,” states

Ali-Balogun. “It is a collaborative art andthe more we improve our standards andthe higher we aim, the better our chancesof success. It’s a tough and cumbersomeprocess, but it is incredibly worthwhile. Myambition is to contribute to theemancipation of Africa. I believe that if myfilm is successful it will encourage theAfrican movie industry to create better andbetter productions.” Tango With Me isproduced by Brickwall CommunicationsLimited. The film will follow the internationalfilm festival route before being officiallyreleased in cinemas and theatres. Releaseon DVD will be long after the cinema run.Ali-Balogun hopes that its release willprove to be a defining moment for film inAfrica.

Keith Holland (DP), MarQ Edwards (Asst.Cameraman) & Mahmood Ali-Balogun(Director). “Filmmaking is my passion,”states. Ali-Balogun. “It is a collaborative artand the more we improve our standardsand the higher we aim, the better ourchances of success."

A condensed version of this article wasfirst published in Kodak's In Camera magazine- July 2010 edition. This extended version isinspired by their initiative and is publishedwith their permission.

48

South African based Surgesound recently supplied aquantity of Lab.gruppen’s acclaimed FP+ and fP Series poweramplifiers to Johannesburg-based production services company,The Sound Corporation, for installation at some of the key FIFAFan Fest outdoor fan parks across the country. The SoundCorporation, one of the biggest professional-audio productionhouses in South Africa, is the only company to have beenawarded more than two officially designated FIFA Fan Fest parksout of a total of nine designated fan parks across the country. Forthe thousands of eager football fans out there that haven’t beenlucky enough to get tickets for the big matches, FIFA Fan Festareas are the perfect alternative, allowing people to share in thefootball fever and take in the match on giant screens supportedwith world class audio systems. That’s where Lab.gruppen’sworld renowned power amplifier expertise was brought to thegame.

The Sound Corporation provided the audio systems for 4 ofthe fan parks, including one of the largest in Soweto where over75,000 fans watched the opening match between South Africaand Mexico, as well as those at Rustenburg, Bloemfontein andNelspruit. The systems have been based around Lab.gruppenFP+ and fP Series amplification powering EAW loudspeakers.Racks of Lab.gruppen’s ultra reliable and high power density FP10000Q (4 x 2500W) power EAW KF760/761 and KF730 line arraysystems, with a combination of Lab.gruppen fP 6400 and fP 2600driving EAW SM12 monitors, ensuring the fans enjoy world-classtour sound quality at the FIFA Fan Parks.

Surgesound’s founder, Andrew Rowan, commented “TheSound Corporation has been a great client of ours for many yearsand currently has an extensive inventory of Lab.gruppen productas well as the biggest EAW system in Africa. We are extremelyproud that a production house of The Sound Corporation’scalibre happily put their trust in Lab.gruppen and EAW productswhen it comes to their most high-profile gigs” Mark de Klerk,owner of The Sound Corporation, said “We’ve invested heavily inLab.gruppen amplification technology, and with goodreason...they are in my opinion second to none, giving usabsolute peace of mind when it comes to reliability as well asdelivering a natural sound quality that makes the difference whenit comes to the most demanding live sound applications, such ashere at the FIFA Fan Parks.”

Lab.gruppen powers FIFA FanFest experience in South Africa Photon Beard is a major provider of studio and portable lighting

for the professional broadcast market worldwide, as a result of the proven build quality and reliability of our equipment. With our recent growth, we are now in a position where we are continually developing new innovative products, all designed andmanufactured at our UK factory.

Our most recent introduction is a range of compact Tungsten studio Fresnels, from 300W to 2kW, featuring our customary dependable design and construction, and incorporating aninnovative application of lamp technology and optical design.

Full details of our extensive range of fluorescent and tungsten lighting, and our studio design and installation service areavailable from our website.

Unit K3, CherrycourtWay, Stanbridge Road, Leighton Buzzard,Bedfordshire, LU7 4UH, United Kingdom.

Tel: +44 (0)1525 850911 Fax: +44 (0)1525 850922info@photonbeard.com

Making Light Work

www.photonbeard.com

NEW

See us at IBCStand 11.F51

Send to press blank document.indd 1 12/7/10 10:31:23

FP+ and fP Series power EAW loudspeaker system in official FIFAWorld Cup fan parks.

49

Together, theses three companiesrepresent an unsurpassedconcentration of expertise and

excellence in optical engineering. By examining, incorporating and

improving upon current systems, as wellas encouraging third parties to participatein a discussion, the triumvirate of industryleaders aims to deliver higher customervalue than existing solutions can offer.Already, the group offers the existing,unrivalled range of prime lenses that arethe result of the decade long partnershipbetween ZEISS and ARRI. Now, the newARRI/Fujinon “Alura-Series” zoom lensesare introduced. This is a great benefit forcustomers who can now shoot withmodern primes and zooms that areperfectly matched according to tightspecifications.

The group will push developmentsto encourage more effective integrationand communication between camerasand lenses. Beyond the benefits ofidealized mechanical and opticalsynergies, solutions are needed thatrespond to the needs of today's industryand also combine affordability withenhanced electronic data transfer, therebysimplifying postproduction workflows -especially those that incorporate visualeffects elements.

During NAB Zeiss, ARRI and Fujinon announced a cooperation agreement to utilize strengths of each company inorder to create innovative new products for the visual entertainment community. The agreement consists of anopen exchange of technologies, standards and ideas, as well as close cooperation in the development of newproducts.

Strategic partnership amongst lens manufacturers

During NAB Zeiss, Fujinon and ARRIannounced a cooperation agreement toutilise strengths of each company to createinnovative new products for the visualentertainment community.

For enquiries in Africa, please contact our local partner, Inala www.inala.co.za©2010 Omneon, Inc. All rights reserved. Omneon and the Omneon logo are trademarks of Omneon, Inc.

Power ofChoice.

When it comes to yourdigital content work�ow, one

company gives you the

Accelerate and customize your digital workflow with the platform that enables best-of-breed solutions. The power of choice is yours with Omneon.

Only Omneon delivers a complete content platform optimized for your digital content work�ows. Our comprehensive portfolio of media servers, active storage and applications accelerate your work�ow – eliminating bottlenecks and improving ef�ciencies. And Omneon’s heritage of innovation and commitment to service is unmatched across the industry. If you’re looking for a scalable, �exible and reliable digital content platform, the choice is clear: Trust Omneon.

VISITOMNEON AT IBC,

BOOTH 7.A10

50

Many emerging markets haveresponded more swiftly andsuccessfully to the globalrecession of 2008/09 thanadvanced economies.

However, quick and short-term responsesby far dominated sustainable long-terminnovations and adequate structuralchanges in most countries.

The recession bitesSouth Africa was one of the

countries that considered itself to be well-equipped to weather the global economicstorm owing to its strong regulatoryframework, low levels of debt, andbanking system that hardly had anyexposure to toxic assets. Thegovernment’s optimistic tone in the earlystages changed when it became obvious

that the impact on the economy would besevere. Indeed, South Africa was pushedinto its first recession in 17 years, asdeclining commodity prices and lowergrowth in major trading partners lowereddemand for South African exports andemployment decreased for the first time in

almost four years. Although South Africawas slower to implement decisive crisismanagement measures than othercountries, its process of drafting aneconomic crisis response frameworkbenefited greatly from the institutionalizedand inclusive multi-stakeholder approachthat is the procedural hallmark of thecountry. The deliberation process drewupon existing structures that had been setup in 1994 to ensure that social dialogueaccompanies the development ofeconomic policies. The NationalEconomic Development and LabourCouncil (NEDLAC) convened a task forceof government, labor, business andcommunity representatives, whichnegotiated the final framework and retainsresponsibility for its monitoring andimplementation. The framework has been

International study compares national crisis management and economic governance in the world’s majoreconomies – quick and short-term responses instead of long-term strategies – no fine-tuned, concerted action onglobal level

Emerging markets send out strong signal

51

praised at the international level forbringing together a broad range of socialpartners to jointly forge a commonresponse to the crisis.

Comparative studyThese are some the main findings of

an international comparative study by theBertelsmann Stiftung on the crisismanagement and economic governancein 14 countries. The emerging markets’effective crisis management indicates thattheir governments are today much moreadept at preventing and tackling crisesthan in the past. This can be attributedprimarily to effective policy learning andthe implementation of institutional changesin reaction to former downturns like the1997/98 Asian crisis.

Sound fiscal policyThe report concludes that major

emerging countries took advantage of pre-crisis prudent regulation of the financialmarkets and banking systems as wells assound fiscal and monetary policies to dealadeptly with the worldwide economicdownturn. As a consequence, emergingeconomies did not have a large amount oftoxic assets in their domestic financialsystems, their financial markets proved tobe more shock-resistant and given theirsolid financial situation their governmentshad more latitude for stimulus policieswhen the crisis hit their real economies infall 2008. Due to fewer institutional andbudgetary restraints, many emergingcountries today seem to have acomparative advantage over theirindustrialized counterparts. In year twoafter the outbreak of the global financialand economic crisis, emerging countrieslike China, India or Brazil are stimulatingthe global economy and differ profoundlyfrom advanced Western economies inimportant parameters: by solid growth,lower debts, a rebounding domesticdemand and a stable banking andfinancial system. “Many emergingeconomies have done their homework inthe past and have now proven that crisis

prevention does not only enhanceresponse options to tackle new crises, butcan also lead to genuine economicadvantages,” says Sabine Donner, ProjectManager at the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Thecrisis outcome thus far confirms and givesan added boost to the rapid rise ofemerging countries and a global powershift in their favor. Emerging markets arenot only catching up with advancedeconomies with regard to economicperformance. They have also displayedimpressive skills of politically managingthe global shock according to the study.

Structural reformIn order to deal with the

consequences of the downturn and totackle future crises, it will be of utmostimportance if advanced economies will beequally adaptive, draw the necessaryconclusions and implement structuralreforms in the aftermath of the crisis.

The study’s analysis of national crisismanagement reveal numerouscommonalities. While the perception of thecrisis and its concrete impact variedwidely from country to country, the currentglobal recession has been handled moreswiftly, pragmatically and comprehensivethan any such previous downturn. As soonas the potentially devastating impact ofthe crisis was recognized, resistanceagainst swift emergency measures andfiscal expansion evaporated, at leasttemporarily, and national crisismanagement went into overdrive duringthe first phase of the crisis examined in thestudy (from September 2008 to September2009). As a consequence, all casesincluded in the study show the emergenceof strong executive leadership and mostlyuncontested stimulus packages. In “crisismode”, each government relied on itsindvidual governance style and leadershipskills – be it the highly centralizedadministrative apparatus such as thatpresent in China, the technocratic, top-down management style observed inSouth Korea, or the pragmatic moderationthat relies on the personal leadership skillsof its president as was the case in Brazil.

The swiftness of crisis responseshas been given precedence in nearly allcountries irrespective of the politicalsystem. Time constraints limited the usualconsultation processes with intermediaryorganizations about the focus of themeasures taken. Civil societies weresubsequently not actively involved inagenda setting and policy formulation.Only the South African governmentengaged in a comprehensive consultationprocess with social partners about the

scope and priorities of the crisis response.

Sustainable economic policyAspects of a sustainable economic

and structural policy have also taken abackseat in the first stage of the crisis. Allcountries included in the study showedextreme short-termism and“expansionism” in drafting stabilizationand stimulus policies both in emergingand advanced economies. Only a fewgovernments identified and used the crisisas an opportunity for a considered andpurposeful restructuring. Even fewer, e. g.South Korea, China or the United Statescan claim a boosting of the “nationalinnovation system” through techonology,education, research, “green” policies ortackling structural economic bottlenecks.

Global governanceRegarding the often stressed claim

for more international adjustment of crisisresponses, the study draws a soberingconclusion. Hauke Hartmann, Project

Manager at the Bertelsmann Stiftung:“Instead of strengthening globalgovernance in reaction to the global crisis,the management of the crisis and thedrafting of stimulus packages took placealmost exclusively on the national level.”The most effective and profoundcoordination of policy steps ocurred,according to the study, among centralbanks and monetary authorities. Within theG-20 framework, government leadersmerely reassured themselvels about thetiming and extent of their national stimuluspackages strictly in line with their domesticpolicy agendas. But they did not enter intoconcerted, fine-tuned programs of action.At least the opportunity for an exchangeamong the most important economies ofthe world has never been so ample, andnever have emerging markets beenincluded so compehensively. It has yet tobe seen if this leads to any seriousattempt for more global governance infinancial markets.

26 – 28 April 2011Dubai International Exhibition Center

Co-located with: Organised by:

Featuring exciting new live demos, practial workshops, certified courses from our supporting associations & new national pavilion groups.

AWARDS

200+ Exhibitors | 800+ Brands | 30+ Countries

www.palme-me.com

+971 (0) 4 3365161 +971 (0) 4 336 4006 palme@iirme.comBook Your Stand Today!

Platinum Sponsor:

Who will visit PALME Middle East?• Architects • AV Consultants • Bars • Clubs • Concert Producers • Contractors • Dealers • DJs • Distributors • Engineers • Facilities Managers • Government Departments • High Net Worth Individuals • Hotels & Resorts • Installers • Interior Designers • IT Networking Companies • Rental Event Management • Retail Outlets • Shopping Malls • Stadia • System Integrators • Theatres • Venue Owners

Meet 6000+ visitors from the Middle East

ConnectWith the latest in Light, Sound, Stage & AV Technologies

The positive experience with a C100HD in the main studio helped DubaiMedia with its decision to use the

C100 HDS consoles in the new vans.“Thenew OB trucks were initiallycommissioned for the new MeydanRacecourse horse racing venue in Dubai,”says John Fee, outside broadcastmanager for Dubai Media, Inc. “Thetrucks were outfitted with the latestgeneration, high end HD equipment, sowe needed consoles to match that quality.The C100 HDS consoles were the rightsize, offering us great system flexibilityand an easy learning curve. We have hada good relationship with SSL through theexperience we’ve had with the C100 HDconsole in our main studio, so continuingthis relationship was an easy choice.”

The spectacular MeydanRacecourse is spread over 76 million

square feet and features a world classgrandstand that spans over a kilometerand boasts a seating capacity of up to60,000 guests. The two OB vans providelive coverage for such international eventsas the prestigious Dubai World Cup forhorse racing, but also events like the FIFABeach Soccer World Cup Finals.

“We expect the SSL C100 HDSconsoles to run audio for the over 1,400programming days planned for this yearcovering all types of sporting events,” Fee

continues. “The sound quality the C100HDS delivers is, in a word, perfect, whichhelps us capture the excitement for livebroadcast. As we have Dolby encoding inboth vans, the SSL consoles are surroundready when we move into full surroundbroadcasting of the sporting events. ”

The Meydan Racecourse is arguablythe most expensive track built in historytaking over 34 months to complete at aconservative cost estimate of $1.25billion. This world class facility demandsthe very best on all levels. “The C100HDS consoles work flawlessly, so we arenever worried while covering thesemassive events,” states Fee. “With all theprestige that goes along with a facility likeMeydan, everything must work first time,every time. Our experience with the C100HDS consoles has been excellent. We arevery happy with these consoles.”

Dubai Media has installed two 32-fader, Solid State Logic C100 HDS consoles in two new remote OB vans as partof the network’s move into HD broadcast. The C100 HDS consoles primarily support live to air coverage of horseracing at the massive new Meydan Racecourse and other local and international sporting events.

Dubai Media installs SSL C100 HDS consoles

53

2009Emmy®

Winner

Ringlite® SeaSun®Micro™MiniPlus™

®

Litepanelswww.Litepanels.comPh: 818 752 7009info@litepanels.com

Litepanels HDBroadcast Lighting

> Heat-free LED technology> Integrated dimmer 100% to 0> Variable color & variable beam angles available> Fixtures can be remote controlled> Ideal for broadcast, video conferencing, distance

learning, telemedicine and more

LITEPANELS® ADVANTAGES

Visit ourwebsite forhow-to videos& lightingtemplates.

1x1™

The Pentagon Press Room is lit with 24 Litepanels 1x1fixtures, which combined use less than 1100 Watts!

�Soft, HD Friendly Lighting�Saves up to 95% energy consumption�Additional energy savings via reduced A/C needs�50,000+ hours of LED bulb life

Litepanels’Earth-friendly

LED technology

The Official Light of High Definition

The White House Press Briefing Room in Washington, DCinstalled 401x1s & reduced lighting power usage by 95%.

The White House Press Briefing Room in Washington, DCinstalled 401x1s & reduced lighting power usage by 95%.

TM

Get powerful, soft, luminous, directional lightingwith the same warmth and color characteristicsthat have made Litepanels’ eco-friendly technologyan integral part of Hollywood features, broadcastingand still productions worldwide.

CABSAT Booth # ZN-1G

LP_1x1_1.2AVSpecialist:LitePanel 2/18/10 3:53 PM Page 1

Leading premium lifestyle brandTommy Hilfiger, one of thelargest designer apparel brandsglobally, has signed a five-yearmanaged services contract with

BT. Under the terms of the agreement, BTwill provide a videoconferencing solutionwhich includes the industry’s first ‘virtualfitting rooms’, which the company jointlydeveloped with Tandberg, now part ofCisco. These rooms enable immediateglobal “in-person” communication andcollaboration among Tommy Hilfiger’sdesigners and manufacturing facilities.The solution connects offices inAmsterdam, New York, Hong Kong andTokyo, with potentially more units to follow.

Virtual fitting roomsThe virtual fittings rooms - based

upon BT’s Unified Communications Videosolution coupled with Tandbergtechnology - include add-ons such asmobile cameras and recording facilities toenable the design team – based inAmsterdam and New York – to collaboratefaster and more effectively with themanufacturing team in Hong Kong. Teamswill be able to discuss the development ofevery single piece of the collection face-to-face without having to take long-distance flights.

“We were impressed by BT'sknowledge and experience in thevideoconferencing area. This, combinedwith the creative, innovative solution which

the BT-Tandberg team offered, made thedecision easy,” said Fred Gehring, CEOTommy Hilfiger Group. “The solution willbring us an immersive virtual meetingexperience and save both time andmoney. Teams will be able to interact andcollaborate as if they were in the sameroom, making us much more agile andcompetitive. We look forward to better andmore regular communication between ourentities across the globe.” Bas Burger,CEO BT Benelux, added: “This solutionwill also significantly lower carbonemissions. It is a good example of wheresustainability and cost-savings go hand-in-hand. We at BT understand that

sustainability is not an altruistic activity. Tosustain the business, investments need toshow return.” “Tommy Hilfiger has alwaysbeen a trend setter, now further illustratedby their innovative approach to virtualdesign and collaboration,” said FredrikHalvorsen, senior vice president, CiscoTelePresence Technology Group. “Likemany other leading companies, TommyHilfiger has recognized that high qualitytelepresence can make their processesfaster and more effective, delivering adistinct competitive advantage.”

Global rolloutThe contract includes two Tandberg

Telepresence T3 systems (Amsterdamand New York), one Telepresence T1system in Tokyo, three customized ‘virtualfitting rooms’ (based on the TelepresenceT1) in Amsterdam, New York and HongKong, desktop units, supportinginfrastructure (such as recording facilities)and software. Tommy Hilfiger will alsoreceive BT’s One Source for Tandberg, acomplete and ubiquitous managedservices wrap which includes 24/7helpdesk support, automated callscheduling and call launching, on-sitemaintenance, pro-active systemmonitoring and remote diagnostics. Thisreliable and easy to use service providesusers and administrators alike with asingle point of contact for all their supportneeds.

Telepresence solution reduces travel time and costs, increases speed-to-market and lowers carbon emissions forleading premium lifestyle brand

BT delivers virtual fitting rooms to Tommy Hilfiger

54

55

We have our own 4,000square foot studiocomprising three HD editsuites – two kitted out withFinal Cut Pro and one with

an Avid – a sound studio, a Blue Mattfloor and a render farm. Our staff ofaround 11 includes editors, soundengineers, cameramen and lightingspecialists. However, one of the thingsthat makes us unique is that we all tend todo more than one job, so a cameramanmight also double up as an editor, forinstance. Before I started VFX, I was afilmmaker. The company was formed witha strong focus on continually reinvestingin people and equipment, which carriesthrough to the present. Our motto is verymuch ‘the best people, the bestequipment’.

HD workflowWe’ve been more or less HD-centric

since 2000 when we started to use aPanasonic DVCPro camcorder and wewanted a video capture card thatcomplemented this workflow. We firststarted using the Blackmagic DesignDeckLink card back in 2003 afterswitching from an existing Matrox cardand since then we’ve stuck withBlackmagic Design. We currently have arange of Blackmagic kit including IntensityPro and Multibridge Pro for editing andHD Link for monitoring. We are alsolooking at how the HD Link Pro andDeckLink Studio perform with a view tofuture investment. As far as I’mconcerned, it’s the issue of cost-effectiveness that matters most whenbuying equipment -- you can’t afford toinvest in a system that is outdated in twoyears time. I’ve always looked at spendingmy dollar very carefully and BlackmagicDesign really fits in with this approach. Iprefer to have a modular system in placethat enables us to keep moving forward tomatch our requirements or as thetechnology evolves.

Decklink HD ExtremeWe recently upgraded to the

DeckLink HD Extreme, which we

purchased from our local dealer,Mediacast Systems, here in the UAE.Additionally, we decided to invest in a RedONE camera in 2007, and had it deliveredand installed in 2008. These two newpieces of kit enabled us to cut in realtime2K with ease and at a low cost, as well asoutput and monitor in 2K. I’ve alwayspreferred to work as close to finishedquality as possible even if it takes slightlymore time as you get a much better endresult. Compared to other productsavailable on the market, the DeckLink HDExtreme represents brilliant value formoney and it fits into a lot of our work atthe moment and delivers the picturequality we need.

The ultimate benchmarkTo me, picture quality is the ultimate

benchmark when making an assessmentand that remains a key factor when I buyequipment. It’s important that whateverworkflow and interface you have in placedelivers on this point. Right now we’refinished working on RAK- The Tree of Life,

a natural history film commissioned by thegovernment of Ras Al Khaimah. The filmlooks at five different tree species thateach support an entire eco system; one inthe mountains, one in the wadis, one onthe plains, one in the dessert and anotherin the coastal region. After the four-monthshoot on location here in the UAE, webegan editing in our studio

The whole thing was filmed with aRed ONE, with a Sony HDCam as asecondary camera, and an underwatercamera for the Persian Gulf segments.We’re currently in post-production with allthe RED camera footage being gradedusing RED ALERT! prior to beingimported into FCP for a realtime 2K edit.We have two identical FCP systems eachhooked up to a DeckLink Intensity – onewith DeckLink Extreme so we can monitorin both HD and 2K – and 8TB of RAID 0external hard drive storage. Backup is viaa Data Robotics (Drobo) storage deviceand the DeckLink cards can access bothstorage systems. We have used AppleColor for final visual effects and color

VFX is a Dubai-based production house specialising in turnkey productions. We take on a mix of commercials,corporate films, wildlife films, architectural realisation and multimedia and animation. Our production facilitiessupport the full spectrum of video production from pre to post-production.

Blackmagic Design is a natural fit for VFX Dubai

Yusuf Thakur is the CEO of VFX Dubai. Their production facilities support the full spectrumof video production and post-production. "Our company was formed with a strong focuson continually investing in people and equipment," says Yusuf. "To me, picture quality isthe ultimate benchmark when assesing equipment choices. It’s important that whateverworkflow and interface you have in place delivers on this point."

17-23

As part of InfoComm International’s global AV Week programme, SACIA is hosting the SACIA ProAV Forum - an industry outreach programme that examines how South African business can utilise audiovisual technology to cut costs, enhance communication and boost business efficiency. The event incorporates a dedicated exhibition - as well as a series of half-day seminars focusing on the use of audiovisual technology in government, business and education.

Many of South Africa’s largest and most prestigeous AV technology suppliers, consultants and integrators have signed up to participate – including Audiosure, Christie, Dimension Data, Electrosonic, Harris Broadcast, Inala Distribution, Omega Digital, Peripheral Vision, Pro Acoustic, Questek Advanced Technologies, Shellard Media, Spescom Media & IT, and Wild & Marr. Entrance to the exhibition is free while participation in the conference sessions is priced at a cost of only R750. Register online at www.proav-africa.org and qualify for a special R200. discount on all

conference sessions booked before 30 September. Just enter SPECIAL as your discount code when making your reservation.

When: 20-21 October 2010Where: Misty Hills Conference & Exhibiiton Centre, Gauteng, South Africa

Who should visit?SACIA’s ProAV Forum is a 2-day event aimed specifically at people who use AV technology to achieve their communication objectives. It’s designed to highlight how businessmen, teachers, government officials and others can use audiovisual technology to communicate more effectively. It’s an end-user event that will demonstrate the real-life application of AV technology in Southern Africa today. A visit to our ProAV Forum will provide information on how you can use AV technology to cut costs, work smarter and achieve your communications objectives more effectively.

Promoting AV excellence in Southern Africa

The South African Communications Industries Association is a not-for-profit Trade Association committed to promoting the adoption of professional standards in the audiovisual industry throughout Africa.

correction for the project and once againthe DeckLink HD Extreme card has beused for this. The final master has beenproduced in 1080i and SD, and we havealso preserved the 2K edit. We have alsoused the same workflow on anotherrecently completed natural history film –Tracking Mermaids - which is all aboutDugongs (a marine mammal related tothe Manatee). The film is based on theresearch conducted by the EAD(Environment Agency Abu Dhabi) and thesubsequent conservation efforts made toprotect and preserve their habitat, and theDugong population, in the waters of theUAE.

Long term approachMy view is definitely to take a long-

term approach to investing in newequipment. It’s all about choosingequipment that allows us to retain ourexisting gear; Blackmagic’s DeckLink HDcard fit the bill for us. My old Nikon lensescan still be used with the Red ONE, andmy very first Blackmagic DeckLink is stillused when the project demands it. As Isaid once before: our motto is very much‘the best people, the best equipment’ andour investment in Blackmagic Design’sproducts was very much inspired by ourmotto.

57

HJ22ex7.6B

HJ15ex8.5B

HJ17ex7.6B

HJ14ex4.3B

HJ18ex28B

HJ21ex7.5B

Canon Europa N.V., Tel +31 (0)20 5458905 Canon UK., Tel +44(0)1737 220539

From the widest to the longest to the only built-in Image Stabilizing solution – no other HD portable lens range gives you more shooting options. And Rotary encoders – essential for 3D – are standard with Canon.

If you are looking for an innovative, high performance HD portable lens providing high residual value and supported by the only dedicated service network throughout the world, you have a choice.

www.canon-europe.com/tv-products

there’s only one range that can...

VFX Dubai have recently completed work on RAK- The Tree of Life, a natural history filmcommissioned by the government of Ras Al Khaimah. The film looks at five different treespecies that each support an entire eco system; one in the mountains, one in the wadis,one on the plains, one in the dessert and another in the coastal region. The film wasprimarily shot on VFX's Red ONE camera. It was graded using RED ALERT! prior to beingimported into FCP for a realtime 2K edit. The company has two identical FCP systemseach hooked up to a DeckLink Intensity – one with DeckLink Extreme so we can monitor inboth HD and 2K."

MediaComposer® 5

You spoke—we listened. Get ready to edit faster than ever before with smarter tools, expanded AMA (Avid® Media Access) tapeless media workfl ows (including native RED, QuickTime, and Canon 5D/7D editing), UI enhancements, open, cost-effective monitoring, and more. Meet the new Avid Media Composer® 5—your wish list is now your reality. With affordable pricing, Media Composer has never offered so much for so little.

“Get comfortable—with Media Composer 5, you can truly edit the way you like.”

– Terence Curren, founder/president at AlphaDogs, Inc., blogger at CreativeCOW.net

“Avid has done it again—in a major overhaul of Media Composer, version 5 is going to blow your mind.”

– David Michael Maurer, editor (Splinter, Barking Water, The Apprentice), blogger at FlickGym.com

“All in all, I am very excited about the new Media Composer software because it gives me a few reasons to tell clients that it

would be more effi cient to use Avid instead of FCP.”– Q. Bryce Randle, lead editor/creative director at Post Fifth Pictures

Test-drive Media Composer 5 today—www.avid.com/mctrial

© 2010 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Promotions and discounts are subject to availability and change without notice. Product features, specifi cations, system requirements and availability are subject to change with out notice. Avid, the Avid logo, and Media Composer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

mc5ad_AVSpecialist.indd 1 6/25/10 10:13 AM

59

www.avjobsearch.net

The acquisition includes 16 GV HDcameras (a mix of portable andstudio types); 4 GV HD high-speed

cameras for super slow motion (SSM); 6EVS hard disc broadcast servers (eachserver comprising 6 channels) whichenables high-quality recording, SSM andediting of video signals; 6 HD Sony VTRsfor the recording of HD video signals; aHD Canon lens with a wide range of focallengths and zooming powers, whichallows for versatility and creativity inapplications; and VINTEN tripods for alltypes of cameras. These and severalother features and capabilities make thenew equipment ideal for the HDbroadcasting of a variety of programming,from live entertainment to sports events,where extremely fast, frame-accurateoperation is critical.

“Our sustained investment in HDtechnology clearly shows our commitmentto be at the forefront of HD TV productionin the Middle East and become thepartner of choice for the broadcast ofinternational events. It is essential that weoffer our partners and customers acomplete HD production facility thatdelivers the best production the region

has ever seen and that we pursue thehighest-quality standards for HD TVbroadcast, both of which will ensure weare well-positioned for growth in thefuture”, said Abdul Hadi Al Sheikh, CEOof LIVE. “We are very pleased with theoutstanding relationship we haveestablished with our partners Alfacam.The equipment and services we haveacquired fulfill our needs and protect ourinvestment for many years to come,”concluded Al Sheikh.

Since launching in August 2008,LIVE has brought the most excitingsporting and cultural events in the regionto millions of viewers globally and hasbeen recognized as a pioneer in HDbroadcasting and production, withunmatched technological capabilities inthe Middle East.

LIVE, Abu Dhabi Media Company’s wholly-owned outside broadcast (OB) and production subsidiary, continues toadvance its fleet of state-of-the-art production OB vans with a significant acquisition of latest high-definition (HD)technology and equipment from Alfacam, one of the world’s leading providers of TV facilities and services to thebroadcast and media production industry.

LIVE bolsters its OB capacity with latest high-end HD equipment

Mitsubishi introduce 3D-readyportable projector

Mitsubishi has announced a new projector designed forcost-conscious customers looking for classroom or meetingroom projectors. The EX240U is an XGA projector that features2500 lumens of brightness producing high-quality images atvery competitive prices. The new EX240U features a six-segment colour wheel (red, blue, green, white, yellow andcyan) to produce impressively rich and accurate colours, and isdesigned and built using Texas Instruments DLP technologyand BrilliantColour for superior colour performance. It comeswith a filter-free engine and a convenient top-loading lamp tomake installation and lamp replacement simple and easy.Lightweight at just 2.4kg the EX240U can easily be moved fromroom to room. The direct power off function eliminates power-down time allowing presenters to make quick exits withoutdamaging the projector. It also comes with up to 4000 hours oflamp life, which reduces overall cost of ownership, meaningfewer replacements over time, saving time and money.

Extron Introduces Two and Four Input HDMI Switchers

Extron Electronics is pleased to announce that the SWHDMI LC two and four input switchers are now shipping. Theseswitchers support HDMI 1.3 specification features, includingdata rates up to 6.75 Gbps, Deep Colour, Lip Sync, and HDlossless audio formats. HDCP compliance ensuresinteroperability with other HDCP-compliant devices. Theswitchers support all HDTV rates including 1080p/60 with 12-bitDeep Colour, and PC resolutions up to 1920x1200. Front panelLED indicators provide visual confirmation of signal presence.Input cable equalization for each input compensates for cablesup to 50 feet in length. The SW HDMI LC switchers are ideal forsending HDMI video and embedded multi-channel digitalaudio to a single display. "A/V integrators have long turned toExtron for feature-rich, yet cost-effective analogue and digitalsignal switchers that optimize system performance," saysCasey Hall, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Extron."The SW HDMI LC switchers now bring Extron quality, reliability,and performance to HDMI switching applications, providingintegrators and end users alike with the extra measure ofconfidence that comes with every Extron product."

Kramer Electronics is pleased to announce theintroduction of the PT-571HDCP and PT-572HDCP twisted pairtransmitter and receiver for DVI signals. The PT-571HDCPand PT-572HDCP can transmit DVI signals directly over atwisted pair cable (shielded twisted pair cables arerecommended). The PT-571HDCP and PT-572HDCP offer anextremely compact and inexpensive solution for DVI signaltransmission over long distances and are ideal for anyapplication where long distance signal distribution is required.The PT-571HDCP converts a DVI signal into a signal that canbe run over shielded twisted pair cables. The PT-572HDCPreceiver then converts the signal back to a DVI signal. Bothunits feature a bandwidth of up to 1.65Gbps and are HDCPcompliant and HDTV compatible. A DVI signal can betransmitted up to 90 meters at SXGA resolution and up to 30meters at UXGA resolution when using Kramer’s shielded BC-DGKat524 cable. Kramer’s shielded BC-DGKat623 cable canextend the range for UXGA to 70 meters and the soon to beintroduced Kramer shielded BC-DGKat7a23 cable will extendthe range to 80 meters for UXGA signals.

60

Kramer introduce compact LineTransmitter/Receiver set

Projecta is pleased tointroduce Da-Plex, a rigid rearprojection acrylic screenoffering high resolutiondiffusive reflection forpermanent installations. Da-Plex features a microscopicthin diffusion coating which ispermanently bonded to theacrylic substrate and cannotpeel off like laminated film or

vinyl based diffusion screens.Diffusion coatings ensureuniformity and a wide viewingangle, suitable for today’shigh output digital projectors.The optical diffusion coatingdoes not exceed 1 mm inthickness. The screensubstrate is made of a clearacrylic and offers breakageresistance, is lightweight fortransport, features high opticalquality and superiortransmission. Da-Plex isavailable in standard sizes upto 251 cm high and 427 cmwide and has a gain of 1.0with a full viewing angle of 70degrees. Larger sizes andcustom formats are availableupon request.

Da-Plex and Rear Projection Module

61

Christie, the first to market a fully stereoscopic 3D DLPprojector nearly a decade ago, has announced the latestedition of its popular Christie Mirage Series, the Christie MirageWU7K-M. Featuring a full WUXGA resolution display and duallamps for excellent uniformity, the Christie Mirage WU7K-M is acompact, 6,300 ANSI lumens powerhouse. With dual-link DVIsupport at 330MHz full bandwidth and up to 10,000:1 contrast,the projector delivers crisp images, vibrant colours and uniformbrightness – all at the lowest cost of ownership. The ChristieMirage WU7K-M stereoscopic 3D display system meets theprecise needs of the energy markets, life sciences,government, education and medical research whereperformance, reliability, easy maintenance and low operatingcost are critical to project success. Built on proven 3-Chip DLPtechnology, the Christie Mirage WU7K-M is versatile andefficient, with three modes of 3D input: standard frame rate ofup to 120Hz, as well as frame-doubled content for maximumsource compatibility and flicker-free operation. With theaddition of a second input module, the Dual Input 3D modeenables the display of a frame-locked, passive stereo sourcefor high-performance, active stereo at 120Hz without the needfor an external passive to active converter. It features anextended lamp life of up to 3,000 hours per lamp, low powerconsumption of only 20W in standby, and filter-free, auto-sensing fans and temperature sensors, making it the industry’smost efficient “green” advanced visualisation projector.

Chief launches new accessories for Video Conferencing

Christie introduce most advanced3D projector yet

Chief is excited toannounce new accessoriesfor FUSION Series wallmounts, AV carts and standsas well as a new onlinecompatibility tool for selectingthe right accessories for your

video conferencing needs.From codec and camerashelves to sound bar speakeradapters, accessories canhelp create the ideal solutionfor a wide range of videoconferencing and digitalsignage needs. Chief’s’ TVCart series also has a coupleof new video conferencingaccessories, including aLarge Video ConferencingShelf and a Codec/CPUInterface Adapter that canhide Tandberg’s popularcodecs behind the display fora clean look. Finally, Chiefoffers a Large ShelfAccessory that allows usersto add a centre channelspeaker or sound bar to amobile video conferencingsolution.

Gefen has announced that its Digital Signage Creator(DSC) is now shipping. The DSC works with any Windows-based browser and gives users full control over their digitalsignage content creation. The intuitive layout program offersthe ability to create templates, insert music, layer videoimages, write scripts to control content and pull RSS feeds offthe Internet to name just a few. Unlimited creative possibilitiesfree users to build totally customized content that best suitstheir unique needs. Each DSC comes with Digital SignageDirector (DSD) software that is intuitive and easy to use, whilestill offering advanced features to develop visually stunningdigital signage. It offers built-in scheduling and calendarfunctions so users can pre-arrange content to play at anytime. Content can be pushed to the DSC for immediateupdates or pulled automatically from another server usingiCalendar. The DSC is a compact solid state unit that weighsless than 7 ounces and typically uses only 2 watts of power,making it a green and viable solution to any facility whileeliminating excessive power costs.

Remote TechnologiesIncorporated (RTI) hasannounced that it is nowshipping its vIRsa Mouse IRemitter. Built with theprofessional integrator inmind, the versatile devicefeatures a sleek, symmetricaldesign while providing a hostof features to ensure smooth,reliable installations. The low-profile vIRsa is unobtrusiveand adapts to any installationenvironment with a flexible filmadhesive that conforms tocurved surfaces. For fasttroubleshooting, a separateholder remains attached,allowing easy removal and

replacement of the emitter. Ablue LED flasher offersincreased visibility but may behidden during normaloperation. For high reliability,a translucent PCB improvesthe integrity of electricalconnections while a built-inresistor protects againstvoltage overdrive andprecision moulding ensuresconsistent quality. Thedevice's 15-foot cable reachesthe entire equipment rack,and an integrated cable-management strap reducesclutter. "Our vIRsa Mouse isthe ultimate IR emitter.Engineered like no other, itcombines flexibility,convenience, efficiency, andunmatched reliability forintegrators, all in one device,"said Pete Baker, vicepresident of sales andmarketing for RTI. "From itsflexible film adhesive to itsbuilt-in resistor, every aspectof the vIRsa is designed tosimplify installations in thefield."

RTI's vIRsa mouse IR emitter now shipping

Gefen ships Digital Signage Creator

Lighthouse launches DuoLED

LighthouseTechnologies have launchedDuoLED, a lightweight meshproduct that has all theadvantages of transparencyand ease of handling, butwith an extra benefit. As thename suggest, DuoLED canbe used as a mesh screenbut, with the simple flick of aswitch, can also be used asa standard display panel. Thesecond mode is achieved bya revolutionary set of shutters,which close behind the meshand give the panels a solidappearance. Available in

12mm and 18mm pixel pitchversions, DuoLED is ideal forlarge format indoor oroutdoor displays, with abrightness of 5,000 nits,accurate reproduction of 281trillion colours and IP65ingress protection rating.Each panel of both typesmeasures 576mm square, isless than 150mm deep andweighs less than 9 kg,making DuoLED screens ofany size easy and fast tobuild. Lighthouse’s industry-leading contrast and colouruniformity technology meansthat the images produced byDuoLED, in either mode, aresharp and lifelike. Mostimportantly, the dual use ofthe panels means that rentalcompanies no longer need tostock both mesh andstandard panels.

Barco has announced that the first half of 2010 hasbrought impressive results for its digital cinema business thanksto the worldwide deployment of the DP2K series. This year hastaken off with a significant increase in sales, orders andproduction capacity. Powered by the global demand for digitaland 3D projection, Barco's new DP2K family of digital projectorsis on its way to break all records. Launched at ShoWest inMarch 2010, this family of DLP Cinema digital projectors wasthe first ever to pass a DCI compliance testing milestone andthe first to offer integrated CineCanvas subtitling. “The DP2Kseries has been extremely well received,” says George van Gils,managing director of Questek Advanced Technologies, Barcodistributor in South Africa. “The market is really taking up theproven Barco design concepts, such as our truly modulardesign and commonality of spares, which have been taken tothe next level in the DP2K series. The many key customersselecting Barco for their digital cinema rollouts are a greatrealization of this continued technology leadership.”

TV One adds new EDID solution The TV One-task product line expands by offering an

EDID/CEC Selector. The 1T-EDID-11 Selector allows for easyset up of the EDID and CEC parameters between a source anddisplay monitor. Instead of waiting for the source and display tosynchronize, this HDMI switcher saves time by using presetEDID and CEC settings to speed up the process. It’s also easyto change your settings should that become necessary due tothe selection of a different source or destination device orbecause you have purchased new equipment. SD and HDvideo, RGB video and embedded audio parameters can all beselected via the front panel and system operation is displayedon an LED array. The product also features the unique TV One-task locking power connectors to enhance overall systemmechanical security. The advanced features includecompliance with HDMI v1.3 and DVI 1.0 standards, serial datarates of up to 2.25Gbps, selectable DTV Resolutions of 720p,1080i/p and selectable PC resolutions of XGA, SXGA, andUXGA.

Barco dazzles theatres around the globe

Providing unmatched performance and portability totravelling professionals, Hitachi has introduced the CP-RX823LCD projector. The CP-RX82 offers a brightness of 2,200ANSI lumens at a weight of less than five pounds. The CP-RX82 is an XGA projector that features an easily accessible,high-efficiency filter, as well as a lamp life of 6,000 hours inEco Mode, making maintenance even easier. The Savingmode reduces the standby power consumption to .5W. TheCP-RX82 features 1W audio out and offers a variety of user-friendly functions, including Closed Captioning,Whiteboard/Blackboard modes, Template function, andinstant on/off. Also included are proprietary Hitachi functionssuch as My Screen, My Memory, My Buttons and My Source.The CP-RX82 also offers PIN lock security. “Entry-levelprojectors do not need to be synonymous with low quality, asthe CP-RX82 demonstrates,” said product manager JohnGlad. “The CP-RX82 packs a ton of features into a compactand lightweight chassis at a very affordable price.”

Presenters On The Move With Hitachi

62

Visitors to IBC 2010 will see video projector resolution forsmall to medium-sized edit suites and preview theatres takento a new level by Norway’s projectiondesign. The company willuse the Amsterdam show to give a global debut to the cineo352.5k – the world’s first compact projector capable of showingimages at a native 2560 x 1600 resolution. By offering anuncompressed and unaltered display of 2K data, the cineo352.5k gives the fine detail view that 1080p projectors are unableto provide without cropping or scaling the image. Additionally,because of the extra resolution available, the projector candisplay full 2K in a window and still offer space for editing toolson the same screen. This makes the cineo35 2.5k the perfectprojector for small to medium-sized rooms where colouraccuracy and performance are the most important criteria. Theprojector comes with multiple preset calibration profiles asstandard, and users can switch quickly between colour spacesand calibration settings.

Sanyo launch world's shortest-focus projector

World’s first native 2.5K projectorlaunches at IBC 2010

Sanyo is pleased toannounce the release of newultra short-focus projectorwith 3D Ready. The newmodel also offers the world'sshortest projection distance,and can be set up verticallyor horizontally for enjoying“large images projected fromright on the wall." In 2006,Sanyo was the first in theindustry to come out with anultra short-focus projectorthat can project a largeimage from a short distance,thereby expanding thesituations where projectorscan be used. In 2007, Sanyo

also released the LP-XL50projector with an ultra short-focus lens, whichrevolutionized theconventional projectorconcept with the world'sshortest set-up distance. Thismodel has been well receivedin educational settings. Thenew PDG-DWL2500J modelrepresents a furtheradvancement of the LP-XL50,and has a compact designthat is about half the size ofthe conventional model.Along with being able toproject large images from aneven shorter distance, thenew models have 3D ready, afeature that is rapidly gainingpopularity. As a result, Sanyois aiming to expand themarket for these projectorsfrom the conventionaleducational market to includenew uses includingamusement applications.

AMX has announced distribution of the Novara 3000ControlPads. This unique product is a standalone user interfacecombined with an onboard controller that can be easilyconfigured to operate lights, AV equipment, HVAC systems andthe likes in simple conference rooms / classrooms. The Novara3000 is the third generation of ControlPads currently availablefrom AMX. These smartly designed keypad/controllers fit into astandard US, EU or UK back box and are available in six-,eight- and 17-button configurations. The Novara 3000 is idealfor streamlined control, available in various configurations of IR,RS-232, relay and I/O ports to support a wide variety of audio-visual devices, including projectors, DVD players and switchers.A deployment with multiple Novara 3000's can easily beinstalled and updated simultaneously with the easy to use andeasy to set up Novara Device Configuration Software.

"The Novara 3000 Series is one of the most versatileproduct lines on the market for commercial control," stated AMXChief Technology Officer Robert Noble. "It fits perfectly insmaller cost-effective, standalone, simple control solutions allthe way up to large, comprehensive, multi-level, AMX NetLinxcontrol solutions - this robust product delivers."

AMX Now Shipping Novara 3000 Series ControlPads

63

Crestron hasannounced the release of itsrevolutionary newDigitalMedia 8G technology,the first true one-wire, high-output network. DigitalMedia8G delivers unprecedentedultra-high speed and longdistance transmission of alldata, Ethernet and control,plus analog and digital AVsignals. All signals andcommunications aremanaged over a singleshielded CAT5 wire ormultimode fiber strand; nocompression or repeatersrequired. Installation is nowfaster, cheaper and easier

than ever. DigitalMedia 8G farsurpasses the 1 gigabitthroughput of standardEthernet networks. 8G is theworld's first AV distributionand control transport solutionthat delivers an eight gigabitpipeline for each input andeach output. DigitalMedia 8Gpreserves the native videoresolution and audio formatof every signal, ensuring apure, lossless signal path.The result is the highestquality and most reliable HDdigital entertainmentexperience available."DigitalMedia 8G is thefastest and most powerful AVnetwork ever developed,"says Vincent Bruno, CrestronDirector of Marketing. "As atrue one-wire platform with asingle RJ45 connection, 8Galso saves integrators a lot oftime and money, significantlyreducing material and laborcosts of cabling and thenumber of terminations."

The Fastest, Most Powerful AV Network

Embracing industrystandards

During June MECIA hostedthe InfoComm CTS Preptraining course in Dubai.The course was wellattended by 18 AVprofessionals all eager toearn InfoComm’s CTScredential. Interestingly,many of the participantswere long–in-the-tooth AVprofessionals with manyyears experience in theaudiovisual profession.“Keeping up to date withindustry standards is ofparamount importancewhen you’re working onmajor AV integrationprojects that involve inputfrom multiple suppliers,”says Troy Frankson, AVengineer with Omnix MediaNetworks in Dubai. “Thiscourse provides all theinformation on industrybest-practice – it’sprobably the bestpresented educationprogramme I’ve everattended.”

of AV Technology. JasperCecil from the University’sAudio Visual Centre hasbeen a great supporter ofSACIA since its inceptionand explains that the AudioVisual Centre provides andmaintains facilities on 5campuses with 35 staff,who provide a variety of AVservices in Durban andPietermaritzburg. Thisincludes a videoproduction unit with 3studios and 2 OB vans.“We also provide AVequipment to supportacademic and studentinitiatives. The division iscommitted to deliveringexceptional services to itsclients within the Universityand to achieve thisobjective, it is critical thatour staff understand thescience and technologybehind the audiovisualservices we provide,” hesaid. Jasper’s objective isto ensure that all frontlinestaff within the Audio VisualCentre earn their CTScredential so that they canmeet the educationalobjectives of the Universitymore efficiently. He is alsoactively encouraging all theUniversity’s AV technologysuppliers to demonstratetheir knowledge andsupport capability byearning their CTScredential.

University of KZNtraining programme

Essentials class inJohannesburg. The courseattracted nearly 20participants including anumber of AV techniciansfrom Parliament and otherstate-owned enterprises.“Government bodies areincreasing their use ofaudiovisual technology tocut costs and streamlinethe communicationprocess,” explains AubreyNgcobozi, head ofParliament’s audiovisualunit. “It’s critical that we’reaware of the latest trendsand technologies shapingthe future of our industry –and of our country.” From20-21 October SACIA arehosting their ProAV Foum:an outreach programmethat’s being presented aspart exhibition andconference that ofInfoComm International’sAV Week. The Forumincludes an exhibition andconference aimed athighlighting the use of AVtechnology in business,government and educationmarkets.

Immediately after thecourse at the University ofKwaZulu Natal, SACIAhosted another GEN111 AV

Broadcast and Film in Kenya

African countries face theprospect of failing to meetthe 2015 deadline set bythe InternationalTelecommunications Union(ITU) for all countries tomake the transition fromanalogue to digitaltelevision broadcasting. AtAitec’s second Broadcastand Film Conference and

exhibition held in Nairobi inJuly the continent’s industryleaders came together todeliberate and discuss thechallenges and issuesaffecting this sector.According to RussellSouthwood, chief executiveof Balancing Act UK, only 5of the 53 states in Africahave launched the processof switching over fromanalogue to digitaltelevision.

Freedom of creativityAt the end of JuneAdvanced Media Tradinghosted an open day at theirColonia Production Studiosin Dubai. Described as the“Freedom of Creativity”event, they were able toshowcase a collaborativevideo production workflowfeaturing products fromSony, Adobe, HP andApple. Over two daysvisitors had the opportunityto experiment with theSony XDCAM EX seriescameras in a professionalstudio environment thatincluded lightning, green-screen and a real modelonstage. They were alsoable to try the latest AppleFinal Cut Pro video editingsoftware and evaluate thenewest Adobe ProductionPremium CS5 softwarerunning on super-power HPworkstations. Feedbackfrom particpants wasextremely positive and I’mcertain we’ll be seeingmore of these customevents from this innovativesupplier over the next fewmonths.

64

SA Parliament pursue AV training

Excitement ran high at theUniversity of KwaZulu Natalin South Africa during Julywhen George PuthenkulamCTS presented the SACIAGEN111 course: Essentials

No. 410, 4th floor. Al Khaleej Center, Bur Dubai P.O.Box: 44156, Dubai-UAE Tel.: +9714 3529977 Fax: +9714 3529976 Email: info@amediallc.com Website: www.amediallc.com

No. 410, 4th floor. Al Khaleej Center, Bur Dubai P.O.Box: 44156, Dubai-UAE Tel.: +9714 3529977 Fax: +9714 3529976 Email: info@amediallc.com Website: www.amediallc.com